TITLE    : We Couldn't Stop Ourselves. We're Soulmates...
STORYID  : we-couldnt-stop-ourselves-were-soulmates
SUMMARY  : My wife said just before her soulmate beat the shit out of me.
AUTHOR   : Ephesus14@lit
DATE     : 2020-10-12
CATEGORY : loving-wives
FLAGS    : 
TAGS     : |cheating wife|cheating wives|loving wife|loving wives|


<strong> </strong>



<strong>We couldn't help ourselves. We're soulmates ... </strong>my wife said just before her soulmate beat the shit out of me.



My eyes felt like they weighed a ton when I tried to open them. I tried again and had the same results. Finally they opened but nothing was in focus. I closed and re-opened them several times before I could see anything. Most of the light in the room was coming from the moon through the window. I was lying in a bed. From all indications, it was a hospital bed.



I looked around and discovered that I was alone. I used my hands to feel the area around me and didn't feel any wires, tubes, or cables so I figured I must not be too bad. I tried to get up and found that with some effort it was doable and the only serious pain I felt was my face, especially my eyes; the rest of my body was all aches and soreness. I sat on the edge of the bed for a couple of minutes before trying to stand. It took some effort, but I managed and slowly walked around the room just to check my balance. Everything seemed to be working pretty well. I found the switch on the wall and turned on the lights. I searched around to see if my clothes were there. They were, so I took off the ugly little hospital gown and dressed. Everything that should be in my pockets was. I couldn't find my underwear, so I was commando.



The table next to the bed had a drawer which had my watch so I put it on, and looked at the time. Four-fifteen in the morning. The last I remembered it was just after 7:00PM. I had finished dinner and was leaving the restaurant.



My phone was also in the drawer so I put it in my pocket. My first thought was why wasn't any of that stuff stored somewhere a bit more secure but then thought that if it had been, I wouldn't be able to do what I was doing.



I slowly opened the door and looked around. Two people were at the nurses' station down the hall working with their computers. I looked in the other direction and saw a sign that said exit, so I quietly headed for it. Five minutes later I was out of the hospital and walking down the street.



After what seemed liked miles, there was a diner. I went in, plopped my ass in a booth and groaned from the exertion the walk had taken. The waitress, who looked like she had been there all night plus all day the day before, brought some coffee and almost spilled it as she got a close look at my face. Her hand shook and her eyes never left my face as she filled the mug which was on my table. I didn't want anything else. It felt like everyone in the diner was staring at me. I sat and sipped and went over in my mind what brought me to that point.



It started over a month before when my phone alerted me that there was some unusual activity with my bank account. I was less than a block from the bank so I went over there to check it out. I was going in the door as my wife was coming out and we almost bumped into each other.



"Hi, Diane. What are you doing here?" I asked. Diane and I had been married for almost six years. We'd been together for eight. We met at the department store she worked in at the time. She was the manager of the men's department. Since then she had become the manager of the whole store. It was one of an upscale national chain. I worked at one of the three LNG plants we had in town. In the eight years we had been together I had become the manager of one of the production teams.



"Uh, just getting a little extra cash for shopping," she answered.



"What's wrong with the credit cards?"



"Nothing. I just wanted cash."



"Oh for crying out loud, Diane. Just tell him."



"Tell me what and who are you?" I asked the man who had just spoken.



She looked at him. "No. It's not the time." Then she looked at me. "We'll talk later." And she started walking away.



"Whoa, whoa, just a minute. Who is this guy?"



"He's a friend."



"Friend?" the man asked Diane. Then he spoke to me. "I'm the man your wife has been having an affair with for the last three months and the man she is going to marry after she divorces you."



Both Diane and I just stared at him, but for different reasons. Her, because he just spilled the beans and me because I was shocked senseless.



"What is he talking about?" I asked her.



She took a deep breath. "He's telling the truth, Dan." That's my name. Daniel Somers. "You are going to be served this afternoon at the plant."



"You're kidding me."



"No, I'm not. Come on Richard."



I just looked at them. He had a cat ate the canary look on his face and I felt like I wanted to knock his smirk into the next county. Her look was more sheepish, but determined, if that makes any sense.



"Shouldn't we talk about this?" I asked her.



"No. My mind's made up. Come on, Richard." She walked away.



I made my way back to my office and sat there trying to figure out what had gone wrong. It was almost time for the shifts to change which meant time for me to go home. I started out the door and was met b a man in a suit. He asked my name and I told him. He in turn handed me an envelope, then dutifully informed me that I had been served and marched away. My secretary had watched the little exchange like it happened every day.



And it did. Actually, not every day, but with a frequency that made it almost commonplace. Lots of people in our part of the state try to sue the three LNG plants for everything that goes wrong environmentally in our part of the country, and I was not a stranger to most courtrooms and judges in the county. In fact, hardly two months went by that either one of my colleagues or I wasn't in court. The vast majority of the suits were frivolous, but found their way through the court system anyway.



"Who is it this time?" she asked.



"My wife." I said as I stared at the envelope.



"Your wife? Why is she suing us?"



"Not us. Me. She wants a divorce."



"Oh, shit. Are you okay?"



"I don't know. It's still pretty new."



"Is there anything I can do?"



"Nah. Not right now."



"If there is, let me know." She left to go home. So did I.



At home, I looked at the divorce papers. Irreconcilable Differences, it said. I had no idea we had any of those. I didn't even know of any reconcilable ones.



Diane never came home that night. I assumed she stayed with her lover.



I was familiar with many of the attorneys in the city because of our plant being sued almost constantly, but I didn't know any who specialized in divorces so the next day at work I went down the hall to our legal department. I knew the whole legal staff and felt comfortable with any of them, but my favorite was John Best so I told him my story. We didn't have any divorce lawyers on staff, but he recommended one he knew and respected. Not only did he recommend one, but he called her for me. Her name was Terrie Koening, and I met with her before her office opened the next morning. She was a friend of John Best's and he told me that he and she had faced each other several times in court and she was a very formidable adversary. Her specialty was divorce and deadbeat dads, but she had handled some suits against us. The law firm she worked for concentrated mainly on domestic issues but two of their attorneys, like many law firms in town, specialized in suing the LNG Plants. Suing us was lucrative.



I had seen her in court on a couple of our cases, but we had never faced each other, if you will. We chatted for some time before getting to my divorce, and she told me that she recognized me from having seen me in court. I asked her if taking my divorce was a conflict of interest and was told that it was not unless we were to meet in court in one of the suits against my plant where I was a witness in which case she would simply recuse herself.



We eventually got around to my divorce and she wasn't surprised that I had no idea Diane was cheating. She told me it was like that in the majority of cases. She also told me that it was unusual for the husband, or wife, to meet their spouses' lover before the divorce. I chuckled and told her it wasn't on purpose that I met him for the first time at the bank.



She also told me that Diane moving out of the house was a good thing for me.



My discussion with Terrie went just about the way I expected. Diane would get half of everything we had and I would most likely get the house since she left it. She also informed me that if we could prove she was living with another man, I wouldn't have to pay alimony. That was new to me, but then the whole divorce thing was. She asked me if I was interested in paying for investigators to prove she was cheating.



"No, thank you. I don't need to see pictures or videos of her with another man." I thought for a minute before speaking again. "But I do have an idea I'd like to bounce off you." I expected that Diane would want to come get some stuff from the house so I told Miss Koening what I would like to do. She laughed and said she would work on it.



Diane called me two days later and wanted to talk. I invited her to the house. I had an ulterior motive and it was that I wanted her to look around the house and realize what she lost. She had not been there since I saw her at the bank so everything she had was still there. At first I wondered what she was doing for clothing, makeup, and all the other things women needed to make their lives worthwhile, but I remembered what her job was: she had a whole department store full of anything she needed.



I had given some thought to packing her stuff, but changed my mind. I wanted her to do it. I wanted her to pack or put in bags or boxes all of her clothes, china, paintings, everything she held dear.



I watched as she pulled in the driveway. She sat for several minutes before getting out and ringing the doorbell.



"Hello, Dan."



"Diane. Come in." She came in and looked around.



"How have you been?" she asked.



I wasn't in the mood for small talk. "What do you want to talk about?" I asked.



"First, I want you to know you did nothing wrong. Richard and I met and fell in love. Neither of us could help it. We're soulmates," she said.



"Excuse me while I throw up." I said. "All you had to do was not have lunch with him, or flirt with him, or hold his hand, or kiss him, or fuck him or whatever it was you did until you fell in love. Then you wouldn't have fallen in love. Besides, I'm not interested in how you fell in love with him. I'm interested in how you fell out of love with me."



"I just told you. We couldn't help it. Haven't you ever met someone that you just meshed with? You had everything in common and despite every effort to avoid it, you felt like you wanted to spend your life with them?"



"As a matter of fact I did. But it seems she met someone else who did all those things for her."



