Laura and Greg Ch. 06

It was a hopeless quest on her part. Between me laughing and Greg shaking his head feigning shock, Laura lost her cool and giggled as well.

"You got the short end of the..." Greg tried to get out the word "stick." But it was impossible.

We all started laughing again. The poor waitress came with our drinks and stared at all three of us just smiling.

"You want me to come back?" she asked grinning.

I was the first to collect myself and tried to order.

"I'll have a chicken tortilla soup and a baguette."

"Large or small?" she asked.

And we were off to the laughing and giggling races again.

Eventually though, we managed to settle down and give her out orders avoiding any references to size. But we were all three grinning at one another with a good vibe. Eventually, we just smiled at one another and Greg looked at me kindly before he spoke.

"Thank you Angela," he said, while I wondered what for. "For everything you and Joe have done for us. I mean it."

He reached across the table for my hand and Laura did the same on the other side. They both held my hands and for a few seconds I felt so close to them. They still had their issues, but just then I thought that maybe they would be OK.

We ate trying to talk about things like who was next on the group couples meet and greet list. About our kids and things not related to what had happened. Then Greg spoke again.

"As I told you, Laura and I will be meeting people together from now on. Is that a problem?"

"Hell no!" I replied doing an imitation of my husband. "About time you stepped up for yourselves and I don't want to be your babysitter anymore. You can meet these people and do your thing without me."

"Thanks," Laura said smiling at me and mouthing 'thank you' to me so Greg could not see.

"One more thing," Greg said seriously. "Laura, since I know who That Man was, I owe you one. I was going to tell you anyway since we are supposed to start fresh. But I might as well..."

"Greg, are you sure about this?" I cut in.

"Yeah I mean..."

I stopped him by waving him off.

"Look Greg," I said leaning in so as not to be overheard by others around us. "You had one, just one right?"

"Yeah, I told you..." I waved him off again before he said anything.

"Well, your wife there had more," I said seeing Laura drop her head to her hands. "And if you tell her of your one, she will have to tell you about the others? Do you really want to know?"

Greg thought about it, almost looked at Laura who sat there anxious at what he would say. He was clearly conflicted.

"If I have to tell you everyone Greg, I will try. But to be honest. I met a couple of people. Maybe a few more than a couple in bars and didn't ask for ID. I just made sure they used a condom."

Greg winced at that. The poor guy had to swallow a lot. Then his face straightened, he took a deep breath and blurted out.

"It was Celia."

'Oh fuck!' I thought. He wasn't just coming clean. He was fighting back. His choice of who he had crewed around with hurt more than all the men she had been with. I would see it in Laura's reaction.

Laura stared at the table, then me and then finally Greg with her mouth hanging open.

"Celia." The way she said it sounded like a statement, but it was still a question.

Greg nodded and looked down at his food waiting for the worse.

"You had a fling with your..." she lowered her voice, "with your cousin!"

Greg nodded flinching. He looked like a kid whose mother was about to smack him on top of the head the way he leaned slightly away from her.

"Yeah..." was all he managed to say again afraid to look at his wife.

"So I thought you were having an affair with her and cheated on you for revenge..."

"Well... I was not cheating on you with her when you saw us come out of the building. So technically, that didn't start until a month later."

Laura was still staring at him then me and back with her jaw lowered trying to piece it all together.

"When you took her to lunch that day," Laura tried to ask.

"Nothing happened that day and nothing did until a month later when she was at my parents and we gave her a ride home."

"Oh shit, this is too much," Laura said. "I cheated on you when you were not cheating, then you did and it was with the person I thought you were cheating with, then I felt guilty about it and..."

I had to step in before she went off on a tirade.

"So, Laura and Greg," I cut in. "Just curious. How much of this do you think would have been avoided if you two had been talking to one another and not assumed your way to a near divorce? Hmm?"

They both looked back at me the way my kids do when I correct them. I almost laughed again until I realized the stakes of this conversation. One wrong statement and move and they could backslide, and their poor kids would suffer.

"Enough!" I hissed under my breath. "For the love of Gawd, and your children, stop this. Stop trying to play who-did-what-to-whom first and why. You both did it. You both stepped out. But you both are trying to fix things. You still love one another right?"

