Eve and Jerry's New Baby

"Yes."

Jerry picked up Mark after Melissa's seatbelts were clicked, as she sat on her booster. Mark then went to Eve's car and fetched the car seat while holding him in his other arm. The youngster started jumping up and down in Jerry's arms with excitement since he figured out he was going with them this time. Jerry said to himself, "Mark grasped at once what transferring the car seat meant - at two years old." He deposited and locked the seat belts around both children and sat in the driver'seat while he awaited Eve.

When his ex-wife walked out the front door, he saw her fit body outlined through the form-fitting blouse and pants. Jerry could not remember that she was ever that fit or sexy and even sprouted a momentary woodie just looking at her. He even jumped out of the car reflexively and went around to open the passenger door. She said, "Thank you, Jerry, for inviting me to go with you guys."

The children played and talked, but the adults were silent as they drove. In time, Jerry said, "Eve, you are in the best physical shape you have been in since high school. Congratulations - are you using the gym equipment regularly that I left behind?"

"Thanks for noticing, yes I use it most every morning before the children awake. By the way, it is your equipment, Jerry, and you can fetch it - or you can use it in our house anytime you wish as well. That is one of the reasons you have a key to the house. The same goes for the jam room where you and your friends visit once a twice a week. You are welcome anytime, though please don't alert the children that you are here to Jam because they will want to join you."

Jerry sighed and said, "Of course, that makes sense. I intend to get back into shape, Eve."

She looked at her ex-husband and smiled and said, "It's still our house in my mind."

Six months later Eve had started to slip out of her office as quickly as she could because often Jerry would be working out, or jamming. She then would cook their dinner. The children especially loved it when their 'Daddy' was at home. She recalled that the second word Mark had learned was 'Daddy.' "

Today the four sat at the table after dinner that Eve had prepared and Jerry said, "I will give you some extra money for this."

She replied, "You don't have to pay me, as it's my treat."

After they had finished their dinners and the children were running with the dog in the yard, Eve asked him. "Jerry, money is still very tight as food and medicine inflation in spite of media reports. I thought I would be promoted to a professional grade level this last cycle, but it didn't happen, and we both know the reason. So, having said that I would like to offer you a room for rent for what you are now paying at that apartment hotel - complete with kitchen privileges."

"There must be a catch, Eve."

"Yes, Jerry, you must help me take care of the children and not bring a woman to my house, and I will not bring a man - that is a promise."

He held his ex-wife's hand and said, "I accept."

!!

One Saturday night a few months later, Jerry and his four friends were playing a gig at the Single adults over thirty club meeting. All but a few of the riffs he blew did not give him much pleasure, but the pay was good, and the packed hall dancers seemed to enjoy his performance immensely. Intermittently someone would request a Great-American-Songbook number and the trumpet player came alive with enjoyment because there almost always were interesting horn parts in those songs.

Later during a break, an older gentleman came up to Jerry at the bar and gave the usual, "I enjoyed..." but continued talking. He said, "My name is Sam Baker. I have a Quartet where sometimes I need a trumpet. We play anniversary parties, birthdays, museums, and we dress up for most of our gigs. I like the way you improvised on 'Never Let Me Go,' that I requested, by the way so that I could hear your notes. We play lots of standards of that kind. Would you be available to join one of our gigs when you are free on a weekend night?"

Jerry looked at the gentleman's business card, and looked at him and thought, "This man looks familiar, but I have never seen him." Then the horn player said, "We don't get many gigs - too expensive, and lots of competition is probably the reason as most groups now are focused on rock and country oriented rather than oldies mix the way we are. So, I would be glad to sit in on one of your rehearsal sessions to see if I work well with your guys. Call me anytime," as he wrote 'trumpet, his name and phone number' on the back of Baker's business card and handed it back to him as Jerry made his way back to the stage.

!!

