Happy Anniversary, Baby Ch. 08

The very next day, I was at my desk -- my new desk -- on the other side of Gabrielle's office door, across from Bonnie's desk.

Gabrielle's office was a busy one. It seemed like there was hardly a moment when I wasn't either making a call of my own or taking a call from someone else, causing me to have to make another call of my own.

But was okay, because it made the day go by quite fast.

One thing I noticed, however, was that Bonnie had nothing but smiles for me. Every time I looked up from whatever I might have been doing, she was staring at me from her desk.

She was looking very pretty today, wearing a black pencil skirt, green sweater with a scoop neck and sky-high nude heels.

I'm afraid my outfit wasn't the same as hers, quality-wise. Give me a couple of paychecks, though, and I'll be hitting it out of the park, to use a sports metaphor.

That day, I was wearing all black -- sweater, pencil skirt and patent-leather stiletto boots, my hair slicked back in a long ponytail.

As I said before, Bonnie was not only super nice and helpful but also beautiful, and not just in the face but her body, as well.

Sometime soon I was going to have to make it so that I took my lunch at the same time Bonnie did. I needed to find out where she was coming from.

I would have to email Gabrielle about getting someone to fill in for me, too.

I had to wait until after lunch, but I finally called the restaurant and made reservations for four, so that we four ladies could have that celebratory dinner at the end of the week that Gabrielle had mentioned.

We had dinner at seven on Friday evening all set up, and we were to be seated at their best table, to boot, to be waited on by their best wait staff. That was Gabrielle's only request. She didn't want the new girl to be waiting on us, and while I didn't care one way or the other, I didn't blame her, either.

I hung up the phone and just happened to see Bonnie doing it again -- staring at me openly, a rapt expression on her face, positively beaming, not looking creepy at all.

So I said, "What, honey?"

"Nothing," she said, softly, shyly. "I'm just, I don't know, I like seeing you there."

"That's very sweet of you," I said. "I hope you want to go out on Friday, cause I just made reservations for the four of us at Giorgio's."

Bonnie's face lit up. "I love Giorgio's! I haven't had a chance to go there in ages. Just the four of us, huh?"

"Yep," I said, nodding. "Well, the four of us ladies."

"Ladies night," Bonnie said. "Nice!"

"You're really happy," I observed.

"Oh, Lauren, you have no idea. It's been just me sitting out here all by myself for the longest time, for the past several weeks, anyway, waiting for you to get your paperwork to come through. I've just wanted someone to talk to. That it's you is even better."

I blushed but didn't say anything in reply, as I turned back to my computer and sent emails to Gabrielle, Raquel and Bonnie, even though I just talked to her.

Finally I said, "Well, for my part, I'm just glad to be out of Admin."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, looking sympathetic. "Oh, I know that must have been boring."

"You have no idea," I said.

"I'm glad to have you here, all the same," Bonnie said, beaming at me.

I beamed back at her. "Thank you..."

"So, dinner at seven," Bonnie said, looking at her email.

"Yep," I said. "I hope you have a really nice dress. I'm afraid Gabrielle wants to make it a black tie party."

"That won't be a problem," she said. "What about you? You haven't even been here long enough to get paid the new pay rate."

"I'll be fine," I assured her. "At least until I get paid, as you say."

"I can't wait!"

"Me, neither," I said. "Oh! Which reminds me."

"Of what?"

I turned back to my desk, lifting my phone. "Gotta setup the limo..."

Bonnie squealed in excitement.

I shook my head, but smiled as I did, as I called the number for the limo company. Ten minutes later, it, too, was all set. So I sent out another email. I got replies from the ladies almost right away.

Gabrielle herself replied only a few minutes later. Her reply made me smile.

"Good job."

* * * *

The four of us were seated at our table when Gabrielle said, "I hope you ladies aren't getting too sleepy. I was hoping we all might retire to the lounge for drinks."

The three of us were agreeable, except for Raquel. She looked uncertain.

"Is something wrong, Raquel?"

"Oh. Uhm. No, Gabrielle. Nothing's wrong. Why?"

"You looked like you weren't too sure, for a moment."

"Sorry. Just that I'm not used to being out this late, even on a Friday..." She looked embarrassed for a moment.

So I said, "Her ex-husband didn't let her go out on Friday nights."

