A Changing Marriage

by Susan Kietzman

  Bob sat down in a chair. “Who’s that?”

  “He’s a chemist, I think.” Billy sat down across the table from Bob. “He works in the research facility on Stellar Road. I sell them a lot of paper.”

  “Yes, you do.” They finished their beers. “One more.” Bob stood. “This one’s mine.”

  Billy nodded and handed Bob his mug. He watched as Bob walked to the bar and stood next to the three women they had noticed earlier. He then turned his attention elsewhere and found a wide assortment of activity. The couple at the table next to him was kissing too passionately, some would comment, for a public place. The couple at the table beyond that was fighting. They weren’t shouting, or even talking, nothing but sour faces and a heavy, palpable silence. Several young men standing near them had loosened their ties and seemed to be pumped up about something happening on ESPN. Billy shook his head. Sports freaks. He knew a lot of guys who wouldn’t even walk into a bar unless it had at least two big screen TVs. When he looked back at the bar, he was surprised to see the three women following Bob back to the table. This was good, Billy thought. He could use a little action tonight. He stood when they approached the table.

  “I found some friends,” said Bob, with a smile on his face. “They need a place to sit down.”

  “Welcome to our humble home.” Billy pulled out a chair for one of the women.

  “Thank you, Billy,” said one of the women, giggling.

  “Now that’s not fair. You know my name, and I don’t know yours.”

  One of the other women said, “Everyone knows your name, Billy.”

  “My name’s Mandy,” said the woman who had spoken first.

  “And I’m Tanya,” said the other one. The third woman, who hadn’t yet spoken, was still standing next to Bob. He turned to her and smiled.

  “And I’m Denise,” she said. “Denise Levy.”

  Bob shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Bob and Denise sat down with the others, while Billy, as usual, got right down to it. “So, what are three lovely ladies doing without chaperones in a place like this?”

  “Looking for chaperones,” Mandy said boldly.

  “Well, you’ve come to the right place. But, surely, this isn’t your first trip to Rascals.”

  “We were here a couple of times last summer and had a ball,” said Tanya. “So we decided to come back and make an evening of it, you know, dinner and everything.”

  “We all work and live in River City,” explained Mandy, “so we spend most of our time over there.”

  “Well, that’s our loss,” said Billy.

  “It’s not far,” Denise said. “Only about thirty minutes on the expressway.”

  “And worth every one of them. The ribs here are excellent.”

  “Ooh, I love ribs,” said Mandy. “Are they dry or saucy?”

  “Saucy, spicy, and sizzling!”

  Mandy giggled. “Are you guys here for dinner?”

  “I’m not,” said Bob, making eye contact with Billy.

  “Back to work, is it?” asked Billy, playing along. “That boss of yours is brutal.”

  Bob shrugged and took a sip of his beer. Denise asked, “Do you have to go now?”

  Bob smiled at her; Karen could wait. “Not quite yet.”

  While Billy gave Mandy and Tanya his Life of a Salesman monologue, Denise and Bob talked quietly. This wasn’t easy at Rascals, with the competition from the stereo system, televisions, and everyone else in the room. But it was possible, especially when they leaned their heads into their conversation and ignored everything but the words coming from each other’s mouths. Denise told Bob she had grown up in River City and recently graduated from River City College with a degree in business administration. She worked at the credit union and would stay there until something better came along. Her dream job was to own and operate a Curves franchise, maybe two, but that was a long way off. She had some school debt she had to work down, and she had just moved into an apartment near the river. Her parents had encouraged her to stay at home another year to save money, make a real dent in her loans, but she was ready to leave. Her apartment, though costing more than she wanted to spend on rent, was just the right size, with a huge bay window in her living room that, with the leaves off the trees, afforded her a view of the river.

