Faux-wife Solution

"Oh, Ron. How I wish I would have lived up to that trust. What I did was juvenile, but in my mind, I did not betray our love. I did not give my love to Kelvin, I just gave him my body. I did that because I was vulnerable after the hours of flirting, dancing, groping and drinking that had occurred as we celebrated, in your absence, that awful night. It caused me to make mistake number six, but it seems now like the total number of mistakes was a thousand or more. All of which I regret with every bone in by body.

"Here is one important thing that I want you to consider. You know that I never really even liked Kelvin. I agreed to associate with him and Denise because he was your friend, perhaps your best friend.

"What I did with him in no way put our marriage in danger. I was not having any kind of affair with Kelvin. I had no emotional attachment to him. I did not tell him secrets about our marriage, bad mouth you or tell him he was better than you. I didn't do any of those things that would indicate an emotional affair between us. It was just one time. It won't be repeated on his next birthday or any other time ever again, I promise you that.

"I am not making excuses. I take the blame and bear the shame. I do think the alcohol affected my actions, but I refuse to hide behind that excuse. I just want to assure you that I had no thought of replacing you or endangering our marriage. I hope, at the very least, that you will concede that point.

"I hate it when someone says, 'it was just sex;' but in reality, that's all that it was. I am just so sorry and regretful about it, Ron. Immediately after we had finished our infidelity and just before I heard you singing, I had promised myself that I would never drink alcohol again unless you were there. Also, my thoughts had turned from illicit passion to you, to our kids and to the enormity of what I had just done.

"When I heard your voice, I was in a complete state of panic. I still feel that panic every time I think about that night and what it might cost me and my family. Please tell me that you understand that I did not mean to undermine or disparage our marriage."

"Lynn, even if I buy all of that, how can I ever trust you again. You know Tammy across the street. You know that I do not particularly like her but put up with her because she is your friend. What if you would have discovered me fucking her on our couch? How would you have felt? Would you trust me not to do it again sometime with someone else in the future? Give that some thought, Lynn, and maybe you can begin to see how I feel."

Well, I had made an attempt to explain that terrible night to Ron. We had our ground rules in place. We had an agreement to make believe that everything was OK for six months. Nothing was, however, actually OK. He obviously could not trust me. I, in turn, could not blame him.

It was weeks later when Ron really surprised me. At the dinner table, he mentioned that he had felt sleepy all day. Our daughter, Mary, said, "Why don't you have a cup of coffee?"

I jumped up and said "Oh, god; don't do that. No coffee. Pretend that coffee was never mentioned."

Both kids looked at me like I had lost my mind. I hurriedly added, "That might keep you awake all night. I have been sleepy all day too. I think it is just because it has been cloudy all day."

The kids had quite a conversation about clouds and sleep, but I just kept telling them how much I had been yearning for a nice cloudy day so I could finally get some sleep. I am sure they thought I was losing my mind.

That night, Ron came to bed carrying a tube of lubricant. I told him that he would not be needing that. He said that I needed to remember that there was not going to be any foreplay. I told him that just knowing what was going to happen had already done the trick for me.

So, without foreplay he began to fuck me. He was not rough, but he was not gentle either. We were just having sex, not making love.

Everything was going good. I was so ready. It was so good. I began to let it all hang out.

"Ohm, Orr, or, oh yes, oh yes, Ron, I'm going to cum, Ron, yes, yes, oh yes, I'm, I'm, Oh I'm coming, oh yes, ohhhhhhh, ohhhhhh, hoo-hah."

He stopped thrusting immediately. His erection began shrinking. He rolled off of me. He had tears in his eyes. He put his bedclothes back on and headed for the guest bedroom.

I was devastated. I was confused. I had somehow caused the image of my cheating to replay in his mind. This was a real low point for me. What did I do?

After much thought and analysis, I had an epiphany. It was the words! Those were the same words that I had said so often during our marriage. But even more importantly, except for the name, they were the exact words that I had said that night to Kelvin.

Oh, god; those words even brought that cheating episode back to my mind. I had blown my chance. I probably would not get another one. Now I am facing an open marriage after all.

A week went by with no mention of being sleepy.

I waited 3 more days. Then I mentioned that I was really feeling sleepy. Ron immediately mentioned coffee. I said that I had tried that beverage and it didn't work. He said perhaps we should change to a different brand of coffee.

Our son, Jerry, asked why we didn't try something else. "Why not try tea or even cola. They contain a reduced amount of caffeine."

I told him that I was convinced that this time only some actual sleep would be of any benefit.

Ron suggested that I go ahead and go to bed by myself and catch up on my sleep. I asked him how he expected me to get any sleep without him. He said, "You know there are ways that you can put yourself to sleep."

I said that I did not like to use false methods of getting sleep. He mentioned counting sheep. I told him that I would not be able to do that because I would be missing him too much. I told him that I would wait for him to come to bed, but I was determined to get some sleep tonight.

Finally, Mary said, "Both of you go to bed, for heaven's sake. If you don't quit worrying about it and talking about it, none of us will be getting any sleep."

Ron finally said he would come to bed, but he couldn't guarantee that I would get any sleep.

