A Path Unexpected

"Your husband doesn't mind you going away the first time he's been home in months?" Bree asked as she handed off the still wet dish.

"David understands how important the monthly trip up to Douglaston is to my practice," she said.

"Then he's one in a million," Bree laughed. "I can't imagine many men letting their wives out of the bedroom after four months at sea, much less letting her traipse off halfway across the state."

"Well, we have been married a long time," Valerie pointed out as she laid the last dish down on the counter. "That part of marriage really isn't all that important to us anymore."

"Yeah, like I'm going to believe that," Bree replied in a skeptical tone.

In the summer of the year they met, with the then younger children safely left in the care of grandparents, the two couples had vacationed together at a resort down in the Caribbean. Much to Bree's initial dismay, the beach there turned out to be clothing optional, with few guests availing themselves of the option. After an initial hesitation, she finally decided, what the hell, when in Rome, and joined the crowd.

After a few days, the constant nudity all around her seemed so casual, Bree no longer gave it a thought - well, at least as far as strangers were concerned. David Stanton, she discovered once they left their swimsuits behind, wasn't endowed like the girls back in high school used to whisper about, but was gifted enough to lend at least some credibility to the rumors they'd heard. So much so that, try as she might, Bree couldn't help wondering what it might be like with someone that impressive. Not that Frankie wasn't equally impressive, at least in his own way, she told herself.

On their next to last night at the resort, with the men off on a late night hiking excursion that held little appeal to their wives, Bree and Valerie found themselves at the seaside bar downing shots. After having enough of them to wash away her inhibitions, Bree found herself broaching the subject. As soon as the words had left her mouth, however, she immediately felt that she'd gone too far over the line.

To her surprise, rather than be offended, Valerie had laughed and said that if Bree ever really wanted to find out, then she didn't have a problem with her doing so. Thankfully, come the following morning, the question seemed forgotten and Bree chalked it all up to the two of them having been just a bit drunk.

"You're sure I wouldn't be in the way," Bree asked, bringing a smile to Valerie as she saw her friend was finally at least considering the idea.

"I just need three or four hours on Saturday to meet with Alfred," Valerie again explained. "Then we'd have the rest of the day and half of Sunday to ourselves. I usually take the three-forty train back home."

"I guess I could use a day or two away from home," Bree finally admitted.

Valerie beamed; she had won.

Bree had been depressed of late and the reason was obvious. This month, next week in fact, would be the second anniversary of Frankie O'Connell's death. Bree had come to grips with his loss in an industrial accident a few months after that Caribbean trip, but that didn't mean she didn't feel low at times because of it.

Frankie and Bree had been high school sweethearts, deeply in love, well, lust at least. So much so that she found herself pregnant at graduation and married before the summer was over. In the years since Kellie had been born, however, that love had cooled until, by the time of the accident, they were doing little more than cohabiting. The shared vacation had been a last attempt to rekindle the fires. But even with that being true, she still missed him at times.

Between the insurance settlement and her job at the Food Mart, Bree managed to live a simple but comfortable life with her daughter. It also helped that her father in law, Steve O'Connell, a successful businessman, doted on his only granddaughter and saw that she wanted for nothing. He had made the same offer to Bree, not understanding why she felt the need to work, but she'd declined. His paying her bills was where she drew the line.

-=-=-=-

Come Saturday morning, bright and early, Bree and Valerie were at the train station to catch the seven fifteen Northbound Limited, and, three hours later, stepped out onto the streets of Douglaston. After checking into their room, Valerie went off to meet Alfred Dukes and Bree headed downtown to check out the shops. She really didn't plan to buy anything, but it was fun just to browse.

They met up for a late lunch, after which they spent a few hours sightseeing, winding up at the Museum of Art. They'd been admiring the exhibits there about two hours when Valerie drew Bree's attention to an item of interest not found in the little booklet they'd been given on the way in.

"Don't look now, but that guy is checking you out," Valerie said in a whisper, leaning close to Bree so that only she could hear.

"What?" Bree said in surprise, her voice loud enough to be heard by nearby bystanders.

