Algebra

"He said he could use him as a reference. That should help him." They talked some more but I wasn't listening. I was thinking to myself. "How can Melanie sit there and console Mary knowing that she is screwing her husband?"

Later there was a call from Jack. "Oh, hi Jack. ..... Yeah Mary came over to talk. She's just as clueless as Kurt. ..... Kaylee is going to be gone until Sunday. I'll try to get together with you this weekend. I'm sure Kurt will have to go to the office for a while, he always does. I'll text you when I know more. ..... Talk to you later lover."

"I'll give you all the time you want." I actually said out loud to myself.

Thanksgiving we made a nice lunch. Not too big but nice -- Turkey breast, yams, stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. At around 2:00 Brad called. I let Melanie get the phone. I had it sitting on the kitchen counter. "Hello, Kurt's phone. ..... Oh, hi Mr. Bilson. ..... Sure I'll get him, he's just in the other room."

"Hi Brad. How are you this Happy Thanksgiving Day?"

"Well here's your phone call. My wife couldn't believe I was bothering you on Thanksgiving. So what's the verdict?"

"You need me in New Jersey?" I said kind of loudly. "Tonight? ..... Really, on Thanksgiving? ..... 7:00 at Detroit Metro. ..... Yeah, I'll be there."

"Honey, Brad needs me to fly to New Jersey tonight. They are having problems and their department head is on vacation."

"Why do they need you to leave tonight?" She asked.

"They have an automotive order that is due Monday morning so they are working tomorrow and through the weekend to get it out by Sunday night. I have to insure that they are there Monday morning. I even have to be at the GM plant to insure the parts are perfect for the customer. It's called JIT, Just In Time inventory. If they go down because we don't have our parts to them then we are stuck paying thousands of dollars to cover their downtime. It's the cost of doing business with the auto makers." I explained.

"I've got to get ready to go. I need to be at the airport by 5:00." I said as I hurried down the stairs to get my suitcase.

I grabbed my suitcase and checked my laptop making sure it was all set to tape everything and made sure it was well hidden. Back upstairs I said to Melanie. "Do you know where my toiletry kit is?"

"Last time I saw it it was in the linen closet behind the shampoo." She said.

"Thanks honey, what would I do without you." I said. I hid the sarcasm very well.

I headed upstairs with the suitcase. I laid out both good clothes (business casual) and bad clothes. Melanie knew that I could get dirty at my job. I grabbed my underwear, socks, shoes, also some shorts and swimming trunks for the hotel as well as some t-shirts and workout clothes. I also grabbed a suit. I figured I may be packing for more than a few days.

Melanie came in and saw all the clothes on the bed. "Do you really need all those clothes?"

"I never know what I'll need. They may want me to talk to the GM exec's."

"I still can't believe you have to leave on Thanksgiving."

"I have to be at the plant at 6 in the morning. I'd rather not have to catch a flight at 2 in the morning."

"Well I'll miss you." She said.

I turned around and looked at her. The words sounded good but the look on her face didn't show it. If Melanie did what I thought she was going to do I bet those were just words.

I threw the suitcase in the trunk of the car. I came back into the house and asked Melanie if she wanted to drive me or should I leave my car in long term parking. "If you drive me you'll have to pick me up Monday afternoon." She thought about it. I knew what she was thinking, "I hate driving in Detroit traffic, especially the airport, but if I drive him he won't have a car and can't come home unexpectedly."

"I'll drive you honey. It's Thanksgiving, I'll miss you when you're gone. This will give me another hour or so to be with you." Wow, she was laying it on thick, I thought.

"Okay. Well we should leave in about an hour. What do you want to do in the meantime?" I looked at her with that look.

"We don't have time for that." She said, "Maybe when you get back."

"Or maybe not." I thought.

"Alright, we'll just relax then." I said as I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. I sat down on the couch and sipped my beer. She grabbed one and sat in the chair opposite me.

"Sorry I have to leave honey but it is important." I said.

"I know sweetie, I'll just be alone for the whole weekend."

"Call Mary, go out to a movie or something. She probably needs something to take her mind off Jack losing his job. Tell her you'll buy. Grab a dinner while you're out. Are you volunteering at the shelter again this Saturday?"

"Yes, they have a big push for adoption from now to the end of the year."

