John and Jill Ch. 09

Choices and Resolutions

I would like to thank all of you who've read this series and hope that you've enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I would like to thank my editor and mentor Randi for her kind words of encouragement and sound editing advice. You are terrific. Enjoy JDC.

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Jillian was lying on her stomach, trying to catch her breath after she pushed Conrad off of her. She was probably angrier than she had ever been in her life. She couldn't believe he'd done that to her, and she was incensed.

Conrad was pounding her doggy style when he pulled out and jammed his steel hard cock into her asshole. Even though she came twice while he was fucking her in her butt, she was angry that he was presumptive enough to think he could just do that to her. After all, she controlled what kind of sex she was going to have with him, and this was not on the menu. That act was reserved for John only.

"Con, what did you think you were doing?" Jill asked rather tersely, as she lay there on her belly with her ass up in the air.

"Ah, come on, Jill, you know you liked it. You were screaming like a bitch in heat and you know it. You were really getting into it after we got goin," Conrad said with a smirk on his face. "You know you were begging me for my cum, baby."

"Still, don't you think you should've at least asked me before you stuck your spear up my ass?" She said as turned over and slapped his face hard. "If you ever do anything like that again I'll kick your ass."

"If I would've asked, you would've said no. I wanted it and I took it. My assertiveness is one of the things you like about me isn't it?? It didn't kill you did it?"

"No, but you still should've asked first," she said as she started putting on her robe that she kept in his apartment. She actually felt a little debased and awkward because she had given in to her passionate desires as his hard dick was in her butt. She always thought that was one thing that only John would ever have. Now she had given it up to Conrad, who she wasn't even sure she even liked that well.

Jill realized that he was okay for entertainment purposes or to scratch an itch, but not for much else. He was manipulative and actually had no regard for woman's feelings. He was good in bed, however, but not as good as John. He was okay for a temporary fill in, but the next day she was going to start her plan to win John back. After completing her bathing in Conrad's shower and drying off, she dressed in her blouse and capris and went back out only to say goodbye.

"Okay, Jill, when am I going to meet the folks? Are you ashamed of me?"

"Of course not, silly," Jill said, stringing him along, "Daddy's been really busy and traveling a lot on weekends and it just hasn't been convenient. Don't worry; you can wait for a bit longer." Jill admitted to herself that Conrad was just a manipulator; the contrast made John's light touch even more attractive.

"I think I've been pretty patient for a while now, Jill."

"I really don't see what's so important about meeting my folks, Con. Why is it so important?"

"I think it will signify the strength of our relationship, honey, that's all."

Jill almost laughed out loud at that sentence, knowing he was so full of shit. "What relationship?" Jill thought to herself. They were just friends with benefits. She just decided she'd string him along a little longer until her relationship with John could be sorted out.

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"Oh my God, JJ, you were fantastic," Carmella Molina gasped out between breaths. She and JJ had just finished their third time in bed together during last night and this morning in his room at John's loft.

"I'm glad you kept your voice down last night, JJ, because I don't want your dad to know what we're doing in here."

JJ just chuckled softly and replied, "Carmella, do you not think that Dad knows what we're doing in here? He was young once, too. He knows exactly what we're doing. He tells me all the time how good I've got it with you."

"So now I'm going to have to be embarrassed when I go out there in front of him?" Carmella asked, already a little red in the face, "I love your father and don't want him to think badly of me."

He looked at her seriously and said, "He'd never think badly of you, Carm, he loves you almost as much as I do. In fact, he told me never to let you go and I intend to do just that. Will you marry me, Carm?" He pulled a ring box out of his nightstand and opened it to show an engagement ring.

Carmella just looked at him and quickly put her hands up to her mouth and screamed, "Yes, JJ, for God's sake, yes," as she took the ring out and put it on her finger. She opened her hand up wide to admire it at a distance. "I love you so much and with all my heart, JJ Trainor." She discussed a few things with him about timing and about approaching her parents later that day.