"To your right, over by the painting of the girl on the swing," Valerie clarified in the same low voice. "The cute one with the short black hair," she added, identifying him among the three men standing there.

Curious, but not wanting to seem interested, Bree managed to take a look without being too obvious about it. She timed it just right, as she did indeed catch him checking her out. At least five nine and well defined, he looked to be in his early to mid-thirties. Well dressed, she decided Valerie did him an injustice in only calling him cute.

"God, he is, isn't he?" she said in surprise, her tone now much lower.

"What do you sound so surprised?" Valerie asked.

"I don't know, I guess it just feels a little bit strange," Bree replied.

"I don't know why," Valerie replied. "You're an attractive woman, single and available. Or did I miss something when you finally took off your wedding band and went out on a couple of dates a few months back?"

`"I only did that to make Steve happy," Bree said, referring to her father in law. He felt I needed to get out and start living my life again."

"And in that at least, he was right," Valerie said, having not always agreed with the older man. "So what was the problem?"

Before she answered, Bree glanced around her to make sure no one was too near. No one was, but even so, she pulled Valerie off to an empty alcove where they could talk in private.

"Because it didn't take long for me to realize that all any of the men that asked me out were looking for was to take me to bed," Bree said.

"And you say that like that's a bad thing," Valerie questioned, thinking that she knew a few single women Bree's age who would've been quite happy with that prospect.

"You don't understand," Bree said.

"Obviously not," she countered, "so why don't you enlighten me?"

"Men assume that since I'm a young widow I'm perpetually horny and that, given the chance, I'd fuck just about anyone that asks," she said.

"And that's not true, right?"

"The hell it isn't," Bree replied without hesitation. "I've been going through batteries so fast these last few months that I feel like I should be investing in Duracell."

Valerie resisted the urge to laugh. She could sympathize with her friend, because her own night table also contained an assortment of battery powered toys.

"Then why you didn't just fuck one of those guys you went out with?" Valerie asked. "It's the twenty-first century: no one expects you to marry a guy just because you share his bed a few times."

"If I was back in the city, I'd agree with you," Bree replied, "but as much as I love it, North Cambridge is a really small town. You have no idea how hard it is to keep a secret there. Back when Frankie was alive, I used to hear him and his buddies talk all the time about which women in town were easy lays. Guys like to talk worse than women, especially about who they've slept with."

With David gone more then he was home, Valerie never had to deal with things like that, or have someone like Sarah Wilson living next door who watched not only her coming and goings, but who might be spending the night. Of course if she had, Valerie was certain she'd have had it out with the nosy old bitty long ago.

"Trust me, it's not as hard to keep a secret as you might think," she offered, "but I can appreciate your concern."

She paused a long breath.

"But we're not in North Cambridge now" she added. " So if a guy expresses an interest, why not see where it might go?"

"Val, you know I'm no prude," Bree said. "I gave it up to Frankie on his eighteenth birthday, and some of the things we did after we were married, well, I never imagined myself doing half of them. But as horny as I've been, I don't think I could ever do it with a stranger."

As they stepped back into the main chamber, the point proved itself academic. The man who had expressed such an appreciation of her assets was now long gone.

-=-=-=-

It was almost dinnertime when they got back to the hotel, but neither woman was feeling especially hungry. What they both wanted, however, was a drink. So rather than head back up to the room, they instead found themselves in the hotel bar.

"Oh, that is good," Bree said as she took her first taste of the cocktail she had ordered.

Valerie also sampled her drink, expressing her satisfaction with a broad smile.

"So what's on the agenda for tonight?" Bree said as she laid her drink on the small table the two of them had taken over in the far corner.

"That's up to you," Valerie said. "I invited you along to enjoy yourself."

Bree thought about it a bit, and not really coming up with a suitable answer, asked Valerie what she did when she stayed overnight every month.

"I'm sure you don't spend the night up in your room watching cable," she laughed.

"Oh, I have my entertainments," the older woman replied, "but I don't think they're something you'd be interested in."

"How do you know?" Bree inquired, taking another taste of her drink.

