John and Cheryl Ch. 03

I looked at my watch. "Unfortunately, we are now in the seven million range." I stood up to leave.

The lead company lawyer spoke immediately. "Okay, seven million."

My lawyer smiled and I sat down. He started writing on the settlement papers and noted the new amount. He passed it to them and they signed it. He passed it to me and I signed it. Then he signed it and stood up to go make copies, leaving me sitting there with the company lawyers.

The lead lawyer couldn't let it lay. "I hope you are happy. This will reduce the company's net worth and hurt a lot of innocent people who need pay raises, bonuses, and are stockholders." As soon as he spoke I saw his compatriots flinch and one rolled his eyes. Obviously, he was not well liked and a bit of an asshole.

"I'm not happy at all." I stood up and leaned over the table. "If I could go back to having a wife who hadn't been raped and blackmailed, I would. If I could go back to my comfortable job, which I was very good at, I would. But since I can't, you'd better shut up or I'll show you just how unhappy I am." His eyes went big and I could tell he wasn't used to being physically threatened. I turned and left the room quickly before I did something I would regret.

Chapter 11

On Sunday, I slept in and when I started to come downstairs, I overheard Cheryl and Meryl talking.

Meryl: I did try to have sex with him once. Sorry.

Cheryl: Hey, we talked about that. It's fine. After what I put him through, I'm surprised he didn't jump you in the kitchen when you were wearing that short sleep shirt and a thong.

Meryl: I could tell he wanted to.

Cheryl: Yes, but he was always the good guy, the one who did the right thing, the dependable one. Then I go and fuck our marriage up. I had the best guy I ever met and I threw it away.

Meryl: You didn't fuck it up, you were blackmailed. But do you think it's really over?

Cheryl: Yes, I do. I think he can't get past what I did and what happened to me. Lord knows the shrink has been working with me for 12 weeks now and I still have problems with it. No, I think the best thing for me to do is to move into an apartment somewhere nearby after I find a job. Then I can see the kids and John can get on with his life.

Meryl: Get on with his life? Without you?

Cheryl: Yes. He deserves someone who will love him like I do, but without the baggage. He deserves to be happy, to come home to a woman he can love and trust. He deserves the best.

Meryl: You still love him so much, don't you?

Cheryl: Unfortunately, yes. I'll never love another man like that. Just his eyes on me can make me melt. His touch sets my nerves to jangling and I'm butter in his hands. I never told you all of this but I think I've told you the basics. When we first met, it was at a happy hour for his project. I was there with a friend who worked on the project. She introduced me to John and we talked and drank for a long time. After spending two hours there talking, I knew I wanted him. I wanted to be with him and have sex with him. I wasn't sure it was really long term at that point, but the attraction was electric. The next week he took me out on our first date just for dinner and some drinks. He said he wanted to get to know me. He took me home and walked me to the door. I was ready to invite him in and attack him, but before I could make the offer he took my face gingerly in both hands and gave me a light kiss on the lips. It was about three seconds and without tongue, but it was so tender and loving that my body turned to flame. My nipples got hard and I got wet instantly. Then he pulled back, said he would call me tomorrow and left. I was stunned, standing there in heat. On our second date, he took me home and walked me to the door again. I didn't even turn towards him until I had the door open and drug him in by his hand. He smiled. He knew immediately what I was thinking and I practically ripped his clothes off. I found that his touch everywhere was electric and on my erogenous zones was almost shocking. It was as if my nerve endings reacted differently to his touch than anyone else. I knew by then that I wanted him forever. It was very quick, but I couldn't think of not having such a decent, dependable, reasonable guy who could make my body react like that in my life. I think there's only one person like that for everyone in the world and very few find each other. I was lucky enough to find him, but threw it all away.

Meryl: You didn't throw it away. It was taken from you.

Cheryl: Whatever it was, we've lost it and can't seem to get it back. Time for me to move out and let John get on with his life. Hey, you could put in a bid for him. I know you've always had a crush on him.

Meryl: No, I couldn't do that to you. You're the other half of me.

I had heard enough and retreated upstairs. The way Cheryl talked about me struck me like a sharp stick. She was right. Very seldom do two people mesh mentally, physically, goal-wise, etc. It was something I couldn't let go. It had taken me all this time and that conversation to come to a decision. I guess I had finally faced up to the fact that she had been blackmailed, had never desired to have any of those things happen, and still loved me enough to give me my freedon. I decided I had to have her, it had to be Cheryl. I set about my task, getting everything ready.

First, I called a buddy of mine who had started his own business that was in the same business space as the company I just left. He and I had worked together years ago and he always wanted me to come to work with him. I told him I was free and that I could bring some clients. He asked about the non-disclosure agreement I signed and I told him that I had been fired and that my lawyer said that I was completely free of it. The offices for his company were on the other side of our metropolitan area, about 50 miles away. That would make things easier for the family. I also asked him about houses and some other key items. I set everything up with him over the next few days, visiting and making arrangements to buy a house with my newfound largesse, which had just hit a new bank account that I had opened.

The next Saturday, I asked Meryl to handle the kids. I told Cheryl that we were going to take a ride and that I wanted to show her something. She questioned me, but I turned it all aside.

We arrived at the house and I pulled in. The sign still said for sale, but I had put in a bid and it had been accepted by the owners.

"What's this?" Cheryl stood and looked at it. It was an older 1930's style home with a large porch that went across the front around one side. It was very big.

I started up the stairs. "It's the house that I just bought."

She stopped. "You bought this?" I could see the trepidation in her eyes.

"Yes, come on in. Check it out."

We went in and looked around the nicely remodeled kitchen, the living room, the dining room, and the very nice study. Then I went upstairs. "Come up here. It's very nice."

