The Antisocial Network

He gaped at her. "Dash, is that you?" he asked in wonderment.

Her face fell. "You don't like it?"

"No, no," he yelped, hurrying over to her. "You look absolutely fantastic - like a model. I've just never seen you in anything so elegant before."

Mollified, she gave a little smile. "I was afraid it was too much, but it looked so good in the store."

He stepped back to look at her again. The black fabric contrasted with her hair, and the high-heeled silver sandals she had on pulled the look together. "You look so tall," he marveled, "and the dress really complements your figure." He looked down at his own clothing. "Now I'm wondering if I look good enough to go with you."

She laughed, took his arm and kissed his cheek. "I'd let you know if I thought that. Now, why don't you get us a Lyft."

Later, as they were finishing their dinner out on the Firehouse's brick-covered terrace, Dash took a sip from her wine glass. Then her face took on a serious expression. "Wes, do you remember the other day when I sort of pulled away from you?"

He'd been chatting happily, but his smile vanished at her question. "I remember, but it was my fault . . ."

She shook her head to interrupt him. "It wasn't about you, Wes, it was me." She stared down at the table. "Remember when I told you about my marriage and how hard that was on me?"

He nodded.

"That really scarred me." She looked up at him almost helplessly. "I haven't had a relationship with anyone since my ex left me. Actually, I haven't even been out on a date since then."

His discomfort was obvious. "I'm sorry, Dash, I didn't mean to pressure you. I . . ."

"No, you didn't. I just reacted instinctively - on autopilot." She gave him a half smile. "You know, when I first met you, I thought you were just another clueless husband whose wife had left him. But as I got to know you, I found out there was more to you than that. And it's not just that we share bad luck with our exes. You're wise and funny and a romantic. Maybe most of all, you're true - true to your wife and true to yourself. That's really important to me."

She blushed and looked down. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you wanted to kiss me again, I wouldn't run away this time."

He looked at her solemnly, then reached across the table to take her hand. Before he could say anything, their waiter came by to check on them. Wes looked up at him blandly. "I think we're going to skip dessert." Dash blushed again.

Marlene

While Wes and Marlene were dining al fresco, Marlene was angrily trying to contact Jack McKenzie. When he finally answered her call, she lit into him. "What's all this shit about bribing Judge Chalmers to grant my order of protection? You told me the judge was a friend of yours."

"Don't be naïve, Marlene. In politics, 'friend' is just another word for 'donor.' When I went to ask him for the restraining order, he made it clear how big an act of friendship it would take for him to do what I wanted. But none of that matters now anyway," he snarled.

"What are you talking about?"

"After all that stuff came out about us, the directors of the agency called a meeting today and kicked me out!"

"How can they do that? It's your agency."

"Yeah, well the agency's bylaws say they can and they did. And just to put the icing on the cake, the California Franchise Tax Board is sending an auditor to the office to go over our books. I am so screwed."

"Oh, Jack, I'm so sorry, baby."

"Yeah, well your 'sorry' and a losing lottery ticket are worth the same to me right now. So how about forgetting my phone number while I try to figure a way out of this nightmare?" With that he hung up.

"Oh, shit, what do I do now?" she moaned to herself.

Wes

"Are you sure this is where you want to go?" the Lyft driver asked when he dropped Wes and Dash off outside the Samuels Building. His two riders were too deeply into each other to pay him any attention. Waving gaily to the night watchman, they hurried to the elevator and rode it up to the sixth floor, locked in a tight embrace.

Once she'd let them in Dash's office/apartment, he reached for her again, but she fended him off.

"Wait here," she told him before slipping away to her bedroom. "I'll only be a minute."

He was checking his smartphone when he heard her voice behind him. "You can come in now." He hurried to the door to her bedroom and then stopped, stunned at the sight before him. The room was lit by several candles, and in the middle of their gentle light Dash waited. She had removed her dress; now she wore only her silver sandals, a pair of lace-top holdup stockings and matching bra and panties, all the color of champagne.

"Oh, Dash!" he gasped.

She held out her arms to him. "I want you, Wes." Her face took on an almost desperate expression. "I can't wait any longer."

