Frank Evans was singing along with the radio as he pulled into the parking lot of the marina. Yesterday he had put an arrogant asshole in his place and won a lot of money. Today he was reaping the benefits of a youth spent doing way too much fishing. Of course most of the fishing he had done was in the lake and streams feeding it near his home of Hollister, Mo but so what? He had learned how to catch fish and how to listen to those who knew what they were talking about. He had listened yesterday to the sport fishing boat Captain when he told him and the other guests how to catch the fish in the ocean where they were fishing.

He smiled once more as he thought about the asshole he had put in his place. "Mr. Gregory" as he insisted on being called was an arrogant asshole and the butthead with him had been also. This trip was celebrating Frank's and his wife's fifth wedding anniversary. They were trying to get pregnant while they were on this trip to the beautiful Florida Keys as well as enjoy themselves.

Jessica had not really wanted to go on the boat but Frank had pushed her to do it. She was more a lay around the pool type of girl. Frank liked to do that also but this was going to be a once in a lifetime fishing trip for him and he wanted to share it with his beautiful wife. The trip cost $400 for a half day per person. They had to stretch to afford that.

Almost from the beginning of the trip Mr. Gregory had tried to come on to Jessica. Several times he had pushed himself between Frank and his wife then slowly stepped toward her causing her to back up away from Frank. He continued to talk to her, brush her gently and bring her drinks. He talked constantly about his money and the places he had been and was going.

Frank finally got fed up with the asshole after nearly an hour of him putting the moves on Jessica and got into his face. The altercation probably would have come to blows if the Captain and the other asshole with Mr. Gregory had not intervened. Of course Jessica was embarrassed by the whole affair and let Frank know how angry he had made her. She sat by herself the remainder of the trip.

Mr. Gregory sidled closer to Frank shortly after they had been separated and said, "You must thing you're hot shit sonny. I eat little pissants like you for a small snack. Anything you can do I can do better. This isn't over you little prick."

Frank felt his temper rising again and started to turn toward the asshole. He felt a hand on his arm and the Captain said, "Cool down Mr. Evans or I'll have to put you in irons until we return to port."

Mr. Gregory smiled when Frank looked back over at him and said, "Tell ya what Sonny. How about a little fishing contest to see who the better man is? Beginning now, whoever catches the most pounds of fish after they are filleted wins and is the better man. If you win I will pay for your and the wife's trip today and I will buy you a whole day trip back out here for the next two days. If you lose you have to stand here on the boat in front of everyone here and admit I am the better man and apologize to me for the way you acted earlier."

Frank didn't even think. He glared at Gregory and snarled, "Deal asshole." Frank then turned and picked up his rod to make his first cast.

Frank fished madly and with great pleasure for the rest of the day. To his merriment Mr. Gregory fished but slowly, ineptly. Many of Frank's fish were small and some had to be turned back but his catch was adding up much faster than was Mr. Gregory's.

By the end of the day Frank had caught almost twice the weight of keeper fish than had Mr. Gregory. After they had been weighed in, to Frank's surprise, Mr. Gregory came up to him and offered to shake his hand. He said, "Well, I guess you showed me son. I have to admit you won fair and square."

Mr. Gregory handed Frank $800.00 to pay for the half day's trip for him and Jessica then turned to the Captain. He had a fist full of cash and said, "Captain here is $1600.00 to pay for the next two days fishing for Mr. Evans here. We had a little bet and I am ashamed to say I lost. He beat me fair and square. He is much the better fisherman than I am."

Frank felt great pride when Mr. Gregory said that. He still thought he was an asshole but at least he admitted when he had been bested.

Frank and Jessica didn't talk much after they got back to the resort. She was still angry with him for acting like he did and she let him know it. They had reservations at an upscale dining and dancing club that evening. Jessica dressed in a deep blue LBD that Frank had not seen before. She smiled her patented million dollar smile when he told her how beautiful she looked.

The meal was perfect. Frank had a nice Prime Rib and Jessica had Salmon. They drank two bottles of wine with the meal and were feeling no pain after. Jessica was still upset and let Frank know it when they were on the dance floor. She did not hold herself as close to him as usual and her movements were stiff and almost formal. Frank felt himself becoming angrier as she withdrew from him.

