Chapter 8

Things were more normal the following morning, and though neither of them hardly said anything to the other, it was much more tolerable than Bonnie had expected. Before going out the door, David even leaned in and gave her a quick peck on her cheek. "See you later, Hon."

Bonnie, of course, had to wait for Sandy before she could leave and slowly sipped on her coffee while reflecting on what had happened.

"David's really not that bad of a husband," she thought. "Maybe it was just all of the stress over that stupid inspection that caused him to act so badly after all."

Even as she thought it, deep down inside she knew that David had just been acting like David. She was only fooling herself if she thought that the stress from his work made him act the way he had. Still, it was a halfway decent morning and she'd take it. "Anything that makes things seem normal," she thought.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of Sandy's old car pulling into the driveway. The car not only looked like it had better days, it sounded like it, too.

Bonnie was surprised because Sandy was actually a little early, not that she was ever really late. Sandy had her problems, but she was almost always right on time. Bonnie wondered if her babysitter would ever get her life together. "If only she could get herself a decent boyfriend!" she thought.

Sandy came in wearing sunglasses, looking down to avoid Bonnie's eyes.

"Ohhh, Sandy," began Bonnie.

"It's not what you think, Mrs. D," replied the babysitter quickly.

"Oh? It's not?" Bonnie couldn't help the accusing tone in her voice.

"It's just that when I got home last night, Andy and his friends had trashed the apartment and I got mad, which made him mad. Then we started arguing and his friends left, which made him even madder. I told him it was his own fault. That he was always getting drunk. That's when he hit me.

"He didn't hit me very hard though. Besides, it was my own fault. I knew I shouldn't have talked to him like that after he's been drinking. That's the only time he ever acts like that, you know. The rest of the time, he's really as sweet as anyone could be."

"But Sandy," Bonnie began, trying her best to sound more understanding, "he shouldn't be hitting you at all. In fact, he shouldn't be hitting anyone."

"I know, Mrs. D, but he said he's sorry. And he felt terrible about it this morning. He said that he was going to quit drinking, and he swore that he'd never touch me like that again. He even cried. So, you see? He really is sweet when he's not drinking."

"But Sandy, how many times has he already told you that?"

"I know what you're saying Mrs. D, but he really means it this time. I know he does. He even threw out the rest of the beer to prove that he really means it this time."

Bonnie could only smile, but there was a whole lot of doubt behind that smile. She would have liked to say more but time was beginning to run short, and she needed to get to work. She didn't know what Sandy was going to tell the boys if it came up. She didn't have time to think about it just then but knew that it was something that she would just have to deal with.

When David got to work, he saw Tracy waiting for him again with his coffee. He noticed that the clothes she had on were a little less revealing than the previous days. "Playtime's over," he thought. "She wanted that little promotion; and now that she's going to get it, the fun's over."

"Good morning, Mr. Derrelli," her voice was still as chipper as ever while handing him the cup of coffee. "Hope you had a nice night."

David thought about the previous night and how stupid Bonnie had been by not letting him go down to the basement and put a permanent settlement to the boy's argument. Afterwards, she seemed cold. Still, Tracy was only a dumb employee—and a young one at that. His personal life was none of her business. Putting on his fake smile that he used for business, he replied, "Oh, it went well."

Tracy noticed that he didn't ask her anything about how her evening went. But, then again, she didn't really care. He was the big boss and she was determined to stay on his good side.

Her skirt wasn't quite as short as the one the day before and her top showed less cleavage. It fit her well though, and she knew that she looked good. Tracy also knew that he was watching her, and she gave her ass that little extra wiggle as she walked away.

The move wasn't missed by David, either. He grinned as he thought about what she looked like under that skirt.

She's only interested in me because I'm the boss," he told himself. "But, as long as she's willing to entertain me, there's nothing that says I can't enjoy it

He couldn't help thinking about how much fun it would be if he really did fuck the little minx. "Fantasies," he thought. "There's nothing wrong with fantasies!"

