Wenatchee Ch. 07-08

But I suppose for everyone there is a point when you want what you want, and you want it now.

"Don't you think it's time we became better friends?" she said one evening after we had enjoyed a nice meal at the Italian restaurant we frequented. Her elbows were on the table and her hands were supporting her head. Her eyes sparkled and her smile was conspiratorial.

I must have been very alert at that moment because I knew exactly what she meant. What I didn't know was how I was going respond.

"You've been very patient with me, Gisele," I said, stalling for time. "I've been waiting for my divorce to become final ... but ... to be truthful ... it's just an excuse."

"Well ... now that we've got that out of the way ... why don't you take me home. Paul's away in British Columbia selling his apples and Jana is out with Jimmy. We have a couple of hours to ourselves," she smiled.

"Check please," I said as the waitress passed by. Gisele was right. I had been putting off the inevitable. I knew I had been falling for her, so what was I waiting for?"

We entered her house and she immediately led me along to her bedroom and closed the door behind me.

"Strip," she ordered softly.

"You or me?"

"Your choice?"

I began to undo the buttons on her blouse and as calmly as I could, undress my soon-to-be lover. She had dressed for the occasion. The bra and panty set was right out of a Victoria's Secret shop and Gisele made a wonderful model for them. Unfortunately, they didn't stay on long enough to truly admire. In the meantime, she had been unbuttoning my shirt and removing my belt as I focused on her lovely mature form.

I don't recall her removing the rest of my clothes since I was completely entranced with her beauty. As we climbed onto the bed, I began to kiss her and caress her breasts, beginning foreplay. Gisele's response was quite positive, both vocal and physical. I took my time and paid attention to every part of her body before I entered her.

"Careful, Geoff. It's been a very long time."

I calmed myself down and took it as slowly and carefully as I could. But Gisele was ready and within a few seconds she was responding and was welcoming my thrusts with her own. I lasted a good deal longer than I expected, mainly due to our pacing ourselves. But she left no doubt that she was being satisfied and that all our waiting for this moment had been worthwhile.

We made love twice, with Gisele restoring me after the first time. When it was over, we lay in each other's arms, completely sated and happy. I know I was. I wondered what I had been delaying this for. We were meant for each other. That much I was sure of now.

I looked at the bedside clock and saw that it was almost eleven o'clock.

"Perhaps I should go," I suggested.

"I wish you would stay," she murmured. "I want to wake up in the morning with you. I'm falling in love with you, you know."

"That's a big step, Gisele. Love isn't something we should treat casually."

"There's nothing casual about the way I feel about you, Geoff. You are the man I've been looking for all my adult life. You know yourself. You're a wonderful man. A great father. You look for the good in people. You made love to me tonight just the way I dreamed you would. You've come through a terrible time with that inner strength that I see every day. What more could a woman want?"

"I can't cook worth a damn," I kidded.

"Well ... that's where I come in. I'm not too bad in the kitchen."

"You're even better in bed."

"Hmmm ... you know what I think about your skills."

Just then I heard a noise. It was a door closing.

"What's that?" I said, propping my self up abruptly.

"Relax ... it's Jana. She won't disturb us."

I flopped back down on the bed, embarrassed at being caught in bed with my employee's aunt. I heard the footsteps on the stairs and then as they went by the door I heard, "Good night Aunt Gisele ... good night Geoff."

"Oh shit," I groaned.

"Relax, lover. Have you forgotten that your car is parked out front?"

"Yeah ... I guess I did. How the hell am I going to face her at the shop?"

"Geoff ... she's a grown woman ... and she's in a relationship too."

"She is?"

"Sure ... what did you think she and Jimmy were doing? Playing cards?"

"I had no idea. I mean, she's changed so much in the past year, but ... I had no clue."

She laughed softly. "So ... now that we've been discovered, can you stay the night?"

"I'd love to, but Ross will be on his own."

"How old is he?"

"Uhhm ... almost eighteen."

"Then he's a big boy and can look after himself."

"Yeah ... I suppose he is. Just the same, I'll call him. You had this all planned out, didn't you?" It wasn't really a question.

