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The first time that Susan met their new neighbors, she and her husband Bruce had been in the middle of a spontaneous rendezvous in one of the many unoccupied rooms of their newly bought home when the sound of an unfamiliar doorbell interrupted them.As they scrambled to pick up their discarded clothing and make themselves look somewhat presentable, she wondered how they could have been together for almost twenty years without him realizing why a few frantic kisses and a warm palm sliding underneath her skirt wasn't quite enough to get her going. Not anymore, not since they were in their early twenties. That definitely wasn't a conversation that she'd anticipated having with him, not that night or anytime soon.Somehow, they managed to make their way downstairs in a respectable amount of time, and found Tom and Trina Decker smiling on the other side of their front door. They were a well put together couple who wore matching red tops and white shorts and seemed perfectly normal, lovely even. Susan quickly found out the hard way that they were also highly perceptive. Mrs Decker, Trina, had picked up on just how flustered the two of them were and the state of their rumpled clothing right away. It was incredibly embarrassing and, if Susan was reading them right, though they apologized and said they'd come back later, they actually seemed amused to have caught them in an intimate moment.Their reaction was so far from any other experience she and Bruce had with friends and family in the past. Sex just wasn't a topic of discussion. Ever. Even in passing. It was just the way that they'd been raised.“Well, tell you what,” Trina offered, “If you like to share, why don't you bring it to our party tomorrow night?”“Come either way, we'll light some fireworks, you can make some new friends. Whatever you're into.”There was something about the way that Tom Decker said that last bit, 'Whatever you're into...' that caught her attention. Susan had a feeling that whatever party they were hosting wasn't going to be your typical cookout or dinner gathering. As much as that piqued her curiosity, and it really did, tomorrow was moving day. That meant a lot of manual labor, coordinating, moving furniture, and organizing. They were going to be exhausted.“Tomorrow's going to be a long day-” Susan started, surprised when she was cut off by her husband.“We'll- We'll try to make it.”“Great...” Trina's nose crinkled, her gaze flitting back and forth between them as if she were silently assessing the situation, “I'm guessing you have children?”Susan nodded, curious as to where the conversation was going, “Two.”“Well, you might want to get a sitter,” she suggested with a kind smile, “This party will go late.”Maybe it was the fact that Susan and her husband were still a bit rattled after having attention drawn to exactly what they'd been doing upstairs before the doorbell rang, or it could have been the casual air about the other couple, the one that radiated of mystery and intrigue. Or, maybe it was the expensive bottle of wine that they'd gifted them, as if it was nothing more than a pretty trinket they just had laying around. Either way, something had both Susan and Bruce watching them with rapt attention as they'd jogged off into the early evening air, and she had a sneaking suspicion that meeting them, moving in next door to people like them, meant that they were destined to change more than just their address and the size of their bank account that summer. How so? She had no idea. Not yet anyway.They'd gone home not long after that, staying up into the wee hours of the morning so that they could finish packing the last of their belongings and have everything ready for when the movers came at 9am. Susan was exhausted and overemotional about it being their last night in their first home, and no matter how hard she tried she simply could not fall asleep.She laid there, watching shadows slowly shift back and forth across the ceiling, and tried to think about anything other than leaving everything that she knew and was familiar with behind. It started with mentally figuring out what boxes she'd want to be put into which rooms, quickly changing to the few poorly thought out plans that she had for redecorating their new home, before eventually leading to thoughts of the Deckers. By then, Susan had finally began to doze, eventually falling asleep to made up images of the party that they'd been invited to, her half conscious mind conjuring flashing images of fancy dresses, disco music, and dancing...***Six hours after the movers had left the following afternoon, they'd finally gotten all of the important furniture set up or, at the very least, in the general area that they would reside in. It had been a non-stop, sweaty day, and even though every part of her wanted to do nothing more than take a nap, she was pleasantly surprised when Bruce brought in two glasses and the chilled bottle of Dom Perignon that the neighbors had given them the night before. As a part of their little celebration, he naturally brought up going to the party next door, and it honestly didn't take very much convincing to get Susan to agree.She was far too intrigued by that point to say no.It took a bit of searching and a fair amount of time, but Susan eventually found a pretty dress hidden deep in one of the many boxes of her clothing, got cleaned up, did her hair, and borrowed her daughter's makeup when she couldn't find her own. It was more effort than she'd put into herself in a while, but the look on her husbands face when she came down the stairs was worth it.It was nearly 8pm by the time they were ready to leave and were surprised to find their old neighbors, Janet and Roger, at their door with leftovers in hand so that they didn't have to cook after a long, hard day of work. Touched by their thoughtfulness, Susan asked them on a whim if they'd like to join them. She knew from experience that her somewhat cautious and schedule orientated best friend wasn't generally impulsive by nature, but she wanted to at least extend the gesture. The last thing that she expected was for them to accept.“I hope you don't mind, we brought some old friends.”“Old neighbors, actually,” Bruce added.Tom didn't seem bothered at all, in fact he smiled and gestured for them to come in, “The more the merrier.”As they stepped inside, Susan immediately knew that she'd made a mistake. Her gut instincts about the party had been correct. She could see at least two couples making out and a whole gaggle of people dancing far closer than anyone she'd ever seen do so in public. She and Bruce may have spent the entirety of the free love and hippie movement raising their children, but she wouldn't lie and say that the concept hadn't always been tempting to her. Their old neighbors, though? Especially Janet, who had always been a model of propriety? Susan was shocked when they willingly, though clearly uncomfortably, followed them inside.***Hours later, it was long past midnight, and she and Bruce had been lounging together on one of the Decker's sofas for an indeterminate amount of time. Who knew that swinging was a thing? Or, that it was something that normal people did? More importantly, though, after both Tom and Trina had separately suggested opening up their marriage to the both of them, why were they seriously considering doing it? They'd been talking it over, drinks in hand as they watched people slowly start to trickle out and head home, and neither of them seemed to be quite ready to leave yet.The Thompsons, however, had left long ago. Susan still wasn't sure how Janet discovered what type of party they were at, or what she had probably walked in on or seen, but judging by the look of absolute disgust on her face when she realized that she and Bruce had decided to stay? It was probably going to take a lot of apologizing and explanation on her part before their friendship went back to any resemblance of normal. On a typical evening, that thought alone would have had Susan's stomach in knots. Knowing that her best friend was out there, upset and possibly angry with her, was high up on the list of things that she never wanted to happen in her life. But, the possibilities that the rest of the night held for her and Bruce were far too alluring to pass up.So, they stayed put.By the time Tom and Trina found them, Susan had been riding the pleasant, dreamy high of her first quualude and roughly two and a half gimlets for the majority of the evening and it didn't look like it was about to stop anytime soon. She was nervous, but relaxed, and keenly aware of every move that Tom made as he approached her from behind the couch. First, he rubbed her shoulders, then caressed her hand, followed by the catch of his stubble against her hair as he opened her palm and then pressed it gently into his wife's.Her heart raced wildly.It only took one shared look with Bruce for her to know that they were actually going to do this. No more discussion, no more what-ifs, no more thinking.They got up from the couch with clasped hands and, despite feeling shaky on her feet, they followed the other couple deeper into the house. Once in the bedroom though, a truly modern room compared to her and Bruce's hand-me-down furniture set, Trina turned and approached her, probably hoping to dissipate any potential awkwardness.“You are so beautiful, Susan.”With a shy smile, she welcomed the other woman's attention. Delicate fingertips trailed up her arms and fiddled with the neckline of her flowery, purple dress. Even though the holiday heat had waned once the sun set, she felt hot, like a permanent blush had licked its way across her body, and every tantalizing touch sent shivers up her spine.Susan let her gaze trail down Trina's body. Arousal flickered to life inside of her like a furnace on a cool winter night, and that was the moment that she realized there wasn't any other place she'd rather be. Not when she felt Tom press up against her back, both strong and surprisingly comforting, and not even when she spotted Bruce doing the same to Trina. The only way she was leaving the Decker's house anytime soon, was if there was a fire, near fatal accident, or a natural disaster.And then, Trina kissed her.Susan gasped in surprise, her stomach swooping unexpectedly, and suddenly the lingering noise of the party faded into the background. All she could focus on was their lips as they brushed tentatively together. The contact was chaste at first, as if the younger woman wasn't quite sure how she would react, but Susan was just far gone enough to sink into it without a second thought. Every worry that she had, every busy or nervous thought swirling around inside of her head, floated away. All she could feel were soft lips and even softer curves pressing against her own, and she, more than anyone else, was both shocked and pleasantly surprised by how wonderful it all felt.Susan sighed and melted back against Tom, more than happy to let the two of them do as they pleased. She tangled her fingers through the other woman's dark hair, anchoring herself as she trailed kisses down her chest, nipping and teasing at any skin that she could find. At the same time, a pair of stronger, larger, hands slid their way below Susan's hips, blunt fingertips pressing inward just over her pelvic bone. It reminded her of the first time that Bruce felt her up in the back of his Chevy when they were sixteen and full of hormones. It was intoxicating.Speaking of Bruce... Susan's eyes fluttered open just as Trina leaned back and began tugging at the tie around her waist. She searched for her husband's eyes over the other woman's shoulder, concerned that this might be too much for him, but apparently she had nothing to worry about. Susan chuckled at the expression on his face- shell shocked and dazed, but she recognized the growing look of hunger twinkling in his eyes.Oh yes, Susan smiled, it was going to be a glorious night.

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Just under a week had passed since that fateful night across the street and, honestly, Susan felt a bit lost.The kids had settled into their new home fairly easily, each of them unpacking and getting on with their lives within the first few days. Susan, however, was still trying to get used to the sheer amount of space that she had to work with now. She often found herself wandering around the house aimlessly, listening to the radio and doing chores in an attempt to ignore the empty feeling that practically seeped out of the walls whenever Bruce was at work and Laurie and BJ were out.But, no amount of cleaning or unpacking could make up for the fact that, for the first time in the history of their relationship, she felt like her marriage was on shaky ground. If there was one thing that Susan could always count on, it had been the solidity of their relationship. But, their new and confusing, though exhilarating, experience with the Deckers had shaken things up far more than even she could've expected.At first, it had been wonderful. When they awoke the following morning they'd made love with a passion that she hadn't seen since before BJ was born. It had been spectacular, liberating even.Then, they went to the Playboy Club.Never much of a territorial or a jealous person when it came to her husband's attentions, Susan had been ashamed to admit that seeing Sylvia Davis slip Bruce her phone number that night had made her unbearably jealous. Which, honestly, made her feel like a foolhardy teenage girl.She was embarrassed. Frustrated. And, on on top of that, Janet was still refusing to talk to her.Change was good.Change meant growth and finding new friends. It meant branching out into the world and trying new things. It didn't mean leaving old friends behind. In fact, this change, no matter how hard of an adjustment it may be, was exactly what she'd needed. It was something that she hadn't known she'd been longing for, for so many years, and the sad part was that she desperately wanted to share all of that with her best friend, but Janet not only didn't understand her newfound freedom, she wanted nothing to do with it.That's how Susan ended up dragging her children to church that Sunday, on a day that wasn't a holiday- to repent, to ask for forgiveness- and ended up asking Janet to help her plan a housewarming instead. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, an olive branch to help mend their friendship and a welcome distraction from her sudden jealousy, but it didn't quite work out that way.The Decker's were having a pool party later that day and, upon the arrival of Brad and Sylvia, Susan was unexpectedly forced to address her insecurities. She and Bruce had a much needed conversation, one where they both agreed to stay open and honest about how they were feeling. She saw that he truthfully hadn't seen getting the other woman's business card as anything other than making friends and, though she felt a bit better about the situation, it was still pretty fresh and neither of them had gone back to the pool party that afternoon.With her jealousy issue sorted though, she suddenly found that the rest of her week was dedicated completely to Janet. Which was both a very good and very bad thing.Her friend's normally wonderful and thoughtful nature when it came to planning events quickly became overbearing as the days went on. Susan started feeling so constricted, suffocated almost, that she finally understood why her husband had a tendency to complain over the years. Susan had only ever experienced Janet in that capacity in small, manageable doses before, but the level of intensity that she'd reached by Saturday, the day of the housewarming, was something else entirely. Don't get her wrong, it was wonderful that they were finally speaking to each other again, but by early afternoon she'd felt the need to flee. She needed a break.As a halfhearted attempt at giving the men space to talk to Rick and BJ about their secret pornography magazine business that Roger and Janet had discovered them running out of their basement, which was a whole other problem that she didn't have enough space for in her busy mind, Susan found herself slipping out the door and making her way over to the Decker's in search of a moment of peace.“So,” the brunette asked as she came back from the kitchen, just having stirred the cheese that she was melting for the fondue set she'd gifted them earlier that day, “how've you really been, Susan?”Sighing, she took a hearty sip of her drink and grimaced when the alcohol burned on its way down.“Honestly? I've been better.”Trina frowned and laid a comforting hand on her arm, “Is everything alright?”“It's Janet,” she sighed, “and the housewarming.”Biting her lip, the smaller woman snorted, “I bet she has an ironclad grip on those reigns. She seems like the type...”Not wanting to take out her frustrations on Trina, or worse, for her to see the aggravated tears that had been building steadily over the last few days, Susan moved to stand, her emotions nearly getting the better of her and she set her glass down with a loud thud.“Wait,” the other woman stopped her, fingers clasped gently around her wrist, sounding sincere enough that Susan sighed and looked down at her.“Trina-”“I'm sorry,” she apologized, “There's just something about that woman that gets under my skin.”Laughing forlornly, her shoulders sagged, and she sat back down, “I think that's half the problem.”The other woman's brow furrowed.“Janet is intimidated by you,” she continued, “by our friendship. I don't think that will stop until you two can settle your differences. Or, at the very least, learn to live with each other.”“Oh, Susan. I don't know...”“Please?” she asked, willing to try anything at that point, including begging, “I'm not asking you to become friends with her, or even carry on a civil conversation. Just- please?”Trina's mouth opened, but nothing came out, as if she were about to protest. Yet, she stopped herself. A few more moments passed before Trina shot back the last of her drink like she was going to be in desperate need of another immediately afterward.“Fine,” she relented, “But, if she gets snippy I'm only giving her one free pass.”Relieved, Susan smiled and impulsively closed the gap between them, enveloping her new friend in a tight hug. It was an awkward position, leaning between her seat and the one that Trina sat on, and a little too late she realized that the faint clink she'd heard right after practically ambushing the poor woman was the sound of her martini glass being clumsily set down on the tabletop. She should have felt sorry about that, and part of her probably would be later, but in that moment she was too relieved for the potential armistice to care.“Thank you,” Susan whispered.Trina chuckled and leaned into her embrace, rubbing gentle circles between her shoulder blades. Susan's eyes slid shut, and she melted into the contact. It was comforting. A weight felt like it had been lifted off of her shoulders and she was more than happy to hover awkwardly on the edge of her seat, if it meant continuing their hug.Somewhere out on the lake a boat revved its engine and the distant sound of an ice-cream truck entering their neighborhood floated in on the breeze. It made her long to stretch out and on one of Tom and Trina's lounges by the pool and bask in the warmth of the late afternoon sun, her nose prickling at the sweet scent of the lilacs next door. But instead, Susan reveled silently in the steadiness of the arms that were holding her.Soon enough though, the spell around them broke when Trina began to pull away. The only problem was, Susan didn't let go, not completely anyway. Without knowing why, she lingered. Their cheeks brushed together and she pulled back just far enough for their eyes to meet, locking for only a moment before she impulsively dipped down and caught Trina's lips with her own.The other woman tensed, clearly startled, but sighed softly and relaxed into the kiss almost as quickly. Only to herself would Susan admit that the exchange was a bit clumsy, almost embarrassingly so. If she'd had any inclination that kissing Trina outside of a party setting was an option, or even something that she might want, she may have been a little better prepared. She also could have done the safe thing and pulled away, making up a lame excuse, and she should have. Did she, though? No. With her racing heart in her throat, she leaned into it, their lips moving tentatively together. It was scary and thrilling but also a certain shade of familiar, one that soothed her nerves like a balm on a crisp autumn day.Slowly, Susan felt herself relax, the nervous butterflies in her stomach making way for a much more pleasant to bloom of warmth. And, when their kiss came to a natural end a short time later, Susan lingered once again. She could just barely feel Trina's nose brushing against her cheek, and shivered as the hand that had once been on her back slowly slid its way over her shoulder and up her neck, coming to a stop when Trina tangled her fingertips in the hair just behind Susan's right ear.“You always manage to surprise me, Susan,” she whispered.Unexpected pride welled up inside of her, even as crimson stained her cheeks.That was when reality really set in.Oh, God. Had she really just done that? Had she just kissed someone- Trina- and done it without Bruce?Suddenly overwhelmed and ashamed, she pulled away and quickly stood again, “I really should get back.”Worry clouded Trina's features, adding yet another layer of guilt to her conscious.“Susan-”Forcing herself to smile, she reached out with a shaky hand and gave a reassuring squeeze to the other woman's shoulder, “Thank you for the drink. I'll see you in a bit, Trina.”Without waiting for a response, she made her way back through the house and toward the entrance. Susan told herself that she absolutely wasn't going to focus on the kiss, she couldn't, pushing it to the back of her mind, but her body betrayed her. Her hands still trembled and the sound of her own pulse was beating frantically in her ears as she closed the Decker's front door. Only a few paces down their front walkway, she was forced to stop. She stood there just long enough to take a deep breath, before steadying herself and heading back across the street.By the time she made it to her own front door, Susan had calmed enough to open it with a mild confidence that she'd be able to handle whatever was on the other side. The men and boys had vacated the living room, whatever punishments they'd decided on doled out and enacted, and the only sounds she heard was a clattering of dishes coming from the kitchen.“Oh, Susan,” Janet greeted her happily when she walked in, “There you are! Come give me a hand with this, will you?”Susan put on the most genuine smile she could muster and made her way over to Janet's side.

