Benefits of Divorce

Sadness still over came her as she started to erase the board from the day's lesson. It had been over three months since her husband served her with divorce papers, but Laura still felt the sting of deceit. She thought he was in love with her...but one day she walked in on her husband with his ex-girlfriend in their bed. Then all through the divorce he kept telling her how she wasn't emotionally his and he had to do what he did. She admitted to herself that she wasn't emotionally his but she did her best to be a good wife. She cooked his meals, cleaned his clothes, kept his house, and took care of him when he needed it. Yes, it bothered her that when she tried to make love to him, he would deny her, say he wasn't in the mood, but she never found love elsewhere. Instead, she threw herself into being a wife. It was the worst betrayal when he went and slept with his ex instead of her.

But time moved on therefore she had to. Laura now just threw herself into her studies at the university. She was now student teaching at a local high school and she was busy enough with that. Her thoughts however, still trailed on to how much she wanted someone to love, or to make love to...Suddenly it was as if fate was reading her mind. She heard his voice deep and smooth in the doorway...

"What's cookin', good lookin'?"

She stopped in mid erase. He loved the fact that he surprised her. There she was in her black mini skirt with a purple sweater and high heels. And her body...that hadn't changed since he last saw her. She still had that round butt, with beautiful, shapely legs, and an oval face with almond shaped brown eyes. The only thing that changed was her hair. It was longer, and straighter than the last time he saw her. It reached down to her butt and he just wanted to run his hands through it and pull it tightly towards him. Instead he laughed at her surprise.

"Tony?" She whispered softly without looking in his direction.

"Yeah, surprised?"

She turned to look at him. Thirty-five and he was still as handsome as the first day she saw him. He was Adonis in person. Chiseled face, piercing blue eyes, blonde curly hair, tall, medium build. She still wanted him so much, but she knew deep down, she couldn't act on her feelings.

"Yes, very", Laura responded, "How did you know where to find me?"

"You told me where you were student teaching silly." He laughed. The two had been talking over email since a mutual friend gave Tony her email address. Then there was this past Christmas...

"But Tony, how did you find this place?"

Tony walked over to her. He had one hand behind his back and she couldn't see what he was hiding.

"There's this great thing, it's called Mapquest" Tony joked.

"You mean you know how to use it?" She joked back.

"Yeah!" Tony smiled wide.

"I'm so proud of you!" Laura mockingly held her arms out to hug him. Tony took the opportunity to put the bouquet of flowers in her hands. Laura looked down at it alarmingly.

"I was in the area...wondered what you were doing for dinner." Tony said.

There was so much to ask Tony, but this wasn't the place.

"Um, sure, that would be great. I'm just about to leave...follow me."

Laura beckoned Tony to follow her out of the room. They walked down the hall in silence then turned to go down the stairs. The student buses had already left so the halls were quiet. That's when Laura started in on Tony.

"So...what brings you here, business?"

"Nope, I wanted to come see you."

"Tony, your wife..."

"Wants a divorce" Tony cut her off.

"WHAT? I mean, well, what does your dad have to say about this."

"I don't give a damn what my dad thinks, Laura. I'm tired of thinking about what my dad thinks..."

"But why, what happened?"

"She got tired of me."

"What did you do?"

Tony stopped walking down the stairs, "What makes you think I did something?" he sounded insulted.

"I didn't mean it that way..." Laura backtracked, "it's just...hey give me some slack, my husband just cheated on me."

"Yeah well, he was stupid." Tony said flatly.

"Thanks." Laura whispered as they continued down the stairs, "How are the kids?"

"I don't know" Tony said, "How were you after your parents got divorced?"

"Well considering I found my mom in bed with another man, I didn't take it too well."

Tony nodded at Laura's response. He forgot about that tidbit of her life and he felt sorry for bringing it up.

"So, where are the kids now?"

"With my soon to be ex in Tampa."

Laura stopped in her tracks in the hallway, "You mean Florida?!"

"Yup, I mean Florida."

"Tony..." her voice trailed as she reached out for his hand.

Tony stared at her briefly and then he shook the thought out of his mind.

"Hey listen, I'm staying at a Ramada on Dupont Circle..."

"Dupont Circle, swanky." Laura joked.

"Well I was hoping we could do dinner out there."

"Sure, why don't you follow me to my place and we'll drop off my car and then later you can take me to the Metro."

