My name is Rick Wells. I'm forty-one years old. I'm married to a woman of the same age and have been for the past eighteen years—that is married to her; she hasn't always been forty-one. They have been mostly happy and fulfilling of my years. We've had some mundane and pretty much meaningless disagreements of course over that period of time who among us would not have. At least, I hasten to add, I have long been of the opinion that they were mundane and meaningless disagreements. My opinion has now changed, and my marriage and my formerly settled life are now under siege and in danger of suffering total ruin. And, you might guess, and you would be right, that the problem stems from sexual differences as is often the case with forty-somethings.

Anyway, I suppose I should tell you a little bit about our backgrounds.

I graduated from state college with B.A. in Psychology nineteen years ago. Now, you might think that a degree in Psyche would have led to me making $100 an hour listening to people's personal problems. Well, you'd be half right; I do listen to people's problems. And, I hear it all depression, cheating spouses, problems with the kids or the boss or the governor. I mean I hear it all; I'm a bartender. I do not make a $100 an hour; I make maybe fifty grand a year base. But! and it's a big but, I'm content.

My wife's a nurse. She graduated from a local community college with her A.S. degree and passed the NCLEX soon after, and that with flying colors. That was ten years ago. My wife, by the way, is a very smart cookie. Oh, and with all of the overtime she works, she makes more than I do. She keeps telling me I should do the doctoral program and go into practice. By "practice" she means clinical Psychology. I have resisted that however. I love my job. I meet a better class of people than the ones who can and do pay $100 an hour to be told what they can get from me for the price of a highball—actually, come to think of it, a lot of my people are the same as those other people!

Cali, that's my wife, gets out of sorts with me when I tell her I'm not interested in making more money, and in spite of what I said before, it has led to some pretty raucous arguments between us. In fact, it is at least part of the cause of the sword of Damocles that is currently hanging over our marriage.

Cali is pretty, not runway beautiful, but pretty. Maybe five-six and around 120. Auburn hair, freckles, and the greenest eyes this side of an orchard. Her tits run out at about 34Bs. Her butt is a little more spread out than some, but that's how I like 'em; a broad butt is so female. For me she's perfect.

Oh yeah, me. Well, I'm five-seven and a half, 162, with sandy hair and blue eyes—why would anyone care right. I'm okay looking, but I would be far less likely to ever be runway material than my wife. I do have a seven-inch johnson though that seems to be more than enough for Cali, and for that I am more than grateful to whatever fertility goddess took care of me in that department.

I bought the house we currently live in with money my dad left me just before I met Cali, so it's free and clear; that was in my senior year at state. Now, except for the payment on the new car I bought Cali for her 41st birthday, that was three weeks ago, we owe nobody nuthin'. I know money is a matter of status to her, but I ain't having any of that; chasin' the green ain't livin'.

While I have been under pressure from her to change careers, I have to admit that I have put a lot of pressure on her to cut back on her long hours at the clinic. We don't need the damn money; we need more time together. Now is the time in our lives, you'd think, that Cali and I would be doing things together. But oh no, we've got to make more money!

Our sex life hasn't been that great for some time. Something has to give. She's always too tired on my off days, and since I work till 11:00PM five days a week—I do have weekends off—I get home too late for her to be interested. We maybe get it on twice a month, if I'm lucky. Frankly, it has been getting to me.

We met when I was admitted to her clinic with injuries sustained in an auto accident. I was twenty-two at the time and just about to head off to basic training. I'd done the ROTC thing in college, and I was about to be given my second lieutenant's bars. The fucking accident would delay me for several weeks.

At any rate, Cali was my triage nurse and it was clear to me, when we met, that she wanted to talk. I, not being the shy type, asked her if she would be interested in having a cup of coffee with me when they released me. She didn't say anything, but she nodded in the affirmative. Three days later, with a cast on my leg, they released me. She met me in the lobby and wheeled me down to the cafeteria.

Cali learned, during our little coffee break, that first time in the clinic's cafeteria, that after basic I would likely be posted overseas, and for some reason she seemed panicky. I did my best to allay her unexplained concerns. We made a date for the following Saturday. Since my leg was in the stupid cast, there was no question of us going dancing. So we went dining and drinking.

During the few weeks that it took for my leg to mend, I fell hopelessly in love with her. I was gratified to learn that she had felt the same way about me from virtually the first moment we had met in the examination room at the clinic. This was a major boost to the ego of a man whose prospects had never been better than average with the girls.

I was in good shape physically, except for my damnable broken leg; and I still am, in good shape that is. I'd been a golden gloves boxer and had made regional semis before being killed by a guy whose hands were so fast that I don't think scientists had yet developed tools capable of clocking them, at any rate so it seemed to me. My habit of training, then and now, were clandestine; I trained and continue to train just for me—I did not do any fighting in the Army. My habits did and do, however, keep me in top condition. And for some reason, or maybe no reason, I have never let Cali know very much about my prize fighting days. At any rate, as to my physical condition, I can still run three miles in 25 minutes no problem and skip rope at 120per for twenty minutes non-stop. These, along with a couple of hundred reps with the iron each day, are enough.

Our first real date was the Saturday after that first cup of coffee. I picked her up and we went to Faricelli's, a small Italian bistro just outside of town. Faricelli's had the distinction of serving an imported wine, Falernus, which, so local wisdom avers, has an ancient Roman pedigree. At any rate it was great. We danced a little and left. Here was the moment of truth.

"Wanna take a drive," I asked. She smiled, knowing exactly what I had in mind, if she didn't, my leer would have been a dead giveaway.

"Okay," she said. "Do you have a condom?" She had taken the initiative away from me with that one.

"No," I said, a sheepish look on my face.

"Well anyway, don't break any traffic laws getting us there," she said.

If my face hadn't been red before, it sure as hell was now. "I won't," I said.

We made it to the park four miles distant in about fifteen minutes. She had slid over next to me, and was running her hands up and down my body as we drove. She avoided touching me in the place where at that moment I most needed to be touched. But, I had hopes that things would improve once we parked. They did.

We'd gotten in the back seat and I had pulled her gently to me. She was so pretty and so hot and so soft; she was the whole package; I was one lucky fella.

My hands lightly caressed her breasts. Her hand, also lightly traced the outline of my cock through my dockers.

"Let's get undressed," she said.

"Just what I was thinking," I said. We were naked in less than two minutes.

We continued our caressing of each other. It was a truly intimate time for us. I swore that if the gods ever gave me an opportunity to relive a moment of my life, this would be the moment I would choose; it was that wonderful.

She turned and presented me with her behind. "Take me doggy style, okay. I want you to control me; it's best for me that way," she said. I didn't argue.

I took hold of her arms, probably holding her too tightly, but she didn't complain. I pressed myself inside of her and then pulled out a little. Then I pushed in a little farther and repeated the process. Soon I was screwing her steadily, and she was making little mooing sounds that told me she was okay.

I stiffened. I could see she was nearing completion as well. I began ramming her hard. Her noises were staccato now. She stiffened, shook, and grunted. "Fuck! Fuck! Oh fuck, I'm cumming," She screamed. I blew my load inside of her.

Shrinking, I slid off to the side and looked at her, her head resting for a moment on the back of the seat, her butt still high in the air, cum running down from her slit and down her leg. "Thank you," she said. "I needed that."

"Fucking-A," I said. "Me too."

We cuddled for a little while, pulled on our clothes, and drove home. The kissing goodnight was tender and promised much.

After that first magnificent night in the backseat of my car, we dated four and five nights a week, and before I left for basic two months later; I proposed and she accepted. The ring I bought her wasn't much; I'd spent everything I had on the house I'd bought. But, it was a quarter carat diamond, and I thought it had character. Oh, and as to the house, even though we hadn't married as yet, I had Cali move in as soon as I left for basic; well, we were engaged.

She wrote me almost daily while I was in boot. You might say she kept me focused on her. And focused I was. I finished boot, got my bars, and headed back home for a 30 day leave about as fast as I could.

Arriving home, I broke the bad news to Cali: I was being posted to Afghanistan. I was slated for a fourteen month hitch. Needless to say Cali was not thrilled, but she was thrilled when I said we should get hitched right away. There wasn't time for a big wedding, but her parents, Marge and Philip Caplan, saw to it that it was a church wedding and that the reception was nice if relatively small—some forty people attended both events. My mom was there, but of course my dad had died some time before. These along with the usual aunts, uncles, cousins, and a few good friends were enough. We were married, and we were happy.

I carried her across the threshold at the house and we screwed for two days straight. On the following weekend we had a mini-honeymoon in Popotla, Mexico. The water was nice at the beach, and the few days we were there were memorable.

We did have a little business meeting one night while we were still in Mexico. We decided that kids were not going to be in the mix for us. Not for a long time at any rate. We wanted to be secure first. The irony in that was that she turned out to be barren. But, I was content. If kids weren't meant to be then they weren't. We were and that was all that mattered to me.

Two days after returning, I was in a C5 on my way to the war zone. Oh, and I'd made first lieutenant the day I was posted; I liked my new silver bars.

Let it be enough to say that my first war time posting was dull. I was a computer whiz, even though my college degree was in Psychology, and that made me a headquarters hanger-arounder. Sixteen months later I was home—yes not fourteen, well, whaddya gonna do, it's the freakin' Army.

"Oh my gawd, Rick! You're home," she squealed, throwing herself into my arms. I'd arrived unannounced, and though shocked, she was very glad to see me.

"Yeah, baby, I'm back," I said. It was a good beginning.

I mustered out two weeks later, and got me a job at the Head Trip Bar&Grill. I was a finally a bartender. No, I was a psychologist that worked in bar. Gawd! how I love my job.

All of which brings us to the present day.

Sex between us was evolutionary, as it is with almost all couples: at first insanely hot, then hot, then warm, and finally hohum. I missed the getting it on heat of our earlier days and so did Cali. In order to bring some of that early feeling back we would sometimes role play. We tried different things.

Sometimes we'd do it in different locations in the house, or in the woods when on vacations. Sometimes we'd tried the B&D scene with her in control, that was fun for quite a while actually. Sometimes we would talk about threesomes or gang bangs. Sometimes we'd talk about her cuckolding me while I watched. And, there were other things if I could but now remember them. But all of these things were mere fantasies between ourselves, and they stayed that way for years. Then he arrived, the asshole: Howard Colson, Dr. Howard Colson; he was a plastic surgeon.

"So, what will it be tonight, husband," said Cali. I leered at her.

"What about you dominate me and get it on with some dude you picked up somewhere," I said.

"Oh, I like that one," she said. We haven't played it in a long time. Okay, you're going to be the dude, and my wimpy hubby over there will get to watch." She pointed to the empty chair near the wall pretending that I "her husband" was sitting in it; while for my part I had become James, her lover.

