Chapter 38

Jaime had gotten to his house just a little later than Tricia had gotten to hers. Nobody was waiting for Jaime though. He took his bags out of the taxi and paid the driver then he let himself in the front door. The two cats, Rocky and Bullwinkle, paid him little mind, turning their backs on him as if to remind him that he’d been gone and thus had neglected them. Max, the old Labrador retriever had either not heard him come in or not felt like getting up. Jaime had walked into the family room and found him on the couch. Ritually he shooed Max off the couch and then started to head to the bedroom, then changed his mind and went into the utility room instead. He thought that Thursday was one of the maid’s days but she wasn’t here so he figured he was wrong. He dumped the contents of his bags, separating the clothes and starting a load of laundry. Then he scooped the non-clothing contents up and wandered around the house putting things away where they belonged and putting a wrapped package for his wife on the bar.

He was dozing in front of the television with a glass of wine beside his chair when he heard the garage door open and a car pull in. Then when he heard the door from the garage to the utility room open he called out, “I’m home Kay.”

There was a mumbled reply and a few minutes later she came into the room carrying two glasses of wine. She was a tall willowy blonde wearing a dark business suit. Jaime marveled at how even in conservative clothes he thought she looked great.

“Welcome home, dear,” his wife said smiling at him and then seeing the glass beside him she went on. “I guess you don’t need this.”

Jaime drained the glass beside him and held his hand out, “The hell I don’t. Give it.”

Kay smiled and handed him the glass, bending over to give him a kiss. Jaime kissed her deeply and tried to pull her into the chair with him. She chuckled and pulled back.

“Down boy, you pull me down and you’ll be wearing this glass of wine.”

“I missed you.” Jaime told her.

“And I missed you,” Kay told him. “Congratulations dear. You did very well.”

Kay took a deep sip from her glass and put it down then slid onto Jaime’s lap. She kissed him again, surprising him by not moving his hand when he slid it inside her blouse cupping her breast.

“Well I’d have thought you’d have had a bevy of poker cuties helping you and Kevin celebrate and you wouldn’t come home wanting to have anything to do with little old me. I see I was wrong.”

“I’m too damn old for poker cuties or groupies or whatever. Kevin gets those.”

“And what do you get?” Kay asked teasingly.

“A hangover mostly,” Jaime said with a smile.

Kay chuckled. “Well for what it’s worth I did miss you.”

“Enough to feel like fooling around later?”

“You want to wait until later?” Kay asked sliding her hand down. “Maybe you are getting old dear.”

Jaime was surprised by Kay’s willingness but wasn’t going to argue. An hour later they were lying curled up together in bed and Jaime was feeling much better.

“I meant it Jaime when I said I was proud of you,” Kay told him, kissing his nose.

“I know,” Jaime murmured, then added. “It looks like I may out earn you this year finally Ms. Big shot corporate lawyer type.”

“I’m thrilled for you dear,” Kay said and Jaime knew she meant it.

Despite the fact that she seldom matched his desire for sex he never had any doubt that she loved him and would do what she could to support him, she always had.

“It feels good,” Jaime said with a sigh.

“You spent a lot of time working for this,” Kay said. “I knew if you stuck to it you would get where you wanted to go.”

“I’m not there yet,” Jaime said. “I’m on my way but I still don’t have a big event win under my belt.”

“It will come,” Kay assured him.

“Kevin has been a big help,” Jaime told her. “He will probably swing by sometime next week. I told him he could stay with us. I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“Other than the fact that you two will be talking your foreign poker language that I can’t understand I don’t mind a bit. I like Kevin and he’s been a big help to you.”

“I’ve put up with your lawyer language but makes little sense to me for years, you can stand a day or two of poker language.”

Kay chuckled. “Touché”

“Tricia was there at this event Kay.” Jaime said, feeling awkward bringing it up.

“You told me that on the phone the first day.”

“I know.”

“Are you trying to tell me you two renewed your relationship?” Kay asked.

Jaime looked at her but saw no jealousy, just concern.

“If so I hope you’ll be careful for both your sakes.”

“She’s got a little boy now,” Jaime said.

“That makes it doubly important then. I’m surprised she was able to get to a poker tournament. Did he come with her?”

Jaime shook his head. “No he was staying with her parents.”

Kay just nodded and Jaime went on. “We did not renew anything except a friendship. It wasn’t easy though. I think we both wanted to in some ways.”

“But she just wanted to be friends?” Kay asked. “Poor baby.”

Jaime chuckled. “Would you believe that was my idea? I just couldn’t do it. It went so bad the first time and I just couldn’t take a chance on doing that to either of us again. I’m not sure but what I was looking out for me more than her though.”

“I don’t think I’d look to motive,” Kay told him, kissing him lightly. “It sounds like it was the right thing to do. It can’t have been easy for you. I know how strongly you felt for her. You know she’s the only one I’ve ever felt jealous of.”

“It’s not like there’s been that many,” Jaime protested weakly.

“I know dear,” Kay said. “I’m starved for some reason. Maybe it’s all the exercise. No time for either of us to cook now so how about you order a pizza while I take a shower. You got me all sweaty.”

“I thought you got ME all sweaty,” Jaime said. “I think I should take a shower with you.”

