Are We Even Now?

This is one of four endings posed for "ARE WE EVEN NOW?"

In case you haven't read the original recently, here's a quick synopsis,

Burt, Tad and Sandy's friend, has come to town. They take him to The Club where, without warning, Sandy goes on stage, starts a strip dance, and then pulls friend Burt on stage, completes her strip, and fucks him in front of Tad and the customers.

Needless to say, Tad is pissed off royally. At home he lights into his friend and his wife. She produces pictures of him fucking two other women and lets him know she is going to get even.

The evening ends when Sandy informs Tad that she is going to sleep with Burt tonight and he can have the guest room. She will be his, Tad's, again after Burt leaves, if he wants her

Sandy has gone to bed with Burt and they fuck twice before going to sleep. We now continue:

* * * * * *

When we got in bed, Burt and I talked for a few minutes and with the excitement of the evening still working I reached over and wrapped my fingers around his cock.

He said, "I like this better than being on-stage."

I responded, "Then let's do it right."

We had a very tender passionate time twice. He is certainly something any woman should wish for in bed.

I woke up about nine in the morning and I could hear Tad moving about in the kitchen. I looked over, and Burt was looking at me. He smiled and said, "Good morning beautiful." I detected movement under the sheet and when I reached down, sure enough, there was a very hard piece of meat rising

I was starting to stroke him and then the full impact of what I had done during the last nine or ten hours hit me. I broke into tears and let go of his cock.

Burt asked "What's wrong?"

I blubbered, "Everything! I've taken advantage of you. I have probably destroyed a wonderful marriage, and in short, I have become a slut overnight."

Burt held me and comforted me. We talked a little while as I got myself back together.

I finally said, "Let's go to the kitchen and see if anything can be repaired." I looked and Burt's tent had disappeared. Nodding at his crotch, asked him if he was ok. He affirmed that he was fine.

I put on my robe and as Burt was pulling on his trousers he said, "I'm ok but I just wanted you to know that whatever happens, you are a great sex partner."

I blushed, thanked him and almost broke out in tears again as I wondered just how much damage had been done.

We went into the kitchen. Tad was sitting with a cup of coffee and the photographs in front of him. He gave me a weak, pitiful smile and told us to come get some coffee. As he did, he quickly scooped the photos back into the envelope.

I was relieved to see that he didn't seem to be mad and, getting my coffee, I went and sat in his lap. After sitting a few minutes with nothing being said, I asked him if he wanted to talk.

He replied that he didn't want to right now. Burt took that as a hint that we needed time alone and rose to leave.

Tad said, kindly, "Burt, sit down. We all need some breakfast and you have a long day of travel ahead of you. Yes, Sandy and I need to talk but I need some time to think before we talk and it may not be today."

I started to cry softly as I realized that Tad was probably trying to reconcile the recent activities and weighing the probabilities of saving our marriage.

Tad asked me what was wrong and I told him that I loved him so much and I was ashamed of what I had done. "Please, can't we work this out?"

He gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, "Honey, we need to get some breakfast. Please don't try to read anything into what I have just said or may say for the next few hours. I honestly need to think about things. I have nothing at the moment with which to even consider looking for a solution. I love you, please just be patient." With that he lifted me off his lap and shoved me toward the refrigerator and said, "Get out some milk for the coffee."

We had a nice breakfast and a reasonable but strained conversation. Burt tried to apologize again and we both shushed him.

While I cleaned up in the kitchen, the two men went into the living room. The TV was on, but they weren't watching it. The volume was up and I couldn't tell what, or how much, conversation was taking place.

I know that Burt was uncomfortable. After about an hour he made his excuses and went to pack. He came back in about twenty minutes and said he felt it would be good to get to the airport a little early with all the new security processes. He was going to get a cab and when we were unable to convince him to stay a little longer; we told him that we would be happy to take him.

He relented to let us take him but insisted that he needed to go now. I felt bad seeing the discomfort he was feeling being with us now. I could tell that Tad was uncomfortable too, in fact, we were all uncomfortable.

Before we got to the airport I told Burt how sorry I was for dragging him into a family matter and that I hoped he would still come see us. Tad affirmed what I said and Burt told us that we all needed some time to let this matter blow a way. We all agreed and I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek as he left us. Tad and Burt shook hands and gave each other a hug.

