Joan Philips

Sunday came, so did the rain, then thunder, rain and wind. You have got to love forward planning. Mandy and I got onto Google and found an indoor soft toy play area and we hit the place; what an eye-opener those places are. Seeing moms go in after their own children who are crying somewhere in the middle of all that soft foam and netting, I tell you, this has the potential to be an Olympic sport.

My introduction into the world of moms and children really took off that day.

We held Casey back just long enough to get her sneakers off and tell her to play nice, before she bolted into the maze that is the soft play area.

Joan found a discreet table and I went in search of drinks and refreshments. I held my coffee and Joan stared at me, finally the hint wore off, so she kicked my shin under the table and reminded me, it was show-time.

"Don't turn this into our first domestic. I held up my end of the bargain, it's your turn."

I will admit, it's sometimes painful being around this woman, but the wicked witch of the west was actually on the back burner now. Joan really was a woman I was happy knowing and hoped like hell that my own tale of woe wasn't going to get in the way of doing that. So, I placed my half empty cup on the table and leaned across, shortening the distance between us.

Joan thought it conspiratorial and followed my lead, thus began my tale of meeting Sharon Bennett.

I talked about how we started and our dates together. Her nudging me towards loaning her places to store and also hang some clothes and items to keep in my apartment. The long weekends where we barely left the bedroom, let alone the apartment. Feeling like she was going to be 'the one' and inviting her to spend more time in my life and in my heart. Her moving in and us getting comfortable with that.

Then the slow but methodical way she pulled my friends and me apart, kept tabs on my social life and adjusted that to her benefit. Opening my mail, originally by accident of course, then reminding me that if I had nothing to hide then it should be a normal thing since I left for work before the mail arrived. Why wouldn't she open it in case it was important?

Even the wake-up moment when my last friend phoned me at work wanting to know why I hadn't contacted him, despite leaving several messages with my girlfriend over the last weeks and months and it was too late to meet up now since he was getting married this weekend and had wanted me to be at the wedding.

That was when I put the phone down and took a really good, long look at what was going on in my life with my live-in girlfriend.

The conversation that night with Sharon lead to her putting a night shirt and panties on in bed, the first time since she had set foot in my apartment. The wake-up call also lead to me phoning friends I hadn't heard from in months and finding Sharon was now telling my friends that they were not welcome in my life anymore, since she was in it and they weren't.

Of course, when I sat and talked to her about all this, the waterworks got turned on, she promised to change, it was my fault because I didn't trust her. I was just like all the other men in her life, she loved me and was protecting me. None of my friends were suitable, all got thrown into every conversation we had from then on.

Her own family got involved in our affairs and I realized the isolation I was heading for. I had been alone growing up now an orphan. In that world, change meant going from one home to another. To cut this woman out of my life would mean moving on. Moving was something I was used too and I just couldn't live like this. I had no choice growing up but now as an adult I did. To kick her out meant her family got involved and in our part of town, that would lead to more grief than even I was willing to put up with.

By pure dumb luck, her holiday was my saviour and I took advantage of it.

*******

By the time I looked once again at Joan, her eyes were like saucers.

"So, you ran away?"

I nodded in agreement. "As fast as my legs could carry me. Not my finest hour I admit. But all I could see from my position was the slow tightening of the noose around my neck. She moved all my friends out of my reach and placed herself in my life as my only source of comfort. Pavlov's dogs had better day-care than I had by then."

Her hand reached across the table and held onto mine.

"I know what Casey and I want. But let me ask you, what do you want?"

I swear, if I wasn't there watching this, I wouldn't believe anyone telling me it happened to them. The sun came out, Joan had her back to the window and the sun's rays entered the play area through the windows behind her. The sunlight created a halo around her. My throat tightened and although I knew in my thoughts what I wanted; my heart now told me the same story.

Religion may play a part in many people's lives but we orphans learn atheism really quick. God forsook too many of us to the open hunting fields of domestic abuse, loneliness and violence from those that are charged with looking after us, to believe in miracles anymore. Yet, I saw one that day.