"Tomorrow," Bonnie thought as she drove past the gas station. "Greg will be back tomorrow!"

She couldn't help thinking that this had been one of the longest weeks of her life. Between looking forward to seeing Greg again, along with her husband's big inspection and all that went with it, besides the problems with Sandy, she thought it was worse than waiting for Christmas back when she was a little girl!

Bonnie was actually relieved when she got to work. Finally, she had something to occupy her mind besides her problems—and waiting for Greg's return. She soon found herself watching the clock more than ever before. Bonnie needed to talk to her friends. There was just so much on her mind. She felt as if her whole life was spinning wildly out of control, not even stopping long enough for her to catch her breath. She really needed to talk to it out with a friend or two.

Again, she thought about talking to Greg when he came back. But she was afraid of what he'd think if she just came out with all of these problems, especially after he'd just gotten back from being gone all week. "Besides," she thought, "I still don't really know him all that well. Telling him all of my problems off the bat like that would make for a poor third date."

"Date?" she thought. Did she really say 'date'? "That's ridiculous," she told herself. "I'm a married woman with kids. I can't be dating! No, we're just friends who have lunch together once in a while. It's no different than when I have lunch with Liz and Shelly.

Then there was Sandy. "What am I going to do about Sandy?" she asked herself. "I certainly can't talk to David about it. At least that much is clear, and I just can't bring this problem up with Greg, too!" Again, Bonnie looked up at the clock to see how much longer it would be before she could take her lunch.

"Shit, not for another forty five minutes!" she thought. The work kept her busy enough throughout the morning, but it didn't seem to move the hands around the clock any faster.

It wasn't quite eleven fifty-five when Bonnie left the office. She just couldn't wait any longer, and she practically ran across the street to the café where she always met her two friends. But to her disappointment, neither of them was there yet.

"Hi Bonnie, what will you be having today?"

It was Kelly, their usual waitress, and Bonnie briefly wondered if Kelly had as shitty a life as hers.

Bonnie's stomach felt all twisted up inside, so she thought she'd better order something light. Though she really didn't feel like eating at all, Bonnie figured she'd look pathetic if she just sat there. "Besides," she thought, "if I eat something, maybe my stomach will settle down a little."

"I think I'll just have the side salad with a little cottage cheese."

Ten minutes later, Bonnie had already eaten half of her salad. She was just beginning to think that her two friends weren't going to show, when Shelly came through the door.

"Good, I'm glad you're here. Liz can't make it. I'm starving and don't feel like eating by myself."

"Why isn't Liz coming?"

"I don't know. She called and said something about someone not showing up for work and not having enough time to come by, or something like that. I don't really remember. I just can't imagine anyone's job being so important at a supermarket that someone else has to stay and cover for them."

That was another problem with Shelly. She thought anyone could fill in and do any blue collar job at a moments notice, without anything more than a quick explanation of what was required. She had no concept of the real world outside of her own life.

Bonnie was disappointed. Although she liked Shelly, it was the level headed Liz that she really wanted to talk with.

After giving Kelly her order, Shelly turned back to Bonnie. "So, why are you looking so glum today?"

Should she tell her? Bonnie wasn't sure. But since there wasn't anyone else around to talk to, she took a deep breath and told her friend about Sandy and the bruises on her face.

"And I can't talk to David about it. I tried but he just doesn't want to hear anything about it," she concluded.

"Well, I'd just fire her ass. Then I'd tell David he has to either put those kids in a daycare program, or find someone else to baby-sit them."

"Oh I just can't do that!"

"Why not? What's that little dick wad going to do if you did—other than solve the problem himself. He'd have to; he wouldn't have any other choice."

Bonnie thought about how angry David would be. She could only imagine what he'd say. Suddenly, it was all too much for her and she burst into tears. Shelly quickly got up and put her arm around her friend, said, "I'm sorry, but you need to get away before you end up in a Loony bin."

