Awakenings Ch. 28

At 6:25 the following evening Maureen drove into the parking lot of Jimmy's Steakhouse. I was waiting for her on the sidewalk holding a single long stemmed red rose. As soon as she was finished parking I walked over to her car, opened the door for her and held it while she stepped out.

Once she was standing in the parking lot I handed her the rose, kissed her cheek and said, "For the most beautiful woman in Fort Meyers."

Looking at me skeptically, Maureen took the rose and said, "Michael, this is very nice, no it's wonderful. It's been a long time since anyone has done anything like this for me." She paused and then she asked, "But why? You don't have to court me. I'm just as eager for sex tonight as I hope you are."

Smiling I said, "I am eager for sex tonight, but that's not why I brought you the rose."

"Okay..."

"I gave you the rose because I want you to know that you're special."

"Michael, you're a married man and last night you made it very clear that you intend to stay married to your wife."

"That is very true, but it doesn't mean you can't be special. Besides, buying you flowers was my wife's suggestion."

"Your wife's suggestion?"

"Yes, she thought you might enjoy a little romance."

"Jeanne wants you to court me?"

"No, she wants you to enjoy a little romance. While romance is definitely a part of courtship, Jeanne doesn't believe it has to be limited to that. She thinks romance can just be for fun. She feels it's an exciting part of foreplay."

Maureen considered that. After a moment she smiled and said, "I like the way your wife thinks."

Offering her my arm, I said, "Shall we go inside and have dinner?"

Clutching the rose, Maureen grinned and took my arm. As we walked into the restaurant she said, "This is already turning out to be a wonderful evening."

The hostess seated us. The same waitress we'd had the previous evening arrived and took our cocktail orders. I asked for a Manhattan. Maureen opted for a margarita.

After the waitress was gone I asked, "Did you tell Eric about me?"

"As soon as he got home last night."

"How did he react?"

"The hypocritical bastard blew his stack. He called me a slut."

"What did you say to that?"

"I told him I was still a novice, but I intended to try to become a very proficient slut."

Chuckling, I said, "Please tell me how he responded to that."

"He asked me if I was trying to humiliate him. I told him yes, every bit as much as he's already humiliated me and then a hundred fold more. From there it degenerated into a screaming match that ended when he stormed out of the house."

"Where did he go?"

"I assume he went back to his chippy's apartment. I don't really care."

"How are you doing now?"

Maureen smiled. "Michael, it's been a very long time since I've felt this good. Last night I slept like baby."

"I'm glad we met yesterday."

"I am too. I assume from our conversation about the rose that you told Jeanne about me. She obviously wasn't jealous."

"She was at first. She's terrified I'm going to leave her for a woman like you."

"A woman like me?"

"An attractive, level headed, mature woman who's lost her husband to a younger woman."

"You flatter me."

"No, you're all of that and more."

"My husband doesn't appear to agree."

"I suspect that someday he'll come to his senses."

"Someday will be too late. I think it's already too late."

"I understand."

"You said that Jeanne was jealous at first. That would imply that you reassured her that I wasn't a threat."

"You're not. It's important you understand that. I love my wife. We're now leading an eccentric lifestyle, but that hasn't changed the fact that I love her and I always will love her."

"I appreciate your honesty."

"Still want to be a slut?"

"More than ever."

"Even though I'm a happily married man?"

"Yes, in fact knowing that you're an honest happily married man makes it feel safer. I don't think you'll hurt me."

"I'll try very hard not to do that.

"I believe you."

Maureen and I smiled at each other for a moment and then she said, "I want to hear more about your friends in Tucson."

I spent the rest of the dinner telling Maureen about my time with Amy and Mel. After dinner we went back to my motel room. The sex was sensational.

Afterward, as Maureen dressed, she stopped and looked at me. "Thank you Micheal. When you're confronted with the fact that your husband is cheating on you it causes a uncontrolled spiral into a pit of despair. I was floundering in that pit when I sat down to dinner last night by myself. I'd questioned everything that had happened and laid the blame at my own feet. I was convinced that I'd gotten too complacent with my looks, too boring in the bedroom, too preoccupied with being a homemaker and not attentive enough to being a wife. I'd come to the conclusion that it was all my fault. Then you came along. You told me I was beautiful. You showed me how to enjoy sex on my own terms for the first time in years. You helped me understand that it wasn't entirely my fault. You rescued me. You made me believe in myself as a woman again. Thank you for pulling me back."

