Corporate Family Dinner

A chapter totally from Bob's viewpoint only - some more pretty graphic sex, as well. This iteration of the tale IS approaching the end. Maybe just one or two more chapters to go, at this point.

*******

Bob - Friday AM

Exactly one week from my own personal "black" Friday.

I woke about 9AM and really felt like shit. My head was pounding. I remembered my very strange encounter last night. I also felt guilty as hell for cheating - on Karen, my new girlfriend, not Elaine, my bitch wife I was separated from. And even though Karen and I had not slept together yet. It was my loyalty gene. I had a strange one - I couldn't ever actually separate "your loyalty to me" from "my loyalty to you". It was always a two way street with me. One reason I couldn't quite fathom Elaine's lack of loyal fidelity while I HAD remained faithful and loyal to her.

Well, maybe Elaine wasn't quite such a bitch, after all - just a different woman in some very important ways than the one I idealized and loved and married 11 years ago. Her definition of loyalty and love was a tad different from my own. Hey, it's all just subjectively relative - wasn't that the latest take on ALL moral issues in our modern world?

I stumbled through my shower and getting dressed and headed upstairs to the main kitchen. Elaine was there in her robe just waiting with her coffee.

She looked even more unhappily than the new normal for her. But she almost grinned a tad at my own obviously painful state. The sadistic bitch. And I even grinned a little at that thought and in response. She almost sighed in relief at that little smile of mine.

"Breakfast?" is all she said.

"Please..." I croaked back. "And where's the aspirin?"

"Upstairs in our master bath, of course - I'll get you some after you eat a little."

Her mood seemed to have lightened.

After I ate, swallowed 3 aspirin, drank 2 large glasses of OJ and even one of milk, and was on my second cup of coffee and was starting to feel a little more human, Elaine finally asked me, "Did you see Kay last night?"

"Yes. She seemed very honest and told me what I wanted to know. I don't need to talk about any of it with you right now. I'm still thinking about it. Look, it hasn't actually made "us" any worse than we were already, so don't you worry about that part of it. What's done is done. I'm glad I met Kay and we talked. She really likes you, I think. And strangely enough, I don't think I would mind you being friendly with Kay if you needed that kind of friend - a woman who knows the secret you - nearly as much as I would mind someone like Susan. Do you understand?"

"Maybe. I'm not seeing or talking with Susan, anymore - that's for sure. And I wasn't planning on staying in touch with Kay either - other than paying her back some money I owe her. She texted me a few times like you saw. But I didn't respond. The only friend I really need and want back right now is you, Hon..."

"Sorry, I just can't make any promises to you about that now. And I can't believe any promises you make to me right now, either. Trust is one of the most fragile things there is between human beings. It takes quite a bit of focused effort to slowly grow and build - and it then can all be destroyed in an instant of unthinking carelessness, or casual cruelty. Ever noticed that?"

"I...know that now. I should have known it before. It was a hard lesson to relearn."

Kudos to her for not crying, again. Frankly, it was getting boring to me. I might have some sadistic tendencies myself - in the deepest darkest part of my own psyche when released by other passions - like a totally uninhibited drug fueled sex encounter, but I didn't enjoy hurting people, even Elaine in these circumstances, when fully sober.

She then said, "Any time you need the Highlander or just want to take it - it's yours. It's not much, but better than your car. I wish you could have a new car, yourself, actually. I guess I never quite understood or appreciated why owning such status symbol toys just wasn't your thing."

"Ah - it's just not and never was. Don't make me out to be all noble about it. That's just a little personality quirk. I might drive the Highlander Monday, but not today. Well, it's a REAL late start for me now and I've got to go. Thanks for breakfast."

She touched my arm - but I just walked away without acknowledging it. I was still afraid of her and especially just how sexually attracted to her I still was, even after the excesses of last night and my new feelings for Karen. Life was suddenly getting REAL complicated. Maybe like it was for Karen the last few years. Maybe I would crash and burn inevitably myself now at some point in the future. Maybe I already had.

