A Neighborly Affair - 4
I must admit that things were much better after that night at Barney and Betty's house. Rose and I went home, and she showed me that lingerie. We made love that night several times, and she wore it for me during the whole thing. Rose also promised to buy more sexy lingerie and to only wear it for me. She apologized for that. We talked a lot in the next few days about what she thought she was missing. I learned that she really enjoyed and looked forward to our sex, but since talking to the other women in the neighborhood, she had heard the stories and tales of all the other things she had never experienced. I realized that I had a lot of learning to do as well.
It stung a little when she talked about loving me but needing things, she didn't think I could give her. It hurt my male pride for sure. It also made me think about myself. I wondered if she was right or if I could grow and expand my capabilities with some help to satisfy her needs better. That set off a whole new thought process.
In the meantime, Rose wanted to get on with the process. She talked to Barney a few days later, and they agreed that a week from Friday would be an acceptable time to start. I was more comfortable with knowing Barney was with Rose. I trusted him and Betty both to take care of Rose. I was still facing another lonely Friday night and Saturday, but I was better mentally prepared this time.
Friday evening rolled around, and Rose came downstairs. She wore a blouse and skirt that would have been suitable for Sunday school. She had on flats and no stockings. She found me in the garage, puttering around with my car. I turned around and looked at her carefully. She stopped and struck a pose for a moment and then laughed.
"I guess I will be going. Is there anything I can do for you before I leave?"
"Nope. I'm good. Have a good time. Tell Barney I said hello."
It was a very different atmosphere than it had been two weeks ago. She ran over, kissed me lightly, then turned and hurried out the backdoor. I watched her go and realized that just that brief little time had left me almost fully erect and throbbing. I wondered what I was going to do about that in her absence. I let it drop and went back to working on the car.
It was probably 9 pm when I finally came into the house. I went to the kitchen to fix a sandwich and get a beer. I intended to hang out, watch a movie, and then go to bed. I was building the damnedest sandwich you ever saw when I heard a faint knock on the back door. I wasn't expecting anyone, and visitors in our gated neighborhood were rare at this hour.
I went to the back door and turned on the light. Through the window in the door, I saw Betty standing there with a crockpot. I opened the door, a little confused.
"What are you doing here?"
She grinned at me as I stepped back and held the door for her to enter. She came in and set the crockpot on the counter.
"I made a big pot of stew today. I thought maybe you would like some."
I pointed to the sandwich on the counter.
"I'll share my sandwich with you if you want to sit down and share some of your stew."
She laughed and reached into the cabinet to get bowls. I cut the sandwich in half and put her half on a plate.
"You want a glass of wine or a beer?"
"I would love a glass of wine.
I poured her a glass of white wine from the open bottle in the refrigerator and set it on the table with the half sandwich. She brought the bowls filled with stew and set them down. We dove in wholeheartedly. We talked as we ate. I finally broached the subject we seemed to have been avoiding.
"Did Barney throw you out to be alone with Rose or what?"
"Well. He suggested it might be more comfortable if I weren't around for a while."
I nodded and downed the last of my beer. I got up to get another.
"And you couldn't think of anywhere else to go except to the cuckold husband's house."
She looked at me, and I thought she was going to torch me. Then, her face softened.
"You are not a cuckold. Believe me. Rose is not unfaithful to you. She loves you dearly."
"I beg to disagree. I know the definitions. I could hold to the strictest meaning and consider that any sex outside of the marriage vows is unfaithful. Hence, I am a cuckold. "
"Don't be such a hardheaded shit."
I looked at her with raised eyebrows. I think it was the first time Betty used such language. She continued as I sat back down at the table.
"You know she loves you. She is curious and doesn't want to make you feel inadequate or insecure in your masculinity."
"Then why doesn't she just come to me, tell me she wants to try these things, and we could figure it out."
"It goes back to her wanting to protect you. She fears that it will make you feel bad if you can't find it in yourself to do some of these things. She doesn't want to be the source of that."
"But having sex with other people is ok?"
"It depends on your faith in her and your self-confidence."
"So now it's my fault."
Betty sat her spoon down forcefully on the table and looked straight at me.
"You know, sometimes you can be a total jerk. Get off your damned high horse and take a look at this from a different perspective. What's more important your self-centered insistence that you are the center of the universe or her happiness and well-being. If you embraced this whole thing a little more, you might find out that you could be a part of the solution rather than the curmudgeon who keeps throwing up the roadblocks."
I wasn't sure I was being self-centered. But she got my attention with that remark about Rose's happiness and well-being. I had always said that making her happy was my most important job. If that was true, was I standing in the way of her being truly happy?
"You really think I feel this way because of selfish reasons."
She nodded as she bit the sandwich.
I watched Betty chew and swallow the bite of the sandwich before she answered.