Scratching the Itch

[This is a long story. My longest to date. There is plenty of sexual content and a few twists and turns along the way. If it was shorter it could have been in "Loving Wives", or "Erotic Couplings" or "Group Sex". There will be another version of this tale posted soon (one or two days), that takes a slightly more traditional "Loving Wives" approach. It will be called "Scratching Deeply." Please vote and leave me either a public or private comment. My intention is to improve as a writer, your feedback/comments can help. Thanks]

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"You're going to the doctor again?" I asked.

"Yes! This is the third time I've had an infection this summer and I want it cleared up." Everything in her voice told me this was a big deal for her. It was a big deal to me, too. Every time she got an infection "down there" it ended our sex life until she was cured. This was the fifth one this year. I gave her a hug and she jumped in her car and left.

I watched her drive down the street and turn onto the freeway onramp. While she was gone I finished fixing the lawn mower and fixed the gate latch on the back fence. She wasn't back so I went and played on the computer. I looked up vaginal infections and read six different sites. Then I went to another few sites and I discovered some research that showed something I found very interesting.

The Ph of a vagina changes after coitus from acidic to more alkaline. The woman is more susceptible to infections like yeast infections if she has multiple partners. The research showed that her body gets used to one sex partner and corrects back to acidic quickly after he makes his alkalinity deposit, but a new partner causes the system to get confused and it stays more alkaline longer, making it more able to support bacteria.

I heard her car in the drive and closed down my research. She had stopped and bought our dinner on her way home. She told me about her doctor's visit and the new treatment the doctor had given her. He gave her a packet of test strips so she could monitor the Ph of her vagina. If the itching was because of a problem with her Ph the strips would show that. The way she explained it she believed the doctor had said if the Ph went lower that could be the problem. My reading had indicated the Ph would go higher to cause the bacteria to grow.

She showed me the strips and the small book where we would record the results.

I recommended we test immediately. She said the doctor had tested and she was at 5.3. I said if I did the test and got the same result then I knew I was doing it correctly. We went to our bedroom and while she got partially undressed, skirt and panties off, I read the papers that came with the test strips. I washed my hands and tore off a strip about an inch long.

The directions said to hold it against the inside wall of her vagina for at least ten seconds, then compare the color to the chart on the package. All the lights were on and Lynn said she wanted me to hurry because she was embarrassed. I'm sure I smiled. We had been married nine years and she had never spread herself out in front of me with the lights on before. The strip slid in easily. She was wet and slippery. I held it in place and watched the clock beside our bed. Twenty seconds passed and I drew out the strip. I held it next to the package and under our bedside lamp. By comparison it read 5.3, just like at the doctor's office. I wrote the time, date and 5.3 on the first page of the small book.

"Did the doctor tell you how often to test?"

"Twice a day and he wants me back in a week."

"What about the itch?"

"I have some medicine to take and a cream to apply after I do the tests."

"Ok. Maybe this will get you past all this soon."

"You only say that because you want back inside me."

"I also would like you to feel better." I added, smiling.

"I just want to stop itching!"

"Amen. Did he give you any other hints of what to do?"

"Yes, but I don't think I can do all those things."

"What are they?"

"When I'm at home he recommends I go without panties. He says stop wearing pants. He said the air would help me heal faster."

"Why can't you do that?"

"If I am around here bare like that you'll be chasing me around all day."

"No. I'll want to but I promise I'll leave you alone... until you're well."

"It'd feel strange walking around like that."

"More strange than itching?"

"You have a good point. He also said no baths, just showers and use a blow drier on that area after the shower."

"That sounds like it would help keep the area dry while it heals."

"Ok, if you won't be chasing me around all the time, I'll do it all." She was at least willing to test the doctor's theory.

We ate dinner, watched TV until late and went to bed. I've slept nude since I was eleven. Lynn usually wears panties and a large t-shirt to bed. As she was starting to pull on the panties I asked why.

She looked at the panties at her knees, lowered them to the floor and stepped out of them. "You're right. I should do without them."

