Myra

"So you girls need to get on the road if you want to get there in time to get enough sleep before tomorrow."

"I still think I need to stay home and mend some fences" Myra said.

"No you don't. I made a lot of plans as to what I was going to do while you were off with Mr. Thomas and I'm going to need time to undo them all so I wouldn't be around much anyway" I said.

But you could bet money on the fact that Myra and I were going to have a long talk when she got home. I was not at all pleased with what she had been doing while leading Mr. George Thomas on.

"Are you sure you won't mind" Myra asked and I told her to leave and enjoy herself.

Once the women were gone I sat down with a stiff drink of Mr. Jack Daniels best and thought about the situation. The question was did I really believe the story that was laid on me by the women? It could all be true of course, but it could have just as likely been planned that Myra would actually gone to Addisville instead of Riverton, but could she actually get nine other women to back her? To me it did not seem likely. Granted that Myra had worked with most of the nine for almost ten years, but in all that time I'd never seen her get close enough to any one of them to get them to lie for her let alone nine of them. I polished off my Jack and went to bed.

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

The next morning I called Mike and let him know that I wouldn't be taking his place after all. That done I went over to the IHOP for some breakfast. As I ate I wondered what to do with the rest of my weekend. I don't know where it came from, but I suddenly felt the need to have words with Mr. George Thomas. In my mind he was the kind of asshole who would shrug off Myra's not showing and decide that since he was already there and had already paid for a room he would stay and see if he could hook up with some woman. I called the Red Roof in and verified that 'my Uncle George' was still checked in. I finished my breakfast and pointed my car toward Addisville.

As I drove I imagined my little face to face with 'Uncle George'. With any kind of luck I might be able to catch him alone with no witnesses around and I was smiling at the thought when I pulled into the parking lot of the Red Roof Inn. My smile disappeared before I could even get out of the car. There was a Bob Evans restaurant next to the Red Roof and I glanced that way as I reached for the door handle. The glance was just in time to see Myra come out of the restaurant with Thomas. Right behind her was Beverly March arm in arm with a man who was not her husband. I took my hand off the door handle, got out my cell, activated the camera and started taking pictures of the four of them as they headed back toward the Red Roof.

I sat there for a minute or two and debated on what to do. I decided against a confrontation. Too public and while I fancied my chances against Thomas I couldn't be sure that Beverly's guy wouldn't jump in to help his buddy. No; I'd just go on home and start my scorched earth policy. I called Mike to see if his place was still available and he told me that it wasn't. I'd just have to settle for a motel until I could find something. I stopped at a U-Haul place on the way home and got a bunch of boxes to pack stuff in and when I got home I packed up to leave. It took four trips, but I had everything I wanted out of the house and in storage by nine that evening. Everything except the computer and printer.

At nine-thirty I called Marv March and told him the story and asked if he would like a copy of the pictures I'd taken. I was not surprised at all when he said yes. I downloaded the photos from the phone into the computer and then emailed all nine to him. Then I got out the address book and called the husbands of the four of the nine that I had numbers for. I told them the story of what had happened and then told them that I hadn't seen their wives with Myra, but if their wives were willing to lie for Myra I wouldn't be at all surprised if she had something to hide that she might need Myra's help to cover up some day.

The last thing I did before going to bed was to go online to my bank. Besides our joint checking and savings accounts I had a personal account that I used solely for business. All of my expense account checks went into it and all of my business expenses came out of it. I took all but a hundred dollars out of the checking and savings and moved it into my business account. I'd no doubt that I would have to give half of it back when I got the divorce going, but I felt good knowing that until that happened things were going to be really tight for Myra.

Lastly I got on the phone and cancelled all of our joint credit cards. That left me with an American Express that I used for business and was in my name only. Myra had a Visa that was in her name only, but it only had a twenty-three hundred dollar limit and Myra was always pretty close to that limit. Satisfied with what I had done I went to bed and slept soundly.

In the morning I took a last look around to see if there was anything that I missed. Then I printed out the pictures I'd taken in Addisville and spread them out on the kitchen table. I took my wedding ring off and placed it in the center of the table, took the computer and printer out and put them in the car. I took one last look around and then walked out the front door for the last time. By two I was checked into a motel and then I turned off my cell and went to a movie.

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

I called into work on Monday and told them I needed a day off for some personal business. I was at the bank when it opened and I verified that all of my internet transactions had gone through and then had my name removed from the joint account. Around four I turned my cell back on and surprise surprise I had a dozen missed messages and voice mails from Myra. I deleted them all and then turned the cell off again. That evening I hit a country/western bar I liked and there were several unattached ladies there and I drank and danced until eleven and then I headed for the motel for a good night's rest before going into work the next morning.