"Sounds good to me," I said.

"His name is James, honey" she said, talking to the empty chair; she was already getting into the scene...

"Why do you have that rope around his neck like that; he can't even lean forward?" said James (me). "And his hands are tied behind the back of the chair too. Are punishing him for something?"

"Because, lover, he can be awfully jealous, and he knows that now that we've started he will not be allowed to interfere no matter what," said Cali. "He's going to be my little cuckold fellow tonight and that's that. He knows it's his fate." She smiled sweetly at the chair. "Isn't that right, honey," she said still looking at it. "See, James, he's trying to nod yes."

"Now, undress me slowly, James. Give hubby a show," she said. I undressed her playing the part of James the loverboy.

Naked, she got down on her knees. "Let me help you with your pants lover. I just love to pull down the pants of my lovers," she said, looking over at the chair and smirking.

I was naked from the waist down, and now she played with my stone hard dick. She looked over at the chair and blew her imaginary husband a kiss just before she took me in her mouth. I came hard and long very quickly.

We moved to the bed. We got ourselves tangled up kissing and feeling each others' flesh heat up as we played. Soon I flipped her on her back and drove myself into her. I was way too hot to delay fucking her. Geezsus was I hot, and so was she. I came with a shudder as she pile drove her mound into mine trying to cum at the same time; she didn't make it, but I wasn't done. I slipped out of her and down her body looking to suck my own cum from her baby smooth, hairless pussy. Now, she was slamming her mound into my face cumming in series, so it seemed and jerking wildly in the doing.

She looked over at the chair. "You have just been cuckolded big time, Rickie. Are you enjoying watching another man do me, baby? I really do hope so. I hope you're all right, baby. I hope you're not too jealous." She was really getting into the scene, but hell so was I!

She grabbed me around my shoulders and spun me over on my back; I was shocked by her strength!. She switched positions and lowered her pussy over my face as she stretched out and took my cock once more into her mouth. It took a few minutes, but she had me stone hard once more.

"Take me from behind, lover. I want to see my husband's eyes while you do me," she said. Gawd! this was hot I thought.

Grabbing her hips I pulled her to me and pushed in all the way. She let loose of a long ooohhmyooohhmy, just as I bottomed out inside of her. I began screwing her slowly at first, then picking up speed, then slamming her hard. I was still a ways from cumming as she was overcome by a wave of small orgasms. Then, just as I was about to blow the seams out of my cock with myn own orgasm, she stiffened, shuddered, and howled in the most intense cum I think she ever had. I sagged onto her back, her face still buried in the pillow and her butt still poised lewdly high I the air. She looked toward the chair.

"That, baby, is how you have to learn to do it, okay?" she said.

We lay sated and looked at each other, both of us smiling broadly. Gawd! How I loved this woman, I thought. She is all I will ever need.

Afterwards, we rolled apart sti8ll breathing heavily. We'd been at it for an hour.

"That was good," I said, meaning it.

"Damn right it was," she said. "Someday we have to actually think about trying out some of these fantasies in real life." Seeing you in that chair, jealous and helpless—gawd! that was hot."

"The whole scene was hot as far as I'm concerned," I said.

"No argument from me," she said.

She rolled over and looked at me seriously. "Whaddya think, husband mine, could we do this for real sometime? It would be even hotter for real, dontcha think?"

"Not gonna happen, dear heart, I ain't risking losing you to some other guy," I said.

"Like there is some chance of that ever happening," she said, laughing.

"I still ain't riskin' it," I said.

We kissed and talked a little in the afterglow. Then, she laid it on me.

"Ja—sorry—I mean Rick, can I ask you a favor?" she said. Her request caught me by surprise. Well, not her request so much as her tone of voice. But, at the moment I was vulnerable and feeling generous. I was just hoping she wasn't going to ask me to go shopping with her; it's the one thing that I just couldn't get myself to do for her, and she resented it to some small extent.

"Rick, an old friend of mine, a male friend, is in town, from high school days actually. His name is Howard Colson. He is going to be working at the clinic soon. He asked if we could get together to catch up on old times. Whaddya think?" she said.

"Sure no problem," I said, glad she didn't want me to go shopping with her again. "I'll make sure I get the night off and we can show him around. When is it going to be?"

"Uh, Rick, I mean just him and me. It's just to catch up on old times. You know. You wouldn't know anything about those days. You'd be kinda out of the loop," she said.

My look must've cued her. "Rick, it's not a date, but, well, I was afraid you might think that way; so I am asking. You know up front, as it were," she said. She seemed nervous.

"I don't think so, Cali. It doesn't seem right. I mean a man's wife going out with an old high school flame. He is an old flame isn't he?" I asked.

"Well, yes. But that was ages ago. There is nothing there like that now," she asserted all too vehemently.

We hashed it over for over an hour before things came to a head. I was tired, but tired enough to give ground on a request like hers.

"Again, how long has it been that you haven't seen him?" I asked.

"Since high school," she said.

"And you want to go out to dinner with him but without me?"

"It's only dinner, Rick. We aren't going to do anything," she said.

"Does he even know you're married?" I said, with an edge to my voice.

"Of course, silly. And, I told him all about you and what a wonderful husband you are. Rick, it's just dinner with an old friend. Just talk."

"I don't like it, Cali. It doesn't make sense, like I said, a man's wife going out with an old boyfriend. I don't like it," I said. "You do not have my willing approval or any other kind."

She looked at me wistfully. "Rick, I'm going, please. It's tomorrow night. I promise, I won't be too late, but I am going. I need to. I wish you would help me out here, my husband, but I am going. Please try and understand," she said. She reached for me, but I pushed her hand away and sat up on the edge of the bed. The wonderful sex of the night now turned to ashes, at least for me. She seemed a little bit shaken by my attitude, but she was also determined.

"I don't understand, and if you go, It's going to be a serious hurt to our marriage. I'm serious, Cali. Don't do it. Don't do this," I said.

We eventually called an end to the discussion and I tried to drift off, but couldn't. I got up and headed downstairs. I was naked, but I didn't even realize it. Downstairs, I plopped onto the couch and thought. This whole night. This whole night of sex was to get me to a place where I would say yes to what she really wanted—another man. Was I nuts? Maybe, but I had never been so frightened.

We spoke little the following morning. She'd come down and found me still awake, still naked, with bags under my eyes and tried to comfort me, but I pushed her away and went upstairs. She called after me.

"Rick, it's not a big deal. You have to understand," she said. I didn't even turn around to acknowledge her words. I went into the room and headed for the shower.

She went to work and I settled in to brooding about her and this old boyfriend. It was Saturday, she'd had to work, but I was off. Her "date" was for tonight. The fun filled night we had had the night before now seemed like a set up to me. I was not happy, and my stomach was churning.

That evening I was standing in the front room when she came down the stairs. She was way too beautiful for mere conversation, and I said so "Just conversation, huh?" I looked at her with steel in my eyes.

She smiled a sympathetic smile, "please," she said, "I love you." She tried to kiss me on the cheek, but I held her off. She frowned and looked angry, but she just turned and walked out. She got into her car and drove off. I made the call.

Cali and I had argued, discussed, and generally gone back and forth over this Howard Colson guy, and now she'd finally decided to shine me, us, on and go out with him no matter what I thought, wanted, or needed. Well, I wasn't sitting still for it. I had made arrangements late the night before, arrangements she didn't know about. I would not be her little wimp husband. I would not. Fantasies were one thing, real life was a whole different kettle of fish!

One thing about being a bartender, I knew a lot of people, including people who could help me out in situations like this.

"Jim, heads up, she's on her way," I said to the man on the other end of the line... "Good, please don't lose her," I begged, "I want to have it all pics, sound whatever you can get."

Jim was a private-eye and well thought of by the cops I knew who had recommended him. He wasn't a regular at the club, but he and his wife Marci did drop by now and again. Marci worked at the clinic with Cali, in the office part of it. Fact is Jim Blaine used to be cop, robbery division when last so employed. He knew the game. I knew he'd stay on her tail and find out all he could. My only option now was to wait.

I decided to head out to the Head Trip. I wasn't on duty tonight, it being Saturday, but I needed a drink. Jim would let me know when she got home. I didn't want to be home when she got there. Let her worry a bit, that is if she even cared enough to worry. Okay, again, maybe I was being childish, but I was in the right, damn it! She'd want to know where I'd been, but she could just wonder; I wouldn't be telling her nuthin' until I was ready.

I got a call from Jim at 2:00AM. I asked him to drop by the Head Trip.

"She's on her way home, I followed her till I knew that where she was going," said Jim.

'Yeah, she told me she wasn't going to be too late, so much for her promises," I said. I had to smile, at that; it was a major mistake and she was going to have to a lot of explaining; I wondered what she would say to justify it: a flat tire maybe, right. "Did yuh get anything?"

"Yes, and no," said Jim. "I got a lot, pics, sound; she didn't fuck or suck him, but they made out in the back seat of his car for damn near two hours. And, he did have her top off and his hand up her skirt and all over her tits."

"The audio?" I said.

"Yeah, you came up a couple of times. She told him you were a good husband. He asked some stuff about you, but she cut him off after her asked a couple of personal questions," said Jim.

"Like what?" I said.

"What you looked like. And..." Jim stopped.

"And what?' I said.

"How long your dick was," said Jim.

"What the fuck!" I said.

He's smooth. He asked about that like a joke, so to speak. He also asked if you were treating her right. It was then that she told him that you were off limits. I think she was feeling guilty talking about you. There is no doubt he'd like to get into her pants, but he wasn't pushing it too much tonight. I'd guess you'd want to take measures to see he never does though," said Jim.

"Yeah, what kind of measures?" I said. "Divorce," the emotional bitterness was seeping through my defenses.

"Rick, I guess that's between to you and her. No, I was thinking—well, I was thinkin' you could let me investigate him. He's clearly a predator. I've seen his kind before.

"You know he's a doctor, right?" said Jim.

"Yeah, she told me. I think she's in love with his money. She always was a material girl," I said.

"You goin' home now?" said Jim.

"No, I'm gonna hang out here. I won't go back until morning. I got a cot in the back, I'll just sack out here after Herman closes up," I said.

"Okay," said Jim. "Do you want me to check up on the guy then?"

"Yeah, go for it, Jim. Who knows maybe there's some dirt there," I said.

"Always is, pal, always is."

I woke to the sound of glass breaking. I got up from the cot I'd spent the night on in the storage room, and stretched. I looked out into the empty bar, and I saw Hilda cleaning up some broken glass on the floor. I shook my head. Hilda broke a glass at least once a week. It was almost a tradition anymore.

