The Adulterer's Unofficial Guide to Family Vacations, A Novel

by Langtry, Leslie

  “I don’t want you to promise me anything,” I looked at him, “I don’t even know what I’m asking for. We’ve sidelined this conversation so many times knowing we had a few more days to continue in bed.”

  Alan nodded, “I know. I’ve been swept away by my emotions. But in two days, we have to go home and I want to know that you’ll meet me in New Mexico after that.”

  Ok. We’ve gone from let’s get married to let’s just take it one day at a time, but change our lives completely while we do that. My lack of response seemed to surprise him. Without a word, he withdrew his arm from me, picked up his chair and opened his door.

  “I’ll see you in the morning, then,” was all he said before the door clicked shut and my jaw dropped on the floor. Great Laura. That’s just fucking great.

  Chapter 22

  The annual holiday party was a total bust, as they often were. Academic faculty can be a really dull lot sometimes and this occasion was no exception. The only excitement was that Geoff Anders and Henry Jameson were drunk enough to come to blows as they revisited their usual argument on whether or not Harry Potter was literary.

  I was kind of rooting for the fight, albeit silently. Nick hadn’t turned up and I was tired of the same old ‘what are you doing for break,’ crap. Rolling my eyes at nothing in particular, I headed to the bar for another vodka tonic.

  “Same old, same old, eh?” Nick’s soft voice surprised me from behind.

  My skin began to tingle with gooseflesh. He always had that effect on me, “I’m hoping for an actual fistfight between Geoff and Henry,” I responded.

  Nick looked at the two men thoughtfully, “You don’t know what it was like before Geoff came. Henry used to argue with Pauline about the divinity of Tolkein.”

  I looked at Pauline, standing in the corner. She was tall and thin, a very quiet but intelligent woman. “No wonder he switched to Geoff. I think Pauline could take him.”

  I handed the bartender money and accepted my drink, turning my attention to the two men. Their faces were nearly purple with rage. Neither one of them had wives, so this was pretty much their idea of a good time. No one, as usual, attempted to break it up.

  “So,” I smiled at Nick, “Henry is trapped in the land of elves and muggles. No wonder he’s such a freak.”

  Nick laughed softly, his green eyes dancing with amusement, “No wonder he’s never gotten laid.”

  My whole body tensed as he said, ‘laid.’ After all these months, all those cozy little three-hour lunches, I was completely smitten with Nick. I wondered if he knew how little it would take for him to get me into bed?

  Nick guided me by the elbow to the nearest table, where he pulled out the chair for me then sat down. He caught me staring at him and held my gaze long enough to know that he was game for whatever happened tonight. Somehow I just knew that we would become lovers within the hour. His hand slipped briefly over mine, then squeezed it and returned to his drink.

  It was Nick who introduced me to the vodka tonic, and I was pathetically addicted. We must have had four or five in half an hour. Interestingly enough, we said very little. As if we knew something big was about to happen.

  During my fifth drink, I felt his hand on my knee beneath the table. My eyes closed in response and I concentrated on his fingers slowly sliding up and down my thigh. My body became instantly aroused, and it showed.

  When I opened my eyes, I saw that he had been watching me with a slight smile. Some small speck of conscience inside me screamed that I should ask about his wife… talk about my husband… something, but I crushed the rebellion and smiled back. My own hand slid to his leg and began caressing his thigh. We must have looked ridiculous to everyone else, quietly sitting in a corner, our hands under the table, arms moving. But I didn’t care.

  Nick’s chest was rising and falling rapidly. I grew bolder and slid my fingers closer to his groin. His moan shot through me like a rocket and I could tell my panties were soaked. Now what? My guess was that for him, getting up from the table was impossible. The tablecloths reached the floor. Would we be able to slip beneath the tables?

  “My car,” Nick groaned, his voice deep with lust, “five minutes.” Wisely placing his jacket over his forearm in front of his hips, he rose from the table and disappeared.

