What Were You Thinking?

But I tried to get across to Jan that we had a pact, those promises and vows we made to each other long ago. Those weren't just her temporary rules she dictates before a house party, conditions which I obeyed even when she doesn't. I don't really care about any of those other rules. Our pact to never lie to each other was the basis of unconditionally trusting each other. And all it took was one time for her to break that trust, and I'm incapable of ever forgetting the fact she did it.

As I said, I still love my wife, and I prefer our routines. I don't like surprises. But she changed the standards of our relationship.

Epilogue

The next morning, my wife said she wanted to rebuild my trust in her by doing whatever she can to try fixing things between us. And the following Friday, she didn't even ask why I wanted to go to the mountain house for the weekend. She just solemnly nodded, understanding what I needed to do with 'No double standards!'

On Friday evening, I heard her car come down our driveway, and I opened the mountain house door to greet her. She looked awesome, wearing skin-tight jeans with stiletto heel black boots and a low-cut silk blouse; the type of outfit girls sometimes wore to night clubs when I was in college.

"I'm glad you could make it," I said cheerfully as she stepped inside.

"Your e-mail was certainly a welcome surprise," she said as we hugged. "We have a lot of catching up to do. I hope you're up for it."

Brenda replied to the e-mail I sent last Saturday, and she said she was free this weekend and would love to get together to reminisce with me. I even considered asking her to make a video with me this weekend. But I remembered Jan said she never wanted to SEE me with Brenda. So, I'll settle for the wildlife cameras picking up the occasional telling glimpses.

If Jan asks what I did when I return home Sunday, I won't be devious, deflecting questions or obfuscating. I'll spend the weekend 'loving' the one I'm with. But I'll tell Jan all about it, with all the details, and give her copies of any incriminating video she wants ... afterwards. After all, I don't want to be accused of having videos of her and Rodger as a 'double standard.'

We'll see where things go from there.

The End

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Author's Postscript:

Ted and Jan dating and their adventures when he was away at the university are in the first three Lifestyle series chapters, starting in "Lifestyle Ch.01: A Geek Beginning". This also shows their first date.

The details explaining Jan's self-reliant attitude is best described in the story "Lifestyle Ch. 11 -- Demons Past".

This main couple's introduction to the world of swingers is in "Lifestyle Ch. 05: Mentors".

Jan first violating the same room rule, with Ted allowing her the hall pass during a house party is in Chapter 9, the second half of "Lifestyle Ch. 08/09: Clubs/Parties".

And Jan meeting Rodger in the airport and at the swinger party is detailed in chapter 13 from Rodger's point-of-view "Lifestyle Ch. 13 -- Single Swingers"