An Ending and a Beginning

We met at the coffee shop and I called the spooks. We guessed it! Cheryl had driven north into Vermont. Her sister lived to the west in upstate New York. Cheryl stopped a short ways over the border at a house not far off the highway where Bill was already waiting. They spoke with the owners, shared hugs all around, and then Cheryl left with Bill in his pickup. When our spooks sent us photographs of the drop off, both Annie and I were floored. It was Dark Tooth and I'll bet you the man with her was her real husband! Now we knew who she was and she would lead us to The Troll.

I have a mean and vindictive streak in me, but I guess I've already shown that when I reached out to Annie and told her of her husband's affair. I said, "You think her husband knows about her extracurricular activities?"

"I doubt it. Isn't it our civic duty to inform him?" I was learning that Annie had a vindictive streak as well.

I had to smile. "Yes. Yes, it is. I think before we're done we need to send him a copy of the video." I wanted The Troll and Dark Tooth to pay. Annie seemed to share the sentiment. I liked that about her.

Annie and I talked for a long time. We wondered if there was any chance the two cheaters would get poison ivy while they were up there. We wondered if there was any way we could help make that happen, and I suggested that maybe our spooks would rub some leaves on their bed sheets. God I love that giggle.

We'd spent a lot of time together these last six weeks. There is nothing like suffering through a spouse's adultery to strip you bear and let the world see into your soul. I was watching Annie and I liked what I saw. Bill had to be an idiot to turn his back on such a woman. She was sexy, smart, funny, caring, and sensitive. Best of all, she had kept her word throughout these weeks. Where so many people would have gone home screaming, she sat down and reasoned through her pain. Where so many people would have been fixated on their own problems, she took the time to think about what I was going through, too.

Our spooks said they would check in when the cheaters were settled in their hotel. Annie and I discussed the possibilities and agreed that one thing we would not do is follow them up there. At least, we wouldn't for now. When it was time, they would come to us. Now I must admit to you that the idea of knocking on their door only to have them open it and see us standing there was awfully appealing to me, but I knew that if Annie and I put our heads together we could come up with something far more satisfying.

Annie and I talked about how we would get through the coming week. It was going to be rougher on us both than the past weeks. The depth of deception was greater. The sense of betrayal was more acute. The cheaters had arranged to sleep together, wake up together, and basically live together. They had managed to replace us in all the good ways and left us with just the responsibilities.

I asked Annie, "What are you going to do this week? You really should not be alone."

"I hadn't thought about it. I guess I'll just stay here and work through it. I don't want to involve my kids just yet. I haven't told any of my friends just in case Bill and I are able to work it out. There's not much chance of that now, but if I throw myself on my friends I'll just be that pathetic woman who can't keep her husband."

It was out of my mouth before I took a moment to think it through. "You know, I have a guest room in my house and we really shouldn't be alone this week. Why don't you stay at my place?" There it was, hanging out there as clear as day. I tried to soften it a bit. "You can have all the privacy you want. That guest room even has a separate bath. We can fix dinners together, talk things through, and give each other some support. I'll even let you control the remote." I smiled, but I knew I'd gone too far.

I think the suggestion stunned her. She just looked at me for a long time. "Yes. I'd like that."

Did I hear her right? Did she just agree to stay with me for the week?

"Jake, did I give the wrong answer?"

"No!" I may have said that just a bit too quickly. "I mean, I really would enjoy spending the week with you and the truth is that if I don't have someone to talk with I'll wind up doing something stupid."

She looked amused and concerned. "How stupid?"

"Stupid like calling her and telling her, `I know everything and so what do you think about that?!' Stupid like driving over the border and stealing my wife's car in the middle of the night, then letting her try to explain why it's sitting in the garage? Maybe I'd do something stupid like starting a little bonfire on the front yard, and using all her clothes to keep it burning. She has a lot of clothes. That fire could get out of control. It could jeopardize the whole neighborhood!"

