Betsy - Reawakened Ch. 07

Diane explained that it was part of who she and Keith were as a couple. He had gone through a mid-life crisis of sorts, and with his job taking him on the road quite often, he found himself in hotel rooms with nothing to occupy his time.

He had confessed to his first and only extra-marital affair five years before. It wasn't that he didn't love Diane anymore. Far from it; the root of his straying had more to do with being bored and lonely. And it really wasn't so much an affair as it was a one-night-stand with a stranger he'd met at a restaurant in Houston. He was sitting alone at a table for two, and she was doing the same at the table next to him. Wanting nothing more than conversation he politely invited her to join him.

Keith told Diane he only knew the woman's first name, and that she was also a business executive. Like him, she was gone on a two-week trip, and she was so appreciative to have someone to talk to in the evening that she readily moved to his table. When she said later that the part of traveling she hated most was going back to an impersonal hotel room alone, there was a look between them. That's when the dinner changed.

They teased and they flirted. Their talk became more risqué as the night wore on. She ordered a bottle of wine, and then he ordered the next one. Two hours after she sat down at his table, he was in her hotel room. He never meant for it to happen. In fact, he was so riddled with guilt, he cut his trip short and flew home two days early just so he could tell his wife face to face and beg for her forgiveness.

What stunned him was how Diane took his emotional confession. Here he was, firmly admitting what he'd done, swearing on anything he could put his hand on that it was the only time he'd strayed, and that he'd never do it again. She sat across from him in the living room with a smirk on her face.

When he finally asked her why she was smiling that way instead of yelling and screaming at him, she replied that she always assumed he'd been doing that for years. She was certain that she'd seen signs before, but never found anything conclusive enough to confirm her suspicions. Being the jealous type early in her marriage, she actually confessed to being upset those first few years into his job when she couldn't find concrete evidence of his infidelity.

It was only after a time of soul-searching that she came to grips with what she knew in her heart, and that changed her views on the subject.

"How did they change?" Betsy asked.

She was interested in the subject, because she could relate. She'd always been worried about Darren's fidelity on the road. She never had reason to believe he had broken their vows. In fact, she was just as certain he hadn't. That was one of the reasons she went out of her way to make sure she took care of his sexual needs whenever he was home, not wanting to give him an excuse to look elsewhere.

It was interesting, since she was now the one in a hotel... at the behest of her loving husband, waiting for Sam to arrive. She might sleep with him again that very night. If not, she knew she'd be fucking him the rest of the weekend. And that was because of how she felt about sex. She was a slut, much weaker in her resolve than her husband. She had no doubt he'd been tempted hundreds of times over the years. With Darren's looks and his charm, he not only could have successfully found a willing partner to fuck, he could have his pick. After all, there were women out there that wouldn't think twice about landing in his bed. Women just like her... sluts.

Instead, he waited all those years, remaining true to her and their marriage. And now he'd been rewarded for that faithfulness the last four years. Both he and Betsy were beginning to reap the benefits of what they felt was their new life together, part of her reawakening, letting her hair down and having some fun.

She glanced at Diane's long hair, which was anything but down. She looked elegant and sophisticated. She looked alluring. Her smoldering green eyes offered a view to the fire that slowly burned inside her.

Diane was thinking of Betsy's question, and she observed, "You seem to be taking what I'm saying just like I took Keith telling me he cheated. This doesn't faze you at all, does it?"

"I wouldn't say that. But you're comfortable talking about it, and I'm your friend, so if you need an ear to listen, I'm willing to give it to you."

"And this is just between us, right?"

"I said you have my ear, Diane. My mouth doesn't have to be a part of this."

"Okay, so, you asked how my view changed, and how I got over being jealous. Well, Keith has always worked hard to provide for me and the kids. It's not an easy life being on the road, living out of a suitcase. Every hotel room is different; every air conditioner or heater, and the shower, and the bed and pillows. You never feel you belong. You never feel at home. There have been many years when he's been gone more than he's home."

