Transcription
I was standing at the mailbox at the end of the driveway, checking my mail, when a red BMW drove by and pulled into the neighbor's garage. As he pulled up to their garage, the door opened to let in the Beamer, and then closed again. This seemed strange. I knew Kyle Good was out of town. Why would some guy come into their garage? I thought there could be dozens of innocent reasons. A cousin, maybe Doris's brother. Who knows? And it's certainly none of my business.
This incident was quickly forgotten when I noticed a letter in my mailbox from my sister living in Florida. Gina always writes excellent letters, full of family news and many articles clipped from the dozen or so publications she subscribes to.
The next morning, as I was pulling out of my driveway to go to work, a Beamer drove past me so fast that I barely had time to brake to avoid backing into it. I might never have paid attention to this incident if my wife Jenny and I had not stopped by the Goods' house while walking the dog on Friday evening. The red BMW was parked on the street, and Kyle Good was standing on the porch talking to the guy I had seen earlier that week driving the car. Kyle and the guy came up to us as we were walking along the sidewalk. "George, Jenny, hello." Jenny and I paused until the two men approached the sidewalk. "George, meet my best friend Harry Thompson. Harry, this is our neighbor George." I shook Harry's hand and turned to introduce Jenny to Harry. "This is my wife Jenny." I wasn't surprised when Harry let go of my hand and took Jenny's hand, looking at it like it was dessert. When you marry a woman as beautiful as Jenny, you get used to men drooling over her. But this guy had an expression on his face that I couldn't read, perhaps a smirk, as if he knew something I didn't.
Now that I found out that Harry is Kylie's best friend and not some relative, my head started to buzz as to why this guy spent the night when Kyle was out of town. Was there something between Harry and Kyle's wife Doris? Personally, I can't imagine anything worse than having a best friend sleep with his friend's wife. But perhaps there is an innocent explanation. For example, the guy came to town on business and needed somewhere to stay. So I asked, "Harry, where do you live?" Harry replied, "Across the river in St. Paul." Thus, I closed this topic. Harry is not related and does not live so far away that he would need a room for the night while traveling. It remains, Harry was still looking at Jenny like he was ready to pounce on her. So I said we needed to finish walking the dog and said goodbye to Kyle and Harry.
This left me with a dilemma. Should I say something to Kyle? Part of me wanted to stay out of it. Part of me realized that Kyle had been my friend since Jenny and I moved into the area 7 months ago, and if I were him, I'd want to know if my wife was sleeping with him, someone on the side. By that Sunday, I had already decided everything. While Kyle was mowing the lawn, I came over to chat. After the pleasantries, I simply said, "Kyle, on Monday night, while you were out of town, your best friend Harry spent the night at your house." Kylie's reaction could have knocked me off my feet. He even chuckled as he answered, "George, of course did. I bet he gave Doris all the pleasure of her life." My mouth was open. I had no words in response to Kyle's statement. Kyle continued to laugh as he explained, "George, I thought you knew. Doris and I have an open relationship." It took me a few seconds to realize this. "So you do this with other people?" "Even more. We exchange partners. Haven't you ever noticed that cars come here once every 2 months? When it's our turn to be the masters. The owners?" Kyle looked like he was having fun with my discomfort. "Yes, George. The owners. That is six or more couples plus lucky singles like Harry stay here and we all switch partners." I still hadn't come up with a coherent response to Kyle's news when he asked the inevitable question. "Would you like to join us with Jenny? We are always looking for newcomers. Doris and I will be considered aces if we attract you too." This question brought me out of my stupor. "No, Kyle. There is no way we would participate in something like that." As I turned to leave, I heard Kyle say after me, "It's a pity."
The fact is that this is not the first time recently that the question of such sexual entertainment has been raised. Three or four months ago, Jenny and I were recovering from a particularly nasty hour of sex when she asked me this, "George, what fantasies do you have?" I pondered the question as my pulse and breathing slowly returned to normal. "I would like to make love to you on the beach." Apparently, I didn't give Jenny the answer she was looking for. So she asked again, "Anything else?" I was almost afraid to bring this up, but I decided to give it a chance. "Do you promise that you won't think I'm a pervert if I tell you?" Jenny propped herself up on one elbow, turning to face me. As if reassuring me that I must continue. "I promise, George." "What is this?" Even just thinking about it made me excited. "Remember, you promised. I want you to dress really [ __ ] High heels, a little black dress that barely covers your ass and your perfect breasts showing tons of cleavage. I want you to go to the hotel bar without me." As I spoke, Jenny looked at me with even more enthusiasm. I could see that she was on edge. "I want you to sit at the bar on a high bar stool with your long legs hanging out of that little black dress. Then I would walk into the bar and pretend I didn't know you. I would buy you a drink. We would chat until you finished your drink. Then I would take you out of the bar, and all the men in the bar would watch us leave. I would take you to the room I booked, and we would have sex for hours." "What if one of the men at the bar tried to buy me a drink or pick me up?" "You would, of course, ignore them. Wouldn't you love to watch me flirt with some guy at the bar before you pick me up? Wouldn't that make you horny?" "No. In my kinky fantasies, you can dress like an available girl in public, but that's too kinky." "What about exchanging couples during sex? Have you ever thought about having sex with another couple or multiple couples?" Jenny's question shocked me. "Jenny, I have no desire to do this with any other woman, and I certainly have no desire to watch any other man do this with you." "And what? Is this your fantasy?" Jenny was smart enough to give me the correct answer. "No, George. I just asked because many couples have this fantasy. I'm just wondering if one of yours is like that." Jenny ended the conversation by bending over and making me feel good. After that, I immediately fell asleep. The conversation about fantasies was forgotten.
Only a few months later, when I was telling Jenny about the Goddesses parties, I remembered Jenny's question. "Have you ever thought about sex with another couple?"
After leaving Kyle that afternoon, I returned to our house. Jenny sunbathed outside in a skimpy bikini. I took a beer from the refrigerator and sat next to her on the terrace. "Jenny, do you know that the Goods throw sex parties with other couples?" Jenny's answer was telling. Every time she talks to someone, Jenny pulls her sunglasses up onto the top of her head so the other person can see her blue eyes. Years ago, Jenny's father told me that he taught his children to take off their sunglasses when they were talking to someone. He told me this because he wanted me to follow the same advice. He got tired of talking to me when I shaded my eyes. He said it made me not trust him. So when Jenny turned to me still wearing her sunglasses while answering my question, it made me suspicious. "No, George. What? Where did you get this idea?" "From Kyle. He said exactly that. I told him that Harry had spent Monday night at his house while he was away on a business trip. He shrugged saying that he and Doris have an open relationship. That they exchange partners and have sex parties." "Well, I don't understand why it's any of our business. I can't believe you ratted Doris out to Kyle. Why did you do that?" "Jenny, if you were going behind my back, I would want a real friend to tell me about it. It's still a scam. I thought all boys were taught not to be talkers when they grew up. It all depends on the seriousness of the offense. Small things are not talked about. But if it's important, then..." Jenny interrupted me. "What's wrong with Doris sleeping with someone else? Who is she hurting?" Before I had time to think about it, I was already answering Jenny. "Jenny, you speak as if adultery is something insignificant. For many marriages, it is a break. Most spouses have difficulty coping with the infidelity of their husbands or wives." And he was stunned by Jenny's answer. "Well, that's just stupid. It's just sex." I was still stunned and silent when Jenny diffused the entire conversation. "George, whatever the Goods do is their business, not ours. As long as we love and trust each other and remain true to our vows, we should not quarrel with each other. Come here and kiss me. You haven't kissed me for several hours." I kissed Jenny, but something in our conversation did not give me peace. What would I have thought if I hadn't been distracted by Jenny's tight body in a red bikini.
