An Ending and a Beginning

We considered a dozen ways to do this. We thought we might exchange cell phones and call them as they were driving south through Vermont. Bill would answer thinking it was Annie and I'd say, "Bill, this is Jake, Cheryl's husband. I thought since you spent the week banging my wife that maybe we should talk." Then we thought he might freak and drive in front of an oncoming truck, so we scratched that idea and came up with dinner.

After cheesecake and coffee, conversation around the table was getting pretty relaxed. Annie and I had decided this was the time to do it, so I said, "Cheryl spent this past week with her sister and she was telling me about it before you got here. Bill, I hear you spent the week working up in Vermont. I'm starting to think that Annie and I had a better week than either of you!" Bill laughed a little too hard at this. Cheryl laughed quietly while looking over at Bill. It was very conspiratorial.

"What shall we talk about now?" I asked.

Annie spoke up, "Oh, I know. How about adultery, ... pro or con?" She looked around the table. There was stunned silence. The two were speechless. Annie and I had lost our friendly demeanor.

"I know, I was watching a video on line that was all about adultery. Let me bring it up. It's pretty interesting." And with that I took my tablet off the counter and started a short, edited version of Bill and Cheryl's Excellent Vacation. I set it down in front of the two as they watched in stunned silence. When the video ended the two of them just sat there in silence and didn't look up. "Anybody want to explain? Cheryl, I didn't see your sister anywhere. Bill, you may have been laying pipe, but I never saw you get paid for your services and it didn't really look like work."

Silence.

"Anyone want to tell us how long this has been going on?" Apparently not.

"Anyone want to tell us why we shouldn't be talking with divorce lawyers?"

That raised one head, Cheryl's. "I never... I didn't mean... It wasn't..." She couldn't finish any of her sentences. She seemed trapped in indecision.

"Ok. Annie and I have talked this through and we want to give us all time to think. We have a lot of questions and maybe it's too soon to expect any useful answers. Still, why don't we all get comfortable in the living room and try to talk it through. Anyone interested?" There was precious little love in the room now and I doubt they mistook my remark for a question.

They nodded in the affirmative, but their hearts clearly were not in it. We had already informed them that divorce was on the table and they knew that we knew too much. We all adjourned to the living room. Annie and I freshened our coffees, but the other two seemed to have lost all interest. They waited for us in the living room, seemingly unable to decide where to sit. Just to make the point, Annie and I sat together on the sofa and we let the other two take chairs. Court was in session.

"Anyone want to go first? Do you want to tell us how it got started, why it got started, where you hope to go from here?" They did not like my questions and just looked at each other.

"How much do you know?"

Are you kidding me? "Cheryl, we know a great deal. I'll tell you that we only caught on recently and we were hoping this was just a flash in the pan. The truth be told, we were hoping you would both decide to come back to the marriages. When you didn't, we started making plans of our own. Annie and I have been meeting regularly to exchange information and give each other moral support. I guess that word `moral' takes on a whole new meaning tonight, doesn't it?" I regretted saying that. I'd promised myself to take the high road. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I don't want to be like that. You should know that we are deeply hurt by the both of you. We are trying to take the high road here and we welcome you doing the same, but you've been lying to us for a long time and the lies stop here. The one thing that both Annie and I know for sure is that the lies stop here."

Cheryl nodded, but Bill was looking around as if searching for a way out.

"Why did you do this to us? More than anything else, that's what we want to know." Annie had the floor now.

Cheryl only shrugged and Bill looked away. I couldn't read him. It was either anger or disgust.

"Are you two in love, or did you just enjoy the excitement of running around behind our backs? Did you ever think about what you were taking from us?" Annie was hitting the theme we had agreed to.

"We weren't taking anything from you!" Bill had found his voice. "I've made it clear for the last six years that you don't interest me sexually anymore. I still bring home my paycheck. I pay the bills. I keep the house in working order. You weren't missing anything." There were a lot of lies in that nonsense. I strongly suspected that Annie made as much as Bill and she didn't seem the type to spend it only on herself. He also didn't seem the type to cook or do housework. Still, I let Bill speak. Annie didn't need me defending her.

