The company’s New Year’s Party was its biggest party of the year. It hosted three others during the year and I never really wanted to go, but Winifred “Wini” O’Dell, my wife of twelve years, did, so I went. She always disappeared several times during the night for an hour or so and I always sat and talked to people until she was ready to go home.

This year was going to be different.

We’d arrived on time and were escorted to our table. The band had already started and as soon as we were seated Tom Godwin came up and asked Wini to dance. She began to stand without paying me any mind, like usual, but this year was going to be different.

“I’m sorry,” I said firmly to Tom. “But we just got here and I’m going to have the first dance with my wife.”

“Mick, that’s a little rude,” Wini said.

“Wini, you are going to dance this dance with me. Period,” the look I gave her was the one she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Yes, this year was going to be different.

My expression was the alpha male look I had regained over the past year. Wini looked at the man and shrugged. I ignored him and pushed past him before I offered her my hand, she took it and we walked to the dance floor. I took her in my arms and remembered. My reminiscing was ended by her stern voice.

“Now, Mick are you going to tell me why you are being this way?”

“Yes, I’ve decided, on advice of my lawyer, that this party is going to be different. You are not going to spend the entire evening dancing with other men and with me sitting and talking with other people.”

Wini looked at me and tried to slow down the dance while she tried to figure out what was going on.

“You are only going to dance with me tonight, Wini. And anyone who comes between us will get one warning and then I will be getting sterner.”

Wini’s face changed expressions, realizing that I wasn’t going to be her doormat.

“And you might as well also know,” I continued, “that any woman who tries to distract me while you wander off with a man will be equally dealt with.”

“Who do you think you are? After we’ve been together for so many years, I would have thought that you knew that you didn’t own me.”

She attempted to pull away from me, but I grasped her close to me.

“I am your long forgotten and ignored husband. My lawyer has advised me that I should not be forgotten or ignored tonight,” I said.

“What lawyer? I don’t ignore you, Mick!”

“Wini, how many times did you dance with me at the last party?”

“I don’t remember...”

“None! You never once danced with me. Would you like to guess how many minutes you spent sitting at our table? Do you even remember that you ate your dinner at another couple’s table?”

Now Wini was looking at me and she beginning to understand. Her husband had finally had enough. She was wondering if this was the time to approach him. Looking into her eyes, I smiled and took her right hand off my left shoulder and placed it on the side of my jacket so she could feel the holster and its content.

“Mick! Is that a gun?” Wini said, almost too loud.

“It is. My lawyer advised that I be prepared to protect myself. I want you to know that if Tom Godwin tries to force a dance with you, I will deal with him harshly. It also goes for the various other men’s wives if they attempt to distract me so you can sneak off with their husbands.”

I could feel a shudder go through her body. She now knew that I knew something was going on and that it included the wives of the men I mentioned. She stopped trying to pull away.

“Wini, my lawyer has advised me that tonight, for the first time in a long time, you consider yourself to be my devoted and faithful wife. You and I are going to have a nice evening. We are going to dance and have a nice dinner. My lawyer has advised me that I should end the night on my terms.”

“What lawyer? Mick, what the hell’s going on? Don’t tell me that you are going to shoot anyone.”

I looked down at the woman I used to love so deeply, holding her close as we continued our dance. Then I whispered.

“Which of those bastards do you like the least. Which one has the smallest dick or eats pussy the worst? Get the attention of that one first and I’ll show you.”

We danced that song and the next, Wini seemed numb, then we returned to our table. Our server took our food and drink order and I changed the subject and asked Wini what she thought of my new suit. I told her that I had it tailored to hide the pistol and its several magazines of ammo.

“Why are you carrying a gun!?”

“I told you, but to put it simply, my lawyer advised me to take care of my wife. To keep the wolves at bay for one night.”

My mind was also thinking of the very nice set of custom-made brass knuckles, I had in each pants pocket.

“My lawyer has advised me that I not allow there to be a repeat of the last party. There will be no chance for Tom or Dick or Harry or Jody to whisk you off for a quickie while their wives distract me. There will be no quickie three-way with one of those guys and his wife, or one of the other’s wives, while I’m kept busy.

“What are you talking about? I’ve never!” Wini remained dishonest until I spoke.

“Last Thursday at the Godwin’s? Last Monday at the Day’s? The weekend two weeks ago with the Falwin’s, Small’s and a guy that I still haven’t found the name of yet? Now, I intend to have one last evening with my wife, unless you intend for it to be a meeting of the fight club.”

At our table, we nodded to another couple that had been seated there. The very attractive woman and Wini struck up a polite conversation, covering the obligatory unimportant information strangers exchange while her partner looked at me without any emotion on his face. I think that Wini was a little jealous that the beautiful woman seemed to be interested in me and wanted to compare me with several of her co-workers.

We finished our drinks and ate our dinner and spoke about things having to do with our home and the things in our lives that we still had in common. After a comfortable meal, I took Wini to the dance floor again and halfway through the dance Jody Smalls and his wife approached us and he asked Wini to dance.