BETH'S BIG ADVENTURE

Telling her writing group that she needed time off the internet and time with her real life, Beth went offline for a month. Oh, she handed off her duties to a friend who was happy to help out, but she did walk away with a backward glance. Fingers quivering at the thought of no internet for a month, she shut it down, closed the lid and took a deep breath. Turning to look eye to eye she said, "That's step one. My time belongs to you now for 31 days. Only you."

He could scarce believe his eyes nor his ears. She had done it. She had disconnected and handed him the power cord, figuratively. He would fill her time. He would fill her heart and he would fulfill her every desire. For the next 31 days nothing would be more important than Beth's smile. Nothing more important than Beth's satisfaction. Total satisfaction in all respects.

She walked across the small unfamiliar room to his open arms. His face said all she needed to hear. His eyes were soft and filled with love or longing or both. He had waited weeks for her to make her move and now, the waiting ends. As she fell into his embrace, their lips touched ever so lightly and then more passionately and then hungrily and hard. He touched her all over and he explored parts of her he had only imagined before. She was completely pliant in his hands. Every nerve in her body was on edge and electrified. If he didn't take her soon, she might experience spontaneous combustion. The heat, the need and the taste of this man was all that existed. 

The foreplay lasted nearly 20 minutes and one more would have been too much. He entered her and possessed her with vigor and raw force, yet it felt gentle somehow and not savage but wild and hot and heavenly and right.  They rocked and they tangled and the breath between them was hot, humid and rapid. As their passion came to a climax, he locked onto her eyes and held them. They were alone in this world for the first time ever. He had waited so long for her. He had left his long time relationship for her. He had risked his career, though once the public met Beth, he knew they would understand. He knew everyone would love her as he most certainly did. She was his. Finally, totally his.

Naked and spent they lay on the living room floor still tangled into a human pretzel. Neither wanted to move for fear of losing this connection forever. Silence. The house held their closeness as possessively as they did. Not a sound. Nirvana. 

They slept.

As the sun rose on day one of her disconnected life, Beth awoke still wrapped in his arms. He was still sleeping soundly. Exhaustion was being relieved and Beth studied his face. His perfectly perfect face. One hand lay on his own chest and one lay on her thigh. She studied both of them. She studied this man who adored her and lusted after her and begged her to be his. That face was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen close up. Those hands were the perfect size to hold to caress and to feel all over her again and again. Yes, they could be very happy now and forever. 

This day had come after much soul searching and much deep thought about her family and her future. Yes, she loved this man and had for many years. Yes, she loved her family and her husband. She could never be with this man. Her life belonged to her family it was a commitment she had made many years earlier. One she could not walk away from. Yet, here she was now laying naked in his arms and smiling. It had happened.

Months before this day Beth and her husband had discussed her second love and oddly enough her husband had agreed no one should carry this deep love unrequited forever. He suggested she reach out and see what happened and together they would work it out.

What? Yes, he was that good a man. He believed in his relationship with her enough to share her with another man, if that would be fulfillment and satisfaction for his wife. He wanted whatever would make her whole and complete and to that end, he would share.

Before she could reach out to him, he had started to email her. Texting her weekly then daily. He had read Word Nerd Speaks and knew this writer was his destiny. He wanted to know her. He needed to know her. Soon they were telephoning back and forth. They talked about how they could meet and where they could meet.  Hubs remained in the background and waited.

Plans were finally in place. Hubs would stay home and for one month...31 full days...Beth would go off with her man and explore. She would go offline and disappear with him and see what happened or didn't happen.  Hubs would wait. Decisions would be made in 31 days.

It all lead to this day and night of passion and lust. It all lead to Johnny and Beth naked on the living room floor of Johnny's condo and the laptop plug being pulled.

For the next 30 days she would be alone with him and he would be incommunicado with all his people so that his time belonged only to her and to them. This relationship would either bloom into forever or fizzle to a memory neither would ever forget.

Every day of the month they would make love at one time or several. He absolutely couldn't get enough of her. Her taste, her smell and her passion were everything he knew they would be. For her, the rough, yet never too rough lovemaking was exactly what she thought he would bring to her. He always made certain she was satiated before even considering his own need. He never ceased to say what she wanted to hear and intuit her every need. Physically they melded into each other much like an old married couple who each knew and cared about the others needs above their own. Yes, physically the match was perfection.

