Chapter 3

It's final

Diane Taylor sat aimlessly at the kitchen table. Her long, modest robe had partially come undone to reveal the unpretentious bra and panties she wore underneath. Her body completely drained of any strength, leaving not even the energy to get herself a cup of morning coffee. Her eyes were fixed on the window overlooking the back yard, but she didn't notice the crystal blue sky, or the left over droplets from last night's spring rain clinging to the green leaves.

Even the ringing phone could not break through the fog that was her brain at the moment. For the first time in a month tears once again stained her cheeks.

On the table in front of her was a torn open envelope from the Cook County District Court. And next to it laid several sheets of unfolded paper. At the top of the first sheet was the heading;

"Termination of Marriage."

This was not a surprise. It had been six months in the making. Still, try as she did, there was just no way to prepare herself for this moment. She was officially without her husband, and without the life she had known and loved for the last eleven years. Yes, it was official, through no one's fault but her own. She had ruined 'her life', her 'husband's life', as well as that of her children.

Diane thought back to the first time she saw him. Having a successful career in modeling, she had met hundreds of photographers. Even dated a few. But Dan had something special. At the time she couldn't put her finger on it. It wasn't self-confidence. He was confident in his abilities as a photographer he was just somewhat shy in other areas. It wasn't his good looks, although he was good looking, she had known thousands of good looking men.

It wasn't until their first date that she realized what it was about Dan that set him apart. It was his passion! Passion for his work, passion for life, passion for always trying to do the right thing whether it was the popular thing or not. And the passion he already had for her.

When they met, Diane was in the midst of a successful modeling career. Her face was immediately recognized among the jet-set crowd, but even the woman ahead of her in the check out, at the super market, would stare and say, "I know you, you're the girl from the magazine." Yes, Diane was at least, mildly famous, and yet, when she took his arm and walked beside Dan, it was she that puffed out her chest with pride and thought, look everyone, look who I'm with.

Later that morning Dan was in the back room of his studio paying bills for another month of being in business for himself, when he heard the buzzer ring indicating someone had entered the waiting room. He leaned back in his chair and craned his neck back to see who had walked in.

Beverly Hall was standing in the doorway. She was not his favorite person. 'Now what the heck does she want', he thought.

"Bev," he yelled with a motion of his hand. She looked in the direction of his voice. "Back here," he said, "Be careful of all the cords and stuff."

Bev carefully maneuvered through the maze of light stands, cameras, and cords that made up the studio's shooting room, and approached Dan in the rear office. As she got closer, Dan could see she was upset. Her eyes looked as if she had been crying, and her hands were shaking.

This was not the Bev he knew. This was not the sarcastic bitch who told Diane about his date with Cathy. This was someone he had never seen before.

"You have to stop this," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "You have to stop! You have to go back to her Dan! You have to!"

"Bev, what's the matter, is something wrong with Diane? I've never seen you like this before." Dan's voice now showing concern instead of indifference.

"She got the divorce papers today. She was supposed to go shopping with me today, but when I got to the house she was just sitting there, staring at the walls, almost catatonic."

"I wondered," said Dan, "I've been trying to call her all morning. I knew those papers were coming. I got mine today too. I wanted to warn her so it wouldn't be so much of a shock but she never picked up the phone."

"Dan, I don't think she would have understood a word you said if she had picked it up. I never saw her like this."

"Well is she alright?" Dan was getting worried.

"I don't know Dan. I walked her up to bed and asked your neighbor if she would stay there for awhile."

Dan immediately picked up his cell phone and dialed his house phone.

"Hello."

"Mrs. Walker, this is Dan."

"Hello Mr. Taylor, are you coming home?"

"Mrs. Walker I can't really leave the studio right now. How is she?"

"Well, she stopped crying, I think she is asleep."

"Mrs. Walker, can you do me a favor please. Just peek in on her and make sure she's okay for me. But do it quietly if she is asleep. I don't want to wake her."

