Part 4
Janet and I rounded up four kids who were still bouncing off the walls at getting to sit in the movie theater on their own. It made little difference that they had parents only half-dozen rows behind them or that the theater was empty accept for them. They were proud to have watched the movie by themselves, and they talked excitedly amongst themselves as we headed to the car. Their cheerful banter continued the entire drive back to my house.
Janet and I, on the other hand, were quiet. We were both running through the upcoming conversation with our spouses. In what had to be the most bizarre twist of reality, I was more concerned about my wife's reactions than mine. Allison and Gary knew only one half the story, and certainly had to be concerned about how Janet and I would handle the discovery that they were sleeping together.
Because of our long history as friends, I spared little energy worrying about how Gary was handling the situation. He'd slept with a couple of my girlfriends in the past, as well as several former girlfriends. Though this was different, I was confident he had spent the past couple hours thinking of some wisecrack to try and put me at ease. Little did he know there was nothing to forgive, and I was no more concerned about him fucking my wife than I had been about him fucking my girlfriends.
Janet, though not a part of the more sordid parts of our past, had been sleeping with me for months, and she seemed neutral on the whole subject of her husband sleeping with another woman. I don't know that she liked the idea, but she wasn't throwing anything, either.
That left Allison, who was the complete unknown. With any luck, Gary might have been able to keep her calm by letting her know that I had never been one to throw a relationship away because of situations like this. (Truth be told, I have, but never when he was involved.) If he said the wrong thing, or she didn't listen to or believe him, it was quite likely Allison would be a wreck when we got to the house.
We arrived home, and Janet pulled into the driveway. I asked her to take her time getting the kids out of the car while I made sure everything was ready for them to be in the house. She helped the younger kids, asking the older two to stay in the car while I hurried into the house.
Gary and Allison were both in the living room when I walked in. Allison was visibly nervous, and her eyes were a bit red and puffy. Gary, well, he was Gary. Unflappable, completely calm. "How was the movie," he asked.
"Fine. The kids had a blast. I think we'll set them up in the basement with a show while we talk. They still have some popcorn and drinks, so should be fine for a while."
I went back out to the car and helped Janet finish unloading kids, food, and our backpack. We herded the kids into the house, telling them the adults were going to talk while they watched some Disney downstairs. The kids love any chance to watch shows, especially when it's "extra" t.v. After they all said hello to Gary and Allison, Janet and I took them to the basement and set them up with everything they needed. We told them to yell if they needed anything, and to wait until one of the adults came down to get them before coming upstairs.
With the kids settled in, Janet and I headed back upstairs for what was an inevitable meeting. Gary and Allison were sitting in the two recliners, so I sat on the couch, and Janet, having no panties on, remained standing. We waited there for some time, an uncomfortable silence hanging in the room. It was Janet who finally broke the silence.
"I guess it would be fair to say that none of us wanted what happened earlier to occur. You didn't want us to walk into this house, and we definitely weren't expecting to see that when we stopped here for pull-ups."
Allison turned red, and her eyes started to tear up. Gary fought with his face, which was caught somewhere between the smug look that came naturally and the humble guilt he was going for. I choked back a laugh watching him try to pass himself off as remorseful. I'd been here, before, and knew that Gary's primary concern was with how his wife might react.
Janet continued to do all the talking. "Tom and I discussed it at the movies, and decided we need time to think things over, as well as give you two time to consider things, yourselves. So, you two get to watch the kids, tonight. Tom and I need time to talk without having four kids underfoot. I'm guessing you had plenty of time, already."
Allison started to say she was sorry, but couldn't get it out past the tears.
Though I wasn't ready to share the whole story, I wanted to make sure both Gary and Allison understood where Janet and I stood. "Look, we're not running out to hire lawyers. We're not going out to plan divorces. We just have to get our heads around what happened here. Things will look much different, tomorrow, after a night to think things over."
Janet jumped back in, adding, "We're all friends, and we all have strong feelings for each other. That's why we all need to step back and take a bit to calm down. For Tom and me, that means a chance to just think. So, we'll be back, tomorrow. We already told the kids that they're having another sleepover, here this time. I'll bring in some of the girls' clothes and I'm sure there are plenty of pajamas, here. Dinner is up to you."
I don't know if Allison or Gary agreed with our approach, but there wasn't a lot they could say. After all, they were the ones having sex when Janet and I walked in. So, they had to go along with it. Janet ran to her car and grabbed some things for her girls, and we ran down to say good-bye to the kids. We told them to listen told them to have fun and listen to Gary and Allison, then hopped into Janet's car and headed out.
