Frank and Jean

I was smiling when I turned off the CD. Time for the next step. One of the things that I learned from Alan was that in his business he met and made friends with some pretty shady characters. By shady I meant that some of the things they did were not legal and above board and some of them would do almost anything if the money was right. I called Alan and told him what I wanted and he told me that it was doable and that he would get back to me. Two hours later he called me back with a name and a phone number. Three hours later in the back room of a bar on the east side of town a deal was struck and I left the place two thousand dollars poorer. I called Pat on my cell and gave her a heads up and headed home.

When I got home, knowing that Jean hadn't seen Andy that day, I pushed for sex and got what I usually got on days when she hadn't fucked her lover.

"Not tonight Frank. I've had a really bad day."

"You know Jean; I'm getting pretty tired of hearing that from you lately whenever I want to make love. Tell you what. You keep it and let it grow shut for all I care" and I grabbed my pillow off the bed and went down to my home office to sleep on the leather couch. I'd go back to sleeping in the bedroom the next night, but sex with Jean was as good as over. She would have to beg me before I'd do her again. But I wasn't going to go without. No sir; I was not going to go without.

The next morning on the way to work I stopped and bought one of those alternative newspapers. You know the ones. The kind loaded with ads for strip clubs, adult theatres, adult bookstores and the like. I was going to make a list of escort services, check a few of them out and see if I couldn't work out something with one of them. I was making the list when the phone rang. It was my dad and he asked me to come up to his office. I went up to the fourth floor and walked into his large corner office. Myrna, his secretary, waved me on in. I was surprised to find my mother in the office with him.

"You ready to try your hand at running the company?"

"Why? What's up?"

"Your mother and I have decided to go on a three week cruise and depending on how things go it could stretch out to five or six weeks or maybe even longer. You have been left in charge when I've taken a weeks vacation, but that was more of being a caretaker than running things. This time you get to do it all. Make all the decisions. Put out all the fires. You up to it?"

"When do I start?"

"We fly out to Florida Friday night so it is in your hands when I leave the building on Friday."

"Okay. While you are both here I need to bring you up to date on a few things."

I told them all about my situation with Jean and I told them about the lie I'd told her about taking a pay cut and maybe even having to take a bigger one.

"Whenever she is around either of you I need for you to back me up on how bad the economy is hurting the company."

"But the company is doing fine."

"I know, but I'm trying to make her think that she won't come out of a divorce with much. A divorce would cost me the kids and I don't want that. I'll try to keep us together until the kids are old enough to choose which parent they want to stay with or until they are old enough to strike out on their own."

"We will help any way we can" my dad said.

"I can't believe that Jean did that" my mother said. "I've always thought well of her."

"Who do you want to run your department while you run the company?"

"I think I'll give Kathy a chance at it."

"Do you think that's wise? She hasn't had much – oh the hell with it. I did say that you would be in charge so I'm not going to interfere."

When I got back to my office Kathy followed me in. She pointed at the center of my desk and asked:

"What's this?"

She was pointing at the page of the newspaper advertising escort agencies and my list lying next to it.

"She cut you off and you are looking for a replacement?"

"That's half right. I cut her off not the other way around."

"Why are you looking for a professional to take her place?"

"I have needs and I'm not the type to prowl bars looking for one night stands."

"There is a solution to your problem a lot closer."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

She started unbuttoning her blouse as she said, "I'm sure that you will figure it out."

I did and in less than a micro second. It took me a little longer than that to get up and lock the door. By the time I got the door locked Kathy was lying on her back on my desk, panties off, legs spread wide and a 'come hither' smile on her face. She was hot, she was wild and she wrapped herself around me and fucked my socks off. I came in her harder than I had ever come in my life. As we straightened ourselves up I asked:

"Why?"

"I've been hung up on you since the day I started working for you. I've wanted you so bad I could scream, but you were happily married and I'm no home wrecker. It was going to be a case of unrequited love until the day I saw that CD you were watching. Since then I've just been waiting for my chance; waiting for an occasion when I could make my desires known and today that paper on your desk gave me that. You might want to get a couch for your office since your desk isn't all that comfortable."

