Consequences - Judith

This is the seventh in a series of stories about the consequences of the actions some wives take. When a marriage and children are involved, the consequences can be painful. This is one of those cases.

*

She thought to herself there was no possible way things could be any better than they were. She told herself again that she was blessed: she had it all. She paused in her activities to look at herself in the full length mirror mounted to the back of the door to her closet. She saw a tall woman, blonde hair just touching her shoulders, eyes somewhere between light green or grey, a body in great condition and quite sexy. Her breasts were firm, her stomach flat, and her hips narrow. She touched her hair, smoothing back a few wayward wisps and smiled. Yes, she was still quite good looking for a 40-something woman.

Judith Proctor turned back to her packing. She took her little black dress, three pairs of casual slacks and five blouses. She folded them neatly using some old towels to minimize wrinkles and put them into her suitcase. She had already packed her frilly underwear and her new teddy. All she had left were a few pairs of shoes and her cosmetic case and she was ready. She didn't anticipate needing much, so she would be finished well before Rick and the boys were due back.

Three days and three nights in San Diego, and all paid for. The launch of the Dalton Power Drill/Screwdriver combination aimed at the woman's market was finished and it had been a complete success. Dalton Industries was sending her and her project co-chairman on an all expense paid trip to the Redstone Resort in San Diego as a bonus for meeting and exceeding all project goals. It was business, of course. There would be two days of self congratulations for all and some motivational speeches the last day exhorting them all to do it again, but overall, there should be a lot of free time. All she had to pay for was some shopping and souvenirs for Rick and the boys. She wanted to get something extra nice for Rick for being so reasonable about this trip.

She had been a little afraid to mention it to him when the opportunity presented itself at work. Judith was one of the top designers for Casual Creations, a company that took consignments from other companies that wanted to market a particular product. Casual Creations designed the product styling within the design framework, created the packaging, and scheduled the advertising. They could take a product from inception all the way through launch, each department doing their part in the overall scheme. Judith was a packaging specialist, her forte being the graphics and the pictorial presentation. She was very good at it and very well paid. For this product, in addition to her usual work, she had also offered a contemporary design that the company loved. This project was especially interesting to her and she had spent many long hours perfecting it.

When she proposed it to him, Rick had been pleased that the company would do this for her but not that happy about her being gone for that long. After all, he pointed out, she had spent many evenings away from home working on the same project that now wanted to send her away again for three days. She had patiently worked on his sense of fair play to convince him that she had earned this by working hard. She wanted to do this and he gave in, although not happily. As she thought about it, she was surprised at how easily he had given up. She expected days of complaining, wheedling and whining but he only protested for a couple of hours or so before throwing up his hands.

She closed her suitcase, checked the locks to be sure they were set and pocketed the key. She picked up the bag aside and went downstairs to check on dinner. She had fixed a pot roast with baby potatoes and carrots and she had baked a coconut cream pie that she bought frozen. She was never very good at pastries, and she did want to set a nice table tonight before she had to leave for the airport. Rick said they could eat at 5:30 rather than their normal 6:15 to give her time to spend with them before they left. She saw that everything was right on schedule.

She remembered the night before when she and Rick had made love. It had been different and very exciting. Rick had been very aggressive, almost rough, much more so than usual, and she had several climaxes before he pulled her on top of him to allow her to control the final pace. She had ridden him with her passions raging. The thought of being away for three nights without him made her want to make this night special for him. She drove him up to new heights before he spilled his seed inside her. Since his vasectomy, they needed no protection and the feeling of his sperm had triggered her own climax. They had collapsed together, breathing hard and covered in a sheen of perspiration. It had been very good, for both of them. But Rick had always been an exceptional lover and he had never disappointed her. Even after the birth of their two boys, their lovemaking had not decreased. Except for a few months after this project began. But even that was better now.

