I Am a Simple Man

I AM A SIMPLE MAN

EMMA

"Jane? Can you come over? I'm feeling really lonely right now."

"Sure. Is it okay if I bring Thomas too? He cares about you too."

"Of course. I appreciate what both of you has done to help me until Harrison comes back."

My husband, Harrison, had gone on a special assignment for the accounting firm he worked for. He had asked for them to consider opening a branch office in his hometown. When they said they would, he was the natural choice to do all the prep work and getting the office started. It was too far away to commute, so he was staying there nights and most weekends.

The extra pay would boost our funds which was important to start our family, establish college funds for our children-to-be, and guarantee us a secure retirement. I agreed with him being gone because of what he was doing for our family, but I really hated him being gone that long. He was my best friend besides being my husband/lover. I may have been selfish, but I really missed the intense orgasms he gave me.

Harrison had talked to our best friends and neighbors, Tom and Jane, about helping me make it while he was gone. Tom was glad to mow our yard and fix any minor plumbing problems. Jane would visit and invite me over to their house to help keep my spirits up.

After the first three weeks, Harrison came home for the weekend. It was almost like a second honeymoon. I think we stayed in bed most of the time. The rest of the time we spent visiting with Tom and Jane. It was harder for me when Harrison left the second time than it was when he first left. I had gotten used to frequent and terrific sex and then -- nothing. Well, I did have didoes and vibrators, but they just weren't the same.

It was close to the end of another three week stretch that I asked Jane and Tom to come over. I was lonely and very horny. I hoped they would solve my loneliness and I had a dildo to take care of my other need after they went home.

Jane brought in some Strawberry Daiquiri mix, my favorite drink that usually lowers my inhibitions. But I felt safe with Tom and Jane. Jane and I went to prepare the drinks while Tom took a seat on our living room couch. We all sat on the couch with our drinks, me in the middle. By the time I finished my second Daiquiri, I was feeling really good. Our conversation took a sudden turn. Jane and Tom had very serious looks on their faces.

Jane said, "Emma, Tom has something to tell you, but it's very difficult for him to say it. We hope this does not harm our relationship, but it's too important for you not to hear. It's about something Harrison has done."

"My straight arrow husband? What is it? Did he actually pay more than the lowest possible price for something? God, I love him to death but if I hear 'Dave Ramsey says' one more time, I'm going to Nashville and have Mr. Ramsey served for interfering in my marriage. I just wish he would loosen up . . . "

"Emma, it has nothing to do with money. Well, money is involved but is not the real issue."

"My goodness. Is it really that awful? I don't see how anything could harm our friendship. You and Tom are our very best friends. What is it?"

Thomas spoke next. "Emma, you know that Harrison is working back in his hometown. As you might expect, he has renewed some of his, how can I say it, old relationships."

"So?"

"One of the people who works for him there was a high school friend of my sister. When he and she realized he worked for Harrison, he said he had some dirt on Harrison. Long story short, it seems that Harrison is often seen in the company of a well-known local prostitute. She's said to be very pretty but quite a bit older than Harrison. I'm sorry to have to bring you the news, Emma."

"Tom, there must be some mistake. Harrison would never betray me. He is the most honest, faithful husband a woman could want. Why would you tell me these lies about him? I thought you were his best friend."

"I am his best friend. Well, now I'm not too sure. I couldn't be his best friend if he is cheating on you. Your friendship means as much to Jane and I as his friendship. Unfortunately, I am sure of the information. I checked it with some of the other people there. He is seeing this one prostitute on a regular basis."

I started crying and drinking more. I cried on Jane's shoulder a while and then Tom hugged me while I sobbed. Jane started stroking my arm and Tom started moving his hand up and down my leg. I began to become aroused. It didn't cause me any alarm. They were trying to comfort me. I was with the two people in the world I trusted most. The number one person I had trusted, I just found out had betrayed me.

