(no subject)
Title: You Must Meet My Wife
Author: Me, but with heavy help from Juno_chan
Rating: PG13
Timeline: "Your Fault"-ish
Disclaimer: Dare to dream.
So Juno_chan and I have done a lot of late-night discussions that turn into story ideas that turn into each of us playing a part and coming up with dialogue...this one is one of those. She's supposed to write the next one, so everyone get on her case if you would like to hear more. ;-)
Rex Van de Kamp knew that he wasn’t supposed to be working yet, but life at home was worse than ever. Yeah, he’d been upset with the past few years of his marriage, but Bree had always made an effort. Now, it was if she didn’t care at all, and he didn’t know how to take it. At least she wasn’t dating her dorky little pharmacist friend anymore, but she was a beautiful woman who could be very charming when she wanted to.
She was a woman who would not stay lonely for long, and that was a fact that immensely worried her husband.
So he had come back to work, despite the fact that even though he was feeling better, his heart probably wasn’t up to it. His heart wasn’t up to watching his wife calmly and coolly begin the process of divorcing him, either. At least work made him feel wanted. And it was a good distraction from his deteriorating marriage that he’d only realized how much he valued when he’d lost it.
Well, it was a good distraction until a cheery female voice hit his ears, and he turned around to see Bree. She looked great, too, in her pale blue blouse and khaki skirt, her long legs stretched almost to absurdity in high heels. More importantly, she was carrying a basket of muffins.
“Bree, what are you doing here?” Rex asked, curious but somewhat annoyed. He wanted her back, sure, but she could still be so damned hard to live with.
“Oh, don’t worry, honey, I’m not here to see you!” she said brightly with a pleasant smile.
Oh, God, what was wrong with her? If she wasn’t visiting him, there must be something wrong, some reason that she had to be at the hospital. She had to be sick, or maybe one of the kids was sick, or hurt, or…
Rex stood, dumbstruck, watching as she laid her hand on the arm of Dr. Ryan Monton, a man who had previously been one of Rex’s good friends…until he leaned over and kissed Rex’s wife on the cheek. And she kissed him back. And not air-kissing, either, the kind she did only to be polite…and she was closing her eyes. And, oh, God, she was following him into an empty room.
“Would you excuse me, please?” Rex mumbled to the intern standing next to him.
“Uh…sure, Dr. Van de Kamp, no problem,” he offered, clearly flustered. Rex rushed off to the door behind which his wife and Dr. Monton had disappeared. He could hear light, muffled voices coming from the examining room and began controlling his breathing to keep it quiet enough to hear their whispers.
“Mmm…that’s incredible…” moaned Monton, and Rex stiffened. Just what, exactly, was so incredible?
“There’s always more if you like,” Bree said, her voice taking the lower, smoother alto that Rex recognized as the tone she used when she was aroused.
“Don’t even mention more,” laughed Monton lightly. “Just this is already enough to make my head spin…delicious…”
And then, the awful silence. Rex couldn’t decide which was worse. Abruptly, he turned and left.
“Dr. Van de Kamp, can you…?” began the young intern Rex had brushed off to spy on his wife.
“No,” said Rex irritably. “God, Eric, you’re so incompetent. You had four years of med school at Chicago; learn to take care of your patients yourself!” He stomped off, not even registering the look of shock and hurt that crossed the young man’s face.
“Don’t take it personally; he’s just upset about his wife,” came a female voice with an ironic tone at Eric Randolph’s shoulder. He turned to look at Megan Ryder, a fellow intern and a former classmate at the University of Chicago.
“What’s that? His wife?”
“Didn’t you see? Mrs. Van de Kamp came by and disappeared with Dr. Monton instead of with Dr. Van de Kamp. Come on, you have to have noticed her.”
“Is Mrs. Van de Kamp the gorgeous red-head with the legs?”
“Yeah, that’s her. He wanted a divorce, so I guess she’s rubbing his nose in it.”
“Damn, who would leave her by choice? What a body!”
“Says the wannabe-gynecologist,” Megan teased. “I don’t know why he’s leaving her, but she’s definitely not going to make it easy on him.” She sighed. “Which means he’s not going to make it easy on us. This is what happens when wives have affairs. It’s always the interns who suffer.”
The interns, maybe, but the husband himself was having a hard time of it. It was unfair, he knew, to expect the estranged wife whom he had told point-blank to try to meet someone, to remain faithful, but there was just something about Bree’s smile, something about Bree’s hair, something about the gracefulness of her body and the rich, warm tones of her voice and the rapturous expression on her face as she lay beneath him-something he didn’t want to share with anyone, certainly not someone in the office next door.
Share. She wasn’t even going to let him share, anymore, was she? Bree wasn’t the kind of woman to sleep with two men at the same time. If she wanted Monton now, it meant that their marriage was officially over, whether or not the papers were signed. Bree was a one-man girl; she always had been; she always would be. If she was with Monton now, it meant that Rex would never again pull her into his arms and kiss her, would never again touch her casually to be given a warm, tight embrace in return, would never again see the drowsy, satisfied smile that played across her face after they had finished making love…would never again be allowed to tell her, to show her how much he loved her…because he loved her still, and, damnit, she was supposed to be waiting for him still.
And to make matters even worse, now he was stuck at work, with a job to do and people who needed him, and all he could think about were damp, tousled red hair, big green eyes, and the kind of body that was God’s gift to anatomy. All he could think about was his wife, and it simply wasn’t fair.
“Rex? Rex, what’s going on? Why did you brush off Eric Randolph? He needed you to look over Mrs. Cunningham’s chart.” Dr. Rhonda Haussman was staring intently at Rex, her icy blue eyes filled with an honest, simple incomprehension.
“I hate Ryan Monton,” Rex said in response.
“Why?” asked Rhonda curiously. She knew that Andrea Cunningham was more important, but hospital gossip gave way to hospital politics, and if two of the most respected ER doctors were not going to get along any longer, she wanted to know why.
“I just do, okay!” he snapped.
“Rex, are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay! Damnit, Ronnie, he’s sleeping with my wife!” She frowned.
