Of course he was. He was sitting right in plain sight in a little Porsche Boxster, Little Pervy Art, getting his jollies. I hit the # key a couple times to signal Janet to give him the works. It wasn't anything he hadn't already seen before so nothing lost here. It would keep him occupied for the next phase.
Detective Tate of the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office walked with me toward the Boxster. As half expected, Art was stroking off to an up close and personal view of Janet with her fingers inside her panties while laying on her bed and it was certainly hi def.
The Detective moved forward and opened the door to the Porsche and directed Art to exit the vehicle slowly and also telling me to step back now. I did as he asked and Art Sajac, caresser of asses that are not his, was placed under arrest for a variety of charges, some serious, other's not so much. I picked up the phone and spoke into it.
"It's over."
I saw on the screen that she bounded off the bed and ran out of view. She came back in view briefly, properly dressed and then left. At that point she came out of the building. Art was in the back of the patrol car and the officer walked toward Janet for a discussion. I just stood off to the side as he asked. When he was done, he questioned me further, shook my hand, retrieved the laptop and followed Janet into the Condo with me right behind. Art was cuffed and in the backseat with another unit rolling up behind him.
Half an hour later, Art was in jail, we were in bed and the folks at the Sheriff's Office hopefully were not getting their rocks off watching Janet play with that perfect pink pussy. If they were, Marge Tate, my administrative secretary and Detective Tate's wife, would be giving them holy hell to pay.
The next morning was a sunny day. My fears were assuaged. A nuisance pervert was put away or at least taken out of commission. I woke with a beautiful and sensual woman lying next to me and I had a package of fat English sausages in the fridge. This time I cooked her breakfast.
Janet's Mom had her surgery and everything was clear from the doctor's point of view. There is no such thing as a complete cure with cancer. It goes into remission, in this case hopefully permanent due to the surgery.
The kids were really getting into the new startup and had named it Softech Robotics. Carl took care of all the legalities and I fronted them a working capital loan to finance R&D. By summer, Jason had hired a tech assembler to help meet a prototype order from one of the biotech companies down in South San Francisco. If it worked as planned, we would expand to production. That would mean moving out of incubation and into actual production facilities.
The prototype was a success and with a new order book, Jason and Ann acquired production space in San Rafael to the south. Omega continued to provide contract programming for all software although I removed myself from any negotiations due to conflict potentials.
Within the year, Softech was producing at 6 days a week on 12 hour schedules with one production line. Business was good for both Softech and Omega.
Janet and I continued our relationship. We were more than FWB. We had a good, mutual relationship that was exclusive. I didn't have any interests with other women and as far as I knew she was exclusive with me as well. We had even talked about marriage at one point but Janet wouldn't make that commitment. I can't say I was ready either but I had given some thought to it. I guess I'm still an old fashioned guy at heart. But, Janet is smarter than me.
"Tom, you still love her, don't you?"
Helen had been out to visit the kids in their new homes in San Rafael. It had been over a couple years since the divorce. The money I had given her had provided her the independence to visit the children when she felt the need and not have to worry about finances. I felt really good about myself when I thought about that.
"Janet, I always will. We had 20 or so really great years together before things started going bad. We raised two great kids together. I don't think that kind of love can be shut down. It changes into something else. Do I wish it never happened? Of course I do but it did."
I sat there for a few moments before I realized I was lost in my thoughts. Janet had risen and refilled her wine glass and brought me a new rum and coke.
"Tom, would you be mad if I told you I've talked with Helen? Oh hell, so what if you are." She laughed.
"I've had lunch with her a few times and I know how much she loves you but she is having a difficult time trying to move on. She can't. She won't even look at another man. Do you know she still wears a ring on her left finger? Your daughter says the same thing. Helen will die alone before she'll give herself to another man."
I thought of Helen living alone for the rest of her life and curiously I was pulled between two conflicting feelings. One part of me cared less. It was her nest to live in constructed entirely of her own unfaithfulness. The other part pined for the tremendous loss we both incurred not only from that same unfaithfulness but from the chasm of the few years before those events.
