Chapter 3

It was Wednesday evening when we checked into our hotel. We had upgraded to suites and had them adjoining. I felt I could really go first class. If I ran out of money, I could go down the street to the bank and make a withdrawal. Linda was tired so we ordered room service. She went to sleep shortly after that and Amanda invited June and Brian to stay and talk about plans for tomorrow. I wanted to at least view the casinos, as I was going to be using them for an excuse if anyone questioned where my money came from. The women wanted to go down to the beach and work on their tans.

We went to bed and I lay there letting the last year's problems dissipate. Amanda was feeling frisky which was a nice way to start our honeymoon. Later Amanda asked me a question. "Have you ever felt you wanted to make love to a different woman?"

"Whoa, where did that come from?"

"I just wondered that's all."

"I don't believe you. What brought this on anyway? You don't ask a question like that without a reason."

"Okay, but you can't say anything to June or Brian. June feels so very guilty about being unfaithful to Brian. She wants him to experience another lover. He never dated the whole year they were divorced. She didn't either, for that matter. She asked me if I would be interested in having sex with him." She stopped talking for a few minutes, and I damned sure didn't say anything. I was wondering where this was going.

"What did you tell her?"

"You didn't answer my question. I asked first."

"I guess I am a man and if I see a female that is reasonably attractive, I am going to check her out. Sometimes I wonder, but that is all. I love the woman I have and I have been faithful for the six years we have been married. Well five actually, and of course, the last year when we weren't. We are now though. Not only that, you are pregnant and I think it is mine--isn't it?"

"Of course it is, silly. I've been absolutely faithful to you. Especially since we had our trouble."

"I fought for you and paid a damned high price to keep you that way. Are you thinking you want to go out on the town and pick up somebody? Or did you have in mind for us to swap with June and Brian?"

"It was just a question. Don't get in an uproar. Go to sleep. I guess you have answered my question." She turned over while I lay there next to her thinking. Then she said, "At least look at June when we go down to the beach. She is not ugly you know." Nothing was said in the morning. Brian and I went down to the beach and looked around. We saw a portion of the shoreline was labeled "clothing optional." Brian asked me if I would consider that section later in the day.

"Brian, I know Amanda wants to and I also assume that June does too. I just don't think I can stand to have anybody else see my wife naked. That includes you. Why is it such a big deal? You have seen her in her skimpy bikini. I haven't seen June in one and have no desire to."

"I think it is just something the women think they should do, now that they are far from home and have the chance. I have to be honest, I would enjoy viewing your wife without anything on, but if you say no, I won't push it." He looked at me to see if I would give permission. I didn't. I knew once it was given, there was no taking it back.

Instead I said, "Let's tour the village and see the shops." The subject of our wives and their attire was not mentioned again. When we returned to the hotel, I suggested we go out to a little outside cafe I had seen. I walked ahead with Linda. She was fast becoming a favorite of mine. I hoped if Amanda had a girl, she would be much like the kid that was holding my hand.

Behind us I could hear June and Amanda querying Brian about what we had talked about this morning. It kind of pissed me off. My wife could talk to me if she wanted to know more about how I felt. It was fun sitting outside for lunch. People were passing by us all the time and could see us eating. It was weird as they usually made comment on the choices we had chosen from the menu.

I could tell that Amanda was not happy with me. She wanted to go immediately and be seen on the nude beach, but I was raining on her parade, so-to-speak. I did agree to go down to the beach and sit while Linda splashed in the ocean. We had been there about a half hour when Amanda announced, "I'm going into the other section. I hate to go alone, but I will if no one will go with me."

She looked defiantly at me and I stared back at her. She picked up her beach bag and towel and started off. I lay back down on my towel and put my arm over my face. I heard someone near me get up and follow after her. Ten minutes later, June spoke. "I think you are making a big mistake, Mike. You are just driving Amanda away from you. Brian has gone with Amanda to make sure she is safe so don't worry about him. We are on vacation and you should loosen up a little."

"We are not on vacation, we are on a honeymoon. Brian has the hots for Amanda and I know you are okay with that. I'm not. I went through hell for a year protecting her, and I'm wondering right now if it was all worth it. Do you think you and Linda are safe enough here?"

"Of course, why?"

"I'm going up and find me a gambling joint. Maybe I can forget that my wife is parading around naked with someone I thought was a friend."

"You could parade around with me, you know. I know I'm not as well rounded as Amanda, but I still have the necessary equipment."

"I know that, and if I didn't have Amanda, I would be very interested. I am married, though, or I am until she decides otherwise. I'll see you all later. Have fun." I had to get away from here, before I started thinking I shouldn't have remarried Amanda. I looked at my watch. It was two-thirty.

Twelve hours later, I was feeling bushed. I was able to forget how much I was disappointed in my wife and friends for awhile, anyway. I had racked up winnings of $37,000 at the blackjack table. The casino gave me an escort back to the hotel. I tipped the person who was my protection and went up the elevator to my room. I paused outside my room before entering. Everything came rushing back. It hurts when someone you love goes against your wishes.

The lights were all off except for a bedside light. I entered the bedroom quietly. Tears came to my eyes, and I turned and left, leaving my wife where she was curled up next to Brian. I stopped and left a note. "I hope you are enjoying my honeymoon. I had a good day at the tables, so I am leaving you enough so you can get home." I underlined the my. I left $7,000 in Cayman currency on top of the note.

