Pawn's Gambit

He got serious. "Things changed once Tony lost his wife Dot to cancer. It looked like he lost his drive for a long while. Then his daughter became the driving force and over the next year or so he seemed to find himself again." He stopped and looked at me shrewdly. "Your wife and he became quite close. She was sometimes referred to as his 'office wife'."

He stopped to judge the effect he was having on me and I gestured to him to continue as my throat had tightened and I was afraid that if I tried to speak it would have come out like a rasp.

"I didn't see anything inappropriate as such, but you know how cruel office gossip can get." He scratched his head. "One thing I can tell you is that Tony, Evelyn and your wife spent a lot of time together but then again you were away so much, right?" I shrugged helplessly. We spoke around the subject without adding any more. He was about to head out when he remembered something.

"You do know that the word is that Anthony may have been diagnosed with cancer, right?"

We said goodbye but I stayed behind and called St. John's Hospital. I presumptuously asked what room Anthony Miller was in. Turns out that he was in a private room in the oncology ward. I paid for the lunch and headed home. I had a lot to think about.

That evening went by in the same way as the previous two nights except that after we had cleaned up I went outside with a whisky and a cheroot. I sipped and puffed for a while. The neighborhood was quiet. Jean came out with a glass of wine in her hand.

"Can we talk Adam?"

"Go ahead."

"You visited the MRE website." She accused me. Hmm it was obviously a little more advanced that I'd expected. I suppose if they captured visitors data they could use that to make contact.

"And?"

"I want to know why."

"Why what?"

"Why are you checking the company website? What do you expect to find? I suppose you also checked everybody's Facebook page? She looked intently at me daring me to say the wrong thing so she could pick a fight or start a confrontation. We'd been married long enough for me to recognise the signs. "What did you expect to find?"

"Exactly what I found." I gave her my poker face.

"And what was that?"

"Why are you interrogating me Jean?"

"I'm not interrogating you. It feels like you're snooping!"

"Social media pages are hardly private spaces." I laughed at her and she blanched.

"Evelyn said you also accessed her Instagram." She accused.

"Did she?"

"Yes she..." She took a deep breath and tried to centre herself.

"Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what?"

"Like this, right now!"

"Why do you think Jean?" I looked at her stone faced and blew cheroot smoke in her direction knowing how much she hated it. She waved her hand around dissipating the smoke and spilled some wine on her blouse.

"Please stop it Adam" She started crying. Normally, I would have gathered her in my arms but not this time.

"Why are you crying Jean?" I looked at her without emotion.

"You're upsetting me with your attitude Adam." She wailed louder to make the point stick but I just blew more cheroot smoke creating a small cloud.

"Who are you?" I asked her. She tried to formulate an answer but was left voiceless for a while.

She finally found her voice. "I'm your wife Adam Carter. That's who I am." She glared at me.

"I'm not so sure!" I walked away as she gasped and ran inside.

I finished my drink, killed the cheroot then went to my study to work. SEA-A was rallying hard and had climbed to eleven dollars ninety two and the trend looked set to continue. George and I had a call and we both agreed that this was a trend and not a blip. I stayed online and continued to monitor activity throughout the market. With the exception of blue chip shares that were on a gentle upward trend, the rest of the market was volatile, but within the expected limits. SEA-A was the only share showing a significant upward movement but was however, still a long way from its listing price. It looked like we were experiencing some profit taking from those who had bought low. I sent a message to one of my JP Morgan team members and he admitted that they had managed to dump about half the stock for about fifty cents to the dollar but had been instructed by my old boss, Joe Rutlidge to hold back on the rest and wait as the trend was looking positive and perhaps they could break even in the end. We both snickered for a while. He said by the end JP Morgan might want to re-hire me and fire Rutlidge.

That night I grabbed a spare duvet and slept on my sofa's pull out bed in my study.

Next morning I again checked closing prices on SGX and was pleasantly surprized to see that SEA-A had closed on 13 dollars and some cents. The trend had continued as predicted and our investment crowd had doubled their money. Now if we could get to the twenty five dollars we had projected we would make more than three hundred per cent profit.

