Harry Baxter Pt. 03 Alternate Ending

"But, if you had a chance with Marc, you'd dump me?"

"Sure would."

Harry dropped her off, gave her a peck on the cheek. He went home. He had been hoping that she would ask him to come to Christmas with her. He'd have to see who was available to take her place. But whoever he got, he knew she wouldn't measure up to Cindy. He was a little depressed. He found it difficult to believe that Marc could take Cindy away from him. It was ego deflating. Sure, he had fucked another wife. But the husband maybe had gotten the upper hand. His conquest of Cindy seemed effortless. Or maybe it was her conquest of him. It was confusing to him.

Marc and Faith arrived home. They had two hours before they were to pick up the kids. Faith wanted to talk. She made coffee, then she turned to Marc, hugged him and tried to get him interested. She wanted sex with him, maybe to put her misgivings to rest. Misgivings about Marc's reaction to Cindy.

But Marc wasn't interested.

"Marc, don't you want to reclaim me from my lover? Make me yours again? It could be great fun. I want to reclaim you."

"No, Dear, I have to think over what happened. Anyway, you must surely be sated on sex for now."

"I'm worried about you and Cindy. I saw how much you were into her. I also saw that she was just as into you. You never danced that way with me, like you did with her."

"If you were that worried about the dancing, you could have stopped the whole swap thing. But you didn't. Were you worried about me and Cindy when Harry was fucking you raw? I bet not."

"Okay, but I am worried now."

"Look, we just have to take this slowly. Have a good holiday. What happened was just a major bomb as far as our marriage goes. Neither one of us is now a faithful spouse. We each broke our wedding vows. How was sex with Harry? Was it all you hoped? Be honest!"

"Yes. It was fantastic. He's really good at it. It was like I was the star of a porno, but for real. What about Cindy?"

"Cindy in bed was just like what you saw on the dance floor. We just meshed."

"I was afraid of that."

"We should table this discussion. Switch gears, make Christmas great for the family."

"Okay. But after, I'm coming back at you."

AFTER THE BALL

Christmas was a good time for Marc, Faith and the kids. Presents were appreciated, the in-laws were there for Christmas Eve dinner, and for present opening. A big turkey graced the table, cooked by Marc on the smoker. Faith made potatoes, a large salad with mixed greens, and.....a green bean dish with mushroom soup. Always a favorite.

Cindy also had a good time on the holiday. She spent it with her siblings, their spouses and kids. As usual she was the hit of the day on Christmas. She was single and had a good income from her work as a writer of romance novels, which she marketed on-line. She also played poker at various local tournaments. She significantly augmented her income from that.              

Cindy was 28 years old. She owned her apartment near Harry's condo. She had brownish blonde hair and was 5'6" tall, fairly slim except in the bust . All these descriptions didn't really do justice to her. She had a beautiful face and a killer smile. A big part of her allure was her obvious intelligence. For some years in school and beyond Cindy had been a dancer. She did local shows, school shows and some commercial work. But, although she kept in shape at the gym, she gave up her semi-professional dancing in favor of more lucrative pursuits. Another really great trait Cindy had was her uninhibited sexuality.

Her dancing was why she was able to partner with Marc so effectively. There had been times when she was dancing that she had had similar experiences with her male partners. But they were all gay -- the ones she felt really good about. And then Marc had swept her off her feet -- literally. She was startled, amazed at his ability. And so, when she stepped into his hotel room, she unleashed her erotic intensity on him, and she was met with an equal intensity from Marc.

Her experiences with Harry were also intense, but they lacked some element of caring and mutual giving that she had with Marc. Not to mention that Marc had a fat cock. She smiled when she thought about it.

All in all, when Cindy gave the whole matter further thought as she drove to Orange for Christmas, she wanted Marc in her life. This was not something that had happened to her before. If Marc had been single, the situation would have been easy. She would just take him for herself. If he didn't have young kids, she would do her best to take him from Faith. But she wasn't so selfish as to blithely do that to the family. Not blithely.

Once she was at her brother's house, she was so busy that she didn't think so much about it. But every once in a while she drifted off thinking about Marc. Her sister-in-law Mattie noticed. When dinner was over and the kids were off playing with new toys, the men watching basketball, Mattie asked Cindy what was going on with her.

