The Love Shack Pt. 02

"I'm not into things like that! I just wanted to experience sex for the sake of sex, just physical gratification without any emotional attachment."

"You don't get it, do you? There was an emotional attachment. You plotted and conspired with what was supposed to be our friends, played around behind my back even if you didn't actually screw them. How many times were we in bed leading up to that weekend that you imagined one of the guys from the group on top of you instead of me?"

Bonny flamed red but didn't deny it. "It was supposed to be a grand adventure, you know? We would each get to experience something, me for the first time, you to add to your memories. In retrospect, I should have let sleeping dogs lie, but I was caught up in the excitement. If I knew how much this was going to hurt you, I probably would have stopped before it got out of hand. And I'm truly, deeply sorry I hurt you so badly. You seem to want honesty so I'm just going to say it. After a lot of thought, I've come to realize I'm not sorry I went through with it. I needed it to boost my self-esteem, to make me feel sexy and desirable again. You don't know how bad I've wanted you to make love to me, to reaffirm our love for each other. But you won't and my bed is getting lonely. You need to step up, Jimmy."

I took a deep breath. "Let's recap, shall we? You're sorry you hurt me. You're not sorry you chose to have sex outside the marriage with multiple partners. And you just told me you're anxious to show off what you've learned, and If I don't go along, you'll show someone else. I get that right?"

I finally pissed her off. "That's not what I said at all! Only the part about being sorry I hurt you. I did it and I'll never do anything like that again. It's time for you to get over your pity party and come back to me. And I swear, if you don't come to your senses soon, there will be someone else."

There it was, the straw that broke the camel's back. I didn't say another word, even as she screamed and ranted, following me to my truck. I managed to get in and lock the doors before she could get to me. It pissed her off so she stood in front of the truck and blocked me in the parking space. Not for the first time I appreciated the four-wheel drive option that allowed you to go into it with just the touch of a button. I revved the engine up while she stood and smirked. Her eyes got wide when I hit the gas, and she dove to the side. I ran over the landscaping and side swiped her car, then I was gone.

Three hours later I got a visit from the cops. It helped that I knew both of them, and when they asked if I had tried to run over my wife I grinned. "Only in my imagination. She was standing in the parking lot and you can tell by the torn shrubbery that when I left, I was nowhere near her."

"Did you damage her car?"

"Yes, I did. But I damaged it on private property and I won't be turning it in on insurance. And it's OUR car, both our names are on the title. Is it against the law to damage something you own on property you own?"

There was a prolonged phone call, but it was the opinion of law enforcement that nothing illegal happened. I called the dealership and had them deliver a rental and take hers into the body shop.

*****

The papers were served a week later. I made sure to be nowhere in the area, so when Bonny arrived in full battle mode, she had no one to rant to except herself and Jules. I knew I would have to face her, but I wanted it to be on my terms. It was still an unpleasant experience.

I made sure I had witnesses, thinking it might make it more reasonable. As usual, I was wrong. First, she tried the crying route, and when that didn't work, she got combative. "There will be no divorce! Not ever! This is not what I wanted when this started and it's damn sure not what I want now! Get your head out of your ass, Jimmy, and admit you love me and we can get over it."

"Can we, Bonny? You plotted and conspired behind my back for at least six months to get it to happen, went ahead with it when I begged you not to, and for four months you've been a broken record. I did it. Get over it. Let's go back to what we had. In almost a year all I've heard is what Bonny wants. When exactly did you stop thinking about what I may want? You've devolved into an incredibly selfish person, Bonny; one I have no desire to live with. What if you decide six months down the line that you need variety and want the cuckold lifestyle? We had a good run, Bonny. Let's try to remember the good times and get on with our lives."

I may as well have talked to the carpet. After half an hour I gave up and left. Jules was our witness and she showed up about two hours later. "You're really going to divorce her?"

"Jules, what would you do if you were married and he did what Bonny did? That is, if you didn't approve?"

