Laura and Bill's Story

"Actually, I suppose I am confused. That's the reason I'm here. His name is Warren Blaylock and he's confused my life for the last six months." I trailed off.

"Laura, you're not confused. I can hear it in your voice. You're conflicted. And from the words you're using, you haven't had sex with him yet, unless I'm off my game."

"No, I haven't had sex with him. I have a great sex life with Bill. This isn't about sex, it's really about me. I think I'd be happier with Warren, than Bill, in the long term."

"Why? You just told me, Bill floats your boat in bed. You already make, have, or will have all the money you could ever spend in a lifetime. That only leaves power. Is Warren a powerful man?"

Time to reveal the ugly details of my dinner with Bill a week ago. "Bill doesn't want kids."

My mother paused for perhaps thirty seconds, but felt longer. "And this detail is just now coming to light? I thought that situation was resolved before you got engaged. Did I misunderstand at the time, or did you?"

I was quick to jump to my own defense from my mother's attack that I had somehow not checked the children box before choosing a lifetime mate. "Absolutely not. This is a complete reversal of position on Bill's part."

In a much more kindly tone my mother said, "That is unfortunate. I'm sorry dear." Pausing to think, "So what help do you want from me?"

I explained my not very well thought through plans to my mother along with Warren's proclaimed deadline. She nodded at appropriate times, but didn't say much until I finished.

"I'm surprised. I wouldn't have expected something as complex or devious from you, Laura."

Coming from my mother, that was high praise. Maybe my plan had a chance of working.

"Thank you mother. Do you think it will work?"

"Heavens no, there are only about thousand ways it will most likely fail, and only one or two ways it could succeed, but that's what makes it fun." She smiled with a twinkle in her eyes. I guess my mother was in. The game was now afoot.

"So what would you do?"

"Well... I suppose the first order of business is more information about Bill wouldn't you guess? It might appear like he materialized out of thin air at UCLA, but we both know that's impossible."

"I agree. Should I hire a Private Investigator?"

"No. I have someone else in mind. Leave that to me. I'll make a phone call. You're leaving Thursday, but I bet you a Martini he'll have what we need before you leave. Why don't you go freshen up, while I make a call? Then we'll have lunch."

I spent the next two days talking with mother and stressing over the thousand ways she said things were likely to fail. She assured me the idea did have some probability of success, but was counting on the fact that "men basically think with their dicks." And she had said it just like that, which surprised me even more.

I guess some might say I was taking the coward's way out instead of just telling Bill that no kids was a real issue. Couples disagreed over things all the time. This was a problem with a binary solution. If he didn't want kids, but I did, we didn't have kids. It means he won and I lost. There was no compromise. There was no middle ground to debate.

If by some chance, I were able to talk him into kids, and we had them, he would likely grow to resent me and the children in the long run. That wasn't something I wanted to risk. I suppose if I did talk him into kids, he might grow to like and even love them over time, but I didn't like those odds either.

At lunch on Wednesday, mother surprised me. She had chosen the large gazebo not far from the pool for lunch today. When I arrived, there was a man sitting at a third place setting. Mother introduced him as Henry Weinstein. She provided no further clues as to who or why Mr. Weinstein was present at lunch.

"Let's all enjoy a nice lunch. Shall we? Oh and Laura dear, I'm having my Martini with lunch."

She and I both knew what that meant. Mr. Weinstein must have gotten the background done on Bill and was here to deliver the information in person.

After lunch was finished, mother excused herself to freshen up. That was Henry's queue to open his briefcase which revealed a folder about three inches thick. I was amazed, that much paper could be amassed in forty-eight hours.

"This is yours Laura, but the important information is summarized on the two top sheets. I'll let you read it over, then answer any questions you have."

I guessed mother had already been through the executive summary, which is why she chose to excuse herself. We would discuss the findings later. I read through the two typed pages outlining Bill's relatively boring childhood, mother, father, sister who got pregnant out of wedlock, but decided not to marry, a few high school friends, and finally the information I was really looking for appeared.