Gabrielle looked sympathetic. "I understand. Husbands can be such assholes sometimes. Stay with us, Raquel. Please."

Raquel's face lit up with almost child-like joy. "Yes. Of course."

I patted her hand. She smiled in return as we all rose from the table, headed for the lounge for drinks.

A few minutes later we were all seated on a huge sectional couch together, each of us sipping from a drink of our choice. Pretty soon we were all feeling pleasantly intoxicated. Not falling-down, sloppy drunk, just feeling nicely buzzed. After all, we didn't have to drive, so we could have a drink or two if we wanted.

Gabrielle said, "Well, ladies, I hope you all have breath mints. Because I feel like a kissing game. We all take turns kissing each other. What do you say?"

Like I said, we were all getting a nice buzz going, so we were agreeable. Even Raquel was reaching for her lipstick.

Twenty minutes later my lips were feeling tingly, after an extended make-out session with Gabrielle and then Raquel.

Then Gabrielle said, "Lauren, baby, you haven't kissed Bonnie."

Bonnie was blushing as she said, "No time like the present. Come here, you."

I said, "Absolutely..."

My hopes that all this making out would lead to a lesbian foursome were dashed when Raquel wanted to get home, and Bonnie agreed. So we bade the restaurant staff good night and took the limo home.

Raquel got out of the limo like it was a pot full of boiling water, making me wonder what her problem was.

Then Bonnie said, "Goodnight, honey. See you Monday."

"Goodnight," I said back.

Bonnie gave me a surprisingly sweet kiss on the lips before I got out of the limo. Then I joined Raquel on the sidewalk. I watched the limo pull away, my mind suddenly full of that single, sweet kiss, wondering what Bonnie was feeling.

Then I turned to Raquel. "What are you waiting for? Not inside the house already?"

"Sorry," she muttered. "This is all new to me, remember."

"Apology accepted," I said. "It's getting cold. Let's get inside."

* * * *

I'd been working at Gabrielle's office for a few months now, and I was really liking it, although sometimes it made for rather long days, long enough that my husband actually beat me home from work.

It bothered me that he was getting to spend time alone with Raquel, since, once she had covered for Bonnie during her lunch break, she was able to go home, but there also wasn't anything I could do about it, except to laugh all the way to the bank and watch the balance due on the house inch steadily downward. The house was actually going to be paid off early.

My wardrobe was steadily getting better and better. My side of the walk-in closet in our master bedroom was filled with designer labels, some of which I'd never thought I'd see in my lifetime -- Herve Leger and Christian Louboutin, among others.

One day, there was actually a slow day, the timing of which couldn't have been better, on a Friday. Once Raquel had filled in for Bonnie during her lunch break, Gabrielle sent her home early. I was feeling a little jealous about that, until about three in the afternoon, when Gabrielle came out and said, "Why don't you two go home early?"

We both said, "Are you sure?"

"Oh, yes. I have somewhere to be this afternoon. My husband says he wants to work on our marriage, or so he says. So, marriage counseling."

I wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak, so I went to exit out of my system. "Have a good weekend, Gabrielle."

"Same to you, Lauren."

Across from me, Bonnie took off her headset and stretched. "You going home, Lauren?"

"Yeah. What about you?"

"I was thinking about paying my favorite book store a visit."

I smiled. "Sounds like fun. Maybe we could do that together sometime..."

Bonnie smiled in return. "I'd like that. We'll have to hash out the details."

"Can't wait." We walked across the office together, and I pressed the call button for the elevator.

As we took the elevator down to the lobby, I couldn't help but wonder how Gabrielle felt about the possibility of repairing her marriage. Mine was on shakier ground than it's ever been, as if it wasn't already.

That was just one of many changes that were rocking my world.

The other day there was a very strange voice mail on the house phone, from a real estate agent of all things. I wanted to ask Jack about it, then figured they were fishing for listings, thinking we were putting the house on the market.

I had a feeling that things were about to come to a head. I had no idea what form it would take and it gave me a queasy, uneasy feeling.

The elevator finally opened on the lobby. Bonnie surprised me with a quick hug. "Good night. Shoot me a text when you get home, huh?"

"I will," I said. "You, too."

"I will," she promised. "Be careful!"

A half an hour later, I was finally getting home, happy to be getting home from work early for once.

Raquel had parked by the curb as usual. Then I spotted my husband's car. Shit, was everyone getting off work early today?

