Before It Stains

by R. E. Bradshaw

  “No, but once is enough, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, I do,” Mo answered. “And it will never happen again.”

  “I’m just supposed to trust you after this. Are you nuts?”

  Mo grinned. It should have made Stephanie angrier, but it had the opposite effect. Mo’s charm was a much stronger elixir than the anger.

  “Don’t grin at me,” Stephanie said, but it was half hearted. “I’m mad as hell at you.”

  Still grinning, Mo said, “I know you are. I’ve never seen you this mad. Between the hot new look and the attitude, it’s quite distracting.”

  The line was hardly original or appropriate, and despite her best efforts, it was drawing Stephanie in. She didn’t know how badly she longed for Mo, until that moment. The grin, those hazel eyes, and the fact that Stephanie could now touch Mo – things she had been able to avoid the past few days – outweighed her indignation. Stephanie tried valiantly to resist the growing desire.

  “Don’t you think for one minute that throwing me into bed is going to fix this.”

  Mo must have sensed an opening. She stepped even closer. “It couldn’t hurt.”

  Stephanie became acutely aware of how much sexual tension was in the air. She’d seen this kind of thing in movies, where two people were so mad at each other they just had to have sex.

  A single chuckle left Stephanie’s chest. “Yeah, right. Like I’m going to stop being pissed for the moment, have hot angry sex with you, and then we’ll get back to fighting.”

  Mo tilted her head to one side and raised an eyebrow, her grin seductive. “Hot angry sex?”

  Stephanie was on her, before Mo knew what happened. There was no melting into arms or slow, long, tongue dancing kisses. It was all frantic and fast. Mo was a little taken aback by Stephanie’s aggression, but she got into the action fairly quickly. They tore at each other’s clothes, casting them aside, as they banged into the furniture, knocking over a side table, before Stephanie pushed Mo onto the couch. Frenzied, passionate, “have your way with me” sex ensued. Stephanie was finally getting the wild monkey sex she abruptly realized she so desperately needed. She had a sneaking suspicion it was better with Mo than it would have been with a stranger, because there was absolutely no guilt, no walls, no places Mo didn’t know how to take her. They “had at it” with the wild abandon of their youth, when their love was new and intoxicating.

  For a few minutes, Stephanie was able to forget. It was a sweet release.

  #

  Stephanie caught her breath, her chin resting in the beads of sweat between Mo’s breasts. Mo ran her fingers along the back of Stephanie’s neck.

  “Did I tell you I like your hair?”

  Looking up into Mo’s smiling face, Stephanie said, “Don’t think you’re off the hook. That was simply necessary.”

  Mo’s smile widened. “Working out a little frustration, huh? I’ll be around if that becomes necessary again.”

  Stephanie started disentangling herself from the naked Mo. “You’ll be around in the guest bedroom until I say otherwise. You haven’t earned your way back into my bed, yet. That is if you’re planning on staying here.”

  Mo reached for Stephanie, pulling her back down into her arms. “Just give me a chance. That’s all I’m asking.”

  Stephanie peered deep into Mo’s eyes. She hovered, hunting for the right words, finally settling on these, “I’ll give you that chance because I have loved you so long, I don’t know how not to. You broke my heart, Mo. It’s going to take a lot more than an apology and wild sex to mend it.”

  Mo drew Stephanie into a kiss, this one deep and slow, the kind of kiss that stole Stephanie’s heart all those years ago. It flooded Stephanie with warmth and tugged at the pit of her stomach. This was what she didn’t feel with Molly. This is what she would only ever feel with Mo. Stephanie surrendered to the kiss, which elicited a moan from Mo’s throat. Mo might not be coming back to her bed just yet, but she was well on her way back into Stephanie’s heart. Stephanie pulled out of Mo’s embrace and stood up. She held her hand out for Mo to take. Mo obeyed and followed Stephanie out of the den.

  “I thought you said I couldn’t come back to your bed.”

