George sat at the bar nursing his second J&B of the night. He didn't want to drink it too fast because he knew what would happen if he did. He knew he would have a horrible hangover in the morning if he drank too many tonight and he hated those hangovers. Usually when he was careful he did not develop hangovers from scotch but if he overdid it there was no telling how bad his head would hurt in the morning.
Just as he took the glass from his lips and set it on the bar he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned slightly to see a stunningly attractive lady in a classic little black dress. His heart jumped as he looked at her, he couldn't help himself she was such a beautiful woman. She stood about eye level with him as he sat on the bar stool so he knew she would be a bit shorter than he when he stood up.
"Hi handsome, can a lady have a dance?"
George smiled warmly at this vision of beauty and offered her his hand, "Yes of course, it would be my honor."
He led her out to the dance floor as a slow number began playing on the juke box. The two danced as if they had been partners all their lives with him holding her close and she resting her head on his shoulder.
The song ended all too soon as did the dance. The lady stretched up onto her toes to kiss him gently on the cheek and whispered, "Thank you for the dance George, Happy Birthday."
He in turn kissed her on the cheek and replied, "Thank you Jane and thank you for the dance too."
He escorted her back to her table and turned to leave without another word.
As he made his way back to the bar his mind started to flash back in time to twenty nine years earlier. When he sat down at the bar he caught the attention of the bartender. "Please bring me another J&B Jimmie and make it a double."
Continuing to reflect on the past, a tear coursed its way down his cheek. Jimmie arrived with his drink and said, "This one is on the house George, Happy Birthday."
"Thanks Jimmie," he said as he wiped the tear away with a bar napkin. "I sure don't know why I put myself through this every year."
Jimmie patted his hand and replied, "I do George, I do." With that Jimmie walked away and left George to continue his reflection.
Twenty nine years ago today George had turned 21 and he and a couple of his buddies were out to celebrate. If you do the math you will know that tonight George is celebrating his 50th birthday. Martinsville was a small town back then and the best place to celebrate was the Rock River Country Club.
The RRCC had a typical bar for those who chose to have a few drinks and a well appointed spacious meeting room where bands, DJ's or a well stocked juke box played music every weekend. Those who chose to not drink or those too young to drink could still mingle with their friends and neighbors at the club and enjoy a social evening out. It was the place to be back then and still was today.
Twenty nine years ago there had been a DJ and George and his buddies wandered into the meeting room to scope out the girls that were there that night. George spotted Jane sitting with a few of her friends and walked over to ask her to dance.
She smiled up at him and said, "Of course I would love to dance with you George, it is your birthday today isn't it?"
"Yes it is," he answered back. "Do I get a birthday kiss from the prettiest girl here?"
"We will see George," she answered shyly. "We will see."
George noticed that she had blushed when she said that, but he was encouraged because she had not said no. He really liked this girl and enjoyed holding her close as they danced. She seemed to enjoy it too as she rested her head on his shoulder.
When the song ended Jane stretched up onto her toes and kissed him gently on the cheek and whispered, "Thank you for the dance George, Happy Birthday."
He in turn kissed her on the cheek and replied, "Thank you Jane and thank you for the dance too."
For twenty nine years George had one dance with Jane on his birthday and she kissed him on the cheek when it was over and she wished him a "Happy Birthday". They had not missed a single time in all those years.
By this time his double J&B was gone and he motioned for Jimmie to bring him yet another. Jimmie looked at him questioningly and George nodded his head. Usually he had two drinks, danced with Jane, had his double and left for home. Then Jimmie realized it was George's 50th birthday and understood.
"Here you go George, have as many as you want tonight, I will make sure someone gives you a ride home," Jimmie added.
"Thanks Jimmie that would be great. You are a good friend."
"Well George, I have been serving you drinks on your birthday since you turned 21 and I wouldn't want you to get into any trouble or have an accident on your way home."
George lost himself in the scotch that night. He didn't remember how many more he had but it must have been a few more at least because he also didn't remember how he got home. All the memories of the last twenty nine years flooded though his mind. He had a hard time dealing with all the emotions and knew that he had broken down a couple of times.