"Well that takes care of Saturday. Are you going Black Friday Shopping tomorrow morning?"

"No, I don't really have anything to shop for that would make me want to go out in that crazy mess." She said.

"Curl up with a good book then." I suggested.

"Yeah, I'll find something to do." I bet she would.

The ride to the airport was more chit-chat.

"Just drop me off in the front honey." I said.

She pulled up to the curb. I got out, grabbed my suitcase and garment bag out of the trunk and closed the lid. I walked around to the driver's side. She hadn't even gotten out to give me goodbye hug. I gave her a peck on the lips and said, "I'll call you when I get into my hotel."

"Okay, have a safe trip."

She slowly pulled away from the curb. I wondered if she noticed that neither one of us said, "I love you."

I walked into the terminal and waited in the lobby for about 10 minutes to see if she would come back. Nope.

I went over to the car rental counter and rented a car for 4 days. Outrageous what they charge but what can you do.

I found the car, put my suitcase and garment bag in and took off for a hotel not too far from home. I wanted to be able to keep an eye on the house, see when she left, when she had visitors, and who. Obviously I couldn't camp out in front so I had to drive by occasionally. The car I rented was like every other car. I didn't want to stand out or be noticed.

I drove by at about 9:00. No car, lights were on. I could see that the T.V. was on. Well I guess Jack couldn't leave his wife, child, and any family on Thanksgiving, probably tomorrow though.

I went back to the hotel and waited until 10:00 to call Melanie. "Hey, just got in. I'm going right to bed. I need to be at the plant by 6:00."

Okay honey, thanks for calling. I miss you."

"Miss you too." I said. I did miss her. I missed the woman I fell in love with and married, not the woman she was now.

Friday morning I slept in. When I woke at 9:30 from a sound sleep (one I hadn't had in about 4 weeks) I got up, showered, dressed and put on jeans, sweatshirt and a baseball cap. I drove by the house around 10:15. There it was, Jack's car. It could be Mary though. I had to swing by the bank where she worked to see if she was there. How was I going to do that without her seeing me. "Duh" I thought. "Just see if her car is there." I did. It was. That did it.

Tomorrow while Melanie is at her "work" I'll sneak in and get the evidence I need.

I spent the day driving around Detroit. The city had its issues but a few philanthropists were putting money back into the city. It was coming back -- slowly. With all its faults, I would still miss the place.

I didn't bother calling Melanie that evening. If she wanted to talk to me she could make the call. I got no call.

Saturday morning I had breakfast at a Denny's 15 miles from my house. I didn't want anyone recognizing me. I drove back to the house, parked around the corner and slipped in the back yard. I hoped nobody saw me. I checked the garage to make sure that her car was gone. It was. I slipped into the basement and checked the laptop. There is was, 3 videos from the bedroom from yesterday mid-morning. I downloaded the file to a zip drive and slipped back out to my car. I would view the file when I got to the motel. Then it dawned on me. "How was I going to view it without a computer?" So I headed toward work.

It was after 12:00, the place was deserted. I opened the door with my key, went in and relocked the door. Then I went to my office. I booted up my computer, stuck the zip drive in and opened the file. The first image was of my wife walking in in a teddy. The teddy I bought for her for our 15^th anniversary that she has never worn for me. My anger started to burn.

Jack was shedding his clothes as fast as he could.

"Wow, you look awesome in that. Did you buy it for me?"

"No, Kurt bought it for me a couple of years ago but I have never worn it."

"Why not?" Jack asked.

"Because I don't like having sex with Kurt." Jack looked puzzled. "But I do like having sex with you." She said.

That hit me like a ton of bricks. What was wrong with our sex life? I thought back to when we were first dating, she was wild in bed, we both were. Our Honeymoon was nonstop. We ate almost every meal from room service. Even the first year was sex every day, sometimes two or three times. Even when she was pregnant we were at it like rabbits. Then after KJ was born it quickly went downhill. I know a new baby limits your time and all you want to do is sleep when you can. However, when KJ was sleeping on a regular schedule it never came back. I wonder what I had done to have her hate having sex with me.

When I looked back at the screen they were already having sex. He was on top of her pounding away.

"Doesn't he pound you like this?" He grunted.

"Never!" She grunted back.

