Seduction Ch. 03: Romance

"I struggled for a while, but realized that I can't abandon my daughter, which I conceived in love. I told Susan that I wanted to talk to her, and I came over one evening. She dressed casually, not sexy. I can see she was struggling with her emotions as she thanked me for coming. I told her I wanted to be part of my daughter's life, and that included being part of the pregnancy."

Susan has recovered, and picks up the story. "I almost threw myself at him and wept for joy. But I knew I had to give him space. Still, there were tears in my eyes as I thanked him and told him he would always be welcome, and would always be a part of our child's life. We talked about my morning sickness, and how I felt. I told him that I was sorry for what I did, but was so very happy that I will have his child to love.

"The divorce was finalized, but he had amended the petition to allow me to keep the house, so that his daughter would be better cared for. I couldn't help but cry when he told me that. I invited him to come for dinner once a week."

Jim said, "It was nice to be part of the whole process, even though it was sometimes hard to restrain my anger with her. This should have been so much better! I should have been with her every night, putting lotion on her belly, massaging her feet... Instead, the first time I touched her in months was when she invited me to feel the baby kick.

"When the time came, she called me to take her to the hospital. I held her hand through her labor and delivery. When she handed me my daughter, I was so overcome with emotion, holding such a tiny thing that was a piece of me, that I wept, and spontaneously kissed Susan for the first time in nine months."

I start bawling, and throw myself at the two of them in a group hug. I have denied that joy to Bob; and I have denied it to myself, too. If my plan had succeeded, how would I have felt seeing Bob so happy as I handed him a baby that I knew wasn't his?

A few minutes and several tissues later, Susan resumes, "I named her Hope because I knew she was my only hope of ever getting back with Jim, or perhaps ever being happy again. Of course, having a child didn't suddenly make everything okay. He still couldn't trust me, and I had no easy way to fix that. Jim would come over several times a week to bond with Hope, and we would be loving parents to her and just polite with each other. This is when I hit my lowest point. Seeing him so much in love with our daughter, I knew that these should have been some of the happiest moments of my life! The three of us sharing this intimacy, bonding our family together. Instead, I was an outsider, no longer part of his love. All because I was such a goddamned fool!

"Eventually he asked about my affair. I promised him I would never lie to him, even if the truth hurt, and sometimes it did. But I felt that even the smallest lie could derail all the progress we had made. Trust can't be rebuilt with words or promises. But he could see how I was always there for him, always told the truth and always accepted the blame for what I had done. I kept trying to convince him that, of all the women in the world, I was now the least likely ever to betray him. Eventually, he could accept my sincerity, and his old feelings started to emerge.

"We didn't make love again until after Hope's first birthday. Three months later, the lease on his apartment ran out, and he moved in with me. A few weeks later, he asked me to marry him again." Susan leans over and gives Jim a big kiss.

Jim looks at me and says, "So you see, Cheryl, the hardest step was to get me to even talk to her again. If she hadn't been carrying my baby, I don't think I ever would have. I had no reason to, and seeing her would only have brought me anger and pain."

Susan hugs me and says, "Cheryl, you have a hard road ahead of you, but don't give up hope yet. For now, give him space."

My house seems so empty. I need to tell Bob how I feel, and how much I regret what I did. But Jim's right, he probably doesn't even want to talk to me. I decide to write him a letter. I go through about twenty drafts before I'm satisfied. I put it in the guest room.

I spend all day Sunday in bed feeling sorry for myself. Monday morning, as I step into my office, Anna comes in excitedly. "How did your date with Bob go?" she asks.

I break into tears. "I'm getting a divorce," I sob.

"But you were so happy! Bob's been coming over for lunch, taking you on walks -- you seemed so good together. And you were going on a romantic date. What happened?"

I guess I may as well bite the bullet. "Anna, that wasn't my husband. Bob was going out of town Friday. The man you've been seeing was a guy who's been flirting with me. I spent the night with him and Bob found out. He's leaving me. God, I'm such an idiot!"

Anna stands there flabbergasted. "I can't believe it! Oh, God! Bob called and I told him you were getting ready for your date. I'm so sorry!"

"It's not your fault, Anna. It's all on me. Let's get to work. We have a lot to do today. Let me stay busy and not think about it."

