"So how did you make the transition from having sex with your bosses to becoming a courtesan?"

Looking at me with a puzzled expression, Kelly asked, "Why do you keep using the word courtesan?"

"I thought that was the term you and your fellow workers preferred."

"It was. It makes what we do seem almost elegant, but why would you use it? I'd think you'd choose a word like hooker or even whore."

"Those words are pejoratives, especially whore. They imply that there was something wrong with what you were doing."

"Don't you think there was?"

"Only if you do."

Kelly stared at me. After a moment she said, "It destroyed our marriage."

"No, not being truthful with me destroyed our marriage."

Closing her eyes, Kelly shook her head. She was clearly confused by my reaction.

In a gentle voice I added, "And I'm beginning to believe it might be more apt to say that it nearly destroyed our marriage."

Kelly looked up at me and smiled.

I smiled back at her and then I patted her thigh and said, "Why don't you tell me about the first time you met an associate for sex."

"How do you know that term?"

"Martin Jackson explained the process to me."

Looking puzzled, Kelly said, "Okay." She paused to think and then she said, "It was on a Tuesday morning about a month after I got my promotion. John Reynolds called me into his office. He told me they were in a bit of a jam and needed a huge favor. There was a very wealthy investor who was considering joining them in their latest take over attempt. He'd never dealt with them before and he was wary about making a commitment. They wanted to try to build some good will with him. John explained to me that Martin knew the man and thought that setting him up with an attractive young woman for an evening might be a good way to create some rapport."

Kelly shook her head. "I was a little confused about what John wanted me to do, so I asked him if they wanted me to go out to dinner with this man."

"What did he say?"

"He told me no, that wasn't what they were asking. They wanted to know if I might be willing to spend an evening with him in a luxury suite at the Calvert Hotel."

"I assume that gave you a better idea about what John was requesting."

"It certainly did and I was shocked. I stared at John and asked him if he was actually suggesting I let this guy fuck me."

"How did John react to that?"

"He quickly back tracked. He assured me that he didn't mean to offend me. They just knew how much I enjoyed sex and they thought there was a chance I might consider helping them out. He then made it clear that this was definitely not part of my job and it was perfectly okay for me to say no."

"What did you say to that?"

"Timmy I'm sorry, but as soon as I got over my initial shock I began thinking about how wicked it would be to meet a strange man in a hotel room for sex. Baby I started to get excited."

I chuckled. "The naughty girl was back."

Kelly grinned at me. "Yes she was."

"So what did you do?"

"John asked me to forget that he'd said anything and started to apologize. I interrupted him and told him that I would be willing to help them out." Kelly giggled. "For a moment he didn't say anything at all. He just stared at me. I think he was a little disconcerted."

"I'll bet he was."

"John's a pretty smooth guy. He quickly gathered his wits, thanked me and told me that if this man did decide to invest in the project, there would be a nice bonus for me." Kelly looked at me. "That's how the firm operates. Everyone earns a small base salary and then we get bonuses when we successfully complete a project."

"Yes, you explained that to me when you started working for JTandR"

"I guess I did. Anyway, John thanked me again and told me he'd get back to me later in the day with all the details. I went back to my office and waited."

"Your office?"

"Yes, when I became an administrative assistant to Martin, Wendell and John I was given a small office down the hall from their offices."

"That must have made you feel important."

"I thought I told you about that."

I shook my head. "I don't think so. By last fall, you weren't telling much at all about your job."

"Timmy I'm sorry. That wasn't intentional. I think I was unconsciously trying to keep my two lives separated."

"Don't worry, I'm starting to understand that. Tell me what happened when John got back to you."

"He came by my office at about three. Baby I was starting to get very nervous and I was trying to think of a way I could gracefully back out of the situation."

"That's not surprising. Meeting a strange man in a hotel room for sex is a pretty daring thing to do."

"John told me the man's name was Eric."

"Just Eric, no last name?"

Kelly nodded. "That's right and then he gave me a key to a suite at the Calvert Hotel and told me to meet Eric there at 8:30 that night. John said they would arrange for room service to deliver a bottle of chilled champagne to the room at 8:35. He told me to add a twenty dollar tip to the bill and sign the tab. He explained that the firm has an account with the Calvert."

