BSD

"At first. Then not. Then I was thinking how easy you were when I wanted you. You're my man."

To Moe it sounded like a claim of ownership.

She was still on top of him. She leaned back down and put her tongue into his mouth again. In and out. A tongue fuck. Moe hardened up and Bess started up and down again, slower. Her tongue action continued. She had another orgasm. This one was entirely down to Moe's susceptibility to her. She kept on, started licking his lips, eyes.

She looked at him and she saw that she could get him to come if she squeezed. She squeezed and watched his face contort. The sight brought on another intense orgasm for her.

She fell asleep next to Moe. Moe was awake for a while. He didn't know what to do, or what the next day might bring.

The next day - Sunday - brought a knock at the door as Bess and he were drinking their morning coffee. Moe got up and opened the door. It was Nora and James.

Nora said, "We brought bagels and cream cheese, some whitefish." She brushed past Moe. James waited. The two men looked at each other. Moe stepped aside and James went into the kitchen.

James and Noa had a long, serious conversation after they left the house the night before. Well, also after James nailed Nora to the bed, partly in frustration over Bess. Nora knew this, but she was satisfied to be satisfied.

She lay next to her husband after he rolled off her. She spoke dreamily, "I wonder if you were thinking about Bess."

"Were you thinking about Moe?"

"No, Jimmy boy. When I'm in bed with you, you're all I ever consider. And you know it, too."

He smiled. He said, "Yeah."

She smacked his ass and growled, "You were thinking about that bitch. Don't deny it."

He smiled again. He said, "Yeah. Some. She's not as beautiful as you, Nora. Something about her just gets me."

'They're our friends. You and the bitch can't fuck. Moe wouldn't like it. Me, either."

James propped himself up and looked right at Nora. He said, "I could have her if I wanted her. And you, too. You wouldn't leave me if I fucked her. You might even join in."

Nora knew the truth of that. She wasn't going to admit it. But she said, "What about Moe?"

James asked, "Do you want him, one on one?"

"Maybe once. He's not you, but he's not....chopped liver." She chuckled.

James said, "We could swap, if you can convince Moe."

"Why should I?"

"Because you love me and want me to be happy."

"Maybe I do, Jimmy. But if we swapped once, then what? You and the bitch might not be able to contain your lust for each other. I don't want Moe in my bed regular."

"All true. What would it hurt to let me and her work it until it tapered off?"

"Absolutely not!" Real vehemence there.

"Okay. But a one off. And that's all."

"I can consider it. I feel like a fool. One thing, you can't just cheat, Jimmy."

"I won't."

James fell asleep. Nora stayed awake, wondering what to do about her husband's intense attraction to their neighbor.

It was her idea to bring the bagels. She needed to talk things out with everyone present. She needed to work on Moe and see if it was possible to tempt him again. She'd decided that James and Bess were too hot to cool off without some actual relief. If they were denied, they'd likely do something on the side and screw up two families. Some prophylactic measures were going to be needed.

She warned James not to make any moves until she worked on Moe.

As soon as Moe saw who was at the door, his mind went directly to his gun safe. He had pistols of various sorts. A hobby, and one at which he was quite proficient. But...no way he'd....

Nora plumped herself down beside Moe on the outdoor swing. Moe got up. Nora looked annoyed for just a second. She was not used to being rejected - sexually. And that was what Moe had done. Perhaps, she thought, her move was too overt.

But Moe simply said, "I will not agree to anything." He said it looking at all three, one after another. Said it three times, the last to Bess. Then he sliced a bagel and creamed it up. He wasn't a fan of whitefish.

Moe's emphatic display had scotched any play that Nora and James had planned. So, they ate bagels and talked about other things. That wasn't too difficult. James and Bess were both trained accountants. Bess had always been interested in how the gym made money. She and James had discussed it before. So she asked about progress. And James was happy to have a full discussion of it. Mainly because it eased the situation. And, he'd found that such discussions with Bess did not have the side effect of arousing him.

Nora and Moe listened for a while, and then she went back inside for more coffee. Moe followed after a short time, as Nora knew he would.

Nora turned on him and said, "No matter how dead set against it you might be, I foresee problems. Problems that could mess with families."

Moe nodded. "Yeah. What can I do? One thing I won't do is let her fuck him with my permission. And, as I've made clear to her, cheating would mean divorce."

"She won't believe that, though. Young kids that you love."

