What Flirting Leads To

by Geist, Sean

  I heard the front door open. Instead of bolting, I froze in place. When I heard who had opened the door, any thought of leaving escaped me. It was my wife who walked out onto the front porch followed by – who else – Carl. Suddenly all the tension, the worry, the petty jealousy I thought I had rid myself of returned ten-fold.

  “Are you sure you have to go, Carl,” my wife said. “It's a New Year's Eve party. You have to at least stay til midnight.”

  Carl looked at her, like he wanted to say something, something important, but he couldn't. To my pleasant surprise she didn't beg him to stay.

  “Look Jen, I've had a great time and I'm sorry I kinda invited myself.”

  “That's no problem, Carl. I really should have asked you to come sooner. I would like to consider you a friend.” Jennifer was moving closer as she spoke. If I didn't know better I would assume she was moving in for a goodnight kiss, but that would have been weird. Right?

  As if reading the same signals I saw, Carl grabbed my wife by the shoulders and pulled her in for a kiss, a quick kiss directly on the lips. The move caught her by surprise and her eyes flew open. When he pulled away she just stood there, her lips slightly parted. I figured that was it, and so did Carl. We were both stunned with what happened next. My beautiful, raven-haired wife moved closer and started a kiss of her own.

  This one long, sensuous, one that was completely inappropriate between friends. I wanted to move, to charge up the steps to stop this spectacle, but my feet refused to move. I stood silently and watched from below as my wife made out with another man, a handsome man. I could tell their lips were open, their tongues exploring their partner's mouths.

  I wanted to call out – to put a stop to it - but my tongue betrayed me. So I watched, silently as my wife embraced another man, unable to interfere. It hurt me to watch her hands holding his bald head, her pale fingers standing out against his ebon skin. It was also painfully erotic, my penis became fully engorged and stiffer than I ever remember it being.

  It was funny, my own cock didn't care that I was watching Jennifer kinda cheat on me, although a kiss is far from fucking – far, but not out of the ballpark.

  Time stood still for the three of us. It felt like forever, but I'm sure it was only twenty or thirty seconds – twenty or thirty seconds too many. My wife pulled away.

  “No, no, this is wrong,” she said, “I'm sorry for doing that.”

  I couldn't help but notice the sweat building up on my wife's forehead, despite the evening chill. I also couldn't help but see the erection forming in Carl's jeans. It was a pronounced erection, but hardly the monstrous cock from my worst fears.

  “No need to apologize. It wasn't that bad.”

  “No, in fact it was great,” my wife said, “but it's also so wrong.”

  “What's wrong with two people kissing?”

  “I'm married to someone else.”

  “Does he own you?”

  “Of course not, but I promised to be faithful.”

  “You're the one who started this.”

  “No, you kissed me first,” Jennifer insisted.

  “Yeah, but you kissed me second, and better.”

  “Again, I'm sorry. It was wrong. I got carried away.”

  “But you enjoyed it, admit it.”

  Jennifer paused, her eyes indicating she was searching for the proper answer. She could have lied, but there's no way Carl – or I – would believe it was anything less than pleasurable. Her passion put the lie to any denial.

  “Okay, Yes. I enjoyed it,” she finally said.

  “You've wanted to kiss me for a long time, haven't you? Although you've always rebuffed my flirting.”

  “Flirting's fine. Kissing is – something else.”

  “But you have wanted to, right?”

  Again my wife took her time answering. “I have wondered what it would be like to kiss a black man.”

  “So, is it everything you expected?” Carl said, his face lit up in charming smile. “Is it better than kissing your husband, Michael?”

  I was stunned to hear him say my name and I really needed to hear Jennifer's answer. She didn't hesitate. “No. My husband's kisses are better. Because I love him.”

  And with those words – those kind words – I knew the truth and all my jealous feelings evaporated. I knew she spoke the truth because those words weren't meant for me, they were meant for Carl. She could have said anything – fed his ego – whatever, but she didn't.

  “I'm not saying you kiss bad, you don't. It was nice and, dare I say, a little arousing.”

  “Yeah,” Carl said. He moved to adjust his stiffening cock. “Look what you did to me.”

  “I'm sure you'll be able to take care of that yourself.”

  “You mind if I think of you when I do?”

  Jennifer just snickered and said, “I can't really stop you, can I? Okay, if you're gonna go then go. I gotta get back inside before Michael wonders where I got off to.”

  “You think he'd be jealous if he knew we were out here, together?”

  “No, he's got nothing to be jealous of; I love him.”

  “How about if he knew about the kissing?”

  “Please don't tell him,” Jennifer said, a slight look of panic on her face. “I'm not sure how he'd react. He might totally misunderstand the situation.”

  “So, you don't think he trusts you,” Carl said. The statement caught my wife off guard. This was turning into a very long goodbye. I saw my wife stare out into the night pondering whether or not I trusted her. I wanted to shout out, yes I trust you, but the fact I was secretly listening in on their conversation said something different.

  “I think he trusts me,” Jennifer said.

  “You think or you know?”

  “Hey, I told him about you - always hitting on me at drill – and he still let me invite you.”

