"He went for it?" said Gerald. "I can't believe it."

"Yes, and that without much of a fight. That kinda bothers me. I mean why didn't he argue with me. I figured I could convince him, but he gave up awfully easy. I mean he is kind of a pussy when it comes to me, but him giving in so easy..." she paused in mid-thought.

"Maybe he's just a realist who knew you'd be going whether he liked it or not," said Gerald.

"Maybe, but, I'm suspecting it's something a little less obvious. I just don't know what," she said.

"Well, whatever it is, you do have the go ahead, that is we have the go ahead. And we are going to make the fucking most of it," he said. She smiled her agreement.

******

"You look very good tonight," I said looking across the table at my dinner partner.

"Well, thank you for that, sir. A girl can never hear that often enough," said Carmen.

"Another glass of wine?" I said. Rubios always had first rate wine. She smiled and pushed her near empty goblet toward me for a refill from the bottle I'd ordered for our table.

"You know, Jules, I still can't believe you okayed her spending these four days with him. Jules, she's flat cheating on you. Yes, I think she does want you enough to stay married to you because you're safe would be my guess," said Carmen.

"Because I'm safe?" I said.

"Yes, she's an intelligent woman. She has to realize that not only is she a cheater, but so is mister studley. Add to that, that apart from his no doubt considerable dick, he is very much younger than she is. She must realize that her time with him is finite: he will eventually dump her for younger meat.

"Jules, so long as you are willing to put up with her playing, you will indeed be able to keep her. Still, there is the remote possibility that she might leave you for someone else with more money, but at her age she isn't likely to be attracting many with enough to warrant her leaving you. So, yes, you get to keep her cheating ass. Yippee-eye-o-kai-yay!" she said. I laughed.

"Bruce Willis would love you." I said. "You almost sound like you're jealous of her."

"You're a helluva guy, Jules. But, mostly, I just don't cotton to seeing you being beat up like this. You deserve better. But, then again, you're so damn pussywhipped that maybe not," she said. Now, she was laughing.

We talked, we drank, we laughed. I was beginning to like the idea that Stacy would be gone for the next few days. Helluva thing.

I walked her to her door. She turned, kissed me, and gave me a look. I knew the look.

She stepped inside her door and held it open, actually leaning back against it. I shrugged. I entered. She closed the door.

She gave me another look. I followed her into the kitchen. She poured two glasses of wine. We sipped them silently for a long two minutes.

"So," I said, "do I get to fuck my lawyer?"

"That's the plan. Your dick long enough to get the job done?" she said.

"My errant wife assures me that I do get her off occasionally, so I guess I can give you a tentative affirmative in that regard," I said. She smirked.

"Okay, little man, let us adjourn to the bedroom."

We were naked in record time. Her bald mound had me on my knees and worshipping her. I kissed it, I licked it, I pulled my face tight into it, and then I yanked her down on the floor beside me.

"There's a bed two feet away," she said. I looked.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot," I said. She pulled me up and onto it giggling the whole time.

We played a little with our hands. She splayed her legs wide and I mounted her. I slid in with only a little difficulty. I began screwing her slowly, then faster, then crazy fast. She pulled her knees back as far as she could, hoping, I suppose, that I would reach even deeper inside of her; I did my damnedest. She jerked and squirmed: she'd made it. I was as grateful for that as I was for any I'd ever been able to do. I just couldn't disappoint this woman. I just couldn't.

At that moment a hundred miles away there was a similar tableau in progress.

******

"What do you think he's doing right now?" she said to her man of the moment.

"Probably jerking off to a picture of you," said Gerald, laughing. She smiled up at him as he played with her breasts.

"You are so bad," she said, laughing. "You are so bad!" She closed her eyes and became pensive. Her thoughts were of her man, her good man, miles away probably crying in his beer. She'd have to be making it up to him when she got back; she was going to make damn sure he was a happy camper.

She felt his huge cock pushing inside of her. Her eyes shot open at the sudden interruption of her thoughts. "God you're big," she said.

"I've been told that," he said. He took her hard and fast. It was only the first of the evening she knew; it was all right if he left her hanging the first time.