Moe sipped his coffee. He was thoughtful, and then he said, "I'm gonna take James for an outing - today. Wait here." Moe jogged up the stairs. Nora was intrigued.

Moe came down with a backpack - kinda heavy. He plunked it down in the kitchen. He waved Nora back outside, saying, "Back me on this."

Moe interrupted James and Bess. He said, "I'm antsy. I need some....activity. James, c'mon with me. I'll show you a good thing to do when you need to let off steam."

Nora gave James a smile and a short nod. James got up and followed Moe through the house. Moe picked up the backpack. He led the way to his Jeep - his hobby Jeep, he called it. James jumped into the passenger seat, and they set off.

The Jeep was windy and loud, so conversation was limited. Moe teased James about Notre Dame football, which had gotten off to a bad start. Moe never understood how anyone who hadn't gone to the school could root for the Irish. James had gone to UVA, and he wasn't Irish. No accounting for idiosyncratic rooting preferences.

After about twenty-five minutes, Moe pulled into a small parking lot, next to a single story pre-fab structure. He got the bag and led James around to the back. Behind the house was a shooting range of sorts. Moe's buddy Jack Fraser kept it for their mutual hobby - shooting.

Moe unpacked the bag. In it were two 40 caliber S&W semi-automatic pistols. They were beauties.

Moe said, "Have you shot before?"

"Not so much."

Moe handed James ear covers and walked down to put up targets. Two at ten yards. Two at twenty-five yards. One at forty. He jogged back.

Moe handed James one pistol and gave some instructions. Mainly how to fire it, and to use two hands.

He pointed at the right target at ten yards. James pointed the gun and fired a shot. He basically missed - a small tear off the right side of the target.

Moe said, "You pulled off. Squeeze. Don't jerk."

James shot again. He hit the target this time, not dead center, though. Moe encouraged him to keep firing. The gun was fully loaded. James fired eight times before he stopped. He'd hit the target all eight after the first two. James was smiling.

Moe smiled at him. He said, "Fun, huh?"

"Yes. Oh, yes." James seemed ecstatic.

Moe said, "Okay. You have six left. Try at twenty-five. Remember to squeeze."

James shot the last six in the gun at the right twenty-five yard target. He had three hits and three total misses. The hits were not well centered.

Moe said, "Not so bad, James. That's a long shot for a pistol like this."

Moe reloaded the pistol and handed it back to James. James had better results with the second round, until his arms tired a bit.

Moe took the empty gun and nodded. "Not as easy as it seems, eh?"

James was still smiling. "No. For sure. Are you gonna shoot?"

Moe put on his ear gear and picked up the other pistol.

James watched carefully. Moe shot twice at the second ten yard target, twice at the second twenty-five target, and twice at the forty. There was not really a pause in the shooting. Moe simply pivoted from one to the next. The six shots were fired in less than twelve seconds.

James looked at the ten target. Two holes right next to the center dot. Same with the twenty-five. James picked up Moe's field glasses to see the forty. Two holes about two inches apart, within the center circle.

Moe was standing with the pistol in his right hand, by his thigh. He smiled at James. He said, "Those two at the forty are too far apart. I'm a little rusty."

Moe put the safe on and set the pistol down on the bench. James was looking at him, very carefully.

He said, "How...I mean, that's amazing, Moe."

Moe said, "It's a talent I always had, and I developed it. Now, it's like riding a bike. It's been six months since I've been out here. We can come back if you enjoyed it."

James said, "I did enjoy it, Moe. Thanks, I think."

Moe smiled. He secured both guns and said, "We better get back and see how the women are making out."

James was rattled. He didn't rise to that straight line. He nodded. The ride back was accomplished without discussion.

Moe put on a mix CD: Janie's Got a Gun, Saturday Night Special, The Devil's Right Hand, Folsom Prison, Time to Get a Gun (That's what I'm thinkin'), I Shot the Sherriff (Marley version), Happiness is a Warm Gun, and finally two Hendrix songs - Machine Gun and Hey, Joe.

It was a CD that Moe made to use on the ride back from the range. He didn't have to do anything special. Just put it in the player and ramp up the sound.

They arrived back at the house just as 'Hey, Joe' was in its final minute. The two men sat in the Jeep until the song ended. Moe turned off the player.

Then the two of them sat in the ensuing silence, staring through the windshield - for maybe a full two minutes.

Then James looked over at Moe and said, "Message received."

