Jessica Goes Wild

"Tony, this will take some time. I can't just flop over and neither can you I imagine. We will need some time to repair the bridges burned in our parting."

"How much time Jess? How long? I'm willing to wait and work towards this slowly, but I do live in another state now. Long distance relationships are difficult in the best of circumstances. With this hanging over our heads it would be almost impossible. Besides, I have already lost two and a half years with you Jess, two and a half years of togetherness we should have had."

I ended up in my hotel room that night wondering why I had ever thought this would be simply a matter of my showing up, taking her in my arms and sweeping her off of her feet and back into my life again. It had been a childish dream.

I almost gave up then and there. I went to bed at ten thinking of grabbing the next flight to Oregon and giving it all up. About midnight James called. He wanted to know how it had gone so far. I told him. He told me to hang in there Jess would be worth it in the long run. For the second time in a month I wisely took his advice to heart.

The next morning I was up at dawn. I showered and got dressed. It was a Saturday; so knowing Jess had the day off I headed over to her place. I got there at about seven and knocked on her door. After a bit she opened it up. She looked like I had woke her up and I was apologizing immediately.

"It's all right Tony. I was just getting up anyway. Why are you here so early?"

"I thought you would like to go out with me. We could take a drive to that park and then take a long walk together. If you want to that is."

"You should give a girl a bit of a heads up. No wonder your dating has been so bad. Did you just show up on their doorsteps at dawn asking them out too?"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I will leave and call you in a while. Sorry I bothered you Jess."

Before she could reply I turned and left. I was almost running. I had messed up thinking she would drop everything and go out with me after such a long time apart. What had I been thinking?

I vaguely remember her saying something to me as I hit the stairs. I just kept going, embarrassed and somewhat hurt at her reaction. I thought that she still wanted me but she was making this so damn hard.

I walked around until just before noon. I found a phone and called her place. Jess answered on the first ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi Jess, it's me. Uh, would you like to go for a drive or something?"

"Tony, why did you run away? I was just teasing. You never gave me a chance to let you off the hook. Look, you need to come over and we need to talk some more. Obviously we have some serious problems coming between us."

"OK. I will be right over. About ten minutes."

I hung up. I was mad at myself. What in the hell was wrong with me? She had been teasing and I had missed it completely. What a way to try and start over again.

I got to her place and started to knock. Her door slammed open and Jess reached out and grabbed me with surprising strength. She hauled me into her apartment and slammed me up against the wall. She held me there for a moment before speaking. Her hair was wildly sprayed all over and she was breathing hard as she held me against the wall.

She reached out with her free hand and closed her door. After a second or two she let loose of me and stepped back.

"Over there. SIT."

She pointed to the couch. I went over and sat down. I was stunned at her actions, to the point of being docile. I wasn't afraid, just stunned. She had never in all the time I had known her done something like that to me. I kind of liked it. It was like she was an Amazon woman or something. It was sexy in it's own way.

"Tell me what the hell you are thinking right now. DO NOT hold anything back Tony."

"Uh, OK. You are about the sexiest thing I have ever seen. The way you grabbed me and pulled me into this place really surprised me. I didn't know you were so strong. It kinda turned me on a bit too."

"That is a little too much Tony. I meant what are you thinking about us?"

"Oh. Well Jess, I love you. I want to be with you forever. I don't want to live apart anymore. I want you to be my wife again, no exceptions. I can't...live...without...you."

She had been smiling as I blurted out the first part. Then as I started over and told her my true feelings I saw tears forming in her eyes. At the last part her tears fell noiselessly down her cheeks. I guess I had tears in my eyes too. Not a real manly thing now is it?

We wept silently, facing each other. After a minute or so I wiped my eyes and dug some Kleenex out of a box on the table in front of the couch. Jess grabbed some too. We didn't say anything for quite a while, each lost in our own thoughts.

"Tony, I do want to try and start over. I do love you. I have missed you so much over the last two years."