Laura walked out of the building and Tony followed.

"That's if you go home tonight." Tony said under his breath.

"What did you say?" Laura heard it but she pretended not to.

"Nothing." Tony smiled.

"By the way, thanks for the flowers."

Tony stopped then knelt down towards Laura's lips, pointing at his cheek. Laura kissed him and Tony broke out into a big grin.

"God, I miss you." He said.

"Tony, she didn't find out about Christmas, did she?"

"Hey." Tony stopped by his car, "I told you, she got tired of me, ok? You didn't do anything. No one knows about Christmas except you and me. You believe me, right?"

Laura nodded. Tony got into his car without another word. He smiled at her from the inside. She smiled back and then walked over to her car. It looked like they weren't going to deal with Christmas just yet.

As she started up her car, Laura's mind wandered to Christmastime. At the time, she was brokenhearted and had just finished signing her divorce papers. She and Tony had been talking for about a month over email and instant messenger. He kept trying to comfort her the best he could. He tried to call her but Laura wouldn't answer. She just couldn't get herself to talk to him. She wasn't ready.

Early Christmas morning, Laura's cell phone rang around 3am. She clamored out of bed and tried to fish her phone out of her purse. When she retrieved it, she saw the missed call was Tony. As she contemplated calling him back, the phone rang again. Finally, Laura submitted to answering.

"Hey...what's cookin'..." She answered

"Good lookin'!" Tony finished, "How come you don't answer your phone?"

"I'm sorry Tony, it's just...well..."

"Well what? Hey come by the restaurant. I have to do some stuff over there and it's closed, we can talk, catch up. I really want to see you."

Laura hesitated, "Tony it's so early. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"I have two kids, of course I know what time it is. Come on, please? I just wanna talk, to someone I actually like."

"Tony you're married! I would hope you like your wife."

"Well whatever, I'll be there in a half hour...hope to see you then."

"I'll be in my P.J.'s."

"Hope they're sexy."

Tony hung up his phone while Laura cursed at herself. She fished in her purse again and found her car keys. Then she found a pad and pen and wrote her parents a note letting them know she was taking a ride and would be back soon. She hoped her parents didn't hear the cell phone and figured out she was going to meet someone. It was the last thing she needed, her parents judging her after a divorce.

It was cold outside, but the roads weren't frozen so it took Laura no time to get there. She parked her car in her old spot at the restaurant parking lot and waited for Tony to show up. He showed up a few minutes later and had a beaming smile when he saw her. Laura got out of the car to meet him as he approached her car. They exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheek and she followed him into the restaurant.

"So what's new?" Tony asked as he opened the door to his office and plopped into his chair.

Laura hoisted herself onto his desk and sighed, "Oh you know, same old, same old. Single again, hating myself for it."

"I heard, I'm sorry. Sounds like he was freaking out over being married."

"Amazing though how he was cool with it until his ex rolled back into town."

Laura's eyes started to cloud over and she decided to change the subject.

"Um...so you look good."

Tony stood up and placed his hands around Laura's waist.

"So do you. P.J.'s and all." He smiled as his hands slowly started to rub her back.

Laura squirmed and tried to get Tony to stop.

"Tony, what are you doing?"

Before she could get an answer Tony's lips were on hers. It was the most powerful kiss she had gotten in a long time. It was deep and intense. It caught her by surprise so much, she barely protested. Tony moaned in her mouth and he pulled her closer to him. Laura felt a warmness stirring in her, but she dared not say anything. As Tony's tongue started to intertwine with hers, they both moaned and Laura found herself running her fingers through his hair. But as quickly as the kiss came, Laura's conscious returned and she quickly pushed Tony away.

"Tony what are you doing?" she asked again breathless. Her body was shaking and it was hard to conceal her real reaction from him.

"What I've wanted to do for years."

Laura went to slide off the desk but Tony's hands wouldn't move from her waist. Instead, he backed her farther onto the desk. Then he swooped in for another kiss. Laura cursed him under her breath for being too fast. He chuckled as he kissed her intensely. His tongue again explored her mouth and he held her hips even tighter. Slowly as they kissed, he let his left hand slide up Laura's leg. Nerves she forgot she had set off...but so did the alarm in her brain.

Forcefully Laura pushed Tony away and jumped off of the office desk. She walked briskly out of the room.

