Jan sat back in her chair at the breakfast nook table. Gazing out the window, she admired the sunshine and warm temperatures they were having. Not bad for Michigan and the last Tuesday in May. After enjoying the long holiday weekend, she took her time to start work in the library. As the chief financial officer of Nichols Corporation, she enjoyed the flexibility of working from home or going into the office whenever she pleased.

Twenty-five years after their wedding day, and Jan Nichols still loved looking into her husband’s eyes. She always loved his dark brown eyes. And even after all those years, she could still get lost in them. As she gazed, she started down memory lane to when they first met. A realtor invited them for the same meeting to view a house on the market. Jan and Rob hit it off, and the realtor never acquired the sale. Instead, they went into business together to build their own house, as an investment, of course. But instead, they fell in love and made it their home. Now, twenty-five years later, they were still together in the same house. She never would have imagined it.

“More coffee?” She walked over carrying the carafe of hot brew.

“That’d be great,” Rob replied, moving his cup toward her reach. “We have a full day of contract review meetings and a new client to impress. I need all the caffeine I can get.”

“Do you want me to open any of the meetings this time? Although I think you do a better job of setting the tone with your authoritative style.”

Rob cocked his head. “I like how you describe me.”

Jan looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”

“You know, authoritarian.” He beamed.

“Honey, don’t get authoritarian confused with authoritative.”

He nodded and gave her a curious look. “What’s the difference?”

Jan grinned and set the coffee carafe on the table and herself on her husband’s lap. She placed her arms around his neck. “You are authoritative because you are an expert in your field. You command respect because you’ve earned it by being right there in the trenches with your employees.”

“And?” Rob ran his hand down her back to her hip.

“An authoritarian expects people to comply with their demands regardless if they know what they’re talking about,” Jan said, smiling as her husband pulled back her blouse, exposing a bare shoulder.

“Like this.” He gently kissed her. “I’m bending you to my will.”

Jan melted to his touch. “I hope you don’t do this to everyone you want to do things for you. I want it all for myself,” she whispered in his ear.

It seemed like just yesterday when they first met. They had an immediate physical attraction, and their steamy relationship took off. Jan was classy, blond, and beautiful. And Rob was blue-collar, tall, dark, and handsome. Somehow, they managed to mix business with pleasure. Stay in love. Stay married. Stay hot for one another while running a family company together. Oh, how their marital and corporate relationships have grown over the years.

The only difference between them that still existed was that Jan was a spendthrift, and Rob was cheap. Jan was born into a wealthy family. Whereas Rob’s family was middle class, having started their own business and growing it from the ground up. Jan liked shopping. And Rob liked saving money. But they have learned from each other over the years and made compromises.

Rob nuzzled her neck and held her tight.

Jan heard her phone vibrate on the table. She peered at it through the slits of her eyelids. With one hand, she reached over and picked it up, trying not to diminish their heated moment.

“On your phone again?” Rob dropped his arms and sat back.

“It’s Nichols public stock value alert. It just went up again,” Jan said, scrolling the screen. “Since going public four years ago, it’s been steadily climbing. Pretty impressive, huh?” Jan smiled at her husband. She went to the other side of the table and sat down.

“It is. And I have you to thank for that. You were just what my company needed and just at the right time.” He reached over and squeezed her hand.

“Rob,” Jan scoffed. “You still talk like I’m an outsider, even after all these years. I’m your wife. And I’m your business partner.”

“Yeah. And I don’t know why I haven’t said it before,” Rob said. “You have been the best thing that could have happened to me.” Rob kissed her hand before she could pull it away. He picked up his phone and went back to reading his reports.

Jan quietly smiled, then turned away to look out the glass door wall. She wondered why he hadn’t said it before as well. And now it didn’t feel sincere, as if he had to say it because he was put on the spot. She had doubts about whether he really meant it. She helped him transition from a small regional commercial construction company to a global building design and structure powerhouse. Without her, he would still be stuck in his local business contracts.

Jan looked up when she saw their oldest child walking toward the kitchen. She sensed something was going on with Eddie, their only son.