"Yes Mr. Taylor, just a minute." The elderly Mrs. Walker took each step slowly as she climbed the stairs and looked into the master bedroom. There she saw Diane, in somewhat of a fitful sleep, still breathing erratically from a morning of crying.

Mrs. Walker descended the stairs so she wouldn't disturb Diane before assuring Mr. Taylor that she was sleeping. Dan thanked her and asked if she could still stay there in case she woke up. To Dan's relief, the kind neighbor promised she would stay.

Dan told Bev that Diane was sleeping. "Have a seat Bev." he said in a kinder tone, "Can I get you some coffee?"

Bev sat down and accepted his offer. "Dan please, I have known Diane almost all our lives. She loves you, you have to go back to her."

"Tell me how Bev?" Dan started. "Tell me how to trust her again and I'll go back with wings on my feet. There was a time when I would never have questioned her fidelity. I trusted her implicitly, but that trust was betrayed Bev. She ripped my heart out. Even if I could get over the hurt, tell me how to get back that trust? If you can do that I'll go back tonight."

Dan's hand was starting to shake now as his emotions climbed from being forced to talk about it again.

"Tell me Bev. Tell me how I could come to work and not wonder where she is or who she's with. Tell me how I keep from being suspicious every time she leaves the house to go shopping or to go have lunch with you or one of her other friends. Please tell me! Tell me and I'm back."

"Dan, she hasn't seen anyone since you walked out. I know her, she would never do this again." Bev's voice was also weak as she pleaded for her friend.

Dan noticed her coffee cup was almost empty and took it for a refill. "Bev, you may be right, but how would I ever know for sure? Diane couldn't live like that either. Can you imagine being under constant suspicion? How would you feel if every time you left the house you knew Jim would be wondering if you were cheating on him? If every time you came home, even if he didn't ask you, you could tell he was wondering where you've been, who were you with? And then see doubt in his eyes when you tried to reassure him he had nothing to worry about."

Dan handed her a full cup of brew and filled his own cup again. "I know I couldn't live under constant scrutiny like that. I'm sure Diane would be understanding at first, but for how long? How long would it take me before I started trusting her again? Would it be before or after she started to resent my suspicions? How long before she started to resent me for still having them?"

Bev was starting to understand. It wasn't his ego or his anger that was keeping Dan from going back home. He had thought it out completely and from every angle. She could see he looked for a way back but couldn't find it.

"Bev" Dan said, "Don't you think I want to go back? Hell, I'd give up everything I own if I could go back in time and have everything as it was. By God! I've stayed awake nights trying to come up with way to go back and make it work. Some kind of a plan, therapy ... something! But I've come up empty ... Every time, absolutely empty. It all boils down to one thing... 'Trust'. When I think back to that night I caught her, I just think of her looking straight in my face and lying to me. I can't forget that, Bev. As much as I love her, I don't think I could ever really trust her again, not completely."

Now Bev saw the tears welling up in Dan's eyes. Before, she thought Dan was just being a hard ass. But now she saw this was killing him as much as it was Diane. He just had more strength to deal with it than she did ... That's all.

"Bev, you've got to help her," said Dan, "You're her best friend, and she needs you. Please, no more running to her telling her all about some girl you've seen me with."

Bev hung her head low. "I know ... I shouldn't have done that. I was so sorry after I saw how it affected her. I've been pissed at her too. I knew about Jerry and, to this day, I don't know why. She didn't even seem to like him. I didn't even know about the guy from the bank, so when I found out she cheated on you again, well I just got pissed and when I saw you with that pretty girl I guess I just felt she deserved it."

"She needs to start getting on with her life, Bev. She needs to find someone who will make her happy," said Dan wiping a tear from his eye.

"I don't think there's much chance of that," said Bev. "She told me the other day, if she couldn't have you she didn't want any man."

"That's just silly, Bev," Dan said with a scowl on his face, "she needs someone to love and who will love her. She can't punish herself forever. I don't want that."

"Well there was another reason she said she shouldn't date as well, she said she would never bring another man home in front of Amy and Marsha. I think she means it, Dan. I know her and I don't see her dating, at least not for a long, long time."

