23 and Who?

As Harold drove north on the freeway, he wondered why, after all these years, he so angry. He'd known for years that Jeb wasn't his biological son. He always suspected Rizzo was the father. Was part of his anger the new knowledge that Haley was fucking that greaseball Mazzetti and it was Mazzetti who sired Jeb? Damn! He always hated that asshole!

Harold realized that no matter how far down you push the feelings of being cuckolded, those feelings are always there. "I should have fucked that Asian stripper last night." He said it out loud in the car. But; he knew better, he had grown up and was no longer the kind of man to break a promise. After breaking his vows all those years ago, he made a promise to himself never to make the same mistake again.

Haley was already at the house when Harold pulled into the drive. He walked in the house to the aroma of freshly brewed coffee; Haley was sitting at the same dining room table, at the same seat, where Harold last saw her three days ago. "So much has happened since Easter." he thought to himself as he watched Haley open a box of pastries from his favorite bakery.

"Bribery?" Harold said it with a smile in his voice, he loved this woman.

"Who said these are for you?" Haley replied as she took a bite out of the cream cheese sweet roll. Haley's humor was one of the traits Harold loved about her, and she knew it; he appreciated her attempt to lighten the moment. But; it was time to get serious.

"Tell me about Paul Mazzetti."

Haley actually flinched when Harold said the name. She suddenly looked small and scared. Could this be the end of her marriage? How did Harold find out it was Paul? All these thoughts swirled in her head. With nothing else to help her clear her mind, Haley stood up and poured the coffee into the two cups sitting in front of her. She passed one coffee cup and the box of pastries to Harold. Harold sat there, waiting, without taking a sip of coffee or a bite of the cinnamon roll.

Haley finally started to speak. "It happened twice. I'm sorry. I'd give anything to undo it. Then I ended up pregnant with Jeb. I swear I thought Jeb was yours, everyone said how much he looked like me and my brothers. It wasn't until he started to grow up and I saw Jeb and Ted together when they were in the same fifth grade class. I can still remember that horrid moment; it was during a field trip when both Sofia and I were chaperones. I looked at Sofia when the two boys were waiting together to get on the bus. I could see it in Sofia's eyes, without her even saying a word; we both knew. We never spoke about it; even after Tony left Sofia and filed for divorce; even when Sofia put the house up for sale and left town."

Harold was getting tired of the rambling; he wanted answers. "Tell me how it started."

Haley looked Harold right in his eyes. "When I tell you, I want you to understand something. I'm not excusing my behavior or blaming anyone but myself. I also want you to know that Jeb has been your son in everything but in DNA since he started to grow in my belly. He's our son; yours and mine."

"I told Jeb the same thing Sunday evening."

"I'm glad; he loves and needs you. It started with Paul six months after Hal was born. I was still fighting the extra pounds from the pregnancy and feeling fat and ugly."

Harold interrupted Haley. "Don't give me that 'I was feeling fat and ugly bullshit!' When did I ever say you were anything but beautiful?"

Given Harold's outburst, Haley's reply was calm, much calmer than she felt. "You didn't have to say it; all you had to do was screw that bitch from work for the year you two were carrying on your affair before and after Hal was born."

If Haley had pulled out a shotgun and blasted Harold in the chest, the effect of her words couldn't have been more severe. He sat with his mouth open and just stared without saying a word.

"What? You didn't think I knew? Did you think you were so sneaky that I couldn't smell the sex and her perfume on you when you rolled in late from 'working all evening on important projects'?"

Harold still hadn't said a word; so Haley continued.

"I didn't set out to cheat or to get even. All I wanted was for you to figure out you still loved me and wanted me for your wife instead of that whore. What kind of bitch tries to steal a man away from his wife who just gave birth to his infant son?

"Paul took advantage of the situation. He was walking past the house one evening; I had just come home and Hal was in the back seat. I had the groceries in the back of the car and Hal was screaming his head off because he was dirty. Paul stopped and while I changed Hal, Paul brought in the groceries. You were 'working late' again.

"I invited Paul to sit and have a beer while I put the groceries away. Paul was charming and I told him more than I should have. That was Paul's in and my downfall; he was a master seducer with his charm and good looks. I was the lonely, pissed-off new mom with low self-esteem. For the next few weeks, Paul seemed to be available any time I needed something done. "Call me any time" he said.

"So I did. When the garage door got stuck and you were at work; Paul fixed it. When the furnace was putting out a bad odor; Paul found a dead mouse trapped inside. And every time he came over, he'd tell me how beautiful I was. He even gave me a bouquet of flowers. They sat right there on the dining room table for four days and you never noticed them.

"Then one day, he kissed me and before I knew it; I was naked, on my back, and Paul was inside me. Do you want specifics; like was he better than you or bigger than you?"

Harold just shook his head. "No." He was still trying to get his head around the fact Haley knew about the affair. An affair with a co-worker that lasted eight months before he ended it. He remembered why it ended; when he felt Haley slipping away from him and he realized how much he loved her. He remembered the fear when Janice Mueller threatened to call Haley and tell her all about their affair. He had dodged a bullet. A nearly year-long affair and his wife was none the wiser. It was a secret Harold kept for these past twenty-plus years.

Haley wasn't finished and her words interrupted his thoughts.