I stunk, I'd have to go home and shower before I did anything else. That that would mean I would have to face my wife, not an enticing thought to me. Helluva thing, a man being loath to be around his wife. Afraid to let her see his distress. Well, there was nothing for it. At least she hadn't fucked and sucked him, but she would; I was sure of it. It was just a matter of time. And, when it came to that, did it even matter anyway. She'd already fucked me over, and I was about to make a decision.

I'd turned my cell of the night before; I turned it back on now. I had three text messages and four calls from her. Well, to heck with her. I hope she sweat at least a little.

It was on the way home that I decided on what it would be that I would do, at least for the moment. I would simply ignore her and her asshole doctor until I got the hard copy from Jim. I was going to prepare for whatever was going to happen. I was already thinking of divorce. I hadn't quite gotten to the place where I'd finally decided yet, but she'd disrespected me, and next to actually fucking or sucking the guy that was as bad as it got.

I pulled into the driveway and parked. Entering through the front, I heard her puttering in the kitchen. I headed for the stairs, I only wanted to shower, get some clothes and head out again; I still wasn't ready to deal with her. I'd decided to get a room near work and stay the hell away from her away from her. Her antics had soured my stomach and I just couldn't get over what she had done to me; I figured it would only get worse, and I was already a near basket case emotionally.

"Rick! Where have you been," she said, emerging from the kitchen. I just kept heading up the stairs. I didn't want to talk to her, not yet.

"Rick," she shouted. I just kept heading up the stairs.

She followed me and tried to come into the bathroom with me, but I locked her out.

"Rick, we need to talk. Nothing happened. I promise nothing happened," she lied through the door.

I got in the shower and let the steaming water wash over me. It helped reduce the tension that had been holding me in thrall since the night before.

After showering, shaving, and doing my usual bathroom routine, I came out. She was sitting on the bed waiting.

"Rick, you're being childish. Howard and I didn't do anything. You have to believe me," she said.

For the first time since arriving home I had something to say to her. "I do not believe you, Cali. And you disrespected me. I'm having a real hard time dealing with what you and that asshole did to me. He must think I'm a first class wimp. Well if so, he'd be wrong. I've decided to get a room for a few days while I made some decisions. Oh, and tell me, did the length of my cock impress him, or is he a lot bigger than me."

"Huh?" she paled. How—what—what—are you talking about? Decisions? What decisions?" she said, changing the subject.

"What do you care? You made yours without caring what I thought or wanted or needed. I'm gonna do the same. I'll call or come by in a few days. You take care you hear."

"Rick, you're acting crazy. It was just dinner. We didn't do anything bad." I couldn't help it; I had to hit her with something. What's your definition of bad, Cali. Would letting him strip your top and feel you up under your skirt not qualify? Wouldn't any of that qualify as being bad? Tell me, I'd really like to know." She sat stalk still and in shock.

"How..."

"Shut the fuck up, Cali. And get the hell outta here while I get myself together. The sight of you makes me sick!" She started to sob, but she got up and left me alone. I hated hitting back at her like that, but what the hell; she'd done worse to me.

I continued to dress; and then, I packed my old military duffel bag and headed downstairs. She was waiting downstairs for me.

"Rick, I can explain. Please, if all of our years together, our children, mean anything let me have this one chance to explain," she begged.

"No," I said. And I left.

I took a room at the Round Tree about a half mile from work. It had the advantage of my being able to walk to work unless it was promising rain, so I did all the following week.

Away from the house I concentrated on my workouts; it helped me control if not totally eliminate, the emotional pressure I was under.

Cali didn't wait for me to call me; she called me every day at work, and I took her calls, but refused to talk to her about anything substantial. So far she had not apologized or promised to stop seeing the asshole. She just kept saying it was all a mistake and that she could explain. Yeah right, I thought.

On Friday I got a call from Jim. I told him to come by "my" office.

"Howdy, pard," he said.

I smiled and waved him to a chair. "Whatcha got?" I asked.

"Well, I don't know if you know it or not, but he's a plastic surgeon. But, he evidently is not a real good one. He's here because where he came from they're looking for him real serious like," said Jim.

"I don't understand," I said.

"He screwed up several women's face lifts, and charged them a bundle to do it. There's litigation brewing for him if they can get him to return, but the odds are that he isn't about to. He'll still lose his old house and whatever goes with it, but that's nothing compared to what they can get him for if he returns and loses the court case," said Jim.

I nodded. "I doubt if Cali will want to hang with him when she finds out," I said confidently.

"I wouldn't think so," said Jim. But, Rick, I have more. She's been having lunch with him every day this week. She looks concerned, but he is doing his best to comfort her. He definitely wants in her pants. He's telling her how sorry he is that you got the wrong idea. He's actually laying the ground work to put it all on you, the blame that is."

"How the hell do you get all of this recorded?" I said, really wondering if not exactly caring.

"They always eat at the same place, and I have directional stuff that picks it all up. A techie friend of mine is the genius behind the miracle of sound," he said, laughing.

That first Saturday since her date, I went home.

I was in the kitchen sipping a glass of merlot when Cali came in. She wasn't alone, and it wasn't her doctor. I stared and she froze. The guy she was with could not be faulted for stupidity; he saw the look on my face and cut country muy pronto.

"Rick," she finally managed as soon as the young man had gone.

"Yeah, Rick," I said, mimicking her. "New boy toy?"

"Rick, he was just coming by to help me with something," she said, lamely.

"Oh, I'm sure," I said. "I should ask where's doctor Howard."

"I've stopped seeing him. Rick, I'm sorry. What we did, and it wasn't all that much, really, was wrong. I don't know how you found out about us making out, but—you were right. I've been talking to Howard, and I told him I couldn't see him socially anymore. I told him we hadn't been fair to you, my husband." I nodded. She at least was telling the truth now; that was a change.

"Rick, Dan really was here to help me with something. Will you help me instead, since you obviously scared him off," she said.

"What this so-called something," I said, laying bare my cynicism.

She led me to the bathroom; it was totally flooded. I went outside and cut off the water. Twenty minutes later I had the problem isolated, and half an hour later than that the plumbing was fixed.

"Nothing like having a man around the house," she said smiling. "Rick, will you come home. I promise to be good to you."

Maybe it was fixing the pipe. Maybe it was her tone of voice. But, for some reason I felt it was time to try and get by her disrespecting me and get on with our lives. There was still a trace of bitterness in the pit of my stomach, but I nodded without smiling.

She came to me, embraced me, and kissed me—on the cheek. I thought that that was significant: why not the lips? I just didn't know what to think of her or us anymore. My stomach, my heart, my head were all in turmoil. Time would tell.

For the next several months things were pretty much normal around the house. Each day we got up, went to work, came home, and maybe twice a week we got it on sexually; well, that was better than it used to be. We did still talk about some of our fantasies, but we talked about them as fantasies, not things that were likely to ever happen. We did it, the talking, to try and spice things up a little. We had, again, in the past done some light role playing; but now we were at times even considering each other's darker thoughts and day dreams. Even with all of that, and most of it was stimulating for the both of us, I was fearful that sooner or later something had to give. And it finally did.

One day she really got to me.

"What's the matter big boy? Still jealous of Howard?" she said. I had been having episodes of depression since the blowup, and every once in a while it really had me down. She wasn't stupid. She knew the incident was still on my mind, sometimes even when we screwed. "I thought by now we could have put that little incident behind us."

I looked at her with bitterness in my eyes. "Little incident?" I said, gnashing my teeth.

"Oh my, you still are jealous, aren't you. Rick, let it go. I shouldn't have gone out with him. I'm sorry I upset you so. Really. Can't you just accept my apology? I promise, that from now on, baby, anything I do you'll be right there with me, no more leaving you out. I know now how big a mistake that was, and I am truly sorry. Forgive me, okay? Please?"

I still hadn't said anything. Something she'd just said left me feeling uneasy. What did she mean by, " ... anything I do..."? I decided I was probably reading more into it than was meant, but I felt uneasy all the same. Truth told, I hadn't felt relaxed even one day since coming back.

"I guess," I finally said without enthusiasm. I could see she was feeling concerned at my tone. I decided she really had not realized how big a thing it was for me for her to go out with someone else, an old boyfriend, and cut me totally out of the equation. But there was something else too, something she wasn't telling me.

I had a premonition that something new and not good was in the air; I just couldn't guess what. As I soon discovered, I didn't have long to wait long.

Saturday came around, as it has a habit of doing, and I was off. Cali was in a jovial mood. I was getting ready to cut the grass and putter around in the yard.

"Honey, we've not gone anywhere in a while; let's go out tonight," she said.

"What did you have in mind," I said, not really feeling like going anywhere.

"I don't know, dinner and dancing maybe," she suggested.

I looked at her as though she had an agenda. She picked up on it.

"Honey bear, it'll be just you and me. Or, we could invite the Blaines," she said, with confidence. "We need to do something to get out of the house once in a while. If you don't like my suggestion, I'll listen to whatever you'd rather do." That got me. At least she was giving me a choice. Ha! I shoulda known better.

When Cali came down stairs, after having taken twice as long as usual to get ready, I was stunned. She on the other hand was just flat out stunning. She wore a low cut black sheath, no bra, and if I was any judge, no panties either. Her makeup was flawless, and her ruby lips so inviting that I couldn't resist. I grabbed her and kissed her so hard I was afraid I'd hurt her.

"You look amazing," I said, in a voice choked with emotion. Maybe after tonight, I thought, I could finally relax.

"Thanks," she said, "I kinda gathered you thought I looked all right." She was smiling broadly at my exhibition of passion. "You look pretty good yourself, mister." I knew I looked okay, but not as good as her, not even.

As we entered the Cloister, an upscale night club catering to the professional set, I saw several faces I knew from the Head Trip. I shook hands with them as we passed to our table following the maître d'.

The food was good and our conversation light as we ate and watched couples begin to filter out onto the dance floor. The band had been playing mostly romantic slow songs until the dinner hour began to wane. Soon there were some fast songs interlaced with the romance. I asked Cali to dance. The eyes of a dozen men appraised my date, as we passed their tables; I was feeling very proud.

We got through two fast songs and two slow songs before Cali started getting a lot of attention from the unattached males in attendance. For the next two hours she was pretty much monopolized by would be suitors; I managed only one more dance with her during that time, and it was a fast one, so we couldn't really talk. I was not real happy.

Finally, looking winded, she came back to the table with a smirking cowboy in tow. I didn't like the look of him, and that uneasy feeling of months before returned with a vengeance. I knew my face had darkened. She didn't see it.

"Honey, this is Mel Cort, he's a doctor at the clinic," said Cali happily. "I've asked him to join us. You don't mind, do you honey?" she said. The good doctor was already seating himself, so I didn't bother to answer; Cali picked up on it, the good doctor pretended not to. Reaching across the expanse of the table, he offered me his hand. I shook it.