"I have a client coming in soon. When I'm done I'll close up and go to see her. I'll talk to her."

Beverly thought for a minute. "Dan, I don't think that's a good idea. I wanted to come and talk to you in person. I really thought I could persuade you to go back to her. I see now I was wrong. I'm going back, I'll take care of her for awhile. I'm going to stop by my place and pack some clothes and stay with her and the kids for awhile, but she's got to learn to face this, to stand on her own two feet. If you go there again she'll just keep leaning on you and hoping you'll come back to her. No, let me do it."

"Okay Bev, if you think that's best," Dan was doing everything he could again to hold back his tears. "I do still love her you know, that will never change, I'll love her until I die. I just can't go back. If I did, I think there is a chance we would learn to resent each other. That wouldn't be good for her, me, or the kids."

"I know, Dan, I know. I'm glad I came over. I see everything from a different perspective now. Damn, someone should make a movie about you two and show the unbelievable hurt an affair can cause. I guaranty it would make people think twice before stepping out on their spouse."

As Bev left, Dan had a completely different opinion of her than when she walked into the studio just an hour ago. He always thought he was a pretty good judge of character, but he sure misjudged her. Jim, her husband, was always such a nice guy he wondered what he ever saw in Bev, now he knew.

Bev did go back and stay with Diane, for over two weeks. She worked hard to convince Diane that she needed to start getting her life back in order. Finally Diane started to take care of herself again. At least she was getting dressed in the mornings and not walking around in her robe. She was wearing make-up again and looking ravishing. Bev convinced her it was time to start looking for a full-time job.

On the Q.T. Dan was calling Bev on her cell phone and getting updates on her progress. He started to feel a little better himself. He certainly took no pleasure in watching Diane suffer. She was the mother of his children and it didn't do them any good to watch their mother agonizing every day either.

A couple months had past with not much happing. Dan, of course, was still picking the kids up every Friday night and dropping them off Sunday evenings. Diane was always very pleasant when she saw him and seemed to finally start to accept the situation.

She had just landed a full time job at another bank as a teller. That was good news to Dan. He felt it would help her sense of independence and, hopefully, start to rebuild the pride in herself that she had completely lost. Bev was being a true friend, helping her get her life back on track and being there at the drop of hat if needed.

The girls also seemed to be happier. Over the week-end they told Dan they heard their mom laugh the other day, for the first time since this all began.

An unrelenting spring was finally giving way to summer. The cool temperatures were on the rise and it hadn't rained now in over a week. Life was finally starting to move forward again.

Dan sat in the studio. It had been an uncharacteristically slow day. What the hell, he thought; I don't usually get a chance to go home early, if I leave now I can beat rush hour traffic.

Just as Dan was closing up, his business phone rang. He certainly didn't want to blow off any work so he rushed back in and grabbed the receiver. "Hello, this is Dan Taylor," he answered.

'Mr. Taylor, my name is Charles Naughton," came the voice from the other end. "I'm in charge of promotions for the Georgia Rhythm Section," he said, I'm sure you've heard of them."

The Georgia Rhythm Section was a nationally known rock band with several records to their credit.

"Of course I've heard of them, who hasn't," said Dan. "How can I help you, Mr. Naughton?"

"In a couple of months they're doing a concert at the Red Rose Horizon. RDA records is going to record it for a live album. We need someone to shoot the concert. One shot would be used for the album cover and several more would be used for the albums insert. Of course you would also be given full credit for photography in the insert. Would you be interested?"

This was not the normal kind of photography Dan did. Not that he couldn't do it, but he would have to rent a lot of the equipment needed. It would also entail an awful lot of preparation time. Still ... he thought about his kids. What a thrill it would be for them to be able to take the album to school and show all their friends their dad's name.

"Yeah, Mr. Naughton, if we can come to terms financially, I would be interested."

Mr. Naughton had already a very lucrative arrangement in mind. Dan did some figuring and, even with renting the equipment he needed, it would be well worth the effort.