The burning question in my mind was "tell Karen about Kay and last night, or not?" Shit. I decided not too. It was just sex, unplanned for, and a result of Kay kind of forcing me before she would tell me everything about Elaine. And then it hit me - the same rationalizations Elaine used? Well, I was different because I wasn't ever going to do THAT again - cheating on Karen - and Elaine had, over and over again, no matter if it was only once a month or less than that over the course of 2 years. OK.

I WAS real busy with work stuff now, the more I learned the more I figured out on my own what ELSE needed doing - and I just did it. Ross was busy himself, as well.

I called Karen right after lunch and said, "What do you want to do tonight?"

She laughed and said, "Let's just go to Joe's and then see where that leads - same time, OK?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Then I called the urologist about another STD check appointment - after Kay last night.

The receptionist didn't quite laugh but explained it. It doesn't work that way, she said. STD's take about 2 weeks to 2 months to develop after exposure - bacterial ones quicker and the virus ones longer. So testing right after an encounter was pointless. If this was my new lifestyle I should just probably get checked once a month - and just use one of the testing clinics services - only call them again when any symptoms appeared or a scan showed an infection. But, hold on a minute, she said and put me on hold.

She came back on - since my wife was definitely infected with Chlamydia, just this time he would write me a prescription for the same preferred antibiotic as a combination treatment/prophylactic just so we never got in the reinfection cycle. Also, consider using condoms, she suggested. All. The. Time.

I just said thanks and hung up. Isn't "free love" just frickin great?

I did have a kind of low intensity headache all day and a shaky feeling. The vague thought occurred MAYBE a little more coke would fix that instantly, but really it wasn't that powerful an urge. Despite being busy enough I took off about 4:00 and just hit the gym again. Though the exercise I had gotten for 3+hours the night before burned quite a few calories, I imagined - I needed some honest sweat.

The headache finally did completely abate. I had time to call home and talk to Julia for a good 15 minutes, said I had an important business meeting tonight and gave the same unconvincing message to Elaine in our own short conversation. She mentioned she had gone to Washington University today and hoped we could talk about it sometime this weekend. I said, sure.

I was at Joe's before 6:30 and actually grabbed "our" table again. Maybe a really good omen?

In just a few minutes Karen came in - with Rich. My heart skipped a bit, I admit. Karen gave me a BIG smile and walked right up and kissed my cheek - then a big wet one right on the old kisser. Everything was just fine again.

Rich grinned at me, though admittedly half-heartedly and said, "Karen told me the new status and that you were now numero uno in her heart. But she I work together and are still friends. Good friends." His eyes sent a mixed message - yes, he was still my competitor for Karen's charms, but more importantly - if I mistreated and hurt Karen he would find me. I could live with that and met his steady gaze with my own.

But then he really did just smile and said, "Ross should be here soon to join us. I called him and convinced him to break his business appointment "date" tonight. The poor guy needs some fun, too."

Damn - another good news, bad news. As much as I loved hanging around Ross socially, I wanted some alone time with my girl, as well. But after a beer and some lively chatter, overall I felt pretty good. Then Ross came in with the lovely Tammy, and Tammy walked right up and hugged me and kissed my cheek as if we were long lost best friends finally reuniting. I glanced at Karen and saw her green eyes flash. Then I introduced her to Tammy as my, what? Mistress? Nope just my new really, really good friend. Tammy laughed delightedly and Karen relaxed as well. Wow - had Elaine ever reacted that way around me, or me around her? Maybe we should have, is all I could think. And all the time, never stopping.

After all the intros, Ross turned to Rich and said, "OK, why was it SO important I blow off my latest hottest prospect?"

"Nope. They weren't your hottest prospect. Kamamatsu Industries is. They definitely want a meeting Monday at 1PM, our offices. They sound very serious about it. We both checked your references and they are intrigued - but not convinced of course. I could have just called you but I'll bet you need a LITTLE just R&R tonight, anyway."

Rich looked pleased with himself. Ross just turned on his million watt smile. There was a stirring in many loins - of other women there as Ross radiated - but with him hanging on Tammy they pretty much just sighed and stilled their beating hearts and dripping pussies. And Karen was hanging on me as well. Finally most of their attention focused on Rich and I figured his own bruised ego would find some solace tonight. It was a good night all in all - and the best part was that Karen and I excused ourselves about 9:30 and headed straight back to her place. And I fell directly into her bed and into her. Last night had not dimmed my ardor or stamina one damn bit, as it turned out.

