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The Respite

Chapter 4                       Back to Normal (REVISED)

(Revised items in bold and underlined)

(Changed the name of the Sterns' son from Jason to Justin.  The McGregors are aged in their seventies and not eighties.)

Months later the twins are now in school and loving it.  Richard and Nicole attend the same school with their friend Justin Sterns.  We decided that Richard and Nicole should be in separate classes so that they can make their own friends and have their own individual school experiences.  They still are friends with Justin and we still call them the ‘Three Musketeers’.  The Sterns even allowed Justin to attend language classes with the twins at our home.  I’m trying to teach them Mandarin Chinese now.  As a matter of fact I have an upcoming meeting in Beijing China and would love to take the twins with me but it’s during school time so that won’t happen.  It would have given them a great opportunity to practice speaking but maybe another time.

The Gibbs family has settled into a new routine.  I still work from home most days and go to the office two days a week but I have added a little more travel to the mix.  Now that the twins are older I don’t feel so bad leaving them with Jethro or my parents.  Although I try not to leave them often it does help that I can travel more.  It allows me the opportunity to stay abreast of what’s happening in the intelligence world and plus I always find some out of the way, elusive fight club to learn new techniques.  I always want to learn new fighting techniques.  I still train in the traditional methods but it doesn’t hurt to know more. 

Jethro has blossomed so much as the Assistant Director.  When Leon is out the office and Jethro is in charge it is such a smooth transition that everyone carries on as usual. They are so used to Jethro being there and respect him that there is no lapse in service at all when the Director is absent.  Leon is very thankful that Jethro did take that job.  He knows that everything will work well in his absence with Jethro there. He hasn’t always had that assurance with others Assistant Directors.

My parents still take the twins for a weekend every month. Surprisingly enough my parents expressed no tiredness after their European trip with the twins.  They are amazing.  They still do their swimming, tennis and golf.  My dad finally convinced my mother to join him in his golf outings and she loves it.  I hope that I am as active as they when I’m in my seventies.  It appears Jethro and I have good genes for having a long life.  His dad lived until he was in his eighties.  All of my grandparents lived until they were in their nineties. We both would like to be around when the twins finish college and start their careers but in the meantime we will do the best that we can with the time that we have.

Tonight is Friday and the twins will have a sleepover at the Sterns’ house.  Justin has asked several times for one since school started and this weekend is a long weekend for them because school is closed on Monday for a teacher in-service day. Michael and Rachel finally agreed and the twins will stay until Saturday afternoon.  There’s a back to school fair in the park not far from our neighborhood and Justin wanted the twins to go with him and his parents. I’m on my way now to drop Richard and Nicole off.  I will return and prepare for my own activity for the night.

This Friday is Jethro’s poker night at our house and my ladies night out.  Jethro’s cohorts will come to play poker and chat while I will meet my friends at a club to dance the night away.  I did play poker once with Jethro and his friends.  After that first time they banned me from playing again. I remember that time fondly.

“Hey Margie, do you want to play poker with us?  We can always use some new money.”

“Tobias I’m not sure that would be a good idea.  I haven’t played poker in a long time.”

“That’s even better.  We won’t feel bad about taking your money.  Come on it will be fun.”

“If you say so Tobias.  I’ll play.”

We played several hands and I won them all. Tobias was not happy at all about the outcome.

“I thought that you said that you hadn’t played poker in a long time.  How did you manage to win every hand?”

“Although I did say that I had not played in a long time at no time did I say that I didn’t remember how to play.  Thanks for the money Tobias and all of you.”

“Well what do you have to say Gibbs?  Did you know that she was a poker pro?”

“You never asked me Tobias.  If you noticed that I folded on each hand. I know when to cut my losses.”

“Well I guess you won’t complain Gibbs, at least she will share her winnings with you.”

“Why would I share my winnings with Jethro?  He didn’t win these hands I did.  My money is my money.  He doesn’t share his winnings with me.”

“My, my is that any way for a married couple to act?  Isn’t it share and share alike?”

“I’m just teasing you Tobias.  Here’s your money, all of you.  This is just a lesson to you.  Don’t assume.  If you want an answer to a question make sure that you ask the right question.  Next time ask if someone knows how to play poker and if they play it well.  I would have told you that I play it very well and seldom lose a hand. You then would have taken it as a challenge to beat me and I would have let you but the end result would have been the same.  I don’t usually play a game that I can’t win.  I don’t like to lose.”

“Well thanks for making that clear Margie.  I’ll remember not to play any games with you.”

“Good night everyone, I must leave now.  Enjoy the rest of your evening.”