She looked at me. "I told you we couldn't help it."



"And I told you that's bullshit." There was a short pause. "What did you want?"



"I want to get my things. Would Saturday evening be okay for us to get them?"



"They're here. You're here. Take them now."



"I can't tonight. Besides, I need help and I'm pretty sure you won't help me."



I laughed. "You got that right. You said us? Who's us?"



"Richard of course."



"Richard? What's his last name?"



"That's none of your business?"



I laughed again. "What's wrong? Afraid I'll do something to him?"



"No, of course not. You can't do anything to him. It's Henderson."



"What does he do for a living?"



"That's enough about him. Anyway, we can't get here until Saturday."



"Well, here's the deal. I'll give you until Saturday, but he isn't going to step foot in this house."



"Come on. It's my stuff and I need help."



"Get somebody else, but he's not coming in here." That pretty much ended the cordiality of the evening because she exploded and told me that I couldn't stop her if she wanted him in her house. At that point I told her that I had changed my mind. "Fuck Saturday. You have 24 hours to get your shit out of my house otherwise you'll find it on the street."



"You wouldn't dare," she huffed.



"I wouldn't? None of that shit means anything to me anymore. If it isn't out of here by tomorrow we'll see who would or wouldn't dare." That hurt her more than anything, I believe. "Now it's time you left." I took her by the arm, led her to the door, opened it, and helped her out.



Her relationship with Richard Henderson increased her vocabulary quite a bit because she was shouting words I had no idea she knew. In all the years I'd known her, the only time I heard her shout was during particularly good bouts of sex. But she wasn't having good sex as she shouted that I was a lowlife cocksucking motherfucker. Now I might be considered a lowlife by some, but I deny ever sucking a cock or fucking a mother; at least as far as I knew none of the women I fucked before marrying Diane had children and Diane certainly hadn't, so my being a motherfucker was definitely out.



I immediately called Terrie and brought her up to date. I also gave her Henderson's name. Then I added. "Is there any chance of moving our plan up to tomorrow?"



"I'll try, but I don't guarantee anything," she laughed.



I made it through the next day and was happy when the day was over. I walked in my house at 5:00 and my phone rang shortly after. It was Terrie.



"She's on her way. I hope you like her."



"I'm sure I will."



I figured Diane would be there at 6:30 or so. At 6:00 my doorbell rang. I opened the door and there stood an attractive woman with piercing blue eyes whose blouse stuck out in all the right places.



"Hi. Terrie sent me. I'm Gloria, but you can call me whatever you want to for the evening."



I shook her hand. "Gloria will be fine." When I first had this idea, I wasn't sure if I wanted to make Diane jealous, or just piss her off. Gloria was going to do both.



We didn't have much time to chat because I wanted to show her around so she could act like she was familiar with the house when Diane arrived. We had just finished when the doorbell rang again. Gloria, or whatever her name was, answered it. Diane was there with her sister, Joyce. They were shocked senseless when Gloria ushered them in. They had several boxes and wrapping paper along with lots of bags for her clothes.



I didn't bother introducing them to Gloria but they certainly knew she was there because she stayed pretty close to me. Diane stared pitchforks through her before looking at me. "I see you certainly didn't waste any time replacing me," she said.



I chuckled. "Replacing you was easy and I traded up in the process." I could tell that hit her hard and I enjoyed it.



Diane and Joyce had started wrapping the china that used to belong to Diane's grandmother and putting it in the boxes as Gloria and I watched. "That's some nice stuff, sweetie, why don't you want it?" Gloria asked me in front of Diane.



"It used to be nice, but it got dirty somehow so doesn't mean anything to me anymore."



"That's too bad. Say, there's still some nice crystal. Would you like some wine?"



I looked at her and she winked at me and smiled. "Yeah. That would be nice," I said.



"Should I offer them some?" She asked in a half whisper intending for them to hear and indicated Diane and Joyce.



"Nah. They're too busy. I'm sure they want to get finished and get out of here."



"That would be good," she said. "Then you and I can get busy ourselves." She giggled as she said it and, again, said it so Diane and Joyce could hear.



I didn't know where Terrie found her, but she was perfect, I thought to myself.



Gloria and I sat on the sofa in the den with her head on my shoulder, sipping wine and chatting while Diane and Joyce finished packing and loading both of their cars. Gloria's sense of timing was perfect. We were just sitting comfortably together when she apparently heard them coming, so she turned her head to mine and kissed me smack on the lips just as Diane came into the room. We heard her take a sharp intake of breath and Gloria broke the kiss. "Sorry, sweetie," she said, and started wiping lipstick from my mouth.



Diane took a second to catch her breath before she spoke. "We're finished, Dan. Thank you for letting me get all of it."



Before I could say anything, Gloria spoke. "That's okay. None of your clothes fit me anyway."



At that point, Diane's waterworks started. Joyce heard what Gloria said and just looked at me. "You're a right bastard, Dan. You don't have to rub it in."



"And she didn't have to cheat in the first place. Now take her and get out."



They stood outside for a long time before leaving. I could see Diane's shoulders moving as she cried. They were hugging. Gloria said nothing as I watched out the window. As soon as they left, she came to me, patted my arm and spoke. "I guess that's my cue to leave."



I looked at her. "Thank you for doing this. You were perfect. How much do I owe you?"



"Consider it a gift. I had fun." She kissed me on the cheek. "Terrie knows how to get in touch with me if you need me again." She paused at the door. "Nice wine by the way."



The next morning I called Terrie to thank her for finding Gloria. I had asked her to find me someone to make Diane jealous or pissed and Gloria did both perfectly. "I didn't know ladies of the evening or escorts looked or acted so well." I told her.



She laughed. "We try to surprise you men and keep you on your toes. That way you never know if you're getting a whore or a Duchess. Sometimes we're both."



We both laughed. "She wouldn't take any money," I said. "Should I pay you?"



"Don't worry about it."



"Well, thank you. She was wonderful."



Three days later Terrie asked me to stop by her office because she had something for me. I got there and she gave me a piece of paper with a website written on it. "Tell your wife to look at this website and then tell you how in love she is with her soulmate."



"What is it?"



"It seems Mr. Richard Henderson is a porno star and acts under the name Norman Vincent. After you gave me his name, one of my investigators did a little background search on him. He is also an ex-con. He did time for stealing money from women. Quite a winner, that guy."



I laughed and sent the website to Diane with the question. "Soulmate?"



Two days later she called me crying and wanting to come home. "I made a horrible mistake and I'm sorry. Can you forgive me, please?"



I laughed. "Gloria wouldn't like it and neither would I." I ended the call. She never called again.



It was not quite two weeks later that I had stopped by my favorite restaurant for dinner and a drink. I was finished and just leaving when a couple walked in. The man and I locked eyes for just a second before we turned our gazes away.



I didn't recognize him but apparently he recognized me. He said something to his date, then came over to me. "Excuse me, but is your name Somers?"



"Yes. Do I know you?"



"We've met. Could I talk to you outside?"



"What about?" I asked.



"Your wife. It will just take a minute."



We had gotten outside and turned down the sidewalk. It dawned on me where he and I met: at the bank. He was Diane's soulmate. I turned to say something to him and he hit me in my face with his fist. It staggered me backwards and he hit me again. And again. The last punch sent me sprawling to the ground. My head hit the sidewalk, bounced and I saw stars. He stood over me, kicking my back and my legs and I doubled into the fetal position. "You miserable bastard." He kicked me again. "Showing her that website." He kicked me again and again. "I'm going to kill you." The next kick was to my head and I saw stars again. I have no idea how many times I was kicked because I passed out."



I awakened in the hospital, but managed to make my escape.



The coffee tasted good that morning in the diner after I made my escape from the hospital. My face hurt so badly that I almost had to sip my coffee through a straw. I had never gotten beat up before. Hell, I'd never been in a fight even as a kid. I could feel the other diners staring, but every time I looked up, they turned away. Every muscle in my body ached. If I had received any pain medicine in the hospital it had worn off.

<hr pg="2" />I finished my coffee and was in a taxi on my way home when my phone rang. "Hello," I said.



"Mr. Somers, this is Nurse Wilson at the hospital and you need to get back here as soon as you can. You're in no condition to be out."



"Sorry, Nurse Wilson, I didn't check myself in so felt no need to check out. Send whatever bills I have and I'll forward them to my insurance company."



"But ..." I pressed the button ending the call. At home I did my daily routine as I undressed. I emptied my pockets and put everything from my pockets, including my phone, on my dresser.



I tossed my shirt and trousers in my trash bin.



I looked at myself in the mirror and saw nothing but two black eyes and a completely bruised face. It was painful to look at. No wonder the people at the diner stared.



I'm not usually a bathtub guy; in fact the bathroom in my master suite didn't even have a tub; just a shower, but I felt like I really wanted a bath.