She didn't seem to be taking this very well, but that was going to change. She followed my upstairs.

"There are four bedrooms up here." I pointed around the floor. "There's a common bath there." I walked over to the master bedroom. "And there's a full bath off the master bedroom." She followed me into the master bedroom and looked around. The entire house was empty of furniture except for this room. There was a nice four-poster bed with a canopy in this room. There was a small stand next to it and on it was a champagne chiller, cold and showing condensation, with a bottle in it. She walked over.

"Dom Perignon. Nice. I guess you are celebrating your new house."

I had walked up behind her and put my arms around her. She started a little since I had not done this since before our problems started. "Cheryl, I have something I want to say to you and I want you to wait until I'm finished, okay?" I continued to hold her from behind with my arms wrapped around her waist and her hands on mine.

She just nodded, probably fearing the worst.

"I bought this house so that we could get the entire family out of where we are now and start over. I want us all to move over here. I want this to be our house, and, if you still want to be my wife, our bedroom." I could feel her trembling and turned her around. Tears were running down her face and she gave me a crushing hug.

"I can't be anyone else's wife. I could never be happy with anyone but you."

I finally pushed her back and pulled her rings out. I knew that she had been keeping them in her purse so I had extracted them earlier today when she was in the shower. "I believe that these are yours."

She started crying harder as I put them back on her hand. "Are you sure?" She looked up at me like I was going to take it back and say I was just kidding.

I took her back into my arms as she cried. "As sure as I can be. I have loved you from that first moment that I lightly kissed you on our first date. I overheard you telling Meryl about that. I should tell you that it took all my willpower not to throw you over my shoulder, carry you into your apartment, and have my way with you. I wanted you badly. And I should also tell you that I feel the same way about your touch. I can't imagine anyone ever replacing that. I'm not saying that we'll never have problems. I can't promise that I won't still feel some pain about what happened with the company, but I can promise you that I want to work it out and work on us."

Cheryl pushed away and looked up at me. She wiped her eyes and gave me a smile. "Then would you please throw your horny wife down on this bed and have your way with her now! I've been through several sets of batteries with my little helper and need the real thing."

I kissed her hard and did exactly what she wanted. I threw her onto the bed and started undressing her. I reached down and pulled her shirt off over her head quickly. I removed her bra, revealing her nice B-cup mounds, which I took time to suck and lick. I then worked on her pants and she was becoming frantic with impatience. I got her jeans and panties off and helped myself to the sweetest pussy in the world. I didn't waste any time since she was obviously wet and ready. I tongued her and licked her, then stuck two fingers in her and rubbed her g-spot. She went off like a Saturn V rocket engine.

As soon as she was done, I stripped and lay on top of her in the standard missionary position. She took hold of my cock and centered it. I pushed. I entered her easily and quickly and buried myself in her.

Cheryl took my face in her hands and held it still for a second as I started to slowly pump in and out. "I'll love you forever; never forget that."

I smiled and kissed her and slowly made love to my wife. We reveled in the sensations and familiarity of each other. We each knew the other's favorite moves, sounds, and desires. It was as good as straight missionary sex had ever been for me.

We made love three times that afternoon and each was more tender, less hurried, and more draining than the previous one. We drank most of the champagne, but never felt drunk because we burned it up. After we dressed, I pointed out that the garage was two stories and had a complete apartment over it for Meryl. She hugged me and cried some more.

We drove home and found Meryl and the kids waiting for us. We had given them a heads up and they had ordered pizza. When we entered the house Meryl and the kids started telling us about their day.

Suddenly, Meryl looked at Cheryl and down at her left hand, staring at the rings. She looked up at me and I smiled broadly. She rushed over to me and gave me a big hug then kissed me. "You are a very lucky man."

"Don't I know it."

She turned and hugged Cheryl and they both cried a little. The kids were looking at all of us like we were crazy, so I decided to tell them about the house to cover for our displays of affection. They were overjoyed. Apparently, their friends were not being as friendly as they used to and there was a lot of friction there. They liked the idea of a big new house with a separate apartment over the garage for Meryl.

Epilog

A month later it was my birthday and after all the normal gifts, Cheryl waited until after my birthday fuck to give me a very personal gift. She handed me a card and I opened it. Inside was a Get Out of Jail Free card from a Monopoly game. I looked at it and then turned it over. The back said 'This card entitles John to one month-long affair with the woman of his choosing.' I stared at it.

"Cheryl, what's this for?"

"You read it. It's so you can have sex with someone else without repercussions."

"Cheryl, I know that you still feel guilty, but this is not how we get over that."

She didn't say anything, but just smiled and turned over to go to sleep.

A month after that episode was Cheryl's birthday and I did the same thing. I waited until after sex to give her a very private gift. I handed her the card and she opened it. The Get Out of Jail Free card fell out, torn into several pieces. She didn't say anything, just started weeping and hugged me until I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get any oxygen.

By four months later we were much better. Cheryl was waking up less often with nightmares about Ed and company. She clings to me for a long time after she wakes and I don't mind at all. I am not completely over the images that I saw in my head. I made mention of them one day and Cheryl got mad, then took me to bed and fucked my brains out. Afterward she said that that was the only thing I needed to remember from now on. We are much better at this point and I know we both want to stay together. Nothing is permanent, but we are trying to make this an exception to that rule.

I wrote two different endings to this one, but felt that this one, with a chance for hopeful redemption was the better of the two. Not everyone will be thrilled by it, but I felt that these two, after 12 years of knowing each other and many years of marriage would at least give it a shot. I have no preconceived notions about whether or not they will make it. I just created this possibility as one outcome as they work through the problems caused by the terrible situation they found themselves in.