86 comments/ 140038 views/ 49 favorites A Change in Marital Status By: Scorpio44a Dave opened a beer and started his computer. It was almost eleven on a Wednesday evening. After the computer finished start-up he clicked into his calendar program. At the bottom of the date box for "Today" the number 366 showed. Dave looked at the number and whispered to himself, "That's it then." He shut down the calendar program and went to the internet. He found what he was looking for and began registering. Fifteen minutes later he was looking through the listings for the people who fit the "Looking for:" format he had filled out. He thought, 'I gave her a year. It was one year ago tomorrow she said she didn't want to have sex any more. I propositioned or offered her a sexual opportunity once a week for fifty-two weeks. I did everything I could think of to inspire something within her to rekindle the lust or affection that had disappeared. Her answer didn't change.' As he filled out the forms his thoughts were about his disappointment in his relationship with his wife, the possibility of something wonderful from the web site and the possibility that looking for a sex partner could cost him his marriage. He paid for a three-month membership. By eleven-thirty he was registered, paid and had written six nearly identical introduction letters to six women who lived within a hundred mile drive from home. By midnight he was in bed beside his wife, Ruth. He had changed from feeling dissed to feeling hopeful. Their bed was just about the worst place he went every day. Not because Ruth was mean, nasty or even sarcastic. She wasn't. She was a pleasant woman to live with, except. Except, she slept nude. Except, she possessed two incredible breasts that Dave had loved to look at, loved to touch, suck on, rub lotion on for all the years they had known each other. Except, she had a hairy pussy that Dave loved to frequent, that it had been "Off limits" for the last twelve months. Except, she had backed away from almost all physicality over the last twelve months. In the time between being awake and being fully asleep Dave thought about a willing woman. She didn't have a name. He didn't know or care how tall she was or even how much she weighed. The willing woman he wanted didn't need to look a particular way. What he thought about was their first meeting. He would walk into a restaurant. He visualized The Lighthouse in Long Beach, California. In his pocket he would have a paper copy of an email she had sent him. It told him she would arrive wearing a green dress and wedge sandals. He watched women enter The Lighthouse until he saw the dark green dress, the wedge sandals and her smile. She smiled when she connected what she was seeing on him with what he had said he would be wearing, khakis and a green reyn spooner shirt. They were seated at a table near the windows over-looking the channel into the harbor. As they followed the hostess to their table Dave watched how she moved and made mental notes. She was tall enough that even in the three-inch heels she had on she was still a couple inches shorter than him. He watched her read the menu. His menu stayed closed and untouched. He had eaten at The Lighthouse many times over the years. He knew before he made the date with her that he would order a bowl of their clam chowder. She ordered a half-sized shrimp Louie salad and iced tea. They made small talk until their food arrived and then deepened the conversation. "I don't know why, but I was surprised by how you look." She said. "You expected me to be shorter?" "I don't know. Taller, shorter, different somehow." "Are my looks a deal breaker?" "No. If looks were that important either of us would have asked for pictures. Neither of us asked for pictures." Her eyes scanned Dave as if they were taking a series of snapshots. "Good. You are more feminine than I expected up until yesterday. Yesterday you wrote that you would be wearing a dress. Many women wear pants more often than they wear dresses these days so I made that mean you are more feminine than most women." She smiled. She took a bite, chewed and swallowed. "I thought a lot about what to wear. I considered pants. I thought about wearing white pants and a nautical themed top. I thought about shorts and a halter. When I remembered this dress I knew it was a better choice." Dave leaned slightly forward and asked, "Why is that dress a better choice?" He noticed her color change to blush. "Because, if I'm wearing a dress, this dress, and you want to reach my skin it's pretty easy to find." Her hand slid through the fold on the front of the wrap-around of the dress and Dave's eyes followed it closely. "In pants or even most of my tops skin is hinted at, but not readily available." "So you did think about this first meeting possibly taking us somewhere more private than a restaurant. You considered taking us to the next step?" She took another bite, glanced at Dave's face again and blushed harder before answering. "I thought about it." "Want to know my opinion?" Dave asked. She nodded as she took another bite. "If we take the next step today or not, I see no deal breakers, so far. We can stop eating and rush out of here right now. Or, we can finish our lunches, stroll through the marina hand in hand and then go somewhere private. You may have me walk you to your car. I already know I'm ready to invite you out again." "May I ask a question?" "Ask as many as you need or want to." "Are you married?" "Yes." "Then why are we here?" "When we first sat down we each got a menu. I didn't count but I'd guess there are fifty choices available on the lunch menu. Any one of those choices could fill your need for a meal. The owner offers you fifty choices because he knows this isn't a one-size-fits-all world. What works fine for one person causes pain, upset or a feeling of being deprived to another person. My wife and I have a good marriage in a lot of ways. In one aspect we have a terrible marriage. That aspect is sex. We haven't enjoyed the sexual part of life together in a year. I need sex, not just for the relief, but for the physicality, the touch, the connection with another human being. At this moment, I choose you to share that connection." "That quickly?" Her eyebrows lifted. "Sure. Why not?" "What if I'm really a bitch?" "Then whatever connection we have won't last. I'm betting that our connection will last. It will because for it to make it past today we both need to agree to be honest with each other." "I'm married." She seemed to be searching his face for clues to how he was with being with a married woman. Dave said, "I know. Your finger has the married indent in it." She looked at her left hand, then back up at his face. "Do you want to know why I'm cheating?" "Not really, unless the reason might intrude on our connection. I'd prefer your husband and my wife knew we were friends with benefits, but someone invented the word discreet so we would have a word for being able to keep a secret. I don't need details of your relationship with him. I assume you don't need details of my relationship with my wife. I don't need his name. There are some things I do need to know." "Like?" "Like what is the possibility of him being violent if or when he finds out about me?" "No, he won't get violent. He won't hit me, or you. We may end up getting a divorce." "Is that likely?" "Nope. First, because I can keep a secret. Second, because his life is already just how he likes it. If he was interested in a sexual relationship all he needs to do is reach across the bed almost any night. I've been right there beside him. Naked and available." "I've had enough lunch. If you have had enough as well then I'll pay the bill and we can take another step." She looked at what was left of her salad and said, "What I really want isn't on my plate. Let's go." Dave paid the bill and they walked out of The Lighthouse. In his imagining he saw them turning towards the marina and walking the path between the marina and the channel out to the breakwater. They had taken just a few steps when her hand met his and it felt natural and comfortable for him to hold her hand. They walked and Dave thought about how they would talk. She asked, "Let's say we go from here to that hotel over