"Nice to meet Cali's husband, finally," he said.

"You too," I said, feeling I had to say something even though I didn't really want to.

The next twenty minutes were filled with light conversation, mostly about Dr. Cort's skill as an internist. I think I may have gotten in three words edgewise during the period. I saw the band was about to strike up after a short break, and I asked Cali if she'd like to dance.

"Oh, Rick, I promised this dance to Mel. You don't mind, do you honey?" My face must have fallen a foot. Hurt didn't even begin to describe my feelings.

"What!" I said a little too loudly. I sank back into my seat feeling embarrassed. Having no real choice, I forced a smile. "No, of course not, but save some for me, okay?" I was trying to save face and doin a poor job of it.

She gave me a concerned look, but recovered almost immediately. "Of course, dear. Love you," she said, wrinkling her brow as she said it. With that she let herself be drawn onto the dance floor while I continued to sit and brood.

For the next 45 minutes the two of them danced and talked and laughed and never left the floor. It was almost 11:00PM, and I was thinking getting my wife and leaving. I was jerked out of my reverie by a female voice coming from behind my left shoulder.

"Hi, Rick. Not working tonight?" said the woman.

"No, I always have Saturday's off Sally. You should know that by now," I said smiling; Sally was a regular at the Head Trip. "Say, you wanna dance?"

"Why yes as a matter of fact. I was coming over to ask you," she said.

As we adjourned to the dance floor, I saw Cali returning to the table with her new good doctor. I decided to ignore them.

"I noticed that guy monopolizing your honey," said Sally as we danced to a slow one. I pulled her in close.

"Yeah, whaddya gonna do when your wife is miss popularity," I said.

"Why dance with other girls," she giggled. "You know, get a little revenge!"

"Not my style, Sally. I'm dancing with you because I want to dance and she's been busy that's all," I said.

"Well, good; I'm glad your motives are pure," she laughed.

We danced three in a row the last one fast, and then I returned her to her table and made to go back to mine. My wife and her friend were laughing and carrying on as I approached. The smirk, and that's the only way to describe it, on the face of my rival was very provocative. Cali seemed nervous. I got mad.

"Is there some reason for that smirk, Mel baby," I said, as I took my seat.

"Huh?" he said suddenly losing his smirk.

"No—well-I—I mean..." he stuttered.

"Well, then lose it," I said. I had decided I didn't like him, and I wasn't going for the intimidation stated or unstated.

"Rick! Have you lost your mind," asked Cali.

"Not yet, but give me time," I said. The good doctor was trying to figure out what to do. For my part, I was feeling good.

"Rick..." Cali started

"Look, Cali, whatever it is. I ain't goin' for it, so you save it too. Now, you wanna dance?" I said daring her to refuse. But, she dodged the question.

"I saw that you were doing all right with that other woman," she retorted. "I'm sure you're too tired to dance with me."

"Yeah, Sally's nice. How about you?" I asked her back. I haven't seen much of you tonight—I couldn't resist the jib.

"Rick?" She clearly was concerned about my obvious upset.

She was sitting closer to him than to me; I didn't like it. I decided to call her on it. "Cali why don't you sit over here by me. Everybody's going to think you're with the good doctor instead of me," I said, smiling. She jerked back and looked embarrassed.

"Rick, that's not a very nice thing to say. It's uncalled for, really" she said. "What's gotten into you!

"I'm sorry, Mel, my hubby gets a little possessive from time to time. But, I think it's cute," she said trying to save the situation.

"Sorry," I said. "Didn't mean to embarrass anybody." But she didn't shift her seat or move any closer to me. I just stared at her.

The conversation died at that point. Everybody began sipping their drinks. I knew something was about to happen.

"Rick, can I speak with you for a minute?" Looking at Mel, she said, "Mel will you excuse us?" I was sure she was going to pin me about my impolite comments. But if so, she was in for a shock.

"Certainly," he said, no longer smirking.

He retreated to the bar, but not before giving what I could only describe as a loving smile and a gentle touch to Cali's shoulder as he did so. She gave him a weak, and I thought uncomfortable, smile in return. I knew that whatever she was about to say was not going to be good, at least not for me.

"Rick, Mel, Dr. Cort—well—we've been talking," she started.

"Yes, I know, I have seen a lot of you tonight; just from a distance," I said. "You've hardly said word one to me for half the night, Cali"

"Rick, that's not true. It's just well, I need to be polite to the people I work with. I know you understand, honey," she said. I didn't, but I let it go for the moment.

She continued. "Yes, well, you know how you and I are always talking about spicing up our sex lives?" she said.

"Yes," I said tentatively. My eyes were narrowing and my fists were clenching. She noticed.

"Oh, it's nothing bad," she said hurriedly. "Oh my gawd! You were thinking I wanted to go off with Mel, Dr. Cort, and leave you here. No, no, it's nothing like that," she said, trying to mollify me. Why did I still feel that the other shoe was about to drop. Well, maybe because it soon did.

"Anyway," she said, as she seemed to think she'd relaxed me some. "Mel and I, well, we thought that you'd be interested in maybe doing a threesome!"

I think my mouth was hanging open. No, in fact I know it did. Certainly I had no words—none.

"It wouldn't be like last time, honey bear. I mean you'd be right there. That last thing with Howard was a huge mistake on my part. I know it, and that ain't happenin' again," she laughed nervously. We'd all be having fun together. Don't you think that that would be hot!" she said. She said it with so much enthusiasm that I'm sure she figured that I'd be thrilled with their idea.

"No," I said.

"No what?" she said.

"You know what," I said.

"Honey, it would be fun. Thrilling for you as well as me. Think on it for a moment. Once you've had a chance to think on it, I know you..."

"Let me see if I can picture it for a moment," I said. "We'd all be naked right?"

"Well, of course," she giggled.

"And who'd get to fuck you first," I asked, looking her straight in the eyes.

"Well, I think maybe we'd let Mel—I mean with your okay of course..."

"So I'd be left with sloppy seconds, right?" I said.

"Rick, you're not thinking of this right. It'll be fun. I know you'd love it. Rick..."

"Shut the fuck up, Cali. I ain't sharing you with him or anybody else—ever! And tomorrow you are quitting your job at that little Peyton Place you call a clinic. No ifs, ands, or buts; got it?"

"Huh? Quit? What do you mean? I thought that we—I mean you and I—we could spice—"

"No. And if he comes back here to this table, I will kick his pimply ass from here to the Sunda Strait." I was smiling but the smile was not of the benevolent variety.

Now it was Cali's turn to have her mouth hanging open. She finally found her voice. "Honey, I didn't want to—I mean I didn't mean to upset you. I thought that, you know to spice up our sex life. I mean we've talked..."

"Shut the fuck up. It ain't happenin', get it!" I saw good 'ole Mel watching us from the corner of my eye. He looked uncomfortable. I knew he was weighing the wisdom of returning to the table and helping Cali make her pitch.

So that Cali could see and not mistake my meaning. I looked straight at the asshole and slowly shook my head in the negative. He started to return to the table, and I slowly and deliberately and threateningly raised my hand in a stop right there gesture. He retreated back to the bar. I turned back to Cali. "Tomorrow, you resign without notice. Tomorrow, no discussion."

Cali was upset now. "Rick, you can't make we quit. I've worked there for ten years. I need the job. I have duties, responsibilities—"

"Yeah, and number one among them is me. You seemed to have forgotten that," I said. "I don't know what's gotten into you recently, Cali, but I don't like it, or the new you, at all. Get a grip or get out."

"Rick, I..."

"I asked you before, and I'm asking again, do you wanna dance? You've avoided dancing with me most of the night, and I don't mind telling you it's hurt me, Cali, a lot."

"Rick—I don't feel—"

"Then to hell with you. Dance with the asshole at the bar. You may be living with him pretty soon anyway," I said. I stood, picked up my double vodka, downed it, threw a fifty on the table, stopped picked it back up, and walked out. Her new boyfriend could pay. And, she could find her own goddamned way home.

Cali must have decided that she did feel like dancing because she didn't get home till after 2:00AM. I heard her talking to someone at the door when she came in. I couldn't tell if it was man or woman, but I was betting it was good 'ole. Dr. Cort.

Whatever, she came into the room pissed. "Do you have any idea how embarrassed you made me feel?" she demanded. She'd surprised me. While I hadn't slept well, she didn't know that, and she had just laid into me without regard to whether I was sleeping or not.

I rolled over and looked straight up at the ceiling. "Oh, you mean embarrassed like you embarrassed me by ignoring me most of the night? Something like that?" I said, matching her mood. "Fuck you, I'm leaving. We're done, Cali; I won't be back."

"What do you mean done? What are you doing?"

"Give it a rest, Cali. I will be out of your hair in a few minutes—forever!"

I packed while she raved. If she cared that I was leaving, or even believed it, she didn't let on. Done packing, I looked at her. "You sure are pretty. I'll miss what we might have had." I turned and left. She came to the banister at the top of the stairs and watched me leave; she said nothing.

I headed for the Head Trip. I'd shack up there till morning. I would find something more permanent then.

I got a text message just as I was about to sack out: "Good riddance." Well, that pretty much said it all. I actually slept like a baby.

Monday morning I got ready for a long day. I called the bank and cancelled our common cards. I had two of my own and so did she, so there would be no inconvenience there. I went and cashed out my CDs and half of our savings. The Checking account only had about $1000 in it; she'd need that to pay the utilities and the TV bills when they came due, so I left it alone. Around noon, I called a friend of mine who owned a nearby motel and got myself situated with a room for the next month; I'd be looking for a more permanent place to land during that time; I had two daughters to think about, and I need a large enough place for them to camp if they so chose. By three I was on duty and trying to forget my personal problems at least for the duration of my shift. I was worn out; the events of the previous twenty-four hours had taken their toll. I was looking forward to getting some sleep.

Two days later, Wednesday, around 6:00PM, I was wiping down the bar. The initial after-work crowd had settled down some and those who'd be staying were about to the point of getting to their second rounds.

"Hey, Rick, how about a refill on this yellow pepsi, man," said Benny Holtz.

"You got it, Ben," I said. I poured him a fresh lager and took it to him. Benny was a lawyer, and a good guy. Did corporate stuff mostly, or so he'd said about three hundred times. He was single. Had been for nine years. Told me his first go around with matrimonial bliss had soured him permanently. After nine years of singularity, I guess he had some credibility on that score. His wife had left him for a doctor; I recalled that now and empathized with him.

"Hey, Ben, didn't your wife run off with some doctor?" I asked.

"Yeah, Boze or Bosch or something like that," he said.

