Loading...I felt a flush of relief when I felt the thump of the wheels touching down. The little commuter prop plane had been moaning and groaning for nearly an hour, the passengers lit up by flashes of lightening outside over and over. There was just eight of us on board, plus the attendant.
Normally the flight would be full but obviously a lot of folks had canceled. For days the reports of the class 5 hurricane had been head line news, so here I was, feeling stupid.
“We need you down there if you have to walk!” Headquarters had told me.
Great.
We had long since lost the cabin lights, and every few seconds it felt like the bottom was dropping out of my seat, then we were slammed upwards.
I was grateful that I always keep my seat belt firmly in place when in the air, earlier we had hit a heavy stretch and one man further back had gotten sick and tried for the toilet, ending up face down in the aisle. Two other passengers grabbed him and kept him from more harm. He somehow managed to get strapped back into his seat, his head bleeding.
There was a spattering of applause when the plane lurched but then settled on the ground. The pilot had been very busy and his skill had gotten us on the ground in one piece, although at the time I wasn’t real sure where.
It sure as hell wasn’t Shrevesport. I knew that since we had diverted North that probably there wasn’t much left of Shrevesport now. That had been one hell of a storm, we had even missed the worst of it.
The flight attendant’s face was pale but she was doing her very best to cover it up, as she explained that a vehicle would be coming to take us all to some hotel.
I sat there waiting, thinking of my wife Mary and my two kids and how I wished I was home in my warm bed with her. I was the luckiest man in the world to have her. At my age of nearly 65, finding a pretty woman in her early 40’s to love me was a blessing. We had been married for more than a decade, and two fine sons were the result of our union.
I know damn good and well that several times had I looked out the window I would have been looking straight down, but I couldn’t see the ground anyway, everything was pitch black.
Except for the frequent flashes of light and the roar of the struggling airplane, it was like we were in a coffin.
I knew it had been very close to being exactly that. As we went down the ramp to the tarmac I shook the pilot’s hand, he grinned at me but I noticed his face was soaked in sweat.
“Good job.” I told him. He just smiled and nodded.
The “bus” arrived in half an hour, it turned out to be what looked like a repainted UPS van. Eight of us all held hands in a human chain as we made our way to the vehicle, the wind screamed by at what had to be close to a hundred miles per hour. I saw several men busy lashing down the airplane’s wheels out of the corner of my eye as we all climbed into the van. The van was bouncing up and down but as soon as were started to move it got quieter.
I looked around at the faces with me, they were all looking shaken. I probably looked the same. No one said anything at all.
The “hotel” turned out to be a single story concrete structure, thank God it looked to be solid as a rock. There were some trees down out front, we made our way past them and inside. The rain was so heavy it was difficult to take a breath. Once again we held hands as we struggled to get inside.
I am pretty good size, 6 foot and around 220 pounds, so I held the door against the screaming wind as the other passengers made their way past.
Inside, it was much better, just the whine of the wind and roar of the torrential rain was all I could hear. At the counter, a skinny young lady was writing down names and giving the others their keys.
The lady in front of me looked to be a bit disheveled, her hair wildly askew and she was soaked to the skin like all of us. I had spotted her earlier, pretty, well dressed, obviously a Corporate type.
Corporate just like me, I head up a team of trouble shooters for my company, which is what I was doing on the damn airplane in the first place. I had tried to retire but the company would have none of that, giving me a large boost in pay and some stock options to stay on.
Now I wasn’t sure where the hell we were and I didn’t care, all I wanted to do was get into a hot shower, then go to bed.
I could still hear the storm outside, but this building was strong and it all seemed to be far away now.
The skinny lady finished checking the others in and had just handed a key to the Corporate lady, then as I stepped up to the counter she looked at me in chagrin.
“I am sorry, that was our last room, we can make up a bed for you here in the lobby, it’s all we have.”
I just looked at her, sighed. The other lady looked at me and then down to the key in her hand.
“Oh, no, why don’t you share my room with me?” The lady said with a smile.
“I don’t think….” Was as far as I got.
“I insist, it will be fine. We just have to make the best of this.” She turned to the woman on the counter.