I responded to the stroking with moans of pleasure. I didn't care. I wanted to be transported to another world where I would stop hurting. I wanted to be cared for. I needed to be loved to take away the disappointment. Jane consoled me by promising they would stick by me. She kissed my cheek and then other places on my face finally ending up on my lips. It felt good.

Thomas took over and did the same except he opened his mouth and we swirled our tongues together. It was hot. His hands started to wander, and I looked at Jane for her reaction. She said not to worry. Thomas and she had talked about this and both wanted to do something to help me feel loved and desired. They had wanted to talk to Harrison and me about swinging but believed Harrison would never agree. Between my horniness, the alcohol, and desire for revenge against Harrison; I succumbed to their seduction. Before long, we took it to the bedroom, and I experienced the first threesome of my life. I liked it.

I awoke the next morning to a hangover headache and an empty bed. There was a fresh pot of coffee waiting for me in the kitchen. There was also a note from Tom and Jane: "Last night was very significant to us. We want to help you deal with Harrison's treachery and we want to continue enjoying each other's company. We feel no guilt whatsoever for last night and hope you feel the same way. In any case, we need to talk. Call us whenever you are ready. Love, Jane and Thomas."

It was several hours before I texted Jane back. "I am still confused over what happened last night, both from the information on Harrison and what I did with the two of you. I have decided to wait until Harrison's next visit to figure out what to do. Please be patient with me until then. I do appreciate your friendship very much."

Three days later, Harrison returned. As we had the previous visit, we headed for the bedroom. I was not as enthusiastic as before when we first got into bed, but Harrison made up for my hesitancy. I was having trouble believing he could love me like he was doing and have another woman on the side. I could not detect he felt any differently towards me than before.

We talked about his work in his hometown and I asked him about any old friends he had reconnected with. He said he didn't have any close friends growing up but had said hello to very few acquaintances. I asked him straight up if there was something he felt he needed to tell me. He said, "Not that I can think of." He looked guilty but did not challenge me about why I had asked that. It was like he was wanted to say something that he couldn't allow himself for whatever reason, like having sex with a prostitute. I was sure he was hiding something, but I didn't confront him any further. It was his responsibility to tell me. That he didn't confess spoke volumes to me. I no longer felt any guilt about what I had done with Jane and Thomas.

Almost as soon as Harrison left to go back, I called Jane. She and Tom came right over. I cried on their shoulder. I said I think the information was right. I also didn't know what to do. What a hypocrite he was. Always talking about family and taking care of them. Honesty, faithfulness, responsibility, and so on. Just words. I guess being horny overrides principles. So be it. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me. In less than an hour, the three of us repeated the scene from the other night, this time without the assistance of alcohol.

The more I thought of it, I really did not want to get a divorce. I still loved him. When Harrison was with me, my life was great. He would be coming home for good in another month or so. I concluded I could live with his affair as long as he came back to me and because my own affair made things even. If we have to, we might agree to a limited open marriage. At least until we started having children. I would not allow anything to potentially upset our family unit. Anyway, that was my reasoning for continuing things as they were.

*****

AFTER HARRISON'S RETURN

Tom said, "Emma, are you sure he doesn't know about us?"

"Harrison is so focused on earning more money and setting up our financial future, he barely thinks about what goes on while he's working. Of course, he's getting his horns trimmed on a regular basis by me here and, I guess, by his whore when he goes up to check on how the new office is doing." I paused to calm down. "If he doesn't see anything wrong with continuing to see her, I don't have problems with us continuing. Speaking of continuing, isn't Jane going to join us anymore? I miss her gentle touches."

"I'm sure she will, Emma. Right now, she is focusing on seducing a new married man at work. No offense, but his wife's body is spectacular. Knowing Jane, I'm sure she'll succeed. It's not that we want to stop seeing you, but you have said we have to stop when you two decide to become parents."

