A/N:

Hi guys! It was like 3 AM when I finished the first chapter so I didn't write an author note like usual. Anyway...

I'm very glad to be back to writing again! If you haven't read my other Swingtown story, "Before the Deckers", I strongly suggest it. This story has a lot of lead offs from that. Before the Deckers is my view on what happened before the show, how they came together, and it ends when they get married. So this story uses a lot of stuff from that one. I wouldn't really call this a sequel to BTD, but it's close!

Also, I wrote this chapter, had it alllllll finished, and bam. My computer shuts down randomly and my document wouldn't recover. I had to rewrite it all. I hope you enjoy it an extra lot now.

Thanks for reading,

G.

...

...

Tom's second trip away since everything happened began yesterday, and Trina couldn't be more happy about it. She was ready to have him out of her hair for a while, and also ready to have her interview from Midway.

They called last Friday, before Tom got home from work. She immediately cheered up a bit then, and is still relatively excited about it as of now.

She looks at herself in the mirror. For the first time, she isn't checking to make sure her bump isn't still there. She isn't checking to make sure it was all just a dream. Right now, it's not the first thing on her mind. She tugs at her blazer a bit, biting her lip as she studies her look: a light orange skirt, almost a pastel color, a white tank top and a white blazer over it, buttoned to her bosom. She isn't checking to make sure her breasts are completely covered. She's showing cleavage. Both are things she hasn't done in a month.

Turning around and checking the clock, she's figuring in her head how long she has at her nail appointment before her interview. Four hours is plenty, and to get a quick bite to eat.

She walks to their closet, wading through the clothes to get all the way to the back. She hasn't worn these heels in way too long, not since she quit being a stewardess in the first place.

When she quit, she never imagined their lives to be how it is now. By then, they were still actively swinging. But she never expected them to have gotten pregnant, and to actually be wanting the child. For a moment, as she puts her high heel on her foot, she feels a deep sadness and maybe a bit of regret in the pit of her stomach.
If she wouldn't have quit, would they have even gone through with wanting the child? Probably not. She never should've quit the airline. Things would be so different if she was still getting up everyday, looking her best, and serving drinks to people, helping with their bags, and complaining about her wages.

She shakes those pesky thoughts from her head, putting the other heel on before making her way out of the closet.

The phone is ringing beside the bed, she wonders who the hell it could be. Not Tom, surely, unless something is wrong. It would be 1:00 AM there, since it's almost eleven in the morning here. He shouldn't be calling her that late. The only reason he used to call that late was for some dirty talk or -

Her thoughts cut themselves off. What if he's asking for permission? Permission to have sex?

"Hello?" She answers finally, closing her eyes and resting her hand on her stomach.

"Trina?"

Sylvia Davis. Her voice was a relief to Trina. "Sylvia...hi." She says, trying to not sound too relieved or she would have to tell Sylvia what she thought was going on. "I was just about to step out of the house for a while, I'm glad you called before I did."

"I am too, then. Hey, I heard about-"

"If you tell me you heard I was pregnant, don't say it." Trina says dryly. She knows she hasn't called and told Sylvia anything. It's not like they're close friends or anything. "I lost the baby. So I'd rather not talk about that."

There's a silence on the other end of the phone, maybe some whispering, too. Finally, the phone rustles and Sylvia clears her throat. "Oh." She says. "Brad was doing a study on pregnancy and sex...and he was going to call you and Tom over so that he could learn some things first hand."

Now it's Trina's turn to be silent. Hurt...that's how she feels. Is that all she could be used for anymore? Sex? She used to feel that way sometimes with Luke, but never like this to other people that she wasn't in a relationship with. "Goodbye Sylvia..." She says before hanging up the phone.

She feels the need to start crying, but instead she just looks away from the phone, from that fresh, bad memory. Walking to the mirror, she's suddenly self conscious again, fixing her hair and her blazer, making sure that her tank top is pulled all the way up to not show much cleavage. She takes one last look in the mirror, afraid she's never going to be able to be anything but a sex toy.

…

…

"Mrs. Decker?"

Laurie's voice makes Trina's head pull up from looking at her fresh nails, waiting for her food to be delivered. She forces a small smile, "Hi Laurie..." She says softly, trying to resist the urge to be rude and just tell Laurie to go somewhere else.

Laurie looks over Trina's table, "Is anyone here with you?" She asks.

Bitterness brews in Trina's stomach. No, because I have no baby now so I'm thoroughly alone when I'm by myself. She knows that's not how Laurie meant it, but it still isn't keeping her from thinking that. "No, are you here by yourself?"

"Yeah." She says, and by the way she says it, Trina knows there's something she wants to talk about. So she decides to be nice today, and nods to the empty chair for Laurie to sit down. When she does almost immediately, Trina checks the clock on the wall, wondering if this is a conversation that will make her late for her interview. "Um...so you know how I'm dating Doug Stephens, right?" She asks after getting settled into her seat.

Trina nods softly, "Yes. Your mother has told me...all about it." She says, crossing her arms and resting them on the table. "Why? You two aren't broken up, are you? That would make me very disappointed to know that your mother would be happy over that."