  She didn't tell Carl that she hadn't asked my opinion on his coming, but he didn't need to know that. “And speaking of that,” her face took on a more serious expression. “I would greatly appreciate it if you stopped asking me out.”

  “Only if you promise to tell me when you change your mind.”

  When? I thought. This man sure is cocky, but oddly charming.

  The smile returned to Jennifer's face and she laughed, “Fair enough.”

  “How about flirting?” Carl asked.

  Jennifer sighed, “Flirting is fine, just never expect anything to come of it.”

  “It's a deal.” Carl extended his hand for a shake. My wife swatted it away and moved in for a hug.

  “We're still friends, Carl. Don't forget that.”

  “I'm glad.”

  “So am I.”

  And oddly enough, I agreed with my wife.

  They stood there and silently embraced. It was a friendly embrace, nothing sexual, although I'm sure if Carl was still hard Jennifer would have been able to feel his erection against her body.

  The hug did seem to linger on a little longer than it should have, but I didn't mind. Listening to my wife explain her feelings totally trumped any misgivings I might have had about the invitation or the kiss. I loved my wife and she loved me and everything else was just noise.

  Carl left, my wife watched him go, and I snuck back inside through the side door. I wondered if I was man enough to tell her everything I had seen and heard. I was kinda afraid how she would react to finding out I had spied on her, that I might not have trusted her as much as she thought. She already proved how much she loved and trusted me. I just hoped I hadn't gone and fucked that all up.

  The whole conversation she had with Carl filled me with a renewed sense of trust for Jennifer, not that I ever really doubted her. I think I mostly doubted myself.

  As I mingled, making small talk I didn't pay any attention to, I thought about what I saw. My beautiful, sexy, and just a bit tipsy wife kissed another man, and it wasn't just any kiss. It was the kind of kiss you only give to your husband or lover. Despite that kiss and despite the obvious
pleasure she took from it, my wife still chose to stay faithful to me. She confessed her love for me, even though I wasn't there, and she didn't hedge. I imagine if she wasn't married to me, she'd have no reservations about sleeping with Carl. She'd probably love to see if his prowess on the dance floor could be equaled in the bedroom. She could admit the attraction she felt, but she still loved me, and that made all the difference.

  I just hoped I'd be as faithful if the opportunity to stray ever came my way.

  I was in the dining room munching on some warm veggies when Issac stopped the music and my wife called for quiet.

  “Okay, everyone, gather round,” she said. It's five minutes to midnight.” She asked a couple of people to go gather up anyone who was still lingering in the booze room and out on the patio. “Where's my husband?”

  “Right here, sweetie,” I said.

  “Could you grab the remote and turn on Dick Clark.?”

  No New Year's Eve would feel right without Dick Clark. Jennifer and I grew up watching his New Year's Rockin Eve broadcasts from Time Square. It was a tradition, one I hoped would never end.

  I turned on ABC and everyone watched the world's oldest teenager fuel the build up to the new year. I thought of all the mundane crap we'd shortly have to deal with, again, assuming the Y2K bug didn't shut everything down. We'd have to get new checks, ones that didn't have 19__ pre-printed on them. And how would we refer to the year? Was it two thousand, or twenty ought-ought.? Easy for this year, what about next? I guessed we'd have to wait and see.

  The din of about twenty-six people packed in two rooms started to die down as the minute hand ticked closer to zero. The countdown started on television as the ball at the top of One Time Square started to fall.

  “In thirty seconds we'll be in a new year, love,” I said.

  “Hell, we'll be in a whole new century.” she added.

  “Don't say that too loud, Anne-Marie might argue with you.”

  Jennifer looked at me with a quizzical gleam in her eye.

  “Never mind,” I said.

  The crowd on the television started chanting the countdown, “Twenty... Nineteen”

  I looked around at the crowd we had gathered. It was a great feeling, to be surround by some of our best friends – people we've known for a long time, like Linda and José and those who were more recent, like Jason and Crystal.

  I only wished Keith could have been here, and I bet Jennifer would have been more than pleased if Carl could have stayed.

  When the countdown got to ten, we all joined in, “Nine... Eight.”

  I put my arm around Jennifer's waist.

  “Six... Five”

  She moved her's lower, to palm my butt.

  “Three... Two... One.”

  I turned and kissed my wife.

  Everyone but us yelled, “Happy New Year!” and that's when the power went out.

  Chapter 4

  “What the fuck?” more that one person said.

  “Calm down, everyone,” Jennifer said, her military training kicking in.

  The moment of darkness only lasted a split second; our emergency lights kicked on. In several outlets, strategically placed throughout the house, we had re-chargeable emergency lights, really just small flashlights that plugged in and came on when the power went out. Just another way my wife liked to be prepared. That's why I love her.

  “Is this the Y2K thingy?” someone said.

  “Nah, that's just an urban legend.”

  “Not according to the news.”

  “Yeah, and they never lie.”

  We soon had over twenty people in various stages of intoxication talking simultaneously and nobody could make out what anyone was saying. I was going to ask Jennifer what she wanted me to do, when a blaring whistle nearly blew my left ear drum out.

