Vanessa
After her one night stand in Sydney, Petra is determined to put it all behind her but when Vanessa makes a play for her, she finds herself falling once again. In this final chapter we wind things up and come full circle to Alicia. This is the final part of Petra's Tale and it's a bit shorter than usual but there are other stories in the pipeline so watch this space!
It goes without saying that what goes around comes around and my indiscretion had unforeseen effects when John became decidedly more distant and it's not like he suspected anything, rather it was a combination of other factors. He'd recently been promoted from nurse to deputy head of human resources and that meant more time at the office and less time for me. Along with that of course was the continued pressure to start a family but as I put it, what was the point of going down that track when he couldn't put in the time to help raise a family. It became one of those sore points we'd revisit whenever things got heated at home.
Another thing that contributed to the general discord at home was my work life. I was now working full time at the agency and as if that wasn't enough I'd taken up a two night a week teaching role at my old stomping ground, Monash. With no small twist of irony I was teaching ethics, it was a cushy number that brought in extra cash and then the church stepped in with an offer to conduct a night service once a month, the pay was minimal but I still accepted it because all that extra work added up to less time spent at home with John.
It felt like I was living a double life because while I was well liked out there in the community, John and I were starting to skirt around the edges and while neither of us had mentioned the D-word it was only a matter of time and we both knew it. However when I casually mentioned that he was free to make new friends even if they were female he took the hint. He never mentioned any woman by name but I knew he was seeing others. Looking back I can't help but wonder at the things we did to keep up appearances. Most people would have gone to marriage counselling or ended the façade but we kept on going until all we had in common was a mortgage.
Due to my guilt over the affair, even though it was just the one night I tried my best to bury myself in work and this worked for nearly two years but inevitably this build up of sexual tension had to find an outlet and when an old friend, Victor suggested using an escort service I was intrigued even though I laughed it off right away.
"Besides, what would I do? Hire a motel room for a couple of hours?"
"You could, or you could use the spare bedroom at my place. If you want to give me some money for the hour then that's fine but I won't press you for it."
This did spark my interest because Victor was unaccountably gay. The chances he'd want to take part in a threesome were as remote as faster than light space travel in my lifetime but despite the rather generous offer it wasn't a place I was prepared to go and I have to stop and think about what might have happened if I'd gone down that route.
However the fates were spinning my web and probably chuckling as I tried to fight my natural desires towards women and some three years after my one night stand with Susan I found myself falling into bed with another woman and this time it was Vanessa.
As I mentioned before she was a certified practising accountant and yet with those qualifications she'd fallen into her role at a charity and stayed. She fully admitted that she felt somewhat stifled and yet she quite enjoyed her job. It was an emotional farewell because she'd been there so long it was like she was part of the furniture. Our farewell party was at the pub and because she was emotional the drinks went straight to her head. She had to leave her car at the pub and I was her nominated driver because it was only a small detour on the way to my place.
When Vanessa invited me in for a coffee or 'something stronger,' Susan's face rose before me and I very nearly backed out but when she opened her door and nearly fell out because she'd broken into a fit of giggling I decided to at least see her inside first. I had a plausible excuse and John wasn't expecting me home for another couple of hours anyway.
Vanessa and I shared a common trait, when we were drinking we got horny, it starts with just being tactile and if the other party is up for it then we shed our inhibitions and I don't need to tell you more. When Vanessa threw her arms around me at the front door some thirty minutes later I didn't resist but then she stared into my eyes and smiled crookedly.
"So, does this mean that I don't get to see you again?"
"Of course not," I replied, "I'm only five kilometres and a phone call away."
"Good to know," she traced a fingernail over the pattern on my blouse, I was wearing a pale pink, silk blouse covered with ivory coloured scrolls, it was accessorised with a tie cut from the same material and a black, pinstriped trouser suit.
I felt as if she'd offered to fuck me right there and then, I was pinned to the front door, one hand was resting on the door knob. All it would have taken was a simple twist to break the moment and when I did twist a knob it was the snib to make sure we were undisturbed.
Vanessa's eyes shifted momentarily as she heard the metallic click and then she hooked her fingers behind my belt. I felt it being pulled forward as she slipped the tongue out of the keeper and then she jerked suddenly on it, I exhaled as she put a palm against the door. She cocked her head to one side and then moved forward to kiss me on the lips, I feigned resistance for a few seconds and then opened my mouth and let her work her magic. Somewhere in the middle of that I was aware she'd unbuckled my belt.
We broke free for a few seconds and I swallowed, very conscious of the fact that I'd just given her the green light. I stared down at her front, she was wearing a crisp white blouse tucked into a mid length black skirt. Oddly enough she looked hesitant as if unsure of herself but that changed when I hooked my hand behind her neck and kissed her passionately on the lips. She dropped her hand to my crotch and dragged her fingernail up my fly to the top and then tugged playfully at the tab and when I kissed her again she slowly rubbed me. It was only then I moved my head slightly to break contact with her lips.
"If you'd rather not go further..."
I looked past her as I formulated the excuse.
"This doesn't mean I'll leave John, and if this is the start of some long affair then perhaps you should find someone else."
"Who says we can't have a one night stand? Besides, a commitment is the last thing I want or need. But a fuck buddy is a different thing altogether, it's convenient and uncomplicated, no mess no fuss, just fuck and forget."
"I'm complicated and taken," I fiddled with the second button of her blouse.
"Complicated is fine, so is taken. I don't have anyone on the horizon but if I do get with someone you'll be the first to know."
I was fast running out of excuses and as I took a step forward I felt as if I was on auto pilot, driven by some outside force. We came together suddenly when she came to a stop and I couldn't stop in time, our breasts bumped together and then I felt her hand on my left buttock, moulding it slowly and firmly. We reached the couch and came to a stop.