"Well, you and me have something in common; then, I guess," I said.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, my wife is trading up, I guess. Came to a head Saturday night," I said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, man. I know it's hard when stuff like that happens. Been there, like you say.

"You guys have been married forever, haven't you?" he said.

"Yeah, eighteen years," I said.

"Geezsus! You must be going through hell," he said. "You gonna cut her loose?"

"Divorce her?" I said.

"Yeah," he said.

"I don't know, Ben. I don't figure I'll hurry it. Let her do it and do the payin'; she's the one with a new love interest," I said.

Just as I started to float up the bar towards the other customers, she came in. She was gorgeous. She looked like she was planning to go out on a date.

She approached the bar and stared at me. Her look could best be described as frustrated.

"Cali, I'm at work. I wouldn't be bothering you at your clinic," I said. "Kindly leave."

"No, Rick, not until you've listened to me," she said.

I was trapped, I sighed. "What'll you have?" I said. "Oh, and you look great by the way. Got a date?"

She looked at me quizzically. "Oh, a white wine would be good," she said. "And, no, I'm not going out. This is for you. I was kinda hoping we could get together after while, you know..." I poured her drink and ran the bill for her to pay for it and put it in front of her. She looked pissed, but she pulled a ten out of her wallet and laid it down, no threw it down, on the counter. I took it to get her her change. Returning with her seven dollars; she took the money and shoved it all in the tip jar to her left.

"Thanks," I said.

"Now, can we talk," she said, ignoring my heartfelt gratitude for the seven bucks.

I sighed yet again, "I guess, but then you gotta get outta here. I have to work for a living," I said.

I motioned to Hilda, who was working overtime, to cover the bar for me.

I poured me a cup of iced tea, my usual on duty drink, and led her with her wine glass in hand to a table near the back. "I don't have forever, so get to it," I said. "You got ten minutes."

"Rick, we have to talk you and me. I mean really talk. This thing is getting away from us. I sat alone these last nights wondering what I'd done to piss you off like this. Every time I think about it I come up with something I did that hurt you. I mean first the thing with Howard. Then thing the other night with Mel Cort. But, I don't think it was what I did so much as what I didn't do. I didn't consult you first," she said.

"Really," I said, "you don't think it was anything you did?"

"Yes, I mean no. I mean it is what I didn't do. I didn't talk things over with you first. That was the biggee. If I had, all of these problems would have been non-issues."

"Non-issues. Well, let me see if I can clarify a couple of things for us, okay?" I said.

"Yes, of course. That's why I came, so we could clear the air a little bit, and maybe get us back on track as a couple," she said.

"Okay, good. Now, if you had talked to me first about dancing all night with Mel and ignoring me, what do you think I should have said or felt," I said.

She looked at me as though she thought I wasn't cooperating. But she maintained her self-control and answered me. "That was my fault. I really didn't think. When I looked back on it, I realized that you were right. I did ignore you most of the evening and then got huffy with you when you called me on it. Sorry about that, Rick, I was just being a silly woman. I plead guilty as charged."

"So, you are saying it was something you did, not just a matter of communication with me," I said. I did have a degree in Psychology after all; she wasn't going to get me nodding yes without saying anything that would convince me to do so.

"Yes, I guess that's right," she said. "I have to admit that one.

"But, if I had gone over with you, you know, the acting out of our fantasies; I am pretty sure you would have been into what I had planned," she said.

"What you had planned. You mean all that stuff about it being just us going out on a date. You being willing to let me choose where we would go and what we would do if I wanted. That was all not the truth?" I said.

"Rick, I knew you weren't going to change anything. And, like I'm saying, I should have sat you down and talked it over with you. But oh no, I had to set it up and risk you getting mad at me," she said.

"You haven't answered my questions," I said.

"Okay, I admit it: it wasn't the truth. My heart was in the right place but my head was in lalaville.

"Rick, I know you've haven't been all that happy with our sex lives for a long time now. I want to change that. I want to give you your fantasies. I want to get back in your good graces and give you the love and care and yes the sex you deserve. I've been an idiot, but I intend to stop being one now. Okay? Will you forgive me and come home. I am lonely and needy right now, Rick." She started crying, and my heart strings were being pulled hither and thither.

"A couple more questions, Cali. Did you have any kind of sex whatsoever with Mr. Cort the other night? You didn't get home till after 2:00AM."

"No!" she almost screamed. Calming down, she said, "We talked. I didn't even realize what time it was. He was sympathetic with our problems. He was afraid he'd offended you."

I laughed. "Cali, you know damned well he was treating me with contempt. Didn't you see the smirk on his face whenever he looked at me? He didn't just offend me, he infuriated me! And, he did it on purpose. I'll tell you, he's lucky he still has his teeth."

"Rick, that's wrong. He thought that maybe you were thinking something like that, but he never held you in contempt. He just thinks you're a lucky guy to do the thing you love and—well—to have me.

"And Rick, he's a big guy. Please don't try to fight him. I don't want you to get hurt. Please promise me you won't antagonize him. I love you and I need you not to get hurt," she said. I was laughing out loud inside. I was praying the asshole would try me, just once; if he did I was going to introduce him to places in pain-ville he had never dreamed of.

"And, you believed him? Oh, and thank you for your concern for my health. I promise not to throw the first punch," I said as sincerely as I could.

"Well, yes of course I believed him. I can tell if a man is lying or not; I am a woman, Rick. You guys can't put anything over on us girls that we don't want you putting over on us," she said, giggling now.

I just stared at her. "Cali, what is it you see us as doing, being?' I said. I could see Benny watching us out of the corner of my eye. He was still at the bar too far away to hear anything, but I knew he was an expert at interpreting body language, and he claimed he could lip read with fair accuracy. That was why he was so sought after in industrial negotiations, which he was. I was more than a little interested in what he thought, and I'd know soon enough exactly what that would be.

"Number one, Rick, I see us as together forever. No one between us, nobody taking your place in my heart, and I mean forever. But, for the other, it's just—well—I think we need to get our act together when it comes to the other thing," she said, trying to be tentative and seeming willing to compromise at the same time.

"The other thing being sex, is that it?" I said.

"Yes, Rick, we need to do something. Something non-threatening. Something we could both enjoy. Somebody like Mel..."

"You mean the threesome thing again. Am I hearing you right?" I said, interrupting her.

"Well, only if you agree, honey. I would never try to force anything on you that you didn't want to do. And I would never cheat on you—never!" she said with a little too much vehemence.

"I told you no. Now, are you hearing me or are you going to try to force the issue?" I said. I could see her deflate. I'm sure she thought that she could get me to compromise, go her way. She knew she'd lost that battle, so she was going to try harder to win her the next one.

"Okay, honey, if it is something you just can't imagine doing. I guess we just won't go there anymore," she said. "But, could you give me one thing at least?"

"And what would that be, Cali?" I said, suspicion dripping from my tongue.

"Could you not force me to quit my job? I mean..."

"Cali, I hate the people you work with: Howard and Mel. But, if you promise never to ask to be with them ever—not even on the dance floor—I guess I can give in this once. But, one mistake, one kiss under the mistletoe, one dance at a company party, one private word in a corridor, any consideration for either of them as long as we are married; and it's over between us, Cali, and I mean it."

She swallowed hard. "Okay," she said. I guess I understand. But, really neither of them meant anything to me, and I know that they never meant to come between us, or insult you or any of that. But, I will agree to your wishes under the circumstances." Could I trust her? I doubted it, but after so many years, I guess she'd earned a chance.

"Okay, then. I will see you at home. But, I have to get back to work now."

She came around the table and kissed me, this time on the lips, smiled and left. She turned and looked back at me and smiled as she exited the front entrance.

Back at the bar Benny was giving me the eagle eye. "She's a salesman isn't she? I could read her lips a little," he said. "The question is what product was she trying to deal?"

"She wanted me to give in to having a three-way with one of her co-workers, a doctor by the way. But, she got nowhere," I said.

"But?" said Benny.

"But, I gave in to her on her continuing to work at that miserable place," I said sheepishly.

"You know of course that that was the main product she was trying to sell, right?" said Benny.

"The thought crossed my mind," I said. Benny smiled; he was a lawyer; he loved the intrigue.

For a couple of months things were okay. A little tense in the beginning, but I was sure she was keeping away from the two reprobates that she worked with. And, I had reason to feel confident, at least to a degree.

Marci Blaine, nee Wagoner, was not only the wife of my friend Jim; she worked in the billing department of the same clinic where Cali worked. She saw the doctors and nurses, virtually all of them, on a regular basis. She was also an old high school friend. I'd actually taken her to her prom in her senior year. I had been a year ahead of her, but I'd stopped back at the school one day after grad to get a recommendation letter for a college I was going to apply to, and we'd bumped into each other. She'd asked me to be her date, and I'd accepted. We never made a habit of it, the dating, but we were friends and she'd married a Jim a few years later. I decided to call Jim and ask if I could meet with him and Marci.

"Marci, I am concerned about doctors Mel and Howard," I said.

She snickered. "You have reason to be. They are always hitting on the nurses including Cali," she said.

"So this is nothing new to you then," I said.

"No, but I haven't seen Cali give them any hope, so I just wrote it off," she said. "Jim has told me about some of the work he's been doing for you."

"Well, you know then that they've both tried to work their way into her panties, and I was on the verge of making Cali quit the clinic," I said.

Marci was about to say something, but I held up my hand. "I let her talk me out of it, but only if she completely distanced herself from the two assholes," I said.

Marci smiled knowingly. "And you want me to spy on her," she said.

Rather than bullshit her, I just said yes.

"Not a problem, Rick. But, Rick, I have a bad feeling about this. You have to promise me one thing—ironclad," she said.

"Sure," I said.

"If I find out something bad, you have to promise me that you will at least talk to her and hear what she has to say. None of this male macho stuff. I mean you kicking her ass to the curb without a hearing. Okay?"

"Okay," I said.

"And no killing the guy," said Jim, who'd been listening attentively.

I laughed. "Okay, Jim, done," I said.

"Rick, I hope this all turns out for the best," said Marci, in her most serious tone.

It wasn't for six more weeks that I heard anything substantive from Marci. I'd kept in casual contact with her as I always had with her and Jim, but neither she nor I had brought up our conversation about Marci shadowing Cali even once.

I was doing a double because the early guy was sick so a call from Marci at 5:00PM at the bar got my attention. It woke me up from my fatigue real fast; she'd overheard Mel and Cali talking in the lunch room when she, Marci, had come in for a cup of coffee.

"Rick, I think they've made a date. I heard your name mentioned too, but I couldn't just stand there and listen, so I'm not sure," said Marci. I thanked her and hung up. My stomach started turning, betrayal will do that to a man. There had better have been a life and death reason for the meet up between them or it was over between Cali and me, no more games.

