The Beginning Pt. 01

The Beginning

"Kevin! Come look, I think the new neighbor is moving in!"

To this day, I still consider that statement, that invitation as the starting point for me, and the turning point in my relationship with my husband of 22 years Kevin. Please I urge you, if you think that this is going to be some steamy recollection of my infidelity, or a stoic memoir of my straying from my marital vows, then please stop right here. It is nothing of the sort. My husband and I got married pretty early in our 20s. It has been a journey full of ups and downs, but mostly with a lot of stagnancy over the years all things considered. Not that I wish to complain; he and I fell into a preset routine after our first child. That routine continued after the second; and let's be honest, we simply welcomed it. Well up until now that is...

Kevin and I met when I was 18 and just starting college, he was about a year older than I and in his third year. Soon after, we announced that we were engaged to our families who instantly took a liking to the both of us. He is my life companion, we both knew it and that eased our acceptance of those stagnant routines I mentioned earlier--what a trap that was. Yet today, now that both our kids are out of the nest and that the routines no longer apply, we are finding ourselves in a predicament that we should have seen coming all those years ago--boredom, and a loss of self.

Perhaps it was that boredom that led me to do what I did, perhaps it was a discovery and acceptance of the self that led him to encourage it.

Indeed, this isn't a story about a lovely attractive woman such as myself--who said that aging equates to "aesthetic stagnancy/regression"--destroying everything she has built or helped build over the years over a cheap affair. Nor is it a tale of a helpless woman in need of physical attention; my Kevin and I still enjoy our sex life. No, it is instead a tale of experiences; yes mostly sexual in nature, but also one of discovery and self embrace in substance.

Oh how much I wish to tell all the titillating details to my friends. How much I wish to see the expression on their face at the perceived depravity of it all. I yearn to do so but I can't, not yet; so this will do for now!

When the previous occupant moved out Kevin and I only wished for one thing, a new neighbor as cordial as them. Considering the housing market, it was no surprise to see a line of hopeful buyers form quickly during those days of open house. A few of them interacted with us when they saw us on the street either positioning our trash bins for the next day pick-up or simply coming back from a walk. One such hopeful was Andre; a moderately tall man of african heritage. He was friendly and quite good looking in my opinion; although he likes to deny it, I believe he knows it too. We struck up a conversation and within a matter of minutes I already knew that this would be his first house, that he worked as a biochemical engineer--a point of interest for me since I am a nurse at the local hospital. Just like Kevin and I, he enjoys hiking and camping along with other physical activities that keep him in good shape. He and I kept at it even after my husband excused himself and left to put away the groceries we had just bought. It was a lovely conversation that quite obviously left a good impression on me. Shortly after, I said my goodbyes and wished him good luck with the sale.

That was a month ago. And here I am by the window of the small foyer that offered a panoramic view of the street across and of my neighbors on both sides of the house. The U-haul truck had just parked and the driver was obviously busy at the rear. I feigned a small wish to catch a glimpse of them, and further still, deeply and quietly I desired them to be one of the prospective buyers we had interacted with--okay fine, perhaps one in particular!

Kevin approached me from behind and joined me to take a peep out of the new tenant(s).

"Let's go say hi! Not a good first impression if they catch us being creepy peepers!" I barely had time to react before Kevin kissed me on the cheeks and started heading toward the entrance.

"No it's fine, they are busy moving-in anyway, let them settle in and we can go introduce ourselves after!" I told him as I quickly caught his arm in my hands. "What are you doing? Just go!" a thought that came to mind which i quickly ignored.

Instead, I led him back to the living room and there I invited him to snuggle with me. I know, this may come as a surprise. If our marriage has come to a stagnant point, why are we still so intimate with each other? The answer to that is simple really. As I alluded to before, Kevin and I still love each other, he still looks at me and gets excited about me as he used to when we first met. This is equally true for myself! Yet, he and I have come to the realization that something is amiss, not worryingly so, but it's a nagging feeling we get from time to time.

Over time, we've decided to ignore it and let things run their course. After All, we are happy together!

