Tears in the Night

As many of my readers know I tend towards reconciliation stories. I've tried to write BTB stories but they are not my forte.

This is not a reconciliation story but a love story about two lonely people.

Please read and follow me if you enjoy.

It was another business trip. I hate working on the road, living out of hotels and eating bad food. Most of all I hate the loneliness.

This is my fifth year of selling for Acme Products. I used to have a good job working in an automobile factory till they closed it down and moved the business offshore. The only decent paying job I could find was selling for Acme and that was 100% commission. I worked hard.

Back home, I used to have a girlfriend. She couldn't live with my travelling on business so much, it left her alone too often. A beauty like her never wanted for attention so I got dumped. It broke my heart.

I always stayed at the Empire Hotel in Grantham when selling to clients here. It was comfortable and the food wasn't the worst I'd had. If I had one complaint it would be the thickness of the walls, sound travels through them and sometimes you really don't want to hear what's happening in the room next to you.

I remember that particular night I heard the unusual sound of a woman crying. It started around midnight and continued on and off. It started as a soft cry but by 2 am it was full-on weeping. I threw on my robe and knocked on the door. The door opened a crack, and the safety chain engaged.

"Bill! Is that you?"

"No mam."

"What is it?" She asked.

"Are you alright? I'm in the room next door and you have been crying so much. I just wanted to see that you're okay."

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you. I didn't think anyone could hear me."

I couldn't see much of her through the crack but she appeared to be a young woman. Her left hand was holding onto the door. She was wearing a wedding ring. I could see one red-rimmed eye.

"Are you ill? Should I call for help?"

"No, it's not that, it's a private matter. You can go back to your room now. Thanks for checking on me." She closed the door and I heard the deadbolt slide into place. She's a smart woman.

I went back to bed but couldn't sleep. Around 3 am I heard her crying again. I used the phone in the hotel room to call her phone. I could hear it ring.

"Hello, Bill?" She asked expectantly.

"Sorry, it's your neighbour in the next room. If you are having as much trouble sleeping as I am maybe we should have an herbal tea together."

"I don't know you."

"You're right. Why don't you put on some clothes and meet me downstairs in the lobby? We can have our tea down there. There will be someone at the front desk so we won't be alone. I think we both need someone to talk to."

"Ummm, okay, Ten minutes okay?"

"See you there."

I pulled on my jeans and a T-shirt. I went downstairs and spoke to the woman on the desk.

"I'm in 703, the woman in 704 is having some kind of issues. She has been crying all night. Neither of us can sleep. Can you please just stay visible while we talk? I would like her to relax enough that she'll tell me what's wrong."

"Sure, that's nice of you to care. I'll be right here."

I got two cups of herbal tea and sat on a chair waiting.

She came out of the elevator and saw me. She walked over with her hand extended.

"I'm Ann Graham."

"Simon Sinclair," I said.

"Again, I apologize for keeping you awake."

"It is okay Ann, have a seat. So why the tears?"

"It's private and I don't feel right telling anyone about it. It's embarrassing."

"Ann, I am a stranger to you. I am a travelling salesman for Acme Products. I am literally here one day and gone the next. You could tell me your deepest darkest secrets and they'd be safe with me. Who would I tell them to?"

"I guess you're right. It's hard to talk about it though."

"Does it involve your husband?"

"How did you know?"

"You are a young woman wearing a wedding ring, alone in a hotel room and crying up a storm. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to put two and two together."

"My husband and I have been married for two years. He and I have been arguing over almost everything lately. He has been coming home late from work. I've been suspicious."

"Perhaps he is just very busy or he's working overtime."

"No, he admitted he has been partying with friends. He hasn't admitted to having another woman but I'm afraid it's inevitable."

"He was downstairs here in the bar with a group of friends tonight. I sent him a message that I was going to be in room 704 and if he wanted to save our marriage he should join me. It's now 3:30 am and he hasn't shown up."

"Maybe he didn't get the message."

"It shows that the message was read. I sent it a couple of different ways to ensure he saw it. I'm sure he saw it, he just doesn't care."

"Have there been any other issues between you?"