So, I did the one thing I still find hard to do. Hell, the last time I did meant me moving out of Dodge really quick. My hand went across the table and Joan watched it for a second, then followed suit, our hands met in the middle and we both held on really tight.

"I want to see where we end up, I mean you and Casey, with me. I want to see if we fit, if we connect. I want to spend my old age worrying if my children have met the right woman, or man for that matter. I want to make it my life's mission to make my life's partner as happy as she can be. I want to share my life, my time and my soul with that woman. I want to give her everything she wants and needs and in return she gives me her love, her body and her eternal affection. I want to say 'I do' and mean it until I draw my last breath on this planet."

We were staring so hard at each other, neither of us noticed Casey standing at the table. "Momma, he loves you more than Daddy ever did."

Both of us must have jumped a good couple of inches out of our seats when Casey spoke. She reached across the table and downed her glass of orange juice in one go and then ran back into the soft play area.

"I can't vouch for that statement since I have no knowledge of your soon to be ex. But know this Joan, I like you more each time I see you. I thirst for knowledge about you."

I caught the mixed emotions in her eyes, so I continued.

"I've looked forward to today, just as I will look forward to our next excursion. I know it could look like you're just getting rid of one dead-weight with another waiting in the wings. I also know that I have three months to prove that not to be the case. We should take all this at a speed that you're comfortable with. Too many hearts are at stake here for us to get this wrong."

Her eyes just stared at me, the tears came and never left. Joan's hand would leave mine just long enough to wipe them away before her tight grip on my hand became the norm again.

*******

The announcement came over the speakers that the place would be closing in half an hour. We rounded up Casey and headed back to Frank and Mandy's. Casey was exhausted with all the running around and fell asleep in the car almost as soon as I pulled away from the parking lot.

I carried her to the door and Frank took her from me and carried her upstairs. Joan and I watched for a moment and then turned to each other, her finger coming to my lips to stop me from saying anything. It wasn't needed since I had said everything I had to say to her at the play area.

"Ninety days, you have ninety days Martin. To prove everything, you have just said to me. I like you a great deal Martin Donaldson, I looked forward to today so much and almost cried when it rained. Between you and Mandy you came up with the play centre and from that we have come to this point in our lives."

We both leaned in, her arms came around my neck and we kissed.

"I'm not even thinking that you are anything like my ex, in fact, as the days go by, I'm thinking of him less each day. You have ninety days to work on me and Casey, replace our memories of him with yours Martin."

We kissed once more and with a smile on both our lips, she went upstairs and I left Frank's house.

At home I thought about what she said. It wasn't a threat. The look in her eyes made it more of an invitation. Without even thinking about it, I circled that date on my wall calendar and started crossing off the days. We went out most weekends; Casey of course was always with us. Between us we figured out a swimming session, when I found out that Casey couldn't swim.

Joan's hands even made it to her hips in a mock gesture of indignity when the idea was thrown onto the table. "Go on, admit it. You just want to see what I look like almost naked."

I did that shrug thing and added. "Hey, I'll show you mine, if you show me yours."

The smirk and the sparkle in her eyes didn't go unnoticed when I suggested it. That comment alone set the pace for the rest of the afternoon when all three of us went into town to shop for swimming costumes. I absolutely drew the line at Speedo's. With her enthusiastic encouragement, we enrolled Casey into the club's younger participants; it also got Joan out of the house every Tuesday evening. It seems Mandy almost always went with them.

It took a couple of weeks before I got brave enough to let Joan know that the weekends just weren't cutting it. That's when her social calendar got busier. She ringed Tuesday one week and Monday was open mic night for us. That girl sure loved to sing. Not that the owner minded, he told me he noticed a bigger crowd every Monday when Joan turned up. Mandy and Frank offered to watch Casey. I got the look when I ask if they were splitting the baby-sitting money.

We looked at each other one evening and realized that we had already moved past the friend zone. As if by some unknown force we had already figured out that no matter what, we were going to be really good friends for life.