"I guess that means you two will move on to another couple before long. That's okay. I understand and will join you two as long as we have. Please understand, that we've got to continue to be very careful. As much as I look forward to what we are doing, I wouldn't be doing it if Harrison had remained faithful to me. Other than that, and being anal retentive about our expenses, he's almost perfect. I love him and enjoy sex with him even more that with you and Jane. I want him to be the father of my children and the man I retire with. Regardless of you all and the potential new couple, you are rignt. We will have to stop once Harrison and I decide to have a baby?

"Let's not waste time then."

HARRISON

I am an accountant and I love my job. I get satisfaction of making columns of figures match. I love the search for why they don't match and delight in it when I find out why. My dedication to my wife and future family is contingent on my ability to support them now while solidifying our future.

I have done several things to reach my goals. I have a good job that has provided opportunities for raises and advancements. My wife and I have a strict budget that is the foundation of all our financial decisions. I am willing to give a little for things she wants. My wife doesn't know it, but it took a scolding from my mother to get me out of my totally Scroogish ways. Emma now has a larger allowance for her that she can spend however she likes.

I have sacrificed many of the creature comforts my colleagues have. I drive a seven - year-old car and my wife has a slightly younger SUV she'll need when we have children. We have a modest three- bedroom house that is nearly paid off -- shorter term mortgage gets you a lower rate and many thousands of dollars. Eating out is a treat, a birthday-anniversary-Christmas level treat. I think it becomes a bigger deal mostly because we don't do it very often. Neither my wife or I have any expensive habits like smoking, drinking, or gambling. As a result, we are well on our way to early retirement, college paid for two kids (we presume), and traveling wherever we want in retirement. I carry a large term life insurance policy on my wife and myself. I learned that and many other things from my father's untimely death when I was a kid.

I thought that I would have a hard time finding a wife who was agreeable to postponing things to the future as much as I wanted to. Emma and I met in college. Actually, I met her when she was working as a waitress in the Student Grille. I bused tables and cleaned tables and floors. She was on the skinny side. Her two pregnancies have made her more full-figured now. I've always been captivated by her curly red hair and copious freckles.

We talked often, especially during our breaks at the Grille. She was from a poor family and was determined to do better for herself. Emma had more than one job which left little time for dating. When we could date, we went to places and did things that did not cost much if any money. I assumed, because of her background, we were of common thoughts on money management. We married shortly after I graduated and got a job as an accountant. We didn't live together before we were married. This was one time where I should have broken tradition and learned more about her views on finances.

Although Emma was willing to work, I found out she was much more eager to spend her earnings than to put money back. She kept bringing up the 'you need to stop and smell the roses because you never know when you'll be pushing up daisies' argument. I countered with a saying my mother had, 'we have to live simply to simply live.' I kept promising that we would be able to live like we wanted to if we sacrifice now. She seemed to reluctantly agree because starting a new home was very expensive and we were just starting jobs at entry level wages. There was not much disposable income at this stage of our careers.

I had a job opportunity to help start a new office of our accounting firm in my hometown. It would require me to be away from home weeks at a time. It would, however, give me a boost in pay and maybe a promotion. I talked it over with Emma. She assured me she would miss me but could manage. I said I would miss her too.

I returned from my first stretch after three weeks away from home. My reception upon arriving home was hot. I got the 'fucking your brains out reunion' I had hoped for after being without sex for three weeks. In the ensuing months, however, Emma became less animated in bed and in talking about what she had done while I was gone. Sex with her was average at best. Our times with Thomas and Jane were nowhere as friendly as before. Still, I thanked them for helping Emma out while I was gone. Thomas, who had a few more drinks than usual, grinned really widely then replied, "Oh, believe me, it's our pleasure." Jane and Emma also broke out in a grin. I became suspicious. For the first time in my marriage, I became suspicious.

Being suspicious and doing something about it are two different things. It was so hard for me to believe Emma would cheat on me. I trusted her, implicitly. Would I be a traitor to our marriage if I said I trusted her but then checked to be sure? I have heard 'trust but verify' before. That always sounded too much like it really meant 'tell her you trust her but don't trust - verify' to me. Then, I would think, "What if she really was cheating?" My not knowing was beginning to affect my relationship with her. I had to know before we started having children.

