141 comments/ 91752 views/ 15 favorites Lovers and Losers By: Matt Moreau We'd served together in Iraq, Roger and me. We'd joined up right after high school. In country and out we'd had each other's back. It'd never been an issue for either of us, until I'd actually saved the asshole's life. That day, because of the ungodly noise of the wind and the sandstorm, it'd been kicking up pretty good; he didn't hear the truck, nor did he see it since he had his back to it. Worse, in our desert fatigues the driver didn't see Roger or me either, not until the last second at any rate. But I did see him, the driver. I slammed Roger up hard against the wall, but since I was a couple of feet further out into the street protecting Roger, the truck hit me. The fact that the driver had finally slammed on the brakes saved me: I was injured, punctured lung, broken arm, broken leg; I survived. Roger was suitably grateful: he visited me every day in the medic's tent till the evac guys finally got me to the capitol. And, his gratitude being boundless, he swore undying affection for me and mine. The "mine" part proved truer than the "me" part. ****** For the record I'm Wilbur Chandler. My wife, Sally Chandler nee Dorn. She and I met at a party six months after both Roger and I had mustered out. Six months after that Sally and I had gotten hitched. That was nine years ago now. Sally is a princess, me, Joe average. But, I'm an okay looking average, and I can dance—my only social saving grace. Sally was beautiful then as now. Oh and now? five-eight, one twenty, lustrous brown hair to her shoulders, C-cups, and a butt that could have launched thousand ships. Oh yeah, and me, now? Five-seven, one-forty, thinning hair, and really thick lensed glasses. Oh, and I'm a mechanic, a good one; and, a well-paid one if it matters. Oh, and our common age—thirty-two. ****** I watched as he took her. I was sick. Sick at heart, sick to my stomach, sick in my very soul: my marriage was over. My soulmate was—well—was not. My best friend was also a not. It was going to be very hard for me, very hard. I'd loved her since high school. Now, it was over. I stepped into the room. "Sally...?" I said in a flat voice. God I sounded wimpy; no, I sounded as one in pain! Their heads snapped around to see me. Initial shock was replaced by looks of sympathy—that on her part. Him? His look bespoke amusement. Roger—who incidentally is single—always was a never-take-anything-seriously kind of guy. Clearly, fucking his best friend's wife was not a big deal to him, certainly not something to be taken all that seriously; hence, his look of amusement rather than of guilt or sympathy. "Oh Wilbur, you surprised us, dear. Just go back downstairs, and wait for me. We're almost done here," she said. I didn't move I was rooted to the spot staring at the two of them. "Go on get out, Will," he said impatiently. "You can have her back when I'm done," he said. And, again, 'he' of course, was the same Roger, Roger Hardy, my now ex-best friend, local bar owner, and Sally's boss, and yeah, the guy I'd saved. Suddenly I was overcome with rage. I charged him. He had disengaged himself from my wife and was ready for me. I unloaded a right-left combination to his face. Problem was, it didn't faze him. He grabbed me by the scruff of my neck, pushed me down to an almost squatting position, and frog walked me out of my own bedroom. Out in the hallway he held me by my scruff; he looked, what, irritated. "She said get out bud. You don't got it when it comes to this stuff. I got it, and she needs it. "I'm giving it to her, and you can have her back shortly," he said, slamming the door in my face. As he turned to go back in, he was laughing like it was all a big joke. Perhaps I should note here that my ex best friend is six-four and right at two-hundred and thirty pounds. I stood staring at the door for the whole time they remained inside. Loser me! Well, I was a loser, clearly. He on the other hand was a lover, always had been. I was stunned, couldn't believe what was happening. I heard my wife scream in pleasure at least twice. I sobbed uncontrollably. Like I said, I'm a loser, and I know it. Maybe half an hour later the door sprang open. He came out still buttoning his shirt. "Thanks!" he said, "no biggee. Sorry about before. But, well, we were in the middle of it, you know. See yuh later. We'll talk." He was staring straight into my eyes as he finished buttoning up and said his spiel. I just stared back at him, not saying anything. "Get over it, guy; it was nothing," he said, smiling and turning to go. She finally emerged, and sighed her frustration at my emotional state. "Oh, Wilbur, don't worry. I still love you. Roger and I were just playing. Really," she said. "Wait here. I will be back in a moment." She turned from me and walked him down the stairs. I heard them talking but couldn't catch what they were saying." A minute or two later she returned to me. "Don't worry, dear, he's not replacing you. You're my love, my husband," she said. I shook my head. "Not anymore, Sally. You can have the traitorous asshole or whomsoever, just not me. Not anymore." I retraced my steps into the room that had been ours for nine years, ever since returning from the Middle East. I searched out my jacket and my small tube bag, the one I used for carrying changes of clothes that I needed on the rare occasions I travelled anywhere. I wasn't gonna be taking much of anything. I didn't need to. My bank account was separate from hers. I'd have enough money to buy whatever I needed. Apart from my work clothes and a couple of pairs of jeans and a few shirts I didn't need much. She could give the rest to Goodwill or whomsoever. The less I had to remind me of her and my fuckwad used-to-be-best friend the better. She'd followed me up the stairs and watched as I packed the few things I needed and slipped on my jacket. "Wilbur, honey, you're overreacting. He's a meaningless interlude and nothing more. He's your best friend! He adores you, really. For godssake stop packing and listen to me. Please." "Best friend? Not any fucking more He manhandled me out of my own bedroom so that he could screw you some more. And, you didn't say a damn thing to him about it or try to get him to stop doing what he was doing to me. Then, just now, you ushered him out like he had a right to be here and to do those things to me," I said, "or should I say 'do' you." "It isn't like that," she said. "Oh, then how is it?" I said. "I'd really like to know." "You attacked him. He had to defend himself. He didn't hurt you. I appreciated that. He could have hurt you. So, yes, I walked him out for that reason," she said. "I thanked him for not hitting you. That's all." "He did hurt me, Sally. He humiliated me to the point that he has destroyed my marriage to the woman I had long thought of as my soulmate. I guess I was wrong about that. Hell, you helped him destroy me. You're nothing but a cheating whore! I will never dip my wick in your filthy pussy again, not if it was the last pussy on earth. And you can take that to the bank. But, as for that, I guess you wouldn't care much about that anyway," I said. "Wilbur you've got it all wrong," she said. "Do I? You wanna stay married to me?" I said. "Yes, definitely," she said. "He got his cell with him?" I said. "Well, yes, of course," she said. "Call him. Tell him to fuck himself, that you quit your job at his fucking bar, and that you never want to see him again," I said. "Do it now, and we'll talk, you and I." "Look, Wilbur, let's talk first. I'll call him if you want after we talk. How's that?" she said. "No. Now or never," I said. She sighed her frustration with me. "That's what I thought. Have a miserable life, Sally, we're done." I strode out, and left. ****** I shacked up with a friend, Mickey Stewart, for the next couple of days. Just went to work, and tried to forget at least some of my pain. I reinforced that effort after work with a few shots of JD on the rocks. My new hangout, was the Sunset Bar and Grill. I had been a regular at Hardy's, my wife's place of work and my now ex best friend's store. Well, I was a regular until my marriage imploded; obviously I could never go back there. Three days after the blowup, I guess she thought that I'd had a chance to cool off—not even was the reality—she showed up at the shop. Me and couple of other guys were working at lifting the head out of an older model Caddy. "Wilbur, can we talk for a minute," said the voice from behind me. She'd startled me. I turned to look at her. She looked great, no doubt part of the assault she was about to make on my psyche. "No," I said, "we're through." "Wilbur, you need to come home. We'll fix our problem tonight after dinner. Okay?" she said. She was doing this right in front of two of my compadres. "Sally, there is no fixing it. Not ever. Please leave," I said. