Dramatic Amateurs - Act 04

Dramatic Amateurs - Part IV - In the Limelight.

Ella and James get the show on the road...

Ella:

I was sitting at my usual table in the coffee shop when Julia joined me, she was a few minutes later than usual, "Wow, I still can't get over seeing you naked, virtually doing it right there on stage," Her face was a picture of excitement, "and Tony, well what a body, no wonder you..."

"Hello Julia," I cut her off before she announced to everyone in earshot what I'd been up to with my co-star on and off stage. "You enjoyed the play then?"

She got the message and leaned in, "Now you've finished with him, I'd certainly take a crack at him," she sighed, "those trousers, they hid nothing at all!"

I said nothing, just smiled then slipped my coffee.

"You have finished with him?" She looked dubious, "tell me you have?"

Another sip of my coffee was necessary to hide the smile that seemed to break out whenever I thought of him.

"Come on," Julia leaned in close, "spill it, you can't hide anything from me."

I couldn't hide my smile as I replied, "I'm seeing him on Wednesday."

"You don't usually have rehearsals this soon after a play, do you?" She was interested now.

"We've finished rehearsing." I tried to keep my voice level. "It's the real thing now."

"What......Oh! Do you mean what I think...?" She was spluttering now. "But... James, what about him....your husband?"

"He knows," I left at that. Although I knew I'd have to explain, I just wanted to see her squirm.

"WHAT!" She exploded, "sorry, I'll keep my voice down, what do you mean, 'He knows', he knows what?"

"Everything," I smiled at her, "he asked me, you know I can't lie to him, so I told him."

"There's more, I know you, come on tell me." She looked at me expectantly, "I want details."

"Well after you left the party on Saturday we didn't return to it, Tony took me to his house and we... well you know, 'till dawn, we didn't get any sleep at all. After he dropped me home I found James in bed, he looked like he'd hardly slept either."

"My assumption was he'd been waiting up for me, that he was worried about me, I was about to beg his forgiveness but before I could he came right out and asked me if Tony and I had.... you know! I admitted that we had and that I wanted to do it again."

"Are you mad?" She looked incredulous. "You don't ever tell your husband that!"

"Well, I did!" After a pause, "I had a feeling, well I think I knew really, that he wouldn't mind, that he had his own little secret."

"A secret, what sort of 'little secret'?" I had her full, attention now.

"Well, not so little actually, he's been sleeping with Faith," I held her surprised look, our eyes locked together. "All the time we have been rehearsing he's been bedding his assistant. I can see why, she's young, got a lovely body and she's besotted with him, I can see it all very clearly now."

Julia said nothing, just held my gaze waiting for me to continue. "Oh my! I'm so sorry Ella, how long? Did you not suspect anything?"

"It's been going on for nearly nine months now, no, of course I didn't know, OK the signs were there but I was not looking. My attention was elsewhere as you know."

"You said you had a 'feeling' though," Julia had a very concerned look, "what do you mean?"

"Well, to start with our sex life has been dwindling, he's often too tired when I'm in the mood, odd times when I've tried to phone him at home on a Friday he doesn't answer, then I think what clinched it was the after-show party this weekend." I paused as I recalled it, "He never once came to me, well you know you were there. Faith was on his arm all night."

"Yes, I noticed," she blinked rapidly as if trying to recall something. "Yes, now you mention it I saw them sneak off together," I'd spotted them from the other side of the room, "they went to the changing rooms, I didn't see them return but when I next spotted them I thought she had a glow about her, a confident, satisfied look."

"I noticed the glow too, I was pondering that when we walked you and Steve to your car," I paused to find the right words, "then I thought if he can have his fun then why can't I?"

"If I'd known then what I know now I'd have gone with Tony earlier!" I smiled as I thought of the slow-burn seduction and stolen moments Tony, and I had enjoyed. "Perhaps not though, the anticipation got me so hot for him. I'd originally intended it to be a naughty one-time thing as you know. But, well I'm hooked, I'm his now, he has this power, all I know is if he wants me, then I'll go to him!"

"What are you going to do about James?" Julia's face now full of concern, "please don't do anything rash, I'm here if you need me, you know that."

