Three is a crowd: Who said a sexual network came cheap?

(Continued from last week)

David and Diane have been married for years; then there is Julie, the young secretary whose axis collides with the couple’s in ways none of them saw coming.

DAVID

Although my plan for returning to the apartment that evening was for more sex, by the time I was done with work, my libido had gone from a hundred to zero; not only had there been a few crises at the office, but in an attempt to soothe things over with Diane, I had wound up getting saddled with a weekend getaway that cost almost three times what I had planned to spend; so, sex was the last thing on my mind.

However, since Junior had still been asleep when I passed by that morning, I decided to return to spend an hour or so with him.

Even though I did not spend as much time with him as I did with my other children, my love for him grew each time I saw him; not only did he look more like me with each passing day, but as he grew and developed a personality and character of his own, I felt our bond grow even deeper and actually looked forward to seeing and spending time with him.

Unlike that morning, Julie was expecting me when I arrived as it approached six, and already had a tray with coffee and refreshments set out and waiting for me when I walked in.

She was also carrying Junior close to her chest, almost like a protective shield, and I got the sense that she was using him to avoid any physical contact with me, which got me thinking that the coffee and refreshments were less about a welcome and more of a delaying tactic to keep me from what she supposed I had come for.

I could have put her mind at ease by letting her know that was no longer the reason I was there, but her attitude irritated me and I almost dragged her off to the bedroom just to prove I could.

I, however, really was not in the mood for it, and so after freshening up, I took Junior from her and sat down in front of the tray she had prepared, leaving her to nervously pace around the fringes of the room.

JULIE

After David left that morning, I spent the rest of the day dreading his return that evening, like a child who had been reported to their parent for some misdeed, and knew they would be punished once their parent got home.

However, when he arrived, he was more interested in Junior than me, and I kept nervously checking the time, hoping and praying that Junior would be able to continue to hold his attention until it was time for him to leave.

Besides that, my mother had called that afternoon to inform me that my siblings were breaking off for the holidays that Friday, and that not only did she expect me to make arrangements to pick up my sister and keep her for the holidays, but she also wanted money to pick up my brother and for their upkeep during the holiday as well.

It was money I did not have, and knew I had to ask David for, yet at the same time, I did not want to draw his attention back to me, lest it reminded him of what it was that he had come back for in the first place.

Thankfully Junior was able to maintain his father’s attention. David was so captivated by his mumbled baby speech and cheerful, playful antics that I don’t think he even noticed when I left the area.

However, while he did not pay any attention to me, he did keep an eye on the time, and when it got to seven, he regretfully ended his play session with Junior, lifting him off the floor as he stood up, and passing him to me as he headed for the front door.

Realizing that if I was going to ask him for the money, it had to be then, I took a deep, steadying breath, then just blurted it out before I lost my nerve.

“I need some money.”
He slowed down, and then turned back to me.
“What for? I thought I sent you money last week; is it already done?” he asked incredulously, his lip raised in a semi sneer.
“I’ve still got money for Junior, but my mum called and she wants me to pick up Sandra for the holidays, and send her money for my brother too, and that’s what I don’t have,” I explained apologetically.

“Interesting that you’ve barely said ten words to me since I got here, until now that I’m leaving and you want money,” he sneered snidely, and then shaking his head in a mixture of disbelief and disgust, continued out the door.

DIANE

There are many times in my marriage that I have felt like a single mum, and that evening was one of them; by seven, David was not back yet, and it fell on me – like it usually did – to get the children showered and ready for dinner and bed, while simultaneously supervising the maid in the kitchen.

I was yelling for the girls to stop splashing about and flooding the bathroom when my mother called; for a while I considered ignoring her call and calling her back later, but when the phone just kept ringing, I worried that it might be an emergency.

So, after a final warning shout up to the girls, I answered the phone: “Hi Mum; is everything alright?”

“Hello Diane; yes, everything is fine; we just haven’t talked for a while, so thought I would check in; how are you?”
I rolled my eyes, and groaned silently as I answered; “I’m fine, thanks; how are you and Dad?”

“We’re alright; how are David and the children?” she asked cheerfully.
“They’re fine; I’m just getting the kids ready for dinner though; so, I can’t really chat now.”
“Alright; I was actually calling about the children; have they gotten their holidays yet?”
“No, they’re breaking off on Friday.”

“Oh good; your father and I were just saying how long it’s been since we saw them and thinking they could come and visit us for a while when they break off.”
“We’re actually planning for a weekend in Jinja when they do, but of course they can come and visit when we return.”
“A weekend in Jinja sounds lovely; David is such a wonderful man,” she gushed.

I rolled my eyes again, thinking that ‘wonderful’ is not exactly how I would describe David, but knew it was pointless to argue with my mother over it; in her eyes, David could do no wrong and trying to prove otherwise was futile.

“Okay Mum, I’ve really got to go; I’ll call when we get back from Jinja and arrange for the kids to come visit,” I promised hurriedly.

“Alright,” she agreed resignedly, just as I heard David’s car pull up outside, and after a quick goodbye, hung up to receive him.

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