As far as Tuesdays went this one sucked big time. I was ten minutes early and not even at my desk yet when my boss hollered at me to come into his office. I was no sooner in the door when he threw a piece of paper at me and said:

"What the hell is this shit?"

I looked at it and saw that it was an e-mail from the XYZ Corporation telling us that we were being removed from their list of preferred customers. I had no idea of what kind of response was expected from me so I just shrugged my shoulders and handed it back to him.

"How the hell did you let this happen" he asked.

"How did I let it happen? What the hell do I have to do with it? You are the boss. You are the one who promoted that idiot Chambers when everyone warned you not to do it and then you compounded that mistake by giving him the Southeast Region. You need to get him in here not me."

"I can't get him in here. He is on vacation. Find out what the problem is and fix it."

I knew damned little about the region and nothing at all about the account so being saddled with the problem had me in a pissed off mood before my work day had even started. But then that really wasn't true. I was pissed off before I even left the house. My wife and I had had another argument about her job. She was putting in more and more hours and spending less time with me and I wasn't happy about it. So I wasn't in that great a mood when Tom dumped the XYZ problem on me. However, the problem did give me something I could bury myself in which pushed my personal problems to the back of my mind.

Half a dozen phone calls found out what the problem was, but I had no clue as to how to go about fixing the damage. What made things really bad with the mess was that I was going to have to dump the whole damned mess back on Tom's desk. Tom didn't like messes and he had a tendency to shoot the messenger. Oh well, what was the saying? That's what you get paid the big bucks for? Except that I wasn't being paid the big bucks.

I took a deep breath and walked into Tom's office and cut right to it. "The problem with XYZ is that Chambers tried to get them to give him a kick back. XYZ says they don't do business that way and they don't do business with companies that allow that sort of behavior. On a hunch I called four other customers in the Southwest Region and told them we were doing an in-house audit after one of our suppliers complained and two of them told me that Chambers had tried to get kick backs from them also."

"How do you propose fixing the problem?"

"By dumping it back on your desk. Chambers is not in my chain of command and my feeling is that XYZ is gone unless you get on the phone and tell them personally that you have corrected the problem."

"Why can't you handle it?"

"Because I don't have the authority to fire Chambers and I'm not high enough in the food chain here for a call from me to anybody at XYZ to mean anything to them."

"So what do you suggest I do?"

"You call the head man at XYZ, tell him about the e-mail and that you had the matter looked into. Tell him what was found; what you did to correct the problem and give him your personal assurance that nothing like that will ever happen again. Next, you hold an all hands meeting here, describe what happened and then let everyone know that such behavior will not be tolerated."

"You do it."

"Do what?"

"Everything you just said.

"Weren't you listening to what I just said? I am too low on the totem pole to do any of it."

"Not any more. As of right now you are the executive vice-president in charge of something or other. I'll come up with a proper title later, but you do what needs to be done."

I stood there staring at him like he was someone who had just escaped from a looney bin. He saw the expression on my face and said:

"Listen Alan, I'm a salesman, a people person, and I built this business by smiling a lot, shaking hands and being an all around nice guy. Oh I know I rant and rave a lot and can sometimes be a bear to be around, but it just isn't in me to fire somebody and I would be no good in crawling to someone, hat in hand, and begging them to stay with us. So you do it. When you are done come on back and we will talk salary, perks and stuff like that."

"You are serious about this?"

"Yes Alan, you handle it."

As I left Tom's office I pondered on how a bad day could become a good day in such a short time. But then I reined myself in. If I didn't save XYZ for the company my vice-presidency could be gone just as quick as it had arrived. The other problem, firing Chambers, would be no problem at all. I didn't like the son of a bitch and getting rid of him wouldn't bother me at all. I'd just have to be careful not to show too much joy when I did it.

