All That Blooms in Spring Ch. 01

Jackie and I had an explosive night in bed. She was very vocal too, which was a little different from when she usually drank. I wasn't going to complain about it. Despite my buzz, Jackie helped me get up for a third round, and we fell asleep in each other's arms, sleeping until nine in the morning.

The next morning was like many others with this group. Women did Sunday breakfast, while the men were responsible for making Saturday morning's meal. We all went for a long hike to a waterfall we were familiar with. It was a great way to clear the fog from the previous night's overindulgence. After dinner, I helped Amber and Alise clean up. Jackie told me to go get ready for the hot tub.

It was a damn good thing I didn't follow my wife's advice, because as we were preparing to get suited up, Todd announced we were running critically low on mixers, and that if anyone wanted to smoke any more bud, we'd need some papers. I knew we'd only rolled that one joint, and I said so. Apparently, Jeff had dropped them in the jacuzzi.

No one was in any shape to drive - except me, of course. Jeff mentioned the ATVs in the pull barn behind the cabins. Even though I was nowhere near as wasted as the rest, I wasn't looking forward to taking a four-by down a narrow road with a steep drop off on one side. Amber came up, interjecting herself into the conversation, saying there was an off-road path specifically for the ATVs. She then made a big deal about wanting to tag along. She didn't look like she was in any shape to ride, so I told her she was going passenger with me.

Jackie and Alise were talking out on the deck and had no idea about the discussion we'd just had in the house. She saw me walk out with Amber and head towards the back area. My wife finally asked, in her drug-and-alcohol-induced stupor, where we were going. When I told her, she just half-smiled and said, "'Kay. Have fun honey."

The shed was locked, but Amber seemed to have a key. Inside, we found two three-wheelers and one side-by-side. Without any direction from me, Amber grabbed a helmet off the handlebars of one of the three-wheelers and hopped into the passenger seat of the gator. There was already a helmet on the driver's seat. My mind had gone from, something isn't quite right, to something is very wrong.

On the ride down, we had the wind in our face, and I was trying to focus on the path since I didn't know it. The sun setting within minutes of our departure didn't help either. We'd need to get in and out of the store quickly with dusk upon us. I told Amber as much as we pulled up, and we both ran around the store like crazy people.

After loading the back with booze, mixers, and ice, we began the drive back. Thirty seconds down the road, I flipped a u-ey, having forgotten the rolling papers. The trip back was slower and uphill, but at least the wind was at our back.

"How'd you get those keys?" I asked, reluctantly and nonchalantly all at once, not wanting to make it seem like the big deal it was. The look on her face made me immediately regret my question.

"Well," she replied after several moments of silence, "a friend of my dad's actually owns the property we're at. I've been here before." Amber was still showing signs of being inebriated, despite not having had any booze since we'd started our foray. She was giggling at nothing funny at all. The Mary J and booze were acting like a bit of truth serum as well, clearly. Everyone had been adamant that Todd had rented the place; apparently, it had been very important for me to think that, and I had no idea why. I kept probing; the more I asked, the more she answered, and the worse I felt.

"Yeah, I told Todd and Alise about it a few months back when we were..." giggle, giggle. "He said it would be perfect, and wanted to know if I'd talk to Daddy to see if we might use... err, rent it."

As quickly as I'd tried to move us along, it still took forty-five minutes getting door-to-door. We parked the ATV and carried armloads of supplies through the back door of the larger cabin. No one was inside, but I heard laughter out front. I figured they'd probably built a fire.

Amber was about as wasted as I'd ever seen her. She was also almost inappropriately flirty. That happened when she combined alcohol with marijuana, but she was just acting weird, almost under foot. I turned from putting the mixers in the fridge and ran right into her.

"Hey, Pete," she tried to purr, but actually slurred. "Do you like my outfit?"

Amber had removed her hoodie and was sporting only a wife-beater, minus a bra that I was sure had been there when we left for the store. I mumbled that I did while sidestepping her. What I'd really hoped for was to extract a bit of intel from her to assuage my fear and concerns. Unfortunately, it seemed that the time for getting real answers out of her had passed. It turned out, however, that I didn't need her for that anymore. I made another drink and headed out the front door.

