C is for Clueless

[This story has very little sex. It has cheating and consequences. When you read the story, remember, they have known each other for over twenty years.]

*

Some guys are clueless. I was one of them. Clueless men ought to have meetings somewhere. A place where we can get together, have a beer or six and feel stupid together. Trouble is, we wouldn't know the meeting was for us.

Mary and I married in our early twenties. We got together often enough to make three kids and have occasional fun between the pregnancies too. I read the books that told me I was supposed to be the good husband and stay faithful. I followed the advice. When Alison left home to go to college I wondered what Mary would do. No more kids at home.

What she did was start volunteering at the hospital. Three days a week she was there. She worked in the gift shop some days, in the pediatric play room some days and probably other places as well.

We had a nice circle of friends that we gathered while we all we raising our kids and we still got together about once a month for bar-b-ques or parties in our various homes. I was close to three other guys in the circle basically because we were the ones who loved fishing. Four or five times a year we would take off for a weekend fishing trip together.

I thought our marriage was pretty much like the ones around me. Kids gone, wives doing stuff, some working and some not, husbands settled in our careers and biding our time until retirement. When we went fishing we talked about all that. We sometimes even talked about our relationships and sex.

In May the four of us went fishing. Sitting in the boat quietly watching the spot where my line entered the water we talked softly. It started with Jack talking about going to Stanford to visit his son. His wife found an empty condom wrapper in his room and was really upset. Then Paul mentioned that on the way home from visiting their daughter at school his wife had mentioned that Cally told her mom that she was having sex with the guy she was dating. We all laughed when he described the guy. He was always wearing torn, worn out clothes, needed a shave and slouched.

Mike didn't say anything for quite a while. I noticed and asked, "Mike, what's going on in there? You seem deep in thought."

"I'm not sure I want to say anything. If I'm wrong I would be starting something that might hurt someone and if I'm right it will certainly hurt all of us."

"Is it something that you saw or did?" I asked.

He hesitated. No fish interrupted so he said, "I saw your wife parking her car behind the Marriot."

"Whose wife and when?"

"Your wife. Three weeks ago. And, day before yesterday."

Jack asked, "Are you implying that Nick's wife is fucking around?"

"I don't know what she's doing. I know I've seen her twice at the Marriot in a month."

"What were you doing at the Marriot?" Paul asked.

Mike looked at him like he had to be retarded. "I deliver supplies to the Marriot three times a week. The Marriot and every other hotel in the area."

"Right. I forgot."

My head was spinning. Why would Mary be at the Marriot twice in a month? Could she be fucking around on me? I needed to get home and check this out. I didn't go home. I stayed fishing with the guys. If I took off it would say that I believed Mary was cheating on me.

When we got back into the city I picked my car up at Jack's house and headed home. When I got home Mary wasn't home. I sat at the computer thinking about how I could find out what Mary was doing. Over the two hours before she came home I found some things on the internet that would help me find out. I ordered them and had them shipped to my office.

When Mary did come home I put the move on her and she let me fondle her chest but didn't want to have sex. She blamed hot flashes and menopause. No surprise there.

Life for the next week was normal for Mary and me, with an undercurrent of wondering and suspicion. I looked for and listened for any hint about what she might be doing. I called her at random times and everything seemed fine.

The night after the first package arrived I worked in the garage and mounted a GPS transmitter on her car. From my lap top I could locate and track her without her knowing. The next day another package arrived and I installed it in her car as well. Now I could listen in on everything said in her car.

The next morning Mary wasn't scheduled to be at the hospital and at breakfast she said she might do some shopping. From my office I tracked her to the mall and then to the market. She was home with whatever she bought by one in the afternoon. At one forty she left home and drove south for ten minutes, east for ten minutes and then wound around until she was at the Marriot. I left the office and drove to the Marriot. In five minutes I found her car and parked where I was well hidden but could see her car easily.

At four-twenty she walked out of the hotel and straight to her car. As she pulled out and headed for the exit Alex White walked out of the same exit and nodded at her as she drove past him. Alex White! I was shocked. Alex had one of the nicest, best looking wives in our circle of friends. He got in his car and drove away. I sat in the parking lot until my cell rang.

