For Twelve Month and a Day

"Ellen, they're children!" Megan had her red turtleneck on by then and pulled her homemade placard over it, carefully painted like the jack of hearts on both sides. "I'll probably just make them think of Alice in Wonderland."

"If you say so," Ellen said. "I guess we know what you'll make the guys at the adult party think of."

"It's not for Jerry!"

"I didn't say it was, Megan. But are you sure?"

Megan paused while slipping her shoes on. "Ellen, no. You were right, I'm off him. You know what he told me last week? He spent time in jail! Why would a guy say a thing like that when it obviously isn't true?"

"Have you considered that maybe it is true?" Ellen asked.

"Of course not!" Megan gathered up her purse for the walk over to the community center. "You've seen how great he is with those kids. There's no way..."

"Not everyone who goes to jail is evil, Megan."

"Is that what you wouldn't tell me about him last week?"

"No," Ellen said. "I didn't know that part of the story."

"You mean it gets worse?"

"It's still not my story to tell." Ellen hooked her arm through Megan's. "Never mind that, all right? Let's enjoy the party."

Jerry insisted on having Randi and Sarah over for lunch before the party. "As a thank you for helping screw my head on straight," he'd told them.

"I don't see what we did, Jerry, but thanks," Randi said as they finished up the homemade vegetable soup.

"Does this mean we are going to see some sparks with Megan after all?" Sarah asked.

"Depends on whether I scared her off last week," Jerry said. "I made a damn fool of myself, but that's in the past. Janet's in the past, too. Enough is enough."

"What brought this on?" Sarah asked him. "It's great to hear, but why the change of heart?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. So what's your costume?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Sarah teased.

"I'd like to know yours, Jerry," Randi added. "So you are coming?"

"I am," Jerry declared with the most genuine smile he'd felt on his face in ages. "Don't worry, it's G-rated, but I don't think the kids'll get the joke."

He was right. When the kids stepped one by one into the meeting room in his ancient sportcoat, torn jeans, a sneaker on his left foot and a wingtip on his right and a sign around his neck reading "Liberal arts graduate, Will think for food!", the children laughed at his bizarre appearance but looked more confused than amused.

Naturally, their parents did get the joke. "Ain't that the truth!" said little Stephanie's mother.

Stephanie got the joke partially. "Jerry, you are a bum!"

"Why, it looks like you're right!" Jerry replied to Stephanie, who was dressed as an angel. "That's why you should listen when your parents try to make you love math and science!"

"What?" Stephanie looked up at her mother, who only laughed.

"Nothing. Have some candy?" He offered her a plastic jack-o-lantern full of miniature candy bars, and she helped herself to an Almond Joy.

He greeted all the other kids similarly, and the room was buzzing with sugar highs by the time he chanced to look up and see Megan stepping into the room. Her predictions notwithstanding, the kids reacted to her costume with a chorus of naughty "Ooooh!"s.

"I'm with the kids, Megan," Jerry said with a smile he hoped would look conciliatory. "Love it!"

"Thank you!" Megan told herself again she was over Jerry. But she couldn't argue with the warm greeting.

Between games and songs and hyperactive kids bouncing around, they were most of the way through the party before Jerry had a chance to even get near Megan. She had avoided looking for such an opportunity, but she didn't object when he did finally sidle up to her as the party was winding down. "Hey," he said in the gentlest tone he could muster.

"Nice costume," Megan said. "So true!"

"I love yours too."

"Ellen told me it was too risqué for the kids. I guess she was right after all." She looked down at herself. "Whoops." She allowed a shy smile, for in spite of herself she was enjoying Jerry's obvious interest.

"Listen, Megan, I owe you an apology..."

"Jerry, it's all right! Whatever secrets you have, it's none of my business anyway."

"No, that's just it. It's nothing I'm not willing to share with you. If you're willing to hear about my dark side, anyway," he added with a shy smile.

"Well, it is Halloween, isn't it?" Megan could feel her resolve slipping away, and she was quite happy about it.

Jerry's secrets had to wait a bit, for Ellen arrived at that moment. Her costume got a lot of laughs from the kids, though none of them appeared to recognize it, and after waving hello to them all she set about running interference for Megan. "Jerry!" she said, looking him up and down. "How spot-on is that?"

"Well, thanks," he said. "Megan, we'll talk later, I hope?" Then he had to break up an argument between a cowboy and an astronaut over a peanut butter cup.

"Pushing you away again?" Ellen asked Megan as soon as he was gone. "I thought you said you were off him?"

