The rest of the week passed agonizingly slowly. Kitty and I talked nightly, which made me miss her even more. I talked to Jeremy Thursday, and even talked to Helena for a little while. She was being a total doll about me and Kitty, and I loved her for it. I thought I had an idea for someone she could meet, an English teacher in the school where I taught. He was funny, good looking, just a couple of years younger than Helena which was no big deal at our age. I'd ask him if he was interested on Monday, before I told Helena about him. I didn't want to get her hopes up in case he said he wasn't interested. That would just hurt her.
Finally Friday arrived. I raced out of school at least as fast as any of the students looking forward to the weekend. I went home, showered, touched up my shave and packed a bag with enough clothes for 3 days, a little more than I'd actually need. You never know, right? I also brought some papers I needed to mark, nothing that would take more than a couple of hours to do. At 6 I got in my car and drove to Kitty's.
I got there at 6:30 and Jack let me in. He shook my hand politely, even with a touch of friendship. He was coming around, a good sign. He and Angela were watching the news while they waited for Seamus to pick them up. She had her own car, they were both over 18, but they still were seeing their father the way they'd been doing for the past four years and he still picked them up.
After saying hi to Angela, I heard Kitty call out "I'm in the kitchen, Artie! Come on back!" I went to the kitchen, past the dining room and the smells coming from her stove were heavenly.
"Hey honey" I said as she turned from the stove to kiss me warmly. Her smile lit up her entire face, even her entire body. She was wearing a blue dress, sleeveless and simple but very stylish with a strand of pearls around her neck. Kitty was glowing. "It smells great in here. Good thing I'm starved!"
"Good, because I made enough to feed an army. Chicken Cacciatore with risotto and steamed carrots with a very light glaze."
"Oh, honey, I may eat so much I won't be able to...you know."
"Oh no you don't! If that's the case, you get one portion. A small one." She was smiling brightly, being playful. I loved it. I loved her.
Just then the doorbell rang. I got a little nervous, about to meet Seamus. I hoped he wasn't an ass. We didn't need the complication. Kitty said "Ok, come with me. Let's get this over with." She took my hand and we went out back to the living room, where Jack and Angela were talking to their father.
"Hi Seamus, how are you?" Kitty said very formally.
"Mary." He didn't call her Kitty, he used her given first name, which she hated. One more way of getting on her nerves. "So this is Artie. The man who's taking my place." Shit, this wasn't going to be easy.
I chose to ignore his obnoxious remark and stuck out my hand. "Hi Seamus. Yes, I'm Artie. It's nice to meet you."
He shook my hand perfunctorily. He said to his kids "Angela, Jack, why don't you wait in the car? I'll be there in two minutes." They kissed their mom and said goodbye to me and then the three of us were alone.
Kitty wasn't having any of his bullshit. "Listen, Seamus, if you're already determined to make this difficult, why don't you just get out now? I don't need you to try to ruin our weekend."
"What's the trouble, Mary?" He said it again, emphasizing her name, goading her.
"I'm just getting to know the man who's going to be sleeping in my house with my wife."
"Ex house and ex wife" she challenged back. "Don't forget that. Ever. I paid you for your half of this house, so it's mine. So get the fuck out of MY house. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."
He sneered at her and then said to me "She's all yours, Artie. Jesus help you." He went to leave.
"Seamus?" I called to him before he opened the door.
"Yeah?"
"I make Kitty...that's her name, so try to remember to use it.....very happy. VERY happy, if you know what I mean. Like you never could." I just gave him an unpleasant smile as I let him know what was what.
He just stormed out and Kitty and I were alone. "I'm sorry, honey. I think I went too far there. I didn't mean to embarrass you."
Kitty walked to me, put her arms around my neck and kissed me so lovingly. "Your response was perfect. I hope he left here feeling inferior. That asshole. He never called me Mary until we separated because he knows I hate it. He wanted to get under our skin and instead he's the one fuming. Let him stew. And you" she said as she kissed my gently, "are my hero!" A much bigger kiss. "Come, lets check on dinner."
We went back into the kitchen together. I personally didn't really like behaving that way with Seamus, especially talking crudely about Kitty, but he was asking for it. He came in looking for trouble and he got some in return. I tried to be nice, but I wasn't going to take his shit any more than Kitty was.
