The interview took less time than Cherish thought it would, so she decided to leave Jordie in Aubrey's care a bit longer while she took a much-needed break and enjoyed one of those chain coffee shops for some peace and quiet. She needed to clear her head a bit and unwind a little. On a positive note, she had a job now and wouldn't starve, not that she thought Glen would allow that, anyway. Or at least, the Glen she knew before she cheated on him wouldn't have allowed it. The new, devastated Glen she wasn't so sure about.She parked in a spot almost too small for her car, grabbed her purse, and headed inside the coffee shop that rested between Harbor City Carpet and home. The Tuesday crowd was busy, but she wasn't in any hurry, so it didn't matter. She just needed to sit for a while without Jordie hanging onto her, asking when his father was coming home. She never realized how much going to work gave her a break before this. She loved her son, but she wasn't sure she had ever been ready
"Selby!" Glen called out as the bell over his head sounded, announcing his arrival inside Selby's Downtown Books. Once they finished Mr. Jenkins' dock, the day was over, and Glen decided a visit to his wife's brother-in-law might help him get steered in the right direction."Be right there!" came the reply from the back of the store.Glen heard some shuffling in the back, and a few minutes later, Selby came out followed by a short redhead with a very satisfied smile on her face. Suddenly, Glen felt as if he should have called first. "Um, sorry, I should have…" He didn't know what to say. Selby had left the door unlocked, the OPEN sign still facing out. How was Glen supposed to know Selby was getting busy in the back?"Glen, good to see you. I don't think you've met Tracey yet. Tracey, this is Cherish's husband, Glen." Selby introduced the two as if nothing had just happened in the back room or that Glen hadn't busted them acting out a scene from an erotic novel. Well, he didn't actuall
They said their goodbyes, and Glen stepped back out into the afternoon sun. He wasn't sure whether he received the answers he wanted, but at least he possessed more information with which to make a decision. Between everything Brent and Selby said, it boiled down to whether or not Glen could give Cher the sexual adventures she seemed to crave. Yet, how would that change their relationship? He knew he could give her some of what they had before, returning to that friskiness that kept them touching each other no matter where they were. It was the additional partners he would need to come to grips with if that was what she wanted. How would he feel if she slept with another man? One he knew about this time?He needed to talk to her and find out.~ ~ ~ ~ ~"How have you been?" Nick stood there, his hands in his pockets, as the afternoon breeze tugged at his wavy dark hair. "I think I heard you and Glen tied the knot and started a family, right? I bet that's wild. I never even pictured the
Hello! Where's everyone at?" Aubrey's voice followed the sound of the front door opening. "Yoo hoo!"Cherish walked out of the kitchen, drying her hands on an old towel, her brows scrunched up over the bridge of her nose. "What are you doing here?""Babysitting," Glen said as he walked through the doorway to the hallway. He stopped by earlier saying he needed some more clothes. Cherish hadn't realized he intended on changing right then and there, however, which only added to her confusion when she glanced at him. He was dressed up…well, dressed up for him. He wore a pair of dark jeans and a gray pullover. He even wore socks with his sneakers. "Why is she babysitting?""Hey, Aubrey!" Jordie ran out of the hallway and hugged their neighbor. "Daddy said you were going to hang out with me tonight. Can we have pizza?"Aubrey gave Cherish a smile as she walked past her to tousle Jordie's hair. Cherish watched for a moment and then turned her attention back to Glen. She popped an eyebrow at
Glen couldn't help but smile as Jerry embraced Cherish. It was like stepping back in time, back into a period when his life was uncertain and Cherish's was chaotic. Yet, she was happy back then, and he wanted her happy again. He wasn't sure what that would take, but he knew he would do whatever was necessary. So far, the only way he knew to get that started was to take her back to where it all began, where they began. Once Jerry finished hugging Cherish, he turned and grabbed Glen, hugging him as well. "Man, the place has not been the same without you two around here. How's that baby boy?""He's doing great," Cherish said, a smile on her face that Glen had not seen in days. "About to turn five.""Wow," Jerry said, shaking his head. "Has it really been that long? You two have stayed away way too long. First round's on me." He turned to the waitress walking by, a small girl with breasts that oozed out of her skimpy top, and blond hair she had pulled back into a tight ponytail. "Erin, ho
Cherish stretched, sleep fighting her to ignore the morning and just stay in bed. As she reached out, her arm touched… She jerked to the side of the bed, eyes wide, wondering… Glen slept soundly beside her, his arm tucked under his head, his dark hair mussed up from a hard night's sleep. Confusion added to the fog of her waking brain as she stared at him. Why...? How..? She closed her eyes as last night's adventures broke through the cloudiness of her mind, the games of pool, the beers, the… the blowjob she gave Glen in his car. She felt the blush warm her cheeks and neck, waking her up even more. She couldn't believe she went through with it. Hell, she couldn't believe he even suggested it.She leaned back down on the bed, propped up by her elbow, hand on her head as she smiled over at him. His breathing was calm, restful. It had always given her a peaceful feeling at night whenever she would wake up and hear him beside her, like everything was right in her world. She felt safe. Well,
Tina did as expected, and Jordie had extra bananas on his pancakes as well as double chocolate milk. She said nothing about not having seen Glen in a while or Cherish eating there by herself earlier in the week. Glen and Cherish sat across from each other with Jordie kneeling in the booth beside his mother as he leaned on the table. Tina gave him some coloring pages and crayons to keep him occupied, which left Cherish and Glen time to sit and chitchat without the little boy interrupting them too much. Not that they could talk about too much with tiny ears right there, but they still managed to appear like a normal couple and not one in the throes of upheaval. They appeared normal, and for the first time in a couple of weeks, Glen felt normal, a feeling he didn't want to lose anytime soon. He even reached out, taking Cherish's hand in his as they waited for their food, and Cherish didn't pull away, but rather smiled, holding his hand in return.Glen made a fuss over the food and service
It had been two hours, and Cherish already wanted to scream. The woman she replaced, Kim Rosa, was a disorganized mess. None of the files had any semblance of order, and some even had information in it that belonged in someone else's file. The records were a shambles, the record books riddled with coffee rings, and the computer files a spider web of chaos. How the woman managed to function or answer any of Bernie's questions was beyond Cherish's capacity for comprehension. She blew out a burst of frustrated breath, her bangs flipping up at the gesture. It would be a nightmare just getting everything organized."You settling in okay?" Bernie leaned in her doorway. Her office was next to his, and she usually saw him as he went in and out, getting a cup of coffee, following his wife around, or talking to the installers out in the warehouse. Whether he left his office or returned, he always stuck his head in her doorway to check on her and see how she was doing. So far, in the mere two hou