I was soaking in the bathtub in my guest bathroom when my doorbell rang. I ignored it. It rang several more times and I ignored it every time. My phone rang in my bed room and I could faintly hear it from the guest bath room where I was and I ignored it; all eight times it rang. After I got out of the tub and dried myself, I went naked to my bedroom and tossed my towel into my bathroom as I passed it and sat on my bed. I looked at my phone, recognized one of the numbers and called it.



"Mr. Somers's office."



"Good morning, Suzette. You called?"



"Oh my God, Mr. Somers. Are you okay? Everyone in town is trying to find you. Where are you?"



"I'm home and I'm okay. I'm taking the next couple of days off."



"Yes sir." There was a pause. "What happened to you?"



"My wife's boyfriend beat me up last night. I woke up in the hospital in the middle of the night, got dressed and came home."



"Well, the police and the hospital both want to talk with you."



"I'll talk to them when I'm ready. If they call again, tell them I'll contact them when I'm feeling better."



"Shouldn't you be in the hospital?"



"I'm fine. Just bruised and sore. I'll talk to you later."



I had been sitting on my bed so I just leaned back and was asleep almost instantly. When I tried to open my eyes it was like I was back in the hospital; they didn't want to work. Again, with repeated effort, just like in the hospital, I managed to get them open but nothing was in focus. Again, I had to open and close them several times before I could see anything.



I recognized my own bedroom and breathed a sigh of relief. It took me another 15 minutes to get dressed and into the kitchen where I scrambled two eggs. Moving my jaw to chew was pretty fucking painful, but the eggs along with toast and two cups of coffee laced with whiskey, made me feel almost human.



It was mid-afternoon when I called for another taxi to take me to the restaurant and scene of my beating. My car was still there so I drove it home.



My doorbell rang at 6:30 in the evening. I was reminded that the last time it rang at that time, Diane and her sister were there as was Gloria. I smiled at the memory of Gloria being there and how she acted; especially her comment about Diane's clothes not fitting her. I was laughing out loud as I opened the door.



"Yes?" I said to the two men standing there.



"Mr. Somers?"



"Yes. Who are you?"



"I'm Detective Jenkins and this is my partner Detective Hughes. May we come in and talk about last night?"



"Of course. Come in, please." They took off their hats and I ushered them into the living room and indicated where they should sit. "Would you like something to drink, or maybe a doughnut?" I asked. Neither of them saw the humor in my doughnut remark. It was probably not new to them and therefore not funny. Detective Hughes sat twirling his fedora. Detective Jenkins started. "Do you know the man who attacked you?"



"Yes. Two of his names are Richard Henderson and Norman Vincent and he is, or maybe was, at this point, my wife's lover."



"Are you sure, Mr. Somers,"



"Yes. As Norman Vincent, he is a porno star and ex-con. My attorney and her investigators discovered that. Didn't you guys learn that when you arrested him?"



"We, uh, we haven't arrested him. Yet."



"Then why are you here?"



"To get some information from you."



"I just gave you all I have."



"You said he is or was your wife's lover?"



I told them the whole story from first having met Diane and Henderson/Vincent at the bank up to the evening before when he attacked me.



"You are very lucky. Some passersby stopped him before he could do any real damage. He took off running before the police or EMT arrived. The hospital told us that apparently you rolled up into a ball when you hit the ground so most of his blows were to your legs. Had he kicked you in the upper body, you could have been in serious trouble."



"I certainly don't feel very lucky."



"You should go back to the hospital until they release you."



"No chance." There was a slight pause before Detective Jenkins spoke again.



"How did you get home from the hospital?"



"After walking to a diner and having coffee, I called a taxi."



"Do you have your car now?"



"Yes."



"How did you get it?"



"I took another taxi from here to the restaurant earlier today. It was still there so I drove it home. So with all that being settled, why don't you two leave and get busy finding whatever his name is and throw his ass in jail."



They both stood and started for the door. I followed behind them. Detective Hughes spoke at the door.



"Thank you for your time and cooperation, Mr. Somers. We'll let you know when we apprehend Henderson or Vincent or whatever the hell his name is."



"Good. I'm looking forward to hearing from you."



The rest of the week at work was mostly spent answering questions about Diane, her boyfriend, how it felt to get my ass kicked, and when were my eyes not going to be black anymore. My secretary, Suzette, finally took a hint and kept most people away from me.



At the end of that week, I was pleased to hear that Norman Vincent was arrested. The best part was he tried to get away and was chased down by a German Shepherd Police Dog named Ace, which, I was told, took particular delight in chewing on Vincent's genitals. I always thought police dogs went for the arms or legs. Ace, apparently, wasn't aware of the rules and went for the balls.



I bought a huge bone and sent it to police headquarters addressed to Ace.



My life went on for the next several months. My body healed with no problems, but my soul was taking longer.



I finally received a call from the District Attorney's Office telling me that Norman Vincent's trial for beating me was scheduled and my appearance was required. I had been interviewed by them twice but they wanted to prep me for appearing on the witness stand at his trial.



I showed up and spent a couple of hours going over what they were going to ask me and what his attorney might possibly ask. I found it interesting that they never indicated what my answers should be; just what they were going to ask.



I had been through enough trials from people suing our plant that I knew the drill, but from the other side. Here I was the plaintiff. In the plant trials, I was the defendant. Our attorneys spent hours going over my testimony and telling me almost word for word what to say and how to answer each question. But these guys were different. "Just tell the truth as you recall it," they repeated over and over to me. "Be honest and forthright."



They had finished with me and one of them was escorting me to the elevator. He said nothing as we waited for its' arrival. When it arrived and the door opened three people made their way out. The second person coming out was Gloria. We recognized each other and smiled.



"Well, Mr. Somers, how are you?" She asked as she stuck out her hand for me to shake. I took hers and shook it. I looked at her and there was something different.



"I'm fine. How have you been?" I asked. I took her arm and pulled her aside. "Listen, I hope you aren't in any trouble for coming to my house."



"Of course not. Why would you even mention it?"



"I'm not sure. I just have never dealt with a ... uh ... pros... er ... lady of the eve..."



"Prostitute?" she asked.



"Yes."



"Listen," she said. "I can't talk now because I'm late for a meeting, but maybe we can have lunch or something and I'll tell you."



"A meeting? Here? Listen, I'm available as a character witness if you need it." I took out one of my cards and quickly jotted down my cell number. "Call me and I'll see if I can help. I have a great attorney."



She smiled. "I know you do. She's my sister. I have to go."



I watched as she walked down the hall between two men. I was walking out of the building when it dawned on me what she said. "She's my sister." That surprised me, but the biggest surprise was what I recognized as different about her. It was her bust size. It wasn't nearly as big as it was when she was at my house.



Sitting in my car, I made a phone call. "Terrie Koening's office."



"This is Dan Somers. Is Terrie available?"



"Let me check Mr. Somers."



The next voice was Terrie's. "Hi, Dan. What's up?"



"She's your sister?"



"What are you talking about?"



"Gloria, if that's her real name, is your sister?"



"Didn't I tell you that?" She asked laughing.



"No. She told me just now at the DA's Office."



"I must have forgotten."



"Okay. So tell me now."



"There's not a lot to tell. She's an Assistant DA. She and I were talking and I asked her if she knew any "ladies of the evening" and she asked why. I told her and she started laughing and said that might be fun and allowed as how she wanted to do it. When I saw she was serious, I gave her as much detail as I had about what you wanted. She asked me if I had any objection to her doing it. I told her no, so she called her boss to see if there were any legal ramifications and he told her not as far as he was concerned. She wanted to play it up right so she and I went shopping for a big bra thinking that you would like her to have really large breasts. We bought the bra and stuffed it full.



"After she left your house she called me, told me all about it, and we laughed for a long time." There was a slight pause. "By the way, Dan, she told me she kissed you. It must have been some kiss because she still talks about it."



"Is her name really Gloria?" I asked.



She laughed again. "Yes. Gloria Petersen. Anything else you want to know, ask her yourself."



We talked for a few minutes longer before she had to take another call.



I was surprised later that evening when Gloria Petersen called. We talked for a long time and she told me basically the same thing Terrie did. She also told me that she had been married to a police officer who had been killed in the line of duty.



We talked three more times that week before deciding to have dinner. It was an enjoyable evening. We sat there for a long time eating, drinking, and talking. We had several dates over the next few weeks, but they never seemed to go anyplace.



I was surprised to get a call from Terrie telling me my divorce had been approved. The judge, after getting no objection from Diane or her attorney approved my petition and granted the divorce. We never had any meetings and never went to court. The only communication I had with Diane was the phone call after she saw Vincent's website where she apologized and wanted to come home. I laughed and ended the call. I guess she took the hint. Either that or she really didn't want to come back. On the other hand, she could have been too embarrassed to face me in court. At any rate, I didn't care. She ended up with her car and whatever she took out of the house that night.