  She smiled and blushed when she talked, and Bob could tell she was shy, not at all like her socially forward friends Mandy and Tanya. He liked reticence in a woman, even though he, like a lot of guys, was attracted to the bawdy talk and sexy confidence of long-haired, busty women like Caroline. He had considered cornering Caroline and offering to take her up on her steamy suggestions. What would she do if he arrived at her house in the middle of the day and told her he wanted to have sex on the marbled-surface of her kitchen’s center island? That was, after all, one of the places she had confessed to fantasizing about. What would she do then? Bob guessed she probably would have sex with him, and it would be really good sex. But it wouldn’t be worth it. Number one, she was Karen’s friend, even though it seemed like they feuded more than they bonded. And number two, she was a demanding bitch, a zero on the loyalty scale. It was a good thing Rick made a lot of money as a surgeon and could keep her happy financially, because if he lost his job, or suddenly contracted a terrible disease that would diminish his relative attractiveness or earning power, she would be gone.

  If Bob just wanted sex, a raunchy woman would fit nicely into his life. He could get himself off, and buy her whatever she wanted for her services and her silence. It would be risky, of course. Some women grew tired of their on-the-sidelines status, he’d heard, and demanded more. They wanted more than a couple hours in bed with their men. They wanted a dinner out, sappy greeting cards, flowers, promises. Billy had told Bob a number of stories about this kind of woman, who said she was one thing, but turned out to be another. For this and other reasons, Billy avoided relationships. He preferred one-night events that demanded nothing more than a condom and a good mouth rinse with Listerine.

  That’s what Bob at first thought he wanted. The women who had come on to him on his recent business trip had pushed his interest in other women from a mental state into a physical realm. He could have had sex with any of them. And he would have avoided any consequences by getting on a plane and simply flying away from them. But as he talked quietly with Denise, he began to suspect that he might want more than just sex. She was so attentive. What if he could start over, with a woman who adored him, who loved him more than anything else in her life, with someone like Denise, who would respect his judgment, follow his word, welcome his authority? In exchange, he would provide her with an upper-class lifestyle. She would be impressed with his money-making abilities, but she would be more impressed with him as a man. The women on his global business trip had approached him because they could see he was successful, yes, but they would have approached, had undoubtedly approached, other men. They wanted a quick, illicit romp. Denise was different. She wouldn’t go home with him that night, even if he had a place to take her. She was not the kind of girl who practiced casual sex or the subtle art of entrapment with sex. She would have sex with him eventually out of love rather than pure lust. She would fall in love with him, like Karen had.

  Back in college, Karen had loved him like Denise would love him now. Karen’s countenance brightened when she saw him. Her breath caught when she talked to him. Her body responded to his touch without embarrassment or weariness or disinterest. Her love was free, unfettered. Whether it was her sickness during her pregnancy with Rebecca or the arrival of the baby itself that changed Karen, Bob didn’t know. But he did know that having Rebecca had changed Karen’s love for him. She loved him less now than she had before. And gradually, the diluted love that was left had disintegrated altogether until there was nothing but two children, a house, and common history keeping them together.

  “I’m talking too much,” said Denise, finishing her drink.

  “I like listening to
you talk. I like the sound of your voice. You have nice inflection.”

  She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Are you making fun of me?”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Then that’s one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard.”

  Bob gave her hand a quick squeeze. “Good. No one ever calls me sweet anymore.”

  She laughed. “I’ve told you all about me. Tell me what you do.”

  “He runs Forester,” Billy chimed in from across the table.

  “You do?” asked Mandy, eyes wide.

  Bob hesitated. “Don’t be modest,” said Billy. “Tell the girls how important you are.”

  “Billy and I both work at Forester,” said Bob, feeling both proud and awkward.

  Denise put her lips to Bob’s ear. “Sorry,” she whispered.

  He turned to her. “It’s okay. It’s a very legitimate question.”

  “So, who’s hungry?” asked Billy.

  “I am,” said Mandy and Tanya at the same time. Denise looked at Bob, who stood. “I’m going to be on my way,” he said.

  Mandy put her lips out in a pout, then said, “Every party has a pooper.”

  Bob laughed. “I have been called that before.”

