“There was this blind man and he was out walking one day with his seeing eye dog. They reached the corner of a busy intersection and the dog led the man right off the curb and out into moving traffic. Tires screeched, horns blared and people rolled down their windows and shouted curses at the pair. They made it safely to the other side and the man took out a doggie treat out of his pocket and offered it to the dog. A woman who had seen the whole thing walked up to the blind man and said:

That stupid dog almost got you killed and you are giving him a reward?”

“Not really,” said the blind man. I’m trying to find where his mouth is so I can kick his ass.”

It got a luke warm laugh and he handed the microphone back to Bobby Denton. It was Wednesday night and open mic night at the Landing Strip Lounge. I glanced again at the table where Jason Edwards wife was holding hands with a man who was most definitely not her husband. I was taking pictures of them with my phone and I hoped they would turn out okay since I had the flash turned off. I hoped like hell the ones of them kissing turned out.

It was just luck that I was sitting where I was when Mandy Edwards came in and sat down with the man. Normally I would be sitting at the bar, but that night the bar was full. I usually sat at the bar because that was the best place to be able to see Bobby Denton’s wife.

I had the screaming hots for the woman and I was waiting for a chance to make a move on her. She was a gorgeous blond and she hated blond jokes and for some reason Bobby Denton told blond jokes whenever she was here. I just knew that one day he’d go too far and she would jump up and leave and when that happened I would follow her out and make my move. My thoughts being that she would be so pissed at him that she might give me a tumble just to spite him. I was thinking that tonight might be the night because I saw her start to get up, but one of the women sitting with her grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

Apparently, there were no more wanna be stand-up comics that night so Bobby told the closing joke. A blond one of course and I listened to it as I watched Mandy and her lover. Maybe ten minutes after Bobby finished Mandy and her paramour showed signs of leaving so I got up and headed out to my car. Once there I sat and waited for Mandy and her boyfriend to come out. I was hoping I could get shots of some backseat action to add to the ones I’d already taken. I pulled up the ones I’d already taken and was pleased to see that most of them had come out okay.

The two came out and they walked to a car and embraced and then kissed (and I caught it on camera) and then Mandy got in the car, but didn’t go anywhere. The man walked to another car, got in and then drove out of the parking lot and Mandy followed along behind him. I decided to tag along. They drove to the Motel 6 on Perry and the man went in and got a room and then Mandy followed him into it. I got four good pictures of it and then decided to call it a night.

When I got home I uploaded the photos into my computer and then printed them. I put the pictures into a folder, turned off the computer and went to bed.

It was almost two weeks before the opportunity I was looking for came around. Amanda Edwards and I worked for the same company, but in different areas. We knew each other, but not well. One of those ‘we knew who each other were, but not much else’ kind of relationships.

One thing we had in common was that we usually ate lunch at the B&B Cafe which was right across the street from the building we worked in. Most days she sat with two or three others, but once in a while she sat alone and it was one of those times I was looking for.

It was a Tuesday and I walked into the cafe and saw Amanda sitting alone. I walked over to the booth and slid in opposite her. She gave me a look that screamed out “What the hell are you doing sitting there” but said:

“I’m sorry, but I’m expecting some friends and they will be needing that side of the booth.”

“That’s okay. Just an answer to a quick question and I’m out of here. Was the guy you went into room 106 with two weeks ago just a fling or are you planning to leave Jason for him?”

I could tell she was getting ready to get all indignant on me, but then it was like she just deflated.

“What do you want?”

“Just an answer to my question.”

“Why?”

“Just curious” I said as I slid the folder over to her. “Just wondered is all. If it was just a fling you might not want Jason to see those, but if it is serious and you plan on leaving Jason for that guy you probably won’t care if he sees them or not. Think about it. You know where to find me. Enjoy your lunch” and I got up and left.

I wasn’t surprised when she came up to my desk a little after three and said “We need to talk.”

“Bud’s Bar after work?”

“I’ll be there.”

