Bob, Carol and Harlina

"Will he ever know who is sharing your bed?"

"He never asks and even if he did I wouldn't tell him."

I thought about it for a moment and then said "Okay, but from now on we do it at my apartment. I don't want to take the chance he might walk in on us."

"No worries baby; he is regular as clock work."

"Yeah, but what if he gets laid off or maybe fired? Better safe than sorry."

"So, you'll stay?"

"Why not? It is a win win situation for both of us, but it's my apartment tomorrow."

"Deal."

For the next three weeks Lina slept over at my place two or three nights during the week and all of the week ends. She would have stayed every night except she did need to go home and change for work once in a while.

One Saturday I was having lunch alone at the restaurant (Lina was doing some housekeeping or bill paying) when Carol came up to my table. Sat down and said:

"How have you been Bob?"

"Hanging in there."

"Speaking of hanging why are you hanging around with that slut Harlina?"

"Harlina is a slut?"

"What else would you call a married woman who cheats on her husband?"

"Harlina isn't married."

"Oh yes she is."

"Nonsense Carol. If she was married she wouldn't be able to see me almost every day of the week. And why do you care anyway?"

"I like you Bob and I just don't want to see you hurt."

"Well thank you for your concern, but Lina and I have a good thing going and I have no intension of shutting it down. If it turns out there is a hubby out there and he shows up I'll back off, but not until."

"He has some sort of travelling job that keeps him away for a month or so at a time. You need to step away before he comes home and catches you."

"In the first place Carol, I don't believe she is married. I have a good thing going with Lina. Why should I end it?"

"What if you had a better offer? What if someone who isn't married wanted to get with you?"

"Like who?"

"Me.

"You? Get serious. You seem to forget the rather cold way you let me know you didn't want to see me anymore."

"I know I did and I'm sorry. But I was starting to feel guilty. Harry wasn't even a year in the ground and I was already thinking about replacing him. I had to get away from you. I had to give myself some time to think. It took me some time to realize that Harry was gone, wasn't ever coming back and I needed to get on with my life.

"I've spent the last month watching you with Harlina and wishing I could get back with you. Seeing you here alone to day I thought I'd give it a shot."

"You sure about this? It isn't going to be another eight or nine dates and then another "so long Bob?"

"No. I know what I want now, what I need to move on in life and you're it."

"You going to be home tomorrow?

"Yes."

"I will have to break it off with Harlina tonight. If I can do it early enough I might call tonight, but tomorrow for sure."

"I'll be waiting."

I was sitting on the couch when Harlina got there. She hurried over and plopped down on my lap."

I had hoped to find you naked and waiting."

"I might have been if I hadn't had a talk with Carol Short this afternoon."

"And what does Carol have to do with not being naked and waiting?"

I told her about my talk with Carol and she said "So I've been replaced?"

"Look on the bright side. Hubby will be home in a week and by then you should be primed and ready for him."

"There is that. Well, if things don't work out with Carol keep me in mind. I'm going to miss you Robert and don't doubt that for even a minute."

She got off my lap, went through the apartment gathering up her things that she had there and blew me a kiss as she walked out the door. I looked at my watch and saw that I was only six-thirty so I called Carol and she told me to hurry on over.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

I pulled into the garage and parked and then went into the house. I was no sooner in the door when I heard the sounds of pounding feet and the cries of "Daddy's home, daddy's home" as six-year-old Tina and five-year-old Tommy ran up to me. I knelt down and hugged them as Mrs. Palmer, our baby sitter, came into the room and said:

"Your wife called. She's running about fifteen minutes late. She had to stop at the store for something. See you tomorrow."

While we waited for mommy I listened to Tina and Tommy tell me all about their day at school. Tina was telling me about her new best friend when we heard the kitchen door open and my wife hollering out "I'm home."

The kids abandoned me and ran for the kitchen yelling "Mommy's home, Mommy's home." Lina came into the room, kissed me and asked me how my day had been.

Lina?

Yes. Lina.

Carol didn't lie to me when she promised not to cut me loose again after eight or ten dates. We actually lasted ten months. I took a knee and proposed, she said yes and two weeks before the wedding she gave me back my ring and said she'd met someone else.

Then Harlina's husband was killed in a well blowout and my being a shoulder for her to cry on morphed into something more romantic.

As I played on the floor with my two kids under the watching loving eyes of my wife, I made myself a promise to thank Carol if I ever saw her again.