My Best Friends Exs Friend

It was a Friday night when my best friend's ex-wife walked into the bar and immediately locked eyes on me. Grace and her gaggle of other middle-aged divorcees were heading over. Most were wearing way too much make-up, war paint a friend called it once, along with clothes meant for twenty year old's and not women in their 40s. To be fair, only three of the six women were over the top, the three loudest by the way. The other three just seemed happy to get out of the house. I was trying to keep a neutral face as I realized my quiet evening of having a few beers was not going to be quiet.

Grace pulled me in for a hug as she kissed my cheek, "It's so good to see you Jack, I can't believe my luck in running into you here."

Grace introduced me to her friends and their names which I quickly forgot. What I remembered was how easy Grace was in high school and the years after. She offered herself to me but I always declined. She was still offering herself to others when she was engaged to my best friend Mark. We desperately tried to talk Mark out of marrying her but he insisted she would change when they said, 'I do.'

Maybe she did for a while or maybe she tried hard to hide her affairs. The STI Mark caught ripped the cover off that, they separated for a year or more but Mark took her back. After that she barely tried to hide her affairs, even after Mark caught a second STI he wouldn't kick her out. And then, he threw her out and divorced her. There was no explanation from Mark. The first time they separated, Mark would be frequently be found crying into his beer. He never said anything about the last time.

I was lost in thought and didn't realize Grace was talking to me again, almost whispering in my ear, "Now that Mark and I are officially divorced and so are you and Marge, why don't we get together tonight. You know I wanted you for a long time and you have always denied me."

Grace looked horrific from across the bar, up-close she was even worse. She had so much make-up on I thought it was flaking off.

"No thank you Grace, fucking your best friend's ex-wife is a violation of the bro code."

"Your loss Jack, excuse me, I see someone who won't say no." She waddled over to some guy over by the pool tables who looked like a hillbilly in a cartoon. Seriously, bib overalls straining to contain a huge beer belly, a t-shirt that looked like it was once white with a John Deere cap on. He gave Grace a minute long kiss hello. The other two loud women joined her. The three remaining had made themselves comfortable on the barstools near me.

Two of the women talked my ear off, we had all gone to high school together although we were in different years. The third woman sat quietly at the bar, sipping a beer and watching the baseball game, exactly what I came here to do. When I got back from the men's room, I ended sitting next to the quiet woman."

"How's the game going," I asked.

She gave me a look, "Right, you're Jack. The fucking Reds are losing again. I swear our high school team can beat them four out of seven. I'm Jesse by the way, it didn't look like you heard Grace when she introduced me. I'm also guessing you didn't accept her offer to go home with her."

"I have been declining Grace's offers for a long time."

During a commercial break, she said, "You're not going to yap away, trying to sweet talk me out of my panties are you?" Jesse said it with a smile on her face but there was an undertone there.

"Jesse, you are doing exactly what I came to do, have a few beers, and watch the Reds maybe win a game."

Jesse stared at me for a bit, and said, "This round is on me Jack," as she flagged down the bartender. We watched the game, cursed when the Reds did something stupid which was often and chatted during commercials. I don't think I ever had such a good time watching a baseball game with a woman, and Jesse knew her stats too. The Reds were shut out again and I had enough beer so I started to head out.

"It was nice to meet you Jesse and I enjoyed watching the game with you," I found my balls and said, "They playing tomorrow night if you want to join me here again."

"I'm sorry, I can't," she said. There was no explanation which meant none was needed.

"Maybe some other time." I said trying to hide my disappointment. Fuck, I was 45 years old and still felt like I was in high school when a girl said no.

I was outside the bar, beginning to walk the two blocks to my place when she caught up to me.

"I'm sorry Jack, that was cold. I have a little one at home and I used this week's babysitting money on tonight." Jesse continued to stare at me like she was looking for words or balls to say them. I had nothing but an ok.

Finally, she said, "We could watch the game at my house, if you promise not to try and talk me out of my panties and you don't mind a little one wondering around the first couple of innings?"

I felt like I was in high school and the girl said yes. We swapped phone numbers and she sent me her address.

