Of All People

"Mind if I join you?"

"I'm not very good company tonight."

"I'll be the judge of that," she said as she slid into the booth and all the way around until she was right next to me.

"I'm Nancy. And you are?"

"Henry. Nice to meet you, Nancy."

"So, I've noticed your friends partying pretty hard while you just sit here drowning your sorrows in overpriced cranberry juice and soda. I assume there's a story behind that. Care to get it off your chest?"

What the hell, I thought, and told her the whole thing. As I talked her hands at some point covered mine and she listened intently. It actually felt pretty good to let it all out.

"So they got married today and you're out trying to avoid thinking about it?"

"Pretty much, though it's not working."

"Well, maybe I can help you forget about it, at least for a few hours."

The tone of her voice and the look in her eyes made her meaning clear, and just as I was about to respond I noticed the rings on her fingers. She followed my gaze and could see that I was getting upset.

"Yes, Henry, I'm married. But before you start making assumptions, take a look over your shoulder. You see that lady in the red dress over by the bar?"

I turned to look and saw a tall, slim blonde actively in conversation with a good-looking Hispanic guy. They were doing those furtive touches that suggest attraction and interest and it looked like they weren't too far from leaving together.

"What about her? Are you trying to set me up with her?"

"No, that's my husband she's talking to, and probably about to leave with."

"Seriously? So you guys have an open marriage?"

"In a way. Antonio and I love each other very much and we know nothing and no one will ever come between us. We have 5 kids and will be together until death. But we like to keep things fresh so every couple of months we send the kids to grandma's house and we go out and have a little fun. Then we talk about it and usually spend the next day in bed all day."

"How can you love each other and be okay with them being with someone else?"

"We know it's not for everyone, sugar, but it works for us. We have a few rules, like only ever being with the same person once to avoid any emotional issues and always using condoms, but mostly it's just a chance for each of us to break out of the same old thing once in a while."

"I certainly couldn't do that but to each his own, I suppose. But I don't think I'm the one for you. I'm sure one of my friends would be willing."

"I'm not interested in them, Henry. I'm attracted to you. I get the sense that you're feeling a little hesitant even after I explained my situation. I'm guessing you have a little lack of confidence from what's gone on with your ex-wife and sister, sorry, ex-sister."

"Is it that obvious?"

"I've been with several men over the years and some of those have been in similar situations. By that I mean their wives leaving them for other men. So I've seen that look on your face before. It may not be obvious to everyone but it's pretty clear to me. So I think you need to take me back to your place and we prove to you that it has nothing to do with you or your performance."

"You seem awfully sure of that."

"It's been true every other time so I have no doubt it is now as well. It's usually just the excitement of someone different. So, what do you say?"

"I guess I can't feel any worse than I am now and it's been awhile so why not. You're sure you're husband is okay with this?"

"Oh yeah, but I will need your driver's license to send to him so he knows who I'm with and where to pick me up in the morning."

I fished my wallet out of my pocket and she took a picture after confirming that was my current address, and then sent it to her husband. Seconds later he pulled out his phone and looked at the message. He looked over at her, smiled, and gave her (and me I suppose) a thumbs up. We slid out of the booth and left the club.

We got into my car and started the drive back to my apartment. She took my right hand and put it on her bare thigh.

"I'm not wearing any panties."

That was as clear an invitation as I had ever received and before long I had a couple fingers into her very wet, smoothly shaven pussy and was using my thumb to rub her clit. By the time I pulled into my parking space her dress had come up so that it was bunched up around her waist, her bare ass sitting directly on the seat. I tried to pull my hand away to kill the engine.

"Don't stop, I'm about to cum, baby, don't stop."

I continued fingering her clit and she put her hands on mine to increase the pressure and speed of what I was doing. That was followed with some heavy grunts and then what can only be described as a howl as she finally climaxed. I figured I'd be cleaning that seat tomorrow.

