Tango on the Razor's Edge Ch. 01

Chapter 1/27: The Cuckold

Dan and Holly sat across from me at the executive conference room's large African lacewood table. He had the self-confidence and muscular build of a high school football star, even though his star had set long ago. He was a former frat boy who had inherited the company from his father. She was a statuesque bombshell and his right-hand woman. The plunging neckline of her feminine, navy-blue blazer framed her ample cleavage. Her dark hair flowed down to her shoulders, and her crystal blue eyes and deep red lips radiated cool detachment. I'd recently discovered she was Dan's lover. She was also my wife.

I worked on the factory floor, so I was unaccustomed to the room's comfortable leather chairs and plush carpeting. Dan had undoubtedly chosen this room to accentuate the disparity in our stature. He said, "I understand this is awkward for you, but, like it or not, your best play is to keep your head down and roll with the punches."

I shook my head without looking either of them in the eye. "I don't give a shit what you think. I'm leaving. That's all there is to it."

"Do you have another job lined up?"

"No."

"Do you have a place to live?"

I should have punched him in the nose when I had a chance, but now I couldn't reach across the table. I didn't want to chase him around the room, so I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair. "Let's cut the crap. I'm done, and that's that."

"You're quitting your job, ending your marriage, and leaving your home with no plans and nowhere to go?"

"It's better than putting up with this bullshit every day."

Dan clasped his hands together on the table and calmly said, "If quitting is a good idea today, it will be a good idea next week. Think about your options over the weekend. Come up with a plan, and we'll talk again on Monday."

"GOD DAMN IT. I ALREADY TOLD YOU WHAT I WANT. CUT MY FUCKING SEVERANCE CHECK AND LET ME GET OUT OF HERE."

Holly broke her silence: "Finally, a little emotion."

I glared at her, regretting that I'd given her the satisfaction of knowing how devastated I felt.

Dan took my outburst in stride. He said, "Stop and think. You're not on that floor because you couldn't be up here in the executive suite. You're down there because you're so damned good at it. Everyone on that floor respects you. Everyone up here respects you too."

In a forced cadence, I replied, "You don't respect me enough to keep your dick out of my wife."

Holly interrupted, "That's a different conversation. We'll have that one later."

We sat quietly for a few moments while I tried to figure out what the hell she was driving at. I'd known that she'd cheated on her first three husbands, but I thought our relationship was different. Only now did I realize that her sultry voice, conspicuous cleavage, and lace-stocking clad legs all screamed, 'Come fuck me,' to every guy who passed by.

Dan said, "I can't stop you from quitting, and I don't want you around if you're going to poison the well, but think about this, how is quitting going to make you feel any better?"

"You mean beyond the obvious? It will be nice not to have to look at the two people that betrayed me Every Single Fucking Day."

"What about the people on the floor, the people who count on you every single day?"

I liked the people I worked with, but I resented him using them against me. I replied, "Dan, fuck you and everyone who works for you."

He shifted in his seat. "You're obviously angry. Who could blame you? All I'm saying is that now's not the time to make life-altering decisions. You should wait until you're thinking clearly. I'm sure you can get a better deal than a severance check on your way out the door."

He was right, and we all knew it, but before I could respond, Holly interrupted, "Before we finish up, I'd like to speak with Nick alone. The two of us should have had that conversation first anyway." She looked at me and said, "There's a lot we need to discuss."

Dan said, "That's fine with me," then he sat back and waited for my reply.

As far as I was concerned, we were discussing the only issue of any consequence. "Let's just finish this now. I don't want to have to think about this bullshit any more than I have to."

Holly shook her head. "We have a lot of loose ends to sort out, and those loose ends aren't going to go away once you quit."

We had a house, a couple of cars, and some joint accounts, but none of that was too complicated. So, I'd assumed we'd make a clean break. While I tried to think of anything left unresolved, she reached across the table to caress my trembling hand and said, "I'm just asking for a little time. That's all."

It was almost surreal. She'd hurt me as badly as one person could hurt another, yet here she was asking for more. She cooed to me in her silky-smooth voice. "Just a little time. I promise you won't regret it."

As much as I longed to get away from her, I wanted to hear what she had to say. After a brief hesitation, I acquiesced by saying, "Fuck, alright."

