It Didn't Work Out Ch. 02

"Finally you can call this off at any point before I tell you that I care for her. After that point, it is my decision only to call it off. But you can tell me if you want me to, Don. I just can't guarantee you that I will say yes, even if it hurts you. I'm sorry."

Bridget stood up and moved over to the couch and sat down with him. She put her arms around him and hugged him. "So those are my ground rules if you want to keep going on. Can you accept them? Are you willing to risk what we have, Don? I will be honest and tell you that bigger part of me wants you to say no, but there is also a part of me that wants you to say yes. Please think for a few minutes before you answer." She hugged him again tightly and then got up to go get a drink. It wasn't often that she felt the need, but she did right then.

While she was gone, Don did think. He heard what she was saying but at the same time, he didn't really think that there was a danger to their marriage. They loved each other. Bridget found the idea of being with another woman exciting but she was committed to him. It would be a fling and nothing more. And the ground rules were all fine. "Well," he thought, "I don't like that I can't ever go along. I would love to see her together with some lesbian trying to seduce her! But I get her point and in any case, she will tell me all the details." He felt his cock hardening as he anticipated that.

Wanting to do what Bridget asked, he tried to ignore his excitement and focus on their relationship. But the thoughts of Bridget with another woman kept intruding and clouding his thinking. Every time that he started thinking about a potential downside, Don found a reason to dismiss it. Finally he got up and joined Bridget at the table. She had poured him a drink as well. He sat across from her and picked it up. He took a little sip of the scotch and felt the pleasant warmth slide down his throat.

"Honey, I heard what you said. Let me ask you something. Do you love me?" Don looked at her and waited for her answer.

It took no time at all. "Yes, I do. Don, I love you," Bridget said softly.

"I love you, Bridget. We are doing this together. I've got my eyes open. No one is cheating. As long as we remember we love each other, I think it won't hurt us," Don told her.

"I need to tell you one thing, Don, just so it is out there. I'm not sure I believe you can only love one person at a time. I'm not saying that I would stop loving you, but I might love someone else too," Bridget voice trembled a little as she spoke. It was almost as if she was afraid.

That got through to Don. Could he handle it if Bridget actually fell in love with the woman? Was that part of what she had been trying to tell him all along, he wondered? Still he thought, how could someone else compete with their shared past. They had made the choice to build a life together. Even if she loved the other woman, in the end this was the life she had chosen. And it was with him.

He tried to reassure her with a smile. "Honey, I trust our love. It is strong enough to bring you home to me, even if you really care about her." Somehow he couldn't quite use the word love for how Bridget might feel about this other woman.

Bridget nodded. "I hope so," she said with a little more strength in her voice. Then she continued. "What about the ground rules; can you accept them?"

"Yeah, they are fine. I understand why you want them," Don was feeling more confident about this as each minute when by. The thoughts of seeing Bridget with another woman were getting stronger again and the concerns were retreating.

Picking up her drink again, Bridget let out a long breath. She held it out to Don and he clinked his glass against hers. "Alright, then I will at least explore this. Again Don, please understand I'm not sure I will go through with it. But I will see where it goes."

They were both quiet as they slowly finished their drinks. When they were both done, Bridget held out her hand. "Let's go to bed." Holding hands, they went into the bedroom. When they were both in bed, Bridget rolled over and lay her chest on Don's and looked into his eyes.

"Do you know Sian at the gym?" she asked him.

Don had thought that they were going to just go to sleep but he was suddenly wide awake. "Dark short hair and tall?" he said. When Bridget nodded, he added "She's the lesbian isn't she?"

"You know she is. I'm not saying she's the one, Don. But you know I've always thought she was nice. We talked today after I worked out. We haven't really ever done that before. Mostly it's just been around the gym and what workout we were doing. Anyhow we talked and had a smoothie together at the coffee shop. We hit it off. So I will probably be doing some things with her. I just wanted you to know." Bridget sounded calmer than she really was.

"Wow, did she try anything?" Don wanted to know.