There is that crowd of observers I've noted before that go on and on about burning the bitch and getting as much selfish satisfaction as possible out of the scorched soul left behind. The problem with such people whether they are the bartender down the street or a coworker sitting with you at lunch is that they have never smelled the odor of the bitch burning they seem to relish. It isn't an experience for the faint of heart. It destroys people including the one who lights the torch.
I'm not made that way. Helen was my love and life for a long time and I still loved her even though I hated what she did. I looked at Janet sitting crossed legged on my couch.
"Janet, I'm not mad that you've talked with Helen. Hell, if it helps her in some fashion, I'm all for it but you need to realize and I'm sure you do that she destroyed whatever was left of our marriage. We are both two very different people now. I love the Helen that used to be. I don't love the Helen that walked out on me that day."
The problem was, I didn't really believe what I had just said and I think Janet knew it. I knew the truth when I stood in her apartment that evening debating whether to walk down the hallway and push that bedroom door open. I still loved her but couldn't get over what she did.
"Tom, I'm not going anywhere and before I say what's on my mind, I'm letting you know that in a few minutes I'm going to pull these tight pants off my tight little ass that I have worked so hard for and shimmy out of this pullover top and I am then going to proceed to fuck the daylights out of you until there's no juice left in either of us.
But first, I want you to agree to something. I want you to take Helen out, even if it's just to talk. If all you do is enjoy a meal and talk about the kids, that fine. But, she needs it and so do you. You both need an amicable relationship in order to move on and right now you don't have it."
Forget shock. I just laughed.
"You've got this all arranged, don't you?"
She just nodded and grinned.
"Ann and I set it up and no, it isn't a conspiracy. She's quite content seeing the two of us together. She wants to see her Mom and Dad have something between them that isn't tainted by the divorce or what you or she did over whatever years. I'm supposed to work on you and she's working on her Mom.
Quite ingenious, eh?"
I just shook my head and left it at that. She lived up to her promise. She peeled off those tight pants and pulled the panties off in in one move before pulling the top off to reveal those beautiful bare breasts. We fucked each other silly. When we were finished I whispered "yes, it was ingenious" in her ear.
The next day at work business events interrupted the personal side of life for a while. My Chairman, Bill, had been in talks with a German company for several months and things were just now beginning to come to fruition.
"Tom, it's a $300 Million acquisition that is going to position us in a dominant role in both European and Asian markets for the next gen software our biotech group has been working on, an outstanding opportunity."
"Bill, this is a big move. What are your expectations regarding management oversight in Germany?"
"Well, the board and I have been giving some thought to it. The organization needs a complete restructuring. We would like you to take it on, only on an interim basis. While you are involved with that, I'll step into your role until you return permanently stateside. Doable?"
I wanted to think on it for a while but then, when the Chairman and my boss asks me to do something big like this, I'm not likely to turn him down. I nodded my agreement and we worked out the details.
"For a whole year?" Janet asked. "That's a long time to go without a man."
"Why don't you come with me? I'll be coming back every month or so regardless."
Janet looked out the window and then back at me.
"I can't, Tom. I need to be here with my Mom."
While her Mom had pretty much beaten the breast cancer monster, her health had begun to fail on other fronts. Janet had been spending a lot more time with her recently and even considered moving back home. Her Dad was spending far less time on their French vineyard than before and had turned regular management duties over to one of his trusted employees.
"OK, we'll work something out, I promise." I said to comfort her.
She just grinned.
"Now, baby, you remember what we talked about last night? You are going to do it, right?"
I remembered. How could I forget? She wanted me to take Helen out on a date or dinner or whatever it could be called. It had to be a California thing. What woman would encourage her man to go on a date with another woman? I knew Helen. I knew her scent, her taste, her desires and everything else about her. She knew mine as well or at least used to.
