by the Drifter

After a long pause, with Susan trying to say something a couple of times, but each time failing, Early finally said, "You and John Stickner, your lover, have destroyed the marriage we had. It was based on love and trust.

Since you and he have destroyed the trust completely there is no longer a marriage. I will always be wondering if you are in his bed again when I can't reach you. I can't live like that Susan. I think you knew that, yet it didn't stop you from showing your appreciation to him."

"Noooo Early, it will never happen again. It wasn't that important to us."

"It was to me Susan, it was to me..."

"Wife, if you, if we want somehow to make this marriage work, we are going to have to face this; hour by hour, day to day, week by week, in this house, as we try to reopen communications. And it has to start with complete honesty. John has to know he has helped you destroy your marriage. His wife has to know, and your bosses have to know."

Susan sat crying harder shaking her head from side to side trying to change Early's direction. But she knew her husband. Once he made up his mind he was hard to change. God... why had she been so stupid?

"Early, I am so sorry. I didn't think of any of this. It was just a way to thank John for his help. Please don't do anything like that. Let me make it up to you."

Early stared at her and shook his head, then said as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, "I hope the pleasure you and John got out of it was worth the price we are all going to have to pay."

He pulled the rolodex card from Susan's file out of his shirt pocket and looked to get John Stickner's phone number.

"Please Early, please don't do that. Can't we work this out just between the two of us? I will do anything you want but please don't humiliate me like that."

"You mean don't humiliate you the way you humiliated me?"

As he dialed the phone Susan started to get up and leave the room.

"Sit down Susan, you started this, you should hear it all."

"Hello, is this Mrs. Stickner, Mary is that you? Early Rogers here, we have met at a couple of company dinners before. Yes, good of you to remember.

Mary I am sorry to do this but I have bad news. I just learned that when you and I were both out of town, our spouses were sleeping together. Yes I am certain, Susan has admitted it. Something about thanking him for his help at the office. May I speak to your husband now please?"

Susan fell face down on the couch shaking as she sobbed.

Seconds later she heard some one shouting over the phone but she couldn't make out what was said. The voice on the phone went on for sometime excitedly and then finally Early spoke up.

"John, you destroyed my marriage to Susan with her help of course. Maybe even with her insistence. But it took both of you. Please don't deny it.

Susan admitted everything when she realized I knew she had spent multiple nights in your home, in your bed. Just know that my next call is to Mr.

Jenson, both your and Susan's boss. I can't imagine he will look favorably on two of his employees shacking up while their spouses were out of town." there was a pause as Early listened.

"No I don't think meeting to talk about it would help anyone, certainly not me. I don't know if Susan and I have a chance of saving our lives together but I hope to try. But only on a level playing field where everyone knows why..."

Early pressed the END key and looked over at Susan who lay still on the couch, her face buried.

"Susan what is Jenson's home phone?"

She sat up like a bolt, "Early please I beg you, stop. If you call Jenson it will end my job there. I have worked hard for ten years to get where I am.

Please don't do that. If you are going to divorce me. Leave me something."

"You have worked hard at your job. And how long have I worked on our marriage Susan? Never mind, I will look Jenson's number up."

He left the room and Susan heard him getting the phone book out in the kitchen. She stared blindly as she identified what he was doing by the sounds. Then she gasped as she heard the varied beeps as he dialed the phone. She knew her old life as she knew it was over. Why oh why had she been so stupid to think no one would ever know.

Sliding the glass doors open to the patio he stepped outside he heard his wife's sobs. Looking quizzically at the phone, he pushed the off button before completing the call. He would tell her later that he hadn't made that call.