Tracy Schele was the name of a girl that Bill had apparently been very close with, between high school and college. There was no way to know of course, how close, but the report indicated they spent quite a bit of time together during that summer before he entered Boise State. She was one year behind Bill, but later went on to college and medical school to become a doctor. A pediatrician in fact.

"Are there any current details on Tracy Schele?" I asked Mr. Weinstein.

He replied by taking the file from me and leafing through it until he came to the page I had asked about. He handed it to me. It listed her income, address, marital status, place of employment, and the details seemed endless.

One thing popped into my head quickly though, and that was Tracy's occupation -- a pediatrician. She must have had an extreme interest in kids. If this was Bill's love of his life prior to me, and she wanted kids, this simply wouldn't work. I read through more of the details.

It seems, she spent at least two summers in the Peace Corps, in various places, but Africa during her second stint. When she returned home, early, it was because she was apparently ill. The report didn't indicate what she had contracted. Then I started wondering how so much detailed information about a person could be obtained so easily. It scared me, but I chose not to ask Mr. Weinstein any more questions.

"Thank you. I think I have everything I need." I rang for the butler to have Mr. Weinstein escorted out and asked for a Martini upon his return.

As he left, the next step in my plan was forming in my head. Mother returned almost as soon as Mr. Weinstein had left with a smile on her face.

"I guess by the look on your face, Mr. Weinstein was 'helpful'."

"He was. I think I'll call the airlines to see if I can stop in Memphis prior to returning to Chicago."

"No need. I already booked you a ticket on the five o-clock flight tonight to Memphis, then a ticket to Chicago tomorrow. It's all on my credit card, so if Bill were to ever get a hold of your statements, he would be none the wiser." My mother's devilish grin appeared again.

"Now, what do you intend to ask Ms. Schele?"

"I remember why you always won at cards mother. You were holding all of them." She smiled again, proud of herself I suppose. "I know what I'd like to ask her, but doubt it would come out very well."

"I thought about that too. The only conclusion I could draw, is to be totally transparent with her. Call her, and get her to meet with you. She'll at least be intrigued enough to meet the woman that married the love of her life, for lunch tomorrow. Then just lay out exactly what you told me."

"You mean tell her, I want her to introduce herself into Bill's life and try and seduce him?"

"Well not in those words, but yes. You'll have to put it together more like a sales pitch so she can see the benefit of it, but you have to play on her emotions. Just like she probably feels about Bill, you feel about Warren. What could be wrong with two women being happy with the men of their desires?"

"She's going to need to be part of the game though. What if she's not interested in playing?"

"People are only motivated by money, power or sex. You saw her income in the report which isn't bad, but certainly nothing to write home about. That might be an angle. She's probably not interested in power, although that's a possibility. I would probe for that last. We know she's not married, so unless she's a lesbian, which I doubt, she probably will have a strong desire for sex with your husband. I do."

"Mother! I can't believe you just said that."

"Grow up Laura. There aren't many sixty something women that wouldn't want to have sex with a thirty something man -- especially someone as attractive as Bill. I find it very healthy now and then to stretch the legs."

"I can't believe we're having this conversation. My own mother wants to fuck my husband."

"Dear, my desire is one thing. I am only one half of the equation. Bill's desire is another item all together. I doubt that Bill would be interested in fucking your mother as you so eloquently put it. At least he wasn't the last time I asked him. So you see, it really does take two to tango, and that just won't happen with Bill."

I was so completely shocked at my mother's revelations, that I slammed my Martini down in one gulp. Mother seemed supremely confident as always. I stomped away to pack. When I returned, to say goodbye, mother was sitting in a chaise lounge sipping another Martini reading a book by the pool. I was still supremely pissed at her earlier proclamation of wanting to bed my husband. She knew it too.

"Laura, think of the end game. I doubt it will be as difficult as you've made it to be in your mind. Things are never what they seem until you peel back the layers. I love you. Have a safe flight." I kissed her cheek, mumbling "goodbye."

Tracy agreed to have lunch with me the next day. She was very wary. She wanted to meet at a small restaurant not far from the hospital where she worked.

I got to the restaurant at eleven-thirty. I wanted time to settle myself down, get a table, while preparing myself mentally for the conversation with Tracy. Tracy was right on time at noon. The hostess seated her across from a small table near the kitchen. It was the most privacy the restaurant could offer, which wasn't much.