"I didn't have to pull hard. You wanted to be rescued. You allowed me to rescue you."

"I needed someone to tell me that I was still a desirable woman. You did that."

"That was easy. Maureen you are a very desirable woman."

"And you Michael, are a lovely man."

The next night we met for dinner again. After dinner we retired to my motel room for sex. It was Saturday night so Maureen felt relaxed and unhurried. After our sex we lay cuddled together in bed, talking and enjoying the touch our naked bodies. At ten my cell phone rang. It was of course, Jeanne. Maureen and I were still lying in bed together naked.

I picked up my cell phone. "Hi Jeanne."

"Hi Michael. How was your evening?"

"Very nice."

"Did you get together with Maureen again?"

"Yes." I paused and then I added, "Jeanne, she's still here."

There was silence. After a moment Jeanne said, "She's still there?"

"Yes."

"Are you lying in bed together?"

"Yes."

"Are you both naked?"

"Yes Jeanne, we are."

Silence again. Seconds that seemed more like minutes passed. Finally Jeanne said, "I see."

"Jeanne?"

"Can she hear me?"

"No, the speakers not on."

"Is she going home or is she going to spend the night with you?"

"We haven't discussed that. I know you always send your lovers home."

"I do, but I also know it's different with men."

"What do you mean?"

"When the sex is over most men can't wait to go home."

"Michael, let me talk to her." It was Maureen.

I looked at her for a moment and then I nodded and said into my phone, "Jeanne, Maureen would like to talk to you."

After a brief pause Jeanne answered, "Okay, switch your phone to the speaker."

I switched on the speaker. "It's done. You and Maureen can now hear each other."

"Maureen, I'm Jeanne Nolan."

"Hi Jeanne, I'm Maureen Styles."

"I understand you're fucking my husband."

Suddenly looking abashed, Maureen tentatively answered, "Yes." But then collecting herself, she quickly added, "I understand you regularly enjoy other men."

Chuckling, Jeanne said, "Touche, I like you Maureen. You've got backbone."

"I wish that was true. For the past two months I've allowed my husband to treat me like a doormat."

"Last night Michael told me a little bit about your problems. I'm sorry. I'm glad Michael is helping you."

"Thank you for letting him help me. I understand the rose was your idea."

"The rose?"

"Yes when I met Michael for dinner tonight he brought me a single red rose."

Jeanne burst out laughing. "That fox. I told him to bring you flowers, but a single red rose, that's much more creative."

Suddenly concerned, I asked, "Was that alright Jeanne?"

"Yes Michael, it was perfectly fine. It was very romantic. Maureen, did he talk about me?"

"Yes Jeanne, he talks about you constantly. It's clear to me that Michael loves you very much and he's been extremely direct about the fact that he's neither available for nor seeking a permanent relationship with any other woman."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Yes Jeanne, I am. I'm not looking for love. I'm too shattered for that. Right now, I just want someone who will help me restore my self confidence. Your husband is doing a wonderful job. Jeanne?"

"Yes Maureen."

"I wasn't planning to spend the night with Michael and I promise you that I won't do that. I understand why it would bother you and I agree. Sleeping with someone is a very intimate act. My husband often spends the night with his girlfriend. I think that bothers me more than the sex."

"Thank you for understanding."

"You're welcome."

"Michael told me you want him to teach you how to be a slut."

Maureen grinned and then she answered, "Mostly I want him to teach me how to give a man I just met a blow job without feeling guilty about it."

"Overcoming guilt, that is the trick."

"You seem to have been able to do it."

"Believe me, it wasn't easy, especially at first. Right after Michael left I was so overcome with guilt that I didn't even try to date."

"But you did eventually start."

"Yes, my daughters intervened. They convinced me that this was my opportunity to experiment with this new lifestyle; I shouldn't pass it by. It required all the nerve I could muster, but I started. Micheal told you about Brady's, didn't he."

"Yes he did."

"That was a safe, nonthreatening way to begin."

"How did you find out about that place?"

"A woman who works in the same building as me told me about it. We often have coffee together. She goes there."

"I wish I could find a bar like that."

"I'm sure Fort Meyers has one. I suspect every large city has a bar like Brady's."

"That might be true, but I don't have any idea how I'd go about finding it."

