Chapter 20

Time: Thursday, August 3, 2006 8:30 PM

We spent the last couple of days camping and hiking on the small island, with several short hops back to the boat for an occasional meal or shower. Melanie has been spending a lot of time with her parents, and over the past week it's been a sea change in their relationship. Melanie's parents actually seem to be respecting her, all the interactions on this trip have been very friendly, and Melanie is astonished. I can tell she's been doing a lot of thinking about this.

I've had no time along with her. We all slept in one five-person tent last night, and we were packed in like sardines, me, Melanie, Patty, mom, dad. I guess I could have forced the issue, pulled Melanie aside to talk. But I'm a little embarrassed about how to do it. I don't think I did anything wrong. Still...

I weakly tried to avoid it, but I've had some time alone with Patty today. She acts as if nothing had happened yesterday, and I don't feel like opening the topic with her either. It's such a strange feeling. I actually like her, a lot too. But she's my wife's sister, and that's the relationship I want to have with her. Maybe she's accepted that. Today on the beach, she sat near me and we chatted. She was genuinely interested in my life, and shared a little of her own interests and hopes. It was all friendliness. If it weren't for the sexual overtones of yesterday, I think I would consider her a good friend.

We all had a nice picnic dinner on the island this evening. The weather is currently gorgeous, a few clouds and a cool breeze and about five minutes before a picturesque sunset. But the marine channel is broadcasting a weather advisory of possible severe thunderstorms before daybreak, and Benjamin has decided we should all sleep on the boat tonight. All the camping gear is already aboard.

Patty offered to take the parents to the yacht and then come back with the skiff and wait for us on the beach if Melanie and I wanted to take a twilight stroll. It would be our first time alone together since we left Cambridge. We gratefully accepted.

Melanie was relaxed and happy and we strolled holding hands through the pristine landscape. We walked down the beach and then climbed a small sand dune to admire the last of the evening twilight and watch the stars come out. The moon was bright, just past first quarter, and heading towards the horizon. I knew from experience with the previous days that the moon would set in about two and a half hours, just after 11:30 PM.

We sat down, still feeling faint traces of the sun's warmth in the sand. Melanie rested her head on my shoulder and sighed.

"I'm happy Eric. It's astonishing, but I'm so happy. This is a beautiful vacation, and I'm actually enjoying being with my parents and sister. I'm so glad we came."

I hated what I was about to do, hated to destroy the serenity and beauty of the moment. But my loyalty to Melanie was demanding that I speak up. I had made a vow to myself years ago that I would never not trust Melanie, never keep anything from her again. I told her about the incident with Patty and me on the yacht.

Melanie listened quietly, stiffening as I mentioned Patty removing her halter, but remaining silent, even after I was finished. She was stiff and motionless in my arms for the longest time, and then gasped. I realized she had been crying.

"Melanie... I'm sorry..."

"You're sorry?! For what? Were you tempted?" She sounded quite agitated, upset, an extremely unusual condition for Melanie. She shrugged off my arm that was holding her.

"Huh?! Melanie! I was faithful to you! I did nothing to dishonor our marriage!"

"That's nice. But were you tempted?"

I sighed heavily and lay down in the sand, hoping Melanie would follow me down and cuddle. She remained stiff and sitting. "Melanie, I was not tempted to dishonor you. I thought of my love for you, and my actions were swift and appropriate. I went straight to topside. I did the right thing."

"Eric! You're not answering my question! Do I have to ask a third time?!" Her voice was quivering.

"No, you don't... I want to give you a completely honest answer, but I can't sum it up in a single word. Hear me out?"

"Go."

I thought for a moment, my heart racing. "I like Patty, even though what she did was grossly inappropriate. She reminds me of you in some ways, and she's so different in others... The dichotomy... It's interesting..."

"Uh huh... Keep this honest Eric... Real honest..."

"Hey... Okay... I think she's cute, and I think... she's offering me friendship... independent of offering me sex. It's so hard to explain... I still want to be friends with her... But Melanie! You are my wife! There might have been a stray thought of thinking of Patty as sexy, but..."

"Yes?"

"My love for you totally defocused it. Truly, I am loyal and faithful to you."

"Did you get erect?"

I nodded. "Briefly... a little... when Patty walked away with her halter off. She was facing away, she could not have noticed... Maybe a little in the hold too, when she was scrubbing. Her breasts were bouncing in her halter... But it was a pure physical reaction mixing with friendship, not mixing with a desire to do anything."

"Anything? What do you mean, anything? Did you fantasize about doing it with her?"

"NO! Melanie, don't think like this! My reaction was natural. We're married, but hell, I'm still a guy! It was just a normal reaction, a guy seeing an attractive female..." I stopped myself. Hell! Did I really have to say that? I was only trying to be honest...

