Second chances (closed)

Gwen Daniels was done... A 15 yr marriage ended and before that a manipulative ex fiancee. She was content for it to simply be her and her kids till they left the nest and after that work at her passion till she died. Travel and love whatever grandbabies came her way. What she had not counted on was a former roommate during her fiasco of living with her former fiancée. Trent Sinclair was a tall lean dark haired amazing soul and loving heart of a man. They had a brief but passionate fling after her engagement. She still couldn't really remember why it ever ended but after reconnecting through a mutual friend they met for lunch and it was like their friendship at least had merely been put on pause. They hugged each other and she was sure she heard the familiar moan from his lips that she had heard so many times in their passion filled past. They talked for a while Trent was now the married one and she was sure she could detect a note of unhappiness in his voice about it. She didn't press the issue though as they talked about her kids and how his wife had kids from a previous marriage. Time however traveled far too quickly and they had to part ways. They both had things to deal with after lunch to get ready for work or family obligation Monday but they both promised to keep in better touch from now on and after another hug and her mind racing over memories of his body naked holding hers they parted ways.

The following day she was taking her daughter to meet the tutor at the center she had been referred to by her daughter's school. Walking into the building and caught a whiff of cologne that she knew well. Sure more than one person wore it she wss sure but it sent her mind back again.

Mom here we are office 802.

Daria tugged at her mom's sleeve to get her attention

Nodding she smiled to her...

Sorry sweetie... I was making a mental list of what all I need to do while you are here. Lead the way.

When Daria opened the door Gwen froze...

Trent...

He looked up as they both watched each other in silence for what felt like an eternity before Daria spoke up.

Math and Italian are what I need help on today so which one are you tutoring me in Ms. Jenkins said I may end up with two different tutors?

Trent quickly snapped back to the task at hand.

Well Daria I can tutor you in both so Gwen we will see you in two hours...

Um... Yes... Do well sweetie and pay attention see you in two hours.

With that she hurried out the door. Once she had gotten back to her car she took a deep calming breath and drove to nearby stripmall to do a little shopping.

Trent Sinclair checked his watch again, sitting behind his particle board desk in the cramped office where he worked as a tutor most weekdays. His office always seemed to smell like cardboard for some reason that he’d yet to discover. His latest client seemed to be running late, but this wasn’t unusual—tucked away in this massive corporate edifice shared by over thirty corporate entities, new clients always seemed to get lost on their first visit to the corporate maze of identical beige hallways and identical faux-oak doors.

Just as he was straightening the framed picture of his wife from their first trip to Kona, he heard the aluminum door handle turn from outside and the well-oiled mechanism of the bolt pulling clear from its housing, but as the door slid open he caught sight of the very person he was trying so hard not to think about in this moment—Gwen, his one-time lover was standing just behind his door that was working so hard to resemble a single pane of wood and as the hollow surface swung open, the picture of his wife tipped forward on his desk and landed with the glass down. The frame shattered and Trent couldn’t stop himself from flinching.

There wasn’t time to react to her presence, or even clean up the glass as she was accompanied by her young daughter, Darla—no, Daria. She didn’t seem to notice the shock on Trent’s face, or at least didn’t want to react to it as she plunged right into her studies, a good sign for a client. Trent did everything he could to remind himself that he still had a job to do. He forced himself to look away from Gwen, at Daria who he’d be spending the next few hours with.

“Well Daria, I can tutor you in both, so Gwen we will see you in two hours...” Trent’s voice trembled slightly as he said her name, desperately clinging to his professional veneer, “go ahead and have a seat there, let’s have a look at what texts you’re using.”

Focus, focus on work, damnit… Trent fought internally as he looked over the school books that Daria pulled from her bag. There wasn’t even time to clear the broken glass off of his desk, but as long as he kept the picture face-down, the edge of the frame would keep all of the little pieces of glass contained—the last thing he needed was Daria telling her mom about how much fun they had playing with shards of broken glass.

“Ah, good, I think I have teaching editions of both of those that I can bring with me next time. For now, is it alright if we both share your books? Show me which chapter you’re on.”

