Three is a crowd: Julie tired of her ‘kept woman’ life 

(Continued from last issue)

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.

DIANE

David woke up before seven the next morning, which was abnormally early for him on a weekend, but considering that he had slept in the guest bedroom, I suspected I knew the reason why – he did not want the children knowing we had slept in separate rooms.

I smiled wryly at the pointlessness of the move; it might work for the girls, but I was certain that as sensitive and perceptive as Daniel was, he had already figured out that David and I were having problems. And the girls would not stay young and naïve forever…

Hearing him come into our room to shower and change, I envied him for the energy he had; I had tossed and turned most of the night, my mind consumed by all the problems in our marriage, and so I still felt drained and pretended to be asleep when David came into the room, keeping my eyes firmly closed until he left.

The children woke up just after eight, and I heard David try to control the girls’ hyperactivity and excitement enough for them to freshen up for breakfast.

Because he was particularly soft with the girls and let them walk all over him, it took him longer than it did me, and listening to him struggle with them, I smiled to myself; good for him, let him get a taste of what I went through every day while he was busy cavorting with his whore.

As much as I would have loved to stay in bed all morning, I knew I could not, for there were things to do and places to go. For starters, today was the day I was going to pick up my new car.

It was smaller than the one I had crashed, as thanks to David, I had a smaller budget now; at least it gave me back my mobility and independence and I would not have to rely on Tracy or the availability of a cab to get around.

Besides, after all the trouble this car had caused between David and I, I might as well go ahead and get it sooner rather than later. I was already doing the time; so, I might as well go ahead and do the crime, I thought to myself as I climbed out of bed.

DAVID

Despite the fact that I did not sleep in my own bed, and that I did not have the pleasure of a warm body next to me, I slept surprisingly well that night.

Just as well, because when they woke up, the girls were literally bouncing off the walls with boundless energy. Since it was the last weekend of the holiday, I wanted to make it a lovely, fun-filled one for them, and knowing that if there was one thing all the children agreed on, it was their love of the beach.

Once I finally got them all to the dining table for breakfast, I announced that we would be going to Entebbe for the day. We would begin at the zoo, and then wrap up the day at the beach, dining on freshly caught whole fried fish for dinner.

Although I did not want to spend the day with Diane, especially after her strange demeanor yesterday, I could not predict what she would be like today. I did not want the children to sense that there was a problem between us; so, while they were preoccupied with their breakfast, I headed back upstairs to our bedroom.

She had been asleep when I first went in to shower and change, but had woken up since then, as I found her coming out of the shower when I entered the room.

Even after all the years we had been married, seeing her in nothing but a tiny towel wrapped around her breasts and barely covering her bottom, was still a turn-on, and it took me a second to focus and remind myself why I was there.

“I’m taking the kids to Entebbe for the day; I think it would be good for you to come too.”
“Sorry, I have other plans,” she answered dismissively, walking past me to the wardrobe.

“I think it would be good for the kids to have some semblance of stability and normalcy,” I broke down my argument.

“If you want the kids to have normalcy and stability, then perhaps you shouldn’t go spend three nights away with your whore,” she retorted coldly, then shrugged, and adopted a more carefree, nonchalant tone: “Anyway, like I said, I have other plans; I’m picking up my car today.”

I could not believe that after all the trouble that blasted car had caused between us, she still had the nerve to bring it up to me, more so as a reason not to take part in a ‘family’ outing!

Some fights just were not worth fighting; turning on my heel, I walked out of the room.

“Are you guys ready to go?” I called out, as I headed back downstairs.

JULIE

Even though David had only been at the apartment consecutively for three nights, it still felt awkward waking up that morning without him beside me. Like something was missing.

Stranger still was the knowledge that apart from looking after Junior, there was absolutely nothing for me to do. I did not need to cook or clean for anyone, and while that should have provided a sense of freedom and relaxation, all it made me feel was emptiness.

I was absentmindedly sipping on a cup of coffee while watching Junior playing on the living room floor, when my phone rang. Praying it was David and not my mother (the only two people who could be calling me), I reached for it, and then gasped in surprise.  It was Kenneth. For a moment, I was too surprised to even answer it, and it took me a minute to finally do so.

“Hello.”
“There you are! I was about to give up and hang up,” Kenneth’s voice came across the line, his tone a mixture of delight and relief.

“Hi, Kenneth; it’s been a while,” I answered quietly.
“Yes, it has; that’s actually why I was calling. I’m hoping to change that. I thought I had a shift this morning, but turns out I don’t; so, now I’m off for the day, and in the neighborhood. I was thinking I could drop by. Just to say hello,” he added quickly.

My heart instantly started racing; Kenneth? Here? Why now? What for? And then it changed to why not? They say the devil always appears when you are at your weakest, and that morning, with David having insisted on leaving the previous night, and knowing he was with his wife and other children at that very moment, I was definitely far from strong.

“Uhm, yeah, sure,” I fumbled.
“Great; I’m on my way,” he announced happily, and then quickly hung up like he was afraid I might change my mind.

As I slowly set down the phone, my heart racing even faster now that he was on his way. I wondered what I had just done, fearing I might regret it.  

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