It Could Happen to You

The bed thing; there was something there I couldn't quite put my finger on either, something that seemed different, scary. Celine and I had always been what I'd call 'sexual soul-mates'. We both liked the foreplay. We both enjoyed traditional sex; by that I mean we both preferred the missionary position. There has always been something about the old vanilla missionary thing that Celine and I enjoyed. We talked about it once.

Celine and I both kind of agreed doing the doggy or the cowgirl was great, but with missionary we were right there, looking right at it, or at each other. Me on top and her underneath, both hugging and kissing, and swaying to the rhythm, each of us cheek to cheek, eye to eye, breath to breath and emoting an intimacy like nothing else. For those few minutes the sex, if one could call it that, I preferred love, there was something where we two were totally in sync, completely focused, absolutely and utterly one and the same person. I found out humans are the only mammals that can do it missionary. Anthropologists say it's a way people bond. I think they're right.

Alabama, my favorite group, wrote a song about it, "She and I". One of the lines went 'She and I live in our own special world;' that's what it was; we were in our own special world, our own little cocoon, no one else, nothing else, just us, only us.

That's what I guess really scared the living shit out of me. We had this thing, this special thing about love and sex, and intimacy, and all that. I was so afraid my brother would destroy it. I hated him, and I hated myself for being so afraid to do anything about it. I just had to trust my wife. I did, but I was still scared, and the way she'd been behaving in bed only made things worse.

Over the last several days, no I'd say few weeks she'd been more ardent, for demanding, more loving than ever. What was reason for it? I'd been stupid. I'd been reading up on things like cheating and infidelity. When women got more affectionate it could mean a lot of things; two of those things were fear and guilt. Guilt! 'Oh Jesus, I feared, 'David and my wife were doing it. She'd succumbed to her old childish fantasies. She'd been benumbed by my brother's phony charms and greasy ways. My wife had let my brother into our lives! My dream, my nightmare was real!

That explained mom and dad too; they knew! They knew and were afraid if I found out I'd leave her. My nightmare was like a monster about to engulf and destroy everything I cherished. There was only one thing to do.

In my dream I'd missed class and gone home early and caught my brother in bed with my wife. I'd have to play out the dream; my life had degenerated into an old Hitchcock movie! I had no choice. I had to find out.

I started ditching classes. Oh I was careful. I made sure the professors were cooperative. I explained about our baby. I told both of them I'd have to miss a class from time to time to babysit. They were supportive.

By then my asshole brother had gotten rid of the motorcycle and bought another car. He'd slipped away for a few days and came back with another beauty; it was another one of those things where he showed up with an almost brand car with out of state tags. This time the car was a Lexus and the tag was Pennsylvania. The first time he'd had a car with Indiana plates, and I didn't know much about their policies. This time was different. I was more attuned to Pennsylvania law, and I was pretty sure he might have stolen this one. I held my piece.

I worried; what was wrong with the son-of-a-bitch? I knew about cocaine; how it could alter a personality, a perfectly regular guy could become a deceitful asshole. Had drugs done that to him? Was it my fault? Was it up to me to do something? Considering how I knew he was stalking my wife; I guess I should've.

~~V~~

I'd already missed three classes with no luck catching my wife or that hateful shit of a brother. This was my fourth missed class. Suddenly there it was! I knew someday it had to happen, but I always believed that the someday would never be today. I knew I wasn't making any sense, but for anyone who's ever been in a predicament like this they know it never makes sense.

David had his Lexus parked right in my spot. I scanned the Campanaris's and saw their car wasn't around; not in the garage and not on the street. Sure, I remembered, it was Thursday and on some Thursdays they went to the Masonic Lodge; yeah my father-in-law was a mason. He wanted me to join.

My brother was upstairs in my apartment with my wife. My daughter was up there too. This was it. I had to know. I didn't know what I'd do if I found something bad, but I had to at least know.