Moe nodded. He said, "This entire thing was a mistake. I....you know, you're my friend. I didn't want to lose a friend."

They got out and went into the house. James was a little shaky.

The women were outside on the rear patio when the Jeep pulled up. They could hear the music. It meant nothing to Nora. But Bess had been on the same ride with Moe. She shot to her feet. Then she dithered. She thought that Moe would never.....

The song ended, and Bess sat back down to await developments. She wasn't going to run. She so hoped to see both men come out of the house.

And, of course, both guys did emerge from the kitchen. Moe was smiling. James had a neutral look.

Nora said, "Where did you guys go?"

Bess said, "To the range. The shooting range." She turned to James. "Did you have a good time, James?"

"Yep. I've never been shooting before. Moe is a wizard. Doesn't miss."

Nora was starting to understand. She knew the words to 'Hey, Joe.'

Bess looked at her and saw her expression change from happy to worried. Bess said, "Moe has a CD mix he plays when he's driving back from the range. Warren Zevon would have been next.

James poured himself a beer. Moe sat down across from the women.

The women had spoken at length while Moe and James were absent.

It started when Nora asked Bess, "Can you keep away from my husband?"

Bess hesitated. "Maybe."

"You have young kids. I do not believe that Moe is kidding about all this."

Bess looked at Nora. She said, "James wants it as much as I do. If he....well, if he presses me, he'll get me, Nora. But I don't want all the repercussions. Even if Moe stuck around, we'd be broken, I think."

Nora said, "I'll tell him...shit. What? Because if I say I'll leave him, he won't believe me. If he fucks you a few times, I'll still have him. You wouldn't take him away from me. Except for a few hours."

"That's all I want. A few times."

"But, Bess, a few times would make Moe crazy. What did you say when he asked you how it was with James?"

"I told the truth. Fantastic. Maybe I should have soft-pedaled it."

"Ya think?"

"He'd never have believed me. But maybe I could have been...less enthusiastic."

"Water under the bridge. What's to be done now? Because I do not believe that Moe will swap. He and I had a good time. But, probably you....well, he has a good time with you. As good a time. Or better."

'Yeah, well, when we do it now, he knows who I'm thinking about. It doesn't seem to stop him having fun. Still..."

Nora said, "This is all so fucked up. I...do NOT want you near him!"

Bess didn't reply.

Nora said, "Did you hear?"

"Yeah. But what if he shows up here one day?"

"Send him away."

"And there's the gym."

"Go to the Y."

Bess said, "Okay, Nora. I'm a big girl. I can keep my panties on. I will." She sounded determined.

"And your lips sealed, bitch."

Bess stared at Nora, who started to laugh. Bess joined in.

When they stopped, Bess gave Nora a hug. She said, "Why does he even want me, with you around?"

"He and you hit it off. He's wanted you from the day he saw you walk into the gym. No real explaining it. I saw it right off. I should have sent you away then, but we needed the money."

The two of them ate more bagels. Then they played some ping pong at a table off the patio. The game started out friendly and benign. But the game soon got vicious. Nora smashed a return that caught Bess on the cheek. A big red spot formed. But they kept on playing. Playing for blood. No actual blood was spilled. Nevertheless, there were times when one or the other almost jumped the table. All over a brown-eyed handsome man.

They'd only just finished and sat down when they heard the Hendrix. If asked, neither one could have said who won the ping pong. But Nora didn't have any marks.

After the guys came back, Moe saw that something had happened while he'd been gone. James missed it. He was still pondering the shooting adventure. He was, therefore, being careful not to look at Bess.

Moe saw the red mark on Bess' face. He didn't ask. Then.

The conversation about the shooting range basically ended the brunch.

Nora and James stood to leave. There were no harsh words spoken. Nora waved at Moe, and they left.

When they did leave, Bess stared at Moe, who stared right back. Finally, he said, "You've been injured. What happened?"

"A ping-pong injury. The game got....out of hand."

"Oh. Kind of insulting to me. You and Nora fighting over James."

"What did you do to him, Moe? He looked at the ground until they left."

"We went shooting. I taught him stuff."

"Moe. Jesus. Did you threaten him?"

"Oooh, no. What kind of guy do you take me for, after all these years?"

"You played those songs, Moe. Are you gonna shoot me down to the ground?"

"No. Not you, Bess. Hendrix was the best I cold do on the spur of the moment."