“That’s ridiculous. Bree worships you. That’s why all the guys are jealous; you apparently bagged the perfect wife.”
“Yeah, well…you shouldn’t look through windows,” Rex commented morosely, wondering what, exactly, was going on behind the shade that covered Monton’s window. “Look, Ron, I can’t talk about this right now. I can’t deal with this right now. Let me go have a look at Mrs. Cunningham.” He walked off, and Rhonda shook her head as she watched his stance: angry, betrayed, and, most of all, hurt. She could only hope that Rex Van de Kamp could manage to shut off his emotion when he walked through the door…but then he always had in the past.
“Watch out for Van de Kamp today,” she said lightly to the next doctor she passed. “He’s on a warpath. Monton’s screwing his wife.”
“Monton got Mrs. Van de Kamp to put out? Dude, he’s my new God!” commented the young man enthusiastically, and Rhonda smiled thinly. She’d forgotten what young men could be like when sex was involved. Well, and she’d forgotten how young this particular doctor was.
It wasn’t long before everyone was looking at Rex with a sort of wary gaze, avoiding him if possible or being brief and to-the-point if they couldn’t keep from speaking to him. It annoyed him to realize that everyone knew about his wife, but he couldn’t deny that he didn’t really want to talk to anyone, anyway. Still, he made an effort not to be sharp with his colleagues. They didn’t have to realize how upset he was, how far beyond the anger of the cuckold husband this went. They didn’t have to realize that, in his mind’s eye, he was seeing her, over and over, in Monton’s arms, naked, her legs wrapped around his waist and her fingernails digging into his shoulder-blades, her breath coming in short gasps and her perfect make-up melting a little in the silky, sweaty sheen that covered her face. No one had to know how much it was breaking his heart, how much of an effort it was to go about his daily routine when the love of his life was lying in someone else’s arms, right here, in this hospital.
Rex walked into the staff lounge and poured himself a cup of coffee. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him, and suddenly they irritated him beyond belief.
“My wife’s having an affair with Ryan Monton,” he said bluntly. “Fine. Can you all please stop whispering and walking on eggshells now?”
“I’m sorry,” said Clara Reynolds softly. Clara, one of the few RNs that Fairview Hospital had managed to find in the middle of the nursing shortage, was a sweet, pretty girl with a soothing voice and a caring smile. At that moment, Rex wanted to claw her creamy-skinned face until it bled and scream for all to hear. Don’t be sorry! Sorry means that it’s all over, and it can’t be!
“Thanks,” he managed to say with a rueful sigh. “I’m never talking to Ryan again, just so you know.”
“But, Rex…” commented Dr. Aaron Eckardt as he came over to refill his coffee mug. “Rex, your wife is gorgeous. Honestly, I don’t know any guy in this hospital who’d turn her down if given the opportunity.”
“Excuse me?”
“Seriously,” chimed in Dr. Katharine Dawson. “I mean, I’m straight, and I’d totally have sex with her.”
“But she’s my wife!” exclaimed Rex petulantly, and the rest of the room exchanged glances.
“I know,” said Aaron again, patting Rex on the shoulder on his way back to his chair. “And it was a shitty thing for Ryan to do. But you can’t take it personally. It’s nothing against you on his part…it’s just that your wife is incredibly beautiful, and, I mean…you guys are getting divorced.”
“I guess,” said Rex, sulking. He got up, put his coffee mug in the dishwasher, and moved to leave the room. In the doorframe, though, he stopped.
“How many of you guys would sleep with Bree?” he asked. The three men in the room immediately raised their hands, followed, rather sheepishly, by the two women. Rex sighed and shook his head.
“Hey, why the long face, Dr. Van de Kamp?” asked an annoyingly cheerful young man. Rex was pretty sure that the guy was a third-year med student at…damn, he couldn’t remember. But he forced a smile anyway.
“I just found out that the entire hospital wants to sleep with my wife,” he said, his voice, despite himself, oozing sarcasm.
“Is your wife the tall redhead?” asked the nameless man. Rex nodded, and his companion took in a long breath.
“Damn, I’m sorry, man. That sucks.”
“You want her, too?” grumbled Rex suspiciously.
“Well…I mean…I’ll see you later, Dr. Van de Kamp. Good luck with your wife.” And he hastened into the lounge, leaving Rex to meander, dream-like, through the hospital, wishing that the last few months…hell, the last few years…hadn’t happened. She was his wife-his wife!-the woman who had promised to forsake all others, to cherish and to keep him, to worship him with her body and to love him with all of her heart. She was his wife, and now…suddenly…she wasn’t his anymore, and it hurt more than words could ever express.
“Hi, Mr. Petrill,” he said vaguely to the man lying on the bed, glancing at the chart he held in his hands. “How are you feeling today?” A dark-haired man in his early thirties with heavily muscled arms, Robert Petrill had been brought in the day before with a badly broken leg which Rex had attended to before the orthopedic surgeon had arrived.
“I’m all right,” he said genially. “I’m sorry, but who are you? I’ve seen so many white coats today…”
“It’s okay,” Rex reassured him. “I’m Rex Van de Kamp. I was the ER doctor on call when you were brought in.”
“Hey, thanks, man,” said Robert with a smile. “I appreciate that. You should call me Rob, then, by the way.”
“Sure, if you’ll call me Rex.”
“Yeah, of course. Van de Kamp…that’s sure a mouthful. I’ll bet you have the hardest time filling it in on forms and shit.” Rex chuckled.
“Definitely. My kids are always complaining.”
“It must suck, being an ER doctor. I mean, and I complain about never getting to spend time with my kids…you must be out all the time.”
“Not really. Working in a hospital, you actually have the most regular hours in the ER, because they always need someone. Whereas if you’re, say, an obstetrician, babies don’t wait ‘til you’re on duty.”
“I never thought of it like that…so, how old are your kids, anyway?”
“Fifteen and sixteen,” Rex told him, happy to engage in Bree-like small talk because it distracted him from what Bree was doing. Dear God, too late, he was turning into his wife now that his wife wasn’t around to care anymore.