Smiling, Kelly said, "Timmy when I actually heard the plan for the evening I began to get excited again. It was well orchestrated and the idea of sipping champagne with a mysterious gentleman in a luxury suite at the Calvert Hotel was incredibly intriguing."

"I can imagine it was. I'll bet you were starting to feel wicked again."

"I was."

"So what happened next?"

"Once he was done filling me in on all the details of the date John asked me if I was still willing to do it."

"He was giving you another chance to back out."

"Yes."

"That was nice of him."

"Martin, John and Wendell are tough businessmen, but they're kind and considerate. They go to great lengths to take care of the people who work for them."

"You obviously told him you'd do it."

"Yes, at that moment I was very excited." Kelly's tone of voice changed. "But as soon as John left my office I thought about you and I was suddenly overcome by a feeling of absolute horror."

"What do you mean?"

"Timmy it dawned on me that this could turn into a very late night. I was going to have to call you and give you some kind of explanation about where I was going to be."

"I see."

"Baby up until that point all of my lies had just been little omissions. I didn't actually tell you something that wasn't true, I just neglected to tell you about everything that happened."

"But now you were going to have to lie to me."

"Yes, do you remember that night?'

"I think I do. It was the first time you didn't get home from work until well after midnight. You called me in the afternoon and told me several investors were coming into town for an unexpected meeting in the morning and you had to help get a proposal ready for them." Shaking my head, I said, "I believed you."

Kelly whispered, "Timmy I'm sorry. By that time I felt like I was mired so deeply in my secret life that I couldn't get out anymore. I didn't know what else to do. It seemed like lying was my only choice." She shook her head. You were so wonderful. You assured me that you understood and told me you'd have a nice dinner waiting for me when I got home."

"And you told me not to wait up and not to worry about dinner. You said the partners were having food brought into the office."

"Timmy I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to tell you." Kelly sighed. "After I hung up the telephone I laid my head down on my desk and cried for a half hour."

Suddenly tears began to roll down Kelly's cheeks.

This time I didn't chastise Kelly about her lying. I didn't need to, she was already doing that to herself. Instead I put my arm around her and held her close to me.

Kelly pressed her face into my chest and once again started to sob.

I let Kelly cry for a few minutes and then I took out my handkerchief, lifted her face and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks.

She smiled at me.

I whispered to her, "I still love you".

Staring at me, she said, "Please let that be true."

I gently kissed the tip of Kelly's nose. "Don't worry, it is."

Kelly cuddled up to me and said, "Timmy I love you so much."

"I know you do."

After waiting for another minute I patted Kelly's thigh. "Tell me what happened after you finally stopped crying."

"Tonya Lewis came to see me."

"Who's Tonya Lewis?"

"She's the lead hostess. I didn't know that at the time, but that's her job."

"The lead hostess? It sounds like it's an actual department in the firm."

"Kind of, but not really. There's five of us, or at least there used to be when I worked there. Tonya made sure we had everything we needed. She also kept the master schedule."

"Everything you needed?"

"Yes, clothes, lingerie, jewelry, it was important that we looked good."

"That makes sense. Who were the five hostesses."

"Actually there were four hostesses and one host."

"A host, Martin Jackson told me they had one man working full time for them."

Kelly looked at me in surprise. "He did?"

"Yes."

"I really do want to hear about your conversation with him."

"You will, now tell me about the four hostesses and the one host."

"Okay, Tonya Lewis is the lead hostess. She's older, in her early forties. She's been with the firm for a long time. She helped me out a lot when I was first getting started. Timmy she's so beautiful. When I'm forty I hope I look half as good as Tonya."

"I'll bet you'll look twice as good as she does when you're forty."

Kelly grinned at me. "Your opinion doesn't count. You're not an impartial judge. You're biased." She reached over, grabbed my nipple through my shirt and gave it a vicious twist. "And you damn well better be biased."

The shot of pain startled me. It also excited me. As soon as Kelly released my nipple I laughed and said, "I'll always be biased. I have to be, you're my goddess."

Giggling, Kelly said, "Being your goddess is my favorite job."