And I never played again with them.  They still come for poker night and I have the refreshments all prepared before I leave for my dance night.  Tonight we will go to a latin dance club.  Lydia and I have done this for years. We go for latin dance, reggae, jazz, and just about anything with a beat. There are about 8 in our group ranging in age from mid-thirties to mid-sixties.  We have a great time just dancing, drinking and talking. Tonight we have two new recruits, Bishop from Jethro’s old team, and Evangeline, the attorney from White & Blazevitch. Each carload always has a designated driver and for my carload of Lydia, Bishop and Evangeline it is I because I don’t drink alcohol.  I always want to keep my wits about me.  We step into the club and find a table, order drinks and sit and chat for a while.  We watch the dancers on the floor and Bishop says that she doesn’t know how to dance like that.  We all tell her to just go out there and let the ‘music move her’ and she will be fine whatever she does.  She said that she would try it and we continue to encourage her.  Then my song, ‘Vivir la Vida’ by Marc Anthony starts to play and I am on the floor enjoying myself immensely.  Then the DJ plays, ‘Bailando’ by Enrique Iglesias and I am ecstatic.  Some guy comes up behind me and presses into me but we can’t have that.  I turn around to push him off and imagine my surprise when it’s Nick Torres from Jethro’s old team.  When he saw my face I thought that he would faint on the spot.  He’s apologizing and backing up at the same time.  I grab his hand and tell him everything is all right and that it was an honest mistake.  

“You have to finish the dance with me now Nick.  No turning back.  Just put it out of your mind and let the music move you.”

“I don’t know if I can do that Mrs. Gibbs.  If it is all right with you I would rather go and find somewhere to sit down and gather my dignity.  The guys will never let me live this down.  Thanks for the offer though.”

He turns and leaves and I see him approach McGee and Reeves who are laughing so hard they almost fall out of their chairs.  I continue to dance and another guy walks up and I dance with him.  He keeps a respectable distance and everything is fine.

Bishop walks over to them and tells them to not harass Torres because he had no way to know that it was Mrs. Gibbs.  She points out to them that Mrs. Gibbs is still dancing and tells them to look at her.  

“She’s a beautiful woman and looking at her from the back you would not recognize her. Nick had no way of knowing that it was his boss’s wife.  Give him a break.  He probably already feels terrible.  Don’t add to his grief.  You’re supposed to be his friends.”

“Yeah Bishop we know, but you have to admit that it was funny.  Did you see Nick’s face when Mrs. Gibbs turned around and faced Nick?  He looked like he would faint.”

“Did he look any different from you McGee when you walked in on Mrs. Gibbs when she was half dressed?”

“I get your point Bishop.  Come on Reeves let’s stop bothering Torres.  He feels bad enough.  Let’s find some dance partners.”

“All right guys, I’ll see you later, enjoy.”

Bishop walks back over to our table and by that time I have taken a breather from dancing.  I asked her what did she say to McGee and Reeves and she said that she told them to stop bothering Torres and reminded McGee about walking in on me when I was not fully dressed.  That was enough for McGee to stop harassing Torres.  I felt a little bad for Torres but not a lot.  That will teach him from pressing up on a female without invitation.  

Everyone is having a good time.  Sometimes we dance alone and other times men will ask us to dance. Although most of us have husbands or significant others it does no harm to dance with another man.  It’s only dancing and we keep a respectable distance.  The food is good, the drinks are good and the music is ‘jamming’.  It’s nearing time for us to leave when the DJ finally plays the song that gets all of my crew on the floor.  We will use it as our exit song, ‘Danza Kuduro’ by Don Omar from the ‘Fast and Furious Five’ movie.  We’re all dancing, no partners needed, and having a great time.  Before the end of the song, McGee, Reeves and Torres join us on the dance floor. By the end of the song we’re laughing and singing along.  Torres, Evangeline, Lydia and I understand the words where as the others just hum along.  Nevertheless we have a great time.  My group exit the club but not before saying goodbye to Reeves, Torres and McGee who remain to finish out their evening.  I drop everyone off and head home.

When I arrive the house is dark.  That means that my husband is asleep.  I lock up and shower in the guest bathroom so that I don’t wake him.  I creep into the bedroom and crawl in on my side of the bed.  I settle my head on my pillow when I feel Jethro roll over to snuggle up behind me.  I stay still so as not to wake him but then I feel his hand moving on my stomach and know that he is awake.

“Did you have a good time dancing?”

“I thought you were asleep. I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn’t wake me.  I was asleep but I felt you on the bed and just wanted to hold you. Go to sleep.”

“Okay. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

He pulls me to him and I can feel his arousal.  Never one to let a good ‘thing’ go to waste I reach back and caress him.  He moans.

“I thought that you were going to sleep Margie. You know that if you keep doing that we won’t get much sleep.”

“Sleep is overrated.  I’d rather enjoy what I have my hand on now rather than some hours of sleep. Care to join me?”

And with that we made good use of ‘all that was offered’ and ended up sated and satisfied.  We then slept peacefully through the night.