The Affair

She shoves him back, harder and with more force than he on her. He loses his balance and falls back; luckily, she knows just where he will land. A dining chair, posh with a skeletal-like frame, soft under his ass, was directly behind him.

Kellie gets to her knees and pulls the zip of Tim's smart blue trousers down fast, reaching in to release his flesh to the world through his grey boxers. It isn't huge, but it looks gorgeous. Looking briefly up into his eyes, mischief and lust in her own, she begins to lick and suck the throbbing cock, thrilling to hear him sigh with pleasure as she works her magic. She hasn't tasted a man's sex in a while; she's missed the saltiness, the feeling in her mouth as it grows around her wandering tongue. Her own sex thrills and buzzes at the sensation. She reaches down beneath the material of her black trousers and feels her wetness through her red cotton panties. She moans slightly as she grazes the lips underneath. She's been dreaming of this moment since he agreed to go out with her. The seduction was already put into motion.

She feels his excitement already building. Not yet, not yet. Much as she loves the taste of cum, she wants to feel him inside her before he explodes. His lack of experience recently is obvious, and she wonders if it causes him any embarrassment now. Not from the look on his face, it seems, still in rapture and enjoyment. Let's take it up a notch now.

She gives him a final lick before standing up straight. He moves to go with her but a hand forces him back down in the chair. She is going to call the shots now. She likes it that way. It gives her such a sense of power that makes her wetter and wetter as she revels in it. Keeping her eyes on him, she unbuttons her own trousers, her sex yearning to be free. With both hands around both trouser and panty material, she folds the clothes down over her smooth legs and steps out of them. Her pussy glistens, a small slither of light hair resting above it like an arrow.

Carefully, her hands on his strong arms to support her, she lifts one leg and gingerly places it through and under the thin arm of the chair; the other leg follows suit in the opposite arm. She rests herself down on his hardness, her juices making it easy for him to slip in. She gasps as she feels him inside her; her feet try to wrap themselves around the thin wooden legs of the chair.

Tim's mind is being blown away. Her control, her intense purpose, is completely dominating him. He's now trapped beneath her, as if she has placed a strait jacket around his body. Even having his trousers still on, the cock poking through the unzipped hole, is a new experience. He has always made love naked, relishing the feeling of warm flesh on warm flesh. It's almost as if she was a little impatient. It doesn't quite sit right. But the effects of the alcohol from earlier and his sudden carnal urges overpower this uneasy feelings quickly.

Slowly at first, building up speed, Kellie begins to ride him, moaning as he goes a little deeper with each push. He is her captive now, her slave almost. She controls his pleasure with every gyration. Can she control hers though? It seems not; already the heat of the moment is building up inside of her, and his over-bubbling excitement propels this further. Wanting even more before she explodes, she leans backwards, further and further, grabbing the arms of the chair to hold her steady. This move makes her shudder as he goes deeper still; the chair rocks slightly with each thrust, making a slight bang on the floorboards. Let her neighbours below hear this; let them be turned on by it; let their fucking commence. In her ecstasy she doesn't care a dime.

She screams loudly as he cums, her own joyous orgasm released by the sudden spurts of white hot juice. She pulls herself back up and grasps him tightly as she's hit by the after effects, whimpering and gasping. He kisses her neck and breathes her in. They stay like that, huddled together, regaining their breath, as Tim's cock, gratefully empty, now slowly slips and shrinks away and out.

***

Julian wakes with a start. His dream is hazy in his memory but he knows it wasn't good; he has a feeling of deep unease and anxiety. He reaches over to where Victoria should be lying next to him yet feels emptiness. Curious he glances at the red neon numbers on the bedside clock. Almost two-thirty in the morning. Has she even come to bed yet?

He rises naked from beneath the sheets and, rubbing his eyes a little, heads out the door. The dim light in the living room is still on. He wanders in; there she sits on the couch, dressed for bed, yet evidently not yet hit the sheets. Her long black hair is still immaculate.

"Honey?" he says quietly, not wishing to make her jump. She does slightly though; when she turns to face him he sees her eyes are slightly red and puffy.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You've been crying, babes. What is it?"

There is a silence. She is struggling to find the words. They're not back yet. They haven't returned to collect their children. Her mind knows what they are up to, yet her heart doesn't want to admit, refuses to listen. How does she know? Why think the worst? Because, her mind insists, it's Kellie. She always gets her man.

