This story is based upon
Do You LIke My Smile
published by The Style Guy in 2019. I felt the original could use the wife's point of view, so I contacted The Style Guy. With his kind permission, I wrote this alternate version.
There is some sex, but the focus in on the evolution and consequences of an affair by a woman truly in love with her husband, but sadly in denial of the potential consequences from what she considered only a little fling.
This is my first submission to Literotica. I'm a literary virgin on this site and you are my first readers. Be gentle. I'd like my first time to be a good memory.
Copyright 2020
Do You Like My Smile
- Her Story -
Steve Miller looked over the resume of the new assistant HR assigned him. She was married... perfect. Married was his jam. It's on them, isn't it? It's their choice in the end. He provides opportunity. They make the choice. That doesn't make him a bad guy, does it?
Then again, nobody thinks they're the bad guy, do they?
As she arranged her new desk, he walked out to greet her.
Let the games begin.
"Morning Gorgeous" He moved closer. "I love your perfume." The moment of truth. Would she find his attention rude, or charming?
She smiled. "Good morning, Mr. Miller."
Nice. No harassment case this time.
"Call me Steve."
***
Joy Harrington loved her husband. Not that he was perfect. Who is? He snored, especially after a few drinks. They disagreed sometimes. And he left cupboard doors open,
the monster.
She chuckled. He wasn't rich or famous or any of those material things some women lust after. But, all the same, lust after him she did. She lusted after the kind, caring father of their three nearly grown children, the man who held her when she cried, the man who did his best, day in and day out, for the past twenty-seven years. He tried hard, and she knew it, to make her life and the life of their kids the best he possibly could.
Quick to smile, slow to anger. A friend in need. Chris was one of the good guys, a husband other women wanted, the soul mate some never found. He was a keeper, in every sense of the word. And she knew it. Yet, when Steve flirted, she flirted back. Why?
Her boss. That alone should raise a big, giant, red flag. He was single, she was married. Another, even bigger red flag, frantically waving, warning of danger ahead.
Red is such a pretty color, hot, exciting.
Tall, fit, dark-complected with steel-gray eyes, Steve was a hunk. Those eyes, always twinkling with mischief. Fun followed him around. He made work a pleasure with an easy air, confident smile and flirty remarks. Subtle, he was not. He never missed a chance to compliment her dress, her hair, her eyes. Weeks, months passed. When would she shoot him down, stop him cold, reject his attention? That never happened. The opposite in fact. She came to expect and look forward to his witty innuendo, double entendres and suggestive comments, the inappropriate touches, accidental of course. She laughed with and at him, enjoying the banter, toying with him and his continued failure to lure her away from her amazing husband.
She received flowers at work. She told co-workers she had the best husband ever. True. But her husband didn't send the flowers. Then came candy. She rewarded Steve with secret winks and smiles.
Then came lingerie.
Maybe it's time to stop this silliness
. Holding the high quality, lacy pink bra and panties, she decided,
maybe not just yet.
He shouldn't stand close enough to smell the zephyr thin trace of perfume she wore at work. But he did. Her heart fluttered when he moved behind her, touched her arm and whispered in her ear, "well done," as he returned the file. She looked up over her left shoulder. He smiled down. She smiled up. "Can we discuss this over lunch?" he asked, handsome, powerful, his hand lingering, softly caressing her arm. She thought about the compliments, the silly, naughty banter, the lingerie.
"I'd like that," she heard herself answer. And she did.
Many lunches later, after two glasses of wine and her bare foot caressing his leg under the table, she stared into his face and bluntly asked, "Why me?"
"What do you mean?" he replied, blinking his eyes and shrugging.
"Don't play innocent. We both know better. Why me? There are young single girls that would swoon all over you. I'm forty-four years old and I'm happily married. Very happily."
His smile grew. "Exactly."
"Huh?"
He took a swig of wine and answered. "Years ago, many years ago, I was engaged. It didn't take. She caught me making out with one of the bridesmaids. Quite a mess, that was."
"I can imagine," Joy agreed, shaking her head in dismay.
"My friends told me to shake it off. Get back out there, they said, dive back into the pool."
Joy remained silent, assuming, correctly, the story was not over. "So I dove back in. After a while," he looked at her with that damn devilish grin, "I learned I really liked swimming."
He lifted his glass but paused before he took a drink. Using those penetrating steel-gray eyes, he peered over the rim of the glass. "I'm not the husband type. I don't want commitment, kids and soccer games. I'm not that guy." He took a sip and set his glass down. "Your husband is that guy."