"It will be final in about six weeks." Terrie said.



When it came time for Vincent's trial, Terrie sat with me at the prosecutor's table. He was sentenced to three years.



We found out later that his first prison cellmate was a former professional football tackle whose wife cheated on him with someone just like Vincent. I still laugh every time I picture it and could only imagine Vincent on his knees sucking his cellmate's dick.



Sitting next to Terrie for the trial caused me to look at her a little differently. I had never looked at her closely, but I did then. It was while I sat there that I saw the diamond on her left hand. In all the times I had been in her office I hadn't noticed it.



Gloria and I had several more dates, but things between us just never progressed to the point that I felt comfortable trying to get in her knickers. Not that I didn't want to, but it never seemed right. There always seemed to be something in the way. One evening we were at her place. We had been kissing and I finally made a move. My hand went to her breast and I felt her freeze. I left it there to see what would happen next. Nothing. We just stayed like that for a full minute. Then I squeezed, just a bit and she jumped up and ran down the hall.



I sat there for several minutes before going to what I assumed was her bedroom door. I knocked several times and called to her with no answer. I decided she wasn't coming back so I left.



The next morning Terrie called me. "I talked to Gloria earlier," she said.



"Is she okay?"



"As good as could be expected, I suppose. How are you?"



"Oh, I'm fine."



"That's good. What happened?"



"She ran off so I went home."



"I was afraid of that."



"What?"



"It's Jimmy. Her husband. She's tried with two other guys, but she just can't seem to come to grips with the fact that Jimmy's gone." There was a pause. "What are you going to do?"



I chuckled. "Go on with my life. I can't compete with a dead man."



"I'm sorry, Dan. I was hoping you might be the one."



"Apparently not."



I saw her a couple of times over the next month or so at the same restaurant. She was with a man one time and a group of people another. If she saw me she gave no indication of it.



I won't say I buried myself in my work to forget her because we never got close enough to establish any kind of close relationship, so just like I told Terrie, my life went on.



The Fourth of July was fast approaching and I talked to my boss about the possibility of my taking one of my four weeks of annual vacation to go to Yellowstone and camp for a few days. That trip would have been something to do that I knew I would enjoy. Diane and I used to camp as often as we could. My boss agreed that I should take some time off, but to waste it sleeping outside with grizzlies, elk, and bison was beyond his ability to comprehend. He was not much of a nature lover; in fact his idea of nature was his lawn and the scraggly bushes that were there when he moved in and had been neglected since. He tried for years to get his wife to move into a condo so he never had to see grass much less mow it. At any rate, he shrugged his shoulders as he told me I could have the time off.



My phone rang. I looked and it was Terrie.



"Hello, Terrie. What's up?"



"I was just wondering what you were doing for the 4th?"



"I'm thinking of heading for Yellowstone and some peace and quiet. Why?"



"My cousin has a place in the country and every year he buys a truckload of fireworks and sets them off, but before that he has the biggest bar-b-que in the state. I was wondering if you'd like to go."



"I don't think so, besides wouldn't I need a date."



"You have one if you go."



"I do? ... Oh, no. Not Gloria. I'd have a better chance with a grizzly than with her dead husband. No thank you."



"Relax," she said laughing. "It's me. I'd be your date."



"You? What about your husband?"



"Husband? Where did you get the idea I had a husband?"



"I, uh, I well, I saw the ring on your finger and assumed ..."



"No husband." She interrupted.



"Then why the ring?"



"It keeps the wolves at bay. That will be your job at the bar-b-que."



"No boyfriend?"



"Out of town at the moment."



"Uh, In that case I still don't think I could do it."



"Dan, this is strictly platonic. All of the wolves not in Yellowstone will be at my cousin's and, like I said, you can keep them away from me. So how about it? Bar-b-que, fireworks, and me or a smelly old buffalo?"



I thought about it for a whole two seconds before I spoke. "I always was partial to fireworks. You're on."



"Good. You can pick me up around eleven on the 4th." I never thought about the propriety of an attorney dating a client. I guess I didn't care. She gave me her address.



I have no idea why I traded a week in the woods to a few hours with my attorney, who had a boyfriend; but I did. I called my boss and cancelled my vacation. He congratulated me on coming to my senses.



She was hot, and I mean really hot, when I picked her up. She was wearing shorts with the tail of her shirt tied in front just below her breasts leaving her with a bare midriff. She was the nicest looking attorney I'd ever seen.



It took us an hour to get to her cousin's place and she talked virtually the entire trip. I, on the other hand, spent as much time as I safely could sharing my looks between her legs, her tits and the road. I looked to see if she was wearing a bra, but could see no evidence of one; but I did see lots of evidence of nipples trying to poke through her shirt.



Most of the guests had arrived by the time we got there; that included Gloria and her date. Of course that was the first direction Terrie headed and dragged me with her. She hugged her sister who looked over Terrie's shoulder at me. "Terrie, this is Darren. Darren, this is my sister Terrie. Darren is a Fire Department Lieutenant. And this is Dan. Dan this is Darren." She offered no apology or excuse for running out on our last date. Terrie's explanation pretty well covered it and I held no grudge.



Darren and I shook hands and chatted while the sisters did what sisters do.



The day was one of the best I'd ever had. Terrie only left my side to use the ladies room. The same with me. It was almost like a real date. I fully enjoyed the day and caught myself unconsciously putting my arm around her waist while we were standing in a group, chatting. I took it away as soon as I realized what I had done. I did it again later in the day and immediately started to move my hand, but she reached up and held it where it was. My hand was on her skin. I never felt anything that soft before. Or warm. Or smooth. Or so quick to give me a hardon; I had almost forgotten what it was like.



Dusk was just making its' appearance and a couple of exploratory fireworks went up. Just before it was full dark, Terrie took my hand and led me to two beach chairs. I grabbed two cokes for us because I figured we both had enough to drink. We stretched out on the chairs and Terrie reached over and put her hand on my arm. We stayed like that throughout the fireworks.



The fireworks were over and everybody applauded our host and headed for their cars. Terrie and I stayed and offered to help cleanup, but we were told to leave. Terrie hugged her cousin and his wife while I shook their hands and thanked them. We were almost to the car when she remembered her purse and ran back to get it.



She had just left when Gloria walked up to me. "Did you have fun?" she asked.



"Yes, I did." Then I added. "Thanks to your sister."



"Was she more fun than me?" she asked.



Her date was standing right beside her but I answered her honestly. "Absolutely. There was only ever two of us even when we were in a crowd. With you there was always three and in that case, three was a crowd. Don't you think so Darren?"



He appeared shocked at her question and my answer. So shocked that I don't think he realized that he answered. "Yes, I do."



Gloria looked at me then at him and walked away. He followed.



Terrie was back right after that and we left. We had lots of conversation on the way to her house. I walked her to her door, kissed her on the cheek, and said good night.

<hr pg="3" />It had been a much nicer day than spending it with the elk and bison in Yellowstone.



Two days later I was in my office and my phone rang. It was Terrie.



"Good morning," I said.



"Good morning," she said. "Did you mean it?"



"Mean what?"



"That I was more fun than my sister."



"Absolutely. She obviously told you about our conversation."



"She did. Yesterday. And she cried all day."



"Why?"



"Because she can't forget Jimmy."



"That's a problem only she can fix."



"Let me ask you a question," she said. "If she could forget him and you had the chance, would you go back to her?"



My answer was immediate. "No."



"Mind telling me why?"



"I'd rather not."



"Okay." There was a pause. "Why?"



"Why what?"



"Why won't you tell me?"



I chuckled. "Do you ever stop being an attorney?"



"I don't think so." Pause. "Why?"



"If I tell you why I won't tell you, I might as well tell you." I finished and my head was swimming in circles trying to figure out what I just said.



It was her turn to chuckle. "I can take it, Dan, and since it is about my sister I won't stop pestering you until you tell me. After all it might help her."



I took a deep breath. "If I went back to her and we got serious that would mean she and I would probably be spending time with you and your boyfriend on dates, dinner, or just hanging out together and I couldn't take being that near to you. In the one day I spent with you, I had more fun and felt closer to someone than I ever have before. Ever."



There was a long silence before she spoke. "I have to go," she said.



I sat there holding a dead phone trying to figure out what just happened. I figured either she really had to go or she didn't want to talk to me anymore. My money was on the probability that she didn't want to talk to me anymore. The next question was why? Maybe I shouldn't have told her how I felt because it appeared I just chased her off. On the other hand, she did have a boyfriend and could have taken offense at what I said.



I went in to my boss's office. "Is it too late to take that week of vacation?" I asked.



It appeared I had managed to lose two sisters. Actually, one lost me, but the other one I apparently lost because I told her the truth. They were both great in their own ways. Well ... Gloria would be when she finally realizes her husband is dead, and Terrie was already great but I had just chased her off.