The rest of my shift came and went with me hardly paying attention. My mind was totally somewhere else. I sat in the back room for some minutes before I got me up the will to go home. I was not anxious to face Cali.

At 11:15PM I pulled into the driveway, took a deep breath and went in to the house. Cali was still up puttering around in the kitchen.

"Hi," she said, as I entered. "You look haggard, Rick. Long day?"

"Yeah, I did a double for Colin, he was out sick," I said. I considered calling her on the meet up with Cort, but held my tongue for moment.

She nodded her understanding. I was silent for some minutes as she prepared a snack for us. We used to often have fruit and coffee late at night if we were both still up or not rushing to get to bed. I say "often used to"; I had to think back to the last time; it had been more than a year.

"Sliced oranges and crackers?" I said. It's been a long time. I looked at her suspicion written all over my face I was sure.

"Yeah, it's healthy," she said. "It'll take the edge of our hunger and give us a chance to talk for a bit," she said, smiling and ignoring my look.

Okay, the snack wasn't just to take the edge of our hungers, she had an agenda.

Sitting at the table we talked and nibbled and talked some more. I was smiling inwardly knowing she was dying to get it out, but nervous about doing so.

"Rick?" she said. Here it comes, I thought. "The clinic is having a little soiree this Saturday night. Wanna take me?" she said. "It'll be at the Camelot Inn."

I looked at her. "Dining? Dancing? Socializing?" I said.

"Yes, of course," she said.

"If I take you, do you plan to dance with me at all?" I asked, an edge to my voice.

"I deserved that," she said. "I will save all of my dances for you, Rick. I realize I blew it the last two times."

"Well, okay, I guess we have a date then," I said. I was well aware that something else was in the works, and that the something else would likely include the asshole doctor, Mel Cort. But, I wasn't ready; nor did I have enough information, to confront, Cali, at this point.

She smiled her gratitude. "I'm feeling frisky," she said. "You busy?"

I was horny as hell, and she looked good. "As a matter of fact, I'm free at the moment," I said. She took me by the hand and led me into the living room.

Although I was not keen about having anything to do with the clinic or its functionaries, I was actually looking forward to the soiree, as she termed it. I guess some of Benny's enthusiasm for intrigue and gamesmanship had rubbed off on me. And I was an officianado of Psychology was I not, so the game afoot, I thought, "Cry gawd! for Rickie, England, and St. George!"—apologies to the bard.

Cali began getting herself ready in mid-afternoon. Women, I thought, it seemed to take them forever to put themselves together. But, I realized that I was being hypocritical; the end result was always for us males, so how dare we men have the brass effrontery to criticize the girls' efforts.

The end result of Cali's efforts was almost unbelievable! She wasn't pretty; she was stunning. Her red summer dress, bow in her hair, the black choker, the makeup, all of it was—wonderful. My look must have said so. "Thank you for your obvious appreciation," she said. I just nodded.

I was suspicious, but I just nodded. I was certain she was trying to enslave me, and she was already half way to her goal! The bad news was that any man who tried to dance with her tonight would be in the gravest of dangers from my almost overpowering jealousy.

"I hope I don't have to kill any would be suitors tonight. You are almost too beautiful," I said, only half in jest.

"Again, I'm glad you think I'm pretty," she said. "It's going to be a wonderful night for us; I promise you," she said. "Oh, and I don't mind your jealousy," she giggled, but please don't' assault anyone; I really don't want to have to bail you out." She was laughing now. Cali always did like being the belle of the ball, and I was sure she was going to be exactly that tonight.

We arrived at about 6:00PM. The party room was about half full. The guest list included about 100 invitees, she had informed me, so it figured to be a lot busier before the night got much older.

We were in the middle of our first drink and conversing with Marci and Jim when the good doctor Cort entered with a woman in tow. Good, I thought, he's got someone else to occupy his time; he'll leave me and mine alone.

The party was an hour old and I had danced with my wife five times and Marci once. Jim had danced with Cali twice. Things were going well.

Jim and I were at the bar getting our drinks refreshed when doctor Cort approached me. I was surprised.

"Mr. Wells? Rick?" he said.

"Doctor Cort," I said, coldly.

"Uh—may I speak with you for a moment?" he said.

"I should be getting back. My wife is looking pretty good and I'm afraid I'll lose her if I am away to long," I said, only half kidding.

"Yes, Cali is very pretty tonight. But, I won't take but a moment of your time; I promise," he said.

I set the two drinks I had in my hands back down on the bar, looked him in the eyes, and said, "Okay, speak."

"Yes, well, I just wanted to say, I think we got off on the wrong foot the last time we spoke. I wanted to apologize for everything. I know I overstepped my bounds about the little get together that Cali proposed to me. I mean—I mean I thought that—well—I mean I thought you were into the fun stuff, if that's the right word; or I wouldn't have even considered it," he said.

"That it?" I said, starting to move away.

"Only that I'd like us to be friends," he said. "I know you've told Cali not to talk to me. It makes it a little tough at work, but I have so far been able to deal with it. I mean, she's a top nurse, and I am around her a lot, but we only talk about professional stuff. I mean she's honoring your wishes."

"Okay," I said.

"I—well—I wonder if you wouldn't mind relaxing the rules a little bit. It is awfully uncomfortable at times not being able to even say hello to her," he said.

"I'm not ready to do that," I said. "But thanks for the apology."

"Okay, I understand," he said.

Jim had already headed back to the table, and Cali looked at me quizzically as I came back and set her drink down in front of her. "What was that about," she said motioning back toward the bar.

"Your old would be boyfriend wanted to talk," I said. "Said I had misunderstood him. Wanted to apologize."

"Rick, he wasn't and isn't a boyfriend, old or any other kind," she said.

"Whatever," I said.

"Well, that was nice of him wasn't it, I mean to apologize," she said. "Did he say anything else? You were there for a little bit."

I now thought I knew what the conversation was about that Marci had overheard that day in the break room. Cali had told him he'd have to get me to allow him to talk to her or it would be too dangerous for her to mess with him.

"He said he wanted to be friends," I said.

Cali looked at me hoping I'd continue. I didn't. "What did you answer him," she said.

"I accepted his apology and told him I wasn't ready to be his friend," I said.

"Rick! Can't you be nice. The man apologized," said Cali. I looked her askance.

"Was tonight a set up, Cali. Had you planned for his little apology caper," I said.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" she said. "I didn't plan anything with him. Whatever he said, he said on his own for himself," she said. She was obviously peeved.

"I thought we'd had this conversation, Cali. I will never be friends with that guy—never. The only reason I was willing to allow you to work at that clinic was if you could keep him and Howie baby out of our private lives. That hasn't changed, nor will it—ever. Am I clear?"

"But, he apologized!" said Cali. Jim and Marci had quietly withdrawn to allow us to talk it out. They were returning now.

"He apologized so he could have the opportunity to get into your pants at some point. The choice is still yours, Cali: him or me. Make up your mind."

"Rick, sometimes you are so stubborn," she said between clenched teeth.

"When it comes to who gets to fuck my wife, I am more than stubborn, Cali, I'm downright intractable. And, if he ever does try to get to you, I will unscrew his head from the rest of him," I said.

"Hmmph!" she intoned. "He's a lot bigger than you, Rick, You might not want to try him. I not only do not want to bail you out of jail, I also do not want to be visiting you in the hospital," she said.

"Well, let's just say I'll give it the old college try," I said. Oh, please gawd! I thought, let the asshole doctor try me, I really wanted him to try me.

The rest of the evening went okay. Cali let the problem rest. We danced, conversed with our friends, and I even encouraged her to dance with a couple of young interns whom I had never met, but who seemed harmless and only after a good time.

At home things were a little cool, but we did have sex, and we, or at least I, slept well.

Monday came and I got a call from Marci. She told me that Cali had taken personal leave for the rest of the day. I asked her if she knew why, but she didn't. What she did say though was that Dr. Cort had also taken the day off too, but he hadn't come in at all.

I thanked her and brooded. A coincidence? I didn't believe in them. The shit was about to hit the fan, I was sure of it.

I was home when she got in and she was surprised. "Have a tough day at work?" I asked. Her clothes were a mess and her hair showed signs of an athletic effort.

"Uh—yes," she stuttered. "Uh—what are you doing home? It's Monday, aren't you on tonight?" She was clearly shocked to see me.

"I took the evening off. Personal leave," I said, using the term that Marci had used to describe Cali's leaving early that day.

She paled, but recovered. "You feeling okay," she asked solicitously.

"Yes, I'm fine. I called you at work, but you were out," I lied.

"Uh—yes, I needed to run a few errands," she said. I knew I could nail her right there just asking about the errands, but I cut her some slack, for the moment. I had to know more. I had to know if she'd fucked good 'ole Mel. And, once I did, it was sy-a-fuckin'-onara!

It was an early evening for us and Cali decided to make a major meal for us: beef stew, my favorite.

We yakked and laughed about some things we'd done in earlier years in the marriage. I was feeling good in spite of myself, and even though I'd had a heads up from Marci, I wasn't ready for the punch line that Cali was about to deliver.

We were eating, and I might say enjoying the heck out of it, when she grew pensive. Just as I was wiping my mouth with the napkin she looked up at me and smiled. "Like it?" she said.

"Ha! you know I loved it. You make the best beef stew in the world," I said, meaning it. Like I said, I was feeling good.

"I'm glad you liked it. Beef stew is a fantasy of yours I think," she said, and giggled.

"You could say that," I said.

"Do you—do you—I almost hate to bring it up—ever think about your sexual fantasies anymore, Rick. I mean the ones you used to tell me about when we were doing it?" she said.

"Yeah, maybe, sometimes," I said. "But, not as much as I used to."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You know all of that stuff with those two doctors and all; it kinda turned me off to fantasies in general," I said. I was still thinking about her being absent from work and coming in all disheveled. But, I had decided not to jump to conclusions.

"You know it really shouldn't, Rick. You have as much right to your fantasies now as before those two guys," she said. "I get hot just thinking about the things you used to tell me. I sure wish you would resurrect them for me."

"Whaddya mean?" I said.

"You know, talk about them again. Maybe even consider doing them for real at some point. I'd sure be willing," she said.

"Yeah, I just bet you would be," I said.

"Don't be mean, Rick. I'm just teasing you a little," she said.

"You really want to do it don't you," I said, "I mean have a threesome."

"Not if you don't," she said. "But it is a pretty hot fantasy."

"How do you see it happening, Cali? I'd really like to know," I said.

"You really want to hear?" she said.

"Yeah, I do," I said.

