Chapter 2A

I was staring at the lonely view of a brick wall from my new apartment when my cell phone rang. I had been expecting Terry's call, but it hadn't come. I wondered if I had misjudged the situation. Maybe she wasn't that bothered by my leaving. It would give her all the time she wanted to screw around with her friends. Maybe that really was what she wanted.

When I heard the distinctive tones, I checked the caller ID. Instead of our home number, there was one I didn't recognize. I wondered for a moment if it was Terry trying to trick me, but decided to answer, since I could just hang up if it was.

"Hello," I said cautiously.

"Is this Steven Davis?" the voice asked in an official tone.

"Yes," I said hesitantly.

The man informed me that he was with the local police department and that my wife had been involved in some kind of accident. As I felt my stomach twist into a knot, he informed me that she had been taken to Mercy Hospital.

"Is she all right?" I was suddenly very concerned, if someone tracked me down it must be serious.

"I don't have that specific information, sir. I was just told to contact you and ask if you would come to the hospital."

My knees gave out, causing me to sit down hard on the bed. A thousand questions hit me at once. How bad was it? Was there a break-in? Did she try to harm herself? Do they think I had something to do with whatever happened? Did she accuse me of something? I got myself under control and politely thanked the man. Then I quickly tossed a few things together and left for the hospital, shocked that it was possible for this night to have become any more difficult.

I entered the hospital and was directed to the emergency room. Once there, I was informed that the doctor would speak with me when he had finished examining Terry. As I walked into the waiting area, I was greeted with a sight that made me wish I had stayed outside. Her whole family was there, looking tired and upset. When they noticed me, they glared at me like I was pure evil. Two men in suits, who I guessed were the police, stopped talking to her parents and approached me.

"Mr. Davis?" one of them asked.

"Yes, how is Terry?"

"The doctor's still with her, but he told her family she should be fine. I'm Detective Mosley. This is my partner Detective Patrick."

I was too upset to worry about what they might be thinking of me. "So what the hell happened?"

Mosley answered, "Well, we hoped you could tell us. There was a 911 call made from your house at seven-fourteen by your wife. She indicated she was injured and needed an ambulance. The police arrived just before the paramedics and found a note you had written her. We wanted you to tell us what else you know."

I motioned them out into the hall, away from her family. After taking a deep breath to steady myself, I filled them in on the last forty eight hours of my life. They grilled me for fifteen minutes about where I had been and if I had an alibi. Luckily I was able to give them specific times and details about places I had been since leaving the house. Also, I had the time stamped receipts from the storage place and gas station by my apartment building still in my pocket. They seemed to be fairly sympathetic to my situation.

After asking me not to leave town without letting them know, Det. Mosley gave me a business card with a contact number. As they got ready to head back to the station, I begged them not to say anything to Terry's family about why I left. They had been my family for the last five years and I didn't want them dealing with what she did at a time like this. It wasn't going to help anyone for them to be dragged into this mess. I didn't hold out much hope that they would still speak to me after what had happened, but I wasn't going to defend myself by attacking her. They deserved better than that.

The detectives told me they'd let me know if they had other questions or if they found out something. They left, making me deal with a much more difficult problem: Terry's family.

I took a deep breath and walked back into the waiting room. I tried to ignore the looks from her brother and sister, but the glare from her mom really hurt. Since my parents were long gone, I had taken to calling her parents Mom and Dad. I knew that my unwillingness to discuss specifics would probably make me look like a complete asshole. I tried to tell myself that it didn't matter. I knew the truth.

It all started a few months ago, as far as I knew. I started noticing changes in the way Terry was behaving. I'm sure it wouldn't have seemed like much to an outside observer, but it was beginning to bother me.

She would just zone out at inappropriate times. It could be while we were talking, sitting quietly together, or occasionally even while we were making love. I didn't like the feeling I got from her mood swings. There wasn't really anything specific I could point to. There was just an uncomfortable feeling in my gut that usually preceded something bad.

Instead of being direct with her, which I felt would have led to a fight and a lot of denials, I tried being extra sensitive to her needs. I brought home flowers and took her out more often. When we made love, I did everything I could to make sure she was satisfied. I always loved having sex with Terry. She was a wonderful lover, but now I strove to make sure that she understood exactly how important she was to me.

I knew there was trouble four weeks ago today. We had just finished having the most amazing sex I could remember in ages. It felt great to me, but must have been even better for her. She had a bunch of orgasms, which was unusual for a weekday quickie. I was lying back, feeling really good about myself when I noticed her with that far away look again. "Terry... Terry!" I said, feeling frustrated.

"What is it?" She looked at me like I had interrupted something important.

"I was trying to tell you how wonderful that felt. Sorry I disturbed you," I said with contempt.

To avoid saying something I'd regret, I rolled away from her. I was deeply hurt that she could be preoccupied so quickly after I had obviously given her a great deal of pleasure. What else was I supposed to do to get through to her?

