A Shoulder to Cry On

I had gone through a fairly rough period of time. My marriage was coming to an end, and I knew there was nothing I could do about it. In the beginning, Robert and I had been deliriously happy, just like any newlywed couple. And even when the 'honeymoon' was over as they say, I had come to expect that our sex-life would no doubt diminish a little because of it. The day-to-day pressures of work, trying to keep up the home, took a natural toll on us both, but never to the degree in which it did, could I have ever imagined.

And then I started seeing the signs. Little by little Robert started working late. Working late at a job he had never had to work late at before. And then the sudden unexpected trips out of town that was now a new requirement (without any sort of promotional increase for this sudden addition to his already heavy workload). And though in the back of my mind I was starting to fear and worry, I did the one thing that perhaps I shouldn't have. I pretended it wasn't happening. I figured as perhaps most do, what I didn't know...wouldn't hurt me.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

When it happened, it hit me in the face like a ton of bricks, and to make matters worse, my sister was with me at the time when reality hit me squarely between the eyes. Joyce and I had decided to spend the evening together going out to see a movie, and then a late night dinner afterwards. Robert was again out of town for the weekend, so rather than spend another night home alone, Joyce had invited me out, and I had gladly accepted.

We had gone and enjoyed watching a very typical "chick-flick", and then afterwards went for a walk just a short distance down the street to a quaint little Asian restaurant we'd decided to try. It was cozy and dark, very romantic and I thought about suggesting it to Robert after he came home in hopes it might help to spark some interest in our relationship once again.

I didn't hold him entirely to blame for his obvious lack of interest in me either. I had indeed put on a few pounds, not so much that I still didn't get looked at by other men, but I knew what changes there were. And if I did, Robert certainly did, though he never once mentioned anything to me about it, nor did I mention the few extra pounds he'd put on either. Once again, after nearly eight years of marriage, who looks exactly the same they once did anyway?

Joyce and I gave our names to the cute little Asian hostess, and then sat down to wait for our names to be called in order to be seated. As I was in dire need of using the restroom, I then asked where it was, and was pointed towards the back. Joyce remained in the waiting room of course in the event our names were soon called, and I headed towards the bathroom. As I turned the corner, I was in for the shock of my life. Ahead of me sat Robert and a woman who I knew was his personal assistant as they now call them. For a moment I was confused, wondering if I'd somehow gotten things wrong and that Robert hadn't left town, but was doing business in town, and then I remembered him taking his luggage. Before I realized what I was doing, I ducked back behind the wall, worrying and likewise confusing the poor little Asian hostess who had taken our names. I peered out once again just in time to see Robert lean over kissing his assistant, her hand suddenly reaching over to rest itself upon his thigh there beneath the table, and then almost as quickly, move a bit further up, obviously and provocatively fondling his groin. I wanted to faint, to yell, to scream, to cry... to throw something. But I didn't. As calmly as I could, I turned around and walked back out to the waiting area and told Joyce we were leaving.

My sister knows me well enough, that she knew I was upset and needed to get out of there before telling her why. I made it as far as the side of the building before my legs virtually gave out from beneath me. As I began blubbering, trying to tell her what I had seen, and what was going on, we stood for a moment more as I finally collected myself, now telling her clearly what it was I had seen, which ironically is when the two of them came out.

As we hadn't driven, Joyce and I hurriedly made our way deeper into the parking lot, which is when I spotted my husband's car. Like a couple of thieves, we stood over behind a nearby truck just a few cars away, watching them approach, now walking hand in hand together, laughing, kissing like a couple of high school teenagers. If there had been any uncertainty as to what was really going on, there wasn't any now. Especially as Joyce and I both stood there watching the two of them, reaching the car, opening her door, and then placing his hands upon her breasts for a moment as they kissed once again, before allowing her to slip inside.

