Wild Night

Dawn leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, Tom responded by wrapping her into a tight hug. "I love my wife. I just don't know how to get her to understand that I never stopped." He croaked and she felt the tears touch her shoulder. They talked late into the night, Dawn mostly listened but offered a few ideas that came to her as they spoke. One of which was to make her sweats disappear one set at a time as he did the laundry. They laughed at the little conspiracy she'd cooked up.

"Get her out of the fucking house. Do anything, make it a point to walk every park in the city, climb Bunker Hill, what ever it takes to get the stank blown off because she's hiding from you and the world. Don't let her get away with it. If you have to deflect a few punches along the way then do it. Take little Tommy and put him in the walker and go, see if she doesn't start to follow." She put her forehead to his. "Most of all, it's time for you to stop pulling the ten, eleven, twelve hour work days. I imagine as a suit you work on salary, so leave at quitting time and go, the fuck, home. Don't bring work home, don't answer emails, just be home, make dinner, wash the dishes, feed, bathe and change Tommy, give her a night off. If she has any girl friends, push her at them for a girls night out, but keep at it. You can do this." She smiled at him and leaned back.

He laughed and shook his head as he looked her up and down. "I'm in bed naked with a beautiful woman because my wife told me to go out and get laid and we end up talking about how I can get her back."

"Well, you did get laid. So did the hottie on your lap. My old man got to watch so I'd say we covered all of our bases." She reached up and placed her palm to his cheek and he kissed the base of her thumb. "What happens now Tom?"

He sighed. "I finish up the last meeting on Monday and pray like hell we get this contract, then fly home that night."

Dawn smiled and cocked her head waiting for more.

"I go home and get my wife back." He smiled looking into her face.

"Good." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Their eyes met and they both stopped, they looked at one another for a long moment, lips parted. She closed her eyes and they kissed, their lips meeting for the first time. "Sometimes rules are meant to be broken." She whispered and smiled. "Now get out of here before I take you down again. As it is I'm going to be walking bow-legged for a week stud." She leaned up and took his ear lobe between her teeth and growled.

* * * * *

Four years, he thought, since his life had turned on its proverbial ear and the doors that he hadn't even known were there began to open before him. He looked across his office then at the wide windows overlooking the lake. "Office with a view," he thought to himself. It all happened after that week in Chicago.

He had flown out to save the sales team from losing a very big fish of an account. The client thought Tom's firm couldn't handle the job. He sat down with their team and went over the requirements and specifications, and eventually clinched the deal. It was a huge feather in his cap. When he got back to his office he got called into a meeting with his boss and the few who consisted of the board of the company and got a very nice pat on the head, a new position and, when the end of the fiscal came around, a large bonus check. That had helped set him, and his family up with a nice nest egg. Two years later the company went public and he got recommended to replace his boss as director of engineering when his boss moved up to chief operating officer. He continued to excel and as the company grew quickly they had decided to split their office and expand to the west coast, the board came to him to head up that new office. He sat in the corner office overlooking the Seattle skyline as vice president of engineering and development. He had never thought he would reach these heights before he hit forty and yet here he was watching a helicopter float across the distant skyline.

He'd stopped working and was just staring out over the city, the quiet buzz of the office beyond his door didn't distract him from his reminiscing. He couldn't believe it was only coincidence, but he could never put together a scenario that could have explained how it all fell into place that week. He put a few papers into a folder and closed it sliding it into his laptop case. It was a few hours early but he'd do more than make up for it over the holiday weekend. He wanted to get home and spend a little time with little Tommy and Angie before they had to leave for their appointment. It would take him nearly an hour to drive home. That was something he wasn't quite getting used to is the time it took to travel around the lake from south Seattle to the suburb where they made their home. It wouldn't have been different in Boston, he thought. As soon as he could have he would have moved them out to the suburbs to give Tommy a little room to grow.

He opened the door from the garage into the kitchen and called out to Angie, his son rocketed into his leg and hopped up and down. He heard her call back from another room as he set his case down and hoisted Tommy off the floor and flipped him over and tickled him.