  My eyes took in the whole room. No one seemed to notice us. In fact, a crowd had gathered to watch as Henry punched Geoff in the nose. A trickle of blood oozed out and Geoff threw Henry to the floor. No one was watching me. I rose from my chair and fled through the door.

  Nick drove a dark red mini-van. While not considered the sexiest of vehicles, I still get flushed and swollen (in all the right places) to this day when I see a red mini-van. I scanned the lot, and found him idling twenty feet away. It didn’t take me long to race over and climb in. He pulled out of the parking lot and together we drove off. Neither one said a word. We had a pretty fair idea of what would happen.

  The car turned down a wooded, gravel road about ten miles out of town. He was taking me to his farm!

  “Diana is out of town and it’s completely isolated,” he said, as if reading my thoughts. I just nodded dumbly. He pulled up behind an old barn and opened his door. In a few seconds, he opened my door and helped me out. I followed him around to the back of the van, and watched in a daze as he opened the hatch. I wasn’t even shocked to see that the back two bench seats had been removed, replaced with pillows and blankets. I guess we both knew this was inevitable. He had left the car running so it was warm inside. Without a word, we climbed in and closed the hatch.

  I wiggled out of my coat and tossed it up front. He had made all the moves. It was my turn to take charge. Gingerly, I climbed into his lap and began kissing him. His arms encircled me at once. We kissed for a while, taking it slowly, enjoying it. Nick was an amazing kisser. His lips were soft, yet desperate and there was no mistaking the desire behind them.

  My emotions ran amok. I became more responsive to his touch. I didn’t just want him. I needed him. Gently, he lowered me to the floor and lay beside me, kissing me while his hands stroked my hair, face and neck. For some reason, this one moment seemed to mean more than making love to Mike ever had. My mind was completely possessed by Nick. His fingers trailed to my shirt, and he carefully undid each button. It was pure agony, waiting for him to finish. When he was done, he slipped it off of me. The exposure of my skin to the air had an electric effect. My body throbbed with need.

  “I’ve wanted this for so long,” Nick whispered huskily, causing me to tremble. “I wanted you the moment you sat down with me in that damned cafeteria.”

  “Oh, Nick,” I began to respond brokenly, but he silenced me with his index finger to my lips. I didn’t protest.

  “I want to know what my touch does to you. How my fingers feel on your skin,” he continued while I shook with passion. He removed my bra so fast I barely remember it. As my breasts sprang free, I saw the effect he had on me.

  His head dipped, kissing my shoulders while his hands slowly traced the outline of my breasts. Finally, he took one of the nipples into his mouth, caressing my breast with his hand at the same time. I cried out in anguish and could feel the warm flow of tears on my cheeks.

  He refused to be distracted and his hand traveled down my stomach, disappearing under my skirt. For a moment, Nick worked over my panties, sliding his hand back and forth. My body bucked wildly and my hands reached for his shirt.

  Nick pushed them away, “No. Not yet.” He continued his exploration of my body as I continued to weep in silence. All I wanted to do with the rest of my life was lay there in the back of his van with him. Nothing else mattered more than that.

  Finally, his fingers slipped beneath my panties, finding my labia. He stroked my clitoris firmly and it only took a moment before I felt the climax coming. Nick’s eyes were on mine, and the moment I started to come, he kissed me hard. I exploded into a million pieces… or so it felt. The sensation went on and on as the tide turned and his kisses beca
me rougher, more feverish.

  The rest of my clothes joined my coat in the front seat as I straddled him, my tongue exploring his as my hands tore at his clothes. Somehow, I managed to remove his shirt and he pulled me hard against his chest. I lost track of my heartbeat, only feeling his as I lay on top of him.

  “You feel so good, so very, very good,” he was having trouble speaking, “I want to make love to you, Laura.”

  “Not yet,” somehow I managed to find my voice. I moved down and unbuckled his belt, unzipped his fly and slid off his pants. When I first saw him naked, I gasped. He was huge! No wonder he wanted to make sure I was aroused first!

  My hormones took control and I swallowed his cock. Nick responded by groaning. I’d never felt anything so hard. It drove me crazy and I drove my mouth up and down, over and over until he pulled me to the floor.

