Let's Play Ball (10 page)

“
And what?” I
asked.

“
Tess told Melissa that you
guys haven’t had sex in three months.”

“
She said that?” I tried to
sound shocked.

“
Yeah but I’m not supposed
to say anything to you. Or maybe my wife tricked me and she told me
not to say anything to you because she knew I would say something
to you.”

“
So now I have to discuss my
sex life with you?”

“
No, I don’t want to hear
the details. It’s just Tess was over at the house crying her eyes
out. Or at least that’s what Melissa says.”

“
Tess over analyzes and over
exaggerates things. You know about her illness.”

“
Yeah.” Years ago I had told
Mike about Tess’ problems with anorexia nervosa.

“
In this economy, with the
business we’re in, I’ve been stressed trying to keep us afloat. You
know firsthand how many construction companies have gone under in
the last few years. I’m sorry if sex hasn’t been the foremost thing
in my thoughts.” I was lying. Our business was doing just fine. I
hoped I was convincing.

“
I understand, mine
too.”

“
Mike,” I took a drink from
my beer and regarded him fully. “I’m not cheating on Tess.” My
dishonest face formed into a faint smile.

“
Women are fucking nuts.”
Mike added with an arch of his brow.

“
I will drink to that.” I
raised my beer bottle and Mike raised his. We clanked them together
and hoisted our beer bottles to our lips. He believes me. Now I
have to contend with Tess.

****

I went home and I was silent. Tess was
pretending to be sleep. I was mad at her for talking to that
pit-bull my brother married. I felt betrayed. I wish Tess would’ve
come to me. I know I’m having an affair but things like this make
me wonder if I married the wrong person. I love Tess. I would have
lied to her if she asked me if I was having an affair. But honestly
I also would have respected her for having the balls to ask, for
confronting me and speaking her peace. She didn’t do that.
Why?

I know I’m a dick to compare but Kari
would have never kept her suspicions to herself or blabbed to her
friends. She would have confronted me and probably ripped me a new
asshole. That’s Kari’s favorite line. She’s always going to rip
someone a new asshole.

I got into bed next to Tess and decided
I would figure this out in the morning. When morning arrived I
decided to take my kids to the Brookfield Zoo. I practically had to
drag Tess out of bed. She was complaining about being tired. She
had loss weight. I hadn’t noticed until today. She probably didn’t
have any energy. You need to eat to get energy. I was going to
force her to eat if I had too.

I made breakfast, the kid’s favorite,
pancakes. Tess perked up after a cup of coffee. I tricked her into
eating two pancakes by telling the kids we couldn’t go to the zoo
until mommy ate all her pancakes. The kids begged and watched her
as she picked at the cakes. Hannah was getting agitated enough to
guilt Tess into eating two pancakes. That’s my Hannah.

After the zoo, we went to the movies. I
usually take the kids to the movies without my wife but this time
she came along. We were out all day and the kids were beat when we
finally made it home.

I stayed in and watched a movie on the
couch downstairs. I was still mad at Tess for blabbing our personal
business. I could not yet bring myself to sleep with her. Maybe
tomorrow after I cool down.

I texted Kari and made sure to delete
the messages and the responses. Apparently my wife is on to me or
at least she suspects something. I will have to sleep with
her.

The next night I did have sex with my
wife. I shouldn’t have stopped sleeping with her in the first
place. It’s just I had loss my attraction to her. There’s is
another woman who had captured my cock and had a stronghold on
it.

Sex with Tess wasn’t that hard. I
closed my eyes and thought of Kari the entire time. It was the
truth and I couldn’t do anything but be honest with myself. I had
already lied to Mike and I was always lying to Tess.

I waited three long days before I went
to see Kari. She wasn’t pissed. I had talked to her and texted her
the three days we had not seen each other. I told her I had to
spend some quality time with my kids.

As soon as I got to Kari’s house we
went at it. I missed her just as much as she missed me. We fucked
until we couldn’t move. After a few minutes of silence I had good
news I wanted to share.

I looked over at her after sex glow.
Kari is so beautiful. “I have a construction conference in two
weeks. Can you go with me?”

“
Yes, I guess. When is it?”
Her eyes were on the ceiling.

“
The weekend after the
fourth of July holiday.”

“
Okay.”

“
Just okay, we’re going out
of town together.” I was excited with the prospect of out-of-town
sex with Kari. “I already booked our flights. Do you care where
we’re going?”

“
No, I really don’t care.”
Kari turned her eyes and body toward me. “Wherever you are is where
I want to be.”

She always says things like that. Those
things that make my manly parts melt. Love ruins things. That’s why
I’m not able to say it to her. Or is that just some lame
excuse?

“
The conference is in Vegas.
I have to go sit through the boring stuff in the morning but we
will still have some time together in the afternoon and at
night.”

“
Okay.” Kari snuggled in
close to me and licked the bare skin on the side of my
neck.

“
We’re leaving on a Friday
morning and coming back Monday afternoon. Your parents can keep
Trey?”

“
Yeah that won’t be a
problem.”

“
There’s a baseball game on
Tuesday after we get back.”

“
Okay.” Kari
yawned.

“
You’re tired.”

“
Yeah, shut up and go to
sleep.” I wanted to tell her about the talk I had with Mike, about
Tess’ suspicions, but the time wasn’t right. Maybe I shouldn’t say
anything. I mean it’s not her problem. But Kari is the only person
I can talk to and be honest with. I shouldn’t lay my personal crap
on her doorstep. Me and Kari, we’re happy. Everything is good with
us and we’re going to Vegas.