"Nick."

"Mary. You are so short on the phone. Couldn't you say hello?"

"Hello."

"What do you want for dinner?"

"How about you, naked on the table with a little ranch dressing?"

"Darn! We're out of ranch dressing! Anything else?"

"Something light and healthy. A salad or salmon." My thoughts weren't on dinner they were on being normal so she wouldn't suspect that I knew anything.

"OK. What time will you be home?"

"Just after five."

"Ok. See you then." She hung up.

Having a thought I got out of my car and went into the Marriot. As I approached the desk I saw the daughter of one of my clients behind the desk. I chatted with her for a couple of minutes and then I asked, "One of my friends told me that another friend was staying here. Could you check for me?"

"Sure. What's his name?"

"Alex. Alex White."

Her fingers danced on the keyboard and seconds later she said, "He is in room 188, just like always."

"Just like always?"

"Every Thursday morning he checks in and is gone the next morning. He always has room 188. Sometimes he is here on other days too, but always on Thursdays."

"Can the computer tell how long this has been going on?"

Fingers danced and she said, "First time was in January."

"Would you get in trouble if you gave me a printout of his record?"

"No one would know I did it. Is something going on?"

"Let's just say he's been coming into town more often than his friends knew about."

"Do you want the print out?"

"Yes, please." She gave it to me in a Marriot folder. I wasn't sure what I would do with it but I knew it would be useful.

I tucked it in my briefcase and drove home. Mary had a salmon salad ready when I got home. We ate and she told me about her day shopping. By her telling the story she was in the mall until three and then stopped in the market on the way home. She sat right there and lied to my face. I wondered if she had showered when she got home to get the hotel and sex smells off her.

Asking to be excused, I went to the bathroom and peed. I also checked and the shower was wet and there were clothes in the hamper. The panties smelled like sex. Damn! I was really getting pissed. Why in hell would Mary be fucking Alex every week for months? She sure as hell wasn't fucking me!

We cleaned up after dinner and she perched on the couch with a book. My retreat was to the computer. I looked up the list of people in our circle and found the email address for Alex's wife. She had two. One at home and one at her office. I used my other email address and sent her an email to her office address. The return address she would see would be one she wouldn't recognize.

My note to her said, "If you would like to know who, when and where Alex is cheating on you respond to this email. I have evidence that will be of interest to you. I don't want money."

I sent it at eight-ten. At nine I looked and her response was there.

"I can meet tomorrow at almost any time. I am showing a new home at 1212 Oak St. in Clairmont almost all day. You could drop in around one and I can take lunch then. You could drop in anytime the house is open and if no one else is there we can talk."

I erased the emails, hers and mine, and went to bed. I was asleep when Mary came to bed.

In the morning, Mary was cheerful and getting ready for a day at the hospital. I got dressed and went to work just like always. At twelve I called Mary and asked, "Can I take care of dinner tonight?"

"Are you going to cook?"

"Is there something you'd like me to cook?"

"Jambalaya!"

"Then that's what you'll get."

I checked the GPS and she was at the hospital. I drove from my office past Alex's office just in time to see Alex and two other men walk into a deli. I parked at the curb and quickly installed another GPS tracker on his car. Then I drove to a sandwich place and got a sandwich for me and a salad for Alex's wife. At one I parked two doors down from the open house sign and walked to the open house.

When Helen saw me her face paled and she got up off the couch and went to the front door. She put a sign out that said 'at lunch til 2.' Then she came back inside.

We sat on the couch. Her eyes were full of tears and she looked like if she spoke she would break down. I suddenly was afraid of the same thing. From my briefcase I pulled the Marriot papers and handed them to her. She looked them over and the tears did fall.

In a whisper I said, "I'm so sorry."

She looked up at my face and said, "The bastard has been cheating on me for months!"

"He's been cheating for at least part of that time with my wife, Mary."

"I'm so sorry." She paused, blew her nose and then said, "He is so screwed!"

"That piece of paper does not prove anything. We need actual proof. We also need to be fully prepared for what we are going to do when we have proof."

