Tuesday Tales: In which Kate and Karl have a fight... of sorts.

"Hon," reasoned Kate, as she made herself a cup of her favourite mojito tea "you've been invited by your own daughter to your granddaughter's confirmation, you have to go!"

Karl, at his most stubborn replied, "No, I don't! I don't go to church, I don't believe in it, I do not have to go."
"This isn't about you Karl," retorted an exasperated Kate, "it's about your granddaughter taking part in something that is important to her and her mother."

Kate believed she and Karl were having their first fight. A full year had gone by since they had started seeing each other and here they were arguing about religion of all things. Kate was well aware of Karl's views on organized religion and for the most part wasn't too concerned. As Karl had put it to her, "we won't be raising children together so our relationship isn't a show stopper." And for the most part, Kate was okay with that. She was a church goer even if in the past few years it wasn't as obvious. "But this," thought Kate, "is nonsense. This man is being stupidly stubborn."

It was just at this point as Kate was standing quietly in the corner of Karl's kitchen figuring out where to go in this discussion, when Karl asked, " are we having a fight? Because if we are, it's not going to end well, and that scares me."

Karl was very worried. He wanted no part of churches and the nonsense that went on in them. He also knew that Kate was a practicing Catholic who would seek an annulment of her marriage after her civil divorce was finalized. It was important to her. His daughter also knew that he wanted no part of her family's "churchy stuff" as he called it. He loved his daughter, he adored his granddaughter and he dearly loved Kate. What was a non believer to do? He had his principles and his own beliefs or lack of them really that needed to be upheld.

With a sigh, Kate raised her voice a tad, something she'd never done with Karl before, "Yes Karl we ARE having a fight, because you're taking your non believing to a religious fervour, as ironic as that might sound. Really, a little girl just wants her grandpa at her confirmation. Sit at the back of the church, don't participate and smile when the priest says a few words over her head and be done with it! WHAT is the big effing deal?" At the end of that tirade Kate's voice was nearly at fever pitch.

"This is why I don't like religion," Karl pushed back, " it makes people crazy and cranky and they start raising their voices."

Kate took a deep breath, got her voice and her control and gently wrapped her arms around Karl's neck," Hon, I love you, but your fear of church, and it is a fear, not a non belief, is irrational. So, if you ever want to see me naked in your bed again, think through why you won't make your 1o year old grand daughter happy by showing up at her event at church, okay."

"That's extortion!" exclaimed Karl.
"Indeed!" replied Kate "and I have the evil grin to go with it too."

"I'll think about it", a defeated Karl answered, " I won't be thrilled with going, but if it makes you and the two other important girls in my life happy, then I'll think about it."

"She would cut me off too," thought Karl, " without even thinking about it, so I'm not about to give up the best sex I've ever had in my entire life on principle.

Kate also breathed out a very quiet sigh of relief. She was thought, "oh thanks be to the gods - it would kill me to have to give up the best sex of my life because of this man's paranoia about churches."

Kate was sure she'd have to have a chat some other day with Karl about what she believed was his fear of churches and faith rather than his belief in non belief.

I think we just made up shall we take this upstairs and get it done right``
Karl smile, took Kate by the hand and led her up to their favourite room.

Tuesday Tales: In Which Kate spends time alone

Kate was home after work and as usual she called Karl to have a chat. As the phone rang she knew it would end up going to his voice mail, and only then did she remember that he was going out for dinner with friends from his work days. They gathered every couple of months or so to catch up on each other's lives, and tonight was the night.


Kate sighed. She hadn't seen Karl for a couple of days. Sunday night was family dinner night with her girls and their current significant others, and it was her family only for now. Monday evening was a cooking night for a potluck at work on Tuesday, and here she was Tuesday night, eager to see her love, and he was out at dinner without her.


While she carried on as if she was longing for Karl, the fact of the matter was that Kate was not pining at all. She was more than happy to know that Karl had his own friends and a healthy social life that wasn't tied to hers. The reality was that they had managed to meet more of his friends than hers at this stage, almost a year into their relationship. This had been one of Kate's stipulations on her "must have" list as she was making her way through the end of her marriage and spent time thinking about the kind of man she hoped to meet 'someday.'


It continued to surprise her that Karl was her near ideal match- he had friends, he had his own interests, he could make conversation and he enjoyed meeting new people. He understood the code of the cocktail party, and liked it! And as a lover, she couldn't ask for a more caring, generous man. In spite of some of his health issues, which were well monitored and taken care of, Karl knew what to do, and how to do it. He sent Kate into ecstasy.