Dan spent the rest of the day putting together a tentative list of equipment he would need. By the time he had things worked out it was the end of the day. For the second time that day Dan turned to lock the front door to his studio when he heard a female voice behind him.

"Are you leaving already?"

Dan turned and saw her. Although she was pretty, she didn't look like a model. Her short, black, spiked hair seemed a strange contrast to the expensive woman's business suit she was wearing. She stretched out her hand with a smile.

"Hi, I'm Eileen," she said in a business like manor. "Are you the photographer?"

Dan took her hand and shook it. "Ah, yeah," he said, "I'm Dan Taylor, can I help you?"

"Well I was hoping to talk to you about some advertising photos I'd like to have taken, but it looks like I'm too late. Are you closed?"

"To tell you the truth, I was on my way to get a drink at Plato's. It's right around the corner, maybe you'd like to join me and we could talk there," Dan liked what he saw and hoped she would take him up on his offer, if not ... then he would invite her back into the studio. He wasn't about to turn down a job.

"Yes," she said with a smile, "I'd like that."

Dan and Eileen walked the three blocks to Plato's, sat and talked over a couple drinks. Eileen explained she was a day-trader in the stock market and wanted to have a presentation portfolio done. It had to be elegant in its design and very sophisticated. Something that would present her with dignity and class.

Dan couldn't help but think they were two words that described the woman herself, in fact, this woman exuded the epitome of those two words.

As they talked the conversation started to drift from the portfolios to more personal things. At one point, Dan thought about asking her out but backed off. He couldn't help but think this woman was way out of his league. He had no idea how much money a day-trader made but he was willing to bet it was more than he made. Dan always thought of himself as just a regular, average guy. This woman was more like royalty, he thought.

Just as Dan had decided a personal relationship with her was probably not going to happen, she surprises him.

"Dan, I really have to get going," she said, "but I've had a real nice time. Thank you for the drinks. I've had kind of a hard day and it was just what I needed."

She reached over and put her hand on top of Dan's. "How about you let me reciprocate," she said looking him in the eyes, "why don't you come to my place some night this week for dinner. I have a housekeeper who doubles as my cook. She makes the most delicious lasagna you've ever had. Would you be free Wednesday night?" she asked.

Dan loved lasagna but even if he hated it he was not about to turn down an offer like this. Eileen wrote directions to her house on a napkin, then left.

As he finished his drink, Dan had to laugh to himself. Today he landed two jobs and date, not bad for a slow day.

Dan was in a great mood as he cruised along the Eden's in route to Eileen's. He had no idea what to expect but it certainly wasn't the sight of the tall, Iron Gate that gave way to her property. Holy cow, he thought, I guess she does make more than I do.

He pulled up and rang the buzzer at the entrance. In just a moment the massive structure mystically opened as if he had spoken the magic words. As Dan drove up the winding drive a large brick structure with tall columns loomed ahead. Damn, he thought, this place is a mansion. She is way out of my league.

As he pulled up he saw Eileen standing in the doorway. He had only seen her dressed in her business attire, now she stood there in a black slinky dress that hugged every curve with a slit up the side that revealed a long, shapely leg. Even her spiked hair seemed to fit the occasion.

Dan was in awe as he was given the grand tour. There were fireplaces in almost every room. With each guided step he felt more and more intimidated. He had already given up any hope of having a relationship with Eileen, he felt he had absolutely nothing to offer her.

They had dinner in the formal dining room and it was everything Eileen promised it would be. After dinner Eileen dismissed her cook and told her she wouldn't need her any more for the evening.

She looked at him. "Do you like wine, Dan?" she asked in a sultry voice.

"I'm not really what you would call a wine connoisseur but yeah, I like most wines."

"Well if you walk through the kitchen there, then make a left, you'll find the wine pantry. Why don't you pick out something you like and bring a couple glasses out to the living room."

Dan found a wine he liked, found the opener in a drawer in the kitchen and two, expensive crystal wine glasses. He opens the wine and allowed it to breath for a short time, then walked into the living room carrying the two glasses and the open bottle of wine.