"I'll pick up the beer or something else if you prefer."

"Something besides beer for a baseball game, what kind of woman do you think I am?" She said all that with a smile on her face.

"God, you're beautiful when you smile Jesse."

"Don't start that sweet talking shit Jack, or I may invite Grace to chaperone." She laughed and smiled again before heading back to the bar. I walked home with a shit eating grin on my face.

When I woke up in the morning, there was a text from Jesse asking me to call her, so I did.

"Maybe I had one too many last night but I can't believe I invited a man I just met to my house. I don't do that, I have a little one at home and I don't want to parade a bunch of strangers around him. He gets enough of that when he's at his father's."

"Are you rescinding you invitation Jesse?"

"Yes, or no, or I don't know because I don't know anything about you. I tried pumping Grace for info, she said she's known you since grammar school and you were always her ex's best friend. You were married and got divorced but she was already divorced from Mark when that happened so she didn't know any details. She also said you were a catch so I shouldn't pass up on you. Grace left me more confused than when I started. So, tell me Jack, what kind of man did I ask to be the first man to meet my son?"

I never talked about my divorce to anyone, it was way too painful. Even my parents or siblings didn't know. I was about to pass on Jesse's invitation but other words came out of my mouth.

"Marge, my ex-wife was fucking her boss for a year before I figured it out. I was completely oblivious. I've never revealed that to anyone, even Mark or my family. The whole thing was the most embarrassing and painful experience of my life and for the first time in my life I knew what suicidal felt like. I think I'll pass on the game tonight," then ended the call.

Talking about Marge cheating ripped the scab off again. Fuck, that was three years ago and it still hurt on so many levels. We were talking about having kids when I found out. Jesse was trying to call me back but I shut the phone off. Jesse was the first woman that I ever asked out, if that's what you would call it. Rational me was saying that I would have to tell that story to any woman I met so I better get used to it. Irrational me was saying this called for a glass of scotch. Irrational me wasn't going to win since I had just gotten out of bed. Rational me said I needed coffee and food so I headed to the kitchen. I also needed a shower.

The coffee was done and I was just getting ready to pour some eggs into an omelet pan when there was someone knocking at my door. After turning off the stove, I opened the door and Jesse was standing there with a little boy, maybe three or four. I was at a loss for words when she invited herself in.

"That's not fair Jack, you turned off your phone and wouldn't let me call you back. Fortunately, Grace struck out last night and was able to give me your address."

"Would you like some coffee Jess, I have some OJ for the little one if he's thirsty. What is his name." The poor kid was hiding behind his mother.

"His name is Peter and I would love a cup of coffee, black and bitter please."

Before getting their drinks, I went to my hall closet and pulled out a bin of toys I kept for my brother's kids. I knelt down in front of Peter and started offering him toys. His eyes lit up when I offered him the Hess truck with the lights lit up. Peter began playing with it on the floor, I got Jesse her coffee and poured Peter some OJ in a sippy cup.

"Do you have kids Jack."

"No, the toys are for my brothers kids when they come over. I always buy them two of everything, one to take home and one to leave here."

"I'm sorry for asking that question Jack. My husband cheated on me and I was clueless until he asked for a divorce because she was pregnant. God that hurt so much, 'so your leaving me and our son so you can go play daddy with someone else.' I was so fucking angry. They never got married because she caught him cheating on her. Once a cheater always a cheater. Sorry, I'm venting."

"It's good to vent Jesse."

"But you don't vent Jack."

"Hey, I was just getting ready to make an omelet, I can make you one and I can make some eggs for Peter?"

"Well played Jack, but I'm not going to let you off that easy. I'll take an omelet, cheese and some ham if you have it. A scrambled egg for Peter would be nice. You wouldn't happen to have a booster seat in that magic closet would you?"

"I believe there's a couple in there if you want to take a look."

By the time Jesse had Peter seated at the table, his egg was done and I made him some toast. Jesse buttered the toast for him and cut it into four triangles. Jesse's omelet and toast were done next, she ate the toast but waited until my omelet was done and I was seated before she started on hers.

