Chapter 1

Jim sat in the little club thinking. Why did Sylvie wish to speak to him after nearly nineteen years? She said when she called it was about a promise she had made to herself a long time ago.

Jim and Bobbi were sweethearts all through the last three years of high school. As soon as they graduated, Jim went to a small college to further his education. He chose to study accounting and completed the course in two years. He knew it wouldn't be too many years before he could pass the CPA exam and then start earning some real money.

Bobbi went on to another small college that turned out secretaries, with the idea they would eventually graduate and move into a corporate head office somewhere. Both young people graduated within a couple of weeks of each other and returned to their hometown. They resumed where they had left off two years before and were soon dating exclusively.

Jim was the first to find work in an accounting firm that was interested in the new recruit. Bobbi spent the first few weeks looking, but wasn't successful until she ran into an old friend of her father's at a party. Smart, successful and good looking, her father's friend had always been admired by Bobbi. Little did she know that he had also looked on her with more than mere admiration?

There was a small problem. Wakefield Smith was ten years older than she and married to his own boss's daughter, Sylvie. He had watched Bobbi and was impressed with her vivaciousness, her body, and the way she moved. During the party he asked her for a dance and in their conversation she spilled her problem of finding employment.

"Why don't you apply at headquarters where I work?"

"I have. They said they would get back to me. That was weeks ago, but I haven't been contacted."

"Apply again on Monday. I'll leave word in Human Resources to take another look at your qualifications." That ended their contact for that night, but Bobbi was walking on air. She just knew she would be working before the next week was out. Jim noticed how pumped Bobbi was and questioned her about it.

"I'm just excited I may have the prospect of a job, that's all."

Why she didn't mention Wakefield to somebody, she couldn't have told Jim or anyone. Maybe she didn't know herself. Two weeks later Bobbi had a job as one of the secretaries in the office of Vice-President Wakefield Smith. She also had a conversation with him alone in his office that same day.

"Bobbi, I like you. What do you want out of life?"

"Oh, the usual, I suppose. You know, a home, a family and enough money to enjoy myself."

"What are your prospects at the present? You now have a job. Any boyfriends?"

"Just Jim Boyd. He is an accountant." That was what Wakefield was waiting for. The way she said "Just Jim," he might bring Bobbi around. He had played this game before, and Bobbi was certainly worth going after.

"It is going to take quite awhile to get what you want if he is just starting out."

"I know, but I don't know how to speed things up."

"Maybe I can speed things up for you."

Coy and a little nervous, Bobbi asked, "How would you do that?"

"I couldn't do much until you became my personal secretary. To become my personal secretary you would at some point have to show me how grateful you are. You also would have to be married because my wife does not allow me to have an unmarried woman working for me in that capacity."

"Let me get this straight. Your personal secretary has to be married, very grateful to you for her position and willing to do things outside her marriage to get some of the things she has always wanted. Can you make yourself a little clearer on what you mean? Like, what would be some of the perks this personal secretary would receive and what would she have to do to get them?"

"Sure. As personal secretary, she would get to travel all over the country with me and even to Europe on occasion. The pay would be beyond what an ordinary secretary would expect for this position. In return, when we travel she would have to maintain a level of protocol until we retired for the evening. At that time work would be forgotten and it would become play time."

"What about your wife, Sylvie? I met her once. What if she found out about these activities?"

"She will assume that we are sleeping together anyway, but she wouldn't ask for a divorce or ask me to divorce her. She and I have a pre-nup agreement and it says that the person asking for a divorce has to give the other everything and walk away with nothing. So she won't ask for the divorce and I certainly won't or I would lose it all. When you get married it would be advisable that you have the same type of pre-nup that I have. That way your husband will want to stay married and you will too. It is a win-win situation for both of you."

"I don't think Jim would go for that. He might cut his losses and walk away."

"Not if you were very discreet for a time and he could see he was to lose everything and have to start over after the two of you had compiled considerable assets. It can work if you approach him in the right way and at the right time."

"I'll have to think about all of this. How much time do I have?"

"As much time as you want. You can't move into the position I have offered you until you are married. I certainly am not going to ask you to be grateful for something you don't have yet. I'd like to, of course, but I am looking to the future. What I see in you looks to be worth waiting for. In the meantime you will be in the office where I can watch and imagine what it would be like to have you in my arms."