I calculated it once. Over the course of our 25 year marriage, I had enjoyed her body probably 2,000 times. It was a dangerous calculation. Janet had to know this. If she threw the two of us together and if anything lit the flame, familiarity might give birth to 2,001. Helen has always been a very attractive woman and I have never failed to be aroused by her, even in her apartment a couple years earlier. I would have to steel myself, no pun intended.
Helen was staying with Ann. As with my visit to her place at the Waterside, I stood outside for a while debating whether to walk up to the door or not. I had not talked with her since that night. She had tried to after I had the money wired to her accounts but I had avoided her. I never came over here when she was visiting nor at Jason's if I knew she was there.
It wasn't out of spite at all. It just broke my heart to think of seeing her and being reminded of what we had lost. I suppose for many divorced couples, the loss fades over time. For me, the enormity of the loss just grows and to combat that growing angst, I have avoided her. Now, the door waits patiently.
"Hello, Tom."
"Hello, Helen, you are looking well." I gave her a courteous hug.
She really did look good. She was trim, fit, athletic looking, her hair was beautiful and she was dressed very stylishly. The soft grey dress worked her complexion very nicely and her smile complimented the single strand of pearls around her neck. The matching earrings were a set I gave to her on one of her birthdays a few years ago.
"Rum and Coke still?"
I nodded yes and she quickly had a drink in her hand along with wine for herself. We both sat comfortably on the couch.
"Tom, it's been a while since we talked. I have so much I'd like to say but I don't know where.
I gently stopped her and smiled.
"Helen, there is no need now, not yet. I just thought we should get together and maybe talk about the kids, what's going on with them and family related things, you know. Besides, I want to get us to dinner and we have a ride to get there. I booked reservations at Morimoto's in Napa for 7:30. We have a couple hours before then and I thought we would enjoy the ride up."
We chatted and finished our drinks before she gathered her jacket and we made our way to the car. I brought the Porsche this time and as I helped Helen into the seat, she flashed a clear beaver shot at me and smiled ever so slightly. OK, so she still did it for me.
It was a pleasant ride and we talked about everything except the things I really didn't want to talk about at the moment. I took the Carrera through a few gear changes just for kicks and watched Helen out of the corner of my eye. She reminded me of a school girl with her excitement every time the torque and acceleration pushed her head back into the seat rest. It could have been 25 years ago, before the kids tied us down.
By the time we arrived and parked, it was close to our reservation so we ventured into the restaurant. I have always enjoyed this place and every time I step into it, the contrasting greys and yellows along with the displays remind me of being in a giant Japanese style living room. There is a mix of sofas and plush chairs along with large crosscut wood table tops and a long sushi bar. I chose it not only because of Morimoto and being the best Japanese restaurant in town but because both Helen and I always loved the cuisine.
We were seated intimately at one of the smaller tables off to the side and we ordered drinks and appetizers. Janet said to take her on a date and that's what I was doing. At some point the discussion came around to Ann and what she was up to.
"Tom, I'm a bit concerned about Ann and I'm not sure how to approach it. I'm the last person in the world to give her advice. Hell, I'm just thankful she still loves me."
"Helen, what do you mean? What are you talking about?"
There was just the hint of a tear in the corner of her eye.
"She told me that under no circumstances would she ever marry and have a family. She has no faith at all in the institution and it is because of me. Well, she didn't say that directly but I know it's true."
Ann had never talked to me about this change in her so I had never suspected. For as long as we could remember, Ann's ideal world was one of growing up, finding prince charming and having two kids, a dog and a cat with a picket fence thrown in for good measure. I asked the question even though I knew the answer.
"Helen, why do you think you are the cause?"
"Because of what I did, it shattered her perception of what a couple should be like. In her mind, if two loving people after so many years could see it all wash down the toilet, she could never trust herself or a husband to be faithful to the end. She never saw it coming. That's why she hated me so much at first."
"She told you this?"
"Tom, I'm smart enough to figure some things out. She shared some thoughts. I filled in the gaps."
When our food arrived, we tabled most of that discussion and conversed about the cuisine and some of our pleasant shared memories. It was a very enjoyable dinner and we were both able to laugh and have a good time. When it was over, I told her about my upcoming Heidelberg trip. I had heard the response before in another setting.