I introduced myself to Tracy. She returned my firm handshake with one of her own. She was rightfully still very watchful of me. "Look, I think I know why you're here." Was how she started.

That set me back on my heels. What I was about to ask her wasn't anything in even my wildest dreams should could possibly concoct on her own. Then it hit me. My mother must have called Tracy. She knew I would have a difficult time spinning this idiotic tale. That's why she gave her little speech before I left.

I tried making my face a mask of calm when inside I was roiling with anger at my mother for interfering. "So will you do it?"

"You mean seduce your husband with your permission so he falls in love with me? Absolutely. I can't think of anything I'd like more. He was my first love, but then I guess you know that."

"You surprised me."

"Yea, this whole thing surprised me too. But I can understand why you would want children. I understand from talking to your mother that Bill doesn't. I'm sorry about that. For me too, if for some crazy reason, Bill decides we could be together. I absolutely adore children. Still, for a chance to be with him, I think I'd be willing to sacrifice having kids."

Tracy's candor as well as desire to be with my husband, surprised me even more. Bill was attractive, sure, successful, yes. But by any measure, so was Tracy. "How much did she offer you?" I asked, knowing it couldn't be this easy.

"You mean you don't know?"

"I knew she probably would, to seal the deal, just not how much." I didn't want her to see my surprise at not knowing my mother had scripted the entire meeting.

"Plenty. She told me to name my price. Once we talked, and I got over my initial shock, I told her, if Bill would have me, I would be his forever -- children or not. I never considered taking money. I'm not a whore. My virtue isn't for sale."

We ordered and had lunch. Feeling each other out carefully. Me to see why Bill might have been infatuated with her in the past, her I guessed trying to figure out what I had that Bill found attractive. We were two totally different people. She was a doctor. I was a lawyer. Not much in common.

There was a medical conference in Chicago in a few weeks that would make a perfect segue for Tracy to re-enter Bill's life. My task, was to find a way to get him there or at least close. At the end of lunch, we exchanged cell phone numbers.

As I flew home, I started thinking about ways Bill and I could bump into Tracy in a seemingly random manner. I thought about calling mother to let her know I was still pissed at her yearnings for my husband and fill her in the on the conversation with Tracy, but she already knew how I felt about her sexual proclivities towards my husband. Plus, she had already engineered the tough part with Tracy. As I deplaned, I thought about asking Bill to take me to dinner near Tracy's conference. Tracy could stop in after her conference, and the meeting would be completely chance.

I would have to take the risk that Bill would recognize Tracy after ten years. Maybe I would be conveniently in the ladies room, or take a work related call which I did occasionally and be out of the room when Tracy made her appearance. That might just work. Then I would have to trust she could flirt enough with him to get him interested. It was fraught with problems, but it might be the best I could arrange. I was thirty days into Warren's ninety day deadline. If a spark was kindled, it would naturally take time for Tracy and Bill to become engulfed in an affair. I hoped this idea worked.

I called Tracy from the car on the way back to the condo and told her my ideas. She felt confident, she could work with the rough outline. We decided to talk several more times over the next couple of weeks to firm up the times, locations and any signals we needed to exchange.

Tracy flew to Chicago the day her conference was to begin. She got situated in her hotel and called to let me know she was in her hotel. She had let me know she had little interest in the conference and was basically on standby waiting to hear from me if there were any change in plans.

Bill was going to take me to dinner at a new place that just opened not far from the hotel where Tracy's conference was being hosted, unbeknownst to him. So far, things were falling into place. Then, at five, Bill called my office and let me know he had to work late. A big case, he was working just took an unexpected turn.

All my hard work, was hinging on this random chance encounter I had engineered. I told Bill it was fine. I understood. We would go to dinner later. He said he might be very late, which caused me to lose my temper. "Damnit Bill, why can't we ever put careers aside, for our own enjoyment? If it's not my partnership, it's one of your cases, again." What I said, was only partially true. I was pissed at watching my chance meeting get shot to hell.

"I'm sorry, Laura. I'll make it up to you. I promise."