 “Mom. Dad. Is now a good time to talk?” Eddie stood in the archway between the great room and the kitchen.

“Not now.”

“Maybe later.”

Jan and Rob continued reading on their electronic devices, never looking up.

“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t try to tell you,” Eddie said, removing a bottle of juice from the refrigerator. He started to walk out of the room. Before leaving, he paused and turned around to look at his parents again. “All I wanted to say was that I’m quitting college. And I’m not working for Nichols Corporation. But if you don’t want to talk—”

“Stop right there. What did you just say?” Rob rotated in his chair to see his son.

Jan stood up and walked toward him. “Eddie, you’re doing so well at U of M. Why would you quit?”

“You have the opportunity of a lifetime. To walk right into a corporate job at an executive level. Do you know how many other people would love that opportunity?” Rob held up his open hand.

“Then give it to them. I don’t want it.” He threw his hands up in the air. “I knew this was going to go bad.”

“Whether you want it or not, you’re a part of this family, and you’ll work in the family company,” Rob said, his voice growing louder.

“Whoa!” Eddie held up his hands. “But, I’m a grown man. I’m twenty-three and can make my own decisions.”

Jan and Rob looked at each other, appearing extremely irritated with their son’s statements.

“Fine. What do you think you’re going to do with your life?” Rob asked harshly.

“I want to race cars,” Eddie stated excitedly.

“What? No,” Jan gasped. “That’s too dangerous.”

“That’s crazy,” Rob shouted.

The three of them stared at one another. It was a quiet, tense moment between a mother, father, and son. Jan doesn’t remember having any situations like this with her parents. And it wasn’t because they had the money to give her whatever she wanted. She and Rob also have the means to spoil their children, just as she was spoiled as an only child. It was because her expectations for life were always traditional. Grow up, attend college, have a career, and get married. Getting married was probably the most divided she had ever felt from her parents. She loved Rob, but her parents didn’t think they were a good match. That Rob was too, well, brawn and blue-collar. Jan knew that her parents had hopes that she would marry a professional. She was never really sure what kind of professional, though. Maybe that’s where the direction failed. They never really told her who they thought she should marry. So, she married the one man who made her so physically excited yet crazy with his demands and limited social skills.

Unlike herself, her son, Eddie, seemed to challenge her and Rob every chance he could. She knew it wasn’t on purpose. He just wanted to live his life his way. But it seemed ungrateful to Jan when her son declined every opportunity his parents set before him. Even her parents occasionally commented that raising a son was completely different from what they experienced. They would often add if they had as many challenges with Jan as she does with her son, they’re not sure they would be sane today.

“You’ll stay in school and in Nichols Corporation. If after you’re financially independent, you still want to race cars, then go ahead and do it.” Rob pressed his lips. He stood up with his arms crossed over his chest, feet shoulder-width apart.

Jan hated times like this. Father and son butting heads. The two didn’t seem to agree on anything. Ironically, they looked almost exactly alike. Eddie was the spitting image of his father. But Rob’s years of working outdoors weathered his appearance. Eddie was born with a full head of dark hair, just like his dad. Their family and friends questioned whether Jan was involved at all in the making of the baby. This always upset her. Since she was the one who endured the risky pregnancy and delivery.

“There you go again. ‘If you don’t do what I say, then I won’t give you any money.’” Eddie mocked his dad. “Well, I don’t want your money. I can make my own money. And I’ll make more than you,” Eddie shouted. With heavy feet, he walked out of the room.

“Rob, go after him,” Jan shouted.

“Why me? Why don’t you go after him? He looks like me, but he behaves like you. I’m surprised he doesn’t put his hands on his hips and stomp his foot,” Rob replied.

Jan’s jaw dropped, and she instinctively placed her hands on her hips. Flustered, she dropped her arms and flailed them about.

Rob flashed her an I told you so grin.

“Fine. I will talk to Eddie. He’ll listen to me. You’ll see,” Jan said, shaking her finger at her husband before turning away.

