Agreement Ch. 02

1.

"I have no idea why this excites me so much. I wish I did."

Bill Steed half-grinned and shrugged. The absolute silence in his therapist's office gave him pause. The therapist's voice, Dr. Kahn, a gentle but firm male voice, did provide some solace.

"Well look, we know several things. It's not like you're out there hurting anyone. Your wife loves you. I mean, she's told you so. And, everything else in your world remains the same. It is this one issue. Right?"

"That's exactly right."

"No one has complained. No one else has even raised an issue. You know this, yourself, to be extraordinary. You're here to talk. To explore it. To understand it."

"That's right."

A stillness and silence stayed constant in the office, as Bill tried to make himself share as much as he could. The doctor's tone stayed level.

"Okay. You left off at that morning afterwards. You knew she had spent the night with Trevor, is that right?"

"Yes, that's right. I did."

"Carry on."

"Okay," Bill drew a deep breath and pushed on, "She knows I play golf on Saturdays. It's what I do. I'm always gone by nine, and at nine, she hadn't gotten home. We weren't around each other that day. That night we went out to eat, and... just avoided it."

Dr. Kahn made notes. "Did she act strange or upset?"

"Not really." Bill rubbed his face and then shook it as if to try to change his approach. "Doctor, I really think this is something that... can be just fine, so long as... we all just look at it a certain way. It's worked out as something different. Enticing. Provocative."

"Why is it so 'provocative' to you?"

Bill couldn't help a grin. "You gotta know Julia. She's so damn nice. I mean, you'd look at her, and never-never in a million years-think this woman is actually fucking her son. That's what makes it so thrilling to me. It seems to go against her nature. She's so womanly, and appears so wholesome, yet... there's this. And believe me, she doesn't want to admit it, and would never admit it, but she's thrilled, too. I can see it."

The therapist tried to ask his next question carefully. "Do you feel anything besides the thrill of it? I mean, there's no jealously that surfaces at all?"

"Listen, I've got no ego in this. None at all. Maybe I should make that clear to them, too. Julia and I have been together forever. Forever. And... we just don't have passion that way with each other anymore. She'd agree with that."

"Yeah, but having sex with someone else. That's pretty different from just things being routine or something. Then, throw in that it's Trevor, and... well, it's just a huge minefield."

"But it doesn't have to be. It doesn't. They're both healthy, secure people. Long as we're all honest with each other. In fact, I think I'll talk with them both, make sure they understand. I'm not about ego on this. I want everybody fine with it, and only doing it if they want. If they really want."

"And you're pretty sure everybody is happy with this? Really?"

"Look. Trevor is doing some sort of ultimate thing here. He's probably more than happy that this is happening. Way more into it than me. And Julia, hey, I haven't forced her here. Hell, I haven't even encouraged any of this. I just... um... went along."

"What else could happen from here? Where does it go? What do you see?"

"I wanted to ask you about that. There's something I am craving, but... . This is sick, I know."

Dr. Kahn shifted in his chair, but kept an even look about him.

Bill continued. "It's been, like, mesmerizing to hear about this. To see her afterwards. But I got to have a better experience of it."

"Huh?"

"I gotta be there when it happens. Actually see it. That would be the ultimate."

"Is that something you think they'd ever agree to?"

"Well, it's a wish I have. And, it's like a genie has granted a couple of wishes already. I think it'd be okay."

"We have to be careful with our genies."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Be careful with the genie, once it's granted the wishes."

Bill titled his head. "Huh? So... what does a genie do after it's granted the wishes?"

The therapist leaned forward and tried to strike a compassionate look and tone. After drawing a deep breath, he spoke softly.

"Whatever it wants."

Bill flinched.

...

2.

Trevor's voicemail froze him in place. "Trevor, this is your dad. Let's grab a beer."

When he first got the voicemail, Trevor had stared at his phone for some time. His hand wasn't steady when he called his father back, and they set the meeting up. Had to happen, he guessed.

Marlowe's was a good bar to do this. Low key. Sports-themed. A smattering of people. Cold beer and enough space where they didn't have to be heard.

His dad smiled when he saw him, and Trevor needed that. Everything could be fine. This could work out. Just relax.