Over the next few weeks, I watched Jenny more closely. I must admit that almost everything in our daily life was completely normal. Our sex life didn't suffer. We still had sex at least three to four times a week, and weekend sessions continued to blow my mind, sometimes lasting for hours. There were no external signals that would make me suspicious. With two exceptions. First, one day when I picked up Jenny's smartphone to look up the phone number in her contacts, the phone was locked. This was something new. Jenny had never blocked her phone before. She said it was too inconvenient. Secondly, I noticed that Jenny was clearing the history on our computer. Again, Jenny had never done this in the past. Both a locked phone and a cleared history are small things, but as someone once sang, from small things, mama, big things one day come. None of these circumstances were difficult to resolve. With some concern that I was invading Jenny's privacy, I was able to install a program on our computer that recorded activity in the background. Jenny could erase her history, but the computer would still save it in a file that I could view. It was not difficult to crack her phone password. I very casually handed Jenny her phone and asked for her brother's phone number. He didn't even mention that the phone was locked, and Jenny didn't realize that her back was to the mirror while unlocking it. I held my phone in my hand, recording a video of the image in the mirror while I waited for her to give me Matt's number. The web pages Jenny visited over the next couple of weeks were interesting. She seemed to enjoy reading erotic stories on the internet. What bothered me most was that these stories were mostly about sex with multiple partners. Every chance I got, I read the messages on Jenny's phone, and for weeks, there was nothing out of the ordinary, no calls to anyone I might consider a potential lover. Nothing. Until I told Jenny I needed to be out of town on business for a week and a half. My job as a translator usually required me to travel out of town every 2 months or so. Employees alternated business trips so that no one was constantly stuck on them. 2 days after I told her the news, during which time Jenny was acting very sad that I would be gone for so long, I read a message on Jenny's phone from Doris. "We agreed on Saturday. Despite the late notice, five couples confirmed because you will be here again. Do you know how happy Kyle and Harry are? See you." I was angry, almost to the point where I couldn't think straight. My cheating wife, pretending to be sad, was looking forward to my absence so she could sleep with a bunch of [ __ ]. After rereading the SMS, I almost fainted. The word "again" was decisive, but it's time to come to terms with it and start planning. I'll have plenty of time later to mourn the end of my marriage.
The next morning, I found and made an appointment with a divorce lawyer. Then I asked my boss to let me skip this task. I made some [ __ ] excuse for why I couldn't go and promised that I would compensate for my replacement later. He grunted and mumbled, making a mountain out of a mountain. But this is [ __ ] because in the last year, I have probably backed up my colleagues at least twice. After some grumbling, he agreed that I could take the next 10 days off. On Thursday morning, I kissed Jenny goodbye and checked into the residence inn instead of going to the airport. I used the company credit card to rent the car, which was a clear violation of company policy, but by this time, I didn't care anymore and bought everything I thought I'd need. I met with a divorce lawyer on Friday to understand what my options were and what would happen if I divorced Jenny. It wasn't all rosy. We would basically split all of our assets in half, and I would probably end up paying her alimony for 5 years. Jenny had a part-time job that paid very little, but gave her a discount on all the clothes she bought. Jenny loved to dress beautifully. This was never a big problem. The house was always tidy, dinner was on the table most of the evening, and I made good money. Now, her meager salary meant that I would have to supplement her income until she could retrain for her career. "Wait. Are you saying that she can ruin our entire marriage and I still have to pay her?" The lawyer shrugged. "Yes. Since the laws changed, this is how everything happens. If you are divorcing your spouse, adultery does not matter." Now I understand how naive I was when it came to my wife and when it came to the law. "Let's say I don't want the system to screw me over. What options do I have?" The guy smiled. "Before I say another word, write me a check for 500, because what I'm about to say implies that you and I never had this conversation and will never see each other again." I wrote out a check and gave it to him. "First, let me ask you two questions. Do you like your job? Are there family members living nearby that you would miss?" I answered, "I hate my job, and my parents and sister moved to Florida." The guy leaned back in his chair. "Then I will continue, but this is not legal advice. This is me telling you what I would do in your situation." He paused for a second, perhaps searching for words. "I would disappear. I would take everything I could from the accounts and get out of dodge. Another thing is, if you had children, I would never recommend that a father abandon his children, especially with a cheating mother. But in your case, I say that the world is huge. Take the time to see it." This was the last thing I expected to hear, so I had to ask, "Why such a radical decision? Isn't it better to take the risk in court?" "You chose the wrong lawyer to answer this question. 4 years ago, I found my wife with a trainer. All this was filmed, her and some pumped-up little rat in our bed. The recording showed them laughing at me, at the way I work, and they make an idiot out of me. Nasty [ __ ]. I divorced her. I even had one of the best divorce lawyers in the area, better than me. 4 years later, I still pay her every month and will continue to do so for the next year. This is the reward you get for treating your wife like a queen and not forcing her to get a well-paying job while you're married. Let's face it. The system is rigged against people like you and me."
I left the lawyer's office, shaking my head, but already beginning to formulate my plans. But first, I need to know exactly what Jenny is doing to her neighbors. A swingers party was planned for Saturday night, and if I was lucky, it would be at the Goody's house. We'd been there often enough for barbecues and pool parties that I knew the layout of the house and knew I could settle in and spy on the festivities. But just in case, I installed a tracking app on Jenny's phone.
Saturday was a long day. I spent her sitting in her hotel room waiting for her phone to show that she was on her way. I didn't have to wait too long. At 5:00 in the evening, Jenny left the house and went to the Goods. I drove to our neighborhood in my rental car and parked on the next block. The Goods have a small shed in their backyard, and I was able to get into it without anyone seeing me by climbing through a fence that was about 80 ft high. Over the next 2 hours, I used a SIM camera and a still camera to document the entire event at the Goods. The video was shot to record various combinations of couples, threesomes, and foursomes. I filmed all the fun going on by the pool or in the room outside the patio doors. A digital camera with a telephoto lens was used to capture details. The faces of the participants were clear enough to leave no doubt about their identity. The photographs showed the most disgusting [ __ ] I could imagine. The hardest part was watching and recording my wife. Yes, she was the main attraction and the obvious star of the show. The other women present may have had decent bodies, but Jenny had the most beautiful, and most of the men took advantage of the situation. Sometimes there were several. It is impossible to understand true heartache until you see the woman you love, with whom you plan to have children and grow old together, having sex with other men. I took a video of Jenny at the Goods' pool, having fun with Kyle Good and Harry Thompson. The threesome ended, and Jenny returned to the house. The patio doors were closed, but I could still see the lit room where Jenny was sitting on some guy's lap, apparently giving him a lap dance. The next guy threw her on the couch and they started having sex. After almost 2 hours of this, I had each participant's face recorded while they were in a compromising position. It was time to leave.
When I was sitting in the car trying to calm down, I wanted to cry, but I didn't. I wanted to hurt Jenny and all her friends, but I wouldn't do it. Instead, I returned to my hotel room, buying five bottles of Jack Daniel's along the way. I sat and thought about what to do next. I didn't get drunk. I sat up long after midnight and thought about my life and the options that the lawyer presented to me. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that, with the exception of my marriage to the woman I loved just a few hours ago, my life was crap. I hated my boss and my job, hated life in the Midwest with all its cold winters. When the temperature finally rose above freezing, it was still impossible to go outside without being eaten alive by mosquitoes and they now carried crazy pathogens like West Nile. I hated the big house that Jenny just had to have before we had kids with a big lawn that needed watering and fertilizer just to have to be mowed twice a week. There were very few neighbors I cared about and that number had just been cut in half. It was now a given that I would leave Jenny. I've heard that there are guys who can tolerate their wives infidelity and there are even guys who enjoy it. How? I don't know, but it definitely doesn't suit me. I tried to sleep. It was hard, but it finally happened after staring at the hotel room ceiling for what seemed like hours wondering how I screwed up and why did it happen this way.
