One Slip

Donna Bellows checked her face in the mirror by the front door. She decided she would have to get by as she was. Her husband's best friend, Gil Gentry, had called to ask her to meet him in town at a little out of the way restaurant. She knew what he wanted, and she was uncertain how he would react to what she had to tell him.

She picked up the big shoulder bag she usually carried. It wasn't that stylish perhaps, but it held all the things a mother of three needed to have with her. Picking up her keys, she looked again at her reflection.

"I really am one damn idiot." she said aloud. She slowly closed the door behind her and got into her BMW.

As she drove to meet Gil, her thoughts returned to the other night at the party she had attended at the company he worked for. She knew better than to go without her husband Steve. But he had an emergency at one of his construction sites at almost the last minute and had talked her into going without him.

"Honey, you're all dressed up, the kids are at the sitter's and you surely don't want to stay here or in the truck while I try to fix this mess. Besides, the party will be full of our friends and its good for you to get out. I hate missing this, but equipment failure is no reason you shouldn't have a good time."

So she had gone, and indeed had a good time. Most of the people there were familiar faces. She had circulated and enjoyed the food, the conversation and the drink. Perhaps she had enjoyed the drink too much. She shook her head. She was not going to put blame on anything or anyone but herself. She had indeed drank enough to lower her inhibitions, quite a lot in fact, but no amount of alcohol justified her acting like she had.

She had gone out the back door for a bit of air to clear her head. The slight buzz was pleasant but she knew anymore and she would have to leave her car and get someone to take her home. She took a deep breath, and nearly jumped out of her skin as someone spoke.

"Donna, what are you doing out here all alone and unattended?"

"Gil Gentry, what are you doing? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" She laughed and walked over to him.

He certainly was good looking, Donna thought to herself. Tall and blonde and handsome, he was such a contrast to Steve, who was stocky and dark. Not that Steve wasn't as handsome as Gil was. But Gil had that movie star look that made women melt. Even she had been guilty of flirting with him when he wandered through more than one party, including this one. But that was harmless, she reminded herself. She never went further than just a very casual flirtation. She certainly was never going to do more than that.

"You look a little cold, Donna. Here." Gil swept off his sport coat and draped it over her. Donna admitted it did feel good. She had worn a black sleeveless dress that left her shoulders bare. It had been fine inside, but there was a little nip in the air.

"Thanks."

"No problem," he smiled. "That's what friends are for." Without giving her an opportunity to speak he went on, "Seriously, what are you doing out here? And where's Steve? Did I miss him tonight or what?"

"Or what, I guess." she replied. She had explained what all had happened. She concluded, "I just wanted some time out of all the smoke in there. I don't understand how people can breath."

"I know. But hey, its getting pretty cool out here. How about," he laughed and made a bow, "I walk milady down the hall and show her my new office? We'll stay out of the smoke and out of the cold at the same time."

"Why Gil, this is so sudden," she had laughed in reply. "Are you going to offer to show me your etchings."

"Would it work?" he teased her.

"Now you know better than that." she scolded him.

"I do and I'll behave." He offered her his arm and she took it.

They strolled down the plushy carpeted hallway until he stopped and unlocked a door.

"First Vice-President! That's new, Gil. When did that happen?"

"Just a few days ago. I had a time moving everything from my old office and getting it all to work in here. but it all fit and it all works as it should." She wondered briefly at the wording of the comment but dismissed it. The office was indeed lovely. Dark furniture was offset by light wood paneling and bright drapes, drawn at the moment.

"This really is beautiful," she commented. Absentmindedly, she slipped his jacket from her shoulders and draped it over a chair.

"Yes, it is," he remarked softly. His hands gently touched her shoulders and rested there. "Not as beautiful as you are though."

She couldn't even tell herself how it had started. It seemed one moment they were standing in his office, his hands lightly brushing her bare shoulders and the next they were locked in each others arms. He was wildly kissing her. Her hands at his shoulders, she pushed against him, once, twice, then three times. Each push was weaker than the one before as his tongue invaded her mouth, and she found herself accepting it.

