Faithful in Her Fashion

As he headed back to the first-class lounge, the staff called to say that Dr. Jennings had arrived and was waiting for him. It had gone past 2:00 a.m., and the airport had begun to slow down. At the lounge, Dr. Jennings greeted Jimmy and invited him to sit down while he read over the affidavit.

"Yes, this is what Ms. Wilson and I discussed," Jennings said. "A very competent woman. She picked this location for the notary they have on staff. She is a very detailed and knowledgeable young lady."

"Carrie does think of everything, but tell me how she got you here."

"Oh, I was already on my way because of this whole quarantine fiasco. A truly worthless business. I was coming to see if I could talk some sense to people in authority. I'm glad that I can help your wife. Without people like her, we would need to truly worry about the spread of Ebola. But if -- and I do mean if -- they can contain this disease in West Africa then the world will owe them a great debt."

The following morning it had gone smooth as glass. The federal judge released Simone by 9:00 a.m. and then signed an order to show cause why the rest of the detainees should not be released. At the precise moment, they were before the Judge, and New Jersey attorney Ted Brice was arguing, the Governor of the State of New York issued a statement denouncing the detention of returning health care workers without cause.

By noon Jimmy had Simone on the New York Thruway headed home. She hadn't said a word since entering their rather dated but dependable Honda. All Jimmy could get from his wife were monosyllabic grunts and shakes of the head.

At the Kingston exit, he'd had enough. He pulled off, went through the traffic circle, and stopped to have lunch at a nearby diner. As he pulled the car to a halt and turned off the engine, he said, "We're a little over an hour's drive from home, but you're in no condition to greet your daughters. What the hell is wrong with you?"

He had known his wife for more than a decade but what happened next surprised him. The strong woman he thought he knew broke down altogether. She was weeping, yes, but it was more than that. He sensed in her a level of pain he had never experienced before. He took her in his arms and comforted her as one would an hysterical child.

"It's all right, you're safe now," he said running his hand over the back of her head with her face buried in his shoulder, "Nothing can hurt you now. I won't let it."

"How could they do that? Put me in a cage like an animal."

"You're out now, they're just afraid. Not everyone can be brave when they face a threat they simply don't understand."

She cried, and her body shook for the better part of an hour. He ended up going into the diner alone, for takeout. They ate it in the car while he did his best to comfort her. She was hungry, weary, and broken spiritually. Despite everything that stood between them, he realized he loved his wife and always would. Whether their marriage would ever work again was another issue. He'd put it aside for the moment.

*

Simone spent a week recovering. She spent time with her daughters Vicky and Beth. They had missed her, but it was clear they had not needed her. The girls were excited about the anticipated birth of their cousin. Lisa, the spouse of their aunt Tara, was now eight months pregnant, and the baby could be born in as soon as two weeks. No one had told the girls that the male donor was their father, and the new baby would be their physical sibling.

"Lisa says they are going to name him James," Beth told her mother.

"But daddy doesn't want them to," Vicky chimed in, "He doesn't like the name James. Did you know that?"

"Yes, we discussed it when we thought you might be a boy," Simone said to Vicky.

Beth thought the idea of Vicky being a boy uproariously funny. Tara came along then and shooed the girls out to play.

"Go get some sun while you can. It's fall already, and winter will come soon. "

When the girls were gone, Simone said, "I assume you did that because you want to talk."

"Yes," she said. "Lisa thinks Jimmy may be willing to listen to reason about you and him. He's done some growing up since you left this last time."

"I believe you are referring to Carrie Wilson, but I hardly see his taking a mistress as a matter of enlightenment."

"Don't put the lady down. My brother has a weakness for independent women. And like you, she has a liking for a smart man who can accept a smart woman as a partner. But she doesn't pretend to be playing a one-man game, and he has accepted that. He's lost some of his foolish romantic notions."

"Is that how you saw our marriage?"

"It's how I see it now. You have a job to do in this world, and so does he. It's silly to try to meet an unrealistic standard in your circumstances. 'If you love something set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. If not, it was never meant to be.' "

"My haven't you become the understanding soul."

