Lights Out Pt. 04

This is the conclusion from the first three parts of "Lights Out," which I recommend reading first, as there's no recap or much given on the back-story. As well, this is a work of fiction. This is no way intended to be morality story or represent how things should happen in real life - it's just how things happened to these characters in a fictitious scenario. I hinted in the previous part that I expect many not to be happy with the ending; I know there is some polarization on here- especially about the consequences of wives going behind husband's backs. By some of the comments, I think some are not going to be too surprised; I did try to leave some breadcrumbs to where this was going. Right from the beginning, I knew where the middle and ending of this story was heading. I did debate for while changing the ending, but rereading the first parts, I feel this was the path I set the characters on and stuck with it. Thanks to all who have read the first parts.

*****

A thing about traumatic or emotionally painful events is that a person's reaction is unpredictable. The same person can have two similar events happen to them and react in two completely different ways. For Harrison, his first really experience that was so sudden and painful that is falls into the traumatic category was discovering his first wife, Cecilia with their neighbor. Even though he lost both his mother and father to cancer and heart-attack, respectively the same year after he married, it didn't bother him nearly as much as his wife's betrayal.

Harrison met Cecilia the same year in high school that he met Marc. It sounds like a cliché, but Cecila was the head cheerleader who was five foot eight, blond, blue eyes, and perfect figure. Marc was the quarterback of the high school team, at least backup until grade twelve. Harrison played defense and was the starting middle linebacker by grade ten. Even when Marc started at quarterback, everyone knew Harrison was the real leader of the team, and also who received sports scholarship offers from several schools. However, he fell in love and Cecilia wasn't the type to go to a big university. After high school, graduation, he went to the local college with Marc, and quit football so he could work part time to move in with his fiancé. They were married a year later, when Harrison knew his mother was dying. Cecilia worked fulltime in retail until Harrison and Marc graduated from college. After his ceremony, Cecilia surprised him with sex in the back of her car right in the parking lot. She also revealed she was no longer on birth control and planned to be quitting work to be a stay at home mother.

Both Harrison and Marc jumped into middle management jobs in their current company, and both showed they would only be moving up. Even though they were truly a team, it was clear Harrison was the leader - even though Marc was the brains. Though, sleeping with his assistant wasn't smart, and nearly cost Marc his job. Harrison always wondered if that's why Marc rushed into the marriage to avoid the scandal.

Speaking of marriage, after almost ten years and two wonderful kids, Harrison thought his was perfect. Cecilia was a wonderful mother, fantastic housewife, and even more amazing lover. He was warned how things really slow down after the babies arrive, but that never happened. Of course, an infant keeping the house awake at night slowed down their sex life, but it only slowed down briefly with both kids, and then back up to what they had back in that first apartment after college. Their big house that they bought a year after college had enough spread out rooms that it was fairly easy to discretely get away from the kids for a quickie. Harrison was successful, in love, and happy. He thought he was the luckiest man around, knowing that Marc's marriage was fairly rocky. Unfortunately, when things are that good, it just makes the bad that much worse.

It was uncommon, but not unheard of for Harrison to drop by home at lunch. He'd occasionally have meetings out of office and really nobody ever questioned if he occasionally took an extra half hour or hour. Harrison did worry initially how Cecilia would occupy herself now both kids were at school. However, she had her gym, housework, and started photography as a hobby. Harrison knew she was going to be home at lunch because she was cooking some care-meals for their forty-three-year-old neighbor, Dennis Rhodes, whose wife recently left him. It was his drinking that caused the marriage to end, but Cecilia never did like the wife and felt sorry for poor old Dennis. One Friday, he decided to drop by and surprise her with her favorite gourmet coffee, and sample some of the food she was making for Dennis.

When Harrison came in, he was surprised that no cooking had started in the kitchen, and the television was blaring loudly downstairs. His wife wasn't much of a television person, so neglecting her cooking plans to watch a movie wasn't like her. Still thinking he wanted to surprise her with the coffee, Harrison removed his work shoes and quietly went down the stairs to their big den. At that time, the couch that he fucked Riley on was facing away from the stairs and to the side. On the wall opposite the stairs was a big mirror, which at the right angle gave a good view of the couch to someone coming down the stairs.