“Mine are four and eighteen months,” Rob said, smiling. “Jenna’s bringing them in today.”
“Jenna’s your wife?”
“Yeah, she’s wonderful.” He chuckled. “She thinks of everything. You never met a better wife. Beautiful, smart, funny, sweet, loving…a good cook, a good seamstress, a good mother…God, I love her. I’ll never understand why a girl like her picked a man like me, but you can bet I’m on my knees every night praying that she’ll always be with me.”
And suddenly the small talk was over. Rex smiled bittersweetly and patted the younger man’s shoulder.
“You take care of her, then. Hearts like that are too valuable to break…women like that are too valuable to lose…trust me on that one.” Rob’s eyes traveled to the wedding ring that still adorned Rex’s left ring finger.
“Divorced?” he asked sympathetically.
“Doing everything I can to avoid it,” was Rex’s slightly detached reply. “Of course, my wife’s in the next room screwing one of my formerly good friends, so I’m thinking that maybe it’s over for good. And I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.” The silence in the room was deafening for a painful moment, and then-“So be good to your wife, okay? Make sure she knows that you need her…and, uh, when she brings your kids in…say thank you.”
“I’ll do that.” Abruptly, he continued. “Anyway, it was nice to meet you, and thanks again for whatever it was that you did for me yesterday. I really appreciate it.” He extended his hand, and Rex shook it.
“You’re welcome. I’m always glad to help.” He picked up the chart and left the room, closing the door quietly and remembering a time, not that long ago, when he, too, had been secure in his wife’s love and care. How was it possible that he’d stopped valuing her? How was it possible that he’d forgotten how lonely life was when there was no one waiting for him, to kiss him and to wrap her arms around him when he got home? And now there was an office, an empty office and a wife who was probably lying, post-coital, in someone else’s arms.
“So, Rex, I’ll see you tonight,” called the instantly recognizable, lilting voice.
“Did you have a good time?” he asked petulantly. Bree walked into the room and sat down. She’d done a beautiful job of fixing her clothes and her make-up, but then, of course she had.
“Yes, I did,” she said easily, smoothing her skirt and smiling at her husband. “Dr. Monton is such a kind man.”
“Yeah, he’s a great guy,” Rex agreed, the sarcasm in his voice overwhelming his words.
“Do you know, he called me yesterday, and he was so gracious. That’s why I had to come to see him today.”
“That’s all it took? Really, Bree, I don’t remember your having ever been that easy.” He stood up, running his hands through his hair, trying to wrap his brain around the fact that his wife, his wife, didn’t understand how he could be so upset over this.
“Rex…”
“Bree, when we were first married, when you said that you loved me more than the world, I pleaded, I got down on my knees and begged you to indulge my fantasy and come have sex with me at the hospital, and you said that it wasn’t lady-like and you wouldn’t do it, and I respected that. How do you think it makes me feel to know that you’d do it for him…that you love him more already than you loved me in eighteen years of marriage?”
“What are you talking about? I just had to bring him the muffins,” explained Bree, a perplexed expression beginning to cross her face.
“Do I even want to know what that is?” asked Rex, his tone rising.
“Rex, they’re muffins. For Heaven’s sake, you know what muffins are.”
“Look, Bree, apparently I’m not as kinky as you, because I-”
“What in God’s name are you talking about? I baked Dr. Monton chocolate chip muffins to thank him for thinking of me, and I gave them to him today. Why are you acting as if I’d-I don’t know-had sex with him or something?”
Was there a chance? Could the world really be right again?
“You mean you didn’t?” he asked hopefully. A look of shock crossed Bree’s face.
“Rex! Of course I didn’t! I barely know the man…and besides, sweetie, I’m still married to you.”
“I know you are…but I thought…I heard…” Suddenly Rex thought about the sounds he had heard. Could it be possible…?
“You really only gave him muffins?”
“I really only gave him muffins.” Uh-oh, she was upset now.
“Are you angry with me?” It was important to be direct; they couldn’t afford passive-aggression, not now, not when their marriage could really be over.
“Well, honestly, honey, yes, I am! How could you imply that I would ever, could ever be unfaithful? It’s just…such a breach of trust…I’ve only ever, only ever in my life, been with you.”
“I believe you. I’m sorry,” he said simply, looking Bree straight in the eyes and holding his gaze until he knew that she could feel the heat that leapt between them. She looked down at her lap, embarrassed.
“I don’t know how you ever could have thought…”
“Bree, all morning, all I’ve been hearing is how much all my colleagues want you. They think you’re gorgeous and sexy and that I’m a fool for ever having wanted to leave you…and they’re right,” he finished quietly. She looked up quickly, searching Rex’s face for the truth.
“Are they?” He nodded, quite seriously.
“They are. And they don’t even know the half of it,” he said ruefully. “Bree, I can’t lose you. Please, please…please stay. I’ll be the husband you’ve always wanted, I promise, just please…don’t go.” She cast her eyes down, long lashes hiding the “windows to her soul,” and all Rex could do was pray.
“Okay.”
“Really? You mean it?” She nodded gently, and suddenly all inhibitions were lost and Rex had pulled his wife into his arms and he was kissing her.
“Rex!” she laughed indulgently after he pulled away, her smile slowly widening as she looked at her husband with an expression so filled with love that it was almost worth the dreadful morning he’d had.
“I love you,” he said lightly, smiling at her with pure happiness.
“Oh, honey. I love you, too.” Bree put her arms around his shoulders, relishing the feeling of his strong chest and supportive arms.
“Rex?” she asked after a moment.
“Mmm…yeah, sweetie?”
“Are all your colleagues really attracted to me?” He pulled away, twirling a lock of her hair, and laughed. Because it was funny now, now that he knew that she would only ever be his, now that he knew that they would never get her, to think of how much everyone else wanted her.
“Oh, yeah. You should’ve heard them in the staff lounge. Your face’d be as red as your hair.”
“Well, that’s always nice to hear.” She glanced at her watch. “Your shift’s over in five minutes, right?”
“Uh…yeah…three-thirty. God, I can’t wait ‘til next week when I can sleep in.”