Bob

I spend a busy couple of days in some tough negotiations. I'm glad I have that to keep me from thinking about Cheryl. I think my latent anger made me a bit tougher, and I manage to get a very good deal.

I get home from my trip on Wednesday afternoon. Cheryl is at work, so the house is empty. There's a letter on my nightstand, addressed to me. I put it in my pocket. I'll read it later. I had made a reservation at an extended stay hotel, so I pack most of my clothes and necessities, and I'm gone before Cheryl gets back from work.

After I finish unpacking, I take out the letter. I'm surprised how short it is. I read:

Dearest Bob,

I'm not going to spend a lot of time telling you how sorry I am. There aren't enough words for that. Let me just say that I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I ever got involved with that asshole. Most of all, I'm sorry for the way I treated you for all the years we were married. I realize now that I never appreciated the most wonderful husband a woman could ever have.

I can't understand how I ever got to a place where I would have to say those things. I made an appointment with a therapist that Jim recommended. I will see him next Monday. If I ever figure out how I got so screwed up, I hope I can see you and tell you.

Susan has made realize just how messed up I've been. She has helped me a lot. Talk to Jim. I'm sure he can help you. He says he will not try to influence you, and I think you need a good friend.

I honestly can't imagine why you would want to be with me again. In case you have any doubts, let me tell you that you never did anything wrong. You were the most considerate husband, the best friend and the most romantic lover a woman could ever have. I pray I will someday have a chance to show you how much I appreciate you. But if you move on, please introduce me to the next woman in your life, so I may tell her that she is the luckiest woman in the world. Nevertheless, I will still wait for you, and hope for a miracle.

I love you more than I ever knew I could, and more than you can ever know.

Yours forever,

Cheryl

Well, I must admit that she is saying the right things. None of that "Sorry, it was just sex, I didn't mean to hurt you, can't you just forgive me" bullshit. The suggestion to talk to Jim is a good idea, though. I arrange to meet him for drinks on Friday evening.

Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment, but I tell myself I need more information. It's not like I can feel any worse. So, Friday afternoon I'm at the same diner, and sure enough, I see Seymour's friends in a booth. I sit in the next booth, and as Seymour comes in, I turn on my recorder.

Ralph: "So, Seymour, how did your date go?"

Seymour: "Man, it was incredible. She wore this sexy little black dress that stopped about six inches above the knees. God, it was hot. She told me she bought it just for me, and had never worn anything this sexy before. I took her to this nice Italian restaurant. We had an intimate dinner with wine and a lot of flirting. I bought her a rose, and as I handed it to her, I made sure our finger touched, and she just shivered. When I asked her if she wanted dessert, she said, 'Yes. I want you.'

"I paid the bill and took her to a hotel. I had already checked in so I just took her up to the top floor, where I had one of the penthouse suites."

Another voice: "Man, those are expensive!"

Seymour: "Hey what's the point of marrying a bitch with money if you don't spend some of it getting some decent sex? Although, as hot as she was, I could have just taken her to a flea bag. According to the book, she was going to be shy at first, and I would slowly work on her until she surrendered. But she would have none of that! I opened the door and she walked in. I turned to lock the door and when I turned back, she had taken off her dress and was just wearing a sexy black bra and panty set. I hardly had any time to admire it before she was on her knees pulling down my zipper and unbuckling my pants. I don't think we had been in that room for one minute before she had my cock in her mouth.

"I tell you, that babe could suck. She took me all the way in while she caressed my balls. I didn't last more than a couple of minutes before I exploded into her mouth. I swear, it was the best blowjob I ever had.

"I undressed as she waited for me on the bed, looking seductive as hell. I took my time undressing her and playing with her nipples. Then I licked her to a couple of orgasms, but it was just to give myself time to recover from the BJ. Then came the main course. As I started to enter her, she wrapped her legs around my ass and just pushed me in. I had never had one so eager. She kept screaming my name, and bucking into me. I've never had anything that intense. When I came inside her, she screamed, 'Yes! Make me yours!'

"I usually only come a couple of times a night, but after a bit she started working on my cock. I couldn't believe it, but I got hard again. The second time was just as intense, although I was tiring a bit by then. After she collapsed, she was crying softly. Then she turned to me and covered my face with kisses. We fell asleep in each other's arms.

