Alice

One of hairs was blonde and seemed similar to Leslie's. They decided to come speak to her after they found a single word on a slip of paper Mr. Carlone had been using for a bookmark: "Leslie." "Mrs. Thompson, pardon my directness, but were you having an affair with Anthony Carlone?"

Leslie put her head on her arms and began to sob. "I was," she managed to say. "I wouldn't exactly call it an affair; more like friends with benefits. You know his wife left him and he was alone," she said as if it would excuse her actions.

"You weren't the only one," the detective said. "I have to ask, did your husband know about you and Mr. Carlone?"

"No. No. He didn't, doesn't, know. Oh my God, will he find out?"

"You're sure he doesn't know?"

"I'm positive. He's never said a single word, or even the hint of a word. Our relationship has never been stronger. Rob has a tendency to let people know when he's displeased and he's never hinted he thought something was happening between Tony and me. If he did, I'd know. He couldn't hide it. Especially from me. But, will he find out now that Tony's been killed?"

"Not from us unless we find evidence he's involved. However, investigations leak and this case has some salacious circumstances, such as his involvement with several women, and we can't guarantee something won't eventually become known, including your name."

"Shit. What can I do?"

"I suggest you sit down with your husband and tell him everything. It has to be better if it comes from you rather than the six pm news."

"Shit. Okay. I'll think about it."

The detectives took a sample of Leslie's hair and her fingerprints for elimination purposes and left.

The doorbell rang again a few minutes after dinner that evening. Leslie was immediately nervous. She had been on edge all day after speaking to the detectives. She felt a little distracted during their sex before dinner but, if Rob noticed, he said nothing. She still hadn't had the nerve, or time, to have the discussion with Rob she knew she had to have.

Leslie and I were cleaning up after dinner, when the doorbell rang. I answered the door and was met by two men wearing suits. They identified themselves as detectives and asked to speak with me. I invited them in and introduced them to Leslie who hoped her response wouldn't alert Rob that she had met them earlier.

When they were seated in the living room, one of the detectives asked, "Mr. Thompson, according to our notes, you were the first neighbor to come out of the house last Friday night. Is that correct?"

"I don't know," I responded. "I don't remember seeing anyone else outside, but I can't be absolutely sure. I could have been first."

"Have you remembered seeing or hearing anything you didn't mention to the officers that night?"

"I haven't. Should I have?"

"Well, one of your neighbors thinks he heard a car driving away right after he came outside. Do you remember a car driving away?"

"Now that you mention it, there was a car. I didn't think anything about it at the time. It was halfway up the street when I noticed it. I wouldn't have except it must have turned on the headlights while moving up the street. The taillights coming on got my attention."

"Is there anything else you can tell us about the car or driver?"

"Not really. It was too far away to see the driver and it was dark."

"How about the taillights or the shape of the car? Maybe the license plate?"

"It was pretty far away. The lights were small, irregular and I think the center light was slightly above the others. I couldn't see the outline of the car in the dark let alone the license. Maybe the left headlight was out. The light pattern seemed unsymmetrical. That's all I remember." That much seemed safe. Alice drove a car with round taillights with the center light up on the roof-line and all the headlights worked fine.

"That's helpful. If you remember anything else please call us."

When the detectives left, Leslie took my hand and led me to the sofa. "Rob, we have to talk."

"Sure. What about?"

"This whole thing with our neighbor. I'm scared to death."

"Why?" I think I knew where Leslie was going and I was prepared to let her hang out for a while. The problem was solved as far as I was concerned and I was willing to let it go to preserve my life with her.

"That's not the first time the detectives were here today."

"You talked to them earlier?"

"Yes."

"What did they want from you?"

"They've found evidence that our neighbor was entertaining several women. They found women's fingerprints and hair in his house and bedroom."

"So?" This was beginning to sound interesting.

"One of the hairs was mine."

"Yours?"

"Yes and I'm afraid they might think I had something to do with his death. They took a hair sample from me and my fingerprints."

"I don't think that's a possibility. You were in bed with me when he was shot. They're probably only trying to eliminate some of the evidence so they can focus on the important stuff. What the hell was your hair and fingerprints doing in his house anyway?" I knew but I wanted to hear her explain it to me.