"Have you been good or have you been driving your mom crazy today?" He said tickling him into a fit of giggles as he carried him into the other room. Angie was sitting on the floor going through a box of books and lining them up on the built in bookcase of the office in their new home. Her face glowed from the exertion of moving around boxes and unpacking the non-essential household items that had been put aside for the last few weeks.

"Hey gorgeous."

She turned her face towards him and smiled. Her hair was disheveled, held back by a bandanna, her tee shirt smudged and dirty.

"You're a dirty liar, and I love you for it." She turned and flipped one of the books over and slid it onto the shelf. "Am I running behind?" She turned and glanced around the room searching for an indication. There wasn't a clock so she alighted on the window to see if she could tell by the daylight.

"Nope, I just wanted to come home a little early and spend some time with you before we headed over to the school."

Angie smiled at that and gave a little groan as she stood and stretched. "I see you picked up a monkey on the way in. Are we allowed to have a pet here?" She said running fingers up little Tom's stomach causing even more giggles.

"I don't know, there might be rules against that here. Maybe if we kept him in a cage and don't tell the neighbors we'll be okay."

"Did you pick up all of the toys from the floor of your room." She turned her head and gave her son a strict look.

His giggles died out as let out a small answer in the affirmative. She just stared at him with a little more sternness and he changed his answer to no. His father righted him and set him on the floor and pointed him towards the stairs. "Better get a move on, Maddie will be here in a little while and she won't be happy if there's stuff all over the place." Maddie was an au pair who we'd found through a service. She had been invaluable in helping them with Tommy while they moved in over the past couple months.

"I should probably get cleaned up." She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss and turned to hustle Tommy up the stairs. "Come on little man." He began climbing the stairs and she turned back to her husband. "Come on big man, I'm going to need a hand washing my back." She winked and started up the stairs.

She stripped and headed for the shower and I grinned as I watched her. She enjoyed the attention and I was glad for it after everything we'd been through since Tommy was born. Never skinny she had curves and wore them very well. I made sure she scrubbed behind her ears and her back got a thorough wash before exiting and drying off to see how Tommy was doing with cleaning up. That had been going slowly as each toy he picked up to put away, he stopped to play with so I found myself helping him along. We chatted about what he and Maddie would do tonight while his mother and I were gone. We had applied to the private school as soon as we arrived. Angie having performed a lot of her research into good ones before we even got here. As it was they were having an open house tonight for prospective applicants and we'd been invited to attend, so we planned a night out after as well.

Tommy was telling me all about the kind if pizza they would get and what they would watch on TV, and how late he would stay up. I chuckled knowing that Maddie would have a lot of input about those plans. I chivied him off to a quick bath and got him into pajamas early. He loved it even if it was only late afternoon. I went and changed into a more casual outfit than my daily suit but still nice enough for dinner out. Angie came out of the bathroom fidgeting with an earring she'd just put in. Her outfit was sexy, a black dress with lace sleeves with lace at the hem just above her knees. I held my breath for a moment at the sight of her. I grabbed a sport coat off a hanger and closed the closet door. The front doorbell rang and Angie made a move to go answer it.

There was another whirlwind of activity as Tommy went sailing past like a hound on point towards Maddie. We talked with her for a few minutes while we prepared to leave. Angie got her folio with all of her notes and questions and I gathered up Tommy and gave him the usual run down for bed time in front of Maddie so there wouldn't be any arguments, though I knew there would be some seriously haggling over it when bed time actually came.

They arrived at the school just as the open house began. They were greeted by a staff member and given a packet of information and directed to where the reception was being held. They wandered around and found tables with further information about the different activities and fields of study at the school. There were staff members milling about answering questions. Tom looked up and froze.

He hadn't seen her in four years, but he knew it was her, he had no doubt. She looked nearly the same, a little older around the eyes, but that could just be fatigue. She was still trim and fit, a fact that wasn't hidden by the gray suit coat and knee length skirt. He stood rooted to the spot and soaked up every detail he could.

"Are you okay?" Angie asked him softly. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

He tore his gaze from Dawn and looked at Angie. "I'm good, I just thought I saw someone I knew."

