Trouble and Strife

Chapter One

“I’ve messed up Sis, really badly.”

Shelley was on the telephone to her sister, Marie, in Cornwall.

“What have you done?” asked Marie.

“Well, you do know how much I love Charlie. I don’t know how I’d cope if I ever lost Charlie, I miss him so much that it hurts even when he goes away overnight on one of his business conference things.”

“I know, I don’t why but I do know. But why is loving Charlie a problem. Apart from him being such a wuss.”

“He’s not a wuss,” Shelley shouted, “just because a man is kind and considerate does not make him a wuss. I’ll have you know he pulled a hedgehog out of a lit bonfire last week, he saved it’s life.”

“Fine,” Marie grinned to herself, typical Charlie to rescue a small animal, he probably thought it was cute. “He’s not a wuss, he’s a big brave hero. So what’s the problem?”

“Sex with Steve is amazing.”

Marie stopped grinning. “Say what?”

“Steve, the guy I met when I was out with you and Emma.”

“When?”

“Last time we went out, we went to that wine bar.”

“Shelley, that was before I moved. We’re talking six months ago.”

“I know, but I was desperate for sex and he was hot, so…”

“So you cheated on Charlie. Look I don’t want to make you husband sound like a wuss or anything but…do you not have sex with him?”

Shelley paused for a moment, her love life with her husband was nothing like the sex with Steve but she didn’t know how to explain it without her sister making fun of Charlie.

“We do make love to each other,” she said eventually, “and Charlie is exceedingly kind and gentle. He always makes sure I reach orgasm…eventually. Normally with his tongue after he’s come. He tries really hard.” Shelley heard her sister make a condescending noise but chose to ignore it. “With Steve it’s different. He isn’t at all gentle but he always makes me orgasm before he does. It’s incredible. It’s the best sex I’ve ever had.”

“And now you feel guilty?”

“Oh I felt guilty from day one. It isn’t that.”

“So what is it then?”

“Charlie went to his Mum’s on Sunday. He was supposed to be gone all day so I invited Steve over.”

“You invited your lover into your husband’s bed. Are you mad?”

“Well it’s cheaper than a hotel and like I said, Charlie was meant to be out all day. Only he came back, needed something to mend his Mum’s necklace or something, you know he makes jewellery. Anyway, he walked into the bedroom to get whatever it was and there we were. At it. In bed.”

“What did he do?” asked Marie.

“He just stood there. He went bright red and started to say something but the words never came out. I thought he was going to have a heart attack or something. I tried to explain, but in the end he just walked out of the house and drove off. I sent Steve packing because I wasn’t in the mood after that so, of course, he was pissed off as well. But Charlie was nowhere to be found. He didn’t come back until the next day. I was so worried.”

“So you want to know how to make it up to Charlie?”

“What? Oh no, we’ve made up. I explained to him that I needed sex and that he couldn’t give me what I needed, physically. He was a bit upset at first but I think he understands. I told him that I loved him and I wanted to always be with him, I just needed this sexual relief occasionally and Steve was cheaper than a gigolo.”

“and Charlie accepted that?”

“Like I said, he got upset. But I told him that I was never going to leave him or anything.”

“Shelley, this isn’t a wind up or something, is it?” Marie was beginning to question her sister’s sanity as the conversation went on.

“No, why would it be a wind up?” Shelley sounded genuinely confused.

“Because you’re trying to tell me that Charlie is all right with you having an affair. I mean, I know he’s a wuss and all but a cuckold?”

“He is not a wuss. In fact he did ask what sort of man he’d be if he turned a blind eye to what he’d seen.”

“So he isn’t all right with it. He’ll leave you if you don’t sort this out. Why don’t you get rid of Steve?”

“Because I don’t want to. I want to keep them both, there must be a way.”

“Only if they’re both happy to share.”

“Well, Steve certainly isn’t, he said that he wasn’t prepared to share me with another man. He reckons three in a bed is only okay if two of them are women.”

“There you go then, unless you can convince Charlie to become a girl you’re going to have to give one of them up. You need to decide whether you want great sex or a loving relationship. I don’t think I’d ever say this, but I think you should stick with Charlie. Sex will always get dull eventually but what you and Charlie have is special.” Said Marie, but she might have well stopped after the first thirteen words.

Shelley’s face was a mask of concentration as her sister’s words filtered into the working part of her brain and after a few moments Marie began to wonder if her sister had gone.

“Convince Charlie to become a girl…I could do that. He could be my BFF and Steve could be my sex toy. Marie you’re a genius. Yes, I could make it work.”

Marie was horrified. “Shelley, it was a joke. You can’t turn Charlie into a woman, he’s your husband.”

“Men do it all the time, I’ve seen it on television.”

“Men do what?”

“Turn themselves into women. There was a documentary on tv about these men who wanted to be women and they took hormones and stuff…and they had an operation…and then they were women. Charlie can do that.” Shelley’s voice was becoming excited as plans developed in her head.

“But they wanted to be women and I’m fairly sure that Charlie doesn’t. Not to mention that it isn’t that easy.”

“I’m sure Charlie will want to when I explain it to him. I mean, I’d do it for him if he wanted me to. Thanks Marie, I knew you’d sort me out. You’re the best.”

“But I…” began Marie before the dial tone interrupted her. Shelley had hung up.

For a minute or two she just sat at the table with the receiver in her hand and stared at it.

“Is everything all right love?” asked her husband, Mike, concerned.

“I think my sister has lost her mind.” She said. “She’s gone completely crazy.”

to be continued