“Don’t you have a spare bed you can roll in?” She asked the counter girl.
“Well….yes, we do, if that’s all right.” She flashed me a big grin.
“Great! Come on, I’m Jean.” She reached out to shake my hand.
“I’m Dan. Are you sure? I don’t want to…” I shook her hand, it was soft and perfectly manicured. Even with her hair everywhere and her makeup running, the lady was very pretty and very young.
“Oh, sure. It’s no problem, this storm is really bad and we are all in it together. Let’s just make the best of it.” She said again, flashing that confident smile.
“Well. OK, thank you.” I told her.
We made our way down the hall, there was a courtyard in the rear so we had to go outside but the walls kept most of the wind off of us. We did get another soaking though, but since we were both completely wet it didn’t matter.
Jean got the door unlocked and we went inside. There was one medium size bed, a TV set that very likely wasn’t going to work, a table and a chair. The single room had a tiny bathroom with a shower off to the side, plus a small cooler that had a lock on it, that was it.
“Oh, wonderful! We got the executive suite!” Jean said, laughing. She set her purse down, began going through it, using a small hand towel to wipe everything dry.
All I had was my laptop in it’s case, and the clothes on my back. I found another towel and wiped off my case, then I dried my face and hands.
“Our suitcases are on the airplane and I will bet they aren’t going to show up.” Jean said.
“Not very likely.” I answered, listening as a particularly heavy wind gust hit the building.
The lights kept flickering, I realized that the building was on generator power.
“We better clean up and dry off as soon as we can, we could lose all power any moment.” She said.
“Where do we….?” I asked, looking around. All there was was four walls, sparse furniture, and the tiny little bathroom. There was no real place for any privacy at all.
“I think we just have to make do, do you mind turning your back?” Her hands went up to the buttons on her blouse.
I flushed, realizing, but I turned the chair away from her, draped a towel over it and sat down. I heard the rustling of clothing, then the door to the tiny bathroom closed and the shower started.
“We have hot water!” I heard her call out. “I will be quick so I don’t use it all up.”
After a few minutes I heard the shower shut off, the door opened and she came out.
“Are you decent?” I asked, still sitting with my back to her.
“That’s what they tell me.” She laughed at her own joke.
“You can turn around, I have a towel on.”
I glanced at her, she had a small towel wrapped in her hair turban style, and a larger bath towel wrapped around her body. It was big enough to do the job but barely. This was surprising, she seemed to be completely relaxed about being all but naked with a total stranger in the room.
She was sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing her hair, the towel was tied across her bust and hanging there somehow. There didn’t seem to be any hint of sag, she looked to be slender and in shape. I noticed the muscles of her upper arms were well defined, she obviously worked out.
Yes, very pretty, I noted, and in shape. I took a deep breath and averted my eyes, after all, I am human.
“Everything is soaked, I stacked the towels on the counter in there and used the towel racks to hang them up to dry out. I left space for…yours.” She looked me up and down, my face flushed slightly and she grinned at that.
“I…well, I guess I should shower.” I started to take off my shirt, hesitated.
“Please, let’s just relax, I have seen men before, I am married.” She said, looking me up and down.
“Me too. Can you..?” I asked, suddenly shy.
“Sure.” She turned sideways on the bed, went back to drying her hair. The towel slipped down slightly, baring her right breast for a moment, she tugged it back into place. I slipped off my shirt, then stepped into the bathroom and stripped down the rest of the way, it was awkward because there was barely room in there to do it. There were two towels lying there, I saw her clothing hanging from the towel rack. A totally sheer thong hung from the metal bar, I didn’t see a bra. I hung my clothes up also, hopped in the shower and soaped up.
That was as far as I got, the lights went out and the shower stopped running. Apparently the water system ran off of a pump somewhere.
“Shit!” I exclaimed.
The bathroom door opened, there was a bit of light from outside but not much. There I stood behind the shower curtain all soaped up, no way to rinse off.
“I thought this might happen, she said, so I ran some warm water in the sink.” She picked up a washcloth and dipped it, slid the shower curtain back and handed it to me. Then she picked up one of the drinking glasses and scooped up some water, poured it over my soapy head. It was so close to dark in there that I knew she could barely see me.