We stumbled into my bedroom as we stripped off our clothes. Knowing it had been a while for me and rightly expecting me to be highly aroused after our escapade in the car, Nancy went immediately to take my rigid cock in her mouth. Even if she was terrible at this, and she most definitely wasn't terrible, I was so horny that I would have shot very quickly. I did just that and Nancy eagerly sucked down most every drop, though some trickled down her chin and out the sides of her mouth.

"It's been some time since I couldn't take it all. You must have been holding on to that for weeks. I'm glad I got to be on the receiving end of that."

We fucked for hours in all sorts of positions. She seemed to prefer being on top but was plenty willing to get on her back and pull her legs open so I could pound into her. I took an awful lot of frustration out on Nancy's pussy that night and she took everything I could dish out, and even encouraged me to do it harder if I wanted.

We ended the night with my first go at anal sex. Christie would never try it and that was that. As I pumped in and out of Nancy's tightness I remember thinking 'my next wife is going to have to be willing to do this'. It was the first time since this all started that I had even considered that I might get married again.

At last I was exhausted and even Nancy's impressive skills couldn't bring me back to life so we settled in for the night. We slept cuddled together and bare-assed naked, and I realized how much I missed having someone. As good as the sex was and how much better it made me feel, that thought brought me way, way down.

Nancy and I had sex one more time in the morning before she had to get in the shower in order to be cleaned up by the time Antonio got there to pick her up. She was in the middle of washing her hair when her phone rang.

"Can you get that? It's probably Antonio."

The screen confirmed her guess and I picked up the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, this must be Henry. Is she about ready?"

"She's in the shower. She should be ready by the time you get here at 9:00."

"Great. Did you guys have a good time last night?"

"Uh, yeah, it was great. You're a lucky man, Antonio."

This was so weird.

"Damn right I am. She's a helluva fuck and the best damn wife and mother I've ever seen."

"So, how'd it go for you last night?"

"One of the worst fucks I've ever had. She was sure great on the outside but hadn't the faintest idea what to do with the tools God gave her. She just laid there like I should be thrilled to fuck her since she's so hot looking."

"That's too bad, Antonio. Maybe next time it'll be better."

"It sure as hell can't be any worse. I'm almost there. See you in a couple of minutes."

Nancy was drying off as I ended the call. I let her know that he was almost here and also what he told me about the woman in the red dress.

"I guess I got the better end of the deal this time around."

I smiled but I guess it wasn't a confident one. She continued.

"Look, Henry, I had a great time last night. I really enjoyed fucking you and honest to goodness I wish I could do it again. Nobody gets me off like Antonio does but you're the best one-nighter I've had in a long time. I don't know why your wife did what she did but if you fucked her like you fucked me it was definitely not a sexual issue. I promise you."

It felt good to hear, even though it may have been complete bullshit, so I chose to believe she was on the level. Moments later there was a knock at the door and I let Antonio in. We shook hands and he greeted me so jovially that I never would have believed I had just spent the night fucking his wife. Like I said: weird.

After they left I was alone with my thoughts again and the despair and loneliness and anger came flooding back. But at least I no longer had sexual tension to deal with.

*****

Work was the status quo for me for the next couple of months, though I tried to get out a few times a month. I ran into Nancy and Antonio a few weeks after I had spent the night with Nancy. They were out by themselves having a date night, so they weren't looking for one of their hook-ups. I sat with them for a few minutes and we talked about nothing in particular. Considering how we met I was surprisingly comfortable with them. Nancy did say she had a couple of friends she could set me up with when I was ready to get back on the market, and I promised to let her know.

At this point we were getting into the holiday season and I realized I had nothing to look forward to. Even Halloween was likely to be a letdown. I had no desire to go to any costume parties like Christie and I had done in the past, and I actually looked forward to handing out candy each year. There had been lots of kids at my old complex but where I was now, in Hannah's old place, was mostly one-bedroom apartments, which meant very few families and therefore very few kids knocking on the door.

As November started so did the phone calls asking if I was going to come over for Thanksgiving, again as we always had. Part of me clung to the hope that maybe Hannah and Christie would go to see Christie's family so I took the call from mom.

