Only 50 Days

Nicole glared at her husband. "We don't do dinners out," she told him and abruptly opened the door.

John wanted to make a vindictive reply about spending too much time fucking, but managed to hold his tongue.

They drove in silence until Nicola placed a hand on her husband's leg. "I didn't enjoy last night," she told him.

John considered her unexpected remark for a moment. "I didn't want you to," he told her. Immediately she removed her hand and he thought he heard her mutter, bastard.

John thought the dinner and the evening with their friends went well. None of the husbands made any suggestive comment to him and all the wives seemed to be acting a normal. When they got home, Nicola asked him to come to bed with her.

"Sorry, dear. I've done enough fucking for one week," he told her as he closed his bedroom boor. In his room John wondered where his reply had come from and regretted he'd said it.

They both got through Sunday, mainly by ignoring each other most of the time.

In the evening, perhaps because he was still regretting last night response to his wife's request, John allowed his wife to sit close and even put her arms around him and give him some kisses. He believed her when she told him how much she loved him. Then he got angry when she started telling him why she also needed Trevor Dixon. Fortunately, she didn't use Trevor Dixon's name, or John really would have lost his temper. It was Wednesday before he spoke to Nicole again.

Thursday evening, after a bought in meal together John asked a question that had been bothering him all week. "Have you been fucking anyone else?" Because it was direct and to the point he expected either of two responses, so her reaction totally surprised him.

He hadn't expected such a shocked look on his wife's face, or the anger in her answer. "How dare you even think that," She shouted at him. Almost tipping her chair back as she jumped up. "I've got all I want with you and Trevor."

As John stared in amazement she fled up to her bedroom and he heard the door slam.

They didn't see each other again until Friday evening. She had a meal ready when John got home. Before they finished Nicole put her knife and fork down. "John," she waited until he looked up. "I have not been with any other men."

If there was one thing John knew about his wife, she could not tell a lie and look you in the eye at the same time. "Thank you," he replied.

Their life started to settle into a routine after that. John wondered if Nicole hated it as much as he did. They spoke civilly to each other and shared the household jobs. Nicole still asked John to come back to her bed, which he refused, while wondering why she never attempted to come into his bed. He did allow her to share some limited affection. Usually a welcome home kiss and another before they went to bed. He also let her snuggled up on the settee as they used to, while watching television.

John found himself needing to know if his wife and Trevor Dixon were carrying on while at work. "How are things at work," he asked her after they had settled in front of the television on Monday evening. Then wondered why she delayed her reply.

"When we are at work, I am his personal assistant and Mr Dixon is my boss. Does that satisfy your question?" Before he could reply she asked her husband a question. "How are things at work for you, John?"

"The same as always," he replied nonchalantly.

The third week after Nicole introduced Trevor Dixon to her husband, he still declined her request to move back into their bed. He wanted to, she was a very beautiful woman and he still had memories of how they used to make love. His pride was also severely bruised because, even though he had tried, he knew he was physically incapable of fucking her the way Trevor Dixon could fuck her. He was also troubled by the belief that if she spent any more time with him, this marriage would not survive.

On Wednesday of the following week he noticed a change in her demeanor. During the evening she seemed brighter, more relaxed. It even made John feel more comfortable around her.

All Thursday evening John thought that Nicole was on the verge of saying something. Over the past weeks he had seen her demeanor decline, then pick up again. He was convinced that was because her week with Trevor Dixon was only three days away.

Knowing her answer would destroy their marriage for good, he broached the elephant that had been with them for nearly five weeks. "Isn't it time for your next week away," he asked, putting his wine glass down.

She looked up at him in silence for a long time. "Tony." She fell silent. "Tony, I love you so much. You hardly talk to me. You seldom let me touch you. You won't come back to my bed and when you do you refuse to make love to me. I want my husband back, John. I need my husband to love me again." She shut up and just stared at her husband.

When John started to reply, Nicole held up her hand to silence him. "First I was so angry with you for all the restrictions you put on me because of what I wanted. I had convinced myself you would let me continue without any changes between us. Your almost total withdrawal from me made me question everything about you, our marriage, what I had done, everything. I now realize I've been such a foolish woman to put my marriage in total jeopardy because of such a reprehensible craving."

She dropped her head onto the table and he saw her body shaking. Tony knew he would never have let her cry like this on her own. Now he could only watch as he stared back at the woman he had loved for so long. She looked so disconsolate, he knew he had to say something. "The two options I gave you still stand," he told her.

Slowly Nicole raised her tear-stained face and looked at him. "I resigned today," she stated. "Please John, will you let me become your wife again?" she pleaded between her sobs.

Now Tony had to give an answer to the question he had been asking himself ever since this madness started. Would it be easier to live without Nicole in his life, or better to work on restoring their once perfect marriage? The first answer was final, the second was provisional.

Quietly, he answered the question for both of them. "Yes, dear."