The house went up for sale immediately. The kids were a bit sad about it but they understood. It would fetch a pretty price on the market and it was paid for. I gave the kids whatever they wanted out of the house and I kept the laundry room door. Some memories are too priceless to give up. A week after it went on the market, I received a fair offer and told the real estate lady to do the deal. The remaining furnishings that none of us wanted were going to Goodwill. I did ask Jason to give his mother the courtesy of taking anything she wanted while I was out of the house but I never did ask if she took him up on the offer.
One of the last things I did before flying west was to stop by the old offices. They all knew I was the new CEO of the parent company so we would certainly get together again but for that day, I just wanted to remember them as friends. I ordered in pizza and beers for the rest of the day and we all enjoyed the company and comradery.
So after three weeks, I found myself back on that Boeing 767 heading to a new world and a new life. It had been 122 days since Helen walked out of my life and now I was walking out of the remnants of mine. I settled into the role of consultant very well and the time went by quickly. The condo was nicely furnished and the few things I shipped out here fit well with everything. By the holidays, I had established a comfortable routine.
Speaking of holidays, this was the first not having the family around. My brother Carl and his wife and kids usually came around on one of them and we would go to their place or the other. This year, there was no "we", at least not as in "Helen and I". I called the kids to ask them what they wanted to do. Logistically, it didn't make sense to fly everybody out here so I talked with Carl and we decided to have Thanksgiving at their place and I would fly the kids out here for Christmas if they wanted to.
Ann dropped a 'daddy bomb" on me. She asked if she could bring a special friend with her. She wanted me to meet him and I figured if they were that serious that it was time to meet Dad and I needed to be up for the part. I had already met Jason's significant flavor of the month and the two before that. At least he was getting laid. Having those thoughts about my daughter were, well, disconcerting to say the least. However, she is 21 years old and an adult.
Thanksgiving went well. We all had a great time. I think Ann wanted to talk about her mother but I pushed off the discussion.
"OK, we'll talk at Christmas." is all she said.
A couple days after getting back I was coming up the landing with two full bags of groceries in my arms when the bottom fell right out of one of them. As I stooped down to pick up my mess, I came face to face with her.
She was what I used to call a frosted brunette. Her natural hair was dark but she had her hairdresser fill it with blond highlights so it would appear that a blond was trying to burst through while the dark roots held her back. She was California tan. That's hard to explain unless you've lived here a while. She also had a full mouth of bright white teeth framed with red lipstick. All I could think of was the Beach Boys yet we weren't in southern California. The rest of her was slim, trim, breasted and in a word, delicious.
I think I was at a loss for words for the first time in years. She filled the void.
"Hi, I'm Janet Carr, I love, I mean, I live next door. Let me help you with this."
I introduced myself and she and I gathered up the busted bag of groceries and got them to my kitchen counter. After getting things pushed aside, I offered her something to drink and she accepted a glass of wine. We spent the next several minutes, actually the next hour, introducing ourselves and discussing the condos, the amenities and some of the people around the complex.
I learned that she was recently divorced, 42 years old, took her cheating husband to the cleaners and made him buy the condo as part of the settlement. He was California rich, lawyer by trade working in the entertainment industry in LA. Now, she was California rich, living off the community property settlement and alimony, which was apparently lucrative, in the millions. She was living where she grew up. Her parents owned a vineyard and winery just up the road and someday, it would be hers.
"So, Tom, were you the one fucking a bimbo or was it your wife that chased the strange?"
I guess I kind of chuckled at that because as far as I knew I never fucked a bimbo even before I was married. I told her the condensed story and we tipped our glasses again to all the sad sack stories out there. Before she left, I did something I hadn't done in over 25 years. I made a date for the following night.