"I gotta go." She said curtly.

Tony followed Laura out of the office. He tried to grab her but he narrowly missed.

"Hey wait up. Where are you going?" He called out after her.

"Home, I can't stay here."

"Come on, wait."

Laura reached the restaurant front door. When she went to pull the door open and it shuttered into place. She cursed as she realized the door was locked because the restaurant was closed for the holiday. As she reached for the lock, a hand came down upon her. Before she knew it Tony came up behind her and pressed her against the door.

"Don't go."

"I have to." She said trying not to think about his body against hers.

"Why?'

"Because I don't trust myself around you. And I can't do this. You're married. I'm sorry, no matter what I want, I can't do this."

"What if it's what I want?" Tony asked.

"It's not about you or me...it's about your wife and kids." She managed to undo the lock and push the door open, "Please, Tony, let me go home."

Tony released his hand from her, but he kept his arm around her waist. They stood there for what seemed like forever. Then suddenly Laura felt a soft kiss on her temple.

"I'll talk to you soon." Tony whispered in her ear.

As soon as he let go, Laura was out the door and on her way back to her parent's house.

That was three months ago and Laura couldn't stop thinking about it. In one sense she was proud of herself for resisting the ultimate temptation. In another, she kept kicking herself for a missed opportunity. In the end, she knew she did what was right.

Here she was now, pulling up to her home and getting ready to jump into the car with Tony. Laura got out of the car and motioned to Tony to wait for her as she went inside to check up on her dog and cat. She came out within minutes and got into Tony's Jeep Grand Cherokee.

"Onward, Jeeves." She joked. Tony smiled back.

"So what's good around here?" he asked.

"What isn't? Let's go park your car at the hotel and then we can walk to a place around there."

"Ok, sounds cool to me." Tony agreed.

Traffic wasn't too bad in the early afternoon so they made it to the hotel in twenty minutes. Tony had the valet at the garage park the car and they stood there in the garage.

"So where to now, Jeeves?" Tony joked.

"Hmm..." Laura stood their thinking, "Depends what you're in the mood for."

"Well in that case..." Tony started. Laura cut him off before he could finish. She was going to get a dinner and a drink out of this man first.

"There's Asian, Italian, well everything around here. I think just down Connecticut there is the really cook place called Kramerbooks. It's contemporary American but in a kind of book store setting."

"Sounds cool to me." Tony took Laura's hand and they started out towards Connecticut Avenue. Laura felt the electrical shock in her body as he took her hand. She didn't fight him or pull away. She was just going with it all and trying to see where things would go from here.

As expected, the restaurant was just a few short blocks from the hotel. They both seemed fascinated at the set up and took some time to check out the inside of the place. After a few minutes, however, they found someone to seat them near a window. As she sat at the table across from Tony, looking over the menu, Tony tried to strike up conversation.

"So how's the whole student teaching going?'

"Great. I can't believe that after all these years; I'm finally getting my undergrad. I still feel kinda like a loser though."

"Why?" Tony laughed.

"Well it's taken me over ten years to get my bachelor's degree. But at least I'll be getting two degrees, one in History and another in Education."

"You're not a loser." Tony said flatly as he looked over the menu, "You're the smartest person I know. You've worked hard for this. I definitely didn't get the grades your getting now. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." Laura blushed.

"Nerd." Tony spat out.

Laura kicked him under the table playfully. As she went to withdraw her leg away, Tony surprised her by hooking her leg with his. In one quick motion, he managed to get her leg to slide up his. She looked up from her menu in surprise and hissed at him.

"People can see us."

"No they can't." Tony said without looking up from the menu.

Laura tried to pull her leg back, but Tony kept hooking it again. Finally, she managed to lower her foot to the ground, but Tony's leg was still locked with hers. She glared at him, frustrated that he wouldn't let go. He glanced up at her and smiled wickedly. Good Lord, how am I going to get through dinner with this man? She thought.

The waiter came over and took their orders. Laura was glad he didn't notice their legs in the position they were in. After the waiter left, Laura shot Tony a look again. Tony just smiled.

"What?"

"You know what."

Tony took his hand under the table and rubbed Laura's thigh. She quickly slapped it hard.

"Ow!" Tony shouted.

"People can see us."

"No they can't, they are all the way over there. Will you relax?"

