No Country for Old Husbands

Donna pulled into the driveway and shut off the car, gripping the wheel for a moment before stepping out. After leaving the school, she'd offered to chauffeur Joey and Bianca to Bianca's apartment. She felt like a proper mother, delivering her son to his friend's place. Unlike a proper mother, though, she felt a significant pang of jealousy as she watched Bianca pull Joey into her building.

Not that she'd fight over him, of course. Donna would never fight over Joey, not with Bianca, not with any of the women in her new sorority of support. No, they were all on the same side, on the same page. Donna and Bianca were both responsible for Joey's sexual gratification, and since Donna had been able to provide him some relief the other night, it was only fair that she support Bianca in having a crack at him.

"Do you want me to wait for you?" Donna asked as Joey stepped out of the car.

"I'll be alright," Joey answered, "I have my bus pass. Head on home and if I need you, I'll call."

And she, obviously, obeyed. Why wouldn't she? If her perfect guy told her to head home, then head home she would!

Not that she hadn't felt nervous about leaving her son at Bianca's place. At the school, all the women spent a significant amount of time convincing him that he should go with the young waitress. His classmates assured him that they wouldn't be mad, his teacher told him that it was a step toward manhood, and Donna herself had insisted that he go. She knew far too well, having done Joey's laundry for years, how much sexual gratification a man his age required. While she wasn't taking care of him first-hand, by sending him to Bianca's, Donna was still ensuring that his sexual needs were being met.

But still, as they started the drive, Joey hadn't seemed happy. Donna sat in the front seat while Joey and Bianca sat in the back. Bianca was fixated on Donna's son. She didn't blame her. Joey was, after all, the kind of guy that women lost their minds over. At first Joey tried to ignore her, look out the window, but through her rear view mirror Donna could see Bianca make progress.

Nibbling on his earlobe.

Running her fingers up and down his thighs.

Talking dirty.

Pressing her cleavage into Joey's arm.

It had worked. Soon Joey was staring at the beautiful young woman, a bulge forming in his pants. By the time Donna placed the car in park, while Joey didn't seem eager, all the fight was out of him. He had resolved that he would be going with Bianca, so Donna counted that as a victory. Bianca, she was sure, would take care of the rest.

Driving home, she felt something powerful humming under her skin. Satisfaction. Purpose. Having a group of women to support her, a group that she would invariably support herself, it made her feel safe, enfolded. Oftentimes before, as was common among women, she had felt judged, alienated by her peers. Some women didn't like that she was successful. Some didn't like that she was beautiful. Some didn't like her just because they needed someone to not like. But now that was behind her. Donna was part of something greater than her. They had her back. She had theirs.

But then she saw Hank’s car in the driveway, and the feeling soured.

Of course he was home early. It was like he was doing it on purpose, trying to ruin her mood. It had only been a few days earlier that Donna had looked forward to seeing Hank, to time alone in the house with him. He'd take her in his thick, beefy arms, carry her upstairs, throw her on the bed, ravaging her body as he'd done countless times before.

The memory made her momentarily retch. It was amazing how wrong she'd been. How could she have seen a guy like Hank, muscular, square jawed, tall, as the kind of man to be even considered for a romantic partner? He was so far from her ideal that it was laughable. Settle for Hank? When, just down the hall, was a man she found practically irresistible? Not if Donna had anything to say about it.

Besides, even if Hank was her ideal man, he wasn't Joey. It wasn't unreasonable for Donna to want Hank to keep his hands to himself. Joey was the one who could touch her whenever and however he wanted. The idea of Hank putting his hands on her? Perverse.

But, since there was no avoiding it, Donna squared her shoulders, and walked inside.

Hank was in the kitchen, sitting at the table with a beer in front of him. He wasn't drinking it. Just staring at it like he was working up the nerve for something. When he saw her, he sat up.

"We need to talk."

Donna folded her arms, tilting her head. "Do we?"

He hesitated. She could see it in his face—the exhaustion, the confusion. He didn't know why she had changed, only that she had. The past few days she'd been distant, and growing more distant each passing day. But could any blame her? Hank was a big muscle-bound bro, a jock. She just didn't want him!

Hank exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "Something happened at work today."

Donna didn’t react.

"Sarah. My assistant. She, uh..." He swallowed hard, "...she kissed my neck."

That made Donna blink.

Not because she cared.