For the week, we tested her twice a day and she went bare all the time she was at home. For work, she wore white cotton panties, "Because they breathe better." By the end of the week she was pretty steady at 4.3, the redness and the itch were gone.

Her visit back to the doctor was a happier visit. He liked the chart and recommended we continue to monitor her Ph, just not as often. He also cleared her to resume sexual relations. I wasn't there, but I want to believe he said she could resume sexual relations with me.

That night we had sex for the first time in twenty-three days. I was an attentive husband. I took her to dinner, gave her a shower and a massage, and spent over an hour paying attention to her body before we got to my penis being inside her. She came twice to my once. An hour after we "did it" I said I was curious and I tested her Ph. It showed 5.6 and she panicked. We talked and looked at some things on the internet and an hour later I tested her again. 4.7 the strip said. We surmised that her body quickly rebalanced after my deposit of alkalinity. We went to bed and the next morning she had me test again. It showed 4.3. We happily dressed for work and things were back to our version of normal.

The biggest change I saw for a month was that she bought some new skirts. All her silk, nylon and whatever panties disappeared and were replaced by white cotton or nothing. When we went somewhere in the car she opened the vents and directed the air flow up her skirt. I looked and never complained. Sometimes she caught me looking and smiling and called me a dirty old perv as she smiled. I just smiled more. She stopped wearing long pants and the shorts she wore were the ones with wide leg openings. Lots of air flow.

Three months passed with no new infections. I noticed that her smell changed as well. It was a fragrance I loved, when she felt good. I had noticed when the itch and discomfort were a problem the first indicator I had was her smell and taste changed. It had been months since her fragrance had been fishy.

One Friday evening as soon as she got home from work we went to a party down the street from our home. It was a party for Frank and Francine to celebrate their being married fifteen years. We danced, ate bbq chicken and ribs, and of course there was a big ice chest with beer and other beverages. Their home had two bathrooms and after a couple hours of eating and downing beers both rooms were getting a lot of use. Lynn has a pretty small bladder and she left the party a few times to visit the bathrooms.

It was near one in the morning when we slipped home and directly into bed. I'm pretty sure Lynn was more passed out than asleep a minute after we were in bed. She squirmed a little and I noticed her hand at her puss. It seemed that she was scratching more than playing.

I got up, got the test strips and tested her. She opened her legs for me as soon as I touched her puss. The test strip and my finger slid right inside her, without waking her. When I compared the strip to the package I was shocked! It showed 7.2 as her Ph. The only way it could be that high is if someone had made a deposit! And, it couldn't be me. I pushed her Ph to 5.6 but someone had pushed it to over 7!

My mind went crazy! I attempted to rationalize. She was drunk and didn't know what she was doing. Then the other side of my mind kicked in: She had no trouble walking home or talking with me as we walked. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well that night.

When Lynn woke up in the morning I caught her scratching herself. "I think we need a test." I said.

"No. It's nothing." She made breakfast and we started our Saturday chores. She was in the laundry area and I was working in the yard about an hour later. I went inside to get a cold drink and saw her scratching again.

"Honey, that's twice I've seen you scratching. I'll get the test kit." I didn't wait I just went for the kit. When I came back she said, "Forget it. I'm busy. We can test later." I got a strip out of the box and knelt beside her. My right hand held the strip along my index finger and I reached up inside her skirt, found her opening and slid it inside her.

"Nick, I said we'd do it later!"

"It's already inside you. They cost over a dollar a test so let's just finish it. I don't want you to get another infection."

When I pulled the strip out she bent and watched as I compared the strip to the chart on the package. It showed 6.6.

"Something is wrong." I said. "On Monday, call your doctor and ask what could drive the number up that high, and ask how we get it back down!"

"I know how to get it back down. I have some more of the medicine he gave me last time. I'll start it right now." She left the laundry area and I went back outside. I knew the itch and the medicine meant no more sex for me, but I was Ok with that, I was pretty sure she had been having sex with someone in our neighborhood. If she was I was done having sex with her.

