Second Chances (closed for LovelyLuna)

[saedo]

I was grateful that the church was well air-conditioned. The weather had turned surprisingly warm for so early in spring and my wool suit was becoming uncomfortable. The blast of cold air as we entered the narthex provided welcome relief.

I followed behind Maegan, my hand on the small of her back as the usher guided us to a pew on the groom side. The groom was Maegan's cousin, hence her presence. As her boyfriend of six months, I was her plus one.

I didn't much care for weddings. Conversations about lifelong commitment made me uncomfortable. I wasn't yet 30, so I wasn't ready to think about settling down. Plus, I'd only been dating Maegan six months, so it was way too soon to get serious. But at every wedding I'd ever been to, it seemed like the only thing people ever talked about.

I hadn't been looking forward to this one because I barely knew Maegan's family. Having to make small talk with a roomful of strangers got tiresome. But looking around the room, I spotted a guy I knew from middle school. And a girl I knew from high school. And another. And another. And another. There had to be at least a dozen people I recognized from my hometown here.

"Where'd your cousin grow up again?" I asked Maegan.

"I told you Travis: Kevin was born in New York, but his family moved to Trenton when he was 4. His folks still live there. "

Nowhere near my hometown. So why did I recognize these folks? It occurred to me that I'd never bothered to ask who Kevin was marrying. I flipped over the program.

Seeing the name hit me like a brick: Katherine Rosemary Williams. Could it be? My Kat? After a these years?

I didn't have long to wait for confirmation. The organ piped up with the wedding march and we all rose to our feet to watch the procession. A half-dozen bridesmaids in lavender later, in she strode. It was her, alright.

It'd been nearly a dozen years since I'd last seen her. She looked slightly taller than I remembered, but maybe that was the heels. Her figure had filled out some, but only in good ways. Kat had always had an hourglass figure and she still had a tiny waist. She'd been busty even back then, but despite the demure cut of the dress, I could see she'd put on at least a few cup sizes since then. Her hips flared nicely down below as well, providing a lovely ass to watch sashay up to the minister.

I only vaguely followed the ceremony. My mind was lost in memory. That summer seemed so far away now. We were teenagers, but looking back, I was almost childlike in my naivete about the world.

We'd been an odd couple from the start. She was the beautiful cheerleader, daughter of a local judge, living in a big house on the rich side of town. I was the rowdy kid with a penchant for mischief from the other side of the highway. A string of petty misdemeanors had me established as the local bad boy - the last guy you'd expect to be with a Miss Goody Two Shoes like Kat.

We hooked up by chance at a party and discovered that fiery passion so natural to teenagers. For a couple months, we confined ourselves to make-out sessions that involved lots of kissing and whispering "Mmmm, Kat" and "Oh, Trav" while keeping our hands largely to ourselves. Finally, after many cold showers on my part, she decided she wanted to lose her virginity to her. (It would be mine as well, my story to my buddies about having hooked up with a college girl the previous summer being baldfaced lies.) Consequently, we were both almost shaking with mutual anxiety and anticipation as we started to disrobe on her bed.

Our plans, however, went awry. We barely had our jeans off and her blouse was still partially unbuttoned when her mother returned home unexpectedly and caught us. Her father threw a fit when he found out and started threatening to have me arrested. My parents, convinced that I was going to wind up in jail or worse if I stayed on course, sent me to military school. That did end up putting me back on the straight and narrow. But I never saw Katherine again.

I'd forgotten about her till now. But seeing her up front, looking gorgeous in her long white dress, reminded me of those old feelings. I found myself suddenly jealous of the groom.

The wedding transitioned to the reception, but I remained distracted by memories of Kat. What would things have been like if her mother hadn't caught us? Would I be the one up there exchanging vows.

At last, I could bear lurking at the periphery no more. I had to speak to her. I waited till Kevin had gone off to chat with some of his groomsmen and Maegan was visiting with her grandmother. Both of us temporarily separated from our significant others, I made my way over to Katherine.

 

[LovelyLuna]

My hair was nearly done, after what seemed like hours of curling and pinning and spraying. My gown was on, framing my breasts perfectly, my make-up impeccable. The bridesmaids hummed like bumblebees as we all stood behind closed doors, waiting to head up to the altar. Frantically, I swept away a stray hair from in front of my forehead, worried that I would start noticeably perspiring in a few moments.

I was nervous, increasingly so as I watched my bridesmaids file in one by one. It was my wedding day, so my nerves were spot on. But my groom, my Kevin... he came from a family that far too closely resembled my own. I had grown up in a world of wealth, bestowed with the gifts of beauty and money. Things were handed to me as a child, all the way up through my teenage years. The only thing that I had ever done that strayed from my family's rigid expectations was.... Travis.

Oh, Travis.. I could feel myself slipping into old memories and a slight pang of longing surged through my chest. He had been everything I had wanted in a guy, whether he believed it or not. He was bad, dangerous, the kind of guy my parents had warned me to stay far away from. And perhaps that was what had sparked my interest in him in the first place: the explicit disregard for parents' rules that every teenager seems to possess.

There was something different about him, though. I thought he would be a good catalyst for drama in my family, a way to show my parents that they couldn't control my life, especially in regard to who I did or did not date. But he was so much more than that. He was my first real anything, the first person in my life, other than family, who had become more important than myself. When I decided to lose my virginity to him, it had been a huge deal. But alas... my mother ruined it all, as she continued to do for the rest of my life. Travis was gone. I moved shortly after he was sent to military school.

A quiet "psst" broke my train of thought and I realized I had been lingering a few seconds too long outside the doors. Regaining my composure (and trying my best to put lost loves out of my head), I put a huge smile on my face and made my way in. I could feel myself flushing with excitement and embarrassment but managed to keep my gaze on my future husband. He looked happy enough, watching me with "groom eyes", that look that men get as they see the woman they're about to marry walking down the aisle toward them.

And then it was over. The ceremony, the moment in my life that I had been waiting for ever since Kevin and I had become serious... all over and done with. It felt a bit anti-climactic, to be honest. I had expected more butterflies, more joy after our vows had been said and our rings placed. But there was just this overwhelming sensation of normalcy.. as if nothing had changed. Shrugging it off, I put in my best effort to look blissful as various guests made their way to Kevin and I, congratulating us on our marriage and making various jokes about the consummation later tonight. I smiled at each one in turn, relishing the moment when I would be able to step away from all this for a bit, to collect my thoughts.

Finally the stream of guests ended, most of them being people I was sure I had never met before, and Kevin went to go talk to some of the groomsmen. I was fine with that, glad to have a moment to myself. I loved Kevin, but I was feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment.

Holding a glass of champagne in one hand, sipping from it liberally to calm myself, I glanced around the room. Definitely tons of family members of Kevin's that I had never seen in my life. My mother in the corner, chatting up some cookie-cutter suburban housewives like herself; my father in a different corner, chatting up some business types, surely trying to work a deal. Even on my wedding day, I thought, grimacing.

Then I noticed a different figure coming toward me, someone who was vaguely familiar but yet different than all of the other guests. I was almost certain I knew this man, he had a familiar gait and that hair... the deep eyes. The curve of his lips. The structure of his jaw. I had spent hours studying the individual bits of this man's face, I remembered it too vividly to not know him in some way.... and then it hit me. Travis. My Travis. At my wedding, of all places. I was confused and almost turned in the other direction to run away. But he was coming straight for me, and there was nothing else I could do but stand there in utter shock.

