A difficult decision.

I couldn't help but be happy that vacation was ahead... No, no, I'm not complaining about my job... I like my job... But it's vacation after all... Summer, rest, entertainment. My man promised to take me to the sea on the very first day of our joint vacation. I worked in a decent beauty salon, and he had been serving under contract for many years. Our life together flowed harmoniously and successfully, although there was some age difference between us...

I'm 29, he's 45. How did that happen? In his time, he amazed me with his seriousness, gallantry, and determination. "A man like that is needed by the best," I decided back then, when girls roughly his age were chasing after him. We met through my work... He often used my hairdressing services, like many others. His persistence and determination didn't allow me to say "No" to an invitation to a restaurant. After our first date, everything started spinning. He is a serious and straightforward man... He immediately took me to live with him and led me to the registry office. We didn't listen to others' opinions about our age difference and enjoyed life with each other. With him, it was reliable and calm. He told me to quit my job and just take care of the household, but that's not for me... I can manage everything and everywhere.

So here's the vacation, here's the sea. The two of us are relaxing and sunbathing wonderfully on the beach. My Zhenya always liked catching others' glances at me... He was flattered by the appraisal of his companion... Because of this, he valued and loved me more and more. The whole vacation we walked somewhere and had fun. The hotel room we rented near the sea emitted many moans and cries. We indulged in all sorts of pleasures and satisfied each other as best we could. And parting with such a rest was heavy and sad. And back to work, back to worries and chores. My colleagues pestered me with questions about my vacation. They also loved to be interested in my relationship with my husband. I enthusiastically told them about the sea and beach relaxation while working on a haircut for a regular client. This client always visited our salon when needed and used only my services. From his look in the mirror, one could understand that my story interested him too.

Ten minutes later, I let the client out of the chair, took payment, and received a couple of pleasant compliments and reviews. Although he often praised my skills deservedly, each time it was more pleasant. It's always nice to hear an important opinion. This guy made my day. I worked all day in a positive mood, and the smile on my face continued to light me up even when I got home, which my husband noticed. It piqued his interest... Why is his wife smiling for no apparent reason? I never hid anything from him and told him about the pleasant reviews at work. He just shrugged and praised me for my work.

My husband's entire workweek was packed with inspections at the service and night duties. He disappeared, and I was bored alone at home in the evenings after work. One such sad evening, I went out for a walk around the city alone. I sat on a bench in a summer, flowing cream-colored dress with a rose embroidered on the hem and drowned my loneliness in an ice cream cone. I so wanted to chat and walk with someone... And my friend, as if on purpose, had gone to her mom's in the village. Apparently, my pleas were heard from above. That guy, my regular client, walked by and noticed me. He came over, said hello, then asked about how I was spending my time. I invited him to sit with me on the bench if he wanted and said I was just feeling lonely.

He kindly offered to help brighten my gloom and go to a nearby cafe, to which I gladly agreed. We had such a fun time with him that I forgot about everything in the world and didn't even notice the calls coming to my phone. With this guy, we talked about everything under the sun. I learned his name (Roma), his 25-year-old age, his single status, and his job as an auto mechanic. We drank coffee, ate pastries and ice cream, joked, and laughed. It was so simple, heartfelt, and good. Roma was so lively, energetic, and spirited. His charisma and humor hooked me. He walked me home and promised to visit the salon again soon.

In the morning before work and when my husband came home, I listened to his scolding about my careless attitude. He bombarded my phone with calls, which I never answered last night. I blamed it all on going to bed early and hurried off to work. My husband's stern voice and reproaches echoed in my mind all day, leaving me in no mood. A surprise awaited me at home. My husband started meeting me with apologies. He presented me with a bouquet of scarlet roses and a beautiful gold ring, which wasn't the first of his gifts. I showed him my resentment but immediately softened after his apologies and hugged him. As always, the whole thing ended with a stormy night. Zhenya was always so dominant in bed, loved to take me in every way and completely. He could twist and turn me on himself for hours. I got very tired doing this with him. More than anything, it all becomes annoying rather than delivering truly great pleasure.