I was no private eye in my secret life, nor could I afford one in this life. I took the cheap option and bought several tape recorders. Just before leaving, I hid them in some of the dustiest places in the house -- the places Emma would least likely find them.

I surprised Emma when I came back home after just a week. I collected the recorders while she was gone and headed over to my office after it was closed. I sat in the conference room by myself and listened to the recordings.

I heard how Thomas and Jane had helped Emma believe I had been cheating on her. I heard how Emma was having an affair with both Thomas and Jane in revenge for my cheating. I heard how Emma said she still loved me, wanted a family with me, and wanted to retire with me. I could not see how that could be true since she never asked me about my supposed cheating. I never heard what made her believe I was cheating. I had to assume she was just making up an excuse to cheat on me. My life was now a disaster, a totally, fucked up, devastating disaster. My love for Emma and our future family were my main motivators for living. The plug had been pulled on my dream pool and it was draining quickly.

In that instant of apocalyptic revelation, I simply gave up. I just gave up. I saw no alternative than to leave the life I had been living. I had divorce papers drawn up so that I gave Emma everything as long as I did not have to pay alimony or any household support. The break would be clean with no reason for residual contact or payments.

I went back to my boss and quit. He was highly pissed and demanded an explanation. I told him what was going on with Emma. He advised me to take two weeks off and think about it. If I still wanted to quit, he would not fight it. I agreed as long as he would authorize me to withdraw all the money I had put into my 401 K. That was to be the stake I needed to pay for a divorce and then to begin a new life, a solitary life, a simple life.

Emma was served at work. I wish I could have been there to see the moment she was served. I did not file a lawsuit against Thomas and Jane. I did, however, send their bosses and Emma's boss what information I had. Our other neighbors got the info also. The Threesome made my life miserable. I wanted to return the favor. I had originally thought I would not seek any revenge, but one night I thought about having been cheated out of having children, I hit the send button. Then it was too late to change my mind.

My cell phone received call after call from Emma. I deleted call after call. I waited in my cheap, flea-bag hotel room and planned my new life. Weeks went by before my lawyer called. Emma demanded a meeting. I would not agree to meet unless she would sign the divorce in advance. Her lawyer refused to allow her to make a counterproposal because she could not get a better deal than what I had offered. Finally, she agreed.

Emma and her lawyer came into the conference room. She was breathing fire until she saw me. I now had a long shaggy beard that matched my long shaggy hair. My clothes were from the famous clothing store -- Goodwill. I looked like I was only one step above a homeless person.

"Harrison, is that you?"

I looked up at her but did not say a word. Her expression changed from anger to pity. Tears came to her eyes. She could see I had been suffering.

The divorce papers were given to me and I signed. My lawyer passed them to her lawyer who passed them to Emma. "Harrison, I don't want a divorce. I know I messed up, but you did too. I am sorry. I want us to give each other a second chance. I love you. I am so sorry. Please."

"Sign the papers, then we can talk."

"Okay, but I am not giving up on getting back together. I can't believe you would abandon our dream of having kids and retiring together. No prostitute or lover is worth that."

"I don't know where you got the idea I was having sex with a prostitute."

"People you worked with said that they saw you with a well-known prostitute when you were in your hometown."

I thought for a second, shook my head, and laughed. "Now I understand. As soon as you sign the papers, I'll explain." She signed the papers and passed them back for distribution. Everyone left the room except Emma and me.

"Harrison, I had hoped you had used this time apart to cool down. I have never stopped loving you. Being with Thomas and Jane was never because he or she was better than you in any way. They were there in my bed because you were not, and you were having an affair with that hooker. I have also realized I was willing to consider having an affair because I was pissed at how you kept such tight reins on our money. So, there was another element of resentment in my rationalization of breaking my vows.