Laurie shakes her head, cracking a small little smile. "No, not at all..." She says, "We're still together, and happy...I think. I know I am, at least...happy. But school started back, of course...this is my last year in high school. I um...I want to make sure I don't lose him." She admits.

She tilts her head, furrowing her brows slightly. "Lose him? Are you going off to college?"

"No," Laurie answers, shaking her head again, "I'm going to one in town. Not the community college, but the better one." She says. "So I'm not worried about physically losing him. I just...he's older. I know you fell in love with an older man. So...how did you keep him always interested once the charm of him dating a younger woman wore off?"

Trina huffs, kind of a laugh, kind of a scoff. "I don't know if it ever has worn off with Tom until after all this happened." She murmurs, not even sure if Laurie truly heard her. "But...you shouldn't have to keep finding ways to intrigue him, honey. If he wants to be with you, he'll stay. If not, he'll leave."

As she's speaking, she's reminding herself of Tom's late mother, Mel. She was her nail tech, and coincidentally the mother of the man she hated and wanted to never speak to again. From there, Mel told her to never be involved with Tom Decker, that he'll only break her heart. But she was the one to walk Trina down the aisle, and just a year later, Mel passed away in her home. Mel gave her so much wisdom, and maybe Trina can do the same for Laurie.

"But I don't want it to be my fault that he leaves. You know, sexually, I want to keep him interested."

"Oh," Trina pauses, fixing her napkin, "This is a conversation about that, not about day life. Right?" She says, catching on now.

Laurie nods, "Right. I don't think he'd be the kind of person to leave me, but I don't want him to get bored with our sex life. When we first started dating and doing that stuff, I think it was kind of a thrill for him to be with a younger woman. Now, though, I don't know if that thrill is still there. It takes him longer..." She says, letting her voice trail, deciding she shouldn't give all the details.

Something Trina was actually kind of thankful for. "Well, Tom never really lost interest in that aspect of our life. We kept changing things up, keeping things new and fresh. Doing the same stuff every night...or day, whichever...gets boring to anyone after a while. For men, that time is shorter than for women, because women usually can focus on things longer." She explains.

"I just...I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can in that aspect to keep him." Laurie says.

Trina settles in her seat, getting more comfortable. "Wake him up in the mornings with something...exciting." She says, shrugging her shoulders at the word. "Surprise him. Do something new...and he should be doing the same for you as well."

Laurie shrugs, "He would, but I think he thinks of us as being...like...taboo." She says, tilting her head a bit.

Trina frowns, "Taboo? Some people just..." She pauses and sighs, thinking back to how many people disowned her for the lifestyle she chose to live with Tom. "Some people think every little thing is taboo, Laurie. He's twenty-five, you're eighteen. It's not like it's a big deal."

"He's my teacher, still..." She says.

"I thought he was only going to be your teacher over the summer?"

She shakes her head, "He got a job at the high school teaching philosophy for an extra credit. And...I'm an over-achiever." She says guiltily, grinning a little.

Trina laughs and looks down, "Well, it's not taboo. Let people think what they want to think, it's your lives and you two need to live it however the hell you want."

She nods softly, and after a moment she asks, "Have you ordered yet?"

Just as she finishes that question, the waitress comes up and asks for their order. Trina smiles, "You can order first."

…

…

"Good luck with your interview today, Mrs. Decker. Even though you don't really need the luck." Laurie says, standing outside beside her bicycle.

Trina lets out a short laugh, "Oh believe me, I could use it." She says, feeling uneasy and nervous about it. It's been a long time since she's had to have an interview.

Once she finally got her dream job being a stewardess, she didn't have to have all the crappy interviews from restaurants and retail stores. She got the one interview at Pan-Am and never had to have another.

"Thank you for letting me talk to you today, too." Laurie says.

"Any time." Trina replies, "You can come over and talk to me whenever. You know where I live." She says, laughing a little.

After they say their final goodbyes, Trina gets into her car and turns it on. She sits there for a few moments with her hands on the steering wheel, letting out a shaky breath.

She was never this nervous for anything. Ever. Maybe she feels nerves because of the fact that she's keeping this from Tom, or maybe she feels nerves just because she's never had to do this kind of professional interview except for once, and she got lucky then.

…

…

"Rex?" Trina says, a bit of surprise on her face as she opens the door to the office where three men were waiting for her.

Rex smiles and stands up, "There she is!" He says happily, just like an old friend would. He hugs her and turns to present her to the other two. "Mr. Nelson, Mr. Harper, this is Trina Decker, the woman I was telling you about."

Trina feels her face redden from a little bit of embarrassment. He was telling them about her? This could be in her favor due to the fact that they worked together, or this could hurt her...due to the fact that he obviously knows her lifestyle firsthand.

One of the men stand. He was large around, but relatively short. He has a white beard that goes halfway down his neck, and a perfectly shaped mustache that ends where his beard begins. He wears glasses, and she thinks to herself that he may look like a badass version of Santa Claus without them. "Hello Trina, I'm Hank Nelson, President and CEO of Midway Airlines. It's great to finally meet you." He says. His white suit was perfectly tailored to him, and she knew why now. He can afford anything.