But because she hadn't expected it. Hank was many things, and a cheater wasn't one of them. There was no way that Hank would have been unfaithful to Donna. The very fact that he was telling her this, now, so soon after it happened proved how loyal he was to her. Even with Donna treating him as she had been, he still came to her first.

She almost laughed.

Hank thought this would matter. He thought this was the thing that would shatter her. Even more hilarious, he thought there was a way to fix things between them.

This was perfect.

At the school, her new friends, her sisters, had insisted that she find a way to get Hank out of the house. The plan, the party, wouldn't work if Hank was hanging around. There was no way he'd understand what was at stake, the social drama the girls had planned, the fun they were going to have. Donna was committed to it, despite that she had no idea how she was going to accomplish it. Now he had handed it to her on a silver platter.

After composing herself for a moment, she let her face twist in fury. "You let her do that?"

Hank immediately shook his head. "I pulled away. I told her it wasn’t okay."

"But you let her get close enough to do it. Sexy young thing like Sarah. Way to fulfill the stereotype, Hank."

"It wasn't like that! She was upset. She—she was crying. I asked if she wanted a hug, and she just..."

"A hug?! My husband the sexual harasser!” She stepped closer, looming over him, her tone going cold, "Or is it sexual predator? I don't want to hear excuses. You wanted it. It happened. And that's all that matters."

Hank looked stunned. "Donna, come on..."

She cut him off. "Stow it. I don't even want to look at you right now. You disgust me."

His whole body went still. They stood, staring at each other. Fire in Donna's eyes, exhaustion in Hank's. It was a risk to be standing so close to him, near enough that he could reach out and put his hands on her, but it was worth taking a chance. She needed to sell this.

Then, slowly, he nodded, resigned.

"Okay," he said, "If you need space, I can..."

"No." Her voice was sharp. Her tone final. "I don’t need space. I need you out."

His face paled. "Out? Donna, it was only..."

"Only what, Hank? Only you getting your rocks off? Only a mid-life crisis? Only you wanting to end our marriage?! Pack your things and leave. I don't want you here. We'll talk on Monday."

Hank just stared at her, his jaw working like he wanted to argue, like he wanted to say something to make this better. But there was nothing to say.

Finally, his shoulders slumped. He looked… broken.

That tiny flicker of guilt tried to creep in.

But it was nothing compared to the satisfaction curling in her chest.

She was doing it. She had figured out how to get Hank out. The party was happening.

"I'm leaving. You'd better be gone when I get back."

She turned and walked out. Didn't bother to look back.

Sliding into the driver's seat, Donna gripped the wheel and backed out of the driveway. As soon as she put the car into drive, the act fell away.

It was real now. He was gone. She had done it.

And she felt… exhilarated.

Letting out an audible cheer of celebration, a grin settled on Donna's face. It wasn't often that fate stepped in and provided exactly what you needed, but that was what had happened. Hank was no longer this weekend's problem. She would take care of him on Monday, find a more permanent solution to their uncomfortable and ill-fitting relationship. For now, she didn't need to worry about him. She would head to the grocery store, there were a few things she wanted to pick up, and by the time she got home, he would be gone. She didn't care where he would go, probably his brother's place, but it didn't matter. He could move in with that Sarah slut for all she cared. What mattered was that he was gone.

She drove through the neighborhood, seeing it with fresh eyes. The street where she and Hank had raised their children. The houses, the yards, the sidewalks.

Her old life.

She passed the park where she used to take Joey and Juniper when they were little. Once, she would have felt nostalgic. Now? It was just another piece of a life that didn’t belong to her anymore. Why? Because her priorities had shifted. She didn't want to be Hank Granger's wife anymore. Her eyes had been opened. She could plainly see now, for the first time, who she wanted to be. Who she wanted to be with.

Her grip on the wheel tightened.

She thought of Joey.

Not the little boy who used to play in that park.

The man he was now.

Short and skinny, narrow shoulders, sunken chest.

He was her new thing. Her new perfect guy. It was a proven fact that Joey was the kind of guy that women like Donna, women like Aynsley and Madison, wanted. She'd seen it with her own two eyes. Both girls wanting to be his girlfriends at the same time. That kind of thing only happened when someone was special, when someone was practically irresistible.

Like Joey.

Joey was the new perfect man. The perfect man. Her perfect man.

Her body shivered as she imagined him. Imagined what it would be like to have him close, to have his hands on her.

Yes. This was right.

She had done the right thing.

She had put her group first. She had cleared the path for Joey.

And after the party? She smiled as she turned toward the grocery store.

Maybe she'd finally get some time alone with him.