Six months have passed. Jack junior is now well established in his new Brisbane school and apparently doing very well according to reports from Mary. We have flown down to Brisbane twice, she to visit him and I to conduct some business for the property. It has been decided that Jack would stay with Ron rather than boarding, and I'm sure this was a better option for him – surrounded by people he knew and with whom he got on very well.

I stayed at the hotel, although I did take up Ron's kind offer of a meal on both occasions. His wife Judy is a great cook, and no matter how good the meal is that you may get at a hotel, nothing beats home cooking. I did repay their kindness by taking them out to dinner on a couple of occasions.

On both trips I did contact Geoff, but he was not going to be in Brisbane at the same time as I, and I confess to a tiny bit of jealousy, wondering who he might be bedding as he travelled around the countryside, but there was nothing I could do about it. It might have been easier if I had remained celibate since John's death, but having tasted the delights of being in bed with a man again, I was feeling rather frustrated. Of course it's not impossible that I could have picked up another man at the hotel – I saw a couple looking at me in a speculative fashion as I dined alone on the last night of our trip, but I'm not going to jump into bed with any man just for the sake of getting sex.

Two weeks ago, I did meet up with Geoff again. He was coming down to Brisbane for a few days, so we rented a beach-side unit for a week, and I flew down by myself the day before he was due to arrive, telling Jack it was 'on business'. Mary might have guessed the reason, but then she had more or less told me I was perfectly entitled to do what I was doing.

I rather liked the idea of a self-catering unit rather than a hotel room.  I could even cook for us, and we could spend the whole night in bed together rather than me feeling obliged to sneak back to my room in a hotel before people started to stir.

I felt very excited at the thought of meeting Geoff again, and of course took great care to look my best for him, and as sexy as possible in new black lingerie under my dress.  I greeted him with a kiss which rapidly led to the bedroom before he even unpacked his case.  Everything was a good as I remembered it, perhaps even better, and I knew it was going to be a great few days. 

Geoff did actually have to go and do a bit of work, or his boss might have wondered what he was up to, but I was happy to spend the time he was away, either cooking or cleaning up – 'playing house' I suppose you could call it.  When he did return, of course we made up for lost time.

It was the last morning of our meeting that things unravelled. Geoff slept in and I suppose I might have been slightly responsible for that! I slipped out of bed without waking him, intending to make breakfast.  His clothes were strewn around the room and as I picked up his pants his wallet fell out of a pocket and fell open. As I bent down to pick it up I saw the picture.  There was Geoff with a pretty woman by his side and two small children. I suppose I had put to the back of my mind the thought that he could be married, but here was irrefutable proof.  I couldn't decide what to do, so I just folded the wallet up and put it back in his pocket. I couldn't stop thinking about it though, and at the breakfast table Geoff saw I was distracted.

“What is it darling?  You don't look yourself” he remarked.

“You didn't tell me you are married,” I replied. There – it was out in the open.

“You didn't ask,” was his reply, and it was true I hadn't
.
“No, I didn't,” was my reply.

“So, does it bother you?” he enquired.

“Does it bother your wife?” was my response “She must know.”

“Well I guess it doesn't because she's never said anything.”

“I'm sorry Geoff, I guess I'm being sanctimonious,” I said, “things are different nowadays.”

“You weren't expecting more than what we've got were you?”  Put like that he was right,  I wasn't looking for a husband, just a lover, and Geoff was a very good lover.

“No, you're right,” I replied “Please forget what I said.”

“Good girl,” was his reply, and of course we ended up back in bed and I pushed my nagging doubts to the back of my mind as I gave myself body and soul to the delights of his body.

I was flying back that afternoon, and Geoff was moving on to Townsville, so after another torrid session in bed we showered and started to pack up our things.  We had a final kiss at the doorway of the unit, as Geoff headed off north, and I drove down to Archerfield.

Flying home I had several hours to think about our relationship and I knew in my heart of hearts that no matter what Geoff did with other women, I couldn't see him again.  I didn't know how to approach my decision with Geoff but he saved me the bother by ringing me one evening a couple of days later.

“Hi darling, how's it going?”  that was Geoff, bright and breezy.  I told him I was fine.

“Look, this thing we have, I think it's reached its natural conclusion, don't you?”  So that was it, he was dumping me.

“I think you're right,” I responded.  I was determined to keep my dignity. If he though I was going to plead with him to meet me again he was mistaken.

“Right.” he said, and seemed a little surprised at my response. There was a pause.

“Don't get me wrong,” he went on, “what we had was good, but now you know my circumstances I get the impression you're not entirely comfortable with it.”

I sighed “Geoff, you're right.  I guess I'm just an old-fashioned girl.  I tried to tell myself I wasn't, but in my heart I know I am.”

“Right,” he said again “well perhaps we'll catch up some time.”

“I don't think that's likely, do you?”

“Well, err”

“Goodbye Geoff.” I said it without anger or emotion. I just put the phone down.

To be continued.

Image credit: Australian cattle station by Harris Walker reproduced under Creative Commons licence with attribution.