Over time, I tried to somehow devote less time to him for sex, because everything started to terribly depress and stress me out. He sometimes seemed to treat my excuses with understanding. It became a joy for me when my husband was away on duty, although before I missed him and longed for his company. I found my outlet in work; the girls there didn't let me get bored. Roma, as promised, visited the salon again and again used my services. We chatted with him during the haircut. The girls also joined our conversation, and we all laughed so heartily. Roma got everyone going with his humor, and my colleagues became interested in his person.

His charisma couldn't leave anyone indifferent. By the end of the workday, the girls started asking me about the client... Who is he? When did I manage to become friends with him and under what circumstances? Is he single? This explained their interest in him. And when we went outside after closing the salon, we saw the object of our interest. Roma was sitting near the salon in a car parked on the side of the road and had opened the window. He offered to give me a ride, at which the girls exchanged indignant glances. I said goodbye to everyone and got into the car. I didn't consider our communication with him close in any way, and I certainly saw nothing wrong with him taking me home. It was all just a courtesy, nothing more. I like him as just a familiar guy; apparently, he feels the same about me. All the way home, we continued to joke and tease each other.

Such movements became the norm. He started giving me rides often, and I continued to attribute it all to friendly relations. The girls from work saw all this and disapproved, knowing my husband, albeit not closely. They kept saying I could get into trouble. I don't understand why they got so worked up. I'm not planning to lose anyone, and there's no reason to. My husband himself continued to disappear at work and didn't notice the loss of my devoted feelings for him on a moral level. In my husband's absence at home, I even somehow invited Roma over for tea. Everything was sweet and innocent. Some TV show distracted us, and over tea, we watched it to the end. Roma left, and I continued to faithfully wait for my Zhenya.

On the nearest weekend, Zhenya took me to the dacha to relax with friends. The most interesting thing is that all the friends were his... He practically forced communication with them on me. I managed to communicate with my only friend Nina less often than with his friends. I was forced to spend these weekends in his company, although I asked to let them all spend time without me. Zhenya insisted on his own, and I couldn't contradict him. I was terribly bored, although everyone else was drinking and having fun. Our dacha was nice... A cozy, spacious house, a front garden I planted with various shrubs and flowers, a gazebo on the lawn, and a wooden log bathhouse. While everyone was noisily relaxing in the gazebo, I decided to water my landscape with a hose. It was my outlet... I loved fiddling in the dirt with flowers and taking care of them. I realized my phone was vibrating in my jeans pocket. It was him calling. Roma had been looking for me everywhere and somehow miraculously found my phone number. I looked around to make sure I was alone.

— Why are you calling? It's not very convenient for me to talk right now.

— Forgive me. I can't go on without talking to you. Can we meet now?

— Are you crazy?!

Suddenly someone touched my shoulder. I instantly moved the phone away from my ear and turned around. I almost lost the power of speech from confusion when I saw my husband near me. Zhenya looked at me questioningly, and I tried to tell him something incoherent. I was only saved by the fact that he was drunk and didn't understand anything. He said he was terribly drunk and asked me to put him to bed. As we walked to the house, I glanced at the phone and saw that Roma had hung up. Apparently, he understood we needed to stop for safety. Zhenya kept pawing at me in bed while I tried to put him to bed and take off his clothes and shoes. He would grab my breast, then slap my butt... Fooling around. He talked about his love for me and that he would never give me to anyone. I covered him with a blanket and sat next to him until he fell asleep so soundly that not even a tank shot could wake him.

His friends stayed overnight, as there was plenty of space at the dacha, although some left for home by taxi. A couple of friends, Zhenya's fellow servicemen, still "alive," continued to finish their cognac and talk among themselves. Seeing me, they called me over to play cards, but I refused and went outside to the gazebo. And what the hell possessed me, but without thinking, I wrote a message to Roma saying I was coming to him now. That evening, I hadn't drunk at all. I quietly took the keys to our car from the kitchen along with my husband's wallet and set off on the short 15 km journey. Our 124 quickly delivered me to the city. After calling Roma, I drove to the parking lot at the city exit as he requested, where he was waiting for me in his car.

— Finally. I've missed you terribly.

I walked up to him and smiled sweetly, and he couldn't take his eyes off me.

— Here I am.

— Don't disappear like that again. I haven't seen you for three days.

— It's only three days. I have work... Family.

— I understand. But our communication is like air to me. I can't do without it anymore.

— What's wrong with you?

— I don't understand myself. But somehow that's how it's happening. You're here. You came to me for some reason.