We both smiled. We used to play with each other like that all the time. It was one of the reasons we enjoyed each other so much. Gradually, during the past year we'd stopped. I missed that part of our life and desperately wanted it back. I sensed that Kelly did too. While I knew it was going to require work, I was feeling optimistic and starting to believe that it might be possible.

We enjoyed the moment for a little longer and then I asked, "Who are the others?"

Kelly sighed. It was clear that she didn't want the moment to end any more than I did, but she also understood that we had work to do if we wanted to recapture the relationship we'd both once enjoyed so much.

Getting back to work Kelly said, "Mandy Wells and Keisha Edwards are the other hostesses and Antoine Carter is the host. Mandy is a slender brunette. She's sort of my opposite. She has tiny tits."

"Some guys like women with small breasts."

Kelly nodded. "She's very popular. When we go to Evergreen she looks really cute in a thong."

"Evergreen that's the place in South Carolina, right?"

"Yes, it's a huge estate owned by the firm. They use it to throw parties."

"I imagine you can throw a pretty good party at a southern mansion."

"Timmy you'd be amazed by some of the things that happened at Evergreen."

"I'd like to hear about them, but first tell me about Keisha Edwards and Antoine Carter and then you have to continue telling me about your first evening at the Calvert."

"Keisha is a gorgeous black girl. Timmy she has beautiful coffee colored skin and long shiny black hair. She's a large breasted girl like me, only she also has the most beautiful bottom I've ever seen." Kelly grinned at me. "I think you'd really enjoy licking it."

"Your's is the only bottom I'm ever going to lick."

"What if I ordered you to do it? A good boy should never disobey his goddess." Kelly had a mischievous smile on her face. "I think I might enjoy seeing your face buried in Keisha's gorgeous rear end."

That image sent a thrill rippling through my body. In an effort to maintain my composure I closed my eyes and bit my lower lip.

Kelly noticed how excited I was getting so she pushed a little. "Keisha and Tonya are both experienced dominants. They always take the associates who enjoy a little discipline." Winking at me, she said, "Maybe I'll call them and invite them over. It would be exciting to watch them give you few lessons on how to properly treat a lady."

I laughed. "You're starting to feel wicked again, aren't you."

Grinning, Kelly slowly nodded her head.

Suddenly a question occurred to me. "Why didn't they give you the associates who enjoy a little discipline?"

"Timmy, I don't think there's anything in this world that gets me as excited as dominating you, but a really powerful man who knows how to take control of a girl gets me excited too. I guess I'm just a slut. Anything that has to do with sex gets me hot. You know how much I love sucking cocks."

I leaned over and kissed Kelly's cheek. "That's the girl I fell in love with."

We both burst out laughing.

After a moment Kelly said, "Mandy and I are usually assigned to the men enjoy being dominant."

"Okay, I get it. Tell me about Antoine Carter."

"Antoine is a tall slender black man in his late twenties. He's handsome and very athletic. He played college basketball. He also has a big cock." Kelly giggled. "I'm talking about a really big cock. When it's erect it must be at least a foot long."

"That's big."

"Yes it is. Timmy, it's so much fun to suck a cock that big and Antoine is a considerate lover. When he fucks a woman, he's always careful and very gentle, especially at first. He has to be. You understand why, don't you."

"I assume it's because he's so big and he doesn't want to hurt anyone."

"That's right."

"Has he fucked you?"

Kelly paused. After a moment she said, "Yes, he has. I'm sorry Timmy, I..."

"It's okay, Kelly. Was he good?"

My question surprised Kelly, but her surprise vanished as she realized it also meant I wasn't angry with her. Relieved Kelly said, "Yes Timmy, he was."

"I'm sure a considerate, gentle lover with a huge cock would be good."

"Antoine isn't just good, he's amazing."

"I see."

"Timmy, Antoine's not just a guy with a big cock, he's also a wonderfully kind man. That's the real reason he's so good in bed. You're amazing in bed too, for the same reason. Antoine has a big cock. You have a little cock, but you're an artist with your tongue. Both of you are, in your own ways, skilled lovers. That's what makes you good, but what sets you apart and makes you great is that you're both kind, considerate, loving men."

"It sounds like you really like Antoine."

"I do, he's a good friend."

"Should I be jealous?"