A successful career woman, Jan Nichols accomplished every goal she had ever set for herself. She was tall and had a slender frame with light, golden brown hair, and blue eyes. She had no shortage of choices for a husband when she was a young woman. But it was love at first sight for her when she met Rob. And, with everything else checked off her life’s plan at twenty-nine, she married him. That had been twenty-five years ago. And now, she was the CFO of their family company. With his construction abilities and her management skills, she grew the company into a multimillion-dollar corporation. A dream come true.

When they met, Rob Nichols was a partner with his brothers of Nichols Construction Company, a business owned by his family specializing in commercial construction. He took pride in making contacts and getting new customers to grow the business. And he would also get right into the trenches with his crews at the job sites, lifting heavy material and handling equipment and tools.

Together they were a power couple. And despite that one difference, they had two things in common that made them unstoppable, money and great sex.

Jan left home to have lunch with her friends. As she drove her roadster, her mind was on her son. She loved him. But he tested her patience even more than his dad. Wanting to think about something else, she started making a mental list of things she would talk about today with the others. The corners of her mouth turned up at the idea of them being older, wiser, and grayer. In their mid-fifties now. Fifties! She often wondered, where did the time go.

Jan slid into the booth beside her best friend and sister-in-law, Monica Nichols. Monica married Rob’s brother, Pete. At first, everyone suspected it was out of spite for Rob and that it would soon end in divorce. But the two were still happily married today. Maybe even more so than Jan and her husband.

Her other two friends, Christie Lopez and Gina Goodman, were also there to have lunch. A routine the four women have been doing since they graduated from college. They knew each other better than they knew their own families.

A blast of squeals came from the young women sitting at the nearby table.

Christie covered her ears. “Why do they talk in those squeaky voices,” she complained, looking over at them.

“They sound just like you twenty years ago,” Gina said, reminding her that she used to do that.

“Oh, yeah,” she said, looking down at the table.

“They have most of their years ahead of them. And they have a lot to be excited about,” Monica said. “Remember when Jan and I shared my condo. When you two came over, the good times we had there?” Monica looked off into the distance with a smile on her face.

“Oh, yeah. Those were the days. No husbands. No kids. Just us,” Christie commented, staring off with Monica.

The group of women sat quietly. All looking away at a distant object.

“Remember that time at the U of M dorms when Jan got so drunk?” Monica looked at Christie and Gina.

“I was never drunk,” Jan protested.

“Oh, yeah. That was so funny,” Christie said, turning a nasty look to Jan. “Because, as we later found out, she was always faking it. She never drank her drinks. She dumped them.”

Gina puckered sideways and crossed her arms, glaring at Jan.

Monica and Christie made similar gestures.

“Hey, guys. Don’t hate me. I held your hair back. Remember?” Jan pleaded, raising her shoulders and holding her hands up.

The table of young women let out another boisterous shriek of happiness, raising their drinks in a toast.

“Oh, come on,” Monica said, covering her ears.

Jan put her fingers into her ears and squinted.

Christie and Gina wrinkled their faces at the sound, cupping their hands over their ears.

Monica’s lips started moving.

“I can’t hear you,” Jan said loudly, still protecting her ears.

Monica appeared to continue to talk.

The others squinted and slowly moved their hands back to their laps.

Monica continued moving her lips. Then grinned.

“Oh, that’s funny. You looked like you were talking but didn’t make a sound.” Jan smirked at her friend.

“That’s the best she’s ever sounded,” Gina said, laughing.

Monica gave her a stern look, then laughed a little herself.

“Man, these things are hard to get used to.” Christie was adjusting to wearing her readers. Her head bobbed up and down, trying to read the message on her phone. Holding up her phone, she moved her hand around in the air.

“Move the phone, not your head.” Jan guided Christie’s hand that held her phone down to her reading level. Like many other things with Jan and her friends, she was the first one to go into new territory with reading glasses.

“That’s much better. Thank you,” Christie replied.

“I thought we agreed not to read text messages while we’re together,” Monica said.

