The Reasons for Cheating

Author's note: This is my first story for Loving Wives, so be easy on me. This first chapter doesn't deal with adultery on the wife's part, but it'll come up soon enough in the series, which is the reason I've submitted it to this category. This is a work of fiction and any semblance to actual people or places is purely coincidental.

xxxxx

I still don't know why I did it. I'd like to say that it was a mid-life crisis or that I was shit-faced drunk, but neither of those is completely true. So, I'm stuck wallowing in my despair, as I know there was absolutely no reason for me to have cheated on my wife.

Let me explain: last night was the weekly "guys' night out". Well, guys plus one. You see, I work at a small clinic as a nurse -- the only male nurse among two dozen of my fine colleagues. As a result, I've obviously had to suffer through much abuse, especially at the beginning, but luckily I always had one person on my side: Chloe.

Chloe never really fit in herself with the other nurses and we naturally banded together as the sole outcasts. It quickly became quite obvious to me why Chloe felt out of place with the other ladies: she was practically a guy herself. Now, don't take this the wrong way, as anatomically speaking, Chloe certainly had all the parts. She stood at a tall 5'10" -- I know because I'm her exact height -- was perhaps a B-cup in the bust department, though she rarely bothered to wear a bra, and had wide hips, a tiny waist, and a tight ass toned from countless hours of sports. But in all other ways, Chloe was a guy. Sure, she dated now and again, but more often than not, she ended up being friends with the guy. That's because of Chloe's inherent nature: she always calls it like it is, isn't afraid to chug a beer or wolf down a burger, and is possibly the most knowledgeable sports compendium on the planet. Hence, she gets along better with men than with women.

Anyway, I was no exception to the rule, and as I mentioned, we gravitated to each other at work, then later outside of it. She joined my pack of old friends as if she'd always belonged there and we shared many a drunken evening together.

Yesterday night was shaping up to be no different and we were hanging out at MacGibbs watching the game. It was game seven of the playoffs and it was not pretty. Our team was only the eighth seed, but they'd battled hard all series only to piss it all down the drain when the going got rough. The game wasn't even halfway through and their defeat had been all but sealed; consequently, my friends and I just kept the taps flowing.

Once again, I'd like to repeat that I was not

that

drunk, so that was not the cause of my extra-marital tryst: scout's honour. However, I cannot say the same for Chloe. Remember how I said that Chloe was our portable encyclopedia for sports? Well, most people who have that sort of knowledge are die-hard fans of one or more teams. So it was that on this fair night, her trademark dirty blonde pony-tail threaded through the opening at the back of her favourite cap, Chloe was getting hammered to deal with the massacre that hit close to heart.

The final game of her team's season was coming to a close and Chloe had already drunk herself into a stupor. Most of the other guys were not any better off, so I knew it was up to me to make sure she got home safely; besides, I had brought her into the group and she was closest to me.

So, I got up and nudged the head that was currently lying face down on the table.

"Come on, Clo, time to go."

"5 more minutes," she muttered.

I laughed, then nudged her harder.

"Fuck!" This got her awake and I knew from experience that she was not the most pleasant person while inebriated. Nevertheless, I calmly put my hands under her armpits and hoisted her out of her chair and onto unsteady feet.

"Where we goin', Chahhhlie?" she questioned, still indignant, but looking like she just wanted to appease me so as to finally be left alone.

"Home, Clo. Come on." I slung an arm across her shoulders and made her do the same.

After quick goodbyes, we were on our merry way, zigzagging a path down the sidewalk towards Chloe's apartment a couple of blocks away. She became strangely silent as we walked, though the cool night air may have sobered her up some. I was thinking about how much of a pain in the ass she would be tomorrow at work, when suddenly we reached her apartment.

I managed to pry the key out of her hand after several failed attempts on her part to slide the piece of metal into the lock, looking for the world as if she was trying to solve the universe's greatest mystery. My efforts, however, only earned me a sarcastic, "My hero."

Once we made it past the threshold of her home, she immediately made her way to what I knew was her liquor cabinet. I at once strode across the room, hot on her heels.

"Stop it, Clo. You've had enough for tonight."

As I tried to get around her, she just shoved me back with both hands.

"Stop being a meanie!" she yelled. Yup, an angry, sarcastic, childish drunk. Oh joy.