She was laughing. I was beginning to realize that her mind was at least as devious as my own. "Well, we can't have you doing any of that. I'll take your guest room and I'll hold your keys and matches just in case. Then, if it sounds like a good idea, I'll start the fire with you and we can burn Bill's clothes at the same time." God I love that giggle!

As happy as I was that Annie would spend the week at my place, I was also surprised. I was surprised that I'd asked so impulsively and I was surprised that she had agreed. I suppose we were both lonely after years of marital neglect and wanted to spend this time with another human being, but more than that I found great pleasure in her company. She seemed to enjoy mine as well. I was looking forward to being with her, but I would need to behave myself.

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The cheaters wound up in a small resort town outside Montpelier, but we wouldn't know that for several hours. Annie and I went to work and I tried to keep my mind off my cheating wife. I'd spent about three months giving her time and opportunity to admit her treachery. I'd tried being a loving husband, but she never really allowed me through the wall she'd built around herself. I let myself blow my top with her a few times and all I got was angry accusations back that made me even angrier with her. I thought about sitting down with her, dropping the bomb, and giving her some kind of chance to make a decision, but I wanted to know everything before I started listening to lies. I also thought there was little value in forcing her back into the marriage; either she came of her own will or she should not come at all.

Annie and I had long discussions about our approach to this whole mess. Were we preparing for or avoiding confrontation with our spouses; or were we allowing the cheaters to dig their own grave so deep that they could never climb out even if they wanted? We really didn't know. We just knew that it would all end when they got back from this latest act of obscene betrayal.

At about 3:00 Sunday afternoon I heard a knock at my office door, turned, and saw Annie smiling. "I was watching you work. Do you know that you talk to yourself a lot?" God I love that giggle.

Did I know? I'm 62 years old and when I'm walking across campus the young women smile at me. I think, "Isn't that nice? I've still got it." Then I realize that I'm talking to myself and they just feel sorry for the old man. I tell her, "Yes, it's been pointed out a few times."

"If I'm going to live at your place, I need to know what's in the frig to work with."

"Well, I'm not completely sure. I know I've got all the fixin's for my favorite pepperoni and cheese sandwiches, some frozen pasta, some frozen sausage, and just a few beers."

"We're going to the store on the way home."

"As you wish." I said. I couldn't help but notice the way she phrased that "...on the way home." I really liked the sound of that, maybe too much, and then I reminded myself that she is a married woman. I was feeling conflicted again. Even in the worst of times I enjoyed food shopping with Cheryl. Planning meals for the coming week is a strangely intimate act and now I was looking forward to shopping with Annie. I enjoyed the thought of learning what Annie liked to eat and I started thinking of what I could make that might surprise her.

We both had our cars, so Annie decided to go home first to get a few things. Then she would meet me at my place to inspect the frig herself. That gave me a few minutes to straighten up. Cheryl's idea of housekeeping borders on hoarding. The dining room table was unusable. The kitchen table was unusable. The kitchen counter was borderline unusable. The guest room alone would require 30 minutes to make livable. Then it hit me. Cheryl was coming home to a holy war. I didn't give a damn if she was mad because I moved her stuff. I started moving all the piles of clutter from the guest bed to her bed. The rest I piled on the floor of her bedroom. Today was liberation day, and I closed the door to her room!

Needless to say, I was only partly through the straightening when Annie arrived. Let's say she was a bit stunned by the clutter. I explained that I was hard at work making the place livable and she just smiled and shook her head. "At least Bill is neat. I mean he's a lying bastard, and he can't keep his dick in his pants, but at least he is neat."

"This is not a competition. However, if it were I would win." God I love that giggle!

The afternoon was fun. We went to the food store and discovered we liked many of the same things. I confessed to her that there were a lot of things I could cook, but I would need to surrender my man card if I never learned to cook a good steak. So we set a goal for the week. I was going to learn to fix tenderloin with baked potato, asparagus and hollandaise sauce. I was looking forward to it and I would eat my mistakes.

