Chapter 5

It took the better part of the afternoon to get checked out of the Holiday Inn and moved back into the house. As soon as I got in the door I called Jerry. I told him that I was not ready to have any divorce papers served, but to keep them until further notice.

"We're going to try and work this out, but I still want the filing ready in case it doesn't work."

"You were pretty insistent that it was over on Friday. What changed your mind?"

I explained the changes at Churchill Aviation and the voiding of the existing prenup. I did not tell him about the private agreement I had with Gloria. That was not something I was prepared to discuss with Jerry.

Jerry assured me he would keep the papers in the event I still wanted to file. He was not very optimistic about the possibility of saving my marriage. "Look, Frank. I see it all the time. Once a cheater, always a cheater. If she has a history of straying, it's easier to do the next time an opportunity arises. To some people it's like a drug. The thrill of infidelity is more of a draw than the sex itself. I just hope that you are one of the lucky ones and don't get burned again."

I found myself wondering about the woman, Tricia had been the name Gloria mentioned, who was to visit me at 7:00. I was anticipating a very interesting evening, even though I had no idea of how I was expected to behave. This woman was coming here to have sex with me, and I had been led to believe that there was to oral sex.

I was virtually a stranger to oral sex. I knew it was supposed to be extremely pleasurable, and the thought of it excited me a great deal. Still, why had Gloria never initiated oral sex with in the ten years we had been together? Given what I had learned today she surely had to have experience with it. And if she did so with others, why not with me? Why would she deny me, her husband, whom she claimed to love and respect, something that resulted in my pleasure if it was a common practice for her? I was starting to suspect I had been played.

Even more curious was the double life of my in laws. I had never suspected that they were anything other than devoted to each other, just as I had never suspected my own wife led a double life. Were the three people I had been closest to for the past ten years complete strangers. There had to be something I was missing. And if what I thought I knew about them was so wrong, how much could I trust who they really were?

I had agreed to the proposal made to me, but was I letting my own greed, and perhaps a little lust, lead me somewhere I shouldn't? Just how much did I want to stay married, and how much did I want to be president of the company? Were the two things linked?

I realized I need more information. Everything I had been told had come from either Frank or Gloria. I needed another source. My first thought was Helen, my mother in law.

By the time I had reached this conclusion it was 4:00 PM. I had last seen Frank and Gloria in Burbank at 2:30. It's more than 80 miles from there to Santa Barbara, on US 101, legendary for horrific afternoon traffic. It was virtually impossible for them to be at Frank and Helen's home yet.

Helen answered quickly, almost as if she was waiting by the phone.

"Jack! How wonderful it is to hear from you. Gloria called and said you had accepted their offer. I'm so pleased you will be staying a part of the family."

Maybe I was nit picking, but she had said "their offer", not "our offer."

"What do you really think of this deal, Helen? Was I right to take it?"

"Why wouldn't you be right to take it? You get control of the company, and you get to stay married to my daughter. On top of which, I understand that Gloria has arranged some very interesting evenings for you. And when the time is right, she'll be back with you, in your home."

Did she really say "when the time is right?" Gloria was supposed to be coming home tomorrow. At that moment, something clicked, and I thought of a way to confirm it.

"Helen, exactly why did you and Frank give up the lifestyle?"

She hesitated just long enough. "Oh, we just kind of drifted out of it. Our group was getting older and we wanted to spend more time on other things. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. Frank just wasn't very specific."

Helen extended an invitation to dinner during the week, "We should celebrate Frank's retirement and your promotion, and I'm sure Gloria will be very pleased to see you."

That was two references to Gloria staying at her parent's home. There was definitely something wrong here.

The call ended on another curious note. "I hope you have a wonderful evening. Tricia is such a delight, and is really looking forward to finally getting to know you."

Now I was sure I had been set up. Tricia was going to "finally" get to know me? Before this morning, I had never know she existed, but she was going to "finally" get to know me?

The whole Churchill family was playing me like a violin. The only thing that remained was to figure out what I was going to do about it.

The doorbell chimed promptly at 7:00. I was showered and as ready as I would ever be. I just hoped to be up to the challenge. Whatever happened tonight would be as life changing as that awful Friday in Dallas.

I opened the door to a very attractive blonde. Short and curvy, she appeared to be in her mid to late thirties, about the same age as Gloria.

"Hello, Jack. I'm Tricia." She had a pleasant contralto voice, and wore a flower print sundress that showed a lot of cleavage, as well as a deep tan.

"Please come in. I've been expecting you." I gave her my best smile as I showed her in. "Would you care for a glass of wine, perhaps something a bit stronger?"

"White wine if you have it. Anything stronger, and I'd be out like a light, and we don't want that now, do we?" She smiled, and I swear she arched her back to push her chest out. This woman could flirt with the best of them.

Showing her to the living room, I asked her to make herself at home while I got the wine. She made sure her already short skirt gave me a good look at tanned thighs as she sat down on the loveseat.

When I returned with two glasses of Magito Rivertrace Sauvignon Blanc she was sitting with her legs tucked under, the hem of her dress nearly at the top of her thighs. If she were wearing any panties at all, they had to be miniscule.

As I handed her the glass, she leaned forward to let me look down the top of her dress. The darker brown of the tops her areola were just visible, peeking out at me. There was nothing subtle in her seduction technique, although in light of the purpose of her visit seduction was not really necessary.

I didn't want her think she wasn't having the desired effect, so I took the seat next to her. She immediately leaned into me, one soft, but surprisingly firm, breast rubbing against my shoulder. Her very erotic perfume filled the air.

"To a very pleasant evening." I raised my wineglass and she gently touched hers to it. We sipped the wine. The wineglass was in her left hand, and I noted the gold band around her ring finger. On more piece of the puzzle was in place.

If she was here to provide me with experience, I was going to wait for her to get things rolling. All I did was to keep talking about nothing of any consequence and keep her wineglass full. We talked about my promotion. I complemented her on her dress. She told me I had a lovely home. Somehow I didn't think this was the first time she had seen it. Before too long, two bottles of the wine were gone. I had only sipped it sparingly.

From that point on, things moved faster. After just a few minutes of small talk she placed a gentle hand on my thigh. At first it was barely noticeable, but her touch soon turned into a caress. She placed her wineglass on the coffee table and turned to face me more directly. She leaned in and gently kissed me on the corner of my mouth.