Cuckholded By Neighbors Son

Author's note: This is a cuckhold story, so stop reading now if that's not your style.

Also, it's not a quick fantasy where the characters collide briefly, but then everyone lives happily ever after. It's more grounded, with as much angst and consequence as one might expect from attempting such a scenario in real life.

In other words, shit gets messy.

You've been warned.

And the usual disclaimers: all characters are fictional, similarities to real-world people/events are purely coincidental, everyone involved is of legal consenting age, etc.

I was doomed the moment we arrived at the neighborhood block party. My wife, Camilla, and I had almost decided not to attend, but as freshly moved-in residents to the affluent cul-de-sac, we felt obligated to socialize with our new neighbors. It was the friendly thing to do, and as Camilla pointed out, I needed to take advantage of any connection I could get. My storytelling teetered on the edge of mainstream success—one push from the right angle could send both our careers into the stratosphere.

My wife is an amateur actress. Well, technically, Camilla is an accountant by training (courtesy of her parents' pressure) but acting is her real passion. She's talented too, with various accolades from local performances. Nothing major yet, but mostly due to lack of opportunities, rather than failings on her part. Besides being talented, she's quite attractive too: a 31-year-old woman with brown hair, blue eyes, fit and curvy body, and a pretty face. Her natural expressiveness is what really drew me to her though, able to melt your heart—or get your blood racing—with ease. A lip quiver here, a sultry wink there. I fell for her the first time we met.

I'm technically a filmmaker, but of a non-traditional variety. Historically, films tended to be team affairs; actors, directors, producers, support staff, etc. all working on a common project. But as technology has improved, it's become much easier for small teams, or even solo creators, to produce high-quality movies and shorts. Nobodies can become viral sensations overnight, and while most fade back into obscurity, a lucky few can harness their temporary fame, shifting it into the makings of a permanent career.

I am one of those viral sensations, courtesy of a short film I'd released on the internet. It was a simple little thing, just short of fifteen minutes long, but I was quite proud of it. Titled

Audrey's Accident,

(starring my wife as the titular Audrey) it was the story of a woman who is banned from her weekly social gathering (club? church? cult? It's deliberately left vague) and the resulting fallout from that. The film itself is very self-contained, taking place entirely within Audrey's home (real location: our old home), with Audrey as the only on-screen character. It easily could have been a pretentious slog, even at fifteen minutes, but some clever editing on my part combined with Camilla's gripping performance (nailing Audrey's initial bubbly attitude and her post-ban despondent shame) made for an oddly compelling little story. Those aren't my words, either—that's a paraphrase from IndieWire's glowing review.

The real hook behind

Audrey's Accident

was how it left the viewer wondering: was the unseen incident that led to Audrey's shunning truly an accident? There are hints it wasn't, but Audrey herself never wavers from her claim that it was. And the follow-up question: was the accident itself really so terrible? Or was Audrey's ban an excessive overreaction? Again, there's evidence to support both theories. One of the techniques I used to further this uncertainty was to have Camilla perform multiple takes of individual scenes; in some, she'd done something truly indefensible and warranted her punishment. In others, she was an innocent soul, a victim of others' jealousy.

The theorizing about 'what really happened' was what sent

Audrey's Accident

into true viral territory, as viewers endlessly debated the possibilities.

Every creator hopes their works will be appreciated, but I was stunned how quickly the views racked up. In mere days, we'd had over a million, reaching the trending section on multiple social media sites. Reviews began to flow in too, overwhelmingly positive. Camilla was unquestionably the star of the story, but compliments on my creative filmmaking were common too.

I made a modest amount of money from

Audrey's Accident

; some of it from direct streams, but more from 'official' merch. Shirts, director's edition, etc. That money, combined with our general savings, gave us a down payment on our new house.

It was a risky move, financially-speaking: we were just up-and-comers, but the sudden fame had gone to our heads. Camilla and I felt invincible. We left our old, dingy house behind with no regrets, moving into our fancy and large new one.

We received the invite to the block party our first day post-move. One of our new neighbors, a gregarious middle-aged man named Mr. Lazarus, dropped by to welcome us to the area. He told us cheerfully our timing was perfect, explaining that the cul-de-sac was having a cookout that weekend. We'd be able to meet everyone... and enjoy some strong mixed drinks, he'd whispered conspiratorially.