Bonnie cried for a few more moments before regaining control of herself. After she sniffled away her last few tears she replied, "I'm sorry. I'll be alright now."

"Like hell you are. Look, I'm going to pick you up as soon as you get out of work this afternoon. You can leave the car right where it is. I'll bring you back and you can get it later."

"Where are we going?"

"Never mind, you just leave that to me."

"But I can't; I mean, the kids ... and David. I just can't take off like that."

"Yes, you can. Pick up your phone and call that little-dicked wonder right now. Tell him that you're going to be late coming home today."

"But ... but what will I say?"

Maybe it was because she felt so overwhelmed, or maybe it was because Shelly seemed so in control, but Bonnie couldn't believe that she was actually pulling her phone out of her purse.

"I don't know. Tell him that Liz had an emergency and needs help."

"I've never lied to him before."

"Darling, I think that's part of the problem! Besides, it's not really a lie. Liz is having an emergency ... sort of. And she does need help ... well kind of. Anyway, David doesn't need to know the exact details."

"But he told me to never call him at work unless it was an emergency."

"And what do you think this is? Look, you're a mess and you're not going to do anybody any good unless you can fix yourself first. Now, quit bullshitting around and call the jerk already!"

If Bonnie had not been so distraught she would never had made that call. Just then though, Shelly was exactly what she needed. Someone who would take charge of her life for a while so she could step back until she could get herself back together.

She looked into the insistent face of her older friend. Then feeling as if she was in a trance, she pushed the little buttons of her cell phone.

"What's the matter?" came the worried voice of David over the phone. "Did something happen to one of the boys?"

"No, no, nothing like that."

"Then why the hell are you calling me in the middle of the day? I told you to never bother me at work unless it was an emergency!"

Bonnie watched Shelly mouthing the words for her to say as she talked into the phone. "Well, Liz ... my friend Liz has an emergency and I have to help her."

"What?" The exasperation could clearly be heard in David's voice.

Shelly gave a gentle push on her friend's arm and Bonnie continued.

"I'm sorry, but I won't be home. I mean, I won't be home until later ... later tonight, that is."

"Bonnie! Don't you do this to me! What the hell's the matter with you anyway!"

He was yelling loud enough that even Shelly could hear him. "Hang up the phone," she whispered softly.

Bonnie looked like she was in shock. Shelly quickly grabbed the phone out of her friend's hand and hung it up, thus putting an abrupt end to David's yelling.

"I hate sniveling assholes who yell a lot," said Shelly in a quiet voice. "Now, you listen to me. I will pick you up right here at five-thirty. That will give you a little time to freshen yourself up a little."

"But what about David?"

"Fuck him."

"Well, what about Sandy?"

"Your babysitter? Fuck her, too!"

"But the boys? What about them?"

"That's David's problem."

Bonnie's phone rang, and she knew it was David even before she looked at it.

"Give it to me," demanded Shelly.

Moving slowly, as if in a trance, Bonnie handed her the cell phone. Shelly grabbed it, turned it off and stuffed it into her purse saying, "You won't be needing this. Now, forget about everything for a moment and finish your salad."

That was easy for Shelly to say, but it was far from easy for Bonnie to do. As numb as she suddenly felt, her mind whizzed with questions about what she was doing. What would happen to her and her family when she got home from whatever Shelly had planned for her to do?

The rest of the afternoon was a blur to her. Not because it went by so fast; in fact, it went by neither fast nor slow. It was a blur because she was shocked by what she had done—and by what she was going to do. She did all the work that was required of her, and she did it well, too. But she didn't remember any of it. It was as if she was in a hypnotic trance and someone else was controlling her body.

Bonnie still couldn't believe it when she found herself sitting at the same table in the café at five-twenty. She'd done what Shelly had told her to do and reapplied her lipstick and eye makeup in the ladies' room at work. Not in her wildest dreams did she ever think she'd find herself not going home as soon as she got off from work.

