Authors notes: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real life characters or situations is completely coincidental. You Belong to Me is a story of a happily married couple with all of the hallmarks of a successful marriage wherein the wife takes another man as lover. I do not use the term cuckold with this tale, nor most others, because I feel the definition of that simple word has been badly corrupted. Nonetheless, if this type of story is not for you, move on to another. I wanted to break the mold of internet or bar meet to find a lover; what better way to break that pattern than to find him in church? I also wanted to indicate the communication and togetherness that makes for a successful marriage. Where there is teasing and denial of husband in favor of the lover in You Belong to Me, I have tried to portray those actions in a loving way. The song lyrics, a hit for Jo Stafford back in the early fifties, are a favorite for a special lady friend and I have included them because I think they are appropriate to the story. In all, I anticipate seven chapters of which this is the first.
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See the pyramids along the Nile
Watch the sunrise from a tropic isle
Just remember darling all the while
You belong to me
See the market place in old Algiers
Send me photographs and souvenirs
Just remember when a dream appears
You belong to me
I'll be so alone and without you
Maybe you'll be lonesome too, and blue
Fly the ocean in a silver plane
See the jungle when it's wet with rain
Just remember 'til you're home again
You belong to me
- "You Belong to Me" -- King, Stewart and Price, 1952
Chapter One -- The Empty Nest and Other Birds
I'm a momma bird in an empty nest. My egg is hatched and flown the coop. I'm free, I can fly. I can fly again, but I have to learn how to fly once more. My name is Margaret, but you can think of me as Peggy; that's what everyone calls me; don't ask me why. The young bird who flew from the nest is Nancy, my daughter away at college. The male bird who seeded my egg so long ago, the one who guarded the nest and sustained us, is Porter.
There is an irony about having that empty nest that no longer needs full time devotion and energy. What does one, or two, do to fill time? Does that common one or two get on the plane? Do they look for far away sunrises and new jungles to explore? What sort of souvenirs are collected and catalogued for future remembrance? At first, Peggy began spending time with other women who now had time on their hands and empty nests. Porter did the same with other men. Peggy and Porter did a few things together too. What sorts of things if not the silver plane to adventures unknown? They did very ordinary things at first.
Peggy grew friendships with two women she had known casually for years, and the three added two more women to their circle. Often they met and talked about books they were reading, movies they had seen, husbands they all still had, and dreams. Once a month, the five planned an outing together; always dinner followed by a movie or play normally. A few times they had their dinner and went to a nightclub. Once, all five insisted husbands accompany them so they could dress and dance.
Porter rediscovered a joyous solitude in fishing. He had no compulsion to be Hemingway's Old Man; if he caught a good fish to fill the fry pan that was enough. If he threw them all back, he still had a good day. Taking the family to a baseball game when Nancy was younger was a fun, wholesome, family outing. Going to a game with the guys and getting good third base side seats so they could watch shortstop and second baseman turn a DP was even more rewarding than being with Peggy and Nancy. Three guys, two beers, and one double play made a perfect afternoon.
Porter and Peggy also engaged in nurture the couple activities on a regular basis. Once a month they went on a dinner and something else date together. The and something else was often music they both enjoyed, in good weather an outdoor something, and once in mid winter they tried ice skating. One night a month became let's just talk night, with no TV, books or work intrusions. They almost always ended their just us evenings early enough to make love before going to sleep.
With Nancy grown and gone, going to church on Sunday morning shifted from a compulsory religious education event to a convenient social enrichment event. They could meet people with similar values, without having to filter quite as many liars and cheats. Church attendance rarely ended in bed and sex.
One of the just talk nights led Peggy and Porter down a path they probably never would have found any other way. Porter talked about lunch earlier that day; he had a salad, sandwich and soda in the park. He told Peggy about the three different groups of young, female, office workers eating lunch in the park at the same time.
Peggy was surprised by her husband's vivid and detailed descriptions, even to the short skirted dresses two of the women wore. She didn't recall ever hearing him talk that much about dresses she wore. "I'm glad you had your dose of eye candy today, Porter; I had some at the grocery store too. He was good looking."
It never dawned on Peggy that she described her biker boy eye candy with as much detail as her husband described the women he saw in the park. By the time Peggy completed her description, Porter knew the fellow wore blue spandex shorts and top, had muscular hairy legs, and no socks under his shoes. He was really surprised by his wife's last comment, "Honestly, honey, his ass was so cute I wanted to reach out and stroke him, just touch him, maybe pinch butt a little." When he got over being surprised, Porter calmly asked why she hadn't given in to her desires.
Peggy laughed, and they moved on to talk about weekend trips they could make this summer. Nancy had written a letter, wonder of wonders, and they talked about her being in school, and the two of them at home, alone and with opportunities. It was having the opportunity that led to Porter's final question of the night. "Did you really want to pinch his butt? You could have, you know, pinched him and brought him home with you. I never would have known."
"Porter! Porter, Porter, Porter; what kind of question is that?"
"You know I am right; I would never know, unless you told me."