Two days later I was in Yellowstone sitting in front of my tent sipping a cup of coffee. It was hot outside, but it seems that the only thing you drink in front of a tent in the morning is coffee. My phone was in my car and it was turned off.



My first day back at work was unusually busy. I had turned my phone on the evening before when I got home. Other than the normal calls, there were two from Terrie asking me to call her. She had called early in the week, but nothing after those two calls. I didn't need to talk to her and hear that I had overstepped my bounds even though it was she who insisted I answer her question; so I ignored her calls.



My desk was piled high and I had over a dozen meetings scheduled.



My secretary, Suzette, also had a message for me from Terrie. She had called early in the week when I hadn't returned her other calls and Suzette told her that I had taken a week off and where I went. I was to call Terrie the minute I got back.



I didn't.



I knew I would have to talk to her eventually because she was still involved in my divorce, but as far as our personal lives were concerned, the sooner we forgot about that, the better.



Fortunately, she never called me again. That went on for a couple of weeks. I didn't call her and she didn't call me; but her secretary, Janet, did. She told me that my final divorce papers were there and needed my signature, and would it be possible for me to stop by and sign them? I told her to let me know when Terrie wasn't going to be in the office and I would stop by. She hesitated like she wanted to say something, but decided against it.



Once I had those papers in my hand, I wouldn't have any more association with her. That would be good.



Janet called me on Thursday to tell me that Terrie would be in court all afternoon so I could pick up my copies then. I was curious about the timing of the final papers being available. "It hasn't been six weeks, has it?" I asked her.



"Uh. Sometimes the Judge's office just wants to clear things out so they rush some of the easier cases out."



She had them ready for me and as soon as she gave me my copies she congratulated me on officially being single again. In the short time I was in her office, she kept looking at Terrie's office door. I should have suspected something, but I was in a hurry. I thanked her, took my copies, and headed for the door. I almost made it when I heard.



"Dan. Do you have a minute?"



I recognized the voice so turned and looked at Janet, who looked guilty and shrugged her shoulders. I shook my head at her as if to say tsk, tsk then looked at Terrie. "I really have to ...," I said.



"It will only take a minute." Pause. "Please?"



She led me back to her office. There were two big overstuffed chairs. She indicated one for me and she took the other.



"I've wanted to talk to you, but apparently you've avoided me."



"Yes, I have."



"Why?"



I chuckled. "It seems like every conversation we've had you've asked me 'why' about something." If she saw any humor, she hid it pretty well. Her attorney face was on which meant she was serious so I started. "I think I said all I needed to say in our last phone call. You were the one who 'had to go' and left me hanging."



She just looked at me and I had the impression she wanted more so I took a deep breath and looked at her.



I started speaking not having any idea what I was going to say. "I enjoyed our day together more than I should have. You told me it was strictly platonic and it started that way, but the more time I spent with you the less platonic it got for me. By the time I took you home, I was pretty well smitten and I didn't know what to do."



"When you went to get your purse and Gloria talked to me I realized that I missed you and you had only been gone a minute or two: hell, you weren't even gone that long. At home that night there was a big hole in my heart and it all happened in a few short hours. You had been my attorney for months and until I was home alone that evening, I never realized the feelings I had for you."



I looked at her and couldn't read anything in her face so I stood and walked behind her desk and looked out over the city.



"I guess it was because up until then, I thought you were married ... I don't know, but there was some rationale my sub-conscious was using to keep me from seeing you as the beautiful, bright, witty, woman you are." I paused. "Then we had our phone call and you broke it off with your abrupt 'I have to go' and I assumed I had overstepped the bounds of propriety and had upset you. After that I didn't want to talk with you because I felt you would read me the riot act and I didn't want to hear it."



I turned back to face her expecting her to still be sitting in her chair, but she wasn't. She was standing directly behind me and we looked into each other's eyes.



"It's your turn." I said softly afraid to speak in my normal voice. "In fact, you were the one who wanted to talk, but I've done it all."



"You've pretty well covered it." She said with a smile.



"From my perspective, now what about yours?" I asked.



"Okay, here goes. First of all, there is no longer a boyfriend. Like you, I was smitten, as you put it, on the 4<sup>th</sup> after spending the day with you. Tom, the ex-boyfriend and I had gone together for a few months and I never felt as close to him as I did you by the end of the day. I knew that neither you nor I would go forward if the boyfriend were still in the picture so I called him. I found my call to him easy to make, so it was obvious that he and I hadn't had much of a relationship to begin with. The goodnight kiss you planted on my cheek affected me more than any kiss he ever gave me.



"After Gloria told me what you said and you confirmed it on the phone, I knew I wanted to see more of you, but I didn't know how to tell you so I ended our phone call to give me some time to think. After all, I am an attorney and you were my client and there were ethics to be considered.



"Since your divorce was basically finished I was prepared to ignore the ethics. I called you and left messages, then I called your office and your secretary told me you went on vacation and I was disappointed." She smiled broadly. "I wanted us to start right then and there. But even after you came back you avoided me and I didn't know why. Now I do." She took both of my hands, put them on her waist and pulled them around behind her thereby pulling me closer. When they were where she wanted them, she put her arms around my neck and we kissed. It was our first lip-on-lip kiss and we both shuddered at the passion and emotion of it. After what seemed like ten bliss-filled minutes of kissing, her secretary buzzed and reminded her that she was due in court in 30 minutes.



She broke away and scrambled for some papers on her desk. "I'll call you when I finish. How about dinner tonight. My house?"



I smiled. "What time?"



"Five-thirty. That will give us more time together and you can watch me cook." We kissed again and she shivered. "Damn that's nice." She said and smiled broadly.



I smiled back.



I was pretty much on cloud nine all the way back to my office, but I didn't stay long. I wanted to get home, shower and shave before going to her house. I carefully selected two bottles of my best wine and headed for her house.



I rang her bell at five-thirty and she let me in but we didn't get much past the doorway before we were kissing. We went to the kitchen where I opened a bottle of wine and she started peeling potatoes. "I know I said you could watch me cook, but would you mind grilling the pork chops?" she asked.



"Of course not." They were sitting on the counter. I went to her rear deck and lit the gas grill before I put garlic salt and fresh ground pepper on the chops.



We ate in the kitchen and had just finished when we heard her front door open and close. "Terrie? Terrie? Where are you?" The voice came from Gloria. She found us sipping our wine and just gazing at each other. "Terrie, I need some ... Dan? What are you doing here?"



"Having dinner. What are you doing here?"



She smiled and went right to Terrie. "You weren't joking. You actually did it, didn't you?"



"Did what?"



"Broke up with Tom." Her smile got bigger. "How did he take it?"



"I don't think he was surprised." Terrie said as she smiled back at her sister.



"Wow." She picked up Terrie's wine glass and took a sip looking first at me and then at Terrie.



"How are you and the Fire Lieutenant getting along?" Terrie asked changing the subject.



"I like him. I hope I can keep him." She took another sip of Terrie's wine and spoke to me. "Whatever else you are, you know your wine." I remembered she made a comment about the wine she had at my house.



"It's all on you, you know. If you treat him the same way you've treated every man who has wanted to get close to you he'll be gone." Terrie told her.



"I know that." She put Terrie's wine glass on the island and came over and playfully punched my shoulder. "And Dan wasn't very subtle about pointing that out on the 4th." She paused. "Jimmy's memory always rears its head and I start feeling guilty and end up chasing men away." She looked at me then Terrie. "I chased Dan and you were lucky enough to catch him, but don't screw it up or I'll be trying to get him back."



"Counseling helps, you know." I said.



"I know, but I'm not sure I want to let go of him. The memories are so wonderful and strong, it's like he is still here."



I stood and hugged her. "Then you need help and you need it now if you want to go forward with your life. The only way it's going to change is if you want to and a counselor can help you."



She was sobbing when she left.



"That was nice of you." Terrie said as she came and hugged me. "I've told her the same thing, but maybe hearing it from you will get her off dead center."



We stood holding each other for another couple of minutes feeling perfectly at ease and in no hurry to jump each other's bones.



We dated for another two weeks before it happened. She spent all day in court and I had never seen her so exhausted. I picked her up at her office and all she wanted to do was get home and get in her tub. We had originally planned to go to dinner, but when I saw how tired she was, we went straight to her house. I poured her a glass of wine and ran her bath while she was getting undressed.



I walked out of her bathroom and she was wearing a terrycloth robe. "I can do one of two things," I said.



"What are they?" she asked.



"I can either go home and let you relax for the rest of the evening or I can get us something to eat. Which would you prefer?"



She didn't have to think. "The food, please. That way you can be here and eat with me."



She liked Chinese when she was tired so I ordered enough so she would have some if she woke up hungry in the middle of the night.



Her bath lasted an hour which was perfect because that's how long it took for the food to be delivered.