"No, we dated for a year before we married, it's these last six months that he started coming home late and partying. Simon, if he didn't show up by now he isn't going to. I think my marriage is over and I don't know what to do!"

"You have told me about it so that's a good step. I've never been married but I did have a long-term relationship. She didn't like me being on the road so she dropped me like a bad habit. I still miss her a lot. I'm sure it's worse once you are married. What line of work are you in Ann?"

"Graphic artist. I've been freelancing for a few years and it's been good to me. AI is going to be a challenge though. I can see the writing on the wall."

"There will always be a need for human artistry. We all have a creative urge."

"Have you always been a salesman Simon?"

"No, I worked at an auto plant on the production line. The production got moved offshore so I was let go. I'm happy in sales though."

"It must have been a hard transition."

"Necessity makes it easier. It was a matter of survival. Acme gives me a commission so if I work hard I reap the rewards. What does your husband do for a living?"

"He's a copywriter. He works for an ad agency."

"So you are both working in the city. I don't like all the travel. I have to do because it comes with the job. Sometimes I think it would be nice to find a place I'm comfortable and just stay there."

"It must get lonely on the road."

"Yeah, it can be, unless you meet interesting people like you Ann."

"I think I had better go up to my room and try to get some sleep. Will you walk me to my room?"

"Sure, let's go."

I looked over at the woman on the desk and nodded. She smiled and waved.

We said goodnight at the door and the rest of the night was peaceful.

In the morning, very late morning, I had breakfast and I saw Ann there.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Simon."

"May I join you?"

"Sure, have a seat."

"Any word from your husband?"

"Nothing. I don't understand why he is ignoring me."

"It can be hard to talk when you are at odds with someone you love."

"I want to talk with him but I am afraid we'll just get into another argument. Maybe he feels the same way."

She looked very pretty this morning. She was made up and seemed to feel a bit better. She was a redhead, with a shapely body. Conservatively dressed in what she wore last night. Her green eyes looked so much nicer without being red from crying.

"Thank you for talking with me last night. It helped me to calm down."

"You are welcome. In fact here is my business card. If you need to talk just give me a call."

"Let me give you mine as well."

We ate and drank coffee. I had to catch a flight to my next city so I said goodbye and caught my flight.

All the time in the air I kept thinking about Ann and her husband. It was sad when someone we care about seems not to care about us. Ann seemed like a decent woman who didn't deserve to be treated like that.

I had several appointments that day with clients and made some good sales. I placed the orders with Acme online. While I was online I sent an email to Ann, just checking in. She replied that her husband was angry that she had "stalked" him to the Empire. He was unrepentant about the partying. He called her insecure for chasing him down and then booking a room. He said it was a childish thing to do. I told her to hang in there.

It was a month before I came back to Grantham. I got my room at the Empire Hotel and called Ann's mobile number, and she answered.

"Ann Graham speaking."

"Hello Ann, it's Simon Sinclair."

"Hi Simon, are you back in town?"

"I am indeed. It's hard to believe it's been a whole month. How are things with you?"

"Not any better, in fact worse. He has moved out of the house. He won't tell me where he is staying or whether he is with anyone. He just says he doesn't want to be here with me. I don't understand what I've done wrong."

"Would you like to get together for dinner tonight and talk about it?"

"I guess that would be okay. Can I cook for you?"

"It's not necessary, we could go out to eat."

"After your earlier kindness, I think I owe you a home-cooked meal. You bring the wine and I'll cook dinner. I'll cook Veal Provençal, so maybe bring a nice red wine. Around 7 pm work for you?"

"Perfect, I will see you then."

I signed up a couple of new clients and expanded the orders of other companies. It was a profitable couple of days.

I wore a nice, new pair of dress pants and a sports shirt with a blazer. I thought about bringing flowers but I reminded myself that this wasn't a date. She was still married. I felt a strong sense of attraction towards her but there were lines that shouldn't be crossed. I brought two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon instead of flowers.

Ann opened the door dressed in a skirt and sweater combination and heels. She had an apron over her for protection. She looked like a domestic goddess.

"I'm almost finished the veal, come have a seat at the table. Can you open and pour some wine?"

The fragrance of the meal cooking was making me salivate, it smelled delicious. I opened the bottle and poured for both of us.

