Second Chances

Setting things straight

Jack decided to talk to Alanna to clear things up, so he drove to her funeral home. He arrived at Paeoniae Exercitu funeral home. Alanna was in the greeting room dismissing some clients. He watched as she said goodbye and was left alone. He rushed out of his car and made it to the funeral home's front door. Alanna was walking away to her office, when she was stopped by a demanding voice, "Alanna, can we talk?" Alanna turned around and found Jack a little agitated. "Come to my office." She replied with a little concern.

Alanna guided Jack into her office. She asked if he wanted to take a seat, pointing at a seat in front of her desk, and he refused. She turned to him and asked what he wanted to talk about. Jack looked around, avoiding eye contact. "Are the rumors true?" he asked in a shy voice. Alanna laughs, "So, you heard that I'm The Maneater?" Jack looked at her upset. He didn't find it funny. Alanna explained, "I lost my Franco almost ten years ago and I have dated a few men, well maybe more than a few, but nothing serious. A lot of them end up very disappointed with our encounters and start these rumors. I don't think I should be explaining myself when I'm a widow. I have the right to go out with whomever I want." Jack's face relaxed and he asked, so I'm just another of your conquest?" Alanna grabs his hands, looked in his eyes, and said, "No you are different." Jack believed her, or he wanted to believe her. He embraces her. Alanna was confused but enjoying being in his arms again. She slides her arms around his torso and lays her head on his chest listening to his soothing heartbeat. His body's smell woke up her desire. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to feel his naked body on hers again. Jack held her tighter like he knew what she was thinking. He caressed her back and stopped at her pants. Alanna tries to control her breathing. Jack began to get excited. He could feel himself starting to get rigid, so he loosened up his grip.

Jack rests his chin on her head and catches a glimpse of Alanna's computer screen. There was a picture of a younger, heavier Alanna hugging a man. Her smile was beautiful. She looked so happy. Then the screen changed to another picture of the same couple but a little older, kissing. Then another picture of the couple making funny faces. Then a picture of a family. It was Alanna’s family. In the picture, he could see Alanna with the same man and four kids. She looked heavier, her hair was shorter, but her smile was brighter. Then a more recent picture, she looked extremely skinny and the kids did not look so happy. The youngest girl is hugging Alanna, looking so sad. The next picture was more recent. Alanna looks just as she did right now in his arms, and she is surrounded by five young adults and a baby. She is smiling but she doesn't look as happy as before.

Jack held her tighter. He understood that she was just a lonely woman who had lost the love of her life. A woman trying to continue living without the person that meant everything to her, and people should not shame her for that. Alanna took a deep breath and hugged him tighter. Jack wishes things were different. He waited so long to see her again. He imagined their reunion was going to be as magical as the first time they met, but he found out that Alanna was right. Reality ruined everything. They hugged quietly without moving for a long time.

Suddenly, a knock on the door startled them. They let go of each other and Alanna called out, "Yes". Carol answers, "Missis Ruth is here". Alanna asked Jack to give her a minute and she let Miss Ruth in. Miss Ruth must be in her early 80s. She walked with a walker. Her thin white hair was messy. Alanna welcomed her with a hug and introduced Jack to her. Miss Ruth made her way to the sofa in a corner of the office. Alanna helped her sit and fixed her hair as she sat down. Miss Ruth pushed her hand away and scolded her, "leave it alone". Alana looked at Jack and they shared a smile. Miss Ruth grabbed her purse and pulled out ten dollars. "Here you go, sweetheart. I'm sorry I'm a little short". Alanna grabbed her hand and told her, " Don't worry, that’s fine". Alanna went to her desk and opened a drawer. She pulled out a bottle of pills. She walked to Miss Ruth and put the pills in her purse. Miss Ruth grabbed Alanna’s hand and kissed it. Alanna smiled and softly said, “I’m sorry there are only a few pills.” Miss Ruth smiled and waved the money. Alanna took the money and stood up to help Miss Ruth stand up. Jack helped Alanna. Miss Ruth looked at Jack and smiled. Then she looked at Alanna and gave her a thumbs up with a smile. Alanna blushed. Carol waited for Miss Ruth to be far outside the door to go into the office and mumble, "If you keep this up you are going to lose the funeral home." "Don't start", Alanna replied. Carol left the office shaking her head.