"Well, if it was your fantasy that we were acting out. We'd all meet somewhere and have a few drinks. To loosen up, you know," she said. I nodded. "Then we'd all saddle up and go somewhere for the games, as it were." I just looked at her and said nothing.

"Well, then, me and the other man would take each other's clothes off, but you wouldn't be allowed to, not at first, since you'd be the one to be cuckolded." She was smiling now and watching me to see if I was going to stop her.

"Then, I'd kiss you very sensually, and then make you sit down and tell you not to touch yourself while I let the man do me. Then my man would lay me down and caress me and feel me up and eventually penetrate me. I would be watching you the whole time to make sure you obeyed me about not touching yourself; I mean I'd need to keep you horny, right?" I just continued to look at her waitin' for her to go on.

"Well, after he was done screwing me, I would beckon you with my finger and you would be required to do your duty. You know like in your fantasies that you talked about. But, I wouldn't tie you up like you used to say you'd fantasized me doing to you—unless you wanted it of course. It would be all for you. It's your fantasy even if I do think it's a super hot one too," she said.

"I can see you really get off telling me about it," I said. "But talking about it and daydreaming about it are not the same thing as really doing it," I said, "especially with arrogant assholes like your friends Howard and Melvin."

"Hmm," she said. "Judging by that bulge in your pants, I would say that you're pretty much into it too, fancy pants doctors or not," she said.

"Maybe," I said, "but not with those jerky friends of yours. Not ever!"

"Oh, now honey, don't ruin the mood. This is the first time you've been this turned on in a while and we both know it," she said.

"Just remember what I said, Cali, I'm not kidding." She gave me a look that I couldn't decipher, but I wrote it off to her being satisfied that she'd gotten to me, at least a little bit, and truth told she had—but only a little bit.

What happened over the next weeks was at least partly my fault. I let her think I really did want to be cuckolded. I mean she knew I didn't, but she was sure I'd like it if she just presented it right—and that with or without Howard or Mel. That part of course was her bad; she should have known that both of those assholes were persona non grata as far as I was concerned, and that in absolute terms.

There was a warning just before disaster struck; Marci had given me a heads up that Cali was talking to both Howard and Mel during the week. Things had gotten so good between us, though, that I had decided to let her breaking of our agreement slide. I shouldn't have. I should have been more vigilant, but who could have predicted that my wife would gamble like she finally did, not me for damn sure.

Saturday I was buoyant. My flower beds were blooming, and the dandelions had finally been defeated in the yard. Even Cali was impressed by my green thumb. After dinner, she had sent me to the store to get a few things she said she needed for the next day. It was a set up. When I got back, she wasn't alone.

"Honey, I'm home," I announced from the kitchen while putting things away.

"In here, honey bear, in the front room," she replied, sounding—hopeful. I looked to that as a good sign.

I grabbed a bottle beer and went in. Sitting on the couch with my wife, and with their arms around her shoulders, were both Howard and Mel! When I saw them I froze, words couldn't even begin to describe my state of mind. The bottle of beer was still tilted back, and I was looking at the three of them down the length of the bottle. "What's this?" I said, lowering the bottle and my voice to almost a whisper. "We had an agreement, Cali. What the fuck is this!"

Mel looked at Cali with concern. "I thought you said he was okay with this," he said. "You said you'd gotten his okay. He was ready. You said he was ready!" he said.

"He is, but it's a surprise that it's today," she said. She looked at me.

"It's all for you, Rick. And, both of them want you to know—well, you tell him," she said looking from one to the other of her fellow wishful thinkers.

"Mr. Wells, Rick. Cali told us that you were ready for a—well—some fun and games. But, she has asked us to tell you how sorry we were for treating you so badly before. Please accept our apologies," said Howard.

"Let me say I echo Dr. Colson's feelings," said Mel, butting in.

"No fucking way," I said as I moved slowly toward them. Taking either of them down would be a piece of cake, but the two of them; well, that was iffy.

"Rick, I've decided that we need to break the ice at some point, and tonight is it," she said.

"Without a word to me?" I said. "And you've decided. You're making the decisions now. Is that it?" I said, all but snarling at her.

"Please, Rick! No, we've been talking about it a lot, and I know you want it. It's going to happen. It's for you, only you. And, I know you'll like it. I intend to make damn sure of that," she said. "It's my mission. I'm on a mission here."

"Again, without a word to me?" I repeated.

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd chicken out, or get all huffy about the doctors here. They're just guys who want to be your friend and have a good time. To share a good time with us," she said. It's only sex, Rick, it has nothing to do with you and me or our marriage vows. I mean us as a family. Nothing at all." She had clearly either convinced herself of her good intentions or she had lost her mind, and I was laying my bets on the latter possibility.

I was silent now. I was frothing at the mouth. I just couldn't believe that she was essentially laying down the law to me.

"Rick, you can watch. I mean if you want. I want you to watch. It will be so hot," she said. "It'll make us closer. I mean it's only sex. It's not love. Not love like you and I have, certainly not that," she said.

"And if I say no," I said.

Her look was a mixture of concern and determination. "Rick, you and I and the fellows are going to do it. I know you want it; you're just skittish because of all of the misunderstandings before, the unfortunate misunderstandings. But, we are going to do it. I am putting my foot down, my husband. Please let me take the lead here and show you how good I can make it for you, for us," she said.

My eyes narrowed in hate; I could feel it. I had to get out of there or I would kill them and maybe even her. I didn't say anything else. As I started to leave, Mel apparently decide he was going to stick his nose into the meat grinder. Up t this point, neither he nor Howie baby had been guilty of anything except underestimating me. But, that all changed in an instant.

"You know, Rickie baby, I have bent over backwards to make it right by you, but you are just not going to cut me—us—any slack are you?" he said.

"Not an inch," I said. He moved around me blocking the kitchen exit as I had turned to leave, essentially daring me to try to get by him. In my mind, I was screaming my thanks to the Olympian gods for this opportunity. I would offer up two fatted calves in thanksgiving at a later date, I swore.

"Get out of my way, Mr. Cort or else," I said moving to get by him. He took a swing at me. I easily bobbed under it and stepped back forcing him to step further back into the room. It was then that I felt a sudden rush of pain to my left kidney. The other asshole had sucker punched me in the back. I dodged to my left and a second punch from Howie baby missed and he lunged forward stumbling and effectively blocking the advance of his cohort. At least now, I had the two assholes in front of me. No time to be cute now, not with two to one odds.

As Howie baby was regaining his balance I raised my knee high and drove the side of my foot as hard as I could into the side of his knee of the off balance man. He screamed his agony as he went down like a sack of wet cement, his leg broken. Well, I had been in the army, hadn't I.

Now it was just me and the big guy, and he was both angry and filled with hate. That was good. I, on the other hand, was as cool as could be. I finally had something I could feel good about: the destruction of these who would destroy my marriage. Oh and Cali? Well, I would deal with her after the fact.

Mel assumed a fighters stance and came at me. He was watching my feet since his buddy had gone down that way. "You some kind of karate guy?" he snarled.

I just waited, hands at my side, kinda weaving back and forth. Keeping the body in motion but wasting no energy. I was going to enjoy this. He charged and threw his best shot. He was off balance. I fired three fast shots to his rib cage as he slid past me. He grunted.

As he turned to come at me a second time, I stepped into him with a stunning uppercut which I followed up with at least a dozen alternating right and left hooks to the head and then finished up with a final right cross to the pan of his face. He swayed.

He looked at me with what seemed a question in his eyes; then, he slipped to the ground completely oblivious to the world around him. Blood covered his face and shirt as his nose, now broken, spewed it forth.

Cali was in shock. Her two boyfriends would not be in the mood for sex for a while. She looked at me strangely saying nothing.

"You just couldn't keep your word, could you, Cali," I said. "Well, you can fuck these two assholes forever as far as I'm concerned. Or, you can fuck yourself. I won't be around to interrupt you," I said coldly. "Oh, and you will note, I did not throw the first punch." I looked down at the wreckage I had wrought. Howie was going in and out of consciousness from the pain. Mel was just plain out.

I had gotten myself a hotel room once again, and had ignored the storm of cell phone calls and messages, all but a few from her over the next three days before her unanswered calls ceased.

Problem was I needed clothes again; I had to stop cutting out and not taking things with me. I had had a few things stashed at the Head Trip, but I had to get home to get some more stuff. It was 6:00PM Saturday when I pulled into the driveway. I went in and caught her by surprise.

"Rick!" she almost screamed. "I didn't expect you," she said. "Why didn't you answer any of my calls? I was afraid..."

"I guess not, I guess you didn't expect me," I said.

She stared. She stuttered. "You almost killed Howard and Mel. And, you have nothing to say to me!"

"Fuck no I don't have anything to say to you. You and you alone are responsible for those two guys getting messed up. Oh, and I guess you were wrong about my being in danger if I messed with your big guy, huh?" I said, gloating shamelessly. "Well, at least you won't have the embarrassment of having to visit me in the hospital. That's something, right?" I was rubbing it in, and enjoying the hell out of it.

She looked down. "Yeah, I guess I was wrong," she said. "I had no idea you were that tough. How..."

"Fuck you. Maybe, after all, they're just a couple of wimps that you just thought were tough," I said. "But when it comes right down to it, it just doesn't matter. I mean when a little guy like me whips the shit out of two big guys like them; well, it's pretty obvious that they weren't all that much, I guess." "Yeah, I guess not," she said.

"Rick, I—" I just turned to leave.

It was late in the afternoon, but I gave Ben a call anyway. We set it up to get the divorce rolling in the AM Monday. I planned to take the day off to do all of the right things, financially speaking. It figured to be a busy day.

Two days later, I had a meet up with my lawyer.

"Got all your ducks in a row, big guy," said Ben.

"Yeah, I guess so," I said. "I hate it, but I gotta do it. She doesn't get it. There's no respect for me, none. I can't live like that."

The next day at work the suits arrived, at the Head Trip. I had just come on and was getting ready to tie in another keg.

"You Richard Wells?" asked the suit.

"Yeah, that's me. Can I help you?" I said.

"You're under arrest," said the man, as he flashed his badge.

I was taken aback. I'd laid the two assholes out, but only after being attacked first. I figured the law should have been on my side. They cuffed me and led me out to a waiting cruiser.

The jail was cold. I was told the arraignment would be the following morning. They didn't lie. It was, and I pled not guilty, or rather Ben pled it for me as I stood there cuffed and concerned.

"Bail," your honor," said Ben.

"Ten-K and surrender passport," said his honor, hammering his gavel signaling an end to the proceeding.

I managed the bail. I was out, but for how long was the question. Ben felt I would have no problem proving I was justified morally, but the overkill could be a problem. I'd really put a hurt on Melvin, and Howie baby would be limping for the rest of his life.