I sighed in defeat, as I knew it would be probably be wise to compromise a little: better to let her drink a bit so she could nod off, rather than get her angry, which would probably result in furniture being thrown in my general direction.

"Want a glass?" she asked, pulling a couple of them out along with a bottle of some cheap red wine.

"Sure, why not," I muttered resignedly, conceding the battle on this night.

I was surprised to see her able to pour the wine without any spills and I applauded her after her success. She glared at me in response before handing me the glass. She then sauntered off to the couch and removed her cap, throwing it onto a chair. I wordlessly followed, putting my glass on the coffee table before flopping down beside her. I always did that and she knew me well enough to be prepared; hence, no spillage once again and I can honestly say I was impressed.

"Asshole," she said, but with no malice, as I could see a hint of a smile -- I was guessing she'd sobered up some.

She lay her head on my shoulder, her legs curled up underneath her, as we lazily watched Conan on TV. He cracked us up now and again, but weren't really paying attention to the show.

"Don't you have to go back home to Mary?" she asked, somehow sounding hostile; hadn't she been sobering up?

"No," I answered cautiously, "She's away on business."

The swapped gender roles my wife and I enjoyed was frequently a point of ridicule among friends, as I worked as an aforementioned nurse and did all the cooking, cleaning and laundry, while Mary brought home the sweet, sweet dough. However, Chloe never seemed to join in the fun with my other friends on that point, though God knows she was always mocking me otherwise.

She seemed to soften after my answer, laying back comfortably on my shoulder. We quietly sipped away at our wine, which was making me sleepy, but only made Chloe seem more and more on edge, as if she was warring with herself. As I said, I was getting tired, so I wasn't letting anything concern me too much.

Finally, Conan ended and I got up to show myself out; we did have to go to work tomorrow, after all, even if it was during a later shift.

"Why don't you stay for a little while longer?" asked an almost timid Chloe, and I wondered where this new side of her was coming from.

"You know we've got the second shift tomorrow, Clo, and I don't want to be a zombie at work."

"Just stay for one more drink," she argued as she made her way to the liquor cabinet again. It was like history repeating itself as I once again made my way across the room to stop her. And, once more, she didn't allow me to.

"Stop it Clo, you've been drinking all night. It's time for you to get some rest, and then you can drink some more tomorrow."

I'd never seen her act like this before and was honestly starting to get worried for her health. What was puzzling me, however, was that she hardly seemed drunk at all. I tried to wrestle the glass out of her hand without breaking it, but she finally elbowed me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me.

"You don't want to do this," I managed to gasp out.

"No," she replied, for a moment sounding completely clear of mind, "I need this."

She then chugged the glass of wine and set it on the table. Before I could react, her lips were suddenly on mine, hungry and burning with desire. I'd like to say the reason I didn't react for upwards of ten seconds was that I was still winded, but honestly, I was just too completely shocked to do anything. When I finally snapped out of it, Chloe's tongue had managed to push its way into my mouth and after tasting that sweet nectar mixed with wine, all thoughts fled my mind.

I pulled her lithe body against mine, ravaging her mouth with helpless abandon and she returned my attentions in full. As she grinded herself against me, pulling on my hair to get our faces closer together, I could feel my arousal straining painfully between us, and I knew she could as well.

I dove my head into the crook of her neck, pressing kisses onto her slender neck before sucking on her pulse. As she let out a long moan, she dipped her head down to gently bite my earlobe before whispering in my ear, "Take me to the bedroom."

I responded by grasping the firm cheeks of her ass and pulling her up. After a squeal of delight, she wrapped her legs around my waist and I proceeded to carry her to her bed, kissing her passionately all the while.

"Come on, Charlie -- fuck me!" she yelled, as I deposited her onto the bed.

She'd removed her hair band and with her long hair spread out around her, she was a vision of beauty. I stared into those wonderfully bright green eyes, never breaking my gaze as I carefully removed each of the buttons on her blouse. I don't know where this sudden self-restraint came from, but I just knew I wanted to make the experience with this goddess special.

When all the buttons were undone, not a word had been said between us.

"May I?" I asked, grasping the shirt on each of its two sides. She smiled and nodded.

The beauty I slowly unravelled before me was beyond words and I could only stare down at her speechless. Chloe blushed prettily, before saying, "I hope it's not disappointing." That snapped me out of my reverie.

