For All Time

by Angela Benson

  “You’d better watch yourself, Gloria,” Josh warned.

  She ignored him and put her tongue in his ear. When he moaned, she asked, “Something wrong, Josh?”

  “Stop it, Gloria, I’m trying to drive. I don’t want us to have an accident. Do you?”

  Gloria moved her attention from his ear and began to place hot kisses down his strong jaw. “Stop what?” she asked with a tinge of innocence.

  “You know what you’re doing,” he said. His hands gripped the steering wheel and his eyes focused on the road.

  She moved her hand to rest on his chest and continued her kisses. “You don’t like it?”

  He cut his eye in her direction. “You know I like it. That’s the problem. I like it too much.”

  Her hand slipped from his chest to rest on his thighs. “Gloria,” Josh warned. He dropped one hand from the steering wheel and placed it atop hers.

  She inched her fingers up his thigh, ignoring his feeble attempt to stop her movements. “This isn’t affecting you, is it, Josh? It’s not like you’re about to run off the road or anything.”

  He cut his eyes in her direction again and the passion she saw in them almost made her forget the game she was playing. Josh wasn’t playing, and as soon as they got home, she would pay for her actions. She shivered at the thought.

  When Josh returned his attention to the road, Gloria’s fingers resumed their motions. Evidently, Josh had decided to stop fighting her because he moved his hand back to the steering wheel.

  “You’re going to get it when we get home,” he said. “Yes, you’re going to get it.”

  She kissed him again on his jaw while her fingers continued their assault.

  “Dammit, Gloria, you’re going to get it.”

  She laughed.

  When Josh pulled the Saab into the driveway, he was literally bursting at the seams. Gloria had settled back in her seat, looking as innocent as a Sunday School teacher. She was going to pay for what she had done to him and pay big.

  He watched as she unbuckled her seatbelt. When she moved to raise the latch to open the door, he asked, her, “Where are you going?”

  When she looked at him, he groaned and pulled her to him, gearshift be damned. No way was she getting away from him with a look like that in her eyes. She was just as affected by her sexual antics as he was.

  He held her with one hand and lifted the steering wheel to its highest position with the other, all the while sliding his seat as far back as it would go. That done, he managed to position her so that she sat on his lap. Awkward positioning, but comfort was not his prime consideration now.

  “You know you’re going to have to pay up now, don’t you Gloria?” he asked.

  She adjusted herself on his lap, trying to get closer to him. With her hands positioned on either of his shoulders, she asked, “How much do I have to pay?”

  When he reached under her blouse, she sighed. Her arms automatically lifted as he pulled her blouse over her head. “A lot,” he answered as he unsnapped her bra and slipped the straps down her arms. He inhaled her scent as he threw the bra into the back seat with her blouse.

  “God, you are beautiful,” he said, his mouth greedily attacking hers.

  He heard the rumbling sounds from the back of her throat and he knew she was getting her payback. With much self-control he pulled his mouth away from hers. “What? Nothing to say? Cat got your tongue?” Before she could answer, he captured her mouth for another ravaging kiss. He couldn’t get close enough to her.

  He ended the kiss and pushed her away from him.

  “Let’s go inside,” he whispered, done with his game and ready to get down to business.

  “Why do we have to go inside?” she asked. “I don’t want to move until you give me what you promised.”

  “But we’ll be more comfortable inside,” Josh offered. When she rose up from him and, with the skill of a contortionist, removed the rest of her clothes, he knew the tables had turned.

  “Gloria,” he warned.

  She looked down at him, her eyes glazed with a sensuous mist. “Don’t you want this?” Without waiting for his answer, she joined her body with his.

  ***

  It had been past midnight when they had finally come into the house. Their time in the car had been exciting. And the night in bed had been even better. It was as if their sex life had taken on a new life. It had urgency that Gloria once thought they had lost.

  She felt Josh stir behind her and she snuggled closer to him. “Good morning,” she said without turning around to look at him.

  He pulled her tight against his body.

  . “Very good morning.”

  She pushed her hips more tightly against him. “Don’t you ever get tired?”

  “Not of you,” he said, placing a kiss on the base of her neck.

  She turned around to face him. “You always say the right thing. Do you know that?”

  He kissed her lips. “And you always do the right thing. I enjoyed our drive home.”

  She placed a hand on his chest, moving her fingers through the light film of fur that covered it. “I told you.”

  “Told me what?”

  She placed a kiss on his chest. “So you’ve forgotten.”

  “Forgotten what?”

  She continued with light, feather kisses across his chest. “Shame on you, Josh. You did forget.”

  He placed a hand on either side of her head and lifted her face to his. “What are you talking about?”

  She smiled. “The challenge that you made when we were in Bermuda. So, how does this weekend stack up against the one we just had in Raleigh?”

  He laughed. “You mean you planned that garage escapade?”

  “Did you enjoy it?”

  He pulled her to him. His Gloria was turning wanton on him. Maybe this commuter marriage would work after all. “Maybe I should show you how much,” was his answer.

  ***

  Gloria walked through the house reliving the day she and Josh had shared after they’d finally gotten out of bed.