I helped her put dinner on plates, I opened a bottle of wine I brought, and we sat down to a nice, delicious dinner. Kitty had even put out a linen tablecloth and had candles lit. It was so wonderfully romantic. We talked about the week we had. It was hard talking about some work things; I was about as interested in accounting as she was in chemistry and physics. But we talked about people we worked with, about some of the antics of my students and we laughed easily together. And the food was so good I did have a small second helping.
I helped clear the table and load the dishwasher, she stored the leftovers for later in the week, and after cleaning up, we went into the living room with the rest of the wine. Kitty turned on some music, some soft rock that we loved to listen to together, like Billy Joel and Warren Zevon. She cuddled close under my arm and we sat there listening to the music and sipping wine, not saying much, just enjoying the feel of each other, the smells and the comfort of being close to someone we each loved so much. Kitty sighed and said "This is perfect Artie, thanks to you. Well, almost perfect" she laughed softly.
"Almost perfect? What's missing?" I knew but I wanted her to say it.
She turned her face to mine and she kissed me. "Perfect comes very soon. But this is close enough for now."
I put our glasses down and held her in both arms. "I haven't been this happy since Jeremy was born. Actually, that's not completely right. That's a different type of happy. This kind of happiness I haven't felt since probably our last great night together. Do you remember the night I'm talking about?"
'Of course I do, baby. The night we were on that dinner cruise."
We both went back in our minds 26 years. We were having problems by then as we tried to figure a way we could stay together, but were coming up with goose eggs. About two weeks before we said goodbye to each other, we went on a medium boat from Freeport on the South Shore of Nassau County. The boat held four couples and served amazing seafood. We had made the reservations a few months in advance and we had a wonderful night together. After dinner, the boat was still out on the water in a protected bay so the water was calm. The night was a little cool as we stared over the rail at the reflection of the quarter moon on the glass-like bay. For a couple of weeks we both had been worrying that things wouldn't work out, but for that night, that perfect night, we were deeply in love. The breeze made her silky hair flutter and she kept brushing it from her face. And when I kissed her, holding her face in both hands, it was as amazing a kiss as we ever shared. Kitty whispered to me "You'd better be planning to take me to your apartment tonight, Artie. Going home alone is just not an option." I took her back and we made love until early the next morning. Three times. Nothing kinky that night; we both, in our hearts, suspected it might be one of our last times. I remembered every detail. Clearly so did Kitty. Good.
"I'm glad you remember it, honey. Because that's what we're doing tomorrow night."
Kitty looked up at me with adoration. "How did you manage that at the last minute? I remember you had to make that reservation a month in advance back then!"
"I got a little lucky. They have four boats now that go out at half hour intervals. There was a cancellation for the 7:30 boat. So we have plans and we can relive a wonderful memory. One of the last we had then, but one of the first of many we'll have this time around."
Kitty kissed me softly, then with so much passion and love. "I love you, Artie. I always have, even through all the years, but I really, really love you now. You've aged like the best wine, you're still a gentleman when it's time to be one and your a wild, wicked man when it's time for that. Are you ready to take me upstairs, my wild, wicked man? Are you ready to fuck my brains out?"
"When you ask so nicely, how could I possibly say no?" I teased her and after she locked up and shut the lights downstairs, we practically raced up the stairs to her bedroom, me bringing my garment bag and small suitcase.
Kitty told me "You wait out here for now. I have something I want to wear for you. You're dressed perfectly just as you are. Just give me a few minutes?"
"I don't know, honey. I could devour you right now, just as you are."
"But I went shopping just for you. Pleassseeee?" she said, drawing out the word like a begging child.
"OK. You'd better be worth waiting for."
"If I'm not, you can punish me. You can punish me even if I am" Kitty said with a naughty smile as she closed the door.
I looked at the various paintings and photos along the hall where all the bedrooms were. Included with some nice works of art were some pictures of Kitty and the kids, some with Seamus as well, all taken in the family's better times. They all looked happy. I was familiar with these pictures. There were some hanging in my old house, just like these.
Soon I heard "Come in....Mr. Klein." So. We were playing that game again. Though when I walked in, Kitty was dressed in a white cheerleader type sweater with a ridiculously short red and black plaid skirt, like you only see in porn scenes. She had on white knee socks and sneakers and she even had small pom poms in her hands. "Mr. Klein, why did you call for me, taking me away from cheerleading practice?" she said with a pout. "I thought I pulled up my grade last time."