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable with her standing there airing our dirty laundry in front of God and everybody. "Look, Wilbur," she lowered her voice; but it was sure that the two guys with me could still hear her, "dick size isn't something you can do anything about. It is what it is. Roger just fills that single need. That's all. My face had to be turning a dozen shades of red as she said what she was saying. "He's good in bed but otherwise he's an asshole. Okay?" I tried to look around and see who might have heard her put me down—maybe inadvertently—but put me down nonetheless. Three others of my coworkers had joined me and the two who were already there, no doubt because a looker like my wife was sashaying around the place; they were all ears. They were smiling and snickering. Humiliated did not begin to describe my emotional state. "Sally, get out of here, please," I said. "Wilbur, Roger didn't mean to hurt you the other day. When he pushed you out of the bedroom, he did it to avoid having to fight you and beat you up. It was a good thing," she said. "He was restraining himself." Her voice was normal now, and everybody heard her. Barry Milliken began laughing so hard he had to go outside. She wouldn't leave, so I did. I didn't return until she'd gone. She'd left a message with Mickey, one of the five, to have me come home so we could talk. I got looks all day from those who'd seen and heard what had gone on. I fast became the butt of jokes and whispered conversations. That night at the Sunset B&G, it all came to a head. "Hey cowboy, just how little is your dick?" said Malcom Brady, one of the mechanics from the shop. "Shut the fuck up, Brady. My old lady and I are splitsville, and I don't need any crap from an asshole like you," I said. "What did you say, shrimp," he said, as he ripped me out of my chair. The fight was on. Brady wasn't as big as Roger Hardy, but he was bigger than me. Still, I got a few licks in before he messed me up: two black eyes and a broken nose. For his part, he got a bloody—not broken—nose out of it. I spent a couple of hours at the clinic getting patched up; Mickey drove me over. Over the next few days at work Mickey didn't say anything, but he's the only one who didn't. I was a laughingstock. I quit my job three days after the fight. I couldn't work there anymore. ****** "Your hubby still upset with me?" said Roger. "I guess I owe him a case of beer." "I would be amazed if he ever speaks to you again or comes in here, I mean to the bar," she said. He laughed. "So, he hasn't called or come home to get his stuff?" "No, and I'm worried. He's been gone five days. I think he's staying with Mickey, a friend of his, but..." "He'll come home, but until he does, I fully intend to take advantage of his stupidity," he laughed. She shot him a look. "Look it's only fun and games with you and me. He is way over reacting to everything. You know it and I know it. Hell, if I was married to you he could dip his wick in you if he wanted. The jackass knows I'd take a bullet for him. Messin' with you is only recreation and deep down he knows it," said Roger. "Heck, when we were in the army together, we used to trade off girls all the time." "I don't know, Roger. I mean about him coming home. You pretty much humiliated him pushing out of the room by the scruff of the neck like that," she said. "I know you were doing your best to not hurt him, but the way you did it..." "Yeah, I guess I did overdo that," he said. "But hell, I couldn't hurt the guy; he saved my life in Iraq." "Overdo it? Do yuh think?" she said. "When he returns, tell him the drinks are on me. Okay?" said Roger. She snickered. "Yeah, like that would make a difference. I better get back to work," she said. He nodded. She was talking to a regular at the end of the bar when the man came in. She saw him, recognized him, and went to see what he wanted to drink. "Hi, Mickey, how's it going," she said. He gave her a look. "Okay, I guess. Make it a tall cold one," he said. She headed back to the bar to draw the draft. She returned with the order. "Mickey, can I ask you something?" she said. "Yeah, I guess," he said. "Is he staying with you, Mickey? Is he okay?" she said. "Yes to the first. No to the second." He said. "Huh?" she said. "When you went to the shop last week, you cut him up pretty good, Sally," he said. "So, yes he's staying with me, and no he's not doing too good." "I did not cut him up, to use your words! I went there to beg him to come home to me!" she said. "Yes, maybe. You also referred to his little cock—talk about how to humiliate a guy. You also mentioned that your lover had run him out of his own bedroom, humiliating him in front of you. Half the shop heard you. They have not stopped making jokes at his expense and laughing at him," he said. Her face paled. "Oh my God! I had no idea. I—I—I will go back to the shop and make things right. I swear I never meant to embarrass him. I love him. Yes, I will go there tomorrow," she said. "Too late, Sally. He got into fight because of it all, and got beat up and had to go to the hospital. And, if that were not enough, it got so bad for him at the shop that he had to quit. He's currently unemployed," said Mickey. "What! Quit! Unemployed!" she said almost squeaking out the words. "Oh my..." "Yes, well it is what it is. He'll get another job. He's a good mech. He just needs a little time," said Mickey. She'd taken a seat across from him. Now she rose and headed back to the bar. She had to think. ****** "He's unemployed? Shit! I hate to say it, Sally, but your hubby is a wuss. So a couple of guys laughed at him. He quits a good paying job over that! "You best be talking to him. Maybe make it nice for him if you know what mean. If you want, I could talk to him. You know kind of apologize for doing him like I did," he said. "Right, he's gonna go for any that—not!" she said. "Listen, I was an asshole that day. I wasn't thinking. I guess I was showing off for the woman, you. You know, playing the macho bit, playing the big man. I was wrong," he said. "Wrong? You fucked me and he saw you! He heard my screams of pleasure! Then you frog walked him out of his own bedroom. His hatred of you, and maybe even of me, probably knows no bounds," said Sally. "Hate is a pretty big word. He'll get by this if he has half a brain. He and I are sympatico. Yeah, I know, I fucked you and he saw me. Big effing deal. It's not like I was trying to get you to leave him or anything. You, or we, just have to talk some sense into him. Your choice," he said. "It was only a little sex for godssake." "Yeah, and just how do you figure to get him to talk to you? I mean all I see in you trying to talk to him, is him giving you the bird or trying to fight you again. He sure as hell has reason," said Sally. He gave her a look that—what—confused her. "What are you thinking?" said Sally. "Sally, you're a genius, and you are absolutely right," he said. "What are you talking about?" she said. "I get him to hit me, fight me, and I don't fight back or not very hard. I take my medicine, you know, for treating him so bad at the house. If I'm lucky—if we're lucky— afterwards, I'll be buying him a beer, and we'll be talking," said Roger. "He won't fight you. He knows he can't win," said Sally; "he's half your size." "Well, it's our only shot. I figure we gotta try if we want him to get back in the saddle with you where he belongs," he said. "Yeah, well, even if he does let you buy him a drink, him getting back in the saddle with me is gonna be a hard nut. He told me never again," she said. "Yeah, like any man is going to refuse you, dented ego or not," he said. She smirked. "That's why I love you. You always say the right thing," she said. "Love me?" he said. "Well, you know what I mean," she said, ****** He watched his quarry for some minutes before he approached. Why do people always take deep breaths before going after a challenge? Well, that was a thought for another day. He shoved his hands in his pockets to be, as he thought, less threatening; and strolled, leisurely strolled, toward the other man. It was a nice day in the park, warmish, but nice. How long it was going to stay that way, nice, was the question. His target had his back turned to him. "Blades bare," said Roger. ****** I'd been sitting in the same spot pretty much every day since moving in with Mickey and quitting my job. Mickey'd go to work, and I'd come here to the park: lots of trees, young moms with their kids, birds and squirrels. Yeah, my