Adam's Journey Pt. 21

Izzy and I made small talk for a few moments, catching up on the small details of each other's lives. It had really been less than a month since we had spoken, but that's a long time for us. It goes that way though, sometimes talking several times in a week when I have access to a phone, and other times we will go several weeks between calls. We always know that we can call, though, if we need a friend.

I needed one now, and Izzy sensed that.

"So, Adam, it's always great to hear your voice, but what's really on your mind?"

I proceeded to tell her of the events that had been twisting up my life, leaving out nothing. Things that would be too painful or embarrassing to speak of to anyone else just flowed when speaking to her, and she listened, mostly in silence. She would occasionally stop me to ask a question, clarifying some point I had failed to include, and occasionally she would lend me what moral support she could, usually with a simple, sympathetic "Oh, Adam!" during the most painful parts. For example, when I had discovered Kristi with another man.

I spoke for close to an hour, and finished wrung out and hoarse, but strangely cleansed and at peace. When I stopped talking she waited a few seconds, perhaps to see if there was more still to come, then asked "So, what are you going to do?"

"Jeez Izz, I don't know. I was hoping maybe you'd tell me."

She laughed. "You dipshit, you know it doesn't work that way."

I laughed too, and it felt good. Her calling me dipshit always made me smile. That's been what she has always called me when I say something silly or stupid, intentionally or otherwise, probably since we were about five years old. She had picked it up from an older brother, I think, and had been scolded for it countless times before everyone gave up.

"No, I know Izz, I'm just kidding. I'm just so confused and hurt, I guess. All my best laid plans for Kristi and me seem kind of worthless right now, since I don't know if I can live by her rules. I just don't know. Tell me what you think."

"What I think? Adam, what I think is that I've never, ever, seen you as happy as you have been with Kristi. After Lisa I was afraid you were ruined forever, you were so depressed, and then you just drifted until Kristi came along, and then boom, you were the same old happy, easy-going, lovable guy I grew up with. She's good for you, and you know it."

She was right, but still, the cheating and fucking around... "I don't know Izz, I'm not sure I can take the fooling around and all."

She thought for awhile, and we were silent. "Try it Adam."

"Try it? What the hell Izzy, it's not like buying shoes or test driving a car, it's watching the woman I love have sex with another man! I can't just try it!"

"I know honey, I know, but what does it hurt? You can walk away now, and always wonder if you did the right thing, if maybe you should have stayed with this woman that so amazes and captivates you, or you can do as she wants and watch her have sex and see if you can tolerate it. Or maybe even enjoy it. If it's too bad you can always walk away later."

"Enjoy it. Yeah, right Izz. Now who's the dipshit?"

"Give it a chance Adam. You said it makes you horny to think about it, and from the pictures you've shown me she's stunning. What's wrong with watching a beautiful woman have sex? I though all guys liked that. Hell Adam, she's so pretty I'd like to watch her!"

"Gosh Izz, I did not know that about you! You always seemed so straight."

"Funny man. You know what I mean. Anyhow, aren't you being a little hypocritical?"

I knew what she meant. She meant her and I, our ongoing affair which Kristi knew nothing about, and the fact that I had fathered a child. That aspect, the child more than the affair, is what had kept me from telling Kristi about us. We had told each other early on that neither of us had any kids, and had decided that we wanted some together, something special that just the two of us could share in, and I was afraid that would hurt her the most, finding out I had already fathered one child.

"I know Izz. Kori has told me several times to fess up to Kristi about you, but I haven't found the right moment."

"Listen to Kori, Adam, she's a smart lady. She loves you guys."

"But what if part of Kristi's conditions for staying together mean giving you up Izz? I can't do that, ever. You know that."

"Don't buy trouble Adam. Move forward and deal with what comes up when it does. You're such a worrier!"

"I know Izz. So that's your advice, basically just do it? I could have gotten that from a Nike commercial."

"I'm not giving you advice Adam, we don't do that. I'm just doing what we always do, helping you see what you already know."

She was right, of course, but I had a ways to go still. I changed the subject. "Hey, you've got a birthday coming up!"

"What an odd coincidence, so do you!"

"Yeah, Izz, but you're way older than me."

"Four whole days, you big jerk. But I look way younger."

