The Second Time Around

The Second Time Around

Will star-crossed lovers get lucky this time?

Chapter One

"When did this once great city start smelling like a latrine?"

Jake Belzini was thinking to himself as he walked out of the theater and waited at the curb for his friends Doug and Pam, who had stopped to chat with another couple. Jake knew the conversation would bore him.

Looking up and down the street, he remembered what it was like when he lived here before moving to the mountains. Going to shows, clubs and restaurants, enjoying the whole hip, urban lifestyle. Although it had been almost twenty years since his last cigarette, he could use one now. Just the thought of the smoke filling his lungs made him wish he never quit, but the feeling was only temporary; anyone who paid twelve dollars for a pack of smokes was clearly out of their mind.

Jake turned to watch Pam walk out of the theater alone, shaking her head. "He'll be another ten minutes at least." Pam reached up and put her hand on Jake's cheek, giving him her 'sister face'. "Are you all right?"

Jake ignored the question, flipping his head toward the door. "Who's he bothering now?"

"Mayor Tyler." Pam answered with a smile. "Doug's explaining how the city should be run like a business."

Jake laughed, thinking how out of touch he'd become since moving out of the city; he didn't even recognize the new mayor.

Truthfully, Jake agreed with Doug. Chances are, this newly elected Mayor Tyler was no different from the previous four Seattle mayors; none of which could balance a city budget if their children's lives depended on it. Every one has given into the public unions' demands and any bleeding-heart organization's request for city funds to right all of society's wrongs. Doug ran a successful business which he had built from scratch, employed hundreds of people -- all of whom were well paid and most enjoyed working for a great boss.

"What did you think of the play?" Pam interrupted Jake's train of thought. Before Jake could answer, Doug rushed out the theater doors, throwing on his coat.

"Imbecile!" He grabbed Pam's right arm and started walking. "Let's get a drink."

As Jake turned to follow, Pam reached back with her left arm and pulled Jake along, the three of them walking arm and arm down the hill. "God, how I love these two," Jake thought to himself.

Jake and Doug had been friends since their freshman year of high school football. When Doug started dating Pam during grad school, Pam became the sister Jake never had. Jake was the best man at their wedding, as was Doug when Jake married Sharon. Doug and Pam became Doug's lifeline when Sharon passed four years ago after a short, brave fight against cancer. Suddenly, Jake was without his wife, lover, best friend. These two friends, as well as the thought of how much his two children were also hurting and needed him, were the things which gave him the strength to get out of bed every morning.

Sitting in the lounge sipping their cocktails, Jake decided to poke the bear. "I take it your conversation with her honor the new mayor didn't have the intended results."

Pam gave Jake a dirty look, knowing what Jake was up to. Doug took a sip of his drink and took the bait. "I thought I saw a flicker of light in her eyes, almost as if a tiny part of her lizard brain could comprehend, just before her wife pulled her away. We all know who wears the proverbial pants in that family. I actually think Tyler's wife is running the city from her third-grade classroom."

Pam knew what would happen next, Jake was about to play his 'devil's advocate' and wind Doug up. The two friends had an almost symbiotic relationship ever since first meeting thirty-five years ago. Pam didn't let it happen, not tonight. She saw what was happening, Jake was trying to avoid the elephant in the room.

"I asked you before Jake, what did you think of the play?"

Jake smiled at the question, understanding Pam's intent. Only Pam could get away with this intrusion of his most private thoughts. "Well, it certainly was better than that piece of garbage you dragged me to last spring." Jake kept the smile on his face, letting Pam know he still couldn't believe she bought tickets to a homo-erotic vampire musical.

Pam and Doug both laughed, knowing Jake wasn't really angry. "We knew you liked Elton John's music and we thought you'd enjoy the show." Pam replied.

Doug interrupted Pam. "And it's been too long, we hoped you'd have a good chance of finding a date at the show."

There it was again, the not too subtle hint that it was time for Jake to start dating again. Doug was masking the hint by humorously suggesting Jake could find a date within the city's large gay community, knowing Jake's ironclad heterosexual nature.

"Very funny." Jake said out loud, adding "asshole" in a whisper so Doug had to read his lips.

