Antarctica

Afterwards

There was total silence following the end of my small speech. I don't think either had realistically expected my offer but they were also realising what they would need to suffer to earn the prize. After a while Jeff said, "I'm just wondering about the no contact bit. During your time away you were able to Email your wife so you didn't feel completely out of touch."

It was a valid objection. I was trying to be fair and that restriction did seem a bit hard, so I lessened the rigor by saying, "OK, no voice contact or texting but you can exchange one Email per week."

Jeff thanked me and Shelley smiled her appreciation of the concession but no more was said and after a moment or two, I said that I was going upstairs for fifteen minutes to allow them to discus the situation in private. I actually gave them a long twenty minutes before I returned because my intention was to allow them to say goodbye. I fully realised that they had opportunity for physical contact but I could live with that. When I got back they were still sitting exactly as I had left them, I could tell from Shelley's lips that they had kissed but no clothing was disturbed that I could detect.

Jeff stood up with obvious intention of leaving and I escorted him to the door. Just before stepping outside, he turned and said, with forced cheerfulness, "See you in a year, hopefully."

Shelley seemed lost for words because she had nothing to say about what had occurred but that night I think she showed her appreciation by being extra loving. During that year perhaps I should have been extra vigilant but I wasn't. I had decided that they were both honourable and had just been caught up in something bigger than themselves, besides which I believed they had too much at stake to risk a few brief liaisons. Shelley made a big show of being transparent by giving me her Email password and even inviting me to read Jeff's letters to her. She also left her mobile lying around for me to inspect but I availed my self of neither.

In one small way I did make a protective gesture. My stand-in at the university had complained about the workload and the result was an assistant for me. He was a retired electrician who came in a few hours a week to supplement his pension. There had always been time in lieu available to compensate for the unpaid overtime, before I didn't bother but now I did. I started randomly going home unannounced during the day, sometimes picking up my wife when she finished work at lunchtime, sometimes going home early and occasionally turning up in the middle of the afternoon. My new assistant was adequate excuse and prevented my actions from seeming born of suspicion.

Near the end of March the pregnancy test was positive. Shelley must have told Jeff by mail because I got a short Email from him, giving his congratulations and saying that he was looking forward to the birth as much as me. I knew this was true because the baby was projected to be born only a handful of days before the end of his year in purdah.

Only a couple of weeks or so after my decision evening, I detected the return of my wife's old sexual hunger. I knew that I had to make the most of this because it was almost certain to disappear again when she had Jeff back in her life. The pregnancy was also likely to foreshorten this 'hungry' period but then I reasoned that the advent of children put an end to some aspect of the early sexuality that most couples enjoy.

Our daughter was born on Boxing Day and we called her Denise. I was not at all unhappy that on his return Jeff would be denied the immediate fuckfest that he must have hoped for at one time. On doctor's orders I was not allowed intercourse for at least a month after the birth and there was no reason why he couldn't abide by the same rules. It was a bit of relief that this allowed me to acclimatise myself to sharing my wife gradually.

After previously checking with me by mail that he could do so, Jeff arrived at our door on the due day bearing gifts, a diamond bracelet for Shelley, twenty year old malt whiskey for me and a cuddly toy. There were initial greetings all round during which I watched he and Shelley engage in a passionate embrace, without the sight particularly bothering me. I pointed out to him that although our agreement allowed him to take her home with him for the night, that wasn't feasible at the moment due to the breast feeding routine. The same logic also precluded anything over night. I said that he could have a couple of hours alone with Shelley, during which time I would either go to the pub or if they preferred, I would stay downstairs and look after Denise to ensure that they had no interruptions while they were in the bedroom. They chose the latter option or at least Shelley did.

This was my first taste of the experience which Rob had described, of sitting waiting while his wife was having sex with another man. It was far less painful than expected but I knew it was bound to get a lot worse when intercourse was back on the menu. I did get an erection but after having been on short rations for the past few weeks I was rather prone that way.

When they came back downstairs, Jeff seemed anxious to leave immediately while Shelley had gone into shy mode and seemed unwilling to meet my eyes. At the door Jeff shook my hand and asked it was possible that we could be friends again. I told him that I didn't see why not because I had badly missed his friendship. Coming back I grabbed Shelley and tried to kiss her but was surprised when she put up a bit of s struggle before melting into my arms and fully returning my fervour. I think that her initial reticence due to not wanting me to detect the semen on her breath.