Out of the Closet
 by: Hankster

© 2012 by the author

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...

Chapter 3 

The women ran out of the building and into the car.  They headed back to Lake Henry as quickly as they could.  Neither said a word the entire trip.  When they got home, they still couldn’t say anything to each other.  They went into their houses, and burst out crying.  Maryann wanted to call Jeff, but it was past midnight and she was too embarrassed.  She decided to wait until morning.  The women might have found comfort in each other’s company, but neither one could face the other at the moment.

They could not sleep, and at 4 AM Maryann’s phone rang.  She heard Colleen’s sobbing voice.  “I can’t sleep.  I’m devastated.  May I come over?  We really need to talk about this.”

“Sure,” Maryann cried.  “I can’t sleep either.  The front door is unlocked.  I thought maybe Tuck would come home, and he doesn’t have his keys.”

As Colleen crossed her yard into Maryann’s, she could see a car parked in her driveway.  It was her car.  She strained to see if anyone was in it, but it was too dark.  They lived in a semi wilderness, and there were no streetlights to assist her.  Maryann was in the kitchen when Colleen let herself in. 

“I’m making us some strong coffee,” Maryann said. 

Colleen immediately told her that she thought their husbands were parked in her driveway.

“They’ve betrayed us,” Maryann said softly.  Then much louder she said, “They can rot in hell.”  Then much, much softer, she said, “But I love him so much.”

***********

When Brian and Tuck heard their wives screaming, they were so shocked that they were unable to respond immediately.  When Brian heard the front door slam shut, he himself started screaming in despair.  It was a desperate despondent sound, more of a wail, than a cry.

Tuck was strangely quiet.  He put his arms around Brian and started to rock him like a baby, in a useless attempt to comfort him.

“This is a nightmare,” Brian sobbed.  “What are we going to do?”

“Hush, my darling.  Let’s shower and clean up and go back to Lake Henry.  Since the first time we made love in Kansas City, I feared, no, I knew, this day had to happen.  We’ve gone for so many years hiding our love that I tended to forget about my fears, and I almost believed that we would never be discovered.  But it did happen, as I knew it would, and I know just what we are going to do.  I’ve dreaded this day for thirty-five years, and I have it well rehearsed.”

Brian couldn’t believe that Tuck had a plan.  He had to ask.  “What are we going to tell them?”

“The truth.”

“Should we call Jeff?  Maryann may already have called him.”

“Tuck thought a moment and then he said, “Let’s not call him.  I don’t think the ladies will call Jeff either.  I think for the moment it would be too embarrassing for them.”

Like their wives, they drove to Lake Henry in complete silence.  Brian drove his own car and he parked in his driveway.  When they arrived, Tuck could not get Brian out of the car.  He insisted on waiting until morning, so the two lovers sat silently together in the front seats.

Finally Tuck broke the silence.  “If I have to choose,” he said, “I choose you.”

Brian began to sob and said, “I’ve made the same decision.”

As the first morning rays of the sun began to sparkle on the lake, Brian and Tuck got out of the car and walked over to Tuck’s house.

“I’ll do all the talking,” Tuck advised Brian.  “Do you mind?” 

“Not at all.  I have no idea what to say.”

Tuck knocked on the front door.  “It’s open,” he barely heard Maryann say.

He opened the door and the two men came inside.  Maryann and Colleen were sitting at the kitchen table.  Each had a mug of coffee in front of her.  The coffee was ice cold.  Maryann had poured it over two hours ago and neither woman had touched it.  The two men sat down at the table and Colleen began to shake.  Brian wanted to embrace her, but he sat as stiff as a ramrod.  Instead Maryann took Colleen’s hand, and held it tightly.

“Would you like some coffee?”  Maryann asked.  Her tone was not angry.  It was simply a blank.  Tuck could not read anything into her mannerisms.  Both men nodded and Maryann got up to pour the coffee.

“I want to speak,” Tuck said somberly.  “I beg you not to interrupt me until I’m finished.” 