“I have a deposition across town right after lunch. And I want to know if it gets canceled. I don’t want to make the trip for nothing,” Christie replied.

“Can’t your office staff alert you?” Monica persisted.

“My admin is on maternity leave,” Christie replied, sounding annoyed.

“That’s so sweet. Remember when all of us were on maternity leave,” Gina said.

“No. Not sweet. No more reminiscing,” Christie said, getting back to her phone.

“Hold her head still,” Jan ordered Gina. She gently grabbed Christie’s hand and moved it down in line with her reading glasses.

“Thank you again. Ohhh, so that’s what it says.” Christie made a face at the others. “It’s still on.” She dropped her hand in her lap.

“You know, we’ve been doing this lunch thing on Tuesdays for how long now? Do you think we should pick another day of the week for the second half of our lives?” Monica asked.

The others shook their heads and mumbled.

“No. Don’t think so,” Christie said flatly.

“Why?” Monica stirred her glass of water with the straw.

“If I changed it now, then I’d have to shuffle something else to accommodate it. And I worked my calendar around this day for lunch for the next several years,” Christie barked.

The women sat in awkward silence.

Jan picked up her phone, sighed, and set it down. “Do you have a conflict with Tuesdays, Monica?”

“No. Just checking to see what the rest of you think. It’s just the second half of our lives. How do we want to live them?”

“Oh, damn,” Gina said with a moan.

“Listen, we were so thorough about how we planned the first half. Education, career, husband, children, and other achievements. I’m just thinking about what my choices are for the rest of my life.” Monica sighed and sat back in her seat.

“Wow, that was deep. You’re a lot of fun to be with,” Christie lamented and leaned forward, cupping her chin in her hand.

Picking up a piece of bread, Gina looked out the window from across the room, making a loud exhalation.

“Hey, we’re still young. What’s wrong with you guys?” Jan exclaimed. “That’s the point of planning all that stuff you just listed when you’re young, so that when you’re our age now,” Jan adjusted her voice down, “still young,” then continued, “you can enjoy life.”

“Oh no, not the ‘enjoy life when your old’ speech again,” Gina said.

“Just saying,” Jan countered.

Monica looked at her phone after a noticeable alert sounded.

“I thought we said no text messages,” Gina sneered.

“It’s not a text message. It’s a calendar alert,” Monica snidely replied. “Alright, let’s put aside that morbid topic for now,” Monica said excitedly. “What about our bets from twenty-five years ago? Huh?” She grinned at Christie and Gina. “Thought I’d forget, didn’t you? I added a calendar entry, and it just reminded me.” She kissed her phone. “Thank you.”

“What bets?” Jan asked, bemused.

Christie started laughing. “She’s adorable when she’s naïve.” She pointed her finger at Monica. “I already paid my bet off. You better have a record of it because I’m not paying you again.”

“Oh, crap,” Gina mumbled, reaching for her purse.

“I’ve been keeping records. And, yes, I have yours recorded. It was nice to get some of my money back from you guys,” Monica said, grinning.

“What bet?” Jan’s tone became agitated.

“You were the first one to lose at the first anniversary. Your own fault,” Christie said.

Jan pressed her lips and scowled at her friends when she started to sense what the bet was about from twenty-five years ago.

“I still can’t believe they stayed together a whole year, much less still married today,” Monica said with a dismayed expression.

“Here you go,” Gina said, handing over several hundred dollars.

Monica grinned at the sight.

Jan reached out and grabbed the money. She clutched it in her hands on her lap beneath the table.

“Hey,” Monica turned an angry look at her. “That’s my money.”

“It’s my money. You earned it from using me as your pawn.” Jan’s tone matched her friend’s look.

Monica laughed mischievously. There were several tense minutes of a stare-down between the two friends. Jan never liked confronting Monica. She kind of feared her. But it was a matter of principle. Monica made a game out of her marriage. And profited from it. Eventually, she held up the wad of cash and handed it over to her friend. She made an expectant face and said, “The least you can do is buy my lunch today.”