Judith didn't want to think about that time. It had no place in her thoughts just now. Rick was her husband and together they had built a wonderful home for each other and for their two boys, Will and Robert. Will was the older, almost 9 years old now. Robert was just 7 but he acted older than his brother. He was the serious one, while Will was the carefree one. They made a good pair, each balancing the other. She loved them both equally.

And Rick had always been the only one for her. They met one night fifteen years ago at a party thrown by one of their mutual friends and had hit it off immediately. At the time he was 25 and she was 23, and while both graduated from Rutgers University, they had never met while on campus. They dated for almost two years, both committed to their careers. They finally moved in together and eventually married. Judith remembered the night he proposed and she accepted. It was still one of her favorite memories. Their life together had been wonderful and when they felt ready for children, they were blessed with two healthy boys. She did indeed have it all. She felt a little chill at that thought but put it aside as simply nerves over the trip.

She was waiting when the kids came through the door. She gathered both in for hugs and kisses, which they pretended embarrassed them. Rick was right behind and together they ushered the boys upstairs to wash for dinner. When they were gone, Judith put her arms around Rick to give him a hearty kiss and a hug. She felt a tenseness about him but before she could say anything, he relaxed, returned the hug and the kiss and then pushed her back.

"What's this? Miss us already? You haven't even left yet." He smiled at her but she saw a darkness in his eyes that the smile didn't brighten. Was he missing her already?

"Just glad to see my three men. I want to spend this time with you before I have to leave for the airport. That's all." She clung to him, not wanting the hug to end.

"You don't have to go you know. We all want you to stay." Pushing had back, Rick looked into her eyes, waiting for her answer. He knew what it was but he asked.

"It's too late now and anyway, it's just a quick business trip and a few days of relaxing before getting back into the grind." She reached out to hug him again, he was already moving away toward the small powder room. She frowned at him as he yelled back.

"I'll wash up here and we can eat when the kids get down." She gave a sigh, then walked into the kitchen to set the meal. She still felt a little unease but shrugged it off.

The meal was fun, all of them talking at once, comparing their adventures that afternoon with their dad at the park, or talking about their new projects for school. There was a science fair coming up and Will wanted to start on the ever famous erupting volcano as his project while Robert thought he should do something different. Their disagreement was good natured and Rick let them go at it until he finally shut them up. From then on it was just give and take as always. Judith sat back and enjoyed it all.

But eventually it was time. Rick told Judith to just let things go and he and the boys would clean up later. They just sat and talked until Judith had to get ready. She was packed, her bag was sitting by the door and all she needed was her briefcase and her purse. She gave each boy a hug and a kiss and then sent them off to play, leaving her and Rick.

"I'm going to miss you. You and the boys. I wish you were all coming with me. But it's only three nights. I'll be back late Wednesday night. You'll be there to pick me up right?"

Rick smiled at her and nodded. "Don't worry. It's all arranged. You just go and have fun. I doubt you'll miss us at all." He gave her a big grin to show he was kidding, but Judith saw that same darkness in his eyes. She had to get herself under control! This was crazy. Just as she was about to say something, the sound of a car horn stopped her.

"That's Rachael. I'd better go. Take care of the boys for me and I'll call you when I get in. Miss me!" Judith gave Rick a fierce hug and a desperate kiss before grabbing her bag from him and almost running out the door. Once at the car, she turned to wave to Rick once more but she saw the door close. He had already gone in. She put her bag in the back seat, frowning once more at the closed door. She had a feeling something was wrong, but told herself it was her overactive imagination. That was what made her such a good copywriter and designer but sometimes it was disconcerting.

From inside the car, Rachael asked, "Ready for your trip? I bet you're looking forward to this. Three days at the Redstone. God, I wish I could have gone with you guys but I just couldn't get away. Good thing Wes could go in my place. I wouldn't mind spending a couple of days with him. Too bad you're so happily married. Could be fun." With a laugh, Rachael pulled out and headed for the airport. Judith answered her flippant comment and then sat back and wondered again why she was doing this. But she already had that discussion with herself and it was too late to change her mind. Wasn't it?