After a half dozen repeats of that, most of the soap was off of me. Then the lights came back on and I was blasted with a shot of cold water and some air came shooting out of the nozzle as it built up pressure.
“Shit!” I yelled again.
Jean giggled, then reached over and picked up one of the larger bath towels, held it up for me. I wrapped it around my waist, hers had slipped down again so she tugged it back up and went into the other room.
“Sorry.” She said over her shoulder.
“No problem.” I answered.
I dried off as best as I could, then went out and stood in front of the radiator. Jean had it turned up full blast even though it really wasn’t cold.
Just then there was a knock at the door, I opened it and the skinny girl from the counter stood there, she was pushing a little cot on rollers. I saw that it was all wet, this was looking to be an unpleasant night. She was soaked too, the rain was still coming down in torrents. The wind seemed to have eased some, though.
“Are you folks managing OK?” She asked, pushing it into the room. She looked sideways at me standing there wearing just a towel around my waist, then at Jean sitting on the bed.
She grinned for a moment. I was wondering what she was thinking but there was nothing I could do about it.
“Yes, fine. Hey, is there somewhere to get some food?” I asked.
“The restaurant is closed, they can’t cook on just generators, sorry. Everything downtown is closed too, there is high water.”
“Oh. Well, we will make do.”
“There are some snacks and things in the cooler, your room key works it.” She said, glancing at Jean who was now brushing her hair. That made her breasts bob up and down, the small towel was threatening to fall off of them again.
“Oh. OK, thanks. We will manage.” I told her.
“Enjoy your stay.” She said automatically, then she left. I managed to not laugh at that one.
I looked at the narrow cot, it was just a foldout canvas between two braces. I reached out and felt it, sure enough it was damp. I guess I let out a sigh.
“Nobody can sleep on that thing, why don’t you just share the bed with me?” That surprised me.
“I don’t think…”
“Oh, don’t be silly, we are both adults and we are both married so it doesn’t matter. We are just going to sleep. Besides, you seem nice, if anything comes up we can just say you are my Grandpa!”
We both laughed at that, Jean did look to be in her mid thirties.
“Neither one of us have any…”
“Clothes?” She laughed.
“I sleep nude anyway and besides, I have seen men before. Besides, I am getting sick of yanking on this damned towel. I really would put something on but everything is wet.”
“I can wear my underwear.”
“Those will be soaked and nothing is going to dry out with this humidity. Relax, I won’t look.” She grinned, looking me up and down as I stood there with just the silly towel wrapped around my waist.
“Well, all right. If you are sure?”
“I’m sure, you seem to be a nice guy and won’t take advantage, will you?”
“No.”
“OK, then. Besides, it’s hotter than hell in here!” She jerked the towel off, then dropped it on the chair. Then she began to brush her hair out again.
“I will check the cooler, see what’s for dinner.” I went over and picked up the key and unlocked it.
There was the usual artery clogging chips and other crap in there. I found a tiny jar of chocolate covered Peanuts, handed them to Jean.
“Oh boy, I love these!” She took them and started to eat. I found some Cashews and opened them. There was also a half dozen tiny bottles of bourbon, and a half dozen bottles of Vodka and some different mix.
“Want a drink?” I asked her, glancing her way. She was still sitting there naked and unconcerned. I sneaked a peek at her heavy breasts, her nipples had flattened out from being overly warm, they did look nice. There was a small swelling at her stomach, mostly from the way she was sitting. I could see just the edge of the upper portion of her pubic hair, she had her legs together firmly.
I quickly averted my eyes even though she was paying no attention.
“Any tomato juice?”
“Yea.”
“Good, with the Vodka.”
I mixed a drink for her and some of the Bourbon for me, we sat on the edge of the bed and sipped them.
“Say, are you going to leave that silly towel on, it makes me uncomfortable being the only one nude.” She said, as I was fixing her the second drink.
“I…uhh…I am afraid that I might…” I let that trail off, turning pink.
“You mean get an erection? Hell, that would be the only nice thing to happen to me all day, I could use a compliment.” She giggled.