Ann placed the dish in front of me, it looked amazing.

"Simon, can we say a brief prayer of thanks for this food? Would you like to say it?"

I didn't hesitate.

"Lord we give you thanks for this food and this wine and for friendship. Bless us and keep us always, amen."

"That was lovely, do you pray before meals at home?"

"Sadly no, I used to when Mom and Dad were living."

"It just came to you so naturally, I could tell you had done it before."

We raised our wine glasses and toasted "friendship."

We were halfway through the main course and I swear this woman had missed her calling. The meal was first rate. That was when I heard the front door close and footsteps approaching.

"Ann? What the fuck is this!" Bill shouted.

"Bill, this is Simon, a friend of mine."

"What the fuck are you doing entertaining a man in our home like this?"

"Bill, I've sat here alone for a month while you partied it up. You left to sleep elsewhere with who knows who. Simon has been a good friend to me."

"Simon, or whoever you are, get out of my house!"

"No, Bill! He is here at my invitation. Why don't you sit down and I'll get you a plate?"

Bill seemed surprised that Ann had shown a little backbone. I guessed that she was the beta in this relationship. For some reason she thought this was a battle worth waging, a hill she was willing to die on.

"Fine, I'll have some." He sat down looking daggers at me.

"How do you know my wife?"

"Your wife and I met about a month ago."

Ann came in quickly with the plate for Bill.

"You remember my invitation for you to join me in room 704 at the Empire Hotel? The night you stood me up?" Ann hadn't lost the backbone one little bit.

"Yea, you stalked me to my friends party."

"Well Simon happened to be in room 703. He heard me crying because you didn't come. He checked to see if I was okay. He took me down to the lobby to have tea and talk till the wee hours. He is a damn good and kind man."

"You sure he wasn't just trying to get into your pants?"

I stayed out of this for as long as I could.

"Bill, maybe if you spent more time trying to get into your wife's pants your marriage wouldn't be falling apart."

"You've got some fucking nerve!"

"Yeah, I've got nerve I haven't even used yet. More nerve than a bad tooth! I haven't known Ann for very long but from my experience she is a sweet and kind woman who loves you. Why you would want to be so callous and brutal to her is a mystery to me."

"It was a mistake, I shouldn't have married, Ann. We were infatuated with each other and thought it was love."

"No, Bill. You may have been infatuated with me. I was in love with you."

"Was? You mean you're not in love with me now?"

Ann was quiet, her mind was churning. Finally she spoke.

"Was...that's right. I don't think I'm in love with you anymore. You've rejected me too many times."

"Look Simple Simon, would you mind leaving so Ann and I can discuss this?"

"Ann, it's up to you."

"It's alright Simon. I'm sorry but maybe you should let us work this out."

"Thanks for the home cooked meal, it was wonderful. Bill, treat her right."

I hated leaving her like that. I wondered how much of her backbone was because I was there.

I got back to the hotel and played with paper work and some solitaire before my phone rang.

"Simon, I am sorry our evening got sidetracked. Bill and I had a short, sharp conversation after you left. He and I will be divorcing as soon as humanly possible. He has been living with a girlfriend for the past month. He was very angry about you being here."

"I am sorry to hear that your marriage didn't work out. Do you know what drove him away?"

"He said I wasn't 'exciting' enough for him. I was 'Suzy homemaker' when he wanted 'Ilsa- she-wolf' I guess."

"You have to be hurting, can I help? Do you want to go for a walk down by the lake to clear your head?"

"Yes, that's what I need. Please Simon."

We met and walked along the lake's boardwalk. The lake was calm today and the southern breeze was warm. We walked in silence. Half way down the beach she reached for my hand. Once we got to the end of the boardwalk we walked down onto the beach. We took our shoes off and walked hand in hand along the sand. So far we hadn't said a word to each other.

We stood at the rocky point and looked out over the water to the horizon.

"I wish you lived in this city, Simon. You have been a good friend to me."

"Ann, I feel Ike I'm partly responsible for your decision to divorce. I'm feeling very guilty about that."

"Our marriage was teetering on the brink when you showed up. You did make me feel more secure. You have a way of making me comfortable."