"Michael told me you're a secretary."

"Yes, for an investment company."

"Are you in an office building?"

"A small one."

"Is there a coffee shop where other secretaries gather?"

"Yes, but I don't go there very often."

"I suggest you start going there every day."

"You think..."

"Maybe, maybe not, but it seems like a good place to start and it certainly can't hurt."

Slowly nodding her head, Maureen said, "Thank you Jeanne, that's a good idea."

"Maureen?"

"Yes Jeanne."

"Can I ask a favor?"

"Of course."

"Please don't steal my husband from me."

Maureen was silent. Several seconds passed and then she said, "Jeanne, I won't do that, not ever. Even if I wanted to do it I don't think I could. Michael is madly in love with you."

"I know that, but I'm afraid I've created a situation that makes him vulnerable."

"Even if that was the case, I still wouldn't try to steal Michael from you. If I did that I'd be doing the same thing to you that my husband's girlfriend did to me. Regardless of how wonderful Michael is, I couldn't live with myself if I acted like her." Maureen paused. After a moment she added, "That isn't the only reason."

Jeanne said, "Tell me."

"Eric broke my heart and destroyed my trust. The anguish I've endured for the past two months has been unbearable. I can't risk going through that again. Jeanne, I don't think I'm capable of loving someone right now. For the time being my heart has to be hidden away in a place where no one, not even Michael can reach it.

"Over time that will get better." Jeanne's voice was soft and understanding.

"I hope so, but you understand, don't you. Right now I can't fall in love with anyone."

"Yes Maureen, I understand." Jeanne paused. After a moment she asked, "Michael, do you understand?"

I glanced at Maureen. Her gaze was fixed on me. Smiling at her, I answered, "Yes, Jeanne, I believe I do."

Maureen smiled back at me. Honesty and openness makes life so much simpler.

During the next several days Maureen and I fell into a pattern. Each evening Maureen parked her car in front of my motel room next to my Escape. Together we walked across the street to Jimmy's Steakhouse for dinner. After dinner we returned to my motel room where we eagerly explored each others sexual desires. Maureen was becoming wonderfully adept at giving head and I have to admit that my oral skills were also improving.

At ten we always called Jeanne. The three of us took turns talking about the mundane events of our days and then we shared our most recent sexual adventures. Both Jeanne and Maureen loved analyzing the art of fellatio. An avowed voyeur, listening to their discussions was one of my favorite pastimes.

Tuesday evening I checked my email. It was after dinner. Maureen had just finished sucking my cock. We were taking a short break. Sex between us had become relaxed and casual.

I had an email from Ruth. I read it to Maureen.

"Dear Michael,

The office continues to run smoothly. It's the beginning of a new year so Jason and Bernie Kyle are both busy, but they're well organized. We're staying on top of the workload.

I understand you have a new female friend in Fort Meyers. Jeanne is a little apprehensive about this. Both Abby and I are trying to reassure her that you love her and are simply enjoying the freedom of your new relationship. While she understands what we're telling her, she is still unsettled. I think it's good for her. It gives her insight into how you're feeling.

It appears that my personal life is about to undergo a significant change. David and I are both excited, but also a little anxious about the impending event. I believe Jeanne has mentioned something about this to you, but I'm not exactly certain what she has told you, so I'm going to start at the beginning.

You already know that for the past several months David has become increasingly open about his submissive masochism. Please don't judge him. He really is a strong man, a wonderful husband and an outstanding father. For some reason surrendering power accompanied by a mild mixture of pain and humiliation excites him. He certainly isn't hurting anyone and frankly I have to admit that I've learned that I enjoy wielding power and have a bit of a sadistic streak. Inflicting a little pain and humiliation gets me very excited. I guess I have to ask you not to judge me either.

Michael, six months ago I never would have even dreamed that I might have these desires. Now I'm not only acknowledging and accepting them, I'm telling you about them. Life certainly has taken a bizarre twist.

A little over a month ago David started urging me to contact my old boyfriend, Nick Granger. I have adamantly refused to do that and intend to continue to steadfastly hold that position. I have too much baggage with Nick. I also know that he has a substantial sadistic streak. I fear that he might be cruel to David and I'm even more afraid that in the excitement of the moment I might forget this is just a game and join him in his cruelty. I love David. The possibility that I might lose control and actually hurt him is unthinkable.

