Sweet as Sugar Ch. 04

"Yes Sir," he responded, Only the small table lamp next to the bed was lit.

"Well, you have a good night. See you in the morning."

-

As I readied myself for bed, my brain flickered with exhaustion. It had been another long day that was part of another long week. My workload was taking up the vast majority of my time. Including the work I did from home, a typical workweek would be fifty to sixty hours and usually, I had to do some work on the weekends. I had already put in over 40 hours since Monday.

I was hoping to be finished with my business work after lunch on Friday. If I could wrap everything up by 2pm, I would have Beverly let everyone know that I was going to finish out my work details from home on Friday afternoon. If anything serious needed attention, then she would call me. She knew the routine. Someone better be in jail or I didn't want to be disturbed.

It was past 10pm in the middle of February and this was my typical routine, except my wife wouldn't be laying beside me tonight. I thought about calling her but closed my eyes for a second and I was out. Thankfully, I had set my alarm to get up at 6:30am. I would be the one to wake the kids up, get them some breakfast, and get them to school on time. I would also need to pick them up at school at 3pm. It had already been determined that the kids would be staying with my mother and the grandparents over the weekend.

I didn't wake up once during the night. In what felt like the blink of an eye the alarm was going off and I knew I needed to arise. On February 15th, it was still well before dawn and pitch black outside. I immediately headed for a quick shower and then threw some business casual clothes on.

It was 10 minutes until 7am when I went to wake the kids up. Of course, Paige was already awake, but JJ was another story. JJ typically took a little rousing, but I was gentle as I got him to head towards his shower.

After awakening the kids, I headed downstairs and got the cereal and milk out for their breakfast. Paige, the early riser she is, came bounding down the stairs around 7:10am and JJ eased his way into the kitchen five minutes later.

I rounded up the materials I would need for the day and then took what I needed and the kid's bags out to the car while they ate their breakfast. Typically, I just drink coffee and wait until mid-morning to grab a bite to eat at work. My stomach likes to ease its way into the day.

We left the house at 20 'til 8am for the 10-minute drive to their school. The bell to their homeroom class would ring at 8am and we always like to make sure that Paige was about 10 minutes early. As parents, we made sure to develop punctuality as part of her foundation. Ashley was a different story. She wasn't horrible about showing up on time, but she tended to be fashionably late and that habit seemed to be rubbing off on JJ.

Once I had dropped off the kids, I headed into work. I entered the office a few minutes after 8am. Of course, Bev was already there. She usually was in by 7:30am to open the office. We didn't have to go to court, so I just needed to catch up on paperwork and make some phone calls for the upcoming week.

Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was getting close to noon. My partners and I would go have lunch many times on Friday to discuss business and practice. Today was one of those days. We walked over to the Downtown club on these occasions. I always had Big join us for these meetings. A driver was sent to bring him. Big still drove, but not as much over the past few years. His mind still worked great, but his body not so much. He was by no means an invalid, but he didn't get around like he used to.

We arrived at the club shortly before noon and entered our private room. Big was already seated at the head of the table and waiting on us. Our menus were already waiting on us and we were able to order in a timely fashion. Big always order a Club sandwich and I generally order a Chef salad. The servers pretty much know the routine. We want our food quickly so that we can get back to the office and finish out the day so that we can get to the weekend.

I always sat next to Big. We made small talk about the Heart Ball arrangements. Mom, Joe, Gramms, and Big were going to the event in a limo. That was a usual thing. He offered to pick me up and usually that was the routine. Jill and I would ride in the limo with them, but since Jill was out of town with Ash I begged off. I would drive myself to the country club.

It was a little past 1:30pm when I made my way back over to the office. Beverly had an important message waiting on me. The message was from the client from yesterday. The client who had the business merger that had gone awry was ready to settle.

I called Bob Jenkins. His phone rang and he immediately picked up. "Hey Jim," he answered.

"Hey, Bob. So you want to settle?"

"Yeah. I thought about it overnight and you are right. I want to get this behind me. I want to limit my losses, but I understand I did screw up here."