I had an inspiration. "You better. You can take me to lunch tomorrow." I didn't want to press him too hard but didn't want to lose the proximity of Tracy to Bill. I called Tracy and let her know the situation. We agreed to a repeat of the dinner performance at lunch the next day, same restaurant.

Things fell into place this time. Bill picked me up from my office. I had made reservations at the restaurant for half past noon Thursday. Tracy would arrive about fifteen minutes after we did, and casually appear. I had timed my bathroom break, perfectly it seemed.

Tracy entered precisely at twelve-forty-five while I was excusing myself to the bathroom. I would either need to count on Bill's honesty to fill me in when I returned or, talk to Tracy later. Hopefully both. I gave Tracy about seven minutes. We had agreed to this time beforehand. Any more would have seemed like a long time for me to be away, and any less wouldn't give her the time she needed to use her charms.

As it turns out, she was just walking out of the restaurant when I returned. I was hoping Bill would have asked her to stay and join us for lunch, but it worked out fine this way too. Tracy looked over her shoulder and flashed me a smile and wink, indicating she was successful at least in her reintroduction to Bill. I had a brief flash of guilt, anger, and bitterness. Guilt at my manipulation, anger at Bill for apparently accepting the prize tossed at him, and bitterness at Tracy for taking my husband, even if she did have my permission. I still loved him. I had never counted on the emotions involved. Bill saw the anguish on my face.

"Are you okay Laura. You don't look so good. Are you feeling okay?"

Remembering the end game as my mother had said, I composed myself with a fresh face of happy. "Yea, I got a call from the office while I was in the ladies room. I'm sorry. What I said last night wasn't so much about you as it is about us."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's either your work or mine interfering with our lives. I'm just tired of it that's all."

"Let's have some wine with lunch. I don't have to be back to work until later. Maybe we could..."

I cut him off, "No, I need to get back to the office. See, that's what I mean. Last night it was your work, today's it's mine getting in the way." He nodded in understanding.

We had a quick lunch exchanging little conversation. What I did notice, was he didn't mention meeting Tracy. Interesting. Maybe she was either embedded deeper in his heart than I realized or Tracy was better than I gave her credit. On the way back to the office, I called Tracy's cell.

"So how did it go?"

"Better than we had imagined. We're having lunch tomorrow before I leave town. And thanks for giving me a shot at him. He's even better than I remembered. Are you sure about this?"

"Yea, I'm sure." I replied, but without mirth. I wasn't really sure about anything.

"Well I've tried thinking about why you would want to give Bill up and can't come up with anything. You're either stupid, or completely in love with this other guy. I don't think you're stupid, so it must be the latter. Either way, I'm the beneficiary if this works out."

One part of me was happy the plan was coalescing, another part of me was pissed at Bill for so easily agreeing to have lunch with Tracy. She was somewhat attractive in her shorter compact stature. I didn't think she was as elegant as I was, but Bill obviously saw something there. I kept reminding myself of the end game. This is what I wanted right?

I was worthless at work, wondering how things were all going to play out, over Bill and Tracy's lunch the next day.

I left at four, telling Marsha I had a headache. She nodded in understanding.

Once home, I fixed a Martini, finding I liked them again, after having several at mother's house. I had to play things cool at home. I had to play the unsuspecting spouse, knowing my own husband was being seduced by a woman that I had set him up with. Any jury in this land would call me certifiable and sentence me to the funny farm if they knew the facts.

When Bill got home, I found myself checking his collar for lipstick and sniffing for strange perfume. The second Martini I consumed probably didn't help my paranoia. As Bill was changing his clothes, I stripped naked in the kitchen, then fixed two Martinis. I brought two glasses into the bedroom as Bill was tucking his alligator shirt into his shorts. He looked at me, then the drinks. That was all it took. He dropped his shorts, ripped off his shirt. I handed him his drink, and we clinked glasses. It didn't take long for me to finish my third drink, while Bill nearly chugged his. We made love for hours. It really was like old times in law school. It was then I realized, I really loved Bill. Children or not, I really loved him. I almost convinced myself I could live without children. Perhaps it was the alcohol talking.