Jacuzzi for Two

In time our discussion turned to our own lives. She had her head back against the seat and she was gazing out the window. "How long has it been, Steve?"

"How long has what been?"

"How long has it been since your divorce?"

"Oh! Um, four years? It seems like another life now."

We road in silence for a few minutes after that.

"Do you mind if I ask what happened?"

"Would you be surprised if I said I don't know? Our lives fell into what I thought was a happy routine. The kids were growing up. They graduated high school and went off to college. I tried to get her to spend more time together now that the kids were out of the house, but instead she seemed to spend more time at work. I was cooking more meals and doing more of the household chores thinking that would bring her home. I asked her out on date nights and sometimes she agreed while often she was busy. Then she dropped the bomb on me. I came home shortly after the movers left. She said she wasn't happy and needed to start a new life. I tried to plead with her to stay and work on the marriage, so she said a few more things that I didn't like hearing. I think they were said to push me away. That made it easier for her. Then she was gone. I found out later she moved in with some worthless fuck... Sorry, I mean some worthless guy she knew from work. My friends finally got it through my thick skull that a woman doesn't move in with a man she hasn't already been having sex with. To tell you the truth, that somehow helped me. That extra bit of betrayal finally got me angry enough to sign the papers. Before that I was feeling sorry for myself and holding out hope. I still see her a couple times a year and she's tried to have a polite relationship with me, but I just tolerate her for the sake of the kids. They know what happened, and they don't seem to have the same relationship with her they once did. Maybe that's why she tries to get me to talk with her. I suppose she thinks if I forgive her the kids will, too. I figure it's only a matter of time before one of them cheats on the other. What is it they say? 'Once a cheater, always a cheater'? Anyway, I sold the house and bought something smaller. Then I buried myself in work and picked up the hobbies that I'd neglected for most of my married life."

"Is that when you got back into sailing?"

"Yep! It's been a breath of fresh air, no pun intended." We were both smiling at that, probably because the thought was more cathartic than funny. "I think flying must be a lot like sailing, only more expensive. It's liberating. The only sound you hear is the wind in the sails and the water against the hull. With time and experience, you don't need to look at the wind vane; you can feel it on your face. You set course and adjust your sails. There's enough to think about that you don't have time to think about your problems. It's cleansing."

I looked over and I could see the look of pleasure on her face. "I want you to take me out sometime."

"You got it! I can't think of anything I'd enjoy more." Then I remembered those panties and I thought there was at least one thing...

"What about you? How did you become a free woman?"

"Oh, that's easy. Three's a crowd."

I didn't like the sound of that and I glanced over at my companion. "Three's a crowd?"

"The bastard was cheating on me."

"I hate cheaters. So you caught him?"

"Nope. She did. What I'm guessing was only intended to be an affair turned into a marriage. I came home from that awful Detroit trip. You remember that one? The plane lost our luggage, the hotel lost our reservations, and then they told us the run was cancelled and we could go home."

"How could I forget?"

"I walked into the house late the same day I'd left and was greeted by the very picture of domestic bliss. The only problem was that I wasn't in the picture! They were sitting on the couch playing kissy face."

"That must have been a shock."

"Not as much of a shock as what happened next. While he was sitting there with his mouth open, she climbs out of the chair, holds out her hand, and says, "Hello. I'm Kate. You must be Claire.'"

"Cheeky."

"That was when I noticed she was pregnant."

"Wow!"

"...very pregnant! Remember I said she 'climbed out of the chair'? She looked like she could drop the kid any minute."

"So what did you do?"

"I punched her in the stomach!"

I damn near ran off the road. I was looking at Claire like she'd lost her mind when she said, "I'm kidding! I dropped down into one of the other chairs, stared at the two of them, and said, 'Anyone want to explain to me what's going on?'

"My husband still hadn't found his voice, so she pipes up. 'Well, Bobby got so used to you being unable to get pregnant that he forgot to wear a rubber. I thought he was shooting blanks, but it turned out he wasn't. So one thing led to another and...' Then she points to her swollen belly and smiles."

"Bobby?"