And so our day went on like this, selectively oblivious to what was happening next door.

Ding... ding... ding

The chime reverberated throughout the foyer. It was one of my days off and despite my night robe still on at 11:30 am, I didn't care about the state in which the person at the door would find me.

"Oh hey, Mary right? Hi! We met about a month ago on the front lawn..." he paused, and looked at me as if waiting for my response. "Why didn't I look through the Eye-piece first!?" I ask myself rhetorically. "Come on, say something!"

"Well, I got the house, I'm your new neighbor!" he says enthusiastically.

I feign and try to act stoically, I pretend that I don't remember his name. "Coward...!" He doesn't seem to see through my deceptive behavior; I am glad as I am wishing for a redo. Andre, he says matter of factly. I play my part...

"Oh Andre, oh goodness I'm so sorry I can't believe it escaped me..." I go through the flow, the scripted dialogue that one can imagine would take place in such a situation. Still, it doesn't take long for us to get lost in conversation. Last time it was about zinc finger binding, this time, it's about plants, more specifically the health of our respective gardens. Soon enough, the moment is gone, I am again by myself, this time in the foyer, standing and enjoying the afterglow. I come back to myself on time to hear the oven alarm buzz. The cookies are ready! A grin finds its way across my face; a part of me is planning, if not, plotting. But what do I know, I am just going to get my cookies out of the oven, package them up and send them to the local market.

The trip to the market should have taken me about 30 min, but instead, it took me 15 min. The only excuse I could make to friend Lisa was that I still had some other food prep to get in order. After thanking me for the cookies, I slowly rushed out to my car. I know...! The oxymoron isn't lost on me, but it was exactly that. I was eager to return home, but acted all serene on the outside.

I drove back hurriedly, I am fairly certain that a patrolling cop eye rolled at me when he saw me slow down near him. Quite honestly, it would have been as exciting too to be pulled over. Yet, it still served as a reminder to drive safely and so I did--but that did nothing to assuage the growing frustration inside me--of all the things we chose not to evolve, wings were one of those. And good grief was I wishing for some...

Andre waved at me as I pulled into my driveway, I waved back at him before disappearing in the confines of my garage.

"Oh no i left some cookies here, well i can't eat these all by myself now can I!?" The hesitation however finally started creeping in. I wanted to do it but I couldn't bring myself to. I walked back to the foyer and slightly moved the blinds aside to look out. Andre was moving some heavy things from his car to the house. "He might need some help!" I reasoned. The hesitation was at it again. "Well, music always helps with-" The hesitation this time turned into a bit of dismay at my inability to act according to my will.

"Cookies...! Just bring the cookies!" I finally shrugged as I headed back to the kitchen.

"Hey...that's some hard work going on here heh!?"

Really was that the best I could come up with? Mary Angeline Thompson, two B.S in biology and social work, one Masters in public health, a trained nurse as knowledgeable as many of the doctors I get to boss around sometimes... and here I was, seemingly incapable of starting an intelligent conversation.

"Oh no, more like an overdue workout! But seriously, I am probably going to need some rest and stretching after this!"

I might as well call him a prophet now, little did we know that that statement would ring true soon enough. Little did we know that what would later unfold would be so neatly intertwined with that truth.

"Well you should, and don't forget some cookies. You'll need some sugar for strength-"

"...and moral support! Nurse orders, I take it?" he finished saying amused!

"I can't really say no to that now can I? I mean it's not every day that a nurse so willingly wants to give you some sugar!" he added teasingly with a wink!"

My jaws clenched, my eyebrows raised, my face flushed! What a cheeky guy!

"I'm joking Mary, it's just a harmless flirt! You are married, I know!" he continued.

Finally I had the ball back in my court! "Who said that flirting isn't allowed?" I said to him with an equal amount of cheekiness. I grinned at him and turned around toward my house as I motioned to him to close his jaw.

Later that night I would recount the event with my husband. He listened attentively, and laughed along. We had a habit of telling each other about these kinds of adventures that never resulted in anything else than the initial encounter.