After I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a double major in German and Russian, the army offered me a job. All I had to do was sign up for the next 4 years. The advantage of the army over other options was that I would not be doing menial work for 2 or 3 years, but would be doing real work as a translator immediately after finishing basic training. I met Jenny my senior year while I was stationed at the Pentagon. Jenny worked as a waitress at the bar where my friends and I hung out. I won't lie the main attraction was a pretty face, a sweet smile and a killer body. We dated for 7 months before I popped the question. Jenny said yes and we got married and built a house in Minneapolis 2 months after I got my leave. Jenny had limited abilities. I hate to say it, but for all of Jenny's wonderful qualities intelligence was not one of them. I couldn't imagine how she would find another job at the bar. Hell, when we were dating it was hard enough watching all the guys hit on her. Although it meant less money, Jenny found a part-time job selling dresses. Money wasn't an issue because I was making good money enough to buy our dream house 4 years later when prices had not yet fully recovered from the housing crash. Our main reasons for moving to Minneapolis stumped me for 2 years after the move. My father was given good money for early retirement. He and his mother decided to join the other bullfinches, sold their house and moved to sunny Florida. My sister who never appreciated the cold winters in Minnesota followed them. I don't want to make excuses for Jenny. There's no excuse for her going to the Goods is parties, but I think when her mom and sister moved to Florida it left a void in Jenny's life. An emptiness that may have contributed to Jenny's subsequent attachment to our new neighbors, especially Doris. After Jenny and I bought the house, we gave ourselves a year to get it organized and ready before she got pregnant. Instead, I'm trying to sleep in this strange bed wondering what I'll be doing in a year instead of holding my newborn baby.
I woke up Sunday morning glad that I took my time last night with Jack Daniels and the hangover didn't make me feel any worse. There was a diner across the street that served a decent breakfast. I went through the list I made, a few things I wanted if I left and a list of our assets, bank accounts, brokerage accounts, et cetera. The list of assets we needed to keep was short and most of our money went towards a down payment on a house. I went to the first of five local car dealers looking for my next car. After finding what I wanted at two dealers, I made a deal with the one who gave me the best offer and drove off the dealer's lot with a used converted van and a check for $2,000 leaving my year-old Chrysler a 300 behind. The dealer got the best deal, but I did everything right and now I had a car in which I could travel. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent getting my finances in order and equipping my camper with everything I needed for a long trip. I was ready by Thursday, a full day before the deadline and one of the days Jenny was working at the store. Back at our house, I loaded the van with everything I wanted. There weren't many things and they didn't fill the van more than necessary. I left a note on the kitchen table with two photographs, one of her with Goose and Thompson and the other of our wedding torn in half. I thought about keeping my engagement ring, but figured I could sell it somewhere down the road. It was gold and must have cost at least a tank of gas. The note read, "Jenny, I will not live with a liar and a cheat. Goodbye."
My first stop was Naples, Florida where my folks moved after my father retired. The van was a pleasure to drive. I spent 12 hours driving each day mostly on country roads before finding a campsite for the night. I quickly learned that there are good campsites and terrible ones. I'll have to learn to differentiate one from the other if I'm going to be traveling for any length of time. On the evening of the third day, I came to my parents. My mom hugged me tightly and even my dad hugged me like a man. They knew that I would come to visit, but did not know the details. It wouldn't be easy. They both loved Jenny and were looking forward to the call that they were going to be grandparents. "What happened, George? Why are you here?" I didn't want to go into detail right away. Not here, not on their porch. When we got inside, I had to ask, "Did Jenny call and look for me?" Mom looked sadly into her eyes. "Why would she call and look for you? Doesn't she know you're here?" "She's probably too embarrassed to call and talk to either of you. I left Jenny. I caught her cheating." Mom was shocked. "I can't believe it. Not Jenny." "Please believe me, Mom. I don't want to show you photographs for the sake of proof. She contacted our neighbors, a spouse exchange group." Father finally found his voice. "Why?" "The devil knows. I found out about this and decided to run away. I haven't talked to Jenny and I don't plan to." "Are you getting a divorce?" "That's the point, Dad. I went to a lawyer and found out what a mess I would be in if we went to court for a divorce. I will pay her alimony for years and during this time she will freely have fun with her neighbors. I chose the path of a coward. I quit my job, bought a van and plan to move around for a while." "That's not like you, son." "Does not look like it, but maybe it's time for a change of heart. I graduated from college in 3 years and immediately went into the army where I spent 4 years. Came out, got a job within the first month, got married and then spent the last 5 years trying to make it so I could raise kids with the love of my life. And here I am. I am 30 years old, no kids, no wife, a 4-year-old van and about $6,000 to my name. Damn good deal, right?" Mom weighed everything. "Isn't there a way to forgive Jenny and return to her? Well, that is if she apologizes and promises never to do that again." I felt sorry for my mother. She was always an optimist, always ready to forgive, always ready to think only good things about people. I hugged her. "No, Mom. You didn't see what I saw. She's not with just one guy. Didn't you hear her claim that she would miss me when she thought I was leaving on a business trip before arranging a meeting with neighbors and their friends? Lying was almost as bad as infidelity. Both destroyed my trust in her."
About 7:00 my sister Gina appeared at our parents' house. I was glad to see my little sister again. Even though she was 5 years younger than me, we were pretty close until I left home for college. When I came home for the holidays, we always found time to talk, but when I joined the army maintaining this closeness became more difficult. Until this evening, I didn't realize how much I miss her and how much she has matured. We walked along the beach. The sun had just set and the sky was bright red. When mom and dad weren't around, we could talk freely. "Jenny called me last night. She said that you left and left only a note. Did she tell you what the note said or why I left?" "No. I just asked that if I received news from you, I would ask you to call her so that she could explain everything." "Tell me, big brother. What happened?" "Jenny got involved in the sexual entertainment of our neighbors, without me, of course. I had to leave town on business. She took advantage of this to attend the party while I was away. I have videos of her with five different guys." I think Gina was taken aback by my revelation. "Not a damn thing. What did you hire a private detective?" "No, I didn't leave the city because I knew that something would happen. I saw a message on her phone. I stayed at a hotel nearby and filmed the party myself. They weren't too secretive. As soon as I had proof, I quit my job, bought a van and left Minneapolis. Now I'm going to travel for a while. I'll start with the states and if there is money, maybe to Europe." "What about Jenny? Are you going to divorce her?" "As I already told my mom and dad, divorce will [ __ ] me. I'll be paying her for years. It will not happen. I'll just leave it all behind." "Maybe you can take your little sister with you. I have a few weeks of vacation coming up and I would like to spend them on the road with you as long as I don't bother you." Gina gave me a sly smile. "Gina, it's not about finding a replacement for Jenny. It's about getting my head in order." "Understood. Anyway, if you're heading out west, I'd like to come with you for a couple of weeks. I heard Utah is very beautiful. Agreed. We will do this in the fall when there will be fewer people and it will not be so hot. Now, I need you to do me a big favor. I need your experience with computers." Gina was one of those rare women who didn't let misogynistic jerks stop her from becoming an expert programmer. "What do you need, big brother?" I told Gina about the videos and footage I had from Jenny's sex party and what I planned to do with them. As I laid out my revenge, Gina's smile grew until she couldn't help but laugh. "I agree, big brother. I can arrange this."
