Chapter 1
Meeting over lunch to discuss Aunt Elsa's mind-boggling suspicion that her sister β their mother β was having it off with someone, the Black siblings watched their mom walk by their restaurant window table arm-in-arm with a guy. Not only was Janis outrageously making an exhibition of herself like that in the main street but the guy looked almost their age and to their horror the guy's hand was cupped over one of their mother's ass cheeks and her jeans were tighter than even Gina's.
Softie of the family Megan, eyes shedding and a string of her blonde hair being gnashed in her collapsed-looking mouth, knocked over her wine glass and wailed the F-word, horrifying her sister and brother who knew that Megan NEVER swore. It would be suspected that even the Divine knew that.
Evan sat helplessly and his older sister Gina (Jeanette) was about to ask him to βsort out the fucking sod'. Gina was habitually foul-mouthed. Instead of calling on Evan to restore family honor, Gina hugged distressed twenty-year-old Megan and began crying with her. Evan scowled impotently but brightened when the maitre 'd hurried over with a waitress carrying a complimentary bottle of wine. The party was told kindly keep the volume down as other Sunday diners were being disturbed.
Gina told the maitre 'd to piss off. Crafty Evan, eyeing the premier label on the bottle Evan soothed, "We've just learned of a catastrophe within the family. Please excuse us and have the wine poured."
The trio watched in silence as the waitress placed a starched cloth over the spillage in front of Megan and then left after pouring the complimentary red.
Gina said ominously, her brown eyes appearing almost black, "We should be drinking that fucker's blood."
Megan exhaled a gigantic sob and Evan looked at Gina impressed but quickly lost that glow when Gina asked, "So you think they are doing it?"
He cracked his knuckles and that drew a βGood boy' smile from Gina who declared: "Our mother would never allow any guy to cradle her ass like that unless he was fucking her."
Wide-eyed, Megan said she tended to agree but could Gina kindly not use that word about their mother. "Our mother is forty-three, approaching old age."
Evan glowered and reached for the wine bottle although there was an inch of wine remaining in his glass. "What now?"
"I want you to stalk the guy and at an opportune moment beat the crap out of him. Wear a mask."
"No Gina," Megan cried. "Mother would realize what that was about and would turn against us. By her action now she'd informing us we're on the back-burner and she's out to kick up her heels while she's still young enough to do that."
"Well she's picked a depraved way at going about it," Evan said sullenly.
Gina ignored them both. "Do you think you could take him Evan?"
"I think so."
"You only think so? Then I'll run him down with my car."
"Gina!" Megan shrieked.
The maitre 'd hurried over and a minute later the trio was on the street, looking distressed and unimpressed. They'd been told never to return to that restaurant.
"Fucking Greeks."
"I think he's Italian and probably born in this country," Megan said. "We should post our checks to the restaurant. I can figure it out but don't know the cost of the bottle of red wine."
"We're paying nothing, being humiliated like that. Right Evan?"
"I'm with you Gina. We were treated in a disgusting manner and should sue that hash-house."
"Earlier you called it your favorite restaurant Evan."
"Shut up Megan. Come on, let's cross the street to that bar."
Megan's eyes popped. "No, mom and her Toy Boy might be in there."
Gina turned white, swayed and clutched at Evan for support. "Oh Christ, our mom has a Toy Boy. We three are ruined in this community and there goes mom's career."
Megan began crying and Gina spun away from Evan's support to comfort Megan. Evan slammed his fist into a street pole and howled in pain. The two weeping women broke apart to rush to his aid. Gina said darkly, "Let's go to my place and consult Gavin. As well as being a town planner he coaches basketball and knows all about effective planning and the execution of strategies in making the right moves."
Gavin turned out to be a huge disappointment. Once the drinks were poured he asked what was the problem. After listening he burst into laughter and said, "Is that all this is about? I thought you guys must have robbed a bank. Just let it be. You mother is one lucky bitch."
The siblings looked at Gavin in horror at hearing their mother being called a bitch.
"Hit him Evan," Gina shrieked.
Chapter 2
Janis Black, a lawyer specializing in matrimonial break-up, had recovered from her own divorce and had arrived at the conclusion that a box of bedroom toys was not the completed answer to her needs: she also required the physical companionship and post-coital conversation. She didn't have to write βa guy' on her shopping list because like bread and coffee there was no need for a memory-jogger for that manly item.
She bedded three prospects and then gave up in despair, concluding just as some women pontificate men were basically useless. One of the guys had fired once so that was him gone for the night and to cap that off, instead of cuddling her and talking he went straight to sleep. The other two, the scum, had spent at least half their time with her attempting to convince her to take it up the back, a place with Janis, no man had ever ventured.
Janis began thinking about teaming with a woman, but faltered. That would disgust the kids when they found out, especially Gina. Her oldest child was quite likely to slap any female lover around and tell her to leave, using very foul language. Janis then had the bright idea of taking a three-week cruises twice a year and working her way through the ship's officers, only the acceptable ones of course. She called her travel agent but Margaret was away on a cruise with a girlfriend. The receptionist said a new-start guy was filling in for Margaret but when Janis hedged, the receptionist said Janis was a regular client so she'd send Jack over with a bunch of cruise brochures. Janis said he should do that.
Janis had expected a shy new-start nineteen old but the guy was in his late twenties, far from shy, looking judgmentally at her hair and face and then staring at her chest to linger a bit before lifting his gaze and smiling appreciatively. Until then all that had been said when he entered her office was, "Good morning Mr Burton" and he'd replied, "Please call me Jack Mrs Black". Although Janis thought his roving-eye inspection was a little uncouth, she didn't feel she was being undressed.
The only other words exchanged were:
"Please make this short Jack, I have a client waiting."
"Here are your brochures and my card. Call me with any questions Mrs Black."
"Thank you Jack."
He smiled, turned and walked to the door and she thought nice butt. He turned and smiled, saying he appreciated the compliment and departed, leaving Janis gasping. As a lawyer such a slip was unforgivable. She'd no intention of telling him that! She couldn't understand why it had just slipped out except perhaps it was an expression of loneliness. Sexual abandonment? Quite.
Mr Marriott was escorted in and thundered, "I wish to divorce my wife as she's been playing around."
Janis invited him to sit down and heard said kindly, "Mr Marriott, may I ask have you given any thought to your post-divorce loneliness?"