Ending Remorseful Nights

"Invest? But that's completely unnecessary in this country Mick You'd be surprised how easy it is to get legs to open with just a few kind words."

Mick stalked off and the six other women at the table were spluttering into their hands, looking at Annie as if she were Queen Annie. Well perhaps there were a couple of disapproving looks.

"Would you rate his seduction technique highly?" whispered one of her table companions.

"Sorry girls. My mouth is sealed. I cannot confirm there was a relationship. I have no wish to soil my fine reputation."

The women, apart from the one who'd asked the question, nodded in apparent approval.

"God, I'd die if I had an affair," said one of the more uptight women.

"No, no, no," called three women who colored hugely when Annie said, "Oh my, this a table of unfaithful women."

"Er, does anyone know when the end of winter sales start?" asked one of the embarrassed women.

They all laughed when one of the younger women answered, "Who cares. Can't we continue talking about sex? I'm not sure that two years after my wedding I'm getting enough?"

Several women prepared to give their opinions but it was Annie's turn to be embarrassed when the young woman said, "You first Annie. You appear to be the most experienced person at this table."

That evening Tony came in from the garden like a little boy with a cut finger, acting as if he feared amputation was in store for him. Annie bathed the finger and inspected it.

"Does it look serious?"

"No. It's just a small cut. It won't require a stitch. Sticking plaster will pull the serrated edges together."

"Serrated edges?" Tony's voice almost faltered.

"That's the best kind of cut for quick healing. With luck there will be no apparent scar. Do you think you'd lose your finger?"

"No," Tony said, unable to hide the lie.

"Oh you big softie. Give me a kiss and mummy will then fetch the ointment and plaster. Would you like me to bandage over the plaster?"

"Do you think that's necessary?"

Annie smiled and said no and Tony said in that case no bandage.

A few minutes later they sat on the sofa and Tony pulled Annie across him with his good arm and he held up the injured finger bravely with Annie wondering how he would have coped had he lopped off the tip of that finger. She had nothing but kind feelings for her Peter Pan right now.

"Annie?"

"Yes dear."

"I've asked you this many times but do you have regrets coming out here to Australia with me?"

"No, of course not. We've had a good life here. Had I turned down your proposal and stayed in England I probably would have married a schoolteacher and would now be living in the same council flat we shifted into after I became pregnant for the first of my seven children."

"Seven children. Oh god. What would have happened to your body?"

"It would have grown fat and saggy."

"Oh thank goodness I saved you from that."

"Yes you did my hero."

Tony kissed her gently. "There is something I have to tell you."

Ohmigod, Annie thought. The jerk is having an affair!

"Uh-huh," she croaked, not daring to ask what is it dear?

"Before leaving work this afternoon I was called into the chairman's office and the deputy chairman who heads the appointments committee and the CEO were there. This is very hush-hush because we are a publicly listed company and all such announcements must be made to the stock exchange before it opens in the morning. I was invited to accept the position of group chief engineer and I accepted."

"What, chief across the group of companies?"

"Yes, a huge salary increase, my Holden upgrades to a BMW Series 7 and there are other perks."

"Oh Tony, darling, kiss me. I'm so proud of you. "I'm calling the girls over..."

"No, please do that tomorrow night darling. Say nothing just yet. I don't wish to be involved in breaking Stock Exchange rules. Get them all over for drinks and then I'll take you out to dinner."

Tony was on fire in bed that night and Annie thought who could blame him and turned herself full on. They were so exhausted they fell asleep without cleaning up and it was the first night for years she'd not lay staring at the ceiling – er, apart from when laying under Tony.

They had a great family night out on Friday and the next morning Tony rushed out to fetch the paper and beaming proudly showed Annie a small paragraph below his photo in the business section of the Sydney Morning Herald announcing his appointment.

Annie showed excitement but wondered what was the use of printing information that small. Nobody would notice it. They had decided to have a small party for friends that evening and then the phone rang. She answered. The call was for Tony and almost three hours later the calls had stopped. Annie couldn't believe so many people would read a newspaper so thoroughly to catch a small snippet like Tony's appointment.

The party began very genteelly but small had become large because Tony had invited people who'd called, and genteel become wild. Annie remembered Donald McDonald attempting to fuck her standing up in the pantry but he was too drunk to unzip and when she tried the zip jammed and she fell out backwards when someone opened the pantry door and Donald also fell, pulling down the shelf of packs of herbs, dried fruit, pasta, sugar and floor over himself, Annie and the Mrs McDonald who had been knocked down when the door opened.

"Donald, what were you doing in there with Annie?"

"What?"

"He was inspecting my shelving. He's a structural engineer you know Doris."

"Of course I know that," Doris said. "I'm his wife. Well you certainly do have a shelving problem. I thought you two were in there fucking."