"Yeah, that's another thing. He was always Robert to his family and Bob to his friends, but she called him Bobby like he was still a teenager. I guess that's what happens when you rob the cradle. She was maybe twenty-two and he was forty-one, so Bobby got himself a girlfriend and then he got her pregnant.

"The rest of that night was surreal. Kate actually wanted to be friends! Can you imagine? I finally announced I was going to bed. It was clear that they had been camped out in our bedroom, so I took the guest bed and wedged a chair against the door. They were gone in the morning, but he returned at about ten. We had a very civilized talk and a most civilized divorce, but only after I kicked him in the nuts once so he'd remember what he'd done."

That made me smile and I thought, "That's my Claire!"

"That was nine years ago. It took me a long time to get over that act of betrayal."

"Do you still see him?"

"Not much. Without kids, there really isn't much reason."

"Did he ever apologize?"

"Not to my satisfaction. He regretted getting her pregnant, but he didn't seem to feel overly guilty about how he did it."

"Sounds like a real winner."

She just grunted. "I don't think she was his first affair." We were quiet for a time until Claire said, "I guess that makes us the two losers."

I was shocked to hear that and my look told her so. "We're not losers. We're free of those two cheats. We didn't deserve their cheating on us. That's on them."

"It isn't the life I thought I'd have."

She was breaking my heart. "No, it isn't the life you thought you'd have yet! We still have a lot of life ahead of us."

She smiled a sad smile, but she nodded.

"Claire, you're a remarkable woman. I mean that. Any man would be lucky to have you in his life. Don't let Bobby's stupidity define you." I said "Bobby" with a condescending voice. She didn't respond.

It was maybe two or three minutes later when she volunteered, "I miss having someone to sleep next to. It isn't the sex. Well, okay, it's partly the sex, but I miss having that warm body to fall asleep with and waking up to his snoring."

That got me laughing. "My wife used to complain bitterly about my snoring until I finally got that C-PAP. I haven't snored since, but it didn't keep her around."

Claire just smiled and placed her hand on my arm. "You're right. We are better off."

We drove on into the afternoon until we reached the outskirts of The Grand Canyon. That's when we realized that we were driving across country during the peak of every family's summer vacation.

As we got close we found one hotel and motel after another with the "No Vacancy" sign out. It was looking bleak. We finally came to what looked like an upscale hotel. It wasn't a chain that I recognized, but it looked expensive. It was. I worked to get the hot box out of the back while Claire ran in to get us some rooms. We never left the box in the car overnight. It had relatively little value to anyone but us, but the thieves wouldn't know that. Then I got each of our bags and strapped them to the top of the hot box. It was a mess, but it held together, so I headed for the door.

I was just inside when Claire came up to greet me. "We have a problem."

Somehow, I wasn't surprised. "What is it?"

"They only have one room and they only have that because of a last minute cancellation."

I wasn't sure what to make of that.

"And it's the best room in the hotel."

At least that brought a smile to my face. "Okay, I can sleep in the car and you can have the room."

I did not get a very nice look when I said that! "James, how long have we known each other?"

"I don't know, about..."

"The question was rhetorical. The point is I trust you. Come on. And, James, bring the bags." That was her idea of being funny.

As we walked toward the elevator, I couldn't help but think, "You may trust me, but I sure don't!" Doing our laundry together had given me ideas, but hearing her talk about her husband's disrespect brought out a sympathy for her I'd never felt before. I was angry and I wanted to make her feel loved. Damn it, I wanted to jump her bones.

We reached our room and it was impressive! I still didn't know what we were paying for it, but it was by far the nicest room I'd ever stayed in. There was a fireplace, a big sofa, two plush chairs, a large table, a kitchen, a bathroom you could get lost in, and one very big bed. One bed.

I started to say something to Claire about sleeping on the sofa, but she stopped me before I got the first word out. "No you're not."

We were planning to spend two nights there so we would have a whole day to hike the canyon, so we unpacked our bags enough to get comfortable. As I was setting up my C-PAP, Claire set about exploring the room, and I soon heard her call, "James, did you see this?" Whatever it was, I hadn't, so I soon found her on the oversize balcony. There before us was The Grand Canyon, or some part of it. It really did leave me speechless. Now I knew what all the excitement was about. No pictures I'd seen did it justice. There really was nothing we could say that could match the natural beauty of that moment, so we both just stood there and admired what nature and time had created.

