Dancing, Which I Don't, My Ending
Preface:
My dear readers, I rarely get involved with writing a sequel to another's work, but I noticed Kilty11's sequel of zampa's "Dancing, Which I Don't" and got mesmerized.
I first read the original, then Kilty's version.
I got the impression that Kilty felt as many commenters and I felt, that the husband did not respond correctly, that he acted too harsh, too fast. Kilty wrote a sequel to highlight the husband's errant thinking. My vision for a continuance of zampa's story was to stick as closely as possible to my perception of the motivation of the characters, but allow the hubby to seek out a more informed plan of response.
zampa's original - link:
https://www.literotica.com/s/dancing-which-i-dont
Kilty11's sequel -- link:
https://www.literotica.com/s/dancing-which-i-dont-my-version
I reached out to zampa for permission to write a follow-up to his story, but didn't receive a response. I also reached out to Kilty and he said that he had reached out also, with no reply. The last activity I see on Lit by zampa was 2014.
Two things immediately challenged me. First, the original was written in 1
st
person, not my comfort zone -- but they say to expand your horizons. Second, the original only named the other man involved, never naming either of the married couple. This proved to be a difficult task, causing repetitive use of "she" & "her" and "I" & "me."
I was determined to stick it out though, so please cut me some slack for not naming the husband and wife.
Sorry, but this one contains very little sex. Next time, I promise.
Acknowledgements: I wish to thank
, andyinoz ; Charlie ; Ted L for
their advice and editing skills, making my work better.
A special thank you to Kilty11 for his assistance improving and getting this story ready to be presented to the Lit readership.
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At the point when zampa's story has only three paragraphs left after this sentence: my ending begins:
"She said, we need to talk, and I replied that no, we had talked just now, and that she had better be on her way to her date."
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Dancing, Which I Don't, My Ending
At that point I expected my wife of all these many years to turn on her heel, walk out the door, and proceed to go out on a date with another man, leaving our future in ruin.
Instead, she added a dab of honey to her final effort to convince me to go, placing her anger on the back burner. Maybe the manner in which she had launched the alteration of our plans had seeped in to her brain, and became somewhat aware of why I was responding the way that I had been.
In a rephrased plea, she politely asked, "My husband, I love you and would not disgrace you. Please come with me, I do apologize for the short notice and promise to never again place you in this position. If you will grant me this request, it will be proven that I am innocent of plotting a betrayal. Please have faith in me this one time."
Her request was lengthy enough that I had time to reconsider my strategy, which at that point, was lacking... I knew little, very little, so I agreed to go, though in my mind, my wife had clearly breached a trust.
The drive to the restaurant (actually an upscale club showcasing fine dining and music for dancing) was void of pleasant conversation. Her occasional speaking of my name was met with silence, as I was preparing for meeting face to face with a man. A man named John Harmon. I wondered silently if this man had stolen my wife's affections.
Once our names were given to the maรฎtre d', we were shown to a table where a man stood, offered me his hand, and introduced himself. I replied with my name, and gave a slight dig, "You obviously know my wife, very well, I suppose."
The implied meaning of the remark was not missed, as both of my dinner partners looked at each other uncomfortably, sat quickly, and busied themselves with a menu.
Tension reined throughout the meal while small talk was made, with the duo trying to draw me into conversation. I was much more interested in listening than talking and some answers to my many unasked questions came to light.
I learned that Harmon was about 10 years younger than us, newly assigned to my wife's company, and among his hobbies were soccer, golf, and you guessed it... dancing.
I did my level best to not react as that particular fact was spilled. I noticed my wife's head suddenly spin toward me to gauge my reaction, then back to Harmon who was trying to figure out if he had said something that he shouldn't have. I believe that my ability to retain a stone-cold expression under crisis served me well, I didn't flinch.
With dinner finished and our table cleared, another round of drinks was ordered. Harmon and my wife drained their glasses at a much quicker pace than I, conceivably they needed courage because the music had begun and dancing was underway.
Perhaps in an effort to calm the coming storm, my wife looked to me and turned her hand over in a gesture to invite me to be the first to take her out on the floor. I answered her simply, "You know how I feel about dancing, and doubly so since you've invited an expert here. I don't believe that I'll voluntarily embarrass myself, thank you."
As my wife's eyes sought out the other male in our threesome, Harmon saw his opening. Addressing me first, revealing that he had thought about this moment enough to ensure proper decorum, he asked, "Sir, if you don't mind, I would like to dance with your wife," and then turned toward her and continued, "I am hoping that she will honor my request."