He strode over and embraced her, their mouths hungrily devouring each other. After a minute he bent down, picked her up and gently deposited her on the bed. As she lay there staring up at him, he hurriedly stripped down to his boxer briefs and knelt beside her.

"It's been a long time, Wes," she murmured." "Please be gentle with me."

"Of course," he whispered, bending down to kiss her again. As he put his arms around her, he could feel the tension in her muscles. At that moment, he knew what to do. "Roll over," he whispered to her.

When she complied, he began to massage her neck and shoulders gently. She was tense, as he'd suspected, but it didn't take long for his probing fingers to relax her. After a while he reached down and unhooked her bra so he could work freely on her back muscles. She gave a little whimper of contentment.

When he reached her waist, he shifted down to her feet, rubbing her soles and ankles. Soon he began working his way up her nylons to her calves and thighs. When he came to the skimpy panties she was wearing, he gently slid them down, then began caressing her shapely bottom. A groan arose from her, and he was gratified to see her hips begin to move on their own.

"Roll over on your back," he urged, and when she did he scooted up to caress her face, closing her eyes and massaging her cheeks and jawline. But he couldn't resist slipping his hands lower, down her neck, across her shoulders and onto her chest. When his hands cupped her breasts and then tweaked her nipples lightly, she began to moan.

Sensing her growing urgency, he quickly moved lower, caressing down her waist and abdomen but skipping over the juncture of her thighs. He scooted down to the end of the bed so he could work his way up the front of her legs. As he approached her clean-shaven pussy, the movement of her hips grew more pronounced, and he was excited to see how moist she had grown in anticipation of what was to come.

Gently he pushed her knees back and apart to give him access, then leaned down and lightly licked her outer lips. She gasped and thrust herself upwards, offering herself to him. He dipped his face down again and ran his tongue the whole length of her pussy. When he reached her clitoris, he fluttered his tongue over it. At that she cried out and grabbed his head. "Please, Wes. I can't stand to wait another second."

Quickly he reached down and shed his underwear, then kneeled between her thighs and aimed himself at her opening. Remembering her earlier request, he rubbed his cock up and down her inner lips, mixing her lubrication with his own pre-cum. Then he slowly inserted the head of his penis a short distance into her warmth. She felt very tight, so he began a series of forays, each time penetrating a little deeper until he was sheathed to the hilt inside her. Then he held there motionless.

"That feels wonderful," she gasped. Then her hips rocked, and he responded with a slow in-and-out motion. "Yes, yes!" she gasped, and her hands reached out to pull him tight within her. "More, more," she begged, and he felt her legs push against the bed as her hips began thrusting up to him. "Oh, please, don't stop," she begged him. "Take me, do what you want with me! I'm so close."

Her passion inflamed him even more than the exhilarating pressure he was feeling. Now he began to thrust powerfully, driving her and himself towards the peak. Beneath him her words trailed off into sighs, gasps and moans as she was transported higher and higher to a level of sensation she'd almost forgotten existed. With a loud cry she arched her back and shuddered three times, even as he reached his own climax. They both collapsed, and she clutched him to her fiercely. "Wes, Wes, Wes," she panted into his ear.

When he felt tears on her cheek, he was momentarily concerned, but when he pulled back to check, she opened her eyes and smiled. "That was so good, Wes. I don't ever remember it being like that." Then she pulled him to her and buried her face in his neck.

He woke early the next morning and lay on his back thinking. After a few minutes, he rose and dressed, being careful not to wake her. Then he slipped out quietly.

When he returned, Dash was awake and dressed too. As he walked in the door, she looked at him apprehensively. "What is it, Wes?" she asked. "Where did you go?"

"I just needed to walk and think a little."

"What were you thinking about?" she asked, trying not to show how anxious she was growing.

He came over and sat down across from her, a serious expression on his face. "This whole experience of losing my marriage, my home and my job has gotten me thinking about the future. Before, everything seemed so clear and straightforward. Now I find myself questioning what I want to do, where I want to live, everything."

