Let's get the introductions out of the way. Leo and Yvonne Bridgeport have been married just over ten years. They meet all the criteria for this kind of story—both good looking, both take care of themselves, etc. They have two boys, Sammy (8) and Roy (6). They both work and have good paying jobs and both their parents live within an hour of them so the grandparents are no strangers.
Yvonne works for a public relations firm and she is the Executive Secretary to Alex Kettering. Alex is rather young (30) and unmarried, but he's good at his job. He is a junior VP reporting to Norm Howe, CFO. Everyone working for him likes him, especially after the tyrant they has who retired about six months ago.
Now let's set the stage for Leo. He works for a large nuclear engineering firm. He is set for a big promotion pending the outcome of the project he is currently engaged in. The contract, a retrofit project, started at the end of February and is due to complete by the end of the coming March. The pressure has been intense, demanding lots of hours and almost an estrangement from his family. Yvonne and the children are aware of the situation and are doing their best to not bother him with unnecessary problems.
However, Yvonne is wrestling with a problem of her own. The problem dates back to before Leo. She had been an absolute party animal in high school, college, and for the two years after college until she met and fell in love with Leo.
Leo was well aware of Yvonne's previous life, history, or reputation, whatever you'd like to call it. In fact he had been heard to say that the way she lived and partied, he didn't know how she had avoided contracting an STD or getting pregnant.
When they fell in love, that seemed to be what she needed and it made a complete change to her lifestyle. She has been absolutely faithful to him since the night they both professed their love for each other and he gave her an engagement ring. (Yes she was still playing the field while dating him until the ring appeared.). Leo was happy with the change he saw and eight months later they were married.
The project Leo was engaged in had quickly cut their sex life from two to four times a week to just barely once a month. Some of the old sexual urges Yvonne had experienced in the past were surfacing again and she spent much time totally frustrated, sexually.
Now the story.
It was Tuesday, the week after the fourth of July and he was very late again when he got home. As he came in through the kitchen and entered the dining room, Yvonne met him gave him a peck on the cheek, said, "Hi," and then pushed by to go the kitchen to warm up his supper.
He was tired, but not so tired that he hadn't noticed that for several nights he had not received a real kiss. In addition, she usually just called to him from the living room, if she was still up, that his dinner was ready and to put it in the microwave on the way in.
Removing his coat and tie he dropped them on the chair dining room and circled back to the kitchen. Yvonne poured a glass of tea for him and told him to sit down at the kitchen table; she would bring his dinner to him.
He sipped his tea and relaxed a little while his dinner heated. While waiting, Yvonne sat across from him and quickly tried to stir up conversation by asking questions that he knew she really didn't want answered. He quickly began to feel that something was weird. It was just a sense. The only visible affirmation was that Yvonne seemed to be nervous or worked up over something. But now that he thought about it, he noted that she definitely was not her usual self, and hadn't been for several weeks, All he knew was that he didn't like what he was feeling and God knows, he didn't need another problems added to his plate right now
He finished his diner and she continued with a flow of questions idle chatter. Being tired, he was in no mood to play the game any longer and finally, in exasperation, "OK Yvonne, what's up? You have something on your mind and I have a feeling that it's not good."
She couldn't look him in the eye. "I'm sorry honey. I'm OK. Like you, I'm tired and my nerves are a little frayed." Then she looked at the floor.
"Damn it Yvonne, don't tell me you're OK when I can tell that you are not. What about these frayed nerves? Are the boys in trouble or creating a problem?"
"No honey, the boys are just fine. They told me to tell you they love you when I tucked them in. It's late and we're both tired. Let's go to bed. We can talk later."
Sarcastically, "Yeah, right." Let's ignore the little grass fire and wait for it to become a full blown forest fire. A problem is much easier to take care of that way because you can really see the fire once it has engulfed half the forest. We're not going anywhere until you tell me what is bothering you."
"Please Leo; it's nothing that has to be resolved right now. It's late and it can wait until later. Let's go to bed."
"I don't want to spend a restless night trying to guess what is bothering you. It's obvious that it isn't as simple as an overdraft on our bank account or that you had an accident and smashed the car up. So let's have it. What gives?"
She sat there wringing her hands, looking at the floor and then at the ceiling. Finally a couple of tears appeared and she straightened up. "OK Leo. I thought I had a way of leading into this gently. But I've forgotten what it was. So I'm just going to blurt out a question. Oh God, how do I say it?"
Then getting her courage together, "Leo, what would you say if I asked if I could have sex with other men on occasions?"
He had just taken a sip of his tea, and he spewed it all over the table. Loudly, "What did you say?"
Almost calmly, "Leo, keep your voice down or you'll have the boys in here. You heard what I said. I'm not going to repeat it. You don't have to answer right now. We can talk later." She rose to head for the bedroom.
Almost sputtering, "Not so fast lady. Sit your ass back in that chair. First, we don't have to wait until later. I'll give you my answer right now and then I have a few questions. To answer your question, if we get a divorce, you can fuck anyone you like. Do you want a divorce? Is that what you are leading up to?" Once said he had to run for the bathroom and made it just before supper was served again.
She followed him to the bathroom and tried to soothe him. Once he had finished, washed his face, and rinsed his mouth he looked at her without saying a word. He pushed by her and returned to the kitchen where he sat down, lowered his head to the table, covered his head with his arms and began to cry.
Crying herself, she gathered his shoulders in her arms. "Oh honey, it's not what you think. I shouldn't have let you push me into speaking without explaining it rather than just blurting it out. Please forgive me."
From under his arms, "Honey, I know that I haven't been giving you the attention you need since I have been on this damned project, but I never dreamed it would come to this. What can I do to make it up to you? Oh God this is awful. I'm going to be sick again."
He dashed for the bathroom again, but it was mostly dry heaves. She waited in the kitchen this time cursing herself for having let this happen. There was a problem to be addressed but she had really blown it allowing herself to jump in with her head-on approach.
Leo returned and she suggested that they go to bed and then talk about it in the morning.
He was shuddering but he was able to belt out, "Are you kidding. You are, without coming right out and saying it, basically saying that you want a divorce; and I'm supposed to go to bed and sleep on it?" Then, in total resignation, "Alright, if you want a divorce, we will see attorneys tomorrow. But I still won't be able to sleep. It seems when one thing turns to shit, everything turns to shit." With that outburst he covered his head and went into deep bone jarring sobs.
Yvonne was completely unnerved. She had never, in her wildest dreams conceived of anything like what was taking place. He had completely misunderstood her. She sat there not knowing what to do. She had never seen Leo like this and it scared her. Why hadn't she gone to bed after the news like she usually did when he worked late? Why had she been so bull-headed thinking that she had to get the problem on the table tonight? She knew now that she should have put aside her desire to address her problem until there was a reasonable time to do it. Another day or two wouldn't have made a damned bit of difference. In fact, she could have, and should have waited until the weekend.
"Honey, I'm not going to bed without you. I can't leave you like this. You have jumped to a conclusion that has no merit. I'm not now, nor have I ever been thinking of a divorce. Can we talk and see if we can get a little resolution and then go to bed?"
In a sort of blubber, "You can talk if you want. I'm in no condition to talk right now."
"Well OK, let me try to explain. You remember what kind of a girl I was when you met me. I think the term wild was an understatement. But we fell in love and everything has worked out wonderfully. That is, until you got slammed with this project almost eight months ago.
"Our sex life was slowing down before that but I was able to make it was workable. When the project came along, our sex life went to almost zero. Once a month is now a banner month. Honey, from my background you know that I was, and still am, accustomed to and needed much more than what is availablenow, a whole lot more.