It took several weeks to piece everything together and cover our tracks so that none of us could be traced. But 3 weeks after I left Minnesota, everything was ready. I knew Gina was good with computers, but what she was able to do blew me away. First, Gina and the guy she's dating, Dennis, found the names and personal information of all the singles and all but one of the couples who frequented the Hood's parties. It took just 2 days to send fishing emails to all the participants' computers, which when the recipient clicked on the link downloaded a virus that gave Gina all the contacts of the tags, as we came to call these people, including email addresses. It was a gold mine. Kyle Goode, who owned a local John Deere dealership, became a prime target. Gina and Dennis hacked into the store's work computer and downloaded the email and physical addresses of its customers. A website was created hosted by a company from Ukraine specializing in amateur adult films. When I asked how we managed to do all this without being tracked, Gina and Dennis just laughed and then tried to explain that the web host was paid in Bitcoin and all the routing went through so many iterations that it would be the CIA. I nodded my head as they explained it all, but it still didn't make any sense. So, I decided to trust their experience. Harry Thompson was an enigma. We were unable to hack into his computer and were unable to discover much personal information. He was not on Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social networks. Goodey's computer didn't have his email address. We couldn't find where Harry worked, a complete mystery. Dennis suggested that Harry was probably doing some illegal [ __ ] and we eventually gave up trying to find anything about him. Gina and Dennis had a friend who was a video editor and he took the time to create an entertaining movie from the videos and photos. Each time the video showed a new sex scene, the action was paused long enough to superimpose close-ups from the stills to identify the actors. The 45-minute video was uploaded to the site and ready.
This next part will probably anger some people and make others shake their heads in disgust. When we edited the video, I didn't show the scene where Jenny had sex with Kyle and Harry. We only kept the scene of Jenny pleasing one of the other men, but only one scene. Enough to show her participation in the group's activities, but not so much as to cause her great embarrassment. More than one person has asked me why I didn't throw Jenny's ass under the bus and expose her depravity, and I only have one answer. Jenny's parents. Robert and Linda Rawlings are two of the sweetest and nicest people I have ever known. They accepted me into their home, treated me like a son, and if they ever have to see or hear about our video, they deserve better than to see their daughter in that light, even if she herself doesn't deserve more for breaking my heart. So, while the video proved Jenny was a contestant, it didn't include any of her worst moments.
One sunny Florida morning, Gina came to our parents' house where I was staying, sat down at the kitchen table with her ever-present cup of black coffee and asked a question. "Everything is ready, big brother. The site is up. The email is loaded. A couple hundred letters to good customers who don't have email are stamped and ready to send. Are you ready to pull the plug? It's time to act." "Yes, Gina. It's time. Let's get started and have some fun." Gina took out her phone and said, "Dennis, send emails." Gina looked up at me. "One of our friends is going to Vegas today. He'll put the letters in the mailbox when he lands so no one can track their return here. I think we covered our tracks as best we could. Thank you, Gina. Thanks for everything. Tomorrow I fly out and begin my travels." Gina handed me a credit card. "Dennis suggested something else. It was his idea for me to get a credit card in my name for those times when you need to pay for something and cannot use cash. He said many state and national campgrounds require reservations and require a credit card. It's in my name, but if you put the reservation in my name and I don't complain to the bank's fraud department about the charges, it won't matter. This way, no one can track you using your card. This one has a $5,000 line of credit. You can pay me when it is convenient for you." I hugged Gina. "It was almost too much to expect. Thank you. Thanks to Dennis, too." "Well, don't forget that you promised that we would soon spend some time traveling together. Like I said, it's too hot and too crowded in Utah's national parks right now. Let's plan to meet at the end of September and visit one of these parks." Having agreed to spend 2 weeks in September, Gina went to work. I got out and prepared the van for the trip.
The next morning, I kissed my mom goodbye and gave my dad a manly hug. Thanked them for letting me stay for a while, promised to stay safe and stay in touch. Then my father surprised me by leaning into the open passenger door window of the van. "I love you, son." I always knew he loved me. He showed it to me in a thousand ways growing up, but he never said it before. My eyes watered as I backed up. I took the circuitous roads north to Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway and spent a week traveling southwest to North Carolina. Went north to Nashville where I spent 2 days on Broadway listening to great music, visited Shiloh National Monument. I've always wanted to see it since I did a report on Western Civil War battles back in high school. I headed west with a plan to stop in Memphis to spend time on Beale Street and maybe visit Graceland. It was late at night and I was sleeping in a van parked on the side of State Route 64 east of Bolivar, Tennessee, when I was awakened by a knock on the door. It was a state patrol officer standing there with one hand on the butt of his service pistol. The holster was unfastened. "How can I help you, officer?" "How long have you been parked here?" "I arrived last night around 10:00. I was too tired to drive any further, so I decided to sleep for a few hours." "Can I see your driver's license, please?" I handed him my license and he went back to his patrol car to make the call. I sat in the passenger seat and waited for him to return. When he returned, I was worried. There was something in the way he looked at me. He still had his hand on the gun. "Mr. Baker, did you know that there was a warrant out for your arrest?" "No, I didn't know. And it says what I allegedly did?" "I don't know the details. It's a misdemeanor arrest warrant. Is there a reason someone is looking for you in Minnesota?" I told the officer my version of what happened. Then he added, "I guess some judge awarded my wife alimony, but I didn't pay it." The officer smiled. "Well, I have to bring you, but now I need to chase that car over there that just drove past at speed. I think it's a drunk driver and that takes precedence over your warrant. You can stay here and wait for me to return, or since it's 30 minutes from the state line, you can drive south on Highway 18 and get out of my jurisdiction. Do you understand what I'm talking about?" I didn't see any cars driving by, so I figured the guy was giving me a break. Perhaps he had his own story of heartbreak and nodded. "Yes, officer. You don't want this to come back to me, do you?" "Officer, you can ask anyone, even my future ex-wife. I would rather cut off my left hand than let down someone who has done me a good deed. I bet you're right-handed, right?" "Okay, I'll cut off my right hand if you ever hear that I've let you down. I advise you to cross the border as soon as possible." With this, he went west and I went south to Mississippi.
Given that I missed Beale Street, the siren song of New Orleans and its Bourbon Street was calling to me and I continued south. 3 days of drinking and listening to jazz, zydeco, and Creole music had put a hole in my wallet. I took off my gold wedding ring, bought a tank of gas, two bottles of Dixie, and a huge bowl of etouffee, then headed west out of town. I needed to avoid big cities and the associated expenses until my funds ran out. I still had a few thousand left, but I was spending it too quickly. Along the way, I talked to several other vagabonds and learned from them how to limit the expenses associated with my new lifestyle. Learned how cheap it is to dry camp on BLM lands. One of the couples I met on the road suggested that I go to Big Bend National Park. They said this place was like heaven. What the hell? I have nowhere to go and no one is waiting for me to get there. I went to Big Bend. I was sitting at the bar at the Starlight Theatre Steakhouse in Terlingua, just outside the park boundary, listening to a group of Aussies at the next table calling crap at each other. I was probably watching them too closely trying to catch some meaning in the dialect when the largest of this group, a mountain of a man standing 2 m tall and weighing at least 117 kg, stood up from the table and loomed over me. "It's rude to eavesdrop on conversations, buddy." I must have been in the mood because my answer might have gotten me a punch to the nose. "I wouldn't call it eavesdropping because I can't understand half of what you all say and even with a funny accent." The mountain man was amazed. "Well, you are an impudent one, Yankee. What makes you think that it's our accent that's funny and not your own?" "Well, you're sitting in a Texas bar, so your accent is strange. If we were sitting in a bar in Brisbane, then yes, it would be mine. And considering that you are a guest in my country, let me treat you to a beer." Any hostility was negated by my reluctance to be intimidated and mainly by my offer to buy him a beer. The mountain man extended his hand. "My name is John. The beer is Foster's and you are invited to join our table." "My name is George and I accept the invitation." I haven't spent time socially since Florida and despite the fact that I only understood half of what was said unless the speaker was kind enough to explain in English what he or she meant, I had the best time in months. These people knew how to drink and have a good time. Even the ladies tried to outdrink me. There were eight of them. They traveled together and spent 4 weeks in the United States starting in Dallas. Eventually, they invited me to join their caravan. It turned out that they were divided into pairs. One of the couples, James and Sarah, is married. The rest have a friends with benefits arrangement. Even though I was the odd one out, I decided this was too good an opportunity to pass up and spent the next 2 weeks with them.