She came into the kitchen wearing her terrycloth robe and a towel in her hair. She looked wonderful. As we usually did when we ate at her house, we ate sitting at the kitchen island. We both used chopsticks and ate out of the Styrofoam containers. As we ate, I couldn't keep my eyes off of her robe. It was secured around her waist by the belt and every time she laughed or moved either the bottom of the robe separated or the top did.



It reached a point where the robe was open so far that had her legs not been crossed, I would have seen the most beautiful thing God ever created. I stopped eating and just stared. Then she did likewise, only she was staring at my face. She put her container and chopsticks down and stood. She used a paper napkin to wipe her mouth then she reached for the belt on her robe and opened it. The robe didn't open enough for me to see all the good stuff, so she helped it. She reached and opened it giving me a full frontal view of her body.



"I think it's time," she said.



I stood, took hold of the lapels of the robe, pulled her to me and kissed her. "We can wait if you're too tired," I said.



She laughed softly. "I have the feeling you'll energize me."



Two minutes later we were in her bedroom with the bedspread on the floor. She shrugged her shoulders and the robe floated to the floor and my attorney was standing naked if front of me waiting for me to do wondrous things to and for her body and vice versa.



We both reached for my shirt buttons at the same time and made short work of them. My trousers were next, then my shorts and tee shirt.



She had just taken a long soak in the tub and I had spent all day at work. "Give me five minutes for a quick shower," I said.



"Hurry, please."



I walked wet and naked back to her bedroom to see her stretched on the bed with her finger in her pussy rubbing it slowly. She was moaning and her eyes were closed until she felt my weight on the bed and they popped open.



Her arms came up and went around my neck and she pulled me to her. "Fuck me, Dan."



We kissed softly at first but our urges took over and our kisses became hard and demanding. I pulled away from her and got on my knees. My dick was hard and aimed at its target. It wouldn't need any help, but she didn't take any chances and reached for it and raised her hips. As soon as flesh touched flesh, she shuddered and raised her hips even higher. She had one hand on my dick and put the other hand on my back pulling me into her. "Oh my God," she moaned. "This is wonderful. You're wonderful."



My dick hit bottom and we both smiled. There is no better feeling than to have your dick buried deep into the warm, willing hole called pussy, cunt, cooch, nookie, or any one of a thousand other names for it.



My dick was buried and my arms were outstretched with my upper body above hers. We looked at each other. Every time my dick throbbed, she jerked, which made my dick throb again.



I pulled out and she protested, so I shoved it back. She emitted a combination laugh and moan which came out so softly it was totally sensual. "You're dripping water on my tits,"



"Stick around for a few minutes and something else could be dripping on them."



"Oh? And what would that be?" She asked with a smile. I pulled out and rammed back in. "Oh my God. Do that again."



I did. Over and over. We were both panting and groaning as we fucked. "Come in me, Dan. Come for me, sweetie." She said as her hips went up and down in time with my dick going in and out.



I was right about the food. At three in the morning she was awake and hungry. We were sitting in bed naked and eating out of the Styrofoam containers again. It didn't take long before we were filled with food and were fucking again.



Her alarm went off at 6:00AM but it didn't wake us because we were already awake and she was on top of me with her hands on either side of my shoulders bouncing up and down and smiling. "It's never been like this." She said while continuing to bounce. "I can't get enough." More bouncing, but faster. More bouncing, but harder. On the last bounce, she raised up as high as she could keeping me in her and she slammed down hard. The alarm sounded as we both erupted. "Oh, my fucking God, Dan. That's the way I want it every day." She said as she collapsed on me breathing hard.



"I love you, Terrie." It was the first time I said it to her and she was only the second woman in my life I proclaimed it to and I meant it.



"And I love you," she said.



I believed her.



She was due in court so we had to rush to get her to work. We had come in my car so we had to get her back to her office to get hers. We walked in and her secretary, Janet, was standing there with her phone in her hand. "Oh my God. Where have you been? I got here, saw your car and couldn't find you. I was afraid something happened!"



"Something did happen." She put her briefcase on her desk and grabbed my arm. "This guy happened." She kissed me.



"Well, I'll be damned," said Janet. "When did this start?"



"July 4<sup>th</sup>." Said Terrie.



Janet looked at me and smiled. "Well, congratulations, Mr. Somers, but you need to leave her alone now because she has to get to court."



"She's right, Dan. Will I see you tonight?"



"Of course. How about my house at 6:30?"



"Sounds good," she said. We kissed and I left.



She was there at 6:30 and at 6:35 we were in my bedroom getting naked.



Trains usually travel in a straight line. Of course, there are some minor curves and some very slight inclines on their tracks, but for the most part they travel in straight lines. That's how our lives went for the next month; in a straight line towards the station called Utopia. Our speed was steadily increasing and it seemed we were rushing forward; until we derailed.



She was coming to my house for dinner and I opened the door when the bell rang. I was surprised to see her standing there because I had given her a key two weeks before.



"Come in. Why didn't you use your key?" I kissed her but she didn't kiss me back. "What's wrong?" I asked.



"I love you," she said. "And I love my sister. That's what makes this so difficult."



"Makes what difficult? What are you talking about?"



She started pacing like she was walking in front of a jury box in a courtroom.



"Do you remember recommending that Gloria get counseling?"



"Yes."



"Well, she is."



"Good for her."



"But not so good for us."



<hr pg="4" />"What do you mean?"



"I just came from her counselors office. The first thing she said was for me to tell her about you and Gloria. So I did. I told her how you met and that you dated and your relationship was going well until it wasn't. She told me that Gloria only started counseling because you suggested it and that Gloria wanted to lose the feeling that Jimmy dominated her life."



"But I don't ...." She put her finger on my lips to silence me. "Then she asked me about my relationship with you. I told her that I was in love with you. At that point she shook her head and said that was a huge problem. I told her Gloria knew you and I were close, but she felt that if Jimmy were out of the picture, you would come back to her. She ended by saying if I wanted my sister to get better, I would have to end my relationship with you and since blood is thicker than water, that's what I'm doing." She looked at me. "I love you, but I love my sister as well and I want her to get better. When she does, and you go back to her, I will be happy for both of you. Good bye, Dan."



She headed for the door.



"Whoa, wait a minute." I grabbed her arm and stopped her. "That doesn't make any sense. I don't love your sister and I never will. I love you. Doesn't that mean anything? Are you going to throw your happiness and life away knowing that?"



"She needs to get better. Until then, please stay away from me and don't call me."



"No. I won't stay away from you. You just told me you loved me and I'm going to fight for that love. For us. For our lives together."



"Please don't. If you love me let me go. That's what I'm doing. I'm also asking you to give Gloria a chance when she gets better. She deserves to be happy."



"Don't you deserve to be happy?"



She looked at me and the tears started. "Good bye Dan."



I couldn't stop her that time.



I tried for three days to talk to her. I went by her house and office but she refused to see me. I didn't want to give up and didn't until I received the restraining order telling me I wasn't allowed within 1000 feet of her. Any violation of that order would result in my going to jail.



I took it to our legal office and they advised me to comply or I could be in big trouble.



"What if we are both supposed to be in court at the same time?" I asked.



"We'll deal with that when and if it happens." I was told.



Shortly after that, I received a call from Gloria's counselor asking if I could come talk to her. I readily agreed. I was anxious to chat with her.



When my appointment time came, I was there primed and ready. I didn't give her a chance to ask any questions. I opened with both barrels. "If you advised Terrie to stay away from me because it would help Gloria's chances of recovery, I will sue your ass off and I will be the counselor because that is malpractice or whatever it's called in the counselling world."



I stopped to take a breath.



"Hold on, Mr. Somers. You're putting the cart before the horse. I never advised her to do that. She did it because she thought it would help her sister."



"So she helps her sister but her own life is ruined and you have another client. That's a pretty smart business plan you have there."



"I resent your implication. My job is to try to help Gloria let go of her husband's memory so she can have a good, healthy life."



"And in the meantime, her sister lives a miserable, lonely, unhealthy life."



"Are you saying that you are the only man who can make Terrie happy? If so, you have a pretty high opinion of yourself. She can love any number of men and be happy."



"That's the first thing you've said that I believe. I'm leaving. I have no intention of participating in a farce that might ... just might ... make one person happy but definitely makes two of us unhappy. Those aren't good odds." I started to leave.



"Mr. Somers. Let me ask you one question before you go. What will you have lost if you participate in helping Gloria? Wouldn't that then allow you and Terrie to go on with your lives together?"



"Are you for real? If your counseling takes a year, that means Terrie and I will have lost a year together. What if she finds somebody else in the meantime?"



"If she finds somebody else, it just means that you weren't meant for each other to begin with."



I looked at her. "Are you married?"



"That's not your concern."



