Juliet left Natalie's car, a black jaguar beaming and feeling much better than she did when she'd left the flat that morning and her excellent mood was obvious as she entered her flat.

"Peter!" she exclaimed, shocked to see him sitting on the couch waiting for her.
"Thank God you made it home alright, I was beginning to worry," Peter told her.
"Why?" she asked, sitting next to him now. She kissed him. "Ooh..." she said slowly once they had released. She had seen the clock behind him and it read 12:30. "It's only half past twelve,"
"I know," Peter said, his hands on slowly massaging her hips, "But I can't help worrying about you Jules, after how you were acting this morning and last night...I'm worried about you."
"Well," Juliet began as she put her arms around his neck, "Don't be," she gave him a quick kiss. "I'm fine now and there is no need for you to worry. Okay?" He didn't answer her. "Come on..." she whined, "Peter, please just trust me," He looked into her eyes. She did seem happier now, nothing like how she had been before.
"Okay," Peter said finally. Juliet smiled at him.
"Good," She pushed him on to the couch so that he was lying on his back and she was on top of him and kissed him deeply.
"Wow," Peter said taken aback by Juliet's kiss. "I don't recall you ever kissing me like that before,"
"See? I am better now. You've no reason not to trust me,"
Peter was certain, Juliet was herself now. He wondered what could have possibly put her in such wonderful form in the three hours she was out walking that morning. It crossed his mind that Juliet could have met another man or worse, could have been out with Mark. But Mark was his best friend and they'd had a telephone conversation a few hours ago about the situation with Juliet.

"I promise you Peter, I will be no more than a friend to Juliet," Mark had assured him.
"Alright mate, I'm trusting you," Peter had replied.
"Our friendship is far too important to me and I would never do anything to put it in jeopardy," Mark had said.

But what if Mark had put their friendship in jeopardy? What if he found Juliet that irresistible?

Juliet's hands were now undoing Peter's belt buckle and his hands were still on her waist. He stopped kissing her and she frowned at him.

"What is it?" she asked.
"Jules?"
"Yes?"
"Who were you with this morning? I heard a car when you came home, someone dropped you off," Juliet thought quickly, for some reason not wanting to let Peter know about her new friend.
"It was a girlfriend," Juliet told him. "Mia," she finished.
"Mia?"
"Yes, you know. Mark's friend from the art gallery,"
"But you've never been outwardly friendly with Mia before,"
"I know, but we saw each other at the coffee shop on Third Street and decided to have coffee together,"
"Oh..." Peter said slowly, not buying her story.

The next day Juliet and Natalie met at the coffee shop again and had an even better time together than they'd had the day before. Juliet found it odd the Natalie hid the book she was reading from her but didn't think much of it.

Natalie and Juliet had been meeting at the coffee shop for a week straight now and as time went on Peter became more suspicious. Juliet's moods were always better after she'd returned from the coffee shop and Peter wanted to know why. Surely Mark's friend Mia whom Juliet had never particularly gotten along with couldn't be the one making Juliet so happy. Peter was sure it wasn't Mia Juliet was meeting after a phone conversation with Mark.

"Mia? Mia's been out of town for a month now, Harry's sent her on a business trip/vacation to Australia. I guess he's trying to get rid of temptation," Mark said referring to Harry and Mia's forbidden relationship.
"Temptation," Peter repeated, deep in thought.
"Yes, you know that Harry's married. I guess Mia's been a distraction to him lately,"
"A distraction..?"
"Yes..." Mark said slowly, "why? What are you thinking?"
"Nothing, nothing it's just that Jules has been spending an awful lot of time at the coffee shop and it may be..distracting her, from our marriage,"
"You mean you think she's met another man?"
"I—yes. Yes, that's exactly what I think. The way she acts, the way she's always so happy when he drops her off...I...I think she has met another man," The sadness in Peters voice was evident and Mark, who had always envied Peter, now felt sorry for him.
"Oh cheer up mate, you're probably just thinking of the worse, you're jumping to conclusions."
"Mark, why else would she lie to me about who she's been seeing? She obviously doesn't want me to know who's been making her so happy."
"Would it make you feel better...if...I found out for you who she's been seeing?" Mark asked.
"What do you mean?"
"There's a bookstore on third across from the coffee shop, I could watch from there and see who she's been meeting,"
"You mean spy on her?"
"It's the only way you'll be able to know who it is," Peter considered the possibility. He hated to invade his wife's privacy but he needed to know whether or not she was cheating on him.
"Well?" Mark asked, waiting for Peter's answer.
"Okay. Alright, do it, she leaves around ten to nine and stays until noon," Peter told him.
"Alright, I'll go tomorrow,"
"Okay, well, thank you mate, goodbye then,"
"Goodbye Peter," He hung up the phone, feeling that what he was doing wasn't entirely right. Would Juliet ever invade his privacy?

