The Saga of Jerry-Josey-Tracy

Author's Foreword: This is another story about people who do not live next door and who are winners ultimately, as they enjoy life. Also, there is no hot sex here, but lots of psychology. Please read only if and when your tolerance level for this sort of thing is high enough. The comments on my last submission included some useful advice. Thanks. All errors are mine.

*****

The Saga of Jerry-Josey-Tracy

Jerry Jackson and Josey Johns drove south on I-93 toward Boston Center chatting amiably about their upcoming flight to San Diego. It would be followed by a round trip cruise south to 4 Mexican and Central American Pacific ports before returning to San Diego and then their flying back to Boston. Josey said, "Darling, I am impressed that you got our travel package at such a bargain price, you are a skilled negotiator - amongst your other talents!"

Jerry chuckled and said, "I wanted to favor the woman who both turns heads when on the dance floor plus who heats up my soul to a no-cost-to-her extravaganza. By the way, today completes our third month of being together - did you remember?" He noted that her facial expression said that she had no idea that three months had elapsed. He continued, "Thank you for being an excellent ballroom dancer so that we succeeded in finding each other at a dance camp in the White Mountains." Josey squeezed his free hand but remained silent.

The couple was nearing Boston Center traveling south at the posted speed. Both were excited at the prospect of attending the black-tie dinner -Josey's first - especially because Jerry was to be one of the honorees. The senior Architectural Project Manager glanced at his companion and grinned that she was his live-in Squeeze and thought, "The past three months with this woman buoyed my male ego and made preparing for Boston's coming winter enjoyable. Whew! What a fiery lover she is - my first Squirter in my limited sex experience. The apartment owner even installed a rubber pad beneath the sheets to protect his mattress from Josey's orgasmic squirts right after we first moved into the spacious quarters."

As the Boston skyline appeared just beyond the newly designed cable-bridge and just before entering the downtown tunnel, Jerry's thoughts were, "How fortunate Is it that a Nerd like me is fucking a 'Number Ten' beautiful divorcee. Even though she is a known Cheater and her ex-husband divorced her for that reason, she certainly has taught me some things in bed during the past three ecstatic months. Alas! The life of a cheater must be self-destructive since her paramour dropped her almost as soon as she moved in with him. Then Josey must have moved in with me as a last resort. Let me think; her divorce will be final in one month by now. But, she is my first live-in fuck-buddy, and I like it! At the same time, I am plagued by a suspicion that she would rather be with someone else than with a nerd like me - that I am just a Human dildo for her who has won a few dance contests while I provide her with a high-cost meal ticket. So, am I fortunate or not? I wonder if something better will ever come my way? Why must life be so convoluted and why can't I find a woman who fits me, body and soul," as he unconsciously pounded the steering wheel?

Josey Johns squinted her eyes at the yellow sodium vapor light in the tunnel under downtown Boston for a moment. Unbeknownst to Jerry, her thoughts were, "My poor ex-husband, Dan, is desperate for me to call off the divorce before it's final and take him back. Heh heh. He now suggests an open marriage that I wanted in the first place as the price of staying married - the damned Wimp! I sure don't want a steady diet of his zero sex skills again, but as Dan's wife in the swing club I could have variety, and the Cocks would just form a queue to get me. On the other hand, my 'significant other' Jerry Jackson treats me to expensive booze, the best chow in Boston, and his cock, which thrills me because of his record-breaking stamina. Alas! Our relationship won't last, however, because he is just masturbating himself with my body instead of using his hand, wishing for someone to come along with whom he relates, body and soul. On top of that Jerry has invested all that money on our cruise of a lifetime. God Damn! I hate ships! I also hate myself for not telling the star performer that I hate the sea. Ahh. What to do? There must be something better for me than living a Country and Western song - not to mention my youth and beauty is fleeting in front of my very eyes. And yet, I crave the excitement of watching men ache to touch me, even now."