  Denise looked up at him. “I’ve enjoyed meeting you.”

  “And I you,” said Bob, already knowing he would find her phone number and call her the next day.

  Three hours after Bob got to his office in the morning, he was told to return home, pack a bag, and get on a plane. Their biggest customer in California was threatening to break its contract with Forester and sign with a local company that could give them better service. Bob put their paper file in his briefcase, grabbed his laptop, and headed for home. He left a note on the kitchen table for Karen and a voice mail at the newspaper and then went to the airport. He printed his boarding pass, then sat in the lounge to wait for his flight. He took his cell phone from his pocket. As he expected, he got Denise’s answering machine. Hi, you’ve reached Denise. Please leave a message, and I’ll call you back. Thanks, and have a great day.

  “Hi, it’s Bob. I had a good time talking with you last night and would like to see you again. I’m at the airport right now, actually, and will be out of town for a few days, but I’ll call you when I get back.”

  Bob put his phone back in his suit coat pocket and sat back. He put his hands behind his head, stretched his legs out in front of him, and looked at the ceiling. Maybe he would take her to a movie and out for a casual dinner. It was easier, he thought, to talk over a burger than it was to get to know one another over filet mignon with béarnaise sauce. Although burgers could be messy. She might be more comfortable eating with a fork and knife. And she would be able to dress up if he took her to a nice place. Plus, she would be impressed with his ability and desire to spend money on her. Women, single women in particular, always measured that. They would not have sex that night. But soon enough, Denise and he would end a date in her little apartment by the river.

  As soon as Karen got Bob’s message, she walked into Nick’s office. He was on the phone, but motioned for her to sit in his corner chair. He swiveled in his chair so he could face her while he wrapped up his conversation. “Hi,” he said as he hung up the phone.

  She smiled at him. “Bob had to go out of town on business. He’ll be gone until the end of the week.”

  “Now that’s interesting information. Trisha’s leaving tomorrow for a conference in San Antonio. She’ll be gone through the weekend.”

  “Oh my.”

  “Do you want to?” asked Nick, suddenly serious.

  “Very much,” she said, without hesitation.

  “Tomorrow night then. I’ll pick you up at six and have you home by ten.”

  “What should I wear?” asked Karen, not knowing what else to say.

  “Whatever you want. We’ll be eating in.”

  After standing in her closet and looking at her clothes for ten minutes, Karen chose black wool pants and a royal blue cashmere sweater. She wore silver jewelry and plum lipstick, and spent more time than usual drying her hair and applying mascara. When she was done, she looked in the mirror. This was the new Karen Parsons, the woman who was going to take control of her life and live it exactly as she chose. She was pleased with her reflection as she turned sideways, pleased with the results of her latest fitness plan. She had already lost her holiday weight and had buttoned her pants with ease.

  She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, where Jamie, who had arrived at five thirty, was giving Rebecca and Robert dinner. Karen had told the children she was going out to a community dinner with other newspaper reporters and several editors. In reality, she would drive to the library, where Nick would pick her up at six and drop her off just before ten. It was a perfect plan. Karen jotted down her cell phone number for Jamie, then headed to the front hall closet for her coat. As she put it on, Rebecca approached her, coat in her hand. “I’d like to go to the library.”

  Karen pushed her arms through the sleeves of her coat. “That’s not going to work out tonight, honey. I’ve got to get to this dinner meeting.”

  “I know. You can leave me at the library when you go to your meeting and then meet me there afterward.”

  “Not tonight,” said Karen. “I don’t mind leaving you alone at the library during the day, but I would prefer to be with you at night. We can go tomorrow night.”

  Rebecca folded her arms across her chest. “Where are you really going?”

  “I told you where I’m going, Rebecca.”

  “Then why don’t I believe you?”

  Karen put her hands on her daughter’s shoulders. “I’ll be home around ten.”

  Rebecca narrowed her eyes at her mother, then turned her back on her and walked away. Karen hesitated just a moment, wondering if she should pad the lie, before walking out the front door.