A handshake together with a half-embrace, and then they perched at a high-top. Bill faced towards the bar and the bank of television monitors, and Trevor did the same. It was a relief they wouldn't be staring right at each other the whole time.

The sight of them likely screamed 'normal.' Bill in his button-down dress shirt and some casual trousers. Trevor in his worn jeans and a t-shirt.

An attractive young server wasted no time saddling right up to them. She gave Trevor a flirtatious look and grin that Trevor happily returned. Bill ordered a Miller Lite, and Trevor a 420.

"I swear, you're totally me, when I was your age. A younger version of me." Bill shook his head, chuckling.

"Yeah?" Trevor smiled back.

"That server's hot. You should go for that. Don't hesitate. As you get older, that becomes clearer. Life's short."

"Yeah, well it's not always as easy as it looks either, right?"

They shared a look, before Bill focused them.

"You know. Me seeing myself in you probably accounts for some of where I've been coming from on this."

Trevor braced a bit. "Okay... ."

They both drank from their beers. Trevor drained more of his. This is damn weird.

"Hey, your mom and I have been going through some... stuff. Probably more me, actually."

Trevor kept quiet and listened closely.

Bill continued. "After twenty-something years, things get... sort of settled. Low key. It's, uh, easy to stop trying, really."

Bill held up his hand and laughed softly. "Hey, I'll be the first to admit it. I'm guilty."

The server came around, and both of them declined to order any food. The server let a sexy smile linger at Trevor. When she moved on, Bill slapped at the tabletop and was quick to his point.

"See that? That's cool. That's exciting, right? Some flirting, some sexiness. That's fun."

"Okay." Trevor sipped more beer.

"I guess I'm just saying your mom's been this same, easy-going way for years, and I've been letting things coast along forever, and neither of us has been exactly daring or really trying."

Trevor shifted on his barstool. He nodded. Part of him bristled hearing his father talk about this, but a deeper part of him could tolerate it, if it meant this is what it took for him to keep seeing her the way he was seeing her.

Bill drank some and shook his head. "I figured if she absolutely didn't want anything to happen, she could have said so."

Trevor's blood raced with this thought, as Bill kept talking. How true-she could have easily said no. She didn't.

"Hell, you are going for everything you can, and what better conquest than her, right?"

Trevor again braced at the truth of this. Bill kept riffing.

"So, I figured 'this one time.' This once let's see pretty, poised Julia have her world rocked a bit. You know? It's enthralled me, really."

Trevor finished off his beer rather than saying anything back.

Bill squared his shoulders and finished his, too.

"So, it's just this once. It's for fun. A physical thing. And, I hope you do get this part-emotionally nothing's changed. I mean, she still relies on me, and we're there for each other after all these years. I know, myself, she gets that. And that's really the most important thing."

"Yeah." Trevor again nodded and wished he had one more drink of his beer. He wasn't quite getting or agreeing with his dad altogether, but hey, that was up to them.

He was just glad his dad wasn't pissed.

...

3.

Julia stared at the television, but she didn't have a clue what was on. Alone and past her usual bedtime, she let her mind spin and tried to settle down. She had muted the sound low, and turned out the last lamp in the living room.

Her phone waited on the table next to her. Bill had gone upstairs forty-five minutes ago. Go ahead, you know you want to.

He hadn't texted or called. Trevor had met his dad for a couple of beers, and since then, he hadn't tried to reach her. Bill treated it as having gone well, but wouldn't he do that in almost any case? Bill had let on no specifics, just that "everything was fine." Then, he had wanted to ramble about emotions and nothing changing. She had listened dutifully, just as he expected.

Lying there on the sofa, her bare legs and feet were propped at the other end, sticking from her loose white robe and swaying back and forth restlessly. She sighed and glimpsed her phone. Go ahead, you know you want to.

She had a busy day planned for the next day, and she should go on to bed. She was sure of it. But would she really sleep? What had her husband said to her son? What had her son said to her husband? And why wasn't either of them telling her?

The thought came to her. Trevor may not know whether I can talk or not. She reached over and snatched up her phone.

She pulled up the text icon and then changed her mind. A couple of clicks later, she was calling him up. She sucked at her lips and waited. Twice, it rang.

"Hello?" He sounded groggy.

"You can't be asleep." She realized her tone was playful, but controlled. He no doubt picked up on it, too. She resisted a grin.