All that did was make me blush even more, then mercifully the lights failed again. We sat there in the dark chatting and sipping our drinks, I realized I was getting quite a buzz on and so was Jean. She told me about her husband and her job, how she had to fly down to Shrevesport to handle the package design team for the export company she worked for.
I explained how I had ended up on the same flight because of a shipping problem, we had six boxcars tied up in customs and they had not moved for two weeks.
“Where were you going to stay?” She asked me.
“Casino Magic.” I told her.
“Neat, I am booked there too. That is, if we ever get there.”
It was getting late when I cracked the next to last little bottles of booze, once the lights even came back on for about 15 minutes, I was glad I still had the towel on even though Jean sat there naked and she looked relaxed about it.
Finally I suggested going to bed, she slipped under the covers. I waited a bit, then slid in on the other side, pulling the towel off as I snuggled the covers up to my neck. I rolled over on my side, facing away from her.
I must have fallen asleep in seconds. Something woke me up later, I had no idea what time it was but the wind had died way down by this time. I opened my eyes to look around, then it hit me that Jean was pressed tightly up against me, I could feel her bare breasts squashed against my back. She was snoring softly.
The bed we were in was just a double size, room for two but barely. Then it hit me that her arm was over the top of me, her hand dangling very close to my groin. I tried to carefully move her hand but she moaned and pulled herself in even tighter, her fingers brushing my penis. I felt myself start to erect, and try as I might I couldn’t stop that.
I managed to scoot over just a little bit more, then rolled over on my back, intending to slip out of the bed. Jean’s right arm was across my stomach, she snored and muttered something about Sam, who I knew was her husband from our earlier talk.
Then her hand slid down and grasped my erection, bringing me to a stop. I wanted to disengage but I was afraid of waking her up, so I just lay there. She didn’t do anything, she just had her hand on me.
She muttered again, something about “honey” and then moaned. My right arm was between us, I gently moved it towards her and found she had her other hand between her legs.
One more push from her and I was going to be on the floor. I rolled toward her slightly so I could use my right arm to push me out from under her, she shoved her face against me and pulled on my side.
I now found myself face to face with her, with a raging erection, at least now she had let go of it. Her hips thrust my way in what seemed to be an involuntary motion in her sleep, then she lifted her right leg and slid it up and over me.
At this point all I would have to do was push and I would be inside of her, I felt a shot of panic at that since I was sure that would wake her up and I would be in trouble.
This entire situation was completely unbelievable, hell, I wouldn’t have believed it myself. Here was a beautiful naked woman pressing herself against me and I was trying to get away?
Topping that, I not only didn’t know her, I didn’t even know her last name? I could just see myself trying to explain this to my wife Mary.
Just then I scooted a bit too far and fell off the edge of the bed onto the floor with a thump.
Jean woke up and looked at me.
“What? Oh, I’m sorry. I was crowding you, wasn’t I? Sam complains to me all the time about that, I do it to him, too.” It was the beginnings of morning now, she looked down at me and then she grinned.
“Sorry, did I do that, too?” She asked.
“Well, you were against me, I just…”
“Oh, that’s OK. Come on back to bed.” She moved over to the other side, I got up and slid in beside her again.
“This is going to be quite a chapter in my memoirs.” She giggled. “My first time naked in bed with a total stranger, and a cute one at that.”
Then she rolled out of bed on her side and walked unabashed to the bathroom. She walked back out in a few minutes, went over to the other side and climbed back in.
“Our clothes are still wet.” She said. Just as she said it there was a short blast of wind and a loud crash outside. I hopped up and went to the window, looked out. Another tree had let go, this one was in the courtyard and seemed to have missed everything.
“Another tree down.” I told her, turning back towards the bed. I glanced at Jean and her eyes were on my crotch, I looked down and I still had most of a full erection going on.
“Sorry.” I told her.
“Don’t be, it’s beautiful.” She smiled, then she stretched her arms over her head and shuddered. She made no move to cover her bare breasts.
“I think maybe I better go get dressed.” I told her. I picked up my watch, it was 6:30 AM.
