Shared Wife

Shared Wife

This is my third attempt at a story. This one is a little different. Really got roasted for my punctuation and grammar on the last one and rightfully so. Never was good at those things but learning and trying to do better. Keep the constructive critique coming. Hope you enjoy this one.

My wife has just left our bed to go into the guest bedroom where my best friend is sleeping and I encouraged her to.

Wait a minute, let me explain.

My best friend, Tray, and I grew up together. I have always been shy, small, and the quiet one while Tray has always been boisterous, outgoing, and always looking for fun. We really aren't anything alike but somehow have always been best buds. My homelife was unstable with my mother drinking a lot and my father hardly ever around. When he was they fought a lot and many nights I would sneak out and spend the night at Tray's house.

I would get picked on a lot at school at least until Tray heard about it and then he would kick some ass. I remember once when an older, and much larger guy, was giving me grief until Tray showed up and the fight was on. Tray didn't kick his butt but he didn't look much better than Tray after the fight was over.

In high school Tray was always hanging around the girls while I was quiet and shy. If I said I thought a particular girl was pretty Tray would walk up to her and tell her his friend thought she had nice tits and would like to go out with her. Needless to say, I didn't want Tray as my wing man.

We went to the same college and I majored in accounting while Tray majored in girls and fun. He ended up with a degree in Advertising which worked out well since Tray can bull shit with the best of them.

I met Linda at a party at the beginning of my junior year in college. Tray was going around talking to all the girls and if he didn't think he had much chance in getting into their panties that evening he would move on to the next one.

I noticed Linda at the party, she and I had a couple of classes together but she never even looked my way and I thought she was way out of my league. Tray hit on her but passed her up pretty quickly. I walked up to her and apologized for Tray. She said that was sweet but I didn't have to apologize for the asshole. I explained he was my friend and could be rude at times. She said she had already heard about Tray and it didn't take long for him to get the message she wasn't interested. She looked closely at me and asked if we had a couple of classes together. I said we did and then she asked if I was in her Business Law class and I told her I was. She said you are that smart guy the professor calls on so often with questions. I said that was me. She then asked if she could study with me sometime and help get her grade up in the class. I readily agreed and away we went.

A little about Linda. She has long brown hair, with soft brown eyes, a great smile and long athletic legs but her most prominent feature are her large tits. Not huge but more than a mouthful. I loved them.

We started dating and close to the end of my senior year I proposed and she accepted. We married about a year later when she graduated from college as a business major.

Once Linda got to know Tray, she liked him. You couldn't be around Tray very much and not like him. He was always the life of the party and even accompanied us on some of our dates. Somehow the three of us out together never was odd but fun. She asked me once if I had to get Tray's permission before I proposed to her. I laughed and told her no but if she and Tray hadn't gotten along it would have been a tough choice. She knew the story about Tray and I and understood we were like twin brothers and almost inseparable. Tray took to her pretty quickly once he saw how much I was in love with her and she was the same with Tray. Of course, Tray was my best man at my wedding and asked if he could go on our honeymoon with us. Linda said no way but they were both smiling when they said it. He didn't.

Tray went to work for a large advertising agency in town and I went to work for a large accounting firm. Linda mostly worked from home and did book keeping and taxes for several small businesses. We purchased a small three bedroom and two bath house in a nice neighborhood and Tray rented a nice apartment nearby.

It wasn't unusual for Tray to come by and have dinner with us some evenings and on Saturday Tray and I, and sometimes Linda, would watch college sports, and then on Sunday watch professional sports together at our house. Linda would often set on the couch next to me and cuddle up to me and watch sports with Tray and I. It was almost like he lived there. Tray would usually accompany us on our vacations, Linda didn't mind. I remember one time he suggested we just rent one room with twin beds and save some money. Linda nixed the idea, she said she loved Tray and really enjoyed being around him but she needed "special" time with her husband. Of course, Tray said that wouldn't be a problem but Linda said they might keep him up too late at night since she would sometimes get noisy when making love with me. They both laughed.

Tray was a part of the family and would hang out at our house a lot. He would sometimes show up early in the morning for breakfast with me and Linda would come downstairs half dressed, not thinking anything about it, and Tray would make some comment about what a great ass she had and he sure would like to tap that ass. Linda would look at him and tell him he couldn't handle it. Tray would even sleep in our guest bedroom overnight sometimes if we watched a late-night game together and it wasn't unusual for Linda to come down stairs in her PJ's or sometimes a short nighty and sit down beside me. Tray would check her out and maybe comment on how sexy she looked but none of us thought much about it, it was just Tray. So, you can see Tray was just a part of our family.

Tray married his first wife a couple of years after I married Linda and they partied a lot and the marriage lasted almost two years before she divorced him. I think she felt like she was always somewhere behind Linda and I in his priorities. Less than a year later Tray, too quickly, found his soul mate and they married a few months after his divorce was final. Tray told us she was just like Linda, well almost as good as Linda, and he was now happily married.