They both cleaned up in the adjacent bathroom and came out to the kitchen. John had already made them breakfast. He just looked at them and said, tongue-in-cheek, "I take it that screamed "Yes" was not a cry of sexual excitement, but the big "Yes?" Both his son and his son's, now, fiancée looked at him with red faces.

"Affirmative, Dad, it was the big 'yes," JJ answered as he looked seriously at his father.

"Sit down, you two, and have some breakfast," John said, setting plates down in front of them at the table. "I told you she'd say yes, Son. You needn't have worried."

Carmella looked sternly at JJ and said, "You doubted me?"

"I've never doubted you, Carm, I love you more than anything in the world, but no one knows if the person they love loves them, too. I could only dream, and that dream materialized this morning."

"It's going to be a pleasure to have you in our family, Carmella," John said as he bit into the sausage he had cooked for their breakfast. "You're like the daughter I never had. I'm so proud of my son for finding you. You're a wonderful person and I think you two are perfect for each other."

Since it was Sunday morning, John realized that they were traveling to Jill's in Fullmer for dinner tonight. He asked JJ if he was going to ride over with him, or drive his own vehicle.

JJ replied, tongue-in-cheek, "I better drive separately, Dad, in case Mom makes you mad enough that you decide to leave early."

"What's the matter, Son, don't think I can control my temper around your mother?" John replied with a huge smile on his face. "I've forgiven her, Son. It's all water under the bridge. By the way, when's the big day? Don't you think you better take your fiancée with you to meet your mother tonight? She'll be pissed if she can't help Carmella's mother with the wedding plans."

JJ just smiled at his father and replied, "I think we are shooting for about February or March of next year. That gives them plenty of time to plan guest lists, locations and so forth."

"I don't know if that's enough time, JJ. I don't graduate for another year. My father wanted me to finish college before I got married."

"That shouldn't be a problem, Carm; I'll talk to your father. My trust will more than pay for us to have a household and go to school as well," JJ replied.

"None of that should be an issue, kids. You can live in Petor's old house. It's only one bedroom and it's not far from the University. That should do for you; you just need to pay the utilities. It's a nice little place and Erin wanted a bigger apartment when she moved back from Chicago. She rented her own apartment," John said with pride.

"That'll be great, Dad. I graduate in a year and can probably get a job where I interned. That way we can live here while Carm finishes her degree," JJ replied, as he was watching his life coming together in a good way, "You sure Aunt Erin won't mind?"

"The house is just sitting empty now, and we didn't want to rent it out to college kids that may not take care of it. It's small but it's livable. It would be fine for a young married couple."

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John finally arrived at the appointed time at his old house, now Jill's. He admitted to himself that he was somewhat nervous about facing his ex-wife on her home turf. He felt a little guilty about even coming, since he was still mourning the loss of Amy. It was just all too soon for him to grasp in concept. He knew Amy wanted him to forgive Jill and at least be friends, but the lack of trust was still strong in his mind.

Jill met him at the door and ushered him into the dining room. He noticed JJ and Carmella were already there. That made him feel little more comfortable, not having to face Jill alone. Jill was as gracious as ever, and John noticed she had changed the decorations in the house quite a bit.

"Jill, I really like what you've done with the place. It is so homey and comfortable feeling. Of course, I haven't been here for a few years."

Jill couldn't seem to help throwing a dagger at him by saying, "That was entirely you're doing John, you are welcome at a time."

"Well, Jill, life needed to go on. Both our lives needed to go on."

"I have an announcement to make, Mother. Carmella and I are going to be married," JJ said proudly, looking for support from his dad.

Jillian was taken aback by this announcement, "JJ, you haven't finished college yet. Carmella still has another year of school left. Whatever you do don't knock the girl up. You haven't done that have you?"

"Jill!" John said to his ex-wife with a stern look in his eye. Jill realized she had made a big mistake and mentally chastised herself for starting the evening off wrong. Sometimes she hated her impulsiveness.

JJ said strongly to his mother, "No she's not pregnant. You don't understand, Mother; I love Carm with all my heart and I don't want to wait another year or year and a half to start my life with her. I want to be around her all the time and have her in my life."