"I hope I can expect to see you for Thanksgiving this year, son."

"Are they coming, mom?"

She knew exactly who I meant, and the pause before she answered told me they were and she was trying to figure out how to respond.

"Henry, I was hoping that we could use the holiday to set aside our differences just for the day, even if we can't get past them entirely, and come together as a family."

"I'm sorry, mom. I wish I could be there. Have a happy holiday."

I hated that mom and dad were in the middle of this and I had tears in my eyes as I hung up the phone. I knew they were in a tough spot but I couldn't help but feel they had taken Hannah and Christie's side in all of this. They never made any effort to block out time for just me nor could they seem to avoid this mess as a topic of conversation. They rarely asked about my life or my career; it was only about how we could somehow bridge the gap in the family. It left me feeling betrayed all over again.

A couple of hours later there was a knock on the door and I opened it to my father on the other side. Oh boy, I thought: it's a full court press. I invited him in and offered him a drink.

"I'll get right to the point, son. This whole thing is killing your mother. You've never missed a Thanksgiving before, even when you were in college, and she is talking about canceling if you won't be there. Your mother deserves better than this, son."

"You're right, she does, and I'll be happy to be there if you know who won't be."

"That puts her in the same spot. She wants the family together."

"What's the big deal? Hannah missed several Thanksgivings during college and right after. Now all of a sudden it's a problem? Why am I the one always being asked to make the sacrifice?"

"Hannah was thousands of miles away and sometimes overseas. It wasn't realistic for her to be there. But now she's back and everyone is here. Can't you do this for your mom?"

"Dad, I would do damn near anything for mom; in fact, being in the same room with those two is about the only thing on the list that I wouldn't. Why doesn't anyone seem to care about my feelings?"

"We do care, son. We're just trying to find some middle ground and we're heartbroken that the family has split up. You and your sister were so close growing up, as we hoped you would be, and this is very painful."

"For me too, dad, but I just don't see any way back right now. Please give my apologies to mom."

Having struck out, dad left and was visibly dejected. I think he really thought he could appeal to my love for my mother, but right now nothing was as powerful as the pain and anger I felt for Hannah.

But the fun wasn't over. A knock on the door later that night found Hannah on the other side, and she just pushed her way in rather than waiting for me to invite her. She probably figured I wouldn't, and she was probably right.

"Damn it, Henry, please can't we find a way past this? We've told you and told you that we didn't mean for it to happen."

"Yes you have, and I've pointed out you didn't do anything to stop it either."

"I tried to, I told you that. God Henry, we were practically the same person growing up. I feel like I've lost half of myself."

"I wish I could say I've only lost half of me. You're lucky; I feel like I've lost all of myself. I always thought I could get through anything. If something happened to you I had my wife to lean on, and if something happened to her or our marriage I'd have you. I never expected it would be you that happened to our marriage."

"You have no idea how hard this has been on me."

"God damn it, Hannah, could you stop thinking about yourself for a change. Have you always been this selfish? I'm the fucking victim here, not you. I'm the one that had my happy marriage destroyed, and destroyed by the person closest to me. This is all about your actions and your choices, so any pain you're feeling is your fault, not mine!"

"I couldn't help falling in love with her, Henry. You and I are so much alike and I fell in love with the same things that you did, just like she fell in love with me because you and I are so much alike. I found my soul mate and she was married to my brother, but she wanted to be with me. How can you expect me to walk away from that? If she had told me she wanted to stay with you I would have respected that but she didn't. I would have thought you wanted me to be happy. Just what in the hell was I supposed to do?"

By this time we had managed to get on opposite sides of the room from each other, though it wasn't a very large room. I purposefully walked over to where she was standing and put myself inches from her face.

"You were supposed to do exactly what you did: make a choice. And now you have to live with the consequences of the one you made. Goodbye Hannah."