"I was, but...he just apologized and said he wanted to talk later."

"About jail?"

"About whatever he didn't want to tell me last week."

Ellen shook her head. "If he's going to open up to you, that's great. But I hope you're ready to hear it."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You'll see. Maybe."

The adults were just starting to arrive for their party by the time they saw the last of the kids off. Once again Ellen and Megan were treated to the adorable sight of Jerry helping the kids on with their coats and out with their treats. Megan didn't comment on it this time, but Ellen could see from the look on her face that she wasn't going to be dissuaded from giving him another try anyway. "I'll see you both in the other party?" she said as she finished wiping down the last of the kids' tables.

"Okay," Megan said.

"I take it Mom there disapproves of me?" Jerry quipped, stacking the last of the chairs along the wall.

"No, she disapproves of me pushing you too hard about your past," Megan said. "But I didn't mean to pry, honest."

"I don't feel you pried!" Jerry stepped up to her, wanting to hug her. But that would have been awkward with her costume. "Oh," he said, smiling at the floor.

"What is it, Jerry?"

"I wanted to hug you, but...it wouldn't do to bend the jack of hearts, would it?"

Megan laughed. "That's sweet. I'll just imagine you did, okay?"

"That'll do fine." Next door, the first song of the evening burst out of the sound system. It was "Monster Mash". "God, what a cliché that is!" Jerry said.

"Oh, they have to play it at least once tonight, don't they?"

"Good point. Just reminds me a little too much of a middle school dance, and here I'm already feeling like a teenager asking a girl on my first date."

"You've been in jail and you can still feel that innocent, Jerry?"

"Call it being born again, if you want," Jerry said. "Can I offer you some punch next door and we can talk about that?"

"May I have the first dance as well?" She slid her arm through his as they stepped out into the hallway, fielding a round of hoots and applause for their costumes.

"I should think so," Jerry said. He nodded hello to their fellow revellers, and they stepped into the darkened auditorium.

He had no trouble looking in her eyes as they danced, though they did both pause to say hello to Randi and Sarah. Randi was wearing dozens of nametags she'd picked up at various conferences. "She's an identity crisis, get it?" asked Sarah.

"I get it!" Jerry said.

"And there's no mistaking your costume," Megan added. Sarah was a man, an anatomically correct and very well-endowed man. "Is that foam rubber?" Megan asked, pointing but not touching.

"A floatation device they were throwing out at the town pool," Sarah confirmed. "Who could resist?"

"I certainly could've!" Jerry said in Megan's ear as soon as they were alone together again.

"Was she always that dirty-minded?" Megan asked.

"Since college," Jerry said. "We became friends comparing notes on which of the girls turned our heads and why. Turned out we both liked the same types."

"No kidding?" Megan thought of the way Sarah had looked at her in the locker room and was delighted. "How about that punch now?"

"And the truth about you in jail?"

"If there's somewhere we can talk!" The music was much too loud for intimate conversation.

"Of course there is!" As soon as they each had a glass of the fruity drink, she led him out of the party and down the hall to her and Ellen's office, which was deserted. She turned on the light to reveal they had decked the place out with orange and black streamers and handfuls of pulled cotton. "Gotta get in the mood even in the workplace, haven't we?" Megan quipped. "Now first things first." She pulled her plackard off and set it beside her desk. "May I have that hug now?"

"I should think so!" Jerry enfolded her in an embrace that seemed to linger just a bit too long, but Megan didn't mind, so he didn't let go.

When at last she did pull back, she said, "Thank you. Now tell me, why the change of heart."

"I realized it was time to move on," Jerry replied.

"Move on from what? From jail?"

"From what put me there. Are you sure you want to hear the story? I can't promise you won't regret that hug."

"Let me be the judge of that...oh, sorry! Poor choice of words!"

"I've got nothing against judges," Jerry said. "The one I saw dropped all charges against me."

"Charges for what, may I ask?" Megan sat down in Ellen's desk chair and beckoned for him to take hers.

He sat down beside her and took a deep breath. "Assault and battery."

"Against whom?"

"The drunk driver who killed my girlfriend."

"Oh, Jerry!" Megan jumped up and leaned over and hugged him again. "How could you think I'd hate you for that?"

"I didn't say hate," Jerry said.

"Yeah, okay, you didn't. But anyway, I don't blame you at all! When did it happen?"

"A year ago last week." He gave her a sad smile. "The mourning period is up, I see that now. I've got to let her go and rest in peace, and get on with my life."