******

Monday night was a marathon session for me and Carmen. She drained me. I couldn't be sure, but I was beginning to think that she wanted me to be unable to perform adequately for Stacy when she returned. I smiled at the thought. If nothing else Carmen had been the catalyst in the rebuilding of my self-esteem. Stacy had pretty much stomped it down; Carmen was at pains to build it up. A woman, women, had that power, the power to destroy and the power to rebuild. Men, all of us, were slaves to that very large reality; hell, it was nature.

Odd, me being just a blue collar guy and a hot shot professional like Carmen making the effort that she was making to make me happy or at least a little less unhappy for a little while. I wasn't sure what to make of that, more mercy sex the way I was seein' it. She liked me enough to help me out, and I more than appreciated it.

Another oddity, both Stacy and I were having sex with lawyers; Stacy's of course had not actually passed the bar as yet, but he doubtless would at some point. But, what the hey, I was making as much or more than most lawyers anyway. A social cypher maybe, but a hard working cypher for sure; hey, chopped liver I wasn't.

******

I was already at work when I got the call from Stacy that she was home; it was 10:00AM. She was taking the rest of the week off. She was worn out from her trip and she wanted to share as much time with me as she could, at least so she would later say when I got home. I tooled into our driveway at 4:21PM.

"God, I'm glad to see you," she said. She sounded like she was feeling some guilt. I thought that amusing, but I didn't make anything of it.

"Good to see you too," I said. "Have fun?" My tone was flat, not accusatory, not anxious, just matter-of-fact. She gave me a look. I was pretty sure that she expected me to be, what, not real happy, maybe miffed that she'd shined me on for four consecutive days.

"Uh—it was okay. Yes, we had some fun. The weather was good," she said.

"Where did you go?" I said.

"Refugio. We had a tent cabin for the whole weekend. We came back late this morning instead of yesterday; we wanted to avoid the weekend traffic on the five," she said.

"The beach. Sounds like it was fun," I said. I wondered how much time they'd spent in the water, if any, between bouts of fucking and sucking.

"Yes, I guess," she said. "But right now, I want to concentrate on you and me, not last weekend. Okay?" I shrugged.

"Sounds like a plan," I said. I actually wondered whether I would be able to perform acceptably given the athletic event that I had been subjected to the night before.

"Jules? Is something wrong?" she said. I looked her askance.

"No, why do you ask?' I said, actually not knowing what she was getting at.

"It's just—I don't know—you don't seem especially glad to see me. I mean I was hoping , well, I don't know what I was hoping," she said. I began to get it. She was concerned that I wasn't concerned about her liaison with mister big dick. I decided to pin her.

"No, no problem from this end. I am glad to see you. Well, I mean, yes I am glad to see you. But, you did spend the weekend fucking my rival, right?" I said.

"Julian McCormack, he is not your rival, not in any meaningful way," she said.

"Except in bed, right?' I said. "I mean I don't measure up to your standards there; that's the reality, right, Stacy." My tone had no rancor in it. I could see she was confused.

"Well..." she started.

"Stacy, you spent the last four days getting yourself fucked, and, tonight maybe you'll grant me a little mercy sex. I mean, I know I'm not up to his standards, but I can get you off sometimes, right?" I said.

"Hell yes, you can!" she said almost too vehemently. "And mercy sex? Well, whatever you want to call it, we are sure as hell going to get it on tonight and it will be my business to do you up right. Depend on it."

"Okay good, and I am looking forward to my chance with you," I said. "And, I will do my damnedest for sure. I know no woman is going to be exactly thrilled to have me do her. I mean my equipment, but, I am motivated. I want you to be at least a little satisfied with what I have to offer. I mean really. I know size is important to you, maybe to most women, but I can offer enthusiasm, and you're going to get it tonight: my enthusiastic efforts.

"But, Stacy, I think you should know that I did score a little mercy this weekend, while you were gone, and yes, mercy sex, is what it was; I know it. What I mean is that I spent the last four days having a little fun on the side too. And it was fun, also too. We didn't have the ambiance of the beach to share, but we wouldn't have done much swimming anyway had we been there," I said.

The shock reflected on her face would have been comical if it weren't so insulting. It was like she couldn't believe that I could engineer a little on the side because I just wasn't good looking enough, or up to her performance standards.

"Huh?

"You were screwing someone else while I was gone?" she said. She was clearly more than nonplused.

"Yes," I said.

"Who?" she said.