First order of business was to try to save the XYZ account. I called XYZ and asked to speak to Jim Hanson, the president, and I was put through to his secretary. I identified myself and surprisingly I was put right through to him. I told him who I was and that I had a matter of some sensitivity that I needed to discuss with him, but that I didn't want to do it over the phone and I asked him if I could schedule a meeting with him. I was hoping for sometime during the coming week, but was surprised again when he told me that the only time he could fit me in was at lunch time that day and asked me if I could meet him at the Marriott at noon.

At eleven fifty-five I was at the Marriott and I told the maitre de that I was there to meet Mr. Hanson and he informed me that Hanson was already there and had left word that he was expecting me. He led me to the table and Hanson stood up and we shook hands. As we sat down he said:

"They do a pretty good prime rib here. Now, what is this sensitive issue that couldn't be handled on the phone?"

"I suppose it could have been handled over the phone, but I felt a face to face was needed if my company is going to continue to do business with XYZ."

I explained the situation to him and informed him that Chambers would be terminated as soon as he returned from vacation.

"And from me you want?

"We want to keep your business."

"That's it? You just want to keep my business?"

"That's it."

"Could have been done with a phone call."

"Well, all I can say is that I couldn't be sure of that and your business is too important to us to be treated lightly."

The major topic out of the way we ate our lunch and made small talk until he said:

"What's got your attention on the other side of the room?"

"I didn't know I was being obvious. I was looking at that couple in the booth under the window."

He turned and looked and then said, "That's Sam Wycliff. He's an attorney with Biddle, Biddle and Walsh and the woman is his current girlfriend."

"His current girlfriend?"

"Yeah. She's been with him about three months now. That pretty much means that she is a short-timer."

"Short-timer?"

"Sam rarely stays with the same woman more than four months. Actually, I'm surprised he has stayed with this one as long as he has. She's married and he usually doesn't keep the married ones around this long."

"Are you sure she is his girlfriend? I know her and her husband and I thought they had a strong marriage."

"According to Sam the husband doesn't get the job done where it counts - in the bedroom."

"No possible mistake? Could he just be blowing smoke? You know, bragging to make himself look like a stud? No chance that this is just a business lunch?"

"Could be a business lunch, but as to the other? No, no mistake. She is what he says she is. I saw them at a party two weeks ago and she was all over him. You going to tell the husband?"

"No, I don't think so. He's a hell of a nice guy and I don't want to be the messenger bringing him the bad news. If, as you say, she is a short-timer maybe it will be over with and he'll never find out. Maybe it is just a fling on her part and once it is over she will go back to being who I always thought she was."

"You are a curious fellow."

"Why do you say that?"

"Tom picked you to handle the Chambers problem and that means that he thinks you are a hard ass. And yet you are willing to let this thing with your friend and his wife slide."

"What can I say? You have to keep the job and your personal life separate. Why do you say that Tom thinks I'm a hard ass?"

"It takes some big stones to make a cold call on someone like me to try and clean up a mess like the one you have with Chambers. Most wouldn't want to face me; they would try to do it with a phone call and they probably would have stalled a couple of days trying to work up to it. You got the problem this morning and here you are. Tom picked you to see how you would handle it."

"You sound like you knew I was coming."

"Not really. Tom hoped you would handle it face to face."

"I don't understand."

"I've known Tom for almost twenty-five years and he and I cleared this up last week. This was just a test Alan; he wanted to know if you were ballsy enough for the job he wants to give you. I guess I'd have to say you passed."

As I drove back to the office I thought about what had just happened. Seeing my wife having lunch with another man in and of itself would have meant nothing. As part of her job she had lunch with clients all the time. I wondered if she had seen me sitting there with Hanson. If she had I wondered what she thought I was thinking seeing her there with another man. I thought about what Hanson had said about her being Wycliff's girlfriend.

Was it true? Or was Wycliff one of those guys who bragged about things that never really happened to make himself look like a super stud to other guys? I'd known a dozen like him in high school and then in college; guys who bragged about fucking every girl they took out on a date even though they didn't.