there." She pointed at the Hyatt. "We get a room, get naked and enjoy each other until later today. Then what?" Dave answered, "Then, before you go home, we look at our calendars and pick another date and place. We meet at another hotel and spend half a day pampering each other." "Pampering each other? Is that a euphemism for spending half a day fucking?" She smiled as she asked. "No. It's doubtful I could spend half a day with my cock inside your pussy. I could give you a massage, we could shower together, share a lot of foreplay and some after-glow. That would take half a day. I'd call that pampering each other." "A room over there will cost at least a hundred and a half. You'd spend that much for a chance to see me naked?" "See, feel and taste? Damned right I would!" Dave said. "Ok, but not today. Part of what I really like is anticipation. I like to plan a trip months in advance and find ways of anticipating everything about the trip before I go." "If not today, when? I don't want to wait months." She smiled that smile women sometimes give when what they want to say is, "Are you being silly?" What she said was, "How about next Tuesday?" Dave pulled out his cell phone and dialed. She asked, "Who are you calling?" He pointed at the Hyatt. "Not who. I'm calling to get a reservation." Two minutes later he had a room reserved with an early check-in for Tuesday. "By the way, the room is a hundred and seventy-nine dollars." I said. "I'll pay half. Next Tuesday morning I'll drive here and park. You can pick me up and we'll check in together." "I'll bring a suitcase with me, so we aren't announcing to the world that we're meeting for sex." "Pack a lunch in the suitcase and we won't need to shorten our time in the room." "Or pay room service prices!" Dave's imagining stopped when the alarm clock sounded, waking Ruth and Dave for another day. He watched his wife leave their bed and head for the bathroom. Dave had been in love with her for ten years, loved watching her move, walk, dance and run for all that time, and best of all were the times when she was naked. In the last few months watching her make the trip from their bed into the bathroom had become painful. Painful because Dave no longer had the free and easy access to her that he had enjoyed for years. Painful because, as she went to shower, he wasn't invited. An hour later she was off to her job at Hobbs Middle School, spending her day dealing with twelve and thirteen year-old kids and their parents. Dave got to stay home. He had finished a contract job for a client and had a week with no work before starting a new assignment for a new company. He spent the morning checking items off his "To-Do" list as he completed them. At noon Dave started his lunch break. He made a sandwich and got a beverage from their fridge. Back at his computer he opened the web site he had signed onto the night before. There were three responses. "Ticklemyfancy" listed herself as 56 years old living in Seal Beach. The paragraph she had on her profile said she was married, looking for a man to "liven up a stale life." Her snapshot on her profile page showed her in long pants, a scoop necked blouse that showed lots of cleavage and she was standing on the sand with the Queen Mary in the background. "LongLegs" listed herself as 60, widowed, looking for a part-time lover who would rock her world. Her profile said she was living in Carson and wanted her someone to hurry. Her snapshot showed a blond woman with a nice figure in shorts and a halter-top. She indeed had long legs. "I'mLonely" posted a picture that showed her from navel up, naked and covering her nipples with her forearm. In the picture she had no tan lines, dark hair and a great looking face. The details? 59 years old, living in Studio City, working as a clerk in a private school. She listed herself as married with a husband who allowed her to play. Without hesitation he answered all three. "Hi. Here's what I offer: Read my profile and you'll know I'm not into games. I am into results. I'm married and looking for a playmate with the focus on play and mate. If you want dates with a man who will spend weeks or months and piles of money convincing you he's a good catch before he gets a glimpse of your hidden treasures, I'm not the man for you. I'm 67 years old, 6'1", 222 pounds and I limp a little. Some fishermen catch and keep and others catch and release. I want to be caught and released (until the next time you cast your lure and catch me again). My wife used to tell me she liked that I had slow hands and great kisses. Don't take her word for it. Let's get together and do something fun together." Dave's finger paused for well over a minute before he clicked "SEND". He wondered/worried about all the "What ifs" his brain thought of in that minute. He set them all aside and hit "SEND." It seemed fitting to stand up from the desk, walk to the kitchen and get a beverage. Once the beverage was open he needed a diversion and walked out to their garage. He pulled his prized possession out of the garage and began washing it. Out in the driveway Dave washed his '68 Chevy El Camino then pulled it into the garage and waxed it. It got the wash once a week, the wax once a month. When he first bought the '68 Dave loved that it had a bench seat. Ruth told him she liked to slide over next to him while they drove somewhere. He would shift gears using the Hurst shifter on the floor and then rest his hand on her leg. Back then she said she liked having her husband's hand on her leg. Dave had installed a seatbelt in the middle of the bench seat so Ruth would be both legal and safe while sitting next to him. For the last year she acted like she didn't like the El Camino any more or maybe she didn't like sliding over next to Dave... or his hand on her knee. When they were going shopping or out for a meal she always wanted to take her car. She always had a reason and the reason involved not going in the El Camino. It was after four in the afternoon when the El Camino was finished. Dave mowed the lawns and picked some tomatoes from his little garden before it got dark. Ruth got home shortly after five. She used the tomatoes in a salad she made to go with their dinner. She told Dave about her day at school and about the latest gossip from the community of the school. Dave listened, as he always did from the time they first met, to her telling him about people and events in which Dave had no part. It had been years since any social event at the school involved spouses of the staff. He listened because he knew she needed to verbalize her day as a way of processing the day and come down from it. By nine-thirty she was showered and in bed. A few minutes later Dave was opening his computer and looking to see if anyone had responded to his email. "LongLegs" had responded. Her response was time stamped 7:18PM. "Dear Dave", her email began, "I'll get right to the point. I like what you wrote and I want to take the next step. If your schedule allows, meet me in Shoreline Village in Long Beach for brunch on Tuesday. I'll be by the merry-go-round at ten in the morning. Can you make it?" He smiled in surprise. Shoreline Village was where The Lighthouse restaurant was located. Dave typed back to her, "I'll be there." On Tuesday morning Ruth varied her routine. Usually she got up, spent some time getting her face on, then her clothes and a quick breakfast before rushing off to work. Her last move before leaving the house was to give Dave a peck on the lips (lips together, no tongue). That morning she came out of the bathroom still naked and holding a pump bottle of lotion. "Dave, would you lotion my back? My skin is dry." Dave smiled and for the first time in just over a year he got his hands on his wife's body. Four pumps of lotion and then he spread it on her back, working it into her skin. When it soaked in he still had some on his hands and felt brave. He helped her turn to face him and he worked the rest of the lotion from his hands onto her breasts. She smiled and asked, "Will that do it for you?" For two seconds Dave thought about how best to answer her. He answered, "No. I want more, but you've known that for a year or more." She said, "It will have to be enough. I need to get to work." She turned and walked out of the bedroom. Dave made breakfast for them and when she came into the kitchen she was fully dressed. Twenty minutes later she was gone. Shortly after she left, Dave showered, shaved and dressed with LongLegs in mind. He got in his El Camino and smiled as he started the motor. There was something satisfying about the sound and feel of the 454 V8 under the hood. For the twenty minutes it took for him to get to Long Beach Dave was in Heaven. He loved everything about the El Camino. The truck was painted a midnight blue that often looked black and always looked like it had received his tender love and care. The tires and rims were upgraded from stock. The undercarriage was painted, as was the inside of the engine compartment. When he parked at Shoreline Village he noticed a woman standing by the entrance to the merry-go-round. He noticed her because she was wearing a green dress that wrapped around her, baring a bit of her chest and left her long legs uncovered from mid thigh to the ground. She was watching him park the El Camino. When he stepped out of the truck she smiled wider. Dave walked to her and asked, "Waiting for someone?" "I was. Unless I'm way off, I think I've been waiting for you." Dave looked at his watch. 