"Oh man, I remember when you used to always do that to guys or gals who would attempt something with you. For some reason they never expected you to go along with it to a certain point. Glad to see you still have it!" "Hey, I got older, not obsolete!" I quipped.

I laughed as well, it was the truth after all. Back in those days, I had a knack for attracting a lot of attention and would always get some compliments here and there. At times someone bold enough would attempt to flirt with me and I would either squarely turn them away or surprise them and partake to a certain point. Flirting is not something that I saw as an all-around sure way to get into one's pants. One gal once asked me why I allowed it to happen if I wasn't planning to do anything further.

"Lisa, flirting has been bastardized! A good flirting is about making the other know that you'd like to sleep with them, but won't as that is not the goal at hand in the moment that the flirting is occurring. It is an art of vocal, visual, and cue exchange, to express one's admiration toward another regarding their physical appearance as often is the case, but also regarding something they may have just done. Flirting is the art to show one's interest without being vulgar, and with no expectation that they owe you...sex!" I told her.

I have always been grateful that I met and married a man who shared that belief! Even more so that he understands the issues surrounding flirting in the workplace or any other settings. Even between us, there was that dynamic of "push and pull" without the hubris of owed sexual gratification!

"So, am I going to have to worry about the younger guy replacing me?" Kevin asked! I laughed wholeheartedly, and reminded him that he wouldn't be able to get rid of me so easily! He snuggled closer to me and nibbled at my neck. It was tingling and it caused me to grind my buttocks even closer to his crotch area. Before we knew it, our clothes were off and I was guiding Kelvin inside me. The look inside his eyes was that of pure lust and yet, he seemed absent. This wasn't the first time that either of us would drift off while having sex; yet I couldn't help but wonder if today's event was at play. And just then, I felt him inside me, the familiar feeling of him orgasming and cumming. Perhaps it was the combination of him orgasming in me along with the thought that my flirting with the neighbor could have sent him over the edge also caused me to have an orgasm of my own. Or perhaps it was that sudden image of 'him' at the forefront of my mind in that split second after my husband came that also sent me over the edge. Regardless, Kevin and I were spent and only held each other tenderly...

After the pandemic began, I managed to convince my boss to let me handle the administrative work. This allowed me to work from home; and I couldn't be more thankful for that.

You see one day, Andre came back from work in an ambulance. It was odd to say the least, and so I put on my flip flops, a light sweater and headed to his house to inquire. I introduced myself as a nurse and Andre's neighbor to the EMTs and asked them what happened. Andre had pulled several muscles at his work and had requested to be discharged after his initial evaluation at the hospital.

Although he was under the effect of painkillers, he was still lucid enough. I quietly asked him why he elected to come home and his answer simply boiled down to the health care cost and affordability if he stayed at the hospital, especially that he had just bought a house. It made sense to me but it was still a risky idea. His brother called soon after and they seemed to be arguing. I got closer to inquire and...

"I already told you that I just need to take a Lyft to go to the hospital; there's no need to pay for a nurse to stand by!"

This issue with money seemed odd at first, but he would later let me know that he bid at a high price--35% above market value--to get the house. A lot of his available cash and savings went toward the downpayment and other costs.

They continued this back and forth argument for another 5 min and that's when it hit me.

"You are a nurse working from home!"

"I can watch over him!" I said. He paused and looked at me. I guess his brother inquired about the sudden silence because he put me on speaker and introduced me. "I work from home, I can look after your brother, my husband and I can take him in our house, and he will be under 24/7 assistance!"

"Can you make it a surveillance?" his brother asked. We laughed heartily! Andre seemed stupefied and tried to argue again, but this time both his brother and I quickly interrupted him. Now, I just needed to convince the EMTs to help me move him to my house, and also convince my husband. The latter was especially easy, I just had to explain the siblings' predicament. Right after they settled him in and left me with his treatment plan, I went to see him in one of the guest rooms.

"I am so sorry to impose on you and your husband like this, please let me cover some of your household expenses during my stay here. I smiled and thanked him for the offer. "They say that I will have to assist you to walk...your insurance should be able to cover the cost of physical therapy even as light as this treatment, so why refuse?"