She gently patted my hands and smiled in her small victory. "You see, that wasn't so bad."

Dan held the door for us as we left. As I passed by, he said, "Once you consider your options with a clear head, I'm sure you'll see my way is the best for all of us."

***

I'd intended to go straight home, but my assistant, Raul, intercepted me as I was leaving my office. "Do you have a minute?" he asked.

"Can it wait?" I felt bad about blowing him off, but I was desperate to escape the building.

"Until when? Are you going to have more time on Monday?"

I shook my head, "No, probably not. Is it quick?"

"It won't take too long," he assured me.

We went back to his office, which was out on the floor. He spread some papers across his desk, pointed to a numbered item, and asked about a modification I'd recently made. I tried to explain what I'd been thinking, but my mind was such a jumble that nothing I said made any sense. Eventually, he said, "Why don't we relax for a minute and talk about it over a couple of drinks."

"Sure. I could use a drink."

I followed him to The Olive Pit, which was our local joint. We took our usual table at the back and hashed out the procedural details that no longer interested me. He must have noticed something was wrong because he shifted gears by sharing the latest news about his kids and updating me on whatever his wife was up to. He asked how I was doing and how Holly liked working for Dan.

His wife, Juanita, had introduced me to Holly, so I think he felt responsible for what he could only suspect I was going through. To be fair, he'd warned me off her from the start. He'd said, "That woman goes through men like a woodchipper goes through logs." Of course, I'd ignored him. Holly was extraordinarily beautiful, and for some reason, she found me attractive. After only a few dates, she'd wormed her way into my mind, and not long after that, she'd wrapped me around her finger.

Raul let our conversation hang while the ice melted in our drinks. He offered to listen if I ever wanted to talk and then waited for me to fill the long, silent pauses. I appreciated his friendly intent, but I was too humiliated to get into my personal problems with him. I certainly didn't want him reporting back to Juanita that Holly was cheating on me. So, I let his attempts to start a conversation quietly die. After only a couple of rounds, I thanked him and went home to face my unfaithful wife.

***

Holly was waiting for me at the door with a Scotch on the rocks in her hand. She wore a corset that pushed her breasts up and contoured her waist. Over the corset was a lace skirt that hung to the floor. She handed me the drink and said, "Relax for a couple of minutes, and then I want to talk to you."

"We both know what's going on. Let's just get it over with."

"No, it's more complicated than you think."

"Give me a break. If it were complicated, you wouldn't be trying to solve it with pushed-up tits and a sexy skirt."

She smiled. "Okay, you've got me there." She kissed me on the cheek and said, "Please just sit down for a second and relax."

I reluctantly took a seat then asked, "Where are the girls?"

From the kitchen, she replied, "They're at Sally's."

Holly had one girl from each of her first two marriages. In a perfect world, I would have had kids of my own, but that was not in the cards for us. Her daughters were the next best thing. They were both in high school, and even though they weren't mine, they called me Dad and treated me like I was worth their time.

I was afraid to ask, but I needed to know. "Do they know about you and Dan?"

"Don't be silly."

"Is that a yes or a no?"

She looked at me sideways and said, "It's a no. They don't know."

"Well, they'll find out soon enough."

She fixed herself a drink then sat down next to me on the sofa. "I suppose. They already know that I've cheated in the past, so it's probably only a matter of time before they figure out that I've done it again."

We sat silently for a few moments while I considered the implications of the two young women I loved finding out what had happened. Our home would shatter, and, since they weren't biologically mine, I'd probably never see them again.

Holly broke my train of thought. "I didn't leave the suitcase open by accident, you know."

I shook my head, "What?"

"I left it open on purpose. I wanted you to find out about Dan and me."

"Oh, my God. You wanted my approval."

Her eyebrows arched, then she said, "That's right. There's no point in cuckolding you if you don't know about it."

"This is what you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes."

"Holy fuck. I didn't realize you were such a vicious cunt."

"I'm not vicious, and there's a lot more we need to discuss."

"There's more? I don't think I can handle any more."

"No, relax. I'm not out to get you. You may feel humiliated, but in the end, I think you'll see that my intentions are good." She took another sip of her drink and asked, "Were you entirely happy with our marriage three days ago?"