"Been there, sister," she laughed. "Darren travels a lot too. Not as much as he used to, but he's still gone twenty weeks out of a year."

"Then you know what I'm talking about. So, one day, when I was going through his laundry for like the thousandth time, finding nothing to prove he was unfaithful to me, I had this breakdown. I just sat and cried for like an hour. And when I got it all out, I asked myself why I'd been so upset not finding anything. I mean, he came home like he always did, and the first chance he got when we were alone together, well... pardon my French, but he fucked my brains out. He shot so much sperm all over me I knew he hadn't been with another woman. The man was so backed up it wasn't funny. And that's when it hit me."

"What?"

"I'd been so busy being jealous of nothing that I was making myself miserable. The truth was, I could never prove it one way or another, but he always came home to me and made me feel special. He always made me feel loved. So I came to the conclusion that even if he was sleeping with another woman, whether it was steady or just a one-time thing, it certainly wasn't effecting our relationship. The one that was doing that was me, by stressing out about it all the time."

"So what did you do?"

"I accepted that it was okay if he was, because he was making me happy."

"So, instead of giving him the benefit of the doubt, you found him guilty of doing it and accepted it?"

"I know that may sound strange, but I figured if I just assumed he was screwing around behind my back, and yet he could make me feel the way he did when we were together, I was better off just letting it happen. Why rock the boat when things are sailing smoothly? That's why when he told me he finally did cheat, it didn't faze me. I had already come to terms with it."

"Still, that had to be a shock."

"It was more of a shock that he hadn't done anything before. And when he saw my reaction, it forced us to have a chat about it. That's when things changed to where we are now."

"And where is that, exactly?"

"Well, Keith said his biggest fight wasn't so much the mid-life crisis thing... although that's certainly a part of it. It's really being alone for such a long time. When he goes, his trips are usually two weeks at a time."

"Well how is he always at our bridge club then?"

"He makes it a point to schedule around that for me. I made him do that, just like he used to work around to see some of Tony's baseball games when he was in school. He needs to be a father and a husband sometimes too. And he realizes that, but it makes for some juggling on his part."

"Okay, so you were saying about the loneliness factor."

"Right. He hates it. When I said I hate being alone too, he said something about my having Tony around, and my girlfriends to talk to. I countered that with Tony being in high school at the time, he was never around, and my girlfriends could provide conversation, but not what I really needed. When he asked what that was, I said it was the same thing he got from that women he slept with... sex."

"Wow. How did that go over?"

"It was interesting. Keith didn't have the woman sit at the table with him because he wanted to sleep with her. He did it because he wanted someone to talk to. He'd been working his ass off, and he had no one to unwind to; no one to just help him get his mind off whatever bothered him during his work day. The sex just kind of happened. But he did it, and he admitted later that it was incredible... although that took a bit to get him to confess."

"I'll bet."

"Oh, I wasn't jealous. That was something else I'd come to terms with. The way he'd come home and fuck me told me that I had nothing to worry about there. Then again, I'd thought he'd been screwing around forever, so what did I know. But when I told him what I needed... well, I think that was the first time Keith realized that as much as he missed having sex with me while he was away, I missed having it with him even more. I don't think he ever realized just how oversexed I really am. That night I showed him my collection of dildos and vibrators; things that he knew nothing about, and that opened his eyes. And that led to a discussion of what to do about how we were both feeling, and where to go from there."

"Which is why you're here now, right?"

"That's right. I won't bore you with all the details, but we came to an agreement... or arrangement, as you put it. We both operate now on the assumption that we're going to be with other people, so we push each other that way. I'll admit it took a bit to get us there. Ha, he was stunned that I told him I didn't care if he slept around when he was on the road. I told him he just couldn't do it in town."

"Would he?"

"No... when he's home he's too busy fucking me," she laughed. "I wouldn't have it any other way. We're like rabbits, frankly. But as part of the deal, he had to agree to let me have fun too. After all, it was only fair."

"And he was obviously fine with that."