I was not surprised when I got to work to find Myra sitting in her car waiting for me. I could have avoided her by driving around the block and going into the building through the loading dock, but I knew that I was going to have to have it out with her sooner or later so I decided to just get it over with. I pulled into my assigned parking space and in the side view mirror I saw Myra get out of her car and hurry toward me trying to get to me when I got out of the car, but before she had a chance to open her mouth I said:

"I don't have any time for your bullshit right now Myra. Be at Carl's Lounge tonight at six and I'll give you fifteen minutes to tell me your lies."

I walked away from her and she followed me into the building calling out "Wait Tom; wait a minute." I walked by the desk in the lobby and told Harry, the security guard, that Myra was to be denied access to the building and if she gave him any shit to call the cops on her. She was trying to get by Harry as I got onto the elevator and the door closed. I didn't know if Harry did call the cops on her, but deep down inside me I hoped that he did.

When I got to my office Donna asked, "Where were you yesterday? That wife of yours apparently didn't believe me the half dozen times she called and I told her that you had taken the day off. She showed up here twice trying to get into your office to see if you were here. I had to call security to get her to leave."

"She is apparently pissed that I'm so pissed off at her cheating on me that I moved out on her."

"Temporary spat or you're done?"

We are done."

"When you are ready to date again let me know."

"Why? I thought you and Gary were solid."

"We are, but I know three or four girls who happen to think that you are pretty neat."

"I'll keep that in mind, but I'm afraid that's going to be pretty far down the road. I won't do anything while I'm still married to her and I haven't even talked to a lawyer yet."

"Just let me know when you are ready."

I told her I would and then I got busy doing what they paid me to do.

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

I got to Carl's early so I could have a drink or three to fortify me for the meeting with Myra. I couldn't imagine what she had to say to me since I had the photos showing that she had lied to me, but I needed to shut her down. I couldn't have her constantly calling me at work or showing up there to cause a disturbance.

At five to six I saw Myra come in, spot me and head for my booth. I sat there thinking "I'll bet the first words out of her mouth will be "It wasn't what you are thinking Tom" and I wasn't too far off. She sat down across from me and took a pull on the drink I'd ordered for her when I had ordered my last one and then said:

"You are overreacting Tom. What you saw isn't what you think it was."

"I said I'd give you fifteen minutes Myra. You can fill those minutes with lies, half-truths or facts. I don't care which, but I'm up and out of here in fifteen minutes and you are on the clock."

"When we left the house I rode with Bev. We got to talking about the situation and she told me that she was of what Thomas might do the next time he saw me stop with the girls. We decided that it would be best if we drove to Addisville and just told Thomas that you had caught on to what was happening and confronted me over it. Then I'd tell him that I was sorry, but I couldn't risk my marriage by having any more to do with him. Bev called her brother who lives just outside Addisville and asked him to meet us at Bob Evans. She wanted him there if Thomas decided to get nasty or violent. When we got there I called George's room and asked him to meet me at the restaurant. When he showed up I told him that you had found out about us and told me that if I went through with things not to bother coming home. I told him I had decided that I couldn't lose my marriage over a fling. He took it surprisingly well and then Bev and I drove over to Riverton and joined the rest of the girls."

"You really expect me to buy that cock and bull story?"

"Why not? It's all true and I can prove it."

"And just how in hell can you do that?"

"First off you can call Bev's husband and he can verify that the man in the pictures with Bev is her big brother. Secondly" she said as she handed me her phone, "I know you Tom and I knew that even though you told me to go and have fun at the spa there would always be just a kernel of doubt in your mind. When we got to the spa I gave Bev my phone and I had her take pictures of me doing just what I told you I would be doing."

I looked at her phone and damned if they didn't back up her story. While I had her phone I looked in the directory and found she had Bev's cell and home phone numbers. I called the home phone and Marv answered. After I identified myself I said:

"I just talked to my wife and I guess I shit in my mess kit when I sent you those pictures."

"No harm done. As soon as I saw them I knew that it was her brother. When she got home she told me what had gone on. You and Myra going to be okay?"

"Yeah; I think so. We will have some talking to do, but I think we are good."

I disconnected and handed Myra's phone back to her.

"Are we okay" Myra asked.

"Yes, but we are going to have a long talk once I get moved back in. I am not the least bit happy about the things you did with Thomas even if you were doing it just to string him along."

"I realize that it was wrong and I swear to God I will never do it again. Will you come home with me now? We can worry about getting your stuff moved back in later. Right now I just need to get you home so I can show you how much you mean to me."

I smiled at her and said, "Lead the way."