There wasn't a fire; rather, the other four were sitting in the large hot tub. Alise looked like she was sitting near Jeff; as my eyes adjusted to the darkness though, I saw that they were almost on top of one another. What I saw next took my breath away. Just across from the other couple, Todd sat, eyes locked to mine, both arms leaning back on the tub's deck. Cuddled up into his right shoulder was Jackie.

That was my first problem. I felt the second, like a knife in the back, moments later when I realized that her bikini top, while on, was around her rib cage, and one of her B cup breasts was exposed below the water line.

I had no idea how long I just stood there and stared at the two of them. What seemed like a very long time was probably only ten or fifteen seconds.

"What the fuck is this?" flowed out of my mouth like vomit, "What are you doing?" I stared daggers at my wife. It seemed appropriate.

She was up and moving out of the water before I could even finish my sentence. She wrapped a large beach towel around her petite form and moved towards me. As I was about to start in on her, Jackie walked past me.

"Let's go over here and talk, Pete," she said in passing. I grabbed her arm at the elbow, and she forcefully pulled away. I followed her down the gravel drive just to the other side of where our cars were parked.

"Well, that was weird," Jackie said, stammering and looking around the ground, before meeting my eyes. That certainly wasn't the best way to start, and the understatement of the year. My ears felt hot.

"Yeah, you think?" I replied sarcastically. "What were you doing sitting on his lap like that?"

"I wasn't on his lap!" she quickly and unequivocally told me.

"Pretty close, Jackie." I was trying to think; trying to understand what was going on, and square it with what I'd just seen. "Why were you so close, and why were your tits out?"

Jackie seemed to be pondering her next words very carefully. She was clearly taking her time and trying to control her breathing.

"Obviously drinking and um, smoking too much," my wife calmly said, and then took another deep breath. She was clearly taking the tack of avoiding my question - obviously not so drunk that she'd forgotten whatever strategy she'd planned. I raised my eyebrow, letting her know that her answer wasn't sufficient.

"Oh, right," she responded with what looked like a little half-smirk. "And you've never seen the other women's tits before?" She was starting to piss me off with the bullshit and sass as much as with what I'd seen her doing.

"Yeah," I replied mockingly, "while diving off the boat. I never once cuddled up to one of them, fondling one of..."

"He wasn't fondling me!" Jackie yelled. She seemed ready to keep it up, but stopped abruptly. Then she went for broke.

"It turns out," she said measuredly, "our friends have been, well, messing around with each other for... a while. And, my sweet man, they've invited us to join. Before you say anything, let's just give this a chance tonight and see where it goes."

"You've got to be kidding me, Jackie," I responded, working hard to keep my voice down and emotions in check. "When was someone going to tell me?"

The implications of what I just inadvertently said played havoc with my logical mind. I tried to process that. The more I thought, the angrier I became - especially with her lack of response.

"So," I growled, "this weekend is - was, some kind of set up - is that it? Oh, SURPRISE, by the way. You didn't think I'd go along, so the idea was to just force it on me? That's disgusting. Jackie, go get dressed. We're packing and leaving."

"No!" Jackie suddenly seemed to find her voice. "I want to do this, Peter! Just listen to me for a minute - let me explain." She at least had the good sense to wait for my affirmation to continue.

"Pete," she continued, in a softer, more pleading voice, "I found out about them, four, maybe five weeks ago. Alise mentioned something by accident, and once I put two and two together, I kept hammering her until she told me. They've been trying to figure out a way of involving us."

"Because Todd, and probably Jeff also, want to screw my wife?" I asked, interrupting her. "Of course, what would I expect from a couple of friends? 'Oh say, Pete, we've recently become swingers and we'd really appreciate it if we could fuck Jackie. We're getting a bit bored with just the four of us.'"

"It isn't like that at all, Pete," she said, taking my hands. "They know you. They know how you think, and they knew you'd overthink things, and then say 'no.' We were talking about it the day you came home a bit early and we told you about the trip."

Jackie paused as she squeezed my hands tighter. "Doing this here - tonight - it isn't going to affect us. It certainly isn't going to change how I feel about you in any way." I just..."

"It already has, Jackie," I interrupted again. "I come back from a store run and find you like that with Todd. Do you think so little of me not to care if I found the two of you like that, or are you just too high and horny to give a shit?"