 

[saedo]

I stood in front of her at last. Katherine appeared still as stone, her green eyes wide with....I couldn't tell. Surprise? Concern? Fear? Her emotional reaction certainly was not enthusiastic; Her caramel skin had a pallor to it.

"Hey sweet-," I began, then hastily reversed myself. "I mean, Kat! Hey, Kat." I felt the back of my neck heat up with embarrassment. "Sweetness" had been my pet name for her when we were dating. "Sorry," I shrugged apologetically. "Old habits."

Kat still hadn't moved, but the paleness to her face was replaced by a definite blush. I tried to move things along. "Any who, congratulations," I said with as much cheer as I could summon. "It was a lovely wedding."

That seemed to jolt some life into her. "Oh, thank you so much! So glad you could make it!" She spouted, smiling widely as she leaned forward and hugged me.

I'd watched her tour the reception hall and offer nearly identical mini-speeches to at least a hundred other guests over the past two hours, so I knew better than to read much into it. By now, she was probably on auto-pilot and acting out of pure reflex.

My own reaction caught me off-guard. Though the hug was swift and polite, the brief feel of her body against mine sent a surge of warmth into my groin. Even more potent was the scent of her perfume. The soft mix hinted of jasmine and exotic spice and took me back to the days when we could devote an hour to her lying atop my chest, her hair draping past my cheek each time she leaned in to kiss me. It took conscious effort on my part not to let my hands linger on her shoulders when she straightened up and ended the hug.

"Oh, and your dress is beautiful," I continued, remembering more of wedding etiquette. "You look... amazing." Seeing her up close, the Kat I remembered seemed a pale slip of the woman before me. Her face had thinned since then, giving her cheekbones a new prominence. Her braces were long gone, so her smile was a fencerow of glittering white enamel. Her dress had clearly been designed to deemphasize her Barbie doll curves, but clearly no awkward adolescent could carry off her mature sensuality. Her entire being seemed to radiate vitality and joy.

I tried to offer the idle chit-chat you offer when seeing a person from your distant past. But I couldn't dredge it up. My mind was flooded with memories of our two months together. It was over a decade ago, but the feelings felt fresh.

I glanced over my shoulder. Though some of the guests had trickled out, a substantial number were still drinking and dancing and chatting away. I found myself distinctly uncomfortable with the prospect of conducting our reunion with so many bystanders.

"Hey," I said, clearing my throat. "Do you think we could duck out of here for a little while? I'd like to talk, but not with so many people around."

 

[LovelyLuna]

I felt myself flush with embarrassment as Travis reached me. The expression on his face seemed to be one of happiness, which was both relieving and disheartening to me. Could he really be that excited for me on my wedding day? Swallowing hard, I listened to the words he spoke, though they sounded far away. I felt pressure building up behind my eyes, nerves coursing through my veins. I hadn't expected to reunite with him like this.

I regained my composure just enough to give him my generic wedding response, then hug him tightly... perhaps a bit too tightly. As I brought my face close to his neck, wrapping my arms around him, I was thrown into the past, remembering days spent cuddled up in my bed after school, or down by the river when both of our parents were home and we had to be sneaky. This was not going to be easy. Pulling back, reluctantly so, I looked up into his eyes. I had grown a few inches since my teenage years, that was true.. but so had Travis. He was about half a head taller than me, his broad shoulders filling out his wool suit nicely. When we had known each other, Travis was a skinny kid. He had bulked up wonderfully; now, my Travis looked like a real man.

Stop it!, I could only reprimand myself in my head now, realizing that I was referring to him as "my". The only thing in this room that was mine was my new husband, Kevin. I needed to remember that if I was going to remain composed.

Setting my glass of champagne down on an empty tray nearby, I twirled my new wedding band around my finger nervously, listening to Travis' words carefully. It sounded as if he wanted to take me out of this room, to chat in private. I was completely fine with that, seeing as most of these people were new faces to me anyway. Swallowing hard again, I glanced around the room, trying to spot Kevin. I saw him over by his cousin, Maegan, and figured I had at least a few minutes to sneak off.

"Okay... uh, yeah. Let's go. We can head to my dressing room, no one will be up on the second floor."

Smiling, albeit with fear in my eyes, I turned and slipped quietly out of the reception hall doors, beckoning for Travis to follow. I made my way up the stairs with him a few steps behind, not saying anything, running the situation over in my head. I could confess that I had never stopped loving him, but that would make me the vulnerable one. I could pretend that I wanted nothing to do with him, but that simply wasn't true. As we reached the door, I opened it and ushered him in, then shut it quietly behind me and, as an afterthought, locked it. Turning to face him again, I smiled as brightly as I could.

"I, er... had no idea you would be here today. I wasn't aware that you were a friend of Kevin's..."

 

[saedo]

I followed Kat upstairs. I tried with limited success not to stare at her ass as it swung back and forth beneath the white dress. I kept reminding myself that she was married, that I'd seen her take the vows not three hours earlier. It didn't help much.

She led me inside a room and shut the door behind us. Judging by what I saw inside, this had been used as the bridal staging area. A large mirror and accompanying table ran the length of one wall. The table surface was cluttered with the what appeared to be the contents of a local beauty salon - mascaras, lipsticks, powders, brushes, tissues, cotton balls, hair spray, etc. A rack of clothes stood along another wall. A door stood slightly ajar at the back of the room and I could see the pale porcelain of a sink. A variety of chairs were scattered around the room, including a stack of metal folding chairs leaning in a corner and a leather couch creating a small sitting space near the entrance

I gestured to the couch. "I bet you'd like to sit a little after being on your feet," I suggested. I'd noticed on the stairs that Katherine wore rather sizable high heels, so the slight increase in height I'd noted was all footwear. Given how I'd shot up since last we met, I likely had nearly a foot of height on her diminutive frame.

It took Kat a few moments to get her wedding dress arranged beneath her. It wasn't as crazy poofy as some I'd seen, but it was a a far cry from the denim miniskirts I remembered her in. When she had settled, I took a seat opposite her.

I paused, not quite sure how to begin. What do you say to someone after effectively vanishing from their life for over a decade? "Nice to see you again" seemed insufficient. Katherine saved me the trouble by speaking first.

[I "I, er... had no idea you would be here today. I wasn't aware that you were a friend of Kevin's...
[/I]

"Kevin? Oh, no, I'm not his friend. Well, I mean I don't know him." I realized that sounded weird, so I hastened to clarify I hadn't just crashed her wedding. "Well, I mean I know of him. I'm here with his cousin, Maegan. We've been dating awhile and she got invited, so I came with her. Didn't even know who the bride was till I got here. Wild, huh?"

I was babbling. I paused and tried again. "Sorry. It's just weird seeing you after all this time. We were so close back then, but then there was the night we... the night your mom caught us. And all of a sudden I was shipped off to the academy and you were gone from my life. And now all these years later, here you are. On your wedding day."

"I don't know. I just feel like I owe you an apology or an explanation or something. I tried to reach you after it all happened. I wrote letters, even. But I never heard back, so I didn't know if you even received them or what. And we'll, I guess after awhile, I just stopped thinking about you as much and after awhile I guess even that faded.

"But seeing you now - wow, it just brings back all those memories. And so now I feel sorry about how things ended. I wish.... I just wish things had been different. It shouldn't have happened that way."

I sighed softly. Looking down, I realized that at some point in my soliloquy, her left hand had ended up in my right and I was gently stroking the back of her hand with my thumb. I relaxed my grip, but she made no move to pull away.

"Sorry, I feel like I'm talking in circles. Am I making any sense?"