I made breakfast and called the kids down to eat while I drank coffee. I ignored Jean completely throughout the morning then took the kids to school. After I dropped them off, I hit the gym and went to IHOP for a very late breakfast. I made calls, and eventually went home and had a two hour 'Teams' meeting with George. We spoke about creating a combined brokerage with offices in Springfield and Chicago. We threw that about and agreed that he'd start working on the structure and share-holding of the new business while I would develop a go-to-market plan.

I was busy developing the document late into the afternoon, when I heard Jean arrived. She was alone.

"I've dropped Katie and Dean with the Beckers for the night." She informed me. "We need to talk." She invited me through to the living room. She had poured me a bourbon on ice and herself a glass of wine. I sat down and waited her to start. Generally the first one to talk loses, so I sat in silence sipping my drinks until she became agitated and off she went...

"I don't know what you think I've been doing while you were away Adam..."

"I haven't thought anything yet."

"Well, you're acting very disrespectfully and ugly towards me." The woman was right in that.

"Is that how you feel?" I raised an eyebrow. "Disrespected?" She started to nod then realized the hypocrisy and started with the water-works.

"I'm sorry Adam. You're never at home any more. We're like two strangers." She sniffed with some satisfaction at her succinct description.

"So after seventeen years, we're strangers because I was gone for four months? All the skyping, all the messages, all the phone calls, counted for nothing?"

"I've been under huge pressure and you've been away." She wiped tears from her eyes. "But, you're my husband and I'm your wife and that's all that matters." She glared daring me to gainsay her. She got up and excused herself. I sat sipping my bourbon wandering if the woman was demented.

I heard her phone ring and I heard her talking without making out the words. Soon all I could hear was the bath running. It took some time before she came down. She was wearing a soft, knitted grey dress that ended a hand above her knees with a pair of black pumps and a single strand of pearls that I had bought her in the Far East some years back. I must admit that for a thirty nine year old mother of two she looked delectable. In fact she looked hotter than most thirty year old's.

"Go shower and get dressed" She urged me. "I'll book a table at Chesapeake Seafood Restaurant."

I was done and ready in fifteen. I got dressed with the impression that she was talking to someone on the phone again. I ignored my instinct to have it out with her and bit my tongue instead. We Ubered to the venue where she started with a Gin and Tonic in the lounge as Jean had discovered gin. I purposely one-upped her by ordering a Singapore Gin Sling. Later when we were seated in the dining room. She ordered the mussel hot-pot and I ordered half a dozen oysters in the half shell for starters. We drank Chardonay and spoke about the children. She didn't seem all that concerned about me losing my job.

"You're one of the smartest men I know Adam. I trust you'll find a job in no time." She smiled at me. Clearly she had no idea that I now was a corporate pariah. "In any case, our savings will get us through till you get sorted." I almost snorted with mirth and worry. She had no idea that right now our entire future was riding on my stubborn refusal to accept that I was wrong about SEA-A. Yet the evening got better not worse, as we discussed friends, parents and mundane day-to-day topics that are the backbone of any marriage. She asked about some of my former colleagues that she had met at company get togethers. I steered clear of any MRE conversation until I had some intel. Then it was time for mains I had the Captains Platter and she had the Lobster.

She plied me with wine and I drank it wondering if her intention was to get me drunk. Because if it was she was succeeding. The evening progressed easily as we warmed to each other. I must say that If she was having an affair or cheating with someone she was doing a fine job of showing me how much she missed me. She caressed my hand, looked me in the eyes and was one hundred percent attentive.

We finished the meal but instead of going home she suggested the Gin Mill to try some of the artisanal gins on offer. We taxied and squeezed into a very crowded cocktail bar. We managed to grab a bartenders attention and ordered Negronis. We sipped our bitter cocktails pressed against each other with Jeans arm curled around my waist. She reached up to my mouth and kissed me firmly running her tongue across my lips.

"I'm not wearing any panties!" She whispered grabbing my hand and sliding it between her thighs. We were standing near the counter and the place was packed tight so I doubted whether anyone would notice my hand sliding up her firm thigh. I slid it up slowly feeling her sensual skin until I reached her well-trimmed lips. She lifted her left leg and rested it on the counter railing giving me wider access to her pussy and I proceeded to gently massage her lips feeling the wetness grow till she was almost dripping. Her pussy lips parted as they swelled and I slid my fingers between them. Publicly I alternated between kissing her neck and gently stroking her back while I pulled her to me pushing my hard cock against her body.

