Chapter 6

The following day as she walked up the final steps to get onto her floor she ran into Jim, who was on his way down.

“Kathy, I’ve got some good news. Craig talked with Janice and she has agreed to back off. I don’t know anything other than that, but I do know that it was a huge fight.”

“That’s great news!”

“And, Margaret’s niece will close her investigation of the complaint, so she won’t be coming back.”

“So, the investigation is over? Was my name cleared?”

“Well, it was closed as something like, No Cause Found, or something like that. Your name is in the complaint and there’s nothing that can be done about that.”

“Okay. So what about your wife, Margaret?”

“Well, that’s the bad news, she’s pretty upset about the Janice thing. I’ve been going back and forth with her on it and, she’s not wavering one bit. But, I’m still working on her, so hopefully I can get her to back off.”

“Wait, what is she upset about?”

“What I could get out of her, was that my friends were involved with you, and she hates that. She thinks it’s wrong what you are doing, and she was very pissed off when I let it slip that I’m watching Dylan while you’re with them, she reamed me real good on that one. Not that I was watching Dylan, but that he was in the apartment when you were doing your thing, which I don’t get what she was pissed about.”

“So, it’s not an issue anymore, I’m not fooling around with your friends.”

“But you are with me, so, that’s what I am working on with her.”

“You are working on her for what?”

“It’s about Dylan being in the apartment when we are together.”

“But he’s not in the room with us, and he’s always asleep!”

“I know. And I’ve told Margaret that, but she still feels that it’s wrong and immoral.”

“What the heck Jim!”

“I know, but that’s what it is. I’ve got to find a way to satisfy her problem with us being together.”

“So, all we’ve got to do is figure a way to have Dylan out of the apartment, and that’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“The only way I could see that happening is if I came home right after work without Dylan, but we would have to do it quickly though, as I don’t want Mrs. Robinson to be put out for this.”

“That should be good. I’ll talk to Margaret and I’ll talk with you tomorrow.”

That being settled she continued on home. Long after dinner as Dylan was being placed in his crib Jim came by.

His look was of a person who had just lost a long dragged out fight, which wasn’t good for her. What the heck happened to you?”

“Well, I talked to Margaret and, it’s much worse than what I thought. Her anger is directed at not just you, but me as well. I had thought that she was okay with what you and I were doing, but the truth of the matter is she isn’t. She’s pissed as hell that you’ve taken me away from her and she’s afraid that you’ll steal me away from her. I told her it’ll never happen, I love her and, well, you’re too young for me. The only thing we click on is sex, and that’s not enough for me.”

“Yeah, I’m not trying to steal you away from her. I don’t want a man in my life, I DON’T need a man in my life. I’ve got Dylan and right now he is my priority, and I’m devoting all my energies into him.”

“I told her that, and she still pissed. I don’t know what she’s going to do, I’m positive that she’s not going to get her niece involved and I’m pretty sure that our agreement is still intact, but other than that, well, we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Wait and see. Shit! Is there nothing more that I can do to convince her that there’s nothing to worry about?”

“I doubt it. You can try and talk to her, but I’m not so sure that that’s a good idea, no telling where that’s going to go.”

“So, I’m gonna have to what, wait and see?”

“That’s about right. Wait and see.”

And that was it, wait and see. Wait, and, see. She hated to wait, and even more to see! She wanted this over and done with so she could get on with her life.

The following evening as she cleaned up after dinner someone knocked on the door. She looked to Dylan, who was playing with his stuffed bear in his playpen, before going to the door.

“Who is it?” she asked.

Spoken in a hard short cadence came the reply, “Margaret Dinks.”

Her first thoughts were, Oh shit! What could she want? It couldn’t be for Jim! Unless he lied! No, Jim wouldn’t lie. Would he?

She opened the door and said, “Good evening Mrs. Dinks.”

“I think since you are fucking my husband you can call me Margaret.”

She stumbled over her words, as she invited Mrs. Dinks, or as she had asked, Margaret, into her apartment.

Margaret strolled in, head held high, and with a grace and elegance she attributed to royalty. Closing the door she asked, “What can I do for you, ah, Margaret?”

Margaret surveyed the room and turned towards her and said, “A small room. Smallest in the building I think. You should talk to Jim, he should be able to move you to a larger room. Preferably one with, two bedrooms. So your son won’t be woken by the sounds of love making.”

She was about to counter the barbs thrown at her, but held back. Fighting with words was not going to do anything but cause the situation to worsen, best for her to take the barbs then to poke the bear. But, she wouldn’t shrink away either.

“If the situation was different, I would have never slept with your husband.”

“I’m sure that’s what all the harlots say.”

“What can I do for you Margaret?”

Margaret turned and sat down on the couch and once firmly situated looked at her, almost like she was studying her. She didn’t know what to do, and fidgeted as she stood before Margaret, like a subject before her queen.

“I wonder, if you know, what you have done to me.”

Confused she asked, “I, uhm, I don’t know what you mean.”

“Do you ever consider while Jim is, having his way with you, what it is doing to me?”

“Well, I can say, that I never considered it.”

“I see, a whore who thinks only of herself.”

“Whore? Whore is a strong word for a woman who is raising a son who has been, rocked, by circumstances.”

“Yes, circumstances. Circumstances can get one into trouble. If you are of low moral character.”

“Why are you here Margaret.”

“Since Jim has been, preoccupied, with you, he has been remiss on his other duties. His, husbandly, duties.”

“He said you and he were no longer, having sex.”

“No longer having sex? Yes, we no longer have sex. But the sex he is referring to, the SEX he wants, is an abomination, and just thinking of that sex act he WANTS me to perform turns my stomach! I’ve been putting up with his vile request for as long as we have been married, so I am VERY happy that he no longer pesters me on it. But since you have been satisfying his needs, he has passed on mine.”