kind of place. It was almost noon, too warm for most folks to be out; but I liked the heat. The park was deserted except for me. Yeah Mick was cool No pressure. He was giving me time to get over what ailed me: the loss of my wife, my job, my best friend, my self-respect. The park was a lot better than four walls for thinking. Well, it was until now. "What the fuck! What the fuck do you want, Roger. Get outta here," I didn't quite scream. "You and I gotta talk," he said. "No we don't. And, what's with the 'blades bare' shit; we're not in-country anymore. Those bridges have long since been burned," I said, "and by you." "Yeah, maybe. But I still owe you," he said. "Harrummph! So you screw my wife and turn her against me; I don't need your kind of gratitude, fuckwad. Just get the fuck away from me," I said. "Look, Wilbur, I'd take a bullet for you..." "Yeah, and my wife from me. Helluva thing," I said. "Will, this has really gotten outta hand. Yeah, she and I cheated on you. I guess I know how you're feeling. I'm sorry, okay. But, I was not trying to take sally away from you. We just got this little thing..." "Yeah, well not okay," I said, interrupting him. "What you and her have done is irreparable. You can't undo it, and I can't unremember it. So, do us all a favor, keep the whore, and get the fuck away from me. I got enough problems without you bein' around rubbin' my nose in it," I said. "The bitch even cost me my job! So please, just fucking go away. Please!" "Will, she didn't cost you your job; your fucking ego did. Yeah, I heard about it. She embarrassed you trying to get you to come home. She did it wrong, but she's a woman; women are supposed to embarrass guys; it's what they do," said Roger. He'd finally pushed me too far. So I did it. I spit in his face. I smiled at his obvious upset. Wiping the spittle off with the back of his hand, he took a menacing step toward me, stared at me—I was still smiling—then he backed up. "I guess that means I failed," he said. "Suck my dick asshole! Oh yeah, you failed, so travel," I said. ****** "He did what!" said Sally. "He spit in my face. We were talking, not making much headway, but talking; and he spit in my face. I almost laid into him. But, after what he caught me doing with you; well, it was little enough to let him have that one," said Roger. Lovers and Losers "Jesus, he must really be hurting—angry—jealous what all," she said. "Oh yeah, all of the above," said Roger. ****** I needed to get a job. Trouble was, the news of what had happened at my old shop was all over town, or seemed so. Every other shop that could pay me a living wage knew about me. Hence, I had to move; Piqua was no longer friendly to me. I headed west to Indiana. Greenville was a nice town, and nobody knew me there. Cross and Steel Motors needed a mechanic who was willing to work any hours. I fit the bill; they hired me. I was able to find a cheap apartment near work and therefore was able to walk to work most days. Then, winter set in, and I had to drive. Well hell, I was used to it: Ohio, Indiana, the difference? None. She had tried to reach me, at first by cell phone which I had changed to a new number; then, by emails, each of which I read and deleted. Yeah I knew how to use a computer. Sorry she said. Do anything to fix her mistakes she said. Begged me to come home and she'd make it up to me she vowed. All horseshit. Then I got one, an email, that intrigued me. "Honey, she said. I've quit my job at Hardy's. I'm working at the Sunset now. And, after you left, I did what you said. I called him and cut him off from all further communication of any kind. I don't know what else to do, Will. I need you, and hope that you will have a little mercy on me and come home." I wondered. Then, I wondered some more. Go home? Just leave things as they were and forget her? She'd refused to cut the motherfucker off before, but now she had, or so she said. Trust her? I had an idea. I called her. She wasn't home, but I left a message and my new number on the machine. She called me back that evening. I was eating at my new hangout, the Tree Bar. "Hi honey," she said. "Thanks for getting back to me, really." "Yeah hi. You claim you've dumped the bastard," I said. "Yes, yes I have, Will. He's tried several times to call me and get back with me. Says he wants to make things right with you too. But, I told him you were the one to talk to not me. I haven't heard anything else from him for the past couple of days now. I think he finally got the message," she said. "Hmm, maybe," I said. "I'm living here in Indiana. You wanna come over here and meet; well, we can discuss matters. Your choice." She was silent for a full half minute. "Indiana? That's so far," she said. "And it's winter and it's cold." It was clear to me that she didn't want me back very badly. "Goodbye, Sally." I hung up on her. The phone rang almost immediately after I hung up, but I unplugged the phone. The email I received ten minutes later begged forgiveness and asked for an address to come to. I sent it. I got the visit the next day, Saturday—from Roger. Answering the door, I almost slammed it in his face. But, for whatever reason, I left it open. He followed me in. "What the fuck are you doing here! We've had this conversation," I said. "No we haven't. I tried to get you to have one with me, but you spit on that effort," he said. "How did you find me?" I said. It was obvious how he'd done it, but I wanted to hear him say it, or, lie about it. "Sally. You gave it to her and she gave it to me," he said. "Will you answer a question honestly?' I said. "Yes," he said. "You still fucking her?" he hesitated, looked down, looked up, spread his hands, and waited for me to react. "That's what I thought," I said. "Thanks for being honest. She lied in her teeth yesterday when I talked to her on the phone." My tone was sardonic as hell. "I know, I was there telling her what to say. I needed to find you, and so did she, and it was the only way," he said. "Yeah? Well where is she?" I said. "At a nearby motel waiting for us," he said. "She was afraid you'd lose it, and well, she left it to me to try and get you to meet with us." "Figures," I said. "Well, again, thanks for the honesty. Now, you can leave." "It was the only way to get you to listen up, Will," he said. "You and I have seen a lot, done a lot together. I was an asshole. I want to make it right by you. Come on give me a break. Okay?" "Not interested. You're fucking her; that's the kiss of death to my marriage, and to even the vaguest hope that you and I will ever be good again." I said. "No it isn't!" he said. "What! Huh! You seriously saying it's all right for you two to make me your cuckold? You seriously think I should be all right with an idiot idea like that!" I said. "Since you ask, yes," he said. "And, you're nobody's cuckold. We—you and I—are just doing like always, like before—sharing." "No it's not the same. In country we weren't married to any of those women. No, you and that whore I'm married to are certifiable. I mean really," I said. "No we're not. But, I guess I do understand your feelings. Before—that day—like I said, I was an asshole. I—I don't know what I was thinking. Just being stupid, macho, whatever. I'd be grateful if you'd give me a chance to make it up to you, Will. I owe you; as you well know, and I treated you like shit that day. That'll never happen again" he said.. "So, fucking what, I'm a firm believer that my wife, any wife, needs to be a one man woman," I said. "If you owe me, then walk away from her." He ignored me, my words. "I understand how you feel, the way you think, and so does she. Will, we just play a little. I'm not tryin' to come between you and Sally. She'd laugh me out of town if I ever suggested such a thing. I am a whole lot better at sex than you are. But at husbandship? Well, you get the idea." "Whaddya want from me, Roger. You and her—you've killed my heart. Betrayed me. I'm alone, hopeless, and hurt real bad. And, if that sounds like I'm whining, feeling sorry for myself; well, so fucking what. Just leave and let me get on with rebuilding my life. Is that too goddamn fucking much to ask," I was yelling. The target of my ire remained calm. "Will, come to the motel. Talk to us. Let your wife and I make our case. It won't kill you. Hell, maybe we can still fix this mess," he said. I snorted. "Not a chance," I said. He put a business card on the end table: it was a card from the motel they were staying at. He nodded toward it. "In case you change your mind," he said, "We'll be there till the day after tomorrow noon. And then we'll be gone. ****** "Well?" she said, as he threw his coat onto the queensize she was sitting on. It