Chapter 9: Janice Revisited

Monday morning I had to get cars serviced and inspected for the DMV. I was basically taking a day off to get little things done. It meant my Tuesday and Wednesday would be full, but having all the day Monday free to catch up on personal things was nice.

That night at the Realty office I was going to have Janice alone to sign some papers for escrow, although she wasn’t going to use it (banks and lawyers, go figure) , permission to do a background check for the HOA, as well as collect the $35 fee for that (we usually paid it), and to sign an acknowledgement that there were monthly HOA fees ($300) that included water, sewer, basic cable TV, Community WIFI, sprinkler maintenance and mowing. The seller was asking Janice to pay the last 3 months fees they had been delinquent on. I told her to fight it and not pay them, but she wanted all of this red tape to end. She gave me checks for everything, plus I told her when the closing might happen she may owe 2 more months fee’s. She shrugged just wanting to get into the house.

After cleaning up everything I sat back in my chair and told her we were all set and now we just need wait for the bank to finalize everything.

She sat back in her chair and smiled to me, and I knew the look.

“So, what have you got going for the rest of the night?” She asked.

“I have to close up here, and then get home. I haven’t talked to my wife much, this week, she’s been gone.” I said, sort of lying, to avoid what she had in mind.

“After making a fortune on me, screwing me blind, feeding me your cum right from the spigot, you’re going to leave me high and dry?” She said as if insulted.

“Janice, I made no promises of anything to you, especially as far as availability. If and when the situation presents itself and we get together again, it will be on my terms now that you seem to think you own me. Haul your pretty ass to a night club and meet someone to bring you home and take care of things for you.”

“I’m too old for that shit!” She countered.

“You may be too old, but you have the goods. You can always hire an escort.”

“I’d rather play with myself as I’ve done for the past, God knows how many, years.” She retorted.

“Well, I’m not your stud service. I was hoping we would stay friends, but you’re over the top right now.” I said putting my things in my brief case and headed to the door, ready to hold it open for her as she left.

“Fine, fuck you Alex. I thought we would have a nice night.” She spat.

“You should have consulted me.” I said as I clicked the door locked and headed for my car.

I drove home telling myself, “I told you so” over and over, thinking I might have a stalker now, or at least a large pain in the ass that’s going to cause trouble with my wife.

I had just pulled into our drive and I was gathering my things when I heard a text message arrive on the phone. It was a number not in my phone, but I assumed it was Janice. It read, “Sorry, I overstepped my bounds, said stupid things I didn’t really mean. All is fine.” I hoped her message was sincere, only time would tell. I erased it before I went in the house.

As I knew, Tuesday and Wednesday were busy. I was in full factory rep mode, PPE was selling big time with Flu season approaching and I had 2 more software upgrades and 4 new Medical offices that wanted to start using Medical Office (MO 8.5) software. It was an Ortho group with 4 offices in our area, and I had to promise one free upgrade for each to get the sale. They had 8 more offices throughout the state and if it worked out OK, I had them as long as I could provide service. None of the others were more than a few hours away, so it was a slam dunk. MO 8.5 was great software and ran a Medical office quite well, doing future appointments and insurance billing easily. It took only one small phone upgrade from your provider to have your computer call in reminders to each patient’s appointments.

I had most of Thursday at home tying loose ends and the night at the realty office. I had 2 appointments to re-show specific homes, and then cover the office while Larry did the same. Pending bank approvals, I think I had 2 sales wrapped up and both couples seemed to be stable financially, so I was happy once I got back to the office and Larry left to meet his potential buyer.

Once Larry left and I finished work at the sales board, I settled into my desk not really expecting any cold calls between 7 and 8, when I would close. I caught movement in the corner of my eye and saw Janice walking across the storefront and coming through the door.

“Hello Alex, can I have a few minutes of your time?” She said opening the door standing half in, half out.

“Janice, always for you. I think we just had a misunderstanding.”

She came in and sat in the jump seat by the desk.

“I’m sorry. That night I was just ready and expecting you to be as well. I keep forgetting you have much more to your life than me. While I plan to do work on the folios I manage in retirement, I AM retired and don’t have the commitments you have. I just want you to know I will never try to screw up what you have. If we manage to get together from time to time, that’s fine, if not, I understand. I want you to know, we can’t plan on anything specific. I have stuck my toe into escort services, just asking questions so far, but, you never know. I wanted to tell you this to your face to show you I mean all my words.”