"Peter?" Juliet's voice came from the front room. He came from the bedroom and greeted her with a kiss. He couldn't help but feel guilty for not trusting her.
"I love you," he said hugging for a long time.
"Oh," she said, looking very puzzled. "What's wrong?..Has something happened?"
"Does something have to happen for a man to tell his wife that he loves her?"
"No, I don't guess so," Juliet replied, still wondering what had happened. "I love you too," she said when they'd released. He held her face and kissed her. She didn't know why, but thoughts of Natalie kept entering her mind while she was kissing him. She lost track of things and the feel of Peter's rough face against her was replaced with the feel of the softness of someone else's skin, but whose? Juliet couldn't put her finger on whose skin she felt against hers now, all she knew was that the feeling was bliss and it was better than anything she'd ever felt before. Suddenly it came to her; it was Natalie's face she felt against hers. She pulled away quickly, horrified.
"What is it Juliet?" Peter asked. Juliet was breathing quickly and shaking her head still shocked and disgusted.

-----------

The next morning Peter and Mark's plan worked perfectly. Mark was across the street at the bookstore while Juliet and Natalie met at the coffee shop. Mark, glad he didn't have to be the bearer of bad news, called Peter from his cell.
"Peter! I see her! I see Juliet and she's with a woman," Mark exclaimed.
"Oh thank God!" Peter said letting out a sigh of relief. "But I wonder why Jules didn't want me to know about this woman..."
"Well," Mark said, moving to a different place in the bookstore to get a better look at Natalie, "I can't see much of her now but from here she looks quite fit, maybe Juliet thought you might think so too,"
"Really? I--"
"Oh wait wait, they're getting up, I'll be able to see her better now..." Mark moved closer to the window of the bookstore. "Wow...she looks like someone I've seen before, I remember her from somewhere...but I remember where..." Mark said deep in thought.
"The gallery maybe?" Peter suggested.
"Yes! That's it! The gallery...if only I could see her. Oh I wish I could remember who she was, if I could see her a little bit closer..."
"Mark..." Peter said warningly, "don't let Juliet see you..."
"That's it! I'll casually bump into her and she'll introduce me to her friend!"
"What? No!" Peter exclaimed.
"Relax, relax. Juliet won't suspect a thing, I'll leave the phone on and you'll be able to hear our entire conversation. Alright?"
"Okay..." Peter said reluctantly.
"Alright mate, I'm crossing the street now, you're going into my pocket," Mark said. He put his cell phone into the pocket of his jacket and waved to Juliet.
"Juliet!" he said once he was across the street. Juliet and Natalie were about to walk around to the back of the coffee shop to Natalie's car.
"Mark!" Juliet said turning and giving him a hug.
"How have you been?" she asked.
"Been great actually, and yourself?"
"Been great as well," Juliet replied.
"Who's your friend?" Mark asked.
"Natalie," Juliet said introducing Natalie to Mark. "Natalie, this is Mark, Peter's best friend.
Natalie smiled politely and shook Mark's hand.
"Have I seen you somewhere?" Natalie asked.
"You might have, he works at the art gallery a couple of blocks away," Juliet said. Then something inside Mark clicked and he remembered who Natalie was and Natalie remembered who he was.
"Juliet, I've got somewhere to be today we really must be going," Natalie said wanting to get away from Mark.
"Oh..alright, nice seeing you Mark," Juliet said. Natalie had already begun walking to the parking lot.
"You too," Mark said. He walked back across the street and when he was sure Juliet and Natalie wouldn't see or hear him he picked up the phone.
"Peter? You there? Did you get all of that?" Mark asked.
"Yes, I got it all. So do you remember who she is?"
"Yes..." Mark said not knowing how to tell Peter.

NOTE FORM WRITIERS: Comments are greatly appreciated!