"Doris please, I'm a married woman."

"And that means?"

"I'm not sure Doris. Here, allow me to dust that flour off you. Do you know when the end of winter sales start?"

"Tomorrow according to the ads I say in this morning's newspaper."

Annie staggered into the bedroom and found her best friends taking turns to suck Tony's cock.

Sally and Pat looked at her big-eyed by didn't stop their bout of cock sharing.

"Oh bloody hell, sorry darling," Tony said, when spotting her.

"It's okay darling. Be sure you fuck them well. I'm glad my friends are turning this into a great celebration for you. Enjoy him you sluts – my darling is excellent at shafting. Don't impregnate them darling."

"Honey, we're around your age," Sally grinned, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Annie woke up on the floor of the lounge around 4:00. She remembered someone fucking her but couldn't remember who it was. It appeared everyone had gone so she turned off the running tap in the kitchen sink, locked up and turned out all the lights and switched off the CD player.

She turned on the light in the bedroom and Sally, nude, sat up and she smiled and held out her arms. Annie put out the lights and climbed in beside Sally who tweaked Annie's nipple and then kissed her, tonguing.

God did she want to do this... sex with another woman? She thought no so told Sally to go back to sleep and turning over she said, "You can cuddle me if you wish Sally. I'd like that. But no pushing into my holes. Was Tony a good fuck?

"Truly great, I'm so jealous you have him on tap. Pat wanted it up the ass but he wouldn't so she went off in a huff."

"Good night darling."

"Good night Annie. I try to be gone because Tony wakes... unless we want a threesome."

"No, just disappear early."

Annie turned on to her back and stared at the ceiling. She wondered what was happening to her. All this sex and not knowing who that guy was who got to her in the lounge or perhaps it was a woman with a strap-on. God this had to stop. She was too old for this kind of rubbish and anyway it was immoral.

Immoral? Annie was surprised she was thinking like that. What did she know about morality? Oh yeah. Well she knew rather a lot about the principles of morality. They formed part of the glue that provided adhesion in a community and helped make it work in an orderly manner. It went with respect didn't it? Yes it did. And why was she becoming involved in adultery after all those years of abstinence? A strange feeling swept over Annie and she thought that was guilt. Ohmigod, it was shame. She'd surrendered her values without much thought other than to have a fling before it was too late. But she'd run amok last night and er early this morning. She felt ashamed of her behavior. Being drunk was only a pathetic excuse. She ought to have torn into her two friends for sucking Tony and they would have expected her to yell and pull them away from Tony.

You over-sexed bitch, she thought. You always have wallowed in excessive sex with Tony and now he's slowed down you were only too eager to look elsewhere for someone to thrill you. Did you think for a moment about Tony? No you didn't you selfish bitch. What a slut you are. Tears tolled and Annie fell asleep.

Annie awoke feeling dreadful, the affects of the booze and being spiritually low. Well she was a fallen woman, wasn't she? She felt behind her for Sally hoping she wouldn't accidentally touch her pussy. Sally wasn't there. Annie turned and saw Tony wasn't there. So they were out in the lounge fucking. Well she'd put a stop to that; this was her home.

Annie diverted to the kitchen to drink some water and found Sally there, fully dressed, smiling and just finishing wiping the sink bench. Everything had been washed and put away. The dishwasher was humming; her kitchen looked spotless. She looked out the window and saw Tony, fully dressed, stacking crates of bottles in the SUV to take to the glass-recycling depot. Huge remorse flooded Annie. How could she have thought so ill of her husband and her best friend?

"Oh Sally wonderful Sally, here let me hug you. You have done a wonderful job here."

"Everything is done and we even got you pantry back in shape. Tony is a great man about the house. Oh darling, I shagged him last night. I'm so dreadfully sorry."

"Darling, think nothing of it. We all shag other men. I'm thrilled you and Pat like Tony enough to want to treat him on his very special occasions. It was wonderful of you."

"Annie, are you sure you are okay? You ought to be scratching out my eyes."

"I'm fine darling. I love you for liking Tony enough to fuck him and I bet you gave him a real treat. Men get bored with the same woman."

"Do they?"

"I wouldn't know really. But I guess we both know it's immoral to get it elsewhere."

They laughed into another hug.

"Now off you go Sally and get ready. I'll arrive at 10:00 to take you to the mall because the end of winter sales have started. I'll call Pat and if she's available I'll ask her to meet at your place."

"Y-you wish to socialize with both Pat and me so soon?"

"So soon after what darling? Get it into your thick head it was a celebration and it's not going to be followed by executions. Let's go shopping."

Annie watching through the kitchen window say Sally give Tony a normal hug goodbye. Tony came in looking sheepish."