 

[LovelyLuna]

As we entered the room upstairs, the first thing he did was suggest that I sit down to rest my feet. It was true, they were hurting after hours in spiky heels. But I hadn't expected him to notice. Then again... Travis had always been mainly concerned with my happiness, the entire time we had known each other. There had been nothing he wouldn't do for me, from little tasks like opening the door for me and buying me dinner, to much bigger tasks, like holding me all night when my parents had yet another fight. Travis had been a constant in my life, and it felt good seeing him here in front of me again, proof that he hadn't changed all that much.

Plopping myself down on the couch, without much ease, I finally settled into a comfortable position. My dress was a hassle at this point, and I wanted very much to take it off and just relax up here with Travis, like old times. But I was a Vanderbilt now, as horribly stodgy as that sounded. So instead of ripping off the gown and curling up on the couch in just my lacy slip, I remained all binded and stuffed up, feeling incredibly odd next to my ex-lover like this. Travis and I had been so carefree and fun as kids. This didn't feel right.

I allowed him to talk after I asked my initial question, sensing a need in him to get everything out on the table, aired for me to see. He was rambling, sure, but I probably would have been too, had I been the first to speak on my feelings. I could hear the things he was saying, and they were critically important things, but I was having trouble focusing on them. What grabbed my attention at this particular moment was his mouth, the way his gentle lips curved on his face as he spoke. He had always possessed the nicest facial features, set into his bones as if some superbly talented sculptor had made him. I recalled nights when we would lie in each other's arms, just talking, not even kissing or touching much; though sometimes I would bring my fingers up to trace his features as he began to doze off.

Snapping myself out of this haze, I glanced down as I felt a slight pressure on my hand. Travis had taken mine in his, and he was now gently caressing it with his thumb, just like he used to do when we drove around in his car, way back when. He was apologizing to me, as if it was his fault that things ended between us. I had heard mention of letters that he had supposedly sent me. I was a bit incensed at this, knowing that I had never received any letters from Travis after that fateful night. I didn't blame him, though. There was only one person who could be responsible for that, and she was downstairs in the reception hall, dressed in a hideous couture gown and drenched in Chanel No. 5. My mother had a pension for things that didn't fit her persona, and I had tried in vain to get her to be normal, over the past few years. But she insisted on dressing the part of a well-to-do New Yorker, instead of the suburban housewife she actually was.

She was the culprit, I was sure of it. I could even picture her reading the letters that were meant for me, her offensive fake nails painted in a pretentious french manicure, gripping the pieces of paper that were meant for me. She probably laughed as she tossed them, as her sole purpose in life had been to make my childhood absolutely miserable. Swallowing hard, I put those thoughts out of my mind, remembering the task at hand. Travis had just finished talking, I realized, and we were sitting there in silence. The grip he had on my hand had been loosened but I didn't pull away. I liked the feeling. Clearing my throat, I put my free hand up to my head, rubbing at my temples.

"Well... well, it certainly makes sense, Travis. I.. I have to admit that all my feelings came rushing back, too. But.. but I'm married now. Whatever that means."

I was trying in vain to seem smart and sophisticated, everything that a Vanderbilt wife should be. But I was faking it now, just saying the things that I had heard Kevin's mother say in the past. I sounded like her, and it freaked me out. So rather than resume this fake semblance of myself, I sighed, reaching up to unpin a few strands of hair, letting it all cascade down around my shoulders.

"God, that feels better. And it's not your fault. It's my mother, she must have thrown away the letters or hid them in some sick game that she likes to play. If I had gotten any of them, you know I would have written back...right? I know I'm not much better now, rambling on and on. You look great, though, really...so wonderful." At this I trailed off, striding into dangerous territory. "Fuck, forget it.. okay... tell me about Maegan."

I had definitely said several things that Mr. Kevin Vanderbilt, Sr. and his wife would not approve of, but I mentally flipped them off. But Maegan, I had to ask about Maegan. What if she and my Travis were serious? Jesus, Kat, get it together... he's not your Travis, and besides, you just got married! How much more serious can you get?

I had seen her around at various events, the occasional birthday party or charity ball. She was a blonde, and tall, so different from me. She was very pretty, and I noted that fact with a pang of jealousy. He had found someone who was me times one million. Good for him. I tried not to be bitter as I awaited his response, faking the best smile I could.

 

[saedo]

It felt a little odd talking to Katherine about Maegan. Technically, it shouldn't even matter. Katherine and I hadn't really even dated. We had to sneak around because of her parents. She wasn't even a former lover since her mother caught us before the clothes were off. Still, talking to Katherine about the woman I was currently sleeping made me feel guilty, irrationality notwithstanding.

"Maegan is great. We've been together about six months." I paused. "Well, not really dating for that full period. We met six months ago, but didn't really start dating till more recently." I shrugged and gave a slight chuckle. "She's big on dates, so last Saturday we toasted our "six months since we first got together"anniversary."

"I know her father is Kevin's mother's brother.... " I paused and ran through the genealogy again. "Yeah, I have that right. She's a nurse in the ICU at Mercy West back in the city. Works some long hours, but she really cares about people. She's a really nice person. You'd probably like her."

The last sentence sounded odd. I didn't really know Katherine any more. Who knows what she'd like after a dozen years apart.

"So how did you meet your... husband?" I found myself hesitating a half second before the last word. It felt so odd to think of Kat being someone's wife. "Maegan told me a little bit on the drive up." Maegan had actually said a lot on the way up, but I'd listened to only some of it. "He just finished some kind of grad school, right?"

 

[LovelyLuna]

Listening to Travis rave about Maegan was heartbreaking for me. I could feel my palms getting a bit sweaty as I listened and faked a smile. Did he really think I would like her? The woman who he was making love to every night when I never even got a chance to feel him once? And six months? That sounded a bit serious. I frowned without realizing it, my face scowling a bit at this news.

Travis continued to talk, now asking me about Kevin. I didn't particularly feel like talking about Kevin at the moment. But at the risk of seeming like a bad bride, I began to ramble a bit about him.

"Er, yeah.. his father and my father met through business colleagues. They played golf together or something silly like that. If I'm being honest, it feels like an arranged marriage at times. I don't know. He's sweet, though, a great guy, really. He just finished grad school for business. Doesn't seem to like the idea of me working, so I had to quit my internship..."

I trailed off for a moment, thinking about this. I had really enjoyed working for the editor of a prominent national magazine, but Kevin didn't see that as a lucrative outlet for my time and energy. I supposed I understood. My mother had never worked a day since she married my father. I was just following in the traditions of both our families. But I still didn't feel right about it. I didn't want to be a quiet housewife. Smiling halfheartedly, I focused my attention back on Travis. Something he had said earlier was getting to me.

"So, you said you and Maegan 'first got together' six months ago..? Do you mean... I mean, was that when you two first.... "

Blushing a bit, I swiped at a strand of hair that was hanging in front of my eyes. All I could think about right now was the very thing that Travis and I never got a chance to give to each other. Was Maegan the girl he replaced me with? I had moved on eventually, yes, but I had always wondered what it would be like to be with Travis. To have him undress me slowly, like he had started to do that one night. To feel his lips on my neck and breasts, down to my stomach and my inner thighs. I could feel myself getting a bit hotter as I thought about these things. Goddamn it, Kat...

 

[saedo]

I cocked an eyebrow at the mention of ending her internship. "But back then, you used to talk about being a journalist. You loved working for the school paper. Surely you'll go back to it." I shook my head. I couldn't imagine Kat being a homemaker.