  They’d had brunch with Dexter and Portia and had spent the early part of the afternoon with them. Josh had been in a rush to leave afterward and now he was gone. She missed him already. It was an ache that she guessed she would have to get used to.

  The ringing telephone cut short her musing. It was Elliot looking for Josh. “You just missed him. He left no more than ten minutes ago.”

  “It’s just as well. I promised Marilyn that I wouldn’t bother you guys today, but I wanted to get Josh’s opinion on something before he left.”

  “You can always call him in Raleigh. You have his number, right?”

  “Yes, I’ve got it. Maybe I will give him a call. I don’t suppose you’d want to look over my idea, would you?”

  Gloria smiled at his manner. “Why not? Why don’t you two come over and plan to stay for dinner.”

  “Sounds good, but it’s just me. Marilyn went to visit a friend’s mother in Columbus. She won’t be back until later tonight.”

  “Well, why don’t you come over?” she asked.

  “I have a better idea. Why don’t we go out? This is something we can discuss over dinner.” When Gloria hesitated, he added, “I owe you, Gloria. You’ve done so much for us already. Let me do something for you.”

  She responded to the pleading in his voice. “Okay. As long as it’s nothing fancy.”

  “You choose the place. How about I pick you up in about an hour and a half—say, six o’clock?”

  “You don’t have to pick me up. I can meet you there.”

  “I don’t want you driving home by yourself after dark,” he explained. “Even if we meet there, I’ll have to follow you home so you may as well let me pick you up.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you around six.”

  After Gloria hung up, she realized she was glad to be getting out of the house and away from her thoughts. She wondered what Jo
sh would make of her dinner with Elliot. Elliot without Marilyn. She had been flattered by his jealousy on the boat yesterday. Though there was nothing, would never be anything, between her and Elliot, it was good to know Josh thought she was attractive enough to worry about. She shook her head, tossing those thoughts aside, and wandered into the bedroom to find something to wear.

  Elliot picked her up promptly at six and they went to the Olive Garden for dinner. She listened to his idea and gave her opinion. They went back and forth on some issues before reaching a compromise. They were both feeling good about the evening when they left the restaurant.

  On the drive home he asked about her work and she told him about the Cascade project.

  “Seems like it’s keeping you busy,” Elliot observed.

  Gloria nodded. “It is, but it’s worth it. It means a lot to the small businesses in the area. It’s important for the people in that area to keep their money in the community as long as possible.”

  Elliot pulled into her driveway then. She was about to invite him in for coffee, but he spoke first. “It was good of you to help me out,” he said. “I really appreciate it. You and Josh have both helped me tremendously. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. One of you should reconsider and become my partner. You deserve to get something out of this business.”

  Was Elliot blushing? she wondered. He was a fair-skinned man, so the faint, reddish tint of his cheeks could be a blush. Gloria wanted to reach over and touch his cheek, in a friendly gesture, of course. “This is your dream. We’re just glad to be a part of it. We’ve enjoyed watching you embrace your success.”

  “It’s not success yet,” he said, “but it’s close. So close I can taste it.”

  “This is something you deserve. You took your unemployment which could have been an ending, and made it a beginning. I’m impressed.”

  Yes, he was blushing, Gloria said to herself.

  “I couldn’t have done it without Marilyn,” he continued. “She supported me, and I mean more than financially, when I really needed it. I’ll never be able to repay her for that.”

  He sounded so forlorn as he spoke that she wanted to reassure him. “She doesn’t want to be repaid. She did it because she loves you. It’s her dream, too. I envy you both.”

  They were silent for a while. “You and Josh seem to be adjusting well to your commuter marriage.”

  She nodded. “It’s hard but we love each other and we’re determined to see this through.”

  “I know this is none of my business, but I don’t think this commuter marriage is such a good idea. Married people should be together.”

  It was so simple for Elliot. Too bad it wasn’t that simple for her and Josh. “Ours is a special case. We don’t want to be apart, but there was no other way.”

  “We all make choices. You and Josh had a choice. You chose to be apart rather than to be together. That I don’t understand. I would never choose to be apart from Marilyn.”

  Gloria felt her defenses rise. “It’s complicated, Elliot. Josh has to follow his dream just like you had to follow yours. I’m supporting him in that, but I have dreams too. Should I have given up my dreams to follow him? Should he have given up his dreams to stay with me?”

  “I’m not saying you should have followed him, but I figured one of you needed to give in. You both made choices,” Elliot continued, shaking his head, “but I can’t see myself having made those same choices.”

  Her anger was immediate. “So, Mr. High and Mighty, you’ve judged Josh and me and found us lacking, is that it?”

  Elliot reached for her hand. “No, that’s not it at all. I care about you and Josh and I want you to be happy.”

  Gloria snatched her hand away and flung open the car door. She wasn’t going to sit here and listen to Elliot’s judgments. The things he had said had hit too close to home. At one time, she would have followed Josh anywhere. Why had she put her career before their marriage this time? She knew the answer, but she didn’t like it and she knew Elliot wouldn’t approve of it. Well, who the hell was Elliot to judge her anyway? She hopped out of the car. “Good night, Elliot,” she said with obvious sarcasm. “I had a great time.”