"I wouldn't say fine. It took him a couple of months to warm up to the idea. In fact, it took a couple of months before he slept with another woman again."

"What about you?"

"Well, as much as I liked the idea of it when we first talked it out, I wasn't going to do anything unless he did it again. Even then, it was a while after that... about a month or so. To be honest, I wasn't sure I could really go through with it at first. But when he slept with another woman, and I hadn't even gone out to look for a man to be with, he told me he was going to stop, because I hadn't started. And then I felt guilty about making such a demand on him, kind of forcing the issue."

"So, what... you would have just let him keep screwing around without you doing it too? Or you started up because you didn't want him to stop? I'm not sure I understand."

"I guess it was kind of both. I think at the time, yeah, I would have probably just told him to have his jollies. After all, that's what I thought he was doing all along anyway. And I did it the first time so he wouldn't stop, because I didn't want him to feel like he was doing something wrong. I wanted him to be happy away from me. I know for him at first, it was always more about not being lonely than it is about the sex. It still is most of the time."

"What about you?"

"For me, it's all about the sex," she laughed. "Well, not all, but you understand. I just had to come to terms with the idea of being with another man first"

"And Keith was okay with it."

"It was more like he was insistent. I think he wanted me to do it too so that he wouldn't have reason to feel guilty again like he had that first time. So, that's what we do."

"I'm not following you on that last part. You do what?"

"We sort of evolved where now we kind of spur each other on. I always know where he's staying, so one of us calls and lets the other know we're in the mood to play. The one who gets the call has to go out and play too. That way we're both doing it at the same time. It's like we're together when we're not."

"So, what happens if you're not lucky enough to find a date for the night?"

"One of us goes without that night. It happens, but not as often as you'd think. To be honest, it's a lot easier for me to get laid, being a woman. I'm always getting hit on in bars... I just have to pick a guy I find suits my needs for that particular night. And to be honest, it's pretty rare that Keith can't find a woman that's willing to go to bed with him either. That's one of the reasons I love him," she admitted, a sly twinkle in her eye. It was a strange comment, in that it seemed like such an odd trait for a wife to be proud of in her husband, but Betsy found it cute. That and she could relate.

"Well, it sounds like the two of you have it all figured out now," she replied, finishing the last of her drink. She raised her glass to the bartender, who nodded affirmatively. And that had Diane wondering about the story behind the other side of table.

"Okay, now you know my dirty little secret. So tell me, why are you here, Betsy?"

"Ha. I was wondering when you were going to get to that. I don't suppose I could just say I'm here for a drink, could I?"

"I might have bought it if you were wearing your wedding ring. Do I have to ask if you and Darren are okay?"

"We're better than ever, Diane. But I love that you care enough to ask."

"You're welcome. But that doesn't answer my question."

The bartender placed her drink on the table, and she thanked him before taking a sip. "Mmm... that is goooood," she moaned before setting the tumbler back on the coaster. "Well, let's see. I guess I should start by saying that Darren's a lot like Keith, in that he travels a lot. And you know, we still have a youngster at home. He's eleven, so he's fairly self-sufficient, but he still needs us. And he needs his daddy time after Darren's been gone for a while."

"Okay, just like Keith and Tony when he was younger."

Betsy nodded, trying to determine just how she wanted to explain her presence in the bar. She didn't intend to hide her true intentions. That would have been silly. And a bit unfair, considering how open and honest Diane had just been about her relationship with Keith. But she didn't want to make herself look like her friend, because she didn't go out looking for men. This was different. Deciding to play with the truth a bit more freely, she settled on a path.

"Darren invited one of his best clients into town to spend the weekend. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. They were together this week playing golf in North Carolina, and the guy was heading in this direction on his way home to New York, so Darren thought he'd ask him to stay so they could play a couple more rounds over the weekend. But he forgot that he'd promised Neil he'd take him camping. He didn't remember until I reminded him when he came home and told me we'd be entertaining a guest."

"So, Darren's not here then."