Finally Jimmie cut him off and arranged for a ride home. The next thing George knew was that he had awakened with a huge hangover. A couple of years in the past ten had been bad, but this was the worst. He didn't ever remember his head hurting this badly.
George and Jane became an item soon after that first dance and dated for almost a year before their engagement. One year after he asked her to marry him they were married and they had their reception and dance right in that very hall.
Their marriage was quite typical with lots of romance and sexual desire. Both of them were virgins when they got married and they learned together. George was curious about a lot of different sexual positions and activities so they explored their sexuality together. Jane wasn't a prude in any sense of the word and willingly delved into everything George suggested.
To put it mildly, they were hot for one another and learned a lot about what pleased one another over their married lives. There was very little that they didn't do in their marriage. They tried out any position they ever heard of or read about and some that they made up. They were frequent visitors to the joys of oral sex and on the rare night they delved into the anal pleasures. Neither of them was obsessed with anal sex but when the mood was right they had no trouble getting there.
Most people would say they had a perfect marriage. They complimented each other well and always seemed to be happy with one another.
Now we know that there are no perfect marriages and George and Jane were no exception to that. They had many of the usual spats. He was lazy when she had projects to do. She was pushy when he just wanted to relax. The cost of his toys was too great. She spent too much on clothes.
The kids were too noisy when he was trying to work and she didn't keep them quiet. He didn't help out enough with the household chores.
You get the picture. They were pretty damn normal as married couples go. But what had gone so wrong in their marriage that they were not together any longer?
George was curious.
Looking Back
He had just turned 40 a couple of weeks earlier and as many people do he was reflecting on his life and maybe was just a little depressed because everything hadn't gone the way he expected. Oh, he was a successful real estate broker and they didn't have too many worries financially. He was happy with his wife and family too but he just turned 40 and doubts seem grow out of nothing when you turn 40.
George had enrolled in a seminar to obtain some education on the benefits of Starker Exchanges and how the paperwork needed to be completed to eliminate problems in the exchange. It was a two day seminar in St. Louis and he would spend two nights away from home, away from Jane.
He and Jane had been married for seventeen years and George had never spent one night away from home alone. He had been separated from Jane a few times for fishing or hunting trips but always was with friends or family. This would be a first for him being away alone.
The last plane of the day to St. Louis left at 6:45 P.M. so Jane took him to the airport. They bid their farewell with passionate hugs and kisses and as George stepped into the walkway to the airplane he heard Jane tell him, "Be good honey."
He glanced back at her and said, "I'll be very, very good, or else I will be better," with a big grin on his face and he blew her a kiss.
Jane laughed but stuck her tongue out at him. They had always laughed about the old nursery rhyme:
The Little Girl With a Curl There was a little girl who had a little curl, Right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, she was very, very good, But when she was bad, she was horrid.
They always changed it to: When she was good, she was very, very good, But when she is bad she was better.
George arrived on schedule and made his way to The Pavilion Hotel in downtown St. Louis where the seminar was going to be held. As soon as he got checked in and settled into his room he went down to Catcher's Bar and Grille for a drink before turning in. It was a little sports bar in the hotel and he enjoyed a short relaxing time and a couple of beers.
There was a pretty active crowd watching the Cardinals on TV and George had a good time. He assumed that a number of the people here would be attending the seminar the next two days like he was. At one point while he was glancing around the room he made eye contact with an attractive redhead. She smiled at him and he returned her smile. Nodding his head toward her he raised his glass as a form of salute and she smiled again.
George knew that he needed to go call Jane before she went to bed so he got up to leave Catcher's. As he turned to leave he glanced once more in the direction of the redhead and she was looking at him again. He waved goodbye to her and walked out of the bar and up to the elevators to go to his room.
After he called Jane he prepared himself for the next day's classes and got ready for bed. Being in a strange bed all alone he found it difficult to fall asleep and started the thought process that would be his downfall.