"Yes, I know you've had no interest in me sexually. Why is that? Have I not come to your bed every night? Have I not tried to make myself available to you? What did I do to earn your rejection?"

"I don't know. I just wanted something else. We raised our kids. You were a great mother. I just thought it was time for some new excitement in my life and you weren't it."

Wow! Bill really is an idiot. He's a cold-hearted son-of-a-bitch as well.

We were silent for a time after that. I think even Cheryl was put off by Bill's remarks. Maybe she was seeing a bit of her own future?

"Cheryl, I'm wondering the same thing. I know you have not been happy with me for a very long time. You told me that you had no interest in sex, but I've seen that isn't true. You've complained about me long enough, so I guess I know why you lost any interest in this marriage. Why didn't you just tell me that you'd met someone else and do this the honorable way?"

"I don't know. I guess I was still trying to make up my mind." I don't know if that was as honest as what Bill said, but I thought it was more informative.

"OK, cards on the table." I look over at Annie and she nods in the affirmative. "We know this has been going on for three years. We know that you meet every Thursday at the hotel. We know a few other things that maybe we should just let drop. I can't see any point in causing anyone any embarrassment; we're all going through enough." I paused to gather my thoughts. "Annie and I need an answer to one question and I'm starting to think that you may not know the answer even now. That question is, `Are the two of you in love, or do you just get a thrill out of cheating?' I don't know if it's going to change how Annie or I respond to all of this, but it is something that we really want to know just for our own peace of mind if nothing else."

We waited for an answer. Cheryl and Bill looked at each other, but they had nothing to say.

"OK, Annie and I want to apologize to you both." That got their attention. "Obviously, we had you followed. You were spied on. We are not apologizing for that because you were both lying to us and you left us no other choice. The only way we would get the truth was from spies. You clearly were not going to provide it. But we do want to apologize for what we did next." There was a lot of apprehension in the room after I said that. "We deliberately called you at night knowing the two of you were having sex at that moment. We were messing with your heads and we got some perverse pleasure out of it. We even joked that if we did it right you might stop what you were doing and answer the phone, but we never thought you actually would." I couldn't help but chuckle a bit when I said that.

"Oh my God, you were watching us?" Cheryl was visibly upset. She didn't seem angry, but she was very upset.

"Yes, and for the record, Bill, I am sick to death of you making your snide little comments about me. If you get so little pleasure out of sexing my wife that you feel a need to make remarks about my dick, which you have never seen, then maybe you should consider whether that sex is altogether fulfilling. And Cheryl, if he is thinking more of me than he is of you, maybe you need a better boyfriend. This one clearly doesn't have his head in the game." That got him! Bill was pissed now, and Cheryl was looking at him like what I said might be resonating.

"Like we said, we really want to know whether you two are in love, or just enjoy cheating on us. In the process, we do want to make amends in case we ruined your vacation together. So here is what we're proposing. Cheryl, for the next two weeks you can be Bill's wife. You live with Bill, fix meals with Bill, you sleep with Bill, you make love with Bill. You get a free pass, no recriminations. We still hold you both accountable for the past three years of lies, but for the next two weeks you get a full pass. If we see the two of you in town, on the street, or in a restaurant, we'll just smile and wave like you're our neighbors. Bill, for the next two weeks I expect you to take care of Cheryl. I want to say `...like she is your wife', but we all know you don't take the best care of your wife. I want you to take better care of Cheryl than that." I leaned forward so Bill could see into my eyes. "Bill, you cheat on your wife. We all know that. If you cheat on Cheryl during the next two weeks, I will hunt you down and kill you like the worthless cur of a dog you are. If you abuse her in any way, I will know. I mean this Bill. Don't agree to this offer if you don't intend to treat Cheryl with respect and honesty. I'll go to jail if I have to, but I will put you in the ground first." I finally had Bill's undivided attention.

