Allyson used to be my wife's best friend. At least, that's how Sarah introduced her when I first met her. The two women had known each other when they were both freshmen in college and they had shared an apartment until their graduation. From those days, I only know what has been told to me because I wasn't a part of Sarah's life back then.
When Sarah and I began dating each other, the two women were no longer as close as they had apparently been in the past. Although they never became estranged, when Sarah and I got married, the distance between the two women grew even more. I always felt I had had a part in this. Despite my wife's best efforts, I never empathized with Allyson. I never liked her because I had always felt she didn't show any liking or respect for me either. My wife claimed that I was just projecting my own feelings into Allyson's actions, so that I wouldn't feel bad about myself. I disagreed with her and we both agreed to disagree.
Anyway, they may not have been spending much time together anymore, but their bond was still strong. My wife nurtured genuine affection for her friend and they both displayed a protective behavior concerning each other. In fact, there were moments I felt like Allyson didn't like me because she believed I wasn't good enough for Sarah. However, a couple of recent episodes forced me to question their loyalty to each other.
First, I learned Sarah had seduced Allyson's boyfriend, at the time they lived together. My wife claimed that she had done it to prove to herself that she could have him if she wanted to. This was a behavior I was still trying to reconcile in the woman to whom I was married... It isn't unusual to see rivalry between friends but, in my wife's case, the competition seemed to have risen to grave proportions.
Then, after years of my suffering arrogance and contempt from Allyson, it had only taken a bolder approach on my part, in our last encounter, for Allyson's ice to melt. No matter what her true opinion about me may have been, apparently, she didn't mind flirting. It made me wonder... What if Allyson's antipathy towards me was just a different way of dealing with the same rivalry? Sarah had found her soul mate and Allyson had not. What if she was indelicate to me because I was the object of her envy? The more I thought about it, the more I felt tempted to, somehow, explore this matter with Allyson on future occasions. It didn't take long for me to get what I desired.
I was arriving home from work. Usually, Sarah leaves her job earlier than me, so I wasn't surprised that she was already in the house when I opened our apartment's door. Allyson was there also.
"Hi, love!" my wife said. "Allyson came to see me."
I kissed my wife and greeted her friend with a smile.
Allyson replied with a murmur, "Hi."
"You came home earlier today," Sarah said.
Driven by this remark, I looked at my watch. I wasn't early. In fact, I was a bit later than usual. The traffic had been insane. Still, not knowing why my wife had said such a thing, I didn't contradict her and just shrugged.
For a moment there was an awkward silence, as if both women had forgotten what they were talking about, a moment that made me suspect they might have been talking about me.
It was Allyson who broke the silence, "I think I'll be going now."
"Yeah... It's getting late," Sarah reinforced. Then she asked me, "Please take Allyson home."
"That's not necessary, I can..." Allyson quickly tried to reply.
Sarah had her mind set though, "Nonsense. It's no trouble. Isn't that right, love?"
"Sure," I complied.
My wife was proposing that I exchange the comfort of my house after a workday for the stress of the chaotic traffic and the companionship of Allyson. A few days earlier, this request would have been a nightmare. At that moment, being alone with my wife's friend for a while felt like a treasure on a plate.
Despite the initial discomfort, Allyson reluctantly accepted the offer. She was still nodding her acceptance when Sarah reminded, "Don't forget your bag."
Driven by my wife's words, I instinctively moved my attention downwards to the paper bag Allyson was holding. It was a small sack, the type that is usually given in clothing stores for small items. The bag's negligible weight was resting on top of our sofa's arm, thus relieving the strain on its handles and allowing a decent view of its interior.
Allyson tried to react fast to conceal it. She moved the bag away from the sofa and blocked its view from me with her legs. Too late though. Inside, I had recognized a familiar black piece of cloth: the daring short skirt my wife had worn a few days earlier. There was no doubt in my mind Sarah wanted me to see it. Seemingly displeased with my wife's stunt, Allyson sent her a subtle accusing look. Sarah responded with a mocking smile while I just stood there not knowing what was going on. Despite the elephant in the room, no one said a thing and, a few seconds later, Allyson and I left.
We spent the first fifteen minutes in the car in silence, except a few remarks related to the hellish traffic. Allyson was carrying her bag in her lap, hugging it as if she was protecting its precious content. Above her tall boots and below her skirt, I could see her left knee and a small part of her leg.
I had always felt physically attracted to Allyson, despite her arrogant nature. How couldn't I? Allyson was a gorgeous woman, who knew how to take care of herself and be noticed. However, lately, she had grown on me. Under her polished manners, there was a kinky and dirty mind. Also, Sarah had been adopting her friend's persona in our sex games, in quite a hot and imaginative fashion, by the way.
Under other circumstances, I would have been more subtle. However, this time, I let my stare wander freely to my hot passenger's legs, avoiding being ridiculously obvious but with no worry of being caught. In fact, I wished Allyson to notice me checking her out, just to see how she would react.
Occupying my mind was also the pending matter of the sexy short skirt that Allyson was carrying in her bag. I could have just asked Sarah about it later... But the temptation of exploring this mysterious subject with Allyson first was too good to let pass.
"Is that Sarah's skirt you're carrying?" I finally asked.
"No," Allyson replied. Then, with visible discomfort, she added, "Actually, this skirt is mine."
"It looks like the one Sarah wore the other day."
This time, I didn't get any answer.
"I can't remember seeing you wearing it. I bet it suits you perfectly," I insisted.
Allyson was staring at me, scrutinizing my behavior. I wanted to read her reaction too, but I kept my poker face and didn't take my eyes from the red light in front of us.
The memory of her friendly reaction when I praised her lips, a few days earlier, encouraged me to insist, "An attractive woman like you wearing such a killer skirt... Any man would remember."
"Do you want me to wear it for you?" Allyson asked. Surprisingly, she sounded like she meant it, "I can do it now... in my apartment."
Amazed by her invitation, this time I couldn't help myself from staring at her. Not even in my best imagined scenarios, had I expected such an open reception to my advances, especially when she had shown some discomfort earlier.
Allyson looked me in the eyes and I was sure she desired me. Friends or not, neither Sarah nor this woman had any scruples in taking each other's men.