Well, when Tray got married it didn't change his routine much and he would still show up and hang out at our house a lot just like with his first wife. His wife came over a few times but soon grew tired hanging out with us and wanted Tray to hang out with just her. Eventually this caused friction in the marriage but Tray would either ignore her complaints or explain to her we were family and he wanted to and would continue to hang out with us. His wife eventually got tired of it and told Tray it was her or us, he had to choose. She lost and left him.

Tray was crushed and couldn't understand why she was so upset and why she didn't enjoy being with us as much as he did. Tray went into a funk and got really depressed. He would still come over a lot but was always drinking and sometimes pretty drunk by the time he arrived. He never was rude or dis-respectful but almost always in a depressed mood. He spent quite a bit of time talking with Linda asking her what had he done wrong and why women were so cruel. Linda tried to explain that most people, when they get married, want to spend most of their free time with their spouse. Tray said he understood and tried to get his wife to accompany him when he came over. Linda tried to explain that most women want to spend a lot of time with only their husband and not with friends. Tray told Linda he had explained his relationship with her and I before he proposed and she seemed to be OK with it. Tray just couldn't see how our relationship was a lot different than most others. Tray said, "well it's a package deal, if they can't accept the two of you along with me then fuck-um."

We tried to get Tray to start dating again but he said he swore off women. He did make one exception. He asked me to start driving to work without my seatbelt on so in case I was in an accident and died he would then be able to marry Linda. Linda explained to him she loved me and he had better take very good care of her husband and besides she was way too hot for him and he probably couldn't take care of her properly in the bedroom like I do. That got a big laugh out of Tray and he told Linda that was one of the many reasons he loved her, she was the only one who could make him laugh since his divorce.

Tray continued to spend a lot of his free time at our house and I would sometimes notice Tray glancing at Linda when she would get dressed for bed and wearing her short nighty and come down to watch some game with us before retiring to bed. I could tell he had huge hard on. I mentioned to Linda that maybe she shouldn't wear some things when Tray was around. She asked why not, it's just Tray, but when I explained she said she would try to be more aware of her clothing when Tray was around but she felt odd being careful around Tray, it had never been an issue before. I told her he is going thru a rough time right now and we needed to be sensitive and supportive. She agreed and started watching her appearance and behavior around Tray.

Tray noticed the change and asked what was going on in front of Linda and I. I explained I had noticed him staring at Linda when she was wearing something sexy and thought it may have bothered him and had asked her to be careful about what she wore when you were around and maybe back off the hugs a little. It looked like you hadn't had any female companionship in a while. Tray, always being direct, said you mean you noticed I had a hard-on when Linda was around. I laughed and said yes. Tray looked right at Linda and said "Darlin, I have always had a hard-on when I am around you. You are one sexy and beautiful woman and any red bloodied American male would be just like me if they were around you." Linda laughed and said "thank you, I think." He then looked at me and told me he loved both of us and although he would probably always admire my wife I didn't have to worry about him doing anything inappropriate.

I told Tray I was sorry if we offended him but just didn't want to make it worse for him since he wasn't dating or seeing any ladies lately. He said he appreciated the gesture and yeah, he did have to adjust himself sometimes when Linda was around but that was OK. He said please don't change anything, that it was the companionship and acceptance that he enjoyed. He said "I feel like I'm part of a family when I am around you two. I can speak freely and be myself and not be judged. I love both of you and you allowing me to be a part of your lives is one of the few things that brings joy to my heart." Linda walked over and gave him a big hug and said she was going upstairs and change into her short nighty if he didn't mind. Tray said "OMG hun you would make my day." We all had a good laugh and after Linda changed watched a game on TV together.

Tray gradually got worse and we could see him sinking deeper into depression and nothing we did seemed to help. One evening when he came over to eat dinner with us, he told us about an article he had read in an outdoor magazine about recruiting men for an overseas adventure. After he explained it to us I told him it sounded like a recruiting article for a mercenary organization. Tray said that was what he thought and he had an interview set up with them for the following week.

Linda and I were stunned. I pointed out to Tray he wasn't an eighteen-year-old youngster anymore and he had no military experience or training. He said he realized that but he needed a change and this sounded like an adventure. Good old Tray, leap before you think it all the way through. Linda and I both tried to talk some sense into him but he just got stubborn. He said "You both know how depressed I have been lately and I'm tired of just going to work and coming home to an empty house and then I come over here and see the happiness you and Linda have and it makes me even more depressed. I've tried marriage but there isn't anyone out there even close to Linda and I just end up frustrated and discouraged. I'm getting nowhere with my life and I have to do something."

I agreed with him but didn't think this was what he needed. I pointed out these guys sometimes shoot at people and get shot at. He could get seriously hurt or killed. He said he realized that but it wouldn't be any great loss besides he planned on taking out a large life insurance policy and making Linda and I his beneficiary. I told him that wasn't funny. We talked some more but he told us he was going to the interview and was seriously considering signing up. Linda and I were extremely worried.

The following Tuesday Tray came by for dinner and told us he met with the recruiter and was going to sign up for a two-year stint overseas. He had a physical scheduled for next week and if he passed he would soon be on his way to Syria. Linda and I both dropped our forks and gasped. We couldn't believe we were going to lose our best friend and really a member of our family. Tray said he would try to come by the following week after taking his physical to say good-by because he needed a few days to get all his personal affairs in order. It sure sounded like he didn't think he would be returning.