Emotionally they connected and shared likes and dislikes and learned so much about each other; adding to the list daily. They had so much in common and the differences were minor and gave them something to fake fight about so they could make up and of course, have make up sex. That rocked.

Conversation, however, lacked spark. It was dull and his intellect was not what she had expected. He was an actor and spoke prolifically about that subject and nearly none other. He had little depth. He didn't really care about anything beyond himself and Beth. His career would bring a monologue and when she asked about other actors, he'd say he didn't really know them. Refused to discuss anyone except himself. A little of that wore thin for Beth. She is an intellect with many interests and passionate about issues of rights and fairness to others. She is politically inclined and has opinions which bored him silly. 

The month was passing. 

By the end of the second week, Beth knew this was sex only and the hero worship was much better than the reality. How sad and how difficult for her to accept. Her man, her dream man, wasn't in reality what she saw in the movies or on TV and she was devastated by the loss. Wishing she could go back. Wishing it had never happened. She had agreed to the month, but wasn't sure now that she could make it. She confided in him that she might not be able to stay the next two weeks.

"Really? I was just going to ask if you wanted to spend the two weeks in Tahiti.  I have a place there and it's lovely in July."  He looked away and wondered to himself what the hell was wrong with her.  They were perfect together and she seemed to be pouting or something. 

"Tahiti? For 2 weeks? Well, okay, but if at anytime I want to leave, I will have a flight back, right?" She felt a little cheap even thinking of going, but Tahiti...she could live with this.

"Yep. My jet will take you anywhere you wanna go anytime you wanna go.  I hope you'll stay, but yes." Johnny was confused except he didn't really care why, he only cared that no one walked out on him. He was too charming and too, well, Johnny Depp! Come on!

They left almost immediately for their Tahiti getaway. The island was fabulous and Beth adored the tours and the bungalow they called home. The blue water and tropical fish under their floors of glass made her smile like a child. She loved the sidewalk cafe meals. Breakfast was served in the bungalow at 8 and lunch and dinner were at the cafes in the shade of thatched umbrellas. They walked and rode bikes and got into vans or taxis for tours like "common tourists," Johnny said, and she loved every minute of it. Then they would go back to the bungalow and have sex and a few drinks and sit on the edge of the boardwalk and talk. Well, Beth talked. She explained that he was not the person she had believed him to be, but she would love to remain friends without the benefits, if he was agreeable.

The last few minutes were so revealing. As Beth finished packing she heard Johnny on the phone in the other room making plans to drop her off and head to California to meet with a childhood friend for drinks. He came to her side and slipped his arm around her one last time and leaned in for a sweet kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you for a  month of fantasy, Beth. I will never forget you and our month." He didn't wait for her reply he simply left the room and walked out onto the balcony with his phone to make more plans.

And so it went. They had their fantasy month and Beth returned home alone. Walking up her sidewalk she wondered if Hubs would really still be there. Did he really love her that much? Could she even think he might for a moment? She opened the unlocked door and head down walked through the foyer into their living room. Nothing had changed. It looked wonderfully and comfortably the same. She raised her head and smiled. Home. My home. 

"Honey, I'm home!" She softly called out. Knowing she was alone.

Someone was coming down the stairs quickly. Heavy steps. 

She turned to see Hub's smiling face coming to her, arms outstretched. She ran to him and jumped into his arms nearly knocking him off his feet. They turned and kissed and hugged and cried. He said he had missed her every moment she was gone and prayed for her safe return. He said he never thought she would walk back into that door. He thought he had lost her to her dream. She had never seen such a handsome man in her life.

"I am living my dream now, ya big dummy! I love you with everything I am and YOU are my dream man. I'll never know why you let me do what I did. I'll never know why you didn't just laugh at me and put your foot down, but I will forever be grateful to you for loving me enough to let me see for myself that THIS is my life. This is my happiness and no one will ever be more to me than you and the kids and the grands. Oh, my god Hubs, I love you so much."

They talked all night long and he held her close while she cried her sorrow at having risked what she had for something unknown. He understood and also knew this was the first night of the rest of their loving union and it would be eternal.

Tomorrow, day 32, Bethie will be online and back to normal with some major changes evident to all who love her. Bethie will have lost her obsession, but will have gained her place in this world permanently.  Our Bethie will be truly and completely in control of her days and her nights and her family will be her priority from day 32 until forever.

Jo