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Susan was outraged.Even though they'd planned their trip to her family's cabin almost a year in advance, Janet had called a mere half hour before they were set to leave and canceled. Susan had never wanted to scream in frustration more than she did in that moment. Roger was sick? Really? That was the best that Janet could come up with? Right. She had been under the impression that they'd made progress and repaired at least part of their friendship, but apparently they were back to playing games.Thankfully, and out of sheer coincidence, Tom and Trina just so happened to be standing in the foyer chatting with Bruce when she received the news and, without thinking, Susan invited them along. She had always admired how spontaneous the Deckers were and decided to take a page out of their book. If Janet and Roger weren't going to be there, they may as well still have some fun, right?They arrived in Wisconsin just before lunch and, after keeping up with the family tradition of newcomers jumping into the lake upon arrival, the four of them were happy to spend the early afternoon hours enjoying the weather. Trina and Susan decided to watch their husbands fish out on the water while tanning and chatting in the lounge chairs that her cousin Anthony and his family had brought up a few summers before. That was where the other woman finally broached the topic of their night spent swinging together and, even though it made her wildly nervous, it eventually led to Susan revealing that she and Bruce had decided to dissolve the pact that they'd made to stay exclusive. She wasn't sure, however, if she was grateful for the men falling into the lake and nearly turning the boat over before they could talk about their most recent kiss, or if she was disappointed. Maybe a bit of both?What Susan did know, was that it was getting harder to compartmentalize what had happened between them as time went on. In the immediate aftermath though, it had been easy. Despite Trina's promise to her, she and Janet had been at each other's throats nearly the entire evening of the housewarming party. If Susan hadn't reached her boiling point and ripped the deplorable wallpaper that she hated off of her walls, turning the tense party into something much more lighthearted and free spirited, she most likely wouldn't have finally gotten her two friends to have a semi-cordial interaction by the end of the night.She could only imagine how badly things would have ended the moment that Janet and Roger opened the front door to the cabin, having decided to show up to their planned vacation after all, and stood there with wide eyes and dropped jaws as they fully comprehended the four of them standing there in nothing but swim suits and towels, paired off with each other's spouses. As the afternoon wore on and Susan did her best to smooth over everyone's ruffled feathers though, she wasn't so sure that it really mattered in the grand scheme of things.Soon, the awkward tension began to peak, and everything finally came to a head over dinner. The ladies were yelling at one another, fighting over Susan as if she were a shiny new toy, and she'd had absolutely enough of it. Something was going to change that weekend, come hell or high water.Susan huffed angrily and left them to their own devices at the table, on a mission to distract them with dessert. Bruce had followed her into the kitchen, bickering with her as she plated Janet's brownies, and the next thing she knew he dropped an absolute bomb on her. Apparently, at some point in the last week he'd let it slip to Roger that they'd slept with the Deckers on the fourth of July. That was why they'd canceled their trip at the last minute and it was also why Roger couldn't seem to look her in the eye anymore. It certainly didn't help that Trina was trying to stir things up on purpose just to get a rise out of poor, conservative, Janet. Putting pot in her brownies, though? That had been the final straw.Susan slammed the plate down onto the table with a hollow, satisfying thump, “Here, have some pot brownies. They're delicious.”As expected, Janet had a fit, but Susan told both her and Trina, in no uncertain terms, to get over themselves. It had been so liberating, seeing the stunned looks on their faces as she then turned to Roger and told him that they needed to talk, grabbed a brownie off of the pile, and stormed out into the muggy evening air.Scanning the dim horizon, Susan set off toward the covered bridge on the other side of the pond. Less than five minutes later she was leaning against the wooden railing, listening to the sound of crickets and water trickling below, when Roger's dark form finally exited the cabin and headed toward her. The closer that he got, the more that her anger began to fade, and by the time that he actually stepped foot onto the bridge she was honestly starting to feel a bit foolish for how she'd handled things. Maybe if Roger had just talked to her, or even if he'd talked to Bruce about it, their weekend would have turned out differently. Sure, Janet and Trina most likely wouldn't have stop fighting, but then again, the Deckers wouldn't have even been invited in the first place.She was just so over it.Susan spent the next hour talking with Roger. She asked him questions, an experience far less awkward than she'd imagined it to be, and answered any that he had as honestly and openly as she could. She'd started that conversation thinking that she had a solid understanding of who Roger Thompson was, and somehow walked away from it with a new friend, a friend that she'd already mistakenly thought she'd had.After that, and she wasn't quite sure how it happened, but one minute Roger had been teasing her and teaching her how to skip rocks on the lake, and the next Janet, Tom, and Trina were quite literally streaking by them.The look on Roger's face was priceless. She wished that she'd had Trina's camera on hand, ready to snap a photo. Instead, she shrugged and slipped out of her clothes with an impish grin and waited for him do the same so that they could join them. As they slid into the cool water, she watched with rapt attention as Janet hooted and hollered and started a splash fight with Tom. He won, but Susan had never once seen her best friend have so much fun. The twenty minutes that they spent playing and swimming in the water was well worth the tension and nearly all of the fights that she'd had to endure since moving earlier that summer.At some point though, their collective high began to wear off and her fingers started to prune. Janet seemed relaxed, her radiant smile lessened only by the smallest hint of self-conscious insecurity beginning to creep back in.“It's getting late. Why don't we had back inside?” Susan suggested, “We can all sit by the fire and dry off.”Tom quickly agreed and ushered the pack out of the water with his trademark playboy grin, “Come on, Jan. Let's get you nice and warm.”A few beats of pregnant silence hung between them all and, despite the free nature that the evening had eventually transformed into, Susan saw Roger's shoulders tense out of the corner of her eye. Interesting. However, not very surprising. Without thinking, she laid a comforting palm on his shoulder, patting a few times with a smile. He seemed to relax, but still continued on toward his wife's side.Chuckling to herself, she watched as they quickly made their way toward the cabin first. The rest of them content to go at a slower pace.Trina, whom she hadn't really had a chance to talk to since their explosive dinner, sidled up beside her with playful eyes, “That was unexpected.”Amused, Susan laughed and shook her head, “I still can't believe that she actually ate one of those brownies. I was certain that she'd throw them out and then go home once she realized what you'd done.”“Well,” she grinned, looping their arms together, the side of Trina's bare breast brushing against her bicep, “and, I can't believe I'm actually saying this, I'm glad that she didn't. Who knew she could be so much fun?”Shivering slightly, Susan watched as their husbands climbed the stairs a handful of paces in front of them and disappeared inside, “I did.”“I'm sorry,” Trina sighed.“I'm not the one you should be apologizing to.”“Yes, you are,” she disagreed, moving to stand in front of her, halting their forward progress, “Of course, I'll extend an apology to Janet as well, but you're the one who's been stuck in the middle. That wasn't fair to you. Neither of us should have put you in that position.”A light breeze fluttered by them, causing her to shiver again, and Susan couldn't stop herself from staring as a little strip of raised goosebumps trailed their way down Trina's chest, stopping just above a small but familiar cropping of freckles just below the inner corner of her right breast.A sudden flare of heat shot through her, quickly spreading up her torso. Susan squeezed her eyes tightly shut and shook her head as if she could exorcise the image from her mind with a simple movement, and hoped that the subtle ache that had suddenly formed between her legs would go away if she just took a few shaky breaths. When she opened her eyes again, however, Trina was standing even closer than she was before and had she not been stoned she probably would have taken a step back out of sheer reflex.Susan's gaze snapped up to the other woman's face. What she found there wasn't pity, or judgment, it was heated.Slowly, Trina leaned forward and, before Susan could think to do anything other than just stand there, she kissed her.Susan gasped, and Trina took the opportunity to slip her tongue deftly between her lips- tasting her, teasing her. It was surprising. Not only the deepening of their kiss, but the fact that she melted into it. She had practically fled from the other woman, without an explanation, the last time it happened. Susan was quickly beginning to learn though, that when she was with Tom and Trina, the latter more often than not, Susan's impulse control completely flew out the window. That had never happened to her before. She'd always been the good girl who stayed out of trouble, with the exception of getting pregnant before marriage of course, and that same good girl part of her hated that she found the odd tension, the invisible string that continued to pull her into the Decker's universe, into Trina's orbit, strangely addicting.Somewhere, deep inside of the cabin, one of the men laughed loudly, breaking the silence outside. Susan startled and pulled away from Trina with an audible smack of their lips. A nervous laugh bubbled its way out of her before she had a chance to stop it.“Are you going to be alright?” Trina whispered, as if she were anticipating Susan running again.She nodded, staying silent, not trusting her voice.“Do we need to talk about it?”Susan's lips thinned into a straight line, contemplating the question. Did they? Before swinging with them, she had never even kissed anyone else, let alone kissed a woman. She'd never had cause to think that it would happen, let alone the fact that she might actually enjoy it, and that fact alone had sent her mind reeling.“Probably?” she queried, unsure.The corners of Trina's mouth quirked upward and she brought both hands up, cupping Susan's face. She felt herself relax into the touch, but continued to watch her with curious eyes.“We're okay, though, right?” she asked, one of her thumbs brushing across the apple of Susan's cheek.Letting out a shaky sigh, Susan nodded again, “Of course we are.”Trina smiled softly and tugged her gently back down to her level, brushing their lips together again- once, twice, and then a third and final time. Though chaste, it still made Susan swoon.“Good. I'm glad.”Trina pulled away from their embrace with a smirk, and linked their hands together before leading her up onto the porch and then inside.As they all sat around the fire, each of them paired off with their significant others, Susan felt like she could finally breathe again. Nearly everything was right in her world for the first time since June, or damn close to it, and she wanted to savor every bit of calmness that came with it.For the first time in a long time, Susan truly felt like she was expanding her mind.She understood, from her very limited perspective anyway, what Laurie was always going on about- social issues, freedoms, and fighting the good fight. She felt like she was actually doing something for the greater good for a change, something important.But, Bruce didn't understand it. He didn't understand her. Not one bit.It was the first time since they were young and dumb and in love, that he'd ever made her feel stupid- just like she'd felt after leaving Trina's earlier that week when she and Sylvia had been busily planning the Deep Throat party. It was stifling and more than a little insulting that he didn't think her capable of, or knowledgeable enough, simply because the topic was associated with pornography. Her husband, of all people, was the last person that she'd ever expected to make her feel that way.That's exactly why Susan eventually dug her heels in, stood her ground, and decided to go to the fundraiser anyway.After reading all of the information that Trina had dropped off, going to see the movie itself the night before the party, and even somehow successfully convincing Janet to show up as well, she felt truly smart and worldly. That was something that she wasn't sure she'd ever experienced before. Hell, it was the first time that she'd tasted independence, as if for one night she wasn't just a mother and a wife, she was... Susan. She hadn't been herself, only herself, since high school, and it was an unexpected breath of fresh air.Then, Bruce ruined it.He stormed in like he owned the place, or rather, like he owned her. She knew that he didn't want her going to the party by herself, that he was still outraged she'd even gone to see the movie at all, but she hadn't seen him that angry since the kids were little and they were running on no sleep and nothing but caffeine for a few years. His reaction not only upset her, but it was what the first time that she realized they truly might not be on the same page anymore.Still, Susan stayed.Bruce stomped out in a storm of bravado and testosterone, and a small part of her regretted it, regretted not going with him. Guilt was a funny, terrible thing that way. The least he could have done was stay with her, or even simply ask her why she went in the first place. But, he still didn't see it. He didn't even try to understand why she cared so deeply about the topic at hand, and he definitely drove it home one more time that he didn't think she, a woman, belonged anywhere near that party.Her mind raced as they announced a special viewing of Deep Throat and, honestly, the last thing she wanted to do in that moment was sit in another roomful of strangers and watch a porno movie, but she was also far too stubborn to leave. Pushing herself away from the pillar she'd been leaning up against, Susan stealthily weaved her way through the crowd and slipped out back just as the opening credits started. She found an abandoned lounge by the pool and plopped down onto the end of it, defeated and lonely.Nearly halfway through the movie, the sound of heels clicking on the cement patio interrupted her train of thought. She probably could have guessed that it was Trina, as she was the only woman inside other than Janet who would've possibly noticed her absence, but she still welcomed her with a sad smile.“Bruce and I aren't-” she paused, struggling to find the right words, “in sync the way you and Tom are. You- you, you always seem to know where the other's coming from and... we don't have that.”Trina frowned, looking down at her lap for a brief moment, “Well, change isn't easy on a couple, no matter how close you are.”Turning toward her friend, Susan nervously clasped her hands together, and finally dared to say what she'd been thinking all evening, “What if I'm the only one who's changing? What if Bruce is... incapable, somehow?”“Then it's up to you to help him.”Susan nearly followed up with, 'What if I can't?', but stopped herself short. She couldn't bear the thought of actually getting an answer. Not tonight. Not ever, really.Taking a deep, centering breath, Susan reached out and patted Trina's forearm, but that alone didn't feel like enough. Without thinking, she leaned forward, intent on pecking Trina on the cheek in thanks, but the younger woman shifted slightly at the last second and Susan's lips landed one the corner of her mouth.Susan was proud of herself for only freezing for a fraction of a second before pulling back.Trina was already smiling, the corners of her eyes crinkling in the low light.“You're a good friend, Trina.”“So are you, Susan.”Inside, the sound of loud, over the top, female moans echoed and spilled out into the dewy nighttime air.Trina chuckled and held out her hand for Susan as she stood, “Come on, it sounds like we're missing all the best parts.”Susan's smile was genuine this time and she allowed herself to be pulled up, leaving her worries temporarily behind. Trina then tugged her inside without another word, not letting her go as they weaved their way back through the lounging, but thoroughly entertained, crowd. There wasn't much free space left, but as Trina sat back down beside her husband she gestured to the open spot on the floor in front of Tom.It took a moment for Susan to kneel down and sit without flashing or accidentally bumping into anyone, but just when she thought she'd finally gotten comfortable, she startled at the sudden weight of Tom's palm on her shoulder. Turning her head, she looked back at him in question, and was greeted with nothing more than a friendly quirk of his lips as he tugged her backward, offering her the option to lean back against his legs, or, between them really.Susan reached up and squeezed his hand in thanks and turned back around, taking him up on it. Able to finally fully relax, she sat there for another thirty two minutes, content just to laugh and cheer on every cheesy, naked moment with the rest of the crowd.She would worry about confronting Bruce when she went home later.Susan hated being forced into doing things that clearly didn't suit her. For instance? The Ladies Auxiliary and their charity gala.At first, she was apprehensive, but honestly a little excited about it. Once it became abundantly clear that Rita Pierce and the other women much preferred Janet though, Susan realized that even before the move she wouldn't have fit in at the Ladies Auxiliary anyway. Beneath their carefully crafted exteriors, those women were stuck up and vain, only able to focus on social status and money. That wasn't the type of friends that she wanted to have.Janet, however, mostly incapable of seeing nothing but the best in people, fit right in. She believed in the cause, and following proper etiquette and playing the social game had always been her best friend's strong suit. So, she followed Janet's lead, because she knew just how much it could possibly have an impact on Bruce's job if she didn't.She was stuck.That was a lot of pressure to put on someone and, even though they'd made up after their fight over Harry Reems and the Deep Throat party, something still didn't feel quite right between them. She was hoping that getting through the gala unscathed would help smooth things over, so Susan invited Tom and Trina and, oddly enough, Trina's ex-high-school boyfriend, per the Auxiliary's instruction. At least she had brought in potential donors. That had to count for something, right?When the night the gala finally arrived, she went into it with high hopes. As the evening wore on though, and she and Bruce had a minor tiff over her lack of trying to fit in with the other wives, followed immediately by him revealing the sick bet that the men at the exchange had about the lovely female trader that she'd met in the bathroom, Susan had lost that hope. She was truly disappointed in him. Again. What if it had been her out on the trade floor? Or, worse, Laurie? Would he have told her about the bet then?Walking off in a huff, Susan made her way to the auctioneer's table and began the tedious job of collecting all of the checks for the auctioned items. She knew that it was grunt work as far as the rest of the ladies were concerned, but she was glad to have been trusted enough to do that at least. Once all of the auction winners had been tracked down, the whole process only taking her roughly an hour to complete, it was only as she was walking toward Rita Pierce to drop them off with her assistant, that an idea struck her.“Rita,” she greeted warmly, passing the younger, soft spoken woman that followed Mrs Pierce like a shadow, a now full envelope, “what a lovely evening it's been. Here are all of the checks that you asked for. It looks like you raised quite a hefty sum of money for the kids. I find that admirable.”Rita, now somewhat tipsy, looked her over like she was seeing her for the first time, “Thank you, Susan. How very kind of you to say. And, thank you for gathering the donations. I see I put all of that money in the right hands.”Susan chuckled, leaning in a bit closer when the music suddenly got louder so that the older woman could hear her.“That you did. Speaking of the kids though, I had an idea that I wanted to run by you. I know that you said that you don't do one on one work with the children at the hospital, but I wondered if there might be a few of us that could represent the Ladies there in person a couple of times a year? I hate to admit it, but this world,” she gestured around her, “isn't something that I'm quite used to. Children, though? I definitely know how to handle them.”When Rita's mouth dropped open in surprise, clearly speechless, Susan knew that she might actually be able to make it happen. If only she tried a bit harder.“I just want to be helpful in any way that I can,” she carried on, but this time the 'out of her element/lost little flower' demeanor was simply an act, one that she tried to lay on thick, “It was just a silly idea, though...”Rita immediately reached out as if to grab her, stopping her from turning and walking away, “You know what? You're right. That actually isn't a bad idea. Why don't you meet me at the hospital next Tuesday afternoon and you and I can have a chat with the director.”Nodding, Susan smiled brightly, “Of course, I would love to. Thank you again for such a wonderful evening. You really know how to plan an event.”That seemed to get a genuine laugh out of her, unlike the loaded and condescending snickers that Susan had heard from the woman the majority of the day that they first met at the country club.Rita lifted her glass and slowly started making her way back toward her friends, peering over her shoulder as she went, “Planning is what I do best, my dear!”And, with that, she was off.Susan watched as her blonde hair disappeared into the crowd, her assistant trailing not far behind her, and she was once again left standing alone.She needed some air.Heading toward the front entrance, Susan descended the grand staircase, trying not to get dizzy as the busily patterned carpet seemed to move beneath her with every step that she took. What she didn't expect to find at the bottom of the steps though, was Roger. She also wasn't expecting him to tell her that he'd gotten fired earlier that day either.Susan felt a ball of dread twist inside of her stomach.“I was miserable at that job,” he confessed to her, “I was just too scared to admit it.”Susan shook her head, still in shock, “Roger, I... Janet didn't-”“Oh, Janet doesn't know. I didn't want to ruin her big night.”Shit. She hated secrets.“Still,” she tried to reason with him, feeling truly awful for both him and her best friend, “you- you shouldn't have to keep this from her.”“It's not about me,” he said with a brave face, “And, I can pretend for one night.”Susan nodded. She knew that he was probably right. Hell, if she'd stopped to think about it, she probably would have done the same had she been in his place. Janet definitely deserved to be happy, even if it was just for one night, like he said. Disappointment could wait.“I'll see what I can do about that check,” she promised him.“Thanks.”Pressing her palm to his chest in a comforting manner, she left him behind and continued to make her way out toward the street. Now, more than ever, she needed that fresh air.She had a lot to think about.It was hot.Chicago was in the middle of a heatwave so disgustingly warm and muggy, despite the fact that it was only 8am, that it actually made Susan look forward to riding back home from the train station with the top of their car down. Normally she didn't mind riding in their convertible, but tried to avoid in on the days that her hair was down, like today, and she didn't have anything to pull it back with. This time though, it would be worth the tangles just to feel anything resembling a cool breeze on her skin.Before she had a chance to say goodbye to Bruce though, their old neighbors greeted them as they strolled up the sidewalk together. She couldn't say that she wasn't happy to see them, because she was. She was mostly just confused. It all started to make sense though, when Janet proudly proclaimed that her husband, in fact, had not gotten fired, but had gotten promoted instead.Susan struggled to maintain a straight face, meeting his gaze as Janet went on and on about how proud she was of him.What was he doing?She hadn't expected Roger to continue the charade, and it's not like she could just pull him off to the side and ask. Their friendship, while still relatively new, wasn't at a point where she could do something like that in front of their spouses and not draw attention.So, as both she and Janet stood and watched their husbands board the train, she decided that she needed to come up with a some way to talk to him.***Susan thought that she'd have at least a day or two to brainstorm excuses to get herself alone with Roger and was truly surprised when he showed up at her door just past noon that very same day. She was in the middle of teaching herself how to put up wallpaper, wearing her clown overalls as Laurie had so kindly described them, sweaty and quite possibly a little high off of the fumes from the glue. He, however, was soaked from head to toe, his cheeks a bright pink, and he carried his suit jacket over his arm after walking all the way there from the station.Ushering him inside, Susan got him a cold glass of water, and was grateful when he offered to help her continue her wallpapering project while they chatted. For the first time since they'd eaten pot brownies and skipped rocks on the lake, she felt like they could finally speak freely. With BJ and Rick off at summer camp, the only possible interruptions were Laurie coming home early, which was highly unlikely, or if one of the Decker's needed something.They were alone.First, she brought up just how unfair he was being to Janet. Thankfully, he immediately agreed with her, and spoke of just coming from a job interview in the hopes of having a new job lined up to soften the blow, every word completely genuine. She knew that deep down he just had Janet's best interest at heart.But, still. It had almost been a week.Roger then went on to reveal that, even if the insurance agency he'd spoken with that morning had offered him a position, he wasn't sure if he would've taken it. Susan knew that he was unhappy at his old job, he'd told her as much, but she didn't know that he was thinking about possibly leaving the field all together. She hated lying to her best friend, and that's exactly what he was asking her to do. Keep secrets. Continue lying.Eventually, after trying to convince him that Janet was capable of handling a lot more than he gave her credit for and would accept his decision to change careers if that's what he truly wanted, she finally managed to get through to him. Janet was going to find out sooner or later, and it would be best coming from him.Fate seemed to have other plans.Janet wasn't home when Roger tried calling and, if she was still out, he reasoned that there was no need to rush back home right away. Susan called him on his bullshit, and only relented when he mentioned that he might be able to fix their broken air conditioner. She didn't think he'd actually manage to get it working again, but it was so hot that she decided it was worth a shot.After making their way upstairs and grabbing Bruce's toolbox from the hallway closet along the way, Susan immediately felt out of place. Roger didn't seem to notice the change in her demeanor, making his way into their room and over to the window unit without so much as a glance behind him. She busied herself by turning on the small tv that sat on top of the dresser against the opposite wall from her and Bruce's bed and plopped herself down onto the end of it, trying to ignore the fact that she was in her bedroom with her best friend's husband in the middle of the day.That was a totally normal occurrence. Right?