A Change in Marital Status

"When you go into action, you don't fool around, do you? Tell me all about it."

"We can talk after you get here. I want... No, I need to have my arms around you as soon as possible." She told him she had an appointment and would be there at one-thirty. He gave her the address and the call ended.

Dave drove home and packed another suitcase with his best suit, dress shirts and two ties. He left a note on the kitchen table.

"Honey, the project isn't done. Even if the damn place burns to the ground I'm coming home on Sunday. If it's possible and not too much trouble, I'd like to have halibut for dinner that night. I miss you. I miss you a lot. Love, Dave"

He was back at Mike's before one-thirty and parked the El Camino in the garage. At one-thirty Alessa parked her VW bug in the driveway and walked to the front door. Dave watched her get close and he opened the door.

"Nice house." She said, smiling and walking inside. Dave closed the door and took her in his arms. They kissed and Alessa verified the presence of tonsils in Dave. Between kisses Alessa found out who owned the house, how long Dave was staying there and the major points to his plan.

Dave led the way down the hallway to the master suite with Alessa following him. She unbuttoned the last two buttons on her blouse as they walked. In the bedroom Dave finished undressing her. He spread two beach sized towels on the bed and had Alessa lie face down on them.

He opened a container of body butter he brought from home and began a full-body massage. He began at her feet. Half an hour later he was about to ask her to turn over and he asked, "Sweetheart, how long can you stay?"

She moaned as she brought her thinking present enough to answer him. She said, "Hmmm, Until just after breakfast. My husband is out of town over-night."

"Great! Turn over, please."

She slowly turned over and looked up at Dave's face. He leaned to her and they shared a few kisses. In between those kisses Alessa said, "You really do have slow hands. Slow and caring."

Dave kissed her again and then reloaded his hands with body butter and began again at her feet. As he slowly worked his way up her legs she spread them, until they were slightly wider apart than shoulder width.

Dave focused on giving Alessa a good massage while being fully aware of the distraction of his own state of erection. It had been a long time since he'd been cut off. The feel of her smooth skin and her warmth contributed to his feeling warm, strong and anticipating the evening and night ahead.

When his hands reached the tops of her legs he paused to look more closely at her smooth, hairless cleft. His examination told him that she was not shaved. She was hairless. Dave smiled and thought, 'All the better to munch on...'

He worked the thick aromatic lotion called body butter into her skin, making pass after pass across each area of her anatomy. Each pass moistened her skin and stimulated the circulation on that area as well as relaxing her. When he kneaded her mid-section she moaned and whispered, "Leave some of me. I feel like I'm melting into the bed."

"Hhhmmm..." was all Dave responded.

When he was done with the massage Dave had not broken contact with her skin in two hours. He had massaged all of her skin. He knew, at the beginning, the odds were good that she would be too relaxed for them to join when the massage was over. He also guessed that he was laying the foundation for a long and sensual relationship with her body. So, when he was done, he simply got on the bed next to her, covered them both with a blanket and held her while they drifted off to sleep.

When they were under the covers, naked, and holding on to each other Alessa whispered, "You really know how to treat a woman... Thank you."

It was very dark when a dog ran into the road outside Mike's home causing the driver of a truck to honk the truck's horn and swerve to miss killing it. The sound of the horn woke Alessa and Dave, but didn't cause them to let go of each other.

She turned slightly and they kissed. When the kiss ended Alessa asked, "You think she'll go for it?"

He kissed her again and said, "She who? I gave her a choice, she chose. She can change the agreement any time she wants by unzipping my pants and doing her best to suck my spleen through my dick! Or, she can live with my new marital status, married with benefits elsewhere."

"So, this may well be my one and only time to be with you?"

"Nope. She shut me out of her body for a year. At one session a week she cheated me of fifty-three nights of pleasure, minimum. I want those fifty-three joinings!"

"What if she tells you she'll do you twice a week for this entire year?"

"There is a difference between obligation and gift. If I agreed to Ruth doing me twice a week for a year she would be fulfilling an obligation. The way you and I are together was a gift, from me to you and from you to me. You are not under any obligation to have sex with me. We do it because we like it, we like sharing it and it's fun for both of us."

