ALISON

Cole wasn't answering my calls, texts, or e-mails.

After that first eager report on Cole's shacking up with Jade, Oscar had somehow lost his zest completely and got tongue-tied about their doings and whereabouts. When I asked about them, he acted like he never even heard his own sister's name before. He'd always been a horrible actor and lousy at improvising. When I pushed it and accused him of nepotism because he let his sister neglect the Roll while the rest of us were working our ass off, he rudely pointed out that she was the my manager and the owner, not an employee; that she can come and go as she pleased. What could I say; she did arrange the butcher's daughter to cover her shifts, so I couldn't stir Oscar. What's more, he wasn't looking at my ass anymore; he hadn't checked me out once since that first day. What the fuck did they tell him? Did Cole have his brothers threaten Oscar? He had no bruises. This was unsettling. Oscar was supposed to be easy.

I resorted to visit Cherry to have a heart-to-heart. My sister-in-law, who also lived there, greeted me stone-faced and behaved like it was a burden to move away from the door to let me in. Once inside, I forced myself to hug Cherry like I'd hug my mom if she wasn't a defector from motherhood. Squeezed tears out of my eyes. Unlike Oscar, I was a good actor. I told Cherry how Cole threatened to hurt me and then abandoned me to find a new lover just because I kissed someone once. How Jade manipulated him to get into his pants and probably planned it for years. How Cole couldn't sleep late since Gabriel and woke up at the crack of dawn. I might have stretched the truth when I told them he went to the Ranch to keep occupied, whereas in reality he fucked me for dear life every morning to release his suffering. I connected that half truth with how Jade insisted on going to the Ranch every day even though she didn't need the money. That she must have secretly seduced him in those chilly, solitary mornings. That I made one mistake and Jade availed the opportunity. I cried and cried, tearing a tissue in my hand for added stress, making my hands tremble a little to seem more out of sorts.

Well, they weren't buying it. After letting me transition from a lament to a grand soliloquy in silence like she was waiting for an accordion bus to pass by, Cherry cleared her throat and told me openly that none of my words were accurate or convincing because I was the one who fractured the relationship by being unfaithful, after all that Cole and I'd been through. After all that Cherry herself had done for me, including spoon-feeding me when I was starving myself. She told me that she finally got her son back, thanks exclusively to Jade. She emphasized that she didn't know or care whatever Jade did or whatever happened between them, but she alleged that Cole now had life in his eyes again. My sister-in-law genially interjected to add that the last time she saw Cole like this, he was playing with Gabriel.

I was furious. I responded to this like the insult it was. Bringing mydead kid into this just to hurt me, comparing his significance to that bitch was a big blow. I left them elegantly after reprimanding them for their austerity and lack of compassion. Let them brood on that. On my way out of the Ranch, I hailed Hal and Scotty to ask if they saw Cole. They shook their heads and went back to business like I was a fucking door-to-door evangelist.

It was when I jumped into Cole's car to go back home in irritated defeat that I got a text from him.

I will stop by your place to pack my stuff in half an hour.

My place?! After only a week? Packing to put his stuff where? I hoped to god that he was hiding upstairs when I was visiting Cherry. Otherwise there was only one other place he could be; still with her. I sped back home to shower, shave, do make-up, and put his favorite mini-dress on. Incidentally, Noah's favorite, too; I had it on the first time he couldn't resist me.

I dolled myself up in haste, ready to make Cole forgive me, only to see that he brought that she-devil with him again. What even was her fucking function? She didn't even know how to talk to people. They got out of her car and walked shoulder to shoulder towards me as if on a leisurely stroll, till she stopped, put a light hand on his bicep and said "I'll wait here, OK? Let me know when you're done."

Done with what? If she wasn't going to help him pack, why was she here? To show off? Damn nuisance. He nodded, "If you must," like he wanted her here, for her to stick her nose into our business. She squeezed his bicep, "I should," and nudged him towards me. Like she was encouraging him to talk to me, his wife.

It was like we were 15 all over again. I always hated how these two sometimes said only a few words, behaved like they had a secret the rest of the world couldn't possibly know. Hated his deferring to her for decisions. Waiting for her input even while choosing a damn ice cream flavor. They were sickening. I hated her for doing whatever he asked without question. Cole looking at her like she just descended from the skies. Jade constantly examining his face like she was seeing him for the first time. They were the only idiots who didn't notice the attention they gave each other.