“Yes, but then you’ll be home so late. I’ll already have gone to bed.”
Was she implying what he thought she was?
“Does it really make a difference?” Rex asked carefully. “I mean, it’s not as if you…”
“Oh,” Bree said in a small voice. “Oh, well, I suppose it doesn’t; I just assumed…”
“Assumed what?”
“That you would want to sleep upstairs with me again,” she said, lowering her eyes as her face flushed.
“Hey, if that’s an option, I’m up for it,” he teased, and Bree blushed a little more. He smiled at her. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
Rex relished the feeling of all eyes upon him as he signed out with Bree at his side, her arm wrapped around his waist. He had avoided their eyes all day, but now that everyone could see that he and his wife were still together, that he was still allowed to hold the woman after whom the whole hospital lusted, he was willing to let them watch him all day if they wanted.
“Where did you park, honey?” he asked her, a little more loudly than necessary, as they strolled over to the parking lot. She pointed at her car, and he walked her to it, fished out his keys, and opened the door for her.
“I’ll see you when we get home,” he said as she buckled her seatbelt. Bree nodded and put her hands on his shoulders, pulling him down to kiss him good-bye. He closed the door behind him, watching as she started the engine and put the car into reverse, and then he made his way back to his own car, unconditionally happy, for the first time in quite a long while, to be going home.
Rex got home first, which wasn’t much of a surprise given that Bree never speeded and always stopped at yellow lights. Danielle had Abstinence Club, after which she was going over to John Rowland’s, and Andrew had swim practice, said the calendar on the wall, until five-thirty today. So much the better. Rex poured himself a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table with the newspaper that hadn’t arrived ‘til after he’d left, waiting for his wife to come home. Then he heard her key turn in the lock, and he smiled.
“Hi, Rex,” said Bree, coming through the door and taking off her coat. He gazed unequivocally at her, admiring her long legs and gorgeous figure without pretending not to stare.
“Hey.” He kept looking at her, and Bree, flustered, smoothed her skirt and patted her hair.
“Is something wrong?” she asked after a moment. Rex shook his head.
“I’m just looking at you,” he told her.
“Oh,” she said, embarrassed. “Well, uh, go ahead, then.”
“What would you say if I told you that I wanted to stop looking at you?” Rex queried, and Bree frowned in incomprehension. “What would you say if I told you that I wanted to touch you instead?”
She looked at him, unsure of what, exactly, to say. It had been a very long time since Rex had initiated sex; so long, in fact, that she would have to look at her date-book to pinpoint the day.
“Well…” she started, carefully. “I guess I’d say…I’m all yours,” this last so quietly that Rex wasn’t quite sure if he’d heard her correctly, but he was willing to take his chances. He reached for a coaster on which to place his glass, then stood and walked over to his wife, resting his hands on her waist and bending over to kiss her firmly.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he mumbled against her mouth as he felt her arms come around his back. She tilted back her head to let him kiss her neck in response, and Rex felt his body fill with the sudden rush of feeling that he knew within seconds would lead to arousal. He had a momentary worry that his recovering heart might give him trouble, but as they stumbled up the stairs, he decided that the risk was small enough to take.
Besides, the rewards were too powerful to count.
She fell back on the bed and she was all his, his wife, the woman who’d promised to be there for him, always, for the rest of her life, and he lay next to her and pulled her close, kissing her passionately, and for once, she didn’t remind him not to leave any marks on her neck. In fact, she seemed almost to welcome them, moaning and gripping his back tighter and tighter as he kissed her.
“I want you,” he whispered, his breath tickling her neck and sending shivers down her spine. “I want you so much.”
“Then take me,” she urged him hoarsely. “I’ve missed you for so long…”
Some time later, they lay drowsily on the bed, knowing that their children would be home soon and that they would have to dress but not wanting to move.
“Are you feeling okay, honey?” Bree asked hazily, rolling over to face him and propping herself up on her arm. Rex gave her a puzzled look.
“Yeah, of course I am. Bree, please don’t start feeling insecure again…you do satisfy me, I promise, so don’t worry about it.”
“I, uh, actually meant your heart, but, um…thank you,” she stammered awkwardly in return. Rex looked embarrassed.
“Oh. Yeah, I’m fine.” He chuckled. “The fact that I didn’t even realize that’s what you meant is a good sign.”
“Good.” Bree brought her arm back down and let her head fall against the pillows, inches away from her husband.
“We should probably get dressed,” she said, warm breath filling his ear. “It’s past five already. Andrew and Danielle will be home soon.”
“Yeah, I guess,” he agreed, his breathing accelerating slightly.
“Rex, are you sure you’re okay?” Bree asked in concern. “You don’t sound well.” He silently took her hand and brought it under the sheets, and she felt her face color.
“You know the blowing in the ear does it for me,” he said matter-of-factly, sitting up and reaching for his pants. Bree laid her hand on his arm to stop him, and he turned to her.
“Yeah?”
“Well, maybe clothes can wait a little longer,” she said hesitantly, and he smiled.
Shortly after, having finally gotten dressed, they were in the kitchen, Bree carefully adding seasonings to dinner and Rex savoring the memory of his wife ironing their clothes while attired only in lingerie. He stood up and went over to the cabinet to get a glass.
“Are these the muffins you made for Ryan?” he asked curiously. Bree nodded.
“I made a few extra. You can have one if you promise not to spoil your dinner,” but this last was with such an indulgent smile that he couldn’t be annoyed. Rex peeled the paper away and took a bite.
“Mmm!” he exclaimed, forgetting, for once, that he was not supposed to talk with his mouth full. “Oh, wow, this is definitely a recipe to keep.” He took another bite and moaned a little. Bree gave him a pointed look.
“All right, all right, I get it, I was stupid to think you gave him anything but muffins,” he said, putting the muffin back in its paper and laying it on the counter. “Your baking is as good as sex.”
“Is it?” she preened, placing the dish in the oven and then coming over to her husband and putting her arms around his waist.
“Well, almost,” Rex said, and he kissed her.
Juno, I hope it's everything you imagined. Now get writing on your part!
