“I’m sorry, but this affects her, too. If her father and I get a divorce, where does that leave her?” Sheryl began to beg. “Please do this for me. I need you. I have never asked you to do anything this big before. Please.”

“I’ll do it. But this goes against my better judgment. Nothing good can come of this, Sheryl.”

Sheryl ignored the last statement and jumped up to hug her friend. They embraced, but Jessica had a look of worry on her face. Sheryl was oblivious to the emotions of her friend. She was too focused on her feelings and saving her marriage.

Sheryl had been married to Darren for five years. Their relationship had started off wonderful. He had been the perfect husband. He would bring her flowers everyday for the first year of their marriage. When their daughter was born, all that stopped. He became controlling and obsessive. He didn’t want her to leave the house without his knowing exactly where she was going and what time she would be returning. Darren had also started being verbally abusive. He would nag Sheryl about her weight and her hair.

She joined a fitness club to lose weight. She lost a total of 20 pounds. She went from a size 14, which was what she weighted when he met her, to a size 7. People thought she was sick due to her rapid weight loss, but she didn’t care as long as her husband was happy. He told her that her hair looked like an old woman’s, so she had her long beautiful hair cut into a style that most young girls were wearing. This still didn’t please Darren. He found other things to insult her about. From the way she took care of their daughter, to the way she cooked. Every day was a constant battle with him.

She had reached the end of her rope. She was desperate to please him and would do whatever it took.

“You don’t know how much this means to me,” she told Jessica, releasing her from a bearlike hug.

Jessica let out a long sigh and looked at her desperate friend. “Why are you doing all this? Do you really think he’s worth it?”

“Yes. He’s my everything. He’s the only man I have ever loved. Will ever love,” Sheryl said, sounding like a woman without much to live for.

“When did you become this person?” Jessica asked.

“What do you mean?” Sheryl asked, pretending to be clueless to what her friend was asking her.

“This woman so desperate to have a man in her life. You used to be so secure with yourself. You could make a man think he was nothing more to you than a paycheck or someone to have sex with. Now you act like you have nothing if you don’t have this man in your life. I didn’t agree with the past you, but I damn sure don’t agree with the new you,” Jessica said.

“What do you mean?” Sheryl said, getting defensive. “I love my man. I want him to be happy.”

“What about you? Aren’t you supposed to be happy?” Jessica asked.

“I’m happy as long as my man’s happy,” Sheryl said.

“You sound like them girls we used to laugh at: Those girls whose lives revolved around their man,” Jessica said.

“Why are you single, Jess?” Sheryl asked.

“What do you mean? I’m single ’cause I choose to be,” Jessica spat.

“No, you’re single ’cause you’re too picky. A man must make this much money, he must look this way, he can’t be a smoker, he can only drink sociably,” Sheryl mocked.

“Where do you intend to find Mister Perfect? You must be gon’ mix him up in a lab or some shit.”

“I would rather have a man who accepts me for who I am, and who I didn’t settle for. Look at you. What has being married gotten you? It has added two hundred pounds of problems; a man who doesn’t appreciate you or what you do for him. Wake up. The best thing to come out of your marriage to Darren is Amari!” Jessica yelled. She had reached her boiling point. Who was Sheryl to criticize her life? She was doing fine being single. So what if she refused to settle for the first man that showed her some interest. She knew what she wanted and it wasn’t bullshit.

“Well,” Sheryl said, lowering her head, “I’m sorry if I am so pathetic. I just want my marriage to work.”

“I understand that. But what about your needs? Do you even consider yourself? Or is it all about Darren?”

“This is about me as well as Darren. He is my husband and if he is happy, I’m happy.” She got up from her seat and walked over to Jessica. She placed her hand on top of Jessica’s. “Please. Just do this one thing for me. I know it is a lot to ask, and I love you for everything you have done in the past. I will understand if you have changed your mind, but I really need this. Yes. Maybe Darren’s happiness means more to me than my own, but so what.”

Jessica saw the despair in her friend’s eyes and was unable to say no. She knew she would do what was asked of her, whether she liked it or not.

Jessica arrived at Sheryl and Darren’s house around 7 PM. It was late fall so it was almost dark. She got out of the car and grabbed her overnight bag. She walked up the winding walkway as if she were walking to her doom. How could she have agreed to do this? She must be out of her mind. She was deep in thought when she saw the bedroom light in the house come on.

Jessica turned to walk back to her car. She had changed her mind. She wasn’t about to go through with it. The door flew open. “Where are you going?” Sheryl was standing in the doorway with her hand on her hip. She closed the door behind her and walked down the walkway to her weary looking friend. “We have everything all set up,” Sheryl said with a smile.