I'm not sure, but I think I actually had to hold Joyce back this time, her anger well beyond mine even at this point. And so we did nothing more than watch the two of them drive off together. Needless to say, Joyce took me home after that, and I sat up the entire night, trying to somehow find a way to rationalize what I'd seen, how I felt, and if there was any way at all to somehow reconcile at least in my own mind, what I now knew my husband was doing on the side.

As he sort of promised, he called me the following day, but considerably earlier than he said he would, claiming that he'd now scheduled dinner plans with a couple of the guys he'd met at the convention, and that they'd no doubt stay out late and have a few drinks together. When I asked him what he'd had for dinner the night before, he told me he'd just ordered in a burger with room service, especially as the company was of course paying for it. That's when I called him a liar, told him I'd seen him and his sexy little assistant Becky having dinner together.

Like they say, the silence was deafening. I'll give Robert points on one count. Once he was had, he didn't try and bluff or lie his way out any further. All he asked me then was, what it was I wanted to do, and gave me a few options. The only one he didn't give me was the one where I told him to go fuck himself...or Becky, and be out of the house within a week.

It was then that I called Joyce, and asked her if I could come and stay with her for a few days until Robert got his personal things out of the house, but not before I filed that very same day for divorce, doing so before Robert could hide any of our mutual assets. At least I was smart enough in that sense to be very well aware of everything we had, and where it was, though I was piss-poor at knowing where my husband's cock had been at the time, even though I'd honestly expected it.

And Joyce of course, along with my brother-in-law Ted were more than happy to let me come and stay over at their place for a few days while Robert and I finalized things, and let him move out, even though he then tried of course to reconcile, asking forgiveness and all that. But...I was wounded of course, and not in a very forgiving mood at the time either.

The one thing I had always envied my sister of, was her relationship with Ted. Not that they hadn't had their own ups and downs either, they certainly had, especially early on in their own relationship. I had even once asked my sister what her secret was to keeping a happy home environment between them, especially sexually. What surprised me about that was, Joyce and I had always been close, sharing at times the most intimate of details with one another, and to some extent, we still did. But when it came to that particular issue, it was the first time I can honestly recall that she hesitated about talking to me about it. She more or less laughed and joked it off, telling me that perhaps someday she'd share with me her little secret, and that very possibly, I might even come to see the sense and logic of it once she had. Even twisting her arm at the time wouldn't have gotten anything more out of her, so I finally gave up and decided to wait for a more opportune time to discuss it again. Unfortunately, it didn't really happen, and I basically forgot all about it.

When I showed up on her door that first night, and as she showed me into the guest room just down the hall from their own, I was more than pleased when she told Ted she'd be spending the night with me in my room. Something we hadn't done since we were kids together, sharing the same bedroom. In a way, I felt just like that young woman once again, and wished for a moment I could in fact go back in time. We stayed up late, drinking, crying, yelling, and screaming even falling into a fit of hysterics at some point before eventually falling asleep. Little did I know how the very next day would suddenly come to change my entire life, along with my entire way of thinking.

**

I called into work the following day, and having a very sympathetic boss, she told me to take as much time as I needed while gathering myself together. As I'd hoped, Joyce did the same thing, taking the day off at least in order to spend it with me so that I didn't just sit around all day by myself and get myself all worked up once again.

More than anything I appreciated just sitting there at her breakfast table sharing a cup of coffee together again, just like we'd once done. And in the nature of doing that, I suddenly remembered what I'd once asked her, and what she had at the time hesitated in telling me about. I figured now was as good a time as any to ask her again. So I did.

"Joyce? I once asked you what your secret was, how it is that you and Ted seem to have the perfect marriage. You hesitated about telling me. Now I'd really like to know what it is," I began.

"Are you sure you really want to know Debra?" She asked. "Because it's not so much a secret, as simply a mutual understanding, which is what works for us, keeps us happy and together. But it's also something that may very well shock you in hearing it, and not something that I daresay, would work for everyone either, though it certainly works for us."