But of all the people, it took Mandy to bang our heads together. Joan and I were having so much fun, be it together or with Casey that it took a rather large brown envelope to drop into the mail box to remind us of the outside world.

Mandy dropped it onto the breakfast table in front of Joan and said: "Congratulations, you're single,"

From what both women admitted to me later, Joan read page after page. Mandy did the same and by the end, both came to the same conclusion. Joan Peters was no longer a Peters. They both thought it best not to mention the details to Casey just yet.

*******

"I'm going after him Mandy. I'm free now, my ex can't fight me in court anymore."

Mandy thought about her friend's comment, before adding. "I'm not supposed to mention this to you, since it was pillow talk between your brother and me. But I think you will find little in the way of resistance from Martin, he's been crossing off the days on his own calendar."

Joan looked at her friend and smiled. "So, you're going to help me?"

To her amazement she watched as Mandy shook her head.

"No, I'm not. It's all on you girl. We will look out for Casey as we always have and want to. But you're doing the hunting all on your own."

Joan went white and said: "But, how?"

Mandy looked at her friend like she had two heads. Then laughed, this was Joan she was looking at, the most single-minded woman she could think of. She had already decided Martin was it within days of first getting here. Even the date nights and weekend get togethers were topics of conversation between them. Always seeming to end with Joan almost in tears sometimes because it took her so long and had to go through so much to find him. Yet now that she was free to date Martin, she froze.

Still thinking it was all so funny, Mandy said: "Text him, tell him the papers have arrived and that he needs to get his apartment clean for the weekend because you two are going to spend the weekend bumping uglies."

Mandy stood and picked up the cups and went to the kitchen, thinking it was still funny that her now best friend had frozen when she was now free to pursue Martin.

Moments later Joan followed Mandy into the kitchen and stood behind her, before saying. "He said he'll pick me up Friday around seven and we'll come by early Sunday and then we'll take Casey out for a few hours since we will need a rest by then."

Mandy dropped the cup into the sink. The silence in the room was both women now staring at each other.

"Please tell me you didn't send him a text saying you wanted to bump uglies?"

Joan slowly handed Mandy her cell, and Mandy read word for word what she had said to Joan written in a text to Martin.

"It sounded so good how you said it, I just sent it word for word."

Mandy was still trying to process what she was seeing; she did hear Joan ask her not to be mad at her. That's when Mandy laughed, she was still laughing when she handed her friend her cell back.

"Dammit girl, you have it bad. If you ever tell him I told you to send him that, I'm changing the locks on the house and keeping Casey."

At least Joan took the threat as expected, when she asked if she had visitation rights. That set off another round of laughter between them.

*******

I was deep into writing an email when my cell pinged a message. I automatically picked it up and read it. I was laughing so much I totally lost it, Bumping uglies huh?

Since today was Thursday, I had from just after I finish this email, then the rest of this evening to get the apartment looking female-inspection-okay, which I've found out within my lifetime that that's not always nearly sufficient when a woman walks into your home. Luckily, I was only up until one Friday morning.

Things got interesting when Frank came in Friday morning. He looked over at me and then wandered over.

"Do you need any time off?"

I looked at him really closely, still unsure where this was heading.

"Not to my knowledge. Is something going on that I don't know about?"

He shrugged his shoulder and said: "Just wondering is all, what with you and my sister having a weekend to yourselves."

It was my turn to shrug my shoulders. "Nope, all good thanks."

I sure wonder how this conversation would have gone if I had pulled handcuffs, whips and a dog collar out of my bag. Friday was manic as always, upstairs wanted everything outstanding closed down or resolved, if not, why not? Welcome to a typical working Friday I suppose.

*******

I collected Joan from Frank's on Friday evening; Casey gave me and her mom a hug and repeated that she would see us on Sunday. I knelt in front of her, gently pulled her towards me and hugged her again.

"Yes you will. I promise, and it will be a fun day at the park."

Her eyes lit up and her smile followed seconds later.

Being a gentleman, I held the door open for Joan. She smiled and kissed my cheek as she got into the car.

