One Short Night

It took less than a week for them to get to bed, at Don's apartment. They were both quite experienced, and found that they were highly compatible. In and out of bed. They had fun being with each other.

Don didn't say anything to his daughters right off. And Julia didn't mention it to Mary. However, such things are difficult to hide, and Ann found out after about two months.

One day, as Don was burping Charles, Ann said, "I hear that Julia Davis lives here now."

Don looked at her over his grandson's shoulder. "Yes. Yes, she does."

Ann started chuckling. "And I hear she spends the night at your place. Lots of nights."

Don actually blushed. "She's very.....attractive, as you know. We have our needs. She's new to the area."

Ann said, "Okay by me. But I'll have to tell Tina. I think she already knows, though."

Don and Julia agreed that they would never get married. In fact, they never agreed to be exclusive. But they were exclusive. They had separate apartments, but hers usually went unused. She thought of it as backup, just in case. She never discussed it with Mary, and on holidays, the two went their separate ways. Ann would host holidays, and Julia and Mary would go to Florida to get a winter tan.

Over several years, Don would see Chris on Thanksgiving and Christmas. They didn't speak much. Ronald never was invited. As it was, JJ barely tolerated Chris.

The two former mates did have one conversation, though, after Don's diner talk with Julia. Don walked outside, with only a jacket at Thanksgiving. Chris came out after him.

She said, "Don, maybe we should make some effort to seem.....at least neutral."

Don said, "Chris, I've been looking at JJ closely this year, with it in mind to see if he was more like me or more like the jerk. And.....well, what do you think."

Chris said, "I assumed....."

"But if you just look at the three of us."

Chris didn't seem stunned. But she did answer carefully. She said, "Maybe I thought about it a few years ago, when he was leaving for college and I packed up his clothes. But I put it aside, because, you know...the sex. Unprotected."

"Yeah. The sex. I was a complete fool. I bet you knew all along. You just liked it better with the jerk."

"I didn't know, Don. I thought when he first...when we first had sex, that I wasn't in much danger, because, it wasn't my time. I didn't want his baby. I didn't want any more babies. When I got home, I douched. And......Don, you and I had sex that week, three times. And each time I took your condom and...you know....I used it in the bathroom. I...maybe it worked. I have no apologies for JJ. But if I was pregnant, I didn't want....."

"But, bitch, you mad me think all this time that JJ was his. So you could fuck him."

"I liked fucking him. He was better at it than you, at least for a while. Then you two were equal. I never knew for sure who's he was."

"Yes, you did. You were the only one with all the information. You knew for a long time. That story about packing his clothes is bullshit. Still lying. Did you ever tell the jerk?" Don, right at that moment was close to murder. As close as he'd been for some time.

Chris said, "No. And he's so proud that he has a son."

"Really.....maybe....we should tell him."

She said, "Don, just leave it. You have your divorce. Ronald and I aren't going to last long. You're correct about him being a jerk. Just in general. And....he's slowing down, physically."

Don laughed. He said, "You're already screwing around on him, aren't you? Guys are attracted to you like flies to shit."

Chris made a face. She said, "Bad phrasing."

Don laughed at her. He said, "I'll try to seem civil to you when we're at some family gathering. But, you're one of the two people in the world that I hate."

FIFTY-FOUR MONTHS LATER

JJ was on his way to work at a New York brokerage firm. He had a one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. He could afford it because he was making big money at his job, even though he had been out of school less than three years. He stopped into his breakfast restaurant for a bagel. And there she was, Mary. Standing directly in front of him, but facing away. He thought to leave, at first. She was with a guy. But he decided to suck it up. Time had passed. He didn't feel that old anger. He didn't feel that old love, either. So he said, "Mary?"

She turned around and she turned white. "JJ."

The guy with her seemed curious. Neither JJ nor Mary spoke for maybe thirty seconds - a long time in those circumstances.

Then JJ said, "I almost turned around, Mary. Maybe I should have."

"No. No, JJ, I.....time has passed. I heard you were in the city."

JJ said, "Yes. Working for Hutton. You?"

"I work at Bradley, Stearns."

The guy said, "Mary, I have to get to work. Are you....?"

She smiled. "Jed, this is my former husband, JJ Walsh. JJ, this is Jed. He works with me at Bradley."

The two guys shook. JJ said, "Mary, if you have a few minutes, maybe we can catch up?" Really he was probing to see how Jed reacted. Jed said, "I'll be getting along." And he left. Mary stayed.