He saw the uncertainty on her face and tried to explain. "You know, I'm not from Sacramento originally. My Dad was in the army, stationed at Fort Collins when I was born. I grew up in Colorado Springs. After my Dad's last heart attack, we moved here because my Mom had family in California. And now that she's gone, I don't have any family here.

"Actually, I realized this morning that I don't have any ties left to Sacramento." He held up his phone. "I got a text from my realtor saying she expects to get an offer on the house any day now."

He stopped to sip from the coffee she'd poured him, so he didn't notice Dash's face.

"I've lost my job, of course," he continued, "not that I really liked it all that much. Thanks to the settlement your uncle got me, I have some time before I need to start looking for another. And once the divorce is granted, that will be my last tie, not just to Marlene but to Sacramento as well."

He shrugged. "I mean, the city's okay but it's not special, if you know what I mean."

She managed to nod, but her face looked like a flower beginning to wilt.

"I've been thinking about all this, and I think I'm going to leave, start fresh somewhere else. Maybe I'll head up to the Pacific Northwest - it's supposed to be beautiful. Anyway . . ."

He paused awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Dash, I know I'm not doing this very well. What I'm trying to say is, well, is there any chance that you'd possibly consider going with me?"

She'd been prepared for the worst, so it took a moment for her to reset. "You . . . you want me to go with you? For how long?"

He looked uncomfortable. "Well, really, as long as you want to."

"But how long do you want me along?"

"I . . . really, I don't want you to ever leave."

She gasped, threw her arms around his neck and wouldn't let go for a long time. Finally he pried her arms loose and pulled back. "I know I'm asking a lot, Dash: leaving your family, your job. And you really don't know me all that well. It's just that . . ."

"Shut up!" she interrupted. "Wes Hardaway, your only problem is you don't understand when someone is saying 'yes' to you." With that she kissed him again, and he finally realized she didn't need any more persuasion.

Over the next few days, the two lovers rotated around each other in a veritable bubble, hardly even aware of the presence of others. The change in their relationship, however, was immediately spotted by the other ladies on the floor, and provided a running source of amusement. Even the two brothers realized what was happening, and they took to rolling their eyes whenever one of them spotted the pair.

But eventually, certain realities intruded, forcing the two to step outside the bubble. Wes had to confer with Winston Samuels a couple of times about the divorce. Marlene had suddenly become reasonable, and issues that had threatened to prolong the divorce were swiftly settled. Wes felt greatly relieved that their split could proceed without a bitter fight. The only major detail left to finalize was the sale of their house. Rather than have to wait, Wes made arrangements for Winston to handle the closing on his behalf.

Winston also had papers for Wes to sign in connection with the settlement with his accounting firm. Wes was still delighted with the outcome, but he still decided not to say anything to Dash, at least for the time being.

For her part, Dash had work to complete for several clients, the most important being her father. Apprehensively, she had gone to his office to inform him of her plans to leave with Wes.

"Dash, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. "I can't help but remember what happened when you ran off with Joey. I just don't want you to get hurt again, that's all."

She tensed up for the confrontation she'd been expecting. "It's not the same at all, Dad. I'm a lot older now, and a lot more careful about my emotions. Besides, Wes is like the polar opposite of Joey: no crazy impulsiveness, no wandering eye, no drug or alcohol problems. When we went out to dinner a few nights ago, the only thing we drank was a couple of glasses of wine with the meal."

"I know," her father said, surprising her. "I've looked into him." When she made a face, he asked, "What, did you think I'd let this guy get so close to you without checking up on him? I almost lost you once; I'm not taking that chance again."

She started to object, but he interrupted. "Hold on: you haven't heard what I found." He gave her an encouraging smile. "Basically, everything I could uncover about him checks out with what you just said. He's solid, dependable, intelligent and hard-working. Despite what that harpy where he worked said, other people in his firm liked and respected him.

"And that's not all, Dash. He was a loyal, faithful husband. The only thing I can fault him for was being a little too naïve about Marlene. But if a person is going to err, let it be on the side of belief in his partner. Leave the cynicism and suspicion to guys like me.

"Anyway, the bottom line is I think you've picked well. I'll hate not having you here, but if you want to go with him, you have my blessing."