One of the places I had started going to when I wanted to get out of the house had a cool jazz band that played pretty regularly. They were in house that night. I made dinner reservations and planned on taking Janet out for drinks and maybe dancing afterwards. When I went to pick her up that evening, I was bowled over. She had gone and had her hair done and taken out the blond highlights. She was now much closer to her natural brown. She was wearing a dark blue dress, cut short and really ample cleavage. As I noted before, she was slim, trim and breasted. In a word, she was beautiful.
One of the treats I gave myself when I moved out here was a new Porsche 911 Carrera. I helped her into the seat and off we went, me being as proud as a peacock.
"Hey, I have one of these, a red one."
I looked at her and laughed. That figures.
Dinner was fantastic and the drinks and dancing went well. We both were good dancers and I know I at least had a great time. When we left, I walked her to her door, gave her a kiss good night and thanked her for the wonderful evening. She looked at me a little hesitantly before saying she did too and would I like to do it again real soon. Of course I did.
She went in and I think I walked light footed back to my place and made myself a rum and coke before plopping down in my easy chair.
15 minutes later, my doorbell rang. When I opened it, Janet stood there, dropped the jacket off her shoulders and held up a couple of condoms.
"I really wasn't ready to call it a night yet and there's nothing on TV so I thought we could blow up a couple of balloons!"
She walked right past me smiling and giggling, completely naked and perfect. Her Ex was one stupid motherfucker.
I had a couple condoms of my own that Jason gave me as a gag gift one night. We used hers first and then one of mine. She was insatiable until that third time. She rolled her eyes back and wasted me with a mind blowing orgasm. I didn't have anything left and neither did she. She was gone before I woke up and had left a cute note thanking me for the evening and the GREAT fuck, as she put it. It certainly put a smile on my face.
That morning, I assessed my evening. I had a great time with somebody I really clicked with. She fucked my nuts off with the best sex I had enjoyed in years and she made me feel 20 years younger. Did I want to date her again? Hell yeah, I did. On the other hand, it awakened a desire for the company of women. Could it be just one woman, Janet? Of course it could. I am monogamous by nature and desire. Was she? Time would tell.
Christmas was coming and the kids were visiting. Jason showed up first with his current steady, a nice girl named Christine. I told him discreetly to keep the door closed and the music on. He understood. Ann showed up the next day with a handsome young man named Steve. He was well mannered and polite. I liked him. Ann pulled me aside and told me right up front, that she was sleeping with him and wanted me to be OK with that. I told her I was and they shared the third bedroom.
So I had a full house. On the following Saturday, Janet called me and asked if I was interested in going to her parents winery for a tasting and perhaps dinner. When I told her my kids and their significant others were here she invited them as well.
"Tom, all I need to do is call Mom and she'll reserve another table or two. They do this every year before Christmas. Last year there were 50 guests so by all means. Plus, I'd love to meet your kids!"
I agreed and told Jason and Ann. They were interested so we made it a deal.
"Dad, so you are dating now? Jason asked with a smile on his face. Ann looked at me a little strange. I couldn't figure out what was up with that but we'd talk later, I assured myself.
"We've dated a couple times and hit it off well. It's nice to have somebody to share some time with and have dinner. I've missed that."
"Dad, I'm happy for you. If you can enjoy yourself in the midst of all this horrible squalor, more power to you."
Obviously he was jesting but I was glad I had his support. Even Ann smiled at that but I could tell something was eating at her. Of the two kids I would have expected her to be the one telling me to go after it with gusto. I filed the observation and we made plans for the evening.
It was a big affair. There were at least 60 people there not including ourselves. The kids and their dates took my Audi and I drove with Janet.
"Thanks for coming, Tom. I've wanted to show you off to my Mom. She is always asking about the men I'm seeing especially since she was not too crazy about my Ex and I know she'll love you."
"Moms are always great fun especially when they meddle, eh?"
I lost my Mom a few years ago shortly after Dad died. It was a rough spell for a while as I was close to both of them but now, all my memories are fond.
We pulled into the pea stone parking lot with the kids right behind us. Introductions were made and everybody began mingling. Janet kept to my side for a good while until she excused herself to help with some of the dinner preparations.
