Shifting Gears

He'd ridden his motorcycle to Chloe's place and spent the afternoon being... very athletic with the two ladies. His muscles were still trembling with fatigue from the workout but everyone was happy.

"Fuck! I'm hungry!" Charlize groaned from the other side of the bed.

He realized he was as well. "Pizza?"

"Yes!" Charlize seconded.

"wings..." came a whimper from Chloe's pillow.

Kyle and Charlize kissed Chloe's face making her giggle then rolled out of bed and grabbed some clothes before heading out of the bedroom. They quickly freshened up in the shower, no sexy stuff, got dressed, shorts and t-shirt for him and panties and sleeveless tank for her, and headed into the living room.

Charlize had a favorite restaurant and called in their order. Then they settled on the couch and turned on the TV.

Something was poking Kyle in the hip and he pulled the dildo out from the cushions.

"So that's where we left it!" Charlize said with a grin.

He just gave her an exasperated look and carried it into the kitchen to put it in the dishwasher. When he got back he saw Charlize was flipping through the channels.

"Shit! That's Dale!" Charlize exclaimed as the screen showed a group of men and one woman sitting in chairs around a table in a semicircle. Behind them was a backdrop showing pictures of the guests in various poses on, or next to, basketball courts. The name 'Talk on the Court' was emblazoned across this. The host was concluding his introductions.

"...and Jordan Sparks of the Celtics. Finally, we have special guest Dale Albright."

Charlize looked over at Kyle in concern as his expression had frozen when he recognized the man. "Should I change-"

"No... I want to see how he's doing," Kyle found himself saying softly. While he'd said he'd lost respect for the man for staying with Monique, truthfully, he was genuinely concerned for the older man's state of mind.

The topic was Free Agents and they watched the group banter back and forth trading good natured jabs but Kyle saw Dale was missing the energetic animation he'd shown in the last show Kyle had seen him in. His answers were minimal and Kyle began to worry about him.

He felt Charlize's eyes on him and he gave her a little reassuring smile before turning his eyes back to the show.

The host was directing his question to Dale. "You seem a little distracted tonight, Dale. You don't have anything you want to add on the topic of Free Agents?"

Dale smiled sadly as the others waited. "Actually, I do." He glanced to the camera and Kyle felt his body jolt as his eyes connected with Dale's.

"This is a lot more common in the sport than anyone admits but I never expected it would happen to me."

Jordan snorted and laughed. "You're becoming a free agent?"

Dale sent him a scowl then nodded. "Not professionally. Personally. My wife cheated on me."

There was a collective gasp on the set as the host and the other panelists reacted in shock.

Charlize had her hands over her mouth to contain her explosive burst of laughter. Kyle looked at her in surprise. "So sorry, but I hope Monique's watching this!" she gushed.

Chloe wandered naked out of the bedroom to see what the excitement was but Kyle's eyes were locked on the screen.

The host was attempting to get control over his show once more. "Dale, always ready to shake things up! That's a bold accusation!"

Dale shook his head. "Not an accusation at all. Once faced with the proof, she admitted she'd done it. She downplayed it as just a momentary weakness when faced with temptation."

Jordan was looking pissed. "Temptation? Shit, your wife is hot and someone tempted her? Man, you have to find this guy and cut his balls off!"

It was Dale's turn to snort. "I met the young man. He's not that much older than you. He was the one who told me it happened."

"When you beat it out of him?" the athlete blurted.

"Please stop talking and use your ears," Dale said with his best dad tone and Jordan shut up with a petulant frown. "The young man told me his father had cheated on his mother when he was young and he'd vowed to not become that man. Monique knew this and to get past it, over the course of two days she convinced him we were getting divorced."

The woman in their group chose this moment to speak. "Wait, you said she claimed it was a momentary weakness. That definitely sounds premeditated."

Dale shared a look of agreement with the woman and realization dawned on her face. He continued. "When the young man first saw me arrive with a big smile on my face, clueless about the divorce I'd apparently agreed to, he... took it pretty hard."

"You bought the punk's story? Of course he wanted to bang your wife. Who doesn't?" Jordan finally blurted, not being able to contain himself.

Dale sighed and gave him a pitying look. "He didn't have to admit to anything. Monique certainly wasn't planning on telling me. He could have left me in the dark and gotten away with it. But this man had something you rarely find in today's generation. Integrity. He confessed what happened and apologized. He said if I wanted to use my fists on him he'd understand. He was prepared to accept punishment for the wrong he'd done to me. Would you have been that strong?" Jordan looked away.

"I'd like to meet him," one of the other panelists said and the woman seconded this with a big grin.

Dale smiled and shook his head. "No, I think he wants to put all this behind him. I know I do." He looked around at the group and smiled. "I was sitting here listening to you all talk about free agents and the term just struck a cord. I let Monique convince me her affair was just a stupid mistake and she'd never do it again. But I see now, she was just manipulating me in the same way she did him. He deserved better. So do I! I'm getting a divorce. I'm going to be a free agent!"

The guests all began to clap and the show finally broke for a commercial break. Charlize looked to Kyle who nodded so she shut off the TV.

"Good for him. I'm glad he realized he didn't deserve to be treated like that," Kyle said with a relieved smile. He really did feel a tremendous sense of relief. The man wasn't hurting from what he'd done. He was taking control of his life. Best of all he didn't hold Kyle responsible for the dissolution of his marriage. Kyle's inner voice was taking care of that guilt trip quite sufficiently on its own.

"I think that Jordan fella wants to shag Monique," Chloe said.

"They deserve each other-" Kyle began but the doorbell rang. Charlize chased the still very naked Chloe back into the bedroom as he walked over to answer the door and paid for their food. He carried the boxes back to the small four seat table at the end of the living room, the home's dining room. "Food's here!"

The ladies returned but now Chloe was wearing panties and a tight t-shirt squeezing her tits in exciting ways. She smiled impishly at Kyle. He couldn't help but return her cheeky grin. He caught Charlize biting her lower lip sexily as she watched him across the table.

Dinner was going to be quick.

-=-

As the two beauties snored softly at his side, exhausted from their day of 'play', Kyle remained awake, staring at the ceiling.

He was also feeling the ache of overexertion, and overuse of certain parts of his anatomy, so tomorrow was definitely going to be a day of rest. Besides, he was out of condoms. He snorted quietly.

Looking over at Charlize and Chloe, he smiled fondly. Their open and honest enjoyment of each other and him had been a soothing balm on his soul after the ordeal of the past few days. Truthfully, Phoebe had begun that healing process for him.

He realized he no longer felt the pressure to leave, to escape the... stench of Monique's influence. Dale's confession tonight played a large part in that. He'd exposed her manipulation as he freed himself from it. For Kyle, that was justice being done and it made his world a little brighter, a little friendlier.

The influence his father had over his behavior was still something he would have to be vigilant for. He had a promise to keep for his mother and himself.

With the journey north ahead of him, he realized he really wasn't in any hurry. Maybe he could spend a few more days, a week or two tops, in the company of these wonderful women.

He also decided that after his visit with the Livingston's at Christmas he'd visit Fiona in Paris to make sure she was ok.

With a sigh of contentment, he rolled onto his side and spooned Chloe, hearing her sigh happily in her sleep.

He'd let them know in the morning that he was sticking around a little while longer. They might be happy to hear that news.

His eyes opened. Maybe he should buy the condoms before he told them.

Chuckling to himself quietly, he let himself relax and begin to drift off. There was no need to make plans for tomorrow.

He had time, after all.