All day Sunday I kept busy and away from Lynn. I was angry and hurt. The more I thought about her spreading her legs for someone else and then needing to cut me off because of her fucking around the madder I got.

On Monday she promised me at breakfast she would call her doctor during her morning break. I knew her break started at ten. I told her to call me as soon as she was off the phone with the doctor.

I went to the medical building next door to my office. I spoke to an OB/GYN that I had done some computer work for. I outlined what I knew. He said he was sorry but the indicators were that she was probably having sex with a new partner.

Back in my office I waited for her call. At ten forty my cell rang. It was Lynn. She was crying. She told me the doctor told her she had developed an allergic reaction to my sperm. I pointed out to her that it had been five days since we had had sex. She suddenly stopped crying and asked what I was accusing her of.

"I'm accusing the doctor of being nuts, not you. There's a medical practice next door to the building I'm in. I'll get you an appointment and we'll get a second opinion."

"Do you know the doctors next door?"

"Hell no. I don't hang out with doctors. Maybe it's more accurate to say doctors don't hang out with guys like me."

I called the doc next door and told him what she told me. I asked him to see her, check her out and if she was having sex with more than just me to tell us together.

He and I talked and in that conversation he asked when the next neighborhood party was scheduled. I told him I was planning a party for that very weekend. He scheduled his appointment for Lynn on Monday. He told me to drop by his office he had something for me.

On my way out from work I stopped in and saw Dr. Seacrest for a minute. He gave me a swab in a plastic tube. He told me that if Lynn went to sleep right after the party I was to swab her vagina with the swab, seal it in the tube and bring it to his office first thing Monday morning. Lynn's appointment was at one in the afternoon.

The rest of the week was pretty normal, for us. No sex. She wore skirts and made sure she didn't do anything around me that would have me notice her sexually. She didn't understand that I thought of her sexually all the time, weather she was near me or not. The big change for me was wondering who else was thinking of her sexually. Who else was making deposits in my wife? The unusual part of the week was me planning a party for Lynn. I found an excuse and told everyone in the neighborhood the party was to celebrate the anniversary of our first weekend away together. I bought food and stashed it at other people's houses. I bought beer and wine and made arrangements for two guys to bring their grills over and cook the meats. Saturday I took her out for lunch and while we were gone the neighbors moved in, prepared the party and started cooking.

Lynn wore a colorful skirt and peasant blouse to lunch. I wore khaki pants and a pull over shirt. At lunch she had a garden salad and I had a shrimp salad. I told her how good she looked and she thanked me, warning me that until we found out about her allergy we weren't having sex. I laughed and said, "It's Ok. It's only three more days. I'll live."

As we drove home I wondered if it would be just three more days. Maybe it would be forever.

She acted surprised and even gave me a kiss when she saw all our neighbors and found out why we were having a party. She even teared up a little when her best friend Linda told her how the party was to celebrate our first weekend trip to the ocean.

Someone started the music and couples started dancing. We danced a fast one and a slow one together. Holding my slender Lynn as we dance has always been a treat for me. It always causes me to get an erection and poke her with it. At the end of the slow song she said, "Better go calm down before you dance with anyone else." Then she left my arms and went outside.

As host I got busy making sure everyone had a good time. I helped clean up from all the eating, tossed empty beer cans in the trash and opened windows to get fresh air. I restocked the bathrooms with paper, soap and tissues a few times. Near midnight I danced with Lynn again. The song was an oldie by Barbara Streisand, "All in Love is Fair."

When she talked I could smell lots of alcohol on her breath and her speech was a little slurred. When the song ended she kissed me with tongue and then walked away. I went outside to help start closing up the party. Two minutes later I looked in through the window on the back door and saw Willi Jordan dancing with Lynn. She was pressed against him and his arms were holding her up. Holding her up by holding onto her ass. I heard the music stop and they didn't let go.

I stepped off the porch and grabbed two bags of trash. I walked them out to the curb and then went onto our front porch. Willi looked at the back door and then kissed Lynn. While they kissed his hand cupped her breast. Her hand covered his and helped him squeeze it. The back door opened and Lynn pulled his hand off her tit and broke their embrace. They looked and saw another neighbor and relaxed.