Harrison looked into the mirror and dropped the coffee cup. On the coffee table in front of the couch were two empty wine glasses and what seemed to be an empty bottle of wine. Cecilia was sitting wearing the same summer dress she had on when Harrison left this morning with her eyes closed. Beside her was all five-foot seven and one hundred and ninety flabby pounds of Dennis. His wife had one leg draped across his thigh. Dennis's baldhead was nuzzling the cleavage of her dress, which had several buttons undone. His hand was between Cecilia's legs, with her dress hiked up, and inside her panties. From how it was moving, and the look on her face, Harrison knew he had at least a finger inside her pussy.

The sound of the coffee cup hitting the stairs and spilling caused both to jerk up, and start to compose themselves. Before either of them could say something, Harrison grabbed the shorter man by the shoulder and punched him in the face as hard as he could, feeling his fist break the nose.

"Get the fuck out of my house before I kill you," snarled Harrison.

Cecilia was crying saying something, but Harrison couldn't hear a thing as his mind went into autopilot and there was just static in his ears.

Dennis fell down from the impact of the punch, and looked terrified, with blood running down his face and shirt. He scrambled up and was fleeing without a word.

Cecilia, seemed to think Harrison would hit the man again, and grabbed his arm saying something. Harrison pushed her away, drew his arm back, and for the first and only time in his life, struck a woman. The backhand blow to her cheek caused Cecilia to stagger.

Again, Harrison didn't hear any of the words she was saying as he quietly walked out of the house and returned to work. Just before his shift was done, he emailed Marc to go out for drinks. Over five pints, Harrison told Marc what happened - minus hitting his wife. He crashed at his friends place and returned home shortly after three the following afternoon.

Cecilia was completely distraught, and nursing a large bruise on her face - which she claimed came from falling on the stairs. She claimed it was nothing to be jealous about, and Dennis was so broken that she got drunk with him and felt sorry for him. She claimed it was pity that she let him fondle her, but it never was going further than that. For the next three weeks, Cecilia did all she could to convince Harrison that she loved him, and he treated her like crap.

Finally, after another night drinking with Marc, Harrison decided his marriage worth more than his pride with his wife fooling around with someone like Dennis. He came home, drunk, expecting to make love with his wife to show he forgave her, but there was a sitter and a note. She left him for Dennis.

At their son's high school graduation, he had an awkward moment alone with her. After some insults and comments from him about her abandoning her family, Cecilia told him that the only reason she left was he drove him to live with Dennis because she had no where else to go. Harrison had poisoned everyone's opinion of her. She was living with him for two months before the relationship became romantic. Harrison figured she was just trying to hurt him for seeing him so happy with Beth.

Oh, Beth, the much younger woman that he found a kind, wise soul kindred to his own. After Cecilia, Harrison had basically decided to make up for the single life that he never had when he left high school. It was a string of one-night stands, until the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen approached him while he drank with Marc, and then hit on him. He actually thought for a moment Marc was setting him up, but as they flirted, he knew it was legitimate and she was special. She looked eighteen, but carried herself like a woman closer to his age. He made the decision before she deposited her underwear into his suit pocket that he needed to know her better; she was not one-night stand, but relationship material.

As wonderful as he thought his marriage was with Cecilia, it was nothing compared to Beth. It was living with his best friend, who made him a better person, and had sex like he was a teenager again. Harrison life was on such a high, especially about to take the next stage of his life, with his kids now on their own.

Beth's betrayal was just as shocking as Cecilia's, and even worse as it wasn't a drunken moment of weakness. This was a long-term part of her life that she hid and tried to suck him into. After Harrison nearly punched Marc, he remembered what his former best friend said about Beth not being Cecilia. No, she was worse, but if he reacted like he did with Cecilia, it would end the same. He truly loved Beth, and still lusted for her. Part of him was still hung up on how fantastic the sex was the night before. Despite what she did, he knew he needed to remain calm if there was any chance to remain married.

Harrison decided to give her a chance to come clean; if she did, he would try to get over her deceiving him.