  When Karen pulled her car into the lot behind the library, Nick was there, standing with his hands in his peacoat pockets and his back against the driver’s door. Karen parked next to him. “I wasn’t sure you would come.”

  Karen looked at her watch and smiled. “It’s six-oh-two.”

  “You know how I am about deadlines.”

  Karen laughed, and Nick kissed her on the cheek. He led her around to the passenger side of his car and opened the door. Never talking his eyes off her, he walked back to the driver’s side and got in. Without a word from either of them, Nick drove out of the parking lot and down the street. As soon as he turned the car onto the highway, Karen spoke. “Where are we going?”

  “Not far,” said Nick, reaching over and taking Karen’s hand in his.

  Karen shifted her body under the seat belt so she was facing him. She raised his hand to her lips and kissed his fingers. “You are so handsome.”

  Nick laughed. “I guess love really is blind.”

  They arrived at The Willow Tree Inn fifteen minutes later. It was a newly renovated old country home on an inland lake, with a burgeoning reputation for an exquisite dinner menu and charming guest rooms. Caroline had just mentioned it at tennis the other day, saying it would be the perfect nearby getaway. Nick drove the car through two grand willow trees that stood on both sides of the entrance and down the long drive illuminated by ground lighting to the red brick estate. He parked the car. “Are you ready?”

  “Very,” said Karen, smiling.

  He got out of the car and walked around the back of it to open the door for her. As soon as she was out, he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her temple. She encircled his waist with her arm, and they scurried through the winter wind to the front door. Just before they went inside, Karen said, “I want to feel this good forever.”

  “If I’m with you, I know I will,” he said, ushering her across the threshold and into the small reception area.

  “Good evening, Mr. Fleming,” said a young man in black pants, pressed white shirt, black jacket, and tie standing beside a podium. “Everything is as you
requested. You know where you’re going?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Very good, sir. Enjoy your stay.”

  Nick led Karen several more feet to the staircase that wrapped around the wallpapered foyer. She looked at him as they ascended the carpeted stairs. “This is beautiful.”

  “I thought you’d like it.”

  “Have you been here before?”

  “Yeah. About three hours ago.”

  Karen didn’t understand what he meant, but said nothing. They walked down the narrow hallway to room six. Nick took the key he had received earlier that day from his pocket and opened the door. Karen immediately smelled the roses that filled several vases around the room, and realized he had been there earlier that afternoon, that he had done this for her. Nick closed the door behind them, gently kissed her lips, and then took a book of matches from the table next to the door that was lit by a small lamp. Karen watched as he lit twelve red pillar candles and then drew the heavy striped curtains across the windows. He took off his coat and draped it over the back of a chintz-covered wing chair, then turned and looked at Karen. She crossed the room and stood in front of him, her face just inches from his. She reached up and undid the knot in his tie and the top two buttons of his shirt. “What do you want to do now?” asked Nick, kissing her nose. “I brought a deck of cards.”

  Karen threw her head back and laughed. “I love you. I love you so much.”

  Nick unbuttoned her sweater, revealing the lacy bra she had bought on her way home from work. Karen removed her pants, eagerly showing him the matching panties. “You are absolutely gorgeous,” he said, putting his hands on her hips and drawing her even closer to him.

  Karen unbuttoned his shirt while Nick kissed her. As she peeled it off his shoulders, he kissed the tops of her breasts. She inhaled deeply. A puff of noise emanated from her mouth when she exhaled, a squeak-like sound of barely contained emotion. She wanted to be inside of him as much as she wanted him to be inside her. She caressed his hairless chest, and then kissed it while he removed his pants. He scooped her off the ground and carried her to the four-poster bed. He threw back the covers with his hand and gently lowered Karen onto the bed. “Do you want me?” he asked, already on top of her, entering her. Breathing like a sprinter and unable to speak, Karen pulled his mouth to hers and hungrily sucked his lips. They both came within seconds.