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It was getting onto evening and we had enjoyed preparing dinner together. It was my first attempt with the tenderloins and it turned out better than I expected. We were sitting on the couch discussing our options when it hit me. Did I mention I have a mean and vindictive streak? I called the spooks and I made what might have been the strangest request they'd ever heard, "I'd like it if you could tell me when the cheaters are in the act, you know, laying pipe. I want to know when they are, not when they were or soon will be."

They said, "If you want we can feed the video to the web and you can log in and watch the action in real time."

I said, "Yes, please. That will do nicely." I couldn't help but smile. I never asked them what they thought of my request, but I suspect it wasn't good.

I turned to Annie, who was giving me an odd look. "I don't want to spend the week watching my husband screw Cheryl. I've seen enough of that."

"I agree, but I'm tired of them calling the shots. They've been playing us. It's time we play a little game that I like to call coitus interruptus." Annie had a slight grin, but she was giving me a puzzled look. "My loving wife never called to tell me that she had arrived safely at her sister's place. I need to call her to make sure she's ok. And if I happen to call at the most inconvenient time possible, and she doesn't take my call, I'll send her a text. Then, because I'm worried about her, I'll call her sister even though I was told in very clear terms that I was not to call there. I mean, I don't want to bother her sister, but I need to know that Cheryl is ok." At this point, Annie could see where this was headed. "When her sister lies for her, as I'm sure she will, then she is dead to me. But, despite being dead she will call Cheryl to report my call and when she doesn't get through she will call again, and again, and again. When Cheryl finally checks her phone she'll find six or more calls and she's going to freak out because I might get suspicious. So she'll call me, but I'll be unavailable. Maybe I stepped outside to look at the stars. Maybe I'm in the basement. Either way, I may need to return her call sometime and if it happens to occur when she's otherwise busy, well it just might start the whole process over again." I am ashamed to admit I was smiling at this point. "I think there's a fair chance that by Tuesday or Wednesday they may actually stop what they're doing to answer the phone."

Annie was lost in thought for a moment and looking at me with concern. I was worried I'd finally convinced her that I had truly lost my mind or was even more childish than she feared. Then she smiled. "Oh, I see. You know, Bill never called me, either, and I do worry about him when he's away. I may need to call, too. Maybe we can take turns calling just so we don't overwhelm them all at once."

And so it began.

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I had one very strange experience that night and one very wonderful experience. The strange experience was this: we were watching the web site and waiting for our opportunity when I realized that I had no emotional response to the cheaters other than amusement. I just didn't care any longer. I finally realized that watching Cheryl's betrayal was like watching an old friend insist on making a foolish mistake. I felt detached and unhurt by her actions. I made the call. It played out as expected. She ignored it. Her sister lied for her. I was unavailable for her call when it finally came. Bill tried to call Annie, but she didn't answer. Later she called him. Her timing was unfortunate, so he ignored it. She turned off her phone and he failed to get through later when he tried. We turned off the web page. There was nothing more there that interested us.

"Care for a slice of cheesecake?" I asked.

"Absolutely! Can we make a little coffee to go with it?"

And so began the better part of our evening. I had some excellent beans that make a deep, flavorful roast and proceeded to make two cups by the single-cup drip method. That or a French press makes the best coffee.

"Make mine a thin slice."

I smiled at her. "We bought them individually sliced. It's caramel cheesecake. I bet if you try you can eat a whole slice." She did and she smiled with every bite.

We spent the remainder of the evening in conversation. We had many of the same interests and I found her work to be fascinating. I think she humored me when I described my work. We enjoyed the same authors and TV shows. Best of all, she made me laugh.

When it was time for bed I carried her bag upstairs and showed her the guest room. Then I showed her Cheryl's bedroom and told her what I'd done. God I love that giggle. I showed her the bath on the hall and told her it was all hers. Then I walked her into my bedroom and I showed her the master bath. "You are also very welcome to use this one as well and I'll give you complete privacy. The shower really is more comfortable than the shower/bath in the other room." She looked pleased with that and said she would make herself to home. She turned toward the guest room and I decided to take a shower.