"You've got that right!"

"So, quit worrying, if that was what you were doing. I'm not happy with how I got here or with Ruth's choices but I'm very happy right now and looking forward to many nights and days with you."

"I don't know... what you did to me was wonderful, but not one of the places you could put your dick got filled. I still have an empty feeling. I started messing around on my husband because my holes spent too much time feeling empty."

"You want to pick where I start filling you or may I pick?" Dave smiled and then kissed her right breast. Her hands held his face to her breast and said, "God, I love it when a gentle man kisses my nipples!"

She picked and Dave slid into her pussy. Over the next two hours they joined in a variety of positions. Alessa lost track of the number of orgasms she felt. The two towels under her were soaked with their sweat and cum. Dave had cum twice.

They spent the weekend inside the house, naked and exploring their relationship. Dave didn't call Ruth and Ruth didn't call Dave. He had left her a message that he'd be home Sunday night, so he was. He offered Alessa the opportunity to stay the night in Mike's home, even if he stayed home. She decided to go home, her home, for the night.

"I'll go home. My husband just might come home and I would like to be there with him, if he's there."

Before they left the house they stripped the bed and started a load of sheets and towels washing.

Dave went for a drive after Alessa left Mike's house. He loved the sound of the big 454 under the hood and he loved feeling the wind swirling around him as he motored down the highway. His thinking had him plan to be home at about five or maybe six, right around dinnertime.

As he walked between the garage and the house he noticed the back door was open. Wide open. He found Ruth in the kitchen standing at the stove. She had gone all out. She had freshly done hair, make-up and she was wearing a dress Dave bought for her when they vacationed in Hawaii. It was cut to show off just enough of her chest to make it exciting and just enough leg to make him wonder if she might be ready to change her choice.

He walked in and paused to take in the sight of her before he walked to the fridge and got a beverage. He noticed, when he opened the fridge, there were three long-necks and three cans of other beverages she knew he liked. He opened a long-neck.

Ruth had heard him come in, but she didn't speak or turn or otherwise acknowledge his arrival. She stayed at the stove, tending to the side dishes she was cooking.

Dave put his beverage bottle on the table and moved to within about two feet from Ruth. He said, "Hi."

She didn't turn.

Dave asked, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm afraid." Her voice quivered. "If I turn and look at you I'm afraid I'll see that you're already gone. One look and I'll see that you're leaving me." Her body was tense and stiff.

Dave waited a few seconds, thinking about what his best course of action could be, before he took a step and stopped an inch behind her. He whispered, "If it's Ok with you I'd really like a hug. I'm not leaving you. I have no plan to leave you in the future. I love you."

She stuck the big wooden spoon in the pan of sauce, turned the heat down low and turned. Dave's arms were open and she moved two inches closer to him, pressing against him and melting into his arms.

As long as she didn't move back from him, Dave was willing to stand there and hold on to her. He made no move he thought might be interpreted as sexual aggression or him attempting to take advantage of her. He focused his attention on what she was willingly giving to him.

When she moved, he released her with no hesitation. She moved back just far enough that they weren't touching any more and she looked up into his face. Tear tracks showed on her face.

"You didn't even try to kiss me." Ruth said.

"You told me how you interpret my actions. If I kissed you, it might be interpreted as me being the cave man attempting to control or dominate you. I won't go there again. If you ever want a kiss with me, I'll know it, because you'll initiate it. You have all the power in the intimacy level of our marriage. I am a willing participant and I will not be the one who starts any activity. You set this up. I hope you like life this way."

"So... if I kiss you, you'll kiss back..."

"At the same level of intimacy as you kiss me."

Ruth smiled and turned back to the stove. "Dinner will be ready in about tem minutes," she said. Dave smiled, picked up his beverage and went to their bedroom. He noticed the bed had fresh, new sheets on it and the covers were turned back. He used the bathroom, washed his hands and went back to the table for dinner.

Ruth had taken the time to crush nuts into the marinade she used on the fish. It was topped with slices of lemon and oranges and looked incredible. Dave saw and smelled dinner and felt the urge to take Ruth in his arms and kiss her.