Jack looked at Alanna's puzzle. Alanna sat on her chair with a worried face. Jack asked, “What does she mean?” Alanna sighed, “She just gets mad when I give things away and services for free.” Jack looked at Alanna’s hand. She was still holding the ten dollars. Alanna noticed him staring at her hand and realized that she was still holding the money. She then pulled open the top right drawer. There was a ledger, some loose money, and a lot of opened mail. Alanna took out the ledger and wrote ten dollars next to a list of ten dollars, five dollars, fifteen dollars, etc. Noting over twenty dollars. Jack observed Alanna quietly as she took out all the loose bills and counted. Them. Then she took out one of the open letters and pulled out a light bill. Alanna calls Carol. Carol comes back in frowning and Alanna hands her the light bill with most of the money. Carol smiled at Alanna and rushed to her desk. Alanna slowly put the ledger and three dollars back in the drawer. Alanna closed the drawer and turned to look at Jack, “I told you reality ruins everything.” Jack nodded and asked, “What did you give Miss Ruth?” Alanna smiled, “Nothing illegal, officer. I buy arthritis pills in Canada and give them to some of my friends that can’t afford them” Jack looked at her and smiled. He realized that the woman everybody had been describing to him was nothing like the woman he had in front of him. He asked Alanna if they could start fresh. He felt something special towards her. Jack now knew that he didn’t have a chance of a relationship with her, but he still wanted to be part of her life. Jack grabbed both of Alanna's hands. He stared at her eyes quietly. Alanna smiled and looked at the floor while her face became red. Jack needed to go back to work but he didn't really want to go. He didn't want to leave her side. "I'll see you around," he said, kissing her on the forehead. Alanna realized that he was leaving and didn’t want to let him go. She stood up and hugged him. He hugged her for a second, then let go and walked away, leaving Alanna standing like a statue motionless, expressionless. Right before exiting the office, he turned back and smiled at Alanna. Alanna snapped out of her trance. She sat back in her chair and went back to work.

The next day, Jack arrived at Alanna's business before noon with a bag of lunch for Alanna. She let him into his office and was surprised to open the bag and find her favorite food from her friends' restaurant. "How did you know?" She asked Jack, amazed. "I did some digging" he replied proudly. Alanna hugged Jack and took him to her office. "Carol, hold my calls", she requested, passing Carol's desk. Jack and Alanna walked into her office. Alanna locked the door behind her. The couple had a good lunch. They talked about their kids and their jobs.

Having lunch together became a daily custom. Jack behaved like a friend. Alanna was a little upset at the beginning because she wanted more than a friendship with him, but he was very respectful and ignored her flirty comments. However, every day the lunches took longer, and they spend more time saying goodbye. Jack will hug Alanna for a long time. He would caress her back and kiss her head but nothing else.

One day, Jack arrived a little later than usual. When he walked into the office, Alanna was talking to a man that was standing right outside the emergency exit in her office. Jack cleared his throat. Alanna turned to look at Jack and called him over. Jack moved closer to her reluctance. As he approached Alanna he was surprised by the strong urine, sweat, and moldy smell. Alanna grabbed Jack’s hand and pulled him closer to her. Then she told the guy outside, “Homeless Bob. This is my friend Jack.” The man smiled, exposing his few decaying teeth. Jack smile. Homeless Bob waved by and left holding a plastic container with food. Alanna said, “See you tomorrow.” Jack looked at Alanna and smiled, “I have seen that guy around. He is a character.” Alanna responded, “Yes he is. You know he named himself Homeless Bob.” She explained how she doesn’t think Bob is his real name.” Alanna grabs an odor-eliminating air freshener and sprays it. They both laughed and Jack asked what he was doing there? Alanna explained to Jack, that every day after he left, she would give the leftover to Homeless Bob. She met him in the alley at the back of the business when she was taking out the trash one day. She gave him food and offered him food every day. They had an agreement that he would knock on the back door to announce that he was there, and Alanna would open the door and give him the food. Jack grabs Alanna’s waist with one hand and her face with the other. He looked into her eyes and said, “You are too nice, be careful please.” For a second Alanna was confused by Jack’s possessive tender reaction to finding her talking to another man, but then he immediately let her go and sat down to eat.