Showers are a great time to let the mind wander. Washing is automatic; it's a simple routine that requires no concentration. With the warm water relaxing me, I thought about Annie. These past weeks would have been hell without her. The weeks before certainly were. She shared my disappointment and my pain as I shared hers. It could have ended there, but in time we chose to bring humor and joy to our time together. I felt far closer to this woman than I felt to my own wife and I certainly felt a greater affection for her.

I didn't want to make her uncomfortable in any way, so I had already decided to wear pajamas at night just in case our paths crossed. I stepped into my bedroom after showering and she was standing there wearing her pajamas as well. There was nothing provocative about them. They weren't shear or short; they were just pajamas that were long, soft, and hung graceful on her tall form. I think a woman wearing simple pajamas looks very sexy and I loved seeing her that way. I walked toward her and she raised her head to meet my gaze. She was hesitant and I waited for her to speak. "Do you think it would be possible for us to sleep together tonight without doing anything we will regret later?"

I never thought I'd hear those words and my heart was beating wildly in my chest. "Yes, I do, but you have to read me the riot act first." God I love that giggle! "I know me and ... and I think you are the most amazing woman I've met in a very long time. I know I will push the limits until you tell me `No!' so it would be best if you tell me now. Then I'll respect your wishes and behave myself." I then hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether I should say the next bit. I took a breath. "Also, there is a good chance that at some time in the night you will realize that I am a man even if I respect your wishes. I mean, there are certain autonomic responses that are beyond my control and..."

She smiled and all she said was, "I trust you." Then we went to bed together for the first time in our lives.

"Do I get to snuggle with you?" I asked. She smiled and nodded, then rolled over to lay against my side with her head and hand on my chest. I had my arm around her and my hand on her back. I kissed the top of her head and she slipped her hand around my side as she drew herself closer. I put my other hand on her shoulder and gently stroked her arm. We fell asleep holding each other close and I felt a delightful sense of peace for the first time in years.

I was trying to behave myself. I wanted her to have no regrets in the morning because I knew I wanted to sleep with her again. I awoke at about 2 AM with the most vivid dream that I was having sex. As I gained consciousness I felt her hair on my torso and legs. I felt her mouth around my erection with her tongue gliding along my shaft and dancing over my head. I thought I was in heaven. "Oh God! Annie,..."

"I want to" was all she said.

It had been eight years. I wasn't going to last long. My hand lay gently on the back of her head and stroked her hair. I told her I was about to lose it and she redoubled her efforts. She was making loving noises as I felt eight years of loneliness explode from me and drain from my body. She took every drop. I love this woman!

I slowly caught my breath as she kissed her way up my torso and across my chest. I draped my arms around her and kissed her full on the lips with all the passion and affection inside me. She pulled back momentarily. "Bill would never kiss me after I did that for him. He said no man wants to taste that."

"Bill is an idiot." I'd said that before and I was trying not to say it too often; but Bill was an idiot in so many ways. "He's confused. You just gave me the most wonderful experience I could have hoped for. I want you to know how much I love and respect you and how much I appreciate what you did for me. I want you to know how close I feel to you at this moment." I paused, took another breath, and said, "Did I mention that Bill is an idiot?" God I love that giggle.

We kissed for about ten minutes and then I took a chance. "Tell me 'No' if that's what you feel, but I want to return the favor."

I rolled her onto her back and began to kiss her neck. I passed my hand over her lovely, if small, breasts and slowly down her torso unbuttoning her top as I went. I kissed her exquisite breasts and she quietly moaned. Her nipples responded in my mouth. My lips followed just behind my hand as I kissed her soft and scented skin moving slowly toward her belly button. She was relaxed and starting to breathe deeply with her hand placed lovingly on the back of my head. I reached behind her waste and drew her to me. I kissed her sexy belly button and probed its depth with my tongue. She stifled a scream. I moved my kisses lower and as I did I brought my hand from behind her and ran it across her mound. She was natural. Her hair was long and soft, but not too thick. My lips moved lower toward that enticing softness. My fingers reached her lips as my lips reached her mound.