Maryann put the coffee mugs down in front of the men.  These drinks were to go untouched as well.  Brian began to whimper.  He looked like a lost puppy, and now Colleen wanted to embrace him, but she didn’t.  Tuck refrained from taking Brian’s hand, which he desperately wanted to do.

Tuck began.  “Brian and I want you to know that we love each other, and we love you women just as much.  Love can’t be measured. I don’t know if I love Brian more or less than I love you Maryann, but my love is just as strong and just as deep.  Neither of us ever dreamed that something like this could happen, but it did, very early on.  I’m ashamed to admit that we did live a lie.  Yes, we did everything we could to deceive you, but we did it out of love for you.  We didn’t want to hurt the women we loved just as much as we loved each other.  We did everything in our power to make sure that all your needs were met, and that we were good husbands to you.

“I am fully aware that we must part now.  I feared this day would come, and I have given it much thought.  You two make the choice.  Stay here or go back to Phoenix.  If you stay here you will own the cottages free and clear.  There are no mortgages on either property.  Brian and I will see to it that you are well taken care of.  If you go back to Phoenix, we’ll keep the cottages and we will buy you each a small, but comfortable condominium.  In either case, you can both keep the cars.  We’ll buy new ones.  Whatever choice you make, I don’t think it would be wise for us to live in close proximity.  That’s why I think that either you ladies move, or we do.”

Tuck seemed to have concluded his narration.  The room grew deadly silent.  Finally Maryann stood up.  She looked at Colleen.  “I’ve made a decision, Colleen,” she said.  “I am speaking only for me, not for you.  Tuck, take our car, load up everything of yours that you possibly can, and get out of here.  You’ve lied to me for thirty-five years.  That’s inexcusable.”

“Would you rather I told you when we were newlyweds, and broken both our hearts?”

“Yes.  At least I would have been young and pretty, and I could have found a real man.  Now all I can look forward to is a lonely old spinsterhood.”

“I don’t want to leave you without a car,” Tuck stated simply.  “Will you drive me to Dave’s?”

“I’ll drive you to the car dealer and I never want to see your face again.”

“If that’s what you want, drive me there now.  I’ll come back and I’ll load up the car I buy.”

During this conversation, Colleen and Brian had nothing to say to each other.  They hadn’t said a word since the men came inside.  Brian looked forlornly at Colleen, as if to ask, “and what about you?”

Colleen stood up, and walked slowly over to Brian.  She slapped him on the face and said, “I’m with Colleen.”  Brian had never heard such ice in Colleen’s voice.

“Come,” Maryann said.  “Let’s drive them to Dave’s Honda, and be done with them.”  When they arrived, Dave hadn’t opened yet, but the women dropped the men off anyway.

“I’ve decided that Colleen and I are going into Phoenix today on a shopping spree.  We’ll use our credit cards, which you always pay, and you will continue to pay until we are divorced.  When we get back, you two had better be far away.”  She threw Tuck’s key chain at him, the one he had foolishly left at home, and which had put him in the position he was in now. 

“After you load the car, or cars, you buy, lock up and put your house keys under the mat.  Ta, ta we’re off to Phoenix.”  Neither husband saw his wife again.

There was a small coffee shop next to Dave’s.  It was open, and the two grieving men went inside to wait for Dave to open his doors.

No sooner did they sit down, when Doug Jones, Pastor Paul’s partner, came in.  He spotted his two friends and ran over.  “Watcha guys doing here?” he asked. 

“What are you doing here?” Tuck asked.

“I bought my car here, and Saturday is the only day I can bring it in for service.  I sure am glad that Dave’s service area is open until three on Saturdays.”

Brian and Tuck just stared at Doug.  Neither of them could talk.  Brian started to cry and finally Tuck said, “Our wives discovered our secret.  I knew it would happen someday and here we are.”  Then Tuck started to cry also.

As best he could, Doug put his arms around both of them. 

“Tell me all about it.”

To be continued...

Posted: 09/07/12