And that first sex with Karen just so exceeded even what Kay did to me just the night before with the aid of coke, that it wasn't even close. We spent the first of many nights together just tangled all up into each other. It didn't fix my problems with Elaine and my still mixed up feelings and intellect, but it did calm my frayed nerves finally, marvelously.

I was determined to just be happy and in the moment when I was with Karen. Not worry about my past or even hers, nor our futures. Just take it day by day. It wasn't ever going to be perfect. Neither personal nor collective utopia is possible on this Earth. Just too many damn Catch-22's. The traps are all around and no one can ever escape all of them. All we can do is muddle thru and do the best we can. Maybe I was learning some hard lessons as well.

And already, just a measly one week after my world crashed and burned, I was happier in at least one moment of time again than I ever thought would be possible. How had all this happened? The chaotic flows of randomness and coincidences was incredible and all stemmed from that fateful dinner. Karen had been there! If Elaine had not erred so grievously. If I had not dishonored myself, as well, by just letting her go. If I had just decided to crawl in a hole and drink myself under last weekend, and on and on and on with all the quite plausible permutations, I would never have ended up in Joe's and alone Saturday night...and so many of us blindly stumble thru our lives thinking our Fates are in our own hands...

I woke up next morning - Saturday - in Karen's arms. We made love again, leisurely. She was a miracle. She was happy in the morning and not grumpy. She was NEVER grumpy (well just some of THOSE days around her monthly cycle.) And the best thing was she just accepted my own grumpiness in the morning before coffee pulled me back together. I just wanted to stay in bed with her all day but we both knew I couldn't. I had other responsibilities - my daughter and even my wife - and also some work things to get done as well.

It was still a very hopeful high surrounding the Japanese opportunity. Karen was happy for me. Leaving her that morning was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I watched her carefully as I tried to explain.

She merely said, "I know Bob. Just call me when you can and come back as soon as you can. Tonight, or tomorrow or next week. I trust you will do that as soon as you can. The longer it is the worse I will hate our separation. But I know what I'm doing. Trust me as I trust you."

I kissed her - and then I started crying. She just held me.

Through all the pain and hurt I felt with Elaine's betrayal - I had never cried about it - until now. I needed to do that. It took me a few minutes to pull myself together. Then she kissed me as passionately as ever and said only "Soon." And I drove back to the house that used to be "home" for me, but now I pretty much knew that it never would be again. But I had to keep Julia as happy as possible and I felt I had to help Elaine move on as gracefully as possible. I still wasn't a sober sadist. But I knew my starting to fall in love with another woman was a hurtful thing to do to Elaine. I had no excuses for myself. This wasn't "Fate" or just an accident. I did it because I wanted to. The heart wants what it wants - but it doesn't actually rule us. It's just awfully persuasive most of the time. Was this just another "path to Hell" I was on? I hoped not but honestly didn't know.

I got back to Elaine's house about noon and really needed to reconnect with Julia and Elaine and us all as a "family" even if it was just a faux family now. That deception was still necessary for Julia's happiness. Elaine made it as easy as possible. Now, she was as consistently pleasant and agreeable and just non-bitchy, as she had been when we first got married. What a change from that just unhappy dissatisfied persona norm that she had slowly developed over the past 5 or 6 years of our marriage - and maybe as far back as 9 years as she had mentioned. I honestly could not remember clearly that far back.

Elaine was still a beautiful woman. Only 31 years old, and in the best shape of her life, physically. I had only slightly noticed before how stunning her new body actually looked. She always was beautiful to me, and even when 9 months pregnant. But I was starting to really notice her now as other men must all the time. I had no doubts she WAS hit on constantly when out and about alone. That kind of temptation was just - there - for her all the time. That was a constant pressure and tension I never had to endure - as a much plainer guy as I always thought of myself and most women certainly seemed to reinforce. But human nature is such that most women just don't pursue men, and most men DO pursue women. It's the same reason 90-95% of the "sex workers" in the world are women - and only 5-10% are men - and most of those men are homosexual or bisexual sex workers. Modern feminist "sexual equality" theories are laughably deficient facing actual pschosexual reality.