Maybe we could have another threesome!

The thought excited me, setting off little reactions inside my pussy. Quickly I parked, got out, locked my door, and approached the front door, keys in hand.

I came into an empty, quiet living room, looking around as I closed the front door behind me. "Raquel? Jack?"

No reply.

So I tossed my keys on the kitchen counter, my purse on the coffee table, and went down the hall to the master bedroom, wanting to slip into something more comfortable, park my behind on the couch and lose myself in a novel for a while before starting on dinner.

So I went down the hall to the master bedroom, to be confronted with a closed door. What on earth?

So I opened the door --

-- to be greeted by the sight of my husband, naked, in bed with Raquel, his pale body covering her brown curves, her calling his name under him, digging her long nails in his back.

They had clearly been going at it for a while when I came in. Their bodies were covered in a light sheen of sweat. Both of them were completely nude.

"Decided not to wait for me, I see."

Raquel's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Shit! Lauren! Can't you knock?"

"This is my house," I said tartly.

Jack cracked a sweaty grin. "Sorry you had to see that, Lauren."

"No, you were sorry that I caught you two going at it," I said in return. "I'll just leave you two to finish up."

I left the master bedroom, slamming the door closed in my wake.

Twenty minutes later, Raquel came out into the living room, having the guts to be wearing one of my terrycloth bathrobes! Jack followed right behind her, wearing only a pair of boxer shorts.

Jack quietly said, "Why don't we have a seat at the bar here?"

Uh-oh. This sounds big.

Jack took my hands and stared into my eyes. "Lauren," he started. "I'm sorry you had to see that, but I think it's time to tell you that Raquel and I have fallen in love. And we want to get married."

"Oh, really?" I said, my voice high-pitched and almost hysterical.

Jack cringed at my tone. "We've already talked this over and given it a lot of thought. Raquel and I have already been looking at houses..."

"That explains the voice mail from the real estate agent," I said. "But go ahead."

"I've already contacted a divorce lawyer, as well," he continued. "Raquel and I have already agreed that you should keep the house. As I said, we've already been house hunting."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I said, my voice rising even higher.

Jack cringed again. "I couldn't think of any other way to tell you. If it helps, the reason why we haven't told you before was because we've been trying to think of a way to break it to you gently."

"So, are you guys leaving soon or what?"

Raquel spoke then, her voice gentle, almost sad. "We're moving out over the weekend."

I faced her. "Please do not tell me you're staying at the office," I said, my tone sharper than I wanted. "I think you'll agree that would be beyond awkward."

"Actually, yes, I would have to agree," Raquel replied. "Which is why I've already taken the liberty of putting in my notice with Gabrielle. She's already contacted a temp agency about someone to replace me."

I was brought up short. It seemed as though they had taken care of everything. Now there was just the painful divorce.

"So," I said to Jack. "That's it? After all this time we've been together?"

He looked like there were no good ways to say what he had to say. I had absolutely no sympathy for him.

"I'm sorry, Lauren," he said, sighing. "It's not like you haven't seen this coming. We've been having our problems."

"Like what?" My tone was sharp.

"Well, like you've been working late, every day, for the last several months," he said. "Ever since you started this new job. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad we've been able to pay off the house ahead of schedule, but you working late has been, uh, difficult to get used to."

"And I thought we could have worked through those problems," I said, in a small voice.

Jack said, "Lauren--"

"Do not 'Lauren' me," I snapped. "You can't pretend this is all rather sudden."

"I know it is," he said. "But as I said, we've already agreed that you should keep the house. If you'll be reasonable, there's no reason why we can't make this as painless as possible and we can all go our separate ways."

I felt hot tears running down my face. "Yeah. Right. Separate ways." I somehow managed to get control over my emotions, wiping my tears away. Then, in a brittle, small voice, full of tears, I said, "I really think you two should stay in a hotel. It would be a big mistake to keep living in this house."

Jack and Raquel exchanged glances, like they just knew I was going to say something like this. Fuck them both.

I was just more taken aback, left holding the bag, feeling like others had made important decisions without bothering to tell me, which only made me more upset. And why didn't Gabrielle tell me, if she knew all this?

Jack quietly said, "Give us a few minutes to change clothes and pack a few things. We'll be by this weekend to move out our stuff. Then my divorce attorney will be in contact with you."