***

James:

Now the play was over I had no ready excuse to meet with Faith, I just knew I had to! The theatre group was having a four-week summer break so Ella would not be attending the weekly rehearsals, I'd arranged to see Faith, so I'd risked my marriage by telling my wife about 'us', about my feelings for Faith.

I just hoped Faith still felt the same now that the excitement of the play was over. I'd soon find out, sitting in my car I took a deep breath then headed to her door and knocked. I waited a few moments, it felt like minutes, was she in? Had she tired of me? Then the door was pulled open.

All I saw was her barely clothed body leap at me as she jumped into my arms, she ignored the flowers I was holding as she rained kisses on me. She was wrapped around me, her feet off the floor, as I closed my arms around her I realised she was dressed in only her very skimpy underwear.

In her excitement she'd obviously forgotten she was outside her door, in full view of anyone that passed, I quickly carried her back into the flat. Leaving the flowers on the hall table I caressed her while we continued to kiss, I held her up by her almost bare bottom. She'd obviously still been getting ready when I knocked and not managed to put on her dress.

It would have been a waste of time anyway, the dress I mean, even her underwear didn't make it to the bedroom, it was disposed of 'en route' along with what I myself was wearing. It was fast and furious, we hadn't even spoken yet, not even a 'hello'! It was only when I rolled off her and we got comfortable that I managed, "Hello beautiful, now that was the sort of greeting a man could get used to."

"Hello lover," her voice low and slightly breathless, "I wasn't sure you'd be able to get away?"

As we lay together I stroked her hair, she traced a fingernail around my chin. "Won't Ella wonder?"

"I told her," I turned to look into her eyes, "about us, you and me, it was the only way."

Faith raised her head to look down on me. "What .... I mean, how? Oh! I don't know, please tell me." She rested her chin in her hand as she watched my face.

"I had a feeling that she and Tony had, well you know, so I just asked if they had." I lifted my head for a kiss, then continued, "Ella is always honest, she said 'yes' and that she wanted to do it again, you know, be 'with' him again!"

"What just like that, she told you that she'd slept with him?" She looked surprised.

"I'm not sure sleep was involved, but she said the first time was in our bed during their final practice session, you remember the evening when you and I met on set before the dress rehearsal?" Faith nodded, "Then the reason we couldn't find her at the end of the after-show party on Saturday is because she went with him to his house."

I felt a soft hand make its way down to my penis, she took it in her hand and gently squeezed. "When she didn't arrive home until dawn I asked her, well it was rather obvious by then I suppose. I had to repay her honesty, I admitted that you and I.... well, you know."

"Was she angry? Do I need to lay low as far as she is concerned, will I have to leave the group?" Faith looked genuinely worried.

"Oh, she's angry alright, I think she's also a little grateful too though. When I said I was seeing you tonight she admitted that she'd already agreed to go on a date with Tony, then she even joked that given what she now knows she might not be back until Sunday!"

"Do you mind?" Her hand was having the desired effect on me as she stroked my hardening manhood to life.

"While I have you, if you still want me, then 'no', it could work out well for us," I kissed her before she could respond, she returned it with interest. "You do still..."

It was her turn to interrupt me with a kiss, as she climbed on top of me, and I felt the warmth of her body as it slid onto me. She answered me enthusiastically, didn't give me the chance to speak, we didn't need to speak, the answer I sought was obvious.

There was no light on at home when I arrived there in the early hours of Thursday morning, I was as quiet as I could be as I moved through the house expecting Ella to be asleep in our spare bedroom where she'd been sleeping since Sunday.

I'd reluctantly kissed my lover 'goodnight' and returned home to my wife; I was a little later than I had expected to be. It hadn't occurred to me that she wouldn't do the same. Not for one moment did I think she was serious when she said she'd stay until Sunday!

My head seemed to have barely touched my pillow when I heard her moving around the bedroom, the clock showed 06:30 Monday morning! Time to get up for work.

As I surfaced I noticed something was wrong, it didn't compute! Yes, definitely something was not right. Ella was taking her clothes off! They were the same clothes she wore to go out in the previous evening when Tony had collected her for their first proper 'date' as she put it, just as I realised the significance of it she'd disappeared from view into the bathroom.

Waiting for to reappear it all came flooding back, our conversation on Sunday, where we'd both been, what we'd been doing, who we'd been doing it with. I felt a smile spread across my face as I remembered my time with Faith, for the second time this week she'd wanted me to stay the whole night, to wake in my arms in the morning but I'd insisted on returning to my wife.