"Oh God, Donna, I've wanted you for so long," Gil gasped as he pulled her against him.

The part of Donna's brain that screamed she was making a mistake fell silent under the all but choking lust that was overcoming her. Gil's hands lifted the hem of her skirt and then plunged inside her panties to massage her ass cheeks. His teeth pulled open the back of the already unbuttoned dress and be began to suck her nipples through her bra. The scrape of the black nylon over her nipples made her moan and pull his head right to her. She frantically pulled her arms out of her dress top, shaking it to the floor and managed to reach behind her and unfasten her bra.

Gil released her ass to jerk her bra down her arms and then cup her breasts. His face lifted and he began to lick along her neck, then up to her ear. His fingers rolled her nipples, making them stiffer and stiffer. The more they ached for his touch the more the fire grew throughout her body. She felt his hands catch her dress and pull it all the way down to drop over her feet.

Standing only in now wet panties, Donna felt only desire. When Gil took her hand and guided it inside the opening to his trousers, she immediately grasped his erection and began to stroke it. It took only one gentle push and she fell to her knees and greedily pulled it free and into her mouth.

"Oh yeah, Donna," Gil moaned. He leaned back against the edge of his desk. Carefully he reached back and opened a drawer. He fumbled inside for a moment, then brought his hands to Donna's head. He tilted her face up towards him. He smiled broadly, "Yes, that's it. Suck my cock Donna. Mmmmm, you are so good at it."

Suddenly he had pulled her up to him. In one move he scattered the items on his desk top and stretched her out on her back on it. He tore her panties off and let his trousers fall to the floor. Pulling her to the edge he settled himself against her. Spreading her legs he thrust his hips forward and buried his cock in her pussy.

Donna was lost to the moment. She felt Gil's cock ride in and out of her, faster and deeper with every stroke. Vaguely she could hear him grunting as he fucked her.

"Yeah, take it. Take it. Take it."

Donna squeeze her legs tightly around Gil's torso. She felt him swell up inside her and bucked her hips to meet him. He cried out and she cried out with him.

Sanity returned. Horrified at what she had done, she had thrown her dress on, stuffed her underwear inside her pocketbook and bolted out of the entire office complex. She had driven home and plunged into the shower as if somehow the hot water could wash away the incredible folly she had just committed.

When Steve finally got home, she had pretended to be asleep. He snuggled into the bed and she curled up against him. Trying to lie still so as not to disturb him, she had finally dropped into an uneasy slumber.

The next day had not been better. After getting everyone off to work and school she had sat at the kitchen table and grappled with what she had done. Not only had she betrayed Steve, it seemed as if she had done it without thinking. 15 years of faithfulness down the drain in one swoop.

Well, it had happened. She felt awful. But by no means was she going to act as though having happened once it could happen again. She knew that supposedly the first affair was the hardest. For her, it would also be the last.

"Damn, Donna," she spoke aloud to herself. "It wasn't even that good!" Gil's attractiveness was in his looks, that was for sure. His love-making skills were not even the slightest match for Steve's.

Several days passed and she began to calm down a little. She still wrestled as to whether or not she should confess to Steve. She knew it would hurt him terribly, perhaps unforgivably. At the same time, she thought that the honesty they had always given each other demanded confession. She decided to think it over. She could not reach a decision. Perhaps by Saturday night, the night the two of them always tried to spend together, she would know what to do.

Then the phone call came on Friday.

"Hello?"

"Hi Donna, its Gil. We need to talk."

"Gil, I'm not sure that's a good idea. In fact, I know its a very bad one."

His voice was determined. "You need to hear what I have to tell you."

"Okay. Sanderson's at 1 PM for lunch?"

"That'll be fine. Don't be late." He had hung up abruptly.

The drive over had taken forever. Donna had considered and discarded a dozen different scenarios and conversations on the way. The one thing she knew for sure was there was not going to be any affair. What had happened was something she couldn't change but it was not repeating.

She parked near the door and entered the small restaurant. She smiled at the maitre-de and asked him if Mr. Gentry had arrived yet. Receiving a nod, she allowed him to escort her to a small, out of the way table in the back of the room. Gil was sitting there already.