Jerry and his extended 'family' melded together very well after he had lived there for almost two months now. As yet, they both stayed away from each other's turf to keep the incident of arguments down. The children were ecstatically happy that their 'Daddy' had moved home. Eve and Jerry shared household tasks. They had developed a routine. Eve still dressed down for work but changed into something that highlighted her fit body when she got home - still hoping to capture her ex-husband's real attention.

!!

Today she said, "Jerry, I would like to pay Mom and Dad back for all the support she gave us during our trying times. Would you mind if we cooked some hamburgers on the grill in the back yard and invited them over?"

Jerry said, "Pick a date. We should give them an exclusive, 'thank you.'"

Marvin and Betty Nash, having been invited to Eve's house, came amidst their grand children's excitement. Marvin and Jerry drank a beer while the burning charcoal was becoming white. Eve's Dad had been very successful as a commodity broker (pork-bellies and grains were his specialties) but was now retired and loafing on his previous earnings. Staying on 'safe' topics, Marvin asked, "Still installing exotic woods in your day job and playing gigs on an occasional weekend, Jerry?"

"Yeah, Marvin. In fact, I am playing more now in that in addition to the occasional dance, I have had one black-tie gig with a small combo, and I loved their selection of music - and the money was good, as well. I have got another one coming up with this same group Saturday night. It's at the Northside Country Club, where I believe I remember you guys have or once had a membership."

Marvin asked, "Yes we still do, and attend most Black tie nights. Hmm Whose group is playing?"

"Sam Baker."

Marvin Nash abruptly changed the subject and started discussing the breed of Eve's dog at their feet. Jerry thought, It is strange that a man who pasted his W2 form on his office window for everyone to see, once made over a $100K per year - when breaking six digits was a lot of money. But, why would he be so rude as to change the subject abruptly?" But he didn't give it a further thought as he began to cook the burgers.

Saturday night the country club was packed. Jerry played particularly well those pieces where the trumpet had the significant dominance that was often lead parts. He and the alto sax harmonized well together with the soft notes. If the dance floor was any indicator, the audience applauded with excitement after most numbers the quintet played.

During a scheduled break the band members stayed on the bandstand for a moment and were studying arrangement notes and Sam was discussing selections for play sequence during the next set. Jerry was surprised to notice that Mister and Misses Nash had walked up to Sam Baker and were now talking to him in a friendly manner. They had even nodded 'hello' to Jerry, while waiting to get the leader's attention.

Betty Nash's face turned white and then back to its normal color and stayed that way as she hung on to her husband while the two men talked as if they were old friends. Jerry studied the three and thought, "I know where I have 'seen' Mister Baker before, as he is my ex-wife's bio father. Eve's face structure is exactly like our fearless leader and is still present to some extent in Mark's face. Amazingly enough Sam and Marvin Nash are friends. Holy shit! Here they come to talk to me."

Band Leader, Sam, said, "Jerry, I was just informed you know these people, Marvin and Betty Nash." Not wanting to talk about the 800-pound gorilla present, Marvin Nash said, "Yes, we know them and, in fact, had dinner over at his and my daughter's house four days ago."

There was a long pause, and Sam had to wipe his forehead but said, to keep the conversation going, "When I had two top-ten Billboard hits in my youth and more money than I had sense, I sent this guy a potful of coins, and he made me rich trading pork bellies. Marvin made it possible for me to dabble with this Combo and make a few dollars while retiring on the money he made for me. We have been friends all of these years since then."

A war was going on inside the band leaders head while Marvin was saying something Sam didn't grasp. He thought, "My God! Jerry was married to the daughter of Betty Nash's daughter, Eve - err my bio-daughter! Back in my stardom days when Betty Nash went crazy just to touch me, I got her pregnant with Eve. Then, Betty sent me a picture of her newborn, Eve Ann Nash, and I knew at once that I had fathered her. Now Eve's former husband, Jerry Bass, fathered her five-year-old according to Jerry but he said nothing about Eve's two years old. My God! I wonder if Marvin Nash suspects that his daughter's children are my bio-grandchildren?"

