Many will try to find reasons why the characters would not act as they do in this story. That may be, but I chose to have the characters react in the extreme. In real life, this is often the case. Many of you have written me to say just that. But remember, it is a story and nothing but a story.
Thanks again to angel love for editing. She is the best.
Chapter 1
Nicky watched Tom's face in the mirror as he moved toward her. She stood naked with her back to him. He smiled at her and she shivered in anticipation. He was tall, well built and handsome as the devil and she could feel herself responding to his smile and the seductive words he whispered in her ear. As he took her in his arms, she gave herself willingly to him to do with as he would. She felt his erection pushing against her butt as she bent forward and spread her legs allowing him entry. As he pushed into her, he pulled her hips tightly against him and she began to move with him as he pumped in and out, moving faster and faster as she rose to a climax. It rushed toward her with an intensity that she welcomed. As her climax was about to peak, she looked over her shoulder and into her husband's face just as it changed to Harris's face. She screamed and awoke from her dream with a crash. It was just a dream but it had seemed so real. But why had the face changed? As she lay in bed, she remembered.
She had thought about this day for the last two weeks and when Tom, her husband, told her he would be working late again, she had made her plans. She remembered the phone call to Harris just three days ago. She told him that Tom would be working late again and this was the chance they had been waiting for.
Harris had asked her if she was sure, to which she replied emphatically, "Yes!" This was the payback she had planned ever since Harris had told her of Tom's infidelity.
It was just two weeks ago when Tom called to tell her he would be late coming home again. This was becoming a habit that she didn't like, and it was so unlike him to do something like that. She was fixing dinner when Harris had called to say he was stopping by that evening. Harris and Tom had been friends since boyhood and they had maintained their friendship all through their adult life. Harris was recently divorced and had been spending a lot of time at their place, playing with the little ones and trying to resume a normal life.
Rita, his wife, had cheated on him and he had come home to find her and one of her coworkers in bed together. Harris had lost his temper and beat the man half to death before the police arrived and pulled him off. Neither had pressed charges so Harris was spared jail time. Rita tried to get Harris to forgive her and take her back but he would have nothing to do with her. She contested the divorce, but there were no children involved so it went relatively quickly once Rita found that Harris was going to stick to his guns and settle for nothing less than the divorce. Since then, Harris had spent most of his free time with them, not dating or going out much.
When Harris arrived, she noticed he seemed quiet and withdrawn. He asked about Tom, but she told him that Tom would be late and that dinner was already finished so they might as well go ahead and eat. She had already fed the twins and they were taking a nap, so Harris accepted and they ate a companionable dinner together. She noticed that he seemed quiet and preoccupied as they ate, and as they were finishing dessert with coffee, she asked Harris to talk about what was bothering him. At first he refused, but she kept after him until he finally relented.
"Nicky, you know I love you and Tom. You two are my best friends and you were there for me when my life fell apart. I wouldn't do anything to hurt either one of you. You know that."
"I know that, Harris. But I know something's bothering you and you have to tell me about it. You've suffered enough and I just want to help take some of the worry from you. So tell me what's bothering you."
"What I have to say is going to hurt you and maybe Tom. I don't know how I can do that. If I hurt either of you, I'll just want to kill myself, but if I don't tell you, you could be hurt much worse later and I couldn't stand that so I don't know what to do."
"Just tell me and let me worry about the rest. I'm here for you. You know that and nothing you could tell me would change that. Go ahead, let it out."
"First, you have to promise me that you will never tell Tom that I told you this."
"Fine, I promise. Now tell me what is bothering you."
"Tom is cheating on you with a woman he met at work!" Harris looked like he had just eaten something rotten and he had tears in his eyes as he said this.
She said nothing for a long time as she stared at Harris with eyes wide open and her mouth forming an "O" of shock. There were no tears yet: the shock was too great and the denial was too strong. She refused to believe.
"Say something Nicky. What are you thinking? Come on, don't do this to me."
Harris was beginning to panic. This is not what he expected.
"I don't believe you. Why would you say something like that to me? What do you mean he is cheating? I don't believe you." Nicky was almost crying as what he had said began to sink in.
"I'm telling you the truth. Tom is cheating with a woman named Phyllis and she works in his office. I saw them twice at the Holiday Inn on Cheves Street. They went up to one of the rooms and stayed there for over an hour each time. It happened three weeks ago and again last Tuesday."