"Sweetheart," she said, trying to sound conciliatory. "It was incredible for me too." She moved closer and pressed her breasts against my back. "You were wonderful."

I tried to let it go, but didn't sleep well that night. There was a fear that had been growing inside me for weeks, maybe longer. I finally had decided that there was no question about the name behind that fear... Jackie. Her friend was the bane of my existence. I didn't like her or her 'studly' husband Ted, since the day they moved into our neighborhood. They both acted like they were better than the rest of us.

Our block was a tightly knit community. We watched out for each other's kids, family and property. Even though there were diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, we got along like we were family. I knew every person on the block by name. There were several parties a year that practically everyone attended. Most of all, we trusted each other.

When Ted and Jackie moved in, it was like putting poison in a well. Several of the wives found Jackie to be fascinating, despite their husband's objections. Terry was no exception. Almost all the husbands hated Ted. The prissy little punk acted like he thought all women worshipped the ground he walked on. He was a trainer at a local gym and never missed an opportunity to parade around in tight shorts, without a shirt in his front yard. Terry insisted we were just being silly because he was young and attractive, but every guy knows someone like Ted. They are nothing but trouble.

I did everything I could to discourage Terry from spending time with them, but she was like a moth to a flame. She admired Jackie for being so outrageous in the way she spoke, acted and dressed. I didn't appreciate the fact that my wife, who I thought was perfect, wanted so much to be like someone I disliked.

Their friendship had grown to the point where they went out together a couple of nights a week. The only thing that kept me from putting my foot down was that Terry would always cancel her plans with Jackie if I asked. She only went out with her when I was busy or didn't have specific plans. It kept me off balance because I felt foolish complaining when she was obviously putting me first. Something told me that she was doing it more for her own gain than for any consideration of me, but I could hardly tell her that.

There was one other thing that kept me from demanding she find a new friend. Terry never went to their house when Ted was home unless I was with her. I don't know how all husbands approach this situation, but I have a very strong opinion that a wife should never be alone with another man unless she asks her husband first. Terry knew I wouldn't put up with any shit about it not being a big deal because Jackie was there. I trusted Jackie slightly less than her obnoxious husband.

Eventually, I gave up on trying to make Terry see my side of things. I just hoped that she wouldn't get talked into anything stupid. I wasn't sure what these people were really into, but had the distinct impression that they looked down their noses at the way we acted like a family in the neighborhood.

Several of the families had dropped out of touch in the last few months. There were whispered rumors of fights between couples over too much time with the new neighbors. Unfortunately, no one knew anything for sure, just that two couples had moved away and two others had stopped spending as much time with the rest of us.

All of this happened slowly, which kept people like me from getting too upset. It reminded me of the anecdote about the frog in the water. If you put a frog in boiling water, he'll hop out. If you put him in cool water, but slowly turn up the heat, he'll stay until he dies. As I tried to go to sleep that night, I tossed and turned, wondering if I was starting to understand how the frog must have felt.

The next night, I came home from work a little late and Terry was already gone. There was food waiting for me that just had to be thrown in the microwave and a note telling me she wouldn't be too late. I thought about how great the previous night had been, only to be followed by leftovers and watching television by myself. I thought about calling Jeff or Sam, two neighbors who I was very close to. In the end, I decided not to intrude on their family night just because Terry had something better to do than stay home with me. My mood was starting to turn foul.

She didn't get home until ten o'clock, far later than usual. I was in bed watching TV at the time and my mood wasn't any better than before. She came into the room and jumped into the bed.

"Hey lover, want to play?"

She grabbed my hand and pulled it to her breast. I just moved it away. "I would have loved to play, about three hours ago."

She looked hurt by my rebuke. "Steve, please don't be like that. You know I would have stayed home if you asked. You were so wonderful last night. I just wanted to return the favor."

I choked back an insult and decided to study her instead. She looked sincere, but something about her coming back from Jackie's so horny rubbed me the wrong way. "Look, I have to be up for work early tomorrow and I had a really long day. Can I have a rain check please?"

I kissed her, trying to show that I wasn't really mad. Actually, I was mad, but she was right, I could have asked her to stay home. I was mad at myself for not insisting she stay, but part of me was angry with her for making me ask. To me, a husband shouldn't have to ask his wife to stay home. I know I'm a little old fashioned, but it just seemed backward. She let it go and quietly got ready for bed. I don't know if either of us slept much that night.

Things got a little better over the next few days. There weren't any more blowups and she didn't go back to Jackie's. We didn't get the chance to have sex until the weekend, but at least when we did, each of us seemed committed to making the other feel fulfilled. We spent the entire weekend together, making me wonder if I hadn't been wrong to lash out at her.

Her entire attitude seemed to have changed. I thought maybe I had finally gotten through to her. She gave me her full attention all the time and I took advantage of it to make sure she knew how much I appreciated the change. The sex was great too; she was on fire. After an entire week that seemed more like a honeymoon than anything else, I began to wonder if I finally could stop worrying.