“Yes, I guess so.” She had a sad tone in her voice. I managed to struggle into my slacks and shirt, they were still damp but better. I came out and Jean got up, walking naked to the bathroom. She was back in minutes, her almost non existent pantie in her hand. Her damp blouse was plastered to her breasts, she might as well have not bothered.
“I just left these off, I can’t stand the feel of them when they are damp.” She said, holding up the thong. Then she grinned at me again.
I found the tiny coffee pot in a drawer, power was on again so I plugged it in and made two cups, one at a time since it was those little packets. I poured the last shot of Bourbon into mine, saving half of it. I held it up, she nodded, so I poured the other half into hers. Then I got out a bag of corn chips and we had breakfast.
“You could have taken me last night, you know.” She said after a long silence.
“Yes, but I said I wouldn’t take advantage.”
“You really are a nice guy, aren’t you?”
“Well. I’m not THAT nice!” I grinned at her.
Jean just laughed at that.
It was hours later, things outside were returning to normal. The restaurant opened and we had a decent breakfast, grits and eggs in the middle of the afternoon. A man from the airlines came by and told us that the plane was being serviced and we should be able to take off again in a day or so.
“So when are you heading on to Shrevesport?” She asked me.
“I am going to just take the bus tomorrow.”
Jean laughed.
“Good idea, can I go with you? I am going on myself. I have had enough of airplanes for awhile, too.”
“Sure, that would be fine.”
“When we get there, how about we share a room again?” She smiled slyly at me.
I got that. looking at her, I made a decision.
“How about we share our room here again tonight, too?” I asked her.
“I would like that, Dan. I would like that very much.”
I nodded. The sexual chemistry came to a head right there, it had been there the night before also and we both knew it.
“No strings, no problems?”
“I have a husband at home, you have a wife. No strings.”
“I have never been with anyone since Mary and I…”
“I haven’t either since Sam and I got married, but he has.” She looked down briefly, momentarily far away.
“What did you do about it?”
“I forgave him, I love him.”
“I don’t know what I would do if Mary did anything.”
“I know what you would do.”
“What’s that?”
“You would forgive her, I bet.”
“So what are we doing here, Jean?” I asked her.
“Having a good time.” She smiled at me.
That night I came to bed, she opened her arms and blended into me, no shyness at all for either of us this time. We both knew the rules, and we did everything it is possible for two people to do together over the course of the evening. Her body was magnificent, and she knew lots of tricks to make an old man like me perform even beyond my own expectations.
The next day dawned bright and clear, we went for a long walk, looking at buildings with roofs torn off, trees down, one late model pickup had a tree right across the bed. Workers were busy moving debris off the roads. It really was quite a mess.
We held hands everywhere we went, several times we saw people taking notice. One lady even asked if we were newlyweds, we both smiled and nodded at the same time.
I felt a pang or remorse as the thought of my Mary flashed into my mind.
Mary, my wife. What in the world was I going to do, how could I even face her now, after this? I did manage to shake that feeling off for awhile, though. We found the bus station, they told us the roads were still blocked and perhaps “tomorrow” which meant at least one more night trapped here. I had called Mary and explained that I was all right, she sounded relieved. I told her I still needed to check on the box cars, then I would be heading home.
My second call to the storage yard down in Gulfport about the shipment was met with a laugh. They told me they would see about arranging delivery if they ever found them.
With nothing else to do, all I had to do was figure out how to get home.
That last night Jean and I were together in our room I was just unable to perform, I begged off as tired, blamed some of it on just getting older. I lay there in the bed, then managed to sleep fitfully. Once again I woke up with Jean pressed against me, I felt myself respond and she and I made quiet love once again.
But it was over right then and there, and we both knew it.
I kissed Jean at the airport just before she got on the plane for Chicago. The news had come through that Casino Magic no longer existed, there was nothing left for her to do, either, but go home.
My flight wasn’t until the next day. The affair was over, but the deed was done. It had just been an incident, and accident of circumstance. For me, it told myself it really meant nothing at all, I can’t even explain why I cheated on Mary.