Bess whispered, "I can't believe....."

Moe's tone was steely. "We need to cool it with them for a while. No more socializing. I'm going back to the Y."

Bess said, "I don't like the Y. BodyWorks is way nicer."

"Up to you, Bess." He got up and wandered into the house, humming 'Hey, Joe.'

Meanwhile, Nora and James had a discussion of the day when they got home. Nora asked James about the shooting.

James said, "Moe is a very good shot. It was almost supernatural. I...well I wouldn't want to be on his bad side. He told me that he didn't want to lose a friend. Me."

Nora waited. Then she said, "You believe he took you out there as, what? A threat?"

"At the very least a demonstration. When you think about it, a guy like me would have little to fear from Moe - man to man. So, I think Moe was showing me that he wasn't....that in the real world, he was capable of harm."

"What will you do about it?"

"Stay away from Bess."

"If she comes to the gym? Or the house?"

"I'll leave. Soon enough she'll get the message."

The couples didn't see each other at all for several weeks. Kids returned. Carol and Rob came back with their family. The children expected to see each other. But that didn't happen right away. There was no Fourth of July get together.

Of course, Rob and Carol noticed.

One day Rob came over after work with his kids. He and Moe sat outside watching the children while Bess cooked.

Rob asked, "What's going on between you guys and Nora and James?"

Moe said, "We...well, maybe we're having a trial separation."

Rob looked worried, "I spoke to James. He said something about you being a good shot."

"I took him to the range." Moe gave a small smile.

Rob was not a subtle person. He asked, "Did you threaten to kill him?"

Moe was used to Rob. He wasn't going to split hairs with that question. Any subtlety would be foolish. He said, "No."

"Well, okay, then. We should all get together. I'll have Carol invite everyone for Saturday, after soccer and all."

Moe shrugged.

Saturday afternoon Carol and Rob had a cookout for all six of them, as well as three other couples from the area. Carol had insisted that it had to be more than just the six of them. She'd spoken to Bess and Nora. She was aware of the shooting range incident. She had no real idea that Moe would come strapped. Still.

Carol also had some idea that she and Rob might still be able to swap with Nora and James. Nora had told her that wouldn't happen. But she could dream.

The party had many children, all in elementary school. The couples knew each other through kids, to start, at least. Carol and Rob had a big pool, and a playground out back. Carol hired two college girls to supervise the kids. Those two girls were attractive, and, of course, showed up in bathing suits, since there was a pool. Several of the husbands hung out with the kids.

But not Moe. Or James. Those two spoke to each other, and then circulated. Bess said hello to James and then they both moved on. It was easier because of the crowd. After a while, Nora and Moe found themselves by the corner of the house, a little off from anyone.

Nora looked askance at Moe. She said, "You scared James."

Moe shrugged. He smiled and said, "I couldn't see a better way ahead."

"But you would never shoot him, right?"

Moe hesitated a bit. He said, "Probably not, Nora. You know, depending."

Nora actually laughed. "He runs away from her, Moe. Are you really that good a shot?"

Moe said, "That day I was. Maybe I couldn't do that all the time. I'm good under pressure, though. When it matters."

Nora stared at him. "I do recall something like that." She smiled and walked away, swinging her hips. Moe was affected but stayed put.

Things stayed calm for the rest of the fall, and through the holidays. In late January, Bess said to Moe, after they'd had sex at bedtime, "Maybe we should have a Valentine's Day party. A small one."

Moe turned to her. "With whom?"

"Us six. Enough time has passed."

"And you feel like you and James are over the infatuation phase?"

"Yes. I mean, he's still....you know. But you and I've been great lately."

"So, you don't need a stud."

"Oh, Moe, I never needed a stud. I've got you and your shooter."

Moe chuckled.

The Valentines Day party went well. James and Bess were not noticeably flirty. (Although Nora and Moe did flirt - a bit.) At first there had been some tension. But that eased up as the evening went on and no problems arose.

Toward the end of the evening, James and Bess talked in a corner of the den, away from the others.

Bess said, "I hoped we could get back to the friendships we had before the...the incident."

James nodded. "I can. I won't run away from you anymore. But you can't provoke me. And I won't provoke you."

She smiled. "Deal."

They shook on it.

But neither of them actually forgot the 'incident.' It remained a stimulating memory for them. And that was all it was. No new memories were created. However, there was no question that embers were smoldering still within each of them.