Tess and Jeremy Read online

  Tess and Jeremy

  The Yearbook Series

  By Buffy Andrews

  Tess and Jeremy

  Copyright © 2014 by Buffy Andrews. All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: June 2014

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1499299359

  ISBN-10: 1499299354

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  ~Dedication~

  To Robin and Kris, my BFFs.

  I love you girls so much!

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 1

  Jeremy

  I never saw it coming. I thought Tess was happy. I thought I had given her a good life. I didn’t know she was checking out until she was half way out the door. And I hoped I could stop her before she closed it for good.

  It started with little things. Like I noticed she was losing weight. Not that she was fat, but after a couple of kids she had more around the middle than when we got married fourteen years ago. I still thought she was as sexy as hell. And I told her that. But I could feel her pulling away more each day.

  I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. I tried complimenting her more, but that only seemed to piss her off. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” she’d say.

  She complained I didn’t do enough around the house, but when I tried doing more, it was never right. And sex? Don’t even get me started. I’ve never been priest material. When I met Tess in dental school, we screwed every chance we got. We even did it on the dental chair once!

  But now? Now I’m lucky to get it once a month and I’m horny as hell. I’m trying to be understanding, give her some space. I thought maybe she was in some kind of funk. But when my buddy Keith told me about his wife, Kris, and him doing the deed for 31 days straight, I became worried. And then when he told me about Kris dabbing chocolate five different places on her body and him having to find the five places and lick off the chocolate while blindfolded, I really became worried. My sex life—er marriage—was in a definite nosedive and I’ll be damned if I knew how to stop it from crashing.

  When I got home from work, I found Tess in the kitchen making dinner. “How was your day?”

  She didn’t look up from slicing carrots for the salad she was making. “Same as yesterday.”

  I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. “I thought you had parent visitation at Katie’s school.”

  “I did.”

  “How’d that go?”

  “Fine.”

  I sipped my beer. “Not in the mood to talk?”

  Tess scooped up the carrot slices and tossed them into the salad bowl. “I want to talk, but you don’t want to hear what I have to say.”

  “Come on, Tess. That’s not fair. I always listen to what you have to say.”

  This time she looked up at me, her twitching eyes boring into mine. “OK. I want to go back to work.”

  I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “But we talked about this.”

  Tess narrowed her eyes. “You talked. I tried to talk, but you didn’t listen.”

  “I just don’t see why you want to get a job when you don’t have to. You can golf at the country club anytime you want. Go shopping every day if you want. You have more time for yourself now than you ever did with both kids in school and not needing you as much. Most women would kill to have your life.”

  Tess threw the dish towel she had been holding onto the counter. “You just don’t get it, do you? I’m not like most women!”

  I drank the last sip of my beer as she flew up the stairs. I heard our bedroom door slam shut.

  ***

  Tess

  I knew I had to calm down. Jeremy made my blood boil and I didn’t want to get into another fight. It seemed as if that’s all we did anymore. Fight, fight, fight! And fight some more! I couldn’t remember the last time Jeremy came home from work and we had a normal conversation. Usually within five minutes of him getting home our conversation deteriorates into a screaming match. I was beginning to feel as if I lived in a war zone, and all of the yelling wasn’t good for the kids. Just this morning Katie asked if her dad and I were getting a divorce. Of course I said no, but I found myself thinking about the possibility more and more. I just couldn’t make Jeremy understand I wanted to go back to work.

  When the kids were younger and needed me more, I had no problem not working outside the home. In fact, I enjoyed the stay-at-home momminess and everything that came with it—story time at the library and days spent at the park or pool. But they’re in third and fifth grade, old enough to walk home from the bus stop, fix an afternoon snack and do their homework with the help of a babysitter.

  I loved being Katie’s and John’s mom, but I wanted more than to be their mom. I wanted a career I could feel good about. I wanted the pre-mom me, and damn if I could get that through Jeremy’s brick brain. I couldn’t seem to make him understand I needed to have something that made me feel good about myself, something outside the family and home that was all mine. I wasn’t exactly sure what it would be but I want to explore and find out.

  And the more Jeremy resisted, the more I pulled away. I focused on other things that made me feel good—like getting in shape. At least that was something I had control over. And I had no interest in having sex with him. I felt so misunderstood and alone. I’d be willing to go to counseling, but I wasn’t sure Jeremy would. He didn’t like other people knowing our business.

  I heard a knock on the door. I knew it was Jeremy.

  “Go away!”

  Jeremy cracked open the door. “Can I come in?”

  “Only if you’ll listen. If you’re not going to listen, don’t bother.”