I got out of my car, my old rickety rusty S10. I quietly opened the unlocked door. I took off my shoes and stealthily climbed the stairs to what I feared more than anything else in the world. I was almost in tears. Was my wife in there betraying everything we hoped for and dreamed of? Oh I couldn't even think it.

I got to the top step and very quietly opened the door that led into our kitchen. Between our small kitchen and the bedroom was a tiny living room. I saw our bedroom door was open.

Based on what I'd read this was where I'd start to hear the moans and groans, the 'oh put it in me', the 'oh you're so big', the 'oh I 'm so glad it's you'. Anyone who's ever been betrayed knows the litany. I crept through the kitchen; that's when I heard. They were in, of all places, the living room. I backed up and retreated to the stairs. I could still hear, just more faintly. It was stunning; my world was forever changed.

They had to have been sitting on the sofa.

I'd gotten there at just the right time. I heard David first, "You know I love you, and I know you love me too."

I heard Celine, "I do love you. I love you more than you know."

My throat was dry. My lips had turned to powder. I had to keep listening. I heard him.

"Then why can't we make it mean something. All we have to do is go back there."

I couldn't see but I assumed my brother meant our bedroom.

I heard him say "We can, we need take that last step."

Then I heard Celine; it almost broke my heart, "David I've loved you since I was a child. I worshiped you. You were all I dreamed of..."

"Celine," I heard him whisper, "it's not too late. We can still make it happen."

Then Celine spoke. I gulped, "David things are different now..."

He interrupted, "Sure there's Michael. We won't hurt him; he'll never know. He's a good guy, but I was here first."

My heart skipped a beat. Did he mean he really did 'get her' back in high school?" Then I listened to Celine, "You were first in my heart David, but you know I was saving myself. That's why I couldn't let you."

He said, "I would have stayed, but..."

Then she murmured, "If you had stayed...but you didn't. Oh I came around to your parent's. I waited. I hoped, but something happened..."

"Don't tell me you fell for the kid," my brother said.

Then Celine said the things I'd never thought she'd say, "It was easy David. Michael was so kind. He was so sweet. He was so goodhearted. I could see he liked me. I saw his liking me grow into something more. It happened to me too. David how can I make you understand? Yes I loved you. Yes I missed you, but then...then it changed. I stopped going to your parent's to watch for you. I was going there to see Michael."

Talk about renewal! I could hear the desperation in my brother's voice, "But I would've come back. I wanted to..."

"Oh David," I heard my wife, "it wouldn't have mattered. Michael was...he is...he became my hero. Girls have their fantasies. I don't know what to say. I'll always love you David, but it's not the same. You were like a myth, a lost dream, a vision lost in the mist. Michael was real. He was good to me. He cared. I could see it in his face. I heard it every time he spoke to me. I felt it in his hands, the way he held me, he loved me. Then one day I looked around and wondered; what did I ever see in you? You were the iron-pyrite. Michael was, no Michael is the gold. He's my everything. He's the father of my child, my hero, my lover, my friend, my heart. David don't you see? I idolize 'that kid' as you call him. You want me to betray that? I could never do that. David I love Michael."

I heard his last gasp, "But Celine?"

I heard her final pronouncement, "I think you better leave."

Oh Alabama! "There Are Angels Among Us." There are angels among us, and I married one!

I silently closed the upstairs door. I slipped down the stairs, grabbed my shoes, sped to my car, and I got away before anyone saw me. I drove on to the college. Yeah I was late, missed most of the class. So what! I made up some lame assed story about a late babysitter. Nobody questioned me. I stayed for the end of the class, and then I went home.

Celine and I had been bickering about names for our next child. Celine was Italian, and we'd gone full bore Italian with Cira. Me, what with Sullivan being Irish I kind of wanted to do the Irish thing. Celine and I were poles apart. On the way home I stopped and got a clump of flowers at the Walmart. This would be my peace offering.

I got home, and trudged up the stairs. Celine had Cira in her arms. I held up the flowers, "I thought about the new baby's name. If you want..."