"Yeah, I was happy."

"Did you think it was everything it could be?"

"No. No marriage is, but I was happy with what we had, and that was enough."

"Why settle for happy? Why not expect more?"

"Are you suggesting I wanted you to fuck my boss, but I was too afraid to ask? Is that what you think I want out of my marriage?"

Holly reacted with a pensive tip of her head. "Maybe or maybe not, but either way, I can tell you're holding back, and that's holding our marriage back."

"This is fucked up. You have an affair with my boss, and somehow it's my fault."

"Of course, That's the way it always is. I wouldn't have an affair if I were getting everything I needed out of our marriage."

I put my drink down, stood up, and said, "This isn't a conversation I want to have."

"Please don't go. We have a lot more to discuss."

"I've heard enough. I'm going to get my shit and get out of here."

"Before you go, I want to say one thing to you. Will you please listen?"

"What the fuck could you possibly have to say that would make a difference?"

"Give me a minute, and you'll know."

I shook my head, rested my hands on my hips, and said, "Alright, go ahead."

Holly patted the seat next to her on the sofa, then waited for me to sit down before she said, "I want to be married to someone who shares their deepest, darkest secrets with me. I want a husband who is vulnerable to me, and I want to be vulnerable to him. I want to explore his fantasies and to have him explore mine. I want it all." She paused for a moment then continued, "You are a good man, a great stepfather, and a faithful husband, but I want more."

I'd thought she'd try to get me to stay, but obviously, she wanted more. I stood up and said, "I'll pack my shit and get out of here."

"Wait; what?"

"If Dan can give you more, then what the fuck am I doing here?"

"No, I want more from you. I want you to be vulnerable to me. I want to be vulnerable to you, Nick Harwood. Do you understand that?"

"What does this have to do with you having an affair?"

"I'm getting to that, but first, you have to understand that I want you to be more intimate with me. Does that make sense to you?"

"No. I don't see how it relates to what happened."

Holly took a thoughtful sip from her drink, then said, "You knew my luggage was full of lingerie when you dropped me off at the airport on Tuesday morning. You knew that I was traveling with Dan, and you knew we were staying in the same hotel. You knew that I'd cheated on all of my other husbands and that there was only one reason for me to pack all of that frilly underwear."

"That's enough."

"You knew that I'd left you at home to take care of the girls, your stepdaughters, while I'd be wearing it."

"Please stop."

"You knew that I was going to dress up like a cheating slut for Dan when you dropped me off at the airport."

I interrupted her. "I don't want to hear this."

She continued undaunted. "You knew it when you dropped me off, but you didn't bring it up until I got back to work this afternoon." In a matter of moments, her mood had shifted from soft pleading when she'd asked me to sit down to gentle explanation when she'd urged me for more intimacy. Now it had become a harsh accusation of complicity.

"Are you saying that I shouldn't have trusted you? That I should be a jealous husband and monitor everything you do?"

She smiled slyly and replied, "Oh, this goes way beyond that."

I was confused, off-balance, and nothing she said made any sense. I asked, "Then what the fuck are you driving at?"

"What did you do when you were alone in our bed? Did you think of busty twenty-year-old coeds on spring break while stroking your cock?"

"Stroking my cock? How in the fuck did our conversation get here?"

"Come on. Don't pretend you didn't beat off."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Just answer the question. What did you think about while you masturbated?"

"I don't want to answer the question."

"I don't care what the answer is. I just want it to be honest."

"Why would I answer a question like that?"

"Because I asked you to."

"You don't understand. We're finished. I'm thirty seconds from walking out that door for the last time, and I'm in no mood to start confessing my shortcomings. If you have something to say, just fucking spit it out."

She leaned back in her seat and answered the question for me. "You were thinking of Dan and me, weren't you?"

My reaction must have confirmed her suspicion. She put her arms around me, kissed me on the lips, and said, "Don't worry about it. I already knew. Now tell me what we were doing."

Her kiss threw me even further off balance. I'd expected her to beg me for a second chance or tell me how sorry she was that things hadn't worked out. Instead, she was asking about stuff that was none of her business. I asked, "Are you serious?"

"Yes. I want to know."

"If you're so damned smart, why don't you tell me?"