She was right about that, she was still a gorgeous woman with her busty but trim little body, raven hair, and dark, sparkling eyes. I laughed at our ritual. "You've got me there. What do you want for your birthday this year?"

She grew very quiet. "Adam, Paul and I would like to try one more time for a little girl. Will you help us again?"

That moved me deeply. "Isabel, I would be very honored to try to help you. I need to figure out this whole deal first, and if Kristi and I are going to be together, well, she needs to know first."

"Adam what if she says no?"

"Then Kristi and I will part ways, Izz. You know I'd never let you down."

"Oh Adam, I don't want to be responsible for that."

"What was it you said? Don't buy trouble, Izzy. We'll deal with it."

"Adam, I love you. Are you coming to the convention again this year, in November?"

I attended an industry convention and seminar in Houston, her hometown, every year. It was one of our semi-annual weekends together, following the convention.

"Planning to, why?"

"Because I think the timing will be about right, if it works out."

"It'll work out Izz. I love you too. Thanks for listening, you've been a big help, as always. Give Paul and the boys a big hug for me."

"Anytime, Adam. Do what you always do Adam, the right thing."

"Bye Izz."

"Bye Adam."

So, it was easy. All I had to do was figure out the right thing.

I sat there for a few secomds, just thinking about what Izzy had said, and enjoying the warm feelings I always had after talking to her. It just felt good to me, and I know she felt the same.

You might wonder how it is that we had known each other since birth, loved each other dearly, and had wound up not marrying each other. I've wondered that too, many times, and never more so than when my marriage to Lisa had crashed and burned. But she was married to Paul by then, and that's probably a good thing or there's no telling where the rebound might have taken us.

The truth is that we had somehow known, even as dumb teenagers, that marrying each other would be a great way to fuck up an incredible friendship. We could love each other, we could support each other, we could even have an amazing physical realtionship, but we could not be responsible for each other's happiness, it just wouldn't work.

We had been each other's first everything; first playmate, first friend, first "play doctor, you-show-me-yours and I'll-show-you-mine" partners, experiencing all the growth and changes we each went through together right on up through our teens. We had explored our world, experienced family life and love and tragedy together, pushed boundaries, and become totally dependent on each other as yin and yang, as I mentioned earlier.

I'll give you a couple of examples, hopefully brief, of the type of things that brought us so close:

The first one, kind of funny in retrospect, had occurred when we were out ice skating. Where we grew up, near Chicago, we used to skate every winter on the river that ran near our homes, and could go several miles up or downstream. We knew the couple of spots where the current made the ice thin, and avoided those. Although in the heart of civilization, the river seemed like a wilderness with the banks lined with trees and the stillness of winter settled over it, and in many places no homes or roads were visible, and no traffic sounds could be heard.

On that day Izzy and I were out skating together, as we often did. I think we were about 10 years old that winter, maybe 11, and we would skate until our toes and fingers grew numb from the cold and our laces were so iced up they were impossible to untie, then recover our shoes from where we'd left them on the bank and put the guards back over our blades and walk home in our skates (to either of our homes) for hot chocolate.

Way up river, about an hour or so into our skate, I was suffering the usual bursting bladder from the cold and had to stop to pee. We were used to this, and comfortable with each other's bodies by then, so it was no big deal. Izzy decided she'd take advantage of the stop as well, and stepped into the snow near the bank, by some bushes, and dropped her pants to squat down. I stayed at the edge of the ice and just peed onto the snowy bank, my fingers savagely cold on my little dick, but at least I could keep my pants up. I felt bad for Izz, having to expose her whole butt and all, but that's the way it is, and I was clowning around and writing my name in the snow, as young boys will do.

Izzy had started first, and finished first, and came back and stood and watched me pee, and write.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm writing my name."

"No! Really? That's stupid, Adam."

"Yeah, but it's fun. You're just jealous."

"Am not, you're gross."

I finished and tucked everything away where it was warmer, and Izzy stepped over and looked at my handiwork, my name clearly spelled out in faint yellow tracks in the snow.

"I want to write my name."

"I don't think you can Izz, you'd get your footprints all in it and mess it up."

"No dipshit, I know that. I want to write my name using your, um, pencil." She laughed at her own joke, as did I.

"Oh. But I don't have to go anymore."