"I'm sure she'd agree with that." Megan turned on the radio on Ellen's desk and offered him her hands, and he took both and stood up.

"I know she does," Jerry said.

"Well, it is the time of year for talking to the dead, isn't it?"

Jerry laughed and led her in an impromptu waltz to a song on the radio that neither of them recognized. The thumping dance beats from down the hall were the only other sound for a moment or two.

"Tell me," Megan finally said. "Your...past, is that why you lied about being too busy to join me at the pool last week?"

"Partially." Jerry was almost relieved he didn't have to deny he'd lied.

"What's the other part, then?"

"I guess that's all it was. I was -- am -- I'm really attracted to you, I guess that's okay to say now?"

"Of course!" She kissed his cheek.

"Oh good. And...yeah, as long as I was refusing to let go of Janet, I was doing my best to keep my distance."

"And you didn't think you could do that if you saw my amazingly sexy body in a swimsuit," Megan deadpanned.

"Exactly!" Jerry laughed. "I mean, it sounds awfully funny when you put it that way, but I mean...I guess, what I went through losing Janet and then three months in jail...starting over after that, I felt really innocent. Like middle school, where you have to ask your friend to ask the girl's friend to ask her if she'll dance with you."

"Oh, God, don't remind me!" Megan laughed. "But I get it, Jerry. I've got my own insecurities about my body, you know."

"You do?" Jerry took the opportunity for a shameless look up and down her tall, full figure, swathed so delightfully in tights and a tight turtleneck.

"Think I can hide these in a swimsuit?" She asked, taking his hands and placing them invitingly on her breasts.

"Why would you want to?" He gave them both a gentle caress and felt himself getting hard.

"You'd understand if you had them," she said. "Oooh, but right now you're making me glad I've got them! Feels great!" She helped herself to a feel on the front of his pants, and chuckled, "I see I'm not the only one who thinks so!"

"Not by a longshot," Jerry whispered, and he kissed her.

It was a long, silent kiss, and Megan took the opportunity to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his jeans. "Let's let this out," she cooed. In no time she had his hard cock wrapped tightly in her hand.

"Oof, yes!" Jerry squealed. He lost no time in pulling Megan's shirt up, and she let go of him just long enough to raise her arms and let him pull it off. "No hiding them now, is there?" he said, admiring her lacy red bra.

"No need to!" Megan agreed. Having experienced her share of guys who didn't know their way around a bra, she reached back and unhooked it herself. Having longed for his hands and lips on her breasts all this time, she did not want to waste one more second. She tossed it off to the side and stood proudly topless before him. "No need to eat your heart out now, huh?" she said.

"It's not my heart I'm thinking of eating out."

Megan laughed so hard she almost didn't notice him pulling her tights and panties down.

Almost.

She'd had Jerry pegged as the shy type, but here she was naked while he still had most of his clothes on. There was no time to feel any self-consciousness, though, before she fell back on Ellen's chair with his face buried in her bush and his tongue tickling her clit delightfully. She let out a shriek of joy and rubbed his head with both hands.

"Oh, Jerry! Oooh! Whhhhhhhh..." Megan slid down in the chair to give Jerry a better angle, and he had no trouble latching on to her sweet spot. He reached back and rubbed her buttocks, and pulled her in tighter as he brought her off. She came with a yelp and a tight grip on his hair, which she pulled slightly but that only heightened his awareness as she crested the wave.

"How I've missed that!" he said, pulling back.

"Get your clothes off and get on my chair," Megan said, catching her breath.

Jerry had taken good care of himself since starting life over again, she saw as he obeyed her order. But she didn't dawdle to admire his body before she climbed onto his lap facing him and took him inside her.

He moaned as loudly as she did, something she'd never come across before. "That's beautiful," she cooed, just as she set in to humping him slowly, rhythmically, looking deep into his eyes.

Neither of them said anything else for the moment. When they weren't kissing, they were moaning loudly enough to almost drown out the noise from the party. Jerry's hands had found his way up to her breasts again, and were caressing them enthusiastically whenever they weren't pressed tightly up against him, which they were more and more as Megan's rocking grew harder and faster.

"Come with me!" she whispered. "Now!"

"Okay!" He rocked in time with her and let out a long "Ohhhhhh," but it was drowned out by her own shriek of joy. He pulled her tight and stopped the rocking, and she savored the delicious moment with him clutched deep inside her.

They shared another long kiss, and then she drew back to look in his eyes. "What are you thinking, my dear?" she asked.

His eyes were watering as he answered, "It's great to be alive!"