Neighborhood Watch II -- Breaking the Habit

by Jack Handee
(All rights reserved.)

(Reprinted with author permission.)

[ MF, cheat, cons, exhib ]  This is part 2 of the story and will be much more enjoyable if you first read Part 1! Also, I noticed another author posted a story after this one with the same title.  Make sure you're reading the correct 'Neighborhood Watch'

 A crotch-felt thanks to all the female readers who voted or wrote to say they enjoyed the story and an equal high-five to the guys who did the same.  Reader support is why I write these stories and your willingness to share your thoughts is what brought me back to write a sequel.

 Lastly, special thanks to Oldglassman (hell of an author himself!) for proofing a final cut of this story and for ongoing encouragement in my writing.  Also thanks to Harrison for his excellent critiques and for bashing the original ending.  That type of challenge makes me a better writer and you, the reader, get better stories.

Enjoy—

~Jack

~~:~~:~~

For as surreal as my vacation began, the rest of the week was so normal it bordered on the mundane. Granted, watching Jamie ride her boyfriend's cock bareback while I secretly shared in the orgasm from her bedroom closet was no easy act to follow. I even wondered if the experience transformed me into an overnight adrenaline junkie.  The most pressing question now was whether I could be satisfied replaying the fantasy events of that sweltering afternoon in my mind, or if I would soon be on the prowl for another fix?

I finished the ceiling fans on Tuesday per the original plan.  The job took the better part of an afternoon, in truth because I worked slowly, sort of wishing Jamie might surprise me with an early arrival home and maybe another impromptu performance on her bed.  Wishful thinking, as I had the house to myself the entire day.

Beth did stop by Wednesday night to deliver some brownies as a token of appreciation for all my hard work. I studied her carefully to see if she acted different in any way.  I had no reason to suspect she knew about Jamie and me, but lately I wasn't taking too much for granted. Jamie, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen.  Her school schedule and my own routine seemed in opposite directions, which was probably good.  We crossed an intimate boundary that afternoon—one that changed the vibe between us on a fundamental level.  It was hard to predict how things would be when we eventually crossed paths.

The rest of my vacation evaporated too fast, as vacations often do, and I was faced with a return to the office. Time off in my line of work can be a double-edged benefit.  Getting away is great, but business doesn't slow down just because I do and I anticipated a mountainous stack of messages and unresolved problems when I returned.

It was Saturday morning and my wife Elaine was out shopping while I tackled the backlog of email that lurked in my inbox. The phone rang and I moved to answer it, but a glance at the caller-id slowed me down. The name on the display was ‘J. Reynolds'.  ‘Reynolds' was Beth's last name, but who was J. Reynolds?   I had a sneaking suspicion I knew the answer and considered letting it ring through, but curiosity got the better of me.

"Hello?"

"Are you alone?" the female voice asked.

Just as I guessed, the ‘J' stood for Jamie. I remained quiet for a few seconds, a little taken back.

"Do you know who this is?" she added, when I didn't respond.

I leaned back in my chair and smiled.  "I think so.  How are you, Beth?"

"It's not Beth."

"I know who it is. Just teasing you."

"Oh, you're so funny. What are you doing?"

"I was just finishing up some office work.  Catching up on email."

"On a Saturday? You're not supposed to work on Saturday."

"Yeah, that's the breaks. Time off's great, but I pay the price when I get back to the office. Where are you?"

"I'm at home. Why?"

"The phone number . . . I didn't recognize it."

"My cell phone."

Unannounced calls from Jamie were way out of the norm and I considered it lucky it was me who answered and not Elaine or there might be some awkward questions.

"So what have you been up?"

"Jamie . . . why are you calling?"

"Jeez . . . I was thinking about you and thought I'd check in. I haven't seen you all week."

I hesitated. All very innocent, yet there was something simmering beneath the surface. In the days before the attic incident, she might wave at me from afar or flash a wiggle in one of her new bikinis, but she never called for chit-chat.  I suppose it was harmless enough and truthfully it was good to hear her voice. As ridiculous as it sounds, I had missed her.

"My week's been good," I said. "Kind of lazy.  How's your week been?"

"Busy.  Cheerleader tryouts and then practice every afternoon."

We carried on for a few more minutes about nothing in particular.  She had some homework to catch up on.  Big chemistry test coming up. It was all pretty routine and as casual as any conversation between platonic friends could be, although I couldn't think of many female acquaintances that enjoyed fucking and sucking their boyfriend while I watched from their bedroom closet.

"Thinking of washing my car," she finally said, bringing the dialog back to what started everything.

I was sure I detected a smile in her voice.

"Really? And what time would that be?  I might have some yard work to do."

I was kidding, but it was fun to play along.

She giggled. "Not sure . . . but I won't be wearing my swimsuit.  I had to make a pact with my Mom that I'd only wear bikinis at the beach and not around the house. She thinks all the neighborhood men are ogling me."

"Go figure."

"Whaat? It's hot outside and I like staying cool, that's all."

"Yeah, rrright.  It has nothing to do with the attention you draw, does it?"  Then it occurred to me that I was an ogling man in the neighborhood. "Your mom didn't say anything about me, did she?"

"Oddly enough . . . no.  It's usually Stan, that creepy guy across the street, but never you. I think she considers you different in some way. Don't worry.  Your secret is safe with me."

I knew Jamie was trying to reassure me, but it still felt like a jab to the gut, like her clarification only meant I was better at hiding my perverted tendencies than creepy Stan. "How comforting," I said.

"So you going to come to the beach to see my new swimsuits?"

"Not likely. I don't make it to the beach that often."

"Bummer," she said.  "It's nice this time of year."

Yeah, it was a bummer, but I thought it best not to agree.  I needed to back off whatever this thing was between us before it went any further.  The chemistry we shared was undeniable and, if not contained, could lead to something akin to spontaneous combustion.

"Although . . ." she continued, allowing for a lingering moment of silence.  "You're wife's not home, is she?"

"She's . . . out shopping. But I'm hoping you knew that, or you wouldn't be calling just to chat."

"Why? Does my calling make you nervous?"

"I don't know if nervous is the right word, but Elaine's likely to start asking questions if we appear too chummy."

"That reminds of me . . . something I've always wanted to ask you.  You happy in your marriage?"

She definitely had me off balance. "That's an odd question."

"One you don't want to answer?"

"It's a long story . . . and sort of complicated."

"Complicated?  Will you explain it to me sometime?"

"Possibly. I don't feel like talking about it right now."

"That's cool. So, you coming over tonight?"

What a flirt.  I was having fun with it all, but couldn't help wonder what a sweet young thing like Jamie was doing flirting with somebody like me when she had Rich, the volleyball gigolo, at her beck and call.  No sense in over-analyzing.  Enjoy it while it lasts and be ready for when she gets bored.

"Sure . . . you want to leave your bedroom window open for me?"

She laughed.  "I could . . . or you could just use the front door."

"I'll decide when I get there."

She paused.  "You know, I can't wear my bikini when I wash the car, but my mom did say I could sunbathe by our pool.  Of course, when she said that, she probably didn't consider that a person could see in our backyard, especially if they had a two-story house."

My heartbeat quickened. There was more than one two-story home in the neighborhood, but mine was the only one right next door to Beth.

"Yeah, she probably didn't consider that. Good thing creepy Stan owns a single level across the street."

Jamie laughed. "Yeah . . . good thing.  I mean, your house is a two-story, but she doesn't have to worry about you. Somebody else might spy on me when I'm in my backyard while I sunbathe and I wouldn't even know it.  That wouldn't be good."

I detected a smile in her voice again.

"No . . . that wouldn't be good."

More silence.

"Which one of my swimsuits is your favorite?"

I hesitated. "If I had to pick . . . I'd say the purple one."

"Really?  I thought you'd say orange.  The orange one shows the most skin."

"Us old guys sort of prefer the tease."

She laughed again. "You're not that old, Jack.  Hey . . . guess what?"

"I'm not so good at guessing games."

"I'm naked right now . . . and I'm on my bed. Wanna come over and look through the window? I'll leave the blinds open a little and you can watch me make myself happy."

I licked my lips and felt a stir in my shorts. "Yeah, that's a good idea . . . NOT."  She laughed. "Besides, I still have a lot of email to plow through.  In fact, I better get go—"

"Just as well. I have to be careful when my mom's home or she might hear me.  I get kind of loud . . . you know, when I come . . ."

My cock was rising in my shorts and it was difficult to remain casual.

"Definitely sounds like a dilemma."

"It can be . . . especially on days like today when I'm really horny.  Are you horny, Jack?"

I was quiet.  Here it all went again, sliding into a skid.  If I didn't do something quick, would soon be traveling down a very slippery slope.

"Jamie . . . I thought we agreed we weren't going to do this any more?"

"Do what?  I'm just thinking about sunbathing. That's good for unresolved horniness, don't you think?"

Hers or mine, I wondered? "I've always heard cold showers did the trick."

"I'll be out in the back yard in five minutes," she said.

My mind raced with a sudden flurry of half-naked swimsuit images.

"Well . . . enjoy.  Wear sunscreen."

"I will," she said.  "And you enjoy your email . . . and whatever else you decide to do."

Her voice was threaded with an unmistakable invitation.

"Thanks . . . I'll try."

I returned the phone to the receiver and stared at it absently.  The window in our upstairs bedroom provided a direct line of sight into Beth's backyard, something I never considered until Jamie's comment. The problem: I was slipping back into an all-too-familiar game of ‘watch the exhibitionist babe next door'—a game that if not carefully managed, could have some dangerous consequences.

The red glowing numbers on my desk clock read 11:35.  An educated guess said I would be alone for at least an hour.  Maybe more.  A lot can happen in an hour.

I tried to return to my email, to think of things other than Jamie's delicious body coated in almond-scented cocoa butter while she stretched out in the mid-morning sun.  But despite my best attempts, I couldn't stop replaying her words in my mind as I tallied away the time . . .