"You mean that this isn't just a one time deal?"

"I sure hope to God not."

"You see yourself as the next Mrs. Englewood?"

"No, at least not yet. I think we would be a hell of a good fit, but outside of work and our interaction here I know nothing about you or you me. Based on what just happened I'd say that we are sexually compatible, but there is more to a relationship than good sex. I am interested in seeing if there is anything else there."

"Well don't get your hopes up. It may take a while for me to get rid of the first Mrs. Englewood. Ten years in fact. My current thoughts are to stay married to the bitch until my kids are grown. I don't want to lose them in a divorce."

"Ten years? That should give us enough time to see if we are compatible. When can we do this again?"

"I don't think we want to make it a habit of doing it here at work and I'll need to get a few things in place before we can do it some place else. Also, you may be too busy for us to get together again for a while."

"Why would that be?"

"Because this Friday at four p.m. you will be in charge of this department" and I went on to explain what was going to happen.

"You really think I can handle it?"

"I wouldn't give you the chance if I thought you couldn't. If you do as well as I think you will you will get the job full time when my dad finally decides to retire and I move up."

"Damn! I never expected something like this to happen. Isn't it going to piss off some that think they should have gotten the job?"

"Probably, but so what? They might think they should have gotten the job based on seniority or whatever, but the simple fact is that no one else in the department has what it takes to do the job. If they give you any problems handle it and I'll back you."

She was silent for a couple of moments and then she said, "You have never been to my apartment. Would you like to come over and see my etchings?"

"You have etchings?"

She just smiled and I said, "How about I take a look at them tomorrow. Maybe we can leave work early so I can take more time to look at them."

"You got it boss man."

When I got home Jean had dinner ready and we didn't speak much to each other. Table conversation was mostly the kids telling us about their day at school. After dinner I helped Maryanne with her homework and then I spent some time down in the basement workshop working with Jamie on the model aircraft carrier he was building. After the kids went to bed I spent an hour in my home office going over some contracts that I'd brought home to study.

Jean was already in bed when I got there and after pulling the covers over me I rolled over and put my back to her. That had to get her attention because even on nights when we never made love I always snuggled and cuddled. I knew that she wouldn't initiate sex because Andy hadn't stopped by that day. If things went as planned it would be a long while before she ever tried to initiate sex especially if having been fucked by Andy is what it took to trigger it. For my side I never, ever intended to try to get something going.

The next day Kathy and I left work an hour early and we went to her apartment. She had lied to me. She didn't have any etchings, but she did manage to show me some things and those things kept me busy until eight at which time I had to head on home. I'd called Jean and told her I would be working late and not to bother holding dinner for me.

When I got home I played with the kids until it was their bedtime and then I watched some TV for an hour or so before going to bed. It was a repeat of the previous night – no snuggling or cuddling – and even though I hadn't watched any of the live feed from the house that day it was obvious that Andy hadn't been by since Jean made no effort to start anything.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

At ten the next morning I got a call from Pat. "Thank you Frank; it did my heart good."

"Of course I have no idea of what you are talking about, but you are welcome."

"Call me. Maybe we can have dinner some night."

"I'd like that. I'll be in touch."

Half an hour later Alan called and said simply, "It's done."

"I know. His wife just called me."

"The hospital must have called her."

"I'd like to ask, but I think I'll wait until I hear about it through normal channels. Don't want to seem like I know too much too soon."

"Bullshit! That could take weeks. Seems like he got mugged and decided to put up a fight. Bad move on his part. Two crushed knees, a fractured elbow, a broken nose and a couple of missing teeth and from what I hear whoever mugged him did a number on his crotch bad enough that he will probably lose at least one testicle."

"Oh my, what a shame."

"Yeah, right!"

