That was it!

Ellie went out on Friday. One of the girls in her office was getting married in few weeks. It wasn't a hen do. All the girls were going to Blackpool next weekend, this was just an office get together with a few other people from the company. I complimented her on how she was dressed very smart. She looked at me, smiled and flashed his stocking tops and said. "These are for you when I get home." That was good because I had noticed them and wondered who they were for. But she had taken to wearing them more often since she lost weight. Not all the time, just when we went out somewhere nice.

Ellie was very quiet when she got back, it was gone one o'clock when she got in, later than I was expecting. There would be no time for hanky panky tonight, I was a bit miffed, I was looking forward to a bit of loving. But tomorrow would do, we had the whole weekend. I wasn't worried.

And she did make it up to me not having the Friday night, I was worn out by Wednesday.

I got home the following Friday and Julie's car was there. We weren't expecting her, but never mind she was always good company. I went in through the front door and called out. "How are my two most favourite girls in the world doing?"

There was no sound, I opened the door into the kitchen and there was Ellie and Julie sitting at the kitchen table sobbing. I saw an envelope in front of Ellie. Shit, she was going to divorce me. I pulled myself together and sat down. "What's this all about?"

If Julie was here, it was serious.

"I've been sacked." said Ellie.

"Why?" I asked quietly.

Julie opened her mouth to speak but Ellie put a hand across to her. "No, I have to tell him." She looked at me. "I had sex with Richard last Friday in the back of his car. The company found out and we both got sacked." There were even more tears. "I'm sorry sweetheart. I got carried away. It was a mistake and I won't do it again. I will never see him again. I will never go anywhere without you." Now she's a complete mess of tears.

I looked at Julie. "Do you know what happened, I thought you were there?"

"No, I didn't go. It didn't seem right having the head of HR go to something like that."

I could see her point. "So how did she get found out? Why has it taken a week?"

Ellie was still crying. She was incapable of putting two words together, so Julie answered. "You know the MD's wife Sherrie. Well, she was out with friends Saturday evening in the Red Lion, and she heard a young man bragging he had sex with his boss, her mind went back to last New Years Eve. She recognised Richard especially when he said. "It wasn't as good as I expected, but any pussy is good pussy especially if it's old and has a chunky body."

A new round of crying came from Ellie. Julie carried on. "I was told on Monday that there would have to be an investigation. I told management I couldn't do it as I was a personal friend of Ellie's, and I would not warn either Ellie or Richard. I visited another office so I wouldn't have to bump into Ellie. Katie went and did her business, she's very good at that, she has the innocent looking face, but she is very bright. It didn't take her long to get the information on what happened. Richard's mates bragged how he had fucked the boss. Some of them even had pictures of them walking out to his car together. He had his arm around her waist. One of them even put it on his Facebook page. They were so proud of that, and so was Richard that he had fucked the boss, and he could look forward to 'special treatment' for him and his mates. We think he was going to blackmail her. He was interviewed today and when confronted with the evidence he admitted he'd done it. They had done it in the back of his car.

He was escorted off site straight from the office. Ellie was interviewed this morning and like Richard, when confronted with the evidence she admitted it. She was also escorted off site from the office. "I'm sorry David but there was nothing I could do."

I didn't know whether to cry, shout or scream so I just sat there. The fucking bitch.

"Get out, pack your bags and go, I don't care where."

"Oh, please we can sort this out. It was a mistake, I was consoling him and I got carried away. We just went to his car to chat. He told me his grandmother had died of a broken heart and his girlfriend dumped him again. I'm sorry sweetheart I won't do anything like that again please forgive me. I was stupid. I was drunk, he kissed me and I got carried away. It won't happen again."

I sat there for a few seconds with things going through my brain. that's why all the sex this week, guilt. The stockings she wore on Friday night for me? I don't think so. I think she fancied Richard from the start and this was her opportunity. How fucking stupid is she.

"I don't care, get out. I think you've been chasing Richard all this while flaunting your new body in front of him, so no I don't care what reasons you give me, drunk or not. Just fuck off and leave me alone."