9:55AM. "I'm five minutes early." "I've been waiting for almost a year. Just so you don't need to call me something silly, my name is Alessa." "Alessa? That's just about as unusual as LongLegs." "My Dad was from Denmark and he added an extra "s" to the normal way it's spelled." "I hoped to be sent to Europe when I joined the Air Force, but it didn't work out that way." She hooked his arm with hers and said, "I haven't been there either. Maybe next month. Right now, I'm hungry." "The Lighthouse has good food. Wait! Maybe you weren't talking about food." Dave stopped walking. Alessa squeezed his arm with hers and said, "I am hungry for what I think you're asking, but I'd like to have lunch first, if that's Ok with you." Dave resumed walking towards The Lighthouse. He smiled both on the outside and inwardly. 'This could turn into a very good day', he thought. "May I be nosey?" Alessa asked. "Sure. Ask anything you really want to know." "Have you cheated before?" "In the tenth grade I cheated on a chemistry test. I copied answers from Karen McSweeny." He smiled at her as he answered. "I meant..." "No. I'm almost completely happy with my marriage. If we had sex once in a while, I'd be unwilling to date anyone or even approach doing what we're thinking of doing." "Why do you think she stopped having sex with you?" "When menopause arrived, she quit. She said her libido died, went on vacation or had a mechanical failure. I don't know if that's the truth or if something else is going on. What I'm sure of is that it's been 370 days since the last time she and I did anything sexual together." "You counted?" Alessa's eyebrows rose as she asked. "I kept a record on my computer calendar of every time we got together. When she said "No" a year ago, I wrote it down." "Have you asked since?" "At least once a week for a year. Fifty-three weeks I've asked and fifty-three weeks I've been turned down. I didn't always ask with words. Often I just started doing things I knew she used to like, like massage or joining her in the shower. Each time she told me to stop pestering her or otherwise told me to stop." A Change in Marital Status They entered The Lighthouse and were seated near the windows overlooking the entrance to the marina. As they looked at their menus Alessa said, "This looks really good." "I've eaten here quite a few times and everything I've had has been delicious. They make a very good white chowder. That's what I'm going to have." She closed the menu and said, "Make that two chowders. Does it come in a bread bowl?" "Last time I had it here, it did." The waitress came and Dave asked about the bread bowls. Getting a "Yes" he ordered two bowls. When the waitress walked away Alessa asked, "I'm not going to get much physical affection in public, am I?" "No. If I kiss you or whatever, someone might call Ruth and tell her what they saw. She doesn't deserve that and it wouldn't be good for either of our reputations either." "Whatever you decide will be Ok with me, but I'd like to meet Ruth. I'd like to talk to her and see if maybe she'd be Ok with us having a sexual relationship." "Right. I think she'd be worried that if she said Ok we'd end up divorced pretty quickly. I think she likes life just as it is now. I know if a woman cheats on her man he gets called a cuckold. I'm not sure there's a word for the woman who is married to a man who has sex with another woman." "I'm not too worried about labels. I do know that if we didn't have to worry about being caught life would be better for all three of us." "I can see how it would be better for me and possibly for you. How would it be better for my wife?" "She wouldn't be wondering if you were with someone. She'd know you were with me and she'd know you weren't leaving her. We could address her concerns and do things to make her life less stressful." Their lunches arrived. For a few minutes their focus was on eating, not on talking. Finally Dave said, "I just can't see how I'd start a conversation with her about me having sex with you." Alessa squirmed in her seat and said, "I have a question for you. Which would you rather have, me having a sexual relationship that I attempt to hide from you or a sexual relationship that you know I'm discreetly having?" Dave knew she was role-playing for him. He responded, "She'd want to know why I need to have a sexual relationship at all." "So? What's the answer?" "I didn't have menopause. Nothing happened to my hormones to cause me to stop wanting sex." "Very good. I think that's a great way to start the conversation. She has very little control over her hormones. You aren't blaming her. You give her the power to decide which option she wants most." "She might say she doesn't want either option." Dave said. "Then you say, "Ok. I'll do my best to hide any possible relationship from you, if I ever have one." You smile. You be agreeable and don't get into an argument. You gave her a choice and she picked." Alessa smiled. "What do we do today?" Dave asked. "If you want to wait, we can take a walk today, get to know each other better and then, after you talk to your wife, we can schedule time over at the Hyatt." "I've already waited a year." "Then I'll leave my car right where it is and we'll drive in your car over to the Hyatt. What time do you need to leave to be home without raising her suspicions?" "I'd need to leave at three." Dave answered, looking at his watch. They only had two hours. "We aren't spending eighty dollars an hour today! We are going to find a little privacy and get to know each other a little better. My agreement with my husband is that I won't bring anyone home. At some point he will want to meet you. When that happens it will be in a neutral, public place." Dave paid the bill and they left the Lighthouse. Dave pictured meeting Alessa's husband sometime in the future. As he pictured it he wondered how it could be Ok for Alissa's husband to meet a man he knew had been bedding his wife. They walked the path between the marina and the channel just like in Dave's dream. Out at the end of the path they found a secluded area near the round building that housed the harbormaster's office. They stepped out of sight of anyone. When they were secluded Alessa wrapped her arms around Dave as Dave wrapped her in his arms. All the repressed passion of the last year came to Dave in that first kiss, lighting a flame in him that needed to burn. Alessa felt him harden and felt his cock pressing against her through their clothes. She felt herself heating up, responding to his wanting her. She broke their kiss and whispered, "Dave, touch me." Dave lifted her dress high enough to allow his hand to reach directly to her panties, only to discover she wasn't wearing any. His hand found bare skin and when he touched her mound she moaned into his mouth. He let one finger slip between the folds of her smooth pussy, sliding over her clit and into the wetness she generated. Dave kissed her mouth, probing into her with his tongue as his hands explored and teased her nerve endings. When