"Clo, they're perfect -- you're perfect." Her blush only grew, but the look in my eyes could tell no lies.

I gently caressed her breasts, discovering they fit just right in my hands, and experimented, trying to find what gave her the most pleasure. As I squeezed her breasts while tweaking her nipples, she let out a short gasp, arching her back to make more contact. Finally, I brought my mouth to one stiff, rosy pink nipple and sucked hard. Her scream spurred me on and I swirled my tongue all around her areola, delighting in the small bumps that I found there. I repeated my ministrations on the other breast, while using one hand to make sure the one left behind was still taken care of. I slowly slipped my other hand down her panties and towards the burning furnace I could already feel. Seeing Chloe's eyes closed and her body shuddering in pleasure, I gently clamped down on her nipple and moved a couple of fingers right along her slit.

What followed was like fireworks, as Chloe let out a shriek that could have broken glass and her whole body seized in euphoria. As I watched her come down from her high, pleased I could take her to such heights so easily, I quickly undressed and then removed Chloe's pants, leaving her pink panties as the only item of clothing left on either of us.

I brought my lips to hers again and our tongues danced together, delighting in the new yet somehow already familiar taste. I would have been happy to continue on like this forever, but Chloe eventually broke the kiss off.

"Please, Charlie. I need you."

She moved her panties down her hips and once again, I could only stare at the utter beauty before me. The tufts of hair were a soft golden brown and sparsely populated the region above her smooth pinks folds. I could see how wet she was and that only heightened my desire.

I kissed her tenderly, looking deep into her emerald eyes only to find the same fire that undoubtedly burnt in mine. Then, I entered her.

She was unbelievably tight as I made my way deeper and deeper inside of her, kissing anything I could find with reverence. I knew I wouldn't be able to last long, but that didn't seem like it would be a problem -- as soon as I bottomed out and started moving in and out of her, her moans became more and more constant. I drove hard and deep into her, but still controlled my pace, knowing the end result would be all the sweeter.

"Faster," Chloe let out breathlessly, and I grunted in consent before upping the rhythm of our coupling. It seemed completely timeless as we shared kisses and looked into each others' eyes, completely unaware of our surroundings. Our combined sweat mingled and our hands never ceased in their exploration of each other's bodies. Finally, I could take it no longer and plunged as hard and as fast as I could past the slick walls surrounding my cock, causing a wide-eyed look to appear on Chloe's face as her moans became increasingly loud and desperate. Relentlessly, I pounded into her, knowing I was close. When I knew I was about to come, I simultaneously sunk my cock fully into her, bit down on one of her nipples gently, and slid my index over her swollen clit.

We both exploded at the same time, our screams as in tune as our bodies were, and I was lost in ecstasy for at least a minute before I realized I was still on top of her. I quickly rolled over, then smiled as I watched her flawless face, still with an expression of elation plastered on.

Suddenly, my phone rang and the spell was abruptly broken. I jumped out of bed and dug into my pants pocket to take out the phone. When I saw the name on the caller ID, my gut clenched in guilt.

"Hi, honey, why are you calling so late?" I answered, trying not to sound nervous.

"Hi, darling. I won't get a chance to call later because I'll be stuck in a meeting, and I just wanted to say hi, 'cause I know you'll be busy all day tomorrow. I hope I didn't wake you," she added.

"No, I was just watching Conan, then ugh.... ESPN," I lied.

"Okay, then. I know you're probably about to turn in, so I won't keep you up. Bye dear, I love you."

"I love you, too," I responded automatically before ending the call.

When I turned back around, I could see Chloe sitting up in bed, her hair a beautiful mess, the sheets covering her naked body. Tears were streaming down her eyes.

"Clo..."

With surprising agility, she was on her feet and rushing towards the bathroom.

"Clo, wait!" I yelled, but she was faster than me and slammed the door in my face.

I don't know what I would have said to her anyway, as I stood there with my head down against the door for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, I turned around and walked out of the front door of her apartment, with only one thought in my mind: I'd made a huge mistake.

***

As I got off the plane and tiredly made my way to the arrival zone, I just focused on putting one foot in front of the other, exhausted and jetlagged after a long trip. As soon as I found our familiar white Corolla waiting for me right in front of the doors, my mood instantly brightened. Charlie quickly got out to help me with my bags once he got sight of me, and my heart filled with the same love I've felt for him for over ten years. As I stood up on tip-toes to give him a peck on the lips in greeting, he seemed oddly jumpy.

