Angelic Empath

"Quiet, back, down."

At first, she thought the words were directed at her, then the dog obeyed the three commands. It stopped growling, moved backwards away from its master and lay down. Martin didn't look up.

Diane sat next to him, she put her arm around him, well, as far round him as it would go.

He put his arm around her. He was still looking at the ground. Contemplating the leaf litter in various stages of decay, reminding him of his marriage.

"Thank you, Diane. I needed that."

"How do you know it's me?"

He looked up and gazed at her, "Who else would it be? Who else could it be? You must feel it as well? I can't explain it, I won't even try to explain this (he held out his hand that had touched her), if you don't feel whatever this is. I can't explain it."

"You don't have to explain it, I feel it. What do you think brought me here? I was at home. I knew you were in pain and I had to come here to be with you. I can't explain it either."

"Using your movie analogies, we've both watched too many X-Files!" quipped Martin.

They looked at each other and smiled. He stood up and helped her up.

"Come on, let's get this fella rinsed off and go for a coffee. The café will be open until just after lunch today. It won't be Sandra serving though. One of her friends steps in on a Sunday, it's Sandra's day off."

"I've a better idea, I can make good coffee too."

Martin looked at her for a few seconds, "Thank you, yes, I'd very much like that, the café would be too public." he hugged her.

Diane melted into the embrace, she was so relieved she had found him. She wondered what was tormenting him to such a degree. She wouldn't push, in his own time.

"Oh, thanks for paying for my coffee yesterday."

"No problem."

They walked down the woodland path in silence, not hand-in-hand, no linked arms. A couple of times she lost her footing, he caught her easily. One time he caught her, the position of his hand accidentally detected that she wasn't wearing a bra.

They arrived at the river, Gunther went straight in. It was surprising to her how much mud he contained. He obviously loved water, even putting his head completely under. She'd never seen a dog do that, streams of bubbles from his nostrils as he exhaled underwater. Martin was shuffling his boots in the gravel at the water's edge to clean them, she did the same.

They made their way back to her house. Martin positioned himself between her and the traffic. Her dad used to do that.

"Let's cross over here," she said, "whilst it's clear."

Sure enough, after crossing he swapped sides, keeping her on the inside. She smiled to herself. They arrived at her house.

"What about him?" asked Martin, "Do you have a garden I can put him in? He won't dig it up."

"Well you can, or he can come in. I don't mind, he's clean now, just a bit damp. The kitchen has a tiled floor and the lounge is a wooden floor. There's an expensive rug in there though. So if you could keep him off that until he's completely dry, please? I can put an old towel down for him to lie on."

"He'll be fine in the kitchen."

"As you'll see," she said, stepping inside, "It's open-plan, he might wander through to the rug?"

Martin smiled, "He'll want to have a sniff around, only to make sure it's safe. He sees himself as my bodyguard. After that he will stay wherever I tell him to stay."

Martin took off his boots before stepping inside, it wasn't raining, so he left them outside.

After Gunther satisfied himself that all was safe, Martin clicked his fingers and pointed at the kitchen doormat. After circling on it, Gunther curled up.

"Give me your jacket and go and sit down, make yourself at home."

Martin gave her his jacket and walked into the lounge area. It had white walls. It was tastefully furnished, two cream leather sofas, set in an L configuration with cushions and throws. A square table fitted in the corner that joined them. That table had a lamp, a vase of flowers and some family photographs.

One wall was mainly glass sliding doors, leading on to a patio and a well tended garden beyond. A wood burning stove was in the fireplace, unlit, but from the ashes within, it seemed it was used. To the right of the sliding doors a large OLED TV. The sofas were facing the TV.

"You take milk don't you?" she asked.

"Yes, but no sugar thanks."

He sat at one end of a sofa, next to the table, looking out over the garden. It was south facing, the patio would be perfect for sunbathing. He imagined her in a bikini, or less.

On the other side of the fireplace to the TV was a nest of tables, Diane took one of them and placed it centrally against the front of the sofa on which he was sitting. Then she came back and after placing their coffees on the table she sat the other end of the sofa. She was sitting facing him, her legs up on the sofa. She looked very contented and relaxed.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yes, very much so."