"Alright, I know. I know." She was more into pleading and begging now. "That was stupid. The last thing I wanted to do was to upset you. The truth is, I'm pretty wasted and I'm also... well, horny, as you said. But I want you to have fun here, not get upset or hurt. Can we just pretend you didn't see that?

"Amber really wants to be with you, Pete," Jackie said, switching gears. "She's told me so. I half expected the two of you not to return right away. She told me seducing you would make her so hot. We figured she'd succeed when you left with her. That's why we got in the hot tub and kinda got started. I'm okay with it. I want you to have her."

"So you can have Todd," I said flatly. "And I suppose Jeff later on. Then what? Tomorrow I get to fuck Alise too? That's the plan? A big weekend orgy, and afterwards? We go back to being just three couples hanging out? You must have figured out there's no putting that genie back in the bottle."

Jackie looked like a person with a hangover rather than a good buzz. She'd look me in the eye, and then break my gaze. Then she'd repeat the process. I was waiting for her reply, but I couldn't take the silence.

"Jackie, I get it, maybe a little," I said sternly. "I don't want this, though. You should have asked me up front, so I could tell you 'no' and everyone could've decided if they wanted to leave us out of this weekend."

The change in expression on my wife's face told me she was going to make one last-ditch effort to change my mind.

"Please, Pete," she started. "Don't say that. Don't be so intractable, and for just this once, stop overthinking things. You're going to have fun tonight. I've seen how you look at Amber when you think no one's paying attention. Alise too, for that matter. Let yourself go. Have some fun, and curb that urge to be so uncomfortable trying new things. Tomorrow morning, I promise, we'll both wake up after a new and exciting experience, and we'll both love each other just the same as we do now."

I huffed and spat, "Fuck that. You're delusional."

"No I'm not," she spat right back. "We've been together for what, six years? Remember me? I've always been there for you - always loved you. I've always taken good care of you, too. Remember when your parents died? Don't you dare say I'm delusional. I'm anything but. I love you with all my heart. This is just the two of us branching out - trying something new. I don't have any feelings for Todd - or Jeff either - other than wanting to explore a bit and have some fun."

"And suppose he's so much better than me," I said, standing firm. "That I don't do it for you anymore, Jackie. Or maybe Amber's that much better, or any of a dozen other things that could permanently screw us up. It's not about me being a 'stick in the mud.' I'm the one thinking about ramifications."

"But you're already doing it, though," she half-screamed. "Damn it! You're already going to 'what if.' I'm stopping you right there. Listen to me - I'm doing this - okay? I'm already more than half in the bag, and probably won't remember much of it tomorrow. Amber's probably waiting for you in our cabin. Go be with her. If you want, the two of you can just sit and talk about it all night, but somehow I doubt that will happen. You're going to have a great time - just trust me, will you please?"

"Jackie, this isn't going to work out like you - or they - think," I spat bitterly. "I can't stop you, but don't come back later and tell me you thought I was joking about my warnings. Don't try to change or convolute this conversation. I'm telling you emphatically, plain and simple, NO! Not just no, but hell no."

"And I'm telling you..." she caught herself. In fairness, she was in no condition to have been having the conversation, but the sad truth was that she'd brought it upon herself. She'd been egged on by our stupid friends and, I already suspected, spurred by an uncontrollable lust for Todd. He was another matter altogether. I knew him. He was a pretty decent guy, but I knew if he could get in Jackie's panties, and make it somehow legit in the process, he'd consider it a win-win. I'd seen how he'd always looked at my wife - like she was prey.

Jackie was studying me intently. I saw her change in an instant to a woman satisfied that she'd played her final card well. Without an immediate reaction from me, she leaned in, kissed me hard on the lips and turned, giving me her back and walking towards the cabins.

Despair, anger and my utter confusion kept my feet planted firmly. I watched her ass jiggling away like taillights in the fog. Finally, wiping a singular tear, I headed back towards the lights of the cabins.

Gathering my strength to give it one final go, I stood and looked into the main cabin. There was no movement in the living area, only Alise and Jeff fixing themselves drinks in the kitchen. Suddenly I heard a voice to my right.