"Of course, I found the love of a good woman. I have the luxury of possessing the person I love full time. You and Jimmy will never have more than the interludes between your work. He needs to come to terms with that. "

At that moment, Jimmy was waiting in the Latham Inn for Carrie Wilson. The Inn was one of those spots that people come to not to be noticed. Carrie didn't hide her relationships, but she never flaunted them either.

"People will accept a lot so long as you don't push their faces in it," Carrie would say.

Jimmy had that hard shell that defense attorneys cultivate. He had no care for what people thought. It was only his own opinion that counted. He hadn't thrown the affair in Simone's face nor had he hid it. He knew what his wife did when she was away, and he had taken the same privilege for himself. Now that she was back he was unsure of where things stood with either his wife Simone or his mistress Carrie.

Carrie had called and said to meet her at the quiet Inn. When she appeared, she was all smiles.

"You look happy," he said.

"For you lover," she said kissing him, "haven't you heard? You won 'New Jersey versus Gil'!"

Now it was Jimmy's turn to smile. He had been nearly certain of the outcome but knowing for certain that he won felt good. Carrie laughed as he broke into a grin.

The Inn had no table service this time of day, so Jimmy went to the bar for Carrie's Cosmo. As he returned to the table, a tall and stunningly beautiful brunette came in on the arm of a big Mediterranean type fellow. Both members of this couple nodded to Carrie and then proceeded to ignore them.

Seeing Jimmy's confusion, Carrie whispered, "Susan Singleton and Tony Greco. They have a bit of a thing going. He's the governor's chief political advisor, and she's up for head of P.R. for his next campaign."

Jimmy took a good look at Susan. He had never actually seen the woman married to Steven (aka Foxy) Fitzgerald. She was everything they said, including, apparently, a woman who played around.

"She's married I hear," Carrie said.

"Yes, I know her husband. He's defending Roger Hamilton at the moment."

"The Hamilton who murdered his pregnant wife."

"The very same, but it's still allegedly murdered his pregnant wife."

"From what I hear the trial's a mere formality," Carrie opined.

"You never know, especially with Foxy involved," Jimmy replied.

It truth, he respected the man they called Foxy. Like Jimmy, he was not afraid to play the cards from the bottom of the deck if that's what it took to win. Which reminded Jimmy, something must be done to keep the police from subverting the decision he had just won. There must be a way to deflect their intent to collect cast off DNA from Jimmy's client.

"Hey, you still with me?" Carrie said.

"Sorry, I just had a random thought."

"Well, I hope it involved a bed and me," She said.

Jimmy Laughed, "Well, I suggest your place as mine currently has a wife in it."

"Thanks to me. So, I think she will just have to let me borrow her husband at my place. But not before he buys me some dinner."

Jimmy put his difficulties on hold that night. The answers to his problem of what to do about Gil's DNA and what to do about his wife would come to him. Carrie was looking for a bed partner, and currently he owed her. They adjourned to Carrie's floor-through apartment on State Street, two blocks above the capitol building. It wasn't furnished well. Carrie didn't see it as a permanent home. It was a place for now while she waited for her boss to run for president.

The one exception was the bedroom, which Carrie had elaborately furnished with a large old-fashioned armoire and a large sleigh bed, both imitation but in the French baroque style. That bedroom was at the rear, overlooking the back garden and the carriage lane. Street noise was checked by the heavy shutters at the front windows. The floor below was office space for one of many lobbying firms.

Carrie wasted no time in pouring them each a glass of wine and moving to the bedroom. She stripped herself and lay naked, sipping her wine with her back braced against the headboard. Jimmy relegated his wine to the nightstand and discarded his clothing. He knelt between her legs, he knew what she wanted. Carrie was a woman who felt the best feature of a man was his tongue. She liked it slow and teasing.

Jimmy ran his hands up her legs and then followed them with his lips. He circled her sex and nibbled on her vulva. He brought his tongue to lick the length of her labia, and he let his cheek with its beard stubble brush gently along her inner thigh. She moaned as if on cue as his tongue slipped between her lower lips.