  She heard Elliot say something but the words didn’t register in her brain. She stormed to the front door, unlocked it, and let herself in. Once inside, she began to pace. Elliot and his opinions. Who asked him anyway? That’s the problem with friends. They always gave too much advice. This kind of stuff she expected from Portia, not from Elliot. What did Elliot know about her marriage anyway? He couldn’t even plan his own business without her help.

  The more Gloria thought about his comments, the angrier she became. She wondered how many other people were judging her, looking for her marriage to fall apart. Well, other people didn’t know about her and Josh. Their marriage was as strong as ever. This commuter arrangement was only temporary.

  One good thing had come out of this, though. Josh would no longer have reason to be jealous of Elliot because Gloria was never going to see him again. That meant she wouldn’t see Marilyn either, but she figured that was best. Marilyn probably shared Elliot’s feelings anyway.

  Thirteen

  Josh needed to leave early to meet Gloria’s flight. Early was probably the wrong word. He wasn’t leaving early; he just wasn’t staying as late as usual. He had planned a romantic weekend that he knew Gloria would like. He could see it now. He’d whisk her into the townhouse for a candlelit dinner. Then, after dinner, he’d take her to the bedroom, where he had strewn red roses across the bed. The perfect beginning to the perfect weekend.

  And they needed this weekend. In the last few months, their times together had been hit and miss, at best. If not her schedule, then his, had prevented them from getting together as planned. They hadn’t been together, without the interference of work, since the weekend of their boat trip with Marilyn and Elliot. And that seemed so long ago, which was why Josh had planned such a special time this weekend.

  And that’s why Josh was so impatient with today’s meeting. As soon as this meeting ended, his perfect weekend could begin. Would Carla never finish? he wondered. These Friday afternoon meetings were the only things he didn’t like about his job. Who scheduled Friday afternoon meetings anyway? And these meetings always lasted until six. That wouldn’t be a problem if he and Gloria weren’t commuting. But it was hell when he had to make an eight-hour drive to Atlanta or a run to the airport to pick up Gloria.

  Finally, Carla was wrapping it up. He’d be out of the building in fifteen minutes. Twenty at the most. A quick stop in his office and then he’d be gone.

  He saw the message propped on his desk as soon as he walked into his office. Don’t let this be some major problem, he thought. He walked to the desk and picked up the note. From Gloria. Don’t go to the airport, it read. Call her.

  Damn, he thought. What was going on? He knew, but he didn’t want to know. He flopped down in his chair and punched in her number on the telephone keypad. She picked up on the first ring. “Why are you still in Atlanta?” he asked.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t make it this weekend. The Cascade businessmen want a meeting tomorrow morning. We’ve run into a snag with the financing. It’s an emergency, Josh. Please understand.”

  Josh didn’t say anything. He thought about the townhouse. The dinner. The bed. His plans. Their weekend. All gone. And she wanted him to understand.

  “Say something, Josh.”

  “I’m disappointed you can’t make it,” he said. That was calm. That was good.

  “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

  Sure. She had no idea of the plans he’d made and she was talking about making it up to him. What could he say?

  “I know you’re upset and you have every right to be,” she went on, “but this couldn’t be helped. The Cascade people could blow this whole deal if I don’t handle it just right. Help me out here, Josh. Tell me you understand.”

  “It’
s not that I don’t understand. It’s that I don’t believe it.”

  “I knew this would happen. I knew you wouldn’t understand. I’m trying to make the best of our situation. What more do you want from me?”

  I want to come first. Before work. Before clients. Before projects. “Let’s just forget it, Gloria. You can’t come. Don’t worry about it. I’ll drive down instead.”

  When she didn’t respond, he asked, “You do want me to come home, don’t you?”

  “Of course, I want you to come home,” she began. “It’s just that I’ll be so busy. I’d hate for you to make the trip and then I can’t spend any time with you. You know how upset you were the last time you came home and I worked all weekend.”

  Josh couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Gloria’s work had never been that important in the past. “I wanted to see you, but if you’re going to be busy, I’ll stay here.”

  “I’ll make it up to you, Josh,” she said again. “I promise.”

  He had heard that before. “I know you will, Gloria,” he said, but he didn’t mean it. He didn’t think she had any understanding of how important this weekend was to him. So, how could she make it up to him?

  “Call me tonight?”

  What else did he have to do? “Sure. Right now I’m going to head out of here. I’ll talk to you later.”

  After they hung up, Josh sat at his desk and stared at the phone. Carla unexpectedly walked in. “Problems, Josh?” she asked.

  He looked up as she took a seat in front of his desk. “No problems.”

  “Couldn’t tell it by looking at you. You look like you’ve lost your best friend.”

  For some reason that made him laugh. That was exactly the way he felt. Gloria was his best friend and he felt as if he was losing her and there was nothing he could do about it. “Gloria and I had plans for the evening and she has to work. So, I’m left to myself.”

  “I’m sorry it’s taking her so long to find work here. I thought it would’ve been much easier.”

  “She’s had some offers. It’s just that her job in Atlanta is perfect. She hasn’t found anything comparable. We’re hoping she will and soon.”