"Where will I go?"

"Your Mum and Dad are still alive, perhaps they might like some help in their 90s, I really don't care. just get out. I will start the divorce proceedings on Monday. I think you planned all this. Nothing you're going to say will make me think anything else."

"Please can we talk about this, it was a mistake, I got carried away, I am so sorry."

"Fuck off, you planned this from the start, and I bet he's shit at it. All youth and vigour. Comes in 30 seconds leaving you high and dry. And you think I am going to take you back, you can take a fucking long run off a fucking short pier."

I looked at Julie. "Would you do me a favour and take her away please?" They both went upstairs. I heard them come down about 5 minutes later, Ellie was still crying. Julie wasn't much better.

Julie was carrying a suitcase. "I'll take her to my place for now. it was a mistake of hers, please think about it. Can I pop round and see you tomorrow?"

"I suppose so, just don't bring that slut."

I didn't see them out. I headed towards the whiskey bottle. Fucking whore. All those thoughts I had back in the New Year about her not getting the house came flooding back into my mind. I was even more determined this time. It came to me, she lost the weight to placate me, but it was a ploy to get fucked by Richard all along. I bet she got carried away being drunk and threw discretion out the window.

I woke up Saturday morning still dressed and laying on the sofa, just moving was painful in the head, I made it to the toilet before I threw up. I went back to the sofa, I wanted my bed but there was no way I was going to be able to get up the stairs.

I heard the key in the front door, even that noise hurt, but I got myself upright and prepared to shout at Ellie. But it was Julie. I flopped back down as Julie went upstairs. She came to me a few minutes later. "Here, paracetamols and drink all of this water. Rehydrate yourself. I guessed you'd do this."

I just mumbled and laid down again. The next thing I remember was the smell of coffee. I sat up, I was feeling a lot better, that wouldn't be hard to do. Julie walked in with a mug of coffee. "Feeling better?"

"A bit, what are you doing here, where is Ellie?"

"Why do you want her?

"Not a fucking snowballs chance in hell. I want her out and gone, so I can carry on myself."

"Can't you forgive her for one mistake?"

My head hurt so much I put it in my hands and started with all the things I thought of before I got too paralytic to even think. "It started about three years ago. She checked out of our marriage, her words, not mine." I thought about it, how much do I tell Julie? Bugger it. She's our friend, let her decide. "One night before Christmas I wanted to get intimate, and she just said. 'If you must' and just laid there. After that I stopped trying. Then there was the New Year's Eve fiasco. I don't think she was as innocent as she made out. Hindsight is an exact science. Leaving me outside for 12 minutes, whilst she danced with Richard. Then losing all this weight, new clothes, sexy stuff. She worked out that Richard liked bigger older women and if she could get me on side, she could get a pop at Richard. It was all a ploy. She admitted she fancied him. And she had the chance, she just didn't think his mates would follow him and put it on Facebook. I think she planned all this from the start."

"Dave, she loves you, she wouldn't do that to you. Things just got out of hand, that's all."

"I'm sorry Julie, you've been a good friend to us for the last twelve years or so, but this time it's too much, even if it was innocent. I don't think it was, she had sex with another man and that's me out of this marriage. And I bet his Grandparents aren't dead."

She looked across my shoulder at nothing in particular. "No, they are both alive and well and living in Spain. It came out as part of the investigation."

We sat there in silence for a while, then Julie asked. "Can I get some more of her clothes?"

"Help yourself, take it all. She's not coming back."

"Aren't you going to ask where she is?"

"Nope, don't care, I just hope she's not a burden on you."

"She's going to her parents. My place is too small for two people."

I went and found Julie some suitcases. She went into our bedroom and I helped her pack Ellie's clothes, take them downstairs and put them in the back of her car. "There really is no chance is there?" she asked.

"I am pretty certain she planned this from the word go, she made a mistake of leaving Richard out of the planning. If they had got together and she told him what she planned, they could have got away with it, and I'd have been none the wiser.