  Stephanie continued to lead Mo through the house. She looked over her shoulder at Mo. “I didn’t say I was opposed to meeting you in the guest room, or the shower.” She smiled mischievously. “Unless, of course, you’d rather I didn’t.”

  Mo had been the chaser, the pursuer, throughout their relationship. She was a little off balance with the more assertive Stephanie. She stuttered out, “N-no, I’m okay with that.”

  #

  Mo left Stephanie sleeping, while she showered and changed clothes. She felt Mo leave the bed, but couldn’t open her eyes. The late night and all the stress had taken its toll. She slept soundly and was awakened by Mo brushing her hair back from her forehead. Stephanie blinked open her eyes to find Mo sitting on the edge of the bed, already dressed.

  “Hey,” Mo said, softly. “I’ve got to go pick up Colt.”

  Stephanie roused, sitting up, covering her nakedness with the sheet. She wasn’t quite ready to relax around Mo. She’d just spent the morning rolling around in the bed with her, but that was somehow different.

  “What time is it?” Stephanie asked.

  “It’s quarter to twelve.”

  “Wow, I was knocked out there for a while. Are you sure you want to take him alone? I can be dressed in five minutes.”

  Mo stood up. “I really need to talk to him by myself, first. I’ll take him somewhere after the doctor’s appointment and let him have his say.”

  Stephanie climbed out of bed with the sheet still wrapped around her. “Take food,” she said. “He’s much easier to deal with on a full stomach.”

  Mo followed Stephanie to the base of the stairs. “He’ll want to go to the game tonight, even if he can’t play. So, I’ll bring him back here and we can go together, if that’s all right.”

  Stephanie stopped on the first step. “Yes, we can go together. I do have one request.”

  Mo smiled, saying, “Anything.”

  “You have to deal with the curious gawkers and gossips.”

  Mo’s brow knitted. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I’m not sure how much I told you already, but here’s the story, so far. I threw a chair through a window and broke a bunch of china when I found out you were leaving me for a man in LA. There was blood on the walls that had to be painted over. That part was sort of true, since the prime rib did stain.”

  Mo started laughing, but not too much. She knew not to find it too amusing.

  Stephanie held up one hand. “Wait, it gets better. Marlene has a secret crush on you and is waiting with baited breath for your return. Geri Lee would like me to join her for coffee and sex, and if we do get back together, we can both come over. Jordan’s father volunteered to service me since he heard I was looking for a man.”

  Mo didn’t like the part about Jordan’s dad, but the rest she found entertaining.

  “I also threw all your stuff out on the curb,” Stephanie continued. “And evidently my haircut and the new clothes, which by the way you are paying for out of the settlement, are a sign of impending divorce. The sharks smell blood in the water and they’re circling.”

  Mo lowered her head, her smile disappearing. She dug at the carpet with the toe of her shoe. “I suppose not having your wedding rings on had something to do with it.”

  Stephanie remembered the rings for the first time since Molly asked her about them last night. She looked at the white mark the absent rings left on her finger.

  “No, I didn’t take those off until just before I left last night.”

  Mo didn’t look up. “Is that because you were going to meet Molly?”

  Stephanie pulled the sheet tighter around her body. She felt vulnerable in her current state of dress, but she answered truthfully. It was time for honesty in their marriage, if nothing else.

&nb
sp; “Molly being at the gallery was pure coincidence, but you should know I fully intended to sleep with her, just to get you out of my mind for a few hours.”

  Mo looked up from the floor. She asked, “What stopped you?”

  “She did,” Stephanie replied. “You owe my standing here now to Molly Kincaid’s character, not mine.”

  “I really thought I’d lost you,” Mo said, softly.

  “You almost did.”

  Seconds ticked by, as they stood there, not speaking, searching each other’s faces. Stephanie stepped down in front of Mo. She placed her hand over Mo’s heart.

  She spoke softly, “We need to talk Mo. Things are going to change around here. We’ll sit down tonight after the game. I can’t promise that everything is going to be all right, but I am trying to forgive you. That’s all I have right now and you need to go deal with your son.”

  “I’m not giving up, Steph. I’ll do whatever it takes. I want my family back.”