After leaving Texas, our caravan traveled to Roswell, New Mexico. Australians were eager to see the place where all the UFO hysteria began. It was pretty unfortunate, but at least now we could all say we'd been there and cross it off our respective life's to-do lists. The White Sands Monument was interesting. Although the men wanted to continue west to Tombstone, the ladies voted against it. "It'll just be another tourist trap." So, we headed north to Colorado instead. I stayed out of the discussion and was happy to be anywhere with this happy group. The Colorado Rockies blew my mind. I was not ready for such beauty. I grew up in the Midwest and spent all my time east of the Rockies. The Aussies and I spent our last week together zigzagging across the state before splitting up at Breckenridge. They were returning to Texas and I was heading to Grand Junction where Gina would meet me. We spent the last night in a bar walking down Main Street before I said goodnight to them promising that I would make it to Australia someday. As I walked back to my van, Mary came up behind me and took my hand. "Can I stay with you for the night?" I was surprised, pleasantly surprised, but didn't want to start a fight with my new friends and never wanted to be that guy who gets involved with someone else's woman. "What about John? Will he be upset if you spend the night with me?" "John had his eye on that American blonde with fake breasts and apparently he will spend the night with her. John and I travel well together and have a lot of fun, but we're not what you'd call exclusive." Mary's offer was tempting. I've never had a one-night stand before. I guess I'm an old-fashioned guy who likes to have a relationship with her when I sleep with a girl. "Does this mean you don't want to sleep with me?" I looked at Mary determined to end the long silence. "No, damn it. Come with me." I put my hand on Mary's waist and led her into the van. We drove back to the campsite while Mary fed my ego by saying that she had been hoping for this opportunity since we met. "And other girls will turn green with envy. We all think you're a cute and special guy." Within minutes of parking the van in the parking lot, we were naked and playing with each other's bodies. It had been a few months since my last time with Jenny. I decided to take the time to reacquaint myself with the female anatomy and Mary seemed to appreciate my efforts. Damn, it felt good physically and emotionally to be inside a woman and feel her legs wrap around my waist. When we finished, I realized that I hadn't thought about protection. "Sorry, I didn't think." Mary stroked my cheek smiling. "No. I wanted it myself. I am safe both in terms of health and in terms of pregnancy. No worries." I kissed her soft lips. "This is the girl. Great libido, natural beauty, confidence and sense of humor." I was both sad and happy that she was leaving tomorrow. I could easily fall in love with her, although I knew that I was not ready for another relationship. We continued kissing until Mary told me it was time for bed. When I woke up the next morning, Mary was already up and dressed. She was sitting on the bed holding my hand.
Seeing that I opened my eyes, she leaned over and kissed me. "Goodbye, George. Don't let what this woman did to you affect how you treat the next one. There are many good, faithful women in the world. You are a wonderful and you will find one of them."
I couldn't help myself. "Is there any chance that it could be you?"
"No, I'm afraid we wouldn't work well together. I would be too far from my family and you from yours. I've listened to you over the past 2 weeks. You are close to your sister and parents. I couldn't take you away from them. And no grandmother wants to be halfway around the world from her grandchildren."
Mary was right, of course. Thank God the first woman I had sex with, Jenny, was smarter and more practical than me. Well, I had to ask. "Thank you for last night. You will never know how much she meant to me."
"I think I know. It meant a lot to me, too. Take care, George. Have a fun trip with your sister." Mary kissed me on the lips and left the van.
That morning, all the other Australians came to my station before setting off. It was especially nice to receive a strong handshake and hug from John. His smile was as wide as it could be as he reminded me of my promise to come someday.
On the way to Grand Junction, I felt good. On the rearview mirror hung the necklace that Mary had left there that morning. There was a note in the ashtray. "This is for Gina. Please tell your sister that I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to meet and that her brother is a gentleman and a great guy. With love, Mary." The necklace was an inexpensive shell necklace that Mary always wore and the note meant the world to me.
Gina and I were walking through Arches National Park heading toward Delicate Arch when we crossed paths with another tourist. Abby Ross went camping alone. Her height was about 1.70 and her body was like that of an athlete. She has long black hair naturally shiny to complement her dark skin and very dark eyes. She walked past Gina and I on the trail. We exchanged a quick hello and after we passed, Gina caught me staring at my perfect ass and pair of legs and elbowed me in the ribs.
"What?"
Gina just smiled at my attempt to play dumb. "You men are all the same. Just because a woman has the body of a goddess, you can't help but turn to jelly."
"Um and you want to say that women are somehow different? I saw you practically drooling over that tall guy when we were standing at the airport carousel waiting for your luggage."
"Damn, I almost took a picture of you to send to Dennis so he could see how you act when he's not around."
"God, do not dare. I admit I looked, but I would never touch it. I've been completely faithful to Dennis since we've been together."
"So, is everything serious with him?"
"As serious as a heart attack. I think he's going to propose when I get back to Florida. He wanted to join us on this trip but couldn't make it."
I was happy for my sister. She deserved a guy as wonderful as Dennis. When we got to the top, I was happy to find a female tourist sitting there taking pictures of the arch. Gina did me a big favor by walking up and introducing herself while I walked back 6 m or so and opened my backpack to prepare lunch. The exchange between the two women was friendly. By the time I got everything ready, Gina came over and introduced us. "Abby, this is my brother, George. George, this is Abby Ross." I asked her to join us for lunch and finally persuaded her. We ate, told stories, and when it was time to go down, we hiked together. When Gina found out Abby didn't have a campsite for the night, she invited Abby to share our campsite at Devil's Garden. Abby protested but was unable to convince Gina. The three of us shared an evening meal and a wonderful night under the stars sitting around the fire. Thus began my friendship with Abby Ross from Klamath Falls, Oregon.
Abby went hiking with us in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Then she agreed to accompany us when we went to Goblin State Park. Abby worked as a waitress in Klamath Falls and recently graduated from the local community college. We eventually found out that she was going on the trip alone because her long-term boyfriend had left her for another girl 3 weeks before they were supposed to go on the trip. Abby decided to go alone but was happy to join Gina and me. "I didn't realize how lonely I would be without him. Thank you both for allowing me to go with you."
After Goblin, Abby had to go home and we promised each other to stay in touch. I still had a week to spend with Gina. We said goodbye to Abby and headed to Bryce.
In the van, Gina began her investigation. "Well, what do you think, big brother? Quite a nice lady, isn't she?"
"Very sweet," I agreed. "But I didn't feel any romantic vibes from her."
"So, what are you getting at? I want to say this. She is still suffering from a recent breakup. But I have noticed more than once how she looked at you more than friendly. Give her time and she will be ready for romance."