Their waitress stopped by the table to see if they wanted another round, a pleasant interruption which Pam appreciated. Twenty-six years of listening to these two piss at each other never got easier. After ordering another round, Pam leaned toward Jake with her hand on his. "We've apologized a dozen times since spring. I didn't know when I bought the tickets. Can you stop bringing it up now, please? I made certain tonight's show was more mainstream. Now, quit avoiding the subject; I saw the look on your face, what did you think of 'Now and Then'?"

Jake took a drink, emptying his glass, before answering. "It got me thinking. Can you still love a person after almost thirty years of separation like the two characters in tonight's play? You may have heard me talk about Alisa Shaw, a girl I dated for nearly three years of high school and college. We were quite serious."

Doug nodded at the mention of Alisa's name, remembering when his best friend left the U and broke it off with the girl. "I remember Alisa. I also remember it didn't end well when you transferred to Berkeley."

"Wait," Pam asked, "how come I'm only hearing about this woman now?"

"Well," Jake answered, "by the time you and I met, I was engaged to Sharon and it didn't seem considerate to bring up past lovers. Besides, like Doug said, it didn't end well."

Just the mention of Sharon's name brought a pause to the conversation. Everyone loved Sharon, especially the three people sitting around the cocktail table.

Pam reached for her drink from the waitress and thanked the cute blonde, resisting the urge to point out to her friend that the beautiful middle-aged woman wasn't wearing a wedding ring. Instead, she asked Jake, "If you don't mind me asking, why did it not end well?"

"Okay, keep in mind that only Doug knows the real reason and he obviously hasn't shared it with anyone, so you're also sworn to secrecy." Jake waited for Pam's nod, "Two months before I broke it off and transferred to Cal, Alisa's father pulled me aside and read me the riot act. "You'll never get my permission to marry my daughter." he said. Alisa was Daddy's little girl, she adored her father and I knew at that moment that our relationship was doomed. Even if she agreed to marry me, there'd be a pall over the marriage."

"Why did he hate you?" Pam couldn't imagine anyone hating her good friend.

"Let me count the ways. Mom being a single, unwed mother was a biggie for the pompous, self-righteous ass. We were poor and he was rich, therefore I must be a gold-digger. He knew we'd been having sex since we turned eighteen and that fried his ass. My name ends in a vowel. Do I need to go on?"

Pam looked shocked, but didn't know how to respond, so Jake continued. "It didn't matter in the end. I transferred to Cal, broke up with Alisa, met Sharon at Cal and we all know how well that turned out. Thirty years with the greatest woman in the world and two great kids." Jake paused, "Sorry, Pam; tied for the greatest woman in the world."

Pam leaned over and kissed his cheek. "So, why bring her up now?"

"Six months ago, Alisa's father's obituary was in the paper. It listed the surviving family members. Alisa's name was there without a spouse. I looked up the name on Facebook. Turns out Alisa is divorced, probably has been for at least two or more years. She has a couple of kids and a grandchild. I've been thinking of calling her up. Is that stupid?"

Pam thought about it for two seconds. "Does she know why you broke it off?"

"Not from me. There was no way I'd be the one to come between her and her father."

Pam and Doug smiled at his response. It was so like Jake to take one for the team. Doug said it out loud, "You're such a noble bastard." and raised his glass to Jake in a faux toast to Jake's nobility. Pam joined in.

"Maybe not noble, I wouldn't call it that. When my mother told me she ran into Alisa' mother at the mall about ten years after the breakup, Alisa was married with kids by this time and Mrs. Shaw told Mom that she was ashamed at the way Mr. Shaw treated me. So, she obviously knew why we broke up. Mom got the feeling that everything wasn't all that great in Alisa's marriage. 'Noble' me got pleasure out of hearing it."

Pam didn't let the moment get away and pressed the issue. "Are you going to call her?"

"I'm thinking about it. I know where she works."

Doug piled on. "Quit being a pussy for once, give her a call. If she sounds friendly, ask her out." Doug looked at his watch. "I have an early meeting tomorrow. Let's close out so I can get some sleep."

With the bill settled, they parted at the door. Jake was spending the night at his son's apartment in the U district. Pam kissed Jake's cheek but refrained from any more advice; having decided to get more information from Doug.

As they drove home, Pam asked, "What was she like?"