was getting late; he looked tired. "No dice. I did leave the card with him. We can still hope, I guess." He said. She nodded. "You never should have run him out of our bedroom like you did that day. It was too much for him. The humiliation, his humiliation, was just too damn much, Roger. Too much!" "Yeah, I know that now. It was worse than him catching us like that," he said. "Yes, yes, it was. Now, we are trying to convince him that we can all still have our cake and eat it too including him. But with him constantly reliving in his head you frog walking him by the scruff of the neck... "Yes, I know. But, Will is not a weak man. If I had taken him on straight up, he'd have been hurt because I would have had to take him seriously. And, that lady, would have been much much worse," he said. "I know, I know. It doesn't alter the fact that it's plenty bad enough as it is," she said. "You could go see him. Kind of keep the pressure on to talk to us. Things can't get any worse than they already are," he said. She started to object, but stopped. "Uh—yes—maybe," she said. "Uh—yes. Like you say it can't hurt. I know for sure if I did go to see him that he'd be calling me on me lying to him; I mean about giving you the door, but I don't see a choice. Sitting here hoping is a losing proposition." "Indeed, it is that," he said. He looked up at the clock; it was almost noon. It's lunch time. Let's go eat. "Maybe later I want you to fuck me first," she said. He smiled broadly. "You talked me into it," he said. She began unbuttoning her jeans. She watched him as he matched her garment for garment. Naked they came to each other and kissed, fiercely kissed. "Do me up good. I want to be full of your cum when I talk to him tonight. If this is my last try, I'm gonna be coming at him with all guns blazing, just like we talked about, Roger," she said. "And, I am going to do my damnedest to make him like them, his sloppy seconds." "I like the way you think. Take no prisoners. Overwhelm him and force him to his knees. It just might work. God knows nothing else has. Yes, yes, two or three loads of my cum ought to do it," he said. He pushed her back on the couch. She kicked her legs high in the air; they hung over his shoulders. Helpless, she grunted as he drove into her without preamble. Pushing and pulling himself in and out of her, he did her up good. Her face was contorted in pain: usual for her the first time he took on any given night. But, it was a pleasurable pain. He made to turn her around and get her kneeling on the couch butt thrust lewdly toward him. On his knees, he played with his dick while sniffing her butt hole and seeping pussy. He was hard again in minutes. Standing he entered her now slickened cunt easily and began drilling her slowly and deliberately as she purred her surrender. Half an hour later they lay side by side breathing heavily. "That was good," she said. "Ditto that for me" he said. ****** The Swordfish Foodery in Greenville was dimly lighted. It was the dinner hour. They sipped their wine and talked quietly, both contented and full, the afterglow of a good meal and sexual fulfillment visible in their look. "Well, if I'm going to do this. I better get going," she said. He nodded. "I could go with you," he said. "Maybe wait in the..." "No, this I do single-o," she said. "Okay, I guess so," he said. "Good luck." He raised the crossed fingers of both hands in support. ****** All I could think about was "his Rogerness." I hated him. He'd destroyed me, or at least been party to destroying me. But, for the fucking life of me, I couldn't hate the sonovabitch as much as I felt I should hate him. Well, regardless, he was history: time to get on with my life—finally! It was almost 8:00 on the wall clock above the TV. I grabbed the clicker to see just what mindless nonsense I could find on the boob tube. I had just hit the on button when I heard the rapping—on "my" fucking chamber door. Rising with some reluctance, I headed for the door, opened it, which deed was immediately followed by the opening of my mouth—a foot wide. "Are you shittin' me!" I said. "No, no," said Sally. "No, this is my last hurrah; well, actually hopefully not." I gave her a look of pure frustration as she swept past me and into my none too tastefully decorated abode. "Your boyfriend wasn't enough. You gotta destroy me a little more too." I said. And, I said it sarcastically. "What I want to do to you mister would be quite pleasurable. You can trust me on that one," she said. "Oh, and what would that be soon to be ex-wife," I said. "Why fuck you," she said. "You did fuck me, Sally. You fucked me over. So just go back to wherever you came from and let me watch some exciting TV. Whaddya say?" I said. I was continuing with my almost studied sarcasm. "No, I gotta take my shot," she said. I mentioned my mouth as having opened wide at her appearance on my door step. Well, watching her begin to strip without hesitation or invitation caused my mouth to revisit those cavernous dimensions. Black bikini panties and CFMs were all that remained of her vesture. "Cat got your tongue big boy," she said. I slowly shook head from side to side. Her absolutely bald mound—that was easily discernible through the thin fabric of her panties—her C-cups, her flowing locks cascading around her shoulders and threatening to sacrilegiously hide those C-cups were collectively on the cusp of enslaving me. "I—I—I..." I tried. She snickered. "Come and get it, little man. And, do your best. I need it," she said. She slid to the floor. Her hands lay motionless along her sides. Her legs were closed, daring me, inviting me to forcefully spread them apart. "Do me, Will. Just shut up and do me. We'll talk afterwards. Please," she said. I was horny as hell. Well, it had been a while. I stripped, dropped to my knees, and made to spread her legs apart. I entered her easily. It was clear to me that he had taken her earlier, and not very much earlier. I could see from her look that she knew I knew. Sloppy seconds for me, Sally. That my lot? "Yes," she said, "on both counts." I began stroking in and out of her. I was monumentally angry, but I was also in heaven, pure heaven. She had me. And, I had to think she knew she had me. She was just too much to resist. I felt myself cumming. Her butt rose high in the air slamming into me with my every thrust. It was clear that she was trying to make the experience the best I'd ever had, even with her; she was succeeding. I rolled off of her breathing sporadically. "Good for you?" she said. "Good enough to get you to come home to me?" "Sloppy seconds?" I said. "Almost." I could almost feel her smiling. "I love you Will. I love you and only you. You need to come home and take care of me. And, Will, I promise to take care of you," she said. "Justy forget about my playing with him. When you and I are together it's only us, Will, only us, not him not anybody else. We're in our own world." "Him? Roger? The one who holds me in contempt? The one who humiliated me beyond anything I could ever have imagined?" I said. She was silent for a long moment. "He doesn't hold you in contempt, Will. He actually loves you. He knows he did bad. Not made a mistake, but did bad. He wants to make it up to you. It's my sincerest hope that you'll let him." "You haven't answered my question," I said. She sighed. "I could try to give him up, but..." "But it might be too hard for you," I finished for her. She looked down. "Yeah, I kinda thought so." "Any chance you could give a little here?" she said. "What's give a little?" I said. "Well, maybe allow me a little play time with him now and then?" I gave her a look. "No, I guess not huh?" she said. "We can talk about it. You and me. But with him? I'm not real comfortable with that," I said. "Wait—wait. Are you saying there might be a chance. I mean..." she started. "I don't know. I can't think of any scenario where I could be okay with it. I mean especially after what he did to me that day. You have no idea how bad that hurt and how awful it was for me at work after you came in that day and finished me off, finished what he started," I said. "Will, I will never, never forgive myself for doing that to you that day. I didn't mean to, but the male ego... "But—I mean—if we could figure a way to get by those, there might be a chance even now?" she said. "What I said was that I couldn't think of a way where I could see my way clear to get around all of that. That's what I said," I said. "But if there were a way?" she said. "I don't know, maybe," I said. She tendered me a wan smile. ****** "So, how did it go?" said Roger. She looked at him, hung her coat on the hook on the bathroom door and plopped down into