Her sigh said it all. "I warned her that night, back on the beach. She didn't listen, telling me I was just saying that because you left and I didn't get a chance at you."

"Any truth to that?"

"Maybe a little. You were the best lover I ever had, Grunt. I've often thought I should have tried a little harder to keep you. Instead I handed you to my sister on a silver platter."

Well, that was surprising. "You never said a thing, Jules. I would have settled down with you in a minute and you knew it. You're the one that wanted to keep your freedom. Don't take this wrong, because I didn't just settle on Bonny, I loved her by the fifth date, but I wasn't really interested in her until you told me you weren't anywhere near ready to settle down."

She sighed. "Don't you think I realized that after it was too late? We can't rewrite the past, hon. If we could, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I'm only here because I promised I would talk to you. I can't pretend to know what's going on her head. If I could guess, I'd say she's having a good bit of buyer's remorse, but what she bought into doesn't come with a return policy. Plus, if she's honest, she knows she made a mistake. Her belief that you loved her enough to put up with anything backfired on her, and now she doesn't know how to handle it. Don't expect the divorce to go smoothly. She'll fight you at every turn."

"I wish she wouldn't, Jules. Say she does. All that would result in would be running up a big lawyer bill and eventually she'll run out of options and it will happen anyway. Ask her to keep it civil and short."

She stood and kissed my cheek. "I will, not that it will make any difference. I'm sorry sweetie, for the hand I played in killing your marriage."

"Not as sorry as I am. Thanks for the apology, though."

She left, tears drifting down her cheek.

*****

I thought I had been pretty thorough. I'd worked with Gerry, our accountant, even the guy I went to for consultations, to make the split as near to 50/50 as possible. We were hopelessly intertwined in a lot of areas and it was my intention to continue joint ownership, as long as we didn't have to interact that often. My son-in-law worked for us as a project foreman, and my son worked for another construction company in the next state over just to gain insight into how the business worked. July was in her second year of law school and intended to specialize in real estate law. The plan was to let them have joint ownership when we retired to carry on the family business. I was afraid if she fought and we were forced to sell out to settle, that plan would go up in smoke. Of course, that was another weapon in her arsenal.

She fought every measure like a rabid dog, threatening to shut everything down until we reached resolution. She knew it would put us out of business. Mediation was flatly refused, forcing us to go to court.

Both of our lawyers were good, and when the root cause of my seeking divorce was about to come to light, they convinced the judge to let them explain in private. Bonny looked good, even if she looked tired. I learned later she had deliberately stayed awake almost 48 hours to achieve it. The eyes of the judge got wider and wider as we explained what happened.

Bonny wanted me to drop the divorce. I told her I would drag the name of everyone that was involved through the mud, making sure it became a matter of public record. By the end, the Judge was not too happy.

"Well, this is certainly a mess, wouldn't you agree? To be honest, I'm inclined to grant the divorce, but it seems there are still feelings involved. Sir, your wife made a mistake. A huge mistake, but I've seen couples get over more horrendous things. I think I should require some counseling. If nothing else, it may make the divorce conclude more smoothly. On the other hand, if you absolutely cannot forgive or live with what she's done and the counselor agrees, I'll grant the divorce immediately after the sessions are over. I think eight would be an agreeable number. So ordered. Pick any counselor you want, the court can supply you with a list we use regularly, or anyone else. To start no later than two weeks from today. Do not miss a session unless it is a verified emergency. Do you understand?"

"Well, Your Honor, it's not like I have a choice now, do I? I'll go, but I want your firm promise in front of all these witnesses that when it's over you'll honor your word. I've had enough surprises in my life the last year."

It pissed her off, but I could have cared less. She agreed and it became part of the record.

*****

I rejected the first two counselors out of hand after reading reviews of their record. Her lawyer suggested the next one, a man and woman team with a very good reputation. I think Bonny was surprised when I agreed. The first session was scheduled for Thursday at six.

I was there fifteen minutes early and was surprised to see Bonny already in the waiting room. She gave me a smile but didn't approach.