Jerry said, "Not even the best sleeping medications can guarantee that you will get some sleep. Get real. Just go to bed for heaven's sake and let nature take its course."

I replied, "That's a great idea, Jerry. That's just what I have been wanting. Don't you think it's a good idea Ron?"

By now Mary was rolling her eyes in disbelief. I thought to myself that we needed to change our code before our kids had us committed.

"OK, Lynn, let's give it another try. I don't see how the results will be any different, but I don't want to deplete all of my coffee options in just one night."

"What does that even mean?" asked Mary.

We didn't answer. We just said goodnight and headed for the bedroom.

It started just like last time. This time when things got really hot and I reached the moaning stage, I just sort of whimpered with the sexiest whimper that I could manage. It was a sound that I had never made before, but it got the message out.

Then, over and over I repeated the same words, "Ron, I love you. I love you, honey. I will always love you. You are my only love."

Towards the end I could only gasp "Love, love, love."

It was among the best orgasms that I had ever had! I must have said "love" at least twenty more times. I thought Ron would never stop filling me. All of that time spent waiting for this was majorly apparent. In fact, it resulted in two repeat performances and a curtain call! I had found the answer. The answer was a word. The word was "love." I should have known that. I had found the magic word.

After we finally depleted all of that pent up sexual energy, we fell asleep holding each other. I slept better than I had been able to do since that awful night.

The next morning, Mary asked me how the sleeping went.

"Oh, honey; it was fantastic. I have never slept better. I feel so much better today. There is nothing like sleep to make the sun shine so brightly in the morning."

"I thought it was clouds that you wanted. Boy am I confused," exclaimed Mary.

Ron said, "I completely agree with your mom on this. In fact, I am already looking forward to sleeping again tonight."

I replied, "Me too, honey. I just can't wait."

Mary said, "Could we just eat in silence for a few days. I think my mind is muddled. I don't understand a damn word that is being said by you two."

Jerry chimed in, "It's not you Mary. It must be the phase of the moon or something. I think we need to eat out more often. It's something about this kitchen. I think I am going to give up caffeine before it starts affecting me."

That night after making love, we decided that we would change our code to something less obvious. We decided that the party wanting sex would just hit the table. If it was answered with a similar hit, then we were on for that night. Never mind that it is still extremely silly, I was beginning to enjoy this secret code stuff.

The next morning while I was chewing on some toast, Ron hit the table with his fist. I immediately hit the table with my fist and almost choked on my toast.

The following morning, I hit the table before I even started breakfast. Ron was standing by the sink, but he immediately ran over and struck the table with the spoon that he was holding.

After the fourth straight day of table hitting, Jerry said, "Mom, Dad, I know that cutting out caffeine has helped you guys sleep, but maybe you better start having at least some of it again. I think it's either that or we start looking for a sturdier table."

We finally gave up the code. We just went to bed and let nature take its course. I might have been his whore, but I was his very willing whore. The word "no" was not in my vocabulary.

Now, some thoughts about Sacramento. I expected the move to be a sad occasion for me, but instead, I found myself considering it to be a possible new beginning. We were far away from Kelvin and Denise and all other reminders of my terrible betrayal of my husband. Our kids hated to leave their friends, but they really liked California.

Ron was doing an excellent job of managing the Sacramento office. He was popular with all of his employees. He had lifted the Sacramento office to the number one position in profits for his whole company.

As for me, I was playing my part well, if I do say so myself. No one other than Jessica had any idea that Ron and I were anything but the perfect, loving couple. Even Ron gave me complements about my performance. I kept up the happy act, but with every day that passed and got us closer to the end of our six months, I died little.

In the middle of the fourth month of our six-month agreement, we celebrated Ron's birthday. It was a big party put on by the company to honor Ron's birthday, but also to reward his management success. All of the big-wigs were there and it was quite a party. The venue was a big convention room in a spectacular downtown hotel. It came complete with an open bar, a dance floor and a live band. It was a great party. I played my part with exuberance. I was the perfect faux-wife.

After the party, the whole management team retired to rooms that had been provided by the company. They had rented a whole floor of rooms. The rooms were really posh.

When Ron and I got to our room, neither of us was feeling any pain. I crawled into bed next to Ron. He started kissing me. As the kisses became more passionate, he began to probe my body with his hands. All at once it hit me, we were in the middle of foreplay!

After some really intense foreplay, came some of the most gentle and wonderful love making that we had ever experienced. It was followed by an identical session an hour later. That was followed by an additional hour of holding, cuddling and afterglow. Oh, how I had missed this. Things were back to normal, at least for this night.

I had been very careful not to tell Ron that I was doing any of this as a birthday gift. I did nothing to remind him of my Birthday Dinner escapade

I was worried that it was a one-time thing. When we got back to our own bed at home, it might revert to no foreplay and no afterglow.

Thankfully, that did not happen. I was no longer his whore. He was no longer just using me. We made love in every sense of those words. Was my career as a faux-wife over? Was I a real wife again? Do miracles happen?

I later learned that sometimes a miracle might result from the actions of a good friend. Unbeknown to me, the week before the party, Jessica had placed a folder of personnel action summaries on Ron's desk.