"Well, I have a kind of moral dilemma." She explained it to Mattie, swore her to secrecy from her brother Matt.

"Damn, Cindy, you can't really....I don't know," Mattie said.

"I think I'll just see what happens next. It's exciting, in a perverse way. Objectively I'm curious about the outcome."

"Yeah," said Mattie. "You are going to adopt the role of passive observer? Hah!"

Cindy laughed. She knew that wouldn't happen.

Harry had a lonely Christmas. He could have enticed some young thing into his clutches, but he didn't feel like doing that. He felt more and more.....what? Depressed? He finally understood that he was missing Cindy. When he understood that he became angry. He didn't know why he was angry, or with whom. Just anger. He togged up and went for a run on his ten mile route. When he got back, he was more relaxed and focused.

He decided that he needed to get Cindy back. Back from little Marc. It shouldn't be so hard, he thought. But he really knew how difficult it might be. He didn't think a direct approach would work. Guile was required. And salesmanship.

Harry never once gave consideration to the idea that he should be generous, and cede Cindy to Marc, since they would probably end up a happy couple. He knew that Cindy was smitten -- Marc too. But he felt as if their attachment would fade if stressed. One way to stress it would be through Faith and Marc's kids. If Harry had Faith, he'd have something to trade. Marc had traded his old model -- Faith -- for a test drive in a new one. He had to prevent Marc from making a deal for the new one.

Another thing Harry never considered was whether Marc would really want to do a permanent change. He assumed that Marc would jump to Cindy.

Marc wasn't sure at all what he wanted. He knew he wanted Cindy. He knew he wanted his kids. He wasn't so sure about Faith. These last weeks when he had to put up with her sexual desire for Harry had taken its toll on his feelings for her. True, their sex life had ramped up due to her fantasies. But, when he thought about it, he was insulted by that. He thought about it all in the shower after Christmas guests had left and the kids were asleep. He decided that he had to keep on with Cindy, and see whether the relationship could be sustained. He realized that he didn't know a lot about her. They hadn't spent a lot of time talking. He was going to ask her out to dinner and discussion.

Faith was unsettled as she listened to Marc's shower running. Christmas had been fine, but she sensed a distance in Marc. Well, she'd see when he came to bed.

Marc put on some boxers and a T-shirt, got into bed. Faith turned to him, pulled his face around.

"Time to put this marriage back on track, big boy."

"No."

"Why? Are we done? Is it too soon for sex? What?"

"Are you planning to fuck Harry again?"

"Are you planning to fuck Cindy?"

"You didn't answer. Suppose we get it on now. Tomorrow will you be in his bed?"

"I really liked the sex. I'm not in love with him. I love you."

"Are you going to keep fucking this guy or not?"

Faith looked away. Marc had his answer.

"So much for love. Let me ask you this -- have you ever had sex with me that was as good as you had with Harry?"

"No. Well, not just in terms of raw sex. But there was no love there." As soon as this was out of her mouth, she knew it was a mistake. But true.

"Faith, I'm going to ask Cindy to dinner this week. I want to get to know her, not just have sex. You can have Harry all you want. Just don't bring him to this house. If I find out that you brought Harry here, really bad things will happen. He has his own place. Go there."

"Marc, you really don't care if I fuck Harry?" Faith sobbed when she said this. She knew that her permanent hall pass from Marc might spell the end of her marriage.

"I did care. I cared very much. But you did it anyway. You would have fucked him some time, even if I never met Cindy. You will still go fuck him. Best sex you ever had. Why not keep on?"

Faith began to get angry. She thought Marc was being unreasonable. After all, Marc took Cindy over her the night of the ball.

"Well, go ahead and get to know Cindy. While you're doing that, Harry will be fucking my brains out as much as I can arrange it." She turned away.

Marc got up and took his pillow to his office couch. At that point he believed that the marriage was over.

Faith cried herself to sleep.

Marc called Cindy mid-morning on Boxing Day. She was happy to hear from him so soon. He asked her out to dinner for Friday.

"Why don't you just come over to my place?"