Kate sighed, picked up her book and tea and went up to her room to read. She knew Karl wouldn't be late and that he'd phone her at bedtime for a good night chat. "It doesn't get better than this," thought Kate, "it just doesn't get better." She settled into her chair, quite content, for a cozy evening on her own.

Tuesday Tales: InWhich Kate & Karl go to a hotel..... again.

Kate was off on business once again. This time however, her meetings were in town and she was offered a hotel room since the rest of the sales force was coming in from out of town. Back in the days of being a wife and mother Kate would have turned down the hotel and headed home every evening. Her children were young and liked to have mom around, and her husband wasn’t very organized and didn’t do a great job feeding and managing their home and family.

Things were different now though. Lara was married off and Mariella was in university and the father of her children had his own home. . Just the way Kate liked it. The best part of her relationship with Karl was the he enjoyed coming with her when she traveled on business. He would go off and do his own bit of sightseeing and museum hunting and beer testing during the day and they`d meet in the evening, have dinner together and then watch tv in bed. Or not watch tv in bed.

`Karl, I’m getting another hotel! This time right here in town. Are you going to join me?” asked Kate that evening when Karl came over for dinner.

“Try and stop me darling. It seems we have our best dates at hotels, “ mused Karl.

The two of them put their heads together and as they thought aloud about their hotel dates, and summer cottage visits there had to have been at least one a month almost from the time they started dating.

“Nine great getaways” exclaimed Karl. “Three at cottages or with friends that allowed for an impressive amount of privacy I might add.”

“There is something to be said for the getaway when you’re getting to know someone,” thought Kate as she dished out the beef bourguignon into her special stew and pasta bowls. “It’s not like living together, nor is it like the one-off sleep over. The hotel get away gives you that little look into how someone just is. It can be heaven or hell on wheels. A real eye opener. I am so fortunate” sighed Kate, “that with Karl the hotel dates keep getting better and better. From that perspective, it makes me think that we could probably have a life together.”

And with that thought Kate sat down at the table with Karl and they started to plan their tenth hotel getaway.

Tuesday Tale: In which Kate & Karl enjoy their dance moves

Kate and Karl were drinking a wee dram of single malt, in bed, one Sunday evening and they came to the realization that they had been spending a fair bit of time dancing together at a variety of business and family functions.

“We dance well together, Kate” stated Karl after he took a sip of the lovely 21 year old malt they were enjoying.

“Yeah, we do, but Karl, your polka needs some work,” joked Kate. Her eastern European heritage always came out during festive events where the 1-2-3 polka beats made her feel young again. This last time though she had a hard time with the platform stilettos she stole from her daughter for the occasion but crashed along in style dancing with anyone who loved to polka with her!

“Well, I’m not too old to learn,” said Karl, “and it might take me a few months, but holding you close while I jump around is worth the effort. It’s kind of like our horizontal dances,” he winked at her.

Kate spewed her malt, lamenting the waste.

“Karl! You make me laugh. You’ll try anything won’t you?”

“Darlin, if it makes you happy, and you keep taking me with you, I’ll do almost anything for you!”

Kate melted, put down her glass of malt, looked Karl in the eye and told him,” the best way to learn to polka is to get that horizontal dance done right first.”

The glasses of malt lingered for the next couple of hours as Kate and Karl practiced their moves.

Tuesday Tale: In Which... Kate Toots!

Kate and Karl were at it again. Those two seemed to spend more time in bed than anywhere else in the house. It surprised them both. Karl just couldn't seem to keep his hands away from Kate. She melted at his touch. It always ended in passionate love making that made them both smile in contentment and delight.

Kate couldn't believe her luck. A man who would dive deep south and use his mouth in ways that would send her into spasms of intense orgasms the likes of which she had never experienced. Or if she had, she couldn't remember it being ever so good.

Last night, just as Karl was down mouth at the ready, Kate coughed. She had had a cold and the coughing had been unbearable. She was feeling a whole lot better but once in awhile, and usually when she was lying down, a cough escaped her. And this time, as the cough escaped .... Kate tooted. yes... she did. Mortified to say the least. She started to giggle. What was funnier was seeing Karl leap to his feet and clear the bed. She should have been offended but the thought of a toot going down his throat was enough to send her off into extreme laughter. At this point, Karl was at the other end of the bed howling as hard as she was.

To say that Kate and Karl haven't made love since, would not be a lie. Kate is still coughing. Karl has spent a fortune at the drug store coming home with every known cough remedy known in the western hemisphere doing his best to nurse Kate back to health.