But what really could make Elaine almost irresistibly attractive to most normal men is merely adding a bubbly and happy personality to her natural beauty and her spunk and intelligence. I felt bad for Elaine and bad for me in so much 20/20 hindsight - but most of my pain was over with.

Of course it would never totally be over with - but life is what it is. It's not fair. I was dealing with it.

So, we went out to dinner that night to one of Julia's favorite restaurants - an Italian place with good pizza's and other broader fare. Elaine told me she had a chance to actually start back to college this semester. It was late but the graduate program seemed more flexible. She needed to take some placement tests and possibly a few "catch-up" rather than remedial courses, but even getting in a couple of those would help her a lot in maybe getting her Master's in just one year. She had filled out some financial aid applications but that would take time - could she just pay tuition and get started?

"Yes, of course. We've got the money now and I can't think of a better use for it. Please go for it."

She didn't ask me where I was last night and I didn't bother with either the truth or especially a lie.

But, "I will need the Highlander Monday to pick up somebody from the Airport for work."

"Sure," she smiled in reply.

I stayed up with everyone until after Julia went to bed and was sound asleep by midnight. Elaine hopefully invited me into her bedroom and I merely said, "I'll get up early enough tomorrow that Julia won't know the difference. Good night."

"Good night, Hon" she replied wistfully.

I went downstairs and called Karen to just talk to her and say goodnight. I told her I would see her Sunday night but couldn't stay the night. She just said "I can't wait" and I got goosebumps.

I devoted Sunday to Julia - and Elaine as Julia's mother. We went to the Zoo for a pleasant 4 hours. It really is a wonderful place and the weather cooperated for late September. In the Midwest you just never can tell with Autumn.

After dinner I said I had to go back downstairs and prepare for Monday and might even have to run out for a bit - but I would be back for sure to say goodnight to Julia.

Soon I was on my way to Karen's. I felt guilty and like I was cheating - on Julia this time, not Elaine. Of course, Karen and I had some more great sex and pleasant conversations as well. She wanted to know how it was going with Julia and I tried to just be as open and honest as I could. She was just so empathetic and nonjudgmental. I got back home by 10PM and just in time to kiss my little darling good night. I then pretended that Elaine and I were going to bed like "normal" until we were sure Jules was asleep.

As I was heading back downstairs Elaine just said, "You probably shouldn't kiss your daughter good night smelling of a perfume that's not her mother's. Just saying." She handled it well. Just pretty matter-of-factly.

"I agree. I'll try to do better. Sorry. Let's trade keys as I WILL have to leave early tomorrow,"

"Here's your own copy for the Highlander. Good night, Bob. I'm really losing you..." she said the last very softly.

"All I can say is that we are still separated. It's only been a week. We both need time."

"Good luck tomorrow" and she headed up to her bed and me down to mine. I missed Karen in my bed. And I missed Elaine in my bed. Fucking Catch-22's and I couldn't "have my cake and eat it, too" anymore than Elaine could or 350 million other fellow Americans.

****

Monday Morning:

Dr. Walter Watson was an interesting fellow. Think of that jovial bon vivant red faced guy in "Four Weddings and a Funeral". Not what I expected in a Georgia Tech Robotics Professor and research scientist. But then I had never met one before either.

In our car ride to Karen and Rich's law offices where our meeting with the Kamamatsu people and their lawyers was going to happen, I learned he had known Ross for about 3 years after bonding at some kind of weekend retreat on a yacht. Where wine, women, and song were shared along with the latest ideas and trends in robotics usage in the manufacturing and production industries. They had stayed in contact and some unfortunate indiscretions by the good Prof with a few graduate co-eds that became public - led to the Professor's wife leaving him - and taking her own "good friend" male graduate student with her. Something about "goose and gander" popped into my head here.

Anyway the Professor was planning on easing himself out of pure academia and into the riches of the business world - and via the process many biotech University research scientists had already utilized - private-public cooperative ventures. A way for the "private" parts to get some very high-skilled low-cost labor and crucial technology initially, and the "public" parts get huge grants and even larger endowments down the road.