"Oh God Adam!" She whispered as my two fingers secretly penetrated her wet cunt and my thumb found her clit. I proceeded to finger fuck her slowly but firmly, keeping my arm hidden from casual looks. Under her skirt my hand was active, sliding in and out while my thumb pressed, rubbed and ran circles around her engorged clit. She held onto me for dear life. Her half-dunk Negroni shaking in her hand. I was like a duck on a pond. Calm on the top but paddling like crazy underneath.

It didn't take long.

"You're going to make me cum!" She whispered as her body started vibrating and I could see and feel her going stiff to stop from trying to hump my fingers in full view of everyone around us. "Jesus, Adam." She hissed. "Don't stop, don't stop, I'm there." She jerked once, twice, three times and fell into my arms as her legs turned to jelly. I held her up while she composed herself.

I gave her pussy a gentle caress and brought my fingers up to my mouth and licked her juices off them as she looked at me bright eyed. I followed it up with downing the rest of my Negroni. She snuggled into me her free hand rubbing my rampant erection. I kissed her lips and took a moment to look around. It seemed that our shenanigans had caught the attention of at least a few fellow patrons who were surreptitiously checking us out. Two of those were a young couple who looked like they had taken a leaf from our book and were engaged in the something similar themselves. I saw his hand disappear up her very short skirt as she stiffened and immediately melted into his embrace.

I paid our bill by dumping cash at Allesandro, our Barman and we were off with Jean dragging me out as fast as she could. It was early enough to find lots of taxis and we grabbed the first one and headed home. On the way there she put me into an unrelenting lip-lock as she alternatively tried to suck my tongue clean out my mouth and tried to push hers down my throat. Seen or unseen by our taxi driver she had my fly open and her hand inside my pants slowly jerking me off with enough intent to keep me rock hard but not enough to make me come.

We crashed through the front door and I kicked it closed behind me as I pulled off her dress leaving her in bra, and jewellery. She fell back onto the living room couch, her thighs open and her pussy on display. The two lit standing lamps cast enough glow to light up her red swollen lips coated in pussy juice. She reached between her breasts and pressed the clasp on her bra springing her heavy breasts free. Her areolas were pinched and her thick nipples fully erect waiting to be touched.

"Come and get it big boy!" She curled a finger at me and I skipped over shedding clothes as I went. I got there and she leaned over taking my cock in her mouth. She licked and sucked like it was an ice-cream cone then swallowed me as far as she could before she choked and disengaged. I leaned over and took her left nipple in my mouth whilst tweaking the other with my fingers. I kept it up till it felt that the first one was going to explode in my mouth and I switched to the right. I slowly caressed her thighs running my hands up her calves and thighs up to her ass, squeezing and kneading her globes.

I rubbed my cock-head up and down her slit lubricating with her pussy juice and lining up I pushed in. She arched her back crying out in pleasure as I rammed home until I felt her cervix bounce on my cock and my pubic bone hit hers. I started with slow but powerful thrusts clenching my glutes at the end of each thrust. I wasn't going to hold out too long but Jean was already almost on her second orgasm urging me onwards. She stiffened beneath me, her fingers running frantic circles round her clit and next minute she surrendered her ministration of her pussy to grab my back as she bucked to meet me crying out her orgasm.

"Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! I'm cuming, I'm cuming!" and It started me painting the inside of her pussy with cum. She fell back and I collapsed on top of her. Her lips sought out mine and we spent some time kissing and caressing each other and I realized that I was still semi hard so I pulled out and scooted over till I had my cock over her face slick with our combined juices.

"Suck it!" I commanded and she did. I guess there's a first time for everything. In the past she had always insisted on a clean-up before putting my cock in her mouth but this was no time to look a gift horse in the mouth. I had gone without sex for four months because everybody knows that masturbation doesn't count. She sucked me in and out with considerable skill and I was fully hard again in no time. I spun her round and positioned her on her hands and knees on the couch so I could stand on the floor behind her. I rubbed her ass cheeks and pulled them apart. I could see her small brown rosebud. I spanked her right cheek then the left hard. Real hard and she cried out in shock and pain but I had her by the hips before she could move and I thrust into her blind but slid straight into her sopping cum filled cunt.