Author: Me, but with heavy help from Juno_chan
Rating: PG13
Timeline: "Your Fault"-ish
Disclaimer: Dare to dream.
So Juno_chan and I have done a lot of late-night discussions that turn into story ideas that turn into each of us playing a part and coming up with dialogue...this one is one of those. She's supposed to write the next one, so everyone get on her case if you would like to hear more. ;-)
Rex Van de Kamp knew that he wasn’t supposed to be working yet, but life at home was worse than ever. Yeah, he’d been upset with the past few years of his marriage, but Bree had always made an effort. Now, it was if she didn’t care at all, and he didn’t know how to take it. At least she wasn’t dating her dorky little pharmacist friend anymore, but she was a beautiful woman who could be very charming when she wanted to.
She was a woman who would not stay lonely for long, and that was a fact that immensely worried her husband.
So he had come back to work, despite the fact that even though he was feeling better, his heart probably wasn’t up to it. His heart wasn’t up to watching his wife calmly and coolly begin the process of divorcing him, either. At least work made him feel wanted. And it was a good distraction from his deteriorating marriage that he’d only realized how much he valued when he’d lost it.
Well, it was a good distraction until a cheery female voice hit his ears, and he turned around to see Bree. She looked great, too, in her pale blue blouse and khaki skirt, her long legs stretched almost to absurdity in high heels. More importantly, she was carrying a basket of muffins.
“Bree, what are you doing here?” Rex asked, curious but somewhat annoyed. He wanted her back, sure, but she could still be so damned hard to live with.
“Oh, don’t worry, honey, I’m not here to see you!” she said brightly with a pleasant smile.
Oh, God, what was wrong with her? If she wasn’t visiting him, there must be something wrong, some reason that she had to be at the hospital. She had to be sick, or maybe one of the kids was sick, or hurt, or…
Rex stood, dumbstruck, watching as she laid her hand on the arm of Dr. Ryan Monton, a man who had previously been one of Rex’s good friends…until he leaned over and kissed Rex’s wife on the cheek. And she kissed him back. And not air-kissing, either, the kind she did only to be polite…and she was closing her eyes. And, oh, God, she was following him into an empty room.
“Would you excuse me, please?” Rex mumbled to the intern standing next to him.
“Uh…sure, Dr. Van de Kamp, no problem,” he offered, clearly flustered. Rex rushed off to the door behind which his wife and Dr. Monton had disappeared. He could hear light, muffled voices coming from the examining room and began controlling his breathing to keep it quiet enough to hear their whispers.
“Mmm…that’s incredible…” moaned Monton, and Rex stiffened. Just what, exactly, was so incredible?
“There’s always more if you like,” Bree said, her voice taking the lower, smoother alto that Rex recognized as the tone she used when she was aroused.
“Don’t even mention more,” laughed Monton lightly. “Just this is already enough to make my head spin…delicious…”
And then, the awful silence. Rex couldn’t decide which was worse. Abruptly, he turned and left.
“Dr. Van de Kamp, can you…?” began the young intern Rex had brushed off to spy on his wife.
“No,” said Rex irritably. “God, Eric, you’re so incompetent. You had four years of med school at Chicago; learn to take care of your patients yourself!” He stomped off, not even registering the look of shock and hurt that crossed the young man’s face.
“Don’t take it personally; he’s just upset about his wife,” came a female voice with an ironic tone at Eric Randolph’s shoulder. He turned to look at Megan Ryder, a fellow intern and a former classmate at the University of Chicago.
“What’s that? His wife?”
“Didn’t you see? Mrs. Van de Kamp came by and disappeared with Dr. Monton instead of with Dr. Van de Kamp. Come on, you have to have noticed her.”
“Is Mrs. Van de Kamp the gorgeous red-head with the legs?”
“Yeah, that’s her. He wanted a divorce, so I guess she’s rubbing his nose in it.”
“Damn, who would leave her by choice? What a body!”
“Says the wannabe-gynecologist,” Megan teased. “I don’t know why he’s leaving her, but she’s definitely not going to make it easy on him.” She sighed. “Which means he’s not going to make it easy on us. This is what happens when wives have affairs. It’s always the interns who suffer.”
The interns, maybe, but the husband himself was having a hard time of it. It was unfair, he knew, to expect the estranged wife whom he had told point-blank to try to meet someone, to remain faithful, but there was just something about Bree’s smile, something about Bree’s hair, something about the gracefulness of her body and the rich, warm tones of her voice and the rapturous expression on her face as she lay beneath him-something he didn’t want to share with anyone, certainly not someone in the office next door.
Share. She wasn’t even going to let him share, anymore, was she? Bree wasn’t the kind of woman to sleep with two men at the same time. If she wanted Monton now, it meant that their marriage was officially over, whether or not the papers were signed. Bree was a one-man girl; she always had been; she always would be. If she was with Monton now, it meant that Rex would never again pull her into his arms and kiss her, would never again touch her casually to be given a warm, tight embrace in return, would never again see the drowsy, satisfied smile that played across her face after they had finished making love…would never again be allowed to tell her, to show her how much he loved her…because he loved her still, and, damnit, she was supposed to be waiting for him still.
And to make matters even worse, now he was stuck at work, with a job to do and people who needed him, and all he could think about were damp, tousled red hair, big green eyes, and the kind of body that was God’s gift to anatomy. All he could think about was his wife, and it simply wasn’t fair.
“Rex? Rex, what’s going on? Why did you brush off Eric Randolph? He needed you to look over Mrs. Cunningham’s chart.” Dr. Rhonda Haussman was staring intently at Rex, her icy blue eyes filled with an honest, simple incomprehension.
“I hate Ryan Monton,” Rex said in response.
“Why?” asked Rhonda curiously. She knew that Andrea Cunningham was more important, but hospital gossip gave way to hospital politics, and if two of the most respected ER doctors were not going to get along any longer, she wanted to know why.
“I just do, okay!” he snapped.
“Rex, are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay! Damnit, Ronnie, he’s sleeping with my wife!” She frowned.
“That’s ridiculous. Bree worships you. That’s why all the guys are jealous; you apparently bagged the perfect wife.”