Camilla and I were both exhausted from the move, but we told Mr. Lazarus we appreciated the invite and would talk it over. I had no idea how much it would change my life.

The party itself was a surprisingly large affair with around thirty attendees. Apparently, the whole neighborhood was invited, not just the families who lived on the cul-de-sac itself. With some nervousness, I took Camilla's hand, and we walked out our front door.

Our senses were immediately overwhelmed: bright sunshine, smells of burgers on the grill, bursts of conversation and laughter. We spotted Mr. Lazarus nearby, chatting with some other neighbors. As our only contact, we walked towards him first.

Mr. Lazarus saw us approach and immediately broke into a smile. "Well, well, well. If it isn't our newest residents! Glad you decided to join us!"

There were handshakes and introductions with the other neighbors. Camilla and I did our best to leave good first impressions, engaging with all of them excitedly. Once we made the circuit, Mr. Lazarus led us over to a young man who'd been chowing down on a burger.

"My wife and daughter have wandered off it seems, but this is my son, Zane. Zane, this is Camilla and Noah. They just moved in next door."

As I shook Zane's hand, I was struck by two things simultaneously: first that he was an incredibly attractive man. I'm as straight as they come, but I recognize a well-built man when I see one. And Zane was certainly well-built.

He was young—maybe twenty—with surfer-like auburn hair, brown eyes, and a chiseled, symmetrical face, complete with dazzling smile. He'd gone shirtless, his muscled body shamelessly on display for the whole neighborhood. But Zane wasn't just a pretty-face; he also exuded a playful confidence that I suspected made him very popular with the ladies.

The second thing I noticed about Zane was he instantly had eyes for Camilla. I couldn't blame him—Camilla was looking especially fine in a tight t-shirt and shorts that emphasized her shapeliness—but Zane was shameless, running his gaze openly over her body.

"Wow, definitely an upgrade from the old neighbors," he nodded approvingly.

Camilla had blushed, but I wasn't certain if she was embarrassed or flattered.

"Aren't you quite the bold young man," I'd said, amused rather than envious. As attractive as Zane was, he was too young for me to treat as a true threat. "Flirting with a woman in front of her husband."

"Sorry," Zane had quickly apologized, but his eyes flickered back to Camilla. "You're not the first person to call me a flirt. I promise I'm harmless. Well, mostly." He winked at Camilla for emphasis.

"Very nice to meet you Zane," Camilla giggled, shaking his hand next. "I'm Camilla."

"Nice to meet you too, Camilla," Zane said, drawing out her name deliberately. He started to add something else, but then a spark of recognition passed over his face. "You look familiar... have we met before?"

"Not unless you saw us touring the house with our agent," Camilla said, now uncertain. I was too—was Zane setting up for a low-effort pickup line?

But Zane merely shook his head, his winning smile once again plastered on his face. "Never mind. Maybe you just remind me of someone else I know."

Before Zane could elaborate, Mr. Lazarus returned with his wife and daughter in tow. More introductions were shared, then Mr. Lazarus asked the usual question:

"So, Noah and Camilla, what do you guys do for work?"

We exchanged glances and laughed. People rarely expected our answers. Camilla went first.

"Officially, I'm an accountant. But in my spare time, I'm an actress, both stage and film. No major roles, or anything, but it's my passion."

"You should check out our local theater troupe," Mrs. Lazarus urged. "They're quite good and always on the lookout for new talent."

Camilla smiled, truly excited by the thought. "I'd love to check them out, actually. Maybe once Noah and I get settled in, I'll do just that!"

"What about you, Noah? You an accountant-slash-actor too?" Mr. Lazarus asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"Not quite," I chuckled. "I'm a filmmaker... or at least trying to be one. Actually just went viral with a short I made:

Audrey's Accident

."

"Shit!" Zane broke in, pointing at my wife. "That's where I know you from! You're Audrey!"

"Yep, that's me!" Camilla grinned modestly, but I could tell being recognized by a near-stranger had flattered her tremendously.

"And a very great Audrey she was. So, you've seen it then, Zane?" I said, feeling rather flattered myself.

"Oh, for sure! It was all my friends and I could talk about for a while," Zane admitted. "I have to know: what really happened with Audrey?"