Trent had been nervous before she got there, Gwen Daniels, the love of his life. Sure, Trent loved his wife, but there was something about Gwen—how impossibly unavailable she’d always seemed to him, that made her separate and unique from every other woman on the planet. When he’d met her, she was due to marry his best friend, for the past 15 years she’d been another man’s wife—but for the briefest of intervals in between, she was his—even if it was only one night.

Yet all of that anxiety, those years of uncertainty vanished as soon as he heard her voice, her laugh, felt her playful touch on his arm. For this lunch, it was as if no time had passed at all. Their chemistry was unchanged, and something about her just made him feel at ease. At ease until the truth came out, she was divorced and for the second time in all the time that Trent had known her, Gwen was single.

The two hours seemed to drag on forever. She shouldn't want to be around him. He was married but her mind kept replaying that moan she thought she heard before they say down to lunch. The feeling of him holding her if even briefly. He was married. She was happy for him. They had never really had the greatest of timing for being together.

Stopping at a local little coffee shop she sighed feeling horrible for her thoughts. She knew what it was like for another woman to destroy a marriage but in that moment all she could think about was Trent making love to her again.

It was hard to concentrate on anything other than Gwen, knowing she was somewhere nearby, waiting to see him again, but he forced himself nonetheless. Focusing on Latin roots and Italian verb conjugation, geometric angles and long-form theorems. He focused on Daria, on her daughter, praising her efforts and giving gentle guidance when she was stuck. Sharing the book was a tactic of his, constantly differing to her to look up the correct answer herself rather than filling in the blanks, encouraging good habits. In future lessons he'd begin challenging her to look up correct answers before he could.

Still, Gwen kept nagging at his thoughts, she hadn't even greeted him when she saw him...

She was easy to spot from far away, radiating at a different frequency than everything else around her. As she approached she always became more beautiful, until it seemed impossible and then she'd become more beautiful still. The sum of all his anxiety and anticipation coming toward him. He stood when she was nearby, she smiled at him and he almost fell back to sitting.

She hugged him, he really didn't expect it and as he felt the languine curve of her body against his he remembered her, how she arched against him in much the same way, on the night she was his, her body reminding him of how she felt without clothes. He sighed out loud, an immense release of endorphins released into his brain and he let a low moan escape his lips as he smelled her.

"You did really great today, Daria," Trent smiled, giving the girl a high five, "your mom ought to be back any minute, is there anything else you wanted to ask me?"

Probably not something you can answer.

Daria shrugged. She knew that her dad had never been all that nice to her mom but still why would he leave mom for anyone else. Much less as his own brother her uncle Scott put it "the titless wonder". She didn't talk about her dad in front of mom she didn't have to be had not even wanted her or her little brother much less their mom.

Finishing her coffee and calming her shaking hands she hurried back to pick up Daria.

“It must be pretty tough, what you’re going through at home,” Trent sighed, trying to be reassuring with a gentle squeeze of Daria’s shoulder, “I’m going to give you my cell number, here on the back of my business card. If you ever need anything, you or your mom, you just let me know. Any time, day or night. Alright? I know it may not seem like it now, but this might be for the best.”

Trent hastily scrawled out the digits of his cell phone number, just as he heard the bolt sliding clear once more and the light in his office seemed to grow in intensity and contrast as Gwen entered his fluorescent lit workspace, once again. This time, however, he was ready for her. He’d been thinking of her almost nonstop since she dropped off her daughter. He’d done his best to hide his distraction, but he couldn’t get the thought of her out of his head, the smell of her out of his nose… the taste of her…

“Gwen, hey,” Trent smiled, standing and taking a moment to straighten his slacks, “I never would have imagined that it would be your daughter I’m tutoring now. What are the odds?”

Flop sweat was creeping out from his palms, small talk was never Trent’s strong suit. He resolved to get to the point, but he wasn’t even certain that he knew what the point was—he just knew that he had to do something more than gawk in awed silence as he had when Gwen dropped off her daughter. Daria would need to know that they at least knew each other if… if what? Trent wasn’t ready to explore that line of thought much further.

