Then Now

I Robby Colton, do solemnly swear that the following story is fiction, wholly fiction, and nothing but fiction. Enjoy the crazy fantasy.

I have always been fascinated by the concept of time travel. I've always been intrigued by the thought of getting to relive a missed opportunity with a different outcome given a second chance.

I got my opportunity. It was time to change something that had been on my mind almost daily since that first opportunity. Remember, it's just one man's fantasy.

Something strange awakened me one morning at 6:10 AM. My wife, Diana, had already left for work and I was in the first month of enjoying my retirement from the county as a code enforcement office.

I had worked for the county for 32 years, the last 26 in code enforcement.

I wasn't sure what woke me from my slumber until I looked up and saw a young man, probably in his mid-20s, standing at the entrance to my bedroom.

He looked pleasant. There was nothing in his appearance that seemed threatening at all.

He had short, dark, wavy hair. He wore a Hawaiian shirt with khaki shorts. His voice was calm and assuring.

"Good morning, Mr. Colton."

He knew my name. I nearly reached into my nightstand drawer and pulled out my loaded handgun. However, despite my natural instincts, I didn't go for it. I politely asked him why the hell he got there and why he was in my room.

"Mr. Colton, I go wherever I want. I'm not a mortal, although I can take on that form. I know about you, your wife, you two sons, your career, everything."

"Are you some kind of god or something?" I asked.

"No sir. There are realms around you that very few people even realize that exist. There are many like me that take on various forms to assist others."

"I need assistance?" I asked calmly yet questioning his intentions.

I thought maybe this was some sort of weird dream. I took some strong pain medications sometimes that could trigger strange dreams, but I hadn't taken those in a few days and this was nothing remotely resembling those dreams.

Everything was vivid. Everything. The baseball and softball trophies on my dresser. The picture of my family on my nightstand and on the wall. The wood floor below. The hope chest located at the foot of the bed. It was as real as it could get. No dream was ever this detailed.

"My name on earth is Michael," said the visitor. "I would like to spend some time talking to you. You'll be surprised at how much I know."

I got out of bed and put on my robe. Diana and I always sleep in the nude and I didn't feel right sitting there in the nude talking to a guy...or whatever this being was.

"Mr. Colton, you've lived an exemplary life. You've been a good worker, an honest employee, and the ideal husband and father."

"I also know that you were a virgin until you met Diana and was barely 20 years old before you had intercourse. That's very unusual by the standards set in the sexual revolution age. You've also been 100 percent faithful to Diana since then. That's commendable."

"I also know some of your intimate thoughts and fantasies. You turned down opportunities where you could have enjoyed an encounter with a female. Some was the fear of rejection. Some was for other moral concerns."

"Still, you've often thought of those times and wondered what would have happened if you'd behaved differently. Well, I'm giving you that opportunity to find out."

I understood what he was saying but had no idea how he planned on making it happen.

"I can make it happen. I'm not constrained by time. I can take you anywhere in your past and let you relive it...with the desired results."

"There are some conditions, though."

I was listening.

"Well, I'm not going to help you cheat on your wife or with anyone else's wife. Any occurrence will have to be before you were married. In fact, before you were engaged."

"Also, you will be the only one with the memory of what happens after the event. Any woman you get will not have any memory of the event after you've left."

"The good news? No worry about pregnancies or diseases. These are fantasies being fulfilled. In your fantasies, there's no way you need to worry about that."

"I have a database of your life. Give me a list of the times that you would like to have done something different and get the girl in bed. I know this sounds unreal to you, but it's as real as it can get. In fact, I'll prove it to you."

I looked at him, still thinking that this was an illusion.

"You and Diana went to dinner last night at Olive Garden. I'll send you back there right now. Right up to the point where you place your dinner order. When you're convinced, just say 'take me home, Michael' and you'll be right back here."

Immediately, I was transported to the previous night. Same waiter. We each had our glasses of wine. Same clothes. I had ordered the lasagna, but this time I ordered the Chicken Alfredo. Diana ordered the same meal.