Well, not without a kid in the picture. She had always loved kids. I pondered the idea. Could this mean she was already pregnant? Given her narrow waist, it didn't seem likely, but perhaps it was still early. Moreover, Kat didn't seem likely to forego contraception; she'd been on the pill back in high school, so why not now? But no protection was perfect, so maybe Kevin just got lucky.

My question seemed to unsettle her and Kat lapsed into silence. I was beginning to regret having said anything when she suddenly changed the subject.

"So, you said you and Maegan 'first got together' six months ago..? Do you mean... I mean, was that when you two first...."

I was a bit shocked at the inquiry. The last thing I expected was to have Kat start inquiring about my sex life. I should have politely declined to answer and told her such matters were none of her business.

Except I didn't.

I blushed slightly and nodded. "We didn't exactly have the most... conventional... of starts." I smiled uncomfortably and then hastily continued. "But you have to understand the context. See, I went to this bachelor's party for a college buddy a while back. He didn't want the tired old 'let's go to a strip club' routine, so a bunch of us got together and rented out this party room at this fancy apartment complex. Had the pool and sand volleyball court, so we played and a barbecue pit outside, plus big screen TVs and a full bar inside. So we got some kegs, a ton of food, and invited all his friends - guys and gals. After the sun went down, we went inside and had a big poker tournament. Was a good day."

"Anywise, my buddy's fiancée's friends decided to to their bachelorette party the same day. So she and her friends stopped by during the late afternoon and then went the more traditional route of hitting a bunch of bars in a big group. They all rolled back to our party at the house late that evening when the poker tournament is down to a single table of remaining players. I'd lost my stake a a while before, so I was just sitting off to the side watching the game and sipping a beer.

"Next thing I know there's this willowy blonde sitting next to me asking if she can look at my hands. That seemed weird and she was clearly pretty drunk, but I figure I'll play along. I ask why and she tells me that she's one of the bridesmaids and they're all doing this big scavenger hunt. One of the things on the list was to find a guy with an ring finger at least half an inch longer than his index finger. That sounds kind of odd, so I ask to see this scavenger list.

"First off, turns out this list is all 'Find a guy who does this' or 'Find a guy who has that'. So basically it's an excuse for the women to chat up a bunch of strange men in bars; makes sense as a bachelorette party game. And it's random stuff like 'a guy who can speak French' or 'a guy with a $100 bill in his wallet' or a 'a guy who can do 5 one-handed push-ups'. But I notice that there are several items with stuff like 'find a guy who wears shoes at least size 14' or 'find a guy who can palm a basketball'. You know, big feet, big hands, big nose, etc. So I turn to her and say, 'Why don't you just ask whether I've got a big cock?'"

"She gives me a big smile and says, 'Well, do you?' I smile right back at her and say, 'You should at least buy me a drink first.' That made her laugh and so we get to talking. One thing leads to another and I end up going home with her. So yeah, that was how I first met Maegan, but we didn't actually start dating till a good bit later on."

I looked at Katherine and shook my head. "I probably shouldn't have told you all that. Not sure why I did. Just feels like I'd be hiding something to not tell you everything. "

I shrugged. "Maybe it's because of how we left things. With other relationships, there was always a definite moment when things were over. But we never had that moment. We never broke up. Hell, I never even got a chance to tell you goodbye. So even though it's like a hundred years later and you're married and I'm with someone else, I see you now and I can't think of you as my ex because we never really got to end things. We're...unresolved."

I looked her in the eye as I spoke to her. Our gazes locked and I found myself unable to look away. The exchanged look continued for the better part of a minute and took on a sense of intimacy. I wouldn't maintain such prolonged eye contact with a friend, let alone a long-lost acquaintance, but I just could not glance away. Apparently, neither could she.

 

[LovelyLuna]

A surge of jealousy raged through me as Travis related his first sexual encounter with Maegan. If you asked me, she sounded like a little slut. But those were horrible thoughts to think about someone I had never even spoken to for more than five minutes. But "willowy blonde"? Really? Trying my hardest to remain neutral about the situation, I forced a small chuckle as Travis wrapped up his story. But I wasn't amused. I wasn't even the least bit amused.

Travis began to talk about why he told me all that stuff about Maegan. Now this was something I was interested in. My ears perked up as he said the word unresolved. It was nice to know that someone else was feeling the way I was. Glancing up, I caught Travis' eye. Suddenly, it was as if I couldn't look away. I was incapable of pulling my eyes from his, and the room seemed to spark and shudder under the passion of our gaze. Keeping my eyes on Travis, I scooted a bit closer on the couch and reached one hand up towards Travis' face. I hovered there for a moment before speaking up.

"Are you going to dump me now then? So we can resolve things?"

I gave Travis a playful smirk in an attempt to lighten the mood. Then I continued the journey to his jawline, my fingertips grazing it softly. His scruff felt delightfully masculine under my soft skin. I had never known him to be so much of a man. Just then, I realized my hand was shaking. I'm sure he could feel it there against his cheek, and he probably wondered why I was so nervous. How could I relate my feelings to someone who was clearly smitten with another? How could I relate my feelings to someone other than my husband?

"Travis... what would you say if I told you that I hadn't wanted to marry Kevin?"

 

[saedo]

"Travis... what would you say if I told you that I hadn't wanted to marry Kevin?"

I was enjoying the sensation of Katherine's touch on my face. Kat had always been a toucher. Be it hold hands or putting an arm around my waist or tracing her fingertips along my jaw - whenever I was with her, she would invariably have a hand on me.

A part of me wanted to ignore her question. After a dozen years, it felt too good to feel her touch again. But even though I knew she wouldn't like to know the answer, I couldn't start lying to her now. I gave a slight snort of derision and responded "I'd say I don't believe you."

Katherine's eyes widened, not expecting such a reaction. She started to pull her hand away from my cheek, but I captured it with my own and held it there. "No, Kat, I'm being serious. That doesn't sound like you at all. I'm sure you've got pressure from all over - family, friends, maybe him. All telling you it was time to settle down, time to to get serious about your life."

I shook my head emphatically. "But the Kat I knew wouldn't bow to that. The Kat I knew didn't give a damn that I was a juvenile delinquent from the wrong side of town. I didn't fit in with her preppy friends and her parents would hate me, but that Kat didn't care. She knew what she wanted and she went for it."

Just thinking about Kat back then brought a tear to my eye. God, she had been so fearless. And for me. This gorgeous, bright, charming girl could have had any guy in school, and yet she chose me, consequences be damned. I blinked it away and shook my head again.

"No," I said strongly. "No." I reached out with both hands and seized Kat by her upper arms, pulling her face within inches of mine. "I refuse to believe that the Kat I knew is gone. I look at you and still see her! She wouldn't get married because someone told her to. You got married because that's what you wanted."

I eased my grip and a trace of sadness eased into my voice. "But I think you're feeling the same thing I am. You're wondering now what might have been. What if we hadn't gotten separated by our parents? And seeing each other all these years later, that not knowing nags at you, makes you question your decisions. You feel lost . . . confused."

I sighed. "I feel adrift, too. And I know this feeling won't just go away. I remember how long it took the last time to try and move on." I closed my eyes and shook my head disconsolately. "I can't go through that again. It hurt too much."

I opened my eyes and stared into hers, my fingers squeezing her upper arms. "The not-knowing would haunt us, make us miserable. We can't leave these feelings unresolved. So if retreat is not an option, our only choice is to press forward. We have to find out what would have happened if we weren't interrupted on that night a dozen years ago. Consequences be damned."

