Lydia's Dream Ch. 03-04

"I'm so sorry," Pam said. "I had no idea."

"No one does. I came here this week to tell Mom about our problems and seek her advice. I still need to do that. But then I was thinking earlier tonight that maybe Tom could take a more impersonal view of the situation and give me some ideas."

Pam glanced at me and responded, "A very wise person told me one time that it's easier to talk to a stranger than to a loved one."

Again, silence engulfed us for a few moments. Pam then asked, "Is it alright if I stay and hear the discussion? I promise to keep it totally to myself and maybe there's some way I can help."

Jerri studied her face and finally agreed. "My husband hasn't been faithful to me and I have to admit that I've not been faithful to him. It started about three months ago. He had been working very late several nights in a row and I went to sleep without him. One morning, I found a note in his pants pocket from a woman named Brenda asking him to meet her at one of the bars. I worried about it all day and confronted him with it that night. He said that Brenda was a co-worker and that she just wanted to have a drink and talk about a project they were estimating. That sounded plausible but I still had a nagging feeling about it.

"A couple of days later, I called his office and asked for Brenda. The operator said no one by that name worked there. They only have the one office building so then I was really angry; but I decided to wait and see if anything else happened.

"The following week, as I was doing the laundry, I could detect the fragrance of a strange perfume on one of his shirts. I confronted him again. He finally admitted that a woman had been coming on to him and that he'd had sex with her one time. He started crying and promised me it was over and that he regretted it.

"I was so mad I could have killed him. We didn't speak for several days and didn't have sex for several weeks. Pam, you know how I am about needing sex. You're the same way. I just kind of go crazy.

"Anyway, there's a guy living behind us who's been out of work for a while. He's cute, not married and he's hit on me a few times. I always told him I wasn't interested. But then, one morning I was sunning near the pool and one thing led to another and we ended up doing it in every possible position all day. That was some of the best sex I've ever had."

I sat silently and watched Jerri cry. Pam put her arm around Jerri's back and tried to console her.

After several sad moments she asked, "Tom, is there anyway you see for us to save our marriage? I really don't want to leave him but I can't trust him and I know he shouldn't trust me."

There were again several moments of silence.

"Jerri, I'm not a marriage counselor and I certainly don't know all the answers. But let me say that honesty and a frank and open discussion with your husband is very important. He probably already knows that you need frequent sex and may have already guessed that after several weeks you were getting it somewhere else. But guessing isn't the same as knowing and I think it'd be wise for you to tell him how it happened. Since you're both guilty, I think that any true love you have for each other will survive. However, you both need to be totally up front and honest about the causes of your straying. Has he given you any reason to think he's continued to be unfaithful?"

"No."

"Then don't give up on him. Do you still love him?"

"Yes."

"Even more reason to try again. I suggest that before you tell your mom about any of this and get her concerned that you call David and tell him of your love. Tell him that you want to get away for a weekend and talk through all your mutual concerns and the future. Ask him to take you to a nice resort for two or three days and just totally focus on each other. I'll bet he'll come to his senses, if he hasn't already, and that you two will have a great, sex-filled weekend."

"You think so?"

"Jerri, other than Pam, you're the prettiest women I've ever seen. You two are amazing and so full of love. No man would turn his back on you without thinking long and hard. But with that beauty comes a responsibility that requires self-discipline. It is now gut-check time. If you truly feel that you can't be totally committed to one man, you should admit that to yourself and to him and then move on. You and your husband will only end up heartbroken if you try to live a lie. He has that same responsibility and you two need to discuss it. Sometimes we men are impulsive fools. We let our hormones take over while our brains take a vacation."

Pam responded, "We women can be the same way."

"Thanks Tom. I like your idea. Pam, you're a lucky girl to have this guy. I'm sorry to burden you with my problems."

The sisters hugged again before Jerri left. Pam looked over and said to me, "I'm sorry I assumed the worst when I saw you two. Thank you for trying to help her. Your advice also helped me."

She walked to the door, turned the lights off and slipped under the covers with me. We held each other and kissed but Pam was clearly upset. She turned on her side with her back to me and we spooned with my arm across her chest.

*

End of Chapter 4. Please vote and leave comments.