It would appear that Ella held no such loyalty to me! Then again why should she? It dawned on me that my affair had been going on much longer than my wife's, mine in secret, I'd hidden it, Ella, to her credit, had been totally honest with me. I didn't have the right to be annoyed, there was no point in complaining, we needed rules, an understanding, agree how we would behave, where his would lead.

Since our joint confession on Sunday morning, we had carried on more or less as normal, we were both tired, so we slept, slept in the true sense of the word, me in our bed, Ella in the spare room. We got dressed and ate a snack at lunchtime then Ella cooked an evening meal. Our situation was not discussed, we made no plans, there were no questions, no harsh words, no recriminations, we just carried on, quieter than usual I suppose, both wrapped up in our own thoughts, but nothing else.

We both went to work on Monday, ate together that evening and went to our separate beds, the same on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday evening, I was a little late home, Ella was in the shower. She'd made me a salad which I enjoyed, then as I cleared my plate she entered the kitchen, "Will I do, bear in mind it's my first proper date with Tony, he'll be here soon."

She'd looked stunning, even more so than usual, she had an air about her, one I hadn't seen in a long time. Her dress fitted to perfection, she looked, well.... beautiful. I told her so just as the doorbell chimed, she left with, "Don't wait up."

***

Back to this morning, Thursday, she walked back into the bedroom wrapped in a towel drying her hair, "good morning, are you OK?" Her smile instantly brightened the room. She'd not moved her clothes out of our room so began dressing in front of me. She stepped into a pair of sheer black panties, "sorry, it's late and I have to get to work, the bathroom's free if you need it." I watched for a few moments more as she dropped the towel then covered her breasts with her matching bra.

As she zipped up her dress she turned to me then, as if reading my mind, said, "I'll see you tonight and we can talk, agree some rules, is that alright, you will be here won't you?" When she smiled like she did I was putty in her hands. I readily agreed and went for my own morning shower.

***

Ella:

"Well, how did your date with Tony go?" Julia whispered, she'd insisted on meeting me today, unusually she'd sat down next to me rather than opposite, "oh, and is James OK?"

I told her about my date, "Tony picked me up as planned, took me to a nice restaurant, the meal was simple but delicious, he was good company but we both knew why we were there, and the anticipation was tangible. He paid the bill and I thanked him with a kiss, right there in the restaurant."

"We were soon back at his house, I was in his arms almost before the door was closed, there was no pretence. He led me straight to his bedroom and my clothes were quickly dumped in a heap at my feet. He took his time with me, kissing, touching, hugging, teasing, my body screamed out for him to take me. In the end I begged him, yes that's right, me, the woman that has never had to beg for it before, begged him to fuck me, I even used that word."

Julia's eyes were wide, she swiped her lips with her tongue, as I continued. "Still, he took his time, I was desperate by the time he entered me, I came with that first thrust, my body thrashed and writhed under him as he stroked in and out of me. It was exhilarating, wild, full of passion and I loved it, easily the best I can remember, no, the best ever, well until later that is!"

"I'm not sure I can take any more of this," Julia's voice rasped, "Just hearing about it is exciting me, and you got to experience it. You lucky ...."

I'm not sure what she was going to call me but the seats opposite us were then taken by an elderly couple, so we had to end our conversation. Julia looked bereft, "I need to get back to work, can we meet after and finish this?"

She looked daggers at me when I said "sorry" with a smile, that I couldn't tonight, I had a date and needed to go straight home. She wasn't to know it was a date with James and that it was to make decision that would change my life, well our married life anyway. The rest would come later. "See you here on Friday."

***

James:

I was home first, this was not unusual, Ella arrived about ten minutes later, I'd changed and had the kettle on. "Hi, wine or a hot drink!" I said as cheerily as I could to hide my nerves, it was strange we'd both broken the promise we'd made at our wedding. I'd done it first with my hidden affair with Faith. Ella had at least been upfront about hers. I suppose I had engineered it by putting them in such an intimate position.

"Wine please," she smiled at me as she walked past, "I'll just go and change first though."