He stopped briefly to take in the view. Eileen sat kitty corner on the couch with one leg stretched out separating the slit in her dress and exposing a silky thigh almost to her hip.

Dan thought he had better sit down quickly before getting embarrassed at the tent rapidly forming in his trousers. He poured the wine and handed Eileen her glass. She looked at him with a small grin as she took a sip.

Suddenly it was as if she had just made up her mind, she stood up and reached out her hand for Dan's. She led him around the corner and straight into her bedroom.

It was just what he expected, tall ceilings and a large, four posted bed. Then Dan spotted something that surprised him. On the night stand was a very large bottle of Ultra Glide lubricant with a pump like dispenser on top. It was in plain sight of anyone who entered her bedroom. This woman is just full of surprises he thought.

She walked him over to the bed where she sat. Looking him in the eyes the whole time she undid his belt and pulled his pants down to his ankles. She softly cooed as she stroked Dan's cock through his shorts. As she felt it twitch under her touch she pulled his shorts down and flicked her tongue rapidly over the purple head.

Dan just closed his eyes and allowed the moment to happen. He breathed in deeply as she maneuvered her tongue with an expertise he had not known. He felt her hand slip between his legs and toy with his balls. She scraped her nails along the sensitive skin just behind his testicles.

He was there. Any second he was going to explode. "Oh, I'm going to cum," he warned her just in case she wanted to finish him by hand, but her moist lips never left his throbbing shaft.

Just as Dan started to erupt he was surprised by what felt like a finger playing with his rectum. His eyes shot open, his knees started to buckle, he felt his whole body swaying. He felt like he wanted to just collapse in a use up heap on the floor. He fought to stay on his feet.

He kept shooting more and more cum down Eileen's throat and her finger was still working around his little butt hole.

This was a totally new sensation for Dan. He had never even thought of allowing anyone to touch him there, but he had to admit, it sure did feel great at that particular moment.

Finally Dan's hips stopped bucking. The energy had been completely drained from his body. He thought he probably had experienced more powerful climaxes, but he couldn't remember when.

Dan collapsed on the bed, his pants still wrapped around his ankles. He laid there on his back breathing heavy and grinning at himself.

He felt Eileen's hand gliding along his chest and soft, almost whisper-like kisses on his cheeks. She started to unbutton his shirt and helped him raise up so she could get it off. Then she got off the bed and slipped his shoes off, followed by his socks, and last but not least, his pants.

Dan was now completely nude as he heard her moving around. Dan opened his eyes and watched as she untied the string that held up her dinner dress and let it slip to her feet revealing what he had suspected, no bra or panties, just the soft, smooth skin of the female anatomy.

She climbed onto the bed like a tigress stalking her prey. Dan looked into her eyes. This was a woman who knew what she wanted and knew how to get it, he thought. She attacked his flaccid cock with her extremely talented mouth once again, and literally devoured it.

Dan was climbing the walls in ecstasy. He reached down and ran his fingers through her short cropped hair. His head was thrashing from side to side as the skin around his cock grew tight from his massive erection.

Eileen lifted her head and looked over his chest and into the face of pure bliss. She smiled. "Don't you think it's time you took the lead," she said.

"Oh yeah," was Dan's enthusiastic war cry as he grabbed her by the shoulders and flipped her over on her back.

"Fuck me, fuck me," she yelled spreading her legs for easy access to her overflowing vagina. Dan couldn't help himself, there was no tender love making tonight, he rammed his cock into her and pumped for all he was worth.

Dan had been intimidated by this woman, now he would show her he was a man to be reckoned with. His strokes grew longer and with more force. He could tell that was exactly what she wanted. She wanted to be taken, and he was just the guy to do it.

She screamed loudly and her body twisted as the first orgasm hit her.

"Oh, don't stop, don't stop," she pleaded.