"Hello, Gil," Donna said quietly as she sat down.

"What?" he responded. "Come on Donna. No kiss for your lover?"

"For heaven's sake, don't even joke about such a thing," she whispered. "Someone might hear you."

He looked at her in amazement. "After the other night, that's all you have to say? It was magical, it meant something special to me."

Donna gave a deep sigh and looked severely at Gil. "The only thing it meant is that you got your rocks off. You've wanted me for a long time, I know that. What I don't understand is why. You have a fantastic wife and Steve is one of your best friends."

He grinned and shrugged. "That just makes it even sweeter, to know that good old Stevie's faithful wife, Donna, played the slut with me. I like getting what I can't have, or at least what no one thinks I can get."

"God, Gil, I can't believe you're so callous about the whole thing," Donna marveled. "Well that makes it even easier." She stared straight into his eyes. "I'm telling you I made a horrible mistake the other night and its never going to happen again. I hope you enjoyed getting me, because that's it. I will never have sex with you again."

"Oh, I think you will Donna," Gil laughed triumphantly and tossed a large manila envelope on the table.

Donna opened it and gasped as a set of photographs spilled out onto the table. She frantically pushed them together and covered them with the envelope. They were pictures of her and Gil. Specifically, they were pictures of her and Gil having sex.

"Look at that one," Gil sneered as Donna fumbled through the explicit pictures. "What a great shot of you sucking my cock. You look really happy on your knees there." Indeed, Donna recalled in shame, she actually had enjoyed it. "And that one is even better," Gil interrupted her agonized thoughts. "Look at you with your legs wrapped around me. I'm sure Stevie would love to see that expression on your face. Hell, Donna, I bet he never has. I'm doing you a favor by keeping you around."

"What do you mean 'keeping me around'?" demanded Donna. "And how did you get these?"

"Even a blonde like you ought to be able to figure both those questions out."

"You son-of-a-bitch," Donna hissed. "That's why you wanted to go to your office. You have the whole place wired."

"Indeed I do," He smirked. "And that's no way for you to talk to your new, well, 'Owner' seems such a possessive word, but it will do nicely. Unless you want all of this to come out you will be following my instructions from now on."

Donna immediately realized what those "instructions" probably included. She clutched the envelope and pictures.

"Oh, you can keep those, by the way." Gil nodded at the pictures. "I have several copies, in case you were wondering." As Donna sat mute, Gil nodded his head in satisfaction. "Now that the unpleasantness is out of the way, lets get down to business. Not only will you entertain me whenever I want you to, I think you would be a boon to my business." Donna lifted her head and shook it. "Now, now, we've already settled this. Its just a matter of you being nice to my customers. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"As a matter of fact, this weekend will be a good start. I have a couple of prospects coming from out of town. I don't care what excuse you give Steve, as long as you are at my place by 7 PM. Just to show you I'm not a bad fellow, I'll even provide the underwear I want you to wear. In the meantime I think I'm rather in the mood right now. So you follow me to my place..."

"No." Donna spoke softly.

"What?"

"I mean 'NO'." Donna looked at Gil. "I might have made a mistake that I can probably never fix, but I'm not stupid. If I went along with this I would end up deeper in your power, not out of it. Sooner or later, you would make me do something that would let the whole affair out anyway." She paused and had a sudden thought. "That's what happened to Sue Dalgreen, wasn't it?" The Dalgreens had been acquaintances, not friends, but the divorce had caught the entire community's attention. From the look on Gil's face, she was right.

He calmed his features and leaned back in his chair. "What are you going to do?" He laughed. "Tell your moral, upstanding husband what a slut you are?"

"Yes."

Donna's one word answer completely stunned Gil. "You, you wouldn't dare," he stammered. "I know Steve. He'll toss you right out on the street without a dime."

"He might." Donna agreed. "And if he does I won't be able to blame him one bit." She stood up, tucking the envelope in her shoulder bag. "I might lose everything; him, the children, all the material things I have. Not that those would be worth anything without Steve and the kids. But its a risk I have no choice but to take."