"Hey sexy," Amber slurred, leaning against the door frame to my cabin. "Come 'er." She then opened her robe and I was treated to a delightful site. Amber's shapely body and bountiful breasts were even more than I could have ever imagined. In the dim backlight, her skin seemed flawless. I looked back to the main cabin once and made my decision in a fit of anger and lust.

Walking up to Amber, I simply reached out and held her firm tits - one in each hand. They were magnificent and as soft as a baby's ass - well, as soft as I could imagine a baby's ass, anyway. She put both arms around my neck and leaned in for a deep sensuous kiss. Her tongue tasted like a pail full of various liquor, and an ashtray. I pulled away instinctively. It didn't even register with her what I was thinking.

"Come back, Petee," she stammered. "Kissme."

I walked into the small living room and just plunked down on the sofa, exhausted. I was too drained to even cry. Amber came and stood in front of me, too wasted to notice my demeanor. She pushed the robe off her shoulders and it landed on the floor at her feet. What was probably intended to be a sexy, seductive look, was just silly. Amber began swaying back and forth. It was then I realized there was music softly playing.

She did a little turn with all the elegance of a giraffe, showing me her tanned, round ass. She must have spent some time at the spa. I'd had enough already. I grabbed her arm and spun her around, telling her angrily to stop it.

Her face slowly registered what mine shown. She took in a deep breath, coming to some realization. Then she turned green and ran to the bathroom. I didn't understand what was happening until I heard her unloading her stomach in the toilet. I just didn't care about her in that moment. She was one-fifth a part of what had poisoned my wife against me. Nothing would ever be the same again. I wasn't going to get laid that night, and I knew deep down right then that I didn't want anything from Amber or Alise anyway. They were part of a conspiracy to get 'ole Pete' in line for their own selfish desires.

I finally stood and went to check on Amber. She was hugging the porcelain, pretty much out for the count. I left her there and grabbed my backpack. Jackie and I always had our packs ready for a hike. I double-checked the contents and pulled out a flashlight. Walking out onto the front porch, I inadvertently kicked an ash can, and two heads popped up from the hot tub. It was Jeff and Alise.

Both saw me and quickly got out, trying to head me off as I crossed the gravel heading for a trail on the other side of the cabin they were using.

"Pete, what are you doing?" Alise asked with a confused look. She saw the flashlight as she grabbed my forearm. "You can't go out on the trail. It's pitch black. Where's Amber?"

"Just leave me be, Alise," I yelled. "Haven't you fuckers done enough already?"

Jeff was beside us both then. He looked just as confused as she did. "Where are you going, buddy?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"None of your damned business," was my angry retort. "You - all of you - just totally destroyed my marriage, so I'm sure what I'm doing or where I'm going doesn't mean shit to you, friend. You should go see to your whore."

At that, Alise dropped her grip on my arm. Jeff turned and looked at my cabin. He turned back to me, scared, and then took off like a bat out of hell towards the cottage, with Alise close behind. I was glad they took the hint. I really had been about to lose it.

I headed off towards the trail, turning the light on. Walking in the brisk evening cooled my anger to some degree. That left me with a profound sadness. As weird as the day had been, I could never have foreseen the complete undoing of my life and my marriage like that. I wondered what Jackie could have been thinking, both in setting this up, or how she'd just laid it on me. In all our six years, she'd never acted so selfishly. And, selfish is what it was. I wondered if she was even thinking at all. I really didn't think my friends - or, former friends now - could have that much influence on my wife. My brain started spinning in a thousand different directions, as I walked.

Where will I live now? I thought to myself. It won't be with her, that's for sure. Goddamn her! The more I walked and the more I thought, the less I understood. Does she just want a divorce? But then why the big production? Did she think all of this was necessary to make sure I didn't try to save the marriage? Is she really just this selfish, and I never noticed?

As much as I wanted there to be a grander design, that's what I kept coming back to: pure selfishness. It broke my heart when I started thinking about my wife as just another woman - one who'd paint me as the villain and herself as the victim, complete with a circle of toxic friends who'd support and console her while she cried or ranted. I knew it'd already be bad in the morning, and that it would only get worse in the coming weeks when I refused to forgive her. I was 'intractable,' after all.