Seduction Ch. 06: Surprise!

So far, I have focused on master predators, working their wiles on unsuspecting married women. But can a seduction happen even where there are no villains? Sometimes an opportunity may fall right into someone's lap. When that lap belongs to our friend Alex from chapter 4...

"Hey, Beth. It's time to go home."

"Five o'clock already? Thanks, Natalie." I saved my work and shut down my computer. "So, what are you doing this weekend?"

"My boyfriend is taking me to the beach. We'll be there for the whole weekend. It's Labor Day, after all - time to say goodbye to summer."

"I envy you. We never do anything like that. My life is so boring."

"Oh, come on! Bill is anything but boring. He's tall, handsome, charming, witty," she gushed. "Did I mention how handsome he is?"

"Control yourself," I laughed. "He is my husband, you know. He's all that you say, and I love him dearly. It's just that, after five years together, everything is so routine. He never surprises me anymore. Tonight is Friday, so we are going to go out to eat at one of three restaurants. We always do. Then we'll go home and watch TV. I mean, is that all there is?"

"You've told me often enough how you want to be surprised. But remember, surprises can only happen when you don't expect them," she said with a strange twinkle in her eye. "Who knows? Maybe things are going to get interesting very soon!"

As I drove home, I wondered if Natalie knew something. No, I decided. She's always been a bit of a Pollyanna optimist. I got home before Bill, and Sally, my next-door neighbor rushed over. She had tears in her eyes as she said, "Beth, honey, I think Bill may be having an affair!"

"My Bill? What are you talking about?"

"When I went out to get the mail, I saw Bill drive up, followed by a car with a young woman in it. She was carrying a bag from Victoria's Secret. They got out and went into your house. Then the light in your bedroom came on. I couldn't believe it! I waited for almost an hour, and then my phone rang, and I went inside to answer it, so I didn't see them leave. I'm so sorry - you seemed to be so much in love with each other!"

"I'm sure there must be some other explanation. Here he comes. I'll see what he has to say."

"I'd better go. I'll be here for you," she says, and rushed back to her house.

Bill walked over and looked at me nervously. "What was that all about? Did you just get home?"

"Oh, you know Sally. Just some gossip. Yeah," I said. "I haven't even gone in yet."

"Well, let's just go eat then. I'm famished; I missed lunch today."

"How come?"

"Oh, there was this project I've been working on for a couple of weeks, and I had to finish it before the weekend. I just hope the client is satisfied with it. Shall we go?"

Oh my God, he just lied to me! Bill was never good at keeping secrets. Why was he in a hurry? Or was he trying to keep me from going into the house? Come to think of it, he has been acting strange lately - like he's up to something. My mind was in a tizzy as I got into his car, and we drove off.

We arrived at the restaurant and ordered drinks. I decided I had to bite the bullet. "Bill, I know you better than you realize. I know you've been hiding something from me for a couple of weeks now. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Bill fidgeted, then said, "I guess there's no way I can hide anything from you, but I didn't want you to find out just yet. Look, I know you've been unhappy lately. Well, maybe 'dissatisfied' is the right word. Truth be told, I feel the same way, like the spark is gone. I guess most marriages become stale after a few years. We need to make some big changes in our lives, but I think it will be better for both of us. I guess this is going to come as a big surprise, but..."

The spark is gone? Changes? Oh, my God, it's not just an affair- he's leaving me! My eyes filled with tears. I stood up and said, "I can't believe this! I know all about what you've been doing! Changes, huh? Well, you can do those changes all by yourself!" I took off my wedding rings and threw them at him. As he bent down to pick them up off the floor, I turned and ran out the door.

I ran headlong into a man who had just gotten out of his car. He caught me and asked, "Miss, are you alright?"

"Please," I sobbed. "I have to get out of here!"

He was about to hand his keys to the valet but instead opened the door to his convertible and said, "Let me take you." We got in and he drove off. "Where would you like to go?" he asked.

"Take me home," I said. "No, I can't go there. I can't run into him again. My husband is having an affair! He's leaving me! Drop me off at a motel somewhere."

"No, I'll take you to my home. You'll be safer there. You can calm down. When you can think more rationally, I'll take you anywhere you want to go."