For Bobbi this was exciting. She wondered if Wakefield would hold the thought for as long as it took to get married. Wakefield himself was exciting. He was fit, handsome, and what he promised made her weak just thinking about all of this. -- Jim sat at his desk thinking about Bobbi. Today she had an interview at the insurance agency where she had applied once before and decided to reapply again last Monday. This had brought forth the present interview. He hoped she got the job. If she did, they could start saving in earnest to fulfill their plans on being married. Six months should do it. That would make their wedding sometime near Valentine's Day.

His thoughts turned to her body. God, she was luscious! Other men recognized it too and he was jealous to the point of wanting to keep her hidden from the world. She didn't help either, for she was proud of the way she looked and he often thought she flaunted herself just to make him jealous. He wished there were some way that he could bind her to him forever.

Jim was ecstatic when Bobbi came into his room and jumped into his arms, sending them tumbling to the floor. They never made it to his bed and joined right there on the floor. "Jim will you marry me? We should be able to afford it within six months."

"Hey, I'm the one that should be asking you. This job is really that good and is what you want?"

"Yes, I think so. I'm going to be working and learning the ropes for awhile, but I'm going to be working so hard to move up. I might even become the private secretary to the vice president if I work hard enough."

"They must pay pretty well? How long will it take?"

"Months and months. We will be married by that time."

A pang of jealousy hit Jim. "Who is this vice president and what is he like?"

"We met him at the party three weeks ago. His name is Wakefield Smith. He is married to Sylvie and her father owns the insurance company. No need to be jealous. I don't think either one would want to divorce the other. He's a hunk, but he knows which side his bread is buttered on. Not to worry, lover."

Bobbi never mentioned Wakefield's name on her own. When Jim questioned her about how she was progressing toward her goal of private secretary, she stated she saw Wakefield around and he seemed nice enough. She wasn't sure how he would be to work for though. Jim was in love with Bobbi and afraid if they got married she would leave him for someone else someday.

This gave Bobbi the opening to bring up the pre-nup. To Jim, this was the perfect answer to his insecurities. "What you are saying is that if I ask you for a divorce, then I have to walk away, just as if I didn't know you and leave everything we have accumulated together behind? The same goes for you? You would be mine forever?"

"Yes, Jim. Precisely. I promise to love you forever and this will assure you we will always be together."

"And I will promise to do the same. I can't imagine a situation where I would even consider asking you for a divorce."

Christmas time brought bonuses to both. Bobbi's was inordinately large, which puzzled Jim some, but his was substantial too, so he didn't question it. Sufficient for a down payment, they went looking for a house that they both could be happy in. Jim wanted children, so a three-bedroom was chosen.

Valentine's Day was approaching and the wedding was planned and took place. Bobbi was so excited. "I feel my marriage to you will be the start of a wonderful life for us." This was declared as Jim and Bobbi had a short week in the sun for their honeymoon. Jim couldn't figure out why Bobbi was so hyper. It was as if she was waiting for something to happen.

Within days, "Jim, you won't believe this, but I am now secretary to the vice president. I was called in this morning and promoted. Of course I will have to do some traveling and that means I will be away from you sometimes. You don't mind do you?"

Jim took the call in his office before the ten o'clock coffee break. "We will have to go out and celebrate tonight."

"Jim, we can't. I have to stay and work. This job has a lot of responsibilities and I don't want to leave the first day I am asked to stay over. I'll make it up to you this weekend."

Through the next couple of months, Jim actually had less loving than before they were married and before they moved into their new home together. Not to say she wasn't warm and loving, they just never seemed to find the time, mainly because she was so tied up in her new job. That is what Jim thought anyway. Bobbi though, was glowing and kept declaring that she loved her work--so many new experiences.

May 1st came and Bobbi declared, "I have to go to Florida with my boss. I will be gone a week. Maybe one day less if the work goes well." What could Jim say? He wanted his wife to work and she was certainly bringing in a lot of money. How could she be earning so much? If he had known secretaries made so much, he would have gone to school to become one himself.

That Sunday night before she was to leave, Bobbi was insatiable. "There, that ought to hold you until I get back." She bounced out of the house and into a waiting taxi that was to take her to the airport where she would meet her boss for the flight. -- Jim had a late dinner at a restaurant near his home the first part of the week Bobbi was away. When he pulled into his driveway, he noticed a car parked on the street with a woman sitting in it. She got out and came up the walk as he was unlocking his door. "Mr. Boyd, may I have a few minutes of your time? I saw you at our corporate Christmas party. You may remember me. I'm Sylvie Smith."