And again, I saw the similar looks of guilt my kids give me when I catch them screwing up. Greg nodded while Laura purse her lips looking out the window.

"I'm sorry Laura," Greg said looking guilty. "I was afraid to tell you. I thought you would not believe me and leave."

Laura waved him off and turned to him holding his arm. She grasped it and massaged it with her fingers trying to find the right words.

"It doesn't matter Greg. I told you I am glad you had a person to be there for you when I was not. I failed you. I left you alone for her to give you what I wasn't giving you. Love and attention."

Greg tilted his head.

"Eh... love is a bit too much of a stretch here Laura. I mean she is my cousin and all. I love her as a relative. But I have never been in love with Celia. We... you know... had sex."

Laura smirked at him.

"She is a little honey pot isn't she?" Laura said staring at him to make him uncomfortable. But she was clearly enjoying that part.

"She has her moments," Greg replied. "But she is not you."

"No of course not," Laura smiled at him now. "She has bigger tits, is a hot brunette and has a fuller ass than I do."

"She is just different Laura. I mean did you look for guys that looked like me when you were... you know."

"Oh heavens no!" Laura replied. I have tall and handsome Mr. America at home. I wanted... different."

"Hm... so neither of you wanted ...love. But you both wanted ...different. Hm..." I said not being able to resist the point. "No love, just sex with someone ...different."

They both looked back at me with annoyed looks a teenager would give their mother. That was progress. We had gone from acting like children to acting like teenagers. Wait, that's not progress.

"You two make me want to laugh and scream at the same time. You are reinventing the wheel is all you are doing. It's like you see a wall but have to hit your faces on it to know it hurts. I bet both of you have high IQs and college degrees."

They both nodded like old puppy dolls on the back of an old car.

"Co... mu... ni...ca...tion. You guys really need to do more of this."

I said that waving my hands at them both and pleading with my expression. Anything to get it to sink into their thick heads.

"You are not alone in this. Everyone in the group with the exception of one couple did the cheating or the open marriage thing that boomeranged back on their faces. All, we all want is the sex and fun with others. The feeling of being found attractive and to enjoy something we all find too important in life to let whither in boring sex and drudgery."

By then I felt that I had made the pitch so many times that either they got it, or they didn't. I was starting to sound like a broken record, and it was frustrating me. Especially as I was realizing how these two had grown on me.

"I love you two," I said and meant it. They both stared back at me surprised.

"Joe told me to be careful not to get too attached, but I did, and I can't take that back. I so want you two to fix your marriage and be a part of our lives. Please stop arguing and get back to loving one another. Life is too short anything else."

I had run out of things to say, but I didn't need to. They both looked back at me with empathy? Adoration? Understanding? Maybe all the above. But they both smiles and reached for my hand again.

"We love you too," Laura replied. Greg just smiled and nodded. "Greg was right before; you have probably saved us from our own stupidity. You didn't have to, but you did. I will be forever grateful and love you for it woman. You hear me?"

Poor Greg, he had to endure two stupid women crying in his booth holding each other's hand.

"Let me out," Laura told him, and he stood as his wife shuffled over to my side and sat next to me to give me a hug.

We hugged each other like we were long lost sisters not just friends. People saw us and wondered why but were too polite to stare too long. One old couple was leaving to go pay and the gentleman leaned into Greg.

"I only have one to deal with son, you have your hands full," and walked away.

We laughed politely and nervously. Laura stayed on the other side of the table holding my hand fingers intertwined.

"You are the big sister I never had Angela. I promise. Next time you give me advice I will listen. If I don't, feel free to smack my head like you did that one day. You have permission."

Then she turned to Greg.

"You can just spank me."

"Pfft..." Greg scoffed. "That's no punishment. You like that shit."

"I love you Greg. Thank you for forgiving me."

"Do you forgive me?" he asked her.

"Yes I do, and we need to talk to Celia, so we clear the air. Don't you think?"

"Maybe," he replied. "Just not today. I'm worn out with all this emo talk. It can wait. She's not going anywhere."

