As I pulled into the driveway, I was surpised to see Richard’s car. When I walked in the front door, he was on the couch, talking with Pat. I was greeted with their hellos, but Pat did not bother to meet me with the usual hug and kiss, an oversight I normally would not have noticed. I excused myself to get a shower.

In the bathroom, I stepped out of my shorts and wondered how I could hide the bloodstains from Pat. I decided to dispose of them rather than risk any embarrasing questions. My rectum was swollen. Every move I made brought fresh pain. I stepped in the shower and tried to wash away the day’s events before dressing for the meal.

Pat met me as I started out the bedroom door. “Why didn’t you tell me that you had invited Richard to spend the night,” she demanded.

That was the first time I had thought about it again. “I had other things on my mind and just failed to call you,” I said honestly. “Honey, I am really sorry. He said he could go to a motel if he needed to,” I offered weakly.

“No, he is not going to a motel after you invited him to stay with us,” she said angrily. ” I don’t know how you can be so inconsiderate of me and the kids. I’ve put him in Roy’s room and Roy will go to the basement tonight, just like we had planned when he stays with us next week, but it would have helped if I had been given a little lead time. Richard helped me change those sheets make up the other bed. He was embarrassed about my not knowing.”

“I didn’t know he was coming over so early,” I said. “I could have helped do those things after I got here.”

“Yeah, if you had even thought about it then,” she snapped. “He came early to take a shower. He was very apologetic when he realized I didn’t know you invited him. It’s done now and everything is taken care of, thanks to his helpfulness.”

On that note, we drove to The Utopian for our “special” family evening.

The mood in the club was subdued and the crowd smaller than usual, but the food was superb. In the elegant setting everyone seemed relaxed and serene, a welcome change from the grieving and tension of 9/11. While waiting for the main course, Richard asked Pat to dance. She tried to beg off, but at the urging of Richard and the kids, she accompanied him to the dance floor. I watched as she glided into his arms and begin to follow his lead. Richard was a surprisingly graceful dancer. Patty seemed impressed with his skill and soon they were talking and laughing as they floated across the floor. One dance turned into two and then three, before they returned to the table.

After ordering desert, Richard asked June to dance. She immediately took his arm and joined several other couples on the dance floor. “You really smell good, she said as she moved comfortably into his arms and begin to sway to the beat of the music. Richard smiled. He was glad he remembered to put on some more of the special cologne after his shower.

After dancing a couple of minutes Richard said to her, “Tell me something.”

“Ok shoot,” June smilled, ‘what do you want to know?”

“Do your folks know that you are sexually active?,” he asked.

June’s eyes opened wide in surprise, “No, they don’t,” she gasped. Then trying to cover up her tacit admission, she asked, “Why would you think that I was, ah..uh..active in that way?”

“I can’t explain how, but I can sense it after I’ve been around someone for a little while. I don’t know really, but it is like the girlishness is missing and something seems to shout, I’m a woman and proud of it. Your total demeanor says that you know the glory of being a woman. You are not a little girl anymore are you?” (He failed to also tell her he had looked in her purse when he visited Monday afternoon and found the birth control pills he suspected she was taking.)

She searched his eyes, trying to figure if he was conning her or not, then a smile played at the corners of her mouth. Finally she said, I just hope my Dad doesn’t have your senses.”

“I take it that he doesn’t know. What about your Mom?,” he pressed.

“I don’t know. I really don’t think so. A couple of times I thougth she might, but she has never mentioned it and I think if she knew, she would have plenty to say. If Dad even thought something was going on, he would go ballistic,”June told him honestly, sounding almost glad have find someone to whom she share this part of her life..

“I can understand where Jim is coming from,” Richard told her. He laughed like he was enjoying a private joke and then said: “If you were my daughter, I might shoot anyone who came around looking like they wanted to get into your panties. But if Roy was my son, I would be trying to teach him how to get in every girl’s pants in school and half the teacher’s too. Is that a double standard or what,” he asked.

It was June’s turn to laugh. “I think that qualifies as a double standard. So you think it is fine for the boys to have all the fun, but it’s off limits to the girls huh.” she joked.

“No, not off limits to all the girls, just my daughters,” he grinned back at her.

As they continued dancing, June had a wicked idea. She moved closer to him until their bodies rubbed together. She pushed her pelvis hard against him and looked up at him with a smile that promised a feast of carnal delight.