John just looked at Jill and said, "it's not going to be a financial burden for them and they're mature enough to handle it. They will be fine."

"You don't understand, John, look how hard it was on us. And for God's sake, JJ, don't get her pregnant until she graduates; don't let her go through the hell I went through."

"I'm really sorry that my birth caused you so much trouble while you were in college, Mom. We are planning to start having children after Carm starts her career. We're smart enough to know not to have our children to early."

"JJ, I didn't mean that you were burden, but it was just so hard for me to finish school. Your father was an immense help to me, as I know you would be to Carmella in that situation. Of course I'm glad for you both and will be proud to have Carmella in the family.

JJ looked at his mother rather sadly while thinking she didn't seem all that happy about it. He thought back fondly, how earlier in the day, his father and Carm's parents were happy and genuinely congratulatory. They welcomed JJ warmly into the family, with her mother and unmarried sisters already making plans for the wedding. She was to wear her mother's gown, so it had to be altered immediately. They had already decided on St. Angelo's Catholic Church for the site and the family's backyard for the reception. Even Carmella's father shook JJ's hand with tears of joy in his eyes.

"Well, dinner should be ready. John, would you help me with the salad?" Jill said, strategically changing the subject.

John followed her into the kitchen to help carry the salad in. John couldn't help but notice Jill still had a very shapely ass. She had obviously been working out and it didn't go unnoticed. Jill always tried to take good care of herself, physically. John knew she'd always taken vitamins and worked out at a gym in town. It didn't escape his attention that she must still be doing her customary routine.

"I'm afraid that I offended our son. I hope I didn't ruin his evening."

"Why would you've ruined his evening? You only practically accused him of impregnating our soon to be daughter-in-law. Why would that bother him?" John said with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"I didn't do it on purpose, John. I just remember how hard it was for us, not waiting for me to finish school."

"Not us, Jill, you. I never had any trouble taking care and helping with JJ when he was a baby. It didn't seem to hurt you any in the long run. You still got what you wanted in the end, all of it."

"Not all of it, John. I still ended up without you by my side."

"Not my doing, Jill. Not my doing," John replied to her, matter-of-factly.

John noticed what he thought was the start of tears forming in Jill's eyes as she turned to take the pan of lasagna out of the oven. "This evening might've been a mistake; you obviously don't want to be here," Jill said as she put the lasagna pan down on the counter on a hot pad.

John just grabbed her by the shoulders and looked piercingly into her eyes, while saying, "Jillian, I want to be here I'm willing to make the effort to be friends and I didn't mean to make you cry.

Jill just dabbed her eyes with both the oven mitts as she replied, "I'm not crying, John, it was just the heat from the oven hitting me in the face when I opened the door."

John just looked at her skeptically and said, "Let's just enjoy the evening with that wonderful young couple out there. Isn't Carmella a wonderful, beautiful girl? JJ was so lucky to have found her. I'm proud of him."

"She is a beautiful girl and a sweetheart, isn't she?" Jill said as she observed the pride in John's stance and expression when he talked about his son.

John and Jill carried the salad and lasagna into the dining room and set it on the table. Carmella kept running her hands on the table top and looking underneath the table as she finally spoke up.

"This table and dining room chairs are so beautiful. It's great to be able to sell in the furniture business, isn't it?"

"No, Carmella, Dad built this table when he was in high school," JJ said to his fiancée.

"No wonder you like to build furniture so much, Mr. Trainor. You are so very talented. Someone with that talent shouldn't let it go to waste. "

Jill, JJ and John all started laughing uproariously at that statement and Carmella looked perplexed.

"Honey, Dad has built more custom furniture in that store than he's sold. He even teaches at the technical College and has apprentices every year. How do you think he's made most of his living?"

Carmella's face turned blood red and she started laughing along with them. She just looked at John and said rather demurely, "I'm sorry, Mr. Trainor, I didn't really know and your son never really told me," she said, hitting JJ rather hard on the shoulder.