I ended up being pulled into a discussion with a couple of women who were running a business incubator not far from my offices. One of the women, Dana, was quite insistent that I visit their facilities if just to give my opinion. Well, I didn't shut it down and the next thing I knew I was invited out to lunch and accepted. It helped that both women were quite attractive and knew their particular charms were adroit at the manipulation of unsuspecting men.
I caught a glimpse of Janet with a man who was clearly attempting to pour on the seductive charms. They were both very comfortable with each other and I assumed there was a past relationship there although I was probably being preemptively dismissive. I did catch his hand drifting down onto her wonderful ass as she turned back toward the preparations. I didn't have any claim on her so I suppose she was fair game in the minds of most men although I would be foolish if I didn't acknowledge at least the tinge of jealousy I felt.
The rest of the evening went as I expected of these events. Janet and I were seated together with two other couples and the man I observed earlier. The kids were mingled at another table. Curiously, the other man was seated to the left of Janet and seemed to occupy a good bit of her conversation. He was certainly persistent. The other two couples made up for her absence and I discovered one of the gentlemen was the CEO of the financial investment group that was funding our new office building. Actually, they were going to own it and lease it back to us when it was completed in the spring of next year. I had never met him.
David Stone was his name and he and his wife Marylyn had moved out here from Tennessee to head up Phoenix Financials located an easy drive from here in San Rafael. The other couple was Nigel and Pam Hegland. Nigel was a financial analyst at Phoenix and Pam was a wine consultant although I didn't quite know what that was at the time. She is also Janet's cousin. Also, coincidental to the evening, David's firm was also financing the business incubator model I was finagled into visiting and having lunch over.
Overall it was a profitable dinner with the business contacts and networking. I did discover the hound to Janet's left was a fellow named Art Sajac. They apparently were an item shortly after her divorce but according to Pam it went nowhere. It was a rebound romance for her, animal lust for him. I had no idea why she was telling me this although she couldn't keep the smile off her face while doing so.
Before we left the dinner, I did meet Janet's Mom. She was old school Italian, with the accent and everything that comes with it. If nobody else liked me I could definitely count on her. I also found a couple new golfing accomplices in David and Nigel and we made plans for the weekend following New Years.
Later that evening, I took her. I took her hard, soft, gentle and rough. I tasted every inch of her and when we finished, we fell asleep in each other's arms. She wasn't gone in the morning. It was her place. I awoke to the smell of sausages, the old fat English variety instead of the skinny supermarket kind most of us are used to. There were also homemade English muffins with marmalade. Janet brought the breakfast into the bedroom and served me in bed without a care for the crumbs. When we finished she proceeded to give me the most remarkable, wet, deep blowjob. I don't think I had ever had a more enjoyable start to any day that I could remember.
When we finished, and I had properly thanked her by returning the favor, we showered together and, reluctantly, I reminded her of my house guests. She understood and she also had made a commitment to have lunch with her cousin Pam.
The kids were all sitting around half dressed eating breakfast when I came in. I did a look around and realized it was probably a good thing I slept elsewhere the previous evening. I know this is awful for someone's Dad to say, but Christine was nipping out gloriously with full areolas opaquely visible through the sheer top. OK. I excused myself for a bit and tended to a few things in my room. When I returned, the place was half back to normal and everybody had at least slipped enough clothes on that they could run to the grocery if needed. Actually, I just chuckled to myself. I remembered my youth all too well.
That afternoon, we did all the Christmas decorations. I had kept them from our old house. The owners association for the condo was a bit restrictive on what we could do outside but they had already pretty much covered that. So we focused on the inside. The kids twisted a couple bottles of champagne corks and we made a small party of it. It was no Rockefeller Center when it was done but I was still impressed. I lugged out several bags of wrapped presents and put them under the tree and I even hung stockings off the mantle to the gas log fireplace. There were gifts for everybody including Christine and Stephen. Christmas was still three days off. Later that evening, Ann and I went for a walk.