For the next week, we said nothing more about our new friend, but when I dropped Gina off at the airport, she started talking about it. "Call her, George. Maybe go to Klamath Falls and spend a couple of days with her without me. I'll bet you $100 that she'll say yes if you ask if you can come there."
"Good, good. Just so you stop stalking me, I'll call you. Say hi to mom and dad and Dennis for me. Call when you land."
I returned to my van and took out the map. A thousand miles if you take the scenic route. The best thing is that about most of the route was along US 50 through Nevada, the loneliest highway in America. How appropriate. I was in no rush and didn't mind being alone, especially after spending two weeks with the Australians and the next two with Gina. This gave me time to think. By the time I got to Reno, I had made my decision and called Abby. She was glad I called and didn't hesitate when I asked if she wanted to join me. Abby had to work the next 2 days and then have 3 days off. So, I took my time and arrived on the morning of her first day off.
Abby and I spent the 3 days hiking and exploring southwestern Oregon from Crater Lake to Ashland, where we watched Shakespeare's As You Like It in a replica of the Globe Theatre. It was a wonderful 3 days and although the van was a bit cramped, nothing romantic happened other than us holding hands. I would have loved to have done more. But it was very clear that Abby wasn't ready for that kind of relationship. Still, it was fun. And when I dropped her off on Thursday, I promised to stop by Klamath Falls on my way back for my next stop, Glacier National Park.
I needed to get there quickly. It was the end of October and winter would soon come, especially at high altitudes. It was while in Glacier that I received an answer to one of my inquiries regarding further employment. I contacted one of my former commanders and she responded with an offer to provide translation services as a contractor. The best part was that the appointment was at the embassy in Paris. I had 3 weeks to catch a plane to Paris.
I left Glacier that afternoon, spent 2 days with Abby. She was able to swap shifts with two other servers and we spent the 2 days getting to know each other better. In the end, we kissed and hugged, but nothing more. It is always dangerous to step down the slippery slope of comparing one woman to another. Jenny could lie in bed for hours. On weekends, she drank a second cup of coffee and finished reading one of her magazines halfway through without even thinking about getting up. By the time she got out of bed, I had already finished my breakfast and was doing my morning chores. Abby couldn't wait to get up and attack them. By 10:00, we were 8 miles from the trail or halfway to the mountain top. Another important difference was what each woman read. I've never seen Jenny with a book in her hands. Abby didn't just read books, she read literature. She was the first woman I met who had already read The Brothers Karamazov, Anna Karenina, and War and Peace. The more time I spent with Abby, the more I realized that she and I have similar views on almost everything that I consider important. And perhaps just as important for a long-term relationship, I was completely captivated by her physical beauty. I hoped that her ex-boyfriend wouldn't realize his mistake and try to rekindle their romance while I was abroad. I fell in love with Abby and told her so. But I'll be gone for the next year and I haven't been able to properly explain the nature of our relationship, stupid me like that. We nevertheless agreed that she would visit me in Paris.
I drove straight to Naples, stopping at rest stations along the way to get my usual 6 hours of sleep. Sticking to the highway, I was able to reach my parents' house 4 days later, exhausted but happy. I had no problems obtaining the necessary documents and visas, which means that something had changed in Minnesota. The charges against me were dropped. I was no longer a fugitive. 10 days after arriving in Florida, I kissed my parents and sister goodbye and boarded a plane to Paris.
In Paris, I met Simone Perrotte. She was 25 years old and different from all the girls and women I had known up to that moment. My parents would call her bohemian. When we first got into bed, I felt like a pervert. She was tiny, almost boyish with her French slender body and A-cup breasts. But as soon as she pulled me into her bed, all thoughts of her being anything other than a woman went out the window. This woman knew how to have good sex. Simone used my body like a gymnast uses an apparatus and she could bend and unbend her body in positions that seemed impossible. Every time I thought we had reached our limit, she would introduce me to a new position. When we weren't making love, we hung out in cafes with her other bohemian friends, smoking Gauloises and drinking absinthe. We read and argued about Camus, Beauvoir, and Sartre. The more I read about Sartre's apologies for Stalin's abuses in the Soviet Union, the less I liked him and the more I idolized Camus. Simone and I often argued about this and always had wonderful makeup sex afterwards. It was almost worth arguing. It was all a lot of fun. I felt like Ernest Hemingway at the beginning of the 20th century. I never thought about falling in love with Simone. She was too different in her politics and values. We fooled around together for 4 months until she left Paris with another couple for the Mediterranean town of Cap d'Agde. I missed sex, but not philosophical debates, which could get boring. It might have been a good time for us to break up because I had been putting off visiting Abby for the past month. I made good money and knew plane travel would be difficult for a waitress. So, I sent Abby plane tickets. She was supposed to come for 2 weeks in mid-May. Contrary to the song, May is much nicer than April.
I must say that I was not prepared for my reaction when I picked up Abby at de Gaulle Airport. I watched her walk towards me and all my feelings of love for her swelled inside me. She lowered her travel bag to hug and kiss me. She held my head in her hands, not allowing the kiss to end until she realized that we were in a public place. But it was a very French moment. I took Abby to my apartment, told her to take a nap. She was on an overnight flight from O'Hare. That evening, we were going to celebrate her arrival. I went to work for several hours and when I returned to the apartment, I was pleasantly surprised. Abby clearly spent some time shopping for city clothes. I never saw her in anything other than outdoor attire. Here she was dressed in the most matching skirt and sweater with a stylish leather jacket and high heels. She saw the expression on my face. "Like?"
"It is fantastic. Let me clean myself up and change into something suitable to accompany such a beautiful lady."
It was a wonderful first night. Paris seemed to have taken Abby into its heart. Best of all, that night, Abby and I made love for the first time. Over the next 5 days, I showed Abby all the usual sights of Paris, the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay, Notre Dame, the Shakespeare and Company bookstore, and the top of the Eiffel Tower are at least eight attractions on Abby's must-see list. On the sixth day, we boarded the high-speed train and spent 3 and 1/2 hours traveling to Grenoble. When I told Abby about my plans, she protested that she didn't bring decent hiking boots or clothes. Then she protested when I took her to an outdoor store to get everything she needed. She continued to protest until I convinced her that it was a late Christmas and early birthday present. Although there was still snow on the higher ground, we walked where we could along the alpine trails. 3 days later, we headed back to Paris and continued checking off Abby's list of things to do in Paris. Everything was going great until the last evening when we stopped at a small cafe for a nightcap before heading back to my apartment. Everything fell apart there. Simone's group of friends, people who knew Simone and I were together, saw Abby and me and insisted that we join them. At some point, Abby and I became separated. She was talking to two women. I was having a discussion with men. When it was time to leave, I saw it in Abby's eyes. "When were you going to tell me about Simon?"
"And I didn't intend to. It was a short affair with a woman before you and I became intimate. Now that you and I are lovers, I am more than ready to commit to being with you exclusively. I promise that I will never be with another woman while we have such obligations."
Abby didn't calm down. "I thought we were lovers. When you left Klamath Falls last November, you told me you loved me. I thought it meant something."
"I said I was falling in love with you and that actually meant something. We had to define what that meant."
Abby started crying. "What a fool I am." She went to the bedroom and got ready for her flight, another one at night. She left the bedroom with tears in her eyes. "I'll take a taxi to the airport."
"Let me take you."
"No, now I just need to be alone. I'm sorry this happened last night. I had such a good time with you and now I feel like I'm just a place until Simone returns to Paris."
"It is not true."