the single cushioned easy chair the Moonlight Motel afforded. "Not sure. But we'll both know in about half an hour more or less," she said. "Huh?" he said. "He'll be here shortly. He's driving his own car," she said. His smile was broad. "You mean..." "I mean I don't know. He's willing to talk. I paid the required price for that, but he is still hurt real bad. I just don't know. But, that said, he is willing to talk," she said. "There's no way to prep for—a meeting like this. What are we gonna do?" he said. "Be sincere and don't try to snow him. He has to be convinced that what we say is true, heartfelt, and of benefit to him; and, that some way, somehow, he can get some of his back." "Yeah, well, I got a little money; but him...?" he said. "Money won't do it. He doesn't need it. I just hope that whatever he wants that we can handle it." She said. "Sally, I only want us to all be friends—and yes—lovers again. Even if it means doing threesomes with him like we talked about," said Roger. He paused. He looked momentarily pensive. "Wouldn't that be somethin'?" "What you and I might get out of it has to be a very distant second, at least in his mind. And like you, I don't know how to do that. I honestly don't, not yet," she said. ****** I sat in the car for a good five minutes before going up to knock. Finally I bit the bullet. "Oh good," she said, answering the door. "I'm really glad you came, Will." I have to say, Sally, I really don't know why I did come. I'm not sure you, me, Roger, have anything to say that'll make a difference. You know my position on any of this." "Well, I'm just glad you're here," she said. "Me too," said Roger, speaking for the first time. I just looked at him. "Have a seat over there, Will," she said. She pointed to the cushionless rattan armchair, arguably the best seat in the house; I smiled, and took the seat. Roger seated himself on the foot of the bed while Sally planted her shapely bottom on the little stool that served the inadequate—but better than nothing—vanity the room afforded. The cushioned easy chair remained vacant. "Well, we're all here," said Sally. She was smiling, but it was a forced smile for all of that. "Yes, I guess we are," I said. "Will, if I may?" said Roger. I nodded. "Will, I don't know but what this time might be the last time the three of us do this. So, we, Sally and I, are here to level with you. Try to get you onboard with a proposal I'm going to make. Then, I mean, if you'd like to add anything—change anything..." He left that hanging in the air "Okay," I said. "I'll listen. But if I may, I'd like to say a little something first, if that would be all right." His turn to nod. Sally, for her part, sported a wrinkled brow but said nothing. "I require a one man woman for a wife. I do not want to share. No, that's not right. I refuse to share. That's my starting point. But more than that I cannot get out of my head what you did to me that day Roger. Do you know, I tried to rationalize it. I tried to convince myself that my best friend would never have done me that way if he'd been in his right mind. But, you were in your right mind, Roger. Weren't you? "Failing in my attempts at rationalization, and that's plural attempts; I began thinking of ways to get revenge on you for what you did to me. And, I even came up with some pretty good ideas if you want to know. But, then I realized that revenge is really nothing but a low class attempt to salvage meaningless pride. Such being true, and I believe it is, I decided that no, the only revenge that means anything is that which comes from within the revengee himself—in this case you Roger; you have to make that choice. "So, at any rate, I finally decided to just get lost and to stay lost, but you two; well, you wouldn't let me stay lost so to speak. So, here we are for what is very likely our last sit down. Okay, I've said my peace." Roger nodded. "I understand broheem," he said. "But, I have a question for you. Would that be all right?" he said. "I guess," I said. Sally stood up and signaled Roger to shut up. "Will, you and I, well we've been a team, a husband and wife team, for a long time. Our proposal, the one that Roger was going to propose to you was this. "Roger will leave tonight and head back home. You will, hopefully, stay here with me. Or, we'll go back to your place, and I will stay with you. We will restart our marriage. I will be the one man woman you say you must have," she said. Lovers and Losers "Like any husband must have, Sally," I said, butting in. "But, so far so good. Go ahead." "Whatever," she said. "But..." "But, what?" I said. "But, I would also ask that you and Roger bury the hatchet. You know, kinda let bygones be bygones," she said. "That it?" I said. She looked away. No, she was looking for support from her fuck buddy. He took up the slack. "Will, if you could see your way clear to—you know—allow me and her to get together once in a great while. Not like before, and never at your place, never that again. But once in a great while," said Roger. I had to smirk. Well, it was funny. "Can't do it. Seeing her get ready for a date with you. Knowing you were talking about me while you were doing her. Probably laughing at me. Can't even begin to get my head around that, Roger baby," I said. "What! Laugh at you! Never! I never did and I never would!" he said. "You did that day I caught you," I said. "Well, that was different," he said. "No it wasn't. And, there is no way you wouldn't be talking about me putting me down to each other, you know—loser me, little dick me, no fucking good in bed me. No way in hell. But, even if by some quirk of human nature you were able to not laugh at me when you were together, you'd never be able to convince me that you weren't. I just don't trust you anymore. It's that simple," I said. "Will, you saved my life. Ever since that day, I've had to live with the fact that I could never repay you for that, and I..." he started. "Yeah, so instead of repaying me, you do me dirty by stealing my wife from me. Even today, she lied in her teeth telling me she'd kicked you to the curb. And, she hadn't; it was just a ploy to get me to talk to her, maybe get back with her. And, why that I don't know. I'd like to know, but I don't know." I looked over at her. "Wanna at least give me a little bit of truth here, Sally? Wanna tell me why you want to get back with me? I'm not as good looking as him. He's taller than you; I'm not. And, as he's been more than happy to inform me, he's a whole lot better in bed that I am. So, what's the attraction, Sally? Why do you even want me back? You can get a divorce. You can marry him. Then you wouldn't be saddled with a ne'er do well like me," I said. She looked pensive. I knew she was weighing the risks of giving it to me straight. "Will—okay: why do I want you back. It's complicated, but I will try to make it as understandable as possible," she said. I remained silent. I figured to be able to tell if I was getting it straight as soon as she opened her mouth. "To begin with Will, you are not a ne'er do well, far from it. That said..." she stopped talking. She was clearly conflicted. "And?" I said trying to get her going again. "Well, that said, you're okay in bed, really; but, nothing extra. I'm selfish enough to want something extra. Roger has it. And, doing him; well, somehow it never seemed like cheating. I mean he's us, one of us. It's always been you me and him. Almost like he was a second string husband to me. Not legally or emotionally of course, but real in other ways. Will, we've been doing it, him and I ever since you guys got back from Iraq. And, it has never hurt you and me, not ever. Well, not until that day," she said. "What the fuck! Ten years!" I said. My voice was low and menacing. She ignored my upset. "Will, I'm not ashamed to say it, I need you because of your income. You make twice what Roger can or ever will as a bar owner. His place operates in the red most of the time. Hell, half of the time I don't even get paid. So yes, I need you to support me, not him." She nodded in her fuck buddy's direction. He looked away. I think he felt some hurt as she said what she said. And finally..." she stopped again. "And?" I said. "You kinda said it yourself, Will. Roger's a real good looking guy. Women hit on him all of the time at the restaurant. Me? I'm still fairly young, and men still give me the second look. But, the reality is, that in time, in time and not very much time, I'll age; and Roger will be looking to spread his pollen in other arbors. I know it, and there is no doubt about it. Men age better than women; it's nature. "Don't look so down, Roger. You and I have talked. "And all of this is supposed