  He walked in and closed the door.

  “So you really think getting a job will make you happier?”

  I clenched my teeth. “That’s what I’ve been saying.”

  Jeremy sat down on the bed next to me. “My mom didn’t work and she was happy.”

  I stared into the dark eyes that once melted me in seconds. “Well, I’m not your mom.”

  “People might think I’m not a good provider?”

  “Jesus! Are you serious? You’re really worried about that shit! Get over it. I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks. This isn’t about you being a good provider. This is about me wanting a job so I feel useful and good about myself.”

  “But what if the kids get sick?”

  “Your mom has always offered to help out anytime. You just never wanted to ask her.”

  Jeremy rubbed his neck
. “Well, we sure can’t continue fighting like this. Even the dog crawls under the sofa whenever we’re in the same room.”

  “Look, Jeremy. I’ve decided I’m going to get a job whether you like it or not. Now I’m really hoping you’ll support me. But if you don’t, I’ll do it anyway.”

  “But the wash and cleaning and all the other stuff.”

  “What about it?”

  “Who’s going to do it if you work?”

  “Guess we’ll have to do like most married couples and split the jobs.”

  Jeremy punched the bed. “I work long days at the office and the last thing I want to do is come home and make dinner.”

  “Then find someone else to make it for you.”

  I got up and went to the kitchen to finish making the kids dinner. As far as Jeremy was concerned, he could just go fuck himself. I’ve had it.

  ***

  Jeremy

  Damn Tess. I don’t want my life to change. I like coming home from work and having dinner on the table. I like knowing the kids are taken care of, the house is clean and the laundry done. And the last thing I want is for her to change all that. I did an informal poll at work and every woman in my dental office said if given the chance, she’d choose staying home over working. But no! Not my wife.

  My best friend, Mike, suggested marriage counseling. But I’m not crazy about sharing all this personal stuff with a therapist. Besides, I think we can fix what’s wrong ourselves. I suggested to Tess she volunteer more at the school, but she says if she volunteers anymore the teachers will get sick of seeing her.

  When we married, Tess was a graphic artist for an advertising company. Later, she became art director for a regional women’s magazine. She loved that job, but decided to stay home when we had John. Her mother had always worked and Tess said she always envied the kids whose moms were waiting for them at the end of the school day. She was happy for a while, but little by little, I could see she was becoming restless. Katie’s birth changed things for a while, but now we’ve come full circle.

  I went downstairs to see if I could help with dinner, but Tess and the kids were already eating. Katie, who looked like a miniature Tess with black hair and violet eyes, looked up at me. “Why do you and Mom fight all the time?”

  I patted her on the head before sitting down. “We don’t, sweetie.”

  “Do, too,” John chimed in. “We heard you. Upstairs.”

  Katie nodded. “Yeah, Mom said ‘Jesus’ and we learned in Sunday school you’re not supposed to say that when you’re mad. You’re supposed to say it only when you pray.”

  I looked at Tess who was mashing her lips together so hard they were turning blue.

  “I’m sorry, Katie,” I said. “You’re right. We shouldn’t have said that.”

  “And you shouldn’t have said ‘damn’ either,” John added.

  I looked at John. “That, too.”

  Tess and I didn’t talk much during dinner. Mostly we listened to the kids talk about their day.

  ***

  Tess

  When Katie mentioned she overheard me say Jesus, I realized the kids were tuned into what had been going on far more than I realized.

  “How was your practice spelling test today?” I asked Katie during dinner.

  She jabbed a carrot slice with her fork. “OK. I got one wrong.”

  “Which one?”

  “Vocal. I put two l’s at the end.”

  John pointed to me and Jeremy. “That’s what you guys were when you were upstairs. Vocal.”

  Katie smiled. “Thanks, John. I can use that when I write my sentences. Mom and Dad are vocal when they fight.”

  I coughed. “Oh, Katie. I’m sure you can come up with a better sentence than that.”

  Katie shook her head. “I like that sentence. It’s perfect.”

  I looked across the table at Jeremy and he rolled his eyes. “Remember tomorrow night, Tess. We’re going to Tom’s house for dinner.”

  Katie rubbed her hands together. “Is Cassie going to babysit us?”

  I nodded. I was actually looking forward to seeing Gina and Sue and the other girls. I really liked them and I thought they might be able to give me some advice on how to handle Jeremy.

  I’d been going to the gym a lot lately and the manager, who’s also a kick-ass instructor, asked if I’d ever considered teaching classes. I hadn’t, but the more I thought about it, the more interested I became.

