Crème Brûlée and Two Spoons

This is a Hotwife, Cuckold and Cheating story. A stand-alone vignette that takes place four months after the end of the "Warm, Sultry," series and one month before beginning of the "Warmer, Sultrier," series. It can be read on its own. Essential background is provided.

Thank you to my followers and anonymous fans for your support and encouragement! This story is for you.

It was a cold Friday night in early December. Steve and Mary joined a group of friends, primarily Mary's old high school friends and their spouses, at a neighborhood bar featuring a popular local cover band.

Steve, tall and good looking, aged 55, with short brown, but graying hair, and his gorgeous wife Mary, a 51-year-old, redheaded, former lingerie model, had not seen these friends for months, even years, in some cases. They were both looking forward to this night out. Lately, they scarcely had time to go out together, let alone hang out with old friends.

Their old friends knew nothing of their short, but sizzling, summertime foray into the hot wife-cuckold lifestyle, which flamed out by August. While they would not necessarily suspect Mary of being a hotwife, they would be flabbergasted to learn that the athletic, handsome, reserved and respectably employed, Steve, willingly became Mary's cuckold back in June, after catching her cheating on him with an old boyfriend, unexpectedly finding it arousing and giving her a permanent hall pass.

They also did not know about Mary's two-year secret affair with the older, war hero, Phil McNerny, who passed away last year. Steve did not learn until that fateful day in August, that Mary was cuckolding him for two years with the old vet that she was supposedly just driving to doctor's appointments. The revelation left him hurt and angry, but Steve's love for Mary was too strong for him to turn against her because of it.

Though the couple did not explicitly discuss Mary giving up her "permanent hall pass," Mary decided to end her hotwife life and she stopped seeing other men.

For Steve's part, even though it was all his idea, he was having doubts about the whole thing after a tumultuous summer, which included numerous photos of Mary's cum covered, naked ass, posted online. Always wondering where Mary was and who she was doing, proved too much even for Steve's previously high tolerance for jealousy and humiliation.

Such things were in the distant past by now as Steve and Mary returned to a more vanilla lifestyle. Tonight, Steve welcomed the chance to reconnect with old friends, but he was laser focused on his date night with Mary, hoping to reignite their sex life, which had stagnated since Labor Day.

The drinks were flowing, and the band was blaring out hits from yesteryear, as the crowd, primarily people in their 50's, was laughing, sharing stories, and remembering days gone by.

With no stage, the band was set up in a corner, next to the entrance to the billiard room. There was not much room between the band, and everyone else. With only a small space in front of them for people to dance, the crowd was mostly standing, and swaying, entranced by the musician's mastery of deep cuts from iconic rock bands of their younger days.

Everyone noticed the one guy, in front of the band, dancing by himself. He had to be in his mid-seventies, and he was quite the spectacle. Unshaven, wearing a bright red jeff cap, and sweatpants, along with an oversized, ugly green, Christmas sweater, the short, thin, balding, man was grooving.

Between songs, or during breaks, the crowd did not move much, other than to refill their drinks or use the restrooms. They continued conversations or started new ones within their cluster of friends.

Mary and Steve stood side by side, but each was engaged in conversation with others. Mary was catching up with many of her old friends, while Steve talked football with some of the men, speculating about the local teams' chances of making the playoffs amid an impressive late season run.

The band soon returned from a short break and started cranking out more old classics. They struck up a familiar and danceable song which brought forth a buzz in the crowd. Steve looked to his right and saw the older man in the red jeff cap ask Mary to dance. Steve was not surprised when Mary eagerly accepted and began dancing with him. Mary loved to dance when she was out drinking with her friends.

Steve watched Mary take to the small dance floor. Looking spectacular in her red V-neck sweater, dark blue jeans, and thigh high, black leather boots, she was garnering the attention of many more men, than just the old guy in the baggy sweats.

"The old man is nothing special as a dancer," Steve thought to himself. "But he is certainly enthusiastic!"

Steve watched as he spun Mary around a couple of times.

"She seems to be having a lot of fun out there." Steve thought, somewhat bothered by the fact, that of all the women in the bar, this guy asked his wife to dance.

"Getting jealous big fella!" Came the voice of Dirk, as Steve felt a sharp elbow against his ribs from his long-time friend.