"Um sorry about last night. They bullied me to the bedroom but I was quite capable of resisting."

"Well Mr Guilty, don't be. I've long thought Sally would be a good fuck for you."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter. Please don't feel guilty. I'm the one who should feel guilty. After leaving you I drank a glass of straight vodka and in the lounge someone fucked me."

"Someone?"

"Yes I was stoned. Everything was a bit of a blur and my mind was wandering."

"Someone?"

"Yes truly."

"Well let's make a list of everyone we know who was in the house at that time. There can't have been more than a dozen people left at that stage when your two friends of took me off."

"No, let's forget it darling. If I wasn't aware of who was fucking me it would have been a dismal fuck for him or her?"

"Her?"

"Just a figure of speech darling. Was Sally a good fuck?"

"Sally was great, superb and lay back on my chest... oh. I think I should have lied and said she was okay."

"She doesn't turn fifty until another six months darling. So she's younger than me, is big into water skiing and aerobics and being such a lovely person we'd expect her to fuck well and be innovative, wouldn't we?"

"Well yes. And I suppose although I committed adultery and you allowed Mr or Mrs Unknown to fuck you, one sin cancels out the other."

"Well you also had Pat."

"And how many people actually fucked you? There could have been a line up of guys."

"Well I don't think so darling. I'm walking well together this morning and my thighs weren't stuck together by dried come when I awoke."

"My goodness, you are so crude. Little wonder I married you. I think we should have sex more regularly and not make it so physically challenging."

"You mean without asking Sally to join us?"

"Annie!"

"Sorry darling, just a tease. I'm off to the sales with Sally and Pat soon."

"I can't believe that. Why are you not sore with them."

"They are my friends darling. If you must know I told Sally I was so pleased she liked you enough to fuck you."

Tony spluttered his coffee across the kitchen floor.

Annie was almost ready to leave when Tony took a call. "Someone from Anderson's Stationery wants to speak to you."

"Oh that French fashion magazine I ordered must be in. Tell them I've off shopping soon and will call in."

* * *

Sally and Pat closed in on Annie for support when Annie said, "Have I won a prize?"

"First your ticket ma'am. I must run it through the machine before commenting."

"I heard the results on radio this morning. It's not the big prize. That went to a ticket sold in Balgowlah Heights," Pat said.

"Ma'am, it is my pleasure to advise as holder of this ticket you have won a minor prize. You won $35,000."

The three women shrieked. After Annie complete details and make arrangements to pick up her cheque they went straight to a bar.

"The sales?" Pat said.

"Bugger the sales. We'll have a wee celebration here first," Annie said. "As they clinked the champagne glasses Annie said, "Now you sluts. Just the one bottle, eh? I don't want you two putting male bar staff in peril."

Sallie laughed, sounding more like neighing, and Pat looked totally ashamed.

"Ah Annie, about last night when I was with Tony. I was..."

"Thoroughly enjoying yourself? I hope so darling. It was a special day for my Tony. I was pleased to find him getting it from my two best pals."

Annie then called Tony with the news. He was delighted and said she could spend big at the sales.

"Tony, are you able to take two weeks off work?"

"Yes, providing it's before November 30 when I take over my new role."

"Well I want to take you and the girls to visit their grandparents and see our old homes and the village where we grew up. My sons in law can came too if they wish. I have to go to look over the life I once had there and to try to predict where I'd been today had I not married you and left. I think I would have done better than a council house but how much better I don't know. I may no longer like England but I have to know."

"So this is what you do laying awake at nights ruminating?"

"Excuse me?"

"Er clicking you teeth and thinking, sometimes I think emotionally."

"You knew that; why didn't you say that?"

"You are entitled to your quiet time darling. And now I'll tell you something. Of the seven other engineers that came out with us, only one other stayed initially, but within three years another four family returned to Australia."

"Oh god."

'"Yes and the girls and I will make sure you'll have a fucking awful time in England."

"No Tony, please. Just let it be. I'll be coming back whatever I find because my home is here, my girls are here and my friends are here. But in my heart I just want to know where I really should be."

"God Annie, are you always capable of surprising me. Here was I thinking you didn't have a sentimental bone in your body. You are the greatest thing that's ever happened to me Annie. I have gained this big job because of the drive you give to me."

"I'm going to cry Tony. Bye."

"Wait, there's something I decided after you left to go shopping and find your windfall. With my big pay boost I've decided we should add the sunroom here and replace that plastic pool with a proper pool and your problem about me and grass clippings is over because I've just engaged a mowing contractor and they take away all clippings and sweep the paths."

Annie burst into tears. "They are the only things I know I've wanted Tony, except I didn't think about hiring a lawn mowing contractor. God and they even sweep the paths! You are such a perfect husband darling."

THE END