  Chapter 2

  Jeremy

  When I crawled into bed that night, I felt like I had climbed into a deep freezer. Tess was as far to the side of our king bed as she could get without falling out. There was a time when our bodies interlocked like two puzzle pieces. A crowbar wouldn’t have been able to pry us apart. Damn! I miss those nights.

  I knew she was awake, but she didn’t say anything. So I didn’t either. It had become our nightly routine. I was lonely and horny. I wanted to hold her in my arms, feel her skin against mine. Our recent conversations—er fights—flooded my mind—Tess wanting to work, me wanting her to stay home, Tess telling me to fuck off, that she was going to find a job whether I liked it or not. She was slipping away more and more each day.

  I had to admit I admired her spunkiness. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with her. But when I thought about it, I hadn’t seen a lot of that spunkiness in recent years. It had sort of died—like our marriage. And I kind of wondered if I had killed it. Or is that what happens in life?

  Everything seemed to change after we had kids. They took center stage and I was left in the wing. I would never admit this to anyone, but it sort of bothered me. I liked being the most important person in Tess’s life and I wasn’t anymore. Over the years, she had less and less time for me. I guess that’s how it is when you have kids, but I wasn’t happy and I knew Tess wasn’t either. Somehow we had to find each other again, get back what we’d lost. But hell if I knew how.

  I even googled “romantic ideas for men” and made a list of ones I wanted to try. I figured at this point I had nothing to lose.

  I lay in bed, thinking about the first time I saw Tess. It was at a dive bar around the corner from the university we attended. She was standing across the smoky room with a few friends. They were laughing and having a good time. She was as sexy as hell. Her long black hair fanned her back. Her eyes caught mine and she smiled her gorgeous smile. I worked my way over to where she stood and blurted the lamest pick up line ever.

  “You have great teeth.”

  She shook her head. “What?”

  Her puzzled look made me feel like a complete ass. “I’m sorry. That was really stupid, wasn’t it?”

  She shrugged. “I’ve heard worse.”

  I felt the need to explain. “I’m in dental school, so, you know, I notice teeth—a lot.”

  She smiled. “In that case I’ll give you a pass.”

  And we talked the rest of the night and I walked her back to her dorm. And I saw her the next night and the next. And the rest is history, as they say.

  ***

  Tess

  I heard Jeremy open the bedroom door so I wiggled as far over to the edge of the bed as I could. I didn’t want him touching me. I was too mad.

  “Tess, I know you’re awake,” Jeremy whispered.

  “I am not.”

  “Can we talk?

  “No. My mouth’s tired of talking.”

  Jeremy sighed. “Damn it, Tess. You agreed when we had kids you’d stay at home. Now you want to change the game plan. I didn’t sign up for that.”

  “Jeremy, fuck off. I didn’t sign up to have an asshole for a husband.”

  Jeremy punched the bed. I felt him get up, grab his pillow and leave. I knew he was heading to the guest bedroom. He closed the door and I laid awake thinking about our crappy marriage. I blamed myself. After all, if I would have continued to be content not working outside the home, none of this would have happened. But I wasn’t, so it did.

  I remembered holding John in my a
rms for the first time. He was the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen. He had tiny hands and tiny feet and a tiny head topped with a tuft of fine black hair. I was so afraid he wouldn’t get enough to eat or I’d screw something up while taking care of him. I felt the same way when Katie was born. She was even tinier and the way her straw fingers grasped mine I thought she would need me forever.

  But time has a way of loosening those fingers. It’s not that I don’t think they need me anymore. I know they do. But they don’t need me every minute of every day. There’s time to do things I want to do—and what I want to do is work.

  I suppose I had spoiled Jeremy over the years. He never had to worry about the kids or our home. He only had to worry about work. And now I was asking him to shoulder some of the load so I could work, too. It seemed like either he was going to be miserable or I was, and I wondered if there was any way we could both be happy again.

  ***

  Jeremy

  I couldn’t remember the last time Tess and I had sex. She was either too pissed or too full or too bloated or too tired. And I was too horny to fall asleep. I thought about going back over and apologizing. If I knew I would end up getting laid, I would. But I knew it would take more than an apology at this point to set things straight.

  Things weren’t much better in the morning.

  “Are you and Mom still fighting?” asked Katie when I walked into the kitchen.

  John looked up from reading his comic book. “He slept in the guest bedroom last night. What does that tell you?”

  Katie nodded. “Still fighting.”

  “All right, kids. That’s enough,” I said. “Mom and I are just having a little disagreement.”

  “And you’re vocal about it,” said Katie, smiling.