to make me feel better," I said. "No, but maybe this next will," she said. "What?" I said. "Will, you're not like Roger; he's a lover. But, you have other qualities. Qualities, Will, that I cannot do without. You're steady and trustworthy—unlike Roger and me, I guess. Thirty years from now you'll still be there for me, still worshipping me and taking care of me; well, anyway, I can hope. I have to have you back, Will, even if I really do have to give up Roger to get you. I just—well—I just hope you'll see that it's going to be real hard for me to do without what he brings to the table, and maybe you can see your way clear to..." "To let you to fuck him, no matter how much hurt it puts on me." I said. "Let me see if I've got this straight. Roger's a lover and I'm loser. That about it?" I said. "No, Will! You've got it all wrong. Yes, he's a lover, and you're a lover too, just different that's all. You and I make love. He and I make lust. That's all," she said. I felt myself nodding, but it was a sarcastic, or maybe a sardonic, nod. "You love me, but you don't lust after me. I don't light your fire; I just make you feel—what—secure maybe. You might find this hard to believe, Sally, but I need a woman who is hot for me. It's clear to me that you're not. I just wish that I could roll back the clock and not have married you. I blame myself for that." "Willard! Stop it! I do lust after you. And that regularly. You know damn well when I have the hots for you. I know you do. Deny it, but you'd be fooling yourself," she said. "Uh-huh—not," I said. "I knew when I agreed to come here tonight that you'd, the two of you, would be putting my feet to the fire. I knew it, and I still came. Not sure why I came, like I said. But, then again, maybe I do. I'm still in love with you, Sally. Problem is I can't be with you anymore." "And why the hell not!" she said. "Yeah, old bud, why the hell not," said Roger. "Because, Sally, you don't love me. I can make the case to myself that you might need me. But, love me? No. I can smell it, the contempt you two hold me in," I said. "Contempt? What the fuck are you talking about, Wilbur Chandler! No one ever held you in contempt. Not me, not Roger, not anyone I ever met," said Sally. "Uh-huh, and I have free tickets on Pigs Fly Airlines," I said. "But, all said and done, and as sure as I am about it all—and I am damn sure—I have to grant that I could be wrong. So, here's my deal, Sally, you go home. I'll stay here, for a year. During that year you are not to see Roger, contact him, send him holiday cards, nothing. At the end of the year, you and I will talk. And, if you have done all of the above, you and I will get back together. "The year thing? Call it a little revenge for all of the shit you two have put on me over all of these past ten years. Whaddya say?" I said. She gave me a what-the-fuck look, but remained silent. She was thinking. "Okay," she said. I guess you are entitled to a little payback. She looked over at her fuck buddy. "Roger..." "Never mind. I get it. I'll be heading back alone. It's been great knowing you two. And, Will, I still owe you. Damned if I don't," he said. "If you owe me, then stay away from my woman. That's my price. That's all I need from you, all you can ever do for me that means anything," I said. I stayed put in my chair while he packed his stuff. Fifteen minutes later he was gone. Not even a goodbye kiss for his ex-paramour. She stared at me. I could see she was saddened; well, I hoped that's what I was reading into her look. "So, what happens in a year, Will? You going to believe me if I say I have kept to the agreement," she said. "Yes. You tell me it's so, and I'll believe you. I have to be able to trust you; otherwise, we have nothing. But, one slip up, one lie, a phone call from him that you take, and it will end us, and that in the very minute I discover you," I said. "That's the codicil." She nodded. "Will, I know this is going to sound mercenary. But, if I can't see him, I will have to quit my job. I can probably get another one, but..." I nodded. I knew what she was about. "I will send you two grand a month. I'll have to be working a ton of overtime to do it, but I can do it. But, you'll still need to get a job," I said. She nodded. "A year without sex. Can I go out during that time? You know, dining and dancing?" she said. "Or, do I have to stay imprisoned within the house walls." "It's up to you. But, temptation will be strong for you to give it up. So, the ball will be in your court. But, if you do go out, it can never be with him. Let him find his own honey," I said. "He's persona non grata forever because of what he did to me that day. I have realized over these past hours that I will never be able to get over it, what he did to me." She sighed. "That was bad wasn't it? It really was that bad." My turn to nod. "Oh yeah. You know, I wake up at night sometimes shaking with anger, and there is nothing I can do about it," I said. "You know, Will, he feels just as bad about it as you do. I mean we've talked. Well, you can imagine. He's constantly reliving the day in the Middle East when you saved his life. Then, he relives what he did to you that day. You know he's actually cried in front of me about it. Cried in frustration at not being able to come up with something that would make it right by you. "He was being macho—his words—and it came back to bite him in the ass. You could be the big man here and forgive him being an asshole that one time. It wouldn't kill you," she said. "You defending him, Sally?" I said. "Yeah, I guess, a little," she said. "We were family once, the three of us. He and I, well, we fucked it up. But, I gotta tell yuh; if I could live over any single moment in my life—our lives—it would be the one day. Change everything that happened that day. That's what I'd do. Change everything." That she was ignoring the previous ten years of cuckolding she'd done me didn't seem to occur to her. "Yeah, so would I, Sally, so would I. But we don't have it to live over, do we?" I said. "But, you said he agonized over what he could do to make it all up to me. But, it never occurred to him to back off from fucking you. It's the one thing that might—I say might—have made a difference. But he never did." "No, he never did. But, in truth, that was as much my fault as his. I was the one who thought—prayed—that I could get you to understand. To allow us the freedom to play once in a while, to include you too if you wanted. But, well, we know how that went, don't we." It was not a question. "You know, of all of the dumb ideas you two had, that was the dumbest. How do you figure that a threesome among us would be a good thing for me? "Just thinking now about how little you think of me as a bedroom partner, dontcha think that me being there would just add to my humiliation; I mean seeing him take you while I waited to have my turn to leave you unsatisfied? I mean, I'd know in advance that I was inadequate to the task, and that you'd just be enduring me so as not to make waves. How do you figure that I could deal with that," I said. "Unsatisfied? Well, in truth maybe you would have left me hanging; you've done that a lot. Still, you have gotten me off before, not often, but you have. But, I do want to add, that in reality, just having you there making me feel good, safe, and wanted would have been a helluva a good thing for me. Better in some ways than what Roger could do for me with his eight inches and incredible endurance. But, I never got the chance to prove any of that did I?" That was a question. "You really expect me to believe that, no bedroom skills me, just being there would be as good or better than how he could pleasure you!" I said. "Expect you to believe it? No. But it would have been true nonetheless," she said. "Yeah right," I said. She spread her hands in an I-don't-what-else-to-say gesture. I nodded. She started packing up. I sat stock still while she did it. Done, she looked at me. Came to me, kissed me on the cheek, turned, and left totting her own small bag in the process. ****** I sat there alone, in the room, with her smell still clouding the air around me. For some reason the memory of good 'ole Roger was just kinda like a vague mist that had no meaning, no reality. Was he really going to be history? Well, one could hope however unrealistic that hope might be. And, could "I" wait a year? Doubtful. Her? Highly unlikely. And, there was something else, something I couldn't quite get my head around; actually, that's not right; I was getting my head around it; I did have my head around it, and it didn't bode well for my peace of mind. The sloppy seconds she'd given me was the best sex I'd ever