"Well ... I have to admit ... I did think it was time for us to move our relationship forward. Are you unhappy that I did?"

"Of course not," I answered immediately. "Did it seem like I was unhappy?"

She giggled and grabbed me and planted a passionate kiss on me that I couldn't remember ever having a better one.

I woke up at my usual six-thirty and suddenly realized I wasn't in my own bed, or my own home. In the dark, I could see the outline of Gisele, and memories of last night came flooding back. Good memories. Wonderful memories. My arm was draped over her hip and I gently pulled her back to me, her lovely round backside tucked into my belly. I heard a soft groan and my hand moved gently over her body and reached for her breast.

I remember when Joyce and I were first married, she and I made love in the dark before I persuaded her I wanted to see her when we did it. Gisele was different. I got the impression that we could make love on the kitchen table in broad daylight. She was far less inhibited than Joyce was then ... even today for that matter.

I had a lot to learn about Gisele. I wanted my hands to know every part of her body and to know what aroused her. A moment later, I felt her wiggle herself back up against me, now pushing back against my growing erection. I always was a morning person, and I especially liked starting the day with a nice loving session.

We made love, with me not completely sure Gisele was awake. It didn't matter, of course. She was responding, fully conscious or not. As I slipped into her, I thought how much I was going to enjoy being with her. She made it so easy to be with her, sexually or otherwise. I had to admit she chose me, but I wasn't very far behind her in agreement.

Ch. 8 Closing the Door

Gisele and I were sitting in the kitchen, drinking a coffee while she heated some muffins. It was still early on a quiet Sunday morning, not that every morning in February wouldn't be quiet in the hills overlooking Wenatchee. We had made love for the first time, been discovered by Jana, and slept naked, something I never did. I had a feeling there would be more firsts in our relationship.

I had pulled on my briefs and Gisele had given me a guest bathrobe from the bathroom closet. She was similarly dressed. We had pretty much just gone straight to the bedroom last night, so I was looking around this big ranch-style home to see what it was like.

"Paul put an addition on for me when I moved out here. It used to be an "L" shaped house, but now it's a "U." I have my own bedroom and bathroom. Paul sleeps at the other end of the house and Jana's room is next to the main bathroom, just before you get to the kitchen. When Jana's up, I'll give you the tour," she said.

"Jana's up," the young girl announced, shuffling into the kitchen in her bathrobe and floppy slippers.

"Good morning, Aunt Gisele," she said sleepily, wrapping her arms around the older woman from behind and kissing her cheek.

"Good morning, dear." Gisele was watching me for my reaction.

"Good morning, Geoff," Jana said with a smile and gave me a kiss on the cheek too.

"What ... no hug," I said, immediately wondering if that had been a bad idea.

She giggled and came over and hugged me and I got another buss on the cheek.

"How was your date?" Gisele asked.

"Not as good as yours," she said with a cheeky smile.

Her aunt ignored the remark and we continued our breakfast. I couldn't get over the change in Jana. It was a remarkable transformation. Gisele insisted I was responsible for it, but I thought it was a combination of things; the job, Jimmy, and her feeling more confident in herself. Whatever the reason, she was a lovely young lady with a brilliant mind, and we were lucky as hell to have her at the shop.

Over the next six weeks we began dating more regularly, and as our relationship grew, Gisele became more outspoken about my past and how I had handled it. She wasn't critical at all, but she did question why I did what I did. It took me a while to figure out what the questions and probing were all about, and then the light went on.

"You're still thinking I'm not over Joyce, aren't you?" I challenged her one evening. We were relaxing on the sofa in the great room and talking about our day's activities.

"In some way ... I think you haven't quite finished with her," she said. "She's still there, like a ghost from your past. It comes out once in a while and you have to deal with it. You've done a great job of hiding it, but sooner or later, Geoff, you will have to deal with it."

I sat considering her observation and knew she was right. Every now and then I would find myself comparing the two women, or wondering what Joyce would think about something I did. Somehow, I had to exorcise that ghost.

"What do you think I should do about it?" I asked, knowing I had my own solution.

"I think you should go to Dublin and see her. Try and find out as much as you can about what happened to her. Some kind of explanation might put this out of your mind once and for all. It isn't killing us, Geoff. But it is there. I can feel it."