I gently sobbed through the whole car ride. When he pulled into his garage, he helped me out of the car and held my arm while he took me inside. He sat me on the couch. "My name is Alex," he said. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Thank you, Alex," I said. "I'm Beth. Could I have a Scotch on the rocks, please?"

"Certainly," he said. He went to the kitchen and filled two glasses with ice and took out a bottle of Johnny Walker Gold Label. He brought everything to the coffee table and poured the drinks.

I took a sip and sighed. "God, that's good. Thank you for being so kind to a stranger who ruined your evening."

"It's okay. My assistant was joining me to meet with a potential client. I just sent him a text telling him to handle it. He'll do fine. But I couldn't turn my back on a victim of cheating. I have a lot of atoning to do." He was lost in thought for a few minutes, then took a sip of his Scotch and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not tonight, Alex. I think I would just end up blubbering. Distract me! You have a beautiful home - give me a tour. I'm sure every painting and knick-knack has a story." I stood and pulled him up.

He laughed, and said, "Hey, nothing in here belongs in a museum! I go to the local art shows and buy things that catch my fancy. Well, I could make stuff up. Take this painting." It was an impressionistic Times Square, ablaze with neon lights. "This is an original Nostradamus, painted in 1565, entitled City of God. It proves that Nostradamus couldn't really predict the future. After all, New York is hardly God's city. But still, he did get a few things right, didn't he?"

I slapped his shoulder and laughed. "I didn't know that he could paint, either. Thank you, Alex. I thought I'd never laugh again. This is what I need. Nothing but witty banter tonight. How about this one?" It was a cell from a Disney movie, showing Quasimodo. "Is he a relative?"

"Oh, we don't talk about Cousin Igor," he said, with a mock-serious expression. "But look at this one." We went around the room holding hands, each trying to outdo the other with ridiculous takes on his decorations. When we got to the end, there was an awkward silence.

"Alex, please make love to me tonight."

"Are you sure? You're very vulnerable right now. Don't make things worse."

"Don't worry about my marriage. It's already dead. I understand if you don't want to. I don't feel very attractive anymore."

Alex pulled me into his bedroom and stood me in front of his closet, which had mirrored doors. He stood behind me, his head just above mine, and ran his fingers through my hair. "Look at yourself, Beth. Straight black hair to just below your shoulders. I'm always attracted to long hair; I think all men are. Green eyes! You know how beautiful that combination looks? High cheekbones, soft cheeks, full, kissable lips... You're the whole package."

I quivered as he pulled the zipper on the back of my dress and slipped it off. "Beautiful, rounded shoulders, flawless skin..." He unsnapped my bra and slipped it off. "Perfectly shaped breasts, small pink nipples..."

"My breasts are too small," I whispered.

He cupped them. "No, they're not. They are perfectly proportional. Your waist is so slender. What is it? Twenty-four inches?"

"Twenty-five," I muttered.

He slid his hands down my side. "Your hips flare out, giving you the perfect hourglass shape." He slid his hands into the waistband of my rather conservative panties and bent down, slipping them off, and I stepped out of them. He gently massaged my ass, and said, "Lovely legs, firm ass. You're beautiful, Beth."

I stood there mesmerized as he took off his clothes behind me. He took my hand and led me into the bathroom.

The shower stall was enormous, and I luxuriated in the spray from three showerheads. Alex shampooed my hair, massaging my scalp, then rinsing it with a hand-held showerhead. We washed each other, his strong hands massaging every inch of me. We toweled off, then he dried and brushed my hair.

When he finally took me to his bed, we lay together as he stroked my pussy gently. He could tell how wet I was, so he got on top of me and kissed me. Then I felt his cock, only the second cock I had ever felt, push into me. I wrapped my arms around him and sobbed tears of joy, and when I came, moments later, I felt a great warmth as all my problems slipped away. Moments later I fell asleep.

We made love again in the morning. Then my stomach started rumbling, and we laughed and ran out of bed. I cleaned myself on his bidet and we worked together to prepare an early lunch - we had missed dinner, after all. We stayed naked most of the day, as I had no clean clothes. I wore one of his tee shirts when we took his canoe and paddled around the lake, and the occasional splash of water would create transparent patches on my shirt. Inside we would talk, kiss, play games, laugh, and make love whenever the mood would strike. We made love on the sofa in the afternoon and in his bed at sunset. In the evenings we would dance, our naked bodies molded together during the slow songs. At night, we would go out on the deck and fool around in his hot tub, then dry off and make love on his wide chaise under the moonlight.

