The Eleventh Minute

Probably nothing new to literotica here. As I was falling asleep I glanced at the bedside clock and it clicked over to 11:11. When I was kid with my first digital clock I always thought it was a special time. It did inspire a dream which I have written here. I hope you enjoy it -- EOUL jsps.

The plan was for my wife to be served with divorce papers at the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. Jesse was not at her desk at that moment so she was served on the eighteenth minute instead. We both always had a thing for numbers like that, even though we knew there was nothing special about a digital clock reading 11:11.

Attached to the divorce papers were pictures of my wife and her boss entering and exiting several hotel rooms. I went scorched earth on the divorce, I wanted everything, the house all our assets, no alimony, no child support and she wasn't allowed to touch my 401k or my retirement. The only thing Jesse pushed back on was the house, she needed her half to move on and she asked me to fund our daughter's college tuition. My lawyer was getting frustrated so I agreed. He also warned me that Jesse may ask for counseling which she never did. I had the house appraised and bought out Jesse's share thinking our daughter April would need a place to come home to. Yes, she was born in April.

April was kind of stuck in the middle, trying not to choose sides and trying to conceal her anger at her mother. Her solution was to ghost both of us, a phone call on a holiday or a birthday and excuses why she couldn't come home for the holidays or summer breaks. Jesse not only killed our relationship but also my relationship with April. But April never said 'no' when I paid her college tuition, transferred money to her campus meal card or paid her share of the rent in her junior or senior year. I had become her ATM machine.

When April didn't come home that first spring break as a freshman, I sold the house and started looking for a new job and for my sins, god gave me one. There would be a significant pay raise but I would have to travel a lot, which meant being away most weeknights and sometimes weekends. The stuff I wanted to keep was put into storage and technically I was homeless. So I wasn't really 'away' because I had nothing to be away from.

Before I sold the house I had gone out on a few dates. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out it was too soon after Jesse.

Life on the road was an awakening experience. The majority of us road warriors were men, but there were a lot of women too. Many were married and some even tried covering up the indent on their ring fingers and many just wanted a little comfort instead of another lonely night in a bland hotel. In the beginning I had a hard time bedding a married woman and my thoughts would wander to Jesse and her boss. But my principles would quickly dissolve after a couple of drinks and a hot blonde rubbing my thigh. Most were one night stands but a few lasted several days and into the weekend. The single women were much more willing to add a few days onto their stays and we would travel whatever city we were in to visit all the tourist attractions. And that became my life, just like they use to say about sailors having a different woman in every port, I had one in every city.

I'm not some god's gift to women and the women I were with weren't looking for that, only a break in the loneliness of business travel. But I could easily have sex with 50 different women in a year. That was going on for the second year when a woman said hi to me in the hotel bar and I had no idea who she was. She was the first of many repeat engagements and we would meet up three of four times a year.

That my wife was fucking her boss was a real blow to my ego in the bedroom but all the women I was bedding restored my self-confidence, especially as more and more women came back for more. Twice I found women I wanted to spend more time with and we took extended vacations together in some foreign city. I was approaching fifty and started thinking I was not happy with my life and a new girl every week.

There were a lot of women who worked in the same industry as I did so I would bump into the same women at the several different trade shows each year. I noticed many of the repeats were married and I sometimes asked the question why they stepped out on their husband, the question I was too angry to ask Jesse. The answers varied, some women just wanted to feel attractive to a man who wasn't her husband. Others wanted to be someone else for a day or two, something exciting, anything but the same old shit every day.

Some women wanted revenge fucks because their husbands were cheating on them.

A woman named Kelly had a different slant on revenge. Right before a trip, her husband and his stepdaughter got in an argument, she was 14 and at the age where she hated the world. Kelly thought her husband was too harsh on her daughter and interceded on the girls behalf. That turned into a massive argument with her husband and tons of different shit hit the fan. There wasn't time to fix it before her trip. When she got home, the husband had moved out and her daughter was in a mental health facility because she felt she was the reason her stepfather had left. To save her daughter, she had to go beg her husband's forgiveness to get him to come home and alleviate her daughter's guilt. But she hated him from that point on. Kelly said cheating on her husband was her revenge, maybe he would catch her someday and put an end to the ashes of her marriage.

Those thoughts were going through my mind as I headed home for April's college graduation and I knew it would be the first time I saw Jesse since before the divorce. Via emails I had asked April if I could take her out to dinner after the ceremony. She asked if her mother could come and her boyfriend David. I said yes. Jesse and I were cordial but that was the extent of the conversation. April was much more interested in talking about her new job and asking for help with her rent. My mind frequently wandered to what Jesse was thinking when she began her affair with her boss. Was he the first? We were saying our goodbyes when Jesse asked me where I was off to. It seemed too personal a question to ask me in front of April but I politely replied I was leaving for Berlin in the morning. And then I left.