  “Please, Nick,” I begged, “please make love to me!”

  Nick smiled and entered me slowly. He obviously understood what he was doing. I couldn’t breathe as wave after wave of pleasure washed over me. As he towered over me, his eyes never left mine. I felt like my body and soul were trapped simultaneously in time, and I didn’t want to be anywhere else. He pulled back, then thrust in again and again and within minutes I came hard. As I opened my eyes, panting with exhaustion, I saw that he was close to his climax.

  Nick’s body shuddered with the impact of his orgasm. His guttural cries shook the night before he collapsed beside me.

  For a few moments, we lay there, side by side on our backs, staring at the fogged up windows. Our breathing was shattered and raw. And I realized that I had absolutely no idea what to say or do next.

  Nick leaned up on his arm, looking at me. His index finger traced my profile, “My God. That was amazing.”

  I started to laugh and cry at the same time, “You have no idea.”

  “If you give me a few minutes, we can do it again.” his voice was heavy.

  “I couldn’t bear the thought of doing anything else,” I answered.

  We made love for several hours. I’m sure the shocks went out on the van at some point. The air smelled of our bodies and their juices. I didn’t care. I forgot who I was and what I was doing. Nothing else mattered.

  The sky turned from navy to lavender and I realized that it was morning. We said nothing else, not making future plans, no promises or expectations. We got dressed and climbed back into the front seat. As he dropped me off at my car, Nick reached over and kissed me, then toyed with a lock of my hair. I got out and by the time I reached my car, he was gone.

  Winter Break began the day after the holiday party, so I didn’t see Nick for two, agonizing weeks. Mike and I took the kids to numerous family gatherings and the usual Christmas stuff. There was enough to keep me busy so I didn’t spend all my time counting the days until I could see my lover again. Okay, so I spent most of my time counting the days.

  Bedtime was the worst. Not because of having sex with Mike. Actually, that didn’t seem to be affected. No, it was once he fell asleep that the torture began. Over and over I’d replay every minute of that night. I could still feel Nick’s touch on my body. Every wonderful word he said ran through my brain. Too many nights I didn’t sleep, replaying it moment-by-moment in my head until the alarm went off and I went about my day completely, sexually frustrated.

  During bits of the day that required me to be alone, such as washing clothes, doing dishes, making dinner, I would practice all the things I’d say to Nick when I saw him again. I worried over each word, every phrase. Should I be clever? Should I throw myself at him? Common sense dictated to me that I should cut off all lines of communication. Yeah, right. Like I was going to do that.

  The idea that I was committing adultery didn’t seem to bother me in the least. I didn’t feel guilty. And that seemed odd to me. Somewhere along the line I’d decided that I would be happy to pursue the affair. And the day before school began, I realized that I was in love with Nick.

  Monday afternoon, I arrived in the cafeteria at the usual time, my heart on my sleeve and holding my breath. Nick was waiting for me, grinning that delectably wicked smile of his. I pulled up my chair and sat opposite him, trying with all my strength not to touch him.

  “How was break?” I attempted to be nonchalant.

  “Miserable,” he replied. “I don’t want us to go this long not seeing each other.”

  And that’s when the bottom obediently dropped out of my world. So, there would be a next time?

  “I was hoping you would say that,” I replied as calmly as possible.

  Not too far from campus, on the old interstate heading south out of town, was a tiny hotel. The rooms were small and clean, and I believe that Nick and I were its only source of income. For the next nine months, we spent nearly every weekday afternoon there from 1:30 to 4pm. In between lovemaking marathons, we would talk about what was happening between us. The conversations wore me out more than the actual sex. Nick and I soon discovered that we were in love with each other.

  I felt like a ticking bomb. I lived for every afternoon. No one at the college or home seemed to suspect anything and my clandestine activities began to eat away at me. I found solace only in Nick’s arms, in the one place I should never have been. Somehow, I managed to successfully fool everyone. Including myself. Especially myself.

  In April, we began to joke about running away together. By May, the idea had taken root. I don’t know if we ever would have acted on it. But I do know that it was all I thought about.