“Yeah, well…you shouldn’t look through windows,” Rex commented morosely, wondering what, exactly, was going on behind the shade that covered Monton’s window. “Look, Ron, I can’t talk about this right now. I can’t deal with this right now. Let me go have a look at Mrs. Cunningham.” He walked off, and Rhonda shook her head as she watched his stance: angry, betrayed, and, most of all, hurt. She could only hope that Rex Van de Kamp could manage to shut off his emotion when he walked through the door…but then he always had in the past.
“Watch out for Van de Kamp today,” she said lightly to the next doctor she passed. “He’s on a warpath. Monton’s screwing his wife.”
“Monton got Mrs. Van de Kamp to put out? Dude, he’s my new God!” commented the young man enthusiastically, and Rhonda smiled thinly. She’d forgotten what young men could be like when sex was involved. Well, and she’d forgotten how young this particular doctor was.
It wasn’t long before everyone was looking at Rex with a sort of wary gaze, avoiding him if possible or being brief and to-the-point if they couldn’t keep from speaking to him. It annoyed him to realize that everyone knew about his wife, but he couldn’t deny that he didn’t really want to talk to anyone, anyway. Still, he made an effort not to be sharp with his colleagues. They didn’t have to realize how upset he was, how far beyond the anger of the cuckold husband this went. They didn’t have to realize that, in his mind’s eye, he was seeing her, over and over, in Monton’s arms, naked, her legs wrapped around his waist and her fingernails digging into his shoulder-blades, her breath coming in short gasps and her perfect make-up melting a little in the silky, sweaty sheen that covered her face. No one had to know how much it was breaking his heart, how much of an effort it was to go about his daily routine when the love of his life was lying in someone else’s arms, right here, in this hospital.
Rex walked into the staff lounge and poured himself a cup of coffee. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him, and suddenly they irritated him beyond belief.
“My wife’s having an affair with Ryan Monton,” he said bluntly. “Fine. Can you all please stop whispering and walking on eggshells now?”
“I’m sorry,” said Clara Reynolds softly. Clara, one of the few RNs that Fairview Hospital had managed to find in the middle of the nursing shortage, was a sweet, pretty girl with a soothing voice and a caring smile. At that moment, Rex wanted to claw her creamy-skinned face until it bled and scream for all to hear. Don’t be sorry! Sorry means that it’s all over, and it can’t be!
“Thanks,” he managed to say with a rueful sigh. “I’m never talking to Ryan again, just so you know.”
“But, Rex…” commented Dr. Aaron Eckardt as he came over to refill his coffee mug. “Rex, your wife is gorgeous. Honestly, I don’t know any guy in this hospital who’d turn her down if given the opportunity.”
“Excuse me?”
“Seriously,” chimed in Dr. Katharine Dawson. “I mean, I’m straight, and I’d totally have sex with her.”
“But she’s my wife!” exclaimed Rex petulantly, and the rest of the room exchanged glances.
“I know,” said Aaron again, patting Rex on the shoulder on his way back to his chair. “And it was a shitty thing for Ryan to do. But you can’t take it personally. It’s nothing against you on his part…it’s just that your wife is incredibly beautiful, and, I mean…you guys are getting divorced.”
“I guess,” said Rex, sulking. He got up, put his coffee mug in the dishwasher, and moved to leave the room. In the doorframe, though, he stopped.
“How many of you guys would sleep with Bree?” he asked. The three men in the room immediately raised their hands, followed, rather sheepishly, by the two women. Rex sighed and shook his head.
“Hey, why the long face, Dr. Van de Kamp?” asked an annoyingly cheerful young man. Rex was pretty sure that the guy was a third-year med student at…damn, he couldn’t remember. But he forced a smile anyway.
“I just found out that the entire hospital wants to sleep with my wife,” he said, his voice, despite himself, oozing sarcasm.
“Is your wife the tall redhead?” asked the nameless man. Rex nodded, and his companion took in a long breath.
“Damn, I’m sorry, man. That sucks.”
“You want her, too?” grumbled Rex suspiciously.
“Well…I mean…I’ll see you later, Dr. Van de Kamp. Good luck with your wife.” And he hastened into the lounge, leaving Rex to meander, dream-like, through the hospital, wishing that the last few months…hell, the last few years…hadn’t happened. She was his wife-his wife!-the woman who had promised to forsake all others, to cherish and to keep him, to worship him with her body and to love him with all of her heart. She was his wife, and now…suddenly…she wasn’t his anymore, and it hurt more than words could ever express.
“Hi, Mr. Petrill,” he said vaguely to the man lying on the bed, glancing at the chart he held in his hands. “How are you feeling today?” A dark-haired man in his early thirties with heavily muscled arms, Robert Petrill had been brought in the day before with a badly broken leg which Rex had attended to before the orthopedic surgeon had arrived.
“I’m all right,” he said genially. “I’m sorry, but who are you? I’ve seen so many white coats today…”
“It’s okay,” Rex reassured him. “I’m Rex Van de Kamp. I was the ER doctor on call when you were brought in.”
“Hey, thanks, man,” said Robert with a smile. “I appreciate that. You should call me Rob, then, by the way.”
“Sure, if you’ll call me Rex.”
“Yeah, of course. Van de Kamp…that’s sure a mouthful. I’ll bet you have the hardest time filling it in on forms and shit.” Rex chuckled.
“Definitely. My kids are always complaining.”
“It must suck, being an ER doctor. I mean, and I complain about never getting to spend time with my kids…you must be out all the time.”
“Not really. Working in a hospital, you actually have the most regular hours in the ER, because they always need someone. Whereas if you’re, say, an obstetrician, babies don’t wait ‘til you’re on duty.”
“I never thought of it like that…so, how old are your kids, anyway?”
“Fifteen and sixteen,” Rex told him, happy to engage in Bree-like small talk because it distracted him from what Bree was doing. Dear God, too late, he was turning into his wife now that his wife wasn’t around to care anymore.
“Mine are four and eighteen months,” Rob said, smiling. “Jenna’s bringing them in today.”