Somebody might spy on me when I'm in my backyard while I sunbathe and I wouldn't even know it . . .  I'll be out there in five minutes . . .

I watched the clock as the illuminated digits rolled over in countdown, one after another . . . five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . .

Fuck it.

I gave my still-plump dick a squeeze, left my home office, and climbed the stairs to my second-story bedroom window.  My heart seemed to skip with each step, the anticipation bleeding into raw adrenaline.

The window blinds were ajar.  I stepped up and scanned the neighbor's lots.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  Nobody to see me.

The sunshine glared down and cast shadows on the grounds below and I could feel the heat coming in through the glass.  I noticed my lawn was in need of a cut and I could probably squeak by one more summer before I had to paint the fence that surrounded my yard.   The aerial view of Beth's property showed that her place, by comparison, was immaculate. I knew gardening was her hobby and she enjoyed pruning and planting, but it was even more tidy than usual.  Her hard work showed with the neatly trimmed shrubs and colorful flowers accented by her swimming pool that shimmered with light bouncing off the movements of the water.

But still no sign of Jamie.

My stomach sank as I wondered again if this was all some sort of joke. Jerk the leash of the horny voyeur next door. The difference in our ages made it all too suspect. Knowing Jamie, I don't think she was malicious about it all, but I still felt like some easy mark. All good reasons to get back to my email and stop acting out like a puberty-stricken teenager.

But then I heard her voice.

"What?" she called out.

I leaned hard to the left and saw her bare leg extend from the sliding glass door that led into her backyard, purple flip-flops on her sexy feet, a beach towel draped over her arm and sunglasses pinched between her fingers.

"No, it's on the dresser in the guest bedroom," she called back, apparently talking to Beth who was somewhere inside the house.  "You're welcome," Jamie answered, stepping out and sliding the door closed.

Considering the variety of provocative situations we had already shared, one might suspect that her swimsuits were losing some of their novelty. But my heart still stuttered when she came into view.

To no surprise, she wore the purple number I confessed as my favorite. I couldn't imagine the orange ensemble being much smaller.  The bottoms formed a tight upturned triangle between her legs, with long spaghetti strands knotted on either side to hold the swimsuit in place. For her top, she created a midriff by converting an oversized white man's tee-shirt, ripping a ‘V' in the neckline and shortening it to a level that left her stomach and bellybutton exposed.

My breathing quickened as she dropped the towel on the deck. She followed with her suntan oil and sunglasses and then moved to the pool steps, stepping out of her flip-flops and using her toe to test the temperature.  I detected a glance in my direction as she stepped forward, her body disappearing into the crystal clear water.

She moved gracefully across the pool, working in broad strokes that kept her face exposed and her hair dry, her sweet round ass bobbing above the surface like a lavender tortoise shell. After a lazy lap back and forth, she returned to the steps and climbed out, her hips tick-tocking back and forth as she ascended the steps, water droplets rolling down her tanned skin and gathering in puddles on the pool deck.  As she turned to me, I noticed her midriff now clinging to her breasts like a second layer of skin, the outline of the purple bikini etching a pattern from beneath.

She laced on her sunglasses and removed the tie from her ponytail, shaking out her blonde curls before positioning the chaise lounge at a shared angle that faced the sun—as well as my bedroom window.

Aside from the glance earlier, she was being discrete and not looking in my direction. Either she didn't know I arrived or was skillfully playing it shy.  But as I watched her seductively pull the wet tee-shirt over her head and wring it between her hands to drain the excess water, I caught a smile, removing all doubt that the outfit, as well as the initial lap in the pool, had been choreographed for my lustful enjoyment.

And lustfully enjoying it all, I was.

Recovering my wits, I found the adjustment for the blinds and twisted the rod, turning the slats to a downward angle that hopefully hid my presence from any neighbors who might step into their own backyard and glance in the direction of my upstairs window.

There was a sense of erotic mischief coursing through my veins, similar to what I felt a few afternoons before when I was watching Jamie from the attic.  Things were different for sure.  Unlike before, she knew I was here, knew I was watching. Yet, despite the absence of secrecy, there was still an intoxicating rush, like she was so close, yet still unobtainable.

But I noticed a problem.

As she settled in, spread out her towel, and reclined into position, my view from the window was partially blocked by a large tree, the branches extending in the most inopportune angles possible.  It wasn't obvious until she was in the chair, but once there, the entire upper-third of her body was only partially visible. A distracting detail for what we were orchestrating to say the least.

Maybe this was some kind of corrective karma—a sign I was getting carried away? At first I considered it just as well.  I even thought about leaving the house entirely and finding some errands to run. Anything to get me away from Jamie's seductive trance.  Our afternoon attic ‘encounter' was a serendipitous coincidence.  A harmless fantasy that I could replay for years to come.  Why couldn't I leave it at that?

Not good.  Erotic as all get out, but not good.

Funny though, lust can be a powerful force and I overcame my doubts all too quickly. I descended the stairs and made a dash by my office for my own cordless phone and hands-free microphone. After a stop by the kitchen to grab a chair, I returned to my upstairs bedroom and positioned my seat near the window.

With a sweating hand, I punched in her phone number.

It took a few seconds for the call to engage.  She had one of those musical ring tones that bellowed out an entire song, so loud I could hear it from next door.  She leaned forward from the chair and her face returned to full view as she picked up the phone.  She studied the display and then glanced at me with a smile before pressing the unit to her ear.

"Yes?"

I cleared my throat. "I . . . can't see.  When you lay down on the chair, the tree in my yard blocks the view."

"What tree?" She looked around. "Oh!"  She smiled broader. "Can't have that. Hold on, I'll move."

This was too fucking weird for words.

Jamie sat the phone on the deck, stood up, and then dragged her chair closer to the edge of the pool.  I waited for her to straighten her towel and then stretch into a reclined position. I could see her checking the angle as she extended her long legs before returning to the phone.

"Better?" she asked.

"Much."

She smiled again and my heart raced faster.

I watched as she tipped the bottle upside down and a long strand of dark oil fell like syrup. The liquid gathered into a puddle on her skin before she moved it around with her fingertips, spreading the mixture back and forth, creating an even, glistening layer across her flat stomach.  She added more to her legs and then dribbled a line across her breasts before capping the bottle and setting it aside.

With a glance and a smile in my direction, she moved slowly, her palms riding up and down her body. I licked my lips as she massaged a path along the inside of her thighs, drawing higher towards her pussy while she leaned her head back, seeming to drink in the warmth of the afternoon sunshine.

By the time she picked up the phone, my breathing was jagged, my pants were around my ankles, and my shirt was off.

"Still with me?" she asked.

I started to answer, but the words gathered and stuck in my throat. "Still . . . here."

I was crazy with desire. Unlike the day in the closet, I was free to relax, leaning back with my hard cock in my hand as I watched Jamie show off, basking under her spell.

"You okay?" she said.

"Fine . . . why?"

She giggled slightly and shuffled in her chair, like she was jostling for position.  "You're breathing . . . it's . . . getting heavy."

"I'm good . . . really good."

I stroked myself slowly, bathing in the sensation.  It's hard to describe what made the moment so mind-blowingly erotic.  I've read about phone sex, but wasn't sure I saw the appeal.  How much of a turn-on could there be when there's so much distance between two people?  But watching Jamie . . . listening to her voice . . . knowing that she was so close, even when she wasn't beside me allowed it all to make sense.

"Jack?" she said, while her fingernail drew circles in the cocoa butter that glistened off her stomach.

"Yes . . ."

"Am I making you hard?"

I drew in a long intake of breath and stroked faster. "Very."

She laughed and her head fell back. "Do you have any idea what a turn-on this is for me? I mean, knowing you're doing that . . . just watching me and stroking your cock?"

"If it's . . . doing half as much for you  . . . as it is for me."  I lightened the pace so I could finish my sentence. "Then it's all good."

She moaned slightly into the phone. "I wish I could see you right now . . . see how hard you're getting.  If you let me watch you, I'll do whatever you tell me."

"Hmmmm, you're doing fine just being there . . . just being you." The motion of my hand sped up and then slowed down. "I love watching you, Jamie."

She took in a deep breath that seemed to curl its way through the phone line.  "And I love it when you watch me, Jack. Are you really hard? . . . Are you going to come soon?"

"Really hard . . ." I managed.  "Spread your legs for me."

She glanced at the sliding glass door.  After a hesitant few seconds, her knee arched and her legs parted.  Her eyes stayed fixed on the entrance to her house as her fingers gingerly stroked her pussy through her swimsuit bottoms.  I could hear her breathing getting shallow as she pressed the phone harder against her ear.

"This is crazy," she said.  "I have to watch for my mom . . . but I am so wet right now."

I was in overdrive, pumping my erection with a steady rhythm, blending the sweet sound of her voice with the erotic vision of her oil-covered body, the sunbeams bouncing off the microfilm of sweat that masked her skin.  Seconds crept by and my breathing became punctuated with contained gasps and then threaded with moans, my legs quivering as I fought to stay back my orgasm for as long as possible.

"Jack," she said, her voice rich with urgency. "This is driving me crazy.  Your wife better get home soon or I'm going to come over there and jump your bones."

"Touch your breasts for me, Jamie . . ."

She bit her lip and then looked to the direction of the sliding glass door.  I waited anxiously until her fingers slid into her bikini top, pushing a path inside.  "Like this?"

"Can you untie your top, so I can see more of you?"

"I want to . . . but I think it's too risky."

"Please . . ."

She hesitated, chewing on her lower lip. "I have to put the phone down . . . but don't come.  I want to hear it when you come."

I slowed down to try and regain some control.  "Okay . . . I'll wait . . . but soon."

She leaned down and rested the phone at her side.  I could see her chest rising and falling, her nerves no doubt frayed from arousal.  With her eyes still on the door, she reached behind and untied the bathing suit top and then leaned back quickly, adjusting her position so it would stay in place.