As Cole ascended the stairs, I smiled at him widely as if nothing was amiss. "Heyy," I flirted with a tilted head and extended my arms at him, pushing my boobs together. Instead of holding my hands, he conveniently put on them the large envelope I didn't notice he was holding.

"I am divorcing you. Here are the papers."

"But…"

"The information is in the envelope. Feel free to look at the papers while Jade and I are packing my clothes. If you have any questions or comments, we can talk then. It's better if we already negotiate what I can take from here. My grandfather's case of moonshine, my toolbox, the Monopoly, that kind of sentimental stuff."

The envelope felt heavy on my hands. "Cole, my love, please, can we talk first?" I looked behind him pointedly to indicate we weren't alone. "Inside?"

"After you've studied the envelope's contents. There's a nice breeze out; why don't you sit on your rocking chair in the back porch?" How condescending.

Without waiting for a reply, he turned and gestured with his head at Jade to come in. She greeted me stoically and passed by to enter my bedroom with my husband.


COLE

In a stretch of three days, Jade and I must have left the bed for a total of 12 hours at most, including the time at the clinic for our STD tests and birth control pill prescription. Including the times we had sex in the kitchen and the living room. Well, we also needed to eat, shit, shower. But the showering could be combined with sex in the tub in her back patio. I was right; it drew salt water. Glad to have got to test it. Some of our time in bed was spent by her reading to me her stories after I insisted profusely. Some time outside the bed was spent by her singing to me and playing her acoustic guitar, after I insisted profusely. Jiggling my assets seemed to help. Jade could be deliciously superficial, I found out.

Turns out, she didn't let me go down on her the first time because A) this would have been her very first time, B) she had a sensitive clitoris, at least its "head", and she wanted to spare the time to teach me how to touch her. Who knew; the clitoris as an organ apparently constitutes more than the little knob we all know and like, and most of the rest is also erogenous. The perks of having a wise woman in my periphery. Can't wait to poke Scotty with this information; he walks on this Earth like he's invented the letter X in sex.

Well, C) she was also a little insecure. She didn't know that I would enjoy licking her pussy as much as she enjoyed sucking my cock, if not more. She had been trained to think that most men performed oral sex as a duty and most women, like Alison, as a utility to gain the upper hand.

Not true for Cole and Jade. We live and learn, folks. Once she let me apply what I learned about her pleasure and I added my own zeal to it, we found our mouths quite occupied. I showed her a couple of tricks about me as well, of course. She was such a receptive lover.

Finally getting to be with Jade and feeling with my whole being how much she wanted me back was one of the best things that I'd ever felt. It was completely reasonable for her to think that I was too certain about her too early. But I was. Every touch was fire. Every look a warm raindrop. Every action screamed harmony. I loved her...finally? again? always? But I wouldn't tell her that until she would be comfortable hearing it. Otherwise it would feel like a pretense to her. Until then, I would bury my soul into hers and show my affection physically and emotionally, as much as possible. Maybe then she'll believe me. I was honored to believe her.

On the fourth morning, I finally got a call back from the lawyer that my papers were ready. I had gone to primary school with her and she had once pushed me into a puddle of muddy water, so she joked that she owed it to me to handle my case fast. I had decided not to talk to Alison before I had the papers in my hands, because I didn't want to be subjected to her mind games. I wanted to nip it in the bud in one go, also for Jade's sake. Get my stuff, get the fuck out of her life, and never come back. Then she can do whatever she wants with whomever of her whim.

As always, Jade had agreed to back me up during the visit. Maybe I was asking too much of her; maybe I was too selfish and timid to need her as I did, but it all felt alright when she was there. I was convinced she understood that. Jade would never think me childish for wanting her on my side. Still, I didn't want to load too much on her; she had also been traumatized by Alison.

At the end, we were at Alison's door, with Jade pushing me towards her. Ali acted as we expected, so we went into packing. I gauged Jade's morale; she was being brave, determined to be there for me. I looked at her, held her hand tightly, and smiled triumphantly. This was just the beginning.