Doug knew it'd be coming and was prepared. "Beautiful, probably one of the best-looking women in our class. Rich, but not stuck up about it. Kind, but not in Sharon's league. I liked her, but the few times I was around her family, you could tell there was a sense of entitlement around her folks. The funny part? I ran into her brother years later; I never told Jake because he was married by then. First off, her brother became a failing musician; played in some wannabe folk band. Looked like he just fell off the farm. Second, he shared the same sentiment as Mrs. Shaw, that his father's attitude toward Jake screwed up Alisa's life."

"Will he call her?"

"I know I encouraged him earlier, but for some reason, now that I think about it? I hope not."

"So, what's this meeting you have on a Saturday morning? You didn't say anything earlier about a meeting." Pam asked.

Doug gave Pam his 'wicked' smile. "I just said it to get out of there before I got too drunk or tired. I was hoping to make love to my beautiful wife tonight and didn't want to throw it in Jake's face. I really don't think he's gotten laid since Sharon passed."

Pam loves the fact Doug is sensitive to his best friend's situation, but mostly she loves that her husband of two decades still wants her. "Step on it, lover."

Pam was naked and basking in the pleasure of Doug's lovemaking within ten minutes of entering their home. With their son in college, she allowed herself the opportunity to be loud, which she knew excited her mate. After a few minutes in the missionary position, she turned over and presented her ass so Doug could take her from behind. An hour in the gym, four days a week, and this was her reward. Doug squeezing her ass cheeks, the lights on, every few strokes of his gorgeous cock he'd give her a swat on her butt, then the pièce de résistance. Doug wets his thumb and plants it in her backside as he continues to pump in and out of her pussy. Pam shutters as she orgasms, Doug has to hold her up by her hips until he blows rope after rope into her womb, leaving her a quivering ragdoll.

Pam rolls over onto her back once he lets her go. "I love you."

Doug kisses her lips, "I'm a lucky guy." as he cradles her to his chest and they fall to sleep.

Chapter Two

Jake woke the next morning and lay in bed for a while digesting the previous night's play and the subsequent discussion with his two friends. He'd been thinking of Alisa more and more lately. Should he call her out of the blue? Pretend to drop in at the gallery where she works and meet by accident? Send a letter or bouquet of flowers to reintroduce himself? Why did he feel like such a high school dweeb after all these years and all his successes?

He was a highly regarded consultant, known throughout the West as one of the top five experts in payments fraud prevention. Banks and other payment platforms paid him eight hundred dollars an hour just to pick his brain. He traveled first class, had a beautiful home in the Cascade Mountains, and his online lecture series brought in another six figures annually. Why couldn't he just pick up the phone?

Jake got up and greeted his son in the kitchen. He raised the boy right, a freshly brewed pot of coffee was made and a bagel sat on a plate.

"What are you up to today, Dad?" Lyle asked his father.

"Well, unless you have something planned for us, I thought I'd spend an hour or so at the Thompson Art Gallery in Pioneer Square."

Lyle gave his father a quizzical glance, trying not to overreact. "What's her name? Someone you met at the show last night?" Deep down he was hoping his father would meet someone and start dating again. As much as he admired the love his parents had for each other, after four years it was time his dad at least dated.

"Alisa, an old friend. And no more questions for now, please? And -- not a word to your sister. If I have something to share, you two will be the first to know."

"Okay Pop." And that was the last of it as they moved on to other topics.

Three hours later, Jake stood in front of the Thompson Gallery looking through the large plate glass window admiring the woman he hadn't seen in nearly thirty years. "Damn, she's still as good looking as she was all those years ago." Alisa's once blonde hair was turning the silver that looks so good on middle-aged women, her build was still slim and her athletic calves still taut below a pencil skirt. Thank goodness he kept his hair and worked out. He was less than five pounds heavier than when he played football in high school. Still, he reached down and pulled his belt in an extra notch.

The door had an old school bell as Jake entered the gallery. Alisa turned, her eyes wondering if they were deceiving her. The two long ago lovers stared, waiting for the other to move until Jake broke the stalemate. "Hello Alisa."

Alisa whispered the first words that came to her. "You bastard!"

"I know, I'm sorry." Jakes eyes repeated the words.

"I waited years for you to say those words. Why now?"

This was the big question. How to explain what happened all those years ago, explain without making her father out to be the bad guy. "I'd like to tell you, but not here, not now. Can I buy you dinner and explain?"

"When?"