"No. He knew Neil would be disappointed. He's been really looking forward to going all week," she said, telling a bit of a fib. Neil had no idea he was going camping. That was his father's idea; a way to get them both out of the house so Betsy could be with Sam. But it was close enough to the truth to tell Diane and have the ultimate result be the same.

"Why didn't you take Neil, then?"

"First, I don't camp, Diane," she said, telling another little white lie. She had been camping before with Darren and the boys. She just didn't care for it all that much. She motioned her hand to point out where they were in the hotel complex as she continued her tale. "The closest I'll ever come to camping is a place like this. I reminded Darren about that. Plus, the whole point is for them to spend time together. I'm with Neil all week. He misses his Dad. So they went, and I agreed to be the entertainment."

"What?"

"Darren said he promised his client he'd be entertained this weekend. I'm going to be the entertainment."

"You're kidding!"

"No," she said with a coy smile and wink before sipping from her glass again. "It's his biggest customer. Telling him to come here for nothing would be bad. We're not exactly on the direct route from North Carolina to New York... it's the wrong interstate. He drove a couple hundred miles out of his way to be here."

"So, why aren't you wearing your ring?"

"He thinks we're just meeting for dinner. I'm hoping it's going to be more than that, and I figured the ring would only get in the way."

"Funny... I find wearing my ring helps me get hit on. Most guys like fucking married women because they don't have to worry about things getting emotional."

"Yes, but this guy thinks we're just meeting for dinner. My wearing a ring would keep him thinking that way. It would remind him I'm Darren's wife. I'm hoping to set a tone from the start that I'm game for something more if he wants it."

"What does Darren have to say about all of this? Are you guys open too?"

"You mean our marriage?"

"Yes, of course."

"I wouldn't say open. We've had sex outside our marriage before, mostly with a couple of couples; friends of ours from out of state. So he's not foreign to the idea. In fact, this wouldn't be the first time I've fucked one of his clients."

"Really?" she grinned.

"Yes," she answered truthfully. Of course, the client she was referring to was the same one she was talking about meeting that night; namely Sam. But it sounded hotter that this might be a second one. "Darren needed help getting a guy to agree to a big contract. So, I helped," she said with a shrug and a smile.

"Damn. That's incredible. Is that what you're doing tonight?"

"No. I'd say this is more or less picking up for Darren because he was going to drop the ball. He was embarrassed to ask this guy to come all this way and then not be able to take him golfing like he promised. I volunteered to come to dinner to make things better."

"Does Darren know you're going to try to fuck him?"

"He's the one that first suggested it," she winked, wanting her friend to know she wasn't doing anything behind her husband's back. "I didn't make any promises, but I'm certainly open to the idea. I have to meet with him first, though."

"Oh, I know what you mean there. You don't even know what he looks like. There has to be something there to create a spark. I can't have sex just for the sake of having sex," she agreed.

Checking her watch, Betsy saw it was nearing six. "Well, I hate to be rude, Diane, but I'm expecting him any minute."

"So, do you know him? How are you going to know who he is?"

Betsy ignored the first question, answering only the second. "Darren told him what I'd be wearing tonight. He'll find me."

"Okay. Well, time to let someone find me," she said, rising from her chair.

"So, you're still going to do this, even though you might be seen by someone that knows you?"

"The same could be said for you, and you're here. Besides, with all this talk about sex... I have to get laid now! I'm sure Keith is going to. He's the one that called me tonight, telling me to go on the prowl because he was," she chuckled. Then she paused, her face softening, a more serious tone in her voice. "It was really great seeing you Betsy. I'm so glad I ran into you tonight. I can't tell you how good it feels to get all of that off my chest. I feel like I've been living a lie the last few years. You really are a great friend."

Betsy patted her hand, a loving glint in her eye. "It was nice to share, wasn't it? Have a great time tonight, Diane. I'll see you on our next bridge night. We're at the Hartmann's, right?" she asked about their monthly game.

"Yes. I'm looking forward to it. See you then."