She looked at him a moment and cocked an eyebrow. "I'm guessing by the reaction either someone you didn't want to see, or someone you thought you'd never see."

He gave her a crooked smile. "The latter."

Angie's face froze. "Is it?"

Tom nodded in the direction he had been looking. "Would you mind if we split up for a few minutes?"

Angie didn't like choice of terms but she trusted him more now than she ever had, and she had that woman to thank for it. She let out a sigh and nodded. "I'll go over and check out the music and arts program down at the other end of the room." She turned to walk off and stopped, a hand on his arm. "The old offer isn't open any more Tom. We've moved past that." He gave her a smile, and leaned down and kissed her.

"I know, and remember that was your idea, never mine." Tom walked around behind where she stood and waited as she finished speaking with the woman in front of her. The lady gave a nod to him and smiled as she walked off. Dawn turned and with the shock of recognition turned nearly as white as a sheet. She froze, and he saw her throat bob as she swallowed, a strained smile spread across her face.

"Hello."

I looked down at the name badge on her lapel. "Hello Ms. Bonheur." I said it slowly so as to pronounce it correctly and not say Bonner. She took my proffered hand and gave it a shake, but didn't let it go for a long moment.

"I never thought I'd see you again." She said with a little laugh.

"I felt the same way until I froze in my tracks across the room there." There was a momentary strain as we both waited for the other to take the first step. She brought her hands up in front of her and shrugged, a nervous laugh escaped her lips and she opened her arms and gave him a hug. He whispered, "Miss?" He felt her head bob slightly as her chin rested momentarily on his shoulder. They stepped apart.

"I have you to thank for that." She said, he noticed her eyes welling up.

"Oh no!" He whispered harshly and reached for his handkerchief.

"Yes." She smiled and thanked him. "It's cliché to say this," her voice lowered, and her eyes darted around to see who might be close by and continued, "you ruined me for other men."

Tom's mouth went dry and he swallowed dramatically. She reached out and touched his hand. "Don't worry, it was going to happen anyway, it wasn't anything you could have prevented and it was a few years after we met."

He relaxed a little at that but was building up so many more questions. His mouth hung open as he processed it all.

"Are you here with your wife?"

"What? Oh, yes. We're looking for a school for Tommy."

He glanced down at her name badge again and saw her title. She was the assistant director of education and head of the language department. "Celeste." He said her name softly. He looked back up at her smile and saw it had turned bittersweet and he wasn't sure if it was due to meeting again or that he and his wife had reconciled their differences. He glanced around to make sure they weren't overheard. "I told her eventually, the whole sordid story." He smirked. "Then I began to win her back as you suggested. It was a lot of hard work, some yelling and crying, an occasional thrown dish, it worked."

"I'm so happy for the two of you." She swallowed the lump in her throat and willed herself not to tear up. "So the question now is, how are you going to introduce me? She knows something must be up if you acted as if you saw a ghost when you saw me."

"I told her. That's her speaking with the lady in blue." He nodded at the other end of the room. Celeste turned and glanced in the direction he indicated.

"The hot one in the little black dress?" She said smiling as she turned back to him.

"That's her. It took her a long time to believe it, but it finally stuck."

"Angela isn't it?" She asked. Tom smiled at her recognition and nodded.

"Yes it is, Celeste." He laughed. "I've got to remember that. I've always thought of you as Dawn, even though I knew it wasn't your real name."

"Listen," she began giving him a shrewd look, "this is a bad way to reminisce. If she's willing to meet me without clawing my eyes out, I'd like to talk with you. Do you think she'd be okay with dinner at my place? Both of you of course." She added with a nervous laugh as she leaned in closer. "She probably wouldn't trust us alone. I wouldn't blame her either."

"I'll ask her. We were going to talk about the school over dinner. She wouldn't have dressed like that just for this. She might have been a little more bold if she knew you were here." He chuckled.

She turned him towards Angie and gave him a little push before turning back to her table and straightening out the presentations. As soon as she was free a couple stepped forward to speak with her. Tom turned and went to see speak with his wife.

"Celeste?" She turned and was face to face with Angie who looked up at her, eyes wide and smiling. "I've always thought of you as Dawn." She whispered.