"Carmen Mendoza," I said. "She's not a threat to you, honey. Just a little mercy for me on the side. A little gratification is all. I mean like you and studley. You were gone, and the opportunity came my way, so... 

"We didn't plan it. It just happened, and I went with the flow." She took on what an observer might have described as a grave expression.

"You had a lover! While I was out of town!" she didn't quite scream.

"Yes. You don't mind do you?" I said. And, I said it so sincerely that she was momentarily stopped in her verbal tracks.

"Mind? Mind! Well, of course I mind..." All of a sudden she realized the hypocrisy of what she was saying and how she was saying it. "I mean, well, I mean I let you know, let you make the decision, as to whether or not I'd be allowed my little..."

"Hmm, yes, but all of that was after you'd already been doing it to me. After I was already your cuckold. I don't understand why you seem so upset about me doing what you're doing and have been doing," I said.

"Well...."

"It's no biggee. Do I have your permission to continue with Carmen? I mean if you tell me no, I will cut her off right now," I said. I meant it too, and she saw that I meant it.

"Yes, I would prefer it if you cut her off. But, we can talk about it. Okay?" she said. I had to smile and I did. But, I had my plan.

"Okay, if you think that that would be the right thing to do," I said.

"Thank you. We'll talk tomorrow night after dinner. Okay?" she said. "I am still pretty fagged out."

"Sure," I said. "Whatever you feel is right." She tendered me an exasperated look.

******

"Wait, wait, give me an opportunity to digest this. You're saying that while you and I were at the beach he was banging some other woman?" said Gerald.

"Yes," said Stacy.

"You sure he was telling you the truth?" said Gerald, he was serious.

"Why? You think you're the only guy who can get a woman to date you?" said Stacy.

"No, but him?" said Gerald. He didn't catch the look of disgust she tendered him.

"Well, he did, and yes, I believe he is telling the truth. But, he'll stop now. I hope anyway," she said.

"Stop him? Hell no! Let him fuck her, I mean if he really is. Whoever it is, she's isn't likely to be in your league. Clearly he made the most of what he's got when he was younger and got you, but he couldn't do it today. You know it and I know it. He's past his prime," he said.

"You know, Gerald, if it weren't for you dick, you wouldn't be here, and most women would see you as an arrogant asshole. One day your assholeness is gonna bite you in the ass," she said. He laughed.

"Okay, okay, okay I surrender. You're right. I was outta line. He's probably got qualities I'm not aware of. I mean he did find this little piece he's banging with very little warning. Unless..." he said.

"Unless?" she said.

"Unless, he's been playing with this little chickee all along, and we, you, never caught on," he said.

"Huh? No," said Stacy. "He's not like that. He would never cheat on me. I'm the shit in this household. He's the white hat. He's too square to cheat, really. And the chickee's Carmen Mendoza; she's his lawyer, and she's quite pretty actually. I know her though not well."

"And, yet he did," said Gerald, not unreasonably. "Cheat, I mean."

"Hmm, true, but not without provocation. He sees himself as just doing what I'm doing. Probably felt guilty about it even so," she said.

******

The man smirked at the barkeep's question.

"No, Rodolfo, she's not my girlfriend. She's just a real nice piece. And, her idiot husband hasn't got it and I do; so I get her pretty much whenever I feel the urge if you know what I mean," said Gerald.

"Jesus, man, you are a cold sonovabitch," said Rodolfo.

"Naw, not really. She's an okay bitch, just not anything I'd wanna get serious about. And I treat her right," said Gerald.

Rodolfo walked off shaking his head.

Gerald hardly noticed the small elderly gentleman at the table maybe fifteen feet behind him. Nor did he notice the small, but expensive cell phone leaning against the condiment tray. Wonderful things cell phones: book reader, web interface, camera, video cam, voice recorder—oh—and you can even call people like on the telephone; Captain Kirk would have been astounded. Good 'ole Gerald, on the other hand, was gonna be nonplussed perhaps even chagrined.

******

"Hi Marvin, so did you get anything so far?' I said.

"Oh yeah. you can lower the boom on him any time you want with what I got," said Marvin Johnson, my all too expensive PI. I smiled. "I had one of my field guys do it for me; he was a cop for thirty years. Name's Phil Carter. He does part time stuff for me. He loves the intrigue."