She smiles, says that it's good to meet him too, being polite like anyone would.

The other, very well chiseled man stands as Mr. Nelson sits down, "I'm Neal Harper, General Manager of Midway Airlines and co-pilot on the Atlanta route." He says, extending a hand to shake. He wore a dark blue suit, also tailored perfectly to his large muscles. She wonders what they would look like without the suit. He has dark hair, a clean-shaven face, and gorgeous blue eyes that were staring into hers so intently.

"Hi, Mr. Harper." She says, her voice barely coming out as she shakes his hand. She feels like she's melting into a puddle underneath him.

She hasn't felt this way in a long time. The last time she felt this was when she first brought coffee to Tom's pilot cab on her first day with the Miami route. She felt like a puddle then, and feels like it now again.

"I told them you didn't even need to come in for the interview, that I knew you and you'd be perfect for this job. So you're already hired." Rex says, making Trina's mouth drop a bit in shock.

Shock, and happiness. She had no reason to be so nervous anymore. "Well, thank you very much, Rex. I don't know if I'm all that, but I appreciate your kind words about me..." She says.

"Go ahead and sit down," Rex says, suggesting the chair behind her. "You probably have some questions and they're here to answer them." He says, flashing a smile at her.

She sits down, and her mind is buzzing. Mostly buzzing to the last time she saw Rex. It was last June, after a house party. He owed her a favor after that night, because she and Tom let him come inside of her. She was on birth control, she knew nothing would happen, but Tom had too much jealousy brewing at the time to just give such a privilege away. This was probably the favor he owed her.

She crosses her legs, but notices Neal staring at them, so she pulls them back down and crosses her legs at her ankles instead. "Well, I do have a few questions." She says, trying to get comfortable. That orange excuse for a cushion on this hard, wooden chair wasn't doing much. "When did you start working here, Rex?" She asks. It really wasn't the most important question, but it popped up to her mind first.

Rex smiles, "Five months ago, when Pan-Am went with the Tokyo route. When Tom took that job, they gave me another pilot and it just wasn't the same. I requested for a different route and they could only give me international ones, and I'm not into that. Midway mostly flies in the States." He explains.

She nods softly, attempting to shift and get comfortable again. Tom didn't tell her Rex quit. But, that was five months ago. The baby was the on their minds, then. That was when she first told Tom, when their world got flipped completely upside down. So, she understands that Rex probably wasn't the first thought on his mind when he got home from work. "Would I have to do overnight routes? As you know, my husband flies the Tokyo route and is away usually three days out of the week. When he's home, I'd like to be home."

As soon as she says that, she regrets it. Neal's face drops a bit, and he shifts uncomfortably in his seat. She also regrets it because it's a stretch. She's wanting this job because she wants to be away from him a bit, wanting her own life again. They spend too much time together right now, and it's hard on their relationship.

Mr. Nelson nods, "You would, but not every night. We can work something out. Rex told us we should try to accommodate your schedule as much as possible...he says you're a keeper."

Trina laughs shyly, "Like I said, I don't know if I'm all that, but thank you, Rex." She says to him. He nods a bit, giving her a grin. This was definitely his favor for her.

"You'll be on the Atlanta route with Rex. Neal is the co-pilot on that flight, so you've now met your two pilots." Mr. Nelson says, nodding toward each of them.

She looks at Neal and tries to not melt again. She tries hard, but it happens once more. He stares so intently into her eyes, how could she not just form a puddle?

"Did you have anymore questions, Trina?" Neal asks, and she shakes her head.

"I think that was it." That's a lie. She has a whole notebook of questions that she prepared in her car while she was waiting. It's sitting right there by her foot, but she ignores it. It's not like she could really hear the answers properly with Neal sitting right there.

They all stand up and Trina follows suit, "Thank you for coming in today, Trina. I look forward to working with you." Mr. Nelson says, shaking her hand one more time.

As she leaves, she realizes that her legs are wobbly, her heart is pounding, and she's got a slight puddle between her legs. She has a feeling that Mr. Neal Harper was going to be on her mind a lot more than Mr. Tom Decker was.

"Trina..." She hears a voice call out as she sits down in her car, about to close the door. It was Rex, and he was running to try to catch up. She looks back and smiles at him when he gets to her door. "Was that a good enough favor?" He asks with a bit of a grin.

She smirks at him, "Good enough. Hey, let's keep this a secret for a while, though, okay? Tom doesn't exactly know I was coming today..." She says to him.

Rex widens his eyes. "Troubles in paradise?"

She shrugs, "Tensions have been high lately. For reasons I'd rather not explain. But main thing is, we're exclusive now...so that means nothing exciting like I have a feeling you were hoping for."

Rex's shoulders fall a little, but he shrugs it off. "I guess last summer was a good enough time to end on, then." He says and smiles. "See you later, Tri."

As he walks away, she wonders how the hell she's going to stay exclusive with Rex and Neal on the same flights and in the same hotels as well.