She interrupted me, "I've been thinking too. I kind of like Maureen, like that Maureen O'Hara if it's a girl. If it's a boy we could go with Connor."

I plopped down in one of the kitchen chairs, "Gee Celine. You'd sold me on the Virna thing..."

"No," she said, "we're going Irish for number two. We can switch back to Italian for number three."

I got up and poured myself a water, "Well sweetheart if that's what you want?"

She bounced Cira around on her beautiful breasts, "Yes, that's what I want."

And so that's how it was.

Epilogue:

So Devon looked at me, I'm still a little confused. Why are you here in this coffee shop doing this - whatever it is you're doing? Why aren't you home?"

I smiled, "I just got through another interview. I'm still not sure where the job will be, but I'm getting my ducks in line. Celine's on her way over now. She's seven months along with number two. We're going to do some grocery shopping and she can't carry the bags."

"So you two are good then?"

I smiled, "Very good."

Devon grinned, "I'm glad, and I guess you were OK with the Tommy thing then; him getting her cherry."

I sat back, "Glad you asked Devon. You know back when we started our re-run, our second try, Tommy showed up. He told me what happened that night."

"You mean the night out there on Bear Creek?"

"Yeah, he explained it to me. Seems he and some of his pals had juiced her up with Ecstasy. He got her in his car and took her for 'the ride', but when he started to try to do 'the dirty', you know the 'old in and out'; she got lucid. He told me he already had his dong out when she started crying and yelling. She kicked him right in the work-kit. Then she jumped from the car; tore her blouse and slacks on the way out.

He said she kept crying she was saving herself for someone. He never heard her say who though. Tommy said he was so fired up he shot off right while she was on the way out; I think that explained the spunk.

Devon their stories weren't exactly the same, but I would have been suspicious if they were. Did she talk him into telling me? I'll never know. Don't care really. What good would it serve?

Was she a virgin on our wedding night? Well no; I told you already. We'd gotten that taken care of beforehand. Was I her first? I think so. Does it matter? I mean really matter? I know David never got her. Tommy probably didn't. There weren't too many others out there. I know one thing - I'm happy. She's all I'll ever want or need.

You know what scares me? What if she'd become a nun? Then I would've been shit out of luck."

Devon nodded, "So tell me did you ever tell her you overheard the conversation she had with your brother?"

"No, why would I? If I did I would have had to explain how I'd been ditching classes to catch her with David. She'd have known I'd doubted her. You know Devon trust is a fragile thing; it's a rare treasure. Once it's broken or tarnished it can never be fully restored. I mean if she thought I had doubts about her; she might think there were reasons for her to doubt me. Damn it Devon there're a half dozen women who'd been with me. She knows some of them. I'm in classes with some damn beautiful coeds. What if I got a job and my boss was some sexy babe?

I guess what I'm saying is; I love my wife. Her confession to David made me feel good, but the way I heard it would have only hurt her. Celine's given me one beautiful girl, and we're making another. It's her body, not mine, that's changing. She's self-conscious and afraid as it is; she doesn't need any crap like that from me. I love her. She's my girl, my sweetheart. No, something like would only hurt."

And one more thing too Devon."

"What's that Mike?"

"I've learned to trust. Sure she'd not perfect. Who is? I trust her. I was stupid not to. You see we can't go around worrying about shit that probably never happened. You see what I mean? My doubts, my mistrust have all been products of my insecurities, and for me that's just childish nonsense. Damn it; she trusts me too."

With that I saw my cell phone buzzing on the table, "That's her Devon. I'll be seeing you..."

As I got up to leave Devon asked, "Hey! Whatever happened to your brother?"

I turned, "Oh David. He split a couple days after his visit with Celine. No one knows where he went, and I didn't care either. All I know is I've got all I ever wanted. And they're all right out there in the car.

I waved, "See you around."

The end.

*****

Well that's Michael and Celine. Hoped you enjoyed it. Leave a comment, vote if you like.