At the airport, Judith checked her bags, went through the horrible ordeal of screening and finally found her gate. She had no sooner sat down than Wes Southern sat down beside her. He gave her a big grin.

"Ready for this? Just you and me in San Diego. Too bad we have to go to the actual meetings. We could spend the whole time in bed, just making love. I can't wait to get you in bed, instead of that damn couch. Or the chair. Or the conference table." He was almost laughing by the end of that little speech. Judith smiled in spite of her misgivings.

"We have done it in some strange places, haven't we? Well, we'll make up for that this week." She leaned back and closed her eyes. She had planned this so well. Rick had no idea and she was going to make sure it stayed that way. Now it was time to reap the rewards of her hard work and planning. She was pleased when they announced boarding for the flight. It was on time for a change. She wanted to get this thing started and that seemed to be a good sign. She and Wes were in first class so they boarded first.

As she settled in for the flight, she wondered again if she was crazy for doing this. She and Wes had begun their 'affair' about two months ago. They worked together on the design phase of the project and it started one night after they had worked non stop for almost twelve hours. She was exhausted and so was he. They sat down on the couch in her office and before they knew it they both fell asleep. She woke later to the feeling that she was in bed with Rick, and he was running his hand up and down her thigh. She moaned in pleasure and spread her legs to give him room before opening her eyes to see it was Wes rather than her husband. She moved to push his hand away when he ran his hand over her panty covered mound. She stopped, the pleasure too strong to ignore. And it had been so long since she and Rick had made love. Pleasure warred with the guilt but the pleasure won out. With no more thought, they moved to undressing each other and finally into a bout of mind blowing sex. Judith had orgasm after orgasm before Wes finally ejaculated inside her. She started to panic until she realized that she was too far from her fertile period for anything to happen.

Afterward, they talked frankly about what had happened. Judith was consumed with guilt but Wes talked to her and finally convinced her that it was not love, only sex. Rick would never find out, they would never tell another soul and they would spend time with each other only when the opportunity presented itself. They would not seek each other out or make plans. Casual sex only. Judith convinced herself that this was different than an affair. She was hooked on the guilty pleasure that this provided and it seemed to her creative personality that it could do no harm if she kept it isolated from her life with Rick. She finally agreed with Wes. She told him that from now on, condoms were required with no exception, Wes agreed. They met several more times and nothing happened to jeopardize their secret. Her guilt finally subsided and at home, she began to initiate love making with Rick again. He seemed pleased and they soon got back to their normal frequency. But while it was good, there seemed to be something missing. She told herself that once she returned, she was going to make some changes. Rick would come first again in their marriage. She had let that slide too much.

This trip was a chance to spend some time alone with Wes, free to be with each other outside the office. She had refused to go to a motel with him or to be alone with him anywhere other than the office, which was her way of restraining herself and not doing what she considered a planned affair. She convinced herself that since this trip was work related, it continued to be just a workplace dalliance. She accepted this trip, knowing Rachael couldn't go, and that Wes was the next in line. And even though she felt guilt and fear of being caught, the guilty pleasure was too much to let go. As an added bonus, she and Rick were having sex much more often now and they had begun to experiment more. Rick was benefiting as much as she was. Justification. Rationalization. All excuses to continue.

In San Diego, Judith checked in, went to her room, called home and talked to the boys for over an hour. When she asked to speak to Rick, the boys said he was upstairs doing something and hung up without giving her a chance to tell them to find him. She sat there, confused. Why was Rick acting this way? Why had he been so quick to get her out the door? She wondered again, not for the first time if he could suspect anything. But she had been so careful, so controlled. She and Wes had only been together four or five times. And those times were carefully hidden and no one had ever caught them. There weren't even any rumors at work. She worried some more, convinced herself that it was just a guilty conscience, then shrugged her shoulders and went down to meet Wes in the lounge.