But then it would help explain the problems Laurie and I had been having lately. What had Hanson said? That she had been Wycliff's girlfriend for about three months? It was about three months ago when Laurie started putting in all of those late nights. Hanson also said he had been at a party two weeks ago where as he put it, "She was all over him." Two weeks ago was when I was out of town on business. Another man's girl friend? Was she or wasn't she, that was the question.

I got back to the office and with out telling Tom that I knew he was testing me I told him that the XYZ matter had been taken care of and that they were still with us. He then told me that Matt Kincaid, the vice-president of Sales and Marketing, would be retiring at the end of the month and that I would be Matt's replacement. Until then I would be carried on the books as vice-president of Special Projects with my first special project being Chambers and having the "all hands" meeting I had suggested. We discussed salary and perks and I went back to my office feeling pretty good.

That feeling lasted for all of five minutes. My butt no sooner hit the chair when the situation with Laurie jumped back into my mind and it wouldn't go away. The seed had been planted and the only thing for it was to fine out for sure if it was true or not. I got out the Yellow Pages, found what I was looking for and picked up the phone.

That night I did my best to act normal around Laurie which wasn't all that hard since she was still pissed at me over our argument that morning. She made no mention of seeing me at the Marriott so I figured that she hadn't seen me. When she told me that the project that she was working on was behind schedule and she would probably be working late the rest of the week I shrugged and said nothing. I finished eating, rinsed off my plate, put it in the dishwasher and then went down into my basement workshop to putter around with some woodworking projects until bedtime.

When I went upstairs to go to bed Laurie was already there and when she pushed the covers down I saw that she was naked. Since she always slept in a nightgown I knew what she wanted. As she reached for my cock she said:

"I don't like fighting with you Alan."

All I could think of is what Hanson had said. "According to Sam the husband doesn't get the job done where it counts - in the bedroom." I turned away from Laurie and for the first time in our nine year marriage I said:

"Not tonight Laurie, I don't feel like it."

It was dark in the room so I didn't see her face and I wondered if it showed shock or if there might have been the first trace of worry that I might suspect something.

The rest of the week drug by. I was up in the morning and gone before Laurie got out of bed and when she got home from "working late" I was already in bed and pretending to be asleep.

Friday afternoon found me sitting across the desk from a man who had just said, "I'm sorry" as he slid his report and the envelope full of photos across the desk to me. "I'm sorry too" I said as I wrote out the check for the balance of his fee.

I took the report and the photos and headed for home. Laurie had already told me that she would be working late so I'd be alone and could go over the report and look at the pictures. It spelled out in detail what the detective had already summarized. Her evenings working late had been spent at Wycliff's condo. I didn't have any pictures of them "doing the deed" but I did have time stamped photos of her entering and leaving. I didn't really need explicit photos to know what they were doing and truth be told I'd rather not see explicit photos.

I stuffed the report and the photos back in the envelope and put it in my briefcase. I made myself a stiff drink and then sat there in the den and thought about what I needed to do next. Confrontation followed by forgiveness was not an option. I loved Laurie, but she had betrayed my trust. It was as simple as that. It didn't matter what her reasons were for doing what she did, it was still a knife in my back. The trust was gone and there was no getting it back.

I wondered what made her do what she was doing and then I thought of all the chances I'd had to stop being a faithful husband. Chances I hadn't taken because I'd meant what I'd said when I spoke the words "Forsaking all others." I wondered if some of those chances were still available.

But first things first. I needed to get through the weekend and then see an attorney on Monday. I knew that we lived in a no fault state and that unless I could prove fraud or some other criminal activity everything would end up being a fifty/fifty split. The house would have to be sold and the proceeds split and that would hurt. I'd put a lot of myself into that house and had quite a bit of 'sweat equity' in her. On the plus side, Laurie loved the house and she would be forced to give it up.

I checked the clock and saw that it was almost time for Laurie to be getting home so I headed up to bed so I could pretend to be asleep when she got there.