Without another word, they rose and went back down the hall.

About twenty minutes later, fully dressed, carrying duffle bags, Jack and Raquel returned to the living room.

This time, Raquel spoke. "I'm really sorry, Lauren."

"Please, just go," I said, my tone cold but full of tears.

And they did.

That night, I was in total shock. I was in absolute disbelief at what had just happened. I wanted to call someone, but all the people I wanted to call had their own lives to attend to and couldn't be bothered with my sad story.

Gabrielle -- she was supposedly "working on her marriage."

Bonnie -- going out and having fun.

Staci -- god only knows what she was doing.

So I spent the evening in a quiet house all by myself.

* * * *

Saturday afternoon, just as they'd said, Jack and Raquel came by for the rest of their things. It took a couple of hours and more than a few trips, but they both had the rest of their clothes and all their things packed and loaded in a moving van that he'd rented.

And then, in perhaps the most painful moment of all, Jack left his house keys with me before he left.

And he took off his wedding band.

Then he left with Raquel. He had the good sense not to look happy.

Suddenly the house was too quiet. All my husband's clothes were gone. His things were gone from the bathroom and the bedroom.

My husband was gone.

I started to cry. Suddenly I couldn't take it anymore. I had to call somebody.

So I got my cell phone and texted Bonnie. "Hey, can I call you? I need you. L."

Barely five minutes later, my phone rang. "Hello."

"Hey, honey," Bonnie said, sounding concerned. "I got your message. What's wrong?"

"God, I'm so glad you called," I said, sniffling. "You won't believe what's happened..."

In a rush I poured out my whole story about the last thirty-six hours. It felt good to tell it to someone.

Bonnie said, "Oh my god, are you okay? You don't sound good."

"I've been better," I admitted.

"How about if I come over? I don't think it would be a good idea for you to be alone right now."

"You don't mind?"

"Of course I don't mind. How about in an hour? That will give me time to get dressed."

Get dressed, I thought. Oh. Right. I was still dressed, if you could use the word, in my pajamas, a white t-shirt and matching white drawstring shorts, my hair up in a tiny, tight bun. That's how unsettled I was.

"That sounds good," I said. "See you soon."

Bonnie arrived an hour later, just as she said, came in, kicked off her heels, and gave me a gentle hug. "Talk to me, Lauren. How are you? I would feel like I've been sucker punched. That was terrible what he did."

"That about covers it," I agreed. Slowly I raised my left hand, wiggling my fingers. "I even took off my rings."

"Ouch," Bonnie said.

Guys who know will tell you, when a woman takes off her wedding ring or any kind of ring that a man has given her, he is finished in her eyes, along with the relaionship they had.

That was how I felt about Jack in that moment.

Unfortunately I felt naked without my rings on at the moment. But eventually I would get used to not having them on.

"How about if I order us a pizza? I have a feeling you haven't had anything to eat, not today anyway."

My stomach decided right then to indicate its agreement. I said, "That would be very nice of you. Let me chip in something."

"No, I got it."

"Okay..."

Half an hour later I was polishing off a slice of pizza, chasing it down with a long pull from a bottle of soda.

"Feel better?" Bonnie asked, reaching for another slice.

"Yeah, thanks," I said. "This whole thing has driven things like food completely from my mind."

"I understand," she said sadly. "I remember back in college when my mom had a heart attack and had to go to the hospital. Eventually she was fine but at the time I was completely blindsided and didn't know what to do."

"That must have been terrible for you," I said.

"At the time, yes," she said. "What else can I do for you? Do you need a massage? I can do a great back rub."

That made me smile. "I'm sure you could. But just being here for me is more than enough for right now."

"Okay."

We ate in silence for a little while, then -- the phone rang.

I reached for it, but Bonnie stopped me. "No. Don't. I'll get it."

I said, "Okay..."

She lifted the receiver.

"Hello. May I ask who this is? Okay, Jack, Lauren's ex-husband, I don't think it would be a good idea for you to speak with her. Well, because, at the moment she's emotionally sensitive and vulnerable. I've made her eat and gotten her to talk but if she talks to you that's just going to make her worse all over again."

There was a pause while she listened.

"Jack, if you want my advice, I would say give her time. She needs time, to process this big change. Eventually she'll be fine, but at the moment she's, as I said, sensitive and doesn't need any further upset. I'll tell her. Goodbye."