Emily ran out of breath and sat sniffing and dabbing a tissue at her eyes. Robert hugged her to him one more time and then stood. He didn't know how to react just then. "Were you ever with a man?" he asked.
"No. No man."
"What is the party all about?"
"The Peterson's are going to throw a party for the neighborhood. Wine and snacks and pussy and cum and lord knows what else. A really wild party."
"The whole neighborhood?"
"Maybe. I don't know."
"Am I the only one who doesn't know about this?"
"No, Robert Mosswell probably doesn't know. I don't know about the Burtons. That's almost funny, you know. The two Roberts are the ones who didn't know."
"Yeah, funny as hell." Robert turned and walked to the door. "I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to visit the Trents." And then he was gone.
#
"Hi, neighbor." Charles answered the side door when he knocked and let him into their kitchen. "You look a little pale. Want a beer?"
"Yeah, that would be great," Robert said, truly thankful for some alcohol just then. He accepted the bottle and sat quietly as Charles sat across the table from him.
"She told you, right?"
Robert nodded and took a long draw on his beverage. "How do you deal with this?" he asked when he put the bottle down.
"Deal?" Charles was smiling. "Hell, I'm a beneficiary of it. You must have seen her doing the housework in the morning, right?" When Robert nodded, guiltily, he went on. "This thing with your wife was a surprise to both of them. When Patty told me, well, it got me horny as hell. She told me everything, and that way there's nothing to it."
"So she's not cheating?"
"Right. You know, I think Emily felt guilty about the lesbian thing and didn't want to deal with it. Patty just thought of it as one more way to get off." Charles laughed briefly. "And get me off. Emily's not leaving you for my wife, man."