Dan had no intension of stopping and continued his assault on her hungry love tunnel. The next wave of carnal euphoria washed over her body. She opened her eyes and looked at Dan with the wild look of a jungle cat. Her hips bucking like a prairie stallion. Finally every muscle, every nerve, in Dan's sweaty body was on fire. He realized he had forgotten to ask if she was on the pill so, to be safe, he started to withdraw but Eileen reached up and grabbed him and round the neck, her legs wrapped around his waist and held him in place as he burst inside her.

"Aaaahhh, aaahhhh, oh, aaahhh, oh my God, my God," was the most articulate he could be at the moment. His climax continued and continued. He thought she was also having another at the same time. Finally, he collapsed on top of her, her ample breasts cushioning the fall.

He wanted to roll to the side so he could take his weight of her but she would have none of it. She tightened her grip around his neck and showered his face with kisses.

They laid there in each other's arms not saying a word. After awhile Eileen got up and went into the master bath. Dan could hear the water running and knew she was cleaning up. In a couple minutes she came out with a nice, warm wash cloth and gently cleaned Dan's privates.

Eileen walked into a large closet and returned with two huge pillows placing them under his head. "What time do you have to get up tomorrow?" she inquired.

Dan thought. He was about forty-five minutes further north than his own place, it took him an hour during rush hour. "About six-thirty," he said.

Eileen picked up the phone and dialed two numbers. "Sue, would you give us a six-thirty wake up call, please?" she asked.

"Is that the cook?" Dan was a little surprised she would announce that I was staying over to her staff, especially since this was their first date.

"Yeah, she is up every day at six in the morning. I've told her several times she doesn't have to get up that early, but I guess it's natural for her, so she may as well be our alarm clock since she's up anyway."

Dan was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately with his arm around Eileen.

This next thing he knew the phone was ringing and it was daylight.

On his drive into the studio, Dan could hardly think of anything but the evening he had just spent with Eileen. It was so strange. Her appearance and business like attitude had given him the impression she would be a cold fish in the sack, if he could even get her there, but she was anything but a cold fish. Damn, he thought, he forgot to ask her about the king sized container of Ultra Glide.

Once in the studio Dan called Eileen and thanked her for a wonderful dinner and fantastic evening. He heard the smile in her voice as she told him how much she also enjoyed it.

Dan told her he would invite her to his place but he was afraid she would laugh at his life-style. She told him that would never happen but since she had all the amenities he should come to her place again.

"I'll tell you what," she said trying to make him feel a little more at ease, "there is a wonderful pizza place in town. Why don't you pick up a pizza and come over next Wednesday."

Dan jumped at the offer. The rest of the day you couldn't remove the grin from Dan's face, no matter what you did.

The week-end was even more exciting. Diane told him to come over early on Friday because she had made his favorite casserole and she was hoping he would stay for dinner. Wow, he thought to himself, two home cooked meals in one week, mind blowing sex with an exciting new woman, and wait until the kids hear about his upcoming job.

Dan sat in the living room with a cup of after dinner coffee. The kids came down the stairs with their stuff for the week-end. Dan had found it hard to hold back during dinner but wanted to wait until the right moment before announcing the news. Now seemed like the right time.

"Kids, I have a little surprise," he said being able to hardly contain himself. "Next month, on the twenty-seventh, that's a Friday, we're all going out. Diane that means you too."

Diane's expression perked up a little. "I have just accepted a job to shoot the album cover for the Georgia Rhythm Section." The girls started to scream already. "Hold on a minute," he said, "you haven't even heard the best part yet, we're all going to their concert at the Horizon, and ... I have been given complete access to back stage before and after the concert so you guys are going to have a chance to meet them."

The girls were stunned. He was afraid they had gone into shock. Even Diane was just staring at him. "Diane I need you there to watch them for me. I'll be busy as hell most of the time and won't have a chance to be with you guys during the concert but I'll be around before and after to make sure you guys get back stage to meet the band."

It was like the house had been invaded by a bunch of wild Indians, even Diane was excited. It set the tone for the whole week-end. They laughed and joked around the whole time. Both Amy and Marsha were like their old selves again, happy and carefree. For Dan it was what he lived for.