Fuck me running, this was hot.

Her fingertips stroked back and forth on her stomach as she watched the door.  As her lip curled into a smile, she pinched the bottom of her swimsuit top and raised it up, using her forearms to squeeze her breasts together. The white underbelly of each orb was dry compared to the oily surface of her upper chest and her nipples stood high and proud, pink and puffy against the afternoon air.

I quickened my pace and moaned her name.  As quickly as her top was up, it was down and she was leaning back against the chair.  Her hand fell to her side and fingered for the phone before she raised it to ear.

"Did you just call out my name?" she asked with a smile.  "You promised you wouldn't come."

"I . . . haven't . . . inside your bottoms.  Stroke your pussy, Jamie."

"This is fucking insane, Jack.  I am going to come myself, right here, right now."

"Do it.  I'm right . . . here . . . with you."

She held the phone to her ear and watched the door as her other hand slipped inside her swimsuit bottoms.  Like the day I watched her on her bed, I could see her knuckles moving.  But this time, her voice flooded my ear through the receiver, like she was whispering directly to me.

For that matter, she was.

"Jack . . . I am so wet . . . would you come over here and fuck me?"

That was all it took. "Jamie!"

My legs tensed and my orgasm spilled forward in a long, gushing stream as I gasped her name over and over.

Jamie's hand sped up and her breathing became erratic, making me think she might come too.

But then suddenly she jerked her hand from her swimsuit and off to the side.

Something was wrong.

I leaned to the left and saw Beth standing halfway out of the sliding glass door.  I couldn't hear what she was saying, but Jamie was still casual, smiling and nodding, leading me to believe she hadn't been discovered.

I stared at the ceiling and laughed out loud, my pants settled around my feet, my erection fading between my legs.  It was like the three of us were connected by some bizarre neighborhood version of the Bermuda Triangle: Jamie leaning back in the chair to keep her top in place; Beth speaking to her from the sliding glass door, unaware of what she had interrupted; and me, naked and very messy, having just mentally fucked her daughter from the vantage point of my bedroom window.

"Okay . . . sure," Jamie said to Beth.  "It's Rich." Pause. "My mom says hi."

I laughed. "Do tell her Rich said hi. . . ." I gave it a few seconds. "I'm assuming that was just a close call and she didn't know what you were doing?"

"No . . . Jack, your wife is here."

Suddenly, the levity of the moment dropped like a falling anvil.

"Not funny, Jamie," I said, shuffling up in my chair.

"I'm not being funny," she said, staring directly at me, and then turning her attention to the house.  "She's inside the kitchen talking to my mom and it looks like she's getting ready to leave.  Probably going to your house."

I watched as Jamie smiled and waved in the direction of the sliding glass door.

"That's her I'm waving at . . . and she is leaving."

"Fuck!"

"You better hurry."

"Bye."

"Good luck," Jamie said.

I jerked the earpiece from my head and tossed the cell phone to the floor.  As I stood up, I had a mess on my hands—or more specifically, my hands, my legs, and my stomach.

I felt anything but suave waddling towards the upstairs bathroom where I yanked down a half-roll of toilet paper to clean myself up.  Finished with that, I was barely able to get my shorts up. I returned to the bedroom, pocketed the cell phone, and grabbed the kitchen chair and my shirt.  I was half way down the stairs when I heard the tumblers on the front door lock start to engage.  It felt like slow motion as I shoved the chair into place, pulled my shirt over my head, and grabbed a nearby newspaper.

The door opened and Elaine appeared with two multicolored shopping bags in hand.  She entered, dropped them in the entryway, and made her way into the kitchen.  I glanced up, my heart pounding in my chest like a jackhammer, figuring eye contact was my best first move.

She stared at me. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, why?"

Too short an answer?  Too abrupt?  Too fucking guilty for my own good?

"You look all flush."

"No, I'm okay.  Get good stuff at the mall?"

"Some, but I've seen better sales.  Beth stopped me when I was walking in.  She's having friends and neighbors over tonight for a barbecue. Wants us to join them.  She's showing off a new boyfriend."

"No way!"

"Yep. She figured she'd throw a party and let everybody check him out. Try to put a damper on a bunch of gossip when the neighbors start seeing him around. Probably won't matter.  You know how people love to talk."

"Well, good for her," I said. "She needs to move on after Frank's death."

So that's what Jamie meant when she asked earlier if I was coming over. She obviously thought I already knew about the barbecue.  And I was debating using her bedroom window instead of her front door. No wonder she thought I was horny—hell, I was sounding pretty horny.  I slipped my hands under the table and buttoned my shorts, something I had forgotten to do in my haste.

"Anyway, it starts at five," Elaine said.  "And I don't want to be the first ones there.  So you need to be ready to leave by six."

"Aye aye, captain," I answered, giving her a salute when she turned her back.

~~:~~:~~

Some people marry for love, others for money.  Elaine and I married because she got pregnant.

We were in our early twenties and both juniors in college, initially paired together on a class project that bled into an insatiable physical attraction.  I swear we fucked day and night that first year together, spanning locations from her dorm room, to cars, to the university library.  We couldn't get enough. Most times we were careful, with just a few sloppy indiscretions and most times we were lucky.  One time we were not.

The decision to get married was sort of obvious from the moment we stared together at the home pregnancy test.  Elaine was flat out against abortion.  I wasn't wild about the idea, but pointed out that we still had two-thirds of our lives ahead of us and the quality of that existence was directly proportionate to staying in school and having a real career.  Getting through graduation would be difficult if we both had to work in low-paying jobs to support a family.

Elaine was the valiant one, offering to put her education and career aspirations on hold, at least until the baby was older. Also, if we did get married, her wealthy parents would bridge the gap financially, allowing me to stay in school and graduate.  It wasn't an optimal plan, but a workable one, so we went for it and eloped the weekend after confirming her condition.  It was interesting, as while our relationship was born in lust, the future seemed like it might actually work out.

Until she lost the baby three months into the pregnancy.

It was a devastating blow for both of us, as had settled into the parental idea and were even getting excited about what lay ahead. When that common bond was suddenly lost, it changed the dynamic of everything. I think we both started second guessing the marriage idea almost immediately.  Simply put, we wouldn't have considered such a move in any other circumstance.  However, since we had already made the plunge and being your typical type-A personalities who won't quit at anything, we decided to make a go of it.  We also agreed to live by a much better birth control strategy.

It worked for a while. We stayed focused on our studies and our eventual careers. Post-graduation worked out according to plan, with both of us landing solid positions that carried plenty of earning potential. Our careers took off and we climbed our respective ladders, married more to our jobs than to one another, but still providing a mutual support system while we each battled the jungle of big business.  Simply put, Elaine and I make great friends and even reasonable fuck buddies—just not so good at the next stage of a relationship after the honeymoon ends.

There weren't many bumps in the road, until I discovered Elaine's career was progressing so well in part because she was fucking her boss.  The discovery came when I was looking for some old tax returns and stumbled on a box of lust letters detailing a string of rendezvous' that took place over business trips, lunch hours, and even the company Christmas party.

I think it was then I realized something: while I cared for Elaine and held her in high regard, I wasn't sure I loved her. It's hard to say exactly why.  She's a genuine person and a smart business woman who can be tough as a viper when she needs to be, yet with a big heart beneath it all.  But try as we have, I'm not sure we're in love.  The telling shift came when I realized I wasn't angry, or even hurt that she strayed outside of our so-called marriage. Sure, I was tweaked, but if we shared true love, I would have been more than annoyed with her infidelity.

I confronted her with the letters.  She broke down in tears, confessing that the affair was real, but ended more than a year before. I asked her if she loved him.  Her answer was not at first.  Initially she sensed his attraction and enjoyed the flirtation.  But then it was the ‘one thing led to another' followed by ‘next thing I knew'.  Real emotion eventually came into play and she called it off, knowing both of their careers would be ruined if they didn't get it under control.

Our whole conversation took less than a half-hour.  I know she was surprised when I didn't burst out in rage or start demanding answers. I simply told her I was disappointed and if she wanted out, she should have said so.  She assured me she didn't.  She mentioned the incident once more about a month later and I changed the subject.  We haven't discussed it since.

I've toyed with the idea of divorce since then.  It's just that we lead a comfortable existence. We do make a good team, Elaine and me.  In my line of work, having an attractive spouse that's also successful is good for business.  Hers is the same and, for that, we have a win / win.

I was undecided how much of that story I wanted to share with Jamie if she ever got around to asking the ‘happy marriage' question a second time.  I already told her it was complicated.  It's also something most nineteen-year-olds would have trouble comprehending.

If she really wanted to know, I suppose I would explain it all.  But I would wait for her to ask.

~~:~~:~~

As the hour approached to leave for Beth's party, I started to get nervous, mainly about seeing Jamie again.  How would she act?  How would I act?  Would one of us do something that revealed this thing we had going?

I busied myself while I waited for Elaine to get ready by disassembling a broken VCR I had picked up at a garage sale.  Not sure why, but I really enjoy fiddling with gadgets like that, especially taking them apart and putting them back together, understanding how they work.   I think the appeal is the hands-on element, which is so different from how I spend my days at the office. I had the cover off and parts and rubber belts spread out on newspapers across the kitchen table when Elaine descended the stairs, casting a disapproving glare in my direction as she fastened an earring on her ear.

"I'll put it all away when I'm finished," I said.

"I just wish you'd do that type of thing in the garage, Jack.  It makes a mess in here."

"It's too hot out there."

She disappeared for a few more minutes and then reappeared, finally dressed and immediately showing signs of impatience, as if it was me who had to change my clothes a half-dozen times. "Let's go," she said.

That was my wife.  When she was ready to go, she was ready to go.

I sat down my screwdriver and took a deep breath, ready for whatever the evening held.