Laughing, Kelly said, "Absolutely not, Antoine is a good friend and an amazing fuck, but Timmy honey, you don't have anything to worry about. You're the only man I'll ever love."

"You made some good friends at JTandR, didn't you."

"Yes, I'm going to miss them."

We stared at each other in silence, an unvoiced question hanging in the air between us. Kelly was afraid to ask it and I wasn't yet ready to even consider answering it, so we both chose to ignore it.

Finally I said, "Why don't you finish telling me about your first evening at the Calvert."

"Okay." Kelly paused for a second and then she said, "Tonya Lewis came to see me. At the time I didn't know who she was. I didn't know hostesses existed and she didn't mention anything about them. She just told me that she occasionally entertained associates for the firm and Martin asked her to stop by and help me prepare for the evening."

"I see."

"She explained that my date was expected to be kind and respectful. She made it clear that if he didn't behave appropriately no one at the firm would be upset if I got dressed and left." Kelly looked at me. "Timmy that made me feel much better."

"I imagine it did."

"Then the fun part started."

"The fun part, what was that?"

"Tonya gave me a company credit card and told me to go to Maxine's Boutique and buy a new dress and some sexy lingerie. Timmy, Maxine's Boutique is the most exclusive women's clothing store in this city. I'd never even been in there. I asked Tonya how much I could spend. She told me to try to keep it under $800.00. Timmy $800.00 for a new dress and some underwear! It was unbelievable."

"You were in girl heaven, weren't you."

"Yes I was. And then she told me that after I was finished at Maxine's I should go across the mall to Grant's Shoe store and buy a pair of high heels to match the dress. Tonya suggested that I should be able to get a nice pair for around $200.00. Timmy, at that time I didn't own a single pair of shoes that cost over $80.00."

"They were making this job very attractive, weren't they?"

"Yes they were. Now, when I look back on it, I'm certain that they were trying to entice me to become a hostess."

"Are you angry about that?"

Kelly thought about my question for a moment and then she shook her head. "No, not really. It's clear that they took steps to encourage me to become a hostess, but they never did anything to coerce me or deceive me. They may have shown me the path, but I chose to happily skip down it on my own."

I smiled.

This was the girl I'd fallen in love with. She knew how to take responsibility for her own behavior.

"So what did you do when you were done shopping?"

"I had dinner at the Goldenrod Supper Club."

"Really, by yourself?"

"Yes, Tonya gave me a card that allowed me to put my dinner on the firm's tab. They maintain an account there. They know the owner. He's a huge ex-convict named Big Reggie Diamond."

"He sounds dangerous,"

"Not really, I've gotten to know him. He's actually a pretty sweet guy. He also owns a strip club on the outskirts of downtown called the Black Knight."

"I've been there. It's on 3rd Avenue."

"Timothy Jamieson when did you ever go to a strip club?"

"Hey, I'm a pretty wild guy. I've done all kinds of things you don't know about." I grinned at Kelly. "My wife is a courtesan."

Kelly stared at me. After a moment she said, "An ex courtesan and it almost sounds like you're proud of it."

I shrugged. "I don't know, maybe I am."

Shaking her head, Kelly said, "Timmy this is all really confusing."

I nodded. "Yes it certainly is."

We smiled at each other. After a moment I said, "Okay, you had dinner at the Goldenrod Supper Club. How was it?"

"It was wonderful. I had a fillet mignon."

"You were living well."

"The firm was taking good care of me."

"What did you do after dinner?"

"I went back to Tonya's office."

"Tonya's office?"

Kelly nodded. "She'd given me a key that afternoon. Her office had a private bathroom with a shower and a huge closet. I later learned that all the hostesses had offices like that."

"Did you have one of those offices?"

"Yes, after I officially became a hostess I did."

Suddenly I had a troubling thought. Staring at Kelly, I asked, "I assume your office contained a large wardrobe of sexy clothing that I knew nothing about."

Not noticing the change in my mood, Kelly said, "It did, the firm bought me all the sexy lingerie I wanted. It was so much fun."

Closing my eyes, I remembered all the neglect, indifference and sexual frustration I'd been forced to endure for the past year. As I thought about it anger began to well up inside of me.