Instead, he sat down. Ruth cut the piece of halibut into two unequal pieces and served the bigger piece onto Dave's plate. The smaller piece went onto her own plate. She sat and they talked about everything except the elephant in the kitchen. Dave told her the fish was great, as were the vegetables.

After dinner they stood side by side at the sink and did the dishes. As Ruth put away the pots and broiling pan Dave left the kitchen and went to his computer. He sat down and watched the machine go through start up.

He heard Ruth's voice call out, "Dave, oh Dave, where are you?"

"In here on the computer. Do you need me for something?"

"Yes. Could you come to the kitchen please?"

"Sure." He got up and headed for the kitchen, thinking she needed his height to put something on a top shelf or something. As he stepped into the kitchen he saw Ruth standing there in her heels, nylons, garter belt and new shelf bra.

She said, "I'm having a problem. Maybe you'd be willing to help me?"

"I'm not sure. Tell me what the problem is and I'll see if I can help."

"I hurt my shoulder yesterday and unhooking this bra is too painful for me. If I ask nicely, would you help me?"

Dave was aware of the near instant erection she had inspired. He was also aware that she was probably testing to see how strong his resolve would be, in the face of a sexual situation.

"If I help you take off the bra, what's next?"

"What's next? I'll go put on a night gown and we can watch some television."

"Oh. Ok. Take one step toward me, please."

She took the step and looked at him, wondering what was next. Dave stepped behind her and said, "Freeze. Do not move a muscle until I tell you it's Ok. Understand?"

She said, "I'm frozen."

Dave used both hands and unhooked her bra. It stayed up, covering her just as it had before, except that if she moved it might fall off. Dave quickly walked back out of the kitchen, leaving Ruth right where she was.

Just before he entered the hallway he called out, "You may thaw now."

A few minutes later he heard the television come on. Less than two minutes later he heard Ruth call out, "Dave, I recorded NCIS from last night. Would you like to watch it with me?"

He shut down the computer and walked to the den, saying, "That depends on which nightgown you're wearing." He stepped into the den and saw that she was modestly covered. He smiled and sat down in his recliner.

"They watched most of the NCIS episode sitting within a foot of each other, not talking. In the third commercial break Ruth turned to Dave and asked, "Is it going to be like this from now on?"

"Is what going to be like what?" Dave looked at her as he asked.

"Used to be, when we sat to watch TV you might hold my hand, might put your arm around me..."

"And, as I recall, you often got upset because I treated you like I had free and easy access to you instead of waiting until you were in the mood for touching and whatever else might come with the touch. I've quit taking the risk of pissing you off. I'm right here. Whenever you are in the mood, reach over and take my hand. I won't reject you. I won't get mad because you didn't ask first."

"So, all touch is up to me now?"

"Obviously, I wasn't pleasing you. Obviously, I want you to be happy. The only way I can keep from pissing you off is to give you the decision power about when and how much touching happens. I can do that. I am doing that."

"You can give me that because you're getting your needs met with someone else!"

"Could be."

NCIS was back on. Dave upped the sound level one unit. They were quiet until the next commercial break. When it started Dave turned the sound down until it was almost off. He waited.

"What if your new way of being pisses me off?"

"Then I'm lost. I don't know how to play with you so that we both win. You won't tell me. You shut the door on my sex life over a year ago. I've offered sex and sensual play every week for the year since you closed the door and every time I got shot down. Ok. Now that I've accepted life without us being physical you seem to be upset that I'm leaving you alone."

He paused. A commercial for KY intense lubricant ended on screen and Dave said, "You got just what you wanted."

They watched the end of NCIS in silence. Ruth didn't even look over at Dave. When the show ended Dave handed the controller to Ruth and stood up. "Good-Night, Sweetheart." He said as he turned and left the room.

Ruth followed him to the bedroom, after she checked that the doors were locked and the lights in the rest of the house were off. By the time she entered the bedroom, Dave looked like he was asleep. Ruth took off the nightgown she'd been wearing and slipped into bed.