While the two old friends bantered back and forth about old times, Betty Nash and Jerry Bass remained silent. By now the trumpet player knew the whole score of the family saga and looked at Eve's Mom. She presented a stone face to the once-was pop star who seduced her and got her pregnant, Sam Baker. The band leader pretended that he didn't want to embrace Betty Nash while she pretended the same and that Sam Baker was never part of her life.

After the break was over, Roy said, "Let's focus on some strong percussion this set and see if the crowd might like to do some Latin dances and some East Coast Swing."

!!

When Jerry got home, Eve was waiting up and had fixed him a cup of decaf coffee as soon as she had heard his key in the front door. Eve had a tissue box in front of her and was openly bawling. After Jerry had stored his instrument and fanny-pack, and made his way to the kitchen, he joined her.

Jerry stopped abruptly and asked, "What is wrong, Eve?"

She blew her nose and said, "I just had a one-hour conversation with Mom. She introduced you to my bio-father tonight."

"Yes, I know. I became aware of that and something else. After all these years, both Sam Baker and Betty Bass both desired and suppressed the desire to reach out and hold each other again. Driving home, I asked myself, 'If Eve and Jason Crawford's paths crossed, would they hold each other or want to keep their distance the way your Mom and Sam Baker did tonight? Sometimes, Eve, I want you so badly until I ache but I don't know what would happen if Jason Crawford - or someone of his ilk - came into your presence today. In other words, would it be just like your Mom and Sam were in each other's presence tonight? Or, would your two hot bodies steal away so they could once again try to experience sexual nirvana?"

Eve looked at her roommate and said, "Jerry, every single woman on the internet or at the bar had a hot sex experience once that would today confound them if they were to meet each other again. All of us women, like all of you men, have a past. But Mom told me that her feelings for my bio-father came quickly and went just that fast. She then thanked her lucky stars that Marvin Bass had loved her all these years. Just before hanging up she told that she intended to redouble her efforts to make Marvin Nash, my father, happy. Likewise, should I meet Jason Crawford again, my feelings would be the same as Mom's feelings. There would be no race to a private love nest."

Jerry breathed out and said, "Well, both of us only knew each other intimately before you discovered Jason Crawford. I don't have the experience that a hardened playboy like Sam Baker or Jason Crawford had so I can only guess and hope what you would do."

Eve said, "I know that. But, in the meantime, I could be your fuck buddy - as you men like to say. Yes, I may go to pieces and destroy everything you and I have built, should I see Jason Crawford or his ilk again. Whatever I would do, it will never again be a secret. That I do promise!"

Jerry asked, "Was your Mom happy for deciding not to follow through with her desire for Sam Baker again tonight?"

She replied, "Yes, she will, by now, be in bed with her husband as she talked to me while driving home from the country club. Dad was understandably elated as they neared their home - and I know he was looking for his blue pills later." There was a silence as Jerry finished his coffee and Eve continued, "You surely have figured this out, Jerry, but Fuck-buddies are all Mom and Dad have been for my 24 years - and yes, people like them can become and often are committed to one person. Mom shielded me from this information until you asked her to assist the children and me just before your divorce petition was to come the next morning. Jerry, in Mark's mind, you are his Daddy. Please shield my son from the truth until he is an adult."

Jerry said, "I love the child more and more each day, so I will do what is in his best interest - in fact, I would probably oppose you if the prospect of removing him from my life was on the table now." Again, both said, "Goodnight," and retired to their separate beds.

!!

It was Sunday evening a week later. Both children were sleeping, and Jerry and friends had jammed in the afternoon. It had been a fun, exhausting day for all four. The 'tenant' of the house and Eve had said good-night and lay in their respective beds horny - more so than he remembered. Jerry guessed that Eve similarly ached for him. Wide awake and with his head in his hands staring at the ceiling, Jerry's erection was painful.

He suddenly threw his cover off and discarded his briefs and went to the master bedroom and knocked on Eve's door. He heard an excited, "Please come in."

Two and a half hours later, Jerry and his live-in fuck-buddy fell asleep in each other's arms.

The End.