By Dawn Ramble
Chapter 4
Friday, December 22nd
It's Friday afternoon, five days since I saw Chris and I've been thinking about him every day. The day after tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Tonight, I have choir practice. I have no idea if Chris agreed to be in the choir or not. I don't go to practice regularly, just when I feel like it but always before major events like the Carol Service or the main Christmas and Easter Services. I am not part of the weekly choir, I'm part of the expanded choir for these events and only rehearsal for them is mandatory, so Jim will be expecting me to go. For these he only drops me off if he needs the car, otherwise I drive myself, which is what I expect I'll do tonight.
I'm thinking about this when the phone rings. It's Jim, "Hi Dear, I forgot to tell you we have a little pre-Christmas get-together after work, and I could be home quite late. I just realized you have choir practice. Will you be able to get a ride or call a cab?"
Not like Jim to forget something like this.
"Sure, Jim. I shouldn't think it will be much of a problem. Enjoy yourself! Any idea when you'll be home?"
"We'll probably eat something. I'll try to be home for ten."
"Ok then, I won't rush back from choir. It's Christmas so I might go for a drink if anyone's going."
"Fine, have fun!"
I call a cab and get to choir early and immediately see Chris.
"We need to talk."
"OK!"
"You know I'm married, but what you don't know is I am not some cheating tramp. I have never cheated on Jim before and never intended to. What has happened between us is like a force of nature that I can't control. I'm absolutely not saying I regret it, but now it's gone beyond a one-off I have to figure out what it means. Help me."
"I've been spending time wondering too. I mean after the first time I did not overthink it. As you say the attraction was mutual and irresistible. You were married. No business of mine what your boundaries were. But as you say then there was the second time, equally out of our control, and I even bum fucked you without consent in my search to make it something special."
"It certainly made it special,"
"And to cap it all I watch you getting it off again with...Jim, right? I could not stop watching. When you gave him that blowjob, I had to grab a handful of tissues, if get my meaning. You are so fucking hot!"
"Look this is just getting me wet again. When I said talk, I mean seriously. I don't know who you are or what you do or anything."
More people have arrived, and Chris says, "Later."
I say, "Hi!" to Mr. Kilkenny, our choir master.
"Nice to see you Christine, Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas to you!"
Then I walk over to the Simeons. When I was a teenager, I used to babysit their daughters. Kate and Arthur also work at St Joe's.
"Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas! How's Jim?"
"He's at some get together at St Joe's. I guess with choir you had to miss it."
They give each other a look.
"Not my department," says Arthur coloring slightly. His wife gives him a nudge him and signals me aside.
When we're alone she says, "You may not thank me for telling you this, but Jim has something going on with one of the nurses or technicians. I think they may be the only ones having a get-together this evening. They think they're discrete but it's already on the grapevine. I don't think it's gone much beyond flirting but I feel I have to give you a heads-up before they do something everyone will regret. Sorry, but I felt I should tell you."
"Thank you, that was courageous," I say as I feel the gut punch. I know Kate hasn't a mean bone in her body and took no pleasure in telling me, so it really was courageous. What she doesn't know is that although I'm completely shocked, I have no moral high ground to stand on.
"Julie's coming for our Christmas dinner tomorrow. Art and I are going on a cruise, flying out early on Christmas Eve. She recently started as an MRI technician so she may know something. If it's important I'll email you, but I'll be discrete."
"Thank you!"
"Was Jim actually trying to confess his desires, if not his sins, while fucking me last night?" I wonder. I remember telling him to fuck her first before broaching the subject of a threesome. If I gave permission and he does fuck her this evening, will he even really be cheating?
Suddenly, my world is pivoting and it's time for choir practice.
x-x-x-x-x
I learned one new thing about Chris during choir practice. He has a beautiful baritone singing voice, pitch perfect. "Of course, he does!"
For all I know he can probably play fifteen different instruments, paint better than Michelangelo, speak forty languages and write better than Shakespeare. It wouldn't surprise me.
Everyone in the choir is in awe of his talent. Mr. Kilkenny, our choir master, is pleading with him to be part of the core choir, the people who sing every week, but Chris is saying his work schedule won't allow it as he travels quite regularly.
"What does he do?" I wonder.
As he drives me home, I say, "Can we stop somewhere other than your apartment for a drink? We need to talk. At least I do."
Even before replying he draws the car into a parking spot by Lyell's, an upscale bar, with a cocktail lounge. We get out and he holds the door and guides me into the lounge area, which is much less crowded than main bar.
The lone attendant approaches and asks what we would like to drink. I order a Laphroaig malt, a close cousin to the Lagavulin, with a side of water, and the attendant beams approval. Chris surprises me by ordering a tonic water, no gin or vodka, just a tonic water.
"I'm driving," he says by way of explanation.
"What is it you do?" I ask as the attendant leaves.
"I am everybody's least favorite visitor. I work for the IRS."
"You're the tax man, like a tax accountant?"
"I am."
"But isn't that like an office job? I heard you telling Mr. Kilkenny you travel a lot."
"That's right! I'm in the investigations branch. I'm a Special Agent."
"Wow, kind of like the FBI."