"Bad dreams?" Julian asks, unknowingly giving her a helpful alibi.

"That's it," she lies. "I fell asleep here and had a bad dream."

"So did I," he replies, sitting down next to her and wrapping his arms round her, bringing her to rest on his naked chest. "What was yours about?"

"Kyle." More lies. She feels awful, so awful, to sit here next to her gorgeous, loving husband and lie to his face. Then stop doing it, her mind screams at her. What do you think you can achieve?

"I can't remember mine," says Julian softly. "But...I think...I think you were involved somehow. I can't be certain though."

She looks at him; the dream has freaked him out, it seems. She can see it in his tired eyes.

"Let's go back to bed," she says soothingly. She reaches up and kisses him lightly on the lips. He returns the kiss with more passion, his member beginning to swell.

"Enough of that," she says quietly. "I'm a little too tired."

"Fine," he smiles. "Can't blame me that you have such an effect on me."

But you don't on me, she thinks miserably as he takes her hand and pulls her up. Not the way you used to. Why not? Why the hell can't I find that desire I had a couple of days ago for you? Where has it gone?

***

Coffee has always tasted bitter to Victoria, ever since she first tried it as a small child. Over time, as one does, she got used to the sharp, rich flavour. This morning it tastes the bitterest it has ever done.

She sits in the café, one hand clutched to the handle of the blue coffee cup in tight, silent agony while Kellie, opposite her, gulps down her Mocha Latte in between blissful moments of joy.

"And he's just so nice. I know that's a bit of a cliché, but it's the truth. He's just the nicest guy. I felt that every word I said to him that night was going in and being stored somewhere for future reference. He cared about what I was saying to him. Is that so insane that I think that's incredible? Did you -- do you -- still get that with Julian? You always said he was a good listener." Victoria swallows; her mouth is uncomfortably dry.

"He is," she replies simply.

"You don't sound so enthusiastic," frowns Kellie. "You always said it was one of the things that turned you on most about him."

"Julian's a great listener," Victoria says, trying to fake an uplifting tone and seemingly succeeding. "The best."

"There we are then. Now I see what you were so crazy about."

It is two days later after Kellie and Tim's date, and this is the first opportunity that Kellie and Victoria have had to gossip. A previous engagement the day before had meant Kellie had to pick Ryan up early from Victoria's house and had no time to chat then; the fact that she also picked up Nick spoke volumes. Now the children are at playgroup and their various parents are settled in the various cafés and restaurants nearby, a brief rest-bite before the afternoon begins.

Victoria's head has been a whirlwind of a mess. She wants to be happy for her friend; Kellie's obvious excitement is touching. Just not with Tim. She hates herself for being so selfish.

"So when are you going to see him again?" she asks now, wanting to try and find a part of the conversation with which she can use to end it.

"I haven't called him yet," Kellie replies, a slight feeling of mischief in her eyes. "I wanna make him sweat first. Did the date go okay? Did I say all the right things? Let him panic before putting him at ease."

"That seems a little cruel."

Kellie shrugs. "I know, but how can I be sure he's genuine? I mean we've already hit way too many bases than you should usually do on a first date. I see how he sounds when I call him. If he sounds elated, then I know I've got a good one for sure. If he doesn't...well, at least I fucked him."

Victoria feels her blood run cold; her eyes open wide in shock. There it is: the truth. She was so afraid that this would be the case. Now here it is in cold hard reality.

"You slept with him...?" she asks hesitantly.

Kellie grins. "Hell, yeah. You know how long it's been for me? I wasn't going to pass up an opportunity like that. No chance."

She drinks the last of her coffee. Victoria feels like she could throw up at any moment. She pushes the coffee away from her.

"You okay?" asks Kellie, perhaps a little too casually.

"Yeah...just a stomach bug, I think," Victoria lies through gritted teeth.

"I think there's something shit going round, yeah. Better be careful what you eat for a while." Her face suddenly changes expression. "Oh god...speaking of shit..."

"What?" asks Victoria, curious. She turns round to see what her friend is staring at, then wishes she hadn't.

"Hello, ladies," says Laurinder Pinter, dressed in a somewhat ridiculous example of how the fashion world sometimes gets it very wrong. "Room for one more?"

"Hey, Laurinder," says Kellie with as much false optimism as she can muster. "Suuuuuure."