I was at the top of the street when I heard a giggle from my passenger. "This feels like I'm sixteen again and full of first date nerves."

I smiled and thanked the stars I had an automatic since my hand now rested on her thigh. It took a second before hers rested on top of mine, then gently squeezed my hand.

We made it back to my place and I hadn't killed anyone with my one-handed driving, so that was a bonus. It was as I opened my door that I said something that had us both nodding our heads in agreement.

"You know in another timeframe; I would be pulling your clothes off by now. I suppose now is different because we've spent three months not only being celibate, but actually getting to know each other."

Joan looked at me and her smile made me so hard.

"I agree." A worried look crossed her face. "I want us to work Martin, hell I've been catching it from Mandy because she's trading clean sheets with me every morning now."

Me raising an eyebrow got reddened cheeks from her in return.

"That bad huh?"

"Honey, you have no idea. But I figure, as soon as I get rid of these clothes, you may do."

I paused at the kitchen. "Anything to take into the bedroom for a drink."

We both pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge. I think we both looked on alcohol as Dutch courage now.

Joan stood on one side of the bed and I stood on the other. "We've both been patient over this in case my ex decided to cause waves. Fortunately, he didn't." Her eyes almost held back a feral look. "So, Martin. Race you getting naked."

I was still halfway down the buttons on my shirt when I looked up and my hands refused to work. Her dress was already around her ankles, her bra sat on top of her dress and she was already in the middle of pushing her panties down past her knees. My mind looked on this woman in wonder. I had seen her in a swimsuit and she sure filled that out in all the right places. But this was Joan naked and I just stared, real hard.

"Need any help?" Came from the other side of the bed as Joan stood, in all her naked glory.

I eventually willed my fingers to continue. "I have to say this and believe me, it's the God honest truth. Your ex is a total loser for giving you up. My God Joan, in a swimsuit you're stunning, naked you're absolutely beautiful."

Joan went beet red. Looked down at herself and the smile on her face when she looked up at me again forewarned me. "Well, thank you. Although I still seem to be the only one naked in this room."

The smirk came on, my hands stopped again as Joan walked around the bed to me. Her nipples began to harden as she stood in front of me. "I hope this isn't your favourite shirt." Her hands went to either side of it and pulled, the remaining buttons got ripped from the shirt in one go.

I pulled the remnants of my shirt off while Joan moved to my belt and then undid my pants, letting them drop to the floor. She looked up. I looked into her eyes and feral was all that stared back.

"I've seen you in your swimsuit and dreamed of doing this from that day on. You may need to sit down in a moment so shuffle out of what's left of your pants around your ankles."

Being a male of the species, I did as I was told. Joan had hold of my underwear and went to her knees, taking my underwear with her, pausing to get my hard-on out from under as she did. A hand came away and pointed to the bed, again, being a male of the species and about to get laid, I did as I was told and sat down.

Joan's eyes were like saucers. "Give me the name and address of your ex. I'm going to send her a thank-you letter, with pictures of me sucking the fuck out of this."

My hands went to her breasts and began to knead them. My mind couldn't believe what my eyes were telling it. She really did have amazing tits. Joan's hands stopped moving the skin of my hard-on and looked at me.

"We both know that we're going to be playing with each other's bits and I'm sure glad you like my breasts. But Martin, I need this." Her head tilted towards my raging hard-on and waved the subject lightly. "So how about you lay back in the middle of the bed and I climb on top, I'll even make a deal with you, once we've both got the first one out of the way, it's a free-for-all."

It was the first time she had let me go since my underwear hit the floor, I shuffled over and Joan stood on the bed, turned around, straddled me and laid down on me. I got a good close-up look at the promised land in all its naked glory. Joan shaved. I was so fixated on her tits, I hadn't even noticed and I seriously chastised myself for that. As those pussy lips got closer to my mouth, I thought it a good idea to worship them right now.

My hands held her hips about the same time as her mouth sank down on my hard-on. She moaned as her tongue circled my cock. I thought it best that I get with the program and went after her pussy.