I found a place, a small, but pleasant condo complex not too far from work. I moved in as soon as I was able to get my stuff situated. I had a visitor as I hauled the last box up the stairs.

"How are you, Rick," said a soft voice from behind my shoulder.

"Cali. Okay, you?" I said.

"Truthfully, not good," she said. "I'm lonely, my man has gone missing."

"Really, and what man might that be, Cali?" I said.

"You know who it is, Rick. It's you," she said.

"You want what I can't give you, Cali. And you won't give me what I need. So, it's a splitsville," I said.

"Rick—I..."

"Cali, don't make this harder than it needs to be," I said.

She just nodded—sadly.

The divorce action had been set for the following Friday. She would be served at work. I decided to try and make it as painless as possible if she didn't fight me; she went along; the fight had been drained from her, from me too if it came to that.

The papers were signed. Now it was a matter of six months of waiting. It was a lonely time for me. I wondered about her. The upset I was living with did not seem to diminish with time. It was about a month later that I got a call from Ben. He wanted me to meet him at the Cloister. I was working, so I told him I would be there, but late. He said that would be fine.

Arriving, I looked around for Ben. He came up to me. "Come on," he said. His look was serious. I wondered what was going on.

"Why? What's going on?" I said.

He led me to the back and pointed across the dance floor to a woman in a red dress and a tall man wearing dark glasses. It was Cali and Mel.

"I didn't bring you here to make you feel bad, but I figured you'd want to know. Now, you will be able to put all doubts behind you on her ever being faithful. I really figured you had to know," said Ben. "I got pictures too; just to remind you later when you were thinking sad thoughts, and you will."

I smiled, but it was not a warm smile. It was one filled with bile. I was divorcing her, and it was clear she didn't have the slightest care in the world about it. "Well, we are divorcing," I said. "Still you'd have thought she'd wait till the carcass of the marriage was a little colder. "I think I'll mosey over and say hello."

Ben frowned. "You think that's a good idea, Rick. I mean—"

"I'm not going to do anything. If he throws a punch I'll just dodge it and make him look bad. The guy really can't fight. He's just big," I said.

Ben nodded. The music ended, and I made my way to where they were just getting seated again at their table.

"Hello team," I said smiling at them.

"Rick!" said Cali. "I didn't see you here—come in—"

"I'm here with a friend is all, kinda cruisin' the boulevard," I said. "How are you feelin' Melvin?" I was chuckling inside, but I didn't let it show.

He just stared at me. "Now, Mel, you know how Cali is about being polite. Ain't you got nuthin' to say?" I said.

"Not to you, asshole," he said.

My face darkened. "What did you say, Mel?" I said.

He choked back his words and just looked down. He clearly didn't want a repeat of the last time we'd partied together. "That's what I thought. Well, have a good time," I said.

"Rick, please don't start anything. You dumped me. I'm—we're—just here trying to not be depressed," said Cali.

"Whatever, I have no claim on you. I was just surprised to see you is all; I mean so soon. The body of our marriage is not even cold yet, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Again, have a good time." I walked back to where Ben was eyeing us from afar. I could feel Cali watching me as I sat back down at our table. I was feeling good having gotten in some verbal slicing and dicing on her boyfriend; I mean I felt real good.

Ben and I had had ourselves a couple of drinks when I noticed that the odd couple were getting up to leave. Cali shot me a glance but then she was gone. Damn I was going to miss that girl. Divorce sucks as far as I'm concerned: too much psychological investment to have it do anything else.

Ben had been wrong. I still cried and felt sad and wished I could do somethin' to fix everything up. But her disrespecting me had gone way over the top. I couldn't let it go. My days were going to be gray ones for quite a while, maybe forever, I thought.

It took a few more months and then it was final. Ben, appeared for me; I couldn't look at her again, and I was afraid she might be there. Life went on. The pain was duller now, after a year. Wasn't a day go by that I didn't think about her wonder about her, but it was less and less hurtful in absolute terms. I was hopeful that given a little more time they. The memories, would all fade out and become nothing. And, then something happened to make it all come crashing back.

I was working; it was a Wednesday night. She sidled up to the bar dressed nicely but sexily. "Hi Rick. Bye me a drink," she said.

I stared at her as though she were from another planet. I nodded. "What'll you have," I said, furious with myself for giving in to her, but unable not to.

"White wine," she said, "same as always."

I snickered, "Yeah, somethings don't change do they," I said. Her turn to snicker.

"No, I guess not," she said.

"Where's lover boy?" I asked, as I poured myself my usual on duty drink, ice tea.

"He's not here. I told him I was coming to talk to you. He was okay with it," she said.

"Oh?"

"Yes. Rick, he and I—Mel and I—we're getting married. I know, I hurt you bad before. I don't know if my coming here will be good or bad, but I want to always be up front with you in the future. I do not want to be the cause of hurting you again. I don't, I really don't," she said.

I could see she was sincere. It didn't help that she was telling what she was telling me, but I was certain that she was sincere. She was telling me to try and minimize the impact on me. "Thanks, I think I believe you," I said. "Have a good life. Anything else?"

"No, I guess not. I just didn't want somebody else telling you and embellishing it or whatever," she said.

"Cali, I got a question," I said.

She smiled, glad I was willing to converse, I supposed. "Mel, was he really that much better than me in bed?" I felt like an idiot as soon as I said it, but it had been eating at me, and now it was said.

"No, not really. A little different. He's good, don't get me wrong, but in the end, no better than you."

I nodded my understanding. "Thanks," I said, "even if it's not true, I needed to hear you say it."

"You're welcome," she said, "and it is true."

She drank her wine we talked a little and then she left. When I say she left, I mean the state. She was gone and I knew that we were finally over.

It would be a few years before I would see her again.

I was sitting at one of the tables in the Head Trip tilting back a yellow pepsi. Life had been okay for me in the last few years. I'd moved into a nice condo within walking distance from the bar. And, I in fact did walk to work most days anymore. The half mile to and fro was good for me: I had a chance to think and work off a few calories. Not that I was overweight, I wasn't. I still worked out pretty much the same as I always had. I was feelin' good.

Hilda came over and looked me up and down. He sighed. "When are you going to find yourself a woman to take care of your male ass," she said. "It's been several years, now. And, I don't know why, but you look a little pale to me. It wouldn't hurt you to get a little sun."

"Yes, to the last, and I don't know to the first," I said. "Who'd want an old retread like me anyway," I said. "Besides, I've always got you to keep me in line," I said, laughing. "And, oh, thanks for your concern about my health."

"Me take care of you? Yes, well my husband might have something to say about that," she said. "You need your own honey to do the worrying."

"Yeah, well, your hubby's a lucky guy, and I hope he realizes that," I said. "A woman he can trust and pretty too. Who knows, maybe someday, I'll finally get lucky."

"Rick," she said, "listen to me; you have to get out and meet some people. I know you aren't in the pain you once were, but you're not exactly happy either, and you deserve to be, happy that is. Do as I say and get your ass in gear. I mean it." She threw a towel at me as she sashayed back to the bar to tend to business.

I watched her. She was maybe twenty feet from me. I suddenly felt funny. "Hilda—I—something's wrong—someth..." I buckled forward in extreme pain. I light show was going on inside my head. I sagged to the floor and my breathing was labored. I could hear her—somewhat. There was a scream. The light show was diminishing. Everything was dark. Fuck! I was dying—I could feel it..."

The light streamed through the window and blinded me. Light? Sun? Bed? I was in bed. I was in—a hospital room. I tried to recall what had happened. I was in the Head Trip. It was Saturday—wasn't it? I was off. Hilda? The scream.

"He's a wake!" Someone nearby said altogether too loudly. A man and a woman, doctor and nurse? They were around me poking me. Shining lights in my eyes. Feeling me up; that part was nice it was the nurse doing it to my lower belly.

"The stitches are good, no seepage, doctor," said the woman, the nurse.

"Good. But keep him restrained until he's able to understand what's going on. We do not want to see him hurt himself, not after ten hours in ops," said the man, the doctor.

Why weren't they talking to me?

"Oh, nurse, let his wife know he's in and out," said the doctor.

"Yes, doctor," said the nurse.

Wife? What wife? I'm not married. Am I?

I found out later that it was forty-eight hours later that I came out of it. It turned out I had had a ruptured appendix, and it was poisoning me. It had in fact damn near killed me. But, quick thinking by Hilda and Hank saved the day for me. Oh, and my wife? Well guess who.

"How are you feeling," said the new duty nurse.

"Cali! What are you doing here?" I said, completely shocked by her presence and in uniform.

"I work here," she said.

"But, I thought you were in Kansas or Nebraska or some place," I said.

"Kansas City. But I moved back about two months ago," she said.

"Mel?"

"He left me. Found a younger something to play with.

"Rick, I heard you were in tough, and I just wanted to make sure you were okay. It's the least I could do after everything I did to you. If you want—if you want someone else, I'd understand," she said.

"No, no, it's okay. You're good. I know that. Stay with me if you want," I said.

"I want," she said.

"So, how's life treating you," she said. "Are you remarried?"

"No. I guess marriage just isn't something I can do any more," I said.

"What? Why is that? You're not too old, for sure," she said.

"No, I guess I'm just too hard to please. Anyway, it doesn't matter. You were enough for me. I mean the once was enough," I said.

She raised her eyebrow. "Do you still hate me, Rick? I'd understand if you did. I don't know what I could have been thinking trying to get you into a cuckold situation when you clearly didn't want to."

"I don't hate you Cali. I never did really. You caused me a lot of pain, and it hurt, but I never got to the place where I hated you. Heck, a part of me still loves you. I guess, I always will. Someone once said that every soul has just one love in their life; for me that was you. There won't be another," I said.

"Rick—I."

"Cali, question? Did you tell the doctor that you were my wife? And, if so why?" I asked.

"Yes. I did. I don't know why, Rick. It was an impulse. I felt close to you, and I just wanted—well—I don't know what I wanted. I just did it."

I could have been wrong, but I thought she was beginning to cry, just as the doctor walked in.

For the next week, I was handled with kid gloves by everybody including Cali. It was a strange scene and one that would have been unthinkable to me the week before. But, here was my ex-wife taking care of me and I was loving it.

She came into wheel me out to the lobby on the last day.

"Rick, do you think I could come by sometime and visit. Would that be appropriate?" she said.

I looked her in the eye. "I'd like that," I said. "Why don't you come over on Sunday? I mean if you have it off."

"I do have it off, and I will be there. Lunch?" she said.

"Sounds good," I said.

Let it be enough to say that we are trying to work it out. Remarriage? Maybe. But that would be another story. If you dear reader think it would be a good idea, let me know.