Jimmy teased her, repeating his oral seduction until she wanted more. She put the wine down and grabbed his head, forcing his mouth to her clit. On cue, he sucked on her clit and she came.

Carrie liked a slow buildup because it delayed her orgasm. Then when it hit her, it was intense and over quickly. It was then that she allowed him to enter her and to stroke in and out gently.

She was an easy woman to be with. He could take his time and enjoy her body. It was only when he felt ready that he truly pounded her. Then she would cum as if someone had thrown a switch. Carrie was a woman who fed a man's ego. But you had to ignore that she believed it her right to sleep with any man she desired. She kept her lovers very few and always well vetted. She might be promiscuous, but she didn't like promiscuity in her lovers. A man with a wife was ok, but if he had another lover, that was unacceptable. She believed in a kind of relative fidelity. To her. It was the difference between being an emancipated woman and just any man's slut.

"Will you go home to her tonight," she asked as she cuddled into her spent lover.

"I can't stay if that's what you're asking. I have to be at the office early."

"Will you have sex with your wife tonight?"

"We haven't had sex since the last time she left."

"Why not? You can't still be mad at her," Carrie said rising on one arm to look into his eyes. She was genuinely curious. Carrie understood how a proud man could be upset at discovering his wife's infidelity. But, the extent of Jimmy's anger even after their own affair was perplexing.

Jimmy put his arm behind his head and tried to answer the question. Why didn't he make love to his wife, or at least fuck her? She was a beautiful woman to whom he was immensely attracted. He loved her deeply despite everything. And yet, there was currently no physical intimacy between them.

"I guess it's because I love her so much," he said.

Carrie shook her head, "that's not love but jealousy. If it was love, then you would want her happy, not both of you miserable."

"Is that what you and Raymond have, true love?"

Carrie frowned. She never spoke to her lovers about her Ray.

"Ray and I have an understanding. I'm discreet, and he looks the other way. I'm simply too young to be tied down in an exclusive relationship right now," she said giving the pat answer that she always gave. Perhaps she was even beginning to believe that lie, she had told it so often.

"But you want the prestige of the relationship. To be the governor's aide and the assembly's power broker," he finished for her.

"Cynically put, but yes. And any further discussion of Ray is off limits," she said once again, hiding the truth.

"Understood, but my situation is different. I wasn't living in a fairytale. There were kids to feed and bills to pay. Nonetheless, I lived a romance where love conquered all."

Carrie gave him a crooked smile and a shake of her head. "You are truly an enigma. A hard ass take no shit lawyer who longs to be the hero in some Hollywood romantic comedy."

"You making fun of me now?"

"No this is your mistress feeling sorry for you," she said. And gave him a long, lingering kiss that came from her heart. She could love this man. Yet, he threatened the hard professional woman she strove to be, and the great career she had laid out for herself.

*

Simone was up early. Jimmy had come home late the night before, and although he was freshly showered she could still smell the other woman's perfume on him. She'd said nothing. Her plan was to keep her mouth shut and do everything she could to win him back. How that might be accomplished, she was not sure.

Today she was visiting the hospital. She had been gone from her normal work for eight months during this last MSF assignment. It was time to show up and give the home team her efforts. She arranged a meeting with the principle hospital administrator, Ellen Perry, and the chief of medical staff, Dr. Clark. They held the meeting in Ellen's office, in a separate building across the street from the hospital proper.

Ellen and Jake Clark were very cordial. She was a woman in her sixties, but contrary to all likelihood the Chief of Staff, Dr. Clark, was only in his late thirties. They sat Simone down and over coffee began what appeared to be a friendly chat. But after discussing the difficulties and challenges of Simone's work in Africa, they came to where Simone expected them to ask when she would be returning to work. Then there was only silence.

"Well, I was intending to stay home the balance of this week. But I can start back Monday if that's soon enough for you," Simone said.

The silence continued as the administrator exchanged glances with his chief of staff.

Finally, Ellen spoke, "This is difficult for us, but the circumstances are unusual..." Ellen began looking down at her empty coffee cup.

Dr. Clark jumped in, "There is no easy way to say this, but we feel in the current climate your returning would be disruptive."