"Normal, huh? Shit! Natural, huh! Shit!" There were tears in her eyes. "Eric! I had no idea you felt like this!"

"Wait a minute! Felt like what?!"

"I feel like SHIT!" she hissed. "I feel betrayed!"

"Melanie! Stop!"

"Shut up! Just shut up! I feel betrayed! Betrayed by you too!"

I tried to touch her, but she batted my hand angrily away.

"Oh shit Eric! How do you expect me to feel?! This happened a day and half ago, and you're telling me now?!"

"Well, yeah... I'm sorry. I guess I could have... I was embarrassed... Sorry..."

"Uh huh..."

I tried to make eye contact with her, but she was looking out over the water. "Melanie, you are"

"Wonderful! I don't want to hear this anymore! Let's just go back to the boat, shall we?!"

Melanie stood up and I tried to follow. I was half-way up when I suddenly lost my balance.

"Did you trip?" It was an abrupt question.

"No... I felt like..." I took in a full breath of air. "I think I just hit a pothole..."

"What? Oh shit! OH SHIT ERIC!" she cried in a breaking voice. "You want me to think about that now?!" Melanie turned and walked briskly away from me.

"Oh hell Melanie!" I grumbled softly. "Do you think I do either?" I called out after her in a frustrated voice, asking her to wait, but she stormed off. I sat there for a long moment feeling totally upset. I had no idea this conversation would turn out so badly. I glanced at my watch and made a mental note of the time, 9:11 PM. All the power in the universe perhaps, but I felt so helpless.

Melanie seemed to have collected herself by the time I got back to the skiff. She was standing silently with her sister. The two women boarded the skiff and I pushed off. Once we were under way, Patty tried to make some small talk, but then I think she realized I had told Melanie about yesterday. Patty gave me a very thoughtful look with her eyes, and we make the rest of the trip in silence.

We stayed up just a bit with the family, preparing the boat for possible stormy weather, and then we all sacked out shortly after 10 PM. I was a bit queasy about sleeping in the same room with Melanie and Patty, and was wondering if I should try to sleep topside. We were in our usual routine and Patty was up there now, changing for sleep. But Melanie surprised me by jumping in and taking my side of the bed, the one against the wall. I couldn't bring myself to leave her. I climbed into her side of the bed and got under the sheets, hoping she would turn from the wall and face me. She didn't move.

A few minutes later there was a polite knock on the door. Patty was coming in to sleep. I think she was a bit surprised by the new setup. She and I would be sleeping with only a two-foot aisle between us. She climbed into bed and turned out the light and wished us goodnight. And then the boat was silent, except for the gentle rocking sounds.

The bright moon was low on the horizon, shining a fair bit of light into the otherwise dark cabin. I was lying flat on my back, looking at the ceiling. I didn't want to try to make eye contact with Patty, and after about a half hour I heard her breathing become deep and even. I was still wide awake, hoping Melanie might turn and cuddle with me.

And she did. She turned and came close to me. I turned my head to her and tried to smile. It wasn't easy. Melanie still looked upset, and she did not smile back.

I felt her hand directly on my groin, which was a little unusual. We both like some foreplay before touching each other's genitals. But I wanted to accept her, and I just sighed and tried to relax and let her take the lead.

Relaxing was impossible. After a minute of working the ties on my pajama bottoms, Melanie's hand went right down through the opened fly and grabbed my penis. My cock was completely soft, but she wrapped her hand around it and started giving it quick tiny squeezes and jerks.

I was so soft she couldn't really jerk me at first, but after a few moments the hand-job started to have its usual effect. I lay still, accepting the stimulation, feeling more confused than aroused. This is not how Melanie and I begin to have sex. And Patty was in the room. What did Melanie want? I remained motionless and allowed Melanie to drive me into an erection. It felt so strange.

She reached my tipping point for arousal. My penis was beginning to stiffen, allowing her a have a tight grip on my shaft. I could see my cock starting to be the center-pole of a bed-sheet tent. I felt so embarrassed, aroused and embarrassed and confused all at the same time. Patty was two feet away and turned in our direction. Didn't Melanie care?

Evidently not. Melanie astonished me by pulling the sheet to her and off me, exposing my growing erection to the sleeping Patty. I whimpered softly my disapproval but it went unnoticed.

Melanie had me. I could feel my hips begin to thrust with the hard rhythm of her hand. Normally we like to dance into sexual arousal, frolic into it. But not this time. I was being driven. And my mind was taking the back roads. I started to imagine Patty awake and watching this. She could well be. Her breathing was still deep and even, but somehow...