Sure enough, our meals came out and I figured I'd enjoy another meal. I could go back before the check came. If Michael was right, no one else involved would have a memory of this.

"Take me home, Michael" I said out loud. Diana looked at me strangely, but before I had to explain myself, I was back in my room. Just like earlier, I was sitting on the hope chest, wearing nothing but my robe.

This shit was real, but so unlikely that I tried to wake myself up from my dream. It wasn't a dream.

I rattled off a list of incidents in my life where I may have missed an opportunity to get laid.

I wasn't too modest, but I was petrified of rejection. I wanted the girls to like me, and if I acted too aggressively, that could be compromised.

In total, I listed the months and years of 3 separate occasions in my past before being engaged to Denise.

Out of nowhere, Michael had pulled out a smart phone and was inputting data at an incredible rate of speed.

He studied the results and sent one to my printer with a detailed printout of that time. It had information on the participants and tips on how to accomplish my mission. He wasn't giving me magical powers of persuasion or mind control, he was helping me accomplish my goals without consequences.

He wasn't going to change the woman's mind. The one he chose was by far the easiest on the list. I was smiling.

Believe it or not, this was easily attainable. Back then, if you had known what you know now, you would have scored easily. Whether it has an impact on your life now is up to you.

"Remember, "TAKE ME HOME MICHAEL" is the key phrase. I will be watching, and you won't be abandoned, but when you're ready to leave the past, just let me know."

The idea that he would be watching was disturbing, but I wasn't sure he was even a real human. He said he wasn't a mortal but seemed to understand mortals well...and took on the form to perfection. Besides, if he was even partly human, I could handle a voyeur invisibly at my desired location.

Somehow, I went back to sleep after he left. Maybe it was the thought that when I woke up, I'd realize that I had just experienced one hell of an exorbitant and detailed dream. When I woke up, I went through my daily routine until Diana returned home from work.

She showered and went straight to bed. She was exhausted, and I had learned to keep myself busy while she slept during the day. Our Pomeranian, Gumby, and I stayed in the front part of the house while she slept in our bedroom in the rear.

There was an email, marked urgent, from Michael the Angel. The contents convinced me that it wasn't a dream that I had experienced. Every effort I had made, using mostly logic, to convinced myself that this wasn't real, was foiled by the details in the email he sent.

I printed out 2 pages of information detailing the opportunity that I had missed. I wasn't going to miss again.

There was also a pleasant piece of information for me. Although I'm a 58-year-old male, my body would go back to my virginal days before becoming steady with Diana. I remember those days when even a hint of cleavage or the sight of a sexy girl could get me hard.

At the time I met Diana, she was also dating a guy named Tom because he was the popular guy and knew where the good parties were. She had sex with him on several occasions. We enjoyed each other as friends, but it wasn't too romantic other than holding hands and a polite good night kiss.

It was her sister, Debi, that really got my attention.

THEN:

Early April 1980

I had broken up with Diana a couple months prior, but we decided to try it again. She claimed that Tom was in the past. She wanted to see if we were compatible.

She was to be off work at 4pm from Sears and would meet me at her house.

She lived there with her younger sister, Debi, 19, and her mother. Her parents had separated again, and it was just mother and the two daughters there. Her parent's relationship was on again, off again for nearly three years before it finally ended. This separation was the last one. The divorce paperwork had been filed.

The sisters were home alone a lot because their mother, which would someday be my future mother in law, spent a lot of time on the road as a sales rep for a pet food supplier. Their father was a welder and was often out of town and out of state to work three to four weeks at a time.

From the very beginning, Debi and I had probably been better friends than Diana and I. Debi had a boyfriend, Brian, that she'd started dating about the time I first met Diana.

I knew she was sexually active with Brian. He had stayed the night with her on many occasions. Their mother, Grace, didn't mind it at all. She felt better knowing that her girls were home safe rather than at some stranger's house.

Diana, though, often stayed at Tom's apartment. Tom was 2 years older and had his own place.

I arrived on a Friday afternoon shortly after 4pm. Diana wasn't home yet, but I wasn't surprised. It would take her about 10 minutes to get from work to home.

