Chapter 18

Bonnie didn't know what to expect when David got home. After his indifference the day before, and then their argument, she was pretty much prepared for the worst. What she got, however, was his best! He wished her a cheerful, "Hello," when he came through the door, he told the kids, "Hi," and asked them what they were doing. He even gave Bonnie a peck on the cheek!

"Another transformation," she thought. "I wonder how long it will last this time?"

What she didn't know was that after he had sex with Tracy, he thought hard about the chance he took, and he was beginning to feel guilty about cheating on Bonnie. 'After all, ' he thought. 'She may have been a bitch lately, but she does take good care of the boys and keeps my house, and she's never cheated on me either.'

Having unprotected sex with Tracy had really scared him, and it made him reevaluate everything in his life. Unfortunately, all he could do for the time being was to try to make up for his infidelity and hope the teen hadn't given him anything. He also knew that he couldn't have sex with Bonnie until he'd had a chance to make certain that he was still healthy. He knew that he couldn't use a condom with her either. He'd never be able to satisfactorily explain it.

"Oh why did I ever let that little vixen have sex with me?" he asked himself, for what must have been the twelfth time that evening.

David smelled the meatloaf as soon as he came into the house. Realizing that she made one of his favorite dinners only made him feel even guiltier.

After dinner, David went to watch the news on TV. He didn't even bother to bring his plate to the sink. Not that he ever did, but just that tiny one thing would have meant a lot to Bonnie. Of course, since he didn't, neither did the boys.

Still, the house was a little better than normal. 'It's just too bad that "normal" isn't good enough for me anymore, ' thought Bonnie. Naturally, then she had to ask herself why it wasn't good enough for her anymore. 'It's not like anything has really changed that much over the years.'

It was a question that would bother her for a while, and she spent a lot of time thinking about it that evening. She thought about Liz, too. 'Nothing ever changes in her life, ' she thought. 'Yet she always seems happy. Of course, her husband does things for her and surprises her from time to time. When was the last time David ever did anything like that for me?' She couldn't remember.

That night, David was about a foot from the edge of the bed, so she also laid down a little more towards the center of it.

The next morning, David thanked Tracy for the coffee, but he didn't spend too much time looking at her and how she was dressed. He also did his best not to be obvious when he did look. 'I'll just ignore her as much as I can, ' he told himself, but he didn't tell her to stop coming in early and bring him his coffee.

For her part, Tracy knew exactly what was going through David's mind. She saw him looking her over even though he pretended that he wasn't. Her ninth grade math teacher acted like that the day after she let him fuck her, too. Back then, she was confused at first, but now she thought it was cute. She knew he was having second thoughts, and she also knew why. Before, it was because she was seriously underage, and her teacher knew he could lose his job or even go to jail. In this case, it was because Mr. Derrelli was married, and he was risking losing his wife at the very least.

It was all part of the game. The only question that remained was how long it would take her to get him to fuck her again!

Bonnie thought about how different David was acting, and began to rethink having a conversation with Jen. 'Besides, she thought. 'Her husband probably wasn't anything like David.' She also thought about what Liz and Shelly had said. 'Maybe all David needed was a little time to think things over after all.'

At any rate, Bonnie was beginning to feel like David and she had turned a corner, and things would get even better as time went on. 'At least there aren't any harsh words being spoken, and for the sake of Tommy and Corey, I have to let that be enough for me--at least for now."

During lunch, Bonnie was able to steer the conversations with her two friends away from her personal life. If Liz and Shelly noticed, they didn't say anything about it. Jen didn't mention anything either, though she did give Bonnie a few wondering glances whenever she walked by.

'I can do this, 'thought Bonnie, as she made her way back across the street. 'I can pretend that nothing is wrong, and David can pretend that nothing's wrong, and everything will work out just fine in this pretend world. I really can do this! I can just keep on pretending until it gets better.'

She stepped into the elevator, and by the time it opened up on the seventh floor, she thought, 'Besides, the kids will be starting school next week, and then things will start to get even better.' She didn't bother to ask herself how their going to school was going to make things better. She just assumed that somehow it would.

Jerome was really nice to her that day, and she wondered if he had sensed the turmoil in her life, but then again, he was nice to everyone. 'He's really just a good man, ' she thought. Then, once again, she wondered why David couldn't be more like him.