"Nobody except my parents have ever made me breakfast before," Jesse said.

"When did you learn how to cook or are omelets the extent of your culinary skills?"

She said it with that smile on her face.

"You are beautiful when you smile, it wasn't just the beer. But to answer your question, my mother insisted my brother and I learn how to cook, do laundry and sew from an early age. I can remember standing on chair, barely able to see into the pan making pancakes. She never wanted either of us to have to rely on a woman to take care of us. And my culinary skills far exceed omelets. When my mother's vision started to go, my brother and I took over thanksgiving dinner. We had always helped her out before so it wasn't a stretch for us. She'd be sitting in the kitchen, smoking her Paul Mall's barking out orders, it's time for this, stir that, drain the potatoes and laughing her ass off."

"I'm guessing she passed?"

"Yes, and fortunately it was right before I found out Marge was cheating on me or she would have gone after Marge with a rolling pin and since she couldn't see shit by then, who knows what damage she may have caused."

"Only the one brother?"

"No, I have a sister too but neither my brother or I have spoken to her in years. She always treated my mother like shit, but you should have seen her at my mother's funeral, throwing herself on the casket, sobbing hysterically. My brother wanted to nominate her for an academy award. The best part was when she found out our mother had cut her out of the will. What about you?"

"I have a brother and a sister, both live about an hour away, they are both married and they each have two kids. We were never really close growing up and we only see each other a few times a year, Christmas, thanksgiving and maybe a summer birthday or two."

We chatted for another hour, filling each other in on various details of our lives. Jesse had to leave around noon to take Peter to a birthday party.

Jesse looked at me trying to smile, "Are we still on for tonight Jack? Thompson's starting so maybe the Reds have a chance tonight." Thompson was the Reds new pitcher and was their best.

"Yes I'll be there Jesse, and how do you know so much about baseball?"

"My father loved his baseball and the Reds, early on I found myself sitting on his lap watching the games and he taught me all about baseball. He even took me to some games. God those were good times, even when I was too big to sit on his lap, I would still snuggle up against him, his big meaty arm around me, cheering on the Reds when they were the 'Bid Red Machine,' the world was perfect."

I felt like I was channeling my ex-wife with the number of times I changed my clothes before walking out the door. I was almost at her house when I remembered I wanted to bring flowers. Fortunately, the store I stopped at also had some matchbox cars so I also bought one of those for Peter. I couldn't have felt more like a high schooler as I walked up to her door although I wasn't carrying cases of beer around when I was in high school.

Jesse looked gorgeous when she answered the door and thanked me for the flowers. Peter loved the car and disappeared into his room to play with it. Jesse was making some dip so I wondered into Peter's room and was soon down on the floor playing race cars with him on a plastic track he had. Jesse came in and she had a concerned look on her face. It was time for Peter's snack before he went to bed.

"Jack, I appreciate you playing with Peter, god knows his father would never be down on the floor playing with him, but we have no idea what will happen to us, I don't want to see him get attached to you. We've only known each other for 24 hours."

"That may be the hardest thing you've asked of me, but I'll do my best."

Jesse missed most of the first inning putting Peter to bed, he gave me a hug good night.

Jesse was sitting on the other end of the couch from me with a bowl of chips between us. During the first commercial break, Jesse said, "Another question for you Jack, how many women have you dated since your divorce?"

"None Jesse, since my divorce I haven't found the female species very appealing, except you for some reason."

"Why, because I can talk baseball?"

"I don't understand the answer to the question to be honest, and what about you?"

"Friday was the first time I went out at all and there have been no dates. Would it be okay if I moved this bowl out of the way and sat closer to you?"

"Certainly, and would it be okay if I put my less than big meaty arm around you, I promise not to try for second base."

"I would like that Jack."

She snuggled up against me and I put my arm around her, she held that hand just in case I had a sudden urge.

"God, not only are you beautiful but you smell beautiful too."

"Are you trying to sweet talk my panties off Jack."

"Of course not, especially when the Reds are winning."

Jesse gave me an elbow to my midsection.

When the game ended, I prepared to leave and Jesse walked me to the door.