"I want to have a date with you where we talk. And if I come to yours we probably won't talk all that much. You don't really know so much about me, and I don't know much about you. I believe that before we get married, I should know about your work, about your family. You know."

"Married, eh?" She laughed. "Well, okay then. Pick me up at seven? Number 12 Greentree Street, Apartment 4. How should I dress?"

"Dress for comfort. We'll do ordinary American, if that's all right?"

"Great. I am curious, though, about how things are between you and Faith."

"Hanging by a thread, if that. I....I don't...I'm not able to sort through all of it yet."

"Another thing we can talk about."

"Yep. See ya."

The morning had been tense between him and Faith. But the kids were there and nothing got said outright.

Faith told Marc that she was going out for a while. She left before lunch. Marc didn't ask where she was going.

After she was gone, the kids were occupied with Minecraft (something that held them in thrall, but meant nothing to Marc). Marc called a lawyer friend of his from his former office. He asked for the names of some family law people. His friend James was taken aback, but came across with two names. Marc made an appointment with one, a woman named Mary Peters. She answered the phone herself. She was the only one at her office that day. Marc set an appointment for Thursday. He wanted to understand what might happen if he and Faith divorced, or separated. Faith was a lawyer. She might already know that stuff.

Faith had made a date with Harry. That's where she drove. She was angry with Marc. And she wanted to get fucked by Harry again.

Faith did get fucked by Harry. Three times. It was almost as good as before. Not quite, but almost. She and Harry also talked, between fuck two and three.

Harry spoke as they lounged in his bed. "How are things with you and Marc? I hope he's not too upset."

I don't think he's upset at all. I think he's in love with Cindy, and doesn't give a shit what I do."

"That makes no sense. You've been married a long time and you have young kids. One night with Cindy couldn't be enough to trump that."

"I was sure of that, when we swapped. But he hasn't touched me since. He asked Cindy out to dinner. I think he's really in love with her. You saw them dance."

"I did see that. They were a couple from the start. If you want your man back, we'll have to do something about that."

"What? What can we do?"

"We can play like we're a couple, you know, not just fucking. You can tell Marc that you'll divorce him and take the kids. That should stop their romance."

"That may not be so simple. If I did divorce him, he might get the kids, because he's the at home parent for them, and always has been."

"He might not know that. Make the threat. See what happens. But only if he seems to want Cindy on a permanent basis. If it's just a fling...well, we can take advantage of that.'

And that's what they agreed to do.

Marc saw the lawyer on Thursday afternoon. He was informed that due to their incomes being about equal, there would be no real financial difficulty for him in a divorce. Child custody was important to him, and he was told that he would have a good chance at getting custody, as the at home parent. It would be joint custody, though. The custodial parent would retain the house, until the children were adults or the arrangement was changed. He was somewhat reassured.

He was looking forward to the date.

THE DATE

Friday came. Marc and Faith were still dancing around each other. Marc hadn't touched her since the ball at the Ball. He made no secret that he was looking forward to his date with Cindy. And so Faith made no secret that she had gone to Harry's place to get fucked. She thought about keeping that secret. But she was pissed off at Marc and wanted him to suffer. Anyway, she and Harry had their plan.

Marc dressed casually for the date. He picked Cindy up at 7:00. They were both a little nervous. They were seated at a booth in the restaurant. Marc asked Cindy about herself. She told him where she grew up, how she had been a dancer, and how she made her living. Marc told Cindy about his childhood, and about his family, including his marriage.

Between these conversations, they ordered. They ate and talked. Cindy wanted to know if Marc would consider leaving Faith for her. Marc said he had seen a lawyer about those issues, and told her the probable result. In short, if he and Cindy got together, married even, she would probably have his children living with her.

Cindy found that she was really pleased by this. She got along well with her nieces and nephews, even when they sometimes stayed with her for short vacations (mainly for their parents).

After desert, Cindy asked Marc to come to her place. He accepted. He had told Faith that he likely would not be home until the next day.

Cindy and Marc took it slowly when they got to her apartment. They seemed to agree that there was no need to rush. They had a wonderful time, all night. In the morning, they both understood that they wanted to be together.

"Cindy, I'd like to have an outing with you and my kids."

"I'd love that. Where should we go? The zoo?"