Because of the friction with Jessica Frank drank more than he normally would. This, of course, made him a little less observant and caused him to make several more trips to the restroom. In hindsight, this was not the smartest thing he could have done. Twice when he came back from the restroom he saw Jessica with Mr. Gregory. The first time they were dancing and she was molding her body to his. Frank became very angry and moved to confront the asshole. A very large man he had not seen before managed to bump into him and knock him down. By the time he was picked up with abject apologies Jessica and Mr. Gregory were nowhere to be seen. Frank wandered around the dance floor for almost thirty minutes before he went back to their table. He was going to go back and see if she was in their room. He found Jessica's purse and wrap still at the table. He picked them up and started to leave when he saw her come from the direction of the rest rooms. Mr. Gregory moved from behind a partition and spoke to her. She smiled and laid her hand on his forearm and nodded her head yes then walked back to their table where Frank was standing.

Before Jessica could say anything Frank exploded. "What the HELL were you doing dancing with that Asshole and where the HELL have you been the last half hour? You know he is an asshole and I saw you rubbing all over him then you smiled and talked to him when you came out of the restroom. Come on. We're getting out of here!" Frank grabbed Jessica's arm and began pulling her from the room.

"Frank stop. You're hurting me and making a scene! Stop!"

Frank just kept moving through the crowd until all at once he was drawn up short as if he had run into a wall. Mr. Gregory and the Man Mountain he had run into before had stepped into his path and stopped him. Gregory sneered at him and said, "What's the problem here? Jessica is he hurting you?"

Mr. Gregory looked at Frank and said, "Frank that's no way to treat a lady. I suggest you just cool off and let her go before you get hurt son."

Frank started to make a heated reply when he felt a vice clamp down on his wrist. He felt his grip on Jessica's arm loosen then she pulled away from him. He stared into the eyes of the large man who was holding his wrist. Frank jerked his arm and to his relief the man let it go. He said over his shoulder, "Come on Jess. Let's get out of here!" He took two steps and turned to see if Jessica was following. He stopped in shock. Jessica was nowhere in sight and neither were either of the two men he had been arguing with.

Frank spent another 45 minutes looking for Jessica before he returned to their room seething with anger. To his surprise when he got there Jessica was already there and in bed. She appeared to be asleep but from the sound of her breathing he was sure she was not. That was fine with him. He showered and crawled into bed with her not saying a word.

Frank rose early the next morning and took off for his first free day of fishing. He enjoyed the day more than he ever imagined he would. He completely forgot about Jessica and their argument and was on top of the world the whole day. When the boat returned to the resort and pulled up to the pier Frank's day became a little less pleasant. He saw the man who had been with Mr. Gregory the day before. The man seemed very interested in keeping Frank in his sight.

Just seeing that man watching him brought back memories of the previous day. Frank felt a surge of anger once more. He glared at the man as he walked past carrying his fillets. The man was talking into his phone still watching him while Frank walked down the sidewalk heading back to his and Jessica's cabin near the resort's main building.

Jessica was laying on a chase lounge just outside their back cabin door beside the pool when Frank came out. He sat beside her and she looked at him with a guilty expression. Her nipples were tenting out her brief swim suit top and Frank could see a darker patch in her crotch from her moisture.

Both Frank and Jessica tried to talk at once. They stopped and looked at each other then grinned. Frank tried again. "Honey, I'm sorry," he said. "I just can't stand assholes like that one and when he began trying to get between me and you I just lost it."

Jessica looked even guiltier if that was possible. She gently laid her hand on Frank's forearm and said, "I know Honey. I just ... I don't know what happened there. I just felt like I had no control when he was there. I didn't want him to get between us but he just seemed to move into our space and do it. Then at the dance when you were still complaining about it I got angry all over again. When he came up to ask me to dance I just didn't even think about it. I went with him. It was as if I had no choice. He seemed to expect me to go and I did. After the dance was over I felt used somehow and went into the restroom to calm down. He was waiting on me when I came out and you saw us when we talked. He wanted me to go with him for a drink. I told him no and thanked him. You saw me smile and touch him then I came back to our table. When you began yelling at me I have to admit I was almost sorry I didn't go with him but I'm glad I didn't."