"Ha! Yeah right." Steve said, trying to show a sense of humor about the whole thing as their entire group of friends watched Mary and the old man in action on the dance floor.

It was not that he thought anything was developing between Mary and this guy, other than a friendly dance, but the whole situation reminded him of their recent past.

Steve tried to continue his superficial conversation with Dirk, but his eyes remained glued to Mary, as she danced less than ten feet away. An anxious Steve's view was momentarily obstructed when a group of five young men walked past Steve and Dirk, on their way up to the bar.

When the song ended, it appeared Mary was ready to step away, which came as a relief to Steve.

But the persistent senior citizen leaned in and whispered into Mary's ear, to which she responded in kind. Steve watched as they spoke for another moment, sharing laughs. Before separating, the old man initiated a handshake while introducing himself. Mary responded and they spoke for a minute more.

Pulling away, Mary returned to Steve and her other friends. Some of her girlfriends praised Mary for dancing with the eccentric older man, but Dirk could not resist making a wise crack.

"So, tell us the truth, Mary. Who's the better dancer, that guy? Or Steve?"

Playing along, Mary slyly smiled at Dirk, before needling her husband.

"Hmmm. I don't think I want to answer that one, Dirk."

Dirk and the rest of the group laughed hardily. Steve decided to make light of the whole thing to demonstrate that he was unbothered.

"So, Mary, what were you two talking about out there?" Steve asked, in front of the group with a big smirk on his face.

"Oh my!" Mary said as she laughed. "Do you really want to know?

"He asked me for my number! He said he'd like to take me out! What do you think about that?" Mary said, teasingly, drawing more laughs and guffaws from their friends.

"Well," Steve started, taken aback by Mary's answer, feeling queasy, but keeping up his veneer of good humor. "Did you give it to him?"

"What do you think?" Mary asked in mock exasperation. "I declined, of course, and told him that my husband was standing three feet away!"

The group laughed again. Steve felt everyone's eyes on him, looking to see how he would react to this older guy asking his wife for her number. He was embarrassed but thought it would be best if he dropped it, hoping the group would soon latch onto another topic.

They all continued chatting and listening to the band. Mary wrapped her arms around Steve and kissed him.

As Mary rejoined the alcohol fueled group gab, Steve obsessed about what just transpired.

"I mean, I was just standing there with her. We've been together since we got here!" Steve thought to himself. "She has a ring on, too! That guy had no business hitting on her like that!"

The night went on and it was getting late. One couple announced they were leaving, which led to a chain reaction. Steve and Mary looked at each other.

"I guess we should think about leaving." Steve said to her.

"Yes. It's time." Mary answered. "Can you get our coats? I'm going to walk Susan out front, while Brad gets their car. We'll be standing next to that big heater out there, so I'll be ok. I haven't seen Susan in so long and we hardly had a chance to catch up tonight!"

"Of course. I'm going to stop in the men's room before we go." Steve said as he leaned forward and gave Mary a quick kiss on the lips.

Mary turned and walked out the front door with her old friend Susan. They stood out front talking while Susan's husband, Brad, retrieved their car from down the street.

"Mary! That was so sweet that you danced with Benny tonight." Susan said to her, affectionately. "He lives in our neighborhood and is such a sweet guy. His wife, Rita, died three years ago. They were so close! I heard the holidays are really hard on him. I think he's lonely."

"Oh yes. Benny!" Mary said, laughing. "I'm glad you told me the back story, Susan. That old man is horny, I can promise you that! He wanted me to sneak into the billiard room with him!"

The two women laughed and shared a hug as Susan's husband pulled up. Susan got in her car and was off. Mary turned to walk back inside to meet Steve.

As she walked back in the door, shivering from the dropping temperature, Benny was standing there, with his arms out to hug her.

"I knew you wouldn't leave without saying goodbye!" He said to her as they embraced.

"I had fun out there with you tonight, Benny. You're a great dancer!" Mary told him. "It was nice meeting you."

As Mary broke her hug from Benny and looked beyond him, she did not see Steve.

"Hey Mary!" The unrelenting Benny said. "I know you're married, like you said, but how about meeting me for a cup of coffee sometime? I would enjoy just chatting with a pretty, young woman, like you."