They had a nice dinner on the company and had a few drinks, but they were both too excited to stay. They went up to her room as soon as they could. They almost shed their clothes in the hallway in their excitement before falling together into the room. The rest of the night was spent in non stop sex. They finally fell asleep just before dawn, sated and satisfied. Judith slept soundly until just before she woke, and it was in that twilight between sleep and waking where the subconscious ruled, she had an overwhelming feeling of being alone and so sad. It was such an intense feeling, it woke her, hearing herself say over and over, "No, no, no." She found herself drenched with perspiration. She shook it off, saw that Wes had gone to his own room and rose to stood in the shower until the water made her forget.

The three days went very fast and the nights were filled with sex. Sex with Wes had always been good because it had the added benefit of being naughty and wrong. Now, they did things that they hadn't been able to try before, but soon found that they were beginning to lose interest. The sex was still satisfying but no longer exciting. Something was missing. As the trip ran to its conclusion, the sex seemed to become almost routine. The thrill was gone, taking with it the excitement of the possibility of discovery. As they packed to go home, it was mutually agreed that this would end their short lived affair. They were not angry with each other so it ended in good feelings. Now she looked forward to getting home to see her kids and Rick. The only thing that bothered her was that she had been unable to contact Rick or the boys the last two nights. The message on the machine said that they were out and to leave a message. But no one had returned her calls.

Judith put in a call from the airport to Rick at his office to make sure he would be there to pick her up. She let it ring but got no answer. She thought he might be out of his office so she left a message on his machine. Just a reminder. Just to be sure. She tried the home number again and got the same message. She forgot about it when they called for boarding and then she was on the plane and back in first class.

Almost as soon as the plane got to flight altitude, she reclined her seat and fell deeply asleep. The last she remembered was a comment from Wes that they should try to enter the mile high club. She just patted his hand and wished him good luck before falling asleep. She slept the entire flight and Wes woke her just before they began their decent into Kennedy. She felt better with the sleep and was beginning to look forward to her reunion with her family. She watched the lights of the city glow below her as the plane made its approach. It was close to dinner time on the east coast.

Wes agreed to stay behind at the gate until Judith made her way down to the baggage claim, expecting Rick to be waiting outside the area. She scanned the crowd from her vantage point on the escalator but couldn't see him. She found the carousel and still looking, she stood close to the conveyor and grabbed her lone suitcase as soon as it come off. She hurried over to the exit, her eyes scanning the waiting crowd while she showed the waiting attendant her claim check. She controlled her impatience as he matched it to her bag, punched the ticket and waved her on. She exited and looked for Rick, but suddenly saw instead a man holding a sign with her name: Judith Proctor?

She walked over to him and said, "I'm Judith Proctor. Where's my husband?"

He looked at her without interest. "Don't know miss. I was just told to meet you here. I was told you would be on flight 1025 from San Diego. Take you to 41556, Winding Drive. Is that you?" He just waited, not caring one way or the other. He had already been paid.

"That's me. I guess my husband was tied up somehow. OK, let's go. I'm anxious to get home."

"Is this your only bag?" She nodded and he took it from her hand and led her out of the airport and over to the shuttle van parking lot. They got in a nice limo and were off. She got herself comfortable and pulled out her cell to call Rick. It rang but all she got was the answering machine again. She was becoming concerned. Damn it! He should be home with the boys by now. She called Rick's cell and got his voice mail. His cell was turned off! It was all too much, and she was scared now. Suppose something had happened? Why hadn't he called? She had no choice but to wait until she got home. She willed the driver to go faster.

After a trip that seemed to last forever, and several more unanswered calls, she saw their street and then the house. When the driver pulled into her drive, she noticed that most of the lights in the house were off. It appeared deserted, but that couldn't be! The driver opened the back door and she was about to get out when the driver stopped her.