I liked the couple immediately. Josh and Jane Hart, they had been doing this type of work for six years. I bet they had stories that would curl your hair. Jane got right to it.

"Just so you know up front, we're not here to save your marriage, just as we're not here to tear it apart. We're a neutral party; it's not up to us to judge, but to seek resolution to your situation. If you had expectations otherwise, we're sorry to disappoint. Here are the ground rules. You speak one at a time, and for the time being you speak to us, and not to your spouse. You may not interrupt. You will be civil. You WILL listen when it becomes time for your spouse to talk, just as the other will do for you. Understand? Do not nod, we are recording these sessions and if you like you can have copies for your personal record. We feel this protects all of us. if there's ever a statement in question it will be easy to go back and verify. We've read your file, and we will ask some questions first, to try and determine the mindset at the time in question. Who wants to tell their story first?"

Bonny got to be first. She told the story like it was some sort of fairy tale, talking about how much I had liked the idea and then chickened out at the last minute, running home in a snit while she followed through. It took her forty-five minutes to spin the tale, talking about my adventurous youth and how she had always regretted not sowing some wild oats of her own. Josh stopped her, saying time had run out and we would resume at the next session. I thanked the counselors and left. Bonny remained behind, obviously trying to get some alone time with the counselors. She partially succeeded because they did schedule a solo session.

She got surprised when the counselors informed me of what she had done and offered me a chance at the same thing. I told them I would like to do that, but only after them hearing my version of the events. They both agreed that would be an excellent idea.

The next session came up and Bonny was surprised when they told her to let me have the time. I started out talking about our early years and dating. "You know, all this took place before AIDS or some of the more virulent STD's around today were a reality, and we were just kids experimenting. My crowd was a little wiser and more relaxed about sex; you could sleep with a girl one night, she may be with another guy the next, and no one was mad. Why? Because there were no expectations. No promises had been made so no promises were broken, and if one of us did get serious about someone, the fooling around stopped immediately. Bonny was a couple of years younger and didn't really get involved with us until the summer after high school. Yes, I was her first and only lover until recently. We were exclusive from the first time we were together. I never missed the old lifestyle. It was fun at the time, but I had grown up a little after a year with Bonny and was quite happy to be exclusive. We married, had three children, worked hard, established successful businesses and became financially secure. I thought I had the American dream."

I stopped to gather my thoughts. Bonny tried to talk but Jane signaled for her to remain silent. "Rules, Bonny. It will be your turn again soon."

"Then two things happened. A friend passed and left me a piece of property that included the building where most of our adventures occurred. One of our old crowd, a man I never particularly cared for, moved back into town. He and his wife were swingers, and soon they were pushing their lifestyle. Almost every couple we associated with fell for their lines of bullshit, including my wife. It went from talking to flirting to a little fooling around until everyone wanted to try to relive the past, or, in the case of Bonny and a couple of others, try it for the first time. We fought over it for months. I shut it down the first few times, but then came the hot tub incident. It upset me bad enough to just leave for a few days."

I told them in detail about it, while Bonny blushed furiously and kept her head down.

"After that, it was quiet for a while and I thought we were over it. Then she pretty much gave me an ultimatum, go along with the program or she would do it without me. I was between a rock and a hard place. If I didn't go along and she did it anyway it would definitely destroy our marriage. If I went along with it, I could possibly salvage something, even if it would never be the same. In the end, I just couldn't do it. I begged her to stop and leave with me, but she told me she was going through with it and I would just have to suck it up. That may not be the right wording, but that was gist of it. She made her decision and I left. Now she expects me to just, as she put it, get over it and continue our relationship like nothing happened. She told me she was sorry she hurt my feelings, but not sorry she did it. Recently she flat out told me if I didn't resume my husbandly duties and get back in her bed, she was going to invite someone else into it. That pretty much sealed the deal as far as I was concerned. It comes down to trust, and how do I do that? Every time she's gone, I'll have it in the back of my mind that she's slipped off for a quick rendezvous with one of her swinger friends. How do I know that when we're making love, she's not replaying it's someone else in her head instead of being in the moment with me? And that, counselors, is why I want this divorce. There's just not enough love in me to pretend it never happened."