Jesse didn't look like she changed much in the almost four years, and I tried not to look. She was very quiet during dinner. I wondered how different I looked, I knew there was some gray and maybe less hair. I had always been an avid jogger and loved jogging the different cities I visited or at least the hotel gyms so I was still in decent shape. I wondered if she was still fucking her boss or was there someone new.

After four years of hooking up with women in different hotels I began to feel the thrill slipping. Maybe I was just getting older. I started finding women who were interested in a lot of kinks, like having a little pain mixed in, maybe they felt guilty cheating on their husbands. Maybe for me it was a chance to vent my frustrations from Jesse's infidelity.

There were some women who were a hard no to spanking, but those were rare. Most women seemed to like having their asses or tits spanked. It was always something you had to be careful with. Others had their limits, I liked fucking a woman's face, a handful of her hair while I pushed my cock into her throat, cumming in their mouth while taking pictures and calling them a slut and a whore the whole time.

I started asking more women the why question, the question I still couldn't ask Jesse. One woman told me if her husband ever tried to force his cock down her throat she would tear his balls off, but with me it was a fantasy she got to experience. Some wanted threesomes or bondage or sent back to their rooms with a bright red ass. In the end it was one kink after another. They would let me do things to them they would never do with their husbands, things they would never tell their husbands that they wanted to try.

There was a woman who I had been with multiple times and who I was particularly hard on, mostly because she squirted every time I slapped her ass. We went out to breakfast next morning and she grimaced as she sat down. I asked her the why question.

"My husband makes love to me Jack and you fuck me. I lost track of how many times you made me come last night but I would never trade that for the feelings I have lying next to my husband after he makes love to me. I am his queen but I like playing your slut occasionally. I would never want him slapping my ass while calling me a whore and shoving his cock into my throat."

"What if he caught you stepping out?"

"Jack, you are the only man I cheat on my husband with and when I get on the plane Saturday morning I will tell myself 'never again.' And then I'll see you at the next trade show and my panties will get wet. I plan my trips so I'll get here before Vanessa grabs you. If my husband found out he'd divorce me in a heartbeat and you will become the dumbest thing I ever did and my biggest regret."

I wondered if that's what Jesse was looking for with her fat slob of a boss. Was Jesse letting her boss fuck her face or her ass, things she was afraid to ask me to do because I would think less of her.

There was another woman I had been with before several times. We made plans to spend a week together and she would never say the safe word. She was one of the few women who let me record our fuck sessions. The first day I wrote slut on her forehead with her lipstick and merciless fucked her throat, filling her mouth with come while recording it. The second day I beat her ass and tits with a belt, when I took the belt to her clit she squirted and passed out. I bent her over the side of the bed and fucked her anyway. She started coming and moaning and I realized she was awake. She was riding my cock in the morning telling me she loved me as she rubbed her bruised tits. The third day I tied her up, fucked her ass and made her suck my cock afterwards. She spent most of the rest of our time together tied up, slut written all over her body, even when room service came in. On our last evening together, I had her tied to the coffee table and blindfolded. I ran into a couple of fellow travelers downstairs and invited them up to fuck her. I made sure to pick two of the fattest guys at the bar. I recorded pieces of the fuck fest and sent them to her phone. She was gone in the morning and I never saw her again.

After that week I really started losing interest, I was approaching 50 and hadn't had a serious relationship in almost a decade. I needed a new job and for my sins, god gave me one. A VP position located near where I use to live, a bump in pay and minimal travel. The guy who's belongings sat in a storage center was now house hunting. I found a new place in a new development, nothing too big, but it had a nice yard and a pool. I also needed a car so I bought a new jeep thinking I would try some off-roading.

My new furniture was still being delivered when April visited with David, the same guy from her graduation dinner. She wanted me to be the first to know David had proposed and she said yes. While I had been running around the world, they had been living together. I took the happy couple out to dinner.

We were onto our after dinner coffees when I asked her if she told her mother yet.

"I said you were first dad, so no, I haven't told her yet."

"There's more you want to say hon, let me hear it."

She took her boyfriend's hand and said, "Since your divorce, mom and I haven't been close, I haven't been close to you either but it was worse with her. Probably because she was the one who cheated and maybe I thought you might be complicit in some way. A few years ago, when David and I first started talking marriage, I went to go see Jesse, that's what I have called her since the details of the divorce came out. My ultimate question was, 'as my mother's daughter, would I cheat on my husband too.' Or did my father do something that pushed her into the arms of another man. She insisted you treated her with love and respect your entire marriage. Jesse took full responsibility for the affair, said it was the dumbest thing she ever did and would regret it for the rest of her life."