“It was really great catching up with you the other day,” her body arching against his as a soft moan slipped past his lips, “we should do that again. Sometime. I almost forgot how easy it is to be around you. Do you think you might be free again? Like… tonight maybe?”

That was it—he’d blown it! Trent was certain that he’d come on too strong, she was going to sense the desperation on him, it must have been obvious. He doubted she’d even respond to an offer so abrupt and eager.

The kids and I were going to go out for ice cream tonight and to a movie.

She shrugged. Imagining him with them seeing how be would interact with the kids visions that were nothing more than fantasy.

Daria looked over.

It was my little brother's turn to pick the movie but I don't mind he picked the fish movie Dory. We always go to the ice cream place on third Ave near the big movie theater with a bunch of screens. Sometimes we go to the Japanese buffet on Pike too but not today... Adam picked leftovers dinner.

Gwen just smiled as her daughter rolled out every plan.

Perhaps we could meet up during all of that..

Gwen laughed

If you caught it all with how fast she was going.

Trent's heart sank at Gwen's reply, but if he'd been thinking clearly it shouldn't have been a surprise. Of course she was busy with the kids, she was a single mother now. She wouldn't have time to entertain him and his fruitless schoolboy crush, nor should she have to while he was still married and committed. Truthfully, Trent didn't know what the fuck he was doing.

Just as he was about to apologize and set about cleaning up the glass on his desk, Daria intervened, making it all but impossible to refuse the offer to join them. Even if it wasn't at all what Trent had in mind when he asked to see Gwen tonight. Trent smiled and knelt down to be eye level with Daria, still answering Gwen.

"Well of course I understood, her diction is perfect, even if a little rushed," Trent smiled, giving Daria a playful nudge with his elbow, "and as it happens, I am a bit of an expert on fish and frozen desserts. I've been reading the dictionary lately, and today was F. Though I may have to take a rain check on Leftovers Dinner, only because L won't be for a few weeks."

After flashing Daria one last wink, Trent stood back up, gently running his palm along Gwen's upper arm when he addressed her.

"Which theater are you going to? I can meet you guys there."

Regency 8 at 7:45?

A slow blink at his hand on her arm hen a wink.

Your loss on the leftovers dinner I have gotten pretty good at that ricotta steak recipe of my grandmother that you loved so much. Not sure how well it will go with grape jello and frenchfries but...

She laughs with a shrug.

That's what Adam picked out. So meet a little early at the theatre to make sure we can get seats?

“Sounds great to me, see you there,” Trent smiled as he showed Gwen and her daughter out of the office, “thanks again for working hard Daria, see you both soon.”

The moment that the door closed behind the two of them, Trent let go of a long breath that it felt like he’d been holding for hours. His heart was racing and he could scarcely keep a single thought in his head that was about anything other than Gwen and that brief but suggestive wink as he’d touched her arm. But now, without her in his presence, the reality of his situation was weighing down on him. He was married, committed… what the fuck was he thinking?

Trent went back to his desk to silently and thoughtfully clean up the shattered remains of his wife’s picture on his desk.

*-*-*

Trent showed up at the theater even earlier than they’d agreed on, not wanting to go home and face his wife in between meetings with Gwen—better to have those problems all at once instead of a former and a sequel. He’d brushed his teeth in the office and also splashed on a fresh supply of cologne to try and disguise the fact that he hadn’t changed since he saw them at the office. Also, he didn’t want Daria to notice the smell of the whiskey under his desk that he’d helped himself to while contemplating his situation. Why was he here? What was he hoping would happen?

When he saw her again, his face lit up, waving to her from a distance and kneeling to greet her son for the first time.

“Hi again Daria, and you must be Adam. I’m Trent, a friend of your mom’s. What kind of ice cream do you like?”

Adam studied him for a moment before answering.

Coconut...

Daria watched her brother.

It's okay Adam he knew mommy before we were born.

Trent smiled big at Adam's unusual choice of ice cream flavor, kneeling down to be on eye level with the young man, he squeezed his shoulder lightly, greeting Daria next, "hello again, my young scholar. It's great to see you again."