"Good, but I will tell you he was neither, no better, no bigger, but he was there when I needed a friend. Only he wasn't a real friend, just one more asshole with an ego who was looking to score. A couple days after that first time, he came back and we did it again. Two things happened after that second time. Number one, my conscience hit me so hard I cried on and off for two days. Number two, the very next day you came home right after work and kissed me like you hadn't kissed me in almost a year. When I told you I hadn't made dinner; you took Hal and me to Sullivan's for a nice dinner. We made love that night and every night for the next week. I was in heaven; you were my husband again. I thought that was the week Jeb was conceived because it was my fertility week; I never dreamed that Paul was the father; not until the day of the field trip."

"Was he the only one?"

Haley was pissed and her voice rose when she responded. "Yes! Was Janice Mueller the only one?"

Damn; she even knew and remembered her name.

"Yes, she was. And I'm sorry. It was stupid of me. And it's the one thing I'm most ashamed of in my entire life."

"Well, I guess that makes two of us. What do we do now? I know you always hated Paul's guts and now you know he and I had an affair, even if it was a short one; and that he's Jeb biological father. Can you even look at me after this?"

"I still love you, Haley. I still want to be your husband, friend and lover. I want us to grow old together. I'm not naïve; there might be some fallout, maybe a few arguments after this; but I want you to move back home; today."

Haley got up from her chair and sat in Harold's lap. She put her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss.

"Take me to bed."

And he did.

Epilogue

After they made love; they got up and ordered Thai for dinner. Harold and Haley sat on the back porch eating spring rolls, Green Curry and Pad Thai, drinking a nice Pinot Gris and talking.

"Harold; please tell me you're not going to do anything stupid and go after Paul now."

"Haley, do me a favor; stop referring to him as Paul, call him 'Mazzetti' or 'asshole', but not 'Paul'. And to answer your question; no, I'm not going to chase after him. I can't because Mazzetti is dead."

"Dead? How do you know that?"

"Because Tony Rizzo told me Mazzetti died in a boating accident."

"Tony told you? You don't think?"

"I don't know; and I don't care. But; not everybody whose name ends in a vowel is mobbed up. So, just fagettaboutit."

"You have to work on your Sopranos accent if you're going to do that. You suck at it."

Still that crazy humor that made Harold laugh. They were going to be OK.

"I'll stop with the New Jersey accent if you promise to do one thing for me."

"Oh boy, this will be good. What is it?"

"Shave down there."

"What? You've got to be kidding. I'm forty-six years old and you want me to shave?"

"You're forty-six and you're still beautiful. I promise to make it worth your while and if you don't like it, you can always grow it right back."

"It'll itch. Everyone says it."

Harold was getting desperate. "If it itches, I'll scratch it."

"OK; but you have to do one thing for me."

Harold was now hopeful. "Anything; name it."

"You have to stop shaving every day and keep a five o'clock shadow. The Jason Statham look."

"Really? That's it? It's a deal."

Haley was surprised. They'd been married for twenty-seven years and she could count on her fingers the number of mornings Harold hadn't shaved. He must be desperate. She had a clue when he took her upstairs and started filling the tub with warm water.

It took nearly twenty minutes that first time; but for Harold it was worth it. Damn, it was beautiful!

It was worth it for Haley, too, because Harold kept his promise by making it worth her while. His head was still between her legs when she had to stop Harold by pulling him up by his ears after her third orgasm. He had stuck his tongue inside her; nibbled on her clit with his teeth. He swirled his tongue in that sensitive spot between her vagina and her ass, she thought he was going to kiss her in that forbidden spot, but he moved back up before she had a chance to stop that. She came the last time when he was rubbing her clit between his lips. Yes, a girl could get used to this.

******************************************

A little over a week later, Jeb and Ted were knocking at the front door on a Saturday afternoon. Harold was pleased to see the two boys and even more pleased to see them both smiling.

"I can't believe this bum is my brother." Ted said it while laughing. "Dad and I talked on Thursday, told me all about it. It got me thinking how much I owe you, Mr. Philips. You've been there for me since my folks split up. I know I wouldn't have gone into engineering if you hadn't encouraged me. All I can say is, 'Thanks'.

Harold gave Ted a hug. "You're welcome. And you know you are always welcome in our home. The world is a crazy place, almost as crazy as this household. You and your dad work everything out?"

"We're going to be OK. He's a funny guy; he was more worried about my mom and you. Said I should never think less of my mother, that everyone screws up and she'll always love me and be my mom. Said you were someone I should look up to; the way you and Mrs. Philips stuck it out and worked to keep your marriage going. How you've shown a rare manliness in it all. I can see what he's saying. Thanks again."

Harold smiled, "I told Jeb the other day and I'll tell you. When you get married, don't let a sweet piece of ass turn your head. Haley and I are the rare exception; few couples survive infidelity. Now come on into the garden; Haley is back there and would love for you two to visit. I'll get us all a beer."

Harold was pulling four beers out of the fridge when he saw it. A fresh banana cream pie on the second shelf. He never did get a piece of the pie on Easter Sunday. Harold smiled. "I think I better keep her."

******************************************

Note from the Authors

One of the recent comments to an earlier story asked why we never had the husband committing adultery. This got us thinking and the story above was the result (that and the whole news story on DNA testing). Thanks to that commentator for the suggestion; we appreciate that kind of feedback.

And we'll write more of these stories just as soon as Literotica starts a "Loving Husbands" section.