"Great! My feet are killing me; I've been shopping non-stop this morning."

The many, many bags wrapped around her arms are rather substantial proof of this.

"You going somewhere on holiday...?" asks Kellie hopefully.

"No, no. Ash has forgiven me for the little fight we had last week. Took him a while but he saw sense. As a result -- more spending money!"

"Wonderful," says Kellie under her breath.

"So what's going on with you lovely ladies then?" Laurinder asks, not having heard Kellie's comment.

"Anything exciting?"

"Maybe..." Kellie replies.

Victoria doesn't blame her for wanting to gossip more; she prepares herself for more inner misery as Kellie begins to gabble about her date with Tim. For once, it seems, Laurinder is all ears to a subject that isn't about her or money, particularly when it is revealed that Kellie's potential new boyfriend was the man she kicked out of her child's party.

"I feel a bit of a bitch about that now, of course," she assures the other two ladies. "I know he's had a bit of a rough time over the last couple of years. But he has got to put his foot down and do something about his kid."

"Nick's lovely," says Victoria. Her words take the other two by slight surprise; she has been silent for the last ten minutes or so. "He is. Tim just can't handle everything all at once. Nick needs...well, he needs a mother."

"Hmm," says Laurinder, unconvinced. "I heard from another of my friends that Nick's the reason they had to move to Sechs City in the first place. Apparently...and I don't know how much truth there is in this, so keep it to yourselves...Nick almost killed another boy where they last lived."

There is a rather uncomfortable silence which follows this statement.

"Are you sure you got that right?" asks Victoria quietly.

"Some kind of incident at a play park," explains Laurinder. "That's all I know. So maybe you can do something about it, Kellie."

The last word is pointed, personal; it's well known that Laurinder and her friends have doubts about Kellie's own abilities as a mother. Despite her state of jealousy, Victoria finds herself fill with anger at this insult towards her best friend.

Before either of them can say anything, however, Laurinder's cell phone springs to life. "Damn," the owner mutters. "Sorry, ladies, got to take this." She's gone almost instantly, shopping bags and all, out the door and chattering quickly down the line to one of her richer friends.

"Bitch," Kellie spits out savagely when the coast is clear. "She thinks she's so fucking perfect. Wait until I tell you what I heard the other day. That little argument she was talking about? Ash caught her screwing the help!"

"I know," says Victoria absently. "Julian told me."

Kellie's mouth drops. "When?"

"The other day. Is it really that important?"

"Yes!" insists Kellie. "God, she's such a hypocrite. And that bullshit about Nick? Unbelievable."

Victoria merely nods. Memories of Nick's fight with Kyle in the park are troubling her. Could there be some truth in what Laurinder has told them?

***

Over the next few days, the budding romance between Kellie and Tim can't be escaped for love or money. Victoria finds with increasing frustration that they already seem to be doing everything together: shopping, exercise, trips to the park. Not only does she feel bad, she is worried about Kyle. Apart from Ryan her son has few friends. Now that Ryan seems to spend all the time with Nick and his dad, having being dragged there by Kellie, who does Kyle have to play with? His toys. That's it.

Victoria finds that she prefers to spend more and more time indoors. She tells Julian that she plans to redecorate the living room, something they have discussed for a few months. Or that she is finally beginning to write that children's book she has always talked about writing since the day they met. Yet she finds herself so lacking in energy and optimism that it's a struggle to get up off the couch. Soap Operas become her new addiction; the infeasible twists and turns of complicated, back-stabbing plots involving beautiful people making love to beautiful people while planning their untimely death to gain their inheritance. Kyle sits on the floor of the living room while she watches these, quietly playing or doing some drawing.

When the phone rings usually it's just another sales person or Julian on his lunchtime break calling to talk to his son. Why would it be any different this afternoon?

"Hi, it's Tim."

Victoria is completely unprepared for the sound of his voice. Her breath catches in her throat. She struggles to make out a reply, so that he thinks that there's a problem with the connection. Quickly she regains common sense and relies in earnest.

"How are you? Haven't seen you at the park for ages."

"I'm...good," she coughs. "Good. I've been a bit busy. Housework. Lots of it."

"Well, we've missed you."

Victoria's stupid heart flutters. Stupid heart. What the hell does it think it's playing at? Does he mean in general? Does he mean truly missed? No, he said "we". "We've missed you." That's what he said. See? He meant Nick and him. Kyle and you. The four of them together.

