AFTER WAS THE BEGINNING
It began as a casual conversation by two lonely 'extras' after a wedding. We were the 'extra' parents. My daughter had just married her son. Her ex-husband and his new wife and my ex-wife and her latest husband were the main participants in the wedding of our kids. I did get to walk my daughter down the aisle, that was about all. Casey is still my 'little girl' and I fought back tears when I 'gave her away' to her husband Bradley. They are a nice couple and I think they will do well. I sure hope they do better than her mother and I did.
We were at the wedding reception and after dinner and the usual activities with the bride and groom, everyone was leaving. Casey and Brad were on their way to their honeymoon. Most of the guests had left and the 'other' parents were getting together at my former house.
Sitting at my table, a few seats away was Liz, the mother of the groom. I had met her and we had talked briefly earlier in the day. Like me, she was not part of the 'in' group. I could see that her son meant everything to her and now he was gone. He and my daughter were moving to Atlanta for his new job, so neither of us would see them very often. We had eaten dinner and both had drunk a lot of wine. I had driven from three hours away to get to the wedding and was looking forward to spending the night in a nearby hotel.
"Are you driving home tonight?" I asked Liz. I had no idea where she lived. I was just making small talk.
She said, "Yes. I have a two-hour drive. I need to sober up before I go."
I suggested, "I'm sure they have rooms at the hotel. You should stay over rather than drive home at such a late hour."
She said, "Maybe you're right. I at least need to sit for a while."
I said, "I'll keep you company for a while. I'm staying at the hotel and then leaving in the morning. This whole thing has been a mixed bag for me. I love my daughter and was delighted to see her looking so beautiful for her wedding and Bradley seems like a great young man."
"But?" she asked.
"It pissed me off seeing my ex with that asshole she married."
She said his name, "Garrett. He seemed kind of arrogant to me, not to my taste."
Me: "He's a real prick."
She, "Did he break you up, or did she meet him after?"
Me: "She met him after we split up, but she was screwing around on me with other guys. Hell, he might've been one of them."
I asked her, "What about you?"
She: "He was fucking his secretary. I caught him and threw his ass out. He kept it a secret for close to a year. He didn't have the balls to tell me he wanted to leave me."
Me: "We got into swinging. She wanted to try it. I went along, enjoyed it for a while, but then she got the itch to screw guys without me being involved. She is now married to this guy, but I know she still likes to play the field."
She: "She sounds like a real slut. Do you have anyone now?"
Me: "Nah. I dated a few women, but I'm not the smoothest operator and I don't do well with pick-ups or first dates. Rita and I were high school sweethearts, got married in college. She broke my heart. You?"
She: "Pretty much the same story. I've dated a few guys, but being a divorcee, they all want to go too fast getting me in bed. I'm not hung-up about not getting laid or expecting a meaningful relationship, but I'd like to be seen as more than a piece-of-ass."
Me: "Hmmm. I understand."
She: "I'm over the hill anyway. An old horse, ready for pasture."
She was fishing for a compliment, I thought. "You still look attractive to me. That's a pretty dress you're wearing." She was wearing a long dress that showed a lot of very nice cleavage.
She said, "I have nice tits, I guess."
Me: "I don't want to be out of line, but yes, they are nice. At least what I can see of them."