~~:~~:~~

We made our way next door, cutting across the adjacent lawns instead of using the sidewalk. As we stepped up and knocked on Beth's door, I leaned over to Elaine. "So, what's your prediction? When Beth answers the door—will she bring the new guy with her, or leave him inside for people to meet him later?"

Elaine thought about it for a second. "Leave him inside. She'll handle the introductions one-on-one as the evening goes on.  That way she can decide who she wants him to meet and who she doesn't care about."

"I'm not so sure.  I bet she answers the door with him in tow. Arm-in-arm.  Make the statement right out of the gate that they're a couple."

"Doubtful. That would imply he's here to stay and I think it's too early for that. My money says she flies solo.  Bet me five bucks."

Elaine held out a palm as if to take my money.  It was a silly game we played, usually when attending one of those stodgy business dinners where everybody tries to be somebody they're not while formulating their best ass-kissing strategy.  Elaine won the game more often than not, as her political instincts in business are sharper than a barber's razor, but every once and a while I claimed the bounty.  But something told me tonight she would be the victor and I was already reaching for my wallet when the door opened.

But then I froze.

It was neither Beth nor her new squeeze that answered, but instead Jamie.  She looked sensational, although much more conservatively dressed than I was accustomed to seeing her. She wore a peach colored, knee-length skirt braided with material that gave it an old-fashioned flavor.  Her top was a sleeveless white number with buttons down the front, unfastened to give up a little cleavage, with a diamond encrusted ‘J' on a spaghetti-thin gold necklace.  The whole outfit spoke of summer and the way the white cotton material lay against her mocha tan skin was enough to make my knees weak.

"Hey, it's Mr. and Mrs. Handee!" Jamie said with an enthusiastic smile. "C'mon in."

Elaine and I stepped inside.  My heart was racing like a runaway truck and I was avoiding any eye contact.  This was ridiculous.  I felt like a nervous teenager arriving to pick up his prom date.

Elaine leaned in close to Jamie and spoke in a hushed voice. "So . . . is he here?"

Jamie looked puzzled. "Who?  Oh, Michael, my mom's new guy?  No, he couldn't make it."

"You're kidding," Elaine said.  "I thought that's why Beth was throwing the barbecue?"

"It was.  Apparently his father became suddenly ill and he had to fly back east without notice."

"That's not good," I said. "Is the father okay?"

"I'm not sure," Jamie said.  "My mom's got more information.  She's in the kitchen."

Elaine nodded and strolled further inside.  I lingered for a second, figuring I should say something more, but felt awkward after our afternoon encounter.  I was finding it one thing to tease and flirt, especially over the phone, yet another to have to face Jamie after the fact.

She was the one to break the ice. "How are you, Jack?"

Casual enough.

Good. That's what we'd go with. Casual. Like nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened between us.

I liked that.

"I'm good, Jamie.  And you?"

"Good," she answered, waiting for Elaine to give us some distance before leaning so close I could feel her breath against my skin. "And I'm not wearing any panties."

She smiled as she watched my reaction. The last thing I heard was her giggle as she scraped a fingernail under my chin before turning and following Elaine into the kitchen.

I stood frozen in time, watching that sweet little ass wiggle beneath her peach skirt as she left the room.

Something told me this was going to be a long night.

~~:~~:~~

I barely remember the first half-hour of Beth's party, as Jamie's final words left me in a rattled haze.

There were a handful of couples gathered, some in the kitchen, with more in the back yard.  Many of the faces I recognized, even if I didn't know their names. Elaine and I are not the most social of neighbors, preferring to stay to ourselves.  The advent of long hours at the office and electric garage door openers allow people to come and go from their homes without ever going beyond an occasional wave.  To that end, functions like this were good, as it brought the neighbors together and forced us to acquainted, if even on a superficial level.

Elaine disappeared after a while, I'm sure to search out Beth for the scoop on the missing boyfriend.  I mingled, but felt on autopilot, nodding politely and asking lots of open-ended questions that kept the other person talking while I kept an eye out for another glimpse of Jamie.

Eventually I had worked my way around the living room and made the transition to the backyard.  It was a perfect evening for a barbecue. The temperature was starting to subside and while it was still a little moist from the afternoon humidity, the setting sun helped to quench the stifling heat.  As I stepped out the sliding glass door and onto the patio, I was greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of grilled hamburgers and realized that all my inside schmoozing had left me thirsty.  There must be a cold beer somewhere and I was on a mission to find it.

I snaked a path around a few couples that were stationed about the yard admiring Beth's immaculate gardening.

It was then that I finally saw Jamie.

She was chatting with a guy and gal near the edge of the patio alongside two large aluminum tubs, each filled with ice and sweating with condensation. I noticed as the woman talked, the guy's eyes kept checking out Jamie.  I wasn't the only one to appreciate her summer outfit.

I started my way over, figuring I would grab a beer and join in the conversation when I was interrupted by another neighbor who just had to tell me about the new RV he'd bought, like I frankly cared. By the time I escaped, Jamie had grabbed a couple of beverages of her own—wine coolers I think—and was on the move.

I walked over to the aluminum tub and grabbed an icy Heineken.

"Finding everything okay?"

I turned and it was Beth.

"Uh, yeah." I held up my bottle. "Just did.  Thanks."

As we talked, a flash of peach caught me from the left.  Jamie again, carrying a large white platter. I was careful not to react too quickly.  I twisted the cap off my beer and discretely glanced in the direction of the barbecue.  Jamie was standing and talking to a tall yuppie-looking male in kaki cargo shorts, a hunter-green Polo shirt, and stylish sandals.  Come to notice, she was standing awfully close to this particularly yuppie-looking dude.

Then I realized it was Rich.  It should have been an easy connection, but for some reason I was slow on the uptake.

They stood talking as he used a metal spatula to push hamburgers back and forth on the grill, the smoke billowing up from the barbecue. The oddest part happened when Jamie smiled and leaned into him, giving him a shoulder check and rubbing the small of his back with her hand.  It was a reasonably innocent move.  Certainly one reserved for two people who knew one another well, but innocent all the same, which did little to quell the empty, stabbing sensation I felt in the pit of my stomach.   I wished I was feeling something different, but in reality, it was plain and simple jealousy.

"That's the guy I mentioned to you," Beth said.

I looked at her, pretending I didn't follow. "What guy?"

"The one over there with Jamie.  Her latest love.  He's a nice enough kid.  It's just hard to watch your daughter grow up."

Well, she was definitely growing up. Beth only knew the half of that. I took a swig from my beer instead of responding.

"C'mon, I'll introduce you.  You can tell me what you think," Beth said.

 I was all too ready to pass on the offer when Rich turned around with the white platter stacked high with freshly grilled burgers. He gave what looked like an all too rehearsed smile in our direction and started walking towards the kitchen door.  I almost forgot about Jamie, until I realized she was staring directly at me.

"Rich," Beth said.  "Come over there. Somebody I want you to meet.  This is my good friend Jack Handee.  Jack, this is Rich, Jamie's boyfriend."

 I nodded and gave him a little toast with my beer bottle.  "You've got your hands full.  We can shake later."

I have no idea why I was feeling this way.  Less than a week ago I was cheering the guy on while Jamie delivered a birthday blow-job and now I wanted to knee-lift him in the balls.

"Jack installed the ceiling fans in my room," Jamie said, flashing me a knowing smile.  "It's so much cooler now."

"Oh, that Jack," Rich said. "I hear a lot about you. Nice to finally meet."

I wasn't buying it.  He was no happier to meet me than I was him.

He turned his attention back to Beth. "I'm not going to be able stay for dinner, Mrs. R.  I have to get to work."

"That's too bad," Beth said. "You're such a good chef, you should be able to stay and enjoy your hard work.  You want to take one with you for the road?"

"No, I'll be fine."

Rich smiled and started making his way into the kitchen while Beth began corralling the remaining guests for the start of dinner.  Jamie stepped up alongside me and started to say something, but before she could, I turned as if I didn't notice and entered the house.  A cold move on my part, I know, but I was feeling rather chilly at that moment, despite the summer temperature.

~~:~~:~~

Jamie returned from seeing Rich off and immediately I could feel her eyes on me.  I glanced once in her direction and she smiled, but it was reluctant, like her radar was up and she was sensing my mixed emotion.

I wasn't trying to play games with her, and yet, it felt like that's what was happening: one game after another, her leading me on, me pulling back to lick my jealous wounds, both of us pretending there was nothing between us. It didn't take a rocket scientist to net the whole thing out to an endless chase of cat and mouse, watcher and watched, or more simply stated, middle-aged perv scurrying after an unobtainable fantasy.

So if that was all true, why was I fighting the urge to mope around like a lovesick teenager?

All I knew for sure was that, by the time dinner was finished, so I was.  I wanted to get out of there, away from Jamie, and away from her trance that seemed to drag me in.  I waited for a few of the other guests to stand and clear their plates so I wouldn't call attention to myself and then followed.  Beth and Elaine were working in tandem, straightening up the kitchen.

"You know, I think I'm going to hit the road," I said.

Neither woman acknowledged me.  Elaine was rinsing dishes under the running water and Beth was preoccupied, her expression one of puzzled frustration.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She moved to the refrigerator. "The dessert.  I can't believe I forgot the dessert."

Jamie appeared and brushed by me, adding her dishes to the stack on the counter. Beth turned to her. "Did you pick up the pies like I asked you to?"

Jamie looked at her like she had two heads.  "You didn't ask me to pick up any pies."

"Jamie Elizabeth, I most certainly did. When you were out there sunbathing in the backyard today and talking on the phone, I stuck my head outside and asked you if you would pick up the pies for tonight and you said yes."

I moved some dishes around like I was helping to clean up, staying far away from this conversation.

"Oh . . . sorry," Jamie said.  "I guess I forgot."

"Where is your mind lately, Jamie?"

I could never intercede, but Beth should cut her some slack.  Not only was her mind somewhere else, but her hand was in her bathing suit bottoms and her orgasm was squelched by the sudden interruption.  No wonder she forgot about the pies.