In the lobby I purchased a small carry-on bag for my winnings. I was able to book a flight out at five in the morning. I did the currency exchange at the airport and I was in the air before Amanda was awake I hoped. It felt odd traveling without luggage, but that carry-on was heavy enough for me. Oh yes, my heart was pretty heavy too.

I had to leave quite a chunk of my winnings with customs, but that was okay. The phone was ringing when I reached home. I let it ring and went about packing. I had made a mental list of things I wanted to do while I was in flight. The first thing I did was contact the Cayman bank and change my account to one with a different number and access code. Then I donned my disguise and went and gave up the rented room, taking the computer with me. Brian and Amanda knew pieces of my robbery. If they were screwing each other, they might decide to screw me too.

Better to be safe I thought as I made sure no one could find those panels Brian helped decipher, and the disks that I had extracted. I took the computer to a pawn shop and got fifty bucks for it. The table I left in the rented room. I told the landlady that things had smoothed out at home and I had a quiet place to work now.

It is surprising how little I felt necessary to take with me when I packed. I certainly didn't want to take anything that made me think of Amanda. The memories in my head would be enough without any visual reminders. I chose a nice motel and moved in. I made a call to my place of business and told them I was having family problems and it would be best if I resigned. They were sorry to have me leave and offered a reference whenever I needed one.

That done, I sat down and took stock of my life. I was thirty-three years old. I was a CPA and a good one. I had been coasting for the last year. Not really, for I had acquired some skills, worthless really if I wanted to go back to being honest again. I was married and that was a responsibility that would take some time to resolve. Eventually I would sit down with Amanda and talk this out. The trouble is she has taken the very trust away that every man needs in his wife. Maybe we could make a life together without it, but it would be difficult. Stupid bitch!

Does anyone ever believe in coincidences? I never did, but I was beginning to. I was thinking about Bob and Tim Noland, well, not them really but what Bob's wife had said about their business being her father's. I sat down in the motel dining room, and Jean and Roxanne came in and sat at the table next to me. They recognized me and spoke. "Hi, you are Mike Murdock aren't you? I heard you had just remarried. I would have thought you would have been on your honeymoon."

I knew she was just making conversation, so I said, "I had some things to take care of so our honeymoon was interrupted. Are you ladies staying here or just for dinner?"

"Just dinner. Roxy and I are kind of batching it. Our husbands have been bad boys and we caught them at it. I don't know what it was, but something has them all shook up and they are impossible to live with. The trouble is we don't know how bad they have been yet. I'm hoping it doesn't involve the factory. We are looking for a concern to have the books checked. I still am the major stockholder, and I wouldn't want to lose the company my father built."

"If you have concerns, the sooner you have things looked into the better off you will be. You should make it a surprise internal audit so they won't be able to hide anything. Also there are so many rules and regulations now, if you can have it done before the government gets a whiff of something wrong, well you know how unforgiving they are."

"Is there anything more you can tell us about what we should do? Who should we engage to do this for us?"

"The firm where I worked would be just the ones to do it for you. I'm not employed there anymore. They are very thorough and most professional. When they finish, you will know just where your company stands."

"How come you don't work for them anymore?"

"I got into some trouble and had a civil suit go against me. At the time, I didn't have enough to satisfy the judgment. The firm didn't think it would look too good to have someone like me look at a client's accounts. I understood that so I resigned."

"You are talking about the trouble you had with Tim and Bob, aren't you?"

"Don't worry about it. Life creeps up and bites you once in awhile. It hurt, but bites heal. Mine is just a scar now."

"I like the way you think. Say, would your wife mind if you went out for a drink with us? I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble. The Nolands have caused you enough of that."

We had more than one drink before the night was over. In fact they were too drunk to go home, and as we ended up in the lounge downstairs, I tucked them into my bed and I curled up on the love seat. It was a good thing I am a small man. Those seats are okay to sit on, but hell to sleep on. Over the course of the night my tongue had been loosened, and they had heard the sad story of the situation between me and my wife.

I heard someone using the toilet and then Roxy came staggering out and looked at me. "Christ, how did we get here? Where are we anyway? It looks like a motel room."

"It is and it's mine. You and Jean spent the night with your husbands' worst enemy. It might be a good idea if you didn't tell them."

"Who undressed me and put me to bed?"

"I did and I had quite a time of it. You kept trying to kiss me. I even hung your clothes up. They wouldn't have looked too good this morning if you had slept in them. You might go and put them on. You have a beautiful body and if you keep standing there like that, I'm going to have to leave."

She stood there a few more seconds and turned to go and cover up. "You are some kind of guy. If what you told us about your wife is true, she is one stupid bitch. If she turns you down and you don't make it, would you give me first shot at you?"

I ordered a carafe of tomato juice, some hot sauce to dose it with, and a carafe of coffee. I didn't think any of us would be too hungry. The two women were looking a little rumpled and definitely hung over. By the time the coffee was all gone we were laughing at what happened last night. "You took two women out on the town, got them drunk, took them back to your room, undressed them and put them into your bed. You're not gay are you?"

"No I'm not. I had to use all of my will power not to sample some of what was before me. You two both are beautiful and your bodies are to die for. Let's change the subject."

"Okay. Would you call your former firm and see if they can do what you think should be done for us?"

I was on the phone for over an hour. Before I hung up Jean talked with my former boss and she engaged him to audit the company. She wanted me to direct the audit after he had been pressured a little into rehiring me. I declined working directly on her audit, but said I would work behind the scenes if she wanted. There was too much animosity between Tim, Bob and me to be effective in doing the audit.