"Right! Sometimes I'm impulsive and fly off the handle. We need a plan."

An hour later Helen took down the lunch sign and we continued to talk until almost four. No one came to the open house. We had a plan when I left.

That night I looked on the internet and found a conference in Las Vegas for people in my field and another conference in Las Vegas for realtors. I sent Helen the info and she replied that we should go. I made my reservation and told Mary. I told her about the conference and how I thought I could make some good connections there. I asked her if she wanted to go. She said she wanted to think about it and would give me an answer in the morning. Helen waited until Alex came home to tell him about the conference she wanted to attend. She also invited him to go. He couldn't go. Too much work.

Mary called me at work and told me she just didn't feel up to three days and nights in Vegas and the long drive. Instead, she was thinking about visiting her sister. I acted disappointed. No more was said about the trip.

In my office the next day I called Henry Hawkins, my lawyer. Actually he's the lawyer for my business. I asked for and got his assurance that he had no professional or personal relationship with Mary. Then we talked about the possible implications of a divorce. I made notes into a computer file.

I spoke to him about the family assets and how they would be divided. I asked how I could protect myself so I didn't get screwed in the process. He set in motion a plan to protect me and my assets. He also hired someone to get proof that they were having an affair.

At four my phone rang. It was Helen calling from a pay phone. She had reservations at the Mirage. I was at Treasure Island. She talked about what she needed to bring. I told her to bring her lap top, her personal phone book and a cell phone that she could use from Vegas without it costing a thousand dollars.

That night I packed. Mary came in as I was finishing up and looked over my suitcase. "You forgot a bathing suit."

"I'm not going on vacation."

"A swim with contacts might help."

I packed a swim suit. She didn't say anything else. When I was packed I put the suitcase in the trunk of my car and after my nightly ritual, went to bed. I invited Mary to join me in bed for a pre-trip frolic but she was a little tired.

"Maybe when you get back," she said, smiling.

Before dawn I was up and on the road. My cell phone rang at seven-thirty and I answered. It was Helen.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"Almost to Pomona."

"There's a Denny's there where we get off to go to the fair, remember?"

"Yes. It's about two miles ahead."

"Get off and I'll meet you there in twenty minutes. Ok?"

"Sure. I'm hungry. Want me to order for you?"

"No. I'll wait. Get started yourself though."

I pulled off the freeway and parked at Denny's. A few minutes later Helen walked in. She was wearing jeans and a loose western shirt with western boots. Not at all what I expected.

She smiled and sat down with me. The waitress was right there and left her with a menu and coffee. She came back and we both ordered. I kept looking at Helen like she wasn't the professional woman I had almost always seen her as. Even at parties she usually dressed like she was going to or just came from an open house.

After we ate Helen said how much she hated the thought of driving all the way to Las Vegas alone. I said for her to follow me, I had an idea. She agreed and followed me to a nearby parking structure. At the entrance I asked how much it would cost to park a car there for three days. It wasn't much so I drove in and so did Helen. I parked and she parked next to me. I loaded her stuff into my car and we left her car right there. Neither of us needed to drive alone.

We talked strategies for three and a half hours. I drove and she took notes. In Baker, we gassed the car and took a short break. We had come together because our spouses were cheating on us. Now we were becoming friends. I liked her. I had liked her for years without ever really getting to know her. We laughed sometimes, we were sad sometimes and we got along on the trip.

In Las Vegas I dropped her at her hotel and went to mine. We agreed when and where to meet for supper. At my room I called my lawyer and he laughed.

"You can come back now. Your wife went to his house and they went skinny dipping in his back yard. We have video of them having three kinds of sex in the back yard! You, are free. There is even a copy of Time magazine from today on the table next to them as they were doing it."

"Set things in motion, then. Shall I have his wife call you?"

"Funny thing is, she already has. Between you and her both hiring me I'll save both of you lots of money."

"Thanks. Can I ask you a hypothetical question?"

"Sure."

"What will happen to this case if Helen and I get together while we are here in Vegas?"

"Unless your wife is having you followed or Alex is having you followed, nothing. Mess up both rooms. Do you want her served or him served before you get back?"