We talked about nothing serious, and for three days I forgot about the world and just lived in the moment. Monday, I did the laundry, so I would have clothes to wear when I went back to the office. That night was bittersweet, as we made love with a passionate intensity, until we could go no longer, and I collapsed into his loving arms.

Tuesday morning, we woke up together. I smiled, kissed him good morning and said, "Come on. We have to go to work." I took a quick shower, got dressed and made breakfast. We ate in silence.

After I cleaned up, I turned to him and said, "Alex, thank you. I think you saved my life. I was at a really low point Friday, and you brought me back. This was the best weekend of my life."

Alex smiled and hugged me. "Beth, I should thank you. You showed me a world I never knew existed. You have my number. Call me if you need anything. Or for no reason at all." We kissed and got into his car.

We pulled up in front of my office, and I gave Alex a quick kiss as I got out of the car. I saw Natalie staring at me in shock. As I approached, she said, "Beth, who is that guy? Where are your rings? Oh, my God, you're even wearing the same clothes from Friday!"

Suddenly she noticed that a lot of our coworkers were watching us. She grabbed my hand and whispered, "Don't talk. Let's go to your office."

Well, she was being awfully pushy for an assistant, but I could see that she was very upset. When we got to my office, she closed the door and asked, "Why are you even here?"

"Where else would I be? I work here!"

She took a deep breath. "Beth, what happened Friday night?"

I told her how I found out he was having an affair. Then when he started to tell me that he was about to leave me, how I threw my wedding rings at him and ran out, bumped into a stranger, and how I spent the whole weekend with him.

"I was so devastated when I left that restaurant. But the days I spent with Alex were magical! We did so many things I had never done before. He's handsome and charming and such a great lover! He made me feel desirable again. I think I'm ready to move on." I chuckled. "Maybe even with Alex!"

She listened, aghast. She had tears in her eyes as she said, "Bill is NOT having an affair. He would never leave you. He adores you!"

"Ha! Then who was that woman he was with at our house Friday? He lied to me! He told me he had been working on a project for weeks and hoped the client was satisfied. Yeah, I bet she was! Why didn't he want me to go into the house? Did she forget her panties?"

"Beth, YOU were the client he was trying so hard to please! I was that woman! I went there to pack a suitcase for you. I told him there was no way he could properly pack what a woman needs for a week-long trip. He didn't want you to go into the house because he was afraid you would notice that some of your clothes and toiletries were gone. He didn't want to spoil the surprise."

"What are you talking about?"

"We've been planning this for weeks. A few weeks ago, he called you, but I had to tell him you were in a meeting. We started chatting, and I mentioned how you were getting bored. He decided to surprise you. I arranged for you to be on vacation this week. Friday, he was probably trying to tell you that he was going to try to reinvigorate your marriage. After dinner, he would drive you to the airport. You wouldn't even know where you were going until you walked up to the Air France desk. We had a wonderful week in Paris all planned out. I even bought some sexy lingerie and slipped it into your suitcase so you could surprise him, too. Didn't he call you to straighten it out?"

"I suppose so, but I refused his call, then powered my phone off. I just couldn't deal with it then."

"Why don't you listen to his voicemails? I'll go back to my desk and give you privacy."

I turned my phone on and watched it boot up. As it did, I thought about what he said Friday night. He talked about needing changes, and I realized that the only reason I assumed he was leaving me was because I thought he was having an affair. Then I remembered I told him that I knew about his plans, he could do all those changes without me, and then stormed out. As the phone came on, I checked the voicemails. The first two were just pleading with me to come back or at least call him. The last one was about an hour after I left.

I heard, "Well, I guess this is it. I don't know how you found out about the trip. I'm sorry we've gotten to such a bad place in our marriage that you would rather leave me than go on a romantic trip. But you're right. I will have to do the changing without you. I'll do what you said and go on the trip alone. I won't have much fun, but I suppose I'll have to get used to that. Know that I will always love you. I'm sorry I wasn't a better husband, and I wish you the best in whatever comes your way."