"I'm guessing that didn't help you too much April?"

"No, but she sent me a long letter a few months later, telling me I was really your daughter in so many ways and I should put my faith in you and the way you raised me. I couldn't tell you how many times David hinted to me about getting married and after reading her letter a hundred times I finally started hinting back, and that's how we got here."

We were getting ready to leave when April said, "You know I will invite her to the wedding."

"I would be upset if you didn't, you are her daughter and every mother dreams about seeing her little girl walk up the aisle. The disagreements between your mother and I are long forgotten. We played nice at your graduation remember."

"I saw the look on your face when she asked you where you were off to, you recovered well but I could see you weren't happy."

"I do need a favor April. I am not seriously involved with anyone, definitely not someone I want to take to your wedding. Here's the ask, if your mother has a date, I would want to have a date so I need you to let me know okay."

April kissed my cheek, "Okay dad, but I'm certain mom doesn't have anyone in her life like that either, but I will ask her."

The following weekend, April announced the news to her mother and also told me that her mother would also be coming to wedding solo.

The date was set for the following year. I was afraid April would take me to the cleaners for the wedding but she was very reasonable. She remembered all the shit I paid for while she was in college and afterwards. She set a limit of 100 guests, a small wedding party and a honeymoon in Bermuda. I thought that my responsibilities ended at writing the checks but I was dragged into every meeting with potential caterers, wedding venues, tuxes, florists and almost all of those meetings were with Jesse. She was very quiet through most of them.

April was having trouble deciding shit, Jesse wasn't helping so I stepped forward. One of the venues we visited was an old mansion that was fully furnished which belonged to a caterer's family. I really liked the place and it would be completely different than the plastic wedding halls we visited. Seconds later everyone was agreeing with me. I liked some classic tuxedos we saw and thought they would go well with the vintage interior of the mansion. I did notice that Jesse rarely commented on my suggestions except to agree. The big decisions were done except for the dozens of little things like flowers, wedding and bridesmaid gowns and assorted other little things that I tried to avoid.

We were trying to nail down whether to have a DJ or a band when Jesse spoke directly to me for the first time:

"Remember our DJ Jack, he was late, just came from the beech with sand still in his hair and he was fucking stoned."

"Yes, but he had my mother leading the conga line!"

The idea of my normally stoic mother leading a conga line had everyone laughing. It may have not been significant but it was not lost on me, or Jesse or April that Jesse and I had our first warm moment in almost a decade. I didn't know what to think about that but April's smile told me what she was thinking.

A month later, April asked me to take her out to lunch, I agreed. As soon as we sat down I said, "What do you want April?" I did say it with a smile on my face.

"We're doing seating charts dad, David's family is a mess, with some people refusing to sit next to others."

"So my darling daughter, I'm assuming you want to know if I have any objections to sitting next to your mother and my answer is no, it's your day and I'll sit wherever you put me. The shit with your mother is ancient history and in no way should that interfere with your special day."

"And after you walk me up the aisle, will you sit with her?"

"Yes April, and she should take my arm as we exit the church and when we are introduced at the reception. Maybe as Jack and Jesse, April's parents and avoid the last name thing. I don't know if your mother went back to her maiden name."

"She didn't Dad, but your suggestion makes sense. And I'll ask you one more question, do you ever think you would ever get back together with her. I saw the way you to smiled at each other when we were talking about your wedding."

"April, please don't say anything to your mother to suggest that is a possibility. If you asked me ten years ago I would have laughed in your face. Seriously, all that anger is gone. That doesn't mean I'm ready to fall in love with her again."

"Have you been with other women since Jesse?"

"You shouldn't ask questions you may not want to know the answer to."

"I know she hasn't been with anyone since the divorce ended her affair with her boss. I'm assuming you have been with other women, tell me how many please."

"Hundreds April, I spent most of the last ten years traveling alone from city to city for work and there were always lonely women traveling from city to city for work."

"And none serious Dad?"

"None more than a week."

"I never thought my father was a player."

"Loneliness is part of the job when you travel like that, it's not why I chose the job. My marriage to your mother was dead, you were off to college. I didn't want to come home to an empty house every night so I chose to travel. You work all day, head back to the hotel, have dinner and a drink. Then soon you realize there are a lot of other lonely people in the same bar."

"But hundreds Dad?"

"Let's say I got lucky once a week. I traveled 52 weeks a year, either for work or pleasure. For easy math if I got lucky once a week, over 50 weeks over 10 years, it becomes a big number. Over the last few years though I lost interest, I didn't want to be doing that when I turned 50, that's why I got a different job with almost no travel."