"Good, good, very good," I said. "Please have him stay on the asshole for the next week or so.

See what else he might be able to come up with. I'm looking to not only end this Gerald guy, but to make her think twice about ever looking afield again. You know, like we talked about."

"You got it. Seeing the arrogant asshole in action at the bar really pissed Phil off, and he doesn't even know the guy," said Marvin.

"Yeah, well me either, really. But, I did see him in action, and I don't mean at the bar; I mean really in action," I said. "And, pissed off doesn't even begin to describe my feelings in the matter." My old friend nodded.

"You know, Jules, we've known each other a long time," said Marvin.

"Duh yuh think," I said, laughing. "I mean since first grade. You consider that a long time?"

"Yeah for sure. Anyway, as a friend, let me ask you. Why don't you just dump her cheating ass? The stuff I've already gotten here might not be grounds for a divorce per se, I mean in the sense that it would do a lot of good in the property split; but, it probably would get the right judge to go a little more your way than he or she might otherwise. In the end you're going to have to do something pretty radical anyway. I mean..." he said.

"I love her. It's that simple. I want her. So, I'm going to give it the old college try. Just dumping her, apart from any property split, would just leave me miserable and wanting and unable to replace her. Hence, I'm going to try to save us," I said.

"What about Carmen. She's a looker too and she likes you, maybe more than likes you from what you told me," said Marvin. I gave him a look.

"Carmen? Yeah, she likes me, and that's just it. She, well, I don't think she actually loves me. Yes, she does like me. Maybe even a lot, but love... 

"Marv, I need love, and cheater though she is, Stacy does love me. But Carmen? Well, I could only wish that a big leaguer like Carmen could ever really love a guy like me. At least me and Stacy are in the same league," I said.

"She's messin' with a future lawyer. If she's thinking like you, she might opt to move up in class," said Marvin.

"Yeah, that's my worry," I said. "But Carmen? You think she might..."

"From what you've told me? Yes, I do," he said. "You've had sex with her right?"

"Yeah, but Carmen has always been into recreational sex. She just helped me out when I was down is the way I see it, a little mercy for little 'ole me. But you think it might be something more? I mean really?" I said.

"What I think is that you should explore the possibility," said Marvin.

******

She sat across from me nursing her wine. I was glad she wanted to wait a day before talking to me about my liaison with Carmen. Plus, I wanted her to have formed her plans to cut me off from my boyhood girlfriend, so I could have yet another reason put the boff on her funnin' with good 'ole Gerald.

Settling her stem glass onto the table in front of us, she smiled. "You know, Jules, the best piece of ass in town is looking at you," she said. "You don't need to look outside this house to get your ashes hauled, not even."

Marvin's evidence was in my car. I dared not bring it into the house. I sure didn't like it, the evidence, especially the way she talked about me; that was the worst.

"I told you I agreed to stop with Carmen. I'll keep my promise, Stace. Really I will. Would this be a good time to ask you to give up your extracurricular activities too?" I said. She frowned.

"If you make me, I will give him up. It'll be hard because he and I have become good friends, not just fuck buddies. And that's friends not lovers in the real sense of the word; the lover part's just for you and me," she said. I nodded. I did so want to push the issue, but she had all of the cards, not a good situation for me.

"I'd like it if you wanted to give him up. I mean for our mutual love, not because I told you to," I said.

"The day will come when he is gone. He's not long term. But, before that day comes, I really would like it if..." she started.

"If what?' I said.

"Well, you know, like I kinda mentioned before," she said.

"Before?"

"Yes, you know, that the two of you might become acquainted, friends," she said.

"Friends? With the guy who's made me his cuckold, and yours? No, no, that's not happening," I said. "I draw the line there. No-no-no-no!" She nodded, but it was a frustrated nod.

******

We were sitting at a table against the wall. No other customers were near us. It'd get busy by around 9:30, I knew.

"She wants you to be friends with him! Jesus, talk about brass balls. But, you did tell her no, right?" said Carmen.

"In no uncertain terms. It will snow where the devil lives first," I said. She smiled at my characterization of the impossible dream, Stacy's impossible dream.

"Well good," she said. I decided to take a flyer.

"Carmen, why couldn't my wife be more like you?" I said.

Her look bespoke surprise. "Huh?" she said.