After an enthusiastic high-five for Daria, Trent stood up again and hugged their mother, not entirely prepared for how closely her body would press against hI'm until it happened. His hands laying flat on the small of her back, the smell of her perfume extracting a gentle but passionate sigh from him again.

"Hey, you," Trent muttered softly into the fragrant nest of Gwen's hair, trying hard not to let himself become over-excited, "I went ahead and bought the tickets, so we can go ahead in. If we want to."

Trent let his left hand linger on the small of Gwen's back as he handed the kids their tickets with his other hand, leading the family toward the appropriate theater, "so Adam, tell me more about this coconut ice cream business. I'm sure I've never even seen or heard of such a flavor."

Adam wrinkled his brows.

You don't know what coconut is?

Gwen curled faintly into his hug and smiled at his interaction with her son.

Trent laughed at Adam’s precocious reply, even as he felt Gwen’s body curl faintly into the outline of his own as he hugged her, instinctively or out of latent habit, his arm remained around her as they made their way into the theater. It just felt so good to have her so close to him.

“Well, no. I know what a coconut is, I’m just not used to it as an ice cream flavor. I think of mint chocolate chip, or cookie dough, or even bubblegum… I guess what I’m trying to sort out is how coconut ice cream differs dramatically from vanilla,” Trent continued conversing with Adam as though the subject was of vital importance, trying not to imagine what this little rendezvous would be like if it were him and Gwen alone, “I guess I associate coconut more with a texture than a flavor.”

Opening the swinging theater door in advance of their procession, Trent let the kids in first before moving along with Gwen inside, his arm still wrapped around her, somewhere between intimate and possessive. He just couldn’t find it in him to let go of his own volition, not considering how they might look to outsiders.

“There’s a row of four right in the middle there,” Trent remarked, gesturing with a turn of his head, “why don’t you go ahead and secure them for us Adam, the rest of us won’t be far behind.”

Adam shrugged.

It just tastes like coconut but I think there are little bits of coconut in it too.

She was almost glad he never moved his arm. She felt comfortable and natural with his arm around her as she smiled to him. Adam quickly hurried to the seats with Daria in tow.

Trent watched as the little ones scurried ahead to secure for them the premium available seats with a smile, the scent of Gwen's hair wafting past his nose as they moved together into the rows of seats as one unified being, her slender body tucked in against his firmness.

Naturally the children were allowed to have the centermost seats, with Gwen outside of them and Trent at the end of their little section. He was relieved that no one was sitting to his right, and after allowing Gwen to sit first, returned his arm around her shoulders. As long as she didn't object, he had no intention of backing off his physical connection to her. He'd gone so long without this feeling that he'd forgotten how much he craved it... craved more, even.

"Mister Sinclair?" the not unfamiliar but thoroughly unwelcome voice of one of his clients rang out from the row behind them, "why I thought that was you! Katie's here too, say hi sweetie!"

"Hi Mr. Sinclair..." Katie meekly chimed in, not wanting to get involved, her young intuition better than her mother's.

"And who is this?" Mrs. Jones asked pointedly, "I hope everything is alright with Mrs. Sinclair."

"Yes, of course. She's as... radiant and effusive as ever. I'll tell her you said, hi. This is Gwen, an old friend. Her daughter just happened to enroll in the program, so I'm treating them to a movie, catching up on old times," Trent faked a smile, and turned to face the intrusive woman, keeping his arm draped across Gwen's shoulders even as he made his admittedly feeble sounding excuses. He was doing nothing wrong here, he was determined to maintain that stance regardless of this old busybody's glares.

"Ummm-hmm..." Mrs. Jones muttered skeptically, giving Gwen a long look up and down, "but the children's father... he's not around is he?"

"Mommy! Don't!" once again, Katie showed the better sense of discretion.

Actually my children's father chose to abandon his family and Trent and I have been friends for many years and friendship I value greatly and we were trying to have a night out as friends to where my children did not have to think about their father abandoning us. Thank you so kindly for attempting to ruin that.

She was not about to take anyone's crap while she was out with her kids and friend. The kids just looked to Trent and then back to their mother as Daria finally speaks up

Mom!