had! Jesus, what a mess! The ride back to my apartment was slow. Well, I had to think and driving gave me that chance. Four walls just didn't do it for me, never had. As I pulled into the lot that served our building a cab passed me, and headed off and away down the street. ****** Pulling into the lot, I parked, headed up to my apartment. I had just gotten to the top of the stairs when I saw her. "Sally?" I said. "He took the car, so I had to cab it over here. I decided that I am going to stay here with you. I can't go without sex for a whole year. I'd fail. I deserve to be punished I suppose, but not punished beyond my ability to succeed. So, I decided to gamble that you might be willing to modify your demands and just let me start over with you—here—now," she said. I looked her up and down. She'd been crying. She looked nervous, I guess was the word. Thoughts were racing through my conscious mind, memories of humiliation and her willingness to cuckold me began to come to the surface and battle for supremacy with my recent realization of how much I'd loved getting my sloppy seconds. Decisions. I nodded for her to follow me inside. She did. She seemed so helpless and something. She laid her coat over the back of the couch. I motion her to sit down on it; she hesitated as I took my seat in the easy chair across from it, the couch. She didn't take her seat. She came over to me. She knelt at my feet and placed her hands on my knees. "I belong with you, Will, not with Roger. He's good for sex, but not much else. I need to be here. I can't do it for a year, what you proposed. I just can't. You know I can't," she said. "I knew it would be hard for you, I said. But, I felt you could do it if you were motivated enough to want to be with me," I said. "You need me too, Will," she said, ignoring my logic. "I saw how desperate you were today when you took me." "Yeah, my sloppy seconds," I said, not quite sarcastically. "Yes, they were sloppies. And you were desperate enough to not only take me, but to love getting them. I could see it in your eyes. Hear it in you breathing." "Yes, it's true, God help me. I was actually turned on by you doing that to me, you and Roger," I said. I saw her look change. "Wilbur?" she said. "It was never just him fucking you behind my back, Sally. Well, that was real bad, bad enough. No, it was the fact that he arrogantly assumed he could do it and get away with it for a case of beer. Plus it was the brutal way he humiliated me that day. It was like he'd never had any respect for me whatsoever. And, you were almost as bad. Contempt is what it was, contempt for me as a man and as master of my own home." "Yes, I know. But, I don't think that Roger thought of it that way. He was just into the macho moment: taking your woman. Expecting you to be all right with it, yes, but not meaning anything by it per se. I know he doesn't hold you in contempt anymore if indeed he ever did. But, I can see why you'd think he did, me too of course," she said. I nodded. There was a moment or two of silence. "Okay, Sally, you can stay. I'm not gonna commit to how long you can stay, but we will be making some decisions in the morning," I said. "Okay, Will. Can we at least sleep together? You know like old times?" she said. I started to say no, but then changed my mind. Well, I was still one hornyassed sonovabitch. "Okay, Sally, I guess so. It has been awful lonely in that bed of mine. But, you shouldn't e reading anything into my letting you stay. Okay?" I said. ****** Sitting at the bar, he gazed down into the depths of his fourth double of the day. He'd been spending a lot of his days recently doing that. Hundred proof Smirnoff doubles are excellent medicine for the broken heart. And, a broken heart was exactly what he had. Sally was more than just a good lay. She was his dream girl, and she should have been his, not his best friend's. The good news was that today the drinks were free; well, he did own the bar. His best friend had won the beauty. Her husband had won her heart. He'd, on the other hand, won her lust. But for a woman—any woman—the heart was the big mambo, not cock and balls. For a while, he'd been able to share her. It'd been on her terms, but share her he had. But, then had come gotterdammerung: the day he'd caught them. Worse, trying to get Sally to see him as a big man, bigger than her husband, had been the beginning of the end. And, she had now evidently made the decision to stay with her husband and be the dutiful and faithful wife. Well, life was full of tough disappointments. "Another drink, sir," said Annabelle. He looked up at his employee of the moment. "No, no, girl. I've had enough for the moment. Maybe later," he said. She watched him wobble out. He was drunk. "Ernie," said Annabelle. "Yeah, Anna," said Ernie. "He's drunk. We can't let him drive like that," she said. "I'll get my keys," said Ernie. She nodded. I'd been watching the tableau from the far corner of the place. I stopped Ernie on his way to the back. "Ernie, I got this, I said, interposing myself between Ernie and my ex best friend. "Wilbur!" You! I haven't seen you around here..." started Ernie. "Yeah, in a coon's age," I said, completing his sentence. "Something like that. But, Wilbur, I don't know. I mean you and him...?" "Yeah, I know. Strange as hell huh?" I said. He nodded. "Look, I got this. He and I have to talk. Something's come up. Okay?" I said. "Okay, I guess so," said Ernie. He, Roger, was standing by the cash register kinda weaving back and forth. He appeared to be in some kind of never-never land. He turned toward me just as Ernie and myself approached. "You!" he said. Ernie proffered me a look. "Yeah, it's me asshole. I'm giving you a ride home. Don't give me no shit about it either. Got it!" I said. There was an edge to my voice, but the man didn't answer me. He turned toward the door and let me lead him out. I loaded him into my pickup and we headed for his house. I managed to muscle the bigger man into the house—well, he is a lot bigger than me, but I'm not that weak. I dumped him on the couch and then went into the kitchen and put on the coffee. While it was perking, I made the call. She picked up on the second ring. "Yes?" she said. "Rent a car and come back here to his house. Do it tonight," I said. "Wilbur? What are you talking about? He and I are through; I told you that," she said. "Yes, and as far as the sex is concerned that's an issue we will be getting to. But, I have something else in mind, and I do not want to let it simmer any longer than I need to. So get here as soon as you can before I change my mind," I said. Lovers and Losers He looked dead lying there, on the couch in the drunken stupor he'd poured himself into. I looked at him lying there and thought, fuck it. I headed for his spare bedroom. I'd slept it off a few times at his place in times gone by; I knew my way around; I could do it again. She'd be arriving in a few hours, probably around midnight the way I figured it. ****** The headlights from the car woke me. It was after one. It had to be her. I knew she'd be fagged out, but I was also more than well aware that she'd be wanting some answers and would brook little in the way of stalling. Well, within limits, that suited me. I wanted to get that out of the way, so we could sleep. The morning? Well, that was a whole other kettle of fish. I met her at the door. "Will, what's going on?" She said. She glanced over at the couch where the body lay, inert but breathing. "Is he all right?" "Yes, and hello to you dear," I said. "Wiilll!" she said, drawing out my name. "Okay, okay. I drove him home form the bar; he was drunk as a skunk. I left you earlier today to come here to give him one chance to make it up to me for what he did to me and to get us back on track. If he goes for it, all will be forgiven and forgotten," I said. His cuckolding me, his running me out of my own bedroom to fuck my wife, your destroying me on the job: all of it will be forgiven and forgotten. We start over," I said. "But?" she said. "I hear a 'but' in there someplace." "No, no buts. He isn't going to like it. It will be as humiliating for him as it was for me all of those times. But, it will be his choice," I said. "What is it you plan to do to him?" she said. I smiled. "Not yet," I said. "Not now." "What!" she said. "Whaddya mean not now?" she said. "Like I said, he won't like it, but it's the only way I can see to even the score. And, he is persona non grata until that score is settled," I said. She was snorting, worried, grimacing, panting whatever: well, my idea was heavy, and she seemed to get that I wasn't going to divulge the details until I was ready. "Whatever it is, Will, he'll never