*
Our lovers continued to explore their feelings for each other. This story picks up about six months later when they had decided to get together where they could enjoy spending an entire night together.
*
Tom and Michele went back to their lives, he returned to work, and she did too. Tom's wife continued to go through her day, not varying her routine in any meaningful way. Michele's husband was assigned to an oil rig more than sixteen hours away; this would ensure that he couldn't come home more than a couple of times a year. He was expected to remain on the same rig for at least three more years.
Tom and Michele continued to talk regularly via the messaging app, and they would also occasionally exchange text messages. Often when Tom was out of town, they would talk on the phone for several hours at a time. Their feelings for one another continued to grow; they both started to realize that they were developing deep feelings for one another. Neither was yet ready to accept for themselves the nature of these feelings. There was much confusion over how they were feeling.
They would also get together every couple of weeks, usually what they referred to as a "detour." These detours involved them sitting and talking, often while exchanging hugs and kisses. They could sit and talk, not have to worry about typing out their messages. They didn't have to worry about autocorrect turning their message into something that made no sense. It also allowed them to recharge and reset. Sometimes these detours were the only thing that kept them from going insane or doing something illegal or rash.
Tom and Michele also managed to plan additional "adventures" in hotel rooms. They were few and far between, but they both agreed that they were both enjoyed and needed. They also decided that they needed to plan a time when they could spend the entire day together, followed by sleeping in each other's arms all night.
Tom's wife would typically go out of town every June for about ten days. She had an annual conference that she felt was essential to her job. Tom always arranged his vacation to include this time. He believed that this would be the ideal time to plan an overnighter with Michele. She checked her schedule, and she saw that her husband was not due back in town during that time. Michele also knew that she could tell her kids that she had some training planned; she often attended training, so attending another would not raise any red flags. Tom would also typically make an overnight trip on his motorcycle, doing so again would also not raise any red flags.
With a plan in mind, Tom immediately started looking for places where they could meet. He spent almost a week researching places that were within four or five hours of both his and Michele's houses. He settled on a location in rural Oklahoma; it was an area that he had never been, so he thought it might be fun to see it. Tom discovered that due to the proximity of a casino, hotel rooms were expensive. This prompted Tom to look for alternatives such as cabins or Air BnBs. Tom was able to find a fully furnished rustic cabin that sat on a small lake for less than the cost of a hotel room. The cabin came complete with a fully stocked kitchen, a covered porch, air conditioning, and the use of a small motorboat that was tied up at a nearby dock. Tom sent Michele the details of the cabin and asked for her opinion. She quickly agreed. Due to the location of the cabin, they immediately started referring to the place of their upcoming meeting as "BFO;" the meaning was a play on words to the old expression of "Bum Fuck Egypt."
The meeting was set for the first week of June, it being only early March, the lovers knew that they would have to get through the next couple of months. Tom busied himself with work and small projects around his house. Michele, for her part, was buried in work; she barely had enough time to eat and sleep, much less take care of any essentials around her house. Tom and Michele often chatted while Michele was at work; to a lesser extent, Tom would do the same when he was working. The nature of Tom's work made it difficult for him to do more than leave an occasional message for Michele. The anticipation was building for both of them. They knew that they would need to get together soon.
Tom received a phone call from a friend of his around the second week of March. The friend, Bill, asked Tom if he had any interest in purchasing a full-sized customized Chevy van. Tom thought about it for a few minutes and decided that it might make an excellent out of town vehicle for him, as it would provide much storage space. He would not need to carry as much stuff back and forth. He could leave some stuff such as shaving and shower essentials in the van, and he would also be able to store some other stuff such as a small gas grill, or even an electric griddle. Bill and Tom arrange a time and place for Tom to look at the van.
Tom immediately knew when he saw the van, that barring any unforeseen problems, he would buy the van. It was a 1995 Chevrolet G20 three-quarter-ton van with the Mark III conversion package. It had a recently rebuilt 5.7 liter V8 with less than twenty thousand miles on it. The transmission was also newly rebuilt. The brakes and tires were less than half depleted. The interior looked as though it had recently come off the dealer's lot. The grey suede seats had no rips, tears, or stains. The only thing that Tom could find fault with was the missing shades in several of the windows. The van even had a fully functional television/ VCR combo!
Tom agreed to buy the van from Bill. Bill had a friend who was a notary, so once the paperwork was complete, Tom had the van insured and registered. He decided that he would drive it around locally for a month or three before he brought it out of town. Tom also began to form a plan that would allow him and Michele to get together more often, though Tom neglected to tell Michele about his recent purchase. He wanted to surprise her.
Tom and Michele decided that they needed a detour. It had been more than a month since they were able to see one another. They agreed that they would meet at a little park not too far from where they first met in the touristy town. Tom had spent the past week or so cleaning up the van, and buying shades and curtains for the interior. He hoped that he and Michele could use the van as a more private place to enjoy their detours. They would not have to maintain their public mask, nor would they need to worry about anyone seeing them.
As was his practice, Tom arrived about ten minutes before the agreed-upon time at the park, though he parked near the top of the hill so he could see when Michele arrived. He didn't need to wait long, as Michele was eagerly anticipating seeing Tom again. He waited until Michele had parked, then drove down the hill, parking next to her car. Michele didn't think much of the van that pulled up next to her, except that she was slightly annoyed, as Tom wouldn't be able to park next to her. Imagine her surprise when Tom stepped out of the van with a big smirk on his face.
"Hello, Beautiful! Would you care to step into my office?" Tom asked Michele softly while hugging her tightly.