“I understand Janice, and I’m glad you came tonight. You’re as sweet and thoughtful as always.” I said as she got up to leave and head to the door.

I sprang up and walked with her and as I opened the door I looked her in the eye and asked, “Do you have keys for Eisenhower Lane?”

“Yes, when the owner got my checks, they sent me keys, but told me not to move anything in, change anything.”

“If you’re there tomorrow afternoon, after 3, I can stop by and give you some ideas.” I said with a smirk.

“Oh NOW, you want ME.” She said, as if insulted.

“I’m trying to make you happy, but if you feel that way, never mind. Remember, you’re free almost ALL the time, I am limited. I’ll see you sometime before the closing, I’m sure.” I said letting the door close between us.

The door swung back quickly. “Now you’re TEASING me!”

“I’m not! In my situation, it has to be WHEN I have time. I love being with you. You know how I always felt about you! But I have a wife that I have a commitment with.”

“You break that commitment!” She retorted.

“Yes, to some extent, but I will be with her until I die, we are a team in life and there is no one else. She can’t live up to part of our marriage vows, and what vow she can’t live up to, I break from time to time. But I am always there for her. She promised her time, attention, and love to me. Somewhere between that attention and love, she’s missing something. Now, do you want me to stop by or not? Your call.” I said, getting loud and huffy.

“Forget it, I’ll feel like a bimbo.” She said.

“OK, I understand, I wouldn’t want you to feel that way, you’re much better than that.” I reasoned.

“If I’m better than that, why do you treat me like this?”

“Treat you how? You wanted some time with me, I offered it, you refused it, feeling used or cheap. It won’t work out, and that’s fine. Like we said, no promises.” I finished and let the door close and went to my desk, and she to her car.

It was close to 8 o’clock and Larry was apparently not going to return, so I was going to close. Just as I put out the lights, set the alarm, my phone rang.”

“Hello?” I said knowing it was Janice already.

“Three o’clock tomorrow on Eisenhower Lane. Come make love to me and get rid of the tension between us. Please, for me?”

I exhaled deeply and simply said “OK, tomorrow. Around 3 or so.”

Somehow, I felt better about it all right then, like I had made up with a lover, and I suppose that’s what it was. I hated to think it, and definitely I would never say it, but I did love Janice. She was certainly special to me, what we went through as lovers in college and the fear in my heart when I feared falling in love with her left me in denial, especially when I knew Dory was home for me, even then. She and I were not committed then, I sort of knew Dory was the one as soon as I got home. But Janice and I, if I hadn’t went home and I just stayed on campus all that summer, we would have blossomed big time. In my heart of hearts, I knew that. Best of all, I was still helping her understand her sexual being, and that was exciting for me. I’m betting that besides her foray into women, she was only with a minimum of men, she admitted to a few. I would find that hard to believe, but her inexperience at oral tells a lot, and, although some argue it as bunk, she was so tight when I fucked her I don’t think she had seen a lot of action.

Almost as a thing to ease my guilt, especially when I knew I was going to cheat, I made attempts to get Dory acting sexual. Just before we went to bed that night she was in the kitchen getting the coffee maker ready for Morning. I came up behind her and hugged myself close to her.

“How’s my baby? Everything OK? You know I love you and love being with you. (I slid my hands along her hips and to her belly pulling her tighter to me) I can make you as happy as I ever did, just me and you. Let’s take showers and go to bed.” I whispered and soft talked.

“Alex, you old fool. What’s got you so horny? We haven’t done that in years. Have you been watching porn on your phone?” She said as she pulled away from me and set up the Mr. Coffee.

“Dory, people have sex into their 70’s, even if it’s just watching each other, you know. You act like we’re dead. You still excite me.” I said calmly not trying to be argumentative.

“It doesn’t even sound good to me Alex. Of course I love being with you, hugging, kissing, all that, doing things together, and I missed you terribly while I was at my sisters. We are part of each other, but what you think we still can do, . . . can’t. I’ve had the change of life. I’m dry and hairy, no longer made for sex. Everybody goes through it. Let’s just go to bed.” She said and walked away.