That evening, Bonnie made mashed potatoes for dinner again, and she was careful to use the blender like she did before. David didn't say anything about the potatoes being the way he liked, but he didn't complain or use any harsh words either.

'I can do this, ' Bonnie told herself again, looking first at Tommy and then Corey. But then she started to wonder what kind of men they would grow up to be with their father's continuing influence, and she quickly pushed the thought from her head. Everything was going smoothly, and she wasn't going to let herself think about anything or do anything that could ruin it.

When it came time for bed, neither Bonnie nor David slept any closer to the center of it, but neither of them slept all the way over at the edge of the bed either.

They both got up the next morning and went through their normal routines. There were the usual greetings, Bonnie made the same breakfast that he always had to have, and David left for work while she sipped at her first cup of coffee.

She knew that it was that same routine that had begun to stifle her, but she was determined not to let it happen this time.

'A little at a time, ' she thought. 'The first step was to reestablish peace in the house. The boys will be starting school next week, and once everyone gets used to that, then I'll talk to David about maybe changing a few things, starting with those horribly quiet dinners.'

That's what she thought. That was her plan. "A little bit at a time," she mumbled.

'Meanwhile, things aren't going too badly, ' she thought.

That was until Sandy showed up. Bonnie shook her head when she saw the big, ugly bruise on the side of her face, and the woman had an egg on her forehead as well. The way the bump was raised with the bruising around it, Bonnie didn't think Andy could have done it with his fist. 'He probably hit her with something, ' she thought.

"Do you want me to call the police?" She suddenly remembered when David had told her not to call them and regretted making the offer.

"No, Mrs. Derrelli, I'll be alright."

Bonnie was relieved, but she wasn't happy about Sandy's new condition, and her face showed it.

"I know you told me to be careful, Mrs. D, but it isn't as bad as it looks."

"Yes it is, and if I don't call the police then you should. Andy shouldn't keep getting away with this you know. One of these days he's really going to hurt you bad."

"I know, Mrs. D. I won't let it get that far."

"You already let it get too far. What makes you think it won't get any worse?"

"I hear what you're saying."

"Do you really Sandy? Because as far as I can see, you just keep saying that you can handle it and that Andy is sorry and won't do it again, and then you show up looking like this!"

"I know, Mrs. D, and Andy really is sorry. I know I keep saying that, but he really is this time."

"Sorry or not, when you leave here this afternoon, I want you to go to the shelter for battered women. At the very least, there will be other women like you there who you can talk to. You will be safe there, also."

Sandy didn't say anything, and Bonnie hoped that it was a good sign that she might actually go this time.

"Anyway, I have to get to work now. I'll find out who you have to call and set it all up for you."

Bonnie didn't wait for the young woman to object before heading through the door.

"Damn, no time to stop for a cup of coffee today," she thought, backing the car out of her driveway.

That morning, Tracy was looking extremely sexy with her short skirt and tight top. David tried not to look, but he just couldn't help himself.

"Guess what, Mr. Derrelli?" she asked, sitting on the edge of his desk, handing him his cup of coffee.

He had just turned on the light, and was about to tell her to get off his desk when she lifted her skirt.

David just stared open mouthed as she spread her legs. Naturally, she wasn't wearing any panties, and pointing to her pubic mound, she asked, "See?"

He could barely see the shadow of a strip of light brown hair that ran from her panty line to the beginning of her nether regions.

"It hasn't had a chance to really grow in yet, but you can still see it enough now to decide."

"Decide what?" asked David, as he stared down at her bare flesh.

"If you like it or not. What do you think? Do you like it like this, or shaved smooth?"

David didn't know what to say, and Tracy reached up, grabbed his hand, and brought his fingers down to her little patch of pubic hair.

"Feel it," commanded Tracy, in a sultry voice.

David let her move his fingers over her bare flesh, and Tracy asked, "So how do you like it?"

He still didn't know what to say, but he didn't pull his hand away either and allowed her to rub his fingers around her flesh.

"I know what you like better," she said, moving his fingers lower until they were rubbing the lips that covered her most private parts. "This is what you really like isn't it Davie."

David jerked his hand away from hers when he heard her use his first name used like that. Tracy laughed. "That's okay, Mr. Derrelli. I know you liked it," and with that, she jumped off from his desk adding, "Anytime you want it, Mr. Derrelli."