Four, not two. Four.

"Listen...are you busy at the moment?" he continues hesitantly. "I don't wanna disrupt anything you're doing but I could really do with a talk..."

Victoria's pulse quickens. "Yeah. Sure. Come over whenever."

"Great." There's relief in his voice. "Say half an hour? That okay."

"Sure. Yeah. Come over whenever." All she can do is repeat herself. Why won't her brain work properly any more? Has all the television she's been watching dumbed her down to the extent of a grape? What if Julian comes home early? Why would that be a problem? There's nothing going on. It's all innocent.

Frantically, after they have both hung up, she realises that the house doesn't exactly look like the home of someone's who's been locked away obsessively tidying it. The vacuum is dragged across the floor as quickly as possible, Kyle's toys and drawings are placed back in the bemused boy's bedroom. The doorbell rings just as she manages to pull a clean top over her white bra.

They hug, slightly awkwardly, at the door before she invites them both in. Nick and Kyle stare at each other with suspicion before Tim suggests they draw a couple of pictures for their bedroom walls. Soon both boys are sitting at the coffee table, different types of crayon and pencil in their hands as they scribble away.

"He looks good," says Victoria to Tim as they watch Nick attempt to draw a circle in one go. "So do you. You look like you've had a bit of sleep for a change."

Tim smiles. "Was it always that noticeable?"

"Afraid so."

"Yeah, well...Kellie's helped out a lot with Nick and I've been able to get a few afternoon naps. It's been quite a blessing."

Victoria nods slowly, refusing to listen to her screaming head.

"Can I ask you something?" he continues.

"Anything," Victoria replies truthfully.

"Kellie. She's very...energetic in life, isn't she?"

Victoria shrugs. "Ever since I've known her she's never really known what it means to just stand still once in a while. To see what she could be missing. I think she's paranoid that if she doesn't stop living she's gonna collapse."

"That's more of an honest answer than I was expecting," says Tim.

"If it helps she keeps telling me that I'm boring," laughs Victoria.

Tim shakes his head. "You're not boring."

It's just a little too casual for it to mean anything. Yet still there follows a small silence that's warm, comfortable, almost life affirming.

"Why'd you ask?" Victoria breaks the silence.

Tim shakes his head. "It's okay..."

"No, it's not. There's something wrong. I thought we'd gone over this. You can trust me."

Tim looks at her and finds himself looking straight into her eyes. God, he's never seen eyes so bright before, so earnest. For a second he's flabbergasted. He'd noticed them, sure. Just...not like this. Wow. They were beautiful.

"Tim? What is it?" Victoria asks again.

"Erm...Kellie. Does she ever stop? Despite what you said, there must be some times..."

A smash of glass. A loud shout. A terrified squeal. Both on the couch spin round to see the aftermath of what they should have seen seconds before. A glass lies broken, shattered in many thousands of tiny pieces on the floorboards. Kyle is backing away in confused fright. Nick is screaming at the top of his lungs, his face bright red. There is real anger in these screams.

Tim leaps off of the couch and grabs his son, holding the now kicking boy to him. Kyle retreats quickly to where his mother stands dazed and bewildered, tears in his eyes. She soothes his anxiety while Tim, seemingly at a loss, picks up the still kicking and yelling Nick and takes him into the nearest room he can find away from his host, the bathroom.

For ten, maybe fifteen minutes, the yelling continues. Victoria turns the television on in a bid to drown out the noise and to put Kyle more at ease. Soon he is lost in a world of colourful children's programmes. Thank god for cable.

There grows a gradual quietness from within the house; the yelling and shouting dies down to random murmurs, until at last there is only the sound of the television reaching Victoria's ears. After sweeping up the broken glass and disposing of it safely, she has buried her nose in a magazine, every so often keeping an eye on Kyle. He seems fine, happy, content.

Tim enters; once more that tired look has entered his eyes. He looks shattered.

"I'm so sorry about that," he stutters slightly in his apology. "I don't know what came over him. I never know, truth be told. He's too young to explain. My mother -- she always said I should send him to some kind of child psychologist, but I was flat against it. I didn't want my own son going to see a shrink so young...I'm sorry. Have you swept the glass up? Was there anything else broken? I'll pay for the damage..."