"Oh, nothing," I said. She had to be able to tell that I was nervous and worried about something.

"No, no, no," she said. "What were you going to say?" She was clearly brooking no stonewalling.

"Nothing really. Oh hell," I said. "Carmen, you're my lawyer. But, in these last weeks, you've become very important to me. Carmen I..."

"You what?" she said. I looked down. Did I dare? I decided that I did.

"Carmen, I've fallen in love with you. No! Don't say anything. I'll go," I said. I actually started to get up.

She came to me, grabbed me and kissed me. "Me too," she said.

"Uh-huh-uh... well, maybe I won't leave just yet after all. I'll go later," I said. I knew right at that moment that Carmen Mendoza was indeed a threat to Stacy's position as the love of my life. No, that's not right; she'd already supplanted her in my heart. Before I knew of the likes of good 'ole Gerald? Probably not. But now? Oh yeah, I thought.

We talked for almost two hours. Carmen forced me to agree to make one more effort to get Stacy to dump her lover and to be a real wife once again. She did not, as she assured me, want me regretting going with her on some sort of rebound thing. I actually argued with her; but, then, she hit me with the questions.

"Do you still have any feelings of love for her?" said Carmen.

"Well I—I'm not sure. Yesterday I might have said yes. Bruised and battered feelings but maybe something of the old feelings, well, maybe," I said.

"And, if she dumped the asshole, would that make you feel differently than maybe you do now?" said Carmen.

"Iffy. A lot of water under the bridge, and it's more than brackish. But in absolute terms? I don't know, maybe," I said. "If I hadn't connected with you..."

"Julian, I think you and I would be a very good fit. But, that said, I do not want there to be the slightest doubt in your mind that you would be doing the right thing to be with me. So, give her one last shot. If she cannot or will not end it with her lover or lovers, then it's on to plan B," she said.

"Plan B?" I said.

"You thank her for her candor, gather up the few things you'll need to get by for the next few days, and then come to my place and move in, and I mean tonight regardless of how late," she said. I looked up at the clock; it was almost 7:00PM.

"I'll take care of the divorce. And, no I won't screw her over or let you do so. She'll get a fair deal, but only that," said Carmen.

"Okay, okay," I said. "But, I have to tell you, I don't think this last hurrah is necessary. She needs more than I got or will ever have. I can lay it on her, and I will, but I will not stand for half measures. I need a one man woman. But, for you, I will lay it on her." She nodded.

The game still had to play out. There was still the slightest of slight chances that Stacy and I might make it; but the odds, given our recent history, were mightily against it.

******

It was Wednesday night. I was usually late on Wednesday nights: that had been the case since we were married: drinks with the boys. I looked at the clock. It was almost 8:00, and she wasn't home. Had to be him, I thought. I didn't know how right I was.

I heard the garage door engage. What I didn't hear, mainly because of the garage door engaging, was the engine of the sports car pulling into the driveway.

They came through the side door together. They saw me at the kitchen table.

"Jules! You're home!" she said.

"Yeah, I am," I said. "And, hello Gerald. The two of them were momentarily speechless. I took up the slack.

“Gerald, just to get to the meat of things. Stacy wants us to be friends. Well, that ain't happening. I don't like you. She does, but I don't," I said.

"Jules! What are you doing?" she said. Well, I guess my words did leave things a bit on the opaque side.

"Just this. And, oh, I'm actually glad you're here, Gerald. We can get this settled once and for all," I said.

"Settled?" said Gerald, speaking for the first time.

"Yes, you can witness Stacy making her choice," I said.

"Choice? What are you talking about, Jules?" said Stacy.

"Stacy, you and I have been married a long time. But, for whatever reason, in this past year plus, you have seen fit to make me your cuckold. I've let you know how hurtful such a title is for me, but you made the case that it didn't really matter because you loved me and only me and were committed to making damn sure I was satisfied in how you were planning to do me.

"Me, being the pussywhipped wimp that I am, reluctantly agreed to look the other way and accept my second class citizenship in terms of our sex lives. But seeing this..." I started.

"Jules, you were supposed to be out bowling..." she started.

"Pool, actually, wrong time of the year for bowling. But, no, I was sitting in a bar with a friend. The friend advised me, as I was crying in my beer, to come home and see if there was anything left for us as a couple. I considered it, and decided to do just that.