I moved quickly. This was an even easier exit than just saying I was going home early.  I could intervene before Beth and Jamie went after one another, save the dessert for all involved, and make a seamless exit after I got back.

"I'll pick them up for you, Beth.  Where are they?"

"Jack, you don't have to do that."

"No, that's a good idea," Jamie interjected. "I'll keep you company. My fault anyway and I know right where we're going.  C'mon, let's go."

I glanced in Elaine's direction.  Neither she nor Beth had reason to suspect anything ulterior in Jamie's offer.  When neither flinched, I tried to think quickly for a reason of my own to go alone, but before I could come up with anything, Jamie had her purse in hand.

"Shall we?" she asked.

"Yeah . . . I guess we shall."

~~:~~:~~

On our way out the door, she mentioned we would need to stop and get gas, so I offered to drive. We weren't to my car before she confronted me.  "You want to tell me what's up?"

"Up? Nothing's up.  Where are these pies anyway?"

"Just drive.  Start out on Liberty and I'll give you directions from there."

We climbed into my car, drove through the neighborhood, and I turned towards the main road.  For the first minute or so, the silence between us was as thick as the midday humidity. We weren't to the end of the street before she continued her interrogation.

"You've been acting distant all night and it's not making me feel very good."

"Sorry . . . not my intent."

"Well, it would help if you would tell me why you're acting like you are.  I'm not going to bust you with Elaine, if that's what you're worried about."

I turned to her. "Nothing to do with that."

"Then what is it?"

I tried to think of something good, something other than the juvenile fact that I was green with jealousy.  Just thinking about it made me feel ridiculous.

"I'm not cut out for this flirtation game we're playing, Jamie.  It's fun and a turn-on, but it carries overhead for me."

She turned and leaned against the car door, crossing her arms and staring at me. "Overhead? What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

I looked at her.  "I'm jealous, okay?  Tonight when I saw you with Rich . . . standing next to him at the barbecue . . . it made me jealous. Dumb, I know."

I expected a smile, or even a laugh, but instead she looked perplexed. "Well, I don't know if I'd call it dumb, Jack, but it sure doesn't make sense.  I mean, you watch us have sex and it totally turns you on and tonight we didn't do anything and you got jealous?"

"It wasn't what you did, or what he did . . . it was that I sensed something between the two of you . . . I don't know . . . that you care for him.  Like I said, I'm figuring out I'm not good when it comes to no-strings-attached flirting.  I'm having feelings for you, Jamie.  I know you don't feel the same way and I'm telling you so that you'll agree. I'm just trying to explain why I've been distant."

"Care for him?" she said. "And what about you and Elaine?  I mean, you're married.  That's a whole lot more serious than me and Rich.  Although, you never did answer my question."

"What question?"

"About whether you're happily married.  Sometimes I get the vibe you're not."

That was interesting.  I had no idea I was giving off any vibes when it came to Elaine.  For that matter, I thought we were pretty good at keeping up a united front to the outside world. So much for that theory.

"It's like I told you before—it's complicated."

"Is that your way of telling me I'm too young and stupid to understand?"

"You're not stupid, Jamie.  That's obvious."

"Then explain it to me."

I took a deep breath and started talking.

She listened intently as I described the history between Elaine and me. I was careful not to imply anything negative about my wife, as frankly, I don't harbor negative emotions.  I did mention the affair, as it was a pivotal turning point in the relationship, at least in terms of insight.  But I also acknowledged that Elaine probably shared much of the same mixed emotion I did about our marriage, so it wasn't completely unreasonable to expect she would turn elsewhere for excitement.

"So there you have it.  I told you it was complicated."

"So, I guess I'm your ‘eye for an eye'? Your reason to get back at her for the affair?"

"Hardly . . . if it was that simple, I wouldn't be having all these mixed emotions. I keep waiting to have the rug jerked out from under me, for you to get bored and move on. My problem, not yours."

She stared at me.  I didn't know if she was waiting for me to say something else or if the whole conversation had run its course and we should move on to something lighter.

"You want to listen to the radio?" I asked.

"Pull over."

"What?"

"Your heard me.  At the next turn you come to, pull over."

Liberty Drive was one of the main thoroughfares in town and way too busy to stop safely, so I made a right at the first side street we came to, drove halfway down, and pulled the car over.  "What?"

"Put it in park."

I did.

She leaned across, slid and pulled me into a hard kiss.  I wasn't sure how to react, but I stayed with it.  Like all of this, I didn't expect it to last, but I was going to enjoy it while it did.

However, it did last, at least for several seconds, and there was nothing casual about it.  Eventually she pulled back, her eyes fixed with mine.

"I figured whatever I said, you wouldn't believe me, so there. Now do you understand how I feel?  I'm very attracted to you, Jack.  I always have been.  That's why I show off for you. But you're married and that means you're off limits."

I was finished talking, at least until I experienced another kiss.  I reached across and pulled her towards me. She went willingly, our mouths coming together, our lips releasing.  Within seconds our tongues met, warm and slick, our breathing melting into one another, heating up the interior of the car. My fingers fumbled for the keys and I turned off the engine.

I hadn't made out with a girl in the front seat of a car in years, but then again, everything about Jamie seemed to twirl me backwards in time. I know I hadn't felt this type of excitement in years.

No doubt, General Motors didn't have ‘car sex' in mind when they designed the vehicle, but we were doing our best to overcome. The console was narrow and low, allowing me room to lean into Jamie as I ran my fingers through the curls of her hair. Our mouths moved into one another, sliding, shifting, tongues intertwined.  Timing and cramped quarters meant we could only go so far, which foreshadowing in a way. I was hungry for her, yet knew I wanted more than I could ever have.

Her hand covered mine and she pushed it down her shoulder to the bare flesh just above her knee.  I squeezed and massaged her leg as my erection swelled in my shorts. Her confession earlier in the evening that she wasn't wearing panties flashed to mind as her legs opened further.

I pulled from our kiss and looked around.  The street where we were parked was populated with houses. It was a neighborhood much like our own, but dimly lit.  The homes to either side were mixed, some dark, others with lights on, families together doing all the things families do.

"What's wrong?" Jamie asked, out of breath.

"Nothing. I'm just not sure how safe this is."

Jamie gave no answer, grabbing a handful of my shirt and pulling me close, her mouth covering mine.  Our kissing became deep, like we were trying to consume one another. Her hand stroked my chest before inching lower and teasing me with subtle drifts in the direction of my crotch. Eventually she pushed back, her breathing even more labored than before, her blonde curls tousled. She reached down, searched for a moment, and then slid her seat as far back as it would go.  We exchanged smiles as I tossed the keys to the floorboard, both of us practically falling into one another.

Our kissing resumed, even more aggressive than before.  My hand returned to the inside of her thigh, squeezing and climbing higher as she parted her legs, my heart hammering as I closed in.  Jamie slid her mouth from mine and leaned her head back.  It wasn't hard to deduct that she enjoyed having her neck kissed and I delivered deep, penetrating nibbles, scraping her skin as my hand slid first higher, then down towards her knee.

As her breathing began to stammer, I knew she wanted more. However, it was my turn to lead the tease.

"Touch me, Jack," she whispered, before kissing me again.

I smiled, my lips pressed to hers.  "You don't like being teased?"

"Not nice."

Then she surprised me by pulling back, inching her ass off the seat, and pushing her panties down her legs and off her feet.

"Hey, I thought you said you weren't wearing—"

"I wasn't, until you starting acting all weird.  But good news . . . I'm not wearing any now."

She grabbed my face in her palms and kissed me hard. She had waited long enough and my own needs were taking over.  I clutched her earlobe between my teeth and she moaned while my fingers finally glided across her shaved pussy. It's the first time I had experienced a shaven female.  It was incredible.  So clean, hot, and slick, her lips seemed to wrap around my fingertip as her moans bled into delightful whimpers.

I drew on all my experience in pleasing a woman.  I know it sounds trite, but by the time our night was over, I wanted her to forget Rich's name.  I wanted to show her how a real man could make love, to leave her yearning for more like I was. Her sensuous moans were intoxicating as she spread her legs.  When I pulled my hand away, she gripped my wrist.

"Jack . . . no more teasing . . . please."

"I'm not, baby."  I reached across and fumbled for the reclining seat release located between her and the door.  I pulled back on the lever. "Lean back," I said.

The seatback started to fall against the rear of the car.  I found the release on my own seat and within seconds we were laying side by side.

"Hmmmm, much better," she said

We jostled for position as I nestled closer, trying to navigate the car's console as her legs opened wider. She turned her head to the side and kissed me. I moved my mouth downward, along her cheek and neck. My fingers tickled a line between her legs and then slid up and down her wet channel.

"Do you know how many times I've done this myself," she asked from behind broken whispers. "And imagined it was you?"

I smiled.  "I've done some imagining of my own."

I kept her going, working my fingers in long strokes, sliding in and out of her slick pussy.  When her ass began to move against the car seat, I pressed further inside, and then shifted my hand so the heel of my thumb could gingerly massage her clit while my fingers delved deeper.

"Oh, God," she moaned.

I knew she was close.

As much as I enjoyed being in control, it wouldn't take much for Jamie to turn the tables. When her hand slid across the seat and stroked the outline of my erection through my shorts, I was the one to lose my breath.   I scooted my hand tighter between her thighs and pressed my thumb harder.  Her moans grew louder as her fingers fumbled for my belt.

The motion of our bodies and the cramped space of the car made it difficult to move.  I wanted to help Jamie along in freeing me, but in truth, I was a little intimidated. From what I remembered, Rich led the race in the package endowment department.  Granted, I'd held my own throughout the years and never had a woman complain, but I was still a little hesitant.

Then again, if size did matter that much to her, there wasn't much I could change.  Fretting about it now meant I was the one missing out. I wanted her hand around me as much she wanted mine between her legs and it was time we experienced one another.