they broke their kiss Dave said, "We've got to stop. I want you, but I don't want our first time to be a memory of us back by the trash bins." "You lit this fire! Do something to help put it out, not just leave me frustrated." Alessa could feel her juices flowing and her desire fanning the flames of her need. Dave kept moving his finger, pressing against her clit and barely into her vagina. He kissed her neck. She moaned and felt herself surrendering to the orgasm she wanted, needed, so badly. When it whelmed her, her wetness covered his hand and some of it ran down along her thighs. She bit his lip and her moan turned into a groan. Her hands grasped at him, her fingernails digging into his arms. Her body shook hard for almost a minute and after the shaking stopped it was followed by after shocks. "Oh, Dave..." She groaned, "I needed that. I put panties on this morning, but soaked them before I got here. Now the back of my dress will be wet all the way home." "Is that a complaint?" Dave asked, smiling. "Hell No! That's a statement of fact. I may smile all the way home." Alessa smiled back at Dave. Dave withdrew his hand from her mound, putting the finger he had used on her clit into his mouth. "Hmmm, You taste great. Now I know for sure I want more of you. Maybe next time we're getting together we can get a room and go there just after breakfast. That way I can have you almost all day long." "I'd like that." They walked back to their vehicles hand in hand. She asked why that touching was Ok with Dave and he explained by letting her know that he often held hands with friends as they walked. "It's just something I've done since I was a kid. It helps me stay connected to the person and to maintain balance." "When we get to my car I'm going to want a kiss." "And so will I. Hell, I want one right now. We can kiss, but not the full-on wonderful kiss we shared back there. This will be a peck." "Oh, all right. Saying I understand isn't the same as I like it, is it?" "No, Alessa, it isn't." Mostly they walked without talking, each in their own thoughts. When they got to Alessa's car she unlocked the door and Dave opened it. She moved just enough that the movement was an invitation for him to kiss her. He gave her a quick promissory kiss, promising her more when next they were together. After she sat down she said, "When we get together again I'll show you the new bra I bought and wore today, thinking maybe I'd get to show it to you." "Anyone ever call you a tease?" She nodded. "Yes. More than once, as a matter of fact. A little teasing is a way to heighten the anticipation, don't you agree?" Her smile communicated to Dave that she wanted to give him everything he wanted... and she wanted to relish the time they had to wait. Dave agreed with her, closed the door of her car and watched as she drove out of the parking lot. He got into his El Camino and drove home. His thoughts were about Alessa instead of on how much he enjoyed the sound and feel of the El Camino. When he pulled into the garage he noticed that Ruth's car wasn't there, yet. He dialed her on his cell and she answered after the first ring. "I'm at the market. Is there anything you want?" "Yes, there is. A can of shaving gel. We still have some razors from my last trip to Costco, but I need some gel." "They probably have the small travel cans and the big cans. Which do you want?" "The big one." "Anything else you want?" "Yes, but you can't get it at the store." "What do you want, Dave?" "You, naked in bed with me enjoying the after-glow." "In your dreams, Dave. In your dreams." She hung up. He headed for his computer and thought, 'There was the opening for the conversation. When she said "In your dreams" I could have asked if it would be Ok if I had a lover.' He started his computer and searched for places he and Alessa could spend time together... for less than eighty dollars an hour. His thought processes had him thinking of the math. A hundred seventy-nine dollars at the Hyatt. If they arrived before nine and left at three they would have six hours of play time. 'That's less than thirty bucks an hour!' he thought. Ruth made noise as she entered the back door. Dave shut down the computer and helped bring in the bags from her car. She talked all the while about the gossip and news from school. Dave unloaded the bags one at a time starting with the two that held freezer food. He made the proper noises as she spoke, letting her know that he was indeed listening. As he tucked all the empty bags in the cupboard he asked, "Got time for a conversation?" She stopped moving and turned to face him. "What's wrong?" She asked. "I didn't say there was anything wrong. I just asked if you have the time and tolerance for a conversation." "I do. Shall we sit in the living room?" "The den will be just fine. The living room is too formal for me to be comfortable in there." "I like all the furniture in the living room." She said, diverting him towards something other than what he wanted to talk about. "You want the living room, then the living room it is." He took steps in that direction. She followed and asked what was wrong with the furniture. Dave sat on the couch and said, "Nothing's wrong with the furniture in here. I'm just more comfortable in the den. Now, can we have the conversation I'd like to have or would you rather argue about the furniture?" "Touchy, touchy." She said as she sat across from him. "You must be psychic. Touch is what I want to talk about." "You touched me yesterday!" "There are men who might say that putting lotion on their wife's back and twelve seconds of touching her breasts was enough. It isn't enough for me." Ruth leaned forward and said, "This is about you wanting sex, isn't it?" "Yes." He waited. She shifted in the chair and crossed her legs. The look on her face said she was about to recite the law. "I don't like sex any more, can't you understand that? I'm not twenty." "Ok, I understand that. Since you don't want sex any more I have a choice to offer you." "What kind of choice?" "Which would you rather have, me having a sexual relationship that I attempt to hide from you or a sexual relationship that you know I'm discreetly having?" "You want me to choose?" Her face turned a light pink color. "I choose that you don't go out and find someone else." "That choice was not offered. Either I sneak around or you and I have an agreement that gives me one or two nights a week to sleep somewhere else. No matter which choice you make, I won't bring her here." "No wife would agree to such a choice! You are married to me!" "Plan "A" is I sneak. Plan "B" is I have a lover that isn't you and you know where I am. You get to choose. Either way I'm going to have sex at some time in the future." "I don't want to choose." Her eyes were full of tears. "Ok. You don't want to know." Dave got up and headed out the back door. His wife rushed to get ahead of him and said, "Where are you going?" "Make up your mind. First you say you don't want to know, then you ask where I'm going. Just this once I'll answer your question. I'm going back to the market. You asked what I wanted and I said shaving gel. I helped unpack the bags and there was no gel." "I forgot it." Dave went out and Ruth listened to the El Camino announce his departure. He was gone over an hour. When he came home Ruth was in bed. The lights were off. Dave smiled and went into the bathroom and took a shower. When he came to bed he was clean, shaved and shampooed. Less than a minute later he was asleep. Ruth hadn't been asleep when Dave got home. She listened to him shaving and showering and she wondered if he had been with someone while he was at the store. Her mind filled with possibilities. He could have called HER while he was at the market, setting something up for later in the week. He could have stopped at HER apartment for just a few minutes. He could have... At 6:30 in the morning the alarm woke them. Ruth had not slept well or long enough. Dave had slept very well, with dreams of hotel rooms, lotions, showers and the taste of Alessa. Ruth got out of bed, heading for the shower. Dave noticed, not for the first time, that she was growing her bush back. It had a few gray hairs in it. "Honey, If you want, I'll get the hedge clippers from the