JJ asked, "Are you with that fellow?"

"No. He works with me. He's married, and...."

JJ said, "Let's get a table."

When they were seated, and had ordered, Mary asked, "JJ, how have you been?"

"I'm....I'm....okay. You?"

"Okay, too."

He said, "We, neither of us, said we were fine. Or good, or great."

"Because we aren't. I'm not, at least."

"Me either. I thought... you know...that I'd move on. And I have, to a degree. You?"

"Well, I'm not.....I don't have a boyfriend. But I do....you know...see guys once and a while. Not married ones like Jed."

"Mary, I see women. Seems like they're all....after me. I make good money. No spark. No spark, since you put out our flame."

Mary's face started to crumple, but she held it. She said, "All I can say is that I hurt myself, too. So dumb."

He asked, "How's your mom?"

"She's great. She moved to Squirrel Hill."

"Yeah? My whole family is there now, except my mom."

She said, "I heard about the divorce. I wondered if....if our problems had anything to do with that."

"No. Maybe indirectly. Their entire marriage was screwed up. She and Ronald...."

"You and I maybe need to talk about our...my mom and your dad."

"I know. I see them, and they seem.....happy."

"Yeah. But...maybe it's awkward. They tried to keep it a secret."

"Fat chance. How do you feel about it?"

"I'm okay with it. I always liked your dad."

"I always liked your mom. But I wondered if her....lifestyle contributed to what happened to us."

"No doubt. I've thought about it. But she can't be blamed. It's all on me."

They ate breakfast, and each went off to work. JJ got her number.

He thought constantly for three days about whether to call. But he did call. He asked her out to dinner, and they had a grand time. So, they kept going out. And they kept having a good time for three weeks. No sex. Kiss at the door.

JJ was afraid to commit. He vividly recalled the last time he trusted Mary. He was, however, in no doubt about the fact that his life now, with her in it, was preferable to the one he had been living. The two of them just got along. Simpatico. But JJ, burned so badly once, was in a true quandary.

Then one night as he was about to say goodnight, Mary shoved JJ into her apartment, and onto her couch. She didn't exactly rape him. But she would have, if he hadn't cooperated. His cooperation, at first tentative, became whole-hearted when she swallowed his cock.

After that, they used each other in various ways, all night. They had each learned some things since the divorce.

Mary moved in with JJ after two months. Two months of very intense sex. But also, two months of compatibility. They'd always had compatibility, until Mary messed up.

JJ let Don know about it when Mary moved in. But he already knew, since Mary had kept Julia informed.

Don and Julia were ambivalent. Their two children had hurt each other deeply. And, if they committed again, and things went south, the hurt might not be survivable.

It took another year for JJ ad Mary to decide to remarry. They decided they wanted no big deal. But there was the parent problem. They invited them all to NYC, gave them a big dinner, after which a minister came to the table and married them. Chris, Julia, and Don restrained their rancor. Well, Ted helped. He was happy that there was no shouting. Chris was not happy at all about Don and Julia. But what could she say? It was none of her business.

Don and Julia never married. Why would they? But they did stay together, as a monogamous couple, until her death at eighty. He lasted another four years.

Mary and JJ had two children. There was William, and then Ellen. Their second marriage was much more successful than their first. Now, today, they have six grandchildren, and a big home in Scarsdale.

Thing is, though, even to this day, JJ has trust issues....once in a while. Niggling doubt. No way around it. Mary knows it, too. She can feel it when it happens. Him staring off into emptiness.

She made a very stupid mistake. She analyzed it as coming from fear. Fear that she would get so far into her marriage that when she screwed up, like her mother did, it would ruin more lives. Like her mother did. Fear that lurked in her and bubbled up when she was weakest.

But she knows, in herself, that she would never be so weak again. And she also knows that JJ isn't 100% sure about that. In their second marriage, she has constantly had to take that into account. She would analyze some situations with an eye to what JJ might worry about. She never went out drinking just with the girls. She avoided office social situations unless JJ was there. She never went to conventions out of town, or on vacations without him. She saw all this as penalties for her messing up. She never discussed it with JJ.

JJ was generally happy with his family life, his kids, his wife. His grandchildren were great. But he was a great believer in DNA tests, when they became available in the eighties. He found out that he was, indeed, Don's son.

And he found out that his children were his.

One short night!

End.