Then he pulled out and turned her over, put her on her hands and knees and started fucking her doggie style. I'd seen this before with the hooker. He was treating her just like he had treated the "housewife". He was pounding away at her and she was groaning and screaming, "Harder, harder." He did. She screamed out in an orgasm. That was something that I hadn't heard from her in 17 years. Maybe I wasn't rough enough for her.

He slowed down and started massaging her rosebud with his finger. "Oh yeah!" She said. "Let me get the lube." She reached over to the nightstand and grabbed a bottle of KY Jelly. It was half full!! They had been doing this before, and probably here!!! She put some on her finger and pushed it in her ass. Then she lubed up his cock. "Okay lover, give it to me." She said. There it was. I had 3 angles of her getting fucked in the ass; one of their faces from the camera in the headboard, one from the side from the camera in the closet, and a top view from the camera in the ceiling fan.

I didn't want to see any more. I paused the playback. I printed out 2 copies of all three angles and exited the program. I pulled the zip drive out, grabbed the pictures from the printer (high quality) and turned off the computer. I'm sure Mary will appreciate these pictures.

I walked out of my office and looked around the plant. I would be talking to Brad on Monday. I would need to start the transfer process. I would miss this plant, it had been a part of my life for almost half my life.

I walked out of the plant thinking of Melanie. She doesn't like having sex with me, yet she wants him to treat her like a piece of meat. I don't know if I can even get past this.

I went to the hotel and just sat there in the dark. After an hour or so I went to a party store and grabbed a case of beer. I went back to the hotel and just started drinking.

I woke up Sunday morning with about a dozen beer cans lying on the floor around me. I had a hell of a headache. I got up, took a piss, and drank a big glass of water then I went back to bed. I woke up and it was 2:00. I had to get up and take a shower. I smelled bad.

I took a long hot shower and shaved. I looked 100% better but I still felt like shit inside. My marriage was a sham. The only good part of it was KJ.

KJ would be calling me before too long.

I needed to get something to eat. I hadn't eaten since Denny's yesterday morning. I took off again for the same Denny's. I still didn't want anyone to recognize me. I had plans that needed me gone for one more day. I needed to make other plans also.

By now Melanie would have chlamydia. Was that enough of a revenge, that and divorce, of course.

I sat and thought as I ate, boy was I hungry. I would divorce her but in a way that would heap the most coals upon her. I would tell her that I'd like to celebrate Christmas with just us three on the Saturday, before her parents showed up. Then we could do all the holiday things without interfering with our own family. I would put together the memory scrap book of all the photos throughout our marriage. Then the last photo would be delivered in a box with 17 red roses and 1 black rose. 17 years of "good" marriage and 1 of bad. In the box with the roses I would put a collage of pictures off the zip drive from this weekend. Then I would have the divorce papers served. If I timed it right her parents would be arriving right about the same time as I was leaving. I wonder how she would explain this to them.

As I was making plans KJ called. "Hi KJ" I said.

"Hi dad. Mom said you had to go out of town when I spoke to her last night. Should I call her and have her pick me up?"

"No honey, I'll still pick you up. Are you at the airport or at the Behrends?" I asked.

"I just got off the plane. I'm waiting for my luggage. What's going on dad?"

"I'll explain everything to you when I pick you up. Don't tell mom anything okay. Trust me."

"You know I trust you dad."

"Okay, I'll be there in about a half an hour okay?"

"Sure dad. Text me when you're here and I'll come out."

I picked her up at the curb and she looked at me with a worried expression on her face. "Okay, what's up?"

"Your mom doesn't know it yet but we're getting a divorce." I told her.

"What?!" She said.

"KJ, before you left you said something about me 'not being right for about a month'. You are a very perceptive young woman."

"You're not sick are you?" She asked worriedly.

"No KJ, I am sick inside that I have to tell you this but we'll get through this. On Halloween I finally realized that your mother has been cheating on me."

"What??"

"Yes dear. It has been going on since at least the 4^th of July. I have proof but let's just say that I will not be reconciling with her. She has said and done things that make it impossible for me to continue and still keep my self-respect. However, I need you to play the charade with me until the 20^th of December. That is when I will be dropping the bomb on her. Grandma and Grandpa will be here then so they will be able to help her through it. Do you think you can do that?"