"There's an old saying about great minds thinking alike," I said. "I was going to mention it to you. I was pretty much convinced that's what I'd have to do."

"There's no guarantee," she added. "But I think you should try."

I nodded. It was good that we agreed. I was worried that she would interpret my going there differently ... perhaps thinking that I might want to get back together with Joyce when she was released. That was never going to happen.

"Nora and Mike want to do that too, but it's too early for Nora. Mike said there was a procedure you had to follow. You didn't just show up at the gate and get in. I'll look into it right away."

She hugged me. "You're right ... great minds do think alike, but the rest of that quotation goes something like 'as do fools.'"

I laughed as I turned to her again. "Which do you prefer?"

"I don't care, sweetheart. As long as we are in tune, I really don't care."

I looked up the visiting rules for FCI Dublin and applied on-line for permission to visit. In order to get that, I also had to get Joyce's permission. I thought that might be a stumbling block, but within a few days, I had what I needed. It was now a matter of scheduling my visit.

I talked it over with Gisele, Terry, and of course, Ross. He would stay with Nora and Mike, while Terry would cover for me with Red and Annie. I would leave on Thursday for the two day drive, visit Joyce on Saturday, then leave for Oregon that afternoon. I planned on being with Matt on campus late Sunday morning, then head home Monday. Terry, Annie and Red could mind the shop Thursday and Friday, while Jana and Jimmy could cover for me on Saturday.

I made it as far as Cottage Grove on Thursday and checked into a motel. I didn't sleep worth a damn. My mind was full of scenarios about what my meeting with Joyce would be like. Would we be segregated like they showed on the movies? I didn't think so. It looked more like there were lounges and outdoor patio areas where we could sit and talk. Just the same, my head was full of questions and I wondered how many of them Joyce would be willing or able to answer.

The Dunsmuir Pass on I-5 over the Siskiyou Mountains was clear and dry, unusual for late February. I made good time and was in the Dublin area by three Friday afternoon. I had booked a motel in Pleasanton, a short fifteen minute drive from the prison. It was a much nicer area I was told, and at first look, that was the case.

I wandered around the town and shopping center for the rest of the day, finally choosing a restaurant for my evening meal, then heading back to the motel to relax and watch some TV. My sleep deprived Thursday night caught up to me and sometime after nine o'clock I dropped off, not waking until a particularly obnoxious voice on an infomercial woke me at one in the morning. I got up, used the toilet, washed and brushed my teeth, stripped to my underwear and climbed under the covers. I was out almost immediately and didn't wake until my normal six-thirty the next morning.

Visiting hours were from eight in the morning until two in the afternoon. I showered, dressed and checked out of the motel, stopped at a nearby chain restaurant for breakfast, then drove to the prison. I checked in at the gate and they asked for some identification, which I supplied. They ticked my name off on a list and logged the time. I was then directed to a parking area and the visitors' entrance.

It was a brighter and more modern facility than I had expected. Surrounded by a metal fence with cut-wire along the top, it was still clearly a prison, and nothing about it would make an inmate feel good about being there.

After waiting in line for several minutes, I showed my pass at the door and was ushered into the area they called the lounge. Since Joyce was still legally my wife, I was allowed to embrace and even kiss her on greeting and when leaving, but no more. I chose to give her a hug, but not a kiss.

"Hello, Joyce. How are you?"

"I'm coping, Geoff. It's a big adjustment, having your life regulated for you down to the minute. But, it's better than being on the run. Better than looking over my shoulder every day, wondering when someone would come for me."

I nodded my understanding, but let her continue.

"I ... I ... want to apologize, Geoff. I can't excuse my behavior or my actions. I wish I could give you a reason why I did what I did. Part of it was greed, part stupidity, part desperation. I've tried to explain it to myself, but none of it makes any sense. I stole the money, then decided I had to protect you and the boys.

"The only thing I could think of was to divorce you and let you get on with your life. I had to make sure you knew I was serious about the divorce, so I refused to disclose the location and amount of money. I knew you would want to have the boys with you, so I didn't fight it when you took them to Orondo.