"You're such a dummy sometimes. I meant next time, OK?"

"Oh. OK, I guess, but you'll have to write in cursive, I can't do block letters."

She pushed me into the snow, where I fell, laughing at her, and she jumped on me, and we wrestled around and got snow down each other's backs, then went home and warmed ourselves with hot chocolate. We never did get around to her writing her name in the snow, although I would write her name in the snow for her, as well as carve it into the bark of a tree, above my own, in a large heart.

Later, when we were some years older older, I would give her her first orgasm, and she mine. Well, OK, the first one that wasn't self-induced. And that was the story of our formative years, living and learning together, helping each other, experimenting, testing, discovering, growing, and loving each other.

I look back with great fondness to those years, and to the many happy and sad times we've shared since. And yes, I sometimes wonder how our lives would have been if we had stayed together, and married, and started a family. But that's the road not taken, and we've both found ways to joy and happiness, secure in the fact that we will always have each other when the need arises.

After getting off the phone with Izzy I decided to get cleaned up a little and walk over to see what Ron and Kori were up to. I figured they'd be home from their breakfast with Rain and Morgan by then, if they weren't already.

I decided I didn't need a shower after my swim, so I just ran a comb through my hair and put on a little deodorant and clean clothes, shorts and a t-shirt. I tried again to call Kristi before heading over, and again she didn't take my call. Damn stubborn woman! I left her a voice mail to please call me, but knew she wouldn't.

I also checked my email, and saw I had several, including one from Izzy which I didn't open right then, having just spoken to her. If it was important, she'd have mentioned it.

I whistled up Ralph. "Come on goofball, let's go see Kori!"

That was all he needed to hear, he ran straight across to their yard and disappeared onto their patio. He loves Kori, but then everyone does. I heard them hollering at him, and figured he'd barged into something, but at least I knew they were home.

I smelled paint as I got closer, and rounded the corner to find them both with brushes in hand, trying to keep Ralph out of the can of stain they were using to refinish their redwood patio furniture. Ralph obviously wanted to help, and evidently planned to use his tail as a brush. I grabbed him and pulled him back, and got him settled down, then turned to look at Kori.

She had dressed for the job in a tiny old bikini, bottom only, apparently figuring that the stain would come off skin easier than out of clothes. Brush in hand, hair pulled back, tits out and a light sheen of sweat and several red splashes of stain on her skin, she looked sexy as hell. In case you haven't figured it out, Kori has a strong streak of exhibitionist in her, and pretty much displays it around anyone at anytime, but she seems to take special pleasure in tormenting me.

I said hi to Ron, and bent and gave Kori a quick kiss, avoiding the wet stain on her and her brush. I wasn't sure if she was getting more stain on the furniture, or on herself. "I love your outfit babe. Did you find that at the paint store?"

She smiled and shook her tits at me. Knowing I was looking at her, her nipples obligingly puckered up. "Hi Adam. Are you going to help me get the paint off me when I'm done here?"

"You bet. What's more sexy than a mineral spirits rubdown?"

Ron cut in. "Hey, I thought that was my job! That's the only reason I'm doing this instead of hiring someone!"

"That's a good point Ronnie, how come you don't just hire somebody to do this kind of stuff? You can afford it."

"Look at my assistant Adam. Do you think I should hire some hairy, smelly guy to hang around here and do this when I can watch her do the job? Do I look stupid to you?"

He had a very valid point. "Ah. I understand. Do you by any chance hire her out? I have a couple of rooms I'd like to watch her paint."

Kori piped up. "Hey, all this talk of hiring your wife out to another man and people watching me work naked is getting me turned on. You better quit if you want me to finish this job. Are you going to help us Adam, or just watch?"

"Just watch, I think. Someone has to supervise. Can I grab anyone a beer?"

"Chauvinist pig. You can get me a beer, and you know you don't have to ask Ronnie, he never turns down a cold beer."

I grabbed three from their patio bar fridge, icy cold, and popped them open and delivered them, then sat down to watch them paint. Well, let's be honest. I sat down to watch Kori paint, and it was well worth watching, her soft tits swaying as she moved, her tan skin and smooth muscles moving with her work, bending and flexing. I found it quite arousing, and I think K was getting horny knowing I was watching her. She intentionally showed off for me, giving me good angles from which to admire her body.