"You'll just have to trust me on that," Valerie answered, picking up her own glass.

That answer left Bree a bit intrigued, but in the end she decided to not delve further into her friend's privacy.

Looking over the visitor's guide they'd picked up earlier, they tossed a few ideas back and forth. They finally decided that, since it was such a nice night, they would take a walk down by the Esplanade along the river and find a nice restaurant for a late dinner. But first, a trip up to the room to freshen up and change was definitely in order.

They finished their drinks and exited back into the lobby. They'd just about reached the elevator when a tall, well proportioned blonde walked up to them and began to excitedly speak to Valerie. That the lawyer might know a few people in a city she visited every month didn't seem unusual to Bree. What was confusing was that, despite the fact that she clearly seemed to know Valerie, she repeatedly called her by another name.

"Victoria, why didn't you let me know you were going to be in town this weekend?" the thirty-something woman who, Bree later learned, was named Alicia asked. "If you had, I'd definitely have canceled whatever plans I had."

For the first time since she'd met her, Bree saw her friend flustered. She mumbled an almost incoherent answer about the trip having been unexpected. It was almost as if, in the space of a minute, she'd become a totally different woman.

"Are you going to be at Paradise later on?" Alicia asked. "I'm going to be free about nine and could probably swing by."

Again, in a tone much less confident tone than Bree was used to hearing, Valerie said something about already having plans for the evening.

In response, Alicia turned to Bree and gave her a long, hard look. One that the redhead found just a bit disconcerting. She couldn't be positive, but she had the distinct feeling that she'd just been judged and found wanting. Once she was finished, the strange woman shrugged her displease and went on her way.

"What was that about?" Bree asked a notably rattled Valerie once Alicia was out of earshot.

"Not here," she relied, reaching out to hit the button that would summon the elevator.

The elevator ride up to the sixth floor was a short but one filled with a very awkward silence.

-=-=-=-

The door to room 6C had barely closed behind them when Bree asked the question she had been holding all the way up.

"Care to explain what the hell that was all about, Victoria?" she said.

"To be totally honest, no," Valerie replied, "but I guess I do owe you an explanation, so here goes."

She paused to take a few breaths before going on.

"Although it might have sounded otherwise, it's really not anything ominous," she began. "I sometimes take advantage of being away from home to let off a little steam. You know, just party a little, go dancing, and have a few drinks, that sort of thing. Paradise just happens to be the club I normally go to, mainly because it's not that far from here."

"Uh huh," Bree said, feeling just a bit disappointed because, from her perspective, the explanation made a lot of sense. "And Victoria?"

"The first night I went there, oh, about a year ago, I had my monogrammed handbag with me," she explained. "So when I was sitting at the bar and someone asked my name, I looked down at the engraved V and said the first name that popped into my head. It was a silly thing really, but sometimes it's fun pretending that you're someone else."

That too made sense to Bree.

"So are you satisfied now?" Valerie asked.

"Of course," Bree smiled. "Why wouldn't I be?"

The look on Valerie's face was one Bree recognized as relief.

"So no more secrets," Bree said.

"No more secrets," Valerie agreed.

"Great," Bree smiled. "So what time does the club open?"

"Excuse me?" Valerie asked.

"Paradise - what time does it open?" Bree asked again.

"You want to go to Paradise?" Valerie asked, a tremor back in her voice.

"Sure, why not?" Bree responded. "It's got to be a lot more fun than just taking a walk down by the water. After all, aren't you the one who said I should loosen up a little?"

Valerie's face went blank for a few seconds, then she stepped over and say down on the closest bed.

"Bree, I can't take you to Paradise," she said.

"Why not?"

"Because it's not your kind of place."

"What do you mean?"

There was a very long three or four second silence.

"It's a lesbian club," Valerie finally said.

"Really?" Bree said in surprise.

Valerie nodded her head.

"That makes it sound even more interesting," Bree said.

As she did, she recalled how her cousin used to go to gay clubs all the time, just to dance, and loved being able to party and not get hit on. Since Valerie was very much married, Bree simply assumed she did pretty much the same thing.

"Bree, you don't understand," Valerie added.

