Chapter 2

I drove over to Jenny's. My wife was right. Jenny was my best friend during childhood. We were neighbors and grew up together. It was funny that we never really dated. When I started my teen years, her family moved to the suburbs. We still kept in touch but not as often. She used to tell me about a lot of her personal life and I told her mine. As I mentioned, we were best buds, even though she was a girl. We never talked about love or sex between us. It was like the subject was out of bounds for us; it was like it was taboo or forbidden. Sure is strange when I come to think of it. We talked about other people but never about us.

We talked less and less as time went on and eventually just stopped talking all together. By the time I was a junior in high school our relationship or lack of just stopped. That's when I met my first wife and we started dating. Jenny was by then that little girl I used to know. Sad how that happens. We just seem to go our separate ways. Life sure is fickle.

After I married my first wife and went into the service, I got a letter from Jenny saying that she was going to marry Roger. For some reason, it really hurt me. Seems odd that it would bother me; after all, I was already married for three years even though I wasn't home. I didn't know at the time but I guess she was the only girl I loved and not for the sex because we hadn't done it. When she got married, it's as though a part of me died. I never did understand it till a few months ago.

I knew Roger from high school. Most likely to succeed because his dad had the finances to buy Roger whatever he wanted. I guess he was smart but also kind of arrogant We knew each other but weren't really friends. I didn't even know he ever dated Jenny. I guess it wouldn't have made any difference anyway. Money follows money and Jenny's parents were fairly well off and of course Roger's parents were already connected.

It wasn't a match made in heaven but probably made at a board meeting. The dads of both were business people. One of those, "Boy, if our kids were to marry, both of our businesses would prosper."

Maybe I shouldn't say that but that's how I believe the relationship started out. Oh, well, that was all in the past. Time to try and figure out the future. Right now I had a job to do. I have to find out if Jenny is cheating on Roger. I laughed just thinking about it.

I approached the gate. They lived in a gated house. I pushed the button and heard a voice; it was Jenny. "Who is it?"

"It's your lover. May I come in?"

"Jake, what are you doing here?"

"Let me in and I'll tell you all about it."

The gate opened and I drove up the winding drive to the front door. I'd only been there a few times. Jenny was at the door when I got out of the car.

"What are you doing here, Jake? Roger would shit if he knew you were here."

As we walked through the door, I closed it behind me. "Don't I at least get a kiss." She came into my arms and I kissed her. I pulled her warm body up against me and kissed her again.

She pulled back, "Jake, what are you doing here?"

"Roger sent me."

"What? Roger sent you? Come on, Jake. What's this about?"

"Well, I don't know how to tell you this," as I smiled. "Roger has hired me to find out if you are cheating on him," I laughed.

"Oh, my God, it's not funny Jake. Do you think he knows we've been seeing each other?"

"Honey, don't panic. I know there is something much deeper than you having an affair. I have Jim and Sally working on it. You aren't having an affair, are you?"

"Just with you, my love, just with you. What are we going to do?"

"How many computers do you have? Sally wants me to get all the information off of them."

"We have two here: the one I use and the one in Roger's private office. He also has one at work."

"I need to copy the hard drives off both of them. Do you have a problem with that?"

"I have nothing to hide from you, Jake. I know that you know how much I love you. Come with me and I'll show you my computer."

She gave me her password and I slipped in the disks and started copying the hard drive. "Jenny, is there anything personal on this computer you don't want me to know about?"

"No, I want no secrets from you, Jake. There are some personal letters to different girl friends and my sister but they were deleted a long time ago. Other than that there were a few letters to you hidden in some back files."

"You never sent me any letters. What are you talking about?"

"It's fantasy letters to you. I wrote them throughout the years but never sent them to you. They're all deleted also."

"Just so you know, Sally is the best and she may find a way to retrieve them. Do you want me to read them?"

"I'll be embarrassed but it's up to you. If you show them to Roger, my marriage will be over. He wouldn't understand; hell, I don't understand why I could fall for a caveman like you." She came to me and kissed me again.

I told her I needed the information off Roger's computer also. Something was really fishy about the way he acted. She took me to his office and to his computer.

"Do you know his password?"

She laughed as she went through his roladex and under P-password he had the word 'Studman' listed. Jenny was smiling at me.

"Is he?" I asked.

"Get real. He just has sex. He doesn't know how to make love like you, Jake."

I slipped in the disks and started copying the hard drive like Sally told me too. I was interested in finding out what was on this computer. If there was anything to be had on this computer, Sally would find it.

I guess I should explain how Jenny and I got reacquainted since her marriage to Roger and mine with three different women. We would run across each other at different events or parties. Whenever I saw her something happened inside of me. I couldn't put my finger on it. It only happened when I was near her. If I was a kid, I would have thought she gave me the cooties or something. I've been with a number of women but she was the only one that gave me the so-called cooties. I didn't have to kiss her or even touch her. I felt it if I was just near her.

About three months ago I was on a stakeout when I decided to stop by Tim Horton's, a local coffee shop, to get a cup of wake up juice, a really strong cup of coffee. I went inside and there sat Jenny by herself. I walked up to her and I think I scared the shit out of her when I touched her shoulder.

She lightly screamed and then saw me. A big smile came across her face as she stood up and hugged me.

"What are you doing here, Jenny? It's only six o'clock in the morning and you're twenty miles from home."

"I left Roger. I'm so glad you're here, I need someone to talk to and you're the best friend I have, or at least had."

"Jenny, I'll always be your best friend and you mine. Just because we're not together doesn't mean I don't think about you. You're the only girl I know that gives me the cooties."