  It was Jennifer's whistle, and where she had that thing tucked away, I didn't want to know. Everyone quickly quieted down. The only sound I heard was the reverberation in my head.

  My wife broke the silence, “I said, calm down.” Several people started up again, talking all at once, just not everyone.

  “What's going on?”

  “Did your power go out?”

  “Was it the computers?

  “Or maybe the Soviets.”

  “There are no more Soviets, idiot.”

  “Hey!” Jennifer said in a voice I'm sure brings chills to the spines of cadets at training camp. “Do NOT make me use this whistle again.”

  The room was quiet.

  “That's better,” she said. “Obviously the power is out, but we've got lights.” That was an exaggeration. What we had were four or five pools of light that clung low against the wall. “Michael, go get the candles out of the basement.” Remember, my wife's prepared.

  I grabbed one of the lights from the wall and headed out on my quest. I knew the layout of the house, so it wasn't hard maneuvering in the dark. I just had to avoid tripping over anyone.

  The door to the basement was in the kitchen. Out the window, I saw our neighbors power was also out, as were the street lights. We weren't the only ones. I started thinking maybe the Y2K thing was more of a threat than anyone imagined. Maybe this was the end of civilization.

  “I guess Keith didn't finish his project in time,” I said to myself.

  I made my way downstairs and easily found a box of a dozen plain white candles and a pack of safety matches. In our house, everything was in it's place.

  By the time I got back upstairs, most everyone was gone. Linda, Ted and Jennifer were sitting on the couch and chatting. My cousin Anne-Marie was laying, face down on the floor while José knelt next to her and massaged her neck. Jason was helping Issac carry his gear out to the car.

  “This all that's left?” I asked as I began setting out and lighting the candles.

  “Crystal's in the john,” José said.

  “So, just the seven of us then?”

  “I think Jason said he's coming back,” my wife said. “Not like we have anywhere else to go.”

  “Maybe no one has anywhere else to go if this is the end.” Linda said.

  “It's not the end.”

  “I don't want to raise my child in a Mad Max hell-scape.”

  Ted just sighed. Jennifer laughed. My wife could tell her friend was joking, even if her husband didn't.

  “Hey, I'm next,” Crystal said to José as she emerged from the hallway, an emergency light in her hand.

  “Take a number,” Jennifer said.

  The red-head grunted and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. She was obviously not happy to have to wait for a back rub.

  “I should charge you girls for this.” José said.

  “If you're gonna charge, I want one, too,” Jason said. He did come back.

  “Never mind,” José said.

  “What do we do now?” I asked.

  “Guess we could call it a night,” my wife said. “Anyone tired?”

  No one said anything.

  “Me, neither. But I am hungry and we've got plenty of food left.” Jennifer got up and headed to the dining room. “Anyone want anything while I'm up?”

  Everyone said yes.

  “Great,” she said to herself and started filling plates with food. I went to help her.

  I told her it looked like the whole neighborhood was in the dark.

  “The phone still has a dial tone, so I don't think we're in the End of Days if Ma Bell still has power.”

  I offered to go down and get the battery powered radio; yes, we had one of those.

  “Nah.”

  “Don't you want to know what's going on?”

  “I'm sticking with power company FUBAR until there's a reason not to.”

  “And if we wake up to rioting in the streets?”

  “Don't worry, Michael,” my wife said, in her sweetest, most motherly voice. She held my cheek in her hand and added, “I'll protect you.” She was joking, but only slightly. Candles and batteries were not the only things we had s
tored in the basement.

  For the next hour the eight of us sat and chatted, ate and drank.

  “Let's play a game,” Linda said. Everyone agreed.

  “Nothing that forces me move” Crystal said, not wanting to give up her turn under José's skilled hands.

  “How about Truth or Dare,” someone said, I think Anne-Marie.

  “What, are we in high school?” Jason said.

  “Ok, how about just Truth,” Linda said. “We all get to ask each other personal questions with embarrassing answers.

  “Uhm – sure,” I said. “Who goes first?”

  “You do, honey,” Jennifer said, the candle on the end table next to her illuminating the wicked grin on her face. She was looking to have some fun and she was forcing me to set the tone for our little game. Oh, joy.

  “Okay, since you're making me go first I get to make a new rule.”

  “Why?” Ted said.

  “Because, it's my house.”

  “Fair enough.” Ted was always pretty easy to get along with. He was going to make a great dad.

  “Okay. The rule is everyone has to answer the questions. And the person with the most interesting answer gets the next turn.”

  “Who decides the best answer?” Jason said.

  “The questioner. That okay?”

  No one had any problems.

  “Great, first question. Have you ever kissed a woman?”

  “That's easy. Yes,” Jason said. An affirmative answer came from Ted and José as well. I didn't really care about them, I wanted to hear from the ladies.

  Linda said, “Yes.” Ted looked at her funny. She just stared at him and grinned. I could tell in the dim candle light that she was just barely controlling herself, like she wanted to burst out laughing.

  “Really?” Jason said. “We need details.”

  “You guys really want to know?”

  “Yes,” was the unanimous answer.

  “My Mom,” she said and burst out in giggles. All the other girls did, too, and started to answer yes.