I pulled back to unfasten the snap of my shorts.  She dragged down my zipper and her fingers inched inside the flap of my boxer shorts.  I looked down and watched as her hand fished out my cock.

"Oh, Jack . . ." she whispered, beginning a slow stroke.

Immediately her breathing grew faster as she cradled my length. My hand returned between her legs and I played gingerly between her lips, increasing the friction with each pass.  We continued fondling one another, her grip around my dick tightening and jerking faster, our moans colliding.  First it was only my fingertips inside her and then I went deeper as her ass lifted from the seat against my forearm, giving me room to explore.

I slid my mouth up and nestled it against her ear.  My own moaning was getting louder now between the words I tried to form.

"You going to come for me, Jamie?" I was finally able to ask. "I want to feel it.  I want to feel you come."

She answered me by continually whispering my name, each time getting louder.

"Jack . . . Jack . . . Oh, Jack!"

Her hand left my dick and her fingernails dug into my shirt as her orgasm spilled forth, mixing with a long continuous cry of pleasure. Her legs squeezed against my hand and I pressed my hard dick into the warmth of her naked hip, her skirt now pulled up to her waist. I waited for her orgasm to peak and then followed the pace downward, easing the pressure and depth of my touch. Slower. Fading away like a song until all that could be heard was the sound of her breathing.

I was out of my mind with desire, but my priority was ensuring Jamie was fulfilled.

After a few seconds of rest, she leaned over and kissed me before trying to sit upright.

"Help me," she said.

"You can relax for a minute. There's still time."

"Exactly . . . help me up."

I raised my own seat into a locked position and then rolled across and braced a hand on the console so I could assist her.  She pulled her skirt down between her legs as I lifted her upright.

"Good?" I asked with a smile.

"Fucking incredible."

I laughed in satisfaction as she pushed her hair from her face and her eyes fluttered while she caught her breath.  I thought we were finished and pushed my partial erection back into my boxers and buttoned my shorts.  I was almost recomposed when Jamie turned to me and noticed what I was doing.

"No . . . not so fast, Mister. I'm not finished with you. Push your seat back as far as it'll go."

I grinned and reached down, found the lever, and slid backward. She leaned across, her hand massaging my cock through the outside of my shorts as she kissed me.  After a second or two, she went for the zipper.

"Pull down your shorts."

"How much time have we got?"

"Not enough to argue . . . now pull ‘em down."

I pressed my feet against the floor and rose up.  The cramped space reminded me a lot of Jamie's closet.  My legs stiffened and I pushed as far as I could go until my hands were competing with the steering wheel.  My shorts seemed stuck at my upper thighs.

"Here," Jamie said.

I held myself in a hovered position as she worked the shorts and underwear further down until they were around my ankles.  I relaxed into position and her hand wrapped around my cock.  I leaned into her and we kissed for a few seconds before her shoulder nestled against my chest.   She tucked her hair behind her ear with the free hand and her head leaned over my lap.

She paused, my stiff dick only an inch from her lips. "I'm still pretty new at this, so if I do something wrong, you'll tell me, yes?"

My stomach was rolling with undulating breaths of anticipation.  "I'm sure you'll do fine, but if it makes you feel any better, yes, I'll tell you . . ."

My head dropped back against the seat as I felt her lips and tongue making wet circles around the sensitive crown of my cock.  I had started out trying to make her forget Rich's name. When her mouth opened and my member slid into the warm space of her mouth, I almost forgot mine.

I swallowed hard as I watched her head rise and fall, my legs beginning to quiver as she sucked more of me in.  She gave a slow, sensuous blowjob, which I loved.  Way better than that jack-hammer, piston moves some of the porn chicks seem bent on.  Making love wasn't a race to the finish.

As her head bobbed up and down in my lap, I played with the curls in her hair and then wrapped my fingers around the steering wheel and squeezed, bathing in the sensation and biting my lip to try and stay off my orgasm.  She held me still and I could feel her tongue washing over and around the spongy knob.

"You've gotten . . . good . . . at this," I gasped.

She rose up, gingerly stroking me.  "It's different with you."

"Well . . . it has to be easier.  Rich has a little girth on me."

"What's girth?"

"He's bigger."

"Who cares. This is much more comfortable for me. And you've got nothing to be ashamed of, Jack."

I thought she might keep talking, but instead she resumed, her mouth wrapping around my shaft and working a steady path downward until I felt her lips lock around the base.

"Jamie!"

She held the position, then lifted and plunged again, then lifted all the way up. "Hey . . . I can even deep throat you!"

"Oh fuck, Jamie . . . don't stop."

Her lips wrapped tighter around me with even more enthusiasm.

"A little . . . faster."

She obliged, raising and dropping down, her hands splayed on my legs as she pumped my dick in and out between her cheeks.  After a few long strokes with her mouth, she rose up and slid her tongue along the side from the base to top, before drawing my length through her palm in an over-handed grip.

I cupped her face in my hands and pulled her lips to mine.  I could taste the salty residue of my arousal on her lips.  It was profoundly erotic, kissing her while she stroked me, working me faster.

Suddenly the intimacy was shattered by the loud musical ring tone I had heard earlier in the day.

"What the hell is that?" I said, startled.

Jamie sat up in her seat and reached for her purse.

"My cell phone."

I watched nervously while she searched it out and examined the display. "It's my mom."

"You better answer it."

She glanced at me like I was a master of the obvious. "Hello?"

I tried to lean down and grab my pants when she reached over and stopped me.  A grin crossed her mouth and she switched the phone to her right hand while her left wrapped around my fading erection.  It only took a tug or two and I was back to life.

"On our way to get the pies," she said, stroking my length. "We're walking in right now." She looked down at my erection in her hand, and then to me, biting her lip to stifle a giggle.

In a way I can't explain, it was insanely arousing to have her stroke my cock while she talked to Beth.  What was it about Jamie and me? It was like the edgier the situation, the bigger the turn-on.

"Oh . . . sure.  The usual kind? . . . Okay. . . . I love you too."

She snapped the phone shut and reached across, replacing her left hand with her right and rubbing her thumb around the sensitive ridge as my teeth clenched in pleasure.  She continued working my erection as I watched, my breathing getting jagged.

"They want to know if we'll stop and get coffee too."

I wanted to come, but I knew we were already running late.

"Their timing is horrible."

"Are you close?"

I finally gave in, moving her hand away. "It's best we get going.  I'll manage."

She leaned down and kissed the swollen head one last time.  "Don't worry, Jack . . . you've been a good boy.  We'll figure something out later."

~~:~~:~~

Beth's last minute call for coffee was exactly the break Jamie and I needed.  We made it back to the main road and a glance at the dashboard clock confirmed my suspicion that our impromptu detour had chewed up over twenty hard-to-explain minutes.  Had the call not come in when it did, there would likely have been questions from Beth, and possibly Elaine regarding what exactly took us so long.

It was Jamie's brainstorm that gave us the boost we needed.  She suggested tag-teaming the errands, a plan where she drove and dropped me off at a nearby grocery store in direct proximity to the restaurant.  I nabbed the coffee while she went on to get the pies.  I was waiting in front of the store when she made it back.  The splitting of tasks gave us a credible story that filled in the missing time span. We swapped spots between driver and passenger and were on our way home. Add it in a small white lie that the grocery store was crowded with only one working clerk and we had an alibi that would give O.J. wet dreams.

Some of the guests had already left by the time we returned.  Jamie and I offered to serve up the dessert to those holding out.  It was all I could do to keep my hands off her when we were alone in the kitchen. I felt like I'd had a taste of her and now I longed for the whole thing. She wasn't making it any easier, continually finding reasons to brush against me, or to lean so close I could taste her perfume.

She was alternating from kitchen to living area, delivering two saucers of pie with each trip while I started pouring the coffee.  We were down to the final guests and I was cutting a piece of pie for myself and one for Jamie.

"I'm not eating," she said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah.  I'm sure."

She was thinking about something.  I could see the wheels turning.

"Okay, here's the plan," she said. "I'm going to bed.  Tired. Long week.  Heavy tests, all that.  Nobody will think twice.  You wait fifteen minutes. No more, no less, and then get up to use the bathroom in the hall."

She dipped her finger across the whipped cream on my slice of pie and slid it across my lips.  I still didn't see how this plan she had going would all come together.

"Look, I'm all for daring adventures," I said, licking the cream off my lip. "But I'm not following.  What are you thinking?"

"Oh, I don't know . . . meet me in my room?  Fuck me while my stuffed animals watch?  Maybe have Elaine join us later for a three-way while the others finish their pie."

She stared at me with deadpan seriousness for several seconds and then burst into giggles. "I'm kidding!  That's even too dangerous for me."

"You had me wondering."

She grinned and used her thumb to clean off some whip that must have still been on my lip. "I'll think of something.  Just be there in fifteen minutes."

Before I could say anything else, she turned and left the kitchen.  I grabbed what was left of my pie, poured myself a cup of coffee, and joined everybody in the other room just as Jamie was bidding everybody goodnight.

They were all involved in a knee-deep discussion around the war in Iraq. That was good.  Elaine was a staunch republican, so if nothing else, she would be tied up defending her beloved President while I . . . well, who knows what I would be doing.

~~:~~:~~

My pie was finished in five minutes.  I smiled and nodded, rolling with the conversation for another eight and then glanced at my watch for the final two-minute-warning.

The hour arrived and I grabbed my saucer and coffee cup, along with a couple of others from the table and started for the kitchen.

"I'll get that, Jack."

My heart jimmied like I had somehow been busted.  I turned and Beth was staring at me.

"Sorry?"

"The dishes . . . I'll get them.  Sit down and relax."

"Oh . . . that's okay.  I need to excuse myself for a minute anyway. Use the facilities."

She smiled and returned to the conversation.

I placed the dishes quietly in the sink and made my way back through the living room. Nobody was paying attention to me.  Not that they should be, but somehow I felt like I should be checking over my shoulder all the same.