"So," I looked at both of them. "Are we good?"

Greg nodded and for the first time, I saw a real grin on his face. Up until then he had a sense of sadness to him even when he tried smiling. Come to think of it, I had never known him before their troubles. This was a new Greg. The bastard was turning me on just looking at us. He was staring at his wife all lovey-dovey, but it was my pussy getting wet.

I thought about asking them to come over their house with them that night since Joe was out of town. But I figured the love birds had to go home and reconnect. They probably still had a lot to talk about.

"OK kids," I said. "Let me out. I need to go pee. "Greg, lunch is on you since you called this meeting. Laura move your ass; I'm going to pee on the floor."

Laura giggled and got out just as Greg stood up taking the check in hand.

"We'll see you up front," Laura said.

"You fuckers leave me here, I'm gonna be pissed."

Greg dropped us off at work and drove off. We watched him leave and turned to each other. Laura's lips were trembling. She looked like she was about to lose it. I pulled her off to the lot where my car was and sat her in the passenger seat. By now she was crying hard; and I knew why.

"He came clean Angela, didn't he?" she asked me. "You and Joe knew didn't you?"

"Yes we did. We knew his secret and we know yours. But we promised not to tell him, and we will keep it. Just we promised him not to say who he had sex with."

"Angela, all of a sudden I don't care about Celia. All I care about is that I lied to my husband..."

I let her cry and waited for her to continue.

"This is going to eat me up for the rest of my life Angela. Everything else I did, I can be forgiven for. But not this. He would divorce me if her knew everything."

"Laura," I said siting looking at her directly until she faced me. "I know who, but I have a feeling there is more to this isn't there?"

She just nodded as she cried.

"Angela, I was like a woman possessed when I did it. I stopped thinking rationally and just wanted the sexual gratification and to do wild things. Things that I can't even talk about because you don't need the added burden."

What could she possibly have done that was worse with who she had done it with? My mind raced, but it was too much to process. I wish Joe was around. Unlike her, I was definitely sharing this with her.

"Laura, there is one question I have for you and I want you to think real hard before you answer it."

She looked at me quietly but nodding for me to go on.

"I want to know if there is anything at all that your actions can come back to and hurt the group. We are all married with families and children. If anyone can blackmail you, we need to know."

"Angela, he has not mentioned anything. On the contrary, he has left me alone since the day I broke it off. Not a word, not a call, e-mail or any communication."

"Laura, I did some checking up on him," I replied. "he has a lot to lose if he even tries to black mail you. Other than for him and you to have sex again, can you see a reason why he would? It certainly is not money, he has more than you and Greg."

"Angela, he got what he wanted from me. Every hole. He about tore my ass, but I let him have that too since I was no longer a virgin there anymore. I can't see what else he would want. Greg has a dark side to him you have not seen. I'm shocked it has not come out with me. Well, it did once. He spanked the shit out of me a few weeks back. But I saw him beat a guy up once and it wasn't pleasant. I'm afraid what he would do if he did know."

"Greg! Our Greg?" I caught myself as she stared at me in disbelief. "I meant your Greg. Sorry, I see you two as practically family."

She relaxed and turned to me.

"A guy was disrespectful once to me downtown after the fireworks. This was years ago. The guy harassed us, and Greg laid him out with some fighting stuff he knows. I think he broke the guy's arm. The next day there was a news story about a guy found downtown with broken ribs a broken wrist and busted kneecap. Angela, the look on Greg's face scared me. I don't ever want to see that look again."

That night I called Joe and told him everything.

"Greg reminds me of some guys I knew in the service Angela. Quiet on the outside until something sets them off. Usually while defending someone or something they hold dear. They are not crazy or a threat. They are just men who are willing to defend what is right and what is theirs. I told you I did things in the service that normal people never hear of let alone do. But I know it needed doing. I never let that get out of hand and you know it."

"I do baby," I replied.

"Then don't worry about Greg. I'll talk to him when I get back. OK?"

"Thanks hun," I said. "Its good to get the guy perspective."

"You give me the gal perspective, its what makes us a good team."