The next night when Ruth came home from work she hit the button to open the garage and saw that the El Camino was gone. Her first thought was that Dave was somewhere with HER, Fucking HER and laughing with HER. As it happened, she was right. Right or not the reality was that Dave had come home or been home every evening for many years and that night he wasn't.

She entered their kitchen and found a note on the counter. It read: Honey, I won't be here for dinner tonight or sleep here tonight. Maybe the best thing would be for us to have an agreement about which nights I'll sleep here with you. Think about it, would you please?"

When Dave returned home the next morning Ruth had already left for work. The dishes were done and their bed, made. Dave worked for a couple hours in the yard and the rest of the day at his computer. He set his alarm for the time when he knew Ruth got off work. Just before he shut down his computer he printed the same note for Ruth as he had left the night before. On his way out he left the note on the kitchen table.

The next day when he returned home his note was still on the kitchen table with Ruth's response written by hand beneath his printed note. She wrote, "I would like you home, with me, every night. Since you are intent on having sex I guess the discussion we need is to start with how many nights a week do you intend to sleep "somewhere else"?

Dave smiled. Ruth assumed he was with Alessa. He had rented a campsite at one of the six campgrounds out by the lake and had slept in the bed of his El Camino. Alessa wasn't available every night, but Ruth didn't know that.

Their conversation about which nights Dave would be at home lasted almost a week. They settled with an uneasy truce that had Dave home four nights and gone Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights.

A month passed and their relationship smoothed out to the place where Ruth was Ok with him being gone three nights. She discovered she liked the freedom it gave her. She discovered she liked not having Dave pressure her for sex all the time. Dave decided he didn't like sleeping in the back of his truck.

Dave found a trailer for sale that suited his needs quite well. He spent a few days improving the interior and he got Alessa to help decorate the inside so she was comfortable there. She bought material and made curtains for all the windows and she bought pots, pans and other kitchen things so she could make dinner for them when she "stayed over."

Six months passed and the four of them existed in a relationship that was strange, but seemed to suit all the players. Dave was living with two women who didn't know each other. Alessa was living with two men who didn't know each other, but did know of each other. Ruth lived with Dave half the week and knew about Alessa. Alessa's husband knew Dave was her lover and he was fine with it. It took the pressure off him to be the singular focus of her attentions and allowed him to sleep with her the Saturday, Sunday or Monday nights.

It was on one of those Sunday nights in February that their semi-comfortable relationships were interrupted. Alessa was at home sitting with her husband on the couch. To be accurate he was sitting on the couch, Alessa was sitting on his lap. They were kissing and both had the intention of moving soon to their bedroom and some sexual activities.

In the midst of being fingered and kissed, Alessa suddenly felt Ken's body tense up and his eyes popped open. She broke the kiss and leaned back just a bit. Ken's hands went to his chest and he moaned. She realized he was having a heart attack, grabbed the phone and dialed 9-1-1. She got him an aspirin and they waited the four and a half minutes until the EMT's arrived.

Ten minutes later Alessa was dressed and on her way to the emergency room. Ken had been taken by ambulance.

At the moment when Ken's heart seized and the pain stopped their kiss Dave was standing in the master bathroom of his home, peeing into the toilet. Ruth was in the kitchen, putting the leftovers in the fridge. Both were content.

Ken was pronounced dead before Alessa got to the hospital. When the doctor told her she collapsed onto the floor and cried for a while. Two nurses helped her to a couch and one of them stayed with her. She sobbed and allowed herself to grieve for her loss.

It took her an hour or a little more to calm herself enough to ask herself 'What do I do now?'

The answer was to call Dave. She used her cell phone and dialed his home number. She had memorized it months before needing it, but had never before dialed it.

It rang and without a thought Ruth picked up their phone. "Hello."

She heard a sob and a female voice said, "This is Alessa. I need to speak to Dave, please." The please was pleading, not just politeness.

Ruth got that something was terribly wrong. She asked, "What's wrong?"

"My husband just had a heart attack and ... he's dead."

Ruth asked, "Which hospital?"

"White Memorial."

"Don't move! We're on our way!" Ruth hung up the phone and went looking for Dave. She called out, "Dave, get your shoes on. We need to get to the hospital and quickly."