"Well Bob, don't look at it that way. You did get screwed, but some of it is the circumstances. It's just the economy. These guys didn't give you all the information, but they were hoping for the best. I don't think they were looking to screw you.

They were naïve. They were gambling and it was a pretty good bet if the economy was roaring, but it isn't."

"Yeah that's the way I always looked at it and it isn't fair they were gambling with my business, but what can I do. The inevitable is that the judge is going to force me to settle with them anyway, so I need to just cut my losses."

"Yes sir. Tell you what. I'm not going to charge you any more hours on this one."

"Really?" Bob said with surprise.

"I'll call their lawyer right now and I will get back with you by Monday afternoon, but you can't be seesawing about this. You'll get your company back lock, stock, and barrel, but don't get stuck on the price tag."

"Just limit my losses as best you can Jim. I still need a viable business."

"Gotcha and will do. We still have quite a bit of leverage."

Bob thanked me and I told him not to thank me yet. I made a phone call to the other lawyer and set the wheels in motion. I was going to have to do some negotiating over the phone over the next few hours, but with some luck, I might be able to clear my plate for the weekend.

My hopes of being finished with business by 2pm were dashed. I was working for free to boot. It would be worth it though. Bob was a great client and he would never forget this. He was also getting ready to take a $250,000 haircut with regards to his business. Essentially, half of everything he received from that merger would be wiped away, but he would have 100% of his business back. Truly though it was all paper. Bob wasn't going to feel it in any other way, but with his psyche.

I made the phone call and had a full-blown discussion of the details with the other lawyer. The wheels were set in motion and I'd have some answers in the next few hours. I left the office 15 minutes before I was to pick up the kids at school. Being at the school right at 3pm, when the final class got out, meant that I had to wait in one of those long car lines. I didn't usually have to do this and it gave me more of an appreciation that Jill volunteered to do this regularly.

Fifteen minutes later the kids got in the car. I didn't let on to the frustration I felt from having to wait in that stupid line. I asked them how their day went; Paige was effervescent in speaking about her day. JJ just seemed to shrug it all off. I could tell that JJ didn't care for school and I could relate to him from my days gone by.

It had already been predetermined that the kids were going to stay with my mother and grandparents over the weekend. I drove by our house to get Paige what she would need for the weekend and then we proceeded over to the grandparent's house.

When we arrived, I helped the kids take their things inside, My mother invited me to stay for dinner and I accepted since I didn't have anything better to do. I was still hoping to get that phone call about Bob Jenkin's lawsuit. Mama fixed me an Iced Tea and I went and hung out in the sunroom and watched TV.

It was a few minutes before 5pm, and I thought there would be no deal before Monday because I felt I would have heard something by now. At 4:58pm my cell phone rang giving me a start. I was by myself in the sunroom, so I didn't worry about privacy. "Hello," I answered.

It was the attorney Larry, "Jim, it took some wrangling, but we've got a deal. I just got off the phone... I'll have the papers to you on Monday."

I smiled knowing that this wouldn't be hanging over my head this weekend, "That's great and I appreciate it. What time would you like to meet."

"Let's make it 10am at your office. I'll call the judge and let him know we settled... and Jim I appreciate you moving the ball on this one."

"Well Larry, to be honest, it was my client. I don't think he wanted to continue the fruitless game of chicken."

"I understand and you know my client is over a barrel on this one."

"Yeah, I explained all of that. I think there is a lesson here for everyone. These mergers are hit and miss in a slow economy."

"Righto Jim... Well, I'm going to head on home. The Mrs. Is waiting on me to take her out to dinner tonight. We didn't get to go out last night. So I'll let you go and you have a good weekend and I'll see you Monday at 10am. Thanks."

Thank you, Larry and you have a good weekend too. See you Monday morning." I pumped my fist knowing that I had gotten the job done and cleared the deck for a good weekend."

The smile on my face must have been noticeable as Big entered the room. "You look quite pleased with yourself boy," he offered.

"Well, I got that Jenkins case settled," I let him know.

He nodded in approval, "Good job." He sat down next to me on the sofa and we made small talk while the evening news played in the background.