For a moment I was silent and then glaring at Kelly, I said, "For the past year, you've used those sexy outfits to tantalize and excite a host of strange men, but for some reason you were never able to find the time or interest to treat me, your husband, to the sight of you wearing any of them."

The icy tone in my voice alarmed Kelly. Shaking her head, she quickly answered, "Timmy I never brought them home. They were always kept in my office. They belonged to the firm."

"Don't lie to me Kelly. The lingerie I saw in your travel bag after you came back from Las Vegas last week was part of that wardrobe, wasn't it?"

Stunned, Kelly meekly answered, "Yes it was."

"Kelly you lied to me that evening and it was a silly lie. You told me that you had that lingerie so you could wear it and feel sexy while you masturbated."

Kelly whispered, "Yes I did. I'm so sorry. When I think about it now I'm ashamed of myself. It was a stupid thing to say."

A wave of anger overwhelmed me. Glaring at Kelly, I said, "That evening you also had the audacity to accuse me of masturbating."

"I know, I'm sorry Timmy."

"The night before, when you were in Las Vegas, did you go there to meet a man?"

"Yes."

"Did you wear that hot dress and sexy lingerie for him?"

"Yes."

"The same clothes you couldn't be bothered to wear for me, your loving husband."

Kelly didn't say anything, she just stared at the floor.

"Did that man fuck you that night?"

"Yes."

"How many times? Tell me the truth Kelly, don't lie."

"Twice."

"Did he cum inside you?"

"Yes."

"Both times?"

"Yes."

"Did you suck his cock?"

"Yes, when we first met in the hotel room. That was before we went down to have dinner in the restaurant."

"Did you you let him cum in your mouth."

"Yes, you know I always do that."

"Yes I do."

"Did you spend the night with him?"

"Yes, that was part of the deal when I met a guy in Vegas. He had me for the entire night."

"The entire night?" I laughed. "Kelly it's been over a year since I've had you for an entire night."

"No Timmy, that's not true. It can't be true."

"Think about Kelly, it is true."

Kelly buried her face in her hands. She was devastated, but my anger was boiling over. I was in no mood to let up on her.

"Did you let him fuck you again the next morning?"

Kelly didn't look up she just mumbled, "Yes."

"Kelly you let a stranger cum inside you four times in less than twenty-four hours. Do you know how many times you've let me cum inside you in the last four months? You've probably forgotten, so I'll tell you. Zero Kelly, not one time. We haven't made love at all in the last two months and in the two months before that we only made love twice and on those two occasions all you were willing to do was give me a hand job."

Glaring at Kelly, I said, "That evening, after enjoying the pleasure of getting laid three times and sucking a guys cock at least once, you had the audacity to accuse me of masturbating. Well Kelly, I do masturbate. I masturbate constantly. I have to, do you want to know why?"

Kelly didn't look at me. She kept her face buried in her hands.

"I'll tell you why Kelly. I have to masturbate because my wife lost all interest in having sex with me!"

Kelly burst into tears.

I continued. "Kelly I can accept the fact that for the past six months you've enjoyed sex with a large number of men, but knowing that at the same time you deliberately forced me, the man you profess to love, to be celibate really sticks in my craw."

I stood up. "Kelly I don't think I can ever forgive you for that."

I stormed across the living room. When I got to the front door I turned and glared at Kelly. "Last week you stood in this house and yelled at me because I pointed out that we never had sex anymore. You actually became irate when I dared to remind you that you used to love sex. When I questioned you about why you no longer seemed to be interested in it, you looked me in the eyes and told me that you did miss sex."

Shaking my head, I said, "And then you tried to make me believe the problem was that your job sapped you of all your energy."

I sighed, "Kelly I was living without sex at that time. You weren't. You were getting boinked every single fucking day of the week and you dared to tell me that you missed sex. You don't even know what it means to miss sex."

My anger spent, I quietly said, "And to add insult to injury, you tried to convince me that those sexy clothes were your one refuge. You actually thought you could get me to believe you had that lingerie so you could dress up and feel sexy while you masturbated in your hotel room. Kelly you must think I'm an idiot!"

I paused for a moment and then I said, "Kelly I can easily forgive you for sleeping with all those other men. I can even forgive you for lying to me, but I don't think I can ever forgive you neglecting me. You treated me with utter disdain and contempt and callously ignored my needs as a man while you played with every Tom, Dick and Harry the firm sent you."