  Stephanie patted Mo’s chest. “Well, start with your son.” She climbed the stairs, calling over her shoulder. “I hope you are prepared for this. If you haven’t noticed, he’s a little put out with you and me.”

  Mo called up after her, “Yeah, I noticed. Hey, we’ll be here around five, okay?”

  Stephanie stopped at the top of the stairs, looking down at Mo. “The first thing that’s going to change is you will be here when you say you will. I’ll see you at five.”

  She opened the door to her bedroom, hearing Mo shout up to her, “Yes, ma’am.”

  #

  Stephanie reclined in the bathtub, surrounded by lilac scented bubbles, and a wet cloth over her eyes. She was the most relaxed she’d felt since last Sunday, when the shit hit the fan. Sex, it seemed, was better than a massage for relieving stress. The house was quiet. The only sound was Stephanie’s deep breathing against the cloth that was sliding down over her nose. The energy it would take to push the cloth back up was too high a price to pay. Stephanie slid a little further down into the warm water. More tension released from her body.

  The explosion of the ringtone in the still air rocketed Stephanie into a sitting position. She brought the cellphone into the bathroom with her, in case Mo or Colt needed information for the doctor. Stephanie could see the phone from its perch on the table by the tub, Randy’s gleaming teeth shined back at her. She dried her hands, slid a finger across the screen to answer, and pressed the speaker button.

  “No, you are not getting the details,” she said into the air.

  Randy’s voice filled the room from the little speaker in the phone. “Which ones? There are so many to choose from.”

  “You want to know what went on with Molly and I’m not telling.”

  “Did she take you to her house?” Randy was not to be dissuaded.

  Despite her reluctance, Stephanie couldn’t help herself. “Oh my God, I had no idea she was that fucking rich.”

  “And you passed that up to go back to your life in suburbia?”

  “Money can’t buy what I have in suburbia.” Stephanie said, defensively.

  Randy kept digging. “Oh, so how is life back at the farm?”

  “She cooked breakfast for me,” Stephanie said, sliding back down into the water.

  From his next comment, it appeared Randy thought it was his responsibility to keep Stephanie focused. “Well, that should make up for fucking around on you.”

  “She’s trying, Randy.”

  “Oh shit, you’ve already slept with her, haven’t you?”

  Stephanie’s laugh echoed around the room. “You’re the one that said I needed wild monkey sex.”

  “Not with your wife. That’s the whole point. I can’t believe you didn’t sleep with Molly. The way you were sliding up and down her body on the dance floor, I figured you for another notch on Ms. Kincaid’s bed post.”

  Stephanie defended Molly. “Despite what you might think of her, Molly isn’t really like that.”

  “She has quite the reputation as a heartbreaker and if the parade of women I’ve seen her with is any indication, she likes them tall and blond.”

  “Let’s just say she’s been looking for something. I admire her for not settling.”

  Randy sighed. “So, the old flame got put out last night, is that it?”

  “I think she’ll move on now. She had her say.” Stephanie hoped Molly would find the love she deserved.

  Randy laughed loudly. “That little scene at the hospital was priceless. Mo was way out of her league tangling with Miss Molly.”

  Stephanie chuckled too, remembering the stunned look on Mo’s face. “Oh, I think Mo got the message.”

  They were quiet after their laughter died down. Randy cleared his throat, serious now.

  “Are you okay? Where’s Mo?”

  “She took Colt to the doctor. She wanted to talk to him alone.”

  Randy persisted. “You didn’t answer my question. Are you okay?”

  “We’re going to the game and then we’re going to sit down to talk. We got the sex out of the way this morning, so I think we’re both a little calmer now. We still have a lot to work out.”

  “No more flying china?” Randy teased.

  “No, no more broken dishes,” Stephanie answered, chuckling. “I’m not as mad as I was, so that’s progress.”

  “Yeah, sex will take the fight right out of you. I’m sure Mo knew that when she seduced you.”

  “For your information, Mr. Ransom, I initiated first contact.”