go for it," she said. "Too much pride. He'll never go for whatever it is. I can tell that by just looking at you." "He stole my pride, my self-esteem, my feelings of self-worth. Indirectly he cost me my job and reputation, made me a laughingstock. He owes me big time. This will cost him nothing but 'his' pride and self-respect, exactly what he took from me," I said. She nodded. "Okay, okay, but why did you want me here?" she said. A couple of reasons, but they can wait till morning. I'm dead tired as I am sure you are. Let's go to bed. I need you near me tonight," I said. ****** I was in the kitchen cooking up some waffles, when she appeared in the doorway. "You're finally up," I said. "It was a long drive last night. You're cooking breakfast. Mind if I ask now what the deal is?" she said. "In a little bit. I heard him stirring. He's gonna have a hangover, maybe a doozy. But, after he eats and has a couple of cups of coffee in him, we'll get to it. If he goes for it; we'll be good, like I said. If not well, then not," I said. She nodded. She saw him first. A dead man walking. "What the fuck!" he said. "Waffles actually, the fucking comes later—maybe," I said. My words got a look from Sally. Roger, for his part, fell into a chair at the table and attempted to die. I pushed a mug of java in front of him. "Drink," I said. I said it slowly so it would register. His hands shook but he did manage to get the cup to his lips and swallow some. A few minutes later we were all seated and working on the waffles. "Okay, I don't know how I got home, but I guess it had to be you," he said, looking at me. He was coming out of it. The waffles were doing their job. "Yeah, it was me. You were in no condition to drive. "I've made a decision," I said. "Oh?" he said. Sally was sitting back waiting for what I'm sure she thought was going to be a bomb. "Over these last weeks, you've made the point that you wanted to get by all of the trouble that you and my erstwhile wife caused me. That still true?" I said. "Yes!" they both said at once. I nodded. Sally was animated, she was about to say something, but my raised hand delayed that. "Problem was and is that I have to be able to get some of mine back if that were ever to happen," I said. "Anything, man. Anything," said Roger. I nodded again. "Don't be so quick to agree, Roger. When the two of you came up there to visit me; well, something happened that made me realize that I could make amends with the two of you if I could, like I say, get some of mine back, as I said." "Okay?" said Sally. "Ditto that for me," said Roger. "Sally came to me before sending you off, Roger. We had sex. It was sloppy seconds for me; you'd clearly already had her earlier that day," I said. "Look, Wilbur..." started Roger. "Please let me finish. It was the best sex I'd had with my wife in I don't know how long. Some of it was mental, I know that, but the physical was there too. "What are you saying!" said Sally. "Damn it, Sally, let me finish!" I said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell, but this is complicated. I'm getting to it. Trust me." "Okay, okay, sheesh!" she said. I tendered her an exasperated look. Roger suddenly looked pensive. "Wait a minute; wait a minute," he said, finally. "You saying that if Sally gives you sloppy seconds that you'd be good with us all letting bygones be bygones?" "Yes and no," I said. "They'd be in the mix, but there is still the basic problem of me getting some of mine back." "And, just how do you propose we do that. I mean I'm down for whatever you say," said Roger. "I did you bad, and I do want to make it up to you. Just tell me how." "Simple," I said. "We all adjourn to the front room and you suck my cock—and—swallow." The silence at the table was palpable. "You're kidding right? I mean of course you're kidding," he said." I sat there stony-faced and silent. His face fell. "You're not kidding," he said, in a desperate tone of voice. "Nope," I said. Sally tendered me a smirk. "One blow job by Roger and we'd be good," she said. "Is there more?" "Well, yes and no. Yes to the one—one very good—blow job. But after that we'd be setting some rules in place as to how to proceed in the future," I said. Roger for his part was looking morose. "One blow job?" he said. "Yes, and Sally here would be feeding my cock into your mouth and watching you do it. On your knees of course," I said. It's the only way I can think of to let you feel a little of what I felt when you frog walked me out of my own bedroom so you could continue screwing her," I said. He nodded. "When?" He said. "Now," I said. He looked down into his coffee cup. I knew what he was thinking: ten minutes of abject humiliation and the problem would not be a problem anymore; but, the abject humiliation; it was going to be bad for him. He got up and headed into the front room. I'd indicated earlier that I wanted it in the front room because that's where I had set up my camera; that part they would have no ken of. But, if he ever did anything to me again like he did the one time—as unlikely as that might be—I would be in a position to ruin him. Neither of them would ever know about it of course, the video, unless they or he did something really untoward. I would finally be in the driver's seat dictating events. "Where?" he said. "Over there. Oh, and strip first," I said. He gave me a look. "Don't worry, what we're going to be doing afterward you need to be naked for anyway," I said. "Huh?" he said. I looked over at Sally. He half smiled. "Me!" said Sally. "You guys are going to fuck me!" "Seems like a good idea," I said. Roger looked intrigued but not necessarily happy. I wondered at that. As for Sally she gave me a look that was nothing if not a question. He stripped and stood Apollo-like almost seeming to preen himself. "On your knees," I said. He seemed reluctant at first, but it was also clear that he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. I was more than willing to accommodate him—to a point. I moved in close to him. Pull down my pants. He did as he was directed, but again, with a very clear sense of reluctance. "Sally come here," I said. I was hardening as I stood there. She came up beside me. "Feed it to him." She had a kind of sad look as she took hold of my cock and pulled it toward his mouth. At the same time, she took hold of the back of his head, and coaxed him in to do his duty. "Open your mouth Roger, he can't put it in until you do," said Sally. He obeyed her and began a somewhat inexpert job of sucking me off. Then something happened that caused me some little concern. He was crying, not sobbing exactly but there were definite tears in the corners of his eyes. It took him some minutes, maybe ten before he got me close. Sally still had her hand on the back of his head. I exploded into his mouth. Some small amount of cum seeped out, but he did swallow the most of it. I sure hoped the camera had done its job. I shrank from him and he rocked back on his heels, rolled to his right, and stood up. I finished undressing and looked over at Sally to do likewise. She did. "Okay, stud," I said. "Time for you to fuck her. I'll follow you." Surprisingly he did not immediately jump to do my bidding. "We good now?" he said. I nodded. "So long as you never do anything like what you did to me that day again," I said. "I won't," he said. "You gonna watch while I do her?" "Yes. Do a good job too," I said. He didn't exactly smile, but I had the sense that he felt—what—relieved. He was gonna take her missionary. She was spread wide, almost obscenely, for him. He entered her without foreplay, though an argument could be made that her watching him suck my cock might be considered foreplay. It took him some minutes to get off. She came and looked to be in a state of shock as she came and came and came. "See if you can top that asshole," he said. "I'll do my damnedest, butthead," I said. We both took her two more times. The second time it was doggy and the last cowgirl. I did not fail her. She made it all three times I did her. When we were done, we all lay on the bed physical ruins. ****** The conversation after the fact was muted. We shacked up together for the night. In the morning Sally and I headed back to my place. Roger would be welcome to visit, but he would not be getting into her pants as much as before. Over the next year or so; he visited us maybe once a month. It seemed to be enough for her. Him, not so much. We'd all learned a lot about ourselves and the fragile nature of the male, if not the human, ego. In the end we were back to being a unit once again. I still have the video, but it is gathering dust. At any rate, sometimes things work out okay. It has for us.