"Look Julie, I've not got many years left on this earth and I intend to enjoy them, not worrying about what she's doing or who she's with or some other young 'Richard' who has a fetish for old fat women. No, I'm done. Maybe I'll find a widow or divorcee who will be happy to keep my bed warm at night."

We put the suitcases into her car and she looked at me and said, "I've left my handbag indoors, can we go and fetch it?" Not the handbag ploy.

I followed her in, I was in the hallway just inside the house and she came back to me. "I'm sorry this has happened. I feel really sorry for you. I had no idea she was going to do this. I warned her what would happen if she played outside the rules."

I gave her a small smile then she did something strange. Weird.

She put an arm up around my neck, looked me in the eyes and said. "David, I'm here for you. You've done nothing wrong. Just give me a call anytime." Then she pulled me down to her and kissed me on the lips, just like she did when she came round just after New Year. Was I missing something, sometimes I can be a bit slow, especially when it comes to women, I think my experiences with Ellie prove that.

The rest of the day was spent tidying up the house, phoning the children and telling them what happened. But Elliott, our eldest, got in first and phoned me. All of a sudden it was my fault. Until I pointed out that the company had done an investigation and confirmed from several sources, that their mother had sex with another man, a subordinate. It appears that wasn't the story that Ellie told the children.

I drank too much Saturday evening but nothing Sunday. I pulled myself up by my bootstraps. I had work to do, customers were relying on me. I saw the divorce solicitor Tuesday morning. It would be a hard push but he thinks I can keep the house, but there may be a substantial payoff from our savings. I would burn the house down before I gave it to her.

I had a phone call from Ellie's Dad. He was asking what happened. His body may be frail, but his brain wasn't. Ellie had again told the same story to her parents that she had told the children. I put him right on that as well. Unlike the children he didn't try to change my mind.

The divorce petition was issued on Thursday, I got phone calls from Ellie. I Ignored them

Work kept me busy all week. I took on all the work I could. But the weekend was going to be shit. It was 6:30 on Friday night I'd opened my first beer. I had to stay away from the whiskey, well I had run out of it. I sat in front of the television wondering where my life was going to go? There was a knock at the front door. Who the bloody hell was calling this time of night. If it was Ellie, she was going to short shrift.

I opened the front door, it was Julie. She still has her own door key, why was she knocking? And she looked good. And from the smell she had Chinese food with her.

She gently pushed me back inside. She said. "I've bought dinner. This weekend will be hard on you. So I will be here for you."

I let her in. She told me to go sit on the sofa, she bustled around the kitchen and came back with two plates of Chinese food on trays. "What are we watching on telly tonight, is there a film?" She asked.

My head was all of a spin. What the bloody hell was happening.

I found a Johnny English film.

We finished dinner, I put the plates away and got her a glass of wine. She said just the one that she was driving.

Then the fog was clearing. But I had to confirm it. I turned and looked at her.

"Julie, be honest with me, what the hell is this all about?"

She leaned across, took my hands and looked me square in the face. "David, I won't hide anything from you, ever. I have loved you from the first week we met. You are a loving, kind, thoughtful man. But you were my best friend's husband, so nothing was going to happen. She's my best friend, I tried to keep you two together, so you two could be happy. But now she has screwed it up.

"I know you like me as a friend, but I don't know how deep that goes. I was not going to declare my attraction to you until you divorced her, but when she got the paperwork, and I've listened to you I know there is no way back for you. I'm here for you. In every way. I mean in every way." With that she leaned forward and kissed me full on the lips. I sat there still stunned.

She stood up and walked to the front door. I couldn't catch her up in the hall. I liked Julie a lot. But did I understand exactly what she said? Shit why do women do this to you?

I had another bad night's sleep. Sunday morning when I got up it was a reasonable hour. I phoned Julie and asked her if I could pop round to see her. I had sorted out a few things out in my brain. But I still had one question.

I got to her place mid-afternoon, and she opened the door to me. I don't remember her looking this good, she always seemed to dress down, very professional, not sexy professional. She made me a cup of tea and we sat looking at each other across the kitchen table. I had to start "Julie, I'm confused. You say you've loved me for a long time, for many years. Why didn't you say anything?"