When I got home that night over dinner I said. "I talked to Pat today." Jean's face lost some of its color and I went on. "I stopped by Milford to talk with the purchasing agent and while I was there I asked Pat to lunch. I also asked her if she and Andy would like to come over for a barbecue on Sunday. Why didn't you tell me that she had kicked him out?"

She was silent for a moment and then she said, "I thought that I had."

"I must have been doing something else and missed it. I can't believe it. Why would Andy cheat on a woman like Pat? She's smart, witty and sexy looking. I'd be interested in seeing what he thought might be better. Anyway, I asked her over and told her that we would cheer her up, but she said no. Odd that. She has never, at least in my memory, turned down an invitation from us. She must really be hurting if she can do that. She give you any idea of who the other woman was?"

"No. She was too upset to talk about it."

"Oh well, it will come out sooner or later."

After dinner I played Monopoly with the kids until it was their bedtime and then I read for a while before going to bed. I was in bed when Jean joined me and when she got in beside me she reached over and put her hand on my leg and started moving it upward. I rolled away and put my back to her as I mumbled "goodnight."

In the morning I told Jean that Eldridge from TPM would be in town for contract negotiations and I'd probably take him to dinner so not to look for me until late. There was no Eldridge of course and it was Kathy I took to dinner. We had dessert – lots of dessert – at her apartment later. I got home around eleven and found Jean waiting up for me.

"We haven't made love in more than a week and I'm more than ready. Come on baby; make love to me."

I'd said that Jean would have to beg to get me to fuck her and while that wasn't actually begging it was close enough and I decided to do her, but I had an ulterior motive. I was fresh from doing Kathy and I hadn't showered yet so Kathy's dried juices were still on my dick. Given all the times I had been given Andy's leftovers I thought that it was only fair that I rub Kathy's residue off inside Jean's cunt.

I really wanted Jean to suck my cock and get a taste of Kathy, but sanity prevailed. She just might have noticed the taste and wondered about it. I didn't want Jean getting suspicious. Kathy hadn't left much in me, but I had enough to get Jean off once before I rolled over and went to sleep.

In the morning over breakfast I said, "Pat got to the husband of the woman that Andy was fucking." Jean's face tightened and I went on, "The hubby must not have had much of a sense of humor. He put Andy in the hospital. Really did a number on him." I saw concern on Jean's face and I forged ahead. "I hear that he is in traction because of all the broken bones and that they had to remove his testicles. Guess he won't be going after any other married women. Did you talk to Pat yesterday? Did she tell you who the woman is?"

"She hasn't told me."

"Oh come on Jean. She tells you everything and you tell her everything. I'd be willing to be that you have even talked about your husbands cock sizes. Am I right? How do I compare to Andy?"

"That's disgusting Frank."

"Jesus Jean; what's come over you? You used to have a sense of humor."

I got up from the table and headed for work.

+++++++++++++++++++++

It was Friday and I met with Alan for lunch and he gave me a single CD.

"Not much on it. A dozen phone calls from the house and her cell to the asswipe. She wanted to know when he would be coming over and he kept putting her off. The last two days she couldn't get him at all and of course we know why. She called the real estate office a half dozen times and all they would tell her was that he wasn't in. She tried calling his cell, but of course he doesn't answer."

"She knows why now. I told her over breakfast that I'd heard that he was in the hospital and hurt pretty bad. I told her that Pat must have gotten to the husband of the woman Andy was fucking and the woman's husband went after Andy."

"I guess that's basically true." He chuckled as he said, "It was the husband behind it."

We both laughed and Alan asked, "What now?"

"That's up to Jean. I don't plan on letting her know that I know. I'll hang with the bitch until the kids turn eighteen and then kick her out. Of course she might have other ideas. She was so dissatisfied with me that she took up with Andy so she might just pull the plug and end it. If that is the way it goes I'll threaten to let everyone in the world see the audio and video we have collected unless she agrees to my terms in the divorce. I've no idea how things are going to bounce. It will be a just wait and see thing.

"All I can do is wish you luck bud. Should I pull the equipment?"