"You're being pushy."

"If I was being pushy, then I wouldn't be buying you dinner right now."

"Oh you're buying." Laura joked, "Then I would like dessert."

"I bet you would." Tony shot back.

Laura placed both her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her clasped hands.

"What are you doing here, Tony?"

"I came here to see you, is that so bad?"

"Really Tony be honest with me."

"You know why I'm here." He said sternly.

Finally, Laura realized she wasn't going to get anything out of him and he wasn't going to stop manhandling her. So instead she decided two could play at this game. She placed her hands above his knees under the table and started to rub his lower thigh.

"Higher." Tony commanded.

"Say please." Laura shot back.

Suddenly, the server interrupted them.

"Saved by dinner." Laura joked as she brought her hands back up to the table. Tony pouted back at her.

Dinner passed by quickly. They talked about how the restaurant was doing and about mutual people they knew. Tony asked Laura when her graduation date was and she mentioned it was sometime in May. He expressed interest in going and Laura said it would be nice to see him there.

After they finished dinner, they decided to go for a walk around the town. Laura led the way out of the restaurant while Tony followed her. As they walked out, she felt his hand on her waist from behind. Slowly he slid his hand to her ass. She stopped her in tracks.

"Roaming hand there Mister." She joked.

Tony pulled her so close to him and whispered in her ear,

"Any requests."

He let go and walked ahead of her. As he passed by, Tony grabbed Laura's hand to lead her out of restaurant. For the next two hours, they walked around the downtown DC. Laura took Tony to see a few monuments. She enjoyed playing tour guide. Eventually, they ended up back at the hotel. For a few awkward minutes, they stood in silence. Laura noted, however, that Tony was still holding on to her hand. Finally, Tony spoke up.

"Want to come up to my room?" he asked, "Just sit, talk."

"Just sit and talk?" she teased.

"Believe it or not that's up to you."

"Ok, let's go."

Laura followed Tony into the hotel. He finally let go of her hand as they approached his room so he could get out his room key. After he swiped his card, Tony opened the door and motioned for Laura to walk in first. As Tony followed her, he took off his shirt, revealing his bare chest. She was too into looking around the room to notice, but when she turned around she jumped to see him without his shirt off. Laura started to back away from him, unknowingly towards the bed. To her surprise, Tony didn't follow her, instead walked away, towards the desk on the opposite side of the room. He sat in the desk chair and faced her. Tony had a hard look on his face as he beckoned her to come towards him.

"Tony..." Laura said apprehensively.

"Just come here" he finally smiled.

Laura walked up to him. When she was about within a foot of him, Tony reached out his arms and pulled her closer. Her heart pumped as he pressed her against him. Laura went to climb onto his lap but instead Tony spun her around and had her sit on his lap with her back against him. She could hear him breathing hard into her ear.

"What are you doing?"

"Stop asking me that." He said gruffly as his hand moved up her thigh under her skirt.

Tony's hand ripped at her pantyhose under her skirt. His fingers teased the outline of her panties before they pushed aside the fabric. His fingers immediately went to her clit and rubbed it for just a few strokes. Laura gasped at what it did to her. Her stomach muscles tensed up and she moaned in response. After a few minutes, his fingers slide down towards her opening and teased her there.

"Oh my god, you're so wet." Tony whispered in her ear.

As he released his hold on her, Tony made her stand up from the chair. Then he stood up and turned her to face him. Slowly, he started nudging her towards the bed. Still facing him, Laura walked backwards toward the bed. As she walked, she pulled off her shirt and tossed it aside. Instantly, Tony's hands were on her breasts, kneading them, caressing them. Slowly, Laura sat on the bed, while Tony knelt down in front of her and placed both hands on each side of her waist. He kissed her intensely while attempting to undo her bra. As soon as the bra fell off, Tony picked it up and cast it aside. Then he laid her flat on the bed. His hands pulled her skirt and panty hose off in one slow motion. Then he lightly cursed to himself when he realized her shoes were still on. Laura chuckled at him as he slid them off before he finished undressing her.

"Laugh now..." he said wickedly.

Laura's stomach fluttered as his eyes locked hers. Tony motioned her to slide up the bed and she obediently did so. As he lay next to her, he took his fingers and pushed aside her hair from her face. He caressed her face softly and stared into her eyes.