Chapter 35 - You And Me, Thick As Thieves

It's almost 9:00 pm when Beth turns off of Route 35 and heads down the hill toward home.  She stopped in the city and did a little shopping, but Dorothea's words kept going through her mind, leaving her distracted and not in the mood. 


When she pulled down the driveway she noticed that the lights were off in the Shoe Inn, meaning Jon was working in the dark or he was in the house.  She pulled her car into her spot in the garage and walked into the house. 

It's quiet and dimly lit as she makes her way through the house.  She stops in the kitchen and puts her purse and bags on the counter, wondering where Jon is.  She takes a piece of pizza out of the open box that's on the counter and heads in the direction that would most likely take her to find her rock star.

Stepping into his office, she sees him behind his desk with his head in his hands.  "Hey sexy." she says as she walks in.  Jon looks up at her and smiles.  Beth makes it to him and leans over to kiss him.  He lifts his head and they kiss.

"Did you have fun?" he asks her. 

"No not really.  It's not the same without you, you know I hate to shop." she tells him, sensing that he's in a mood.  She takes another bite of her pizza and waits for him to respond or say what's bothering him.

"What did you get?  Anything good?" he asks, wondering if he should tell her that Dot called him before she got back home.

Beth sits on the corner of the desk like she always does and confesses, "I over indulged on a pocketbook from Coach.  Got one for me and Stephanie.  Then I seen some great jeans in the window at Sak's.  That's about it."

"Did you shop before or after you went for your visit?" he asks, with no expression on his face.  He has Dorothea's version of what happened running through his mind, having no idea what really happened.

Beth swallows the mouthful of pizza and says, "I went shopping after.  Why?  Did she call?"  Beth's heart speeds up and now she can see it, he is pissed.

"I need you to tell me what compelled you to drive all the way out to the Hampton's?" he stands up and walks to the window.  "What did you think was going to happen?"

"Well, I don't feel like I need to explain myself to you, but since I love you, I will."  Beth takes a deep breath, "I went out there to ask her to sign the papers and let us get on with our lives."

"And how well did that work out for you?" he asks, turning to face her, "Is she going to sign?"  He knows the answer, but he had to ask.

"No, she's going to fight for you - it seems that you had given her false hope when I was in LA and you were back here."

"I did?"

"Yeah, you went crying to her one night and fell asleep in the backyard?  She also informed me that the two of you had a great friendship while I was gone."

 

"Beth...."
 

"Wait, it gets better.  She said that you all did things as a family, is that true?" Beth asks, with a smile on her face.  "She says that I'm going to lose you based on the history that the two of you have."

 

"Babe, you know that's not true.  I'm not reconciling with her, ever." Jon walks up to her and lightly head bumps her, "She will be my ex wife as soon as it's legally possible." 

 

Beth kisses his nose and says, "It gets even better, are you ready for the whammy?"

 

Jon nods his head yes, looking her in the eye, "I'm ready."

 

Beth, with very little apprehension, tells him, "She asked me who I think about when you're fucking me; you, Dalton or my dead boyfriend Brian."  and she waits, slightly on guard.

 

"She asked you that?"

 

Beth just nodded.

 

"She asked you if you thought of me, Dalton or Brian?" she can see the anger coming over Jon.  How dare she talk to Beth like that and throw her assault up in her face.

 

Beth tells him, "Yes, she yelled that at me as Rose walked up."

 

"Stephanie heard that?"  he is beyond pissed, he's livid.  For Dot to say that to Beth was bad enough, but for Stephanie to overhear it was unacceptable.  Dot crossed the line and she will never be able to cross back over.  Jon is done and taking the gloves off now.  He will divorce her and make her almost a memory.  "Where were the boys?"

 

Beth, sitting in front of Jon as he stood before her, tucks her finger into his watchband and says, "They were swimming."

 

Jon walks away from Beth, running his fingers through his hair, "Why did you have to go out there?  Why?"  Beth can hear his frustration, but isn't going to feel bad that she went out there.  She had enough of being quiet like a church mouse and letting everyone else plan out her life.

 

"I went out there with no ill will Jon.  I had hoped that she could act like a woman, like a mother but I was wrong.  I think she's worse than the last time that I tried to talk to her."

 

"You need to stay away from her, she's only going to try harder and make your life more miserable.  Just stay away." he demands, and she can understand why, but she doesn't like being told what to do.  Beth knows that he's pissed, hell, she's pissed at what Dorothea said to her and she's sad that Stephanie had to hear what she heard, but Jon isn't going to tell her what to do.

"Jon, cut me some slack please." She walks to the window and looks out, "I can't be protected and shielded from everything - and she is the battle that I need to fight."  Exhausted from talking about Dorothea once again, Beth turns to him and says, "From the moment I met you, someone other than me has had control over my life.  I don't like that or need that Jon."

"No one is controlling your life."

"Really?" she asks with an unheard of level of sarcasm. 

"Beth, you are your own person and can do whatever you want to do.  No one is stopping you from doing anything." he slams back at her. 

"Then stop telling me what to do regarding Dot." she insists, knowing he won't leave it there. 

He slowly walks up to her and takes her hands, "Fine, if you want to deal with Dorothea, then go ahead.  But know this, she will only get nastier and even more bitter."  He kisses her hands, "She doesn't like to lose."

"Neither do I, and I never do." Beth puts her arms around his neck, jumps up and wraps her legs around him.  She kisses his neck while he walks them into the living room.  Once in the living room, he lays down on her, on the couch and kisses her the way that she wanted to be kissed.  Long, wet and with the passion that they once had. 

The house phone rings.