garage." "Why would I want..." She stopped, realizing that Dave was verbally pointing to the triangle of thick hair at the junction of her legs. She huffed then turned and went into the bathroom. The door closed a little bit louder than usual. Dave got out of bed and dressed while Ruth was in the bathroom. Instead of his normal jeans and t-shirt he put on Dockers and a Lands End button front shirt. When Ruth came into the kitchen Dave was spooning oatmeal into bowls. "Your all dressed up. Going somewhere special?" "Nope." He put a bowl of oatmeal in front of Ruth and sat down near her with his bowl. He concentrated on eating. Ruth took a couple of bites and asked, "Why are you dressed up?" "I'm dressed to go out of the house. I felt like maybe today I would go shopping and I don't want to look like I crawled from under the El Camino." As he spoke he smiled. When Ruth finished her oatmeal she put the bowl in the sink and headed for the back door. She stopped beside Dave and leaned to give him a good-bye kiss. His hand went up between them and he said, "I don't want a pity peck or a peck of any kind. If you can't kiss me like I am your husband, your lover, your best friend then, don't bother me." He stood up and carried his bowl to the sink. He turned on the water and said, "I'll take care of the dishes. We don't want you to be late." Ruth made a sound that Dave interpreted to mean she was upset with him. She more stomped out the back door than walked. It was the first time Dave had ever turned down affection from Ruth. Dave stood at the sink until the sound of her car was gone. Then he smiled and said, "See how rejection feels." He made a few phone calls and found out that a friend was going out of town for a week. He volunteered to house-sit for the week, feed their animals, clean the pool and collect their mail. The friend, Mike, asked, "What about Ruth? Will she be house sitting as well?" "I'll offer it to her, but I want you to count on me, not us. I'll do all the tasks, not Ruth. She has a job. I'll go back to work after you get back." They made arrangements for Dave to get the keys. When he got off the phone, Dave packed a suitcase full of clothes and things he wanted with him. At two o'clock he got the keys from Mike and wished them a pleasant trip. By four o'clock he and their dog were friends and he made a phone call to their home phone. His own voice answered the call, saying, "You've reached the Blaylock home. Neither Ruth or Dave can answer the phone right now so please leave us a message." It beeped and Dave said, "I'm involved in a special project. I'll probably be home some time tomorrow. Enjoy a nice, quiet evening at home. If there is an emergency I can be reached on my cell phone. I love you." He ordered a pizza delivered and turned on their television. He watched the news and then watched a replay of a college football game. Near the end of the first quarter his cell phone rang. Dave carried the phone quickly into the kitchen and started the dishwasher. He sat on the floor next to the machine and answered, "Hi." Ruth's voice said, "You got a special project? Where?" "Honey, If I answer all your questions there is no way I can be discreet. Since you want me to be discreet, I can't answer your questions." "I can hear machines in the background. I know you're not with her. Tell me where you are. Please." "I can't. If I answer some of the time then whenever I won't answer you'll know where I am and what I'm doing. I'll be with HER and doing whatever I want with her. The only way I can be discreet is to not ever answer the questions about where I am and what I'm doing." "You will be home tomorrow?" "Yes Ruth, I'll be home tomorrow." "I wanted to talk to you tonight about what you said this morning." She said. Dave shut off the dishwasher. He said, "Ok. Talk. Or would you like to take the phone into the living room first?" "I'm in the living room!" "Ok. Talk to me." "This morning you stopped me from kissing you, for no good reason. I always kiss you good-bye before I go to work." "Whoa! Hold it right there. When you first went to work, for the first year or so, I got kissed before you left and kissed when you got home. Those were kisses. I got an erection twice a day for sure. Then it stopped being every day, but at least once a week. Then once a month and then the kisses stopped giving me an erection, because they were no longer kisses. They were like Valentines Day cards. An obligation. I've had enough. Like I said this morning, If you can't kiss me like I'm your husband, your lover, your best friend then, don't bother me." "I was trying to kiss you this morning!" "Really? A peck or a tonsil inspection?" "A what?" "With your lips together or with tongue?" "If I kiss you with tongue you'll get hard and want sex!" Her voice was pleading with Dave to understand. "I don't want sex, so I kiss you without tongue." "Problem with your logic is that I always want sex with you. I married you so I could have you as my sex partner." "But... but I don't want sex anymore." "But... but I don't want closed lip kisses any more... They're ready to turn the machine back on... I need to go... Bye." "What time wi..." Dave pushed the button on the phone. He let the dishwasher finish it's cycle while he went back to the TV. At ten o'clock he picked up the phone again and dialed all but the last digit of Alessa's number. He held the phone in his hand for a long minute and then put it back on the table. He cradled his head in his hands and let the tears fall. He cried until the tears would no longer fall, believing that his marriage to the woman he loved more than he loved himself, was over. He slept on the couch. When he woke up it was raining outside. He was still dressed. He made a fresh pot of coffee and washed his face. He drank two cups of the coffee, black. All the while he thought about his answers to the question, 'What's next?' Out loud, standing in the kitchen of his friend's house, he said, "Both the women in my life were right! And, they were wrong! This doesn't have to be the end. He picked up his phone and dialed Alessa's number. It rang three times and then he heard her voice, "Hello." "She picked discreet. We don't need to meet at a hotel. If I give you an address you can come where I am and stay as long as you like this week." A Change in Marital Status "When you go into action, you don't fool around, do you? Tell me all about it." "We can talk after you get here. I want... No, I need to have my arms around you as soon as possible." She told him she had an appointment and would be there at one-thirty. He gave her the address and the call ended. Dave drove home and packed another suitcase with his best suit, dress shirts and two ties. He left a note on the kitchen table. "Honey, the project isn't done. Even if the damn place burns to the ground I'm coming home on Sunday. If it's possible and not too much trouble, I'd like to have halibut for dinner that night. I miss you. I miss you a lot. Love, Dave" He was back at Mike's before one-thirty and parked the El Camino in the garage. At one-thirty Alessa parked her VW bug in the driveway and walked to the front door. Dave watched her get close and he opened the door. "Nice house." She said, smiling and walking inside. Dave closed the door and took her in his arms. They kissed and Alessa verified the presence of tonsils in Dave. Between kisses Alessa found out who owned the house, how long Dave was staying there and the major points to his plan. Dave led the way down the hallway to the master suite with Alessa following him. She unbuttoned the last two buttons on her blouse as they walked. In the bedroom Dave finished undressing her. He spread two beach sized towels on the bed and had Alessa lie face down on them. He opened a container of body butter he brought from home and began a full-body massage. He began at her feet. Half an hour later he was about to ask her to turn over and he asked, "Sweetheart, how long can you stay?" She moaned as she brought her thinking present enough to answer him. She said, "Hmmm, Until just after breakfast. My husband is out of town over-night." "Great! Turn over, please." She slowly turned over and looked up at Dave's face. He leaned to her and they shared a few kisses. In between