In reality, Harrison stopped being angry, but never did forgive his wife or their friends. Instead, he just ignored it and buried his feelings about it. Beth didn't help; almost every moment alone she was initiating sex. She was trying to ease her guilt, make things up to her husband, but distracting them for dealing with their real issue. Harrison was living his teenaged sex fantasies, and started thinking like a teenager. Willing to ignore his wife cheating on him just for the opportunity to keep having sex with her. What was worse, he was willing to share her, despite how much he really didn't want to, for the prospect of having sex with her friend that he was equally attracted to.

The only time he had to ever think clearly about this was on the forty-minute drive to and from work. Anytime Harrison thought how much he wasn't okay with how things were, it made him feel physically sick. He'd dismiss the thoughts, and focus on how lucky he was to have such a beautiful, younger wife and his marriage was worth it. It was, however, starting to affect his health. Beth didn't know, but two weeks before she surprised him with the threesome with Riley, his doctor diagnosed him with a bleeding ulcer and high blood pressure.

The Monday after that sexual encounter, he had a moment of rage on the drive to work thinking about what happened. "That bitch did it again," He hissed out loud.

As soon as he arrived at work, he texted his wife, "Beth, was that thing with Riley just so I'd agree to swing? For you to be with him."

The response was, "Baby, who's him. I told you what I want and won't do. That was Riley's idea. Not pushing you. Having second thoughts?"

Harrison didn't respond, but again dismissed his real feelings. He was getting amazing sex from an amazing woman, and it could be women. Why, wouldn't anyone want that? Why was he letting it get to him?

His stomach issues worsened over the next month, especially when the date of the 'special night,' was set. It was going to happen on a Saturday in his house. It was even affecting his work; Harrison wasn't as friendly as before with Marc, but started talking and being professional. However, it was getting back to him avoiding any unnecessary contact with his former best friend like when he first discovered about Beth and him.

All the built up feelings came to a head when, two days before the party, Harrison came home twenty minutes early to Reg's truck pulling out of his driveway. He quickly parked outside his garage and ran inside the house expecting to find Beth in some state of post-sex. She was standing in the kitchen, still in her work suit, putting plastic bags in the fridge.

"What the fuck was he doing here?" Harrison yelled, "all alone with you."

Beth looked scared for a second. "Oh, honey... Reg just dropped off some onions and carrots from their garden. Sorry, I didn't think anything of it... I thought we were good."

"I find out for years my wife deceived me and flaunted her naked body around other men before letting one of them fuck her ass - and I'm supposed to be okay?"

"Harry..."

"I'm not fucking okay. You are the best thing in my life besides my children. To think of you allowing that to happen to you..." Harrison yelled, "And what piece of shit am I to risk allowing that to happen again just to get with another woman who isn't my wife. It's not okay."

Beth looked more sad than guilty. "I'm sorry. I had no idea this still bothered you so much. I'm still okay with myself for what happened - hiding that from you. I thought we talked and you were okay that it wasn't emotional, just physical?"

Harrison calmed down and sat down. "We haven't talked... we pillow talked. We've been fucking like kids, and then talk when my heads feeling the high from that. I love you, but you hurt me. If the last ten years weren't some of the best in my life, I would've left you. We're honeymooning now. I'm honeymooning now. I need my partner, my best friend back..."

"I guess I can live with less sex..."

"Even if it's just from me," Harrison said, "I'm sorry... The thought of another man sticking his dick into any part of your body... I can't handle it."

"But you and Riley was okay?"

"That was completely different, and you know it," snapped Harrison.

"I'm just asking..."

"Or playing mind games..." said Harrison as he kicked the garbage can and left the room.

He was in the office upstairs staring at the computer screen when she walked in.

"Harry, first thing. I need to say it again, I'm so sorry," Beth said, "Honestly, we are alike in so many ways that I forget our... attitude towards sex can be different. I'm still sorry for hiding that from you and I am so sorry for what I did... And, while you caught me off guard, I am so glad you said what you did..."

"Thanks..." Harrison said dismissively.