Dinner was ready at 7pm. That was the routine when Big and Gramms were involved. We were having a favorite meal, which was one the kids truly loved. It was Spaghetti prepared by Gramms with my mother's help. We had salad and garlic bread to go with it and the adults had red wine.

We were all finished with dinner around 8pm. I hung out a while longer. The ladies excused themselves to put the dishes in the dishwasher. The kids went inside to play video games. Big and I watched one of those political programs that come on public television on Friday night.

I finally headed home shortly before 9pm. I was back at the house by myself not long after. With no one at home, I went upstairs and got into my stash of weed. I rolled a joint and headed down to the basement where I turned some old tunes on the stereo and kicked back on the sofa and fired it up. It didn't take long until I found myself in a chillaxed state of mind.

An hour later I headed up to bed and it didn't take long to fall asleep.

*** (Part 2) ***

On Saturday at 8am, I awoke to my usual routine, I laid in bed until 9am, before checking my phone messages and e-mails while having my coffee. On Saturdays it was rare that there was anything important, so I read the newspaper and browsed the internet, and went about a day of rest.

As I said, I'm not one for eating much breakfast, so a little after 11am I put on some Jeans, my t-shirt, and a hoodie to go check on the office. I got in the car and headed out, stopping at one of the local fast-food chains to get a burger, fries, and a soda.

No one was at the office, so I gathered the mail and sorted through what was mine while leaving the rest at the receptionist's desk. I headed to my personal office and ate my burger while reading my mail and then I checked my computer before finalizing my agenda for the upcoming week.

Jill happened to call right at noon. I hadn't talked to her in over two days. I explained to her how I had passed out shortly after the kids and I had gotten home on Valentine's night. I wanted her to know that I was sorry for not calling her that night. I told her that I tried to call her the night before, but all I got was her voicemail.

She seemed fine. She told me that upon their arrival on Thursday that they were both given health checkups and found to be fit as a fiddle. According to her, they had a whole schedule of treatments. She said by the time they were finished with their initial treatments, she was exhausted and that they had gone to bed early anyway. She said they were having an awesome time. They were presently having lunch. They had a massage every day. They went swimming and enjoyed the hot springs the resort offered. They had facials, manicures, and pedicures and then they had gone shopping on Friday. All of this was done in preparation for the Heart Ball.

I could hear Ashley on occasion speaking to someone in the background.

The conversation with Jill didn't last long. She said that they had checked in with the kids earlier that morning. She told me that she and Ash would be checking out at 4pm. The resort was a couple of hours away, so I wondered aloud if she would be home before it was time to head to the party. She said that I should just plan to meet her there and to enjoy the surprise. I was curious what she meant by that.

While I was tending to my affairs, a couple of my partners came in to check on their own details. I chatted with them for a few minutes before finishing up. It wasn't long thereafter that I had everything wrapped up. I let them know I leaving and then headed out.

I was back home a little after 1pm. I checked our mail before inside. I grabbed an iced tea and headed to our screened-in porch area at the back of the house. The enclosed area was nice and warm on a sunny day. I sorted through the mail to see what needed to be addressed and then took it inside so that Jill could write checks for the bill and etcetera, which was the normal routine.

Now that I had taken care of the usual early Saturday routine it was time to turn my attention towards the evening. I sat outside in the warmth of the enclosed screened-in porch in the early afternoon. The temperature approached 60 degrees outside on a cloudless day and it was around 80-degrees in the sunlit room. It was easy to relax as I sat back feeling the sway of the air as the fan oscillated above. My mind wandered...

I always considered myself to be a romantic and Valentine's was made for that. This year had me torn between my two lovers. I thought about the episode the previous week and my time with Ashley and her bright, wavy red hair and sparkling blue eyes. That body -- 5'6" to 7", 36DD-26-37 -- was so sumptuous. She tasted so delicious, so juicy. She was like a ripe strawberry. Men's heads turned and women's heads shook when she entered the scene. Men were salivating and women were envious of such a gorgeous 32-year-old woman.