Kay chuckled. “You really are insatiable. That wasn’t enough?”

She saw Jaime’s disappointed look and relented. “Order the pizza and then join me but we have to really take a shower and be done in time for the pizza to be here.”

Jaime smiled agreement and went out quickly to phone the pizza place. He quickly joined Kay in the shower and was pleasantly surprised when he was able to arouse her again with no protest at all from her.

As they were drying off she shook her head at him. “Dammit Jaime if the guy left because we didn’t hear the doorbell you can go pick it up.”

He grinned at her because he could tell from her tone that she was really not angry, just play acting. “I have it under control. I told them to hold off on it for half an hour before they put it in so if the teenybopper who answered the phone can follow directions it should be here in ten minutes.”

“You’re learning evil things being a professional gambler. I’m not sure I should continue to allow it. Besides it’s bad for my professional reputation.” Kay said, sounding serious.

Jaime swatted her bare behind and she yelped. “Be careful or you’ll find out other things I know.” He slid his hand up to cup her breast.

She batted it away with a grin. “Ok Ok! I was joking. Enough is enough though. I really am hungry.”

Jaime handed her robe to her and put his own on.

The pizza came roughly on time and as they ate Jaime looked at Kay and asked, “What brought you home at such an ungodly early hour tonight?” She’d been home shortly after six and most nights she was much later.

“My psychic lawyerly talents let me know that you would be home this evening. I wasn’t lying about missing you Jaime. I thought I’d proved that. As amatter of fact I think we proved that two or three times.”

Jaime chuckled. “At least and I thank you. It was just what I needed. As for your psychic abilities I bet Kevin called you.”

“Maybe,” Kay said with a grin. “I never reveal a source.”

“That’s reporters. You’re a lawyer. You try to get them to reveal their sources.”

“Oh yeah,” Kay giggled, letting Jaime know she was feeling the wine. “He was worried about you dear. He seems to be a good friend.”

“A bit meddlesome maybe,” Jaime said with a grin. “But yeah, a good friend.”

“Jaime?” Kay asked. “Are you ok with having seen Tricia again and nothing happening?”

Jaime nodded. “Yeah. It’s made me think about some things though.”

“Oh?”

“Once I got used to the fact that we were just going to be friends and nothing sexual was going to happen I actually found I liked it that way. It made a lot of things a lot easier. Maybe I’m too old for that shit Kay.” Jaime said. “You always told me I’d grow out of it.”

“You’re not too old Jaime,” Kay said. “You proved that to me tonight. Not that you had to. Hell you’ll have a stronger sex drive at 80 than I’ve ever had. We both know that. It’s worked out for almost a decade the way we’re doing things. The way you said that just now though would seem to bode no good for what’s her name in wherever she is.”

Jaime smiled. Kay knew the women existed but knew no details at her request. The only reason she knew about Tricia was because it had become impossible for her not to, a fact that Jaime still regretted for Kay’s sake as much as his and Tricia’s.

He shrugged and frowned. “I’m not looking forward to it but yeah. It’s not working. Also I’m playing so much more now. That would have doomed it anyway.”

“It’s your decision Jaime,” Kay said softly.

“I know.” Jaime said, aware that this was far more than was usually discussed on the subject between them. “I just thought you should know.”

Kay nodded acceptance but didn’t say anything, just sat studying Jaime over the piece of pizza she was eating.

“Is it working for you?” Jaime asked.

“Is what working for me?” Kay looked confused.

“My increased time away at tournaments.”

Kay shrugged. “I know that a lot of the time, especially the last year or two since my last promotion, that I’ve not been there for you. Hell we both know I haven’t been there as much as you wanted for a much longer time than that. I’m tickled that you have found a way to be happy Jaime. If you come home to me from time to time I’ll be happy. Can you be happy with it?”

Jaime nodded. “I’ve thought about it a lot since last night. It’s a bit like living in two separate worlds. Maybe it would make some people go insane but I like it. Hell maybe that is because I’m already insane.”

“As long as you’re happy I love you, sane or not Jaime Devlin,” Kay said with a smile.

“I love you too,” Jaime said. “Have you had enough pizza?”

Kay nodded.

“Well now that you’re gotten nourishment and considering it’s nearly your bedtime and you’ve had a shower already why don’t we go to bed.”

“You mean to sleep right?” Kay asked cautiously.

“Eventually.” Jaime was grinning.

“Are you going to come home this horny every time?”

“Probably, is that going to be a problem?”

“Oddly enough, not tonight.” Kay said surprising Jaime when she stood up and shed her robe, walking naked out of the dining room toward their bedroom.

When he started to follow her she called over her shoulder. “Put the leftovers in the fridge first please and let Max out. Oh and bring my robe when you come to bed.”

“Crap! You’ll be asleep before I get that done!” Jaime said only half joking.

“Maybe…maybe not. You better hope Max is fast for once.”

Jaime chuckled putting the pizza box in the fridge and herding Max out the back door. Hoping Max would be fast was a good joke. Max’s days of doing anything fast were long gone. Oh well, Jaime thought to himself, even if she was asleep when he got there he’d had a good evening and was glad to be home for a little while.