For me, the day started out bad and got progressively worse. The clock didn't go off when it was supposed to and when I woke up I was already half an hour late for work. I skipped breakfast and with only a cup of black coffee for sustenance I jumped in my car only to find that the battery was dead. It cost me $55 to get the service station to send over a guy to give me a jump-start and when I finally got down town I couldn't find a place to park. I had to settle for one of the rip-off parking lots that hosed me $30 for the day. In the elevator on the way up to the 16^th floor I rehearsed my excuses for being late, but I fully expected to have my butt reamed regardless of what I said so I was pleasantly surprised when my boss caught me coming off the elevator and greeted me with, "John! Thank God you're here. Come into my office."

As I followed him to his office I thought things might be looking up, but that hope was dashed as soon as the door closed behind us.

"The client called and is very unhappy with the proposal we sent. You have to fly out there this afternoon and see what we can do to salvage the account. Mellisa has your tickets and itinerary, and John - don't fuck this up. If we lose Johnson heads will roll."

Great I thought, just fucking great! If we lose the account, and it sounds as if we already have, and I'm the last guy to have talked to the client, guess who will get the blame. Add to that the fact that I'm terrified of flying and that my wife has been waiting two months to see the play I'm supposed to take her to see tonight, and I could see my entire life going to hell in a hand basket.

I found Mellisa, the bosses' secretary, and got my tickets and travel schedule and noticed that my luck was still running true to form - coach instead of business class or first class. Mellisa noticed my expression and said, "Sorry John. That is all that was available on such short notice."

I gave her a weak smile and said, "Don't sweat it Mel. I'll let you make it up to me some time. You can buy me a drink if I survive this mess."

I sat down at my desk and grabbed the phone and called home knowing that the conversation I was about to have was not going to be pleasant. When Sally answered I told her what happened and asked her to pack me a bag and meet me at the airport. "John, you can't do this to me," she yelled, "It took me three months to get the tickets for tonight's show and I've waited for the last two months for tonight to get here." And then I did a bad thing. The day's frustrations had built up in me and I lost it.

"I don't give a rat's fuck about that goddamn play! My fucking career is on the line here and if I don't pull this off I'm going to be out of a job and I'm here to tell you that jobs that pay eighty grand a year don't grow on trees. Now please pack me that fucking bag and meet me at the airport."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for several moments and then in a very controlled voice Sally said, "You'll get your fucking bag and maybe a few other things you didn't bargain for" and she hung up.

I was at the gate nervously pacing back and forth because it was only ten minutes until flight time and Sally hadn't shown up yet. She arrived just as they made the last call for boarding and without a word she tossed me the bag. I went to kiss her, but she stepped back and said, "We don't have time for things like that, you have to rush off and save your precious job."

This pissed me off and so instead of trying to reason with her I just turned and boarded the aircraft. As luck would have it, bad luck of course, I got a window seat on the terminal side of the aircraft and I could see Sally watching from the window as the plane pushed back. I saw a man I didn't recognize walk up next to her, put his arm around her and then the two of them turned and walked away. With a sinking feeling in my heart I settled into my cramped seat and wondered what else God had in store for me. I didn't have long to wait to find out as the speaker system came alive, "This is the Captain speaking. We are experiencing some erratic indications on our engine instruments and we are returning to the gate. I apologize for the inconvenience, but your safety is our primary concern. I'll keep you informed."

Five minutes after getting back to the gate the speaker squawked, "This is the Captain. The problem is a little more serious than we thought and the aircraft is going to have to be taken to the maintenance hanger. Operations tells us that there will be another aircraft available in forty-five minutes so we are asking you to deplane at this time."

Once off the airplane I got to a pay phone and called the office to let them know the situation and then I decided to get myself a drink. I entered one of the small airport bars and was just about to sit down when I saw Sally and the man who had put his arm around her sitting at a table. I probably should have just gone over there and surprised them, but something made me move to where I could keep an eye on them, but where they might not notice me. I ordered a scotch on the rocks, but before the drink arrived Sally and the man got up to leave. I threw a five on the table and got up to follow them.

I don't know if my tailing techniques were all that good, or they were just too wrapped up in themselves to notice me, but I was able to follow them out to the rear corner of the short term parking lot where they got into a late model Ford Taurus. I didn't see Sally's Mustang anywhere so I figured that the man must have driven her to the airport. I stood there aware that they were about to drive off and I would be unable to follow and I had just about decided to step out in front of them when I saw Sally lean over and disappear from view. From the way the man's head went back and his hands gripped the steering wheel I guessed that Sally was sucking his cock. With both of them distracted I gambled that I could move closer without being noticed and I eased my way forward until I could see Sally's head bobbing up and down in the man's lap. In only a few minutes (Sally is very good at giving head) the man took his hands from the steering wheel and put them on the back of Sally's head and held her in place while he came in her mouth. A minute later Sally sat up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, the man started the car, and they drove off. Some where along the way my decision to step out in front of them and stop them had flown away and I just stood there and watched the taillights disappear.

Back in the terminal I was informed that my flight would be leaving in five minutes and that I'd better hurry on board. I spent the entire flight sitting in my seat and staring out the window and seeing Sally's head bobbing up and down in the man's lap and wondering how long she had been screwing around on me. I'd always thought we had a good marriage and had cared for each other. Sure we had problems, but what marriage didn't? The sex was still good for both of us, or at least I thought it was. I know it was good for me, but had she been faking it? Was that what this was all about?