On the way home, Tad said, "Honey what would you like to do today to help us get our minds off of this?"

I thought for a minute and, with a tear forming, told him I didn't know; that I wasn't myself right now.

We drove a few miles further and he said, "I know where we can go and have some fun and maybe lift our spirits."

I asked where?

He responded, "Disneyland, the happiest place on earth. We'll spend the rest of the afternoon, have dinner, and stay for the parade and fireworks. That should help get our minds back in their proper places." He was wearing the best smile he could muster.

I put my arm around his and said, "Honey that sounds wonderful. But could we go by the house first?"

He asked why. I told him that there was a chore that needed to be done and I definitely didn't want to face it when we came home from Disneyland.

He glanced at me and said it can't be that important and it's quite a bit out of the way.

I started crying and said, "Honey, I don't want to face changing the sheets when we get home tonight."

His smile faded and he turned us toward home.

* * * * * *

We had a wonderful time at Disneyland and we stayed until they were closing the park. As we drove, the closer to home we got, the more somber our mood seemed to get. By the time we got home I was crying softly. I knew full well that the action I had taken was not the way I should have approached Tad's infidelity. As the old adage goes, 'Two wrongs don't make a right." I can fully attest to that now.

Instead of solving the problem or feeling better for having hurt him too, I had poured gasoline on the fire and I didn't feel a damned bit better. However, it did shift my thinking from blaming him to blaming me. How could I have been so stupid?

When we got in the house, Tad pulled me to him and said, "Sweetheart, I don't know how we are going to work this out. We have hurt each other badly through our own stupidity. I do know that it is going to take lots of love on both of our parts to heal the wounds. This may be a little premature, but would you like to see if we can make love?"

I said, "Oh, yes, honey. Let's try. He didn't have to tell me, but I knew that we might have some trouble completing the act. Feelings of guilt, hurt, and anxiety are not real good platforms for having wonderful loving sex.

We went to bed and tried, but we couldn't do it. Memories of the other's infidelity and of our own stupidity went through our minds and having sex just didn't work. We finally kissed, admitted that it wasn't working, and went to sleep. I'm happy to say that both of us had a reasonable night and getting up for work in the morning was not too horrendous.

We spoke shortly at breakfast and agreed to talk in earnest after supper. As we kissed on the way out, Tad insisted we go out for dinner. With a big smile he said, "I don't want to take a chance that you would put arsenic in my food tonight."

I laughed and said, "You don't have to worry about arsenic. I would want to use something so that you knew you had been poisoned." Then the frivolity of the moment went away and I started crying. I had to go repair my face before I could leave for work.

Tad waited and gave me a big kiss and said, "Sweetie, we'll work this out. We have too much love to lose it all."

I said, "Damn it Tad quit being so sweet. You'll have me crying again."

* * * * * *

We needed to use some of our membership paid meals so we went to our country club for dinner. We had a wonderful meal and, being Monday, the crowd in the dining room was very small. We decided to stay and talk there on the condition that we leave if I felt a complete crying breakdown coming on.

The atmosphere was relaxed and conducive to what we needed to talk about. During dimmer, Tad had sat across from me, as usual. After dinner he moved his chair to my side. He took my hands and held them for several moments before he gave them a squeeze and started off.

He said that since he had triggered this whole mess, he wanted to go first. His company has an annual retreat at a lodge in the mountains. Last year, because of problems at my work, I couldn't go and I insisted that Tad go without me. He reluctantly did.

Charlotte and Nancy (the ladies in question) were there without their spouses also. To make a long story short, on the night before the big banquet, the three of them had teamed up and were commiserating with each other about how the retreat was not much fun without their spouses being there. They danced some, but mostly just talked. Before the evening was over they got pretty well sloshed and around midnight Nancy announced that she had had it and was going to bed.

Tad and Charlotte stayed and danced some more. The dancing became much more intimate, the alcohol was pushing the inhibitions aside, one thing led to another, and Tad went to bed with her.

A similar scenario occurred the next night. Only this time Charlotte left and he wound up in bed with Nancy.

I was starting to cry a little and asked him, "Honey it wasn't right, but I can see how, under the circumstances, you could have ended up in bed with Charlotte. But I don't understand how you could have let it happen a second time."