"I woke up on my back and she's riding my cock. She gave herself about three more orgasms before I finally spurted into her. I couldn't believe it, but after a while she wanted more. But I was absolutely spent. And I was feeling a little guilty, you know. I've never had someone fall for me that hard. I told her I had to get ready for my flight home. As she got ready to leave, I gave her a long kiss and she swore she'd never forget me. I called her a taxi and she went back home."

Ralph: "That was incredible. I can't believe you don't want to tap that again."

Seymour: "For the first time, I'm tempted. It truly was the best sex I've ever had. But it's best I leave it like that. A quickie during lunch wouldn't be the same, and if I try to spend too many nights with her Millie would find out and I wouldn't be living the good life. I'll think of her, but she's still just one of about a dozen married sluts I've banged since I got married, and there are many more sluts out there!" Another voice: "Seymour, you're the man! If there were a Seducer's Hall of Fame, the name of Seymour Parker would have the place of honor!"

As they laugh and high-five each other, I shut the recorder and walk out. Well, I was wrong - I could feel worse. I realize it was also probably the best sex of Cheryl's life, too. And it wasn't because he was such a great lover. He was pretty passive; all the intensity came from her. She certainly was never that passionate with me.

Well, I've accomplished something, anyway. I now know his name and his wife's. I go home and get on the internet and do some searching. I find a website for Seymour J. Parker, CPA. It has his picture on it, so I know it's the right one. But I really want to find his wife.

With a little patience, a few bucks and the internet. I have a phone number. I call it.

Fortunately, a woman answers. "Hello."

"Excuse me; is this Mrs. Parker, who is married to an accountant named Seymour?"

"Yes, it is. Who is this?"

"My name is Bob Williams. Recently, my wife was seduced by your husband. They spent last Saturday night together. I'll be divorcing her, but I thought you should know."

"That bastard! I caught him once, and he swore he would never do it again! Do you have proof?"

"I have two recordings of him bragging about it to his friends. While that doesn't constitute proof, I'm sure my wife could testify as to what happened, and you can probably obtain corroboration from credit card receipts and the like. How can I send them to you?"

"Can you text them to this phone?"

"Certainly. I'll include my name and phone number. I'll also send a pdf of the letter my wife wrote to me. It doesn't contain details, but she does acknowledge that she cheated. Feel free to call me if you have any questions."

"Thank you. I'm sorry for what that bastard did to her."

"It takes two, Mrs. Parker. Goodbye."

Well, that felt good. I'm meeting Jim tonight. It will be good to have a friend who has been through this. If nothing else, I can use a shoulder to cry on.

Jim is sitting at a booth as I walk in to the Tap Room. "Hi, Bob," he says. He flags down a waitress and asks me, "What are you having?"

We order beers, and I say, "I guess you've seen Cheryl."

"Yeah, man, she's a mess. She took the morning-after pill, by the way. Susan's often mentioned what a lucky girl Cheryl is, having a husband like you. I can't believe she'd do something like that. I mean, wanting to have another man's baby!"

"That's what I don't think I could ever get over. I think I could have forgiven the sex. After all, we both had partners before we were married. But wait until you hear this. I went to that coffee shop again and recorded Asshole bragging about his date. Put my phone up to your ear so no one else hears it, including me."

He listens to it, then shakes his head. "Man, that sucks. Send it to me; I want Susan to hear it."

I do. "Yeah, that's best. She can decide whether to let Cheryl hear it. I was thinking of sending it to her with a note saying something like, 'Congratulations on being such a great lay. Too bad you never shared those talents with me.' But that would be a dick move, and I promised I wouldn't punish her.

"The thing is, I don't know how I feel after hearing this. I don't feel like I failed her as a lover -- he may have given her the greatest sex of all time, but he didn't do anything much. He just went through the motions, and all the passion came from her. They say that sex is all in the brain, so I guess he had her brain turned up all the way to twelve. That's what really hurts. Despite everything I did to make her happy, I figure I never turned her up past six. He accomplished more in two months and one dinner than I did in five years."