“Hold on, you- you went to college?” she asked.Roger smirked, “Don't act so surprised.” “No, I-” Susan protested, “You never mentioned it before.”Turning back around, he started cleaning off the dirty thermostat with a rag, “Eh, it was before I knew Janet... Anyway, I never finished so it's not a whole lot to crow about.”There was something about the way that he said it, a sadness in his voice that she'd never noticed before, that made her suddenly wonder just how much he had given up to be with Janet. She honestly didn't know that much about his life before they got married and she was a bit ashamed that she had never thought to ask. But, before she could ponder on it anymore, he had finished fixing the air conditioner and turned the knob to the on position.The machine miraculously hummed to life and blessedly cool air began pouring out.Susan couldn't help herself. She left her spot on the bed and knelt down onto the floor, crawling the last few feet until she was right in front of it and, coincidentally, right next to him. She wasn't sure if she wanted to examine why she felt so vulnerable in that moment, sitting there with her eyes shut, taking in the sweet relief from the blazing summer sun. That was a question better left unanswered, for all of their sakes.Not even that lasted, though. The power went out almost immediately.And, that was how, against both of their better judgments, they ended up over at the Decker's.After taking her swimsuit cover-up off and getting a drink, she spotted Trina sitting on the far edge of the pool and made her way over to her. She could tell almost immediately when they'd arrived that something was going on. There was an odd tension hanging over her and Tom, one that Susan had never seen before.“What happened?”Trina seemed to think about it for a moment before sighing, “Tom had sex with someone in Tokyo.”Susan was gobsmacked. That's not what she'd expected at all.“Yeah,” the other woman agreed, and then pointed across the pool, holding her camera up to her eye, “that someone, actually.”Looking over at Tom, Susan spotted a pretty blonde woman standing next to him, the same one who'd asked her if Roger was fair game when they'd first arrived. Things were starting to make a little more sense now.Trina snapped a photo before continuing, “I called his hotel, she answered.”Susan was confused. She wasn't privy to all of their rules when it came to swinging, but she'd thought that she understood most of it.“Th- that's... cheating, isn't it?”Her friend turned to her with a wry, pained smile, “We'll work through it.”Trina didn't have to elaborate. Susan understood. This wasn't the first time that it had happened.With a simple tilt of her head, Susan hoped that Trina understood just how sorry she was. Marital trouble was never easy, especially, she imagined, when it came to cheating.Then Roger came out of the house, sporting only a pair of Tom's swim trunks and his white undershirt, and the other woman's resolve seemed to change.“Maybe honesty is overrated,” Trina admitted, referring to both her and Tom's situation and the fact that Janet had no idea that her husband was at a pool party with her best friend's swinging neighbors, “Maybe ignorance is bliss.”Then he took off his shirt, and Trina practically leered, pulling up her camera again, “Well, no wonder Janet keeps Roger under lock and key.”Susan chuckled along with her. She had a point. Roger was extremely good looking, she couldn't deny that.“Oh,” her camera clicked hollowly, and she looked down at it, “I'm gonna need more film.”Trina moved to get up, but before she could, Susan stopped her. The other woman looked back questioningly, and the longer that she remained quiet, the deeper that question became.Leaning over like she had so many times before, Susan kissed her on the cheek.“I'm here if you need me,” she offered sincerely, before giving Trina's leg a comforting squeeze.Susan watched as she nodded and got up without another word, heading back toward the house, camera in tow. She watched until Trina nearly made it to the door before getting distracted by the sound of a loud splash directly across from her, looking over just in time to see Roger hopping into the pool.She kind of hated that he looked good shirtless. It was confusing and made her feel similar, though not quite the same as, the way that her unusual situation with Trina did. Once again, much like she had earlier while kneeling in front of the air conditioner, she resolved to not think about it. Because once she did, she feared that she wouldn't like the answers that she found. But, she wasn't about to say no when he invited her to swim. It was over 100F degrees outside, and despite having her feet dipped in the water for the last five minutes, it hadn't done anything to cool her.So, she joined him.Thirty minutes passed, then nearly an hour went by before Susan realized that Trina still hadn't returned. Pulling herself up onto the edge of the pool again, she decided to drip dry in the late afternoon sun before going to look for her. Roger soon joined her, hoisting himself up onto the cement next to her, sitting much closer than she ever would have dared to.Their arms brushed together. He seemed a bit startled that they were as close as they were as well, but didn't move. Instead, he simply leaned back onto his palms and decided to start talking about the kids like nothing happened. She relaxed into the conversation and soon enough it came to a natural lull. That was when the blonde stewardess that Tom had slept with went swimming by and asked them if they wanted to join her in the basement. They waited until she left, but neither of them could stop themselves from laughing.“So, this is what I missed on the fourth of July,” he asked, “And, the 60s.”There was an awkward pause between them before he continued.“I think I can see why you and Bruce went for it.”“We got caught up in a moment,” Susan explained, almost embarrassed as she shook her head, “Truth is... we hadn't connected in that way in a long time.”That was the first time that she'd ever said it out loud- the first time that she admitted it to herself, really. To make things even more awkward, their gazes met, and a palpable tension built between them. Just as she was about to break the silence he said something profound, though admittedly out of the blue.“I read somewhere that falling in love happens when someone sees you like you see yourself.”There he was, looking at her with such honest eyes that she couldn't stop herself from asking, “How do you see yourself, Roger?”He immediately flustered, searching for the right words as he tried to come up with an answer, “Ah, well, I don't even know anymore.”“I'll tell you how I see you,” she offered shakily, waiting until she had his full attention to continue, “Loyal. Caring. Smart. Janet sees that, too,” she paused again, looking across the pool as she took a deep breath, “I'd bet my life on it.”The battery run radio that had been buzzing away over in the corner all afternoon abruptly switched songs, and a soft breeze finally came in off of the lake to break the oppressing heat. Susan felt twitchy, almost self-conscious, and idly clenched the edge of the pool, kicking her feet in the water to distract herself.“Wow, you, uh, you got some sun today.”Startled slightly, she looked down at her pink shoulder and huffed in disbelief, “Did I?”How could she have forgotten to put on sunscreen?“Yeah,” he replied, before reaching out to lightly press his cool hand to her skin, “Does that hurt?”She shivered, suddenly unable to focus on anything else, “Not too bad.” Thankfully, this time he didn't let another awkward silence linger between them.“Well, I better- I better go home and face the music,” he said regretfully, “Janet would have a stroke if she knew I spent the day here.”Susan chuckled, knowing that her best friend most definitely would, “Maybe you should leave that part out.”Roger laughed with a smile, “Yeah, I think you're right.”What she didn't hear, was the snap of Trina's camera fifteen feet behind them, capturing the moment for exactly what it was.Intimate.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Fuck puzzlerama.It was all fun and games until someone got hurt. And, guess what? Get hurt they did. All of them.She normally loved Trina's parties, and she'd even had fun with Roger that day, but their new friendship was beginning to get complicated. And, if Janet finding out the truth about the pool party and the fact that Susan knew that Roger had lost his job before she did wasn't bad enough already, everything else to do with her personal life seemed to go downhill from there.Things with Bruce? They'd been strained, again, ever since the heatwave, and now she knew why.Melinda.Bruce had kissed her. More than once. Then he'd had the gall to go to her apartment.Susan honestly believed him when he said that nothing else happened, but that didn't stop her from feeling betrayed. The little part of her heart that had started doubting the stability of their marriage, the same one that had watched her husband leave her behind at the Deep Throat party, began to spread. But, if Tom and Trina had taught her anything, it was that the only way a couple could survive the swinging world was to be open about his wandering eyes or desires. That's what she wanted her and Bruce to have. If he was feeling tempted like that, she wanted to know so that they could tackle it together.That's how they ended up at the Pendulum Club with the Deckers and, oddly enough, the Thompsons all in tow a little over a week after the Puzzlerama disaster. The night had gone well, or so she thought, but when she saw how relieved Tom and Trina looked when she and Bruce had decided to bring Brad and Sylvia home with them to see where things would go, she knew that she was going to have to make it up to them. She didn't realize how truly tempting being in an environment like that would be for them with their marriage currently closed, and the blame for that that was solely on her.She and Bruce held hands as they left the club that night, almost giddily as they made their way out to their car, but were quiet on the journey home. Anticipation tickled at all of her senses. The chemistry between the Davis' and she and Bruce had been evident right from the beginning, even despite her temporary jealousy issue, and Susan would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't find the other couple attractive and incredibly fascinating. Both of them.Things went well, though a bit awkward at first, but somewhere between smoking pot and getting ready to make an omelet, for reasons that she was still a little unsure of, the metaphorical shit hit the fan.All of a sudden, Laurie and her philosophy professor, Doug Stevens, were crawling out from behind the bar in their small den, Bruce was yelling, clothes were being hastily picked up, and their guests were slipping out the side door. It was an absolute mess.The rest of that horrible evening, and all of the days following for the next week, were spent either arguing with Laurie or trying to navigate her husband's hot/cold attitudes and sudden overbearing need to make them one solid family unit again. On one hand, it was nice seeing him finally take an active interest in her and their kids again, but on the other? Well, it should have made her love him even more than she already did, right? It didn't, though. Honestly, the longer it went on, the more she began to resent it. The more she began to resent him.“I don't know what to do anymore, Trina.”It was 11:30am on a mid-August Wednesday, and Susan had brought lunch over to her friend as an apology for convincing them into going to the Pendulum Club with them. It was nothing fancy, just chicken salad sandwiches, with chips, and some cut up fruit on the side, but she was glad that it was received with a surprised smile and an invitation to join her.“About what?” she asked.Susan sighed, chewing thoughtfully on a slice of orange, “There's so much going on.”
“Like?”“Bruce,” she began, unsure where to start, “and, Laurie, and... the new guy she's dating.”Trina frowned, but remained silent.Taking a bite of her sandwich, Susan continued, “The night that we brought Brad and Sylvia home? She was there with her boyfriend, which I don't even want to get into right now, but she and Bruce had a huge, blowout fight. Brad and Sylvia left, and almost immediately after that, Laurie threw it in our faces that she knew Bruce was about to sleep with another woman. They've been locked in a stalemate ever since.”“Yikes.”“Yeah,” Susan huffed, still in disbelief of the situation that they were currently stuck in, “Now, he's determined to put our family back on the right track. Whatever that means. He wants us all to go up to the cabin this weekend.”Trina swallowed and reached for her Tab cola, “Who knows? Maybe that will help?”“Doubtful,” she admitted, chewing quickly before swallowing, “They're so alike, those two. Once their minds are made up, there's no changing them. And, Bruce's insistence that a family weekend spent alone in the woods is the only thing that will fix it is... well, it's-”“Frustrating? Intolerable?”“Yes!” Susan laughed, “It's infuriating at times. But, with everything else going on, I don't know. I don't want to rock the boat.”Nodding, Trina polished off the last bit of her sandwich, “How is Roger?”Susan froze, her eyes wide, unblinking, “Wh-what?”“You said there was a lot going on...” Trina smirked, “It's just a question.”“Oh, Tr-Trina,” she stammered slightly, “I thought we talked about this? There's nothing going on between Roger and I.”Without warning, the other woman leaned toward her, and Susan was only mildly prepared for the feeling of Trina's lips pressed against hers. She gasped quietly, her stomach fluttering at the contact. It was a soft and lingering, but otherwise sweet kiss.“Just like that was nothing, too?” Trina whispered, point made.The other woman remained near her, their foreheads almost pressed together.“Trina,” still, she hesitated, “I-”Once more, the younger woman captured her lips, and right away Susan knew that it was unlike any of their previous kisses. Sure, their cabin kiss had been more of a cabin make-out, but this immediately felt different. Susan arched into the contact, tilting her head to the side and parted her lips just enough to let Trina slip inside. Long gone were the usual teasing caress of lips against hers, instead replaced by insistence and need. Trina reached out and cupped the sides of her face, her fingertips digging lightly into her jaw, making a moan resonate somewhere deep inside of her. Susan pressed forward, reaching out for Trina just as the other woman hummed softly and broke off their kiss.Susan's eyes fluttered open, the room far brighter than she remembered, and Trina leaned up and pressed a comforting kiss to her forehead. She sighed, suddenly very aware of just how quickly her pulse was thrumming beneath the surface of her skin.They really should have that talk, the one that Trina had asked her if she needed after skinny dipping all those weeks ago. Honestly though, Susan already had enough romantic drama going on with Bruce, Melinda, and... Roger, if she was entirely honest with herself. For now, kissing Trina? Kissing her was easy. It was sweet, fun, and exciting in ways that kissing alone hadn't made her feel in a long time. It was safe. Though, if anyone dug a little deeper, just below the surface of their friendship they'd find that some not-so-platonic feelings were starting to form. At least on her side, anyway.Susan's mind raced as she watched the other woman reach down and steal a chip off of her plate before sliding fully back onto her chair.Trina popped it into her mouth, the sound of crunching stark against the otherwise silent room, and met her with a friendly, but meaningful gaze, “I'm here if you need anything, Susan.”Chewing on her bottom lip, she nodded.Two very long, house-filled-with-tension days later, when Tom and Trina came over to see them off and grab a set of their house keys so that they could water the plants and keep an eye on the place while they were gone, Susan was so distracted by Laurie and her steadfast refusal to go on the family trip that she completely forgot about being nervous around the other woman.For the first time since meeting them, Susan wasn't quite sure where she and Trina stood with each other. They remained friends, that much she knew would always be true, but could they possibly be something more than that? If so, what in the world would that something be? What would it look like? Her brain was a confusing mess of questions and not enough answers, but at least she was certain about three things. One, her marriage with Bruce was a mess. Two, her feelings for Roger were new and exciting but incredibly complicated for a multitude of reasons. And, last but not least, three, if she'd felt attraction toward both Trina and Sylvia that summer, then the fact that she kept kissing her neighbor even when they weren't swinging together meant something. Something serious.So when they were all gathered around the entryway that mild Friday morning saying goodbye, it was only when Trina beelined toward her and planted a smooch on the corner of her mouth, right in front of everyone, that she remembered. She remembered their last kiss, how intense it had been. But, before she even had a chance to react, it was over. Beneath her friendly smile she was actually incredibly flustered and thankful that both her new and old neighbors decided to leave all in one go.Cautiously peering over at Bruce and Laurie, she realized that they hadn't even noticed. To them it had been nothing more than a friendly goodbye. It wasn't just that, though, only partially, and both her and Trina knew that. The fact that she'd finally admitted it, even if only to herself, honestly made her feel even more confused and guilty than she was before.Susan sighed inwardly and decided to focus on finishing the packing instead. She decided to focus on her family.***It took a half hour longer than usual to get to the cabin due to weekend traffic just outside of downtown Chicago and, by the time they arrived, the tension in the car was thick enough to cut with a knife. She tried her best to play along with Bruce's plans, for his and the rest of the family's sake, and maybe even a little bit for her own as well. Something felt like it was missing, though, like she'd forgotten to lock the front door, pack her swimsuit, or had left a wet load of laundry in the wash. It was something that she couldn't quite place, and not until the moment she called Janet to let her know that they'd made it safely and Roger had answered, did she realize what it was.Her pulse raced and her palms became sweaty.The odd tension that had been growing between them suddenly made sense. Every quiet moment? The thrill of actually getting to know someone for the first time? It felt like a schoolgirl crush. It was a schoolgirl crush, and the realization made Susan feel like the floor had just dropped out from under her.She didn't hear a word of whatever Janet was saying on the other end of the line. The only thing that she could think about was the fact that the only people she'd felt truly comfortable just being herself with that summer had been him and Trina. It was odd, really. She'd known the Thompsons for the last ten years, and because Roger was her best friend's husband, she'd always subconsciously put him in the sturdy, reliable, untouchable, but 'would never hurt you' category of man that Susan used to only reserve for Bruce. Now, she suddenly had a crush on him? And, the Deckers? They'd only been neighbors for a little under two months and she was already so at ease with them that it felt completely natural. Like it was always meant to be that way.Stumbling her way outside after saying goodbye and shakily hanging up the phone, Susan found herself standing on the shoreline, contemplating. She stared down at the ground and shuffled her feet, kicking pointlessly at a clump of grass. That's when she saw them. A few small, smooth rocks. Without thinking, she bent down and picked them up, inspecting them for only a moment before sending one sailing across the top of the water, just like Roger had taught her.What in the world was she going to do?***The rest of their first day at the cabin had been a disaster.Laurie ended up spending the entire afternoon on the phone with her boyfriend, much to Bruce's chagrin, which ended with a huge fight and the cord to phone being ripped from the jack on the wall. BJ and Rick had been outside doing whatever it was that fourteen year old boys did in the wilderness, hopefully not fighting. They all ate a rather bland dinner and then followed that up with a truly catastrophic game of charades.Susan was grateful for a clean slate the following morning and tried to go about her business as if it were a normal camp weekend. She made breakfast and allowed the kids to eat wherever they wanted to, simply because it wasn't worth another fight to make them eat at the table. Unfortunately for everyone, though, those were their last peaceful moments.When she wasn't busy dealing with Bruce or Laurie, or Bruce and Laurie, Susan spent most of her free time out by the lake, deep in thought. She and Bruce had changed. She'd changed. They'd gotten too comfortable with each other and felt safe in the roles they'd fallen into over the years. Of course, it got easier to try and spice things up with date nights as the kids got older, but that spark just wasn't really there anymore.Did she honestly want to spend the rest of her life with someone that she no longer clicked with? Did she want to chance missing out on that new and exciting love that her daughter was fighting so hard for?Susan let out a deep sigh.Sooner or later something was going to happen and she had a horrible, awful, sinking feeling that her marriage was going to take the brunt of that oncoming damage.Susan paced by the water's edge for what felt like hours, perspiration building on her brow as the early afternoon sun beat down on her from overhead. She was surprised, however, when Laurie came outside at some point and sat behind her on a wooden bench with a book. That in itself was odd. Her daughter rarely spent quality time with her anymore, not at her age, but the exchange that followed was even weirder.“Why did you marry Dad?” she asked.Susan's immediate reaction was to defend him, “Laurie, he's your father.”“I'm not trying to be insulting,” she apologized, turning to face her, clearly gearing up for a deep conversation, “It's a serious question. What was it about him... that made you think you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him?”Sighing, she made her way over to the bench and sat down, “Well, we weren't together very long before I got pregnant. I-I didn't have a lot of time to think about it.”That was true. It was also just the way things were done in the 50s and 60s. If you got pregnant out of wedlock, you married the father. End of story. And, since she and Bruce had been madly in love, as much as a sixteen and newly seventeen year old could be anyway, she hadn't thought twice about accepting his proposal.“If you hadn't been pregnant with me, would you have married him?”The question took her by surprise and she hesitated. Would she have?“N-not then,” she finally admitted, “But-but later, sure.”That didn't seem to be the answer that Laurie had been looking for. Her daughter's body sagged at the news, and Susan reached out to comfort her.“Laurie, he's a good man,” she continued, feeling like she was grasping at straws, trying to justify her own life choices, “He is kind and smart and, he loves this family.”Her daughter's next question caught her off guard as well, though it probably shouldn't have at that point.“Do you still want to be married to him?”“Of course,” she replied, not quiet sure if she was trying to convince Laurie or herself.“But, you're messing around with other people.” The look on her face and the sincerity in her voice nearly killed Susan.She sighed, “Relationships are... complicated. They change over time. You-you can't understand that right now-”“No,” her daughter argued, “I can't, because all I want is Doug. He's all I think about. If it ever got to the point that I wanted someone else? I'd leave him.”Chuffing softly at the naivety of her daughter, Susan replied, “Everything seems so black and white to you right now, so simple.”“It is simple. You love him or you don't,” Laurie reasoned, “It would kill me to see Doug with someone else.”That seemed to strike a chord somewhere deep inside of her.“Do you think your father and I never had that? We did, we felt exactly the same way you do now.”Laurie sighed, “'Felt.' Do you hear yourself, mom?”A little shiver of fear, of dread, shot through her at the implication.Susan stood, suddenly needing space from both her daughter and the conversation, “You can't compare what you're going through to a relationship that has lasted eighteen years. It's not the same thing... One day you'll understand that.”“God, I hope not,” she retorted, her conviction strong and steady, “I just want Doug. And it is that simple.”Sighing, Susan began fiddling with the long forgotten rock that she'd been holding and stared out at the tranquility of the lake. Laurie got up and went walking toward the dirt road and the paths that she and her family had taken to other areas in the woods for generations.Apparently they both needed space.***It was just beginning to reach the hottest part of the afternoon when she went back inside and sat at the kitchen table, staring at the beige telephone atop its surface. If she did this, if she picked up that phone, things would change.She had to know.Susan's hand trembled as she lifted the receiver and dialed a number that she'd known by heart for years. It rang once, twice, and then three times before someone answered.“Hello?”“Roger?” she asked, her breath hitching slightly, “It's Susan.”His voice audibly softened on the other end of the line, “Hey. What's going on?”“Everything's fine. I-I just wanted to say that...” she took a shaky breath, “I skipped rocks.” She could practically hear him smile through the phone and it made her feel like she was floating.“Yeah?”“Yeah,” Susan continued, albeit a little bit awkwardly, “I used the... wrist thing. Worked like a charm.”He paused, “Are you okay?”Grimacing, hating just how lame she sounded, her chest began tightening with anxiety, “This trip's not as... fun as the last one.”“I wish I could be there.”“I wish-”Then Bruce suddenly came barreling through the door, startling the life out of her as he went on and on about their date, the one that she'd completely forgotten about.“Who are you talking to?” he asked, noticing the phone that she'd been clinging tightly to her chest.“Just...” Susan scrambled for an excuse, turning, picking up the phone and heading back toward the kitchen counter with it, bringing the receiver back up to her ear, “checking to see if the phone was working. Thank you. Goodbye.”Guilt weighed heavily upon her. She felt terrible for hanging up on Roger, but she felt worse about lying to and essentially emotionally cheating on her husband. Briefly bracing her hands on the counter top, she took a deep breath before turning around and readying herself for the conversation ahead. The look on Bruce's face told her everything that she needed to know. As did his angry response when she suggested that they still go on their date.Before she had a chance to respond to him, BJ came running in holding a note from Laurie, and the brief relief that she'd felt from his interruption suddenly curdled in the pit of her stomach. Her daughter had run away, gone back home, and Susan could honestly say that she hadn't been so terrified in decades.She and Bruce spent over an hour searching for her in the car that day. He'd been nearly frantic, switching radio stations so quickly that she could barely even understand what was playing and it had been so distracting, so frustrating, that she snapped at him and accidentally let it slip during the ensuing argument that they might not love each other anymore. Neither of them had ever brought it up in conversation, not even once, and it probably hadn't even crossed his mind before. But, it had definitely crossed hers, and she could tell that her offhand comment had hit her husband hard, like a slap in the face.Susan hated that, instead of feeling guilty about it, she could only think, 'Good. It's about time he noticed.'***Thankfully, they found Laurie, with the help of Doug Stevens, of all people.The fact that the young teacher had immediately told Susan where her daughter was, without prompting, while sounding just as frantic over the phone as she had felt, had been surprising. Susan hadn't expected that from him. She also hadn't expected him to show up at the diner only a few minutes after they'd arrived either. His and Laurie's relationship definitely wasn't one-sided, or just a student having a crush on her teacher and him taking advantage of her, like both her and Bruce had suspected. They seemed to genuinely care for each other, maybe even love each other, and that had been a surprising revelation as well.So, even though she didn't want to let her little girl go, Susan gave in and let Laurie leave with him.She hadn't been lying to her daughter earlier that afternoon, when they were having their conversation out by the lake. People grew and changed, even when they were in relationships, and often times you could grow and change together. Sometimes though, you grew apart. Like her and Bruce. It was unfortunate, but it happened all the time. Laurie was young and experiencing her first real love, though. Susan couldn't blame her for having such a black and white, idealized view on love and relationships. Back when she was seventeen, she too would have probably reacted the same way.It was her daughter's parting words though, just before heading back home to go to the Jackson Browne concert, that stuck with her.“Mom? Life is short. We need to be happy now.”Susan reached out and clasped her daughter's hands with her own, “Sometimes life is long, Laurie.”She shrugged slightly, the hint of a sage smile flickering across her lips, “Even more reason.”