"Oh, Daddy," she cried out and threw her arms around her father's neck. He hugged her tightly, well aware that she hadn't called him 'Daddy' in a long time.

When he released her and she'd returned to her chair, he gestured toward where the law offices were located. "I'm glad the two of you won't start out with any financial issues, unlike with Joey. Still, I hate to see you close your business. You're really good at it. I know I rely on you, maybe more than you realize."

She laughed. "Just because I'm going with Wes doesn't mean I'm going to stop working. Basically, I can keep my business going from anywhere, as long as I have my laptop and a highspeed internet connection." She grinned. "You're not going to get rid of me that easily."

"I'm really glad to hear that, Dash." Then the smile left his face. "Now there's some other information I've learned that I need to share with you, and Wes needs to hear it as well. Would you see if he can join us?"

Puzzled, she went off to find Wes. When the two of them returned, Trevor came around to sit on the edge of his desk. "I picked up some interesting news that may affect you both. The word on the street is that Jack Mackenzie, your former wife's lover, has been ousted from his agency and is under investigation for possible tax fraud."

Wes shrugged. "Well, I'm certainly not going to waste any tears for him."

"That's not all," Trevor went on, "I've also learned that he and Marlene are no longer an item. In fact, my understanding is they're no longer even speaking to each other."

Wes and Dash exchanged a look. "Good," he said emphatically.

Dash looked questioningly at her father. "This is all very interesting, Dad, but why make such a big deal about it?"

The detective looked at the pair in front of him. "It's not what's happened that's so important, it's what's likely to come next. Wes, your soon-to-be-ex's scheme has failed. At this point she has no prospects for a new lover or for selling her artwork. My guess is that she'll try to reconcile with you."

"What!" Dash gasped.

"Good luck with that," Wes shot back. "I wouldn't touch that woman with a ten-foot pole."

Trevor nodded. "I understand, but don't underestimate her. If she wants to, she can put the brakes on your divorce pretty quickly. She can have her attorney raise objections and delay the sale of the house. She could petition the court for family counseling that could drag on for months. Dash has told me about your plans to head out of town. You need to realize that Marlene could put all that on hold for an extended time."

"But why would she do that?" Wes asked sharply.

"For one thing, the longer you two aren't divorced, the longer she has a place to live and a source for her living expenses. For another, a delay would mean more time for her to try for a reconciliation with you. The longer you're married, the more time she has to hatch a new plan.

"On the other hand, if she happens to get word of your financial settlement, she could potentially extort money from you in exchange for letting the divorce proceed."

"That bitch!" Wes exclaimed

"You don't know the half of it," Winston replied. "Let me tell you what else I found out about her."

When he finished describing what his investigation had uncovered, the two of them were stunned. As they made their way back to Dash's Antisocial Network office, Wes' face was white with anger. Dash was concerned because she'd never seen him so hot. "What are you going to do, Wes?" she asked almost fearfully.

"What I'd really like to do is strangle her," he replied vehemently. Seeing Dash's reaction, he quickly pulled her to him. "Don't worry, babe, I'd never do anything like that. But after all she's put me through, I wish there was some way to pay her back."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "I think I know someone who could help us do that."

He looked at her with a puzzled expression for a moment, then broke into a smile. "Gertie!" they both yelled.

"Let me shoot her a text and see if she'd be interested in one more installment to the Humiliated Hubby saga," she offered. When she did so, it took only seconds for her phone to signal a response. She read it, grinned and turned the screen so Wes could read it. "I want it, I Want IT, I WANT IT!" read the return text.

The two quickly set to work putting the information Trevor had uncovered into a form Gertie could use on her show. They had worked steadily for a couple of hours when Wes' phone rang. Dash saw the name on the display and the angry expression that flashed across Wes' face. She decided to go into her bedroom to give him some privacy, but she could still hear the angry tone in Wes' voice.

When it sounded like the call had ended, she went back out. "As you figured, that was Marlene," he told her. "It looks like your Dad called it exactly right. She wants me to get together with her at our house tomorrow to go over a few last-minute details she says need to be settled in person. She also dropped a few hints that make me think she really wants to talk about a possible reconciliation."