I know the thought of hiring somebody to do their chores like this just never occurred to Ron, he hadn't come from money. He had worked his own way up, and was used to doing for himself, and didn't mind hard or tedious work. He would never hesitate to blow a fortune on fun, or on friends, but he didn't see any sense in paying for stuff he could do himself. Unique guy, and one of the reasons I love them.

"Hey, have you no shame man, sitting there ogling my wife?" Ronnie was grinning at me.

"Sorry, but she's just so ogle-able. You wouldn't begrudge a lonely man the pleasure of looking at a beautiful woman, would you? Especially a beautiful and almost naked woman. If so, I'd better leave, 'cause I can't seem to take my eyes off her."

Kori stopped and smiled at me, brushing back a few loose hairs, completely at ease with her nudity. "So, you haven't heard from Kristi yet, I take it?"

"No, she won't answer my calls. Will you call her later for me, and make sure she's OK?"

"Sure. If you'll tell me everything that happened last night between you guys and Morgan and Rain."

"Yeah, OK, in a while."

"They were weird this morning Adam, it was like role reversal. Rain was all bubbly and self assured and Morgan was very quiet and subdued, like he had lost his self-confidence or something. Not at all like last night."

Ron was listening to us. "Now that you mention it, you're right! I knew something was off-kilter this morning. That was kind of odd. What the heck did you guys do to them last night?"

So I told them the whole story, start to finish, details about me and Rain and as much as I knew about Kristi and Morgan, and what had happened at our house after. They were shocked, I think, more at my behavior than Kristi's, and kind of glad to hear about Morgan being humiliated.

Ronnie just looked at me for a second, then said "So you drilled his cute litttle wife, huh? Good for you, I bet she's ruined for him now after you cracked her. He was kind of an asshole anyhow, he deserved it."

"It wasn't like that Ronnie, it just happened. She's really very sweet and vulnerable, I'm not all that proud of what I did you know."

"Don't be such a softie Adam, he was trying to get in Kristi's pants all night. Slam his wife, enjoy it, and leave her dripping and wanting more, for Pete's sake."

"Come on Ronnie, let it go. Rain is really very nice, I didn't do her to hurt him, I really liked her, and enjoyed being with her."

Kori took my side. "Leave him alone Ron, Adam's not like you, he just treats women nicer. You know how he is."

I was thinking; yeah, I always treat women so nice. So why was I so ashamed of the way I had treated Kristi, and now about lying to her and hiding Izzy and her son, my son, Cody, from her for so long?

They finished up with the painting as I finished up my beer, and Ron took the brushes to put in a can of thinner for cleaning. Kori stood and retrieved the container of mineral spirits and a rag, and stood holding them, hip cocked seductively.

"So, are you sure you don't want to help me get this stuff off of me?"

It was incredibly tempting, she had several splotches of red stain on her arms and hands, one of which she had managed to rub across her cheek and nose, a big drop she had splashed on her thigh just below her bikini that had run down her leg about six inches or so, and the best one of all, a big smear on the underside of her upper arm which she had by now smeared all over the outer curve of her left breast. She was one sexy mess.

Ronnie, looking on as he cleaned the tools, said "At least help her with that stuff on her face Adam, I don't want her getting that shit too close to her eyes. Kori, you quit trying to corrupt my friend, if he's too much of a prude to grope your tits when offered, don't force him."

Sighing, knowing I was being abused (albeit in a friendly way), I took the rag and moistened it with the liquid and began to gently clean the stain off of Kori's face. She stood disconcertingly close, staring up into my eyes as I dabbed the stain from her face. Her eyes were trusting, warm and loving, and I could feel the heat off her body, and thought I could smell her feminine sweat scent over the thinner. My heart was pounding.

"Mmm. You have a very gentle touch Adam, for such big hands."

"Close you eyes K, I need to get this part that you got on your nose. Did you accidently get any of this on the wood, by any chance?"

She closed her eyes, but stuck her tongue out at me, and I finished with her face and moved to her arms and hands, getting between her fingers and around her wedding ring. Soon all I had left was the smear on her breast and the dribble down her thigh. I tried to hand her the rag to finish herself, but she wouldn't take it.