"I was thinking just a picnic in the park."\

"Good idea. I'll make some sandwiches, cupcakes, maybe."

"I'll try to set it up for tomorrow. If not, next Saturday for sure."

When Marc proposed to take the kids for a picnic with Cindy, Faith blew up. They were in their room and the kids were outside.

"You bastard! You're trying to take my kids from me. I can't believe you'd do that."

"Faith, I just want them to meet Cindy."

"Well, if you leave me for that woman, I'll get the kids. Harry and I will raise them. Harry can move in here."

"I don't think it'll happen that way. Anyway, Harry isn't a family man, and you know that. You're bluffing."

"I will get the kids. Who's the lawyer here?"

"I have been told that the stay at home parent usually gets custody. That would be me."

"Oh, Marc. Please don't do this to me. Please..." Faith began to cry softly. Her foolish plan with Harry was gone in an instant. She believed Marc had already seen a lawyer. She felt a sense of dread. She was going to get replaced by Cindy. All because of her Harry thing.

"You're going to replace me with that woman. Harry's lover. Can't we just go back to where we were? We were happy. We were a family."

"But, Faith, you blew that all up. Well...we blew it all up. Cindy and I have something that I want. You got hit with a double whammy. First you abandoned me for Harry. If there had been no Cindy, you would have snuck around and fucked him. But there was a Cindy. I have something worthwhile with her."

"Just wait. Wait and see whether this works -- you and her."

"That's what I'm doing. I want to see her with the kids. I want her to be more in my life. I don't want to displace you in their lives. I couldn't. But you....well....you wanted more than me. And now you have that. Maybe you'll just have to live with it."

Faith turned and walked away -- upstairs. Marc felt terrible. Despite her shabby treatment of him, he still loved her. But he didn't think he could be her husband anymore.

And that's how it turned out. Cindy and the kids got along great, as Marc knew they would. He and Faith gradually worked out a schedule. Faith and Cindy talked it out. Faith spent some nights at Cindy's apartment while Cindy stayed at the house with Marc. The kids got used to this.

Faith broke it off with Harry. She knew he wasn't what she wanted going forward. The divorce was amicable, sort of. She spent at least a day every weekend with her kids, and often a whole weekend. She started seeing a guy at her work -- Steve Mason. He was another lawyer there. She liked him. He was understated, and single. He was two years younger that her, though. She decided to sleep with him. He was okay in bed. She thought she could train him up. Meanwhile Marc married Cindy. They were a family, but Faith was also a big part of that.

Faith and Cindy became, at first, pleasant acquaintances. Faith accepted Steve's marriage proposal. Cindy helped her plan the wedding. They became friends. And.....ta da....each became pregnant in their first year of marriage. Faith had a little girl, Jeannie. Cindy had a boy -- Stuart, AKA BeBop. Cindy had a girl the next year, Annie.

Marc and Cindy took up competitive bridge. Faith and Steve would take their kids for a weekend when they played.

One night they were all playing cards -- Texas Hold-em. (Cindy always won.) Faith said that she and Steve had to leave early.

"Why?" said Cindy.

Well," said Faith, "we have to see to some stuff."

Marc said, leering, "What stuff? I have noticed that Steve has been antsy all evening. What's up?"

Faith said, "He has a lipstick problem."

Marc was aghast. He knew exactly what she meant. He turned to Cindy.

"You told Faith about the lipstick ploy. How could you?"

Cindy laughed. "We're friends now. I thought I'd just explain...you know...let her in on that trick. You're not embarrassed are you?"

"No, but Steve seems to be."

Steve had turned red. All three of them stared at him.

"Maybe we should all see, Steve," Faith said.

"We're leaving." Steve was adamant. He held out his hand to Faith and she took it, with a broad smile.

And Harry?

Marc had a legal notice tucked away in a file he kept in a drawer in his office. The notice was an announcement of an escheat of a bank account and other assets held in the name of Harry Baxter. No activity had happened in those accounts for over forty months. So the state had taken the money.

Marc had forgiven Faith, mostly. She had lost a lot. Marc had not touched her since that night at the ball. Her life had been turned upside down. It was partly her fault. But he admired how she had remade her life.

But Harry? No forgiveness there.