'Even more reason.'
She couldn't get it out of her head. Not on the silent drive back to the cabin, not when she was laying in bed next to Bruce later that night, wide awake, and definitely not the next day when she was packing up for their trip back home that evening and found the perfect, oval-shaped, grey stone that she'd shoved into her pocket the day before. She decided to keep it. A keepsake. An ill-advised token of when she'd learned how to skip them. And, a reminder of feelings that she couldn't and shouldn't continue to let herself indulge in.Bruce didn't seem to notice her pensiveness, or if he did he didn't comment on it. In fact, he seemed perfectly fine and pretended like nothing had happened for the rest of their time at the cabin. Susan played along, thankful for the peace and quiet, just like she had at the beginning of their trip.She was surprised though, when, after an uneventful ride back home, he insisted that they spend the last few days of his vacation focusing solely on their relationship. Her initial reaction was to be annoyed with him, but a familiar guilt instantly settled onto her shoulders, making her heart ache and her stomach go queasy. It was probably for the best. If they had any chance of saving their family, it had to start with them.So, Susan agreed.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Bruce went golfing instead.Despite how her jaw had clenched in frustration and disappointment when he told her about his tee time, she faked it. Susan tried to fake that familiar cheery disposition that she'd had for most of her life because it honestly wasn't worth the inevitable fight.It was nearly impossible to convince herself or, she found later that afternoon, Trina that everything was going to be okay, though. She could see it on her friend's face, even as she invited them to go out dancing at the new disco in town, and felt it when the other woman comfortingly squeezed her hand as she left. Susan found it even harder when the thrill of bumping into Roger at the grocery store only a few hours later, and then going back to his and Janet's house afterward to help him out with dinner, was just as exciting as all of the kisses that she and Trina had shared.With Roger, it felt more predictable, and familiar. Having those feelings were less intimidating with a man, and more acceptable in the eyes of the society that they lived in, even though both of them were married. With Trina? She still had so many questions. There were so many obstacles and so many taboos. Anything coming of it, even though she very clearly harbored some kind of feelings for the other woman, seemed so insurmountable that it felt impossible. Maybe that was why whatever she felt for Roger, her stupid crush, was all that more tempting. Even if it made her a coward for choosing the easier route.Susan felt trapped by her own constantly teetering indecision.It was nearly half past five when Susan arrived home later that day, having taken the scenic route on her way back from the Thompson's. Bruce was already there, his golf clubs sitting on the third step of the staircase in the entryway, and she was just barely able to lose herself in the task of making a quick dinner of fish fingers for them. By the time he came downstairs after showering, Susan easily ignored the fact that she nearly cried in relief when Bruce agreed that going out dancing with the Deckers instead of staying in playing scrabble was his preferred way to spend the rest of their evening. She didn't want to be alone with her thoughts all night, it was too dangerous, and the best place to do that was in a club.Thankfully, he seemed to need the distraction almost as much as she did.“Are you almost ready?” she asked him, busy securing an earring in her left ear as she walked back into their bedroom.Bruce looked up from his spot sitting on the bed, fastening the buttons on the sleeves of one of his flashier dress shirts. His shoes were already on and the new black blazer that he'd asked her to pick up for him a few weeks ago was laid out neatly next to him.“Just about,” he grinned, his gaze widening slightly as it trailed down her body, “Look at you.”Susan smirked back at him, chuckling as she quickly fastened her other earring, “You like it?”“What's not to like?” he asked her playfully.She heard the familiar creak of their bed frame as he got up, but was already deep in their closet picking out a pair of shoes to go with the light blue wrap dress that she'd chosen earlier. So, she wasn't surprised when his arms wrapped around her waist as she straightened back up, a strappy pair of silver heels in her grasp.Susan let herself lean back against his chest, her heart aching at the familiar feeling of his body against hers. Why wasn't this enough for her anymore? Why wasn't he enough?Bruce trailed his lips up the side of her neck and, though she knew that losing herself in the moment and allowing him to continue his exploration would be simple, she turned in his arms and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him instead. A just barely noticeable moan rumbled through him and he tried to deepen it right out of the gate, but Susan chose to not let their kiss linger. She still had a few things to do before they left.Smiling sweetly up at him, she rested the palm that wasn't still holding her forgotten shoes against his chest and lightly pushed him away, “Why don't you put on some of that cologne of yours? It's going to be a long night.”He chuckled, and backed away slowly toward their dresser, where the bottle resided next to the television, “Does that mean you're going to put on some of that perfume I like too?”Susan hadn't been planning on it, but it couldn't hurt.“You'll have to wait and see,” she teased, sliding past him before he had a chance to try and reach out for her again, already making her way back down the hall to put some of the fragrance on.As soon as she was out of sight though, her smile fell, and the ache in her heart that had appeared while she was in his arms- the one that missed what they once had- grew stronger. Susan entered the bathroom and leaned heavily against the sink. Vaguely, she heard the sound of him shuffling around in the bedroom next door and knew that she had to move past it, and quickly, if they were going to leave on time.Forcing herself to take a deep, steadying breath, only when she had tucked all of those messy emotions neatly away was she able to look herself in the eye in the mirror and reach for the bottle of her second favorite perfume stashed among a few others on the silver tray that she kept on the counter top. Out of habit, Susan dabbed her wrist, put the bottle back, and then rubbed them together before sliding one along either side of her neck.She could do this. They were going to have a fantastic night.***It was easy to fall back into old patterns with him once they made their way over to the Decker's. The excitement of it all, the dancing, the drinking, the laughing. She found it comforting.What she hadn't expected was Tom's offer to go home with them later that night. She and Bruce hadn't talked about the possibility of swinging again since their last failed attempt with Brad and Sylvia. They'd been too distracted and, surprisingly, sex with her husband was probably the only thing that she still considered good between them. But, swinging? That had made her feel closer to him, connected to him in a way that she'd longed for during most of their relationship. So, when Tom and Trina asked, she said yes without overthinking it.They hadn't even bothered with more drinks after arriving back in their neighborhood. They only had one thing on their minds and Susan was happy to let herself be led out back by Trina, smiling flirtatiously over at Tom and Bruce as the four of them stripped and jumped into the pool one by one.Things started out playfully, first spending a few minutes cooling down as they swam and even briefly chased each other. From there, the vibe quickly changed, and before Susan realized what was happening Tom had caught her and pulled her into a kiss. She allowed herself to get swept away in the feeling. He held her closely, his sure palms leaving tingling trails as they glided down her body.Susan fully recognized, even in the moment, that the quualudes they'd all taken earlier were what was really making everything feel so floaty and magical. But, the moon, the gentle breeze fluttering in the trees, the cool water, Tom's caresses- it was all so perfect. Who could blame her for enjoying it?It got better, though.Somewhere through her haze, Susan heard Bruce chuckle nearby, quickly followed by a little splash.“Come here, big boy,” Trina said to him, the sudden flow of water against the back her legs and hips telling Susan that they'd moved directly behind her.Without realizing it, both she and Tom reached out for her at the same time. Once Susan sobered up, she would deny it and convince herself that she was searching for her husband, but that would be a lie. In that moment, she desperately wanted to feel the other woman's skin against hers. Yes, they'd kissed during their first encounter on the fourth of July and even had a few lingering moments of deliberate contact throughout the rest of that evening, but she longed for something more tonight. Susan wanted to feel herself pinned between Tom's strong, lean body, and the ultimate contrast of Trina's smaller, curvier one. And, that was exactly what she got.Susan gasped when Trina's back suddenly made contact with her own, and finally her hand found purchase on the other woman's hip. Her grip tightened, anchoring her friend in place, and only when Trina's hand found her own a few seconds later, twining their fingers together, did Susan feel the exact kind of connection that she'd been craving.Swaying slightly, she whimpered as Tom broke their kiss and moved his attentions down her neck, his ever wandering touch sliding between her legs. Normally, she would have been shocked by the amount of slickness that he found there, especially in the water, but there was just something about evenings with the Deckers that always seemed to put her in the mood.Behind her, Trina gasped, letting out a breathy chuckle at the same time that she suddenly let go of Susan's hand. She was startled at the movement, but quickly realized what was happening the moment that the other woman was lifted up in the air and both her friend and husband moaned at the same time.Susan felt a flush fan across her chest. If she was honest, that alone, just the sound of them, and the feel of Trina slowly sliding back down the length of her spine, probably would have been enough to get her going.Without thinking, Susan lifted one leg and wrapped it around Tom's hip, encouraging him to follow Bruce's lead as she pulled him back into a heated kiss. He understood the assignment. Tom gave her one last swipe of his fingers, one last tease, not quite where she wanted him, but just enough to give her a little thrill before taking his already hard prick into his own hand. She felt him give himself a few short strokes, the backs of his knuckles brushing up against the softness of her stomach, before eagerly positioning himself at her entrance.Susan moaned.It may have just been her buzz, but Tom sliding into her, even at what felt like a snails pace, along with the curve of Trina's backside rocking against her lower back, their slippery skin sliding together sensually underwater. It felt like coming home.Wrapping both arms around his neck, Susan sank into him, and held on. She let her body take over- moving, sighing, and even a bit of playful groping- basking in every sensation that she possibly could. Occasionally, she felt an extra set of masculine fingers dancing down her side, or over a hip. It felt accidental, but she didn't have time to think about it, not when Tom was moving so sinfully against her, and not when Trina leaned her head back onto Susan's shoulder and moaned into her ear with each of Bruce's thrusts.Susan was in heaven.All good things must come to an end, though.Tom had just increased his pace, rubbing parts inside of her that left little sparks of color exploding behind her closed eyelids, when it started. That telltale, pleasant burn, the familiar tension that she craved, began to build. She could feel it in him as well, nearly vibrating through his entire body, and in the voracity of his kisses. Their mouths slid together, messy and hot, his carefully crafted control clearly slipping the closer that he got. By the time Susan was hovering just at the precipice of finally letting go, Trina gasped and reached back for her, or maybe she was reaching for Tom, but all of a sudden the only thing she could feel was the dainty hand desperately gripping the outside of her upper thigh.Susan met her climax first.She floundered, struggling for breath as her pleasure hit her hard and quick. Her vision briefly dimmed and she was almost certain that she accidentally dug her nails into Tom's shoulders way too hard. He didn't seem to mind though, in fact, he wasn't far behind her. Susan just barely registered his straining grip on her waist as his tempo broke, but she definitely felt him grinding desperately into her with each staggered stroke, before eventually slowing to a stop.Susan held him closely as they recovered, letting out a giggle as she relaxed into him and caught her breath. They hadn't gotten to share a moment like this before. It had never been just the two of them, naked and vulnerable, while their spouses were still entangled in each other. She took the rare opportunity to run her fingers through the damp hair at the base of his neck, before nudging his head back up so that she could kiss him softly, slowly. It was beautiful. Different. Intimate in a way that she hadn't realized she longed for, or thought she could even have, with him. In fact, Tom was still inside of her as both Bruce and Trina seemed to finally reached their peaks together about half a minute later. The younger woman groaned and whimpered loudly in her release, free in a way that Susan admired, especially being outside in a busy, relatively close built part of town.The four of them lingered as Trina calmed and practically melted back into her. None of them seemed to want to pop the hazy bubble that had formed around them in the pool. Once they moved and untangled themselves, the night would be over. The atmosphere would change. Susan, for one, didn't want that happening. She would have been happy to float in the little world that they'd created for the rest of the night if she could.Soon though, Tom slipped out of her, and the illusion shattered. Trina murmured something to Bruce and the warmth that she'd created by resting against her disappeared along with the sound of water sloshing behind her. Susan's legs shook as they broke apart, on her own again, and she was suddenly very thankful that they were in a pool. She treaded water, floating until she was able to balance on her own two feet again. It only took a few moments, but in that time Trina had already circled around them, letting her palm slide around Susan's waist as she leaned over and kissed her husband with a sultry, relaxed grin.Susan felt the corners of her mouth flick upward at the sight of them. They were stunning together. She already knew that of course, but she was surprised to find that, instead of feeling awkward at the display, it felt like a privilege to witness. Especially in such close proximity.“Why don't we all get dried off?” the other woman suggested.Susan nodded, turning toward the stairs before she even realized that she hadn't even thought to search for Bruce after they'd all finished, nor had she realized that he was already out of the pool and grabbing a stack of the towels that Tom and Trina always kept stocked behind the outdoor bar. She flushed, catching his eye with a shy smile, and tried to shove the overwhelming sense of guilt that she felt back down inside of her.The rest of their time at the Decker's that night, on her end anyway, went fine, but Bruce was abnormally quiet. And, whether it was her lack of connection with him while they were in the act, their ongoing relationship issues, or the fact that they knew Tom and Trina a hell of a lot better than they had the last time they slept together and he was just feeling awkward, that same niggling sense of off-ness followed them home.In fact, that feeling never left.That feeling got worse.“What did we just do,” Susan whispered, shock rapidly setting in as she looked up at Roger.He seemed just as surprised. Whether it was because he'd actually gone through with his plan of walking into her house, into her kitchen, and kissing her, or the fact that she'd kissed him back, she'd probably never know.'Oh, God,' she thought to herself, feeling her eyes go wide.She'd not only kissed him back, she'd fully encouraged him to do it in the first place. Susan had taken those first few steps forward, bridging the gap between them just hoping that he was about to do what she thought he might be about to do.Realizing that she still had her hands on his shoulders, Susan yanked them down and stepped back as if she'd been burned.“You should leave,” she told him with as much conviction as she could muster.Roger frowned, looking down at her like a kicked puppy, “Is that what you want?”“It's not about what I want- what we want,” she argued, completely flustered, “We cannot do this-”The front door suddenly opened and slammed shut again.“Mom!” BJ yelled, already stomping his way up the front staircase, “Is it okay if I ride down to the beach and go to the arcade with Rick?”Susan's heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she watched panic wash across Roger's face. She had to think quickly.“As long as you're home before sunset,” she yelled after him, shooing Roger back toward the side door that he'd come in.He almost protested, but she didn't give him a choice, nudging him to get him started in the right direction. And, boy was Susan glad that she did. Just as the screen door swung shut, BJ stormed back down the side stairs and suddenly appeared in the kitchen.Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she turned toward him, “Have you eaten lunch?”He shook his head, walking toward her, “We're just going to grab a hotdog once we get down there.”“Do you need money?”“I wouldn't say no,” he laughed, “but, I should have enough if I'm careful where I spend it.”Susan smiled, momentarily forgetting the enormity of what had just happened. How had they raised such a kind and honest young man?She began making her way toward the entryway, where she'd tossed her handbag onto one of the chairs earlier, “Let me see how much change I have in my purse.”BJ's face lit up, “Really?”Susan chuckled, her nerves slowly coming back into check as she glanced over her shoulder at him while they walked, “Yes, really.”It didn't take long for her to gather all of the loose coins and drop them into his waiting palm. It wasn't much, but her son immediately pocketed them.“Thanks, mom.”“Just be careful, okay BJ?” she told him, watching as he practically sprinted back toward the front door.“I will!”The door opened and slammed shut and, just like that, he was gone. The house was quiet again.Susan's knees nearly gave out. Wisely, she sat down onto the chair behind her in the foyer, tossing her half open, forgotten purse onto the small table next to her.Did that really just happen?Had Roger, her best friend's husband, really just kissed her? It was definitely a question worth asking, and even worth repeating, because she felt like she was in a dream. More like a nightmare.And, what about Janet? Her poor, lovely, naive, best friend. She didn't deserve any of this.Susan felt herself tear up and leaned forward so that she could drop her head into her hands.What was she going to do?The week that followed was torture.Susan hated herself for it, but nearly every time she and Bruce spoke to each other she couldn't seem to stop herself from acting at least a little petty or saying something spiteful. At the same time, she knew that she probably had no right to be upset with him for whatever was still going on between him and Melinda, not when she was technically cheating on him too.It didn't feel real. None of it did.To make matters worse, as if the fates, or God, or whatever you believed in were looking down upon her and laughing, the traditional birthday dinner that she threw for Janet every year also happened to be that week.She hadn't planned anything ahead of time, but Susan had gotten up early the day of Janet's birthday, hoping to catch her best friend before she left for her job at the newspaper, and somehow managed to just miss her. It was the first time that she and Roger had seen each other since it happened- since their kiss – and it was just as awkward as she'd imagined.“Janet gets the birthday she deserves, and after that, we won't see each other at all...” he said, hesitating, like he was choking on the words, “If that's what you want.”Susan looked up at him, clutching the large, white gift box containing the new and very expensive dress that she'd guiltily picked out at the department store the day before, tightly. She'd never been more grateful for a visible barrier between her and someone else.“Is that what you want?” he asked, this time it was a question.Her heart stuttered, and she swallowed nervously as she forced herself to look up at him, “Yes.”It was one word. A lie. One that would change the trajectory of their friendship... their relationship? Even thinking it made her sick to her stomach. She knew it was for the best, for both of their families, but she couldn't stop the overwhelming sense of regret that gnawed at her from the inside out. What had she just given up?Righting herself, Susan clutched at the box in her hands as if her life depended on it, “Do you know where Janet's address book is? The sooner I can start calling people about tonight, the more people will show up.”Momentarily stunned at the sudden change of topic, Roger nodded and turned toward the kitchen, finally breaking the tension between them. Were she alone, she would have collapsed onto the closest piece of furniture and sobbed, just like she had after BJ left for the arcade that fateful day. But, she wasn't alone and had to remain as stoic as she possibly could. This, being there, was so much harder than she thought it would be. She'd practiced what she was going to say to him the next time that they found themselves alone over and over in her head, but when the time came most of the words she'd tried so hard to memorize evaded her.They'd managed to find themselves in quite the predicament, hadn't they?Roger came back into the living room a few moments later and passed her the familiar olive green notebook that her best friend had kept all of her friends and families contact information in for as long as she'd known her. She tried to do her best to ignore the slight brush of their fingers, but the tingle and shocking heat that shot through her wasn't something that she'd ever been very good at curbing. The only thing that she could do was break the contact as quickly as possible.“Thanks,” she said quietly, looking down at the notebook, “I'll get to calling and take care of the food.”“Of course. Is there anything I can do to help?”Susan shook her head, unable to stop herself from looking up at him at least once more before leaving, “Not unless you want to make appetizers all afternoon?”“If it doesn't involve a grill, I'm definitely not the guy to ask,” he joked, making her smile.“Just be there by four?”“I'll be there.”With that, Susan saw her opening and started making her way back toward the front door. She had just reached for the knob when she stopped and turned.“Roger?” she said quietly, “Good luck at your interview.”His broad smile nearly broke her heart. It was the first genuine grin that she'd seen on him since the pool party, and before that, other than the cabin, she couldn't even think of the last truly happy emotion that he'd expressed around her.“Thanks, Susan.”Opening the front door, she stepped onto the steps and let out a sigh of relief once it clicked shut behind her. Lost in thought, she walked back to her house on auto-pilot and once she was safely inside, she headed toward the kitchen, where she spent the next hour calling everyone that she could get a hold of in Janet's address book. At least twenty people would be able to make it, which meant she had a lot of food preparation to get started, but honestly that was the last thing that she wanted to do.Needing to stretch her legs, her head throbbed as she made her way across the street, hoping that Trina would be home. She was surprised when Tom was the one who answered the door, apparently in the middle of saying goodbye to their guests from the night before. Two months ago she would have been shocked, scandalized even, by the sight of another woman leaning over and kissing him as they stepped past her and out toward the driveway, but instead she felt an odd sense of fondness. She'd grown a lot since the fourth of July, and she didn't want to go back. Even with all of the potential fallout.“Trina's not feeling well?”“Just a little hangover,” Tom assured her, moving aside as he gestured for her to head out back, “I'm gonna run out and get her a bottle of alka-seltzer. She's out by the pool.”Susan smiled softly, affectionately, and patted his chest as she shuffled by. Tom was a good man. She was happy that he and Trina seem to have worked their way through his little dalliance with the stewardess from the pool party, and once again marveled at how resilient their relationship was.Putting on her most convincing smile, Susan shook those thoughts from her mind, and stepped out the back door onto the patio where she found Trina just finishing a lap. The dark haired woman stopped swimming, clearly surprised to see her. Susan, of course checked on her, asking her if she was doing alright. Trina brushed it off as just a hangover like Tom had said, but even as she pushed forward with the conversation, Susan could tell that something was going on. Whatever that something was, she clearly didn't want to talk about it though.