"That's what I'm really scared about. I was in his house."

"And in his bedroom?"

"Yes, and don't go all ballistic on me. Let me explain."

This was going to be interesting.

"Tony was one of our nicest neighbors. His wife did him dirty and left him all alone. I felt sorry for him."

"So you fucked him?"

"Yes and I regret it now. I'd do anything to change what happened but I can't. I feel terrible. I cheated on you and I've ruined everything we have. I realize how important you are to me and I'm devastated that I'll lose you forever."

"How the hell did it happen?"

"I knew his wife had left. I never liked her. I thought she was a horrible neighbor, a bitch and was glad she was gone. He seemed like a nice guy. He was always nice to both of us. I went over one day to see how he was doing."

"And one thing led to another," I interjected.

"Kinda. He was taking her leaving well I thought. He seemed okay. We talked for a while and I came home. I thought about him being alone and went back a few days later with a couple of scones and suggested we have coffee or tea and talk some more. I realize now that was the wrong thing to do. I opened the door to something more.

"We had coffee and cake a couple of times a week after that. Eventually our talks became very personal, at least on his part. He confessed that he didn't love her any more at the end but he missed the physical part of their relationship. He told me she had been pretty good in bed and being alone, with only his right hand to keep him company, was depressing. He looked so sad. I wanted to help him."

"And you knew just how to do that," I interjected again.

"Sadly, yes. I kissed him and let him touch me. A week later I even led him up to the bedroom."

"And you did what you do best. You had sex with him." I was leading the witness.

"Yes. I thought I was doing the right thing. I was helping a fellow human being through a rough time in his life. It was stupid. I was stupid. I knew better but somehow I convinced myself it would be alright."

"And I would never know."

"That too. Damn. I feel like a worthless idiot. I know you have to be furious. I'm your wife and I did the unthinkable but I honestly thought it was okay. Please try to understand. I'll do anything to make it right with you. I swear I'll never do anything like this again. I've learned a valuable lesson. I want desperately for you to understand and help me. I'll do anything you want, forever, if we can get passed this."

"And, you kept going back for more?"

"No. I kept going back to help him. I thought I was doing a good thing. He was a lousy lover. No energy and no imagination. It was always the same and the sex with you later was always better than ever. Maybe that helped me think it was a good thing."

"How many times?"

"It started about seven months ago. Twice a week. Probably fifty or sixty times. God, I sound like a whore."

It was a good thing that my initial anger had been focused on Tony Carlone all these months. It helped me control my temper with Leslie. I took her hand. "I'm pissed. Really pissed, but I can see how you could fall into his trap. You've always been sensitive about people in trouble." I was leaving her a way out. I wondered if she would recognize it.

"He took advantage of me. I know now he seduced me. I was weak when I thought I was strong."

I liked the path she was taking.

"I want to make it right between us. What can I do that would make it alright with you?"

"I don't know. I think you should think about it and offer a solution appropriate with your level of contrition. I don't want to impose something on you that might only serve to make matters worse. It's your bad and it should be your fix."

Leslie was quiet for several minutes. Finally, she said, "I could offer you a hall pass."

"A hall pass?" I asked.

"You know. You could have sex with anyone you choose and I would be okay with it."

"I don't know. How can a wrong be fixed with another wrong?"

"I was wrong but you wouldn't be. You'd have my permission. No questions asked. It would even the score, so to speak, and we could move on."

"Sixty," I said. "That's a lot of hall passes."

"I never considered the number before. I wasn't counting but if it's sixty, then it's sixty and I really want to make it right."

"Leslie, I don't know sixty women. Hell, I don't know even one woman who would want to have sex with me."

"Don't sell yourself short. There are plenty of women who would line up to have you for one night. I've seen them look at you when they think I'm not looking."

"Right and the sun rises in the west," I countered.

"I think it's a good idea. I need for you to do this. For me. I'd be willing to help."

"She's just gone from being a whore to being a pimp," I thought.