The hallway seemed longer than I remembered, dark and foreboding. Jamie's room was the first door on the right.  I passed by and then took a step back and listened closely. I could hear the faint hum of the stereo.  Linkin Park again.  This time it was the song ‘Breaking the Habit'.  How apropos.

No light seeping from underneath the door. No sign of life, yet she must be in there.  I swallowed hard and put my hand on the doorknob.

Locked.

Okay . . . was I early?  A glance at my watch said no, unless I misunderstood her instructions.

I heard a woman's voice approaching from the living room. By the sound, she wasn't addressing me, but she was heading in my direction all the same.  I moved quickly, almost too quickly, onward to the bathroom. The light was already on.  I waited for somebody to appear, but they never did.  That was good, but still no sign of Jamie. Where the hell was she? I stuck my head into the hallway for another look.

"Close the door."

I looked around and then behind me.  The voice was coming from inside the bathroom where I was standing.

"Jamie?"

The shower area was enclosed by one of those mirrored sliding doors.  I watched as it inched open and Jamie's smiling face appeared.

"Close the door!" she whispered, more urgently.

I gave one last look behind me to ensure we were still alone, closed the door, and secured the lock.  Jamie slid the shower door open a little further, but stayed behind, with only her neck and face visible.

"Take that towel off the sink, roll it up, and use it to line the space at the bottom of the door to block the light."

"Yeesh, you've thought of everything."

I did as she told me and flicked the switch. The room fell dark with the only visibility being that provided by three candles lined evenly across the sink.  They were obviously scented, as the room was filled with the sweet aroma of flowers.

"I'm thinking you're hiding behind that door for a reason.  Do you have clothes on?"

"Yessss," she said with a mischievous smile.

"You going to show me, or keep me guessing?"

"Keep you guessing."

"Jamie . . ."

"I figured if you wouldn't come to the beach . . . I'd bring the beach to you."

She slid the door back and my mouth fell open. She was wearing the same tiny purple bikini I had seen earlier in the day.

"My Lord, I'm think I'm going to pass out."

She stepped towards me and wrapped her arms around my neck, staring into my eyes. "Don't do that . . . you're no good to me unconscious."

"Why was your bedroom door locked?"

"Girl like me can't take too many risks . . . what if one of you horny men tried to sneak in my room after I went to bed?"

"And if it's locked, your mom can't check in and find you're not there?"

"That too."

I placed my hands on the small of her back and pulled her closer.  Her skin was warm and her breath the smell of mint toothpaste.  She moaned slightly, resting her forehead against mine, and then kissed me. Within seconds, we were losing ourselves in one another.   I cupped her face in my hands and our tongues slid side-by-side, her fingernails tickling and stroking my chest.  I followed her lead, outlining a path along the top edge of her bikini, the cushy flesh of each breast pressing back against my touch.

"The candles are kind of nice," I said. "A bathroom isn't my first choice for a rendezvous, but I like what you've done with the place."

"You can thank my mom for the candles.  But I get the credit for thinking of you when I chose a room with lots of mirrors."

It hadn't occurred to me, but she was right.  There was a large, wall-sized mirror above the sink.  To my right was the shower door, also covered by a mirror.  Staring back from the reflection was the profile of Jamie and me embracing, me in my barbecue attire and her in her scant swimsuit.  We watched together as my hands roamed down the small of her back and settled on her plump round ass where I gave a good, firm squeeze.

"You like to watch, don't you?" she said.

"I do . . . almost as much as you like to be watched."

"I think you like it more."

"You like it the most."

She laughed and leaned into me.  "I really like you, Jack Handee. You do know that, don't you?"

I sensed her seriousness and stared into her eyes.  "And I really like you, Jamie.  A little too much, I think."

"How much is too much?"

She pressed her weight into me and guided me around in a half-circle until my ass hit the sink.  She raised herself on the tips of her toes and nibbled my chin before running her tongue up and over my mouth.  We were out of words as she grabbed the bottom of my shirt and pulled it upward.  I raised my arms over my head as she untangled the garment from my torso and tossed it to the side.  Once again we watched one another in the mirror on the shower door. She stepped forward and pressed her breasts into my bare chest, our mouths coming together in another hungry embrace.

I rocked with the motion as she undid my belt, my hands cupping her breasts.  She pulled down my zipper and my shorts fell around my feet, my erection pressing forward in a pronounced ridge against my boxers. I bit my lip and watched as Jamie sank to her knees, her held tilting in study as her hand rubbed up and down my length.  She was playing up the moment against the mirror reflection, exaggerating, concentrating, outlining and stroking my stiff cock as if it was the first she had ever seen.  Certainly dramatic, but wonderfully fun, and I loved every second of her private performance.

Watching her was like double vision of the most delicious kind: if I looked to my left, I had the profile of her kneeling in front of me in her tiny bikini, her one hand massaging my leg as her other teased my erection through my underwear; if I looked down, she was staring up at me, her long lashes batting and framing her liquid blue eyes.

My breath seemed to shrink in my throat as she leaned forward and nibbled at my shaft through the thin layer of material. Her hands found the waistband and with a slow deliberation she teased my underwear down my legs.  My cock bobbed and swayed less than an inch from her lips. She cradled me in her fingers, stroking and teasing, staring up at me with innocent, lust-filled eyes before leaning forward and swallowing a third of my length in her mouth.

My head fell first back and I gripped the sink for support as I looked to the side.  It was the same view I had that day in the closet when I watched her going down on Rich, except this time it was me in her mouth.  In addition to the visual, I could feel the wet warmth of her tongue as her cheeks tightened around me.

She sank lower, pausing before taking more, then pushing down the final inch until I had completely disappeared. She held the position as my knees quivered, then slowly pulled back, plunged a few more times, and then worked me with her hand.

"I love doing this to you, Jack," she said between broken breaths, licking the wet ridges of my dick. "It drives me crazy."

I ran my fingers through her hair and guided her mouth closer. "You can tell how I feel about it."

She resumed with more intensity, plunging up and down as her hand reached behind her back for the string that held her bikini top in place. She gave a tug and drew down the shoulder straps down, allowing the top to tumble from her chest and into her lap. Topless now, she added her hand to my shaft, pumping the base while the motion of her mouth slowed to a steady rhythm.  I bit my lip and looked again to the mirror. The profile of her naked breast was visible beneath her bent arm, jiggling slightly with the motion while her other hand held onto my thigh for support as she sucked my cock from end to base.

She pulled back and jerked me faster, staring up at me.  "If you want to come in my mouth . . . I'm ready.  I've never done that before, but I'll do it for you."

It would have been too easy to say yes, to go all the way, but I wanted this to be different.  Until this moment we had taken turns with our orgasms.

"No . . . I want to come together," I told her.  "I want to come inside you."

I lifted her by her arms until she was standing, and then stepped to the side and moved behind, nudging her closer to the sink. As I pulled her hair to the side and kissed her neck, I stepped out of my shorts.  It was a balancing act to remove my sandals without falling down and, more importantly, without removing my mouth from her skin, but I managed.

Now with me completely nude and her topless, I moved to my knees and kissed her thighs, working a path upward.  When I checked my vantage point in the shower-door mirror, she was following my every move with her eyes, her ass arched outward.  Her legs began to bend and slither, posing and preening like a stretching cat.  As I kissed and nibbled her ass, I slid my hand between her legs and up, gliding along her inner thigh and then back and forth against her pussy.  Her bathing suit bottoms were already wet. She began to moan as she watched me in the mirror, her eyes heavy with arousal.

"You need to be quiet, my love," I whispered.

She bit her lip and nodded.

I wanted to be closer—to be inside her skin.  I rose up from my knees and slid my hands underneath her arms to massage her naked breasts.  We stared at one another in the mirror reflection above the sink, Jamie's hands covering mine, my stiff cock grinding into her ass.

I couldn't wait any longer.  My one hand remained on her breast while the other moved along her waist to the knot on the side of her swimsuit bottoms.  With a determined tug, it loosened and gave way, allowing me to strip it to the side.  I threw it the floor before reaching around her nude body and between her legs until I found the wet channel of her pussy. She let go of an aroused gasp as I inched inside, one finger and then a second, using my weight to steady her in position as her palms reached forward and flattened against the mirror.

Her head fell back against my shoulder and her weight settled into me as I concentrated my finger strokes against her sensitive button. I could have teased and fondled her all night, but I knew we were running out of time.  Somebody would eventually notice me missing, or worse, hear our moans of pleasure and come to investigate.

Before the night ended, I needed to be inside her, to be one.

"Fuck me, Jack," she whimpered.  "Please—"

We had both waited too long.  She arched into me, cradling my cock in the round cheeks of her ass, continuing her cat like movements as I sandwiched myself against her. My fingers crawled around her waist and I felt the hard ridges of her stomach.  My one hand teased and played with her puffy nipple, while the other rubbed my cock up and down her ass. She inched back and widened her stance to give me room to work. With a dip of my knees, I found my position.  As I lifted and began to enter, her body tensed.  A glance at her reflection in front of us showed the same look of erotic concentration I had come to adore.

"Oh, Jamie," was all I could say as I felt her wet pussy begin to engulf my cock.

She bit her lip and smiled.

I pushed into her from behind, my cock sinking deeper into her warm, wet channel.  She was snug, yet ready. Her chin trembled and. I stroked her hips as I withdrew and pushed again, delving further.  I kissed her back as I fucked her, then pulled back and watched our bodies join together in the reflection of the shower door mirror.

Jamie moved into me, me into her, our bodies now one. I found the leverage we craved by placing my hands on her shoulders, allowing me to drive into her from behind with forceful, penetrating thrusts.  She fell forward, her hands braced against the mirror as I pounded into her from behind.

"They're all out there, Jack . . ." she whispered between muffled moans.

 The room was filled by the wet, squeaking sound of my engorged cock sliding in and out of her, as deep inside as I could go.