"Well, I don't spend too much time at home anyway so it shouldn't be too hard to play the part. Are you sure you guys can't work it out?"

"No honey. I'm sorry. I'm sorry to drop this on you like this but you are such a level headed young woman I figured the straight truth would be best."

"I did feel something was wrong with you but I thought it had something to do with work. I'm so sorry dad. Does she know you know?"

"No, she thinks I'm clueless. I was, until Halloween. That is why I had a 'migraine'." I said with my fingers making the quotation marks.

"Who is it? Is it anyone I know?"

"Well I guess it will come out anyway but you can't say anything or let on in any way. Okay?"

"Yes dad."

"It's Jack Anderson."

"Wow, does Mrs. Anderson know?"

"Not yet." I said.

"Wow, Jasmine is going to be devastated, she thinks the world of her dad." She said.

"Well of course she does KJ."

"No dad, she is like obsessed with him. That is one of the reasons she's going to Wayne State so she can stay at home near her dad."

"I didn't know that. This will probably hurt her badly. You'll need to make sure you help her through this." I said.

"I don't think she'll want my help dad. It is my mom he's doing it with."

"Oh yeah, right. Well maybe Mr. Anderson and your mom love each other." I said.

"I'm going to have her served right after we celebrate our Christmas together." I told her.

"Wow, that's kinda cruel Dad."

"I know KJ but I want to do this before the end of the year. Also I need to do this for my dignity."

There was a long pause.

"Now I need to tell you the good news." I said smiling.

"How can there be any good news? I sure could use some good news after that bad news." She said.

"You're going to be receiving an acceptance letter from Cornell within the next two weeks."

"What?!! Are you sure."

"Your old man has connections. I didn't get you in, mind you, you did that all by yourself. I just got word early. The other news is I've already arranged to pay for 4 years tuition in advance. Also I am paying for room and board, books, and misc. expenses."

"How can you do that?" She asked.

"That's where I have the connections. Don't worry about a thing KJ. I've got it all taken care of. You just get good grades and pick a field that you'll love doing."

"I told you I was going to be an engineer just like you dad."

"Now who is obsessed with her old man?" I joked.

"Oh dad, I love you."

"Okay so take this happy feeling and think on that for the next three weeks. Don't let your mother think something is wrong." I demanded.

"By the way, would your old man be imposing too much if he wanted to take you to see the campus on the 20^th of December. You'll miss spending time with your grandparents for a few days." I asked.

"That would be great dad! I don't think I'm going to want to be around mom when you drop the bomb anyways."

I didn't want Melanie to see me so I parked at the end of the drive with my rental car. KJ got out, grabbed her gear, and ran up to the house as I drove away.

Melanie welcomed her home with a hug. KJ played the part perfectly. Did all women deserve Oscars? I know Melanie put one over on me.

Monday I checked out of my room then I spoke with the lawyer. It was a go, the paperwork to be delivered on the 20^th. Then I called the florist and told them that I would want the delivery to occur on the 20^th. They said they already had it on the calendar. I told them that I would want to put a picture in the box lid and wondered if I could stop by in the afternoon the day before to see the arrangement. I wanted the 17 roses in a circle around a black fully opened rose in the center. The card should say, "17 good 1 bad -- look under the lid". Oh I would love to see her face when she opened them. Maybe I can rig up a camera at the front door.

I would need to find out when her parents were due in on their flight so I could arrange the time for the florist and the process server. I figure add an hour after the arrival time. That should be about the right amount to let them get their luggage, pick up a rental car, and drive to our house.

That afternoon I returned the rental car and texted Melanie, she texted back, "Okay I'll leave now to come get you." I wondered if she would say anything about me not calling since Thursday night. She could have called me. I didn't feel any remorse.

On the way home I said, "Can we just pick up Chinese for dinner or had you already planned something?"

"Chinese is fine. That should be okay with Kaylee. She's got some great news to share with you."

"What is it?"

"I'll let her tell you." She said.

"I can't wait." I said.

We picked up Chinese and were home by 6:30. I walked in the door and was almost bowled over by KJ. "Whoa KJ. You can't treat your old man like that."

"You're not old dad. You're just 40."

"So why did I get attacked at the door?" I asked.

"I got in!! I got the packet today! Cornell!!!" She screamed.