"What's not to understand?" she started to say, but only got halfway through the thought when, remembering the woman down in the lobby, turned pale herself as all the dots suddenly lined up. "Oh my God!" she gasped.

She looked at the woman sitting on the bed for confirmation, and got a slow nod of her head. This was definitely not what she expected. Slowly, she took a few steps back and dropped down into the wooden chair by the desk.

"I guess you were right," Bree said after a long silence.

"About what?" Valerie asked, unsure of what she meant.

"Evidently, it is possible to keep a secret in North Cambridge," she said.

Valerie slowly smiled as well. Hopefully, if Bree could still joke, then things weren't as bad she had feared they might be.

"How long have you been ... been into girls?" Bree asked, thinking it was a natural question but unsure how best to phrase it.

"Since I was in high school," Valerie said, actually feeling relieved to finally be honest with Bree about it, "that is, if you want to base it on actually being with someone. If you are just asking about attraction, well then, all my life."

"Fuck!" Bree exclaimed, having expected Valerie to say a couple of years at most. "Does David know that you're bi?"

"David has known since the day we first met at his roommate's birthday party, back when he was finishing up his last year at State," she replied. "There was no way he couldn't know, because the only reason I was even at the party was because I was dating the roommate's younger sister. Oh, and for the record, I've never been bisexual."

"What?" Bree said, now even more confused.

"Perhaps I should just explain it all at once," Valerie suggested.

"That would probably help," Bree agreed.

Over the next few minutes, Bree listened in fascination as Valerie unfolded her tale. Mark Twain had once written, "Truth is stranger than fiction", and as the story continued she realized just how true that was.

From the time he was fifteen, David Stanton had one great dream - to fly Navy jets. Single minded in his desire, every decision he made over the next decade was weighed against how it furthered or hindered that goal.

Valerie Campbell had her own dream, one that, at the time she met David, seemed to be slipping out of her grasp as the cost of finishing college, not to mention law school, was quickly becoming prohibitive.

During the party, David, who already had a Naval Reserve commission and was about to move on to active duty, found himself in animated conversation with Valerie. Listening to her plight, he said it was a pity that Valerie wasn't straight, because then she could marry an officer and be eligible for a special educational program for the spouses and dependents. In her cups, Valerie had joked that if it got her a law degree, she'd still marry the guy - as long as she didn't have to fuck him, of course.

The next morning, after they'd sobered up, David asked her if she'd been serious. One of the criteria the Navy looked at when choosing officers for flight training, he explained, was stability. Nothing said stability like having a wife and home. In all honesty, he had no desire for a wife, especially one who would expect him to devote a sizeable portion of his time to her. But, if he could have one that, at least looked good on paper - well, that was worth considering.

At first, Valerie couldn't believe he was serious, but he finally managed to assure her that he indeed was. People entered marriage for many reasons other than love, he said. Citizenship and medical benefits were just two of the possibilities he cited.

It took her a month to make up her mind, but in the end it seemed a deal worth making.

"Please don't tell me that you had Mark to make David seem more appealing to the Navy?" Bree asked, interrupting the narrative.

"Oh my God, how could you even think that?" Valerie said in shock. "No, I always knew that, somewhere along the line, I wanted to have a baby. So it only seemed natural to take advantage of the situation."

"So you and David have had ..."

"Yes, that was the exception to the rule," Valerie replied, adding that it was more an exercise in mechanics than anything else, with as little emotional content as a night with one her vibrators. "Other than that one time, we're really not more than roommates, at least in that department."

"If that's the case, then I have to ask," Bree said, a slight hesitation in her voice. "What does David do for a sex life? I mean I can't believe he's been celibate for fifteen years."

Valerie laughed before answering.

"Honey, you've seen my husband naked," she replied. "Do you think he has any problem getting laid when the mood strikes him? He just follows the same rules as any other flyboy and keeps his indiscretions at least fifty miles from the flagpole."

"Incredible," Bree said as the story came to a close.

"But true," Valerie concluded, letting a few moments pass before adding, "You know, you're the only person that I've ever told the whole story to."