In time we settled into two chairs and continued to admire the beauty of the place until hunger got the better of us. Claire was looking at me, but I didn't know it. "Are you in the mood for some dinner?"

Her question snapped me out of my thoughts. "I could eat."

"Should we try the hotel restaurant?"

"That works!"

As we stood and turned, Claire said with some surprise, "Is that what I think it is?"

I looked beyond her and there was a large, covered, red box. "I think it might be."

We slowly and carefully took hold of the top, lifted, and sure enough it was! "Is that a Jacuzzi?"

"I think so." I was genuinely confused. "What's the difference between a Jacuzzi and a hot tub?"

"I don't know! I've never been in either of them."

"Well I don't know what we're paying for this room, but if we're paying for it then we're going to use it!"

There was a happy excitement written across her face. "Absolutely!"

We took turns freshening up and changing for dinner. We were on vacation and planned to live in khakis and casual shirts, but she surprised me wearing a bright summer's dress. "Was it worth the wait?" She was fishing for a complement and I was biting.

"Yes, very much worth it." Okay, I had one pair of nicer pants and I got a dress shirt from my bag. I couldn't match her, but I did what I could. Regrettably, the sneakers were the only shoes that I had. Despite that, we looked pretty good when we headed down to dinner.

We took our time to enjoy the meal. We talked, we laughed, and we planned our next day. With dinner over, we retired to an adjacent lounge to enjoy a drink before heading back to our room. There was a small dance floor and canned music, but the story of her divorce was still ringing in my ears. I rose from my chair, extended my hand, and asked, "May I have this dance?" You would have thought I'd crowned her the Queen of England. She was surprised, happy, almost crying, but she nodded yes and joined me on the dance floor. We danced three dances before sitting down and I succeeded in not stepping on her toes, so I put this one in the win column!

"How's your drink?" I asked.

She just nodded. I could see her smile, but there was not a word.

"Their music selection isn't bad."

She smiled and nodded. Her lips were quivering.

"I didn't step on your toes, did I?"

She chuckled briefly and shook her head.

"Claire, are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, James, I'm better than okay. Thank you for that. It's been a long time."

"Well, a woman as lovely as you should dance all the time." I know it was cheesy, but it was sincere. I stood up, extended my hand, and asked, "Could I have another dance?"

It was a very pleasant night. We danced, sipped our drinks, and danced some more. We even tried a few up tempo numbers, but it was the slow ones that I enjoyed the most. We weren't the only dancers on the floor that night, but I think we may have been the happiest. We did eventually retire for the night, but it was a wonderful end to a very interesting day.

When we returned to our room Claire gathered up a few things and said, "Give me a few minutes?" I guess she enjoyed the evening because she practically floated to the bathroom and closed the door quietly. I needed a few minutes in the bathroom, too, so I took the opportunity to claim a comfortable chair and think about the drive to come.

Claire spent what seemed like a long time getting ready for bed, but I'd been married long enough to keep that opinion to myself. In time she returned and was wearing a modest, but lovely pair of summer pajamas with short sleeves and short legs. She really did look captivating, but I knew we were only sharing this room because it was the last room available so I made every effort to behave myself. However, I wasn't going to let her go unappreciated, so I said, "You look lovely, Claire."

That earned me a shy smile and a "Thank you, James." Then she set about turning down the bed as I made my way to the bathroom to prepare for bed.

As I've said, Claire and I have known each other for a long time. We've been coworkers and trusted friends for years. Sleeping in the same bed that night should have been a simple matter. She trusted me. I behaved myself. It took hours for me to fall asleep. I slept with my back to her thinking I'd be less tempted and we were less likely to go bump in the night while every fiber of my being wanted to roll over and take her in my arms. I told myself she expected better than that of me. Eventually, exhaustion won out and I slept.

I woke in the morning to the sound of the sink running. Claire was brushing her teeth. Before long she wandered into the room her usual bright and bubbly morning self, "Get up, sleepyhead! You're sleeping the day away!"

All I could do was grunt.