Tuesday Tale: in which Kate & Karl get caught smoking

"What the hell?" The ringing sound was way out of place. Kate and Karl awoke to an incessant clang. They were at a friend's cottage sleeping practically outside, but really in a tiny guest cottage a few feet away from the main house.

It had been weeks since they'd been able to sleep together. No, probably months. Kate's daughter had not spent a weekend at her father's in that long time period creating difficulties for Kate and Karl having any "private time." They had been relishing their time together out in the wilds of nature with friends. Love making had taken a back seat to just sleeping with a gentle breeze blowing through the cottage.

And now, after a luxurious night cuddling together under a fluffy duvet, they were rudely awoken by of all things, a smoke alarm. And of course, neither of them were wearing pajamas as they weren't expecting to have to jump out of bed and do a runner!

"I'll go see what's going on with that thing," said Karl in a sleepy yet startled kind of voice. The smoke alarm was positioned up in the loft of the little guest cottage. As Karl climbed the ladder up to the loft, Kate thought, "Brian is going to be out of the house and coming down to see what's going on. I'd better find my pajamas."

While the smoke alarm was clanging away in that annoying way they do when there isn't actually any smoke anywhere, Kate rummaged through her bag looking for her pj's.

As she was springing into a pair of bottoms, sure enough, she heard Brian outside the door. " You two all right in there? What's going on?"

Kate was dressed at that point. She threw a t shirt and a pair of jockeys up into the loft at Karl then swung around and opened the door. "Beats me Brian. Karl is up in the loft trying to turn the thing off."

"Well, let me come in then and I'll go up and take care of it."
Karl retorted "it's okay Brian, I've got it under control."
"Sure ya do Karl, I can tell since the thing is killing my ears. l'm coming up."
"Really Brian - no need."
"Karl, take the battery out of the thing and I'll fix it later, okay"
"I know Brian, I just can't get the thing unhinged so I can get at the battery."
At this point Brian looked at Kate with something that said ," seriously, what's wrong with this guy?" and sighed, "Karl, I'll come up."
These two men were like ten year old bickering boys. The clanging seemed to be getting louder and louder. No doubt it was heard across the lake clear to the highway.

"Brian..... I DON'T have any clothes on, you DON'T need to come up here, okay?"

Brian looked at Kate, giving her a sly little smile - " I hope he figures this out soon. I'm going back to the house for now."
As he turned around to leave, blessed silence returned. All was once more tranquil with only the call of a loon in the distance. Karl came down from the loft, a battery in one hand and t-shirt and jockeys in the other. He got dressed and the two of them went into the main house.

"I sure don't know what you two were up to during the night" said Brian with an evil twinkle in his eye, "but Liz and I have decided to vote you in as hot couple of the year with that smokin performance."

Tuesday Tale: in which Kate & Karl are introduced

Kate and Karl had been "dating," if people their age did indeed date, for six months or so, when Kate informed Karl of a fundraising event she had to attend and wondered if he'd come with her.
"Of course Kate, I'd love to come with you," Karl responded ever so quickly when she asked.
"You'll have to wear a shirt with a collar and a tie," she noted.
"No!" Karl answered. "I haven't put on a tie since the day I retired. I hate them, I won't wear one."
"Listen Hon," he loved when she called him Hon, " it's formal, and a tie is a necessity. You really will need to wear one."
"Or what," he challenged.
"Or, very simply I will go without you. "
"You would do that?" he asked rather surprised by her answer.
Kate carefully told him, " Yes Karl, I will go with out you. A formal affair, is a formal affair, and the rest of the world might not care that you don't like ties, but if you're going with me, you have to put on a tie. Besides, a nice suit and tie, adds a couple of points to the package and can be.... exciting, if you know what I mean?"
She smiled at him in that way she had, and let the whole tie matter drop for the rest of the evening.
A couple of days passed and by the weekend, Kate figured she'd be going to the fundraiser without her man. As she walked along to Karl's place she thought about his stubbornness. It was legendary and frankly, she didn't think a tie was worth fighting about. But she believed in the dress code and this particular fundraised was practically black tie. She really wanted Karl to go with her, but if he wouldn't dress up, what could she do, expect go without him.

She arrived at Karl's and they made a bee line for his bedroom. It had been at least a week since they'd had time to make love and he ran with her up the stairs to the second floor. His touch was electric and she could barely contain herself as they tore their clothes off.
"Just give me a minute Hon," he whispered in her ear.
Kate lay down on the bed and waited not too patiently for Karl. Not more than a minute later he walked into the bedroom.
"All right," he said, "I'll wear the damn tie."
And indeed there was Karl. Wearing a lovely silky candy apple red striped tie and not a stitch else.