I sat frozen for a good ten minutes before Natalie came back. I looked up at her and asked, "Do you know where he's staying? I've got to go there and explain!"

"Beth, you can't. He has your passport. I made sure I packed everything you needed..." She stopped suddenly. "Beth, did Alex use condoms?"

"No, of course not. I'm on the..." I gasped.

"Beth, I packed your birth control pills in your carry-on. I noticed that you were twelve days into your month and warned him to make sure you took your pills every twenty-four hours, despite the time change. Else you might be coming back with an extra souvenir. Beth, you've missed four days! You could be pregnant right now!"

"Oh my God! I just completely zoned out for the whole weekend. I tried to put everything behind me, and I just didn't think. I should take a morning-after pill, just in case."

"It's probably a good idea, but it may be too late by now. But are you even sure you want to? You seem to be ready to move in with this 'Alex.' I'm sorry if I'm being a little snarky here, but I just can't get over how you just jumped into a stranger's arms like that. I'm not sure if Bill will find it any easier."

"I can't tell him! It's bad enough I ruined the whole trip..."

"Beth, by now the whole office knows that you had a fight with Bill and that you spent the weekend with a guy who drives a convertible. He has friends here. There are probably emails in his inbox about it already. He won't have read them yet, as he didn't take his laptop with him. Well, I suppose he could check his email at the hotel business center. Actually, that's an idea. He probably has his phone off, as he doesn't want to incur roaming charges. Send him a long email explaining everything and leave a message with the hotel telling him to check it."

"Natalie, I think that's a good idea. Now, get back to work. I'll send it from here and then I'll get a ride home. I may as well take the rest of the week off, as planned, since I probably won't be getting much done here anyway. I know it didn't work out but thank you for trying."

I spent the next hour writing draft after draft, trying to explain what happened. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't help coming across as a total bitch and a complete slut. Finally, I gave up. I decided to just send a plea that he will give me a chance to explain. I wrote:

Subject: I'M SORRY!!!!

Honey, I'm so sorry. It was all a big misunderstanding! Sally saw you walk into our house with Natalie. She told me you must be having an affair. I thought there must be some other explanation, but when I asked you about your lunch, you lied to me, and I became convinced that she was right. When you started talking about how we needed to make changes, I felt sure you were leaving me! I just couldn't take it. I know I overreacted, but I love you so much! I just couldn't stay there. I ran away, bumped into some random guy and begged him to take me home. I didn't know the truth until I came to work this morning and Natalie filled me in.

I admit that I behaved very badly. Please, please forgive me. At least give me a chance to explain. Please enjoy the rest of your trip. I will always regret not being there with you. Come home and let me make it up to you. I love you!

I sent it out, then got his itinerary from Natalie. I saw that he was on a tour of Versailles today. I called his hotel, and as I expected, he wasn't in. I left him a message, asking him to check his email.

I sat at my desk and cried for a bit, thinking about how much I had hurt Bill after all the trouble and expense he went through. Inexplicably, my thoughts kept drifting back to my time with Alex. God, I'm a mess!

Then Natalie came in. "I'm sorry, Beth, but if I'm covering for you this week, I'll need some things from your office. Why don't you go home? You'll feel more comfortable there. Do you want me to drive you?"

I pulled myself together. "No, Natalie, I've taken up enough of your time. Sure, use my office. I'll go home now. Don't worry about me. And, again, thank you. You've been a very good friend."

I could feel everybody's eyes on me as I walked out of the building. I realized my car was still at home, so I just kept walking until I was out of sight of the building. Finally, I saw a diner and walked in and ordered a cup of coffee. My phone rang, and I jumped to pick it up, but I saw it was Alex. He said, "I just called to see if you were okay."

"Oh, Alex, I made a terrible mistake!"

"Would you like to talk about it? I can take you to lunch."

"No, that wouldn't be a good idea. I mean... Oh, hell, I guess I could use a man's opinion here. I'm at a diner. I'll send you my location. Come pick me up."

I settled the bill and waited outside. When he drove up, I rushed over and got in. I told him, "Just take me home. I need to go there anyway, and we can talk more privately. I'll fix us something to eat."