"David. You're an honourable man, you would not have cheated on Ellie, and I wouldn't have let you. I love Ellie as a sister, she's been a good friend. She helped me through my divorce, well you both did. I started telling her two or three years ago she needed to look after herself. Now, and as you say hindsight is in exact science. We'd been drinking a bit this last week and she has let a few things slip. I think she fancied Richard and knew about his fetish for older large women. It was right up her street. I didn't think of it at the time, but I think you're right, she planned most of this. She will never admit it of course.

"I know you like me, and you have an affection for me. I'm hoping that will be enough for you to let me fully into your life. I have watched you for the last dozen or so years. I probably know you better than you know yourself. Ellie has even told me some of the things you get up to in the bedroom, not too much, no intimate details. I know you like corsets and stockings. But what red blooded man doesn't."

She looked at me and smiled. "David, I think you might need a little while to sort this out. I will be here for you as a friend. Or more if you want it." She paused. "I will be that divorcee that will warm your bed, you don't have to love me, just let me show my love for you. I have given you a lot to think about. So, I think you had better go now. Please remember that I love you, give me a call at any time."

I had several thoughts running around inside my head. I thought Julie was smart, Intelligent, witty and good fun to be around. I considered her one of my best friends. I had thought she dressed a bit down. But seeing her this last couple of times I felt I was looking at a new Julie. She was correct; she had given me a lot to think about. Over the last few years, I had occasionally thought about what it would be like with her. Especially when Ellie started to put on weight and lost her interest in having intimacy. But I had pushed the thought away, I was married, and she was our friend.

I lay awake most of the night turning things over in my head. It was quite simple. She was attractive and good fun to be around. And had been a good friend for a long time so the answer was simple. I wouldn't know if it could work unless I tried it. But the big question was did I want to put myself in that position again, to be hurt? But I reasoned if she had waited 12 years or more, then it was probably worth the risk.

I telephoned Julie later that morning and asked if we could go out on Wednesday. I suggested a restaurant which had just been opened. I didn't want to use the one that was Ellie and my favourite. I wanted neutral ground.

I got there early, she arrived fashionably 2​​ minutes late. She was smartly dressed, not dowdy and not sexy. She had picked something neutral as well. When the waiter asked if we wanted starters. We declined, I think she wanted to get over the meal and get down to the real reason for coming here. When the coffee arrived, I looked at her and took a deep breath. She sensed it and sat upright in her chair. "Julie. Please let me finish. You have been one of my best friends for over a dozen years. I know you've tried to keep Ellie on track. You are an attractive, intelligent, fun lady." She looked down into her lap. I think she thought she was going to get some brush off, she was waiting for a 'but'. Then I realised I got the approach all wrong. So a quick change to my planned speech. "And I would love to be seen around town with you on my arm." Her head came up quickly looking at me, she opened her mouth to speak but I held my hand up. "I will tell you now that I'm frightened of being hurt again. But if I don't try a relationship with you. I will never know. And I would regret that for the rest of my life. So yes, we can give this a go. But I insist on one thing. no intimacy until I'm a single man. Because that would still seem like cheating."

She had her hands up to her face, tears were pouring out of her eyes. She pulled herself together. I gave her my hanky, she used it to dry her tears. "David, I will never hurt you. I have waited too long to lose you by hurting you. I know Ellie said similar things over the years, but I have one chance to make my life complete. I will not let you down." She reached a hand across to me and took mine. Looking me in the eyes. She said, "I would take you to my bed tonight. But If waiting until you're single is your wish then I will abide by it. I just hope that no intimacy means we can't kiss like lovers. Like the lovers I believe we're going to become."

I smiled back at her. "I think we can do that."

Ellie didn't fight the divorce, I did give her a large chunk of our savings. I kept the house. On the night of the day the divorce came through I took Julie to the new bed I had got for the occasion. We found the transition from friends to friends with benefits, to lovers was very quick. The fact we had known each other for so long probably made that easier. We never discussed marriage. We didn't see the need to go down that route.