Mary smiled at the energetic Benny, looking at her with puppy dog eyes. She thought about the story Susan told her about him.

"Oh, Ok. I'll give you my number and we can try to set something up, for coffee only! And I must warn you, it's the holidays, and I'm really busy."

Benny pulled his phone from his sweatpants pocket and punched in her number as she told it to him.

"That's great. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm retired, you know. I keep busy but I make my own calendar. You know what I mean?"

"That's great, Benny. I have a lot of family obligations, and commitments, my arts and crafts, the gym as well, so my time is limited."

"We'll work it out, Mary." Benny said before Mary cut him off.

"Benny, I need to go. I see friends I haven't said goodbye to yet, and I need to find my husband." Mary said, before they wished each other well, and Benny told her one more time that he would be in touch.

Benny rejoined his son and daughter-in-law at their table. Mary walked over to her remaining friends as Steve walked up with their coats.

"It was great seeing you guys!" Mary said to them as Steve helped her put on her coat.

After finishing their goodbyes, they left the bar and walked briskly in the wintry night to their car.

After an initial silence, as the car warmed up and Steve began to drive, he spoke up.

"You know that old man really ticked me off tonight. He flirted with you right in front of me! He acted as though I wasn't even there! And I can't believe he asked for your number!"

"Oh Steve! Benny? That funny man in the red sweatpants?" Mary said, giggling. "You don't have to worry about him, sweetie."

"Oh, well, of course not!" Steve shot back. "I would hope not! I'm not talking about that, at all, trust me!"

"Oh, Steve." Mary said calmly, trying to figure out where Steve's irritation was coming from.

"I just think that's a little bold to do what he did." Steve finally said.

"He was bold." Mary said. "I'll give him that. But what do you care Steve? I thought it turned you on when men hit on me. I'm not sure I understand this kink of yours."

Steve started to squirm in his seat as he drove.

"Well, Mary, that has nothing to do with this!" Steve thundered. "He did that in front of our friends! That old guy hit on you while I stood three feet away! It's about respect! I didn't see him flirting with anyone else's wife!"

Mary sat silently for a moment and smiled seductively at Steve, as she reached over and rubbed his thigh.

"I like when you get all possessive and jealous like this, Steve."

Steve smiled slightly and drove on quietly, trying to forget about Benny.

Mary settled back in the passenger seat. She considered herself lucky that she used discretion. Moments earlier, she was about to tease Steve with the news that she gave Benny her number. Now she knew that would have been a bad idea. She figured she would just blow off Benny anyway, as she saw no need to cause Steve unneeded anxiety.

Susan's story about Benny and his loneliness stayed with her, though, in the days that followed, as Mary was fully engaged in celebrating the season. She wondered if there would really be any harm in meeting him in a public space and having coffee with him. A holiday morning chat over coffee might lift the lonely older man's spirits, she thought.

But as the days went on, Mary heard nothing from Benny and thought maybe that was for the best.

Then, on a Tuesday night, ten days after that night at the bar and a week and a half before Christmas, Mary was up in bed, exhausted after a long day of shopping and dealing with crowds. She was watching her favorite crime show, while Steve watched a basketball game downstairs.

She received a text from a new number and looked down at her phone.

"Hey! It's Benny. Do you remember me?" the text read.

Mary smiled when she saw Benny's text and thought of Susan's story about him.

"This poor man must be so lonely. He thinks I've forgotten him already! That's so sad" She lamented as she thought of poor, old Benny, alone during the holidays.

Mary responded back.

"How could I ever forget you, Benny! It's nice to hear from you!" She texted.

"I'm glad you remember me!" He texted back. "Can you meet me for a cup of coffee tomorrow morning around 10am?"

It was perfect timing for Mary. She and Steve were planning to go out for a romantic dinner at a local French BYOB restaurant in the evening, and with her holiday shopping mostly completed, she only had a few errands to run during the day. She responded back.

"Absolutely! It's a date!"

It was mildly cold on Wednesday morning. Mary, wearing a red and white cashmere sweater, black yoga pants and tennis shoes, under her long black parka, was in her car, driving to the local branch of Big Coffee Co., to meet Benny. She was running a few minutes late, after having just finished applying her makeup and brushing her long red hair.