He wasn't lying, he did. He still needed to do his best to salvage his marriage. The difference now, after everything that had happened and Jackie's attitude; he wasn't ever going to shut out Diane.

"You don't need to explain anything about it, you really don't. I need to know, that painful howl was you wasn't it?"

He looked at the floor and nodded.

"God... I'm so sorry, whatever it is. I'm here, when you're ready. If you're never ready, it doesn't matter. I just hope I can ease it, help somehow."

Martin looked at her, her face was full of genuine concern, "You already have."

She let out a sigh of relief, "I'm glad, mission accomplished. How did I know though? Nothing could have stopped me from going there. I knew somehow you were in pain. To be honest it's totally freaking me out."

"Me too. I think something unusual and very powerful happened when our hands touched yesterday. I sensed something the day before, the day we first met. Like a static charge all over me. I've read that can happen to people, seconds before they are struck by lightning.

This morning I was putting the kettle on. I wondered if you were awake, it made me feel warm and peaceful. That floored me. Why on earth would I wonder if you were awake?"

"Oh my God! What time was that, can you remember?"

"I looked at the kitchen clock as I came down the stairs, it was a quarter past eight."

"This is the God's honest truth. I wondered exactly the same thing about you, it made me feel the same way. It was at the exact same time."

"Are you sure? Not that you thought it, you know what you thought. Are you sure of the time?"

Diane didn't know him well enough to say that she'd dreamt he was fucking her. That she woke up at eight o'clock feeling very horny and jilled herself to orgasm. That as she wiped the dildo to put it back in the drawer her bedside clock said quarter past.

"Yes, I'm sure, I noticed the time. Then a few minutes after that, I sensed you starting to feel pain. That sensation grew and grew. I became so worried I had to find you. Does that make sense? Did you go from being in a good place when you wondered if I was awake and then after that something happened to hurt you?"

"Yes. A few minutes after I wondered if you were awake something happened that caused me pain. I can't talk about it now, and it's not yet over. I want to find the right words when I do tell you."

He looked at her, his face determined, "I will tell you, honest. We met for a reason and I think this is part of it."

"Take your time, no rush, I'll be here."

"It makes no sense to me. I've always thought logically, scientifically. I'm at a total loss to explain any of this."

Diane rolled forward, she put her mug back on the table and scooted up to him. She put her hands on his shoulders and shook him, "It doesn't have to be explained, does it? Just accept it. We both know it happened, we don't need to convince anyone else. Do we?"

He looked into her eyes, "No, I guess we don't."

She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, her lips gentle and lingering.

He touched his eye, "Here."

She tenderly kissed his eye.

"Here." he touched his lips.

"Nice try Indy!" she said smiling, "I remember that scene too. If Marion's Theme was playing in the background, I might have kissed you on the lips."

He pulled her across his lap, she was giggling and squirming.

Her head was in the crook of his arm, facing him. His other hand was around her ribcage, as it had been in his fantasy.

He kissed her, she responded, her hand at the back of his head, her fingers running through his hair. Their lips moving together. He moved his hand up her torso, his thumb touched the underside of her braless breast. The soft cashmere enhanced the feeling of her body beneath his hands. He stroked his thumb over her soft breast, over her nipple.

Her tongue touched his lips, he put his hand under her sweater, his hand in the same position moving up to her breast again. He repeated the action with his thumb. Her tongue entered his mouth, he cupped her breast, and gently squeezed.

She broke the kiss, "Oh God, Martin, that's lovely, you're lovely."

Her free hand felt his shorts, he was very hard for her, his fully hardened length extending down the leg of his shorts. Her fingers closed around him, she was thrilled by what she could feel. He held her wrist.

"Not now, not yet. I really want to, but there's something I need to do first. Can I come back this evening, would that be alright?"

She looked at him, deep into his eyes, all she saw was adoration. She nodded and smiled at him.

"Only if you're sure."

"Oh, I'm sure." he replied, "I do need to get going, but it wouldn't do to step outside in my present condition, I'll finish my coffee."

She sat up and leaned into him, her arm through his, "That was nice."

"It was very nice."

"The best thing was seeing you so untroubled."