"I panicked, I have always been wary of hospital bills." he responded straightforwardly.

I can pay you, but can you give me a neighbor discount?

"Oh I'll give you more th-" I interrupted myself.

I walked closer to the bedside, I feigned inspecting his legs, and couldn't help but enjoy the view of his toned muscles. I turned to him and told him that he will definitely have to follow all my instructions. He looked back at me with a mischievous grin. I laughed, and playfully slapped his other uninjured thigh. Only that he was well laid down inside the bed and having to reach to his thigh, I lost my balance. Luckily I caught myself on time and remained in a near bent position attempting to stifle the anxiety building up. He was fine, I simply got scared more than I should have. Extending his arm, his hand touched me at my waist as if trying to hold me. With a concerned face he asked me if I was okay.

I giggled nervously and told him that I almost made his injury worse.

"Gee Mary! Do you want to keep me here that much?" he said with a wider grin.

I looked at him for a bit and shook my head before leaving the room. Later that night, I recounted the interaction with my husband. He listened very attentively as if mesmerized. It reminded me of the last time he and I were intimate; and that set me alight. All of the sudden, I climbed on top of him and pulled off my top; He didn't hesitate to grab my breast, and lightly flick on my nipples. This sent waves after waves of pleasure down my spine. He knew what was coming and he smiled at me. I smiled back as I grinded myself against his already engorged penis. Laid on top of him as I continued grinding myself on him. His light fabric short made it easy to not get myself chafed. I could feel my wetness building up, and his member attempting to be freed from its heated confines. I couldn't take it anymore, and I pulled his shorts to his ankles, slid my panties to the side and guided him inside me. But then, a risky idea came to mind. I hesitated, I held him in my hand right at my entrance, the anticipation in his eyes telling me to continue. But I held it there!

"It's remarkably easy to banter with him and even flirt. It's like we are old friends...!" I said in his ears as I rode him. My heartbeats accelerated at an anxious pace. This was it, my gamble! Kevin may have been horny, but he still has his dignity as a husband and lover. He could definitely see what I was doing. He could have put a stop to it all...I would have understood why. Yet I hoped for the opposite. For it wouldn't mean to him and I that he lacks the dignity I mentioned just now, but simply that he was enjoying the fact that another man felt attracted to me and comfortable to play on the borders of temptation and taboo.

"...I gotta admit, there's something hot about this whole thing!"

I look at him and smile as I feel him get harder... I rode him wantonly that night!

The following morning, I helped Andre walk up the stairs--his bedroom being in the basement--and settled him on a kitchen stall, I served him some breakfast that he wholeheartedly consumed. We chatted for a bit before he left. I helped him to the living room where he spent most of his day, either on the phone with his family and friends, or watching tv. Of course this wasn't easy for him at first, but he quickly relaxed in that routine. After a few days, it became quite the ritual, me going downstairs, helping him up, feeding him breakfast...rinse & repeat. At night, I would tell my husband about our day together and he would ask me more and more personal questions about the whole thing. Kevin became more fixated on my short encounters with Andre--I was still busy during the day with my own paperwork and phone consultations. At some point Kevin asked me if I was feeling safe alone, of course, he apologized about having been hands off ever since the cohabitation began. Still, soon enough we went back to recounting my days and my light flirts with this man in our house. One thing that I seem to always linger on was the climb up the stairs each morning. At first Andre seemed reluctant to even hold onto me; this made these short travels up the stairs quite difficult. Over time however he started relaxing and that pushed our flirts further than anticipated. One day, I went down to help him up, and I found him still asleep. The basement bedroom had a window that let in an adequate amount of light, and as soon as I opened the blinds, He heard him stirring up. When I turned around to greet him, I was instead the one greeted with a view that burned itself in my mind. The bed sheet had started dropping down, as he struggled to sit up. And there, below his waist, his night shorts formed an unmistakable tent. I guess I starred longer than I originally intended as he profusely apologized.