Every time Jack hugged Alanna, she wanted to kiss him. She would sniff his neck, caress his back, wishing that he would take her in his arms and do to her whatever he wanted as he did before. However, Jack holds her very tight then lets her go and say goodbye.

Alanna didn't realize the struggle that Jack was dealing with. Every day he went to see her as a friend, but having her so close was hard for him. He stares at her lips when she talks. He imagines kissing them, sucking on them, and feeling them once again on him. He loved talking to her. The conversations were always interesting. They had so much in common. He wished for more, but he knew that she would never have feelings for him as she did for her husband. Therefore, he settles for being her friend. Nevertheless, his inner struggle was almost unbearable. Jack held Alanna tight and sniffed her hair. He felt her hand caressing his back and could hardly hide his arousal. He had to push her away many times to keep her from noticing. It was torture feeling her body so close. He knew every inch of that body and had tasted every inch of that body. He couldn't be so close without touching her or tasting her.

One day Jack could not handle it anymore, so he asked her to meet him at the restaurant. He was worried that if he spent another day alone with her in her office, he would not be able to restrain himself. Jack arrived early and picked a table for them. Alanna arrived a little bit after. She spotted him at the restaurant’s balcony. "He had picked a table outside. Is it because those stupid officers are inside?", she thought to herself as she walked towards the table. Alanna approaches the table with the same hip swing that she entered the restaurant when they first met. Jack tried to hold back his arousal. She was wearing a tight navy pantsuit. The open blazer exposed her tight white bottom up shirt. Her shirt was open low enough to show a little bit of cleavage. Her hair was held up in a high bun, highlighting her cheekbones. She was wearing light eye makeup and only lip-gloss. Small hoop earrings matched the necklace that rested between her exposed part of her breast. As Alanna got closer, Jack took a deep breath and stood up to pull out her chair.

Alanna walked struggling to keep her composure. Jack didn’t stop smiling, since he saw her walking towards him. The officers at the table inside started murmuring, but Alanna didn’t notice. She was focused on Jack’s eyes. His eyes looked lighter under the sunlight. His pink lips looked appetizing; she took a deep breath when she noticed him licking them. Alanna watched Jack stand up as she got closer and couldn’t help looking at the bulge on his pants. Alanna felt goosebumps. She gets to the table and sits down on the chair that Jack pulled out for her. He pushes the chair in. Then he sat across from her. He looked at her eyes. She looked down and blushed. Jack held her hand and said, "Am I making you uncomfortable?" She shook her head, a little embarrassed. Then he whispered, "You are so beautiful". Alanna smiles and looks up. She looks at his eyes set on her and sights.

Smith and another officer walked to their table. Smith smirks and shouts, "Sergeant, you really fell for it?" Jack banged his fist on the table and stood up. "That is it!" he shouted. He stood up and pointed at Smith, "You will be in traffic for a month and if you ever bother Mrs. Alanna again, you will be stuck there for a long time." Alanna smiled and looked at Jack. The people at the restaurant stared but Jack didn’t care. The officers left. Smith mumbled quietly, incredibly angry. Jack sat back down and called the waiter. They had their meal and went their separate ways.

Alanna and Jack went back to their routine to avoid more unpleasant encounters. One morning Alanna didn't receive a good morning text from Jack as he did every morning after he finished working out. Alanna became a little worried but assumed that he was busy. Before she noticed, it was noon and Alanna had not heard from Jack yet. She leaves him a message asking if he was okay. She asked him to please text or call when he had a chance because she was getting worried.

Carol ran into her office without knocking. Tears were running down her face. Alanna jumped out of her seat. "What is wrong?" Alanna asked, concerned and scared. She had never seen Carol like this. Carol took a deep breath and with a cracked voice explained, "A little girl was murdered by her father. He abused her and dismembered her." The little girl’s aunt called to see if they could have the funeral at Alanna's funeral home. Then Carol told her, "Jack was the one who found the little girl. "What?!" Alana exclaimed.