"Don't be rude, Don. She is a very nice person who broke up with her girlfriend not that long ago. And she knows I am a married woman. We aren't even friends yet, just friendly acquaintances," Bridget said with a little bit of heat. "And Don," she continued, "I said that I would tell you where I'm going; what I'm doing; who I'm seeing; and what happens. But that doesn't mean I am going to tell you every word we say or every single thing we do. When I say what happens, you know what I mean by that; anything romantic.

"I don't mean this harshly or to imply I'm mad, Don, but you want me to do this because it excites you. It's okay; I get it. So I will tell you about the parts that will excite you. Sometimes I will help you with that and sometimes you will need to do it yourself. But you aren't going to be a voyeur on everything. You will get to know where I'm going, like the waterfront. You will get to know what we are going to do there, like going to dinner. You will get to know who it is with, like Sian. And if she kisses me, you will get to know that too. I will tell you the details of that. But that's it. Do you understand?" She waited for his answer.

Don nodded. "Okay, I understand. Sorry, it's kind of new to me."

"Obviously you big lunk," Bridget smiled at him. "I think there will be some learning as we go along. I don't think either of us can predict all the things that may happen. We will just have to try and deal with them in a spirit like the ground rules." She stretched forward and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Turning off the lights, Don put his arms around her and held her. He was quiet for a few minutes. Then he simply said, "She's pretty good looking."

Bridget didn't say anything for a half a minute. Don began to worry a little that he had stepped over the still forming line. Finally Bridget said, "Yes, she is." He sighed with relief because he could hear the smile on her lips. They were both quiet after that; each thinking their own thoughts. It was a while before either one was asleep.

In the morning, Bridget was up before Don. She unloaded the dishes, put the first load of laundry in the machine and got it started. Having gotten that started, Bridget felt okay with heading over to the gym. Before leaving, she got a shopping bag out of her closet and put the contents in her bag. She was a little nervous about wearing her new workout clothes that she bought yesterday. They weren't as skimpy as some of the women, but still it showed more skin than she was used to. There was a pair of very tight yoga shorts that only went down about a quarter of her leg. And for the top, it was a tank top with straps that was short enough that it would expose about three inches of her belly. It also had a reinforced bra built into the top so Bridget didn't need to wear a sports bra. She wasn't trying to seduce Sian, at least not yet, but Bridget did hope that Sian would at least notice her a little.

When Bridget arrived at the gym, she saw Sian working with an older woman. She didn't try to catch her eye as she walked over to the locker room, but Sian happened to look up and saw her. Her smile grew a little bigger at the sight of Bridget and she gave a slight wave. Bridget waved back with a little smile of her own. When she found a locker, Bridget was even more nervous. Now she knew that Sian would definitely see her, she wasn't sure she had the guts to put on the new clothes.

Bridget had them out in her hands when she felt a light touch on her shoulder. She turned around to find Sian there. Luckily there was a light out in that corner so her blush wasn't noticeable.

"Hey there! I was going to text you but it seemed like it might be too early so I hadn't done it yet, but since you're here ..." Sian trailed off. She looked at the workout clothes that Bridget held. "Wow, those are awesome! You will look great in those, Bridge. You have the perfect body for them. Just make sure to keep this on." Sian reached out a finger and touched Bridget's wedding ring. "You will need it to help keep the wolves at bay!" She laughed.

"I don't know. I bought them on impulse yesterday but I'm thinking maybe I should return them," Bridget said. She could tell her voice sounded just as nervous as she felt.

"Well you need to feel good about it. But believe me, you can totally do it." Sian leaned closer to Bridget, "Seriously, you in that? You will be the hottest woman here! Trust me! I know what I'm talking about." Sian laughed to make sure that Bridget knew she didn't mean anything by it.

Bridget smiled. Sian had a wonderful laugh. It was infectious but not overwhelming. "Okay, I'll try. But I may have to come back and change if I feel too exposed. Oh, what were you going to text me about?" Bridget asked.

"Well you said you wanted to come to a game. I didn't have one scheduled for today, but one of my friends is short a player and asked me to fill in. I just wanted to know if you were free this afternoon at four. You can come cheer me on!" Sian replied.