"I would prefer no more yelling, but continue to talk to me. Please, you were okay with Riley - even with Riley while Marc was there. How is it different?"

Harrison sighed. "Fine... I was not okay Marc doing that to you, but not nearly as bad as the other stuff. I was drunk and distracted by what was happening to me - and I couldn't see it. With Riley was different because it was all of us. You and me, you and Riley, me and Riley. That could never happen with us and a couple or you and me with another guy. I'm not sharing you - we're sharing another lover together. I don't want to share you."

Beth sighed. "First, if it's okay I think I want to go to counseling. Definitely me, but maybe both of us. I've been thinking about it ever since things went too far. As couples might not be a bad thing. Growing old with you is more important than my hormonal needs. If we're not okay, we need to be."

"You being intimate with another man or going behind my back with anyone - I wouldn't be able to get past that." Harrison said calmly, "That happens again, I'm sorry, but we'd be through."

"I understand, and accept that," said Beth, "Okay, party is cancelled."

Harrison laughed coldly. "My idea to plan and my idea to cancel last minute... If I didn't look like a fucking idiot before."

"Harry, you said you're not okay with it... It's fine," Beth said.

Harrison sighed and shook his head. "Look, it was supposed to take it slow. Let it go... a bit, but not far..."

"Okay, and that's it. We work on fixing us after," Beth said, "Okay, tell me what is the limit? What are you okay with and not okay with? I'll make sure everyone knows..."

"Okay, I guess fondling has to be allowed..."

"Probably at the least, but where are you okay with? All over, through clothes?"

Harrison was silent for a moment. "First, I don't trust Reg..."

"Look, that's easy. We play the game - we'll make it ten minutes so it won't get too far. I'll make sure Riley picks you - honestly, you'd be her choice anyway. That means Tess will get Reg and I get Marc. He's more cautious than you. We do one round, and I'll be sick and we have to call it a night - you save your honor. Okay?"

"Okay..."

"So, what are you fine with?"

Harrison thought about what already happened and what he'd be able to stomach seeing. He gut said to just cancel, but he figured he could do this for Beth and then end it. And he was thinking of what he could do with Riley, with a tinge of guilt. "Okay, below the waist on top of clothes. No reaching in underwear or anything. Above the waist, bare skin is okay, but hands only. No kissing not even on the neck."

"Okay, I know some will not be happy, but they're welcome to leave after and fuck each others brains out. Or, we just retire to bed and let them to whatever while we entertain ourselves." She went and kissed his forehead. "Sure you want to do this Harry?"

"I can handle this... might even enjoy myself... a bit."

She hugged him. "Well, enjoy your last feel of my friend's body. Reg was pretty pissed about what she did..."

"You're saying if I want more, I have to agree to join the parties?" snapped Harrison.

"No, no, shit... Maybe we should cancel," said Beth, "I'm saying us and Riley can never happen, there's no if. Here's the if: if you're comfortable and want to try bringing a woman to join us for a threesome, it will have to be someone else. Probably a single stranger that we pick up and seduce together. That's what I mean..."

"I said I'll go through with it, and I will. As long as things don't get out of hand, I'll be fine. And we can go to counseling." Harrison said softly.

Harrison felt a little more than anxious as the day of the party approached. He knew this was his choice, and his stupidity or thinking with his dick that got him into this. He also still felt that going through with this would help his relationship with Beth. He was giving her an opportunity to prove he can trust her.

In the afternoon of the party, Beth headed out to get the snacks while Harrison cleaned. When she returned, Beth confirmed she explained the rules of the night to the women and everyone was okay with it. They would drink, play party games and go play the game when everyone was ready.

It was lights out for ten minutes, with a timer going off. Music would be playing to give a bit, but not too much privacy. Unlike last time, Beth set up some nightlights she bought that day so it would be dark but not pitch black. You could see sort of the other people, but not really clearly. This did make Harrison feel a little better.

The evening felt awkward to Harrison. He was sure Reg was angry at him, which he was fine with, considering what he did to Beth. Marc just felt nervous, though Tess kept fawning over him and whispering in his ear. They finished the sex charades, and were ready to head downstairs.