The couple presently arrived at the hotel where the dinner was taking place, and all eyes turned towards Josey when the couple entered the ballroom. The president of the group that developed the luxury high-rise condominium wanted to dedicate his building at this black-tie dinner. The invited people were the principals who made it happen. He droned on and on about the 'magic of achieving luxury at a discounted price.' The project had been finished on time and under budget. He stated, "...this is possible only when the right individuals are in place to make it happen." The developer gave the general contractor, structural steel supplier, and others several awards. Finally, the senior architect of record, was called to the podium to speak. She began making her way to the stage.

The architect's firm employed Jerry Jackson, and the newly completed 'Crystal Palace' was Jerry's 'baby' for three long years of very long work days. The 32-year old would shortly be sitting for the exams in order to hang his own shingle in the future. He was already a member of the American Architectural Association and had published two articles in prestigious journals.

The architect of record arrived at the podium. When cued, she spoke praising creativity, insight, and technical skills, all coming together to make 'Crystal Palace' the newest icon on the Boston skyline." She called up two team leaders and presented an award and bonus check and then she called their project's senior manager, Jerry Jackson, to the podium.

When Jerry was standing beside the Architect, she continued, "You all may have seen the recent article about 'Crystal Palace' in New England Architecture magazine that Jerry wrote and had published. It celebrates everyone here for having achieved luxury at a bargain basement price per square foot. The Principle driver behind our success, and who wrote the article, received no accolades. Jerry managed the basic design and construction of the building from sketches. He did this by selecting the best team and the best materials from sealed bid vendors who understood that there was no space to store building materials and that workers are idle if material deliveries are delayed. In other words, the ones selected were best equipped for just-in-time supply-chain delivery of construction materials - this often required tactfully ignoring pressures to buy from vendors who had been traditional suppliers." Turning to Jerry Jackson, "We all love you, Jerry because you made the 'under budget' happen." After the applause had died down, she continued, "Here is a bonus check and I order you to take a much-deserved month off after your many, many 18-hour work days while the building was rising. Please plan to look at a new luxury project where right now financing is being arranged upon your return - the cost per square foot in this new building must be even less than Crystal Palace.". The participants stood and clapped wildly.

After the ceremonies had ended and the congratulations by well-wishers had petered out, Jerry noticed that the look on Josey's face was one of boredom. The festive dinner attendees had come around to chat with the project manager. At one point Josey excused herself and took a phone call that lasted twenty minutes. As the crowd finally died his live-in lover approached him again and said, "Congratulations, Jerry, this was your night. I could not imagine the respect and admiration you received based on how you described it - this was not, as you called it, 'a simple awards ceremony.' Are you ready to go home so I can give you my award?"

On top of the world and feeling good at what she implied, Jerry said, "I thought this damn night would never end. Let's go, dear Josey."

Back at his apartment, two and a Half hours later, Jerry and Josey's bed was wet, and the covers were on the floor. The two lovers had enjoyed their most intense, over the top coupling previously experienced in their three months together. In fact, as Jerry tried to carry on a conversation afterward, Josey just drifted off to sleep totally exhausted in the warmed room. He got up and refreshed himself and brought two beach towels and placed them under their bodies so neither would sleep on wet sheets on top of the new bedroom suite he had recently bought. Josey was not even roused awake in the process.

The architect was awakened by a commotion in the room the next morning as sunlight streamed through the bedroom window. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. Jerry's heart sank when he noticed that Josey was packing her personal things into yard bags. A giant pain prevented his speech at first, but finally, he asked, "Darling, what are you doing?"

She stopped packing and came to his bedside and sat down and gently rubbed his cheek. "Darling, I am leaving you. Dan wants to try to make our marriage work, and I am going back to my husband and married life."

Jerry wrinkled his forehead and asked, "But why and why now, Josey? I thought we had a future since..."

She interrupted him by pressing her finger to his lips and said, "We don't have a future, Jerry. I saw your future in the eyes of those admiring professional co-workers and industry movers and shakers last night, and it's not with me. You and I have the hottest sex in my experiences since junior high school, but there is no future for any couple based solely on hot sex - there is just now! You deserve more and should want more, and that is the principle reason I am going back to Dan. I have this empty and aching sense that you can not comprehend because I am just a pretender in the world of someone who lives in the real world - while you have never pretended anything. I am going back to my husband because I realize now that I love him and besides that his sanity won't survive without me in his life at any rate."