 

[LovelyLuna]

The addition of Travis' fingertips against my upper arms, touching me for the first time in years, made my heart beat irregularly. As he pulled me toward him, my face mere inches from his, I could smell the soft scent of a cologne that I had first purchased for him years ago when we were together. He must have continued to buy it even after that, in some sort of sweet nostalgic move. I breathed it in, closing my eyes as he spoke to me. The things he was saying didn't make any sense. Sure, perhaps I had wanted to get married when Kevin had first proposed. But as time went on, I realized I was doing it to please everyone but myself.

Opening my eyes, I felt Travis' grip loosen a bit on my arms. He sounded sad now. He was confused like I was, lost in a never-ending spiral of wonder and what-ifs. How could either of us know that the paths we were catapulted onto were the ones that we were meant to follow? We hadn't chosen this for ourselves, and that made it so much harder to turn away.

As he finished, my eyes widened. It sounded as if he was proposing something... something I had certainly thought of and fantasized about, but never actually considered. It was incredibly hard to sit here next to him for the past hour, hashing out all of our past hurt. But I hadn't planned on doing anything about it. To be honest, I hadn't even thought about what would happen after Travis and I talked.

But now it was clear that things couldn't go back to the way they had been a few hours ago. I had seen him now, and the feelings had come rushing back, apparently for him too. There was no way to turn around and pretend that nothing was different. Giving into his grip, I sank toward him, tired of fighting against my own feelings.

"Travis.. what are you proposing we do? You have a long-term girlfriend down there, and it sounds like you really like her... love her? I have... a husband now! We aren't teenage lovers anymore, we're grown adults. Don't you... can't you see that?"

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes and I blinked them back, not wanting to let Travis see me weak. I was against it morally, but what he had said intrigued me. All I could feel now was his skin against mine, and I sighed, taking it all in. Then I did something I never expected I would do.

Swallowing hard, I stood up, wiggling my arms out of Travis' grip. Then I pulled the rest of the pins from my hair, letting down all of it to fall across my bare shoulders. I could see myself in the mirror across from me, and I looked incensed and alive. My skin seemed to radiate some kind of strange electricity. Turning toward Travis, I reached behind me, my fingertips finding the upper clasp of my dress. There was a long zipper in the back too, one that I wouldn't be able to undo myself. I was shaking a bit but I was able to pull it down half the length of my back, exposing my lacy white teddy. I was wearing my wedding lingerie under my dress... now it looked as if another man would be the first to see it.

"Help me...."

 

[saedo]

I felt my breath stick in my throat as I realized what Katherine was proposing. After all these years, we would finally see what we'd been denied.

I felt I moved in slow motion as I stepped to her. I seized a handful of her long hair and tugged her head back. "I've been wanting to do this all day," I growled. I then kissed her fiercely. I could faintly taste the chocolate-dipped strawberries and champagne from the reception.

My free hand smacked onto her ass. Her cheek was plump but firm, providing nice resistance as I squeezed it. Kat in turn began to grind her pelvis on my thigh.

When we at last broke for air, I spun her around sharply so I could get at the zipper. I fully intended to peel her out of this dress and have my way with her. I'd been waiting over a decade to see her naked and a few seconds more seemed almost unbearable.

But looking at the back of her dress, I could see that this was not the simple attire I was used to. Kate hadn't just put on this dress; she'd been sewed into it. I remembered back to my own sister's wedding. Though I hadn't been in the room, I knew it had taken nearly two hours to get every last bit of fabric to lay just so.

I lay my hand along the exposed portion of her upper back, wishing I could feel her entire naked body this way. "Kat," I said softly. "This probably isn't a good idea. If I take this off you, there's no way I can put this back on. You've got a roomful of people down there who expect that in another half hour, they're going to be pelting the bride and groom with rice as they board their limo."

"Bubbles," she murmured.

"What?"

"They blow bubbles nowadays. Rice is bad for the birds."

"Whatever," I acknowledged. "But if you show up with your dress halfway on, you'll be throwing away your entire life. I can't ask you to take that risk. Not just on the chance that this is worth it."

I turned her around to face me. "I want you so badly right now that I can taste it. But right now, I can't tell if this is just a decade's worth of pent-up desire or something more. Something real. I think we owe it to ourselves to find out, but not in a way that costs us everything."

I thought for a moment. "You're staying at the Waldorf tonight, right?"

She nodded.

"So are we," I continued. "Think you can sneak out after Kevin goes to sleep? I could do the same. We'd have till morning to ourselves."

I thought a moment more. "Of course, we do have a little time here before you are missed," I said mischievously. I dropped to my knees in front of her and slipped my right hand beneath her dress. It took me a few moments to navigate the array of petticoats and slips contained beneath, but I eventually found the silk stocking of her left leg. Following it upwards, I traced along her inner thigh till I encountered the satiny fabric covering her crotch.

I chuckled softly, gazing upwards at her as she peered down past her amazing bosom. "A little taste of delights to come..., " I murmured, gently tracing her pussy through her lingerie.

 

[LovelyLuna]

Travis' fingers tangled up in my hair sent shivers down my spine. I leaned into his kiss, hard, tasting him again for the first time in so long. He still tasted the same, faintly sweet and smoky. I couldn't explain his exact flavor if I really wanted to. The only thing that mattered at this point was the way his lips were moving against mine, and the way I pressed up hard against his thigh.

As he spun me around, I could feel goosebumps rising up all over my skin. It was finally going to happen. He was going to rip me out of this dress, throw me down and take me like I had always wanted him to. A few seconds passed though, and I could sense that something was wrong. As I turned my head to ask, Travis spoke up. Listening to him, I knew he was right. We couldn't just do this, up here, and then go back downstairs as if nothing had happened. I wanted him, right now, but I had to think of Kevin and his family, and my family, and our friends. Sighing, I nodded.

At his proposal that we meet up at the Waldorf, I perked up. A smile spread across my lips and I glanced up at him. "We can meet up on the roof. The deck up there has a fantastic view...." I trailed off, pulling him toward me to kiss his lips one more time. Then he was dropping to his knees, pushing up on my dress. At his words, I giggled, turning bright red.

"I'm sorry about all that fabric.. I uh.... ahhhh...."

I found myself losing the ability to speak as Travis' fingers ran up my inner thigh, straight for my satin covered pussy. His fingers traced along my slit, and I could feel my wetness soaking into the fabric of my white wedding lingerie. Closing my eyes, I whimpered softly, one hand reaching down to sweep across the top of Travis' head. He had touched me like this before, when we were younger. But it had been so long since I had felt his warm skin against me, even like this. Shuddering, my legs began to weaken and I chuckled nervously.

"Oh, Travis... you're going to get me too excited to go back downstairs...."

 

[saedo]

"Oh, Travis... you're going to get me too excited to go back downstairs...."

I smiled back up at her, liking how mountainous her breasts appeared from this angle. "Oh, so I excite you, do I?" I teased her.

Perhaps the one silver lining to our long delay was that I was a lot better at pleasuring a woman now. Back when Kat and I had been involved, we were both clueless virgins. Well, fairly clueless. We'd also taken things fairly slow by my current standards. It had taken nearly a month before I tried to feel her up. Even then, I never dared touch her directly, but always through her panties.

Not now, though. I pushed aside the satin and let my fingertip trace along the outer folds of her labia. "Is it this which excites you?" I inquired with faux innocence. "Or is it more this?" My finger moved inward, delicately brushing the area just outside her entrance. "Or is it more here?" My finger moved northward, circling around but not quite touching her clit?"