Jessica looked into her best friend’s eyes as they sparkled and danced. She was so totally clueless to the repercussions of her actions. Jessica wanted to get in her car and leave her friend of seventeen years, standing there. She looked toward the house. Darren was standing in the doorway with a huge smile on his face. She felt sick to her stomach. The nerve of that bastard. If he truly loved Sheryl, he wouldn’t go through with this.

“Jess, don’t tell me you came over here to tell me you’ve changed your mind,” Sheryl asked with fear in her voice. “Darren is ready. He promised me that things would get better between us. He says he doesn’t want to cheat on me, so he would rather I participate. Please, Jess. I know you don’t agree, but I want this.”

Jessica turned to Sheryl. “Okay. I’m here, aren’t I? Let’s just get this over with.”
Jessica brushed past Sheryl and marched toward the house. When she got to the door, Darren was still standing there with that dumb smile on his face. She looked at him with so much fury in her eyes that he took a step back.

“Hi . . ., Jess,” he said, not knowing exactly what to say to her. She was obviously not in a good mood. She ignored him and sat down on the sofa.

“Look,” Darren snapped. “If you ain’t down for this just let me know.”

Sheryl ran toward her friend. “She’s down. She’s just a little scared. You know—with us being friends and all. This is a little awkward.” Sheryl nudged Jessica on the arm and looked at her with a pleading look. Jessica tried to lighten her mood.

“Everything’s fine. I’m down,” she said, forcing a smile. “Can I have a drink?”

Darren walked over to the bar and fixed Jessica an apple martini. He handed it to her and she tried not to snatch it from him. She hated him. How could he be so selfish and not think about the effects this one night would have on his wife and kid. She drank the martini quickly and asked for another one. After her third martini, she was ready. Alcohol made Jessica very horny. She was not at all interested in Darren, but she knew she needed something to get her in the mood to have sex with him.

Sheryl was a little too happy for Jessica’s taste. “Shall we retire to the bedroom?” she said, jumping up from the sofa and heading for the stairway. Jessica got up from the sofa and followed her. She walked past Darren, who had been staring at her the whole time she was there. She had often noticed him staring at her in the past and had ignored her instincts that he was attracted to her. But this confirmed it. She now knew that the whole time he had been eyeing her, he had wanted her. She walked up the stairs slowly with Darren not far behind. She could tell his eyes were glued to her ass.

She walked into the large bedroom and Sheryl had set up quite a romantic scene. There were scented red and white candles everywhere. The bed was made with a red comforter with throw pillows in a cream color. The floor was covered in rose petals and the lights were off, giving the room a romantic look by the light of the candles.

Jessica excused herself and walked into the bathroom that was in the bedroom. She closed the door and looked at herself in the mirror. She asked herself what was she doing, and all she could see was Sheryl’s pleading eyes looking at her. “Okay, Jess. Get your game face on,” she said to herself, trying to get herself up for what she was about to do. She pulled a negligee out of her bag and undressed. She put the negligee on and looked at herself again in the mirror. She looked too sexy. She wanted to pull the negligee off, but Sheryl had picked it out just for tonight.

“The lengths some women will go through to please their man,” Jessica said in a low whisper. She looked at herself again in the mirror. She let her long black hair drop to her shoulders and stared at her reflection. She took in every feature of her face as if the events that were about to happen were somehow going to change her. She turned toward the door and placed her hand on the doorknob.

She hesitated for a moment and then finally opened the door. When she stepped out of the bedroom, Darren was sitting on the side of the bed. He was looking at her like she was dinner and he hadn’t eaten all day. She felt her skin heat up with a mixture of frustration, fear, and an eagerness to get it over with. She looked around the room for Sheryl, but she did not see her. She looked back at Darren. “Did Sheryl go to get some more drinks?” she asked, trying not to appear too nervous.

“No,” he said, getting up off the side of the bed and walking over to her. He placed his hand on the side of her face and Jessica could feel her body tighten. Darren stood six feet three inches tall. He was not an unattractive man, but he wasn’t her man. “We are alone ’cause I didn’t want Sheryl to witness this. I love her and I know it is hard enough on her to go through with this at all.”

Jessica took a step back. “I thought your fantasy was to have a threesome?”

“No. My fantasy was to have sex with you. Alone. Sheryl knew that,” he said with a look as if she should have already known what he had just told her.

“Where is Sheryl? This was not what I agreed to,” Jessica tried to brush past Darren to get to the door.

“Wait. Sheryl is fully aware of what my intentions were. Perhaps she misled you, but that doesn’t change the fact that you came here to have sex with me.” He walked closer to Jessica. He placed his hand on her shoulder. “You promised Sheryl.”