She went to our room as I made the drinks, I noticed my hands were shaking slightly. Why? I really felt strange; on the one hand I was annoyed that she had stayed out all night with her lover, twice now. I'd always returned home to her, never stayed all night with Faith. Was she getting in deeper than me? The other part of me rationalised that until the weekend she'd no idea that I was seeing Faith, so I had to return home. Whereas she had been completely honest, she'd nothing to cover up.

Why was I worried about her 'getting in deep', I'd already told her that I loved Faith, I was in deep, why shouldn't she develop similar feelings for Tony? I suppose because he was a 'player' that's why, I didn't want her hurt, she mustn't suffer when he moved on from her, which he surely would do at some point.

My introspective thoughts were interrupted when she reappeared, she was dressed only in a long tee-shirt, she certainly had no bra on, the way her breasts moved made it obvious to me. She'd pulled her hair back into a ponytail, her make-up had been washed off. She looked fresh, relaxed, happy, and beautiful. "I've ordered a take-away, it'll be about thirty minutes, do you want to talk now, or..."

I just looked at her, my mouth might even have been hanging open. My wife is stunningly beautiful, not just on the outside, a fact everyone could see, but on he inside too. She'd just learnt that I'd been two-timing her for months, with a younger rival, someone who was virtually her equal in looks and she didn't seem angry, she was just her normal relaxed self.

"Later, your choice," she completed her sentence.

"Might as well get on with it." I managed to collect my wits, "I'll bring the drinks through."

She settled in the corner of the sofa, her legs tucked under her, totally relaxed as I handed her wine to her. She took a sip, then, "I had a good time last night, a really good time, I hope you did too?"

"You stayed out all night, I'd expected you to be home when I got back?" I couldn't help it, try as I might, it sounded accusing, like I was annoyed. Her head snapped back in surprise, her smile gone, I'd overstepped and began to apologise, "sorry, I ...."

"Don't apologise, if it's a problem between us we need to talk it through." She looked and sounded serious her eyes were locked onto mine. "We may not be able to solve all the issues, but we need them out in the open. Anything else?"

"Well...yes, I'm worried that you're falling for a player like Tony, it will be OK to start with then he'll tire of you, and it'll hurt." I tried to sound concerned, but as I said it I realised my motive was jealousy, my wife wanted to be with another man not me, she'd spent the whole night with her lover! "I do still love you and can't stand the thought of you getting hurt."

Ella said nothing for a long moment, she looked into my eyes, her expression unreadable, it felt like she was examining my very soul, then, "How dare you," she eventually said, her voice almost a whisper, "you have a lover. Not just a lover but a long-standing affair with a beautiful woman, one much younger than me. You expect me to accept that, then you get jealous when I enjoy a night of passion with another man."

"I'm sorry..." I started to apologise but she cut me off.

"Don't, just don't alright!" Her eyes were blazing for a moment, then she relaxed, settled back into the sofa. "Look, we each have a lover now, you've kept yours hidden for I don't really know how long, mine is new. I've accepted yours, am I happy? 'No' not at all, but I believe part of you still loves me, but Faith makes you happy, that much I have noticed. I deserve the same freedom you have."

It wasn't a question; I couldn't think what to say, she continued, "this morning I said we needed to agree some rules, this conversation illustrates this perfectly. Let me tell you what I think." She paused, then ticking off on her fingers, "(1) I've loved you for a long time and although I've not yet decided if I'm leaving, I must say it does look likely! So, (2) I will not be sleeping with you, I'll move my things to what will now be my room. (3) I will not ask about the time you spend with her, what you two do together is now up to you. (4) If you plan on bringing her here you will let me know in advance and clean up after yourself. (5) If you want to stay out all night, or longer, that is OK, I'll know where you'll be if I need you.

We looked at each other for a long moment, I took a deep breath, "you want me to reciprocate?" She nodded. "OK, I think I understand. It'll be hard for me, but you are right, you need the same freedom that I enjoy. I agree to your rules." Before I could say more the doorbell rang, our food had arrived

***

Ella:

Tony sounded pleased when I let him know I would be round straight after work and staying with him for the whole weekend.

After we'd eaten the night before I'd told James of my plan to go to Tony, it was his suggestion that I go straight from work the following day. As I packed an 'overnight bag' it had not escaped me that Friday was the day Faith didn't work, and that James worked from home too.