It was Annie's turn and she showed remarkable compassion to the woman who was running around with her husband. "Cheryl, this is an offer. It is not a demand. You don't have to do it if you don't want to do it, but we both agree that we want the two of you to know your own minds. We are hoping that when you're done with the two weeks you will be able to answer our question about whether this is love or just the thrill of cheating. We can live with it either way, but we have a right to know." She paused for a moment. I could tell she was feeling real compassion for this woman who had betrayed her. "I think you have a right to know as well. If you choose to take this opportunity, I promise I won't hold it against either of you."

Now the two spouses were really confused. They hadn't seen this coming and they didn't know what to think. They acted as though they suspected a trap.

"This is ridiculous!" It was Bill who broke the silence. "There is no way in hell that Annie is going to share a house with Cheryl and me, watch us go to bed, hear us in the next room, leave us to our business, and not blow her top!"

"No shit, Bill! I never said I'd be in the house with you. Believe me, I have seen all that I want to see and I have no desire to watch any more of it. You and Cheryl will have the house to yourselves."

"Where will you be living? You going to tell our kids what's going on? You have some gossipy friends you plan to stay with?" Bill seemed more agitated than he had any right to be considering what we were offering.

"No, Bill. I've been living here since you left on Sunday. I'll continue to live here. Jake and I get along well. We enjoy spending time together. We even went to a concert last night that we both enjoyed. I'll be fine."

Bill bristled at that. He was looking at me. "What right do you have to my wife?"

I couldn't believe the nerve of this guy! "Are you serious? The two of you have been running around behind our backs for three years! You've been sexing my wife every week and you think you have a right to anything?"

Cheryl jumped in and put her hand on his arm to placate Bill. "We have a guest room. I'm sure Annie stayed there. Jake believes in living honorably. He didn't mess with your wife."

Now it was our turn to squirm. Annie took the initiative. "Actually, Cheryl, that was the intention and Jake did clear out the guest room so I could have privacy. But I decided that Bill had released me from my obligations when he slept with you, at least for now, so I chose to sleep with Jake in his bed. He didn't initiate it. I did." There was a lot of anger in the room after that bomb was dropped. I learned then that Annie isn't the sort to back down, either. "For the record, Cheryl, I don't understand why you aren't happier with Jake. One of the reasons I agreed to giving you both this two-week pass is that I want the same two weeks with him. I've been very much alone for six years, sleeping in a bed next to a husband who has no interest in me. I guess I should be a little ashamed of it, but I intend to fuck your husband just as often as he'll have me." She stared at Cheryl without so much as a blink. I guess a little of that anger came back to her as she considered the level of betrayal we had both experienced. "By the way, Cheryl, that shower in the master bath is just the exact right size for two people. I really like it! And, Bill, you know that thing you always wanted me to do for you, but that you refused to do for me? Jake does it and I love it when he does! So, please, do me a favor and take this offer. I have plans and they don't include going back to celibacy with you."

It was a quiet room after that remark. Annie and I sat there, and we waited for the storm. I was feeling far more relaxed than I thought I would. Cheryl and Bill seemed not to know what to think about it all. I thought I saw flashes of anger, confusion, and frustration. What worried me was that I was not seeing any anticipation. Maybe it was too much to hope for, but I had actually begun to hope that Cheryl and Bill would embrace the idea and be happy that we were offering them two whole weeks to enjoy each other without guilt, without recrimination, without subterfuge. Frankly, I was hoping I would eventually hear, "Jake, I love Bill and I'm going to live with him from now on." That seemed to me to be by far the least painful path out of this mess.

The four of us talked some more. In time it seemed that both Cheryl and Bill were starting to believe us that there was no catch, it wasn't a trap, and they really were free to spend the next two weeks together. I told Cheryl that she was more than free to come back anytime to get more clothes or anything she needed. I only asked that she call ahead as a courtesy to Annie. I knew that living in another woman's home for two weeks would be hard on both Annie and Cheryl, and I actually raised the concern as the evening wore on. The two women had started talking to each other and they decided that they could deal with it. Each gave the other advice about where to find things in the kitchen, how the washer worked, and that sort of thing. I was beginning to think I was in the Twilight Zone.