"No. Leave it in place. I'm still going to want to know what she does. Just let me know if anything interesting comes up otherwise we can wait until our Friday lunch date."

I spent the afternoon with my dad being brought up to date on some of the things I needed to know when I took the reins. At five he stood up and said:

"Its all yours Frank. See you when your mother decides that she's had enough and just to give you a bit of a heads up that might never happen."

He left and I called down to my old office and asked Kathy to come up. Myrna had gone home at five so Kathy's coming up wouldn't get any gossip started not that there should have been any anyway. After all, I was in charge and Kathy was one of my department heads. It would be perfectly reasonable for me to call those reporting to me up to my office.

Kathy came in and said, "You rang boss?"

"Yes I did. There is something lacking in this room and I thought that maybe a woman's view could tell me what's wrong. I already think I know but I want a second opinion – a woman's opinion."

She looked around and then said, "The color on the walls needs to be brighter."

"That's it? That's the best you can come up with?"

She shrugged and I said, "I'm disappointed in you Kathy. The first thought to enter your mind should have been "I've never been laid on that desk."

She smiled and started to unbutton her blouse.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jean seemed out of sorts when I got home and I figured that it was because her lover was in the hospital and in pretty bad shape. She had to be thinking "If Pat could do that to Andy what is she going to do to me? She said she wouldn't tell Frank, but she never said that she wouldn't take some kind of revenge against me."

I acted like I didn't notice. After dinner I played with the kids and we made plans to go to the amusement park the next day. Jean was in bed when I went up and when I slid in beside her neither of us made any attempt to snuggle.

The next day Jean begged off going to the amusement park with us claiming that she didn't feel well. The kids and I had a great time at the park and when we got home Jean wasn't there. She came in about an hour later with a couple of pizzas that she had picked up on her way home.

"I just didn't feel like cooking tonight. I'm not feeling all that great so I'm going up to bed."

The next five days slid by with Jean and I basically just existing in the same house. Neither one of us made any effort to talk to the other other than to say things like "What would you like for dinner" and "Don't forget to put the garbage out." On Friday when I had lunch with Alan he pushed a single CD across the table to me.

"Nothing much. She visited him in the hospital on Saturday. I don't have any visual, but the audio from her purse bug shows she was crying when she left. They mostly talked about how they hadn't realized just how bitter Andy's wife would be and they wondered where she found the guys who did the damage. The good news, at least I think you will think that it is good, is that he told her that unless she can divorce you and get a big chunk of money they weren't going to be able to follow through on their plans.

"It seems that Andy doesn't have health insurance of his own. He was covered under his wife's policy from where she works and she took him off her policy when she filed for divorce. He is on the hook for his medical bills and they are considerable and growing every day. There is some video of her sitting around the house crying, but other than that there isn't anything."

"I guess they are shit out of luck then because she isn't going to be getting any 'big chunk of money' out of me. In fact tonight I'm going to tell her that the household budget is going to have to be cut by a third or she can give up her car. It will be her choice, but it will have to be one or the other. I've already told her that my pay has been cut by a third because of the bad economy and that more cuts may be coming."

"How long are you going to keep it going?"

"That's up to Jean. She can bail anytime she feels like it and there isn't anything I can do about it. The no-fault divorce laws in this state don't give me any leeway, but unless Jean jumps ship I intend to hang in there until the kids are old enough to go out on their own or are old enough to choose which parent they want to live with if a divorce does happen."

"Well I've said it before and I'll say it again, good luck bud."

When I got home I asked Jean if she'd talked to Pat and she said no.

"Isn't that strange? I don't remember a day when the two of you didn't talk. She must be really bummed over what Andy did to her. I'll give her a call and see if I can't get her over here so we can cheer her up."

"I don't think you should. Right now I think she needs to be left alone and don't forget I know her much better than you do."

"Okay, if you say so. We have enough problems of our own right now. We are going to have to reduce the household budget by a third until things pick up at work."