those kisses Alessa said, "You really do have slow hands. Slow and caring." Dave kissed her again and then reloaded his hands with body butter and began again at her feet. As he slowly worked his way up her legs she spread them, until they were slightly wider apart than shoulder width. Dave focused on giving Alessa a good massage while being fully aware of the distraction of his own state of erection. It had been a long time since he'd been cut off. The feel of her smooth skin and her warmth contributed to his feeling warm, strong and anticipating the evening and night ahead. When his hands reached the tops of her legs he paused to look more closely at her smooth, hairless cleft. His examination told him that she was not shaved. She was hairless. Dave smiled and thought, 'All the better to munch on...' He worked the thick aromatic lotion called body butter into her skin, making pass after pass across each area of her anatomy. Each pass moistened her skin and stimulated the circulation on that area as well as relaxing her. When he kneaded her mid-section she moaned and whispered, "Leave some of me. I feel like I'm melting into the bed." "Hhhmmm..." was all Dave responded. When he was done with the massage Dave had not broken contact with her skin in two hours. He had massaged all of her skin. He knew, at the beginning, the odds were good that she would be too relaxed for them to join when the massage was over. He also guessed that he was laying the foundation for a long and sensual relationship with her body. So, when he was done, he simply got on the bed next to her, covered them both with a blanket and held her while they drifted off to sleep. When they were under the covers, naked, and holding on to each other Alessa whispered, "You really know how to treat a woman... Thank you." It was very dark when a dog ran into the road outside Mike's home causing the driver of a truck to honk the truck's horn and swerve to miss killing it. The sound of the horn woke Alessa and Dave, but didn't cause them to let go of each other. She turned slightly and they kissed. When the kiss ended Alessa asked, "You think she'll go for it?" He kissed her again and said, "She who? I gave her a choice, she chose. She can change the agreement any time she wants by unzipping my pants and doing her best to suck my spleen through my dick! Or, she can live with my new marital status, married with benefits elsewhere." "So, this may well be my one and only time to be with you?" "Nope. She shut me out of her body for a year. At one session a week she cheated me of fifty-three nights of pleasure, minimum. I want those fifty-three joinings!" "What if she tells you she'll do you twice a week for this entire year?" "There is a difference between obligation and gift. If I agreed to Ruth doing me twice a week for a year she would be fulfilling an obligation. The way you and I are together was a gift, from me to you and from you to me. You are not under any obligation to have sex with me. We do it because we like it, we like sharing it and it's fun for both of us." "You've got that right!" "So, quit worrying, if that was what you were doing. I'm not happy with how I got here or with Ruth's choices but I'm very happy right now and looking forward to many nights and days with you." "I don't know... what you did to me was wonderful, but not one of the places you could put your dick got filled. I still have an empty feeling. I started messing around on my husband because my holes spent too much time feeling empty." "You want to pick where I start filling you or may I pick?" Dave smiled and then kissed her right breast. Her hands held his face to her breast and said, "God, I love it when a gentle man kisses my nipples!" She picked and Dave slid into her pussy. Over the next two hours they joined in a variety of positions. Alessa lost track of the number of orgasms she felt. The two towels under her were soaked with their sweat and cum. Dave had cum twice. They spent the weekend inside the house, naked and exploring their relationship. Dave didn't call Ruth and Ruth didn't call Dave. He had left her a message that he'd be home Sunday night, so he was. He offered Alessa the opportunity to stay the night in Mike's home, even if he stayed home. She decided to go home, her home, for the night. "I'll go home. My husband just might come home and I would like to be there with him, if he's there." Before they left the house they stripped the bed and started a load of sheets and towels washing. Dave went for a drive after Alessa left Mike's house. He loved the sound of the big 454 under the hood and he loved feeling the wind swirling around him as he motored down the highway. His thinking had him plan to be home at about five or maybe six, right around dinnertime. As he walked between the garage and the house he noticed the back door was open. Wide open. He found Ruth in the kitchen standing at the stove. She had gone all out. She had freshly done hair, make-up and she was wearing a dress Dave bought for her when they vacationed in Hawaii. It was cut to show off just enough of her chest to make it exciting and just enough leg to make him wonder if she might be ready to change her choice. He walked in and paused to take in the sight of her before he walked to the fridge and got a beverage. He noticed, when he opened the fridge, there were three long-necks and three cans of other beverages she knew he liked. He opened a long-neck. Ruth had heard him come in, but she didn't speak or turn or otherwise acknowledge his arrival. She stayed at the stove, tending to the side dishes she was cooking. Dave put his beverage bottle on the table and moved to within about two feet from Ruth. He said, "Hi." She didn't turn. Dave asked, "What are you thinking?" "I'm afraid." Her voice quivered. "If I turn and look at you I'm afraid I'll see that you're already gone. One look and I'll see that you're leaving me." Her body was tense and stiff. Dave waited a few seconds, thinking about what his best course of action could be, before he took a step and stopped an inch behind her. He whispered, "If it's Ok with you I'd really like a hug. I'm not leaving you. I have no plan to leave you in the future. I love you." She stuck the big wooden spoon in the pan of sauce, turned the heat down low and turned. Dave's arms were open and she moved two inches closer to him, pressing against him and melting into his arms. As long as she didn't move back from him, Dave was willing to stand there and hold on to her. He made no move he thought might be interpreted as sexual aggression or him attempting to take advantage of her. He focused his attention on what she was willingly giving to him. When she moved, he released her with no hesitation. She moved back just far enough that they weren't touching any more and she looked up into his face. Tear tracks showed on her face. "You didn't even try to kiss me." Ruth said. "You told me how you interpret my actions. If I kissed you, it might be interpreted as me being the cave man attempting to control or dominate you. I won't go there again. If you ever want a kiss with me, I'll know it, because you'll initiate it. You have all the power in the intimacy level of our marriage. I am a willing participant and I will not be the one who starts any activity. You set this up. I hope you like life this way." "So... if I kiss you, you'll kiss back..." "At the same level of intimacy as you kiss me." Ruth smiled and turned back to the stove. "Dinner will be ready in about tem minutes," she said. Dave smiled, picked up his beverage and went to their bedroom. He noticed the bed had fresh, new sheets on it and the covers were turned back. He used the bathroom, washed his hands and went back to the table for dinner. Ruth had taken the time to crush nuts into the marinade she used on the fish. It was topped with slices of lemon and oranges and looked incredible. Dave saw and smelled dinner and felt the urge to take Ruth in his arms and kiss her. Instead, he sat down. Ruth cut the piece of halibut into two unequal pieces and served the bigger piece onto Dave's plate. The smaller piece went onto her own plate. She sat and they talked about everything except the elephant in the kitchen. Dave told her the fish was great, as