The thing was, I knew it had nothing to do with the way she looked or the way she kept herself. Though sisters, we could have almost passed for being twins in a way. Only two years apart, with me being the oldest, we were very similar to one another in size and shape. We each had fairly large breasts, and having seen them enough a time or two to know, we looked very similar in that regard, amongst others. Though back then, I shaved my pussy bare, and Joyce just kept hers closely trimmed. We were roughly the same height, though Joyce was perhaps an inch taller if that, and within a few pounds of one another in weight as well. We both wore our hair shoulder length, dishwater blonde as they called it, and had what most men might say as full sensual lips. The truth was, there was very little difference between us, a different look in the face perhaps to keep us from actually looking like twins. But neither one of us felt ourselves to be more attractive than the other either.

"Yes Joyce, I really do want to know," I said simply and saw her expression change to one of real seriousness as she walked over to the kitchen table carrying our coffees with her as she did. Placing them down, she took a sip, steeling herself for whatever it was she was about to tell me. I hurriedly did the same patiently waiting, and now anxious to find out what was so difficult for her to tell me and why she was still dragging her feet before doing so. "Come on sis, spit it out? What gives?"

Resigned by the look in her face, she smiled. "You know Debra, you and I have always been close, we've pretty much been able to discuss and share most everything over the years, and to be perfectly honest, I hope we'll still be able to do so. But...what I'm going to ask you to do now, is to simply listen and not pass judgment on what I'm about to tell you, not until at least you've heard me out, and everything I have to say about it. After that, feel free to ask me anything you'd like, and I'll be totally honest with you about it. Fair enough? Deal?"

"Deal," I replied not even bothering to think about it.

"Just remember what I asked you to do for me," she reiterated, and then took a deep breath, continuing. "The secret of our happy and content marriage is this Debra, we long ago, each one of us realized, neither one of us would be content just keeping things between ourselves. Like I said, it's not something that would work for everyone, but it works for us."

I know my eyes had to have been as big around as saucers at this point as I sat there trying to digest what she'd just told me. "You mean to say, you and Ted have sex with others? On the side?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, and no..." she said confusing the situation even more. "We do enjoy having sex with others, but never a part, it's the one rule we have and never break. Part of the deal between us," she said.

"So you're telling me then, you and Ted get together with other couples simply for the sake of having sex together?"

"Sometimes yes, we have certain very special friends we do, do that with yes. But we also have other friends, a couple of single males, and a couple of single females, so sometimes we just have a threesome here and there, which we both find far more arousing and erotic as opposed to those times when we're actually with another couple, or a time or two...even couples."

"Holy shit! You've got to be fucking kidding me!" I stammered somewhat in shock. My dear sweet (or so I thought anyway) sister, was having the kind of sex-life adventure that most people only read about in books, or saw in porn movies. And at the moment, I was having trouble trying to even picture her...let alone Ted, in that kind of a situation.

"I'm sorry if that shocks you," she said almost indignantly, and I could tell by the tone of her voice she was having second thoughts about telling me.

"A little yes, I mean come on sis...after all this time? I'm just finding out about this now? Why didn't you say something to me about this before?" I asked.

"Because before sweets...I don't think you were ready to hear it, maybe now...you are."

She had me there. I did want to hear it, to hear all of it, from the very beginning, what it was like what they did...how they felt about it afterwards, everything.

"So tell me...when you and uh Ted have these threesomes with other women...you don't get jealous or anything like that?"

It had been a long time since I'd seen my sister actually blush, and she certainly was now.

"Well, not really no. You see Debra, I've sort of acquired a taste for being with a woman myself, so its not like Ted's the only one deriving any pleasure from those experiences. I do as well. And I certainly do, when it's he and I and another man. Ted in fact quite enjoys seeing that, and to be perfectly honest with you Debra, he's done a few things for me that I've wanted to see him do, things I've fantasized about. And he's done them, for me...and as I now know, he has enjoyed doing them too."

"You don't mean..."