“Jenna’s your wife?”
“Yeah, she’s wonderful.” He chuckled. “She thinks of everything. You never met a better wife. Beautiful, smart, funny, sweet, loving…a good cook, a good seamstress, a good mother…God, I love her. I’ll never understand why a girl like her picked a man like me, but you can bet I’m on my knees every night praying that she’ll always be with me.”
And suddenly the small talk was over. Rex smiled bittersweetly and patted the younger man’s shoulder.
“You take care of her, then. Hearts like that are too valuable to break…women like that are too valuable to lose…trust me on that one.” Rob’s eyes traveled to the wedding ring that still adorned Rex’s left ring finger.
“Divorced?” he asked sympathetically.
“Doing everything I can to avoid it,” was Rex’s slightly detached reply. “Of course, my wife’s in the next room screwing one of my formerly good friends, so I’m thinking that maybe it’s over for good. And I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.” The silence in the room was deafening for a painful moment, and then-“So be good to your wife, okay? Make sure she knows that you need her…and, uh, when she brings your kids in…say thank you.”
“I’ll do that.” Abruptly, he continued. “Anyway, it was nice to meet you, and thanks again for whatever it was that you did for me yesterday. I really appreciate it.” He extended his hand, and Rex shook it.
“You’re welcome. I’m always glad to help.” He picked up the chart and left the room, closing the door quietly and remembering a time, not that long ago, when he, too, had been secure in his wife’s love and care. How was it possible that he’d stopped valuing her? How was it possible that he’d forgotten how lonely life was when there was no one waiting for him, to kiss him and to wrap her arms around him when he got home? And now there was an office, an empty office and a wife who was probably lying, post-coital, in someone else’s arms.
“So, Rex, I’ll see you tonight,” called the instantly recognizable, lilting voice.
“Did you have a good time?” he asked petulantly. Bree walked into the room and sat down. She’d done a beautiful job of fixing her clothes and her make-up, but then, of course she had.
“Yes, I did,” she said easily, smoothing her skirt and smiling at her husband. “Dr. Monton is such a kind man.”
“Yeah, he’s a great guy,” Rex agreed, the sarcasm in his voice overwhelming his words.
“Do you know, he called me yesterday, and he was so gracious. That’s why I had to come to see him today.”
“That’s all it took? Really, Bree, I don’t remember your having ever been that easy.” He stood up, running his hands through his hair, trying to wrap his brain around the fact that his wife, his wife, didn’t understand how he could be so upset over this.
“Rex…”
“Bree, when we were first married, when you said that you loved me more than the world, I pleaded, I got down on my knees and begged you to indulge my fantasy and come have sex with me at the hospital, and you said that it wasn’t lady-like and you wouldn’t do it, and I respected that. How do you think it makes me feel to know that you’d do it for him…that you love him more already than you loved me in eighteen years of marriage?”
“What are you talking about? I just had to bring him the muffins,” explained Bree, a perplexed expression beginning to cross her face.
“Do I even want to know what that is?” asked Rex, his tone rising.
“Rex, they’re muffins. For Heaven’s sake, you know what muffins are.”
“Look, Bree, apparently I’m not as kinky as you, because I-”
“What in God’s name are you talking about? I baked Dr. Monton chocolate chip muffins to thank him for thinking of me, and I gave them to him today. Why are you acting as if I’d-I don’t know-had sex with him or something?”
Was there a chance? Could the world really be right again?
“You mean you didn’t?” he asked hopefully. A look of shock crossed Bree’s face.
“Rex! Of course I didn’t! I barely know the man…and besides, sweetie, I’m still married to you.”
“I know you are…but I thought…I heard…” Suddenly Rex thought about the sounds he had heard. Could it be possible…?
“You really only gave him muffins?”
“I really only gave him muffins.” Uh-oh, she was upset now.
“Are you angry with me?” It was important to be direct; they couldn’t afford passive-aggression, not now, not when their marriage could really be over.
“Well, honestly, honey, yes, I am! How could you imply that I would ever, could ever be unfaithful? It’s just…such a breach of trust…I’ve only ever, only ever in my life, been with you.”
“I believe you. I’m sorry,” he said simply, looking Bree straight in the eyes and holding his gaze until he knew that she could feel the heat that leapt between them. She looked down at her lap, embarrassed.
“I don’t know how you ever could have thought…”
“Bree, all morning, all I’ve been hearing is how much all my colleagues want you. They think you’re gorgeous and sexy and that I’m a fool for ever having wanted to leave you…and they’re right,” he finished quietly. She looked up quickly, searching Rex’s face for the truth.
“Are they?” He nodded, quite seriously.
“They are. And they don’t even know the half of it,” he said ruefully. “Bree, I can’t lose you. Please, please…please stay. I’ll be the husband you’ve always wanted, I promise, just please…don’t go.” She cast her eyes down, long lashes hiding the “windows to her soul,” and all Rex could do was pray.
“Okay.”
“Really? You mean it?” She nodded gently, and suddenly all inhibitions were lost and Rex had pulled his wife into his arms and he was kissing her.
“Rex!” she laughed indulgently after he pulled away, her smile slowly widening as she looked at her husband with an expression so filled with love that it was almost worth the dreadful morning he’d had.
“I love you,” he said lightly, smiling at her with pure happiness.
“Oh, honey. I love you, too.” Bree put her arms around his shoulders, relishing the feeling of his strong chest and supportive arms.
“Rex?” she asked after a moment.
“Mmm…yeah, sweetie?”
“Are all your colleagues really attracted to me?” He pulled away, twirling a lock of her hair, and laughed. Because it was funny now, now that he knew that she would only ever be his, now that he knew that they would never get her, to think of how much everyone else wanted her.
“Oh, yeah. You should’ve heard them in the staff lounge. Your face’d be as red as your hair.”
“Well, that’s always nice to hear.” She glanced at her watch. “Your shift’s over in five minutes, right?”
“Uh…yeah…three-thirty. God, I can’t wait ‘til next week when I can sleep in.”
“Yes, but then you’ll be home so late. I’ll already have gone to bed.”
