Author's note: This is a sequel to my earlier two-part work called The Arrangement. I decided to write it after getting feedback from some friends who wanted me to move the story in a different direction.
*****
About a year later...
It was the first Tuesday in April. Carol and I had flown to Seattle the day before. She had taken a layover day to shop while I spent the day with a client. We met that evening in the hotel bar.
"Do you ever get tired of sneaking around?" she asked.
"Sometimes," I replied, wondering where this conversation was heading. "But it has been pretty easy so far. Other than that one time a year or so ago when Kelly asked if you and I had a good time in Dallas, she has given no indication that we're under suspicion."
"It's the same at home," she replied, "but sometimes I think we should just get it all out in the open. I intend to keep being with you as often as I can. I imagine we'll continue on for years, and I'll bet Brad and Kelly will do the same. So it might be nice for everyone to openly acknowledge and accept what's going on. We've been pretty casual about extending our trips, so I have a hard time believing they don't know about us. The whole thing is probably an open secret."
"I understand what you're saying, but do you really think things will be better if we expose everything to the light of day?" I asked.
"I do. You and I have to sneak. Brad and Kelly have to sneak. Everyone has to be on their toes when we talk to them on the phone while we're traveling. That's stressful for everyone. If we put it all on the table, everyone can relax."
"If they aren't already highly suspicious of us, we might be in for a really ugly scene," I countered.
"Do you really think they're that much in the dark?"
"Probably not. So let's assume they are on to us but have no solid proof. How would you handle this?"
"I've been thinking about that. We'd have to get all of us together somehow and then tell them right up front what we're doing, and that we know what they're doing."
"Sounds like fun," I quipped. Carol waved me off with a grin and a flip of her hand.
"All I ask is that you think about it. I know I'm catching you by surprise. After you've given it some thought, we can talk. In the meantime, let's have one more drink and then go to dinner. Afterwards, you may fuck me if you wish."
"Aw, come on! There's a Mariners game on tonight," I protested with mock exasperation.
"Too bad," she said with a grin as I signaled the bartender for another round. "You can read about the game in the paper tomorrow morning. By the way, I'm not wearing any panties. You can think about that during dinner."
****
Our return flight left early the next morning so we did not discuss Carol's idea any further. I was exhausted from the previous night's athletic activities but Carol looked as fresh as the morning dew. I decided it was because she is three years younger and then I slept for most of the flight.
Homecoming was just as it always was. The ever-beautiful Kelly picked me up at the airport and was genuinely glad to see me. Later that night, the sex was sensational.
I had a full week at home before flying to Dallas for another client meeting. As usual, Kelly and I made the most of our time together. And also as usual, I studied her very closely, trying to detect some hint that she was suspicious about Carol and me. I found none, which told me that Carol's proposal might be risky. But I did give the idea a lot of thought, imagining scenarios that would get the four of us in a room together and trying to predict the outcome of such a meeting.
I also spent a lot of time trying to decide if my relationship with Kelly would be better or worse if the secrecy were removed. The only conclusion I reached was that we would no longer have to tiptoe around the issue.
Kelly has a habit of sitting cross-legged on the bed and talking to me while I pack for a trip. I wondered how our conversations might be altered if everyone's activities were out in the open...
'Do you fuck Carol as soon as you get to the hotel, or do you enjoy the anticipation of sex later in the evening like you and I do when you return from a trip?'
'No, we wait. Usually we have a couple of drinks and then a leisurely dinner. We have sex later. In fact, everything is much like you and I enjoy when I come home.'
'Is she better in bed than I am?'
'Different, not better. How about you and Brad?'
Actually, we're envious of you and Carol. Boone's Mill is such a small town that we can't go anywhere. And we always have to worry about that snoop Mrs. Henderson. If we want to have dinner together, we have to go to the other side of Roanoke where no one knows us. You and Carol get to have sex in hotels all over the country. Most of our sex occurs here on the sleep sofa or the guestroom. I don't allow him in our bedroom. That belongs only to you and me. And we've never done it at their house.'
'Why not?'
"It's a scent thing. A woman can smell another woman's perfume a mile away. If we had sex at their place, my scent would linger and Carol would know another woman had been in her house."
'You're kidding!' I exclaimed, truly surprised.
'Nope. But now that Carol knows we'll probably have sex there while you're gone this time. Just for the change of scenery.'
'Is Brad good in bed?' I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
'Oh yeah, but it's like you said; different, not better.'
A conversation like that would be surreal, but not beyond the realm of possibility if Carol's idea became reality.
One thing became clear as I did my thinking. Carol and I really did have an advantage from a logistical standpoint. I had nothing to fear when traveling and all Carol had to worry about was drawing unwanted attention from a fellow flight attendant. Fortunately, she flew more often than I and was able to spend sufficient time with her colleagues on other trips that she could escape from time to time when I was around. Kelly and Brad had far less flexibility. It occurred to me that they might find it liberating if they could take short vacations together with our consent. Not to mention the fact that I would enjoy screwing Carol in my house while they were gone.
My week at home quickly ended and once again I found myself in Dallas with Carol.
"I've given your idea plenty of thought over the past week," I began after we finished dinner.
"And?"
I described in detail my thought processes, including the conversation I had in my head with Kelly, which elicited peals of laughter from Carol.
"Oh God!" she exclaimed as she wiped away tears of mirth. "Whew! Please go on."
"I decided to approach the idea from one just one direction; who benefits? You and I benefit by not having to be careful about tipping our hand when we're home. Phone calls become easier. They'd get the same reward. But they have far more constraints than you and I, and therefore more to gain if we go forward. If we do this, and some sort of arrangement is agreed upon, they should be free to get out of town from time to time like we do."
"Then we can stay home and fuck on your sleep sofa," Carol suggested with a wicked grin. "Or you can come to my house and do me there. Did you get any hint that Kelly is really suspicious?"