"I was planning to leave at the end of summer anyway when I got a hint that the auditors were coming back to look at the corporate books again. I figured my time was up, so I took off. First to Mexico ... then to Brazil. What a waste of time. I hated both places. I was a prisoner even before I was captured. It was almost a relief when the Brazilian authorities arrested me."

"Why did you take the money, Joyce? You were doing so well at Koch. They were paying you a terrific salary and a great bonus. Why?"

"Greed, Geoff. Some is good, more is better. Besides, it was too easy. I had access to everything. They trusted me. At first, I wanted to put my money that I'd earned into a special savings account for us. I wanted it to be a surprise somewhere down the road. I knew you wanted to buy into Terry's business, and this would be a way I could help.

"But I kept looking at it grow and grow and each year there was more. I didn't even think about what I was doing ... holding out on you and the boys. Then, in a moment I'll never understand, I thought I could really make a big difference. I'd skim off some of the income on the loans and add them to the legitimate earnings. I'd been doing it for some months when I began to realize that there was no going back. Sooner or later, the auditors or someone would find out and I wouldn't be able to explain it.

"That's when I went off the rails, Geoff. That's when I dreamed up that cockamamie scheme to divorce you and then leave the country. I had some crazy idea I could find a nice place in the sun and live the rest of my life in relative luxury. Fat chance!"

I sat there, absorbing every word she spoke. I could understand the words, but the motivation and action was so uncharacteristic of Joyce, I was still lost in how this all happened.

"Pete told me that you haven't returned all the money, Joyce. He said that would affect your parole."

"I know. I missed out on an opportunity, but ... I probably will return it as soon as I can separate what was really legally mine and what I stole. At least I'll have something to start my life with again when I do get out."

"I don't think it works that way, Joyce. I think they'll want it all no matter if it was legit or not. If you don't give it back, they'll hound you after you're released and you'll never find peace."

She nodded. "I kind of knew that, but I had hopes. Anyway, I'm seeing the prison psychologist now and I'll be taking some courses as well. When they do let me out of here, I want some chance of having a decent life, even if it isn't with you and the boys."

I sat staring at her, wondering what I should say. I knew how I felt, but what should I tell her?

"Uhhm, Joyce ... our divorce will be final next month. In a couple of weeks actually. I'm sorry ... but ... I don't see us getting back together. Too much has happened to us emotionally to make that work."

"I know, Geoff. I blew it. I know. Don't be upset about it. I'm sorry I did this to you and the boys and my parents. I feel sick about it, but it's done and I can't undo it. Forget about me and go on with your life. You're still a young, good-looking guy and I'm sure some woman is going to want to scoop you up the first chance she gets."

I had decided not to tell her about Gisele. She didn't need that piled on top of all the other things she had to deal with. As we sat there in the brightly lit hall, I felt a sense of release. In all my imaginations about what this meeting might be like, none of them were as calm and healing as this turned out to be. Joyce had made a mistake, one she couldn't take back. She admitted it to herself, and didn't expect any sympathy in return. I wasn't positive, but I thought maybe my ghosts had been expunged.

When our time was up, I hugged her and this time I did kiss her.

"Geoff ... please don't come back. I needed this meeting to tell you it wasn't your fault and apologize to you and our family. I've already told the authorities I don't want to see the boys. I don't think I could handle that, and I'm not sure they could either."

"I understand, Joyce. Good luck. Goodbye."

I turned and left the hall, tears trickling down my cheek. No matter what she had done, she had been my wife and lover for twenty years. I would hold onto the good memories, but it was over. Once and for all, it was over.

I was less than a couple of hours from Eugene when I stopped in Medford, Oregon. I had called Matt earlier to confirm that I would be at his dorm door sometime near ten o'clock the next morning. I phoned Gisele that evening from my motel room.

"Hi, babe. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Geoff. How are you?"

"Better than I expected. You were right. I needed to do it. Joyce needed it too. She knows it's over and we're never going to be back together again. She's getting some counseling and planning to take some courses. I hope she can get on with her life when she's released."

"I'm glad, Geoff. Now ... maybe ... we can concentrate on each other."

"I think that's a hell of a plan, girl. A hell of a plan.

END