"Hi, dear," I said with a smile.

He immediately smiled back, before returning a "Hi" himself.

He threw my bags into the trunk and I had to smirk, as he'd always been careless that way since the day I'd met him. But those little things were what made him the man I loved, and I wouldn't have changed them for the world.

"Have a good trip?" he asked, as we settled ourselves into the front seats.

I started recounting my time in California, the normal routine between us. He listened quietly, nodding now and again, but was otherwise acting strangely detached.

"Is there something wrong?"

He nearly jumped out of his seat, responding, "No...why do you ask?"

"You just don't seem to be acting like yourself."

"Guess I'm just tired." He paused for a moment, as if he wanted to say more, but finally just shook his head slightly and focused on the road.

I didn't buy his explanation, but I'd let it lie for now. As I put my hand comfortingly on his thigh, searching his eyes, his own hand reflexively grasped mine protectively and my uneasiness was relieved a bit. When we reached our small, quaint house, Charlie quickly got out to open the door for me.

"Thank you," I said, genuinely thanking him for his constant thoughtfulness.

"You're always welcome, my love," was his automatic response, something I'd heard countless times before, yet it still made butterflies flutter in my stomach.

We walked hand in hand to the porch, before he finally released mine to unlock the front door. I breathed a sigh of relief as we entered our familiar home, truly glad to be back. I made my way to our bedroom, as I was always dead tired after my trips, and Charlie soon followed after he got my bags from the car. We both went through the motions, cleaning ourselves up in the bathroom before changing into our sleepwear. As I settled myself comfortably in his arms in our queen-sized bed, snuggling up into his chest, I contentedly listened to his heart beat and felt his steady breathing. He was gently massaging my neck, relieving the tension I didn't know I had there and I purred in delight. He slowly moved down to my shoulders, giving them same attentive rubs, and I could feel my whole body melting, molding to the shape of him. I could feel myself getting aroused and my tiredness was forgotten for a moment.

Just as quickly as he started, however, he stopped, causing a whimper to escape my lips.

"Mary, I have something to tell you," he said, and I could feel him tensing underneath me.

"No, don't stop," I replied, tugging at his hands to encourage them to continue their wonderful work. He complied, but I could tell he hadn't relaxed in the slightest.

"It's important, Mary. While you were gone, I...I..."

"Shh," I quieted him by moving my lips over his, pouring my love for him into the gesture. I rubbed my breasts across his chest, moving my hand down to grab his stiffening member.

"Fuck, Mary!" he suddenly yelled when he felt my hand. He jumped out of bed, looking apologetically down at me before saying, "I'm sorry. I can't do this..."

Before I could gather my senses enough to formulate a response, he grabbed a shirt and pair of pants then left the room. A moment later, I heard the sound of our car leaving the driveway.

My mind was wide awake now, but my body wasn't willing. We only had one car, since the clinic Charlie worked at was within walking distance, so even if I wanted to, I couldn't follow him. Eventually, my weariness finally caught up with me, and I slid into an uneasy slumber due to the anxious thoughts still occupying my mind. Something was very wrong and if he wasn't going to come out and say it, I would get to the bottom of it. Tomorrow, I thought with a yawn, we'll talk about it tomorrow...

***

I woke up early to get to work on time, already dreading what was bound to happen. For the past week, ever since "the night", relations between Charlie and I had been...strained, to say the least. We shared almost all the same shifts, and what had once been a blessing was quickly becoming my worst nightmare. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy spending my time with Charlie; on the contrary, since the day I'd met him, he'd always been caring and compassionate with the patients and the other staff, and that had never changed. However, the way he looked at me now -- or rather, didn't -- and kept things as professional as possible just felt like a vice on my heart whenever I was around him. I could look but not touch, since he'd scamper away from me at the slightest contact. I wondered for the umpteenth time whether it would have been better if that night had not happened at all; then at least, we could continue being friends. I knew from the way he acted that

he

certainly wished to have nothing to do with me any longer, but I...I wanted so much more. I'd gotten a taste of paradise and I didn't know how I'd ever find anything comparable with someone else. I was shown a glimpse of what could be only for it to be snatched away just as swiftly, and the cruel reminder of that fact stared me in the face every day as soon I walked through the sliding doors of the clinic.