"I don't think it would be that difficult," she continued. "If I let them know it was alright with me I bet some of them would be eager to jump your bones."

"I don't know," I said. "I can't imagine a single woman."

"Just off the top of my head, how about Mary?"

"Mary? My sister?"

"Yes, your sister. I've seen the way she looks at you sometimes. I bet she's been carrying a torch for you since you were both teenagers. Actually, I'm surprised you didn't fuck her then. She's single. She's alone and I bet she's sexually frustrated. If I pushed her buttons just a little, I bet she'd be in your bed within a week."

"But, my sister."

"It's a means to an end. I've seen the way you look at her sometimes. I bet you'd enjoy it as much as she would."

"You're serious," I stated.

"As a stroke, which I still may have if you can't help me with this."

"Okay, if you want it this way. I don't know why I'm not more angry at you than I am, but I'm not. Normally I'd want to kill the bastard who lured you into his bed but someone's already taken care of that."

"Knowing now what I didn't know then; he was fucking at least three other women, I'd help you."

"Maybe the extreme solution you seem to be okay with has some effect. Honestly, I've never had carnal thoughts about another woman since I met you." I also have a bridge I'm trying to sell. "Maybe it will pull me back from the brink and make our relationship stronger." Sure!

Leslie put her other hand on top of mine. "Rob, will you make love to me?"

I couldn't refuse a request like that.

We went to the bedroom hand in hand and make slow, deliberate love, something more meaningful than just sex. Leslie was very attentive. She fulfilled my every wish and more. Later, when we were lying in bed with my arm around her and her head on my chest, I felt a drop on water on my skin. I lifted my head to see what it was and used my free hand to wipe another tear from her cheek. She looked up and smiled at her.

"Rob," she said, "that was wonderful. Thank you. I want moments just like that for the rest of my life, with you."

Wednesday I felt compelled to call Alice and try to push my offer along. After the talk with Leslie, I felt that my three-point desperation shot from mid-court was morphing into a lay up. I resisted, preferring to give Leslie some room to work her magic.

During the rest of the week, I washed the clothing I wore Friday night and cut it up into small pieces. I took the gun completely apart and, wearing gloves, scrubbed each part, and the spare bullet, with alcohol. Each day, I had lunch from a different fast food drive through, ate in the parking lot and put a portion of the cut up clothing in the empty bag that I put in the restaurant's trash. It took almost two weeks before it was all gone.

I cleaned the sneakers inside and out and put them next to a car behind an all night gym downtown. I hoped it would look like someone had forgotten them when they got into their car and someone else would find them and I'd never see them again.

The pieces of the gun were more difficult to dispose of. Finally, on a weekend, I took Leslie up to a nearby lake and rented a boat for the day. We cruised around the lake, laughed together and fucked once in a small cove out of sight of the rest of the lake. I also managed to drop the gun, piece by piece, in a dozen spots in the center of the lake. The trip had an added benefit. I got a hand job in the car on the way home and very pleasant quarter hour in the shower later.

The outstanding issue with Alice haunted me. Leslie hadn't mentioned it to me so I had no idea where it stood. I bit the bullet on Saturday morning when Leslie went to the market and called Mary. When she answered, I said, with preamble, "I've been thinking."

"So have I," she responded.

"Are we on?"

"I think so. I've thought of little else for the last three weeks."

"Where and when?"

"You know, there are a few things you could help me around the apartment, if you have time."

"I'll make the time. When?"

"How about now?"

"I can do that. See you in about an hour."

"Great. I can hardly keep my pants on in anticipation."

"Then don't bother," I said as I hung up.

I called Leslie on her cell phone.

"Mary wants me come over and help her with a few things at her apartment."

"I thought she might."

"I don't know how long I'll be there."

"Take as long as you need. There's no time limit on a hall pass. Just save some and come home to me."

"Thank you," I said as I hung up.

I showered and changed into something that I thought would be easy to remove. I considered leaving off my fruit of the looms and go commando, but I didn't want to look too confident and put them on.

I rang Alice's doorbell in just under an hour. I had stopped at a local market and bought a small crumb cake and a bouquet of spring flowers for her.