They nodded, seeing my point. I spoke a little longer about the way my life was heading now. "There were always things I wanted to try, things I wanted to do that I ignored because I was a married man with responsibilities. Now, for the first time ever, I can put myself first for at least some of the time."

I stopped, laughing while they all stared at me. "Sorry. It just occurred to me I'm doing now what Bonny's been doing all along."

They called time and I got up grinning. They tried mightily to hide their grins, and Bonny almost had steam coming out of her ears as I left.

The next few sessions were predictable to the point of boring. It would never happen again. We could get over it in time and our marriage could be better than ever.

I thought about it a lot and talked to some experts, including to the lawyer I'd hired to handle the divorce. At the next session, I showed up with a briefcase. "I've thought about this quite a bit. Bonny, I think I found a way to resolve this and get back together. You'd have to meet certain guidelines, though. Things you may not like."

Bonny looked happy for the first time while the counselors eyed me warily. She wanted to agree instantly, but I told her to wait until we had gone over them first.

"Item number one. You will never again in this life consort with Will, Grace, or Booger. You can have limited contact with the rest of the group because they were just in it for fun and open about everything. Never means never, Bonny. If you're in a coffeeshop, a restaurant, or any other public venue and any of them show up you leave immediately, unless I'm with you. No phone calls, no emails, texts, or Facebook. Not even smoke signals. Understand?"

She agreed way too quickly for my taste, so I reinforced it. "I mean it, Bonny. I catch you saying so much as hi to any of them and the divorce restarts."

"I understand, Jimmy. I promise."

"All right then. Next item. I want a clean bill of health from our doctor. I know you've been with different men even if it was only once. I need to know you're clean before I ever touch you again."

She seemed a little angry but agreed. "They were clean, honey. We all had to show a medical report before we went."

"How far ahead of the trip did you share your results?"

"Two or three weeks? I'm not sure, but that seems right."

"And in those two or three weeks, did everyone stay celibate or stick to just one partner? Will and Grace belong to a swing club a few towns over, and go twice a month on average, and please, don't ask me how I know. I figure by now he would have tried to recruit you guys."

Bonny shifted uncomfortably. "Well, he did suggest we might like to visit a club he belonged to right after we got home. No one took him up on it. What's next on your list."

"How noble of you all."

"Really, Jimmy? You can stop with the sarcasm. I fucked up. I admit it. Can we move on here?"

"Well, I didn't write this down, but if you bring up swinging or swapping to me again in our marriage, it will be over at that exact moment."

Bonny was losing patience, I could tell. "I think I've learned my lesson on that. Next."

I pulled out the papers I'd been carrying. "Have your lawyer look these over. It's a postnuptial agreement. Basically, it says if one of us ever again has sexual intercourse with anyone outside the marriage and is discovered, they forfeit everything accumulated in the marriage without contest and leave without protest. No slips, no exceptions, we just pack our bags and go."

I grinned. "I got this from a story I read on one of those free erotic sites. Guess it wasn't the monumental waste of time you thought it was, huh?"

Bonny didn't like it. Bonny fussed and argued. Bonny... surprised the shit out of me by agreeing to sign on the dotted line. She wanted me to move back into our home right after the last counseling session, in five week's time. Then she would sign the papers.

I was shocked beyond words. Never in a million years did I think she would sign an agreement that draconian. The counselors suggested we go on a few dates and just generally spend time together during the workday.

*****

It was odd, dating Bonny. The first one was incredibly awkward but by the third week we were together quite a bit. We still hadn't had sex, by common agreement, but the petting got pretty heavy. She pulled back one night, giggling and sliding her shirt on. "Two more weeks, honey. I want you to rest, take vitamins, maybe invest in a few of those blue pills. We got a lot of loving to catch up on."