He explained that he felt very guilty most of the next day but at some point he came to feel that I would never know and that it was just sort of a man thing. Before I could speak he held up his hand and said, "I'm being honest about my immature reasoning. Of course, now I know that I was just excusing myself or justifying my actions."

A little tear formed in his eye as he went on, "Sandy, in spite of all my stupidity, I do love you. I'm sorry and I want to do whatever I can to set things right again."

My tears were becoming a little more pronounced and he asked me if we should go home. I blotted the tears with my napkin and told him we should stay and finish. And then I asked, "I understand what happened at the retreat, but, it didn't stop there. Your affair continued for months. Why?"

Now little tears were running down his face. He wiped them with the back of his hand and told me he had no reasonable excuse. He had gotten away with it at the retreat, it had been thrilling like, he thought, sky diving might be. He had to pause and wipe his eyes again and then said, "Honey, I wish I could tell you or even explain to myself why I let it continue. I can't."

He went on with a sniffle, "It doesn't justify or excuse anything but I found out a couple of weeks ago that the girls had set me up. I don't know why I didn't put an end to it then, but I just didn't. I think if you asked Mr. Ewing, you would find he has additional photos of them with other men besides me."

Now he was breaking down completely and excused himself to the men's room. My tears were running down my cheek and our waitress stopped and asked if I needed help. I told her "no," and asked her to tell my husband I would be right back if he returned before me and went to the ladies room.

I was devastated. Yes, what Tad had done was inexcusable. But what I had done was as bad or worse. Why hadn't I just confronted him with the evidence and tried to work things out from there?

It took several minutes to regain control and repair the damage to my face. While getting ready, I am sure it was Tad that I could hear through the wall. It had to be, it was a man sobbing uncontrollably. I had to get out of the rest room. Hearing him was tearing my heart out. When I returned to our table, of course, Tad was not there.

I sat for almost five minutes using everything within me to stay in control. I looked up and saw Tad approaching. He was working hard to hold a smile and his eyes were red. I jumped up and ran to him. He gathered me in his arms gave me a big kiss and said, "I think we had better go home."

We didn't say much on the way home. I believe the lack of conversation was mostly for fear that we would break down and he not be able to drive.

When we got in the house he pulled me to him giving me a very hot kiss and exclaiming how much he loved me and how sorry he was for what has happened.

I started to tell him that I was sorry too, but he put his hand to my lips and said, "Before we go any further, you need to know something."

My heart froze, what else is there?

He pushed me away from him so that we could look at each other and said. "Sandy, I am ashamed to admit this but if you had simply confronted me with the photos, I don't really know if I would have grasped the hurt and anger and betrayed feelings you have been subjected to. I'll be truthful and tell you that I don't know if I can ever forgive you for what you did."

I started to interject, "Oh, honey..." when he cut me off.

"Let me finish. As I said, I don't know if I can ever forgive you, but I will love you the rest of our lives knowing that you saved our marriage. I don't know if you had treated me any other way if I would have fully understood the damage I had done and was doing. Until then, I was just having a good time."

I just stood there looking at his blurry features. The tears had filled my eyes and I really couldn't see much. But I continued to look anyway.

He pulled me to him and said, "I love you. Let's put this behind us. There's a woman I would love to take to bed."

I said, "Tad I love you too. I'm sorry."

He told me to let it go. I took his hand and told him if he wanted me in the bedroom he would have to lead me, I couldn't see through the tears.

Neither of us was really ready to make love so we just lay in each others arms and talked. Mostly we were reassuring the other that our love was intact and that we had both acted in a very unloving manner.

As talk slowed and eyelids were starting to flutter, Tad raised up on one elbow and said, "Last night you said something about getting even."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, are we even now?"

"Ohhh yes, and then some. But there is a little more."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, tomorrow night you had better be home for dinner on time. And..."

(chuckle) "And what?"

"And you'd better be ready."

(chuckle) "Ready for what?"

(giggle) "You know exactly what I mean. You'd better be ready to really get even."

With that I pushed him on his back, gave him a hot goodnight kiss, and rolled onto my tummy. I smiled to myself thinking, 'It's been a rough road but we're over the hill and we know there's a beautiful new world awaiting us.'

I whispered, "I love you sweetheart."

I don't know if it was an acknowledgement or a just soft snore that I heard as I closed my eyes, but it was all I wanted or needed.