“So, it's Janet's birthday, and I'm throwing her a surprise party tonight,” she sighed and clasped her hands together in a worried motion, “Trina, I could use some help.”Without missing a beat, the other woman agreed to help and made her way out of the pool, “Sure, sure. Let me go put something on, and I'll help you set up.”But, the party wasn't why she was there, not really. Not after her and Roger's kiss, and most definitely not after their strained conversation earlier that morning.“It's not that,” she finally admitted, stopping Trina from rushing to get dressed.“What is it?”The concern in Trina's voice almost made her look up, but she couldn't face her for what she said next.“Roger kissed me,” Susan admitted before she could stop herself, hesitating, because no, that wasn't quite right, “We kissed each other, actually. It-it didn't go any further than that. It never will.”Up until then, Trina had only been observing her. It was unnerving.“Are you sure?” she finally asked.It was an honest question. No judgment. No pity.“Yes,” she responded quickly, but even she could hear the doubt in her own voice, so she finally turned to face her friend, “Oh, God, what is wrong with me? He's my best friend's husband.”Trina stared down at her, dripping wet, a dark grey towel wrapped around her waist, “That doesn't mean you still can't have feelings for him.”Frustrated, Susan got up and put a small amount of distance between them, “Of course it does! You know, I'm not like you. I don't have a switch I can just turn on and off every time somebody new strolls into my bedroom.”For the first time since they'd met, Trina looked not only taken aback at that, but offended. Susan hadn't thought that was possible. She felt small and stupid again, having spoken before she really had a chance to think about the words that were coming out of her mouth and how they could possibly hurt her friend.“Well,” Trina finally breathed out, “I'd like to think I'm a little more complex than that.”Clutching her hand to her chest, Susan wholeheartedly hoped that the other woman would forgive her.“Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that,” she apologized, feeling herself start to get choked up as she stepped back toward Trina, “If anything, I wish I were more like you. It would make this who mess a lot easier to deal with.”Not that Susan deserved it, but she breathed out a sigh of relief when Trina moved forward and reached out for her, running a soothing palm down her arm. And, when the other woman took her hand, Susan wasn't afraid to admit that she clung to it.She'd gone over there looking for guidance and support, and instead she'd insulted the one person who knew her all of her secrets and had never been anything but loving and kind to her.“I really am sorry, Trina,” she repeated, wiping her eye with her free hand in an attempt to stop any tears before they actually fell.Reaching up, Susan's eyelids slid shut the moment that the other woman gently cupped her cheek, and she couldn't stop herself from leaning into it. Her hand was still cool from the pool, smelling faintly of chlorine, but in that moment she couldn't have imagined anything feeling better. Just before her eyes fluttered open again, not realizing how long she'd had them closed for, she felt Trina take another small step forward and was just barely able to meet her eyes before the other woman leaned in and kissed her.It wasn't a peck on the lips, nor was it deeply romantic. It was comfort- more than she expected or deserved- and Susan soaked it in. She basked in the feeling of Trina's lips against hers, and very nearly whimpered when her friend ended it and pulled back only a handful of seconds later.Trina gazed up at her sincerely, “You gonna be okay?”She chuckled and looked down at their joined hands, “Shouldn't I be asking you that? You're the one that doesn't feel so hot.”Her neighbor, her friend, her port of safety in a raging storm, waved her off again and turned, tugging her back into the house and toward the bedroom, “I'll be fine. It's nothing that a little medicine and party planning won't cure.”***The two of them spent the rest of the morning figuring out the food for the party, writing down what ingredients they'd need and, when Tom finally returned, they drove to the local grocery store to pick it all up. Despite Trina's lack of skill or confidence in the kitchen, she helped Susan make three different appetizers and set up a snack bar with things like chips, chocolates, and other pre-made foods without complaint.When it was time for both of them to start getting dressed and ready for company, Susan stopped her before she could slip out the front door, and pulled her into a tight hug.“Thank you,” she whispered.“Anytime, Susan,” Trina smiled.She nodded, holding the door open as her friend stepped through it and out onto walkway. She stood there until Trina made it safely across the street before heading upstairs to change.It was going to be a long, stressful evening spent trying to avoid her guilt and the draw of Roger's charm, and she was incredibly grateful that Tom and Trina were going to be there. She had a feeling she was going to need all of the support that she could get.It was Labor Day weekend and Susan and Bruce spent the day down at the beach celebrating the end of summer at the Decker's traditional clam bake. Things were strained between them now more than ever. She wasn't sure if they were acting like everything was completely normal for everyone else's sake or their own, but by the end of the evening, their tentative, unspoken truce had crumpled and completely fallen apart.So much had happened. It was all too much to take in. Trina was pregnant. Roger was on his way to Cincinnati. Bruce hadn't actually slept with Melinda the night of Janet's party, but as far as Susan was concerned, he may as well have.There had been yelling. Nasty words were exchanged. And, for the first time since they'd met, Susan felt true hatred toward her husband.Just to spite him, she'd stormed back to the bonfire, leaving him by the crashing waves, grabbed one of the last sets of keys out of the fishbowl, and took a man that she'd never met before toward the parking lot. She'd let him, Tim, down gently, and apologized. Susan explained that she'd just had a fight with her husband and surprisingly he'd understood. He was, of course, a little upset about not getting laid that night, but had been kind enough to offer her a ride home anyway.Once there, Susan was at a complete loss. She spent twenty minutes just sitting on the front steps, staring at the grass and listening to the crickets, before she finally got enough motivation to get up and go inside.Her stomach growled as the door swung shut behind her with a loud click. The anger that she'd felt on the beach, the frustration that had flooded her veins, was completely gone. Now, she felt a bit like a deflated balloon. She had no idea what came next. Susan did know one thing, though. If she had to suffer through the anxiety of waiting until Bruce came home, if he even came home, then she was going to at least do it on a full stomach.She made it as far as one of the stools by the counter in the kitchen, contemplating the bowl of fruit behind her, when Laurie came down the stairs. Not only was Susan surprised that her daughter was home, but she found the fact that she wasn't falling apart after hearing the news that her boyfriend was going to Guatemala for an undisclosed amount of time odd.Still, Susan let her go, sending up a silent prayer that Laurie wasn't about to do something rash like trying to leave the country with Doug. She wouldn't put it past her daughter to do something like that and, normally, she would have done whatever she could to stop her. But, if there was anything that she'd learned about Laurie that summer, it was that she could hold her own. She was nearly an adult, less than four months away from her eighteenth birthday, and had already been acting like one, boy issues aside, for many years.Before she had a chance to question her choice of whether letting Laurie walk out the door was the right decision, the phone rang, startling her out of her stupor.“Hello,” Susan answered, waiting for a response, but none came, “Hello?”She waited once more and nothing again.“Roger?”“Yes.”Touching her neck anxiously, she felt her pulse begin to speed up, “Are you okay?”“I couldn't get on the plane,” he admitted, sounding lost and broken, “I know I shouldn't be calling, I just... I had to.”Susan took a shaky breath, every nerve in her body on high alert. She knew that she shouldn't ask, but the words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.“Where are you?”“At a hotel, by the airport,” Roger paused, and then asked her a truly dangerous question, “Will you meet me?”She hesitated, but only for a moment.“What's the address?”Roger sucked in a sharp breath and she heard a bit of shuffling on the other end of the line before he rattled off the street name and number. It was one of the newer hotels. Susan remembered reading about it in the paper a few years before.“Got it,” she whispered, tearing the piece of paper off of the little pad that they always kept by the phone, “Where should I meet you?”“I'm in room 835.”Her stomach flipped, the reality of what they were planning finally fully hitting her. He wasn't asking her to meet him at the hotel bar, or somewhere nearby. And, he wasn't asking her to meet him for dinner, or to talk. There were very few things that could possibly happen in a hotel room, and she was sick of denying her own wants and needs no matter how stupid and ill-advised they were.Reckless impulse won once again that night.“I'll be there as soon as I can.”***Susan only spent a few minutes changing, brushing her hair into submission, and finding a pair of matching heels, before calling a cab. And, before she knew it, forty minutes had passed and she was standing in front of the O'Hare International Tower Hotel.It was a massive, curved building, ten stories tall, and made of all glass windows that shimmered in the night sky.Trying to steady herself, she smoothed a hand down the front of her dress, before hesitantly putting one foot in front of the other and making her way toward the main entrance. Time seemed to pass slowly and way too fast all at once, and Susan felt like she was practically floating by the time she made it inside. She was greeted by a clearly bored receptionist, a plain twenty something year old woman, who quickly sagged back into her seat once she realized that she was heading toward the elevators. For a moment, she felt bad for the young woman, but knew with absolute certainty that if she didn't keep moving, she'd lose her nerve. Because, on the inside, Susan felt like a scared little rabbit, poised to jump and run at the slightest noise or sign of a threat.As she stepped into the first lift that opened and pressed the number eight on the wall of buttons with a trembling hand, Susan found herself leaning heavily against one of the walls. It was eerily quiet as she began her ascent, and she was thankful when the elevator shuddered to a stop after only ten seconds and the doors opened with a startling ding.There was a shiny, metal placard on the wall across from her that directed her down the hallway to the left and in less than a minute she was standing outside of his door.This was it. This was her final chance to turn around.Before she could talk herself out of it, she knocked. A few nerve-wracking seconds passed and she heard no movement inside of the room, but could clearly see light coming from the gap underneath the door. So, she knocked again, and just when she thought she'd either gone to the wrong room, or he'd changed his mind, the door swung open.Roger seemed genuinely surprised that she'd actually showed up, but once it fully registered, the corners of his mouth ticked upward in a closed lip, but tentative smile. A wave of nervous nausea rolled through her, even as she glanced over toward the bed, back at him, and then stepped inside with a surprising amount of confidence.He shut the door with one hand, his gaze uninterested in anything but her.“What happened?” she asked, unsure, and more than a little anxious, “Roger, I-”Swooping in, just like in an old black and white movie, he kissed her. An electric zing shot down her spine and settled low in her belly. If Susan thought that their first, and only other, kiss had been passionate, then this one blew it out of the water. She clung to him, arching her back as she returned the embrace with equal vigor.Gone, were the thoughts of Bruce and their fight, betraying Janet, and all of the guilt that she'd been feeling. Instead, she greedily chose to focus on the present, on Roger. Letting her hands fall from his face, she eagerly tugged at his tie until it loosened and she was able to blindly start undoing the buttons on his dress shirt underneath.Whatever happened that night, she was doing it for her. Would she regret it? Probably. But, they would tackle that together tomorrow.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was over.Summer had passed, her marriage had fallen apart, her friendship with Janet was long gone, and her poorly planned affair with Roger had finished before they barely even had a chance to get started.“Susan?”Shivering as a gust of cold wind ripped by her, she realized for the first time that she'd forgotten to grab a jacket before rushing across the street. Trina now stood in front of her, her stomach slightly rounded as she tied a plush red robe securely around her waist.Her lawyer had just called to inform her that she was officially single again. Everything had gone through just as they'd thought it would, uncontested, and she and Bruce would share custody of the kids. She'd known it was coming, she'd been the one to file for divorce after all, but wanting her marriage over and actually hearing that it finally was were two very different things.Feeling herself begin to crumble, her eyes still puffy and red from crying after hanging up the phone, Susan stepped forward and pulled Trina into an all encompassing kiss. The younger woman inhaled softly just before their lips met, and wrapped her smaller arms around Susan's neck.She poured everything that she had into their embrace- regret, loneliness, guilt, longing, and sadness. She felt shaky and needy, unpredictable in a way that she hadn't been since her one night with Roger. She needed it, needed that kind of contact, the comfort and safety. Nothing else, not even a good quality cuddle or a massive amount of alcohol, could have made her feel the same amount of relief.Shuffling them inside, Susan kicked the door shut and pressed her against it, plundering Trina's mouth with a new-found desperation. Somewhere in the back of the house she heard somebody moving around, heard the low static click of the television being turned off, but for some reason it didn't really register in her mind. Susan pressed on, yanking at the tie around Trina's waist until it came loose and she could slip her chilly hands inside. What she was looking for by doing so, she was unsure of, but she wasn't surprised when she found something silky glide smoothly beneath her touch. Whatever it was that she was wearing, Susan only had to drag her fingertips just past the other woman's hip before encountering the tantalizing bare skin of her upper thigh.Trina arched into her, releasing a pleased moan that practically vibrated through the both of them. Susan pressed forward, sliding their legs together as she contemplated running her teasing fingers upward and into the indescribable heat that she could feel radiating from between the other woman's thighs. That was one thing that they'd never done before. Susan had never touched her quite like this, in or out of the bedroom. Their caresses had always been teasing and tentative, their full attention saved for their male counterparts.In that moment though, pressed up against Trina in a way that she'd craved for far longer than she'd like to admit, she desperately wished that she hadn't spent all of August hyper-fixating on the tiny spark of attraction that Roger had fanned to life inside of her. Because, after that fateful night at the hotel, once the harsh light of day streaked its way across their bed, both she and Roger had been burdened with so much guilt that they decided to end it right then and there. For real that time. He'd gone to Cincinnati and, from there, she'd had two days to sort out her thoughts before he came back and her life imploded. Now, it was nearly Thanksgiving, and there she was once again, back in Trina's welcoming arms.Susan wanted nothing more than to sink into her, to please her, to please them both. Just for a little while.Then she felt a presence behind her.Susan's heart almost stopped, her entire body freezing before she felt a large hand slide down the length of her back.“Everything alright here?”Finally breaking their kiss, Susan could feel herself starting to shake slightly as she hid her forehead in the crook of Trina's neck. Guilt hit her hard and fast. She'd done it again, hadn't she? Fucked up another friendship and meddled in another marriage. Why hadn't she ever thought to ask Trina if she'd told Tom about their kisses and what had been going on between them? Her mind began spiraling, but mostly she felt guilty for so desperately wanting more.“Please,” she whispered, begging, just barely able to disguise the sob that was rapidly building in the back of her throat.She wouldn't blame them in the least if they turned her away. She knew what an absolute disaster she was and they didn't deserve that. Not after the way that they'd welcomed her into their home, especially in the time since her separation from Bruce. They'd offered her comfort and company whenever she needed a refuge from the chaos or loneliness across the street. She'd spent many a night falling asleep cuddled on the couch with one or both of them, had helped Tom cook dozens of dinners, and she'd even gone to a few doctors appointments with Trina when they'd fallen on the days that he'd been away in Tokyo. The three of them had spent actual, meaningful time together, domestic and reassuring in a way that Susan had desperately needed, and she was terrified that she'd just ruined it all.The longer they stood there though, in what was probably an extended silent exchange between the couple happening just over her shoulder, the more anxious that she became. And, only when Tom swept her hair to the side and placed a tender kiss on the nape of her neck, did she finally let out a wracking sigh of relief.He eased the length of his body against her back, pressing her firmly between himself and his wife. The heat from him soaked into her like a salve and, for the first time since receiving that fateful call that sent her over there in the first place, she finally felt the slightest hint of inner peace.Then, they began to move.Tom's hands roamed over her body at a slow pace, his touch familiar but tantalizing. At the same time, a set of dainty fingers wound their way into her hair, tugging just hard enough for her to moan in surprise. Trina did it again, with a bit more force that time, and it took a moment for Susan to figure out what she wanted before eagerly leaning back up for another kiss.No longer idle, and mostly just relieved, Susan sank fully into the sensations. Once faded arousal flickered back to life, as if it was never gone in the first place. She'd never been an over-eager lover. Playful? Yes. But, she usually preferred to let the other person be in charge and simply enjoy the ride. This time though, the neediness and the sad hole that had opened inside of her heart spurred her on. She felt insatiable. She wanted Tom to hold her in his arms, calm and steadfast, while she explored his wife's body. She wanted all of them to fall into a well of pleasure so deep that they drowned in it, but most of all, she wanted to lose herself in them. She wanted to forget.Tom bunched up the hem of her long dress on one side, just enough to get his hand onto her skin, fingertips tickling up her thigh and then her stomach, even over her breasts, before he gently tugged her away from Trina. Stunned by the sudden breaking of their kiss, Susan's eyes widened in confusion, before it finally dawned on her what he was doing. Raising her arms obediently, Tom slid her dress up and over her head, allowing it to drop nearly silently to the floor. Susan shivered, a chill running through her as she realized that she was standing there in their entryway in nothing more than her bra and underwear. She should have been embarrassed by it, but instead, she leaned back into the warmth of both of them and cupped the side of Trina's face tenderly.“Why don't we take this somewhere more comfortable?”Tom chuckled, caressing her flanks as he leaned forward and hooked his chin over her shoulder, “Bedroom?”She nodded, her eyes hooding slightly as his stubble scraped pleasantly across her skin, making her insides clench in anticipation.“Why don't the two of you go get comfortable,” Trina suggested, her lips curling into a promising smirk, “And, I'll be right in.”Without wasting any time, Susan tugged her into a quick kiss and then slipped out from between them, sauntering off in the direction of the bedroom. After getting more than halfway through the living room without hearing Tom follow behind her, she turned and looked back. They were speaking softly to each other, but neither seemed too concerned about anything in particular. As long as they didn't look angry or upset, that was enough for her.Susan continued on her way, leaving them to finish their conversation, and only stopped once she entered their bedroom. Curbing her usual urge to stand there awkwardly, unsure if she were taking any liberties that she had no right to, she slipped off her heels and reached back to open the clasp of her bra, letting it fall carelessly to the carpet.Briefly, she thought about crawling onto the bed, of draping herself enticingly amongst their pillows, and maybe even getting things started by herself purely as a distraction from her own mind. That didn't seem right, though. Instead, she walked over to the back window and took in the view. She could have seen at least halfway across Lake Michigan if it had been a clear day, but it was still awe inspiring nonetheless. The wind blew harshly against the once colorful trees lining the shore, knocking off the last of their remaining leaves as little bits of late afternoon/early evening sunshine scattered its way haphazardly across the choppy water, making it shine and flicker.Susan closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh as the heat clicked on and joyously warm air began filling the room. As the seconds slowly ticked by, now that she was left to her own devices, thoughts of the call from her lawyer, along with the horrible memory of Bruce's expression when she'd told him about her affair with Roger, and all of the other nightmarish chaos that had ensued, began to creep back in. Her throat tightened, feeling almost raw, and her eyes began to blur with unshed tears. Recognizing that another round of crying was about to begin, Susan took a series of slow, deep breaths, and turned her attention up toward the sky. She tried to clear her mind and, instead, focused on watching the big, fluffy, rapidly greying clouds as they slowly floated by.Sure enough, her sadness eventually began to wane, and along with it the uneasy knot in her throat retreated. Susan was grateful when she heard quiet footsteps making their way down the hall a little while later and felt Tom's arms slide around her waist. She instantly relaxed back against his chest and covered his hands with her own as he pulled her into a tight hug from behind.“You alright, kiddo?” he asked quietly.Turning in his arms, she raised herself up onto the balls of her feet and kissed him gently, threading her fingers through his soft hair, just like she had that night in their pool. He returned her attention, his blunt fingertips digging lightly into the dip of her waist, just enough to make her hum in the back of her throat. Seconds later, they broke apart, and she lingered closely, their faces only a handful of inches apart.He watched her intently, clearly curious and worried about her, “You don't have to talk about it, Susan. We just want to make sure that you're not doing this for the wrong reasons.”Slowly, her mouth stretched into a saddened smile, “You two are always looking out for me.”Tom lazily ran his hands up and down her back and, somewhere on the other side of the house, she could hear the sound of Trina's voice.“That doesn't mean that we have to sleep together though,” he told her, brushing her hair out of her face, “You know that right? We'd welcome you into our bed, sex or not.”“While that sounds lovely, and you have no idea how much I appreciate that,” she hesitated, “I-I...”“Alright,” he nodded, when she couldn't seem to find anymore words, “but, if you want to stop at any point, you let us know.”Susan shook her head, feeling loved and trying to stave off another wave of tears as she scratched her nails lightly across his scalp, “I just- I want to forget. Just for tonight.”Tom's eyes fell shut, releasing a pleased rumble as he tilted his head into her hands.“Keep on doing that, and I'll help you forget anything you want.”Susan let out a surprised laugh and leaned her forehead against one of his shoulders.“I'll have to remember that,” she whispered.Nuzzling against the pulse point on Tom's neck, she sighed, content to stand there for a little longer. She'd forgotten just how wonderful he always smelled. She'd never been able to figure out what the scent was, no matter how hard to tried to pinpoint it. If it was an expensive brand of cologne that she'd never heard of, or a soap, or maybe even a particular aftershave, she was unsure. Whatever it was smelled expensive and spicy, the good kind of spicy, just interesting enough to catch your attention but not so overbearing that you wish you hadn't walked by him. The morning after their first time together, as Bruce had taken a shower and she'd laid there in bed, she'd accidentally caught a whiff of it. How Tom's scent had still lingered on her body after two bouts of sex though, she could never figure out. She had laid there, feeling a bit foolish as she smelled different parts of her body, the ones she could reach anyway, until she finally realized where it was coming from- her hair.Needless to say, she hadn't taken a full shower that day. At the time, she hadn't been completely sure why she'd done it, but in hindsight she was pretty sure that it was the first sign of the inevitable turmoil that she would face as the summer progressed.