For Jean, perhaps it had been just for fun, maybe even revenge since she had mentioned her own husband had had an affair. I never knew the truth and I never asked.
Me in my sixties, Jean in her thirties, it wasn’t lust or desire or anything like that. It was just….I was the one available?
I tried scenario after scenario in my mind on how to explain to Mary as I sat strapped snugly in my seat on the airplane, I had a deep feeling of guilt and I just could not shake it. Mary met me at the airport, that helped. We held hands like kids as we walked out to the parking lot. I almost thought it would be all right, that I could just forget.
My secret.
A few days later, I was still feeling guilty. The only way I could see to ever get myself back to normal would be to tell Mary the truth, confess. Would she forgive me, or leave me?
I didn’t know, but I couldn’t live with the nagging feeling, the fear that she might find out by accident which would be far worse. I had no real idea how that could even happen, but we had exchanged our business cards. Would the phone ring one day?
I just did not know.
Mary and I were finishing dinner, the kids were at their Grandma’s. I asked her flat out, a question designed to break the ice, open the discussion. I had the question all planned out, I knew what her answer would be. Then I could say to her that I was sorry, but I had something to tell her, to get off of my chest. Explain my tryst with Jean, my confession, then…healing?
“Mary, have you ever been with anyone at all since we got married?” Somehow that came out just blurted out.
Mary looked at me, first with surprise, then with shock on her face. She stood there staring like a Deer caught in the headlights.
“Oh, my God, how did you know?” She said.
Well, I guess I didn’t but now I did.
I started laughing. The words I had so carefully planned out vanished from my mind.
Mary stood there staring at me, not understanding at all. Then she put her face in her hands and began to cry.
I got up and went and took her in my arms, she pressed her face to me, her body racked with sobs.
“Danny, I am so sorry! It was just an accident, I didn’t plan it.”
“When?” I asked simply.
“Last year, when you were on that 3 week long business trip. I…went out with some of the girls, I was so lonely. I met a man and it was just…it was nothing.”
“How long? How many times?” My voice cracked.
“A week, maybe. You called one night just before you flew home and I knew I had to end it so I did.”
“You mean you were with someone when I called?”
“Yes.” Her body racked with sobs again. I felt a flash of anger tear through me, then I thought of my own guilt.
“Honey, come and sit with me on the couch. We really do need to have a long talk.” I told her.
Yes. We really did need to have a long conversation, so we did. I got it all out of Mary, for several nights she and a younger man had had a crazy affair. She tried to explain how it had meant nothing, not realizing until I confessed that I knew exactly what she meant.
Finally when she asked me what we are going to do, I told her we would just forget about it. She hugged me, and we made love in the only way a man who loves his wife can understand.
The truth? It’s easy to say just forget about it, the fact is that all of it popped into my mind from time to time. We both had guilt, but we were working through that. If anything, we became closer, our own weaknesses exposed completely to each other.
That is hard to explain.
There is one secret though.
I was in my office almost a year later, and a call came in. The instant I heard Jean’s voice the memories of those few days flashed back into my mind. I had almost managed to forget, it became like a dream, or a story that happened to someone else.
“So what’s up? It is nice to hear from you.” I told her.
“I just wanted to say Hi, and let you know that Sam and I had a baby boy.”
“Really? That’s nice.” I answered, not understanding.
“Sam and I had been trying for a long time.”
“Well, that’s really great!” I began to get an inkling of a suspicion.
“He is beautiful, we named him….Danny.”
We were both quiet for a long time.
“I thought you would want to know.” Jean said, finally.
“Sam is very happy, and he…doesn’t know.”
“I see.”
“I wanted to say thank you, Dan.”
“You are welcome, Jean. I will never forget you.” I told her.
“OK. I won’t ever forget you either. You do understand, right? I thought you had a right to know.”
“Yes, perfectly. Thank you for telling me.” I told her.
“Well, bye.” She hung up.
I sat there with the receiver at my ear for quite awhile, listening to the soft buzz of the dial tone. Then I hung up the phone.
Now I understood the why of it. A young and beautiful woman, wanting, cast by circumstance into…opportunity?
Yes, a secret. One I will take to my grave.