"I know who you are. Is Bobbi all right? Nothing has happened to her has it?"

"As far as I know everything is fine. I do have something I want to discuss with you though."

"Well. come in. We can talk inside. Would you like something to drink? I was going to settle back with a beer."

"Tea would be good." Jim bustled around and spooned some leaves into a strainer and put it into the pot to steep. Sylvie watched him. Jim wondered what this was all about. Not being obvious, he looked her over. Thinner, shorter, and not as well endowed as Bobbi, she still was very attractive.

"Do you have a cassette player and one of those new VCRs?"

"Yes, we have both. We received them as wedding presents."

"I don't know how to break this to you gently, but Wakefield and your wife are most likely in bed together right now as we speak."

Jim stared at this woman. "I don't believe you."

"I didn't think you would. First I want you to listen to this tape. This is a conversation that took place on the day your wife was hired as secretary." Jim went and got his small cassette player and Sylvie put it in and pushed play.

This was a side of Bobbi that Jim still couldn't believe. When Sylvie played the video of the night's activities on the day Bobbi made personal secretary, he had to. Her activities that night took place in Wakefield's office and the desk was utilized, but not for the normal work. "Do you want to hear the cassette of their planning this week in Florida?"

"No, but I guess I should." Sylvie handed Jim the tape.

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to divorce your cheating wife and walk away, or are you going to get even? It doesn't look like your wife is too deeply in love with you. She planned this before you were even married."

"Christ, I can't think." Jim was sitting there with tears running down his face. "Would you leave and let me be alone, please?"

As Sylvie was leaving, Jim asked her, "What would you do? More to the point, what are you doing? You are in the same position as I am."

"Jim, I will come back tomorrow evening and we will discuss it. I'd like to tell you about myself. Maybe that will help."

Jim even forgot to turn out the lights. He crawled onto the bed still clothed and lay there in the fetal position. He was too sick in the morning to think about working, so he called and asked for the day off.

As Sylvie came up the walk Jim opened the door, but before he let her in, asked, "How come you let this happen to me? You could have stopped Bobbi from working for Wakefield just by dropping me an anonymous note months ago."

"Yes, I could have and I'm sorry about that, but I was thinking of myself. I didn't stop to think how it would affect you as a secretary's husband. I didn't do that until I listened to the tape of them planning for this week. By then it was too late. I'm so very sorry."

"Okay, come in. I have to concede that is probably how you felt. I didn't work today so I put together something to eat, just a crab salad and a hot dog. You have to drink beer with it."

Jim and Sylvie ate lunch and drank one beer apiece. "I guess we are stuck with cheating spouses aren't we?"

Jim said, "We are tied up for the rest of our lives, too. Shall we kill them?"

This shocked Sylvie. "Don't say that. Don't even think about it. Hey, this is easier for you than me. I know the divorce court would give you permanent separation papers. With me it is more difficult. My father likes Wakefield almost as well as he likes me. It would create a horrible situation in the family if I asked for a separation."

"You mean I could get a legal separation without triggering the pre-nup?"

"According to my lawyer I could and if Wakefield set up Bobbi's pre-nup, I imagine yours is the same as mine."

Jim thought this was exciting news. "I'd still be married, but almost free wouldn't I? I'm going to do it."

"Hey don't go so fast. Think this through. What are you going to do after you are separated? Where will you live? You have to think about things like that."

"Jesus, it's a mess. Bobbi will be home in a few days. I don't think I can face her without beating her ass."

"Would you like me to help you? I could have prevented this if I had been thinking clearly. I feel some responsibility."

"What can you do?"

"First let me tell you more about myself. You know a lot of people think I'm gay. I admit I have made love to a woman, but not since I went to university. I have a girl-friend that I love dearly. That is as 'friend, ' not as 'girlfriend.' She could place you as an accountant in the company she works for. She would do it if I asked her."

"What's the catch?"

Sylvie was silent and it appeared as if she didn't want to say there was a condition. "Don't take this wrong, but Cindy, who is my friend, needs a man desperately. You could do worse."

"What's wrong with her?"

"She was in an auto accident and has some scars. No different than me, really, but hers show on the outside and mine are inside."