“So, what do you want me to do?”

“You, will take care of the needs that my husband no longer does.”

“What!”

“Do I need to repeat myself? Use smaller words? Bring out a Barbi doll to show you?”

“I, uh, well, uhm”

“Yes, yes you are a silver tongued devil.”

“I, uhm, I’ve never been, or have, uhm”

“I do not care what you have done, or what you have not done, it is immaterial as it is something you will do IF you expect to stay here rent free.”

“This is wrong Margaret, very wrong. And I don’t think”

“Thinking? You have shown that thought, and you, are as far apart as Plant is to Animal.”

“I am not a lesbian!”

“No. You are a whore. And being a whore, means that you will do anything for money, or in this case a roof over your head.”

“You should speak to Jim on your needs.”

Margaret stood up as she shook her head. When she was standing up she smoothed out her skirt as she said without looking at her, “You do not seem to understand, so let me put it into small words that the simplest of minds can comprehend” and she looked her in the eye as she continued, “either you take care of me, or I will take care of you.”

She smiled at her and walked to the door and before leaving she said, “I will be here on Thursday, I know that is not a day you, FUCK, my husband, so there won’t be a conflict.” Before she could respond Margaret was out the door.

She stood there for a moment after the door closed and shook her head. What the fuck is going on here?!? She’s NOT going to, take CARE of Margaret. No way.

She put it out of her mind for now and talk to Jim at their Wednesday get together. He must have some way out of this for her, like take care of his wife!

Like clockwork at 9pm there was a knock on her door, Jim was here. She opened the door and a dejected Jim walked in, things did not look good.

Before she could say anything Jim said, “Before you ask, I know Margaret came to see you, I know what she wants, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“What do you mean there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“I tried talking to her. I begged her but she’s got her mind made up.”

“Why is she doing this?”

“I’m not sure, but if I were to guess I would say she’s jealous.”

“Of me?”

“Well, I don’t think that’s all of it, she is also mad that you will do the things that she won’t do. And she is a bit insecure, afraid that I will leave her to be with you.”

“Have you said anything like that to her?”

“NO! Of course not. I’d never leave her, not for anyone. I’ve tried to tell her but she won’t listen.”

“Well, could you take care of here?”

“That’s the thing, I do! She hates intercourse but loves oral, so I take care of her whenever she wants.”

“I’m not a lesbian.”

“I know. But this, this, thing is not about sex. She wants to dominate you. And, and I think that by having you do this, she sees it as you are submitting to her.”

“So I’ve got to do this, thing, because she’s, what, pissed, jealous, and immature?”

He nodded his head “Yeah, that’s about it.”

“And, if I don’t do this, thing, I’m out of here?”

He looked away from her and said, “Yeah.”

“And there’s nothing you can do for me?”

“My wife is a very, demanding, and determined woman. And don’t look at her small stature and think she’s a pushover either. After forty years of marriage I can tell you that when she gets like this, you get out of her way and hold on for dear life.”

“So, I have to fuck both of you to stay here.”

“So, you think THAT’S all there is to this?”

“What else is there!”

“I’ve come to care for you, and this has hurt me, not as much as you, but it still does. I feel SICK that you could be out on the streets. And Dylan! I’ve become quite fond of the boy, believe me, and I would never do anything to you or him that would jeopardize your safety.

“And you can’t step up for me.”

“You don’t think I’ve tried?”

“I have no IDEA what you’ve tried.”

He said, “I think we should take a break” and walked out slamming the door behind him. She stormed to the bathroom saying, “GREAT! THAT went well.” Unfortunately Dylan woke up from the door being slammed, and he was not happy, until he fell asleep around midnight.

She was on pins and needles all day, and when quitting time came around she found herself back to wondering what she was going to do. She knew what the answer was but still played the game, the what-ifs. In every decision that she has made, she always came to the answer by asking what is best for Dylan. And so far, every answer, every point, she had never looked back and said I should never have done that. Regret was no longer an option if she meant to keep her sanity.

Getting home and having dinner, she was going to get ready for the evening with Margaret, but stopped when she walked into the bathroom. What should she do? It was evident that she was to take care of Margaret, but was Margaret going to do anything for her? She looked at herself in the mirror and laughed. Not so long ago she would have thrown-up at the thought of what she would be doing today, and here she is wondering, WONDERING, if she should prepare herself for Margaret as she does for Jim. Heck, even before she got involved with Jim, she never would have thought that she would have sex with someone, especially with a man his age. And, and this is wild, found that she loves anal sex!

What a change in her life this past year has been!

She decided to prepare as if Jim was coming over and showered and shaved her legs and trim her bush and put on her big fluffy robe, which was different from the sexy one she wore for Jim, and waited for Margaret.

She was nervous and jumped when she heard the knock on the door. She stood up and took a deep breath to steady herself and let Margaret in. She looked like she always does, dressed in a smock, her hair up, and in flat shoes, something she thought odd as she was on the short side, she later found out that Margaret was just a hair under 5 foot.

“Good evening Margaret.”

“Yes, good evening to you too. So, I will take from the way you are dressed that you have accepted my demand?”

“Yes Margaret, I’ve accepted your demand in order to keep my son sheltered.”

“Trying to shame me will in no way deter my, or your, endeavor. You’ve made your bed, now you can sleep in it. So to speak.”

“Let’s get this over with Margaret.”

“Yes, why don’t we” and went to the couch and sat down. As she moved towards her Margaret put up her hand, stopping her. “I notice that you are in a bath robe, have you showered?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I was not sure what I was to do, and I wanted to be, clean.”

“You do not expect me to, take care of you, do you?”

“No. But I didn’t know what to expect, so I, prepared, for, anything.”