“Where's Trina?”Tom kneaded the back of her neck, “She had a few business calls scheduled for tonight.”Susan's brow furrowed. Since when did Trina work?“Business?”“She's invested in several small companies over the years,” he explained, “and she likes to be kept in the loop.”She knew that Trina's family had money, but she had no idea that she was so savvy when it came to anything in the day to day business of running companies.“Oh.”Tom smiled and pressed a quick kiss to the side of her head.“Don't worry, you're not the only one. I was definitely taken by surprise the first time I walked in on her going over numbers at the dining room table with a friend. There were papers everywhere, and I mean everywhere, and she had a pencil stuck behind her ear...” he drifted off, letting out a nostalgic sigh, “I knew right then and there that she was it. I'd never find anyone better than her.”Susan tilted her head back, just enough to see his face. He was still lost in the memory, his eyes soft, a small smile gracing his lips. The fact that it had been Trina's brain, her intelligence, that had ultimately sealed the deal for him, made him all that more handsome in Susan's eyes. A man who could appreciate a woman for everything that she was, and not just her body, was a hard thing to come by. It made her happy that they'd managed to find one another.“So...” Susan started coyly, “I guess that means we have that big, old, bed all to ourselves for a while then?”Snapping out of it, Tom looked down with a quickly growing grin, “That we do.”The next thing she knew, he was quite literally sweeping her off of her feet and carrying her the short distance across the room. Susan let out a loud yelp, laughing as he lowered them both onto the mattress and captured her lips with his own.Her legs automatically parted for him, making her moan appreciatively when he slid smoothly between them and finally pressed his weight down on her. He was solid, aroused, or more than halfway there at least, and knowing that she'd caused that reaction made heat shoot through her entire body.She tightened her thighs around his waist, rolling her hips up against him as he deepened their kiss. Susan returned his affection eagerly and drew her hands down his back, torn between pulling off his shirt and pushing down the pesky slacks that he had on. Instead, she slid her palms down as far as she could reach, just barely skirting over the roundness of his ass, and urged him forward. Almost instantly he ground down against her and, had she been standing, her knees would have most definitely gone weak.Susan moaned, bucking up against him, this time with much less grace. Her sensible, but normally soft cotton panties felt rough, but sinfully good, against the sensitive skin between her legs. In fact, she honestly couldn't remember the last time that she'd rubbed up against a partner like this. Bruce had nearly always been far too impatient, and Tom... well, Tom seemed to prefer to get her going in other ways each time they'd slept together. Speaking of Tom though, he soon slowed to a stop above her with one more pointed swivel of his pelvis and shuddered slightly, sweeping inside of her mouth with a deep groan.“I think you're wearing too much,” Susan gasped, once they broke apart.Tom chuckled and pushed himself up onto his knees. Susan's eyes immediately dropped to the bulge in his beige pants, though she had to admit that she was surprised to find a small, slightly darker tan wet patch just to the left of the zipper. It took her a moment to realize that she had been the one to put it there. That spot was where he had been grinding against her not too long ago.Susan bit her bottom lip, not even bothering to try and ignore the sudden flush blazing upon her cheeks, and watched him as he pulled his shirt over his head and toss it carelessly beside the bed. Looking up into his eyes, she found that their normal shade of bright blue had darkened to something that more closely resembled the ocean. They shimmered with hunger, while his wide grin suggested that there was nothing but a playfully wild ride in her future.Susan pushed herself up just far enough to reach for his belt and pulled the heavy leather out of its metal confines, tugging at it until it came loose, just enough for her to get to the button below. Tom stilled beneath her touch. She could feel him watching her as she let her fingertips lightly graze over him, stroking him a few times before carefully reaching up and lowering the zipper. He wore nothing underneath. All Susan had to do was tug the front of his pants down and he could easily do the rest of the work.Tom let out a moan of relief as his erection was finally released, sending it bobbing heavily in the air. She imagined that the two of them, half dressed and all kinds of mussed up, were a picture perfect example of debauchery. He, for one, looked sinfully pornographic kneeling there, with his pants rucked halfway down his hips and his hard cock out. She watched with bated breath as he reached out and began running his hands up her calves, making her shiver when his touch grazed her inner thighs and then eventually came to a stop at her hips.“Time for these to go,” he teased, running his fingers just under the edge of her faded pink underwear.Susan smirked, and wrapped one of her ankles around his waist, pushing the edge of his pants down just a bit further, “Only if the rest of yours go too.”Laughing, Tom leaned down just far enough to kiss her, quick and hot, before pulling back again.“You drive a tough bargain.”She smirked, zero pity in her voice, “I'm sure you'll survive.”Moments later, Tom leaned back and rolled, straightening his legs just enough to shuck off his pants, and this time when he tossed them off the edge of the bed whatever had been in his pockets made them heavy enough to thud as the material rustled and hit the floor. But, with his clothes taken care of, his full attention was quickly back on her. She invited him to rid her of her damp underwear with a cant of her hips. Tom slid them down as she brought her knees up and together, just enough take them off and toss them in the same direction that the rest of their clothing had gone.Finally, they were blissfully naked.She had no qualms baring herself fully to him for the first time in natural sunlight instead of a romantic, dimly lit room, or hidden under the shadows of night, shameless and wanton. She and Bruce had never been particularly shy around each other, but there was still a large chunk of their relationship where she would have felt far too self conscious to take off her clothes in front him anywhere but their darkened bedroom after the kids had fallen asleep. There was something about it, splaying herself wide and practically begging for Tom to do something, anything to her, that had her insides melting.“Look at you,” he told her with a smirk, kneading his hands up her thighs as he settled his upper body between them, “Good enough to eat.”Susan groaned, half in pleasure at the thought and half at the terrible pun, “Tom!”“What?” he chuckled, pressing a fleeting kiss just below her belly button, “You don't think it's true?”She shook her head, but was surprised to find herself not wanting to deny it.“I didn't say that,” she argued.He pressed another kiss to her skin, playfully nipping just above her mons, “Then what's the problem?”Susan shuddered, her mind going pleasantly fuzzy as his breath fluttered through her damp curls, making her clench her fists in anticipation. Suddenly, she couldn't quite remember why she'd felt the need to tease him in the first place, not if he was going to continue downward like she thought he was.“Nothing! Just- please...”Tom took pity on her and gave her one long, slow lick, keeping his gaze locked with hers as long as he could. Her breath hitched as all of the muscles in her stomach tightened, still relatively unfamiliar with the act due to the infrequency of which Bruce had done it to her over the years. She always forgot how good it could feel.Susan's head fell back against the pillows, letting every thought and every worry wash away. She longed to grab a hold of him, to twine her fingers through his hair. She would have done anything to keep him there for as long as she possibly could. Then, he parted her with his fingers, opening her up to him, and the sensations suddenly changed. They became sharper, more intense. Susan bucked up against him with almost every experimental touch- soft flicks of his tongue, hard and fast pressure over her clit, rhythms that made her legs shake and her hips jerk, and the circles, the wondrously amazing circles. Soon though, her body began to vibrate with excitement, his ministrations making her left leg unexpectedly twitch, as if possessed. She felt like she was burning up and, somewhere, in her deepest of desires, she wanted nothing more than to find out just how far he could push her before she broke.“Tom,” she somehow managed to rasp out, raising her head just enough to look down at him with pleading eyes.She was so close. Her release had been building steadily over the last few minutes, but stalled, toeing just short of the line she so desperately wanted to cross. She felt like she was going to crawl out of her own skin if she didn't get there soon.“I've got you.”The next thing she knew, she felt him slide two fingers inside of her. The stretch was wonderful, filling her perfectly, and when he crooked his fingers she was gone.Susan gasped loudly as her climax finally hit her, washing through her in giant, crashing waves. It suffocated her, blinded her, made her entire world go blank. And, then, almost as quickly as it arrived, the intensity lessened to a dull roar.Taking in a deep lungful of air, Susan released the bedspread and stretched her stiff fingers, completely unaware of when she'd grabbed it in the first place. Her heart was still thundering in her chest when she glanced down at Tom, whom hadn't gone any further than to rest his head on her inner thigh, and returned his lazy smirk with one of her own.Shaking her head in amusement, she reached down and cupped his cheek. His chin was slick and shiny, and for some reason she found it insanely endearing that he hadn't immediately wiped it off. Dragging her thumb over his bottom lip, Susan watched with rapt attention as he drew it into his mouth and tickled the pad with his tongue. He teased and nipped at it, giving it one, long, suck before releasing it with an audible pop.“That was quite the show.”Startled, Susan looked up and spotted Trina casually leaning against the frame of the door, like she'd been there the whole time. She wasn't though, Susan would have noticed.“All finished with your calls?” Tom asked her, turning onto his side so that he could look over at her.She nodded, “Things went smoothly. Although, I must admit, hearing what was going on in here was definitely an incentive to get things done as quickly as possible.” Susan chuckled, and reached an arm out toward her, “I'm happy we could help.”“I'm sure,” Trina snorted playfully, pushing herself upright to a standing position.Both of them watched as she let her fluffy robe slide off of her shoulders, catching it just before it went past her wrists and plummeted to the floor. She hung it on the doorknob and slowly began stripping as she made her way toward the bed, one article of clothing at a time. The closer that she got, the more naked skin that she bared and, without a doubt, Susan quickly learned that pregnancy most definitely suited her. Her normally petite body had rounded and filled out, making her breasts swell and her hips shift with the added weight of the growing baby. Trina's once flat stomach had most noticeably transformed though, her modest, nearly four month bump carrying high on her waist. Susan thought she was beautiful.Tom shifted, removing himself from between her legs to make room for his wife, and it was Susan who welcomed Trina with a gentle kiss. The younger woman hummed quietly and leaned into the contact, situating them so that they laid facing each other on their sides. Tom, however, pressed himself against Susan's back, seemingly content to wrap his arm around her waist and caress both of them with light touches.It felt... different this time. It felt right.The last time that she'd been in their bed, Bruce had been laying next to her, both of them flat on their backs, experiencing all of the same things, every new first, together. It had been thrilling. But, being the object of both Trina and Tom's affections? The sheer amount of solace that she felt was the most overwhelming part. Sure, it was something that she'd hoped for, and she'd even caught tiny glimpses of those feelings with them over the last few months, but given the circumstances and just how close the three of them had grown after she and Bruce separated, she wasn't all that surprised by it either.So, Susan took it all in- every sensation. She was completely surrounded by them, two sets of arms and legs lazily tangled together with hers. If she and Tom hadn't just had some alone time, she probably wouldn't have paused long enough to savor it, but she was incredibly glad that she did. She wouldn't have taken the time to completely relish the softness of Trina's front pressed against hers, nor would she have noticed the loving way that Tom cupped his wife's face, or the way that the sweet gesture nearly made her breath catch in the back of her throat.Sliding her palm up the length of the other woman's back, Susan only stopped her upward ascent when she nearly mirrored Tom's hold, her fingers tangled through dark hair, thumb just close enough to gently caress the man's fingers. The action, though small, just like his had been, clearly had an effect on him, though. Whether he hadn't expected it, he just found it erotic, or maybe he even thought it to be heart-breakingly sweet like she had, she wasn't sure, but either way he froze and gasped quietly behind her. Only a second or two passed before he shifted and she felt the very deliberate press of the entire length of his body slide just a fraction closer to her.“What do you want, Susan?” Trina breathed against her lips, slightly out of breath.Her eyes fluttered shut as Tom's hand finally moved out from under hers and slid down to cup one of her breasts, Trina's deft fingers slithering down her stomach.“This?” she asked, her touch sliding gently between Susan's thighs.She shivered, still slick and surprisingly sensitive. Susan hadn't realized until then just how much she longed to feel Trina inside of her, to lay under her and feel the press of their breasts swaying together. But, not tonight. Not yet. She needed more than that.“No,” she whispered.Trina's touch left her so abruptly that it caused her eyes to pop open in confusion. Why had she stopped?“No?” Trina asked worriedly, her brow furrowed.Oh. Right.She hadn't meant that she didn't want Trina touching her.Shit.Susan forced herself to ignore the concern in her friends voice and reached down past her swollen stomach, cupping the wetness that she found there.“Oh,” Trina gasped in surprise, “I suppose that will work too.”Tom grinned against the back of her neck and propped himself up onto one arm so that he could see over her shoulder, “Seems like the lady knows what she wants.”Humming in agreement, Susan rotated her hips and smirked when she felt him buck into her, his cock grinding deliciously against her ass. Yes, she certainly did know what she wanted.Rubbing softly, tentatively, against Trina's clit, Susan wasted no time in lifting one of her own legs so that she could hook her foot behind Tom, tugging him closer in invitation. She was amused when he groaned against her and the bed shifted beneath them, creaking as he re-positioned himself just enough for his cock to rub through her wetness, to tease her, before slipping inside with ease.She moaned appreciatively, the heady weight of him hard and wanting inside of her was almost as intoxicating as the feeling of Trina slick and hot against her palm.“More,” the younger woman pleaded with a breathy moan.Susan didn't hesitate to give it to her.Sinking two fingers into Trina's awaiting heat, she took only a few seconds to let herself commit the feeling to memory, before rocking between the two of them in a carefully choreographed game of give and take. It may have taken more than a few tries for them to fall into sync, but once they did? It was divine.Susan let herself drift away for a minute, her body taking over on its own accord, floating along in a sea of pleasure. In front of her, Trina's breasts and stomach heaved against her own, their mouths rarely straying far from one another. And, behind her, Tom kept up a steady rhythm as he peppered her shoulders and anywhere else he could reach with nips and kisses.“Harder,” Tom groaned, burying his face against the nape of her neck.Susan blinked. Harder?An instant later, the sound of small, needy, whimpers finally managed to filter through the lavender haze surrounding her brain, and she realized what he meant. Trina. Harder. Right. She could do this.Clumsily slipping a third finger inside of her friend, she just barely resisted the urge to crow triumphantly when the other woman's back immediately bowed and long nails dug into her arm. The expression of sheer pleasure masked across Trina's face was worth the added effort- her brow furrowed in concentration, lips pursed, and cheeks rosy with exertion.Gone, were the lazy explorations and rolling rhythms that they'd started out with. Susan felt a growing tension between them, like a thick fog coming in on a summer night. She could almost taste it, could almost hear it, and she could even feel it embedded deep in her skin. It showed in the way that Trina messily dominated her mouth, clinging to her like she never wanted to let her go, and in the way that Tom finally began rutting into her in earnest.She was going to be sore in the best ways tomorrow, she could already feel it- the very mild tenderness between her legs and the strain in her right arm, they would both remind her of that moment. She would remember pressing her forehead against Trina's, her mouth falling open as the building coil of heat within her suddenly spiked and bliss fractured through every nerve in her body. She would remember feeling Tom's thrusts falter as she tightened around him, and the way that he moaned uninhibitedly and followed her mere moments later.But, most of all, she would remember Trina.The younger woman wasn't quite there yet, not on the same page that the two of them had been. Thankfully, Susan had recovered quickly and urged her onto her back. Obliging her wishes, Tom slid out of her with a quiet hiss, leaving a sticky mess dripping down her inner thigh. That's not what held her attention, though. Rolling atop her friend, Susan easily maneuvered herself between her splayed legs and took Trina's clit into her mouth with no hesitation.It took everything Susan had just to stay with her as she writhed up against her, but Trina didn't seem to mind, who let out a keening wail when Susan somehow managed to slide three fingers back inside of her. In lieu of finesse and experience, she instinctively chose to overwhelm her with sensation instead. Thrusting inside of her hard and fast, her lips and tongue never daring to stray from their spot. She was focused and determined and, sooner rather than later, it finally paid off.Trina's legs tightened around her shoulders, her restless movements stuttering to a standstill as her body arched, wrought with tension. Like a shock wave, and with a guttural moan, she came back to life. Trina dug her heels fruitlessly into into the sheets by Susan's waist as she worked the other woman through the rise and then the gradual fall of her orgasm.Slowing her movements, Susan was surprised, awed even, when she felt those little, involuntary spasms of delight that she herself often experienced at the tail end of her peaks. But, to feel them from the other end? It was an entirely different experience.Finally, Trina let out a winded chuckle as her legs fell open, releasing Susan from her spot between them, “That was-”“Incredible?” Tom asked.Susan grinned, inching herself up just enough to rest her head gingerly on the other woman's hip.“Definitely,” Trina agreed, and Susan briefly let her eyes flutter shut when she felt small fingers comb through her hair, “I didn't know you had that in you, Susan.”Exhausted, Susan was surprised to find herself not embarrassed by the compliment, “Neither did I.”Tom let out a laugh and leaned down to her level, drawing her into a slow and very thorough kiss. When he pulled away, he licked his lips, and smirked. It took a second for her to realize why he looked so smug, but then it hit her. He was tasting his wife on her lips, and he was very clearly enjoying it.Letting her eyes slip shut again, Susan felt a fleeting spark of pleasure in her core. She'd just instigated a threesome and gone down on one of her closest friends, all after said friend's husband made her come not once, but twice, and she'd loved every minute of it. Susan almost didn't recognize herself, a fact which, actually, after everything, she considered to be a good thing.The bed shifted and a few seconds later Susan heard Tom and Trina kiss above her.Trina hummed in appreciation, “Will you get us some water, dear?”“Sure,” he replied, the bed dipping again as he slid toward the edge and stood, “I'll be right back.”As Tom left the room, Susan opened her eyes and looked up at her. Trina brushed the hair out of her face and smiled lovingly in response. Despite her exhaustion, Susan shifted and used most of her remaining strength to slither her way up her friend's body. She shivered when their breasts brushed together and pressed a quick kiss to her lips, before lowering herself off to the side as to not crush the baby, letting Trina take the rest of her weight.Trina chuckled, but quickly wrapped her arms around her, “Comfy?”“Mmm,” Susan nodded, nuzzling contently into the crook of her neck, “definitely.”In fact, she was so comfortable, that she didn't even hear Tom come back into the room a few minutes later. She was drifting in and out of consciousness when she suddenly felt something unnaturally warm and damp slide up between her legs. Her whole body tensed, startled by the surprise touch, until a familiar hand came to rest reassuringly on her hip.“Just me,” Tom soothed, gently wiping away the mess between her legs, “There we go. I think you're going to have to move though, little lady.”Susan groaned and childishly clung to Trina. The woman in question chuckled, and Tom began rubbing circles into her lower back.“You can crawl right back after I clean her up if you want,” he promised and, with that, Susan finally, very reluctantly, complied.With one great heave, she somehow managed to push herself up and roll over onto her back with a barely repressed groan. Goosebumps formed on her skin, suddenly making her remember the chilled mid-November air, and she longed to have the heat of Trina back against her. Susan was patient, though, and waited until Tom was done cleaning his wife up before eagerly curling back into the other woman's side.Susan sighed happily.Just like every other time something happened in her life, she'd gone running across the street, looking for connection and a sympathetic ear. When Trina had opened the door though, looking radiant and welcoming, any purely friendly intention that she'd had left her. Suddenly, she hadn't cared if anyone saw them, or if she came across as desperate or needy. The only thing that Susan could think about was getting as close to her as she possibly could. She was just happy, relieved really, that they'd accepted her and what she'd needed without too much question. That was something that she could honestly say she'd never had before. Not really. Not with Bruce, Roger, or even as a friend with Janet. She'd always had to censor herself and her needs in some way or another.Vaguely, Susan felt something soft drape over her body, a pleasant warmth enveloping her, and cuddled even deeper into her friend. She draped an arm over Trina's torso, pressing her forehead against the side of the younger woman's shoulder. She could hear them murmuring quietly to each other and knew that eventually she would have to talk to them, to tell them what had led her there. But, for the time being, she was finally, blessedly content, and her sadness was temporarily held at bay.Susan felt herself begin to drift.Tom got into bed on the other side of his wife, kissing her and then dropping one onto Susan's temple, before he settled and made himself comfortable. The last thing that she registered, just before falling asleep, was his hand gently covering hers where it rested between Trina's breasts.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