After dinner we cleaned away the dinner plates and broke out the hard stuff. I certainly needed a strong drink after this news. Linda and I both tried to reason with Tray but he wouldn't budge. He was adamant he needed a change and there really wasn't much of a future for him and he didn't want to grow old and die alone. We tried to tell him he was a part of our family and we would always be there for him and we were going to all grow old together. He said he really appreciated everything the two of us had done for him but he was just extra baggage and in the way. We had tried to always make him feel like a part of our family but he said he would always be the third person and just in the way.

We argued and talked long into the night and the longer we went the more we drank. It was pretty emotional. I was going to lose my best friend forever and I know Linda felt the same way. We were devastated. Finally, Tray said he had to go and I told him no way after all the liquor he had put away that night. I took his keys away from him and told him he was staying in our guest bedroom tonight. He knew the way since he had spent many nights there after a late-night ballgame we had watched together.

Tray staggered upstairs and went to bed. Linda and I cleaned the kitchen up and went upstairs and changed for bed. Neither of us could sleep and we continued to talk. Linda said "You know he is doing this because he is so depressed and can't seem to find a way out of his depression." I told her "I know and we have tried to get him some professional help but he has always refused. We have tried everything and if he goes through with this he will probably end up dead in some backward third world nation. There will be nobody to mourn him or bury him and we may never know what happened to him. I told Linda my heart is breaking and I don't know what to do."

Linda said she loved him almost as much as she does me and I know you love him like a brother. I would do anything to change his mind. Linda and I talked for almost another hour and came up with nothing. I had almost given up hope of saving my best friend from himself when Linda said "Maybe if I talked to him." I said we have both tried for hours. She said I know but what if I went to him tonight and comforted him. I looked at her and knew what she was suggesting. We lay there not saying anything for a while. She said "I love Tray and don't want to see him hurt or lose him and willing to do anything to help our friend but if you say no or think that it might affect our relationship, I won't go to him. She said I love Tray but I am in love with you and only you. You are my husband and I intend to spend all my days with you until I die. If there is any doubt that it would affect us, I will not do this." She then turned to me and looked into my eyes.

I told her I loved her with all my heart and she was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I told her she knows all about my history with Tray and how much I love him. If she thinks there is a chance she can change his mind and keep him from doing this foolish thing that will most likely get him killed, please try. I won't think any less of her but rather understand the sacrifice and dedication she is showing by trying to change Tray's mind and save him.

Linda looked at me for a few seconds, leaned over and kissed me and said "I love you with all my heart" and got out of bed and walked to the guest bedroom where Tray was sleeping. I heard her quietly shut the door to the guest bedroom. I lay awake all night with my emotions all over the place. My wife was lying in the arms of another man as I lay here. I wasn't sure what I was feeling. It wasn't betrayal, we had discussed it. It wasn't cheating or because she had fallen in love with another man. It was Tray, the man we both loved and who was hurting and finding no way out, was making a foolish decision that would most likely lead him to his death and we all knew it.

I didn't sleep at all that night and got up early and went downstairs to make coffee and start breakfast. I had eggs and bacon frying and you could smell the coffee brewing. I heard someone behind me and turned to see Tray and Linda standing behind me. Linda and Tray both looked scared and with anxiety written all over their face. No one spoke or moved until Tray said "I'm sorry man. I woke up and she was there and I held her and cried and.....". I told Tray "Linda and I love you and she and I will do whatever it takes to help you through this. You are about to make a big mistake and Linda thought she might be able to get you see your mistake." Linda still looked anxious and concerned but I held my arms out to her and she rushed into my embrace and held on tight. She kept saying "I love you so much."

I told them to sit down, breakfast was almost ready. We ate mostly in silence. After we cleaned up the dishes I said we need to talk. I told Tray "Linda came to you last night to show you how much we love you and what you mean to us. We don't want you to leave us and break up our family." Tray was quiet for a minute and then I saw a tear drop start down his cheek. Tray said "I knew you guys loved me but what the two of you did last night for me is unbelievable. I needed someone last night to shake me to my core and show me a way to begin healing and Linda is probably the only one who could do it and like an angel she appeared. I will be forever grateful."

Tray said "I couldn't ask for a better send off than last night." Linda looked at him and said "you stupid jerk, you think I did all that last night so you could go off and get yourself killed. You told me last night made all the difference in the world." Tray looked at her and said it did. He would now leave a happy man and whatever happened he would have the memory of last night forever. Linda and I looked at each other in dis-belief. She said "I thought last night would make you see what you are giving up by leaving and going overseas." He said last night was fantastic but if he stayed, in another two or three weeks he would be right back to where he was now and it would only shortly delay him leaving for overseas.

I looked at Linda and then at Tray and said what if this wasn't just a one-night event. Tray stared at me like I had grown a third eye. Linda said "What are you suggesting?" I said, "If everyone is agreeable maybe Tray could sleep over some time and you could give him some "special" time." Tray and Linda both yelled "what?" at the same time.