You Can Handle It

I guess I had believed too much in the Hollywood ending. I had thought that she'd throw herself on my mercy and beg me to take her back, especially after I showed her what a tomcat Harry was. This morning, I had also believed that she still loved me. I wasn't so sure now. The comments about Harry being so simpatico had socked me in the gut.

I got back to Greenville about 4PM. I hadn't eaten all day but I wasn't hungry. I turned on the Braves game but all I could think about was Barbara. I ate some snacks and went to bed.

The next morning I got up and went for a six-mile jog. I didn't clear my brain of anything but at least some of the tension was gone from my body. When I finished my workout, there was a message from Barbara asking if I could come back to Atlanta today to talk. I called and said I'd be in about 2PM.

When I got to Beth's, they were both there. Neither looked like much sleep had occurred in the last 24 hours.

"Jeff," Beth started. "You have some pictures of Barbara that make me think that you have pictures of me, too."

"I do."

"You have no right to have taken those."

"I set up to take pictures of Barbara. I had no idea that anything so wild was going to happen."

"You've violated our privacy and we can sue you."

"To sue me, you'd have to allege some wrong done. I can just see it now, 'Your Honor, this man took pictures of a private orgy that we were having.' Our kids and your kids would just love that. I don't have any interest in getting you involved in this if I don't have to."

"I was hoping that you wanted to talk to me about us," I said turning to Barbara. "If all you wanted was to conceal your tawdry actions, we could have discussed that over the phone."

"Beth, this isn't doing me any good and I do want to talk to Jeff alone. Can't you go shopping again?" Barbara looked like she was about to cry again.

"Okay. Let me get my purse." She was gone in about five minutes.

After Beth left, Barbara took a cup of coffee into the living room. I followed and sat in a chair.

"I feel like the world has shattered," Barbara started. "I thought I knew what I was doing and where I was going. In the last twenty-four hours I realized I don't know a thing."

"Maybe it's not beyond repair," I offered.

"What can I do to start in the right direction?"

"If you want us to stay together, I'll work with you. If you've decided to leave me, I'll offer to help, but I'm probably not the right person for that."

"I think yesterday brought me to my senses. I'd like to try to stay together."

"Maybe you could start by telling me the beginning and perhaps we can figure out what we did wrong so that we won't do it again."

After a few minutes of recollection, she started. "When Pat and Bill moved away, something changed. Diane had gone to college two years before and Robert had just left; your business was doing great but you were gone so much of the time. I was lonely before Pat left, but when she moved I didn't even have my best friend to talk to. I was like that for more than two years. Then Diane got pregnant. The wedding and helping her prepare for the baby gave me something to occupy my time and distract me."

"As her delivery neared, I suddenly realized that soon I would have nothing to do again. I knew I was depressed again when I came down to stay those first two weeks with Diane. The second Tuesday I was here, Beth asked me to go to a party with her. Diane was doing great and I thought that getting out might help me cheer up."

"Harry was there. He and I spent time catching up on what we had been doing for thirty years. I learned he was divorced and seeing no one regularly. He learned that I was away from my husband for two weeks. He made sure that my drink kept getting refilled. After a bit, I was leaning against his side and his hand was in the middle of my back, except it wasn't my back, it was lower."

"Beth came by. 'Having a good time, are we?' she said. She always was the more daring one. I don't know if you knew, but she had an affair before she and Dick broke up. I don't think Dick or her kids know, so don't say anything! Once I realized that she saw me and was encouraging me, well, with the alcohol, loneliness, and depression I let my defenses drop completely."

"Harry and I continued to talk. I was saying something and he just leaned over and nibbled my earlobe. I looked around to see if anybody noticed, but I wanted him to do that again. He did. Then he asked me if I had seen the terrace and garden out back. I knew where this was leading, but I figured what the hell. A few kisses never hurt anyone."

"The terrace was brightly lit, but Harry maneuvered me out on to the lawn to 'show me some flowers.' I was mildly amused at the schoolboy lines he was using. Once out of the lights he nibbled on my ear again and then turned my chin to kiss me. The first kiss was almost chaste, just a brush of the lips. The second one though, boy! His tongue swept over my lips and then our mouths joined. I hadn't kissed anyone but you like that since we started dating! I was so caught up in the wet heat of the kiss that I didn't notice when he put his hand on my breast. Suddenly, I realized that his hand was sliding off my breast but under my blouse and the edge of my bra. When his fingertips got to the nipple, I groaned and slumped against him. We continued the kiss as he unbuttoned my blouse. When it was open, he pulled my bra cup down and sucked my nipple into his mouth. It was like his lips were generating electricity that shot from my breast down between my legs. He must have teased me with his tongue for a couple of minutes and I could tell that I was sopping wet. For the first time, I thought I might have an orgasm from having my nipples sucked."

"Then several other people burst out onto the terrace laughing and talking loudly. That snapped the mood. After rapidly buttoning up and tucking in, we strolled casually back to the party. I was sure that everybody on the terrace knew what we had been doing and could see the imprint of Harry's hand. My face was blazing."