"Maybe not, but it seems so to me and I need to think it over. Call and we'll talk. We may not be able to talk for a long time. Tomorrow I'm leaving for Moscow for important negotiations. While I'm there, communication will be limited due to the nature of these negotiations."
"Let me take you to the airport."
"No. Just call me when you can." Abby reached behind my head and pulled me in for a kiss. "I love you, George Baker." She left without saying another word. But before the door closed, I said to her, "And I love you, Abby Ross."
I was right. For the next 2 weeks in Moscow, communication was short and limited to family members. By the time I returned to Paris, my first phone conversation with Abby was tense. Before we had time to improve relations, I went to Moscow again because the agreements reached during the first round of negotiations were falling apart. Talk about bad timing. Abby wasn't a [ __ ] on the contrary. She did her best to tell me she understood, but we needed to talk and quickly before everything fell apart.
In July, Gina, Dennis, Mom and Dad came to visit. One of the great advantages of serving in Paris was that it did not take much effort to persuade people to come stay for a while. Try the same thing at some of my previous military postings. Gina had great news. Jenny called her to explain why I was no longer a fugitive. Jenny was renting out our old house to a couple who wanted to buy it. Selling the house would be enough to pay off the mortgage plus any remaining money owed to Jenny. If I had signed the papers giving up my claim on the house, Jenny would have had enough. Most importantly, Jenny filed for divorce claiming abandonment. We would be officially divorced by June of next year without any additional effort on my part. Gina had the documents, I signed them and mailed them to Jenny. We had a great time in Paris. The only exception was when Gina gave me a hard time for letting Abby go.
"Gina, I'm not just trying. I'll work it out when I get back to the states, I promise."
"Damn, what a fool you are, big brother. Do you really think that a woman with such virtues, beauty, personality and brains will sit for a long time and yearn for your pathetic ass?"
She was right. But for the next few months, there was little I could do except Skype with Abby and write love letters. My first stop upon returning to the states was Klamath Falls. Not only did Abby welcome me with open arms, she did everything to make me feel like we were a couple again. But there was one big problem. I needed a job and the only West Coast offer I got was from a tech company in Los Angeles. Family was very important to Abby and she wanted to stay close to her family while I needed to be where there were opportunities for my specialty and Klamath Falls is not a place where those skills are needed. Finally, we were both on the same continent, but we lived 700 miles apart. For the next few months, we spent at least one weekend a month together either in Klamath Falls or Los Angeles. In May, we took 2 weeks off from work to hike Joshua Tree, King's Canyon and Death Valley. There was not the slightest doubt that we were suitable for each other and loved each other, but I still found it difficult to decide on marriage. This was most likely due to my lack of self-confidence and other trust issues. Let's face it. My history with women has not inspired confidence. Jenny didn't leave me, but I wasn't enough for her to remain faithful. But Simone, although we were not suitable for each other, still left me and not the other way around. Abby claims she loves me, but not enough to leave her family and join me in California. Abby and I continued to meet whenever possible. I was 100% faithful and had no doubt that she was, too. I didn't give up. I kept looking for a way for us to be together.
Sometimes life throws you curveballs, sometimes it throws you over the head and every now and then you get a serve that's just big and fat going straight to your sweet spot. You can't help but knock it out of the park. That July, I received two fat balls. First, a New York publishing house contacted me and offered me the job of a lifetime. I was chosen to translate Joseph Stalin's personal papers and letters from Russian into English for an upcoming book. Previously, these documents were translated by a Russian, but the publisher realized that much had been erased. I had to do the second translation without bias. The work will take quite a lot of time and the best part is that I can do it from anywhere, even from Klamath Falls. Then, less than a week after signing a contract with the publishing house, the incredible happened. 2 years and 2 months after I moved out of my home in Minnesota, I woke up to someone knocking on my door. I put on my sweatpants and walked to the door, opening it and wondering who could be so rude as to wake me up at 7:00 in the morning. Jenny was standing there.
"Hi, George." This was not the greeting I expected after all this time. I looked down at Jenny's hands to see if she had a weapon, but all she was holding was a Manila envelope.
"Can I come in, George?" I stepped aside and let Jenny into the room.
"Make coffee? It would be nice. I left the hotel this morning without breakfast."
I decided to be kind. "Time softens a broken heart. I'll make scrambled eggs."
"I didn't come for breakfast, George. I came to deliver this." Jenny held out the envelope. "Our divorce was finalized 2 months ago. I thought you should know. I indicated abandonment of the child as the reason."
I quickly looked through the papers. "You could mail them. I have nothing to sign here."
Jenny began to lose her composure. Her voice became louder. "I wanted to give them to you personally. I didn't want to be such a coward like you. I wanted to look into your eyes and I wanted you to know how much I hate you for leaving me like that, without a word, just with a note. And I wanted a wife who doesn't spread her legs for a bunch of [ __ ]" Jenny collapsed on the sofa sobbing. But that didn't stop me from continuing. "You have no idea how my heart broke when I saw you with Hood and the other clowns."
Jenny had the decency to apologize between sobs. "I'm sorry."
"Me, too. I thought we loved each other and were ready to have children. I was ready to start having our children and then that [ __ ] Doris started coming to our house for coffee. She filled my head with all sorts of crap. She said that when you finally understand what you're missing, you'll join their group. This should never have happened. I was actually serious that day when we exchanged our vows. Leave everyone else. And I really meant it all those times when I said that for me, you are the only woman."
Jenny lowered her head looking at the floor. My curiosity got the better of me and I asked, "What happened after I left? Did you stay with the group?"
"No, I never did that again. After I got home and found your note, I probably talked to Doris no more than two or three times and then only when I couldn't avoid her. Besides, your little bomb blew everything up."
Jenny noticed the look in my eyes when she said, "Your little bombshell."
"Oh, George. Don't pretend you weren't the one who posted the videos and photos or sent anonymous letters to half of Minneapolis. Everyone suspected it was you, but no one had proof."
"Have you had it?"
"I didn't think about it at the time. I realized later that I left a picture of you, Kyle and Harry on the dining room table. If anyone saw the photo, they would have proof that I was behind the site. I burned the photograph 10 minutes after I saw it. I was sick of having documentation of my depraved behavior in our home and even if I had not destroyed it, I would never have shared it with others. I couldn't betray you a second time."
"So, what happened?"
"First, Kyle Good lost his John Deere dealership. His contract with Deere included a community standards clause. Who would have thought progressive Minnesotans would be so outraged by Good's parties? When people stopped buying from the store, Deere pulled out leaving Kyle to sell cheap Chinese tractors and other crap. The store went bankrupt. Kyle was deeply in debt and Doris left him for Harry."
"No [ __ ] way." I was pleased with this turn of events, but Jenny wasn't finished yet.
"Kyle blew his brains out, put the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger. And Doris ended up living happily ever after with Kyle's best friend." Jenny shook her head. "No. It turned out that Harry had anger problems and after putting Doris in the hospital, he ended up in prison. And will be there for at least 8 years."
"8 years for hitting a woman? What did he do to her?"
"Oh, there was more than that. When police went to his home, they found him distributing oxycodone. He received a year for beating Doris and 10 for drug distribution charges."
It just kept getting better and better. "I couldn't stop laughing," Jenny continued. "Two other couples have moved. It seems the school board doesn't have much sympathy for elementary school teachers involved in a sex scandal."
"What about you, Jenny?"
"Well, except for the fact that I completely ruined my personal life by pushing away the man I loved, my professional life turned out well. No one thought about the personal life of a clothing salesman. I cut my hair and dyed my hair, and most people didn't even realize it was me in those videos. But some people figured it out, and from time to time I had to deal with the consequences. I worked full-time and attended community college classes in the evenings. I received my AA degree, and now manage a Banana Republic store in St. Louis Park."