*****

The holidays in general, and Christmas in particular, are well-known as being hard on those that are depressed or going through a rough time, and I was no different. Like many kids, Christmas had been my favorite holiday growing up and my enthusiasm for it had not waned as I entered adulthood. Well, except for this year, of course.

Now all of the decorations and Christmas cheer were simply reminders that I no longer had a family, no longer had a wife, and still didn't have, and might never have, kids to celebrate it with. The fact was that I had never met anyone I loved as much as Christie and who I wanted as the mother of my children. I simply didn't believe it would happen twice.

I had hoped that perhaps my parents would somehow work some time in for me, but instead they invited all of us to spend Christmas Eve at their house so we could awaken there on Christmas Day. When I expressed my disappointment in the arrangements, my mom's response was that she would no longer make compromises for me (not that I was aware she ever had). Her position was that we were all adults and we were all invited, and if I chose not to attend then that was on me, not her. I put gifts for her and dad in the mail and that was the end of that.

Christmas Eve became The Night I Went Out To Get Drunk. And that is precisely what I did. I took a cab to a local bar, informed the bartender of my plans to get drunk, and prepaid my return cab fare. In hindsight I should have included a large tip to ensure I made it to bed safely.

*****

I woke up in a white room with a number of machines making beeping noises. The electronic equipment and bare white walls screamed 'hospital', but the angelic face that appeared before my eyes suggested 'heaven'. I almost regretted that it turned out to be the former.

"Good evening, Mr. Weston. My name is Katie and I'm your night nurse. How are you feeling?"

I did my best to express my pain and disorientation. I tried to move but was wracked with pain and had little success. I finally decided to just stay where I was.

Katie the nurse recorded some information from the machines and from what I told her. I asked what happened and she explained that, as far as she knew, I had fallen down my stairs trying to get back to my apartment after the cab dropped me off. I had been knocked unconscious and brought to the hospital. She then left to get a doctor to explain the extent of my injuries.

A tall, attractive woman who appeared to be in her mid-forties walked into my room a few minutes later. She introduced herself as Dr. Quinn, and I barely got my mouth open before she said she would appreciate it if I would save the 'Medicine Woman' jokes for when she was not around, though she had a smile on her face.

She listed off my known injuries: broken clavicle (that's the collar bone to the uninitiated), some swelling in my brain (which explained why I had been unconscious for 2 days) and some other assorted bruises and contusions. The clavicle was a problem but obviously the head injury was of the most concern. The swelling had gone down but they planned to keep me in the hospital for a few days to run some more complete tests and make sure there was no permanent damage.

Of course, I latched onto the fact that I had been out for 2 days. It was now the evening of December 26^th and I had slept through Christmas Day entirely. Of course, maybe that wasn't a bad thing, considering.

It turns out one of the things Katie did after sending in the doctor was call my family (if they could still be called that anymore) because it wasn't long before my mom came walking into my room. She had tears in her eyes even before she got to the bed and was going on about how they almost lost me and wouldn't that have been a tragedy since I was estranged from my sister and doesn't this put things in perspective and wouldn't I like to make nice with Hannah. Jesus, even as I almost died this is still the only thing I get to hear about.

"I'm fine, mom, and if all you have to talk about is Hannah and Christie I would rather you left."

"I'm sorry, Henry, I was just so worried and overwhelmed by it all. I'll try not to say anything, except that they're out in the waiting room with dad and are hoping to see you."

"No."

"Just for a minute?"

"No."

"It wouldn't hurt..."

"NO, MOM! Now please let me get some rest."

I drifted back off to sleep, waking a couple of times to see Katie updating my chart and seeing mom in the corner working on some knitting or needlepoint or some such thing.

I didn't think Katie noticed that I was awake because she didn't say anything to me, and I took the opportunity to check her out. She had long blonde hair and looked to be about 30. She was built not unlike Christie, with a petite, athletic body, at least as far as I could tell from her arms. The rest of her was hidden under scrubs.

She looked back at me as she finished updating the chart and apparently caught me looking at her.