If Shelly was surprised by actually finding her friend in the café waiting for her, she didn't show it. Motioning for her to get up, she simply said, "Come on, we don't have much time."

"But where are we going?"

"Never mind, just come with me. I've got it all worked out."

Bonnie was bewildered when Shelly pulled up in front of a high end fashion store. She had no idea what her friend had planned but a clothing store was about as far from anything she'd imagined.

"First, we're going to get you a new outfit," explained the older woman.

"But Shelly," began Bonnie, shaking her head, "I can't spend money on new clothes for myself like this."

"You don't have to, Darling. This evening's on me!"

Once again, Shelly didn't give Bonnie a chance to protest. She was in charge and Bonnie thought it strangely relaxing to let someone else make all of the decisions, to control things, for a change.

They hadn't been in the store for very long when Shelly suddenly stopped. Taking a low cut black dress off the rack, she held it up to her friend. "What about this?"

Bonnie thought about it for a moment and decided against it. "It would show way too much of my breasts."

Shelly rolled her eyes. "Look, Darling, you've got great tits, and as long as you've got 'em you might as well show 'em. It would be a waste not to. Besides, before you know it, they'll be too saggy for anyone to look at."

"But look how short it is," Bonnie protested.

"Hey, there's no sense in showing off your tits if you're not going to show off a little leg, too. They're part of the package, you know.

Bonnie looked doubtfully at her friend.

"Just go try it on."

As if shell shocked, Bonnie took the garment from her hand and headed for the dressing rooms with Shelly close on her heels.

"I don't know," said Bonnie weakly, as she stepped out to show her friend.

The dress only came down to her mid thigh. It was cut very low in the front—and even lower in the back!—exposing her almost to her waist. As she turned around, Shelly couldn't suppress a small chuckle when she saw part of Bonnie's bra showing.

"You're going to have to take that off!" she laughed, pointing to the bra.

Bonnie was taken aback. "I can't just go braless!"

"Sure you can; I do it all the time, see?"

Bonnie couldn't believe it when her friend pulled her blouse up enough to expose her left breast. Quickly looking around to see if anyone else noticed, she gasped, "Suppose someone saw you?"

"Well, if someone did, I hope I inspired them. Now, give me the tags and I'll go pay for it while you go take your bra off, and then we can get out of here."

Bonnie wasn't sure. She'd never done anything like that in a store before; simply walk out wearing something she'd just bought. But Shelly was in charge, and Bonnie was still content to let her friend control things.

Once they were in her car, Bonnie just sat silently next to Shelly as she drove through the early evening traffic until they came to a place called The Night Moves. It was a hot night club at the south end of town. Once again, Shelly had to grab her arm and practically pulled her friend into the club.

They were greeted by loud music and dim lights and Bonnie was amazed. Even though it was in the middle of the week, the place was already crowded, and what amazed Bonnie even more was that it seemed that almost everyone there knew Shelly! As they pushed through the crowd, guys on every side were saying 'Hi' and were greeting her by name. Just as Bonnie thought that they'd never find a place to sit down, a tall, good looking man suddenly waved to them and yelled "Hey, Shell, you and your friend want to have a seat with us?"

They could barely hear him above the din, and when they were finally able to reach the table, Shelly said, "Oh, thanks, Darling! This is my good friend, Bonnie. Bonnie, this is Frederick, not Fred."

"Fred Flintstone is a cartoon character for kids," put in the tall man, with a light laugh.

Shelly grinned and turning to Bonnie she said, "And let me tell you something, Frederick is definitely not for kids!"

"Oh, you're so bad, Shell!"

"Well, isn't that what you like most about me?"

Bonnie wasn't sure what to think as she followed Shelly and Frederick, not Fred, to a small table where another gentleman in a grey suit was sitting. He stood up as the two women approached. Frederick introduced him saying, "This is my overworked, underpaid friend, James."

"Well, I've never seen you here before," Frederick began after they were all seated.

"She doesn't get out much," Shelly put in quickly.