Mary answered the door with an expression something between a smile and a grimace. She was barefoot wearing white tennis shorts and a t-shirt that stretched over her chest and confirmed that she was braless. "Going commando would have been fine," I thought as I walked into her living room.

Mary closed the door behind me and stood facing me, obviously at a loss as to what to say. Finally, she asked, "Are those for me?" pointing to the flowers.

"I thought they might help set the mood and create an alternate reality to our obvious relationship."

Mary took the flowers and, after searching through a couple of cabinets, put them in a vase with water. She was standing behind the kitchen counter when I walked over and sat on a stool on the opposite side. She looked at me with a "what next?" stare. I felt sorry for her. We were both in new territory but, where I was comfortable she had a deer in the headlights look about her.

"I thought we might have a cup of coffee and talk for a while," I said as I removed the coffee cake from its bag.

Two K-cups and twenty minutes later we were sitting at her small kitchen table, laughing over the remains of the cake and a couple of empty mugs. I reached out and took her hand. She looked at me, smiled and asked, "Is it time?"

"Only if you feel it," I said.

"Oh, I feel it. So can you if you want to."

With her sense of humor intact, I knew the train had left the station.

Mary walked around the table, offered me her hands and I stood up in front of her. She knelt down in front of me and began to undo my belt and jeans. She pulled my jeans down to my knees and fumbled a little with my briefs trying to pull them over my rising erection. "Should have gone commando," I thought.

Mary held my penis gently in one hand and began to kiss and lick the head. "She's going to start with blow job," I thought. "I wonder if she's been watching porn movies to prepare. They always start with a blow job."

She hadn't done this very often and never with the same guy twice. I gently offered her suggestions and she eventually found a rhythm that satisfied both of us. I managed to pull off her t-shirt and saw her naked tits for the first time. Neither of us was ever going to star in an x-rated movie but if she was happy with my average cock then I was happy with her average tits.

Her oral skills improved with practice. In fact, as she gained confidence, she became quite good and there was no doubt that I was going to cum if she continued. I didn't warn her but she knew instinctively when it was about to happen and pulled her mouth off just as I squirted semen on her chest and tits. She actually giggled as she stood up in front of me.

I took her face in both hands and kissed her for the first time. Not a brotherly kiss. A lover's kiss. Full of promise. I stepped back a half step and, using two fingers, scooped up some cum from her breast, carefully circling her nipple as I did so. I held the fingers up in front of her lips. Her expression told me she had never tasted cum before. I touched my fingers gently to her lips and lifted them off again. She stood still for a moment before her tongue appeared and licked her lips. When I moved my fingers toward her mouth a second time, her lips parted and I put both fingers into her mouth. She sucked and licked them clean before I removed them. She opened her mouth so I could see my cum on her tongue and then made a production of closing her mouth and swallowing.

If the flowers, cake and coffee and sparked a flame, swallowing started the inferno. Over the next three hours, Alice and I lost all sense of time and relationship. I couldn't help comparing Alice's efforts to Leslie's. Where Leslie was experienced and confident, Alice was a novice and hesitant. Where Leslie was practiced and even graceful, Alice was inept and clumsy. Where Leslie was quick to respond to my needs, Alice had to be led. Over the three hours, things worked themselves out quite well. Alice was an excellent student and a good teacher. She was able to coax me while I was pleasuring her clitoris with my tongue and lips to exactly the right spot for her maximum enjoyment. While I had several orgasms and I think Alice did too, neither of us saw stars or fireworks.

The first time I entered her it was slow and gentle. We fucked in classical missionary position for about four minutes before I couldn't hold off and sent a bullet or two of semen into her. As I lay on top of her and looked her in the eyes, she said, "It's alright. I'm on the pill." I guess my smile inspired her as she turned around and began to stroke my cock hoping to keep it from deflating completely. Her efforts were rewarded and she began to suck energetically as my erection responded. I played with her labia with my fingers as she worked on my cock. I gathered some fluid seeping from her and used it to rub a small circle around her rectum. She stopped sucking for a moment, turned her head toward mine and said, "Not there. I'm not ready for that, yet," and went back to her business.