I had a standing golf date for Saturdays and I was up and out of the house early. It was two in the afternoon when I got home and Laurie wasn't there. She'd left a note in the kitchen saying that she had gone to get her hair done for a party we were going to that night. After reading the note I wondered if Wycliff did hair. I wonder if she left early enough to swing by his condo for a visit before she got her hair done. Maybe the hair appointment was early enough that she could get her hair done and then swing by Wycliff's so he could see her new 'do' before coming home.

I was in the garage changing the oil in my car when she got home. She stuck her head out of the connecting door to the garage and reminded me of the party and told me that I should really start getting ready. I wanted to scream "Fuck off" at her but of course I didn't. It was going to have to be life as usual until after I'd talked to an attorney.

Laurie looked absolutely stunning and it brought to mind the reason I had pursued her in the first place. I wonder what she thought when I didn't comment on how good she looked like I usually did. In the car on the way to the party Laurie said:

"Is something wrong Alan? You seem so out of it lately."

"Nothing wrong Laurie, just some problems at work that are grinding me down."

"Well just put work out of your mind tonight sweetie and relax and have a good time. When we get home tonight I'll try and make it all better."

There was silence for several minutes and then she said, "It isn't me and the hours I'm working again is it?"

"Let it go Laurie."

"That's it isn't it?"

"Just let it go Laurie, just let it be."

The rest of the drive was in silence. Once at the party I wandered off in search of the guys who would be talking sports and left Laurie to her own devices. Hopefully I wouldn't see her again until it was time to go home.

Luck was with me and when it was time to go home Laurie was drunk on her ass. I was looking at her and debating on how to get her out to the car. I decided that the "fireman's carry" would be the most embarrassing when word got back to Laurie as it surely would and I was just getting ready to do it when one of those "chances" I'd passed up on came up to me and said:

"Doesn't look like she's going to do you much good tonight. Why don't you load her into your backseat and follow me home. You can come in for a night-cap while she sleeps it off in the car."

"One of these days Steph I just might surprise you and take you up on your offer."

"Oh goody. You have my number."

Indeed I do I thought as I picked up Laurie and headed for our car. When I got her home I undressed her and got her in bed and when I lay down next to her I was already planning on how to avoid her the next day.

It was easier than I thought it would be. Laurie usually wasn't a morning person on the weekends anyway and with her hangover she was even less of a one. She stayed quiet and out of the way most of the day and around dinner time she came out into the garage where I was working and told me she wasn't hungry and asked if I would mind if she just called for a pizza for me. I told her not to bother; that I had to go to Home Depot anyway and I'd get a bite to eat while I was out. I managed to stay gone four hours and when I got home Laurie was in bed.

My appointment with the divorce attorney was less than rewarding. As a no fault state, baring any criminal wrong doing it would be a fifty/fifty split of all assets and I would be liable for attorney's fees and court costs. If Laurie chose to fight and got an attorney the odds were that I would end up paying his fees also.

"Why would she fight it? Our marriage obviously means nothing to here or she wouldn't have done what she's been doing."

"Yes, but you don't know why she is doing what she is doing. Is it to get back at you for something real or imagined and if it is she would likely want to cause you even more grief by fighting the divorce. It could drag on for quite a while and legal fees would build up. Even if she chose not to fight she still could hire an attorney just to make sure that her interests were protected."

"So basically you are saying that I'm hosed."

"Well, there is another way that would be less expensive for you."

"What would that be?"

"Do nothing."

"Do nothing?"

"Yes, do nothing at all as far as divorcing her. Let her do the divorcing. If she sues she has to be the one to pay attorney fees and court costs. You don't fight it and you don't have any attorney's fees to pay. Except for this initial consultation of course."

"So how would I go about getting her to divorce me?"

"Simple. Do to her what she is doing to you. Stop having sex with her, get yourself a girlfriend or two and when the wife finds out let her be the one to get the divorce. The big thing is to stop having sex with her. If she throws your indiscretion at you, you can throw hers back at her, but if you exercise your conjugal rights with her AFTER finding out about her affair you will, in effect, have condoned what she did."