In the morning, with the early dawn light painting wide swaths across the room, Susan awoke to Trina stirring between them.She wiggled and turned so that she was facing her husband, and Susan nearly laughed when the younger woman reached back, felt around a few times before finally finding and grabbing her wrist, and pulled her arm securely around her waist.“I would've held you if you'd asked,” Susan murmured sleepily as she stretched her legs, stiff after sleeping in the same position for so long.Trina groaned, “Too early. Sleep.”With an amused smile, Susan snuggled back into her and complied.***Two hours later, the scent of freshly brewed coffee was what finally woke her again.She must have rolled in her sleep, because when she opened her eyes, she was on her back. Trina was nowhere to be found, but Tom was sitting upright against the headboard beside her a few feet away. He was wearing nothing but a pair of dark green sweatpants and reading the morning paper, something that Susan had never pictured him being the type to enjoy doing before. It suited him, though.“Mmm,” she yawned, “Morning.”Tom looked down at her in surprise, “Morning, sunshine.”“Where's Trina?” she asked, rubbing her eyes and still trying to fully pull herself out of slumber.“Shower.”Susan nodded and stretched her arms over her head, before rolling onto her side toward him.“A-Are you and I okay after last night?”Tom closed the paper and dropped it to his lap, looking perplexed, “Why wouldn't we be?”“I just wanted to make sure that I didn't overstep,” she shrugged, feeling her shyness beginning to creep back in, “You guys have really been there for me since the end of summer. I wouldn't ever want to jeopardize that.”Setting the paper onto the side table next to a still steaming mug that Susan hadn't noticed before, Tom scooted down and rolled onto his side, cupping her face before pulling her into a kiss. Her body relaxed into it, any tension that she'd had concerning how he'd found her and Trina pressed up against the front door, or how focused she had been on his wife as they'd had sex, sagged in relief. He kissed her with intention. Softly, but with such feeling behind it that it made her heart flutter and sing. On top of that, he still felt blanket-warm, heat radiating off of him, and it drew her to him like a moth to a flame.When he broke their embrace, he did so with a promise, “You'll never lose that, Susan. As long as we can help it, anyway. And, while last night was definitely a surprise, it was a welcome one.”“You're sure?” Susan whispered.Kissing her once more, she was nearly breathless by the time he pulled back.“If I wasn't, it wouldn't have happened,” Tom said reassuringly, tucking her hair behind her ear, “And, honestly? I've been waiting for you two foxy mamas to do something about all that tension between you since the end of July.”Her heart stuttered, nearly stopping, as her eyes went wide. She must have looked comically alarmed, because he laughed and caressed her jaw in the affectionate way that he always loved to do.“She told you?”He nodded.“Oh, thank God,” Susan breathed out a sigh of relief, “I assumed so, but it didn't even occur to me until last night to think of asking. Way too late, might I add.”“No worries, Susan.”“What are we talking about?” Trina chimed in, startling them as she opened the bathroom door.She had a towel wrapped around her chest and was drying her hair off with another one.“Last night,” Tom told her, “and how gorgeous you both were together.”Susan bashfully hid her face in her pillow, flashing back to memories of being between Trina's thighs.“Ah,” the other woman smirked, making her way over to Susan's side of the bed so that she could lean down and nudge her over onto her back, “I certainly wasn't complaining, that's for sure.”They shared a small, private smile, and she welcomed her as Trina leaned down for, what was probably supposed to be a quick kiss, but lingered and transformed into something different compared to the ones that she'd shared with Tom so far that morning. This one was lingering and tender. There was no heat behind it, despite the innuendo doled out beforehand, and Susan nearly shivered when she reached up to cup the side of her face and the cold, wet tips of Trina's hair brushed against the back of her hand.She gave the younger woman one last peck before letting her head fall back onto the pillow fully, letting her thumb briefly caress the other woman's cheek as she let her go. The scent of Trina's shampoo and conditioner lingered as she rounded the bed and headed over toward the dresser that she and her husband shared to get dressed.Tom went back to reading the paper and sipping his coffee while Trina let her towel fall and slipped into a pair of plain cotton underwear. Susan smiled softly to herself and dropped her gaze down to where her hands rested together on top of her stomach. The pleasant post-coital-bliss feeling that she should have continued reveling in started to fade, and was replaced by a familiar subtle ache slowly starting to creep in. She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to go back across the street to an empty house, not when everything she owned and everywhere she looked was shrouded in the memories of her past. She wanted to stay exactly where she was- warm and pleasantly loose, laying naked beneath soft sheets, and enjoying the companionable silence of an early winter morning.Pushing herself upright, Susan shifted just enough to slouch against the headboard, not quite ready to get out of bed and face the day and whatever it held for her. She wasn't nearly as vertical as Tom was, but it was enough for the blanket to slip down her chest, just barely covering her breasts.“Have you finished any sections yet?”Tom turned toward her with a raised brow, but nodded and leaned down just out of sight off the edge of the bed. When he sat back up, he held two thin discarded sections of the paper and passed them to her.“Here you go.”Susan leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, “Thanks.”By then, Trina had already slipped an oversized t-shirt over her head, one of a growing collection that she'd taken to wearing after her most of silky nightgowns had stopped fitting and gave them both an affectionate smile as she padded out toward the main part of the house.Susan settled in, burrowing herself a little deeper into the pillow behind her, and unfolded the Thursday morning headlines.The three of them spent the next day and a half together. In that time she'd only gone home long enough to change, gather a small bag of clothing and toiletries at Tom's insistence, for which she was incredibly relieved and thankful for, and grabbed the rolodex from the kitchen so that she could call and check in on her children.Once the new school year had started in September, BJ had made the hard decision to transfer high schools and stay with Bruce in his new, modest home roughly halfway between his job at the stock exchange and Naperville, where Samantha, BJ's girlfriend still lived with her aunt and cousin. As much as that hurt, Susan understood, and even had to begrudgingly admit that his new school had a better curriculum than the one that he would have attended had he stayed with her. He missed Rick terribly, but he was happy and, in the long run, that's what truly mattered to Susan. Laurie, however, was only a few weeks away from turning eighteen and, though she'd already practically moved into Doug's apartment while he was gone, had officially moved in with her boyfriend, who'd finally returned from volunteering in Guatemala at the end of October. Susan was so incredibly proud of her, as she was planning on graduating early at the end of December, and couldn't wait to see if she'd heard back from any of the colleges that she'd applied to.“Susan, are you ready?” Trina said, coming to a stop in the doorway of the bathroom that led out to the hall.She'd been so lost in thought, going through the motions of drying her hair and putting on a thin layer of makeup so that they could go drop off Tom at the airport, that Susan had somehow managed to lose track of time.“Almost,” she said, shooting her a sheepish smile in the reflection of the mirror, “I just have to put my shoes on and I should be good to go.”Trina smiled back, “Good. I hope you brought your boots though, it just started snowing.”Susan shook her head, “I didn't, but I'll be okay. We're only supposed to get a few inches.”“I hope so,” she frowned, “I hate driving in the snow.”Blotting her lips, Susan nodded in agreement and tossed the used tissue into the trashcan beside the sink before zipping up her makeup bag and tucking it neatly alongside Trina's on the counter top, “I'm not a fan either, but Bruce taught me enough when we were in our early twenties to do so safely. I'll drive on the way back if you want.”The dark haired woman visibly softened as she led them down the hall, out to the living room, and toward the entryway, “Really? You don't mind?”Susan shook her head and leaned down to put on her tennis shoes, first making sure that her knee high socks were fully pulled up beneath the pair of bell bottoms that she'd chosen to wear that day, hoping to stave off the chill, “Trina, when have I ever offered to do something that I didn't want to?”When she looked back up, having quickly slipped on and tied both shoes, she saw Trina's lips purse in response as she pulled her long, black puffer jacket out of the nearby coat closet.“I can think of so many instances. Your house warming, the charity gala, Janet's surprise party-”Reaching out to stop her, Susan chuckled, trying to ignore the sudden stab of guilt at the mention of Janet's name, “Okay, fine, you're right. What I should have said, was 'When was the last time I offered to do something for you or Tom that I truly didn't want to?'”“I suppose you're right,” Trina nodded with a shrug, and turned back to the closet to grab Susan's coat for her after she'd finished putting on her own, “You know, that's true for Tom and I as well.”Susan's brow creased in confusion, “What do you mean?”Trina held out her tan, mid-length, quilted jacket open in invitation, one that Susan didn't ignore. She turned her back to her friend and slipped her arms into the sleeves, leaning into the other woman's touch when she settled the heavy material onto her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze.“We wouldn't offer you anything that we haven't already made our minds up about.”Her pulse skipped a beat and, to hide her slight falter, she reached up to pull her hair free from her coat, the faint sound of static cracking as it tumbled freely along her back, “I think I'm finally starting to realize that.”When she turned around, Trina took it upon herself to button her up, tying the attached belt securely around her as a final touch. Amused, and quite happy to let the other woman take care of her, Susan let her do so without complaint. Once she was done though, their gazes met and Susan leaned in to steal a kiss. The hands that were still on her waist tightened slightly, just barely noticeable through the three thick layers that she was wearing, and it was so easy and natural that it made the romantic side of her melt a little.Just as Susan leaned back, Tom rounded the corner from the kitchen.“Everyone ready to go?” he asked, breezing by them to grab his own coat.Trina gave her one last squeeze before letting go, “All ready, dear.”He smiled, reaching back into the closet to retrieve a pair of gloves and a scarf for himself, but also grabbed two hats and pairs of gloves for the women as well. He put his on first, looping his favorite black scarf around his neck, before picking up his bag, putting on on his pilot cap, and opening the door for them.“After you,” he smiled, pecking them both on the cheek and handed them their winter gear as they walked past.They made their way out to the already warming car in the driveway while Tom lingered to lock the door, and soon they were all on their way to the airport.Susan would remember that trip for the rest of her life. Nothing bad happened. There were no accidents, or drama. In fact, with the exception of some light conversation and the low buzz of the local radio station from the speakers, most of the ride was silent. The snow was still light enough that it wasn't sticking to the ground yet and, thankfully, the roads were relatively dry. It was a beautiful sight. That wasn't the main thing that she'd remember, though. From her spot in the back seat, she had a perfect view of both Tom and Trina. They didn't have to speak to know what the other was thinking or feeling and could say so much with a simple smile or touch of their hands.She felt her heart grow that day. Susan wouldn't admit it out loud for some time, but that was the first time that Susan was finally able to put words to what she'd been feeling for Trina ever since that summer and, what she'd eventually come to feel for Tom as well. It wasn't just affection, infatuation, attraction, or a crush like it had been with Roger. It was love.When they arrived at the airport, Tom pulled into the employee level of the new parking garage and helped them both out of the car. Susan had accompanied them on drop-offs and pick-ups a handful of times before and was familiar with their routine. She'd gotten into the habit of trailing behind them, letting them have a few last precious moments together before they entered the busy airport. This time however, Tom had held out his arm to her, his other hand occupied by holding his bag, and took the time to include her in their conversation. They idly spoke about their plans for while he was gone as they walked, and none of them seemed to be in any rush to get inside despite the ease that their breath was lost in the cold winter wind. He was excited to not be missing another one of Trina's doctor's appointments, his return from Japan scheduled for around noon the day before, and assured both of them that he'd call to let them know if there were any delays. Both Susan and Trina knew that he would, he always did, but the reassurance was sweet.Once inside the warmth of the airport, they made their way to the Pan Am lounge. Tom and Trina ran into some of their old crewmates after ordering a round of drinks, as they tended to, and introduced her accordingly. This time they were a lovely man and woman in their late 20s and, as always, Susan loved hearing the sorted stories that her friends had shared with them once they said their goodbyes and had to leave to work their own flights.Soon though, it was time for Tom to head off as well and Susan unabashedly observed them as they kissed and exchanged murmurs of love. She stood as he approached her, ready to give him a hug like she always did, but he surprised her. There, in the middle of the lounge, Tom cupped her cheek with his free hand and leaned down to kiss her, much like he'd just done with his own wife.“Take care of her?” he asked, and she was surprised when his usual warm grin just barely hid how worried he was feeling about leaving his pregnant wife.She covered his hand with her own. It may not have been noticeable to anyone else, but she saw it, and heard the worry in his voice.“I always do.”Susan wrapped her arm around Trina as they watched Tom leave. He met up with a few of the stewardesses out in the hall, gave them one last wave, and then disappeared out of sight.“Do you want to order some dinner before we head home?”“A bit early for dinner, don't you think?” Trina asked, still watching the spot where they'd last seen her husband.She was right, it wasn't even four o'clock in the afternoon yet, but the sun was already setting and she didn't feel much like cooking later.Keeping her arm around her friend, Susan tugged her a bit tighter into her side and guided them over to the bar, “Why don't we ask them to package it up for us?”Trina grinned, looking up at her hopefully, “Only if we can get an extra order of french fries.”“Done.”She told Tom about the divorce first.The morning that he was set to come home, Trina ended up having unexpected plans with Janet, which was equal parts odd and comforting. At least one of them was still friends with her. Susan had no right to worry about Janet, not after everything that happened, but she couldn't just turn off those feelings after over a decade of friendship. So, she resigned herself to a life of living vicariously through her. Instead, she woke up early that morning, surprised Trina with a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee, and then Susan dropped her off in their small sports car before driving all the way down to the airport to pick up Tom on her own.She was nervous, but pleased to see him when he found her in the nearly empty lounge at around half past eleven.“Tom!” she greeted, “Did you have a good flight?”He lit up at the sight of her, but seemed confused as he glanced around, looking for his wife.“Where's Trina?” he asked, pulling her into warm hug.She gestured to the seat next to her and then nodded at the waiter behind the bar, “She's with Janet.”His eyebrows lifted in surprise, “Really? Didn't see that one coming.”“I don't think any of us did,” Susan grinned sadly, “I knew that they were still friends- I'm glad that they're still friends. Trina wanted to come to pick you up, but definitely didn't expect Janet to call last night and insist that she drop by for a visit this morning.”The waiter brought over a fresh cup of coffee, made just like she'd asked him to, and set it down in front of Tom. He thanked the young man and immediately picked it up and took a sip.His eyes briefly closed as he savored the hot beverage, apparently having needed it, before speaking, “Did she say what she wanted?”“Janet has something for her, but wanted it to be a surprise,” she shrugged, “Your guess is probably as good as mine.”“She already gave us that baby book, the one on the coffee table in the living room, and a box of Rick's old clothes. That's already more than we expected.”Susan rubbed a hand down his back, “When Janet loves you, she loves you.”He looked toward her, the corners of his mouth sympathetically turned downward, and kissed her on the forehead when she leaned into him for comfort. They remained quiet as he sipped his drink, the morning news re-airing on the television mounted on the wall over in the corner.“My lawyer called last week,” she finally admitted, “The divorce and custody agreement have officially gone through.”She felt him stiffen, but she didn't move from her spot resting against his side.“You okay?” he asked.Susan shrugged, “I think so? I'm doing better than I was right after I got the news, that's for sure.”“Ah,” he said with another layer of understanding, “Is that why you came over that day?”She blushed and chuckled, hiding her face in his shoulder, feeling a bit ashamed by how clearly desperate she had been, “Yes.”“You sure choose some interesting ways to cope,” Tom laughed before swallowing the last of his drink and setting it down in front of him, “I approve.”“You would,” Susan snorted and leaned back so that she could look at him properly.His eyes were dancing with mirth, and something a little spicier. She could still feel the lingering redness in her cheeks, but she didn't care.“You ready to head out?” he asked her.Susan nodded and followed his lead by slipping off of the stool that she'd occupied for the last twenty-five minutes or so.Tom picked up his bag and put his cap back onto his head, holding out his free hand to her, “Let's go get our girl.”She smiled and slipped her hand into his.***“A crib?”Trina nodded, twirling some pasta onto her fork later that night, “Janet had Ricky pull his old one out of storage and they spent the last two weekends sanding and painting it.”“That's generous of her,” Tom responded around a bite of the garlic bread that Susan had made earlier from scratch as he and Trina had taken a nap that afternoon.Susan smiled sadly at him, almost fondly, “I told you, when Janet loves you, she loves you.”He reached over and patted her hand, “That she does.”“Did you get a chance to see it?” she asked Trina, “I seem to remember it being pretty nice at the time.”The other woman nodded as she chewed, “It's a little old fashioned, but it's still in good condition and seems sturdy. It wouldn't be too much trouble to purchase the replacement mattress either.”He nodded, taking a sip of his drink, “If you like it, then it's fine with me. Do you think it'll fit into the car?”“That's the only problem,” Trina responded with a shake of her head, “We probably could have gotten away with walking it over if it wasn't winter. It's pretty solid though, so even that may not have worked.”“I might be able to ask Bruce if I can borrow his car while he's at work one day next week,” Susan offered, knowing full well that he was still pissed at her and there was a fifty-fifty chance that he'd actually allow it.They both looked at her as if she was kidding herself.“Susan...” Trina started hesitantly.“It's worth a shot,” she shrugged, “If I tell him that it's not for me and it's for the baby, he'll be more likely to say yes.”They thought about that for a minute. All three of frowning into their dishes as they absently ate their food.“You think it'll sweeten the deal if I give him a call and ask instead?” Tom suggested.“Maybe?” Susan replied, “It's so hard to tell with him these days. But, unless you want to hire someone to move the crib for us, it's probably the only option. Although, maybe we could ask Brad and Sylvia?”Trina grinned around another bite of pasta, “It has been a while since we've seen them. I'd love to catch up with them.”“Me too,” Susan added.The last time that the Davis' had gone to one of Tom and Trina's parties had been sometime around the end of September. She and Bruce had fought all day as they'd separated their things and boxed up his half. She'd been exhausted, frustrated, and feeling disgusted with her own life choices, so she wasn't exactly in the right mindset to begin with. Thankfully, it hadn't been a typical Decker party, instead it had been more of a laid back gathering where food just so happened to be served. There was no swinging, only conversation and an abundance of appetizers.She and Brad had been happily chatting on one of the sofas for a little under an hour, nibbling at a cheese and cracker plate when he'd asked her a question. She couldn't even remember what it was exactly, but she did remember that it had something to do with Bruce, a topic that she'd been carefully skirting all evening, and she'd snapped at him. Susan had apologized right after it happened, but she really hoped to do so again, but with the very important perspective of time.“Are they back in town?” Tom asked.Trina nodded, “They should be. Sylvia said they'd be back just after the election. I remember her mentioning needing to pick up an absentee ballot before they left. I'll give them a call after dinner and see if they're up for it.”“Good,” he nodded, taking another healthy bite out of his bread, “ Maybe we can get the stuff to make those pot pies you made us last week, Susan. Those were delicious.”Susan blinked, a smile quickly curving her lips, still not used to being so intimately involved in their day to day planning, “We can do that. If I'm making dinner though, you two are in charge of figuring out dessert. I'll help you make it, but pot pies and homemade dinner rolls take time.”“Pudding?” Trina agreed easily, having spent the majority of the afternoon with her the last time that Susan had made the meal, “That's easy, right? Or, oh! I could pick up a cake from the bakery? Red velvet sounds delicious right now.”She and Tom shared a private chuckle. Trina's cravings had really been kicking in lately and they both knew that her taste buds would change a handful of times before they actually managed to get together with the Davis'.“I'm sure we'll figure something out,” Susan smiled.***Trina had continued to dream up every dessert that she could think of as they finished dinner that night and, after getting a hold of Sylvia and deciding on a day to pick up the crib at Janet's, the two of them led Tom to the bedroom and carefully undressed him.They'd missed him.It showed in the way that they kissed him and in the slow pace that they took exploring his body. Trina led by example, touching him in ways that Susan hadn't gotten the chance to yet, and she took great pleasure in replicating it. At some point, they even made it into a bit of a game. Trina would kiss her way down his body and she would follow. Trina would run her nails teasingly over his nipple and so would she. Trina would stroke him gently, almost teasingly, and then take his cock into her mouth, and she would do the same.Susan had given blowjobs before, more than she could count, but she'd never had the opportunity with Tom. He was hot and heavy in her mouth, just a shade longer and wider than she remembered Bruce being, and he moaned obscenely above her as she reached down and cupped his balls. That wasn't something that Trina had done, but she'd wanted to, had been curious, and wanted to make him feel good.After minute or two, he tangled his fingers through her hair and slowed her to a stop, pulling her off of him with an over-sensitive gasp. His prick was a dark, ruddy red, and pulsed a few times against the lower part of his belly before settling. Only then did he loosen his grip on her, rubbing her scalp tenderly with his fingertips, but she could tell that he was restless. He'd been close.“Your turn,” she said, looking up at Trina, her voice huskier than it had been the last time she spoke.Susan rubbed her thighs together as she got up from her place between his legs, steadying the other woman as she straddled her husband's hips. She didn't waste any time, and Susan's eyes widened as she watched Trina take him in hand just long enough to sink down onto him.All three of them moaned.By the time Trina started up a slow, but steady rhythm, Susan had taken the initiative to nudge his legs a little closer together, just far enough so that she could comfortably straddle them too, and slid up behind the other woman. Susan wrapped her arms around her waist, slowing her movements only long enough to pull her upright and against the front of her body. Trina's back arched. She gasped in pleasure as angle changed, and clung to Susan's arms as both of them, as a single unit, began to ride him.Tom groaned at the sight, his hips bucking beneath them, “Fuck. You have no idea how hot that is.”Susan looked down at him from over Trina's shoulder, nuzzling against the woman's neck as she slid both of her palms up her body and cupped her friend's highly sensitive breasts.His eyes widened, almost immediately slamming shut as his jaw clenched.