The butterflies were back. "This was it," Bridget thought. It was the first test of the ground rules. Don and she were planning on going over to a buddy of his to watch the late game. Bridget wasn't close to either Don's friend or his wife, so she didn't feel obligated to them. Don expected her to come but she was pretty sure he wouldn't mind.

"I would. That would be great. Let me just text Don and let him know," Bridget told Sian who smiled a big smile.

"Great! My next appointment should be getting here soon, so I need to head out. I will give you the details later," Sian said before she turned and rushed out.

Getting out her phone, Bridget typed. "Can't go to the game. Going to watch Sian play soccer." After a few moments, she added "Okay?" to the message and hit send. She hoped that Don was already awake. When the response came in a minute later, she guessed he must be.

"Okay!!" was all it said.

Bridget found that as long as she kept a hard pace on her workout, she forgot what she was wearing most of the time. When she was lifting weights, it even seemed a little more comfortable to have less clothing on. She only had to tell a couple of guys to bug off. They were nice enough about it and left her alone. She even managed to avoid thinking too much about Sian. It wasn't until she was on the stair machine that she saw Sian again. When their eyes connected, it was obvious that she was looking for Bridget. Her face lit up and she came over.

For a few moments, Sian stood down at the base of the machine and looked up at Bridget. This time Bridget was pretty sure that the blush on her cheeks was visible. Sian didn't do it for long. She got on to the machine next to Bridget and started it going at a pace that was easy to do and also talk. Bridget slowed her own down.

"Wow, Bridge. I totally underestimated how much you would rock that outfit," Sian said as she leaned so that she came closer to Bridget.

Bridget did the same so that they felt like they could have a reasonably private conversation. "Stop it," she said with a smile to Sian. "You are totally embarrassing me!"

"I'm not trying to. It's just, well ... Wow is the right word," Sian said. "I'm sorry, that probably isn't appropriate." Her voice got a little more formal, as if she was remembering that she was talking to a club member.

Bridget reached out and put her hand on Sian's arm. She squeezed it a little. "Sian, of course it's appropriate. I hope we are friends and a friend can say that to another." Bridget paused for a second. She wet her lips without being aware of it, and then she said, "Are we, Sian?"

Sian's arm turned and her own hand encircled Bridget's and she squeezed back. "We are, Bridge." She could feel a connection with Bridget. She couldn't quite figure it out but right now it just felt nice. She also had to admit to herself that she felt the beginnings of attraction to Bridget. She would have to keep that under wraps, she thought. She let go of Bridget and moments later, Bridget did the same thing.

"Then it's okay for you to tell me how unbelievably hot I am!" Bridget felt her cheeks get redder but she also laughed. Sian joined her.

"Well I was tracking you down so we could coordinate getting to the game before you left. I figured you were probably close to done. It looks like you had another hard work out," Sian said. As someone who spent a lot of time in a gym, she wasn't bothered by sweat. In fact when a woman was covered with a sheen from having worked out, Sian found it quite attractive. On someone like Bridget who spent enough time outdoors to have a light tan but not too much of one, it was especially attractive.

"You said four, right? Where do I need to go?" Bridget asked. She pulled her phone out of the holder clipped next to her breast so that she could put the details in it.

"Well that's what I wanted to talk about. Since this isn't a normal game, I didn't know until just now where it was. It's kind of in a seedy part of the city. I mean it's okay but I'm not sure how safe you would feel going there by yourself. Maybe you want to wait for one of my normal games. We generally play in nicer areas." Sian's voice had a trace of disappointment in it.

Bridget thought for a moment. Then she got up her courage and asked, "Well maybe I could just go with you? That way I'm with someone and so are you."

"Are you sure? I mean you're welcome to come with me, but I have to get there about half an hour before the game and the team invited me out for pizza afterwards to thank me for their not having to play a person down," Sian replied.

"It sounds fun," Bridget said. "If you don't mind me coming along."

"There is one other thing, Bridge," Sian said. Without thinking, her hand reached up and held Bridget's arm. "They all know I'm gay, not that they care. But, and I mean this with all respect, if I show up with someone as gorgeous as you, they are all going to think you are with me. As in with me!"

