Chapter 24
Jo had her head resting on Brandon’s chest and he had lost track of how long they had been like that. His arms were around her petite body and he held her close. When she moved in his arms, he knew that too much time had passed, and their moment was over.
She smiled weakly at him, before getting off his lap and he watched her…her glorious naked body, as she walked over to pick her clothes off the floor.
“I know you don’t want me to apologize, but, once again, I feel like I should,” he said and she looked over her shoulder as she pulled her panties up her legs. Jo was smiling.
“I don’t want you to apologize, because this isn’t just your fault. I am as much to blame in this as you are,” she said to him and he watched her in silence as she put on her bra.
“All right, then we’re both sorry,” he said and she turned to him as she began pulling up her slacks. Brandon stood up from the chair and walked towards where his clothes were lying in a pile on the floor.
“It’s kind of hard to feel apologetic right now, right after I’ve had two orgasms,” she said and he noticed the laugh in her voice. He smiled when their eyes met, and for a moment, he wondered if there was still some hope for them.
“But you’ll feel sorry later, won’t you?” he asked as he zipped up his pants and Jo nodded her head.
“Yes, I will. I’ll feel terrible…because you’re a married man, and you’re married to my mother,” she said, smoothing down the top of her hair. Brandon was buttoning his shirt as he looked at her. She had slipped her blouse back on, but he still couldn’t stop imagining her naked.
“Jo, there are some things I need to tell you about myself,” he said and she narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head.
“You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Brandon. You’ve told me before. You want to give your marriage a chance, you want children…and you’re attracted to me. I get it and I’ll deal with it. We just have to try a little harder to keep away from each other,” she said and walked around her desk and sat down on her chair.
Brandon was tying his tie but he stopped midway, letting it lie loose around his neck.
“Yes, those things are all true…were true…” he said and he saw Jo’s eyebrows furrow. She was confused and rightly so.
“What are you talking about?” she asked and Brandon took in a deep breath and came forward towards her desk.
“I’m talking about how foolish I’ve been. I married Alice on a whim, when I was feeling lonely and I thought I knew what I wanted,” he said and Jo shook her head. Her eyes had widened and she looked like she didn’t believe a word he was saying.
“What are you trying to say, Brandon?” she asked and he clenched his jaw.
“I was working towards a goal…to have children, to leave my business to my heirs. And I believed that any woman, would be able to help me accomplish that goal. That is why I married your mother,” he said and Jo stood up from her chair with force.
Her face had darkened, and the laughter in her voice had disappeared too.
“So, you’re saying that you’ve changed your mind about my mother?” she asked him, with a sizzle in her voice. Brandon said nothing, he wasn’t sure how he was going to proceed with what he was about to say next.
“How can I trust you? How can anyone trust you? You’re changing your mind on a whim again!” she hollered at him and he nodded his head.
“Yes, I understand that’s how you feel, but I was desperate to find partnership and companionship four months ago. I thought that Alice was an appropriate partner. I didn’t pay attention to what was good for me. To what would make me truly happy,” he continued and Jo was breathing hard. She looked about her office, as though searching for something to focus her energy on. Anything but him.
“I don’t know what you’re saying, Brandon. I don’t know what to believe. You’re married to my mother! Are you talking about an affair? Do you want me to be your mistress?” she said and Brandon thrust his hands into the pockets of his pants. He didn’t want her to feel this way…the last thing he wanted was to hurt Jo. This was exactly the kind of conversation he wanted to avoid having when he came here.
“Jo, no, I can never ask that of you. You are much more to me than a mistress,” he said, in a soft, calm voice and she shook her head wildly.
“But that’s exactly who I’ll be. That’s what you’re saying aren’t you? That you want to build a family with my mom and at the same time, you can’t let go of me…because you enjoy fucking me!” She hissed at him and Brandon saw the tears filling up her eyes. He was hurting her. He was making her miserable. She just didn’t see herself the way he did.
“You want me to spend my life waiting for you…waiting for a chance weekend when you’ll come over and spend…” She continued and Brandon shook his head. He cut her off before she could go any further with this madness.
“I’ve left your mother,” he said and Jo’s mouth clamped shut. She was staring at him wide-eyed, in disbelief. “I’ve sent my divorce papers to Alice. It’s over. There’s no point in trying any more. I know what I need to know and I know that I want you. Not her,” he said, and a smile tugged the corners of his lips. He’d been dying to say this to her since the day they met, because that was how quickly he knew.
Jo hadn’t said anything in several minutes. She was just blankly and silently staring at him.
“And I’m pregnant with your child,” she said and Brandon felt like a hurricane had just hit the room.