Jerry shook his head completely bewildered and asked, "Josey, do you expect to find relief scurrying back to your marriage after shacking up with the dude who took you away from Dan to begin with, and later me?"

"No, ex-Lover, my husband reluctantly agrees to an open marriage now and will share me so that he can be one of my partners. That conversation, to which I agreed, took place when I excused myself for several minutes last night."

Jerry shook his head completely bewildered that someone would deliberately pursue that lifestyle after the experiences Josey had had, but acknowledged to himself, "Sharing is O.K. for those who so choose, but how did I come to such a wrong conclusion about her? But, on the other hand, I knew something was missing in our relationship that we couldn't fix, and it follows that any such relationship has a short life span. Just maybe, she is not as stupid as I first thought."

In the silence, Josey said, "Dan will move me back to our house and will arrive here about 9:00 a.m. to help me load my things into his car. Thank you for all the good times we have had and for understanding my point of view about us." There was an embarrassing silence, and she continued, "Uhh Jerry. About the expenses you incurred for my tour tickets, I have never traveled out of New England, and this would have been my opportunity, and I am pained to miss it. My desire to go with you is so great until I almost went on the cruise and then broke off our relationship when we returned to Boston. However, being a believer in free love does not automatically mean being a thief - and I am not a thief. Also, being used sexually makes living with myself difficult enough but I couldn't live with myself if I were, in turn, using a man. So, I will pay you back for your net loss after cancellations this late date at some point later - I promise."

Jerry was wearing his house coat by this time, unable to be angry with her as he pulled the housecoat tightly about himself - but he was boiling over with anger at Jerry Jackson. He replied, "Thanks for your promise, Josey, and I just wish you well, and that you land on your feet after experimenting with 'what is important in your life.'"

Two days later Jerry Jackson's airliner made its approach to San Diego for his first visit ever. From the air, he spotted two buildings that were under construction. Both piqued his interest to the point that he no longer felt bad about Josey's absence and that she would not be with him to enjoy the local nightlife, as they had planned. Suddenly, Jerry had more he wanted to do than he could get done before his ship sailed as he surveyed the construction sites on final approach.

Three days later, when the traveler opened his stateroom door on the Cruise Ship, 'Rhett Butler,' the first thing he noticed was that the two twin beds were pushed together to make one king-size bed. For one brief moment, he visualized him and Josey rutting on the bed, but decided, "Since that is not to be, forget it. You're a big boy now and can take your lumps." He then focused his mind on exploring the ship. In time, the Cruise Director came over the PA system and announced, "There is a wine and cheese meet-n-greet party for our single passengers in the Sky-Room located aft on Deck Ten. It starts at 7:00 P.M."

Jerry walked into a crowded Sky-Room with maybe 150 people present. After pouring a glass of wine and knifing a hunk of cheese, he casually meandered around the room. There were no 'Number tens' present for sure; being a realist, he didn't expect to see any. His best guess was that those ladies who fit his age and weight criteria numbered less than about 30. So after meandering through the crowd again striking up a going-no-where conversation with half dozen of the 30 ladies, the broken hearted architect cut himself another Chunk of cheese and poured another glass of wine. He then found a vacant space along a wall and stood people-watching. He fought down angst, "I will have spent all this money and may not even get laid on this cruise."

His circling thoughts were, "Damn! I should have canceled this trip and waited for the next Club Med sailing. Well, maybe a miracle will happen because I have never needed one like now. At one point he saw a real sexy looking lady who he had missed on his first sweep around the room. He frantically looked for a place to park his empty wine glass and saucer so he could go over and speak to her. But a tall guy wearing cowboy boots went up to her, as she was his intended target as well. The cowboy's presence provoked a huge smile on the face of the rather nice looking young lady. Jerry breathed to himself, "Forget it."