"We talked for just a few more minutes and then Beth came around to collect me and go home. My panties were wet and still gathering moisture when we got back. I got ready for bed quickly and closed the door to the guest room. Unless you're there or Beth has Hank staying over, it's usually left open."

"As I jumped into bed, all I could think about was Harry kissing my nipples. I began to lightly caress them. I began to tug at my left nipple while I slowly slid my right hand down my tummy. When I got to my pussy, I let my hand slip around using the nylon of my nightgown. There were no panties under my nightgown that night. Nothing was going to get in the way of quick satisfaction. The hair was crinkly underneath my fingers, but as I spread my knees, my pussy lips spread, too. I was so wet the nightgown immediately stuck to my lips. I pulled it out of the way and began lightly caressing the soft tissue. My fingertips glided over the protruding wetness, not yet touching my clit and down to the smooth skin below my cleft. My liquid was running down my ass and the thought of that made me hotter. I tried to go slow, but I was already too hot. Brushing my clit on the upswing, I also pushed my fingers just in between my lower lips to increase the amount of nerve stimulation. After a few minutes, I started circling around my clit and then I used two fingers to rub all over and around it."

"I pulled a pillow over my mouth when I came. How long I cried and moaned into that pillow I have no idea. The itch wasn't completely satisfied and I rolled over to my stomach and thrust two fingers inside and hunched my clit against the heel of my hand until the pillow muffled another cry. Then I fell asleep."

"In the morning Beth teased me about being in the garden with Harry. I asked her how she knew and she said that another girl had asked if I wasn't married. When Beth replied affirmatively, the girl asked if that was my husband with me in the garden. Beth laughed and then said that she knew Harry hadn't finished the job. She said that she heard me cry out twice. I had been too noisy for the pillow to muffle. She said that listening to me, quote, 'made her hot and she had to play until she got off, too.'"

"That afternoon Harry called me at Diane's. He wanted to take me to dinner. I thought dinner would be safe and he made me feel carefree. I called you early that night. You were working on a problem and didn't talk to me long. When we hung up, I was a little peeved and decided that I would have fun that night. Although I wore a short, full skirt and a sleeveless cashmere sweater, I didn't really think that I would let anything happen."

"Harry was his charming best at dinner. He also made sure that I drank most of the wine we ordered. When Harry walked me out to his car, he kissed me several times. When he got into his car he kissed me twice again. My head was spinning; I was high and hot. He drove back to his house and took me inside. The rest is history."

"I can understand a one-night fling," I stated. "What about the next day and then coming back to Atlanta?"

"That first night was Wednesday. When Harry brought me back, I just had to talk to somebody about my escapade. Beth was just getting out of the shower and had wrapped a towel around her when I called out. I was jabbering like a schoolgirl. Beth made me slow down and describe to her exactly what went on. She followed me to our room as I slipped my dress off. Lying down on the bed, she coaxed me to tell her what happened while I got ready for sleep."

"By the time I finished talking about dinner and my conversation with Harry, I had changed into my red nightgown that has the black bows closing a keyhole bodice. I was still excited from being with Harry and planned to jill off later so I had left off my panties again. Beth was still lying on her side on the bed. I sat down cross-legged on the bed facing her. Then I resumed telling her about going back to Harry's house."

"Every time we hit a red light or a stop sign, he gave me a kiss. Harry had pushed my skirt higher with each one. Demonstrating that, I pushed my nightgown up some."

"When we got to his house, he took me down to his rec room in the basement. He moved his hands lightly over my shell and then eased it up slowly. When he got to the front catch of my bra he opened that and tugged and pinched my nipples while we were still kissing. As I described these actions to Beth, I closed my eyes and remembered and subconsciously untied several of the bows on my nightgown."

"Keeping my eyes closed, I provided details about how he undressed me and I helped undress him. I began to touch my breasts and caress my nipples. The experience had given me a continuing high, the alcohol long since having burned away in the heat of passion. With my eyes closed, I almost forgot about Beth and I certainly wasn't conscious of caressing myself in front of her."

"As I continued to describe how Harry fondled my legs on the way to his goal, I stroked up my legs pushing my nightgown further up to my hips. My fingers brushed the wetness on my hair, and my cleft became engorged again. Suddenly, a groan from Beth brought me back from my memories. I jerked my hand away from my crotch as my eyes popped open. I tugged my nightgown southward to cover myself."

"'No! Let me watch,' Beth pleaded as my eyes took in the sight before me. She had opened up the towel and raised a leg. One hand was working rapidly in her pussy and the other was mashing a boobie, hard. She was staring into my pussy."

"'Please. Let me see you do it while I do it, too,' she begged me. A thrill ran down my spine. I slid over on my side but upside down to her so I could stare into her pussy as her eyes drank in the wetness between my legs.

Continuing to elaborate on the night's events, I resumed petting my puss. Beth's hand speeded up as I did so, and soon she came with a deep moan. Her hips jerked several times and then she collapsed, rolling to her back."