I rang the doorbell. I knew Debi was home because her car was in the driveway. I could just visit with her until Diana got home.

I waited a little longer than usual. I rang the doorbell again. Finally, Debi answered the door, wearing just a towel covering her from her breasts to barely past her ass.

I hadn't seen Debi since I had broken up with Diana in February. but she still greeted me with her usual hug and a kiss on the cheek. It had seemed like a long time since we'd last seen each other.

"Brian should be here soon, and I was getting ready to get in the shower when the doorbell rang. I had to cover up quickly."

"Also, Diana called and said she was covering part of a shift of someone that had car problems and couldn't make it to work. She said she wouldn't be off until sometime between 6 and 7."

To her credit, Diana was a hard and conscientious worker. Also, she was always happy to make a few extra dollars. I was disappointed, though, that the first time we were to get together again was delayed, or maybe thwarted, because of her job.

"Robby, wait here until I get out of the shower and once Brian's here we'll go out for some pizza. You should join us. Brian won't mind at all."

I agreed. At least I could spend some time with Debi. I wasn't too fond of Brian. I suspected that he kept other girlfriends yet convinced Debi she was the only one for him.

As Debi walked down the hall towards the shower, the phone rang.

"Robby, could you answer that please? If it's for me, tell them I'll call them back in less than 15 minutes."

The caller was Brian. He had left a sales appointment in Stockton and got slowed down on the highway by a large pile-up crash. He took the next exit and was at a coffee shop waiting for the Highway Patrol and emergency personnel to clear at least one lane for traffic. He wasn't sure how long it would take, but it would be a minimum of 3 hours. He was over two hours from home and the delay was expected to last between 1-3 hours.

I was so tempted to see if the bathroom door was unlocked and open it to tell Debi about Brian's delay. I knew the glass door was clear and if I looked inside the bathroom, I'd see her naked body clearly. I resisted that temptation.

It wasn't that I was more physically attracted to Debi than I was Diana, but even back then, she was probably a better friend to me than Diana was.

Debi had very light blonde hair with just a slight reddish tint to it. She wasn't as large up top as Diana, but having seen her wearing sundresses without a bra, she was at least a B cup.

Debi had the personality. She had the wit. She smiled and laughed a lot. Yes, she was attractive. Her cute smile and bright green eyes made it easy to maintain eye contact with her. She had sparse freckles on her face and bare shoulders. I imagined those freckles went down her bare chest and belly as well.

She made me feel special. There's no doubt in my mind that if she hadn't been dating Brian at the time, I would have asked her out after breaking up with Diana. I've always believed that if I had dated Debi instead, we would have been married eventually.

I waited for her to reemerge in the living room from her shower. She was wearing her thin, yellow sun dress with the spaghetti straps that were hand-tied at the top.

I told her about Brian's call. She was disappointed, but we agreed to make the best of it. I went and got us an extra-large pizza. We ate it at the house and there was plenty left over for Diana and Brian whenever they got home.

When Debi got up to turn on the TV, she passed by bay window. The sunshine from the window made her thin dress slightly transparent.

She wasn't wearing underwear. I already knew she wasn't wearing a bra. Her nipples kept poking through the material and each time she bent down even slightly, I could see a slight bit of her cleavage.

I wanted to do more with her. I wanted to take her to her bedroom, remove our clothes, and finally lose my virginity.

However, I was terrified that I might be interpreting her friendliness in the wrong way. Maybe she had no romantic feelings for me at all. Maybe she was content to have me as a strictly platonic friend.

The vision of her, however, created a stirring inside of my pants. I excused myself while I went to the bathroom to take care of the hardness of my cock. I jerked off thinking about getting her naked and in my arms. It was a pleasant fantasy, at least.

Diana arrived just before 7pm and was happy to see some pizza saved for her. I visited for another 2 hours before going home for the evening.

Diana simply told me "good night." Debi gave me a tight goodbye hug and another kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for being good company tonight," she said before her lips landed on my cheek.

