“They’re people Vi, they got two choices, they like me or they don’t. I deal either way. They’re good people, even if they don’t, they won’t make it your problem or the girls’.”
He was right, they had two choices and, knowing Bea and Gary, they wouldn’t make it my problem or the girls’ if they didn’t like Joe.
The girls came out and said goodnight, first Keira who patted Joe on the arm but gave me her usual kiss. Then Kate who gave me a kiss but didn’t touch Joe, she just said, “’Night, Joe,” to which he muttered, “Sweet dreams, girl,” which made her look at me in that startled way the girls looked whenever Joe did something affectionate but, startled or not, one day I figured they too would get used to being around an affectionate Joe.
Joe and I sat quiet for awhile and this would have been nice if my mind didn’t wander to Mike wondering what he was doing, wondering if he was okay. I was also thinking how much it sucked that our situation wasn’t one where we could shift to friends and I could call him, just to talk. I liked talking to him (amongst other things) and I didn’t like that I no longer could do it. He didn’t say that wasn’t cool but I knew in my heart it wasn’t. I was happy with my decision and I knew I’d made the right one. But that didn’t mean I didn’t miss Mike.
However, I didn’t share this with Joe.
Then Joe and I went to bed and I figured, both of us being in a mellow mood, having a good night, he’d feel in the mood to make love and I was looking forward to it.
He wasn’t. He was in the mood to fuck me, rough and hard, both of us on our knees, Joe behind me, his fingers between my legs, the fingers of his other hand working my nipple. I was mostly up, bent slightly, my hand holding onto the headboard, my other hand covering his at my breast and I was trying not to be too loud when he made me come. By some miracle, I managed this and luckily Joe had my neck to stifle his groan when he climaxed.
After, Joe kept me where I was and stayed buried inside me.
“You got the sweetest cunt I’ve ever had, buddy,” he whispered in my ear, sliding out and gliding back in.
It wasn’t the most flowery compliment in the history of man but, from Joe, who stayed planted and was filling me with his big cock, it worked really well.
“I like your cock too,” I whispered back and I felt him smile against my neck.
“Know that, Vi. Every time I fuck you, you act like it’s been years since I’ve been inside you.”
I twisted my neck to look at him and his head came up.
“You don’t have to be conceited about it.”
He pressed in deeper, heard my soft gasp and chuckled. “Baby, you don’t want me to be conceited, maybe you should stop doin’ shit like that.”
I sighed, too mellow to have a tiff, even a light-hearted one.
Joe kissed my neck and then he pulled out. We settled in our usual position, the one with my head in his chest, and his fingertips roamed my ass and hip while I listened to his heartbeat and fell asleep.
I didn’t have the nightmare that night either.
Thursday I got home from work and barely got inside the door before Joe and the girls hustled me right back out.
Back to school shopping.
I didn’t ask why Joe came with us, I was just glad he did.
We had dinner at a restaurant outside the mall then we went inside the mall and the girls bought some new outfits for school; they bought Joe his new shirt (which he didn’t try on but luckily it fit him); and I bought gifts for Bea and Gary, some new frames to replace the ones I broke and a few little nothings to send up to Mel in an effort to brighten her day.
Joe didn’t pay for the shirt or the gifts for Bea, Gary and Mel but he paid for some of the girls’ clothes and the frames even though I tried to pay. We had words right in front of the clerks in four different stores. Each time my fearless Keira waded in, twice taking my credit card and handing it to the clerk, twice taking Joe’s. Neither Joe nor I could protest because this was Keira, what could we say?
While we were walking to the car, Joe used his arm around my shoulders to pull me close as he said in my ear. “Keirry’s a natural diplomat.”
He sounded proud, so proud I couldn’t stop myself from turning my head and kissing his neck. He gave me a squeeze in return.
When we got home, inexplicably, Joe slowed as we drove in front of the house then he stopped on the street.
I looked at him and his head was turned toward the house.
“Joe, what –”
I stopped when I looked at the house too, saw my yard and gasped in outrage. In now dead grass, the word “bitch” could clearly be seen. I hadn’t driven in front of the house that day or the day before for that matter and obviously Joe nor the girls had seen it.
Then Joe exploded, “That fuckin’ cunt!”
Both girls gasped, I jumped and Joe accelerated the Mustang off the street and into our drive so fast I knew he was beyond pissed and it probably wasn’t the time to inform him that the c-word in front of the girls was an absolute forbidden.
Joe stopped the car, killed the ignition, opened his door and surged out of the car, stalking straight to Tina’s.
I realized at this juncture that I should probably have taken her some cupcakes.
I turned to the girls and ordered, “Go into the house.”
“Mom –” Keira started.
“House!” I demanded and then opened my door, got out and ran to Tina’s, hoping my girls would obey (Kate would, Keira, it was a crapshoot).
As I jumped the fence, Joe stopped pounding on the door, turned to look at Tina’s sporty, red Corvette in the drive then he turned away and stalked down her steps.
As he got close to me, I assured him, “I’ll talk to her.”
Joe didn’t look at me, he kept walking and I watched as he put a hand to the fence, threw his legs over it, landed on the other side, walked straight to his house, around it and then he disappeared, going to his garage.
I didn’t know what Joe had in his garage, except his Bullitt car, the hood of which I knew intimately. But I didn’t figure Joe going there was a good sign.
I also saw my girls didn’t obey, not even Kate. They were standing in the yard. Kate was staring at the grass, looking pissed. Keira was staring after Joe, looking worried.
I jogged to Tina’s door and knocked, shouting, “Tina, really, you need to open up, we need to talk before Joe gets back.”
She didn’t open the door. I knocked and called again. She still didn’t open the door. I was knocking again when Joe was suddenly there.
He pushed me to the side and went into a squat. Then he did something with little tools at her lock, the door opened, he straightened and strode right in.
I stood in stupefied silence not only because my boyfriend knew how to pick a lock but would and did until I heard Tina screech, “What the fuck? You can’t just walk into my house! I’m callin’ the cops!”
“Call ‘em, I’ll wait,” Joe replied and I rushed in to see Tina at the mouth of her hall, Joe standing in the living room in his scary as shit, sinister, arms-crossed-on-chest, badass, alpha male stance.
“You broke in!” Tina shrieked.
“Yep,” Joe agreed.
“What the fuck!” Tina repeated.
“Okay, everyone just –” I started.
Joe cut me off by ordering Tina, “Write a check. Five hundred dollars. Made out to Violet Winters and do it now.”
“You’re fuckin’ crazy?” Tina screeched.
“You do it, this is done, no more,” Joe stated. “You don’t, I’m in this war and, trust me woman, you do not want me in this war. I’m done with you, you’ll move to the next fuckin’ county.”