Jessica turned toward the bed. She walked over to it and sat on the side. She let her see-through robe drop, revealing her shoulders and a full view of her negligee. She looked up at Darren, who was almost salivating. He walked over to her and tried to kiss her in the mouth. Jessica turned her head away from him. “I didn’t agree to any kissing. That’s a little too personal,” she told Darren, purposely not looking at him. He laid her down on the bed. He walked over to the dresser and turned on the CD player. He slowly took off the robe he was wearing, revealing the full length of his body. He was muscular and his abs rippled. Jessica felt a slight twinge of excitement and tried to will it away. He was well-endowed and she was impressed, but still fought the urge to let herself be sexually aroused.

Darren got on the bed and climbed toward her. He was at the foot of the bed and began to suck her toes. Jessica could feel herself getting excited, and no matter how hard she tried, it was continually growing. He took every toe into his mouth one at a time. He was so seductive that if he were someone she could have for herself, she would be inclined to take him. He kissed his way up from her toes to her thighs. He sucked on her inner thigh just hard enough for her to feel his warm mouth. Jessica felt herself losing control of her body as it began to sway with the motion of his tongue.

Jessica felt his hot breath on her love spot and tried to resist the entry of his tongue. He placed his hands on each side of her hips to hold her in place and began to taste her. His tongue moved in a way that she had never felt before. He was good at this. In fact, he was a pro. He sucked her moist spot with so much passion and pleasure. Jessica felt that Darren was getting as much, if not more, pleasure from his performing oral sex than she was. He continued to taste her until her body, without her consent, exploded.

Darren looked up at her with her juices on his face. He licked his lips and said seductively, “You taste so good.” Jessica turned her head so not to look at him directly. He pulled his body on top of hers. He looked down at Jessica who was trying not to look at him. He placed his hand on her face and turned it to face his. She still kept her eyes from focusing on his face.

“Jessica,” he said in a pleading voice, “look at me.”

Jessica glanced in Darren’s direction, but would not look at him directly. “I’ve been wanting you for a long time. This is like a dream come true for me. But in my dream, you wanted me as much as I want you.”

Jessica looked at Darren. “How could you say this to me? You’re my best friend’s husband. What made you think that I would be that low to try to make a move on you?”

“Do you remember when we met?” Darren asked. “You came over to my table at the club and told me that Sheryl was interested in getting to know me. I took one look at you and I wanted you then. I told you to have a seat and that I was interested in getting to know you a little better. You did just what you are doing now. You put Sheryl first. Why can’t you just let things between us progress.”

“Let things with us progress?” Jessica spat. “Have you lost your mind? You are married to my best friend. There is nothing between us.”

Darren became angry. He kissed Jessica in the mouth and no matter how she resisted, he continued to kiss her. He forced his manhood inside her. Once he felt the moist spot he mellowed. He began to stroke her with passion instead of fury. He made long, slow thrusts in and out of her. Jessica could feel her body respond to each of his thrusts. She had not been sexually active in six months and her body was reveling in the touch and feel of this man. Her body didn’t care who he was, it just knew that it was being touched for the first time in six months and it was wonderful.

Though Jessica didn’t want to admit it, Darren was a magnificent lover. He touched spots she never knew she had. He kept her body exploding with orgasms and though try as she might, she heard herself scream out in pleasure. He made love to her body for an hour. He would make love to her then stop and taste her. He was trying to win her heart and her body all at once. When she could take no more, Jessica thrust her body against his in a way she knew was sure to make him cum. And without fail, he did.

He lay beside her spent from the thrill of their sex. Jessica immediately got up and went into the bathroom. She turned on the shower and tried hard to scrub off the scent of their sex. She rubbed her skin until it was sore.

There was a light knock on the bathroom door. Jessica was toweling off. She quickly got dressed and prepared to open the door to storm pass Darren. When she opened the door, Sheryl was standing in the doorway. She looked a little perplexed and frightened. Jessica looked at her friend, but Sheryl could not look her directly in the eyes. Jessica walked past her and headed toward the stairs.

“Jess, wait,” Sheryl called behind her. Jessica continued down the stairs and out to her car. She unlocked the door and turned the ignition and began to pull away. Sheryl was standing at her window so she stopped abruptly. She winded the window down and looked at Sheryl.

“What?” Jessica snapped. “You got what you wanted. There is nothing more to say and I never want to discuss this again.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow?” Sheryl said in more of a question than a statement.

“No. I’ll call you when I’m ready to talk,” Jessica said, and winded up her window and pulled off. She left Sheryl standing in the middle of the road.