— I haven't figured out what that reason is yet.

— Why not? The reason is clearly me.

— Or maybe it's in me...

— I hope you didn't come here just to run away from your life? Is everything okay with you?

— Yes. You are not just a pretext for running away from everything.

— So you are running away from something?

— No, no. Everything is fine with me.

— It doesn't seem like it from your eyes. What happened? Can I help?

— Help me? Don't make me laugh. I'll help myself.

— If you could, then right now your eyes would be saying the same thing as you are.

— I'm just bored being there in the company of his friends, whose company is forced on me.

— So you're here out of boredom after all?

— No, not like that. I'm taking a risk by being here.

— Sorry. Let's not talk about bad things. I'm just insanely happy that you're next to me now.

That night brought a lot of color and positivity to my mood and well-being. We went to the city center and settled into a 24-hour cafe. We ate fresh pastries and ice cream. His charisma and infectious laughter lifted me to the skies. I forgot about time, and it was already getting light outside. Coming to my senses, I hurriedly checked the time on my phone, then jumped up from the chair and ran to the car, shouting to Roma that I had to go. Roma ran after me and only asked for a quick meeting. Upon returning to the dacha, I found Zhenya's sleeping friends in various corners of the house.

Then I quietly crept into Zhenya's room and saw a friend sleeping next to him. So I went outside and lay down in the hammock. Roma texted me: "How are you there? Is everything okay? Didn't get caught?" I sent Roma a reply: "Thanks! Everything's fine with me. They're still sleeping. I had a wonderful time with you." Roma immediately reacted: "Doubt it was better than mine with you!" Then I fell sound asleep and don't know how long I slept. I only remember that I dreamed of him. In the dream, I felt a kiss and couldn't wake up. I moaned softly and muttered something under my breath. Then it dawned on me, and I realized the kiss was happening not just in the dream, but in reality. I abruptly opened my eyes and saw Zhenya.

— And what were you dreaming about, my beauty?

— I don't even know. I rarely remember dreams, dear. You know that.

And of course, I was lying. I clearly remembered that dream. And where do such fantasies even come from? It was as if I had experienced it all in life. Roma in the dream was so real, so tangible. When Zhenya went to his friends, I closed my eyes again and began to replay the memories of the dream. An even more tangible trace of this dream was my panties... They were wet from the excitement I had experienced. I immersed myself in the dream. His kisses, caresses... His hands and body... His so lively and infectious gaze... Everything was so tender and desirable. Just as I was starting to get excited again from remembering the dream, Zhenya woke me up again.

— You're always daydreaming. Let's go have breakfast. Enough lying around.

— Sorry. Yes, let's go.

— By the way, did you take the car?

That caught me off guard. I didn't know what to answer. All that came to mind was to make an excuse, not knowing how to explain my night trip. And, as if on purpose, one of Zhenya's friends came up to us and started talking about what he shouldn't have.

— Back already? I didn't notice you.

— What do you mean? Back from where?

— I don't know. You drove off somewhere in the Merc last night.

And I felt a chill run through me. Damn friend... He had to open his mouth... And he couldn't sleep at night. Zhenya asked the friend to go into the house and have breakfast. Then his disapproving gaze fell on me, which made me feel distinctly unwell.

— Are you going to tell me?

— Yes, I took the car. Sorry, but I drove to the city and back to Nina's.

— Couldn't Nina wait for a convenient moment?

— She just needed my support. She called me to talk, and I decided to go to her, considering I couldn't sleep.

Zhenya was silent and went into the house. It seems my story worked, and I sighed with relief. That evening we returned home and went to rest to get enough sleep for work.

The day passed with more questions from the girls at work. Our administrator told me that one of her clients had been urgently looking for her yesterday and that she had given him my phone number.

— What's going on between you two?

— Nothing is going on. Should it? He was just away and called to book his next appointment.

— Come on. Such urgency in an immediate call just for a haircut? You're not telling us something.

— What's it to you anyway? He's my client, period!

After yelling at my colleagues, I started working and was silent all day. And the same the next day and then again. I won't allow people to stick their long, curious noses excessively into my personal life! My colleagues only noticed the smile on my face when he came for my services again. The girls immediately started whispering and exchanging glances. Roma and I paid no attention to