Was she trying to alert me?  I hadn't heard anything myself. Not that it would have mattered. I had all but given up control. It was questionable whether I could have stopped, could have pulled out, even if Beth herself was knocking at the door.

"Where?" was all I could manage as I pulled and plunged in long, penetrating strokes.

"All of them . . . talking . . . oh, God . . . and we're in here . . . fucking."

I stifled a laugh and pushed against her with a stiff thrust, burying myself inside her and pinning her against the sink.  She squeaked in pleasure and smiled, her hand reaching behind to stroke my face before I sucked on her fingers.

"That turns you on, doesn't it?" I said, catching my breath. "Knowing they're out there, while we're in here?"

She smiled and rocked her round ass against me.  "Doesn't it you?"

I answered her with another hard thrust, bottoming out inside her. I wrapped one arm around her stomach to buffer her from the hard edge of the sink and gently squeezed her nipple between my fingers while my other hand stroked her clit.  Her hands left the mirror and her fingernails dug into my forearm. Her head fell against my shoulder, my mouth against her cheek, her body rocking with mine.  I held her tight, hugging her from behind, fucking her from below while increasing the friction against her clit until I knew she couldn't hold back any longer.

"Jack . . . I'm coming, baby."

Fearful that she might get louder, I adjusted my position so the hand on her breast moved up and covered her mouth. Her breathing was wet and hot against my hand. That was all it took.

One last thrust, one last glance to the mirror at our bodies pasted together in a passionate embrace, and I came in a fierce, intense rush, my orgasm spilling inside her as she contracted around me.

Time seemed to stand still. We stood motionless, sweating, our bodies still joined, with the only sound left in the room being that of our labored breath. I pulled myself from beneath her legs and turned her towards me, losing myself in another long kiss.

Then suddenly, the tranquility of our stolen moment was shattered by a knock at the door.

I all but panicked, yet Jamie wasn't particularly fazed.  Her eyes were still heavy as she looked at me and smiled.

"Jack . . . you in there?"

It was Elaine's voice.

Jamie pushed her hair back across her head and dipped to her knees before picking up her swimisuit bottoms and top.  While she was at floor level, she handed me my underwear and shorts.

"What the fuck?!" I mouthed silently, holding my hands out.

This was a total bust.  There would be no way we could make it out of there without bumping into Elaine.

Jamie held her finger up to her lips to indicate silence and then motioned for me to start getting dressed.

I grabbed them and started pulling them on, talking as I went. "Uh, yeah . . . I'm in here."

There was a pause as I pulled my shirt over my head.  Jamie was moving more casually, first pulling on her swimsuit bottoms and then her top, reaching behind to tie it in place.

"You okay?" Elaine asked.  "You've been in there a long time."

"Where are you going to go!?" I mouthed to Jamie.

She leaned in close and whispered in my ear.  "Back from whence I came . . . just relax and act natural and it'll be okay."

She pulled back, gave me a smile, and moved into the shower stall.  The last thing I saw was her blowing me a kiss before she carefully pulled the door closed.  I turned on the light, thankful that the towel was still lined at the bottom. After a quick check in the mirror, I opened the door.

Elaine was staring at me, her expression a mix of something between suspicion and concern. "You okay? . . . You're all flush again."

"I was . . . having a dizzy spell.  I came in here to splash some cold water on my face."

"Are you better now?"

"Yeah . . . much better."

"You need to see a doctor next week, Jack.  That's not normal."

"Yeah . . . I'll look into it.  Everybody starting to leave?"

I was using my body to try and herd her away from the bathroom and towards the living room.

Elaine nodded.  "Yeah, we're just about the last to go.  I need to use the bathroom."

"Why don't you just use the one at our house?"

She looked at me for what felt like minutes, but it was only a second or two.  "Alright."

~~:~~:~~

The following week Elaine called me at work to tell me she had made me an appointment at one of those cardiac well care centers.  I'm not sure if it's a racket or not.  This was one of those clinics that administer some battery of advanced tests designed to predict whether an over-worked, over-stressed guy like me is about to keel over from a heart attack.  The idea is to figure it out before it happens.

I couldn't exactly explain to her that my flushed episodes and related dizzy spells were tied to hot sex with the cheerleader next door and not clogged arteries.  Either way, she was persistent, so I conceded. The results came back as only medium risk with the issues identified as a stressful lifestyle and nothing physiological.  All in all it was the news I expected.

It was rather touching that Elaine worried about me, but that sentiment faded quickly when I arrived home the following Friday. As soon as I walked in, I sensed she was preoccupied with something. Years of living together give two people finely tuned instincts when it comes to one another's mood. Words are seldom necessary when something is wrong and Elaine was giving off louder unspoken signals than a blaring smoke alarm.

"Jack, I need to talk to you."

My stomach sank and I immediately wondered if she found out about Jamie and me.  Stay cool, I told myself.  "You have the floor."

It really became tense when she suggested we move to the living room. We only moved to the living room when the subject was grave. She motioned for me to sit on the couch—the couch where nobody is normally allowed to sit—and she did the same, close enough that her knee was touching mine.

"I don't how to really say this," she began.

Her hands were interlaced in her lap and she was squeezing her fingers so tight that her knuckles were turning pink. Elaine was not a woman typically short on words. Whatever she had to say, it had her rattled. The silence and hesitation was starting to get me stressed and I nearly launched into an explanation similar to the one she delivered when I confronted her after finding out she had been hiding an affair.

I wasn't sure how I would describe what had transpired between Jamie and me in the last two weeks.  It was easy to say I'd slept with the girl next door.  Harder to explain would be the accompanying emotions.  But did I really need to go into all that?

"I want a divorce," Elaine said.

Her eyes stayed focused on her hands at first and then shifted to me for emphasis.  I was dumbfounded.

"I see . . ."

Okay, so I'd colored outside the lines of fidelity, but did that warrant turning our lives upside down?  Divorce seemed like an overly strong reaction, especially considering Elaine's prior indiscretions.

"John and I are going to try and make a go of it," she added.

John? Who the fuck was John? Then it hit me like a two-by-four between the eyes.

"John?  The guy who wrote you those letters I found?  I thought that was over between you two?"

"It was . . . or we tried to end it. But that hasn't worked."

More silence.

"How long?" I asked.

"We've been seeing one another for the last three months."

I had a sudden rush of anger.  "Three months, Elaine?!  You've been fucking him for three months behind my back after you told me it was over?!."

"Jack, I feel like shit over this, believe me.  I wanted to tell you and I almost did, at least a dozen times.  I just couldn't get the words out."

"I see now why you wanted me to go to that clinic. Better make sure it was safe to dump me, or I might croak and you wouldn't get to cash out on the life insurance policy."

She looked at me sternly and her eyes began to well with tears.  "That was really mean, Jack.  It was nothing like that.  I was really concerned about you."

I recovered and tried to shove my anger aside. "I just wish you would have told me."

I wanted to! Believe me; I hate the idea of cheating."

Cheating.  The word sort of hung there between us.  Yeah, I was pissed and, yeah, I felt liked I'd been duped.  But I also had to come clean, if only to myself.  I just made love to another woman less than a week before at a social function while my wife hung out in the next room. Not exactly a model citizen of morality.

All things considered, this moment was probably inevitable. Elaine just needed to be the one to pull the trigger.

She placed her hand on mine. "Believe me, Jack.  The last thing I want to do is hurt you.  I really do love you . . . it's just—"

"Stop . . . you don't need to explain any further."  I stood up and moved towards the bar. "While I hate to admit it . . . I understand. I'd just encourage you to think through this and be sure you'll be happy with this guy.  You know, learn from the experience you and I went through."

She nodded.  "I have thought through it. He wants a family . . . you don't. And he's not so into his career.  He's even talked about being a stay-at-home-dad if we have kids."

"How touching."

"Look, Jack, I want to do the right thing by you.  Split everything down the middle. I think that's fair.  We've both worked for everything we have."

"I'm not worried about that."

"Can we talk about this?" she said.

I poured myself a bourbon straight up.  "I don't feel like talking right now, Elaine.  Frankly, I'd prefer to be alone, if you don't mind."

She wiped the tear from her eye, looked away, and then back to me. "Okay . . . I'll go catch a movie."

I tipped back my bourbon.  As the sting peeled a path down my throat, I poured another. "Be safe," I said.

She grabbed her purse and exited the front door as I moved out to the patio.  For a guy who thrives on his instincts, I never saw this coming.  A half-hour seemed to drift by. I considered another drink, but didn't need a hangover on top of everything else.

I fished my cell phone out of my pocket, scrolled to Jamie's number, and hesitated. After a few seconds, I hit the send key.

It rang a couple of times before she answered.  "Hey! . . . This is a surprise.  What's up?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the school library checking out some books for a research paper I'm working on.  Where are you?"

"I'm in my back yard . . . I was wondering if we could talk."

She paused. "You okay?"

"Not really . . . You remember that part about me being married and off limits?"

She hesitated. "Well . . . I remember saying that, but I don't think I've exactly played by the rules."

"I don't think either of us has.  Anyway . . . I think the table limits on that marriage game have just been lifted."

"What do you mean?"

"Elaine just told me she wants a divorce."

Jamie took in a big intake of breath.  "You're kidding!  It doesn't have to do with me, does it?  I mean, I haven't told a soul, Jack!  I swear!"

"No . . . nothing to do with you.  She doesn't know about that. Anyway, can you afford a few minutes to grab some coffee?  I'd really like to talk to somebody."

There was no hesitation.  "Absolutely.  Starbucks off of fifth by the university?"

"I know it well."

I snapped the phone shut and drained my glass. For a guy who makes his living steering the livelihood of others through his business decisions, I felt marginally in control of my own existence. I was in trouble; that much was obvious.  Somehow, somewhere, a fantasy had gone too far and now the life I thought I knew was about to change in irrevocable ways.

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