She was there waiting when I got there and I sat down at the table with her. She went right at it.

“What do you want?”

“An answer to the question I asked.”

“Why? Why do you want to know?”

“It will help me decide what to do.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Not until I get my answers.”

She gave me a long look and then said “Stan was just a fling and no, I don’t want Jason to know.”

One more and then I’ll answer yours. Was, or is, Stan the only one?”

“No he isn’t and he was history as of last Saturday. So why the questions?”

“Before I answer I need to be up front with you about something. I’m an asshole. Knowing that upfront will help you understand me. The reasons for my questions are simple. If the man I saw you with was someone you were going to leave Jason for my showing him the photos wouldn’t bother you at all. If it was just a fling and you didn’t want Jason to know it would give me something to work with.”

Once I said that it was like one of those cartoons where they showed a light bulb going off over the head of one of the characters as they suddenly realize what’s going on.

“Seriously” she asked. “You are going to try and blackmail me?”

“That pretty much sums it up.”

“How much?”

“I don’t want money.”

“What do you want?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“If you have flings with other guys why not me?”

“You can’t be serious.”

“Of course I am. Look at it from my perspective. Meet a girl. Take her out seven or eight times at forty or fifty bucks a pop and not score. Do it again with another girl with the same result after having laid out six hundred or so bucks for nothing? Why wouldn’t I like to score for only the cost of a dozen sheets of computer paper?”

“You wouldn’t get much out of it. I’d just lay there like a blow-up doll.”

“Maybe, but it would still be better than looking at porn and using my right hand. So, what will it be? Me or Jason seeing the pictures?”

“You overlooked one little thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Jason and I have an open marriage. We are free to do whatever as long as we come home to each other.”

“You’re right. I didn’t think of that. I guess when I show Jason the pictures he will just shrug and say “So what.” It will be interesting. I’ve never talked with a man in an open marriage. At least not that I know of.”

I took out my phone, pushed the necessary keys and said “555-137-2345, right?”

“What are you doing?”

“Calling Jason to set up meeting.”

I started pressing keys and heard “Stop it! Don’t do that! You win.”

“I win?”

“You called my bluff. I can’t have Jason seeing those things.”

“Then all that’s left is seeing to the logistics. I’m free every night so it comes down to your availability.”

“I can only get free on Mondays and Wednesdays.”

“Why only those days?”

“Jason bowls on Mondays and has a lodge meeting on Wednesdays.”

I took a piece of paper out of my pocket and wrote my address down on it and gave it to her and told her I’d expect her at six-thirty.

“I can’t do it.”

“You will do it or else.”

“You don’t understand. I can’t do it. Jase gets home from work around five-thirty. I have dinner ready, we eat and he doesn’t leave for the bowling alley until six-twenty or so. I can’t get to your place until around seven. Same with his lodge meeting. And I have to be home by ten on Monday and by eleven on Wednesday.”

I looked at my watch, said I needed to get going, got up, told her I’d see her the next day and left.

The next day a little after two she showed up at my desk and asked me for my phone number. “I need it in case something comes up and I can’t be there.”

“No problem. You don’t show and no matter the reason and you know what I’ll do.”

“But what if I’m running late?”

“As long as you show up and we have enough time to take care of business.”

She gave me a nasty look and stormed off.

My doorbell rang at five to seven and when I went to the door I found an unsmiling Mandy standing there. I stepped aside and she waked in. She was wearing baggy jeans, an oversize sweatshirt and had no makeup on at all. It was an obvious attempt to look as unappealing as possible, but it was effort that was wasted on me. I didn’t intend to fuck her clothes and I didn’t give a rat’s ass if she was made up or not. As long as her pussy wasn’t stitched closed I’d get what I wanted.

I just said “Bedrooms down the hall, first door on the left. She gave me a nasty look, but headed for the bedroom. I followed along and when we were in the bedroom I said “Lose the clothes” and I took off the robe I was wearing. She shed what she was wearing and then looked at the bed. I’d already turned the covers down in readiness for the evening.