"Jack, thank you for being a gentleman."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, do I get a kiss goodbye."

"Just one Jack, and its not you I'm worried about."

When I got home I realized I couldn't remember the last time I felt this happy and wondered if I ever felt this happy with Marge. There was a paranoia running under the surface, that things couldn't really be this good. Maybe I was just infatuated with Jesse, maybe I was infatuated with Peter, maybe she was the first pretty girl I met since my divorce. I knew that wasn't true because there were several young women at work who always found an excuse to ask me about something work related. It seemed as soon as I took the ring off I became the shell answer man.

There was another early morning text from Jesse when I got up in the morning.

"Jack, sorry to bother you so early in the morning, when you have a three year old you get used to getting up early. Do you think its too soon to see each other again. If not, I could make you dinner tonight, maybe some lasagna?"

"You should have led with lasagna, what time and should I bring some wine?"

"Is eight too late, this way Peter will be fed and in bed when you get here."

"Eight sounds good, what about wine."

"That sounds good, you pick."

I arrived sharply at eight with a single rose in my hand and two bottles of wine.

"Wine and roses, two bottles of wine, are you trying to seduce me Jack?"

"To be honest, I hope to someday, not today but someday."

Jesse said the lasagna would be done in fifteen so we sat on the couch when we heard Peter calling.

"I swear, that boy has some kind of sensor that alarms every time I sit down." She went over to his door and I heard Peter say, "Is Jack here, I need to say good night to him." Jesse said okay and he ran out and gave me a kiss on the lips and a massive bear hug.

"Good night Jack," he shouted as he ran back to his room.

"Well, you've won him over Jack. They say a kid can tell the true nature of a man, an inner sense if a man is truly good or not."

"And what about the mother Jesse, am I winning her over?"

"Jack, we've both had our teeth kicked in by people we thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives with. Do you think you could survive that again? If it wasn't for Peter I'm not sure I would have survived it the first time. It's only been 48 hours and you haven't tried my cooking yet."

The lasagna was delicious. I make a pretty good lasagna myself and Jesse's might even be better. The Reds were off that night so we watched a different team play.

We spent the next few weekend nights together. Jesse gave up trying to keep Peter from getting too attached to me. I joined them for trips to the park and had a blast on the swings with Peter. The three of us attended a Reds game, Peter was thrilled until the fifth inning so we headed home. Sometimes it made me angrier with Marge because if she hadn't cheated I would be taking my three-year old son to his first baseball game.

Jesse always kept track of how many hours we knew each other, we had just passed 500 hours or three weeks in my time when Jesse had a serious look on her face, I had an oh shit feeling. She had just put Peter to bed and joined me on the couch and took me hands in hers,

"Jack, we've known each other for over 500 hours and you haven't tried to sweet talk my panties off yet, are you just being a gentleman or do you not find me attractive?"

"Jesse, I think I've told you how beautiful you are a thousand times, especially when you smile. To use your words, we've both had our teeth kicked in and might not survive another one. You don't know how hard it's been for me not to caress your breast when you're snuggling up against me, the way you smell. And it's even harder when I kiss you good night."

"So maybe I need to sweettalk your tighty whities off."

"And what if Peter walked in on us," I asked?

"I'm glad you asked that question because Peter will spend next weekend with his father."

"So, I could take you out to a nice restaurant next weekend, wine and dine you, maybe that kiss good night might turn into something more."

I began kissing Jesse, deep tongue swapping kisses.

"And then maybe, my hand might slide up and cup that breast I've been dying to touch."

My hand began to caress her breast, Jesse let out a soft moan, and then Peter yelled out he was thirsty.

Jesse said she was sorry. It was getting late so after she tended to Peter I said good night, but our goodbye kiss was as passionate as our kiss earlier and I let my hand slip down to her ass, a nice firm ass.

"You're going to make me wait a whole week Jack?"

"I want the first time I make love to you as perfect as possible. I love you and I love Peter but I would prefer if Peter wasn't interrupting us the first time I made love to you. That gives me a better idea, I'll get a hotel room at the Hilton for next weekend so bring an overnight bag. Sound like a good idea?"