I knew my wife was somewhat intimidated by my sister's looks, but they truly had become family over time and one could see that they enjoyed each other's company. The thing was that Jill was a looker in her own right. She got a good workout in pretty much every day. I would describe her body as toned and athletic without being a hardbody. I know her measurements to be 34-24-34 and she's also in the 5'7" range. She always allowed her hair to flow down her back, but usually gathered it into a ponytail. No man would ever sympathize with me over her beauty. She was very attractive and I knew some men always let her know that.

I remembered back to Christmas and how exhausted Jill had been on New Year's Eve. She usually displayed so much energy and I think a lot of her issue was related to Ashley and the circumstances that had evolved. On the surface, it appeared that we had resolved those issues, but I was still a bit uncomfortable with all of the revelations that had occurred. I was so used to hiding my secret life that opening up to Jill was uncomfortable and hard to get used to.

My mesmerized state had me reflecting upon the desire I had always had for my sister. It created my madness. I most certainly truly loved my wife, the addiction I had for my sister was part of my DNA. Ash was in my soul and I just couldn't get over the feelings I always had for her -- the taste, the smell, the look, listening to her, or the way she felt when we touched.

I remembered the way she always chastised me years ago, the way that she told me that I needed to get past my feelings for her, but how could I. I always knew that she felt the same way I did, but she was so much better at concealing her feelings. I often found myself in this predicament... reflecting... daydreaming about life's circumstance.

My vices have always been bourbon, weed, and pussy. This night would be no exception. I was home alone without the girls. The kids would be at the grandparent's house and for the evening there would be a sitter until they returned home from the party. I had gone back upstairs and twisted a joint before heading back downstairs where I mixed a rocks glass with Bourbon and some Ginger Ale. It was way past 2pm, but I didn't need to be at the party until 7pm... As an adult, I always maintained control. I had to with the status I had. It was all done as a facade. I had to maintain my mental equilibrium, but sometimes I was tormented by my thoughts. I was just afforded the luxury of being able to hide it better than others.

I took a sip from my tumbler and headed outside to the deck by the pool where I fired up the joint. The smoke helped soothe my inner angst for what this evening would bring with all of the reminders of the past. I was going to do my best to enjoy it. With a good buzz, nothing was going to bother me.

You know sometimes my thoughts caused my balls to ache, especially when it came to the thought of past sexcapades. I wasn't too much into taking care of it myself and with my busy schedule and my wife's busy schedule sometimes I went through dry spells. When we were younger, Jill and I would have sex at least a couple of times per week, if not more. My thoughts went back to the fact that the last time that I had sex was with my sister.

I had expected to be with my wife on Valentine's Night, but with her taking off with Ash, I was left to my own devices. When I had gotten home from dinner with the children, I talked with them and made sure they had what they needed, before going to my room and basically passing out from an exhausting day. The proceeding day and a half had been filled with work, running the kids around, and getting ready for this party.

After laying on the bed and taking a quick nap, I got up and headed to the shower. I did the usual preparation of using the toilet, turning on the shower, and doffing my clothes. Stepping in the shower all I could think of were the possibilities of this night.

There were highs and lows with these thoughts. I thought about a couple of weeks before and how we had been right here in this shower after Ash had given herself to me. She willfully gave me her ass, signaling that she was mine for life. A tinge of guilt hit me as I wondered what my wife would think. I was never comfortable with thinking of myself as the Alpha male.

As I turned and the shower pulsed on my neck, I relaxed moving towards thoughts of the threesome we had on New Year's Day. The night before, Ash and I had a most torrid carnal experience, fucking like wild animals, the way we had so many times in the past. The experience with Jill the following day was so loving, so caring, so, tender, so nurturing. I truly did love my wife and I never wanted to lose her.

With the buzz, I had going on and the hot water flowing over my shoulders, the thoughts of showers long ago with my ladies came to mind. As the shower lingered, my genitalia came to life. I lathered up my balls. The swollen 7 inches began to swing and bobble. Oh boy, I thought to myself. I found myself involuntarily milking the plump rod, stroking the staff, and massaging the crown.