"But, imagine my surprise to find you here, with him, virtually rubbing my nose in it. I mean after all of our talks on the matter," I said.

"Julian, I am not, was not, trying to rub your nose in it. Gerald would have been long gone by the time you got home at midnight or later," she said.

"I never stay past 11:00," said Gerald.

"So this is a regular thing," I said. Stacy paled.

"Jules..." she started.

"Look, Stacy, this is the way it's going to be. Tell good 'ole Gerald here that he is history forevermore. Sign a postnup that precludes you ever cheating again, and we will try to save this marriage and find our way back to the kind of love we once knew, at least that I thought we once knew," I said. "That or I'm the one that's history, and I mean immediately."

"Look, Julian, let me catch my breath here, okay?" I mean after all of the conversations we've had. And you agreeing to..."

"Not agreeing, Stacy, submitting to. Well, I'm done submitting. Now, I'm dictating. So which is it," I said.

"Gerald, I think you better leave. We'll talk," she said, addressing him.

"Not good enough, Stace. He's either permanently history or I am. Again, which is it?" I said.

"Julian, you're not being fair..."

"Okay, I guess I have my answer.

"Have a beer, Gerald," I nodded toward the frig. "I'll be out of your hair in a few, and you can have her."

"Julian!" she screamed.

"Too late, Stacy. I'm employing plan B. I'll be outta here shortly," I said.

"Plan B?" she interjected.

"Look, mister, McCormack, I don't want to come between you and missus McCormack," interrupted Gerald. I think he was being sincere in a youngish kinda stupid sort of way.

"Too late, boy," I said. "Have a good evening." I was outta the house in just twenty-five minutes.

******

"He was actually there?" said Carmen.

"Not only there, but indicated that he was 'usually' there on Wednesday. That since Wednesday is usually my night out with some of the boys. Said he was always gone no later than 11:00PM though. Thoughtful of him, dontcha think?" I said, and that quite sarcastically. Carmen just shook her head in disbelief.

"So what now?" said Carmen.

"I file for divorce. You finally say yes to me. And all of us get on with building a future for ourselves. Well, those are my priorities at any rate," I said.

"Okay, I'll have her served. Infidelity or irreconcilable differences?" She said.

"Infidelity. Frankly, I'm angry. I mean all of the arrogance, lies, broken promises. And doing it in my fucking house! Oh yeah, infidelity. I'll get you all of the latest from Phil and Marvin," I said. She nodded.

"Good," that oughta be enough. Oh, and by the way—yes!" A smile spread over my face and I took this new and wonderful love of my life into my arms. I was going to do my damnedest to be worthy of her.

******

Stacy got her back up and did her damnedest to stop the divorce and get me back Promised to never stray again. But, what she refused to do was sign any kind of a postnup. It wouldn't have mattered anyway; I was done hoping and praying. She'd had her final opportunity to get with the program, and had tried to sidestep it. I figured that was what she was trying to do now. But, whatever, she and I were done.

She had been able to get the court to force counseling, but in the end I was adamant, and it came to naught, the counseling.

We did have a final sit down, but this time it was with my lawyer present. No more would I put myself in the position of her dropping her pants and essentially enslaving me. No, no, she held all of the bullets in that kind of set-to.

******

Carmen and I were married almost exactly a year after that night in the kitchen with Gerald. And what of Gerald?

He did move in with her for a while, but as Carmen had predicted early on, he did tire of the older woman and opted for younger birds that eventually came at his handsome well-endowed person with a vengeance.

Stacy still worked for the same place, Merlyn Home Furnishings. I still labored for Carter Construction. I gave her the house, with me making the payments till it was paid off, that in lieu of alimony—sixty thousand to go. No kids so that was not an issue. I was satisfied.

"Carmen, who after the fact I discovered, made twice what I did, made me sign a prenup. Oh, she trusted me right enough. But, as she said, if I never cheated or decided to dump her for money or some younger chickee; well, then the prenup meant nothing anyway. I agreed. And, I had no problem with it.

What benefit did I get out of things? Fantastic sex to start the list; and, a woman who was satisfied, believe it or not, with what physical attributes I brought to the table; and, a much improved lifestyle both socially and otherwise.

I was in love, she was in love, and that with me, and the future looked real good. Helluva note.