"No. I want to be there changing the locks before she is served. Get a restraining order keeping her away from my business and the house if that can be done."

"When do you want all this ready?"

"I'll talk it over with Helen and we'll get back to you."

An hour later I walked into Caesar's and found the restaurant Helen had picked. I sat with her and we talked and ate.

I used my cell and called our lawyer. "Wait to do anything until we get back. Have your guy get more proof while we're gone. Better to have a ton when a pound would do."

When I hung up we paid the bill and walked through the shopping area together. We didn't touch once. I wanted to. The image of Mary skinny dipping and screwing in Alex's back yard kept popping into my head. Mary hadn't skinny dipped with me since Todd, our oldest, was old enough to walk. Now he's married.

Helen said she was getting tired so we walked to the taxi area and she went back to her hotel. Just before she got in the cab I saw and felt her wanting to kiss me. I wanted it too but we didn't.

Half an hour later I walked into my room and the phone was ringing. It was Mary.

"It's late. Where have you been?"

"I went over to Ceasar's for dinner and I walked around afterwards. I saw some sexy clothes I think you would look good in. Shall I get them for you?"

"Sexy clothes? You know I almost never dress sexy. I'm almost fifty for heaven's sake."

"So, that's a no?"

"That's a no. Now if you find a nice necklace or jewelry that would be nice."

"OK. I'll look tomorrow. Right now I'm shutting off the cell phone and going to sleep. Good-night, Mary. I love you."

"Sleep well. Good-night."

She didn't say she loved me. I showered and shaved, getting ready for bed. I sat down on the bed to shut off my cell for the night when it rang.

"Hello."

"Open the door!"

I opened the door and Helen came in and closed it behind her. I was standing there in a towel and she was still in jeans and western shirt.

"Alex is at home, not missing me at all. He is fucking your wife in my bed! I thought about that in the taxi ride to my hotel. I got all the way to my room, called the desk asking that I not be disturbed for the night, messed up the bed and came here."

She smiled and took the towel from me. My erection jumped and she smiled.

"I'm happy to see you, too."

On her knees she told me again about how happy she was to be in the room with me. In short order I gushed into her mouth and she swallowed everything I gave her. She stood up and we held each other.

At the side of the bed I undressed her. I talked while I undressed her. As the buttons opened on her shirt I asked, "Are you here with me as revenge?"

When the shirt came off she said, "At first I wanted to fuck you because they were cheating on us. No more. Alex ended our marriage. I can stand that and spend a year or two being sad and mopey, feeling sorry for myself and playing victim songs on the radio. Or, I can get back to living life the way I like life. I want you in bed with me but please don't fuck me."

"No?"

"No. Join with me, love me, let's pleasure each other but please, let's not fuck."

I nodded and unbuttoned her jeans. I was impressed. She was wearing my favorite jeans, Levis 501's. Button front. When they were unbuttoned I pushed her back and she sat on the bed. I stepped over her leg and pulled off her boot. She gave me the other boot and I pulled it off too. Then I grabbed the leg ends and pulled. The jeans came right off. She unhooked her lacy bra and tossed it aside.

On my knees between her knees I was eye level with her tits. I had known Helen and Alex for at least ten years and had never seen her in a bikini or seen more than a tiny glance of her lace covered breasts. Now she was exposed to me. For me.

"Tell me what you like." I said as I reached for her shoulders.

"I like being loved, cared for, slowly stimulated and explored."

"I'll do what I can. Let's start with a shower. We have both been up and traveling for many hours."

We went into the bathroom and I restarted the shower. I washed her from top to bottom and down both legs. We kissed often. She washed me, more to explore me than to get me clean. We kissed often. She shut off the water and dried me. I dried her and led her back to the bed.

"Helen, I want our first time in bed together to be memorable. I want us to get in bed and hold each other and fall asleep holding each other. When we wake up I think that would be the perfect time for us to join, softly, gently and with passion."

Helen held my face in her hands and a tear slid down her cheek. We slowly kissed and then she got in bed, making room for me beside her. She adjusted herself against me and wrapped my arms around her. I kissed her once and we were asleep.