A decade later, I had a fairly good read on how to finger a woman. Certainly better than the mindless pawing that passed for foreplay when I was a horny teenager. I teased at Katherine's pussy till my fingers were slick with her juices and her thighs were lightly trembling in anticipation.

I eased my touch slightly, sensing by her moans that she was close to the edge. "Well sweetness, what do you want? Shall I stop now and send you back to the reception all hot and bothered? Or shall I take you all the way so you can go back with sticky thighs and a post-orgasm high?"

 

[LovelyLuna]

My legs trembled under Travis' gentle touch, his fingers deftly moving across my pussy, touching me in all the right places. I can't remember the last time someone has touched me so sensually or made me so weak in the knees. I sighed and gazed down at him, then began to glare when he eased up. At his words, I swallowed hard, nodding.

"Yes... take me all the way... you can't send me to my husband on edge like this. He'll know. He'll know right away, and he'll think it's all for him. And it's not...."

My words were breathy, but urgent. There was no way I was going to see Kevin with all this lust in my eyes. He would see exactly what I was feeling. He would probably try and take me in a back room, if he was feeling adventurous tonight, which was unlikely. But still. Why would I want him to touch me after Travis was the one who got me all worked up? I reached down to tangle my fingers up in Travis' hair, pulling a bit but steadying myself in that way.

 

[saedo]

"As you wish, sweetness," I murmured in compliance. My fingers resumed their teasing dance along her pussy, tracing her every fold and ridge.

I was tempted to draw things out. Seeing her face as she panted with pleasure was quite a delight. I felt sure I could keep her lust teetering on the brink till she was begging me to let her cum.

But she'd been absent from the the reception for a while now. Any moment now, one of her bridesmaids might come looking for her. As much as I wanted to toy with her, I didn't want to get caught.

Consequently, I stepped up the intensity of my massage. Kat responded immediately, her voice escalating to a high-pitched keen. Cupping her clit between folds of her skin, letting some gentle pressure and her own movements stimulate her hardened nub. Her hips began to buck against me, her orgasm mere moments away.

 

[LovelyLuna]

As Travis spread my delicate pussy lips, caressing and massaging every inch of me, I began to moan softly, my breath coming in sharp bursts. It felt wonderful with him down there, exploring me like he had never done before. I wondered if my pussy was anything like Maegan's, and I wondered which he liked better. Was she a natural blonde? Biting my lip hard as Travis stepped up the intensity of his play, I shivered, my legs wobbly as my orgasm rose up in me.

"Travis, I'm... I'm gonna cum... just.... don't stop...." I rocked my hips against his hand, my pussy clenching, despite the fact that I hadn't been penetrated yet. Licking my lips, I let out an involuntarily loud moan, the pleasure radiating through my entire body. Suddenly, I came hard over his hand, waves of warmth crashing over me as I closed my eyes. Panting and groaning, I tugged playfully on Travis' hair, coming down from my climax. I could feel juices flowing from my pussy, coating his hand in sticky sweetness.

"Travis..... ohhh, Travis, you're bad...."

 

[saedo]

I couldn't help grinning like an idiot as Kat cut loose above me. Kat had been so restrained when we were first dating that I was surprised that she'd offered so little resistance to letting me finger her. Apparently the intervening years had taught her to be more adventurous.

I was quick to withdraw the handkerchief tucked into my jacket pocket and tamp it up against her moist pussy. Kat was evidently a bit of a gusher, but I managed to soak up the lion's share of her juices before she ruined her dress. When at last her trembling stopped, I withdrew my hand from beneath her voluminous skirts. My handkerchief was nearly sodden, so I tossed the sink in the bathroom.

Kat had a pleasing glow to her face. Not quite the full sultry "I just got fucked" look, but clearly she was in a good mood. "Travis..... ohhh, Travis, you're bad...."

"You better believe it, sweetness," I chuckled. "I expect you to repay me in full tonight. But for now you'd best get back to the reception."

I leaned forward to kiss her, but then stopped. "Oops, wouldn't want to mess up your lipstick." I settled for a quick buss on her forehead.

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. "Katherine?" called out a female voice. "Are you in here?"

Kat's eyes went wide. "My maid of honor," she mouthed. "I'm here, Julie," she called aloud. "Be right there." I took my cue to duck into the bathroom while Kat went to deal with Julie.

 

[LovelyLuna]

As Travis pulled back, taking out his handkerchief to soak up some of my juices, I calmed myself with some deep breathing. I hadn't come like that in years. In fact... I didn't know if I had ever come like that. Licking my lips as he stood up straight, I watched him toss his handkerchief, then smiled as he approached me again. I was fully prepared for a kiss, but then he stopped and pressed his lips to my forehead. It was sweet, even though I had wanted much much more. My lipstick, of course. Travis would think of everything.

A moment later, I heard a light knock on the door and my maid of honor calling out to me. My heartbeat sped up and I glanced at Travis, mouthing her identity to him. He quickly ducked into the bathroom, and I went to open the door for Julie. As I did, she burst in, looking frantic and worried. "Is everything all right?" She breathed, cleary winded from her journey to find me.

"Yeah... Yeah, Julie, everything is just fine. I was taking a break from all the noise and craziness down there. You know how weddings are...." Julie was married herself, to a great guy named Brian. She was my best friend, and had been even back when Travis and I were an item. He knew her, but I doubted that he could recognize her voice through a thick, wooden door like the one the bathroom had. He could say hi later, though. At the moment, I knew I needed to get back down to the reception. Shooing Julie from the room, I patted her on the back reassuringly. "Don't you worry, I'll be down in a minute. Just going to fix my make-up so Kevin and I can make our grand exit... okay? Love you. You're a doll for checking on me." Then I closed the door, not allowing her to protest about the situation any longer. I listened for a few seconds to make sure I could hear clicking across the hall and down the staircase, and when those noises came I headed for the bathroom to release Travis. Opening the door, I grinned at the smile on his face.

"You, head out after I go downstairs. Resume your place in the reception hall, and I'll see you later...." I ran light fingers over his jawline and then pressed my lips to his ever so softly. Make-up intact, I turned on my heel and slipped out the door of my dressing room, then down the stairs, back into the fray. People were upon me as soon as I emerged, including my husband. He slipped an arm around my waist and leaned in, whispering to me, "Where have you been, Katherine? People were asking questions..." His tone was polite, but I knew he wasn't happy with me. I wasn't upholding the Vanderbilt image of propriety, and I would pay for that later when his mother got ahold of me. But for now I shook my head, smiling at him and whispering through clenched teeth. "Don't worry about it, Kevin... a bride needs to use the powder room occasionally, right?"

A moment later, I glanced slyly at the staircase I just came down to see Travis adjusting his tie and descending the staircase briskly. I caught his eye but didn't chance any mouthed words, simply letting my gaze do the talking. He knew I would be thinking of him until we met again tonight.

 

[saedo]

I waited a few minutes to give Kat a head start downstairs. Better that our returns to the reception not appear linked. I poked my head out into the hallway. Coast was clear, so I headed downstairs.

Katherine had already rejoined the groom - no, wait, scratch that. Her husband. I had to remember that. I wasn't just messing around with another guy's girlfriend, but another guy's wife.

Anywise, she and Travis were back together and making the rounds. I tried not to look overly long in her direction as I made my way back to Maegan.

Fortunately she'd barely noticed my absence. She kissed me as I took the seat next to her and introduced me to yet another relative. I was soon nodding in time to the small talk, my mind elsewhere.

The reception lumbered on another 45 minutes. Maegan dragged me to the dance floor a couple times, including the ridiculous "chicken dance". Katherine threw out her bouquet - narrowly missing Maegan, thankfully - and Travis fired her garter out into a sea of uncomfortable bachelors.