Mary always looked forward to getting to know new people and enjoyed being out amongst crowds during the holiday season. Optimistically, she hoped Benny would share some wisdom with her that he had acquired over his 75 years. At the very least, she was happy to simply bring the old man some holiday cheer.

As Mary made her way, Benny texted her, telling her he was already there, and asking her what she wanted him to order for her. When she arrived the place was crowded, but she immediately saw Benny in gray sweats and a Santa hat.

As she approached, a smiling, and clean shaven, Benny stood up. They exchanged a friendly hug, before Mary took off her coat and placed it on an empty chair.

"I'm so glad you could make it, Mary! You look absolutely stunning, today!" Benny said as he sized her up after she took her jacket off. "I love those earrings! What are they? Christmas Trees?"

"Ahh! You are so sweet and thank you for noticing my earrings! Yes, they are!" Mary said to him, smiling, as she gave him a closer look at them. "Well, I got so much of my last-minute shopping done yesterday! You're lucky you texted me when you did last night. So, other than going out to dinner with my husband, Steve, when he gets home from work tonight, I looked at what I had to do today and realized I had done most of it already!"

Benny waited until Mary sat down and then sat down himself. Her coffee drink sat before her, piping hot.

"That's great!" He said to her. "I like to prepare for everything I do, as early as possible."

"Oh. I'm jealous. I can never catch up on the things I have to do." Mary confided.

"I finish my Christmas shopping by August. I've always been that way."

Benny sat back and took in Mary, sitting across the table from him, in all her beauty. He took a deep breath.

"You have such a beautiful smile, Mary." He said to her, his voice slightly unsteady. "I'm sorry. You remind me of my wife, Rita. I lost her three years ago. She was my world and since she's been gone..."

"Oh Benny. That's so sweet." Mary said to him. "I-I don't know what to say."

"Look. I'm glad you joined me." Benny continued after taking a deep breath. "I really didn't ask you here to lay that on you. You remind me of her though. She loved life and enjoyed meeting new people. That woman drew me out of my shell!"

Mary reached across the table and put her hand on Benny's hand.

"That's ok. That's really touching, Benny."

Mary and Benny talked, non-stop, for almost an hour, chatting as if they were old friends. When Benny talked about his tour of duty overseas, so many years ago, Mary was reminded of Phil McNerny, and saw Benny in a different light.

But it was Benny's stories about his late wife that captivated Mary, as he colorfully recounted how he and Rita met, before describing how they built their lives together. When he talked about Rita's losing fight against a debilitating disease, Mary had to use napkins to dab her tears.

Finally, after more story telling by both, on happier topics, there was a lull in the conversation.

"So, Mary." Benny said in a slower cadence. "I know we've been here a while. I wanted you to know that I find you to be an incredibly unique, beautiful, woman."

"Oh, you are such a sweet man, Benny." Mary responded. "This has been a great morning. I've really enjoyed talking to you!"

"Look, Mary, One more thing." Benny continued. "I'm not trying to put you in a difficult spot, but I would give anything to make love to you, just once."

"Ah. I don't think." Mary began, uncomfortably.

"I don't want to come on too strong." Benny followed. "Obviously, this is up to you. But just seeing you, and talking to you, is bringing all these memories back."

Mary smiled at Benny sympathetically but felt uncomfortable and was at a loss for words. Benny quickly ended the silence.

"Maybe I didn't say that right. There's only one Rita in my life and there only ever will be one Rita. You just have this spirit about you, Mary, and a love of life that brings all those feelings back to me."

"Oh, Benny." Mary responded, looking at Benny, empathizing with his pain as he struggled with his emotions after talking about his late wife, and yearning to bring this poor man a little joy. "I-I really don't want to make a habit of cheating on my husband, but if you invite me back to your place right now, I'll say yes, as a special exception."

Benny's face lit up. He leaned forward and took hold of Mary's hand.

"That's great, Mary! Except, my son and daughter-in-law and my grandson live with me. Can we go to your place? You said your husband isn't home."

Mary thought for a moment. She dreaded bringing someone into her home as she had not even straightened up since yesterday or vacuumed since last week! But with Steve at the office, and her neighbors in the attached twin home next door, also at work, she figured the coast was clear, at least.