"Look, I can help you understand why I'm having an affair if you just answer my questions. You can still divorce me if you want, but at least you'll know what happened."

"Okay, let's do it your way. I imagined you sucking his cock and him fucking you. Are you happy?"

"I don't believe you. Tell me the truth."

"That is the truth."

"That's part of the truth, but it's not the important part. Tell me what got you off that night."

"I already told you. You guys were getting it on."

"Were you there in the room with us?"

After a long pause, I said, "Yes."

"What were you doing?"

"I'm not ready to share that."

"Did you join us?"

I said nothing, but something in my body language must have betrayed my silence because she pressed on, "Were you tied up?"

I shook my head.

"What was going on?" She maneuvered to unearth the truth I was trying to keep buried.

"Can we please just leave this where it lies?"

Holly wouldn't let it go. "Tell me what you were doing."

"Please stop."

"This will be the last question. Answer this one question, and we'll stop."

"No. I don't want to answer any more questions."

"Look, you're not getting this. The point isn't about the specifics. The point is shared intimacy. I need you to share your intimate secrets with me. Can you please do that?"

"Okay, fine. We'll do it your way, but I'm only going to answer one more question. So, ask something important."

"What were you wearing?"

"Really? That's what you want to know?"

"Yes. Tell me."

"Why do you want to know that?"

"I don't care one way or the other. All I want is an honest answer. You were dressed up, weren't you?"

I stared at her in disbelief.

"Please tell me."

I couldn't reply.

"You were wearing panties, weren't you?"

How could she possibly know that?

"Were you wearing a bra?"

I nodded.

"Stockings?"

"Yes, I was dressed up like a fucking little girl. Are you happy?"

"Oh my God, you're a crossdresser."

I was utterly humiliated. My cheating wife now knew a truth I'd kept secret for nearly thirty years, and with one indiscretion, she'd ruined our marriage and my life. Heaven only knew how she would torment me now that she knew the truth.

She beamed like a seven-year-old on Christmas morning. She wrapped her arms around me, kissed me deeply on the lips, and said, "It's okay. I can work with that. Everything is going to be alright."

I kissed her back, but I was confused. "Why did you do that?"

Holly held my hand like she was afraid I'd slip away. "Because I wanted you to admit the truth to me."

"But I was happy the way it was."

"Maybe, but you'll be happier now that you no longer have to pretend."

"You think I'll be happier after you leave me for Dan?"

She shook her head as her free hand landed on my crotch. "Don't be silly. I'm not leaving you."

"Of course you are. You're already cheating on me. It's only a matter of time before you're gone. Besides, why would you want to be married to a crossdressing cuckold?"

She stroked my embarrassingly hard cock through my pants and said, "For the same reason, you want to be married to a slut like me. Can't you see? We're made for each other. I love torturing you, and you love being tortured."

"No. That can't be true. It's much too brutal."

She squeezed my cock through my khakis and said, "Yes. It is brutal, and it can hurt, but it's also passionate, intimate, and intense. Exploring our dark secrets will be exciting. It will make us feel vibrant and young again. It will connect us as we've never been connected before. It may hurt, and it may even be humiliating, but it's so worth it."

She finished off her drink, took my hand, and led me into the dining room. "Dinner's ready. We can talk while we eat."

***

She'd prepared chicken in a creamy white sauce with shallots and mushrooms on a bed of white rice. There were also some green vegetables and a salad. It was a lovely meal, but nothing extraordinary.

I took a couple of bites and then asked the obvious question, "Does this mean you're going to be sleeping with Dan again soon?"

"Yes, we have another trip next week."

"Do I have any say in it?" I asked, knowing that any sway that I might have once had had long ago evaporated.

"On whether I sleep with Dan?"

"Yeah, what if I say no?"

She rested her hand on mine and said, "Oh, Baby. It's a little late for that."

"Why did it have to be Dan? Couldn't you have picked some stranger I didn't know?"

"I suppose, but doing it with someone you know makes it more intense. And you must deal with Dan every day, so it's super intense. Every time you talk to him, you'll think about his cock in my mouth or my pussy. You'll think of my betrayal and your humiliation."

"Yeah, exactly. I can't get away from it. If you'd fucked someone else, I could escape, at least for a few days at a time."