"That was the best thing?" he asked, feigning hurt pride.

"You know what I mean. What time do you think you'll be back?"

"What time do you want me here?"

"Would you like me to cook us a meal?"

"That would be good, yes please."

"Six-thirty then. That OK?"

"Yes, no problem."

"You can stay over if you want. I have a spare room. Although I would love it if you wanted to snuggle up in my big bed with me. It's up to you. If you did share my bed I'd let you rest."

"I'll take you up on that offer."

She opened the door, he laced up his boots. Before he walked away she stood on the doorstep and kissed him. He didn't care who saw them.

He crossed the road and set off up the hill. This time Jackie was diminished in his thoughts.

He realised how thoroughly miserable she had made him feel. He reasoned that he had only put up with her behaviour because of having two failed marriages, and he didn't want a third one to fail. That morning he realised for certain that she was lying to him. She had been for a very long time. He would still keep an open mind though.

Anyhow, by the time he got home she'd be playing Sunday golf, she wouldn't be home until late afternoon. Usually he cooked the Sunday dinner, but he wouldn't be doing that today. He'd have to send her a message to tell her she'd need to get something to eat at the club, because he would be going out.

On reaching home he saw he wouldn't have to. Her car was still parked in the drive.

He let Gunther into the back garden, it was a fine day. The dog would just find somewhere in the sun to sleep.

He went through to their lounge, Jackie was sat on a sofa. She was still in her dressing gown, tapping on her phone. She looked ghastly.

Since Martin left she'd thought of various ways to break the awful, shameful news. She knew that Mike was such a coward he wouldn't say anything to Martin. That being the case she considered not telling Martin the truth. Now she wasn't under Mike's control she could let her intimacy with Martin move gradually back to being once or twice a week. The frequency they enjoyed before her affair with Jake.

She decided that wasn't a realistic option. Martin wasn't stupid, he wouldn't buy that. He would have too many difficult to answer questions.

Her only option was the truth. Her problem was, how to tell it? She wasn't trying to paint herself in the best light possible. She was trying to find a way to tell him such that he could find it in his heart to forgive her. Now it was blown she realised she was finding it hard to forgive herself. How could she have been such a selfish bitch to him? All he'd ever done was love her.

She thought of telling just enough detail to explain the lack of intimacy. She couldn't tell the whole truth, that she'd been a sex-crazed whore. First with Jake then with Mike and she certainly couldn't tell him all the things she did with Mike. Martin was too clever for her. He had a very sharp mind and an excellent memory. She'd trip herself up.

When Mike left her for Pam, she remembered all the questions she'd had. Questions to reassure herself that she wasn't going mad. The gut feelings she'd had that were proved to be right after all. Wanting to know just how stupid she'd been, so she never made the same mistake again.

Her tapping on her phone was internet research. Looking for advice from "experts" as to how a woman in her position should handle this. The best answer she found was to only tell the base facts, truthfully. Don't lay all the explicit detail out, why hurt someone unnecessarily? Just tell the basics then let them ask their own questions. It was important to answer every question honestly. It was the only way trust could be rebuilt. Just one lie, however small, and any re-rebuilt trust would be destroyed. Back to square one.

That's what she'd resolved to do.

"Are you not well? Is that why you're not at golf?"

"Please don't worry about me. After our conversation this morning you accused me of lying."

"I did." replied Martin, getting himself ready to defend his position.

"I have lied to you, I've been cheating on you."

Whilst that had been lurking at the back of his mind it was a kick in the guts to hear her admit it.

"I am sorry, Martin, I'll know you'll find that difficult to believe, but I am truly sorry."

"Who with? Mike?"

"Yes, but before that Jake."

"Your trainer?"

"Yes."

"But he's what, twenty-five?"

"He was then."

"Are you still seeing him?"

"No."

"But why, when, what?"

"It started eighteen months ago, it lasted about six months."

Martin couldn't formulate a response, he was so shocked.

Jackie continued, "I arrived late for a training session, I didn't warm up properly. Jake was very professional, he didn't come on to me. He worked me hard, but he was good, he knew my limits, he would push me to them. He wouldn't let me wimp out.