Was she implying what he thought she was?
“Does it really make a difference?” Rex asked carefully. “I mean, it’s not as if you…”
“Oh,” Bree said in a small voice. “Oh, well, I suppose it doesn’t; I just assumed…”
“Assumed what?”
“That you would want to sleep upstairs with me again,” she said, lowering her eyes as her face flushed.
“Hey, if that’s an option, I’m up for it,” he teased, and Bree blushed a little more. He smiled at her. “Come on. Let’s go home.”
Rex relished the feeling of all eyes upon him as he signed out with Bree at his side, her arm wrapped around his waist. He had avoided their eyes all day, but now that everyone could see that he and his wife were still together, that he was still allowed to hold the woman after whom the whole hospital lusted, he was willing to let them watch him all day if they wanted.
“Where did you park, honey?” he asked her, a little more loudly than necessary, as they strolled over to the parking lot. She pointed at her car, and he walked her to it, fished out his keys, and opened the door for her.
“I’ll see you when we get home,” he said as she buckled her seatbelt. Bree nodded and put her hands on his shoulders, pulling him down to kiss him good-bye. He closed the door behind him, watching as she started the engine and put the car into reverse, and then he made his way back to his own car, unconditionally happy, for the first time in quite a long while, to be going home.
Rex got home first, which wasn’t much of a surprise given that Bree never speeded and always stopped at yellow lights. Danielle had Abstinence Club, after which she was going over to John Rowland’s, and Andrew had swim practice, said the calendar on the wall, until five-thirty today. So much the better. Rex poured himself a glass of water and sat down at the kitchen table with the newspaper that hadn’t arrived ‘til after he’d left, waiting for his wife to come home. Then he heard her key turn in the lock, and he smiled.
“Hi, Rex,” said Bree, coming through the door and taking off her coat. He gazed unequivocally at her, admiring her long legs and gorgeous figure without pretending not to stare.
“Hey.” He kept looking at her, and Bree, flustered, smoothed her skirt and patted her hair.
“Is something wrong?” she asked after a moment. Rex shook his head.
“I’m just looking at you,” he told her.
“Oh,” she said, embarrassed. “Well, uh, go ahead, then.”
“What would you say if I told you that I wanted to stop looking at you?” Rex queried, and Bree frowned in incomprehension. “What would you say if I told you that I wanted to touch you instead?”
She looked at him, unsure of what, exactly, to say. It had been a very long time since Rex had initiated sex; so long, in fact, that she would have to look at her date-book to pinpoint the day.
“Well…” she started, carefully. “I guess I’d say…I’m all yours,” this last so quietly that Rex wasn’t quite sure if he’d heard her correctly, but he was willing to take his chances. He reached for a coaster on which to place his glass, then stood and walked over to his wife, resting his hands on her waist and bending over to kiss her firmly.
“Let’s go upstairs,” he mumbled against her mouth as he felt her arms come around his back. She tilted back her head to let him kiss her neck in response, and Rex felt his body fill with the sudden rush of feeling that he knew within seconds would lead to arousal. He had a momentary worry that his recovering heart might give him trouble, but as they stumbled up the stairs, he decided that the risk was small enough to take.
Besides, the rewards were too powerful to count.
She fell back on the bed and she was all his, his wife, the woman who’d promised to be there for him, always, for the rest of her life, and he lay next to her and pulled her close, kissing her passionately, and for once, she didn’t remind him not to leave any marks on her neck. In fact, she seemed almost to welcome them, moaning and gripping his back tighter and tighter as he kissed her.
“I want you,” he whispered, his breath tickling her neck and sending shivers down her spine. “I want you so much.”
“Then take me,” she urged him hoarsely. “I’ve missed you for so long…”
Some time later, they lay drowsily on the bed, knowing that their children would be home soon and that they would have to dress but not wanting to move.
“Are you feeling okay, honey?” Bree asked hazily, rolling over to face him and propping herself up on her arm. Rex gave her a puzzled look.
“Yeah, of course I am. Bree, please don’t start feeling insecure again…you do satisfy me, I promise, so don’t worry about it.”
“I, uh, actually meant your heart, but, um…thank you,” she stammered awkwardly in return. Rex looked embarrassed.
“Oh. Yeah, I’m fine.” He chuckled. “The fact that I didn’t even realize that’s what you meant is a good sign.”
“Good.” Bree brought her arm back down and let her head fall against the pillows, inches away from her husband.
“We should probably get dressed,” she said, warm breath filling his ear. “It’s past five already. Andrew and Danielle will be home soon.”
“Yeah, I guess,” he agreed, his breathing accelerating slightly.
“Rex, are you sure you’re okay?” Bree asked in concern. “You don’t sound well.” He silently took her hand and brought it under the sheets, and she felt her face color.
“You know the blowing in the ear does it for me,” he said matter-of-factly, sitting up and reaching for his pants. Bree laid her hand on his arm to stop him, and he turned to her.
“Yeah?”
“Well, maybe clothes can wait a little longer,” she said hesitantly, and he smiled.
Shortly after, having finally gotten dressed, they were in the kitchen, Bree carefully adding seasonings to dinner and Rex savoring the memory of his wife ironing their clothes while attired only in lingerie. He stood up and went over to the cabinet to get a glass.
“Are these the muffins you made for Ryan?” he asked curiously. Bree nodded.
“I made a few extra. You can have one if you promise not to spoil your dinner,” but this last was with such an indulgent smile that he couldn’t be annoyed. Rex peeled the paper away and took a bite.
“Mmm!” he exclaimed, forgetting, for once, that he was not supposed to talk with his mouth full. “Oh, wow, this is definitely a recipe to keep.” He took another bite and moaned a little. Bree gave him a pointed look.
“All right, all right, I get it, I was stupid to think you gave him anything but muffins,” he said, putting the muffin back in its paper and laying it on the counter. “Your baking is as good as sex.”
“Is it?” she preened, placing the dish in the oven and then coming over to her husband and putting her arms around his waist.
“Well, almost,” Rex said, and he kissed her.
Juno, I hope it's everything you imagined. Now get writing on your part!