At last the guests were assembled into a line from the reception hall door to the waiting limo. The guests blew a flurry of soap bubbles into the wind as the married couple dashed past and made their escape.

Maegan slumped against me. "Finally," she breathed. "These heels are killing me."

We drove back to the hotel and rode up to the room. Maegan started shedding clothing as soon as the door closed behind us, pausing only to have me unzip the back of her dress. I mechanically removed my own monkey suit while feigning interest in Maegan's commentary. She spent about ten minutes chatting about the wedding from beginning to end, offering both compliments and critiques.

My mind was only barely paying attention. Right now a dozen or so floors above me, Katherine was peeling out of her wedding dress while Travis removed his tuxedo. What would she do next? Were I Travis, I'd probably wouldn't even wait to get her undressed, but just mount her as soon as I could get all those frilly slips and underskirts out of the way.

Or perhaps Kat had planned something special for her wedding night. She seemed the type to want rose petals and candlelight. Probably had a special set of lingerie to change into. Was that what she was doing now?

"I said, are you going to put on your trunks?"

I looked up to see Maegan standing next to the bed. She'd switched into a neon pink bikini that snugly hugged her supple curves. I had only made it as far as my cotton undershirt and boxers.

Maegan smiled mischievously. "I'd ask if you liked my bikini, but I think I have my answer already, " she giggled, pointing to the bulge along my thigh. She sat down in my lap and kissed me deeply. "Thanks; you do know how to make a girl feel sexy."

Grinding her butt into my groin, she giggled again. "Oh my God, you are so hard right now!" She followed with a sigh. "Baby, you know how much I love feeling you inside me, but I'm just so tired and sore right now. Just let me have an hour in the jacuzzi to unwind, then I promise we'll come back and fuck like crazy. Okay?"

Not wanting to tell her who I'd really been thinking about, I nodded quietly and went to find my swim trunks. Tonight was going to be more complicated than I thought.

 

[LovelyLuna]

I kept my eyes peeled for Travis for the duration of my wedding reception, almost afraid to see him hanging all over Maegan. I caught sight of them a few times, mostly cuddled up on the dance floor. It sent a pang of jealousy through me, but then I remembered that this was my goddamn wedding day. If anyone had a right to be jealous, it was Travis... but this wasn't about jealousy or anger, was it? This was about he and I being together, in the way that we had wanted to be for years now. Shaking all thoughts of what Travis and Maegan were doing out of my head, I put on a smile and barely made it through the rest of the wedding.

As I climbed into the limo with Kevin and the door finally shut us off from the rest of the wedding guests, I glanced over at him. He was looking at me, a genuine smile on his face, his hand reaching over to brush a strand of hair out of my eyes. These were the moments that had made me want to marry Kevin in the first place. He really was such a sweet guy. A little uptight perhaps, but he had never been unkind to me. He had always treated me like a princess, spent way too much money on me, bought me things I never knew I wanted. But that was just it... he had used money to get close to me, and I didn't like who I'd become because of it. I smiled back as genuinely as I could, reaching over to squeeze his thigh. "We did it, darling... we're married...."

I could feel my thoughts straying to Travis again, and the way he had kissed me in my dressing room... the way he had touched my wet slit... the way he had made me cum for him, in merely minutes. I was soaking my panties again, and I tried to turn my thoughts to my husband, to avoid awkward stains on the satin. "What do you wanna do when we get to the honeymoon suite? We could.... undress each other... I could whisper my vows in your ear while I....." I grinned, trying to seem as interested in Kevin as possible. However, my arousal at the moment was purely due to thoughts of Travis, and I felt incredibly guilty for that. I walked my fingers towards Kevin's crotch, playfully squeezing at his not-even-a-little-hard cock. He wasn't biting.

"I have to talk to my parents, especially my father, about how much time I can take off for this honeymoon.... you know he has me practically running the company by his side... but tonight. Tonight you and I will, well... ya know...."

Kevin already had his phone to his ear, finished with me for the moment and I turned to watch as we pulled up to the beautiful hotel we would be staying at for at least a couple nights. I wasn't even sure that I would have a honeymoon at this rate. Kevin moved the phone away from his mouth to ask me for "just one hour, please, and then no more business talk" and I simply nodded and made my way into the hotel by myself. A bride, alone in her wedding dress, is not something people see every day. As such, the receptionist at the desk gave me a puzzled look. "He's on a business call... the honeymoon suite, please? I just want to get out of this dress...." I gave her a small smile, took the key from her hand and then floated over to the elevator. Once inside, I sighed, putting delicate fingertips against my temples. This was the life I had chosen for myself. I needed tonight. I needed Travis. When I reached the highest floor, the doors opened up onto a set of glass double doors with "Honeymoon Suite" written on them in gold lettering. I was here.

Unlocking the door, I grimaced at the heart shaped pillows and bottles of champagne on ice. There was a jacuzzi in the corner and another one in the bathroom. The sheets were white and soft-looking and so very inviting, but all I wanted to do was remove my dress pronto and get downstairs to the pool. Why not catch a little bit of sun if my husband was too busy to ravage me?

As I silently slipped out of my dress (with great difficulty, as I had no one to help), I noticed my luggage sitting in the corner of the room. How many unnecessary things money could get you. Now naked in the sunlight streaming in from the glass doors that led to the balcony, I stretched and rolled my neck from side to side. Then I took down my hair and let it cascade over my shoulders before unzipping my suitcase and rummaging through it for my bright white bikini. It would look nice against my bronzy skin, and I might as well try to look pretty for the people who would see me, even if none of them were the man I had just married.

Once changed, I grabbed a fluffy white towel, slipped my feet into white flip flops and padded out of the room, locking the door behind me. Let Kevin go searching for me when he finally got off his business call. I knew it would be much longer than an hour before I saw his face again. Heading down in the elevator to the main floor, I walked down the hall, smiling at people as I went. I was not going to let my husband's absence ruin my fun for even a second. Besides... I had all of my wonderful Travis fantasies to keep me going. As I pushed open the door to the outdoor pool, I brought up a pair of shades to rest on my nose and shield my eyes from the bright sunlight. Then I zoned in on a lounge chair and headed over to set it up with my towel and catch some rays. I could feel the eyes of several men on me as I passed by, and I smiled inwardly. Even if Kevin was too naive to notice, other men weren't. I still had it.

 

[saedo]

Fortunately by the time I found my swim trunks and got changed, my erection had subsided. I didn't relish the idea of walking down the hotel corridors holding a towel in front of me.

Of course, even that was a bit of a challenge. Maegan's swimsuit was a little on the daring side and the filmy skirt-thingy offered little cover. Her firm ass cheeks swayed back and forth as she lead the way to the pool area. I was relieved when I could at last sink beneath the bubbling waters of the jacuzzi. The tumultuous liquid would shield me should my will fail me again.

Glancing over at Maegan, I was sure it would. Now slick with moisture, her bikini-clad tits bobbed invitingly just above the surface. Already primed from my encounter with Kat, my libido started suggesting lascivious activities.

I knew that I'd apparently done wrong in a past life when Maegan piped up, "Oh look, there's Katherine!" I turned to see Kat striding towards a lounge chair. My cock lurched back to life as I noted her bikini. Hers was not quite as revealing as Maegan's, but her much larger breasts meant she had as much skin on display.

"I wonder why she's down here so soon," Maegan postulated. She looked over at me and winked. "If Kevin is anything like you, I should think he'd have taken her to bed as soon as they hit the hotel."