I turned and stormed out the door. As I slammed it behind me I heard Kelly scream, "No Timmy, please don't go."

I drove back to the little park by the river, got out of my car and walked out to one of the benches near the edge of the bluff. It was a Wednesday, so even though it was a warm fall afternoon, the park was deserted. The secluded bench that I'd selected was on the edge of a grove of trees that had just passed the peak of their fall colors. The ground underneath them was slowly being covered by an ever thickening carpet of dry leaves. It was a beautiful serene spot. I needed to be alone and this was the perfect haven for me. I sat down, buried my face in my hands and started to cry.

I bawled like a baby for a few minutes and then I stopped. I was done. That was all I needed. I took a deep breath, sat up, pulled out my handkerchief and blew my nose. I felt much better. Crying may not be very manly, but it sure does help release pent up emotions.

The events of the past week had taken a heavy toll on my spirit. I sat back, took several more deep breaths and quietly watched the Mississippi River flow by. It was soothing. The combination of the tears and the steady flow of the mighty river helped clear my mind. I was able to start thinking again.

Blowing up at Kelly had given me no pleasure, but as I sat there thinking, I came to the conclusion that it had been an essential part of the healing process for me. Over the past several months her anger, contempt and indifference had created some deep wounds. If we were ever going to be able to patch up our marriage we had to address her spiteful behavior.

When I stormed out of the house I'd told Kelly that I'd never be able to forgive her for the way she'd been treating me. Even at the time I knew that wasn't true. Those were words said in anger. I knew I couldn't ignore her callous behavior. I fully understood that if we didn't address it, if we just tried to overlook it and pretend it never happened, it was going to gnaw at me for the rest of our lives. We had to discuss it and we both had to be able to reach an understanding of why she'd acted that way towards me.

If we were able to do that and if Kelly could commit to being open and honest with me, I was now reasonably certain we had a good chance to reconcile our differences and save our marriage.

I was just trying to decide how soon I should attempt to contact Kelly when I felt a hand gently touch my shoulder.

I heard my wife's soft voice. "There isn't any possible excuse for the way I've treated you over the past several months and I fully understand why you would be reluctant to even consider forgiving me. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to forgive myself. I realize that it may now be too late, but I want you to know that I plan to spend the rest of my life trying to make amends to you."

I didn't turn around. I didn't move. I didn't say anything.

"Timmy I was so angry with myself when I started cheating on you. I couldn't understand why other women could be so strong and I had to be so weak. It seemed to be so easy for them to avoid the temptations that were so difficult for me to resist. I so badly wanted to be the faithful wife that my family had expected me to become."

Kelly sighed. "When I started lying to you I became even angrier with myself. I knew it was wrong and I now realize I should have come to you and told you everything, but I was afraid. I was afraid that if you found out how unreliable and corrupt I really was, you wouldn't love me anymore. Timmy you're so strong and honorable and I'm so weak and despicable."

I felt Kelly's hand clutch my shoulder.

"After I became a hostess, my life at work got even more exciting, but it also forced me to start lying to you all the time. The more I lied to you, the more I hated myself and as my self hatred grew, so did my my anger. Timmy, anger needs a target and you were the only one around. While I realize this doesn't make any sense, it is what happened. I was angry with myself. When I came home, you were the only available target for that anger so I bombarded you with it."

I slowly nodded my head. It was the first time I'd moved since Kelly had started talking.

"There was another reason I was so cruel to you. I couldn't bear the thought of having you find out how weak and despicable I really was. I was convinced you would leave me the moment you discovered my secret life. I believed that I had to protect that secret at all cost, so I built a wall around myself. It was a wall constructed of lies, deceit, anger, contempt and indifference. It was all unconscious, none of it was deliberate, but I now believe that I was trying to keep you at arms length so you wouldn't discover the awful person hidden inside of me."

Kelly was silent for a moment. Finally she said, "Eventually my heavy travel schedule and constant late night business meetings aroused your suspicions. When you started to question my lies I was thrown into a state of total panic. The possibility that you might actually discover my secret life terrified me. I responded in the only way I knew how. My lies became more outrageous. I unleashed my anger and the attitude of contempt and disdain that I was using to protect myself became even more intense."