For a moment, Simone did not understand, and then she understood all too well, "You can't believe I'm carrying Ebola?"

"No, No," Clark assured her, "But the general public is in a panic. In the circumstances, your working...."

Clark's voice trailed off, so it was Ellen Perry who laid it out.

"We just can't have you back until the scare is over. Then, of course, we will be more than happy to reinstate you," Ellen said.

"Reinstate?" Simone questioned.

"Yes, we've pulled your credentials. For now, you're not authorized to practice here," Ellen said.

"But only temporarily until things settle down," Clark said.

Simone was stunned. The fear of the ignorant she understood. Ebola was a terrifying disease. Even the actions of callous politicians feeding on public fears were understandable. But these were informed medical personnel who knew the risk was nil. Why would they ostracize her for making the personal and professional sacrifices she'd made?

"You understand that if we don't contain this disease where it is right now then everyone will be at risk. Thousands of medical personnel are needed to fight this. Will you ostracize all of them on return? And if you do, who will be willing to give up everything to fight this thing?"

Administrator Ellen's answer was immediately forthcoming. "That's not our business. We have a hospital to run. Who will bring their children to a facility where there might be the remotest possibility that a doctor has a contagious disease?" .

Simone returned home a woman whose beliefs had been shaken. She returned to the house where she had lived with the man she loved. The house where her two daughters were being raised but no longer by her. Now she wondered what had become of her life. She was sure she had done the right thing in going to Africa, but in doing so, she had lost everything. The work she loved was gone. The husband she loved was sleeping with another woman. Did her daughters still love her?

*

Jimmy O'Reilly was sitting in police court with a headache. It had started coming on shortly after his meeting with his client Sam Gil. The client was pleased with the verdict from the appeals court, but his pleasure turned to agitation when his attorney informed him that the Trenton police would no doubt now attempt to obtain his DNA through other means.

"That can't be legal. The court said no," Gil theorized.

"Yea w-e-l-l, not so much. You see if they happen to stumble on your DNA out in the wide world, then the fourth amendment doesn't apply. Reading the decision we got from the appeals court, they will do just that."

Judge Shaw, the female who had headed the three-judge panel, had written the decision. Her interpretation of the fourth amendment was that it would require "A quantum of new evidence sufficient to convince an independent investigator that he should seek to search further." The old DNA didn't qualify, even though a new test was available. In other words, no new test applied without some new evidence linking Samuel Gil to the crime. But, the police were going to go all out to find that new link.

"What can we do? I paid a lot of money here. So, what are you going to do?"

Gil's attitude seemed to have morphed to an accusation that his lawyer had cheated him. Jimmy was sympathetic, yet could not see how this was his fault or even what ultimately concerned Gil. However, considering his fees, perhaps Gil was feeling a bit resentful.

"It occurs to me that when you were detained the State Police did not take your picture. At best, they have only a general description of you. The Trenton police have never seen you at all," Jimmy said.

"So."

"Well, I'm thinking, in order to collect your DNA they need to follow you around, and that could be confusing. For example, consider if someone of your general description was staying at your house and driving your car, but you were in Mass, working?"

Gil was confused, so Jimmy had to spell out his idea in detail. But after the deception was laid out Gil saw its wisdom. One of Tara O'Reilly's investigators of Gil's general height and description would stay for a few weeks at Gil's residence. Sam Gil would leave for work out of State.

Jimmy expected protests from his client at being inconvenienced. In fact, Gil was more than enthused, he was virtually ecstatic. A little bell went off in Jimmy's mind. Clients were usually not so accommodating. They would hem and haw and argue that they should not be discommoded. They were after all surely in the right, and it was the attorney's job to get them exactly what they wanted. Gil, on the other hand, seemed to embrace this deception as if it were what he had been looking for from the beginning.

Two hours later Jimmy was in the Albany police court waiting his turn for a date for a bench trial. This client was found drunk well over the legal limit, leaning against the hood of his car. He was parked in New Scotland, on a block containing not one but three adult beverage establishments. The police first questioned him and then sobriety-tested him. Then charged him with DWI, although he was not driving at the time.