"Now, now, I can't share that. It would ruin the fun," I admonished, before lowering my voice to a near-whisper. "But I've got a sequel in mind that might help shed some light for you."

"No shit!" Zane said excitedly. "I hope I can get an advance screening."

"We'll see," I smiled noncommittally.

Mr. Lazarus watched this exchange with amusement. "Well, Noah, you must be doing something right based on Zane's reaction here. He's an actor himself, actually. Maybe the three of you could team up on a project sometime?"

"Maybe!" I agreed with more enthusiasm than I felt. "What sort of stuff have you done, Zane?"

"A few projects with friends here and there. Some stuff at the local theater. I've also done modeling and been in a couple commercials."

"Zane's being modest. Those commercials aired all over the country!" Mrs. Lazarus beamed.

"Impressive," I nodded, mostly out of politeness. "Well, I hope your acting career certainly takes off, Zane. I'll keep you in mind if I do need someone else to work with!"

The conversation shifted into other waters, and I assumed that would be the end of any film talk for the day.

But later, as the party began to wind down, Mr. Lazarus caught up to me. He glanced around, ensuring we were alone. We were—Camilla was busy talking to two other neighbors a short distance away.

"Hey, listen, Noah. I wanted to ask a favor. I know we just met, but you're a filmmaker, so I'm sure you understand. Zane really wants this acting thing to work out, but it's a hard industry to break into. I know you're not an insider yourself or anything, but if Zane's a fan of your work, I suspect you're headed places. It would mean a lot to me if you could include Zane on one of your next projects."

My immediate reaction was to decline politely, but the need to make a good first impression on our neighbors still weighed heavy on my mind.

"Camilla and I have always worked alone," I started, as Mr. Lazarus looked at me hopefully, "but I promise I'll think about it. Might be fun to change it up a bit."

"That's all I can ask," Mr. Lazarus nodded, sensing my ambivalence. "Just think about it. And if it helps, Mrs. Lazarus and I are prepared to cover the cost of what it would take to hire Zane. We pay you and then you pay him. You'd basically be getting him for free. We'd only ask that you not tell Zane about it—he's so stubborn about finding his own way."

"I understand," I said. "I'll let you know if we decide to take you up on your offer."

Mr. Lazarus stared at me, trying to gauge my sincerity. Finally, he sighed. "Thanks, Noah. I appreciate you listening. Look, here's his business card. You can see his acting reel on the website listed at the bottom."

I took the card. It was very professional, I had to admit, although I suspected Zane had little to do with its creation. "I'll check it out," I promised.

***

A short time later, Camilla and I said our goodbyes to our new neighbors, and we returned to our house. Once we'd settled in, I brought up my encounter with Mr. Lazarus.

Camilla was surprisingly sympathetic to Zane, no doubt influenced by her own struggles of finding real acting work. "Maybe we should think about it," she'd suggested. "Especially since he'd be free."

"You're just saying that because he's hot and has a crush on you," I teased.

"Good lord, Noah, he does not," Camilla groaned. "We just met for crying out loud."

"Didn't stop him from eating you up with his eyes," I pointed out. "I can't blame him though. I did marry a looker."

Camilla rolled her eyes. "That's gross. He's probably not even twenty yet."

"Twenty-one, actually. I heard him talking to his dad about being old enough to drink."

"Still doesn't make it any less gross. You shouldn't be talking like this anyway. As my husband, you're supposed to be trying to keep me to yourself."

"Oh, I do want you to myself. I'm just making some observations. Besides, I like seeing you get all riled up," I teased.

"Keep it up and I'll be riled up enough to send you to the couch tonight," Camilla replied sternly.

"Point taken. But you have to admit, Zane is a good-looking guy," I added, unable to resist a final dig.

"Sounds to me like maybe you're the one with the crush," Camilla shot back.

I laughed, raising my hands in surrender. "Okay, fair. You got me there."

I dropped it at last, but I did take note: Camilla never denied Zane's attractiveness.

***

I don't know why Zane's flirting with my wife lodged in my brain the way it did. Plenty of other men had flirted with Camilla over the years, after all. Maybe it was their age difference, maybe it was Zane's own attractiveness, or maybe it was the way Camilla seemed to tolerate Zane's flirting. Whatever the case, I couldn't stop thinking about their initial encounter. It was such a small moment, but it seemed to carry the seeds of much more.