David reluctantly understood. We had resigned ourselves to weekly visits to Brady's Saloon with Jeanne and Abby, but then last week something happened that might change that. Abby, Jeanne, David and I were having dinner together at Mario's Cafe before we went to Brady's. During dinner Abby made an unexpected proposal to us. She has a friend. Actually he's a friend of her husband, Luther. His name is Matt Haynes. He's a little older than David and me, but Abby says he's extremely handsome and very nice. He owns a flooring company. He installs all the tile and carpeting in Luther's buildings.

Like Luther, Matt has always been a notorious ladies man. Abby calls him a sex hound. Now that he's getting older he's finding that he has neither the time nor the energy for night clubs and dating. He'd like to settle down, but marriage is out of the question. He's been married three times. All three marriages were disasters. He's looking for a casual, no strings attached relationship with a woman who has an adventurous attitude about sex.

Abby plays with him occasionally and I think Jeanne might start too, but both of them crave variety. Neither of them are interested in a long term relationship. Because we still have two teenagers living at home the convenience of a long term relationship with a man who understands and accepts the commitment David and I have for each other is an attractive prospect.

As soon as we got home that night David started trying to persuade me to at least meet Matt. I have to admit that it didn't take a lot of convincing. Frankly I'm just as eager to meet Matt as David is. The next morning I called Abby. She called Matt and set up a date. Jeanne is hosting a little cocktail party tonight. It will just be Abby, Jeanne, their new friends Mark and Bobby and Matt and me. While David is disappointed that he's not invited, he understands. Matt and I need an opportunity to get to know each other before he can be included.

Michael, David and I are so excited. We can't wait for tonight. Yesterday we went lingerie shopping at the mall. David picked out nylon stockings, a garter belt and a matching brassiere for me to wear for Matt. When I asked him about panties he told me he didn't want me to wear them. I had a little orgasm right there in the store.

It's a good thing we're busy at the office. It feels like time is moving at a snail's pace. At least I have work to divert my attention a little bit.

I'm sure Jeanne will call you tonight after the party. I'll write to you tomorrow to tell you how things went with Matt.

Love,

Ruth"

I looked up from my computer. Maureen was slowly shaking her head. I asked, "What?"

Smiling, Maureen said, "You certainly have some kinky friends."

"Kinky?"

She chuckled. "Yes, don't you agree?"

"I don't know. I have to think about this."

"You have to think about it? Really?"

"Well yes, I mean how do you define kinky?"

Maureen paused. After a moment she said, "I'm not exactly sure how to define it, but I can certainly recognize it when I see it. Your friends, David and Ruth are kinky."

"Isn't that a matter of perspective?"

"I don't think it is."

"Aren't you kinky too?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you want to become a blow job queen. I submit that many people would consider that a kinky aspiration."

Smiling, Maureen said, "Okay, I'll grant you that, but there is still the issue of degree."

"You're saying that David and Ruth are kinkier than you are."

"I guess that's exactly what I'm saying, but when you put it like that you make me feel a little judgmental."

"You're suggesting that kinky is bad?"

"No that's not what I'm trying to say at all." Maureen shook her head. "This is getting all twisted. Suddenly I'm not sure what I'm saying."

"Good, your mind is opening."

Maureen stared at me.

I grinned at her. "This is slut boot camp, remember?"

She laughed. "Okay professor, tell me what you think."

"I don't think kinky is a matter of degree. It's a matter of taste."

"A matter of taste? You're going to have to explain that."

"Certainly, My wife enjoys sex with other men. Hearing about it excites me, so I enjoy it too. Many people consider that kinky."

"Yes, we agree on that."

"David and Ruth enjoy that same pleasure. Are they kinkier than Jeanne and me?"

"Yes, because..."

"Because they also enjoy a little domination, submission and sadomasochism. David wants Ruth to deny him the pleasures she freely gives to other men."

"Exactly."

"Does that really make it kinkier or is that just a sexual pleasure that doesn't resonate with you? Are men who enjoy sex with other men kinky? Is anal sex inherently kinky?"

"So you don't have any limits."

"Of course I do. I have the limits of my own personal preferences. If I wasn't a voyeur I think I might very well be in the process of divorcing Jeanne right now, but I am a voyeur. Our kinks appeal to each others personal desires, so her new lifestyle is working for us."