"Nah, maybe drifting."

"Did you and your dad decide what to do with me?"

They both chuckled.

"Uh, no. Not at all."

"Wish I could have been a fly on the wall."

"It was weird. Cool, respectful. But weird."

She gave a small grunt. "I bet."

"Where are you?" His voice tightened a bit, like he was more focused.

She paused. "Downstairs. About to head to bed. ...Where are you?"

"Um, I'm in bed."

"What did you guys discuss? What did he say?" I sound too concerned.

"Uh, I don't know. Just talked, really. What are you wearing?"

She smirked, but didn't make a sound that would betray it. "Trevor, I want to know what he said. This is serious, you know."

"He just wanted to talk. Said this was just a thing, a one-time thing. That the two of you hadn't changed, like, emotionally, but that this was a... just a physical thing."

"Really?"

"Uh huh."

"Unreal. He didn't say, like, 'don't do it again.' Or, 'That's it.' Something like that?"

"Hmmm, that's a good point. No, I guess he didn't. He never actually said that."

"Actually? C'mon. Did he say anything close to that?"

A moment passed. "No. He really didn't."

There was some silence, and she smoothed the top of her robe. There were distinct points where the thin silk covered her chest. When she spoke again, it was more of a coo. And that's how she intended it.

"My favorite pink, satin kimono robe."

"Huh?"

"Before... you asked me before what I was wearing."

There was rustling on his end of the call, and she figured he was positioning in bed.

"Sounds nice."

She kept her voice low. "It's not nice. It's not nice at all." Her hand slowly pulled at the sash, and the sides eased open. They didn't fall completely away, but they opened to reveal a line of bare skin from her chest to her crotch.

His voice was thick. "It's not?"

"No, Trevor. It's not. It's not 'nice.' "

"I was trying to be complimentary. I-"

"I'm lying on my sofa, talking to my son, and I'm barely covered by this thing. So, it's not nice."

His voice dropped deeper, and it immediately stirred her. "No, it's not nice."

She drew a deep breath. "There's something I'm wondering about your talk with your dad."

More rustling. "Hold on, I'm pulling down my boxers."

Her face burned, and her fingers slipped underneath the top of her robe. The fingertips circled one of her nipples.

His voice rumbled on the other end. "There."

She bit her lip. Could barely move. "Did you tell him?"

His ragged breathing came across on the phone. "Tell him what?"

Her fingers circled again, and then drifted lower over her abdomen. "Trevor, do you have your cock out?"

He grunted and mumbled. "Shit."

"Are you stroking your cock?"

"I can't believe you're asking me that."

Her fingers reached her waist and didn't linger.

His voice rumbled again. "Do you need it again?"

She pulled a deep breath, and immediately regretted that he could probably hear her.

He asked her again. "You need it, don't you?"

Her voice came back raspy this time. "Did you ask him?"

He panted on the phone. "What? What are you talking about?"

She took another deep breath, and her fingers found her wet folds. "Did you ask him about fucking me again?"

He groaned, and though he sounded close, he pushed out his reply. "No. Because... I'm going to fuck you anyway."

She gasped hard, her fingers pressed at her clit and rubbed, and she cried out.

He started moaning loud, too.

They let each other hear their release.

...

4.

So much for having relief from it all, she thought. Wednesday morning had barely started at work, and her mind was whirling about again. What's wrong with me?

Julia worked through the day, deeply distracted and just as restless. Her mind kept turning to the time she was spending with Trevor. Her nipples ached in her bra.

During the morning, he had texted to say hello, and see how she was doing. Her interest piqued, she was ready to trade barbs or thoughts with him, but then there was nothing. Over and over, she checked her phone and saw nothing. What in the world is going on?

At midday, she heard from Bill. She chastised herself for being let down. It shouldn't be a letdown to hear from your husband instead of your lover. What have I come to? The truth was that this was how she really felt. She just wanted to hear from Trevor. Is he thinking about me?

She replied to Bill, confirming that she still had her City Women's League meeting that night. Maybe this was what she needed to get herself back on track. Return to the reasonable, clearheaded wife and businesswoman she had always been. Not... this.

Her white, pencil dress hugged her slender hips admirably. The v-neck was modest and her necklace sat easily. But all day long, her stringy blonde tresses kept wanting to come down.