Jim takes a sip of his beer. "You know Susan and I have had a lot of conversations with Cheryl. I tell you, she now sees what a wonderful husband you were, and how badly she treated you. She can't believe how long you kept trying to make her happy with almost no sign from her that she appreciated it. She said she was looking for something, when she didn't realize she already had it in abundance. She knows she gave up a lifetime of real for one night of fake.

"Bob, you know that Susan cheated, but we are happy now. I know you love Cheryl but I'm not suggesting that you take her back. You have to decide if you can do that. I loved Susan, but I had a very hard time taking her back. I don't think I would have even talked to her again if she hadn't been carrying my baby. There were many nights when I would look at her and want to take her to bed, and then an image of her lover carrying her naked up the stairs would pop into my head. What Cheryl did was worse. The only thing I can say is that what Cheryl did was not rational. She made an appointment with a psychiatrist for next week. Maybe he can shed some light on this whole mess."

"Yeah, she told me that in a letter." I smiled. "I did one thing today to make me happy. I told Asshole's wife, and sent her the conversations. She was furious! I'll bet 'Reynaldo' wishes he had flown back to Italy!"

Jim laughs, and gives me a high-five. We drink our beers, make small talk and have a pleasant evening. We agree to meet again next week.

Cheryl

I stay busy at work, and it helps until I get home.

I really feel terrible when I come back from work on Wednesday and see that Bob's clothes were gone. But at least he took my letter.

Cheryl calls me that night and tells me that Bob and Jim are getting together Friday night. She invites me for lunch on Saturday. Maybe there will be some good news.

Finally, Saturday comes, and I rush over to Susan's. We have lunch, and when Susan goes to put Hope down for her nap, I try to talk to Jim. But he says, "Let's wait for Susan."

When Susan comes back, she says, "Bob went back to the diner where he first saw Seymour. He sat next to him again and recorded his conversation with his friends. They were talking about your date. Bob was going to send it to you with some snarky comment, but decided that he didn't want to punish you. It will hurt, but I really think you should hear it. Shall I play it?"

"Susan, I need to hear it and I need to be punished. Play it."

I listen to the voice that I had once found so charming tell his friends what a slut I was. When it finishes, Susan asks gently, "Is it accurate?"

"Yes," I whisper. "God, I was such a wanton slut! What did Bob think?"

"As you can imagine, he was pretty hurt," Jim said. "He did say that he never experienced that kind of passion from you."

"Jim, tell Bob that he's a wonderful lover!" I wail.

"Cheryl, Bob knows that it's not about his prowess in the bedroom. It's not what Seymour did once he got you naked. It seems he pretty much let you do all the work. Admit it, before you even walked through that door you were more turned on than you've ever been in your whole life. It's what he did to your brain. Bob said that after two months of flirting, Seymour had your dial turned up to twelve. In five years of trying, he never got you past six."

"That's not true!"

Susan steps in. "Cheryl, remember that the biggest hurdle you're going to face is rebuilding trust. You have to promise Bob that you will never lie to him. To do that, you can't lie to yourself, either. Now, think back to that night. He barely got in the room before you attacked him. If he had taken a little longer to unlock the door, you would have jumped him in the hallway. Did you ever feel that way with Bob?"

"No, I guess not. But my need was almost painful. Thinking back, it seems unreal. I don't know, Susan. But I tell you, if I had a choice between reliving that night or making love to Bob, I would choose Bob. I can't explain it so that it makes any sense. What can I do?"

"Cheryl, there's not much you can do now, except go to that shrink and see if you can figure out why you acted that way. Then pray for a miracle."

Bob

I had been in my extended stay for two weeks when I get a call from Millie.

"Hello, Mrs. Parker, what can I do for you?"

"Well, you can call me Millie, for one thing."

I chuckle. "Well then, Millie, is there anything else Bob can do for you?"

"Bob, I would like to talk to you. I think we can share information about this sordid mess. Maybe we can help each other to deal with it. Can you come to my house one of these evenings?"

"Well, my evenings are completely free, as you can imagine. Will Seymour be there?"

"I gave that bastard the heave-ho the day I got your text. Fortunately, we had a prenup, so he's lucky to have left with anything more than the clothes on his back. My lawyers will take care of the divorce so I will never have to see that asshole again. How about tomorrow at 7:00? I'll text you the address."