About five minutes later an older woman came up to Jerry smiling. The architect remembered her perfect body when passing on his initial sweep around the large room but didn't stop to talk then because she didn't meet his age criteria. He did positively notice that her body weight and proportion surely qualified her as a 'number ten.' His glance was one of those, 'I-look-good-to-her' but 'she-doesn't-look-good-to-me' moments that happens a thousand times a day on any cruise ship - and in everyday life - when age differences are many years. Jerry smiled to be pleasant because she might have friends and allowed her to speak first.

"Hello, my name is Fanny Fleming, what is yours?"

The single man was deep in thought at the sound of her name. He said, "Jerry Jackson, Ma'am. Fanny Fleming, you say," as the wheels turned in his head," He said, "I just remembered where I have seen you before."

"Are you certain? Where have you seen me, Jerry?"

"Your very large portrait was on the wall of my dance studio when I was a high schooler. You were the Blackpool Latin International Champion some years back, weren't you?"

"Yes, Mister Jackson, but that was a long time ago. Thank's for remembering."

Jerry smiled and relaxed now, glad to have met a capable dancer, as was he, and to be in this conversation in as much as he had already concluded that he was not going to get laid on this cruise. He said, "I forgot my dance instructor's name, but I remember that he worshiped you."

She squeezed his hand and said, "You have made my day, Jerry Jackson. I introduced myself to you because you are wearing high gloss, patent leather dance shoes. I presume you are attending the dance that starts later. I just happen to need a dance partner for this cruise, and I can already tell that 'you'll do' as my leader on the dance floor. My guess is that you are a very poised and energetic dancer, or you would have worn sneakers - or, perhaps, cowboy boots?"

They both burst out laughing, when she continued, "Unbeknownst to you, I watched you choke down a lump of cheese while you were hurriedly looking for a place to sit your dishes down when that darling meandered by only to be intercepted by the cowboy before you could strike..."

Jerry said, "Fanny, you have just said it all. But I am surprised that you are attending a singles party, which means you have no dance partner at all? Or just on this cruise?"

Fanny said, "I have had many partners on land, on the sea, and in the air but fewer each year - both on and off the dance floor. I am alone on this cruise. My daughter and grandson are joining me at Cabo San Lucas, our second port of call. The two are relocating from the American Community in Cabo to the Valley in South Texas. I am making this trip to assist her and my darling four years old grandson, whom I love dearly, to come aboard."

Jerry said showing extreme interest on his face, "Fanny, a half hour ago my chin was on the floor because my divorced lover tossed me away to go back to her husband - after I had spent my hard earned money for her tickets for this flight and cruise. I imagined that she and I were going to star on this ship because she is an excellent silver level dancer, and we were very active in the Boston ballroom scene. But I graduated from a silver level dancer to the best on the planet since you will be my partner. Hell, Fanny, before I met you, not only was my male ego fractured, you should hear the conversation going on inside my head trying not to show in my face that life is tough. Sometimes, God is especially cruel to me when it comes to love!"

Fanny asked, "And how do you feel about the silver level dancer now that your dance partner for this cruise will be a has-been champion?"

Jerry gestured broadly with both arms and said, "A miracle will happen on this cruise because Josey is gone forever, and so all is O.K., and I will meet a fantastic lady on this cruise - though maybe not on the dance floor.

Fanny said, "Hey! I like positive thinking. If you join me in the Sunset Lounge at 9:00 all these singles will be there, and they can watch us dance. Then we will entertain the general dancers because we will put on a show. Then one thirtyish beautiful woman might come up to you professing everlasting love for your body and that she can not live without you. Want me to help you pull that off, Jerry?"

He replied, "No. I don't need help. But thank you, Fanny. This cruise was the right thing to do since you are here. We will put on a show they won't soon forget while we enjoy each other's company." The two newly found friends roared with laughter. He continued, "Hell! Not only that if I lead my patterns well, they might form a fan club. Heh heh."

She gave her stateroom number to her new found friend and said with a laugh," Jerry, we might entertain others but our having fun is of primary importance since no one is paying us to dance - right? So, if you will knock on my room door at 9:00, we will make our entrance and knock'em dead." Watching the smile spread across her friend's face as he nodded, she continued, "I will say goodbye until then."