JJ just looked at her and said, "Domestic violence is really not a good way to start out our relationship, Carm."

They ate their meal while engaging in polite conversation about the wedding plans, housing choices and the incidentals of what was going on in their lives. When they finished eating, the young couple thanked Jill and left. John was helping Jill cleanup the table and do the dishes and they talked a lot longer. Jill finally couldn't take it any longer and had to say something.

"John, would you have dinner with just the two of us next weekend on Saturday? I could grill steaks and we could have a good time; I enjoyed this evening."

"It was a pleasant evening and I'm just so happy for those kids. I envy their new beginning."

"Don't you think this could be a new beginning for us, John?"

John just looked at her pensively and replied, "I think I'd like that, Jill."

Jill smiled calmly at John, but inside she was ready to burst. She was so happy that she was finally on the road to winning her ex-husband back and working her grand business plan.

John looked at her with a lot of gladness on his face; but felt she misconstrued his reason. He was just so happy for his son and his fiancée that he couldn't hide his glee. He thought she misunderstood his feelings; but that was of little consequence to him now. He drove home and slept well for the first time in months. The evening had temporarily overshadowed the feeling of loss for Amy.

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When John walked into the store the next morning, he was walking on air. Erin, who was always there early, noticed John's up mood, the first she had seen in months. Although John did not seem totally depressed, there was just a morose air about his demeanor that she knew had to do with the loss of Amy. Whenever John looked at her, she sensed a deep look of sadness in his eyes. She knew he missed her sister, as if there was a piece of him missing.

John always felt like the ghost of Amy lived on in Erin. He really liked Erin, but she still unnerved him. She was such a good salesperson and came up with fantastic ideas to grow the business. She developed a webpage for the store that featured a tab for custom-made furniture by 3F. A customer could pick out a style of table and click different woods that would show what each different table would look like. They could also request specific scrollwork or carving that would automatically update the price. John was so busy that they had to add three workers, who started cutting out all of the parts of furniture that John and his apprentice would assemble. They would have orders that even expanded internationally.

Through this all, Erin stood by his side in support of his endeavors. John always noticed the look of longing in her eyes. He chalked this up to a young girl's crush on an older coworker and brother-in-law. John did not realize how much Erin truly cared for him. She was in full-blown love with John; so much so that it hurt. John was too busy with his thoughts of Jill to even consider Erin.

Frank didn't fail to observe that every time they ate lunch, Erin would always plant herself directly beside John. He could tell the major attraction was there, at least on Erin's part.

"Hey big man," Frank said to John, as they were talking in the warehouse a couple of days later.

"What's up, Frank?"

"What the hell do you eat or drink that makes you so desirable to women?"

"What do you mean? Did something fall in the warehouse and hit you on the head?"

"I have to call bullshit here buddy."

"Frank, what in the hell are you talking about?"

"I've seen your ex-wife before when she came in here; then Amy and now Erin. And I heard all about those band girls you were messing with before Amy. You have those women panting after you all the time; are you that blind?"

"Frank, I don't know what you're really talking about. Yes my ex-wife is pretty and Amy was a goddess. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to of known and loved her. Erin just has a crush. She'll grow out of it when she sees what I'm really like."

"John, you're a damn fool. That girl and her sister were closer than anyone I've ever seen. You think that Amy didn't talk about you all the time and Erin hasn't seen what you're really like around here and how you treated her family. That girl is head over heels; it's no crush. You could really do a lot worse, you know?"

"Frank, I hear what you're saying, but there is a chance that Jillian, my ex, might want to get back together with me. Besides, it's too soon to be thinking about any relationship. I just miss Amy so much that I can hardly live and pull my life out my sadness."

"John, Amy loved you more than anyone I ever saw. I don't think mine and Mary's relationship was as strong as yours with her. You know how much I love my wife and how much she loves me. For me to say that your relationship was stronger is really saying something. That being said, you could do a lot worse than having someone like Erin. I've watched that girl grow up and she is really special."