"Oh yes...I do mean," she said winking at me, and then giggling. "And believe it or not Debra, it's pretty fucking hot too. Though so's going down on another woman as I've now come to enjoy doing so very much!"

As I said, when we were young, there was very little we didn't share or discuss with one another. I had taught her what it meant to masturbate, she had told me what it was like to lose ones virginity when she did, a year before I did even being the oldest. And we had once even explored a few things together sexually, out of a simple curiosity more than anything else, though as far as I knew, neither one of us had pursued that with any other women. At least I hadn't anyway, though it now raised a few unanswered questions that I hoped to hear more about.

But the bottom line was, throughout most of our life growing up together, we hadn't kept any secrets, until now.

As strange as this might seem, especially after everything I was currently in the process of going through, I was oddly aroused. Hearing my sister's admission, trying to imagine both her and my brother-in-law engaged in some of the things she had now shared with me, left images that were a bit hard to shake. Ted did have a reasonably nice body, especially for being in his middle forties, easily passing for a man ten years younger than that at least. And through our years ago candid discussions, Joyce had told me back then how big his cock was, how nice it felt inside her, and how really good he was in bed when they had sex. Something I'd remembered and once again been more than a little jealous of, especially after my own sex-life with Robert had suddenly started going downhill.

"So you actually enjoy doing that then...being with other women I mean?"

Joyce laughed, giggling, blushing again. "Yes, I do...and of course I still enjoy being with men just as much...other men," she again winked. "But you see Debra, what makes it work for us, keeps our own arousal fresh for one another, is that we do all this...WITH one another, not behind one another's backs. And...we talk about it before hand, before we ever introduce or include anyone else we might meet, or be interested in. If either one of us is the least bit uncertain, we either talk about it further, or we simply call it a "no go", and don't invite the other couple to join us if we're both not totally interested. That way, neither one of us ever feels slighted, uncomfortable, or unwilling to do something we just don't feel like doing with someone if we're not attracted to them for whatever reason. So far, it's worked...and worked well. Even with all this outside exposure we've been having, our own one on one personal sex-life is far better than it's ever been. Ted and I still have sex at least twice, if not three times a week now, on top of all that."

"Holy fucking shit...really? You're serious? Damn sis...if I'd known this was the secret, I might have actually suggested it to Robert a few years ago. Now...I could kick myself!"

"Oh, so you wouldn't mind sharing Robert with that assistant of his?" She asked. That one I had to think about. Had we all gotten off on the right foot, and had she been willing, she might have been interesting to explore my own curiosities with. Now...under these circumstances, no.

"Not too surprised at that one," Joyce said laughing back as I thought about what we'd both recently seen.

"Stupid prick," I said...thinking about it now, though I was likewise calling myself a stupid cunt too for letting things go as far as they had without really doing anything to correct the problem either. And now, here I was...once again soon to be alone, without anything but my own hand, and one or two favorite toys as my only relief, and my very own sister, basically having the time of her life. Now...I was jealous, and horny to make matters worse, especially as I still prodded my sister to divulge some of the things the two of them had now done and enjoyed together. We sat for the next two hours, or rather I sat listening to her and my brother-in-laws naughty escapades getting hornier and hornier by the second.

But what did feel good, was feeling a bit of distance from all the recent stress. It felt good to feel alive again, to laugh, and to share the renewed closeness with my sister. Something I'd begun feeling we had lost over the span of time. Perhaps it was a bit of that natural high that we began joking around somewhat, even if I was only joking and not being serious about it, though I gave words to my thoughts nonetheless.

"All this talk has got me sitting here squishy in my seat," I told her. "Now I wish I'd thought to pack one of my favorite toys," I admitted once again jokingly. "Don't suppose you've got one I can borrow do you?"

"Only if I get to watch," she answered back smiling, though again I didn't take her comment seriously, just part of the old way we used to tease one another, especially as we'd only once ever really done anything together, and that was a lifetime ago.