"You're right, but I'd be willing to bet that you have been married at least three times and currently divorced and living alone. Am I right?" I glanced and she wasn't wearing any rings on any finger of either hand.



"Again, that's not your concern." She repeated as her face and neck turned bright red.



"Lady where did you get your license? The Acme School of Illogical and ill-conceived counseling and Storm Door Company? My God, you are a menace." I stormed out.



I stewed for another week before settling down and resigning myself to the fact that it was over between Terrie and me. She had some clothing and other stuff at my house so I packed it in boxes and had it sent to her. As I packed, I could still smell her perfume and I missed her all over again. I had a few things at her house, but she never sent them to me.



About three weeks later I was supposed to be back in court. We learned that Terrie was going to be the Plaintiff's attorney so we checked with the court. We informed them that I was the best person to provide testimony in that particular case but since the plaintiff's attorney had a restraining order against me, what should we do. The court ordered that the restraining order be temporarily lifted so the case could continue, but Terrie recused herself and didn't cross-examine me. She wouldn't even look at me.



Time went on. Three weeks became three months, then six months. Pretty soon it was Thanksgiving, then Christmas. During those months, I had seen her around town in restaurants with men. At first jealousy reared its' ugly head, but that gradually faded away.



I started going to a local gym just to have something to do. At first I went three days a week; then five. I was enjoying the daily workouts.



It was the middle of February when Terrie's sister, Gloria and I ran into each other at a restaurant. I was on my way out and she was on her way in. I tried to be angry with her, but I couldn't, so I felt sorry for her ... and me.



"Well, hello, stranger. How are you?" She asked.



"Not bad. How are you?"



"Great. Do you remember Darren?" She indicated the man with her.



"Vaguely. How are you?" We shook hands.



"Great. Thank you."



"We're waiting for a table," she said. "So we're sitting at the bar having a drink. Care to join us?"



"Thank you, but you bring back too many memories I'd prefer not having." I said.



She touched my arm. "Why don't you call her?"



"No. I've seen her out with men and she seems to be living life the way she wants to. It was good seeing you again. Good luck." I walked away.



"Call her!" Was the last thing I heard her say.



There would be icicles in hell before I called her.



I had been in court twice since seeing her there, but she wasn't there either time.



One evening I was looking through my mail and there was an envelope from her law office. I put it on the kitchen table and left it there unopened. A couple of weeks later I received another envelope from another law firm. I opened it to find that it was from a collection agency and I was being sued by Terrie's law firm for non-payment of fees related to my divorce. I grabbed the envelope from her company and tore it open. It was a final notice and if I didn't pay within 15 days they would send the debt to a collection agency.



At first I was pissed, but then realized I owed the money so should pay it. The next morning I took both envelopes and a check to her office. Janet didn't recognize me when I walked in. I didn't know if the restraining order was still in effect, but I didn't care.



"May I help you, sir," she asked.



"Yes. I received this bill so I decided to bring it down and pay it in person." I handed her everything I had. She looked at it. "I'm sorry sir, but once it goes to a collection agency, you have to pay them. I can't take it." She started to hand it back and, I guess, noticed the name. Then she looked up at me. "Oh, Mr. Somers. I didn't recognize you. There's been some mistake. You shouldn't have gotten a bill. Terrie said ... "



I interrupted her. "It's okay she did the work, she should be paid." I left the envelopes and check on her desk, walked out and headed for the elevator. I hadn't gotten to my car and my phone was ringing. It was Terrie. I guess she unblocked me. I ignored her. I did listen to her message.



"Hi. It's me. Terrie. I've been meaning to call you but haven't been able to build up the nerve. We have a lot to talk about so call me when you have some time, please. Oh, by the way, someone in accounting screwed up. You were never supposed to be billed. Call me, please."



As far as I knew there were still no icicles in hell.



"Oh, by the way, someone in accounting screwed up. You were never supposed to be billed." Fuck her trying to throw me a bone.



Several days later I received another envelope from the collection agency. Inside was a copy of my bill marked paid in full. My uncashed check was also there. Fuck her. She didn't want the money so she wouldn't get it. I tore up the check.



The next month, I was offered a promotion and transfer. I was offered the plant manager's job in Houston. It was a huge promotion and a shitpot more money. I jumped on it and headed for Houston. I was the youngest person ever asked to manage one of the plants.



I had been there just over two years. I never heard from either Gloria or Terrie and my life never fell apart. In fact, I learned that Texas women were something special. I dated several of them and, after six months or so, never once thought of Terrie.



Then came the morning we heard that the manager of my old plant died of a heart attack on the golf course. They had been in the middle of a huge expansion and Corporate decided that I knew more about it than anyone else, so they sent me back as plant manager.



The first thing I did was find out if my old secretary, Suzette, was still there. She was so I promoted her and brought her back to work for me.



I was in my office one morning when she came in and closed my door. "There is an attorney to see you, but she's different. She's from the DA's office. Are we in trouble?"



"Not that I know of. Send her in." I stood.



"Hello, Dan. Thanks for seeing me." Said Gloria. "I heard you were back and wanted to give you this in person." She handed me an envelope. It was too small to be a summons so I tossed it on my desk. "Aren't you going to look at it?"



I picked it up and opened it. I slid the contents part way out and realized it was a wedding invitation. I shoved it back in and handed it to Gloria. "I'm not going to her wedding. I don't care if she's marrying the Pope."



She chuckled. "Now that would be a wedding to go to, but it isn't hers. It's mine."



"Yours?" I took the invitation out of the envelope and sure enough it was hers. I walked around my desk and hugged her. "Congratulations. Do I know," I looked at the groom's name. "Darren Keller?"



"You met him a couple of times. He's a fireman and we owe our marriage to you. He and I have dated since before you left town, so we finally decided to make it legal. That's why I hand delivered the invitation. I knew you wouldn't come otherwise."



"You're right." I returned to sit in my chair behind my desk. "Why do you owe it to me?"



"It was because of you that I went for counseling."



"Me?" I had forgotten.



"Yes. That evening at Terrie's. You told me only I could change and you were right. My life is so much better now thanks to you, Terrie, and my counselor." I remembered my conversation with her counselor. "May I sit down?" she asked.



"I'm sorry. Of course." I indicated a seat for her.



"Both you and Terrie helped more than you know. You for caring enough to tell me the truth and Terrie for putting her relationship with you on hold because she thought I loved you."



"She didn't put it on hold. She killed and buried it."



"That wasn't her intention."



"It was most certainly her intention. She expected you to get well, come back to me and I would welcome you with open arms. You and I would live in peace and harmony for the rest of our lives and she would be a martyr for the rest of hers."



She chuckled. "I know it isn't funny, but the way you describe it is. And in hindsight, everything you said is true. I never told her or anyone else that I loved you. I said you were a great kisser and knew your wines, but never once did I say I loved you. I liked you a lot." She paused. "In all honesty, had I not been thinking of Jimmy the night you played with my tits, you and I would have had sex, and I would have been the best you ever had or ever will have." She grinned and I laughed. "But seriously, please come to the wedding. I'll save you a good seat."



"We'll see," I said.



"I think we know what that means." She came around behind my desk and kissed me. "God, you're a good kisser." She said as she started to leave.



Not one mention of my calling Terrie.



I had been back in my new job for just over a month and I was back in court. Terrie was the attorney for the plaintiff so just to be on the safe side we checked to see if the restraining order was still in place. It was not. She must have seen my name on the witness list because she was standing when I walked in. It was as if she was watching and waiting for me. We saw each other at the same time and I couldn't help but notice the bulge in her stomach indicating she was pregnant. She recused herself and her assistant cross examined me. It was another of the frivolous lawsuits and we won ... again. I was leaving the courtroom and she stepped in front of me.



"We need to talk," she said.



"No we don't. You told me you never wanted to see me again and emphasized it with that chickenshit restraining order."



"Please, Dan."



"Please my ass. I was in love with you and you knew it. You even claimed to love me but that only lasted for what ... about a day and a half before you gave me away. Then apparently you gave yourself away." I indicated her stomach. "How long did you wait before you fucked your new guy?"



"That's not fair. I haven't ..."



Just then one of the bailiffs approached us. "Everything okay here?" he asked.



"Yeah. Everything's fine. I was just leaving." And I did.



I was at the plant, working, on Gloria's wedding day.



I spent three days in Houston in conferences and was on my way home. It was just a short hop by plane and we barely had time to fasten our seat belts.



I usually ignore my seatmate when I'm flying, but that flight was different. She started talking and didn't stop. As we walked off the plane when we landed I realized I didn't want her to leave without getting her name and phone number. She didn't hesitate when I asked her. She took out her business card and wrote her cell number on the back. I did the same.



It was nearly seven that evening when my phone rang. "Hello," I answered.



"Hello. I hope you weren't busy."



"Who is this?"



"Cindy Alcantera. We flew in together today."