The following Thursday answered that question. "... Come on Terry, how many times do we have to have the same discussion?"

"Steve, you're being impossible. You aren't even going to be home, how can you object to me going over to Jackie's? She hasn't done anything wrong and you seem intent on punishing her. She's my friend, but I always let her know that we can't make plans until I know what you're doing."

She had me nailed, as usual. Because I couldn't find something tangible to be upset about, I always lost this argument. "Fine, go over there, but I would really like it if you went out with some of our old friends from time to time. It bothers me that Jackie is the only one you seem to spend time with anymore." More than that was bothering me, but I knew there was no way to win that fight.

"All right, I'll see if Sam's wife is free next week and we'll do something. Will that make you happy?" She tried to sound jovial, but something in her tone annoyed me. I just nodded and got ready to go to a night class my company was making me take. I wouldn't be home until almost 10:00 and wondered if I'd be coming home to an empty house again.

When I pulled in the driveway, my suspicions were confirmed. Terry hadn't made it home yet. I wasn't looking forward to getting ready for bed by myself again. However, I didn't want to make the situation worse by overreacting again. It was my fault she wasn't home. I told her she could go. I went in and straight up to bed without even bothering to look for dinner.

I was half-asleep and having an erotic dream, when something in my brain clicked. I opened my eyes and saw Terry naked, working her tongue down my body. She had taken off the sheet and pulled down my boxers.

"What the... " I mumbled, bewildered.

"Shhh," she said softly, without moving her lips from the shaft of my penis. "Just lie back and let me take care of you."

Although I had been angry with her earlier, waking from my sleep like that left me disoriented. It was hard to think about anything except how good her mouth felt. I relaxed as she opened her mouth, dragging it up and down the underside of my shaft, letting her tongue and teeth softly scrape the soft skin. She put her hand behind my prick, holding it as she zeroed in on the spot she knew from years of practice was the most sensitive. She sucked hard, letting her tongue dance across the center of the area, making my entire body writhe on the bed.

"Come here," I begged, reaching for her hips.

She understood my intention and pivoted her already naked body closer so I could reach her. She never stopped her attention to my penis as she obligingly lifted her right leg so I could move her body over mine. I felt a familiar thrill as her breasts dragged across my stomach. Maybe it was the last remnants of the dream, but for some reason the touch of her skin sent a wave of pleasure through me that was unusual for someone I'd been intimate with hundreds of times. When she settled over me, I stopped for a second to admire the simple beauty of her sex.

She had tried shaving for me before, but neither of us really liked it that much. Since she enjoyed me going down on her so much, she wanted to do something to make the experience better for me, so she settled on trimming her pubic hair into a small, well-manicured pattern. The inner lips of her labia protruded slightly past her outer lips, making her most private area appear an even mix of innocence and sexuality to me. I ran my thumb around her outer lips, tracing them and gathering a little lubrication to help me enter her. She was already more aroused than I expected and my thumb slipped easily inside her, causing her to stop what she was doing for a moment and moan.

I enjoyed the power I wielded over her in the bedroom. It never failed to make me feel special as I knew exactly how to drive her crazy and derived a great deal of pride from the way she responded to me. Terry had been very inexperienced before we met, just having sex with her high school sweetheart, which had been less than thrilling for her. The very first time we made love, she couldn't conceal her surprise that sex could be so amazing.

I dragged my thumb toward her clit, letting it slowly pull out of her vagina. Her body shuddered as it reached her clit, where I softly started moving it in circles, barely touching the sensitive bud. I reached my left arm around her lower back and pulled her down a little, then lifted my head. My tongue began exploring the bottom of her outer lips, then wandered over her perineum. I made small circles with my tongue at the same tempo as my thumb, which was still circling her clitoris. The motion of her hips was my only indication that my technique was having the desired effect.

I pulled down a little harder and managed to get the tip of my tongue to her anus. That always drove her crazy and tonight was no exception. She stopped what she had been doing and finally took my cock in her mouth, wrapping her hand around the base. She had never been able to take me any deeper than what she could fit in her mouth, so I had shown her how to use her hand to make up the difference. It was something that she really enjoyed doing because she knew I loved it and she had only done it with me. She continued sliding the head past her lips, sinking down the shaft until her lips met her hand. She immediately pulled back and began moving her head up and down, holding her lips tightly together to give me as much pleasure as she could.

I returned the favor by pulling her hips down further. I moved my hand away from her clit and moved it around her hips with the other one. I let my tongue push between her lips, going as deep as I could reach inside her. Then I moved my head in a plunging motion, pausing after a handful of thrusts to run it across her outer lips, then repeating the motions. The motion of her hips became more uncontrollable as I saw the telltale signs of her upcoming climax. There was a tingling throughout my body, letting me know mine was close as well.

"Honey, I can't last much longer, I want to be inside you," I said softly.