This chapter is not meant to stand alone. Please begin at the first chapter to appreciate this tale.
Tuesday, October 30
"You're okay with last night?" I asked both Veronica and Carol over coffee.
"I am," said Veronica. "But you need to spend some one-on-one time with her as you agreed last night."
"If Veronica's good with it, I am as well," said Carol. "By the way I brought over a bunch of clothes yesterday. I hope I wasn't being presumptuous."
"No, we did ask you to move in knowing that you'd need clothes," I laughed. "But don't bring too much until the renovations are completed or you'll just have to store them in the third POD that was delivered yesterday afternoon."
I left before either of our daughters or Cathleen came downstairs. I embraced Carol and kissed her deeply with my hands under her robe and on her bare ass. Veronica happily received the same treatment except I took a moment to kiss each nipple after we broke our kiss.
Having two wives, two daughters, plus Mary Claire to play with makes me glad that I'm retiring tomorrow,
I said to myself as I opened the door.
Fifteen minutes after arriving at the office Emerson and I met with the additional staff from Citigroup, three more guys and one additional woman. Margaret arrived with that 'just fucked' look about her while Jack at moments in the early part of the meeting seemed a bit distracted. From the way he looked at Margaret I doubted Margaret had been in his bed. We met for three hours with the five in the boardroom going over the portfolios and contracts of our major clients, as well as the latest staff assessments of everyone in a managerial position. Cheryl spent the same amount of time with Margaret and the newly arrived second EA, Joan something. The last half hour Cheryl spent gathering and boxing Grace's personal belongings and copying business contact lists. Even without being asked, after securing IT access codes and burning the files to CDs, Cheryl thoughtfully deleted our personal contacts, files and emails from the computer system. Her attention to these details which Emerson and I'd overlooked reinforced for me that I wanted her to remain in my employ in some capacity.
At eleven-forty, Emerson and I toured the office, thanking our staff and saying goodbye. That was a lot harder to do than I'd expected. I noticed a few times that Emerson's eyes were sparkling a bit as mine were as a few unshed tears were stifled.
I invited Cheryl and Emerson to join me for lunch, but Emerson begged off. Cheryl and I took our sandwiches to the pocket park across from the deli and had a nice conversation. She was as happy as I'd ever seen her. Max and Beth were now her young lovers and they were planning to fall into an every other night threesome as long as John was out of town.
As if it were a normal business matter an emotionless Cheryl related that the private investigator she'd hired in Boston had gathered some very damning evidence over the weekend and on Monday. He was sending her the pictures as well as other evidence indicating that John's dalliance with the woman started well over two years before. When I asked why she didn't seem to be upset she replied that she felt more happy and relieved than sad. Living in a loveless marriage had troubled her for several years but she had difficulty allowing it to die. She'd wanted to rescue it but whenever she raised the subject John dismissed her concern by saying that all was fine and that he loved her.
"Though the words 'I love you' were on his lips, his tone was more dismissive than anything," she sighed. In a firm voice and with a chill in her eyes she continued, "I can't shed any tears, they'd been used up months ago. Scott, when the time is right, I'm going to hit him hard with a reality check by demanding an uncontested divorce, the Kirkwood condo and the car. I want it done and him out of my life the first day possible. I'm rather happy to be able to plan a future without being concerned about him." Lunch was too short, Cheryl had to get back and said that the movers would get and deliver our boxes this afternoon. She promised to make a final 'sweep' of both our offices before letting Jack and Michael get too settled.
##
At about nine-thirty Veronica asked Mary Claire if she wanted to go shopping with her and Cathleen. Mary Claire accepted, forgetting about her ten o'clock phone call.
As they were driving to Plaza Frontenac to shop Veronica told Cathleen to expect me to call her and ask her to meet me someplace so we could try to work out our feelings. "I'd probably expect a hotel. I think you'll want to spend the night with him," said Veronica.
"And you're okay with this?" she asked Veronica.
"It was my idea. I like you Cathleen and I want to see more of you, but the elephant in the room has to be dealt with for all our sakes, especially Katrina's. I have some suggestions on what you could wear, if you're amenable. Or do you want me to butt out?"
"No, I want your suggestions. If you hadn't offered I'd have asked," smiled Cathleen touching Veronica's arm with her finger tips, then moving it up to touch her cheek with the back of her hand.
"When he picks you up be wearing nicely fitted slacks, black leather pants tightly hugging your hips and ass would be nice, and a red satin button-front blouse with a frilly scooped collar. Have the buttons open to your mid bust line so that a necklace with some type of charm or medallion resting near the top of your cleavage will keep drawing his eyes. Red peep toe pumps or red slides'd be a nice touch. Wear a shelf bra, and stockings with a garter belt and a red g-string under the pants. The stockings should be a light gray so with the peep toes or slides it'll be obvious that you have hose on," smiled Veronica.
"To dinner wear a little black dress, a little shorter than you normally feel comfortable wearing and nicely fitted over your gorgeous ass. The key is to have it as short as possible, shorter than you feel completely comfortable with so that you'll be conscious that your legs are on display for all and that if you're not careful you'll be giving some men ... and women a little flashing show. Believe me, the few times I've done it, I've felt extremely hot and sexy. Again wear a red g-string and if the skirt's as short as I hope it to be, wear suspender hose, they're like a combination of panty hose and stockings. I'll show you a pair on the web, or if my order has some included when it arrives tomorrow, I'll give you a pair. Strappy high heel sandals, black, and I know just the store for them. If you like I'll suggest the Ameristar Hotel in St Charles to him," she smiled as she continued.
"Let him seduce you, or you seduce him if that's your fancy, tease and play around as often as you both choose, but through it all communicate, communicate, communicate. Scott's very good at that with me and our daughters, but there are things you both need to talk out. Cathleen, listen not only with your ears but also with your heart to hear what lies below the surface. Scott is still harboring some deep pain. I can't stress too much how important it is for you to listen for his pain and the anger he has buried in his soul over what happened. He may also have some displaced guilt, feeling that he did something to cause all this. Keep this in mind, that he feels the pain after all this time is a reflection of the love he had, and to a significant extent still has for the wife of his youth. It's important that he too hear your anguish as well as the love you still have for him."
As Veronica paused to turn into the parking lot, with a quavering voice Cathleen said, "I didn't realize that he's still hurting. I knew he'd be angry at first but I had no idea that he'd still be hurting. What happened was my fault. It was I who sinned against him. Scott did nothing to feel guilty about." Her right hand wiped a tear from both eyes.
With the vehicle parked, Veronica turned and reached over to squeeze left Cathleen's hand as she continued, "The soul of the man we both love needs to hear what you just said. I'll tell this to Scott too. Be it in the afterglow of a good orgasm or just over a glass of wine, listen well but also allow the love you have for each other to again be expressed through all you say and do together. After dinner, dance, enjoy each other then spend the evening as you desire. Wake up next to each other, communicate some more, listen to each other, understand what the other is saying, wanting, needing. Fuck him hard, fuck him soft, fuck him lustfully, fuck him playfully, fuck each other as the mood fits. Fuck again and again as often as you both like, come back here early Sunday afternoon, and feel free to stay if either of you have unresolved differences. If all goes as well as I hope, by late Saturday night there'll be little if any unresolved issues so that when you return here Sunday you both'll be grinning from ear to ear.
"And before you ask, I'm not worried about losing him to you or anyone else. I want you to love each other and be comfortable with each other. I know that he's my man and he knows that I'm his queen," finished Veronica out of breath.