"Come on!" and she pulled the covers off me.

"Five more minutes!"

"Get your ass out of bed. We're hiking the canyon today."

I think I hate this woman. Nobody has any right to be that chipper this early in the morning.

Damn it, it was her fault I didn't sleep well. She was messing with my head. I finally climbed out of bed and made my way to the bathroom.

"Get dressed!"

I grunted, "I'm taking a shower first."

"You can shower after your hike."

"I'm taking a shower!" A man's got to put his foot down at some point.

When I finally felt like a human being again, I put on one of those hotel robes and started searching for clothes to wear. Claire just sat on the sofa and laughed at me the whole time.

I returned to the bathroom until I was finally dressed and ready to leave. On the way out the door, she says, "I think they may be serving lunch now."

I tried not to laugh, but I failed. "It's not that late."

"It's almost seven-thirty!"

I turned and started walking to the room. "I'm going back to bed!"

She laughed and started pulling me to the restaurant. It's hard to stay mad at someone who's having that much fun.

Breakfast was good, but the hike was great! We ordered eggs, bacon and orange juice for fuel and coffee to start the heart, and then we grabbed a few sandwiches and some bottled water for the trail. It was a great day and we didn't make it back until nearly six that night.

We did walk part way down the canyon, but we didn't feel up for a descent all the way to the bottom. We just wanted that feel of walking the canyon wall. The rest of our day was spent hiking the rim and enjoying the view. It seems we talked the entire time. At one point we were hiking over rocks and I held out my hand to help her up. For the next twenty minutes she didn't let go and neither did I. From then on, holding hands became an on-again, off-again part of our day and it seemed we each looked for excuses to reach out for the other.

I was slow on the uptake, but it finally dawned on me that we were on a date! At least, that's how it seemed to me. It was more than old friends sharing the day and I liked it. I liked it a lot. It brought back memories of dancing the night before and I knew I was seeing this woman in a new way. I hoped she was seeing me the say way.

When we got back to our room, Claire called first dibs on the bathroom. She gathered together her clothes for dinner and disappeared. I suppose she was careless, or maybe just relaxed with me, but she left the bathroom door cracked slightly open. I thought, "Did she do that for me?" I wasn't going to stand by the door peaking in, but I damn well made sure to do the same when my turn came.

Dinner was another pleasant meal together. We took our time, talking and laughing from salad through dessert. It had been years since I'd had a real date with anyone but my wife, but judging from the way my head was spinning I'd say this date was going very well.

Dessert was finished and the look I saw on her face was anticipation. At least I thought it was. That's when she asked, "Are we going dancing tonight?" Okay, I'm slow at times, but I'm not stupid. I knew the answer to that question and we danced for well over an hour taking only brief breaks to sip our drinks, talk, and rest our feet.

We paid our tab and as we left the lounge we fell together with an arm around each other. It was if the dancing had never stopped. We strolled to the elevator and then to our room, never hurrying, talking quietly as we went. Just when we reached the door and I thought the date was over, I realized we would again be sleeping together that night....and there's that boner again! I wasn't going to risk a great relationship by behaving stupidly, but I was praying for some kind of opportunity to show her how I felt. I should have known; Claire provided that opportunity, and she did it without apology and with great courage and grace.

We made two drinks from the mini fridge and sat on the patio. The sun was down, the sky was clear, and the stars were out. We talked and laughed as we slowly sipped our drinks. As we talked, I reached out and took her hand. Small steps. Now there was less talk and more gazing as we played with each other's hand, entwining our fingers, and enjoying the moment. Like I said, small steps.

When the conversation was quiet and the Milky Way was cast across the desert sky, she looked over at the Jacuzzi and said, "I've never been in one of those."

I thought I was the only one. "Me, neither. I wonder what we're missing?"

She looked at me and said, "Do you think we should find out?" With that, she stood and began to pull the top off the Jacuzzi.

I joined her and we soon had the Jacuzzi open and the jets running. That's when I stupidly said, "Ah, I don't have a bathing suit."

I suppose Claire's mind was made up. She smiled at me and said, "Have you noticed how the walls around the patio provide complete privacy?" Without saying another word, she began to unbutton her dress.