Chapter 34

Modern advances in technology let both Jon and Beth know when the gate to the driveway has been activated.  In unison their phones alerted them to it.  Beth snatches her phone off the table and dismisses the alert, glaring at Jon.  She lost.  She hates that she lost.  What she hates even more is now she has to at least be civil to Dorothea while she was on the property, as long as her children were there.  Beth would never do anything to hurt or upset the kids on purpose.  Her will is about to be tested.  

Together, Jon and Beth walk out to the covered driveway, the little ones are in the back yard with Pete.  As the black car stops before them Jon mumbles, "Be nice."

Beth mumbles back, "Fuck off."  

Jon shoots her another look.  Him and his looks!

The car door opens and out pops a chipper Stephanie, "Hi dad, Hi Mom."  She says to Jon and Beth.  Beth winks at her, not sure if the Hi Mom was intentional or if it was just a dig at her mom, but she didn't care.  She knows where she stands with Stephanie and that's all that matters.

"Where's Jesse?"  Jon asks his grown daughter as she be-bops passed them.

"Todd's.  He said he'll get a car later to come home, he wasn't ready."  Steph gives her dad the only details that she has and disappears into the house. 

Dorothea emerges from the car, looking a little worse for wear.  "Jon, Beth."  she manages to get her signature hello out.  "Thanks for having me."  she says quite off handish, sounding like she was deserving of their generosity.  "I hope it doesn't cause an issue between you two."  she doesn't make eye contact with either of them, flattening her dress over her thighs.  "Are the boys here?"

Jon looks to Beth, Beth to Jon.  "They are, but why don't I take you out to the guesthouse and you can get settled in before they know you're here."  Beth suggests, adamantly to her husband's former wife.  

"Yeah yeah, sure."  Dot condescends.  "Whatever you say."

The driver hands her the things that she brought with her in her rush to get away from the city.  "Dorothea, you are here against my wishes, please don't make me the bad guy and send you packing."  Jon is quick to say, to avoid a confrontation with her and his wife.  

"Jon, I appreciate you allowing me into your home."  she smiles sarcastically, "well your guest home."

"Don't make us regret it any more than we already do."  Beth gently adds, through her teeth.

Jon leads the way, Dot right behind him, "There is no reason for you to be in my house.  Do not go into the house for anything."

"We're changing the codes."  Beth states as a matter of fact, having this idea right at this second.

"I mean it Dorothea.  Don't go in the house.  You have all that you need out here, however, if there is something that you need, there are many cars in the garage, feel free to take yourself to the store."  Jon enters the code on the guesthouse key-less door handle 1.9.8.3., saying the numbers out loud.  "Don't take my car or Beth's."

Beth is a little taken back by that.  She doesn't even try to hide her disgust or even her unwillingness to go along with this chapter, "How long do you intend to stay?"  Her arms fall hard at her side, "This is only for a couple of days.  You're only here long enough to have your place fixed and new security put in."  Her arms go up along with her anger, "THIS is only for a couple of days!"  
Dot can see that Beth is at wit's end, but she refuses to care.  One part of Dorothea is happy that she's creating trouble for Jon and his wife, because she is no longer his wife.  "This wasn't my idea, this is all on Stephanie."  Dot instantly snaps, "This was all her."

"Then why are you here?  Could you not have come up with anything better?  I'll be more than happy to put you up at the Four Seasons."  Beth cat calls right back, "At MY EXPENSE!  I mean after all, you have no source of income other than alimony."

"Beth."  Jon says to her, as if she were a child.  As fast as he says her name, their eyes lock and she can see that she just crossed an imaginary line.  "Why don't you go in the house.  I'll be there in a minute."

"I'll stay."  she's firm in her response to his order.  With an attitude she didn't even know she possessed, she responds, "Let's get her all situated and then we will go in the house."  Beth rips open a closet door.  "There are clean linens in here."

Jon watches what's happening in his guest house and is having a hard time figuring out how they got to this point in his life.  His wife and ex wife were under the same roof again, he is very uncomfortable with the situation.