The papers showed Ron's ruling for twelve different violations of company rules or policies, all of which were committed by women who worked for him. Each violation could have resulted in the employee's dismissal, but in each and every case, Ron had only meted out a hand-slap.

At their first coffee break, Ron said, "Jessica, I see where you are going with those papers, but what Lynn did is not comparable to the actions of those employees. It was a very different kettle of fish."

"Ron, it was a first-time mistake for each of those ladies. You chose to give them another chance, and rightly so, in my opinion. None of them disappointed you, did they?

"You are right about it being different with Lynn. None of those other ladies ever carried your child in their belly for nine months. None of them raised two beautiful children with you, often doing your part of the raising too when you were away on various work assignments. None of them held your hand all night in the hospital like Lynn did when that truck ran a red light and broadsided your car. Yes, you are right, it is very different with Lynn.

"I just want you to think about the things that aren't so different. It was a first-time and once-only offence for Lynn. She has regretted the mistake every minute of every day since then. She was the sunshine in your life before that mistake and she has been an exemplary faux-wife since then. Her time as a faux-wife is about over. She is preparing for the day she has to bow out, but it breaks her heart in every way. I hope you can see that.

"I just question why you can't give her a break like you gave those other women. Lynn has become my best friend. I would trust her with anything up to and including my life. I see her as a very genuine person. The only other person that I see as that kind of friend, is you. I love you both and from my point of view, you complement each other in every way.

"You can tell me to buzz off, and I will. But first, I am appealing to you to find it in your heart to forgive her and breathe new life into your marriage. Please, Ron, the two of you have a love that is a living thing. Please, don't let it die."

The miracle that Jessica had advocated for so eloquently actually happened with less than a month left in our six-month arrangement.

Since we had not been home since the infamous Birthday Dinner, Ron suggested that we take a trip home. I will never forget, he got down on one knee and asked me if I would agree to go back to the church where we were married and renew our vows.

There were tears of joy running down my cheeks as I hugged and kissed my husband and told him that renewing our vows would mean the world to me. I wanted to do that as much as I had ever wanted anything in my life. I needed to do it.

All of our friends and family members were there in the little church as we renewed our vows. The emotion I was feeling made it difficult for me to speak, but for me and for the wonderful man standing beside me, I was able to repeat my vows with more love and devotion than I had displayed on our wedding day. It was a perfect experience and I vowed in my heart that I would die before I would ever break those vows. Never, never again.

Well, here it is many years after that trip home. I am up an hour early today. This is another special day. This will be the last morning that I get to see this beautiful California view out of my window. I am facing another moving day.

Ron walked in with his normal, cheerful "good morning" and started sipping the coffee that I had poured for him. He leaned across the table and gave me a tender kiss.

Today we are sitting at that very same table that we had used before California and that we would take with us again on this move. The only downer is that we are now minus the kids. They are both in college now.

Starting today, my man will be the really big cheese. Now there will be another new house. This time it will be at the new company headquarters. This time it will be in Austin, Texas; the new Silicon Valley.

I am sad that Jessica won't be with us. She is retiring in Sacramento with Jim. She will be sorely missed. She is happy. She says that she is content knowing that Ron is in good hands. She intends to enjoy her retirement. I want nothing but the best for her. She is my best friend.

Out of the blue, I ask Ron if he remembers the sleeping problems that he and I had faced a decade ago.

"What sleeping problems?" he asks.

"It doesn't matter, honey. I just want you to have a great day today. Just think, your very first day as the alpha dog, numero-uno, big cheese, head honcho, first parking space, the CEO of your company."

"Do you want to know what I remember, Lynn? I remember that on one of the darkest days of my life, when I had lost all hope, you predicted this day would come! You told me that I would be running the company in ten years. You were nothing short of clairvoyant!"

"I knew it would happen, Ron, because I knew you. It was, indeed, a dark time for us. While I had faith in you and believed what I said about you running the company in ten years, I regretted with every cell in my body that I would not be by your side when my prediction came true. I didn't dream that I would be here with you when it happened. I still have to pinch myself to prove that I'm not dreaming.

"I am so, so proud of you. You deserve this honor. You are the best man, the best person, that I have ever known. You are my everything."

"Lynn, you know that I would not be here if it weren't for you. I never deceive myself into believing that I did this by myself. We have been a team all of the way. I am incomplete without you. There is not another woman like you on this whole planet. I love you more than life itself. Thanks for everything, honey. There is nothing stronger in the cosmos than my love for you."

In my heart, I thank God, that Ron has finally forgotten all about the huge trouble that we had ten years ago.

As we prepare to leave for Austin, Ron says, "Lynn, all of this excitement and celebrating makes me extremely sleepy." Then he banged the table with his fist.

"I feel the same way, Ron. I am very sleepy too." I banged the table with both fists. We smile, knowingly, at each other.

About an hour later we were no longer sleepy. Hand in hand, we walked toward our chauffeur-driven airport-bound limo to begin the next phase of our fantastic relationship together. A relationship that almost ended with an ill-fated Birthday Dinner ten years ago!

The End of the New Ending of an original story by romantichica.