"For a whole year?" Helen asked.
"Well, probably although I'm sure I'll end up traveling back and forth several times over the course of my stay. Whatever the case, it's a big piece of business."
I had never talked with Helen about what I did for a living now. I think she just assumed I was living off the proceeds from the sale of the business. In any event she seemed genuinely concerned that I was going to be gone.
"You know it could be worse. They could have me going to someplace in the far reaches of Timbuktu or someplace like it. As it stands, Heidelberg is a great city to work and play in for a while."
Before getting the car, we walked around downtown Napa for a while window shopping and just taking in the sights. By the time I got her back to Ann's it was getting late and she fixed me a cup of coffee.
"Tom, you know you could spend the night if you wanted."
I looked at her somewhat askance and she just grinned.
"I mean there are three bedrooms here and Ann is out for the weekend. I promise I'll respect your virtue. I just don't think you should be driving back up to Sonoma from here this late. Besides, Janet is not expecting you tonight."
OK, now she had her seduction smile on and I was the dummy. However, it made sense. It was almost midnight and driving up to Sonoma from here wasn't necessary. I had stayed a few times before in the room at the end of the hall. So, that's what I did.
It seems that as soon as my head hit the pillow I was fast asleep. I think I got up one time to use the bathroom and without thinking I walked naked down the hallway. It's what I do at home. It wasn't until I reached it that I remembered I wasn't in the house alone. In any event, I made it back undetected.
The next morning, I rolled over right into the arms of a beautiful, naked woman. Helen had slipped into my bed sometime in the night and she had not yet woken. I lay there looking at her. She looked so serene that I didn't want her to wake up for a while. I tried to remember when I had last looked at her like this and I couldn't. It had to be a couple years prior to her leaving at least.
Slipping out of bed, I grabbed my robe and hit the bathroom. When I finished, I dressed and checked the kitchen out for breakfast fixings. It was an excellent find with more English sausages. Halfway through the prep, Helen walked out looking fresh and anxious. She looked right at me.
"I hope you are not mad at me, Tom."
I knew what she meant and I wasn't. I didn't fuck her. She wanted whatever comfort she could find in the moment and I don't blame her. Had I been awake, I might have fucked her solidly. I hugged her gently, kissed her on the cheek and told her so.
"Helen, there is no need to be bothered. I'm not mad or offended. Besides, you're not a bed hog and never have been."
She laughed uproariously at that noting that while she might not be, I certainly am.
We enjoyed the breakfast, cleaned up and decided to go for a walk. After a while, we ended up at a downtown café and decided to stop in for a coffee. We had just sat down when I noticed an excited woman waving her hand at us. It was Pam and she was there with her husband, Nigel. She came over and immediately insisted we join them at their table as there was plenty of room, so we did.
I made the introductions noting Helen as my 'former significant other'. I've never liked the term 'ex-wife' much. Pam explained that this was one of their favorite cafés. They had been married a bit over a year and their enthusiasm for each other was infectious. Helen looked at Pam somewhat sideways and pasted a sly smile on her face.
"You're expecting , aren't you?"
"Two months. How did you know? I'm not showing that I know of." Pam asked.
"Oh yes you are showing. You keep rubbing your belly and I can see it in your face and smile."
There was a round of laughter among us all. Nigel wanted to book a round of golf but I informed him it might have to wait until I make one of my returns from Germany.
"Tom, you know David and Marylyn Stone are traveling to Mannheim next month for a two month stay before traveling to Italy. Our company is making an acquisition and David is closing the deal this week. He is taking his M&A team with him to do a reorg and Marylyn is tagging along."
"I'll have to give him a call, Nigel. Mannheim is right next door to where I am going to be. In fact it's only a short ride between cities. What a coincidence!"
When we had finished we said our goodbyes, hugged, kissed and did all the polite things. After returning to Ann's, I gathered my bag and tossed it on the seat.
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