He let the words soak in. "I admire him. I'm happy for him, and for you, for the life you have together. But me, I'm the guy your mother warned you about." He grinned again. "Single women, whatever they say, in the back of their mind they wonder, could he be the one?" He laughed. "I promise you, I'm not. I don't do complicated. That's not me. I look for women who absolutely don't want commitment, who already have the one they want. My ideal woman, like you, is happily married."
He reached across the table, held her left hand and casually rubbed her ring. Looking back to her face he continued. "I look for a woman who wants, deserves, a bit of discreet fun, nothing public or embarrassing that could ever hurt her marriage in any way.
"You're a good wife, a caring mom, and have been for years. You've earned a bit of fun, don't you think? You deserve it. You know you do." He flashed that devilish grin again. "I have to tell you, after so many years in the pool, I've become a very good swimmer." He took the final swig of his wine, tilted his head and looked her in the eyes. "Tell me Mrs. Harrington. Do you like to swim?"
Joy squirmed in her seat. A shiver went down her back, causing a momentary tingle. She shook it off and giggled. "We are just talking about swimming, aren't we, Mr. Miller, not something wildly inappropriate like an office romance?" She gave a conspiratorial grin.
"Of course,
Mrs.
Harrington. Of course."
"Then, yes," she answered. "I love to swim."
Sensing a crack in her defense, he pressed for more. "Speaking of swimming, actually swimming, I have a great pool at my house. Can I show it to you sometime."
Her eyes looked away. She brought a finger to her mouth and chewed a nail, realized she was doing it and jerked the hand down. Finally she looked at her boss. "Maybe," she answered.
"Promise?" he asked, treating her answer as definitive.
"I don't make promises I don't keep," she answered, smiled, then chugged the last of her wine, firmly setting the glass back on the table. The irony of that statement, from a woman who promised in front of God and family to forsake all others, was lost on them both.
She stood to leave. He stood with her, walked around the table and lifted her hand in his. He intertwined their fingers. "You know you're special to me," he whispered.
"I know," she whispered back. She frowned. "Steve, I really am happily married. I love Chris."
He leaned close and whispered in her ear. "Of course you do. He's a good man. I would never do anything to hurt either of you."
Irony once again lost, hidden in a fog of emotion, desire. No thought from either that even undiscovered betrayal erodes respect, weakens bonds, hurts the marriage, the kids. Especially the kids.
Betrayal cuts deep. Apologies scab the wound. Time heals. But scars forever stay.
"Thank you, Steve. Knowing that you respect Chris, that you won't hurt him or me, well, that makes this... easier."
Works every time,
he thought.
What am I doing,
she thought.
***
Joy and Steve remained professional at work, at least when anyone else was around. She liked that, insisted on it. No hint of impropriety. Co-workers saw two professionals doing their job, nothing more. Not that the two of them didn't take time, when alone in his office, the door closed, to affirm their attraction.
The first time they kissed, her emotions ran wild. Her body tensed until muscles hurt. Her knees buckled. Emotions raced like untended children in the park. Thoughts jumped about like stones skipping across a pond. Guilt, arousal, excitement, doubt. In the end, arousal won the battle.
The evening after her first real kiss with Steve, she showered Chris with affection, reminding him of her love, that she was his and his alone. In her mind, she meant it.
The most dangerous deceit is self. Truth, wherefore art thou?
Time and lack of repercussions made the next kiss easier, more fun, less anxious. It lasted longer, the passion greater. Chris, loving, trusting husband, never knew, never suspected. Her guilt made her especially affectionate at home, to prove her love. Chris, unaware, never doubted it. Who then, was she really trying to convince?
She rationalized that her marriage was better than ever. The guilt driven affection she lavished on Chris made him happy.
A few stolen kisses with Steve and then I make sure Chris gets special treatment. Win, win.
Justification, rationalization, call it what you will. It made perfect sense... in her mind. No harm, no foul, nothing to see here. After all, she still loved Chris with all her heart, didn't she?.
Yes. That part was true.
She had no love for Steve. He was a jerk and a part of her knew it. A delightfully fun jerk. He was a taste of excitement, a secret thrill, a reward for years of being a good mom, a loving wife. She deserved a little dessert in life. At least, that's what Steve kept telling her. A kiss and a grope now and then, well, a lot of kisses and groping, where's the harm. All was well. Until...
"I heard you tell Susan that Chris will be out of town next week. Three days, is it?"
This was it. She knew what came next. "Yeah," she answered. "Tuesday through Thursday. He gets back Friday,"