I don't think April will ever look at me the same.

As we got closer to the wedding, April again asked me to lunch.

"You know hon you could just text me if you need something."

"And pass up a chance to have lunch with my handsome father?"

"This sounds like it's going to be a big ask. Let me put my fork down."

"Mom needs money for a dress, with her salary she doesn't have a lot of disposable income. Plus she had to declare bankruptcy a couple of years ago so she has no credit cards Would you be willing to help? She doesn't know I'm asking you."

"Certainly April, and I would have helped her avoid bankruptcy."

"She didn't tell me about that until recently. I stopped by her apartment last week and she had several old dresses laid out on her bed and she was crying. Jesse was afraid she would be an embarrassment to me, to David and to you showing up in a ten year old faded dress."

"Do you have a plan to conceal my involvement."

"I'll take her with us for the final fitting of the bridesmaid dresses and there's a dress there I know she'll look great in and I'll offer to pay for it, but this wedding is taking up a lot of my money so if you could reimburse me I would appreciate it."

"Not a problem dear."

We did the rehearsal, I'm guessing April didn't tell her mother I would sit next to her after walking April up the aisle. I went to sit down and Jesse looked in shock as I asked her to scoot over. When it was time to follow the bride and groom out, I offered her my arm.

The same scenario played out for real the following day but Jesse had already made room for me. She didn't hesitate to take my arm on the way out of the church, I guess that's why we did a rehearsal. Jesse and I stood close together during the wedding photos, if I was in a picture, so was she, none of that bullshit divorced parents put their kids through by refusing to be photographed with the ex-spouse.

When it was time to do the introductions, I again offered Jesse my arm as we were introduced. I escorted Jesse to her seat, pulled her chair out and then sat down next to her. Jesse was staring at me, I thought April had discussed all of this with her. We chatted about nothing in particular, mostly about how perfectly things were playing out.

And then it was time for the father daughter dance. I told April she was the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. She thanked me for everything. Then she asked me to be careful with her mother but I wasn't sure what she meant.

The mother son dance ended at the same time and the DJ opened the floor to the immediate family. I walked over to Jesse and offered her my hand. She seemed generally shocked but she took my hand and led her to the dance floor.

"You look stunning Jesse," I said, and she did, but I had no plans to say that.

"And you are as handsome as you were the day we married, the grey makes you look distinguished. Thank you for the dress Jack, our daughter is a horrible liar and maybe that will help her in life."

We had started dancing holding each other at a respectable distance. Jesse quickly closed the gap and she put her head on my shoulder, her face to my neck. I was pretty sure she was crying and trying to hide it.

"Are you okay Jesse?"

"Way better than okay Jack."

I saw April over by the DJ as she pointed to us and a second slow song began. Jesse and I continued to dance and I think Jesse was still crying. A fast song played next and Jesse asked me to take her outside. April joined us a minute later, handed Jesse her purse and went back inside.

"I messed up your jacket, let me try and clean it off."

She was able to clean most of her makeup off. Then she opened her compact and looked at her face.

"It'll take a half hour to put my face back on."

"Then don't Jesse, I always told you look more beautiful without makeup."

"You were my husband then, you had to tell me that."

And then she gave me a long stare, "Do you still think I'm beautiful Jack?"

"As beautiful as the day we married Jesse."

A concerned look crossed her face, even after ten years I could still read her so well.

"Jack, you're flirting with me or sweettalking me, is this a game to fuck me over."

I leaned in and kissed her, I don't know why, "I have never and will never play games with you Jesse, nor will I ever fuck you over."

She whispered something and kissed me back. I'm not sure how long we would have stayed out there if one the bridesmaids hadn't come out to tell us they were serving dinner. I offered Jesse my arm and escorted her back to our table. April was giving us a questioning stare so I gave her a smile and a wink. During the speeches, Jesse put her hand on the table and I held it. If there was a slow song playing, Jesse and I danced to it and sometimes we ended up outside for a bit afterwards, mostly holding hands and looking at the stars.

At the end of the evening, I escorted Jesse to her hotel room. My room was directly across the hall and I wondered if my daughter had anything to do with that.

Jesse kissed me good night, paused and then asked me if I wanted to come in. I looked at my watch and it was 11:11.

"I'm going to say no Jesse and not because of what you may be thinking, I want to take you out on a date first, just like when we first met. If I remember there were quite a few dates before you let me get to second base. Let's start all over, like we never met and see where that leads us, maybe it will lead nowhere but let's see before we jump into bed together."

"Ok Jack, but I'm too old to make you wait a dozen dates before I drag you to second base."