I continued cleanup until all the guests were gone and the house and yard weren't too bad. When I got upstairs Lynn was in bed asleep. I shook her and said, "There's a fire." She didn't move. I got the swab and swabbed her vagina. I noticed her lips were red and swollen.

I put the swab in my car and went to sleep on the couch, fully dressed.

Near ten in the morning she woke me. "Why didn't you come to bed?" She was dressed for the day; gray skirt and white blouse.

"Good Morning. I sat down, just for a moment's rest and bam, it's morning."

"You go shower and I'll make you a good breakfast. After giving me such a party, you deserve it."

"It's just my way for thanking you for making my life so good." I said as I started up the stairs. I showered and dressed in more khaki pants and a dark brown pull over shirt. When I got downstairs she was on the phone and hung up the instant she heard me.

"So, what's for breakfast?" I asked.

"French toast, sausage and coffee." She waved her arm towards the table and I saw my plate, loaded and ready for me. I sat and Lynn scurried about getting ready for her day. She told me about her having lunch with a couple women from work and then doing a little shopping. I told her to enjoy the shopping and to hold the spending in check.

After breakfast I cleaned up and went in to check my email. I saw one from a neighbor and decided to wait until Lynn had gone shopping before opening it. The other emails were from work and distant friends. I answered them first. When Lynn came in to say good-bye she saw I was writing a response to our friends in Orlando.

"Be sure to say Hi from me. Maybe we should go visit them sometime in the winter?"

"Leaving?"

"Yes. I'll be back before dinner. Want to go out?"

"Possibly. We can talk about it when you get home." I got a peck on the cheek, a hand on my shoulder and she was gone.

I clicked on the email from Alan White. We played on a basketball team a couple years before and remained friends after a fun but not very successful season.

"Nick –

I could be totally off base here but if the situation was reversed I'd sure as hell want you to say something. Last night at the party I went upstairs to use your facilities and naturally the bathroom was occupied. I stepped into the guest bedroom and sat down on the bed in the dark to wait. I could see the bathroom door.

It was five or six minutes later when Willi came out of the bathroom and hurried down the stairs. I got up off the bed and took one step when Lynn came out of the bathroom. She checked herself in the hall mirror and went downstairs. She didn't see me.

The inside of the bathroom had been sprayed with air freshener but there was a lingering odor that made me even more suspicious. That's what I saw. I hope it was innocent, that I'm wrong in where my head went. If you need to talk, need some help with anything, call me.

Alan"

I picked up the phone and called him. When he answered I said, "I already suspected. I do need your help. Call over to Willi's and ask him if you can borrow something. Lynn went shopping and I want to know where Willi is."

"Gotcha. I'll call you back in a couple minutes."

I opened WORD and started a list of things I needed to do if our marriage was over. Thank God there were no kids to be involved. I was to item seven when the phone rang.

"Nick."

"Alan. He took Helen's car to get it serviced. She expects him back in a couple hours."

"She has the blue Toyota, doesn't she?"

"Yes. The RAV-4."

"I feel like going for a drive and maybe a beer. Interested?"

"Am I going to get arrested?"

"No. Consider this a fact finding mission."

"Ok. I'll come over and we'll go."

"Does your wife know what you saw?"

"No."

"Then we're just going out for a beer. Maybe watch a little basketball on a big screen TV somewhere."

"Right." The phone went dead and I got ready to go. I got a new memory card for our digital camera, the camera and my wallet. Alan was walking up my drive when I came out of the house. We got in the car and headed out. We were quiet for the first couple minutes. I was thinking how glad I was we didn't live near a big city where they could easily disappear. Finding them shouldn't be too difficult.

Alan recommended we drive past the places he might take Helen's car for service. Her car was up on the rack of the third place we passed. Most of the time I don't pay any attention to the motels in town. I've never stayed in one. As we passed each one we looked for Lynn's car. On an impulse I drove through the fifth motel and out the back into an alley. Lynn's car was parked in the alley.