If I'd told him I hadn't warmed up he'd have either made me warm up or he would have reduced the weight. If I'd told him, none of this would have happened, not with him nor Mike. For that I'm so sorry, that was my first mistake.

He had me doing squats, with a weighted bar on my shoulders. I felt something go on the inside of my thigh, I nearly fell. Jake caught the weight bar and asked me what happened. I told him. He said I'd probably strained an adductor. Straight away he asked if I'd warmed up properly. I confessed I hadn't.

He called an end to the session and told me to go home, to rest and ice it. To go to the chemist and get a compression bandage and painkillers. He said to come back the next week, even if it was still painful, as Melanie, their physio could help me.

The next week it was still sore, but I went anyway. When I got there he said Melanie had called in sick, but he would try to help. He'd been trained what to do. He unlocked Melanie's office and we went inside.

There was a massage table in there. Jake explained that there was no need for me to remove any clothing, but it would involve him applying pressure to the inside of my thigh. He had to ask, was I OK with that? I was and it sort of happened from there."

"You're leaving a lot out there Jackie, everything so far is Jake was very professional, you were just a client in pain. Yes, it involves some touching of the inside of your thigh but come on. I've had plenty of sports massages in my time. Massages that involved females working that area. I didn't fuck any of them."

"I was laid on my back. He was stood at the side of the table. I had to put my leg out to the side and my foot on his hip. He then leaned against my foot, pushing my leg up, he massaged the inside of that thigh as he pressed the other side of my hip into the table.

My legs were wide apart. I was sure the leg of my shorts was gaping, I was wearing very skimpy panties. He must have had glimpses of my pussy. I looked at his shorts, they were tented out. He had a big hard on. He didn't behave inappropriately though."

"Go on."

"I was aroused because he'd become hard looking at me. Then I had to lie on my side, the lower leg was the affected leg, the other one I had to pull up the table as far as could with my free arm and hold it there. I lay with my back to him.

Again my legs were very wide apart. I could feel myself getting very wet, being so exposed to him. He was pressing his forearm just above my knee on the inside of my leg and applying pressure, moving it slowly up the inside of my leg. It was uncomfortable but I was on fire. A couple of times his arm accidentally touched my pussy, it was all I could do not to cry out with the thrill I felt.

When he'd finished he let me out, he didn't try to hide the fact he had a hard-on. He stayed in the office. I frigged myself in the shower.

On the way out I looked at the notice board to check Melanie's work rota. I made a note of when she wouldn't be in and the following week I phoned to change my session to a day she wasn't there.

The next session I said it was still tender. I'd deliberately not put any panties on, and I wore the loosest, skimpiest shorts I owned. He could see my entire bare pussy.

He got hard again, I let my hand fall and brush against his cock. I squeezed it, and before I left he'd eaten me and fucked me over the massage table.

I'm sorry, I know it's hard to hear, but that's how it happened."

Martin looked at her face, she looked genuinely ashamed. He felt tortured.

"And where was I in your thoughts during all of this?"

"You weren't in them, I'm sorry."

"So you just did it at the gym?"

"Yes."

"In that office?"

"To begin with. It would have become too obvious to keep on doing it there. I started booking really early sessions or really late sessions.

If it was an early session we'd do it in the main gym hall, from there we could see when anyone else arrived. When it was a really late session, he'd lock the door, then we had more time."

"So these early and late sessions, I thought you were playing golf."

Jackie nodded, "I let you think that. To be honest Martin, I haven't really played that much golf this last eighteen months."

Martin took another kick in the gut, "You've... you've used that time to fuck around?"

"I'm sorry, yes.

One time Jake and me were in the shower together, he'd forgotten to lock the door. A gym member came back because he'd forgotten his phone. He heard me moaning. He peered into the shower area and saw us. The bastard took a short video of us fucking. We didn't know.

He was a mate of Mike's, he showed him the video and forwarded him a copy."

"Then what?"

"I got a call from Mike, he told me he knew about Jake and that he had evidence. He suggested we meet at the motel near the motorway. I met with him. He told me the evidence was in his room.

We went up and he showed me the video and said that he had copies. You could clearly see my face. He said that unless I did as was told he would send it to you."