were the vegetables. After dinner they stood side by side at the sink and did the dishes. As Ruth put away the pots and broiling pan Dave left the kitchen and went to his computer. He sat down and watched the machine go through start up. He heard Ruth's voice call out, "Dave, oh Dave, where are you?" "In here on the computer. Do you need me for something?" "Yes. Could you come to the kitchen please?" "Sure." He got up and headed for the kitchen, thinking she needed his height to put something on a top shelf or something. As he stepped into the kitchen he saw Ruth standing there in her heels, nylons, garter belt and new shelf bra. She said, "I'm having a problem. Maybe you'd be willing to help me?" "I'm not sure. Tell me what the problem is and I'll see if I can help." "I hurt my shoulder yesterday and unhooking this bra is too painful for me. If I ask nicely, would you help me?" Dave was aware of the near instant erection she had inspired. He was also aware that she was probably testing to see how strong his resolve would be, in the face of a sexual situation. "If I help you take off the bra, what's next?" "What's next? I'll go put on a night gown and we can watch some television." "Oh. Ok. Take one step toward me, please." She took the step and looked at him, wondering what was next. Dave stepped behind her and said, "Freeze. Do not move a muscle until I tell you it's Ok. Understand?" She said, "I'm frozen." Dave used both hands and unhooked her bra. It stayed up, covering her just as it had before, except that if she moved it might fall off. Dave quickly walked back out of the kitchen, leaving Ruth right where she was. Just before he entered the hallway he called out, "You may thaw now." A few minutes later he heard the television come on. Less than two minutes later he heard Ruth call out, "Dave, I recorded NCIS from last night. Would you like to watch it with me?" He shut down the computer and walked to the den, saying, "That depends on which nightgown you're wearing." He stepped into the den and saw that she was modestly covered. He smiled and sat down in his recliner. "They watched most of the NCIS episode sitting within a foot of each other, not talking. In the third commercial break Ruth turned to Dave and asked, "Is it going to be like this from now on?" "Is what going to be like what?" Dave looked at her as he asked. "Used to be, when we sat to watch TV you might hold my hand, might put your arm around me..." "And, as I recall, you often got upset because I treated you like I had free and easy access to you instead of waiting until you were in the mood for touching and whatever else might come with the touch. I've quit taking the risk of pissing you off. I'm right here. Whenever you are in the mood, reach over and take my hand. I won't reject you. I won't get mad because you didn't ask first." "So, all touch is up to me now?" "Obviously, I wasn't pleasing you. Obviously, I want you to be happy. The only way I can keep from pissing you off is to give you the decision power about when and how much touching happens. I can do that. I am doing that." "You can give me that because you're getting your needs met with someone else!" "Could be." NCIS was back on. Dave upped the sound level one unit. They were quiet until the next commercial break. When it started Dave turned the sound down until it was almost off. He waited. "What if your new way of being pisses me off?" "Then I'm lost. I don't know how to play with you so that we both win. You won't tell me. You shut the door on my sex life over a year ago. I've offered sex and sensual play every week for the year since you closed the door and every time I got shot down. Ok. Now that I've accepted life without us being physical you seem to be upset that I'm leaving you alone." He paused. A commercial for KY intense lubricant ended on screen and Dave said, "You got just what you wanted." They watched the end of NCIS in silence. Ruth didn't even look over at Dave. When the show ended Dave handed the controller to Ruth and stood up. "Good-Night, Sweetheart." He said as he turned and left the room. Ruth followed him to the bedroom, after she checked that the doors were locked and the lights in the rest of the house were off. By the time she entered the bedroom, Dave looked like he was asleep. Ruth took off the nightgown she'd been wearing and slipped into bed. The next night when Ruth came home from work she hit the button to open the garage and saw that the El Camino was gone. Her first thought was that Dave was somewhere with HER, Fucking HER and laughing with HER. As it happened, she was right. Right or not the reality was that Dave had come home or been home every evening for many years and that night he wasn't. She entered their kitchen and found a note on the counter. It read: Honey, I won't be here for dinner tonight or sleep here tonight. Maybe the best thing would be for us to have an agreement about which nights I'll sleep here with you. Think about it, would you please?" When Dave returned home the next morning Ruth had already left for work. The dishes were done and their bed, made. Dave worked for a couple hours in the yard and the rest of the day at his computer. He set his alarm for the time when he knew Ruth got off work. Just before he shut down his computer he printed the same note for Ruth as he had left the night before. On his way out he left the note on the kitchen table. The next day when he returned home his note was still on the kitchen table with Ruth's response written by hand beneath his printed note. She wrote, "I would like you home, with me, every night. Since you are intent on having sex I guess the discussion we need is to start with how many nights a week do you intend to sleep "somewhere else"? Dave smiled. Ruth assumed he was with Alessa. He had rented a campsite at one of the six campgrounds out by the lake and had slept in the bed of his El Camino. Alessa wasn't available every night, but Ruth didn't know that. Their conversation about which nights Dave would be at home lasted almost a week. They settled with an uneasy truce that had Dave home four nights and gone Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights. A month passed and their relationship smoothed out to the place where Ruth was Ok with him being gone three nights. She discovered she liked the freedom it gave her. She discovered she liked not having Dave pressure her for sex all the time. Dave decided he didn't like sleeping in the back of his truck. Dave found a trailer for sale that suited his needs quite well. He spent a few days improving the interior and he got Alessa to help decorate the inside so she was comfortable there. She bought material and made curtains for all the windows and she bought pots, pans and other kitchen things so she could make dinner for them when she "stayed over." Six months passed and the four of them existed in a relationship that was strange, but seemed to suit all the players. Dave was living with two women who didn't know each other. Alessa was living with two men who didn't know each other, but did know of each other. Ruth lived with Dave half the week and knew about Alessa. Alessa's husband knew Dave was her lover and he was fine with it. It took the pressure off him to be the singular focus of her attentions and allowed him to sleep with her the Saturday, Sunday or Monday nights. It was on one of those Sunday nights in February that their semi-comfortable relationships were interrupted. Alessa was at home sitting with her husband on the couch. To be accurate he was sitting on the couch, Alessa was sitting on his lap. They were kissing and both had the intention of moving soon to their bedroom and some sexual activities. In the midst of being fingered and kissed, Alessa suddenly felt Ken's body tense up and his eyes popped open. She broke the kiss and leaned back just a bit. Ken's hands went to his chest and he moaned. She realized he was having a heart attack, grabbed the phone and dialed 9-1-1. She got him an aspirin and they waited the four and a half minutes until the EMT's arrived. Ten minutes later Alessa was dressed and on her way to the emergency room. Ken had been taken by ambulance. At the moment when Ken's heart seized and the pain stopped their kiss Dave was