"Ann, I know that it is still very new, this friendship of ours. But I am drawn to you in a way that I haven't been before. I would very much like to explore this friendship with you and see where it leads us."

"I don't know how a long distance relationship will go but I'm willing to try."

I leaned in and kissed her lips. She smiled and hugged me.

"Let's keep walking. Then I want an ice cream cone!"

The months passed quickly. My relationship with Ann was growing and the distance was a pain in the ass. Since a lot of my time was spent on the road I approached Acme Products with a proposal that would allow me to work out of Grantham instead of the head office. They refused my request.

I was their top salesman but they wouldn't budge so I started to look for similar work in Grantham.

The divorce was relatively simple so it became finalized six months after the filing. Ann kept the house, buying out her husbands half. That put her in a lot of debt. I was helping her as much as I could.

These six months had been good for Ann but we knew we wanted to share intimacy, she rightly wanted to wait till she was truly free. I honoured that. I found that level of commitment to vows admirable and rare.

I continued searching for work in Grantham.

Now free from her vows she asked me to move in with her. I said I would as soon as I could find a local job. In the meantime we would meet when we could.

That first time with her was magic. We had a wonderful meal, cuddled through a movie and made out. When the passion between us reached a certain level we almost ran to the bedroom.

When I described her as shapely I understated things. She had an hourglass figure, her breasts were plump and full with puffy nipples that begged to be kissed. She was curvy so she had a slight and adorable pouch and a nicely natural pussy.

"My God Ann how could Bill ever give you up?"

We kissed and made love, a night I'll always remember. Despite our rush to the bedroom, we took our time and explored each other's bodies. We were both highly aroused but taking our time just seemed right. We wanted this first time to last forever. She used both hands to grip my manhood and stroke it slowly.

I'm was enjoying her puffy nipples, nibbling and kissing them. She moved her body away from me, released my aching cock and frowned.

"I know many men expect oral sex but I am afraid I don't enjoy doing it. I will if you really want to but I..."

"No, don't do anything you don't want to do. I hope you don't feel the same about receiving oral sex because I would really enjoy doing that."

"Bill didn't like it but I'm willing to try it."

She lay back and I assumed the position. Her unshaven, naturally red-haired pubis was beautiful and I couldn't help thinking of the song about a cinnamon girl. She smelled of clean womanhood and my arousal leaped to another level. My tongue tasted her sweetness. She gasped, this being new to her. I took my time, even though I wanted her so badly. I wanted her first time experience of oral sex to be a game changer for her. My efforts did not go unrewarded as she had two intense orgasms.

I moved into position, mounted and entered her, again slowly, stretching her and letting her relax as I slowly filled her with my full length. I stayed fully inside her until she began moving. Our pace built. I wish I could say that I was a machine and lasted hours...alas, I came much quicker and too soon for my liking.

We lay together in silence. No words were needed so none were spoken. We slept.

We did speak in the morning and it was all positive. She told me she had never had a night like it and that she couldn't wait till we could live together.

I found work with an IT firm in sales. It was all local work so no travel and the pay would be similar to the Acme job.

The months passed and we fell deeper in love.

I was taking a client out to lunch downtown. We had a reservation at Grenache. We were guided to our table when I happened to notice Ann sitting at a table with a man. His back was to us so I couldn't identify him for sure. I excused myself and left the table and went to the washroom. That gave me a better view of who she was sitting with, it was her ex-husband, Bill.

They didn't see me so I returned to our table and had lunch and talked business with the client. We finished up and I said goodbye to the client. I wanted to go to Ann's table but I didn't want to make a scene. I waited outside in my car.

I saw them leave the restaurant, she got into a car with him, they drove to the lake to walk the beach. Just like Ann and I had done.

I returned to the office and did my job as best I could but I couldn't concentrate. I left for home early.

Ann was home when I pulled in. She was home early too.

"How was your day?" I asked Ann.

"Pretty good."

"Did you enjoy your walk on the beach?"

"Um, how did you know I went to the beach?"

"I saw you. I also saw you at the restaurant with Bill. I had a client lunch. Do you want to tell me about it?"

"Bill wanted to talk so he suggested lunch. We needed more time so we walked down by the lake."