Chapter 8: Bourbon is My Friend

When I was alone in the car I realized how stupid a thing I had just done. I had just sent my wife off to have sex with another man. Not because I wanted her to but because I felt it was inevitable that it was going to happen. I just wanted to take control of the situation.

When I got back to the house the first thing I noticed was that the condoms were no longer on the counter. Sonya had taken them with her. I poured myself another large bourbon. I was about halfway through that drink when I came to the conclusion that my marriage was over. It didn't matter if Sonya could rid herself of Kaplan by having sex with him just once or if it took fifty times. I was never going to be able to live with her infidelity. I was sure that Sonya was never going to forgive me for treating her the way I did that night. I gulped the rest of my drink and poured another.

When I opened that bottle of bourbon earlier in the day it was full, by ten o'clock that night it was almost empty. At 10:30 I dragged myself off to bed. I tried to go to sleep but the bed would not stop spinning so I ended up in the bathroom emptying my stomach into the toilet. I don't know what time it was when I finally crawled back into bed and fell asleep or passed out.

I woke up the first time around eight o'clock in the morning. My head felt like I had an ax buried in it and my mouth felt like I slept with a wool sock in my mouth all night. Without thinking I reached over to Sonya's side of the bed but she wasn't there. Then I remembered why she wasn't there and the nausea returned. I managed to lie still until it passed and then I drifted off to sleep again.

I woke up again an hour later feeling only slightly better. I got out of bed very slowly as my head would not tolerate any quick moves. I climbed into the shower and let the hot water run over me for several minutes and then I lathered myself with soap and rinsed off. The last thing I did before I got out of the shower was to turn the hot water off and let the cold water run over my head. The shock of the cold water cleared some of the cob webs from my head. When I got out of the shower I brushed my teeth twice to get rid of the wool sock and then gargled with mouthwash.

By the time I had dried and dressed myself I was starting to feel human again. I was even feeling a little hungry as I headed for the stairs. That's when the thought of Sonya being in bed somewhere with Kaplan hit me. Instantly my appetite was gone and my headache was back.

I climbed unsteadily down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. I noticed that there was coffee in the coffee maker but I didn't remember putting coffee and water in the maker before I went to bed. As I was trying to figure this mystery out I heard a voice from the family room.

"So, you finally decided to get up," Sonya said.

When I turned to where she was, which I did with difficulty because of the pain in my head, I saw Sonya sitting in the family room with a cup of coffee and the newspaper. I noticed she was wearing a night gown covered by her bathrobe.

I was in no condition to start any kind of conversation especially the one we were about to have. I pour myself a cup of coffee and waited in the kitchen until I was able to swallow enough coffee to kick start my brain and then I walked slowly into the family room.

"I saw the empty bourbon bottle when I got home," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Not very good right now," I said. "When did you get home?"

"I got home around 11:30 last night," she said.

"11:30?" I said. I didn't hear you come in.

"I tried to wake you but you were dead to the world and you smelled so bad that I wasn't sure I wanted you to wake up," she said. Then after I had to clean up the mess you left in the bathroom I was sure I didn't want to wake you up."

"I guess I owe you one for that," I said.

There was silence in the room for a few minutes. The coffee was making me feel a little stronger and my head felt a little better. When I took the last swallow of my coffee Sonya got up and took my cup from me. She went out to the kitchen and filled my cup and brought it back to me and then she sat down again.

"I want to thank you for last night," she said.

"Thank me, what the hell does that mean?" I asked.

How could she thank me? Could she be under the mistaken impression that I was doing her a favor by letting her fuck the asshole.

"I mean that I appreciate what you did for me last night," Sonya said.

"Don't thank me, it was no gift," I said.

"Well it was wonderful and I want to tell you all about it," she said.

She did understand and this was her way of punishing me for the way I treated her.

"You really don't have to tell me about anything," I said, "and I would rather you didn't."

"I have to tell you because I don't want us to have any secrets," she said.

I could see she was determined to tell me her story so I took a deep breath and prepared for the oncoming torture. I figured if it got too bad I would get up and leave.

"I was so pissed at you when you dropped me off at the hotel I was going to go in and find Tony immediately and go do what you wanted me to do but when I got inside I realized I couldn't behave in that obvious a manner in front of our friends. I would have to be more discreet.

I saw Tony as soon as I walked into the ball room. He was standing at the bar with his back to me. Then I saw Julie and Dave sitting at a table across the room from the bar so I went over and sat next to Julie."

Sonya was determined to tell me the story in excruciating detail and was going to make my pain last as long as possible. She didn't seem to have any fear of me. I guessed that she somehow knew that I would never physically attack her.

"As soon as I sat down Dave offered to get me a drink and went to the bar leaving me with Julie. Julie told me she loved my dress and then I told her I like what she was wearing also. Then Julie asked me where you were. I told her that we had a fight and you stayed home."

"You told her we had a fight?" I asked.

"What did you want me to tell her?" She asked. "That you sent me there to have sex with Tony Kaplan? Anyway as soon as I told her that you were not coming I was aware of someone standing behind me. When I turned to look I found Tony standing there. He had heard me tell Julie that you weren't at the party and he didn't waste any time. He said that he needed to talk to me about something and quickly ushered me away from the table and out of the ball room."

I thought, 'Oh Jesus, she is going to tell me everything.

"We walked down the hall to the hotel lobby and walked out side. It was a beautiful night and in case you didn't notice there was a full moon. Tony put his arm around me and pulled me close to him as we walked.

"Then Tony said, 'I finally have you alone. I waited thirteen years to finally make love to you and then it was ruined by your husband but he isn't here to spoil our evening tonight. I was hoping that you would come without him so I got us a room for the night. We can go up there now or we can enjoy the party for a little while first if you'd like."