“Oh, I have some idea,” she chuckled.In front of her, Trina whimpered and picked up their pace slightly, “Both of you, shut up and fuck me.”Susan snorted in amusement and met Tom's gaze. She gently caressed Trina's chest, just barely skimming over her hard nipples with the lightest of touches, at the same time that his hand disappeared below her belly. They must have been doing something right, because Trina's breath hitched and her rhythm faltered. That's where Susan came in though, taking some of her weight and keeping them on track.Almost too quickly, the two of them had Trina keening and writhing in her arms. Susan ground her down onto Tom and plucked at her breasts, so lost in the heat of the moment that she dug her teeth into the other woman's neck just shy of leaving a mark.Trina gasped for breath as her climax hit her full force.Susan rolled their hips together, helping her ride it out as for as long as she could stand, but it was Tom who eventually stopped them. The look on his face and his white knuckled grip on his wife's hips told her everything that she needed to know. He was trying his damnedest to not cum and, quite frankly, Susan was shocked that he hadn't already. Hell, even she had almost climaxed and nobody had even been touching her.“Mmm, God,” Trina moaned, but must have recognized her husband's need as well.She nudged Susan back, just far enough to slide off of Tom and make room for her.His eyes were almost pained, “You're turn?”Susan laughed and crawled forward. It only took a few moments before she too was sinking down onto him.“Not gonna last long,” Tom breathed out harshly, their bodies already moving together.Susan reached down and touched herself, using her own slickness to quickly bring her right back to the edge that she'd found herself at only a few moments before.“Then cum with me.”Tom didn't need to be told twice. He gripped her waist tightly and planted his feet on the bed behind her, pistoning up into her gracelessly until they both flew over the edge a handful of seconds later. Susan felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, just barely managing to brace herself on his chest as they shook and ground into each other until every last bit of pleasure had been wrung out of them.When she collapsed down onto him, it was Trina who brushed Susan's damp hair our of her face, and leaned forward just far enough to kiss her. It was gentle and slow, and just as she pulled away, Tom ran his palms up the length of her back in a comforting caress.They laid there just long enough to catch their breath and enjoy the embrace, before Susan ultimately slid off of him and made her way toward the bathroom. After using the toilet and cleaning herself up, she grabbed a new washcloth, warmed it with hot water from the tap, and then made her way back to the bedroom. She took care of Tom and Trina in the same way that he had after the first night that the three of them were together, taking the time to drape the throw blanket from the end of the bed over them before turning out the lights and crawling in beside them.Susan cuddled into Tom's side, mirroring Trina with her head on his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her like he'd done dozens of times before. She pressed an affectionate kiss to his chest and relaxed, letting herself get lost in the sound of his breathing.Slumber found them all within minutes.***She and Trina ended up waking early the next morning and drank their first cups of coffee while lounged on the sofa, Susan's feet resting in her lap. It was then she she chose to tell Trina about the divorce.She took the news well, comforting her with a warm palm on her ankle.“I thought that might be the case,” Trina admitted.Susan looked at her with a raised brow, “How so?”“You hadn't kissed me in months,” the other woman chuckled and took another sip of her coffee, “Not like last week, anyway. I knew something big had to have happened.”She wasn't wrong. After losing so much- Bruce, Roger, Janet, and the kids to some extent- she didn't want to lose Trina too. But, Susan hadn't done it on purpose, not at first anyway. It wasn't until mid-October rolled around, when they'd decided to carve pumpkins while Tom was away, saving the seeds for later to cook, that she'd had to physically stop herself from kissing the other woman. The afternoon sun had been shining in through the back windows, making the dining room almost glow around Trina, and she'd bit her lip so hard trying to restrain herself that it had nearly bled. From then on, moments like that only seemed to grow in frequency, but still, she resisted. Right up until she couldn't anymore.It had been her penance.“It was big, alright,” she confirmed, “I'm glad it happened that way, though. I've missed you- what we had.”Trina hummed in agreement, giving her ankle a quick squeeze, “I missed you, too.”They sat there together for another fifteen minutes, basking in the calm and comforting presence of one another, before Trina and the baby got hungry enough to demand breakfast. Susan agreed to make them all some pancakes and leaned down as she collected their empty coffee mugs to press a fleeting kiss to her lips before making her way toward the kitchen.Kisses like that, sweet and affectionate, were quickly becoming a familiar habit and Susan loved it.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was almost Christmas when they asked her to move in with them.Nearly two weeks had gone by, minus her weekend with BJ, since Susan had spent any significant amount of time in her home across the street and apparently that had been the deciding factor for them.She'd protested at first. After all, it had taken a lot of convincing before Susan had finally grown used to their kindness and gift giving ways without feeling like she had to always return the favor, but asking her to move in with them? That was a grand gesture on a whole other level that she wasn't sure she was entirely comfortable with.“Half of the closet in the guest room is already full of your clothes,” Trina pointed out, “and you know your way around the kitchen better than either of us do-”“And, we kind of hate it when you're not with us at night,” Tom added, his gaze dipping to the floor in the way that he only did when he was feeling particularly vulnerable.Susan sighed, her heart fluttering in her chest.The three of them had only been discovering the new aspect of their relationship for a little over a month and, during the first few weeks, any time that she'd attempted to use the guest bedroom to give them space they would always come to get her. In fact, after they'd dragged her out of bed and into theirs for the fourth time, one or both of them had taken to making a big scene of going to sleep early, before she could slip off on her own, and taken her by the hand to lead her toward their bedroom.Up until then, as the two of them stood across from her in the kitchen, the wooden spoon that she'd been using to mix a batch of cookie dough forgotten in her hand, they'd hadn't discussed anything explicitly. They hadn't defined whatever it was that they were doing. The only thing that they'd talked about, albeit briefly, was to discuss hard limits in the bedroom. Though the name of the concept was new to Susan, the idea hadn't been, and the conversation had lasted less than five minutes.Trina stepped forward, stopping in front of her so that she could pry the spoon from her fingers and take a hold of both of her hands.“We also know that you won't be able to keep the house much longer,” she admitted, her grip on Susan tightening slightly, “Not with the type of mortgage payments you'd have to pay. So, why delay the inevitable? We love you. We want you here.”Susan's mouth dropped open. She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.“Y-you love me?”Trina's tense posture softened and Tom slid up beside them, cupping the side of her face with an achingly sweet caress.“Of course we do, Susan.”“We didn't want to scare you away,” Trina admitted softly, “In retrospect, we may have gone about it the wrong way, but it's not like we've done anything like this before.”Her brow rose in disbelief, which made both Tom and Trina chuckle, “We met each other once before we slept together.”“Okay, guilty as charged,” Trina shrugged sheepishly, “But, we've never asked someone to stay before.”Tom brushed Susan's hair back before dropping his steady palm to her shoulder, almost encouraging her to listen as his wife continued.“Neither of us went into swinging with the hopes of adding someone to our relationship. In fact, we desperately tried to avoid it. We were happy to have our fun, sow our wild oats, and then go back to being a couple the next morning,” Trina rubbed her thumbs over the top of Susan's hands, looking up at her with absolute sincerity, “But you, Susan, are so easy to love.”The growing well of emotion, the one that had been tightening steadily in the back of her throat, broke and Susan began to tear up. Ten minutes ago, she'd been humming along to holiday music while baking sugar cookies in their kitchen, and now she was surrounded by the two people, outside of her children, that she cared about most in the world and they were telling her that they loved her and wanted her to move in with them. It was so much to process all at once. Almost too much.Without her permission, a stray tear slid down her cheek and both Tom and Trina pulled her into their arms. She rested her head against his shoulder and held Trina's waist tightly, relaxing into the younger woman's embrace.“I swear, I'm happy,” she sniffled, “Overwhelmed, and a little confused, but happy.”Susan felt Tom's chuckle rumble through his chest, “Happy is good. We can work with that.”Before they knew it, the holidays were upon them.BJ and Laurie were visiting for Christmas Eve and part of Christmas morning with her at the Decker's. It was a bit uncomfortable at times, all of them trying to adjust to the new dynamic, especially with their old house and bedrooms right across the street.There were a lot of questions, but her son had been pretty accepting right away. Was he skeptical? Sure. But, it was Laurie, who still didn't understand the swinging or non-traditional lifestyle that Tom and Trina, and now her own mother, led, that she'd had to pull her aside roughly an hour before Christmas Eve dinner was set to be served.“Are you living here, now?” Laurie asked, “Is that why you refuse to let us go home tonight?”Susan took a deep breath and nodded, glad that she'd managed to get her daughter into the office that Trina had only ever used as a dark room, and away from everyone else.“Yes.”“You've got to be kidding,” she exclaimed.“No,” Susan replied, wringing her hands together, “We just started packing everything up last week.”“Why would they ask you to move in when you have your own place right across the street?”She met her daughter's judging gaze with a growing blush on her cheeks.“Oh,” she replied, her eyes widening, “You mean you're- together? All of you?”“We are,” she confirmed.“First Mr Thompson and now the Deckers,” Laurie started, “Are you sleeping with all of your friends?”Susan nearly growled, “That's enough, Laurie! I made a mistake, one that had consequences. Serious ones. And, I get that it completely turned you and your brother's lives upside down. That's the one regret that I have. I never wanted you kids to have to go through that. So, you can judge me all you want for that, but you will not condemn me for who I love, especially when they've done nothing but take care of me.”Taking a deep breath, she ran a frustrated hand through her hair and turned her back on her daughter for a moment, trying to find any little bit of serenity that she could as she peered out of the frosted window in the corner of the room.“You love them?” Laurie asked her with a quiet voice.“I do,” Susan confessed as she turned back toward her, “I haven't told them yet, but they know. It's all still so new, Laurie, and we're going to stumble as we try to navigate our way through it. We're not perfect- I'm not perfect. So if you need to be mad at someone, be mad at me. Leave them out of it. Tom and Trina don't deserve that.”That seemed to take the wind out of her daughter's sails.“I'm happy, Laurie,” she whispered, “Isn't that enough for now?”“I suppose,” she finally relented, “I'm sorry I implied that you were a slut.”Susan walked over to her, crossing the small distance in only a few steps, and rubbed her hands down her daughter's upper arms with a barely there smile, “Apology accepted.”Laurie rolled her eyes and practically wiggled away from her touch, just like she used to when she was a child, “I draw the line at hugging them. And, I'm sleeping in the guest room tonight.”“Laurie,” Susan admonished with a chuckle, trailing after her as she opened the door and spilled back out into the hallway, “BJ already said that he'd take the couch.”“I'm just saying,” she reiterated, turning to walk backwards as they re-entered the living room, “I'm going across the street to call Doug. I'll be back in a little while.”Susan nodded, letting out an inward sigh of relief, “Please tell him Merry Christmas for me, will you? And, try to be back by six? Dinner will be finished soon.”Laurie saluted her and disappeared around the wall that separated the entryway from the living area, followed by the sound of the front door opening and closing not long afterward.Truly taking in the scene before her for the first time, Susan smiled. The Christmas tree, decked with tinsel and all kinds of ornaments, and lights, sat over in the corner near one of the front windows, a few gifts already waiting to be opened underneath it. There were stockings hanging from the rock mantle over the fireplace, five in total, the three that she pulled out of storage a few days before quaintly mismatching with Tom and Trina's. The television was playing a black and white holiday movie, the volume just high enough that she couldn't quite make out the conversation that Tom and BJ were having on one of the nearby couches. She had no idea what they were talking about, it was probably school or Samantha if the way that her son was smiling was any indication, but it warmed her heart just the same.Off to her right, she heard Trina's soft footsteps enter from the kitchen, and looked up just in time to take the warm drink that she held out to her.“Everything okay?” the other woman asked, turning to watch the boys on the sofa as well.Susan nodded and wrapped her free arm around Trina's waist, “It will be.”By the end of January they'd managed to pack up the rest of Susan's home, the majority of the boxes moved temporarily into the Decker's basement, and one of Sylvia's friends helped her put it back onto the market.Much to her relief, the house sold within a few weeks.The loan that Bruce had taken out was easily paid off and, per their divorce agreement, Susan gave half of what was leftover to her ex-husband and then deposited the other half into a savings account. She wouldn't lie and say that she hadn't been worried about the house not selling, or that it would sell but for under the amount that they still owed, because she had been. But, with the last symbolic part of her and Bruce's relationship gone, she felt like she could finally relax.“Are we celebrating?” Trina asked from her spot straddling her on the bed, her face hovering just above hers.Susan grinned up at her and arched up to capture her lips. They both moaned.“We are,” she replied, tightening her grip on the other woman's hips.Trina brushed their mouths together again, teasing her, “Oh? Whatever for?”Right on cue, they both heard the motor for the garage door start, and knew that Tom would be in at any moment. It was his third time piloting the new Phoenix route and just like clockwork, unless there was a delay of some kind, he was home by six each night. All three of them, him most of all, were happy to put the Tokyo days behind them.“No reason,” Susan whispered with a cheeky smirk, “Can't we just celebrate?”Trina leaned back, sitting upright on her lap, and pulled the heavy sweater that she'd been wearing over her head. She was nude from the waist up, her belly still riding high but much larger now that she was in her seventh month, and wore nothing else but a pair of her husband's sweatpants slung low on her hips. Susan pushed herself up onto her elbows and felt no shame in letting her eyes trace over every inch of her.“You're gorgeous.”The other woman steadied herself by leaning onto Susan's stomach with one hand and tucked her hair behind her ear with the other. Not only had she let it grow out a few inches, but when she knew they weren't going anywhere, she'd stopped blow drying and styling it, letting it air dry instead. It was a much different look from the well put together one she'd gotten used to seeing on her over the summer and fall, but Susan loved it. She really was beautiful.“You've already got me half-naked and in bed, Susan,” she tsked with a pout, “there's no need to butter me up.”“What if I want to?”Susan sat up and cupped the other woman's cheek, tipping her head down slightly to meet hers. It was a meaningful kiss to start with, but the longer it went on, the more heated things became. Their hands migrated and skimmed over every part of each other's bodies that they could reach, and Trina had just removed Susan's top, leaving her in a plain, tan bra and thermal pajama bottoms, when Tom called out to them and came walking down the hall.“Anyone home?” he asked, rounding the corner and it sounded as though he nearly tripped once he entered the bedroom and found them entwined in each other's arms, “There you two are.”Susan looked up breathlessly, tipping her head back with a happy smile as Trina nipped and sucked her way down her neck, “Tom! Welcome home.”He set his briefcase down by the dresser and slid his blazer off, tossing it over the arm of the chair in the corner.“You ladies mind if I join?” he asked, watching them intently, already unbuttoning his dress shirt.Trina moaned and playfully pushed Susan back onto the bed, rocking her hips down against her in a sensual, grinding, rhythm, “I think we'd be offended if you didn't, dear.”With an almost pained groan, Tom knelt onto the bed and pulled Trina into an open mouthed kiss. The sway of the other woman's hips barely faltered, and the combination of seeing and feeling both of them up close had Susan rubbing her thighs together to try and relieve the the growing tension between them. Soon though, Tom pulled away from her with a pleased hum, and leaned down to do the same to Susan. It was a habit that he'd gotten into not long after the holidays, both in and out of the bedroom, one that she and Trina had not only come to love but anticipate.An additional wave of heat pooled between her legs and, without realizing it, she began matching Trina's deliberate grind down against her as Tom deepened their kiss. His mustache tickled her upper lip, their mouths opening almost lazily to each other. At the same time, Susan could feel smaller hands press down onto her stomach again, carefully manicured nails digging into her rib cage. It was such a stark contrast to Tom and his sensual lips, one that made her gasp and clench the other woman's legs, and she felt him smirk when she moaned into it.“I should jump in the shower real quick and wash off the trip,” he said as he broke their kiss and leaned back, hovering over her, “Warm her up for me?”Susan bit her lip and looked up at him through lowered lashes.“I think I can do that,” she told him with a smirk, tugging Trina down against her hard enough to make the other woman gasp.Tom groaned, looking like he immediately regretted leaving them even for a second, but stood up and quickly shucked off his pants, before making his way toward the en suite bathroom. Susan watched him go with a chuckle, amused that he didn't even bother to close the door before she heard the shower turn on, and turned back to Trina.Susan smirked and deftly flipped her over onto her back, gazing down at her with heat in her eyes, “Now, where were we?”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was July, just barely two months since little Melanie Cerise Decker had been born, and Susan was happy to be celebrating her second fourth of July with the Deckers.The day itself wasn't nearly as hot and humid as the previous year's had been and, for the first time in a long while, she'd woken up reminiscing about the past. Only a year ago her, Bruce, and the kids had been moving into their new house across the street, she and Janet were still best friends, her and Roger had never slept together, and she and her husband had just chosen to dive headfirst into the strange and wonderful world of swinging with their new neighbors.It stirred up a lot of emotions for her, both good and bad.For one, she truly missed having both of her children under her roof, missed seeing them every day, their smiles, and even making meals for them. On occasion, she even missed Bruce, back when things were still strong and steady and they had nothing but happy memories between them. But, had he not taken the new job at the stock exchange and bought their new home, they would have never met Tom and Trina, and that was just as important to her. As much as most people chose to focus on everything that she'd give up and lost, Susan had forced herself to look at the positive side, and her relationship with the two of them was the biggest out of all of them.“You hungry?”Susan shook herself out of her reverie and took a sip of the forgotten drink sweating in her hand, smiling at Tom as he sidled up next to her with the baby cradled in his arms, “A bit. You nervous?”“Nah,” he grinned and looked down at his daughter, “Should be fun.”Moving her drink from her right to her let hand, she wiped the condensation onto her cutoff denim shorts before resting it on his back, the warmth of his skin radiating through the thin cotton of his tank top, “Do you even remember how to host a summer party that doesn't end in an orgy?”That got a chuckle out of him.Melanie began to fuss in his arms and he shushed her softly, before shooting her a quick grin, “They can't all be perfect.”Susan smiled and surveyed the small group of people out by the pool. Trina was out there chatting with Brad, Sylvia, and a handful of other people that she'd only met in passing at their parties last August, Harry Reems was sitting on their new set of lawn chairs chatting with one of the newer stewardesses that had joined Tom's team earlier in the year, Laurie and BJ were swimming in the pool with Ricky, and most surprising of all... Janet was over in the far corner chatting animatedly with her work friend Henry and Doug, whom apparently had been dying to talk to 'Ask Janet' ever since Laurie had let it slip that she was an old family friend.She still wasn't sure how Trina had managed to convince her to come to the celebration, but just to make things a little easier Susan had been treading lightly and staying as far away from the other woman as possible. It seemed to be working so far, and she wasn't about to test Janet's boundaries by leaving her spot just inside the house, where she'd been gazing out through the large floor to ceiling windows since people had started showing up.One day, she hoped that they could be friends again, but knew that if it were to happen it would be a long time before Janet could look her in the eye and see anything other than the best friend that betrayed her by having an affair with her husband. It was a lot to ask of her, a lot to forgive. And she, for one, was just grateful that they were within a hundred yards of each other and Janet wasn't glaring daggers at her. It was a win in her books. A small one, but she'd take it nonetheless.Susan smiled softly, her gaze shifting from Janet, over to Trina who caught her looking and grinned back at her before returning to her conversation, and then over to Tom beside her. He'd been observing her, that much was clear judging by the furrow of his brow and the look of concern and question in his eyes.She leaned over and kissed him gently, reassuring him as best as she could.“No, they can't all be perfect,” she chuckled looking back out at the patio, watching as Trina started herding people toward the buffet of food as the first round of burgers and hotdogs came off of the grill, and took another sip of her drink, “but it's a start.”“You gonna go out?” Tom asked her, glancing through the window along with her.Susan shook her head. No, she was content watching the festivities from right where she was. Setting her drink onto a nearby side table, she reached out for the baby, and he carefully transferred her into her arms.“Make me a plate when you get a chance?”“Give me ten minutes,” Tom told her as he leaned in and pecked her on the cheek.Susan nodded, her heart warming as she watched him walk out onto the patio and greet their friends with a big smile. A stiff breeze rolled through, rustling the trees over in the corner where Janet and Henry had just started making their way toward the crowd, only stopping long enough to tell the Rick and BJ to get out of the pool, and then past Laurie, who was wearing a towel around her waist, just sitting down with her boyfriend on one of the lounge chairs as they chatted and took their first bites of food.In her arms, Melanie stirred, drawing Susan's attention downward as the baby nuzzled into her chest. Brushing the back of her finger across the girl's chubby cheek, she started to hum and sway back and forth.“Go back to sleep, sweetheart,” she whispered, “you're alright.”The girl snuffled quietly and shifted one more time before her features fell slack. Rocking her for a few more minutes, Susan waited until she was certain that slumber had claimed her once again, before sighing contently and looking back out the window.She'd been right.All those months ago, when she and Bruce met the Deckers the night before they moved in, she'd had a gut feeling about them and she was glad that she had followed it. What had begun as an experiment, a one-night stand, swinging with their new neighbors, had changed her life- in good ways, in heartbreaking ways, and in ways that she'd never imagined. She may have lost more than her fair share and stumbled a few times along the way, but her eyes had finally been opened to a universe bigger than just her boring, little suburb, and that was something that she could never regret.With a little help from her newfound friends and family, Susan finally felt like she was in charge of her own story.
End.