Celeste let out a soft laugh. "You can understand why I wouldn't use my real name... in that situation." She let out a little gasp as Angela surprised her with a powerful hug.

"Thank you." She whispered. "I'll talk to Maddie and see if she can watch Tommy tomorrow night too."

Celeste took one of her business cards and put her info on the back and handed it to Angela. "Let me know." She gave them a wink. "I know this may change your mind about having Tommy attend class here and I understand. I can make another recommendation that's not far, a good school." Celeste paused as Angela took her arm and shook her head.

"No, not at all. Tell us about the language program." She added with a little smile.

* * *

Angela held Tom's hand as they sat at the table. "Do you believe this? She's gorgeous, everything you described."

He shook his head. "No, I mean. I'm blown away by it actually."

"Hey, don't clam up on me now." She said trying to poke him out of his reverie.

Tom looked at her, "I don't know what you want me to say."

She paused and looked down at their hands. "Tell me how you feel about it."

"I... I don't know, it's hard to say. I was excited at first, but then I realized what it meant and it scares the hell out of me." He gripped her hand a little tighter.

"Afraid that you don't have the willpower?" Her eyebrow went up with a corner of her mouth.

"The willpower to what?"

"The willpower to not answer if she calls. " Angela said.

"You're the one with her number."

Angela leaned on the palm of her hand with a smug look. "I know, and if I find it on your phone I'll smother you in your sleep." She said with a smile.

Tom laughed knowing that she was mostly kidding.

"Either way I like the school."

"So do I." Tom sighed.

* * *

Maddie had been more than happy to come back on Saturday. Tom and Angela made their way to the suburb listed on the card. It was a condo on a street sloped down to the water on the east side of Lake Washington. A small copse of evergreens stood sentinel on the front corner of the small parking area. We were asked to park at the far end where the spaces were marked for guests. We found our way to the right stairway and knocked on the door.

"Hi there." Celeste opened the door wide and stepped back. Angie walked in ahead of me smiling and handing over a huge bouquet of flowers and I held up two bottles of wine. "Wow thank you! Make yourselves comfortable."

It was impossible to miss the fact that she had worn the same leather mini skirt that had caught my attention a few years ago with a faded blue button down top. She excused herself to find a vase and told me to follow her into the kitchen.

"Glasses there, opener in that drawer." She said pointing as she reached up onto the top shelf for a vase, distracting me from what I was doing. She turned and caught me, giving me a rueful smile.

"Some things never change." She said softly, giving the front of his slacks a quick pat.

"Well you're still gorgeous so it's not really my fault is it."

"Is she prepared for me to be totally candid about this?"

"I would like that and I'm sure she would too. I think it's safer that way."

"Good." She reached into the fridge and pulled out a little platter of nibbles. She looked up at the clock as we walked into the living area with the glasses and platter. She set it on the coffee table with a little pile of napkins. "I was thinking of dinner for around seven if that's okay?" She glanced up at the clock. We both nodded.

Celeste took a glass from me and Angela the other and I lifted mine. "To happenstance." I offered in salute.

"Ooh that's good." Celeste said looking down at her glass.

"Um, to blast through as many awkward cobwebs as we can as quickly as we can I want you to know that he was completely honest when told you the story about me pushing him out of the house with the almost completely guilt free offer to get himself laid." Angela said with a sigh. Celeste was about to say something and Angie stopped her with a quick wave. "It was me, we'd talked about postpartum depression before Tommy was born and I didn't think it was something I'd suffer. I was pretty happy-go-lucky and thought I'd be the same after. I wasn't. I turned into a listless zombie, truth be told." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly and she took my hand. "I tried, and damn did Tom try but nothing worked. I went from laying there like a dead fish during sex to avoiding it completely with a regular incidence of unplanned headaches. I knew what it was doing to him, he tried to get me to talk to the doctor about it and I did and since I wasn't nursing, medication was an option, but I didn't want to be on drugs. I was avoiding the issue, and I knew it was hurting us badly which is why after eight months when he had to go to Chicago for that meeting I told him that he should find himself some relief, a professional or something."