****

The Friday after the fourth couldn’t
get here fast enough. Kari and I took an American Taxi to the
airport. I had the driver stop and pick Kari up after me. We had an
American Airlines flight to Vegas our departure was at 7:10 from
O’Hare airport. Kari was excited. She told me she hadn’t been to
Vegas in six years. I removed my wedding ring and left it inside
Kari’s house.

The annual AICPA Construction Industry
Conference was always boring but having Kari here made it so much
better. It was either her or Mike. That was not at all a tough
decision on my part. I couldn’t bring them both so I did what would
make me happy.

I had never spent this much time with
Kari. I wondered if we could stand each other for longer than the
few blocked hours we spent together. The conference was held at the
Bellagio Hotel, the one with the beautiful fountains in front. I
got us a suite, the one called the Bellagio Suite with the premier
fountain view. Sure it was a bit pricey but when would I ever get
the chance to do this with Kari again. I wanted to show her a good
time. I wanted to give her something more than what we had back in
Bolingcreek.

The suite was full of the regular
amenities, a separate living room, a bedroom with a King-sized bed,
marble whirlpool tub, 42” television and all the other standard
things. There was even a TV in the bathroom.

We were silent as we got accustomed to
our surroundings. I took a seat in the living room and started
going through the a few file folders I had removed from my
suitcase. Kari peeked her head out from the bedroom.

“
Mason, I’m going to take a
bath, wash off the airplane.”

“
Okay.”

Kari was gone before I could say more.
My cell phone rang. I pulled it from my pocket to read the caller
ID. It was Tess.

“
Hey, hon.”

“
Did you make it there
yet?”

“
Yeah I just got here to the
hotel, maybe ten minutes ago. I was going to call once I got
settled.”

“
Is the room
clean?”

“
I haven’t had a chance to
look around yet but from what I’ve seen it looks pretty
clean.”

“
That’s good.”

“
It’s awful quiet over
there. Where are the kids?”

“
Hannah and Matt are in the
backyard. Tim he’s still sleep.”

“
Don’t wake him. Tim’s
allergies have him really cranky in the morning. I picked up his
prescription last night. Don’t forget to give him some medicine as
soon as he wakes up.”

“
I won’t forget.”

I glanced up. Kari’s naked body flashed
across the background. She moved from the bedroom to the bathroom
and I caught a glimpse of her.

“
You going over to Mike and
Melissa’s for dinner?”

“
I’m not sure.”

“
You should go.”

“
Maybe, it depends on how
the kids are.”

“
Hon, I’m going to call you
back a little later. I’m going through some of the information for
the conference.”

“
Okay, I love
you.”

“
I love you too hon.” I
ended the call and placed my phone down on the coffee table. I went
to the bathroom.

Kari was in a huge tube full of water
and bubbles. She was immersed in the water but her hands were above
it. She was holding her Kindle Fire above the bubbles. She was
reading silently. She didn’t look up when I entered.

“
Hey, what you
reading?”

“
Some zombie apocalypse
book, it’s called Deadies.”

I tried to look through the bubbles and
find Kari’s breast but the bubbles had her completely
covered.

“
What do you want to do
later?” I asked.

“
Let’s go to the pool for a
swim and then we could find a place to eat. I could go for a
drink.”

“
Okay.” That seemed
perfect.

“
Mason, you don’t have X-ray
vision.” She smiled. She caught me ogling her.

“
I know.” I chuckled. “I’m
really trying to see through the bubbles.”

“
Yeah!”

“
Can I join you?”

“
Do you have to ask?” She
smirked and closed the cover on the Kindle. She placed it on the
towel that was on the floor beside the tub.

I pulled my blue Ralph Lauren Polo
shirt over my head and tossed it. I flipped out my shoes and
unbuckled my belt. Kari’s eyes were on me the entire time. She was
watching me closely. It was nice to be desired. It was nice to be
loved. It was nice to be here with Kari. I slowly removed my khaki
pants and pulled my socks off.

“
Show me what you’re working
with!” Kari called out. “Take it off big boy. I wanna see your
peacock.”

I smiled. She always made me smile. I
slowly removed my briefs and let it all hang out. I stepped into
the tub and crouched down into the hot water. The water was really
hot. I sat opposite Kari so I could gaze at her like she was a
star. She was a star to me, my star.

“
This is nice.” I said just
to start her to talking. I loved her voice.

“
Yes it is. Whenever I’m
with you, it’s always nice.” She palmed a few suds in her hand like
she hadn’t said the sweetest thing ever to me. Kari loves me. I’m
not sure why but I know that she does.

“
Kari, I wish I would have
met you years ago.”

“
Do you think things
would’ve been different?”

“
Yeah, I know they would.” I
took one of her feet in my hands and started to massage her
heel.

“
You don’t think that
everything that has happened thus far is exactly the way it was
designed. I mean aren’t we exactly where we are supposed to be. I
think that even if we met fifteen years ago we will still be where
we are now. You would still be married and I would still be a
single mother. Something probably would have pulled us apart
then.”

“
That’s a pessimistic way of
thinking of things.”

“
It’s what I truly believe.
I’m just keeping it one hundred.”

“
Is that the same as keeping
it real?”

“
Yeah, you’re so
white.”

“
That’s what you love about
me.”

“
That’s just one of the many
things I love about you.”

I blushed. It was a man blush but a
blush all the same. I felt a rush of mushy stuff about to spill
from my lips. “I’m so happy with you. How long do you think we can
go on like this?”

“
I try not to think about
it. I’m here for as long as you’ll have me.” She shrugged. Kari
never worried about much of anything.