"Oh. Yes. I remember. How are you?"



"I'm fine, but a little nervous." There was a slight, nervous pause. "Are you married?" she asked.



"No."



"In a relationship?"



I chuckled. "No. How about you? Husband or boyfriend?"



"Oh, no. Uh, I was wondering if you would have a drink with me. I have a job interview tomorrow and I'm a bit nervous."



"Be glad to. Where are you?



"At the Hilton, but they don't have a bar."



"They don't, but there's one down the street. I'll meet you in the lobby in 15 minutes."



She was waiting for me and we went down the street. I asked her about her interview and she was off. It seemed there was a law firm in town who was in need of someone used to dealing with chemical plants and their environmental problems. The law firm dealt mostly with domestic cases, but they wanted to increase their footprint in the environmental arena so they contacted her. Apparently there was another attorney who dealt with both issues but she would soon be on leave after having a baby.



She went on to say that she had talked to the other female attorney on the phone and was told that she used to date the manager of one of the plants and that he was a nice guy and easy to work with.



"Is she the one going on maternity leave?" I asked.



"Yes. How did you know?"



"Is her name Terrie Koening?"



"Yes. Do you know her?"



"Yes. In the interest of full disclosure, I think I might be the guy she was talking about. We dated for a while."



"Oh. Maybe I shouldn't ask, but is it your baby?"



"No."



"Oh. So if I get the job, you and I will be facing each other in court."



"Most likely."



"Then maybe we shouldn't be drinking together."



"Probably not."



"I think maybe I should go back to the motel."



It was barely two weeks later when I saw her again. In court. She was sitting at the table with Terrie. Terrie's stomach was so big she could barely walk. It was funny but both Terrie and Cindy recused themselves. It was apparent why Terrie did, but Cindy did it out of an abundance of caution; so the case was continued.



As we all started to leave the courtroom, Terrie again tried to talk to me. I again, ignored her.



A week later Suzette told me I had a visitor. It was Cindy.



"I've been thinking," she said. "I would like to finish the drink we started my first night in town. What do you think?"



"I think that's a good idea, but what about your job? Won't there be a conflict of interest?"



"I'm willing to take that chance."



"Sounds good to me."



In the bar, she started talking. "I'm flying under false colors tonight."



"How and why?"



"I wanted to know how you feel about Terrie."



"Why?"



"Because I think I would like to see you socially, but she has lots of feelings for you."



I shook my head. "Did she put you up to this?"



"Heavens, no. She'd kill me."



"She must have told you that we haven't dated each other in over two years because she told me to go to hell." There was a pause. "Has she had her baby yet? You know, the one that belongs to some other man."



"Actually, yes. It's a boy and he is with his parents."



"Good. That's where babies are supposed to be."



She looked at me. "His parents are Gloria and Darren."



"What?"



"The baby's parents are her sister Gloria and her husband Darren and the baby's name is Daniel."



"God, I knew they were different, but that's a bit extreme. Darren fucking both sisters."



"He didn't fuck Terrie. They did it artificially. They wanted a baby but Gloria had two miscarriages and could no longer carry a baby to term so Terrie volunteered to carry it for them, but she insisted that if it was a boy they had to name him Daniel." She obviously was pregnant during Gloria's wedding.



My mind was spinning. I had heard of that happening, but not to anyone I knew.



"I'm having a bit of a problem trying to decide if I even care about all of this."



"You won't care if you have no feelings for her, but if you do, your first question should be how is she?"



"I don't know if I care how she is. She told me she never wanted to see me again and that I should stay away from her. She even had a restraining order to keep me away. Why would I have any feelings for a woman who did that?"



"I understand she did it to help her sister during her counseling sessions."



"Boy, you have certainly learned a lot in a short period of time."



"Women in unrequited love situations tend to want to talk about them, especially to strangers. That way, they're not so embarrassed. Nobody likes to acknowledge they love someone who won't speak to them."

<hr pg="5" />The rest of the evening went pretty much the same way. Her explaining to me why I should call Terrie and me resisting. We had a couple more dates discussing my relationship with Terrie before Cindy was convinced that I had no feelings for her. When she had convinced herself that I truly had no more feelings for Terrie, we started dating in earnest. It was our fifth date when we kissed for the first time.



In our seventh week of dating, she rang my door bell. When I opened the door, she bounced in waving a bottle of champagne. "Terrie has a date. A real honest date and apparently it is the first one since you. I think we should celebrate." She told me that she, with Gloria's help, was finally able to convince Terrie that I wanted nothing to do with her and that she was doing the same thing Gloria had done; ruining her life over the memory of a lost love. She was holding on to a past which was dead and gone and she only had herself to blame.



So we celebrated. For 18 straight hours.



There are only so many ways to describe two people getting naked and fucking. You can describe the erotic sensations of either watching her slowly undress or your sensations as you, again, slowly, undress her.



Or you can describe the Chinese cluster fuck as you both rip and tear at your clothes in a mad rush just to get naked. In either case, watching the beauty of the female form being revealed is one of God's gifts to mankind.



And there is the act itself; especially if it's the first time for them. Two people in the throes of passion grappling with each other as the dick finds its' way to the secret tunnel of love so heretofore protected by the female of the species. But when she decides that sex will happen, let's herself go with all the passion and love she can muster.



The act of sex can be a slow, sensual dance of two bodies in any position or a frenetic crescendo when those bodies collide in mutual climax.



Cindy and I meshed in the sexual arena. Our passions were the same, our emotions were the same, and our objectives were the same. We were an ideal couple. She told me that she had never discussed with Terrie, or anyone else at her firm, her relationship with me. The only thing Terrie knew was that we had a drink the day Cindy arrived in town.



It was due to come out eventually, and it did: at their office Christmas party. We had discussed the pros and cons of "coming out" at that particular party. It would be interesting when the other attorneys learned that Cindy was dating one of their enemies, but we really didn't care. She was considering opening her own practice, anyway.



It was a huge, formal affair and everybody was dressed to the nines. Cindy and I walked into the main ballroom of the Country Club and found our table. Since she and Terrie worked together, they were seated at the same table. Terrie and her date were already seated as was the other couple seated at the table with us. The two men stood as we approached. Terrie recognized Cindy and stood to hug her. Then she saw me and it seemed like she almost panicked. Cindy made the introductions all around and, of course, the third couple had no idea of the dynamics the others of us shared.



Terrie took three tentative steps to me and reached to hug me. I let her, but didn't reciprocate. She stepped back and looked at me. "I'm so sorry, Dan."



Terrie's date looked around and asked Terrie what she meant.



"Dan and I used to date."



"Well," said her date. "I guess I'll have to work pretty hard then, won't I." It relieved the tension and the rest of the evening went pretty well; even the time I danced with Terrie.



The evening was almost over. We had eaten dinner, the speeches were over, and the bonus checks handed out. The conversation at our table centered mostly on the law firm's suits against the plants; my plant included. I, of course, defended the plants. The third man at our table worked in the accounting office of the law firm and he maintained they made lots of money with some of the plant suits so it was worth continuing. But he also said their domestic cases were profitable so all in all the firm was financially in great shape. "Guys like Dan, here, have their shit together and we take some suits against them hoping to win but don't. We've done better since Cindy got here, but she's not enough." He told the group.



"Enough shop talk," I interjected. "Cindy, would you like to dance?" We had three dances back to back before she asked.



"Are you going to dance with Terrie?"



"Not interested."



"You can, you know. It won't bother me."



"Still not interested."



We were sitting back at our table when Terrie's date asked me if it would be all right if he asked Cindy to dance. "Of course." I said. He asked, she agreed, and they hit the dance floor. The other couple were dancing so that left Terrie and me.



"Are we going to sit here or are we going to dance?" she asked.



I stood, held out my hand, and she took it. The next thing I knew we were dancing.



"Let's cut to the chase," she said. "Do you have any feelings for me at all?"



"No." I said without hesitation. "It took a long time for them to die, but die they did. Now I don't think I even like you very much."



She leaned back and looked at me. "You mean that, don't you?"



"Absolutely. Besides that, I can't trust you. You threw me under the bus when Gloria wanted counselling. Then you volunteered to carry her child. What next? I would always be afraid that Gloria would be first in your life and that I would be second, or third, or tenth. No, Terrie, you and I are over." We finished the dance in silence. Back at the table, Terrie looked at her date and declared it was time to leave. Terrie hugged Cindy, the other couple, then me. When she hugged me she whispered in my ear. "I love you." Then she kissed me on the cheek and left.



The next workday, Terrie resigned and moved. It was like she disappeared off the face of the earth. No one, even at her old law firm, admits having heard from her.



That was ten years ago. I see Gloria occasionally and have met her son, Daniel. She never mentions Terrie and I never ask. Cindy and I are married and she still practices at the same firm and deals solely with domestic cases and stays away from any suits involving the LNG plants.