Bonnie could feel his eyes on her as he said, "Too bad. You're much too good looking to be kept hidden away."

James, having managed to flag down a waitress, asked, "So, what'll you two be having?"

"I'll have a gin and tonic," said Shelly.

"I remember," laughed Frederick, with a wink. Turning to Bonnie, he asked, "What about you, pretty lady? What would you like?"

Bonnie didn't know. She was still too much in shock to think clearly. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out, and Shelly quickly said, "She'll have a gin and tonic, too."

Feeling stupid, Bonnie tried to cover her mental lapse, saying, "It's crowded in here."

"Always is," replied Frederick. "It seems almost everyone from the downtown offices come here to unwind a little before going home. It will start to thin out after a bit."

They made small talk for a while and Bonnie discovered that Frederick and James were engineers. Their latest project was designing a store that would fit into the overall scheme of an older, but well-to-do, downstate neighborhood. James was actually visiting to collaborate with Frederick on the design. By the time they'd finished telling the two women about their project and its problems, Bonnie had already drunk her second gin and tonic.

She almost never drank, and the alcohol was already having its effect on her. It wasn't long before she found herself laughing and talking with James whom she also suddenly found quite attractive. He wasn't that tall, maybe five ten or so with light brown hair, brown eyes and a nice smile on his clean shaven face. He was wiry looking, yet he had a certain rugged quality about him too.

James ordered a third drink for her, and Shelly reached over and gave Bonnie's leg a quick squeeze as a warning. Bonnie got the message and barely took a sip from it. James suddenly surprised her by asking if she wanted to dance. Shelly was pleased to see Bonnie accept the offer. As they headed for the dance floor, Frederick got up and told everyone he was going to get their popcorn and peanut bowls refilled.

It had been a long time since she'd danced, and if Bonnie had stopped to think about it, she probably would have declined. As it was, between the ambiance of the club and the alcohol, she accepted the invitation without thought. James put his arm around her waist as he led her to the dance floor, and Bonnie thought about how strange it felt to have a man, besides David, touch her.

She was feeling good, but was not drunk, so she was able to pull off some simple dance steps without too much trouble. Fortunately, it was a fast song, so all she had to do was move around a little to the beat of the music. It seemed like they'd only just started dancing when the song suddenly changed to a slow one. Bonnie thought about leaving the floor, but James quickly grabbed her around her waist and pulled her into him.

"Damn you're hot," he whispered as they swayed to the music.

Bonnie was both excited and scared at the same time. "Can't he see my wedding ring?" she thought.

The song was half over when she felt James' hands move down to her ass. Bonnie tensed up, but didn't pull away when he gave her ass a little squeeze. They were dancing close, way closer than she would have ever allowed had it not been for the alcohol, but just as she began to get nervous enough to pull away from him, the song ended, and she said, "I think I need a drink."

James led her back to the table with a big smile on his face, and Bonnie told Shelly that she was going to the ladies' room.

"Wait, I'll go with you," she replied.

"What am I doing here?" asked Bonnie, as soon as they found themselves alone.

"Relaxing, giving yourself time to get it back together ... saving your sanity," Shelly said, looking at her friend intently.

"James grabbed my ass on the dance floor!"

"I know; I saw him," and before Bonnie could speak, Shelly quickly asked, "Admit it; you enjoyed it didn't you?"

Bonnie thought a moment and found that she had enjoyed it! She liked the attention, and she liked the idea that a man still found her desirable.

"But I'm married!"

"Hey, the ring's on your finger, Darling, not your pussy." Seeing the look of horror on her friend's face, she added, "Look, no one's saying that you have to fuck him. Just go back there and enjoy yourself for a change."

Seeing the look of indecision in her friend's face, and not wanting to give her time to think about it, Shelly grabbed Bonnie's arm and pulled her back into the club.

James and Frederick quickly stood up as the two women approached. "At least they have good manners!" Bonnie thought. "Shelly's right. As long as I've gone this far, I might as well enjoy myself."