As the day wore down, the thought teased her. Text him. Check on him. Of course, it wasn't how she wanted it. She wanted how he had been that first weekend, when he didn't let an hour pass without some word or flirt. Him trying. Now where was he?

Finally, at four-thirty, she couldn't stand it any longer. She squirmed in her chair and stared at her phone. Her fingers were ready to peck at the screen, but what? What could be interesting, but subdued?

Her phone suddenly buzzed, and she half-jumped, sitting there. The phone alerted her, "Trevor." A text.

She warmed and grinned. Finally. She opened it.

"How's it going?"

She paused for the briefest of moments, and then replied. "Well. Getting ready to leave."

"Still have your meeting?"

"Yeah."

"Thinking of you."

She shifted about in her chair. Her fingers tapped to the bare skin at her chest, as a burning stirred inside her. Part of her wanted to admit-confess-she had been thinking of nothing else but him. Of course, she didn't.

"And I am of you."

"Yeah?"

She smiled and her hand patted her hair in place. Really? You really don't know? Her tongue wet her lips, as she hit the keypad.

"You're surprised?"

"You should stop by tonight."

Her eyes closed at the thought. Her pulse raced. Her thighs drew closer together.

"Wish I could."

...

5.

Julia stood to address the City Women's League meeting, having just checked her phone to see if Trevor had texted again. After trading texts that afternoon, she had thought maybe he'd follow-up with his suggestion for her to stop by. Maybe she was just hoping he'd surprise her. Maybe she was bored with her meeting. Whatever it was, the result was the same-she'd heard nothing more.

He knew she was attending this meeting. And that she would soon be leaving. She cleared her throat and then spoke up.

"Thank you all for being here. It's a great night to recognize the social committee's efforts for the fundraiser." She stood straight in her pencil dress, with her hair gathered up and her make-up perfect. "Let's give them all a warm round of applause."

The room all politely clapped, and she chided herself for glancing down at the phone on the table in front of her. The clapping faded, and she drew a deep breath. Maybe he's gone out.

She continued into the microphone. "The next dinner with the chamber members is Friday a week from now. Please rsvp by this Friday." She thought of his voice the last time they had talked. How full and thick it sounded as he had flirted.

"Now, this concludes tonight's meeting. Please feel free to finish your drinks and conversations, and we will see you next month."

Chairs could be heard shifting back, and voices started clattering with goodnights being shared. The others at Julia's table politely said their thank yous and goodbyes. Julia gathered her purse and phone, and she was discreetly making her way out.

"Julia, Julia?"

Julia turned to see Martha Stuggart at her side.

Martha grinned tightly. "Some of us are going to have a glass of wine, and talk more about the fundraiser."

What if he calls? Texts?

Martha motioned off to the side. "We're right over here."

"Martha, I'm sorry. I have an early day tomorrow. I have to go." She smiled a tight smile back. "Goodnight."

Julia didn't even pause. She turned and headed on out. Down the aisle and out the foyer, and she had escaped. Her black high heels clicked along the pavement as she made her way to her BMW. The car chimed as she entered and started it, and once more she glanced to her phone. Nothing.

She started the car in the direction of home, and she wondered about Bill. She was quite sure he had finished dinner, and by the time she reached home, he may already be in bed. Had Bill talked again to Trevor? Could that explain the silence from Trevor?

Halfway home, her shoulders sagged and she sighed. What am I thinking? He asked about tonight. I was the one who said I 'wished I could.' Why would he call or text?

She kept her eyes on the road, but her hand reached next to her and lifted her phone. Her hand slowly clicked away at the phone and put it to her ear. Her breath held in her throat. I can't believe I'm doing this. How is it going to sound me calling him now?

On the second ring, Trevor picked up. "Hello?"

"Hi."

"How was the meeting?"

"Boring. How are you doing?" Her hand clutched hard at the wheel.

"Good, good. Just hanging out."

She bit at her lip, and part of her wanted to simply say okay and then goodbye. Stop acting like a schoolgirl.

She asked the only thing she could think of to say. "Did you hear from your dad?"

"Uh no. Sure didn't."

Her mind spun through what Bill could be thinking, but she really didn't know. What a damn mess. After a couple of seconds, she realized there had been silence on the phone with Trevor.