"Fuck Adam! What was that all about." She winced and I just slapped her ass again both sides hard without breaking stride.

"Take it bitch!" I snarled at her jerking her back and forth to meet my thrusts. I kept it up for a long while and she was starting to sound like a steam train.

"Oh God! Oh God! You're splitting me in two!" she wailed but she didn't say stop. I pulled out of her creamy cunt and dipped in two fingers for lubrication then as I slid my cock back in I pressed my slick fingers to her asshole and penetrated her. "Aargh, that hurts she shouted. Take it out! Take it out!"

"No!" I snarled at her. "You're going to take it." I fucked her as hard as I could with my cock in her pussy and my fingers in her ass. I could feel my cock through the membrane separating them and I simultaneously I could feel my fingers on the other side. I rode her non-stop and without mercy. She screamed out her first orgasm and tried to collapse on the couch but I was having none of that. I held her up in position and continued to pound her even while she begged me for a break.

I fucked her cunt and her ass, going in on the one while pulling out on the other. By now her rosebud had blossomed and was wide open where I could withdraw my fingers clean out and plunge them back in without a problem. She had almost completely collapsed but I squeezed my left hand around her and went brutal on her clit and then she was back up and bucking, begging me to keep going. I pulled out of her cunt and jammed my cock up her ass and she went into a another massive orgasm and Immediately I sprayed her bowels with come. She collapsed completely pulling me on top of her.

We both sounded like we had run flat out around the track and it took a long time before we were able to draw a normal breath. I half lifted, half carried her upstairs to the shower and we both got in. I washed her down slowly and thoroughly and she managed to pull herself together long enough to do the same for me. We dried off and fell into bed. She kissed me on the lips and curled into me pulling my arm around her and placing it across her right breast and cupping the left. She was asleep in an instant and her slow steady rhythm lulled me to sleep as well.

I woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. I pulled on a pair of sweat pants and went down. She was making bacon and eggs with English muffins in the toaster with apple juice on the table and coffee percolating. She saw me and came over to kiss me.

"What was that last night?" She asked smiling. "You fucked the living daylights out of me!"

"Well, that's what you get when I haven't had sex for four months!" I kissed her back.

"I should ration you more often." She giggled. "I don't know how I managed to walk to the kitchen this morning. My poor ass and pussy are going to be throbbing the whole weekend." She reached over and kissed me again. "And I love it!"

"You're welcome!" I laughed pouring coffee. We had breakfast together and she told me of things that needed doing around the house and the back yard. After that, she got dressed and went to pick up Dean and Katie.

I was in the back yard getting ready to start a bit of a clean-up from winter when I noticed my phone ringing. I was singing along to the radio when I answered.

It was Clarence Williams. "Can you talk?" He asked and my life turned to crap.

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We agreed to a quick meet at a downtown coffee shop. I left the work undone, cleaned up and went through. He was waiting and recognising me waved me over. He was nothing like what I'd expected based on TV shows and films. He was a small non-descript man. He couldn't have been more than five foot seven or eight. Thin, grey and balding. He wasn't very dark and nor was he one of those almost fair skinned black men. He was wearing a pair of dark slacks, shirt and an old sports jacket. Even his shoes looked like they came from Walmart. All in all he was a nobody. I bet he drove a Toyota.

Yet his top of the range cell phone belied his outward image and I smiled inwardly. The man clearly cultivated this image of a non-descript nobody.

We shook hands and his strong grip again confirmed my impression of who he was as opposed to the persona he presented.

He got to it with little pre-amble. "Let's not beat around the bush Mr Carter. We have not caught your wife going to a hotel, going to any clandestine meetings or having sex." He put up his hand to stop me from interjecting. But we have had enough corroborated testimony that she's been having an affair with her boss Anthony Miller for at least two years. It seems that it's an open secret at the office. Certainly his daughter Evelyn both knows and not only condones it but has gone out of her way to facilitate it."