The following week, Diana and I went on a real date for the first time in months. When I brought her home, the house was empty, and she surprised me by taking me to her bedroom and finally having sex with her.

I was in awe of her large breasts. She had dark pubic hair that was thin and silky. She showed as much passion towards me that night than any other night before. From that time through the first two years of our marriage, the passion was great. Two kids later, it took a permanent vacation. I learned later it had nothing to do with being a mother of two babies that caused her decrease in desire. More about that late.

NOW:

I have relived that afternoon/evening with Debi from April 1980 in my mind at least a couple hundred times. Should I have taken a chance and tried to have Debi on that night?

As stated before, we've maintained a good friendship during my 36 years of marriage to Diana. I still get a nice hug and kiss on the cheek when greeting or leaving her. So often I wanted that kiss on the lips.

38 years later, I know it was the sex that kept me with Diana. It really hasn't been a great marriage. It's been bearable. Sometimes I feel more like her roommate than her husband. The only difference is the shared bed. I've settled for so much less than I had expected.

Even the sex had become mundane. Physically, she was desirable, and I still had plenty of drive. The missing part was more difficult to analyze.

She isn't verbally abusive or needy. She just hasn't been what I envisioned a wife...a life partner...a best friend...should be. Still, I made a commitment that I had kept.

We've taken very few vacations together. Our sex life was to the point where if I hint enough that I want it, she'll do her "duty" and perform. That alone can nearly destroy the mood. Thankfully, I have a good imagination...and the constant thoughts of her sister, Debi, in my mind.

Diana brags about my lovemaking skills; particularly my oral skills. In fact, I heard from Debi that she bragged to a mutual friend of theirs that I can eat pussy as well as any lover she's had. I wasn't sure how many she'd had. I knew of Tom before we married.

For whatever reason, that wasn't enough to make her want to initiate any sexual activity between us. If going down on her was what it took, I was happy to oblige.

My best friend during these years? Probably Jeff Walters, a friend I've known since Junior High, and Debi. Jeff was happily married with two adult sons. Diana had little desire to socialize with Andrea, his wife, although she was a pleasant person and a fun conversationalist. I went to dinner with them a few times, but although they were happy to have me, I still felt like the third wheel.

My conversations with Debi are often just the kind of things that platonic friends would discuss. Every now and then she'll slip in something risqué or suggestive. I think she enjoys that just to watch me be uncomfortable. She is naturally more at ease discussing things of a sexual nature. She has always loved teasing me with shows of cleavage. It's not mean-spirited at all. I've always suspected it was just a subtle (or not so subtle) way of letting me know how she felt. I loved her dearly, and vice versa.

Debi was married to a guy named Gary Wolfrey for nearly 20 years. I never liked the guy, but he was a good provider for Debi and their daughter, Teresa. However, Gary's drinking problems got out of hand. After twice shoving her to the floor when drunk, she divorced him. Teresa was a freshman in college and Debi saw no reason to stay with him.

Sadly, his excessive drinking got him arrested for a DUI...3 different times in one year. He's lost his job, his driver's license, and his license to sell various forms of casualty insurance...which was his very substantial source of income.

Debi has the house. It's paid in full. Teresa is married and living in Boise. Debi has sworn to never marry again. She enjoys being single...and free to date and go to bed with whomever she wishes.

Most of her social life revolves around her co-workers at the county jury services department. She isn't too close to Diana, so their contact is minimal. In fact, I talk to Debi more than Diana does.

I looked at my notes from Michael. These were easily the shortest notes of the three.

This is your simple conquest. All you have to do is initiate it. She will be putty in your hands. Your time will be more limited since Diana will be there before 7pm, but it will be plenty of time to relive a moment and opportunity that your missed. Just let me know when you want to go and before Diana gets home from work...although if she catches you, you can still get taken away and she'll never know what happened.

That was it.

The following Sunday night, Diana left for work at 10:30pm. Once I knew she was gone, I summoned Michael to take me to have my fantasy fulfilled.

I'm back in April 1980 and Debi is letting me in the door wearing nothing but that same white towel. She explains that Diana is working extra hours and that Brian is on his way.