"Jess, that is the only reason I am here now. I almost gave up last night, thinking that it was an impossible task to try and fit the pieces back together. James called me and reminded me that you were well worth fighting for."

"This James sounds like quite a man. I have to meet him some time."

"Yeah, he is about the best boss a person could want. He is also a good friend. He told me that he could see that I was still in love with you Jess. He said it was our destiny to be together. I believe him. I love you so much still."

"Well, your place or mine?"

I was lost for a moment. What had she meant by that?

"Tony? Your place or mine? If we get back together, where are we going to live? Here or Oregon?"

"I uh...I hadn't thought of that. Where would you want to live Jess? I like my job in Oregon and James is a great boss. If you want though, I could move back here and get a job. Maybe even at my old job."

"You mean you flew all the way here to take me back as your wife and you never gave a single thought to where we would be living? What were you thinking? I may want to stay here and work at my job. Maybe I won't want to leave here. Did you ever think of that?"

I had done it again. Why couldn't this be any easier? Was everything going to be a battle? Would I ever get ahead and be on the ball with Jess?

"Jess, all I knew is that I wanted you back in my life. I never gave a thought to anything other than that. I figured that it would all work out in the end. Would you move with me to Oregon? Would you consider it?"

She was looking away, lost in thought. The way she was looking I couldn't tell anything. I kept silent, wisely, for the first time since this whole thing had started.

"I couldn't move to Oregon with you Tony."

"I'll quit and move here. I want to be with you Jess; I don't care where that is. I just want for us to be a couple again."

"You couldn't live here either Tony."

What the hell was she doing? I had thought she wanted to be back together, and now she was saying I couldn't live with her. Was she toying with me and getting ready to dump me like I had dumped her? I really hoped not. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she dumped me now.

"Jess, please. Why won't you live with me? Are you afraid? I'll sign an agreement, a legal one. I'll do anything just to have you back with me."

"Yes you will Tony. It will take a legal document for sure. I won't live with you until we have that 'agreement' in legalese, signed and dated."

"Ok, Jess, if that is what it takes, you can have it. I love you and just want to be with you. Where will we live? Should I quit my job?"

"Tony, you can't quit and run out on your friend James. After all, he is the reason we are getting back together. After we have both signed and had the agreement witnessed we will move to Oregon. As husband and wife. I want a marriage certificate before I go anywhere with you Tony. I want to be married first."

"That is the agreement you wanted? You want to be married first? That's all? Lets go find a judge and I'll call my friends up, they can witness it..."

"It's Saturday Tony, we will have to wait until Monday at the earliest. We could practice in the mean time. You know, the husband and wife things? Why don't we go get our things from the hotel and bring them here? You should get to know me a bit before we get married don't you think? After all, I need to make sure you are fully functional, if you know what I mean."

I proved to Jess I was 'fully functional' that whole weekend. We made up for lost time, although not all of it. That all happened several years ago. We are happily living In Oregon, raising our daughter. She looks just like her momma. Even has that same twinkle in her eyes.

My boss is getting on in years and last week he offered me his business. He wants to retire to his farm and make wooden toys for kids. He is pretty good at it, as little Jess will tell you. Her toy box is overflowing with great little toys.

Jess is pregnant with our second child, and she is so beautiful. She makes my heart thump every time I watch her get ready for bed. I have married the most sexy, beautiful, loving woman a man could want.

Looking back on it, I really miss those two years we were apart. I have come to terms with all that happened so long ago. Jess has too. I have never in the heat of an argument mentioned that night or anything about it. Jess came to realize that I really did love her then.

Our sex life? Well, of course that is none of your business, but I will tell you anyway. Jess found out she liked certain things and certain positions. She is a real tigress in bed, even more than before. I have a sexual goddess on my hands behind closed doors. Jess likes to remind me once in a while, all mine. Nobody else's. Just mine. I believe her, thoroughly. I'm quite happy with my life now. Quite happy.