Bridget's hand took Sian's again too. "Sian, I'm fine with who you are. I'm not going to be bothered by someone getting the wrong idea about you and me. We may be just beginning our friendship but I just want you to know that I would never feel like I shouldn't show my friendship because of what somebody might think." Her fingers tightened. "If I acted like that it would be like I was ashamed of who you are. I would never want to hurt you like that." Bridget's expression was a combination of something quite serious with a little smile. Sian could tell she really meant it.

"Jesus, Bridge. Where have you been all my life?" Sian could tell that Bridget might take that wrong so she added. "I'm serious. I wish every gay person had a friend so accepting. I have other straight female friends and they are very dear to me, but without exception they all have some way of making it clear we aren't together."

Bridget smiled shyly at Sian. "Well I'm not them. There is nothing wrong with being gay and if someone thinks I'm gay just because I'm with you, that's their issue. It's not mine."

"I wish I was somewhere that I could cry, Bridge," Sian said. From her voice, Bridget knew that she wasn't kidding.

"Are you done for the day?" she asked Sian.

Sian sighed. "I wish. Unfortunately I have to work for two more hours. I just had a half hour gap between appointments."

Looking at her phone, Bridget knew that Sian did have another 15 minutes before her client would be here. She pointed that out to Sian. "Let's take a little walk," Bridget said. She stepped down off the machine and waited for Sian who did the same. They walked side by side out the main door without talking and continued along the sidewalk. As they turned the corner, they were in a small alley. Once they were there, Bridget turned to Sian and pulled her into her arms. There was nothing sexual about it. She could just tell that Sian needed some comfort. For whatever reason, what she had said touched a nerve.

For a few moments, Sian felt uneasy but then she let herself relax. She hugged Bridget back and felt a few tears worm their way past her eyelids. She shut them a little tighter and tried to will the moment away. It helped having Bridget hold her as if she didn't care if anyone saw her. She could feel that Bridget led her to this more secluded spot because she needed privacy, not Bridget. Somehow Bridget knew that Sian couldn't bring herself to show this type of vulnerability in front of others. Finally she felt good enough to end the hug. She pulled back away from Bridget while still holding on to her arms.

"Thank you, Bridge. I wish we had become friends before this. I hope it is a very long friendship!" Sian still had a tear or two on her face.

"Me too," Bridget said with a serious look. "Are you okay now, Sian?"

She nodded. "I am. It's not like me, Bridge. But some days are harder than others. And a little understanding is wonderful; even feeling vulnerable can be good for me too." With an obvious reluctance, Sian dropped her hands to her sides and stepped back away from Bridget.

"I am going to go back in and get all my stuff, go home and change into something appropriate for a late fall afternoon and then come back here. I can just bring a book and keep occupied while you work. That way we can leave when you're ready," Bridget said. Neither one of them had stopped to put on a coat and Bridget in particular was starting to feel the cool temperature. They walked back to the club at a brisk pace and parted ways as soon as they went through the door.

On her drive home, Bridget contemplated how much she should tell Don. While it hadn't been sexual, he might like to hear about the hug. Somehow it felt wrong to Bridget though. He was going to view it through the prism of his fantasy and really it had been just a moment when Sian needed a friend. It was just part of the process of their developing a friendship first. She wanted to be open with Don but this was part of what she was talking about the previous night.

It didn't matter. Don was turned on just by the fact that they were talking and going to do something together. It was clear that he had already cum once, probably immediately after the text message, and he would probably do it again after she left. His ability to get off on even the most innocent part of the relationship made Bridget feel a little uneasy. "What would he be like if I actually ever did something?" she wondered.

After showering, Bridget went to the closet and picked out her clothes. She wanted to look good for Sian but not be too overt. She already did that with the workout clothes. It took her much longer to pick out her clothes than normal. She tried on a couple of outfits before settling on tight jeans with a white button up shirt with a red sweater over it. She also took a blue scarf for the cold. She finished off with a pair of boots that went all the way up her calves.

"How do I look?" Bridget asked as she came out of the bedroom. She pirouetted for Don and looked expectantly at him.