Sighing, Kelly said, "In a desperate effort to keep you from hating me I inadvertently did everything I possibly could to make you hate me and I finally succeeded."

Kelly put her arms around me and then she leaned over and softly kissed my ear. "You are the love of my life, and now I've lost you. My only hope is that time might eventually heal the wounds that I've inflicted in your heart and temper the anger and contempt that you now feel for me. Timmy, if that ever happens I want you to know that I will be waiting for you. I will always be waiting for you. If necessary, I intend to wait for you until the end of time."

She kissed me one more time and then she turned and walked away.

I sat on that park bench hastily trying to digest everything that had happened during the past several hours. I quickly came to one conclusion. I did not want Kelly to leave that park before I had a chance to tell her now much I loved her.

I stood up and turned around. Kelly was already in her Mercedes. The car door was closed and she was putting on her seat belt. She was at least 200 feet away. I ran. I ran as fast as my legs could possibly carry me.

I heard the engine start. I was still fifty feet away. I ran faster.

The front wheels of the Mercedes turned. I was still twenty feet away.

Kelly looked over her right shoulder to check for oncoming cars. Just as her car started moving I managed to reach out and rap on the rear passenger window. Kelly heard me and stepped on the brakes. The Mercedes stopped moving.

Looking back, Kelly saw me. I was standing with my hands on my hips trying to catch my breath. She lowered her car window and stared at me. There was a tear running down her cheek.

I was still out of breath, but I managed to say, "Kelly you are not weak and despicable. You're strong and good. You were just trying to do something that's not part of your nature. You have no more business trying to be a faithful housewife, than I have trying to play linebacker for the Chicago Bears. It just isn't you."

I smiled at her. "Baby, I don't need to wait until the end of time. I know right now that I love you and I know that I will always love you. Earlier today I told you there was nothing that you could ever do that would make me hate you. I meant that when I said it."

I took a deep breath. "Yes, you did hurt me, but that pain pales when I compare it to the torment I would have to endure each and every day if I were forced to go through life without you."

Kelly grinned at me. "Timothy Jamieson, you certainly do have a way with words. Will you please come home with me."

"Nothing in this world would make me happier."

"Get your car, I'll see you at the house."

"Just a moment I have something I have to do before we go."

"What?"

"This."

I leaned forward, reached around Kelly's head and gently pulled her face to mine. She closed her eyes as I kissed her on the lips. For the first time in months I felt my wife return one of my kisses with passion."

When we finally broke apart Kelly whispered to me. "Timmy I love you so much."

I smiled at her. "I know, I love you too Kelly."

I got into my car and followed Kelly home. I noticed that while she was driving she took out her cell phone and made a call. When we got to our house we both pulled into the driveway, but Kelly didn't drive her Mercedes into the garage. Instead she waited while I parked my car on my side of the garage.

As soon as I was stopped I got out of my car and walked over to her. She was still sitting in her Mercedes.

She looked at me and said, "Timmy I have to run an errand."

My heart sank. This scene was much too familiar.

Kelly saw my reaction and said, "No sweetheart, you don't understand. I want you to come with me."

I stared at her. I didn't say anything.

"Will you please come with me. It's very important."

I nodded and then I walked around to the passenger side of Kelly's car and opened the door. As I was sitting down in the plush leather seat I realized that this was the first time I'd ever ridden in my wife's Mercedes. I decided that there'd already been enough recriminations for one day, so I didn't say anything. Instead I quietly closed the door and put on my seat belt.

Kelly backed out of the driveway, put the big sedan into gear and stepped on the accelerator.

As soon as we were moving I asked, "Where are we going?"

"Downtown to the Whetmore Building."

"Why are we going there?"

"I just finished talking to Tonya. I asked her if they've already cleared out my office. She told me they haven't. I asked her if she knew what they were going to do with my lingerie. She said they were going to throw all of it out. I asked her if I could have some of it. She told me that I could help myself to anything I wanted."

Smiling at me, Kelly said, "Sweetheart, tonight I intend to put on a lingerie fashion show that you will remember for the rest of your life."