I was starting to see smiles when Cheryl went upstairs to pack another bag and I heard, "God damn it! Are you kidding me?" I actually cringed. I'd forgotten about all that stuff I piled on and around her bed.

"Oops! My bad. I'll be back." And with that I ran upstairs calling, "I'm sorry. I can fix that." I was expecting to find Cheryl collapsed from the stress of the night, but she was standing there laughing. "I'm sorry. I really did just clean off the guest bed, but I guess I was a bit pissed when I did it. I told myself there was going to be hell when you got back anyway, so I didn't care if you got mad about this. I really am sorry. I do feel differently now. Let me clean it up for you."

She was actually laughing. "Its ok. The clothes I want are in your room, anyway." With that she hugged me and walked down the hall to pack a bag.

I walked back to my room with her and asked, "Are you sure you are good with this? I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want. I've been very angry for months now and I started thinking about this when I wanted to get even. I'm not proud of that, but I'm not feeling that way anymore. You don't need to go off like this if you don't want to, but we can't continue the way it's been."

I saw more love in her eyes at that moment than I've seen in years. "It's good. You're right. We've been running around, lying, cheating, and getting away with it. It is time that we behaved like adults and decide what we want to do with the rest of our lives." She seemed lost in thought and genuinely ashamed for a moment. "What happens to you if I decide to stay with Bill?"

"I'll be ok." The reality of the moment was finally hitting me. "I'm not saying I'll spend my life with Annie, although I have to tell you I have been falling in love with her as I felt our marriage dissolving around me. Maybe we need the next two weeks to figure out some things for ourselves as well. I don't know how to say this, but you were right about me. I do try to live an honorable life. If my wife decides she wants her marriage back, I'll make that effort." I felt like I was betraying Annie when I said that. "I don't know if it's possible anymore. I've seen things I wish I'd never seen and I've heard things I wish I'd never heard. All I can do is try. But if you decide to stay with Bill, I'll be ok with that, too."

Cheryl looked at me with sad eyes. "I know you will and I really am sorry for everything." She hugged me and I walked back down the stairs.

The strangest thing happened, and I give Annie and Cheryl full credit for this. By the end of the night, as Bill and Cheryl were leaving, we were actually enjoying one another's company. My anger with Bill had subsided. I continued to worry about Cheryl, but I knew that at least for the next few weeks she would be ok.

We did see them in the diner the next weekend and we kept our word; we waved and smiled. They waved and smiled back. Then they did something I never thought I'd see or accept. They came over and asked if they could join us. Annie and I looked at each other and with a smile we agreed. The four of us had a surprisingly delightful breakfast together.

There was one more odd moment before the whole matter was resolved. When the two weeks were up they came to us as planned. Again, Annie and I fixed dinner and we all sat around and enjoyed the evening. When we asked them if they had an answer to our question, they smiled at each other and said, "We need another two weeks."

We smiled. Annie and I knew who we were dealing with and we had anticipated this possibility. In fact, we were hoping for it. Our answer was, "Take four! We're in no hurry." Both Annie and Cheryl laughed at that and I was as pleased as I could be. Bill was smiling as well.

Eventually, we reached two amicable divorces. The anger and the rancor were gone. I will always have issues with lies; I've never been able to tolerate them, but it was all water over the damn now. We had moved on. Six months later I took great pleasure in introducing Annie to my family (parents, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews). They already knew the story of our divorces. It took five minutes for them to decide they liked her and ten minutes before she realized she was now a full member of the family. I think it was the giggle that convinced them. I had already met her kids and the new grandchild. Once Annie had vouched for me and they learned I had not broken up their family, they accepted me more quickly than I would have imagined possible. Annie and I both worked to convince them not to punish their father or reject Cheryl. We didn't like what they had done, but we'd made our peace with it and were happily moving on. I heard sometime later that they had decided they liked Cheryl and had embraced her as a part of their family. I did overhear Annie talking to her daughter about getting the best sex in years. She omitted telling her it was the only sex in years. Somehow, I was ok with that.