"Dad, have you ever thought about trying to get back with Mom or at least talk to her about what happened?"
I looked my little girl over closely and there was just the hint of moistness in her eyes but it might have been the chill of the evening as well.
"Ann, you know how your Mom left me. She didn't even say so much as a goodbye to my face. I haven't seen her or talked to her since that day. For that matter, I don't know her telephone number or even her address. To tell you the truth, I don't know that I would even if I had that info. Tell me what's bothering you. The last I knew, she was the wicked witch of the east."
If I thought she might hold back, I was wrong.
"Dad, nothing is as it seems, I remember you used to say. I hated her. I mean I hated the ground she walked on when I found out. You know about that job I took and then walked away from. That was right after the divorce became final. It was the same day the news of selling your business came out in the papers. Neither of them knew anything about it and you would have thought they were quite the happy couple. But, you don't know the story. How could you? I didn't until afterwards."
I looked at my daughter in the eyes. "What has happened, Ann?"
"The prick beat her and left her high and dry, except for the savings she took when she left us. She had squirreled that away so he didn't get his hands on that."
"Is she OK, alright?"
"Dad, she is fine. She is tough if nothing else. It's quite a story if you want me to tell it. I told her I might tell you about it and she didn't want me to but I told her to go to hell. She no longer had that right to tell me anything. I was mad, I guess."
"Ann, you've told me this much so far and piqued my interest. I won't rest well until you've told me the story."
She let out a sigh and then took my hand leading me to one of the walkway benches.
"OK, but let me get this out, Dad, without you interrupting me."
I nodded and she then proceeded to tell me the tale. When she finished, to say I was incredulous would be the understatement of the year. But, this was my daughter telling me this and when I asked if she believed it, she nodded yes.
"Dad, I believe it. I know the beating was real. I saw her black eyes and the bruises. She won't press charges no matter what I said to her. Now, she's living over on Waterside in one of the apartments there. She got a job of all things. Can you believe that? She is working for the Outplacement Center she was volunteering at for the last couple of years. But for everything that happened before and what she had to say about it, I believe her Dad. She is completely broken and she is my Mom so I have to care."
"Yes, Baby, you do have to care. You are her daughter, her flesh and blood. I'm having a hard time wrapping my hands around this but if you tell me you believe it, I'll accept it as truth. But, you need to know this, Ann. Our problems began a good while before just a couple years ago. They started about the same time you went off to college. Little things, that grew into big things and eventually culminated into this. I told both you and Jason about it. I didn't hold anything back.
I'll tell you what. If you give me her contacts, I'll see what I can do. If I can help her out in some way, for your benefit, I'll see what it entails. But, that first question you asked me? Have I thought about trying to get back with her or at least talk to her about what happened? I half expected her to walk back through the front door a dozen times over those three months and it never happened. Since coming out here, I have purposefully not looked back other than to reach out to you and Jason. So, in a word, no, I haven't given any thought to it."
I hugged my daughter, dried her tears and we made the walk back to the condo. The other kids had made popcorn and had a movie on. That's how we spent the rest of the night.
I didn't get much sleep that night. What Ann told me nagged at me until morning. I called my brother when I got up and ready for the day and asked him for a big favor, well, I was paying for it regardless. I wanted him to hire somebody to find out everything they could about Helen and the man she ran off with. I meant everything, every piece of dirt they could, family on his side, employment histories, credit checks, criminal backgrounds. I was paying for the works, at any cost and I didn't care how they got the information.
"Tom, you are asking for a lot but it can be done. Just don't ask any questions later."
Well, that was a done deal. I didn't need to know how.
Christmas came and went and then New Years. Janet and I hooked up a few times during that time and after the kids flew back home, she corralled me on the couch one evening.
"OK, Tom, out with it. Something's been on your mind lately."
I think our relationship had progressed to that point. She could read me. I told her what was troubling me and how I needed to get some of it settled at least for my daughter's sake.
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