-------------------------

Greg

Later that night we asked my parents to take the kids again so we could talk. I tell you we were like kids with a new toy with this talking thing. We felt like there was so much to tell each other. We found ourselves staring at each other, smiling and blurting things out.

"Do you know what I want to do when we join the group the first time?" Laura said in a dreamy fashion.

"I can guess," I smiled back.

"No, listen," she said leaning in to hold my hand. "I want to just do a random man. I don't care who. You can pick him if you want. I'll just go into a room and you can send a guy to me. Or I can just grab one standing around and say tag you're it. Then have him fuck me. No attachments, nothing like that. And I want you do the same. Just pick a woman randomly. Fist one you lay your eyes on. And don't come looking for me. Just have fun and see me when you take break or until we are ready to go. We set a time and we turn Cinderella then. What do you think?"

"Hm... just one or more than one?"

"As many as you want. But the first should be random. Just for the sex. Its why we are doing this right?"

"Yeah, but we could get attached Laura. I mean look how Angela has gotten attached to us. We have to be careful."

"Ok, we have to both swear to each other than we won't let it go that far. And if we do, we tell each other. I would rather hear you have a crush on one of these women than have you sneak around with one."

"Same with you. I still think you got off on the random pick-a-dick thing you were doing."

"Guilty as charge," she replied. "I promise to let you know if I get a dick crush."

I laughed at that.

"I'll tell you of my pussy crushes too," I replied.

"Do you still have one for Celia?" she asked with some apprehension in spite of her polite smile.

"She is still fuckable, but something has happened that is making me apprehensive about that."

"What?"

"We need to talk," I replied and told her all about Celia Hansen and Garrison Gray. Garrison and my mother Glenda Hansen. My father Bryce Hansen and Garrison's wife Lydia Gray. How Garrison had fathered by sister Deborah with my mom. And how Bryce had fathered Karl Gray with Lydia Gray. She listened and from time to time she would say.

"Get out! Seriously?"

Then she told me about her parents. How James Ryan was not her own biological father and how her mother Anais had an affair with Brice Hansen, Greg's father. How the Ryans had done some swinging in town and on vacation.

"Laura, our families are a mess. No wonder they are so tight lipped."

"They are probably afraid they will spill the beans."

"Yeah," I replied. "In trying to keep their secrets, they have lived a life where hardly anything is spoken out loud. All us kids were raised in their non communicative universe. How pathetic."

"How sad Greg," Laura replied. "We need to break that cycle. We need to talk to our children and each other.

"And how do we handle our lifestyle choice Laura. Do we stop when the kids are old enough to tell the signs?"

"Greg, parents having an occasional night out with their peers and friends is not uncommon. We can be careful and not expose them to it. And when they are eighteen, we'll see."

"That makes sense, but we have to revisit this strategy as time passes. We may have to take breaks if needed and be prepared for it."

"I agree," she replied.

We got quiet after that.

"Poor Angela," Laura said. "She is by herself tonight."

"She has her children." I replied. But I did wonder what a threesome with the vixen and Laura would have been like.

"You were ready to fight for me," my wife said leaning close to hug my arm. "I'll never forget it. And it wasn't the first time."

I know I stared at her hard for mentioning that night downtown after the fireworks. She had promised to keep it to herself. But I relaxed and changed the topic in the spirit of us fixing things.

"I find it hard to believe that jerk was your nice man that "made a good impression," I said.

"He has changed a lot Greg, maybe he was changing when I was seeing him. I was his escape from a failing marriage. He is not the man I knew. Maybe never was."

"He probably hid his shitty personality. Some people are good at that. I thought I knew Celia. Thought she was better than us. Instead I found out she was all too willing to bed Garrison for a promotion. It was disappointing to say the least. But it's her life. Not ours."

"I kind of feel sorry for her Greg," Laura said. "And I am thankful for her taking care of you. I mean that. I feel like I should thank her somehow."

"I can see that happening. 'Hi Celia, thanks for fucking my husband while I was... doing whatever?' I don't think so Laura. Best let sleeping dogs lay. I no longer trust her, or Garrison."

"You and Garrison are close!"

"Were," Greg corrected me. "I haven't heard a word from him since the night I went over to talk to him."