  Nick was amazing. He seemed to know what I was thinking. It was as if he could read my moods through telepathy. He was generous, considerate, and unbelievable in bed. And I mean unbelievable. Our conversation was intelligent, interesting. He made me laugh. I forgot about everyone else but me. Unfortunately, that included Jenny and Ben.

  When we talked about running away, we weren’t talking about taking our children with us. At first it seemed harmless, like we were just fantasizing. Hell, I even forgot we had kids. All that mattered to me was being with Nick. Life outside Room Two at the Travel Inn simply didn’t exist.

  On a sunny afternoon in late May, as I lay spent in the arms of the man I loved, something began to bother me. I had forgotten something, I thought. And the importance was severe. As each minute ticked by my anxiety grew. What the hell was it? Did I miss a doctor’s appointment? Were we out of milk? Shit! My mind raced. Today was a big day. But why? Nick dozed off beside me, and I sat up in bed, believing of course that an upright position would help me think. The clock on the nightstand said 3pm. I wasn’t late. We still had an hour.

  That’s when the cell phone went off. I leaped out of bed and ran to my purse. Nick sat up groggily, but didn’t speak.

  “Laura?” Mike sounded agitated. Uh oh. What had I forgotten?

  “Hey Honey. What’s up?”

  “Where in the hell are you?” Yup, he was pissed. But about what?

  “At school. I was tied up with a couple of students. Why?”

  There was silence on the other end and for one terrifying moment I thought he knew. “We’re all at Andy’s Pizza, waiting for you!”

  Oh my God. I felt like I was drowning. Jenny and Ben’s birthday. We were meeting the family there at two-thirty. My whole family was waiting for me and I was in bed with another man. I was pretty sure this blew my chance for Mother of the Year.

  Chapter 23

  I raised my fist to his door. Alan wasn’t going to end the night like this. The door flew open immediately.

  Alan took me in his arms, “I’m sorry. It’s just been a long day…”

  I pushed away from his chest. “Alan,” I paused, licking my lips, “I haven’t been entirely honest with you.”

  “About what?” There wasn’t any malice or concern in his voice.

  My eyes couldn’t meet his, as I fidgeted, then returned to my chair. “About Nick. When I told you we just made love once. I was holding back.”

  Alan looked at me carefully,
then pulled his chair back out of the room and closed the door, “Why didn’t you tell me everything?”

  “I wanted to see how you handled the news that I’d had an affair first.”

  “You could’ve told me later.” He took my hands in his.

  My chest rose and fell as I took a deep breath, “I know. I should have.” I didn’t wait for him to reply. I just plunged in. Told him about the motel, everything. Words poured from my mouth before I could control them, rein them in and edit them. For some reason, it was very important to get it over with as soon as possible.

  Alan was silent for a moment when I finished. Once again, we were on the patio outside the rooms, waiting for the kids to finish their naps. We hadn’t seen any of our neighbors on this trip, but I suspected that if they overheard, they were keeping quiet in order to hear more. After all, we were providing a lot of drama.

  “Did you make it to the twins’ birthday party?” He asked softly.

  “Yes, I made it. Mike was pissed because I was late. I don’t think he suspected what I was really up to. And that hurt.”

  “Because he didn’t realize what was going on with you?” Alan responded.

  “Exactly. He didn’t even seem to care why I was late.” I uncrossed my legs. My muscles complained.

  “But that didn’t bother me as much as the idea that I’d ignored my own children in order to have an affair. I really beat myself up over that.”

  And did I ever. I still felt a twinge of guilt when I thought of Nick. Here I was, confessing my sins, and it felt just as bad as it had the moment I answered the phone in that motel room. I wanted to be a good mom. That’s why we came here – to spend time together. I couldn’t cancel that just because Mike dropped out of the trip. He would always drop out.

  A small, sharp stab in my heart made me wonder if that’s what I was doing here. Was I spending enough time with the kids? Sure, they wanted to play with their friends. But were they really getting more quality time with me?