I wanted to tell her that they made lubricants and razor blades, but she was set in her thinking. I guess I never equated “the change” with being the end of your sex life. I just figured it made you safe from pregnancy, even though the mood and body changes were tough to cope with. All the while she went through that we were still sexually active, although at diminished intervals, and then it all just stopped and I blamed myself for not being aggressive enough, but that failed too when I tried it. So, as long as I still loved her, remained committed to living out our lives together, I had no problem of grabbing some on the side. (Please don’t think I’m awful)

I only had a few calls to make Friday morning, a little “hand holding” with a new office manager at a Medical Group that didn’t quite “get” the software I sold them. I knew an hour with her and it would all fall together. The software and system was just that easy. I wondered if she had hardware problems, I was so convinced our version 8.5 was so perfect.

I got to the Mershaw Medical Campus just after 9 a.m. and all four buildings were buzzing already. Family Practice, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, and Imaging each had small parking lots, but the round building in the center of the 4, they called it “the hub”, had but 4 reserved spots, luckily one was for “representatives”, but the walk from that lot was nothing special.

I walked into the hub and Myra Lawlor-Storm, the new hire office manager, was holding a pile of invoices and emphasizing to someone behind an enclosure that they needed to be taken care of. She looked up and saw me while someone pointed out who I was. She half smiled and half frowned.

“There’s the center of my problems, your damn program. I’ve worked with Medical programs before, but yours, it’s too complicated and balky. Fix it today or we’re shopping for something else. We used Brackens Billing with Excel where I left and it was a whiz.” She said talking down to me while talking up a product I knew was inferior.

“Myra, Myra, you’re the only customer I have who doesn’t thank God for this software every day. Joanie Jones loved it while she was here. We’ll solve this today. Do you think you can take everything down for 15 minutes this morning? Not the 4 sites, just the 8 boxes on the hub. You only purge in on the half hours, so I don’t see where it’s a problem.”

“It’s a problem with 8 stations down here, times 15 minutes and 2 hours of 7 women and one man being paid to do nothing. By the way I’m sick of hearing about Joanie Jones, she’s not here anymore. If she was such a hotshot they would have enticed her to stay.” She flustered.

“Myra, no one has a problem with MO 8.5, so the problem lies in the hard ware, or some virus in your existing software.” I insisted as I made a mental note not to bring up the old Office Manager.

“I don’t see how, but I’m stuck with you until I can get a new vendor in for conversion.” She said as a basic threat. “At 9:30 you can have your 15 minutes.”

“OK, total shut down, every box cold, OK?” I asked and she nodded and walked away.

At 9:30 I heard main frames clicking and buzzing and in a matter of minutes the building had an eerie silence with just people talking.

I was familiar with their system and found the data breaker and unhinged all four units, 8 stations, from the mother. I had a ghost program of information to test the system. Once I had it ready to go I instructed Myra to boot everything up, but to be sure NO ONE did a thing on the system.

Fans and hard drives stated whirring and I plugged my own laptop into the system for a series of tests. It took only 2 or 3 minutes for me to find a worm program, basically a virus that someone had unwittingly downloaded while “playing” on the internet. It had infected the rest of the system, but was easily removable.

I called Myra aside and showed her my findings, explaining;

“I know people here are not supposed to use any inbound information sources, ie, the internet, but someone always does, unwittingly. I can locate where the worm got in and can point it out to you. Please do not discipline the offender this time. We’ll take a few minutes to explain to all how this happens, and you can make your threats from there. You’re new here and you need these people on your side. I know you’re under a lot of pressure to perform, but I guarantee you, GUARANTEE, when the system reboots and information begins to come back in, everything will fall into place and this will be as good as I keep telling you. I have a faux billing and mailing scenario on a power stick that will show it all to you. I’m asking you to trust me.”

Myra snorted and acted like she could not be convinced, but I ran my cleaning programs, rebooted into my Ghost and all was clear. I was 4 minutes over my projection, but I had everything running in just a few minutes. I was no computer whiz, but this was all easy-peasy and simple to run.

Once everyone was back to work, Myra stood, hands on hips and was waiting for the next glitch. For the first time in the few minutes I knew her she looked like a woman, not an office manager who wanted to give me trouble. She was 40, give or take a year or 2, tall, thin, and dressed business chic. She was pretty in her own way, but I wasn’t sure if I had seen her smile yet. When she walked her heels clicked loud and determinedly, as if she was showing her domination over her charges.