"Tonight, tomorrow, whenever you can."

"We close at five. Pick me up here and we'll have dinner. Your treat." She actually said it with a smile. Jake remembered her sense of humor and take-charge attitude. It was nice.

"You look fabulous, Alisa. I'll see you at five." Jake turned and walked onto the sidewalk, barely touching the pavement.

Chapter Three

Jake spent the afternoon pondering how he would approach this evening's conversation. Of course, Alisa will ask why he left her. Would he dump the whole thing on her father? Or, was there a way to sugar-coat it? Soften the edges?

At five he pulled in front of the gallery. Alisa walked out of the door, turning to say something to the woman still inside. As Alisa entered the car, the gallery lights dimmed.

"I made reservations at the Pink Door, I remember you liked Italian, does that work?"

"Yes, I still like Italian, Belzini." She said it with a chuckle.

"You still have a sense of humor, I see." He said, catching the double-entendre.

"Maybe, we'll see how much humor I have left after you finish telling me why I shouldn't still hate you at the end of this evening."

Jake knew this was going to be a tough night. He decided to back it up a bit. "Tell me about your children."

"I have a daughter, Tina. She had a baby six months ago. My first grandchild."

"Congratulations. Does she live nearby?"

"In Bellevue, with her husband. He's with Amazon. In fact, he works with my son, Brent. That's it, one boy, one girl. How about you?"

"A son and a daughter. My son Lyle is in school at the U studying for his Master's in Chemistry. My daughter Beth works for the Forest Service, stationed in Moab."

"How long have you been divorced? I'm assuming you're divorced since you asked me to dinner."

"Not divorced, my wife passed four years ago. Cancer."

Alisa seemed shaken by Jake's answer. "I'm sorry, Jake."

Just then, they were parking at the lot on First Avenue near the restaurant. Alisa took Jake's arm as they walked down the hill. She smiled thinking how nice his arm felt, still hard after all these years. She knew they made a handsome couple, Jake a couple inches taller, even in her four-inch heels. They turned into the alley where the Pink Door is almost hidden from unsuspecting patrons. Jake still marvels out-of-towners find the place.

They were seated, ordered drinks and Alisa pulled the band-aid off. "Why did you leave me, Jake?"

"Well, you know your father didn't like me, right?"

"So, it's true what I heard. Father paid you to go to Berkeley. You took the money and ran!" There was venom in her voice.

Jake sat back stunned. "Whoa! Where did that come from? I never took a dime from your father!"

"Mother said Father told her exactly that." There were tears in Alisa's eyes.

"I swear, I didn't take money from your father. Two months before I left, your father sat me down and swore he would never allow you to marry me. I had to make a choice, either marry you and drive a wedge between you and your father, or leave and try to make something of myself, prove to him I was worthy. That was my original goal when I applied to Cal. Things quickly went downhill as soon as I told you I was transferring. I probably should have told you the truth, but I was young, stupid and I made the wrong choice."

Alisa started to cry. She excused herself from the table to use the restroom. Ten minutes passed before she returned.

Jake held her seat. "Do you want to leave or can we still have dinner and talk?" he asked.

"Let's stay. I'm hungry. I couldn't eat lunch thinking about tonight." Alisa said it trying to put the smile back in her voice.

The waiter stepped up to the table and took their orders. Jake continued the explanation he rehearsed that afternoon. "Look, what I'm guilty of is this. I tried to be the good guy and I made the decision of what was best for us without letting you make the decision. I thought it was an honorable thing to do. I was wrong."

Alisa looked in Jake's eyes and took his hands in hers. "No, you weren't wrong. If I'm honest, Father was too influential in my life. I never saw how much control he had over me until much later in my life."

They talked, ate and when Jake dropped Alisa off at her car, things were still unsettled. Jake gave Alisa his number. "I'm heading back to Chelan in the morning. I'm glad we had this evening and I'd like to do it again. Call me" He drove off wondering if she would call.

She did the following evening. "Jake, can you come back to town next weekend? I'd like to return the favor and take you out."

Jake did come back in Friday. They had dinner at a small, casual Korean restaurant in Fremont and again Saturday after Alisa closed the gallery. Jake asked if Alisa would like to spend the night in his room at the hotel where he was staying. "Not yet," was her reply, although they did spend a few minutes kissing passionately when he dropped her off at her home.