And it turned me on.

At first, I thought something was wrong with me. Why the hell would the thought of another man flirting with my wife turn me on? Camilla was right—I should want her all to myself. But I couldn't deny how I felt: Zane running his eyes so freely over Camilla's body didn't anger me. It excited me.

Soon I was wondering what Zane would do if he could spend more time around Camilla. He claimed to be a harmless flirt, but I suspected he wouldn't be so harmless if he thought he could get away with it. I was curious just how far he'd go. And how far Camilla would let him.

They say nobody can really know their spouse, at least not completely. Even couples that have been together for decades have hidden parts of their heart. But I was confident in Camilla's dedication to me. She may have tolerated Zane's flirting when they met, but I knew she'd have a limit. But I wondered where that was. Would she let Zane flirt with her freely? Would she stop him if he touched her casually—say a brush of the shoulder? What if it was a less innocent touch? What if he tried to kiss her?

I suspected Camilla's boundary was physical touch, but the more I considered the what-ifs, the more turned-on I became. As the next few days passed, the thrill of the possibilities became too much. I didn't want to just imagine anymore: I wanted to see it play out for real.

Fortunately, I had the perfect opportunity: I was ready to start filming again. It was time for

Audrey's Awakening

, the sequel to

Audrey's Accident

. Only this time, I'd need a male actor opposite Camilla's role. And now I had the perfect candidate in mind.

***

I shared my plan--but not my real motivations—with Camilla the following weekend.

"I think Zane would actually be a good fit for the role of James. His acting reel's not bad, and I think with the right coaching, he'd do very well, especially opposite an actress as talented as you."

"You're not just saying that because we'd get him for free, are you?" Camilla questioned.

"It doesn't hurt," I admitted. "But no. I think he's the right man for the job. He's the right age, he's convincingly attractive enough, and based on his reels, he can pull off both nurturing and seductive. Not to mention he's in-between-gigs, so scheduling should be a breeze. Hell, he literally lives next door."

I wasn't lying. Zane really was the perfect fit for the character. What I neglected to mention is that I tweaked the character and plot from my original vision—just so that it would be tailor-fit for Zane.

Camilla flipped through my script, going towards the end. "I'm kind of surprised you're so gung-ho on Zane for this, to be honest. Things get kind of racy between James and Audrey towards the end. Are you sure you're comfortable having Zane in that role after you made such a big deal out of him flirting with me?"

"I didn't make a big deal out of it," I said defensively. "Just pointed it out."

"That's a big deal for you," Camilla said, eyebrow raised.

"Okay, maybe," I admitted. "But I promise I won't be jealous. We're all professionals here. And who knows, maybe Zane's... appreciation... for you will help make his performance stronger."

"Let's stop talking about Zane's appreciation," Camilla said, making a gagging noise. "But if you're really comfortable using Zane, then I am too. I think you're right. He would be a good fit."

"I'll reach out to him then, make sure he's on board. If we're lucky, maybe we can get started next weekend."

***

Zane accepted my offer without hesitation. I wasn't sure what drove him the most: the fact that it was a paid job, that he'd be co-starring in a sequel to a viral movie, or that he'd be working directly with Camilla. Regardless, we now had our James.

I shared the news with Mr. Lazarus, who was pleasantly surprised that we'd cast Zane in such a critical role. As promised, he wrote me a check for the full amount of Zane's fee, plus an additional 'bonus' beyond that. "For giving Zane a chance," he'd explained.

We invited over Zane that Saturday, to orient him to our process and to do some test readings.

Unlike our first meeting, he came fully dressed, shirt and all. And he was surprisingly professional too, keeping his flirtatious nature in check. Yet I did catch him shooting glances at Camilla's body as we pointed out the different areas we'd be shooting in. I don't know if Camilla noticed or not, but there was no question that Zane had the hots for her.

Tour completed, we led him back to our dining room and took seats around the table.

"I don't want to do any actual filming today," I explained. "Instead, I want to go over how I usually work the scenes, just so you know my expectations."

I spent the next several minutes describing my filming routines and goals, Zane nodding along cooperatively. Camilla interjected occasionally, but for the next fifteen minutes, I dominated the conversation.