Gil sat with his mouth open. His mind whirled. If she actually did that, no, she just wouldn't dare. This was all some bluff. But what if she did?

"Gil?"

He looked up. He was startled at the calm, determined expression on her face.

"In case you're worried about your part in this coming out... worry."

"I'll just deny everything. It'll be your word against mine," Gil almost gabbled in a panic.

"Sure, and these photographs will be something I created? I guess you never stopped to think they work both ways. I think when this is all over that more than casual interest in going to be paid to you and your little scheme. I bet the Dalgreens weren't the only couple you ruined. In fact," Donna paused as a thought struck her, "Blackmail is a felony. You're going to find you fucked with the wrong woman."

Gil obviously realized that fact. He pasted a smile on his face, rose and edged around the table. "Come now, Donna, there's no need for unpleasantness. I was just pulling a little joke. Can't you take it?"

Donna slipped sideways herself, keeping the table between the two of them. "I did the other night, and I will regret it for the rest of my life. Even if Steve finds it possible to forgive me, I will have a very hard time to forgive myself for hurting him and my family for nothing more than a brief moment of not that great pleasure."

Gil's face twisted and he lunged for Donna. "Give me that envelope!"

Donna stepped rapidly back. Suddenly a looming figure appeared between them.

"Mrs. Bellows, how nice to have you in the house today." Gil's face fell as his eyes traveled up almost 6 and a half feet of very large, very muscular black male. The man continued, "I do hope there is no unpleasantness here. I don't like it. It's bad for business."

"Oh no, David," Donna smiled tightly at her old friend. "I was just leaving and Mr. Gentry felt we had not concluded our business."

"I'm sure he's mistaken," David said flatly. "Would you like me to escort you to your car, Donna?"

"Please, David."

When she was settled safely in her car, Donna leaned her head against the steering wheel for a long minute. She started the car and drove mechanically to her husband's office. She pulled into the parking lot and parked next to his truck. She got out and locked her car. Even under the strained circumstances, she smiled at the contrast. Steve insisted she drive a nice car, and she liked her BMW. He, on the other hand, continued to drive a battered pickup truck.

"If I buy a new one, it'll just get beat up too," he had argued.

She stopped for a moment and ran her fingers over her car. It was quite possible that in a few minutes it wouldn't be hers any longer. Well, it would be the least of the things she might lose. She walked into the building and turned down the hallway that lead to her husband's office suite.

"Hi, Mrs. Bellows," Darlene, Steve's long-term receptionist and secretary, greeted her cheerfully.

"Hi Darlene," Donna tried to force a casual relaxation she didn't feel at all into her voice.

""Donna?" Darlene looked sharply at her. Darlene and her husband Bill had come to work for Bellows Construction when it was nothing but the dream of a young couple. Although they were always formal at work, they were often at Steve and Donna's house and the two women had been each other's confidants for years. Their children were the best of friends. Darlene knew her friend was terribly upset about something, but didn't want to push.

"Its okay, Darlene. Is he in?"

"Sure, and he's alone."

"Thanks. Oh, Darlene? Is your brother still a Lieutenant on the Sheriff's Department?"

"Sure, and his wife is a detective there too. Why?"

"Just curious," Donna answered.

She opened the outer doors to Steve's office. She paused with her fingers on the handle of the inner door. She could still turn away, go back to Gil and hope that she could somehow persuade him to drop his plan. "No," she angrily thought to herself. She hadn't been the first woman tricked by that man but she was going to be the last.

Donna took a deep breath. She straightened her shoulders, blinked back a threatened tear from her eye and reached deep inside herself to a reservoir of strength she had never known she had. With her head held high, in spite of the guilt and anguish in her heart, she opened the door and marched inside.

(The End)

(This is as far as I take you, dear reader. The rest is up to you and your own imagination, although I would love to hear your thoughts. I do not have any plans for a sequel at this time. Thanks as always to Marian for her editing efforts. Thank you to Dot, who really encouraged me to write this when I first broached the idea to her. And thank you to The Troubador, for his wonderful story "How High A Price" that gave me the idea to leave this one as I have.)