I shrugged. I didn't really care to speculate on what Kat's sex life with her husband was given that we'd tentatively planned to cuckold the man in several hours.

Maegan gave a squeak and slapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh my! Do you think they could have already done the deed?! Oh my, I've heard of fast fucks, but that's just ridiculous. I pity the poor girl if her husband finishes that quickly."

Somehow I found contemplating Kevin lolled across some hotel bed having blown his load into Kat even less appealing. I tried to come up with an alternate theory.

"Well, maybe she just wants to relax. After all, a wedding has to be stressful. Having a couple hundred people at you stare at you all day while you smile and dance and try to look pleased and happy. I bet that wedding dress wasn't too comfortable, either. Besides, look at you. You weren't in the mood for anything but relaxing when we got to the hotel. She probably just wants to chill for a bit before the wedding night."

Maegan nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, you're probably right. And Kevin did have some beers at the reception. He's probably taking a nap."

I liked that image better indeed. "Yup. And she decided to get a little sun and wear something less constraining than a few dozen yards of lace."

Maegan giggled. "Yeah, poor thing. But she did look beautiful in that dress." She sighed wistfully. Glancing back over at Kat, she frowned. "But she'll definitely not get any relaxation time out there by herself. Look at that pair of guys over there."

I glanced in the indicated direction. A pair of guys who looked to be college-age were unabashedly staring at Kat's reclined form from about a dozen yards away. I couldn't hear them, but from the elbow nudges and laughter, I could readily guess that they were making crude comments about her.

Maegan shook her head, her damp blond curls swinging back and forth across her shoulders. "You guys have no idea what it's like to be an attractive woman at a pool or beach. Wear a bathing suit that shows the slightest bit of skin and you're getting hit on all day like you're just a piece of meat."

I neglected to point out that when I'd met Maegan for the first time, her outfit could hardly have been called modest and she certainly didn't seem to mind that I'd hit on her.

Maegan snapped her fingers. "I know, we'll rescue her!"

"Huh?"

She smiled at me. "I'll go over and invite her to hang out with us. Those sleazy guys won't bother us with a big, strong man around." She patted my shoulder for emphasis.

I started to suggest that perhaps we should leave Kat alone, but it was too late. Maegan clambered out of the jacuzzi, water streaming off her lithe frame as she strode towards Kat's position. My girlfriend was about to invite the married woman who I was presently contemplating having an affair with to share a tub of hot water with us. Oh brother.

Pleased with her plan, Maegan stepped out of the jacuzzi.

 

[LovelyLuna]

As I settled myself down into the lounge chair, I heard the raucous laughter of teenage boys from behind me. I glanced back to see two guys, probably approaching 20 years of age, laughing and shooting furtive looks over at me. It was fine, I was used to this by now. It was so hard to be a woman at a public pool or beach. Men certainly were pigs. I had no use for their games, though, so I merely ignored them. Besides, I was a married woman now. Even if I barely felt like one. Closing my eyes behind my shades, I forced myself to relax a bit, trying to keep my thoughts from straying to Travis again. But this was proving to be a very difficult task.

I couldn't stop thinking about his proposition earlier... I had never considered cheating on my husband, not for a moment. But then Travis reentered my life and everything changed. He had been my first love, and people always said your first love would be the strongest love you'd ever feel. I could see now that it was true, as mere hours ago I had been up in a dressing room with his hand up my skirt and his fingers stroking at my slit. At this thought, I could feel myself dampening a bit, my arousal mounting. Most women would be riding their new husbands by now, but here I was alone at the pool, while he got off on making business calls with his father. Suddenly I sensed a shadow come over the left side of me, the sun blocked by some intrusion. Then I heard a high-pitched, sugary voice calling out to me. "Kat? Sorry to bother you...."

I opened my eyes to see perky Maegan, bounding over to me in a barely there bikini that showed off her unfortunate lack of breasts. She was pale, too, and wispy. I was sure the sun would cook her today, and she would end up looking more like a lobster than an angel by tomorrow. I thought all of these things with smug satisfaction before I realized I was being a bitch for the sake of being a bitch. There was nothing wrong with Megan. Sitting up and raising my sunglasses to rest on top of my head, I gave her a bright smile. "Oh, Maegan! Hi! I didn't expect to see you here... are you and your, uh, boyfriend staying at this hotel?" I knew fairly well that the two of them had a room here, but I also knew that Maegan was blissfully unaware of the connection that Travis and I shared, and I didn't want to alert her to any of the naughtiness we had gotten up to in the dressing room.

Maegan nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before blurting things out at full speed. I could sense she really liked me, for some bizarre reason. "Do you want to hang out with Travis and I? I can see that you're alone, and I figured... well... it'd be better if you weren't...." I was getting annoyed with the tone of her voice and her way of making sentences sound terribly juvenile and unintelligent. However, I couldn't turn down the chance to see Travis shirtless like I hadn't in years. I glanced over to where she gestured and saw him reclining in the jacuzzi, eyes turned toward us. I couldn't read the expression on his face from this far away, but I could guess that it was wrought with fear. This would be awkward, at best. But I accepted, simply nodding to Maegan before standing from my chair and grabbing my towel. Then I strutted off ahead of her, eyes locked on Travis while I made my way to where he was. When I reached the jacuzzi, I came around behind him and got in on his left side, folding my towel up on a chair not far from the edge of the hot tub.

"Hey there, uh.... Travis, was it?" I feigned no recognition of him and merely smiled, though my eyes would tell a different story if he thought to look into them deeply enough. I let my body slip in slowly, and as I bobbed into place, my breasts glistened with the bubbles and warm water that flowed around us. Maegan followed suit, slipping in across from Travis, naivety screaming across her face. "Oh, the two of you haven't met?" She smiled, eager to introduce us. This was going to be an interesting afternoon.

 

[saedo]

"Please say 'no', please say 'no', please say 'no', please say 'no'" I whispered under my breath like a mantra as Maegan approached Katherine's lounge chair. I hoped with every ounce of my being that Katherine would see the wisdom of staying away. Our secret rendezvous in her dressing room was one thing, but feigning casual conversation in front of my girlfriend was quite another.

My pleas went unanswered. Katherine rose from her seat and began making her way in my general direction. Maegan followed after, apparently quite pleased at having rescued the new bride.

The pair made quite a study in contrasts as they approached. I'd always thought of Maegan as curvy with her D-cups, but Kat's massive breasts made even those seem unimpressive. Maegan was also much less hippy than Kat. Maegan also had several inches on the diminutive Kat, further accentuating her relative lankiness.

I swallowed uncomfortably as the two beauties approached. Katherine hesitated not at all in stepping into the jacuzzi to my left. Maegan followed suit on my right. Introductions were made and I now found myself between two bikini-clad beauties who I'd each felt up in the last 12 hours. It sounded like some feverish dream or some erotic story from Letters to Penthouse, but I felt distinctly uncomfortable. The raging erection in my trunks wasn't helping.

Fortunately, I didn't have to say much. Maegan asked about Katherine's wedding dress and soon they were talking about all things bridal. Both faced towards me to better address the other, leaving me in the middle. I spent the next several minutes feeling like a spectator at Wimbledon as I followed the conversation back and forth.

Just as I started to relax, Maegan inquired, "So what happened to Kevin? Is he feeling okay? If he's anything like Travis, he wouldn't let his pretty wife wander around a hotel on her own." Maegan giggled, "Of course, if he were like Travis, you'd still probably be in bed! " Maegan nudged me in the ribs. "He's practically insatiable some times!"