standing in the master bathroom of his home, peeing into the toilet. Ruth was in the kitchen, putting the leftovers in the fridge. Both were content. Ken was pronounced dead before Alessa got to the hospital. When the doctor told her she collapsed onto the floor and cried for a while. Two nurses helped her to a couch and one of them stayed with her. She sobbed and allowed herself to grieve for her loss. It took her an hour or a little more to calm herself enough to ask herself 'What do I do now?' The answer was to call Dave. She used her cell phone and dialed his home number. She had memorized it months before needing it, but had never before dialed it. It rang and without a thought Ruth picked up their phone. "Hello." She heard a sob and a female voice said, "This is Alessa. I need to speak to Dave, please." The please was pleading, not just politeness. Ruth got that something was terribly wrong. She asked, "What's wrong?" "My husband just had a heart attack and ... he's dead." Ruth asked, "Which hospital?" "White Memorial." "Don't move! We're on our way!" Ruth hung up the phone and went looking for Dave. She called out, "Dave, get your shoes on. We need to get to the hospital and quickly." A Change in Marital Status "What's up?" Dave called out as he looked for his shoes. "Alessa called. Her husband just died of a heart attack." Ruth found her shoes and both grabbed jackets before they ran to the garage and took the El Camino. Ruth was quiet as the Chevy flew low to White Memorial Hospital. Dave concentrated on driving a quickly as was safe while he also thought about what to do for and with Alessa. He parked as close to the doors into the hospital as he could and hand-in-hand he and Ruth went inside. Alessa was sitting inside the emergency room treatment area and the instant Ruth saw her she knew this was the woman her husband loved, every bit as much as he loved her. Dave rushed them to Alessa's side and he helped her stand. He embraced both women and they all cried together. Ruth found herself holding onto her husband and his mistress, lover. She had wondered often what she would do if she ever met her. Hugging had not been what she thought would be her reaction. She hadn't anticipated Alessa's husband dying or even thought about her being married. Dave held on to both women and felt the pain Alessa felt and the confusion of Ruth. He cried the tears of being unable to fix or even improve the situation. Tears of frustration, worry and shared pain. A nurse came and moved them out of the treatment area. She told them that a car accident had happened and they were about to have eight injured patients coming in who needed the area. They found themselves outside, still holding each other. When he could speak Dave said, "We need to go home." Both women looked into his face. Both were looking to him for leadership, compassion and strength. He guided the three to the El Camino. Alessa sat in the middle, held by Ruth on her right as Dave drove them home. Ruth didn't wonder which home they were going to. Alessa didn't think. She turned over her life to her lover and gave in to all the feelings of loss she was feeling. Tears fell. Sobs were shared without shame or thought and Ruth's heart went out to Alessa. Inside the house, Dave ushered both women into the master bedroom. He got both women undressed and into nightgowns. He got both women into bed, shut off the light and left them to sleep. Dave slept on the couch. When Dave opened his eyes it was daylight. He got up quietly and went to see how the two women were doing. He peeked into the master bedroom and discovered no one was there. He found a note on the kitchen table. It read, "Dave, we'll be back soon. Alessa needs some things from her house, so we went to get them." It was noon when Dave heard Ruth's car pull into the driveway. A few seconds later another car pulled in and parked. They had stopped at the hospital and Alessa retrieved her car. They brought things in and left them in the kitchen. They found a freshly shaved, showered and dressed Dave on the couch where he had spent the night. Ruth leaned over to kiss Dave without thinking about his ban on any kiss that wasn't heart felt and included tongue. The instant her lips touched his her tongue invaded his mouth. His hands held her face and he fully returned the kiss. Ruth said, "Good Morning, Dave," as she pulled back, away from his face. Alessa sat in his lap and kissed him, tongue included, until he needed air. When the kiss ended Dave looked at Ruth. She had watched him kiss Alessa! Ruth sat down beside Dave and she said, "Honey, relax. While you slept Alessa and I had time to become sisters. We've talked and we've made some decisions." Alessa said, "We've decided to both love you. I know we've both been loving you for months, but we mean we're both going to love you." "We'll sell the other house and Alessa can move in here with us." Ruth said. "We can keep the trailer, if you like, just for fun, or we can have fun right here." Alessa said. Dave sat there with his lover in his lap and his wife beside them and his mouth was open. Ruth laughed. "Dave, are you dreaming? Can you live with two women?" "I've been living with two women in my life for months. What happened that the two of you are friends when day before yesterday you didn't even want to know Alessa's name?" "It wasn't one thing. I heard something when she called from the hospital. When we hugged in the emergency room I felt something. Alessa isn't... wasn't a threat. When we slept we woke up holding each other... then we talked. You never bad-mouthed either of us in all the months we've had our relationship. You just loved us both." Alessa kissed Dave again and said, "Ken dying hurts. When I watched the ambulance drive off with him inside I felt a huge loss... I remembered that you love me and I called for you. You and Ruth were there. I woke up this morning here... and in Ruth's arms." Over the next five days they handled all the logistics of Ken's death, moving Alessa into their house, putting her old house on the market, a funeral and the emotions all these things brought up for each of them. They each knew that the feelings weren't handled, ended, or even suppressed. Ken's death left a hole in Alessa's life. A hole that would remain empty for a long time. More than once Ruth found herself wanting to be held, touched, kissed by Dave. She was surprised at the feelings. She had thought they were gone. Dave and Alessa had been careful not to be overly affectionate in front of Ruth. Dave decided to take Alessa to the trailer for an evening of affection. At dinner, prepared by Alessa with assistance by Ruth, Dave asked, "Alessa, how about if tonight we go to the trailer?" He saw her eyes and the excitement he saw made him glad he'd asked. She was about to respond with a "Yes" when Ruth spoke. "Remember when I said I didn't want sex?" She asked. Dave nodded. Alessa smiled. She had sensed a change in Ruth and felt her getting ready to voice the change. "Something has changed. Maybe it's having Alessa here, maybe it's seeing you being loving with her, but I want some play time with you, too." Dave smiled and asked, "Is it that I want some play time with you two or I want some play time with you, also?" The two women looked at Dave, then at each other and both answered, "Both!" All three laughed. The trailer wasn't used. The master bedroom was well used. The atmosphere in their home changed. Dave no longer felt the need to look anywhere else for the physical affection he needed and wanted to give. Alessa and Ruth were well cared for, pampered by each other and by Dave on a regular and frequent basis. Ruth discovered she was capable of enjoying the attentions of another woman. Dave sold the trailer to a friend who was married to a woman who had closed the door on their sex life together. He left copies of the email trail he had created that led him to Alessa in the trailer when he turned the keys over to the new owner. They discovered the bench seat of the El Camino to be wonderful for taking the three of them out for dinner, to picnics, day trips and shopping. Ruth rode in the middle sometimes and put Dave's hand on her leg between shifts. Alessa did the same thing when it was her in the middle.