"My narration stopped as I concentrated on bringing myself off. My eyes closed again remembering Harry's touch. I used one hand to rub my breast, pushing it one way or another and sometimes grazing the nipple with my palm. Spreading my lips with my index finger and ring finger exposed my clit. My middle finger circled it and rubbed it hard occasionally. My orgasm was approaching when suddenly I felt two fingers enter my pussy. My eyes flew open and I saw Beth stroking in and out of me. That sent me way over the top and I screamed as I came."

"I never knew you and Beth fooled around," I said.

"We never had before. After that if one of us got laid and the other didn't, the story had to be told in all its horny, dripping detail. We would lie in one of the beds and jill off together. Occasionally we would use our fingers on each other, especially on the one who had not gotten off earlier."

"Harry isn't a very inventive lover," I observed. "After a while Beth must have gotten bored with your stories."

"You're right about Harry," Barbara confirmed. "I made up stuff about half the time and told that to Beth."

"I don't think you came back to Atlanta just to have story time with Beth," I remarked dryly.

"No," she continued. "I'm ashamed, but Thursday I packed an overnight bag when I left Beth's. When I left Diane's that day I pulled over in a gas station and called you. Then I went directly to Harry's. He grilled steaks but we spent most of the night in bed."

"After I got back to Greenville, he called me everyday at lunchtime and we would talk. When Diane began complaining about daycare for Johnny, it was easy for me to justify coming back down here. The side benefit was to spend more time with Harry."

"That one, uh, unusual night," I started. "If you were in love with Harry, why did you do it, or was that a part of the arrangement that I just didn't see?"

"Don't jump to conclusions here," Barbara replied. "I have never used the word 'love' to Harry or about Harry. Sure, the first month or so after I came back I thought about it. Then I realized that I had a bad case of lust and that love would have to grow. It never really did. I think I sensed that Harry wasn't a long-term thing. I called him several times on Friday nights that you were going to be late and never got him and never got an explanation from him later. I was hurt when you showed me those pictures yesterday but more as being shown a fool rather than surprised by what you had."

"So why the ménage a quatre?"

"Well, it was one of those silly-happy evenings. Beth and I were already into the communion wine before the guys got there. It turned out that Hank had closed a really big deal that day, maybe one-fourth of a year's commission for him. In the previous weeks, Beth and I had heard about this deal. Beth had promised him an exciting evening if it closed, hinting at back-door sex, something she told me she had only done twice in her life. Hank had teased me into promising him something also. The agreement was to do something not yet specified, but I never expected that Beth would let me go through with it."

"As I said, Beth and I were already feeling good when Hank and Harry arrived. All through dinner the boys kept pouring the wine. By the end we had killed three bottles with a lot more than half going to Beth and me."

"The promises were also brought up. By the end of the meal both Harry and Beth were saying that I had to pay up. Beth was sort of daring me. Looking back, I'd say that, like you guessed, Harry had hopes of bedding Beth. I decided to see how far Beth would let me go. Hank got into the back seat with me after dinner and we started kissing. Beth was watching as he put his hand on my breast. During the next kiss he unbuttoned my blouse and hefted each boobie in his hands. My bra hooked in front. Hank unhooked it. When he bent to nibble my nipples, I looked up. I saw Harry's eyes in the mirror. Beth was on her knees looking over the seat at the action. She was massaging her breast with one hand. The other was out of sight, but I could see her arm moving in a rhythm that was familiar."

"When we got back to the house, the other three told me that I couldn't button up for the walk to the door. It was so wicked and daring. I knew then that Hank would fuck me. He took me immediately into the living room and we continued to make out on the couch. Harry sat down in that chair and pulled Beth onto his lap. He began to nibble at her neck."

"Hank finished removing my blouse and my bra. He kissed my neck and then down around my breasts and flicked his tongue over my nipples. After a while I looked over and Harry had an arm around Beth and was stroking the side of her breast. His other hand was already under Beth's skirt. They were both watching Hank and me. I got so hot from the newness of Hank and the idea that my sister's boyfriend wanted me that I couldn't resist anything else."

Barbara stopped talking. I didn't say anything waiting to see what direction she might want to go. The silence stretched out.

"Do you still want me back," she finally asked.

"I've known about this for several months and have asked myself the same question. I think we can still be better together than apart, but it will take some work."

"Well, I think the first bit of work is to help me pack my clothes and take them back to Greenville."

"What about Diane?"

"I talked to her this morning and told her I needed to go back to you. She said that they could get by for a week or two until they can get Johnny into daycare. She said that she was happy we were going to get back together."

"Let's go upstairs and pack."

EPILOGUE

Everybody can have a good photo taken. Conversely, even Tom Cruise has bad photos. It had taken me about four hours of frame-by-frame looking but I had managed to find a frame in the videos where Harry was nude, looked like he carried forty extra pounds around his waist, and sported a cock that should have belonged to a 10-year old boy. Early Monday morning the Trojan horse that I had put on Harry's office computer emailed a copy of that picture to everyone in Harry's office and everyone on Harry's address list. Then it destroyed itself and all traces.

Fortunately for Harry, it was a small office. The tittering from the women and the pitying looks from the men would probably taper off in about a month.