  “Hum, a girl that knows what she wants. I’ll bet that blew Mo’s mind.”

  Stephanie giggled. “I think it did.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t leave her,” Randy said. “Did you finally remember it takes two people to make a marriage and two people to let one fall apart?”

  Stephanie waited a moment before she answered, “I know I love her and I wouldn’t be happy without her. We just need to clear the air and start over, I think.”

  “I think that’s wise, Steph. You and Mo have something most people only dream of. It’s not always going to be perfect, but it’s special none the less.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Stephanie conceded.

  “Okay, kiddo, I’ll see you at the game.”

  “You know Colt isn’t playing, right?” Stephanie asked.

  “I’m kind of invested in the team now and I sure don’t want to miss the reaction in the stands to Mo being there. There will be multiple cases of whiplash.”

  “I’m glad we entertain you, Randy. See you tonight.”

  “Later.”

  The phone sounded the call lost signal and Stephanie slid down under the water, losing herself again in the warmth. She listened to her heartbeat in the water. It was still there, thumping strongly. It wasn’t broken after all, just severely bruised. They could come back from this. It would take a lot of effort from both of them, but Stephanie had to believe they could clean up this spilled milk, as her mother had put it, before it stained.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The ball field was a blur of activity by the time Stephanie arrived with Colt and Mo. The two of them showed up at the house at four forty-five, acting as if everything went well. Stephanie didn’t get a chance to ask Mo about the conversation with Colt. They wanted to go out to their favorite hamburger joint before the game and hustled Stephanie out the door. Colt informed Stephanie that his ankle would be well by his birthday, so driving shouldn’t be an issue. Evidently, the subject of his car had come up in the conversation with Mo. Mo rolled her eyes at Stephanie, signaling their son was not above emotional blackmail. Just one more thing she and Mo had to talk about.

  Five Guys Burgers was packed and by the time the food was consumed, they had to rush to the ballgame. Mo helped Colt stand on his crutches and stayed with him, as they walked toward the chairs Stephanie’s mother and PJ already set up. Randy was right, heads were popping around and fingers were being pointed, as Stephanie and her family came into view. Stephanie veered off toward the c
oncession stand to buy drinks. She saw Marlene stand up and head down the stands toward her.

  “Great,” Stephanie said under her breath.

  She almost ran right into Geri Lee, coming back from the concession stand with drinks and popcorn balanced in front of her.

  “Oh gosh, I’m sorry,” Stephanie said, righting the tilting popcorn box on the top of Geri Lee’s stack of snacks with her left hand.

  Geri Lee recovered from almost dropping her purchases just as Marlene appeared. Geri Lee’s eyes were on Stephanie’s ring finger. Stephanie could actually see the wheels turning and the lights come on.

  Geri Lee gasped. “So it is true. You and Mo are splitting up.”

  “No,” Stephanie got out, before Geri Lee interrupted her.

  “But you’re not wearing your rings.”

  Stephanie saw Mo step up behind Geri Lee. Mo heard the last comment and came to Stephanie’s rescue.

  “Honey,” she said, digging in her pocket, producing Stephanie’s rings. “You left these in the bathroom. I meant to give them to you, but I forgot.” Stephanie smiled and held out her hand for Mo to slip the rings back on her finger. Although the moment was significant, Mo continued as if it were any other day, “Well, hi Geri Lee, Marlene, thank you for keeping Stephanie company this week.”

  Marlene was still recovering from the shock of seeing Mo. She spoke, but her words had an empty sound, as if she was trying to process information while replying to Mo. “It was no trouble. Sorry to hear about Colt’s ankle.”

  Mo was charming, assuming control, and effectively discouraging any further rumors. “He’ll be fine,” she said to Marlene and then turned to Stephanie. “Come on, let’s get those drinks.” Mo touched Stephanie lightly on the elbow, steering her toward the line at the concession stand. Over her shoulder, Mo said to the two women who were now simply staring in disbelief, “Thanks again for taking care of her, I think I can handle it from here.”

  Stephanie whispered to Mo, “Thank you.”