"Well done." And I spoke seriously. "As I said, time has softened me." Jenny started crying.
"Do you see us ever getting back together, George?"
"I may have gotten softer, but my brain hasn't turned to cheese. No, I'm sorry, Jenny, but that won't happen. All trust is gone. What ruined it was seeing you with those [ __ ] And you know as well as I do that a marriage without trust is not a happy marriage."
"I knew you would say that, George, but I just had to ask. As soon as I saw your face and heard your voice, I remembered what I had given up. So, I had to try again. Forgive me, George." At these words, Jenny began to sob. Damn, I once loved this woman with all my heart.
That evening, we had dinner with Jenny. During dinner, I just had to ask, "Why, Jenny? I thought we had a good marriage. Why did you let Doris talk you into doing this?"
"George, I've always been such a good girl. I've never done anything even slightly wild. You were the second man in my life. Doris played on my naivety. Convinced that it was only a matter of time before you joined in the fun, she said that no red-blooded man could resist the opportunity to have sex with multiple women. She spoke as if there was something wrong with your libido for resisting, that you are the pervert, not us. This should never have happened, Jenny. The vow to forsake all others meant everything to me."
Jenny nodded as if agreeing with me before finishing her explanation. "Doris gave me the book Because He's Watching by Kristen McCallum. It was about a married couple and how the husband gets aroused by watching his wife have sex with other men. She also told how to find such sites on the internet. The more time I spent reading and watching, the easier it was for Doris and Kyle to convince me to give it a try at the first party. I was the center of attention, the prom queen, and it fed my ego. It wasn't that hard for them to get me to go to the second party where you caught me."
I drove Jenny back to her hotel. I saw that she was waiting for me to ask if I could stay the night, but I stood firm. Yes, I could have slept with her and left, but that would have been wrong for many reasons, not least of which was my commitment to Abby. The next morning, I woke up and looked at the clock. It was only 7:00, and Jenny's plane wouldn't leave until 11:00. I had plenty of time to pick her up and take her to LAX for her flight. Another chance to spend a few hours with the woman I've wanted to love my whole life. Instead, I sat down and drank a cup of coffee. Something haunted me. Something that woke me up at 3:00 in the morning and kept me awake for 2 hours. Now, everything made sense. My last evening with Jenny was like a cleansing of all the bile that had accumulated in my head and heart. My soul has been cleansed. I didn't realize until last night how important it was to close this chapter of my life with Jenny in order to start a new chapter with someone else, with Abby. I showered, packed the car, and locked the apartment. With any luck, I'll make it 700 miles and be in Klamath Falls before Abby finishes her shift tonight.
I called, hoping it wasn't too early to call someone who worked the late shift. She must have seen my name on the screen. Her voice sounded sleepy. "Hi, George."
"Good morning, Abby. Sorry to wake you, but I was wondering if I could pick you up from work tonight."
"Why? Where are you?"
"I'm just leaving Thousand Oaks. I must be with you by 11:00. Something happened?"
"No, I just need to stay with you for a couple of days. If you can give me some time, maybe we could take a little hike and talk."
"Certainly. I'll switch shifts with Janet tomorrow. Are you sure you should drive all day?"
"I'll be fine. I'll see you at 11:00."
I was 200 miles north when I realized that I was going to propose empty-handed. I stopped at Ben's Bridge in Sacramento. I was looking at diamond rings when my gaze moved to a display case with sapphires next to diamonds. One ring caught my eye, and I walked up to it, much to the surprise of the saleswoman.
"Sapphire?"
"Yes, this one. An unconventional ring for an unconventional lady. It's perfect. Please put it in a box. No need to wrap it." The saleswoman smiled. "She'll like it."
"What about the size?"
"Let's hope she says yes, then we won't worry about the size." She placed the ring in a beautiful blue box and swiped the reader on my credit card. "Thank you. Good luck. But I can tell she'd be a fool to say no."
Got back on I-5 and headed north. While I was driving, I called Gina and turned on speakerphone so as not to get a stupid fine today. "Sister, today is the day. I go to Abby with a ring in my pocket and all the hope in the world in my heart."
Gina was practically screaming down the phone. "I'm glad for you, George. Do you think she will say yes?"
Gina laughed. "Ask her the right way, and she will be your bride by the time you get to the do you agree part."
"I wish I had your confidence. Wish me luck, sis."
Gina was almost right. I pulled up to the front door of the pub at 11:05, and Abby walked out to the car. I opened the door, got down on one knee with the box in my hands, but before I could say, "I agree," she was already in my arms and said, "Yes," kissing me on the lips, cheeks, nose, and forehead. Looks like I'm getting married again.
We spent the next 2 days visiting her family, walking in the mountains, and making love. Abby was especially excited when she heard about my new contract. "Seriously, George? Will I marry you and live here?" That's when I realized that Abby had said yes to my marriage proposal without asking about our living arrangements. Now, with my new contract, this was a moot point. We will be able to live and raise our children, and she will have the support of her mother and father. The best of all worlds.
2 days later, I was on the road again. It was time to return to Los Angeles and tell the boss the bad news. When I returned home, there was a note on my door. "George, this morning I had a little time before leaving, and I decided to come to you to once again ask for forgiveness for betraying your trust in me. I don't know if we'll ever have the opportunity to see or talk to each other again, but please understand that I know it was my immature, selfish behavior to listen to Keely and Doris's bad advice is the only reason why today we are not husband and wife, and why will I never have our children, the children we planned and worked for. I will love and miss you always. Also, I understand that you saved me pain with the video. I know that you had to capture me with those other men, and in situations that I will be forever ashamed of. I think you did it to spare my parents, and perhaps spare me. Whatever the reason, I will always be grateful to you for showing me such mercy. You are a good person. Jenny."
That was the last time I ever heard from Jenny. It was October, a wonderful time in the northwest. Abby and I had a small wedding in Klamath Falls. Mom, Dad, Gina, and Dennis came to the wedding. Two of my friends from the army also came. This was the General Baker contingent. On Abby's side, friends from school, college, family, and work colleagues walked down the aisle. We had an open bar, snacks, a live band, and a dance floor. It was a lot of fun. Abby and I stayed until the last guest left. Our honeymoon was something completely unusual for us. Instead of spending a week hiking in the woods or in the desert, we booked a whole week on the beach in the Virgin Islands. Of course, Abby got up every morning to run a few miles on the beach and then swim a couple more miles in the ocean. But every morning, after returning to our cabin and showering, she would drag me back to bed to renew our wedding vows.
Translating Stalin's documents earned me the reputation of being the best translator of Russian literature into English. This way, I was able to earn a good living to support my growing family and work from home. Sometimes I had to travel on business trips to meet with authors or publishers, but this was no more than three or four weeks a year. A year after the birth of our first son, George Adam or GA, Abby's mother died of cancer. She left quickly, too quickly for Abby, but at least she lived to meet her grandson and did not suffer from cancer for long. It seemed like Ross's mom was the glue that held the family together because over the next year Abby's brother and sister-in-law moved to Tucson to be closer to her family. Abby's father said he was tired of the cold and moved to Baja, Mexico near Ensenada. Suddenly our family had no reason to stay in Oregon. Abby brought this up. "I think it would be nice to live closer to your family and Gina. They could have spent more time with GA." We sold our house in Klamath Falls and moved to Naples. Nine months later Gina Abby was born. Mom and Dad couldn't be happier. Me, too. Subscribe to our channel so that your second chaff doesn't cheat on you and go ahead and listen to the next story because this story is nothing compared to the next one. If you're under 18, don't even think about listening to the next one.