This one is about an unusual set of circumstances that allows a husband to see his wife for what she really is.
No sex in this one.
What Are The Odds?
Fuck! Another delay! Am I ever going to get out of this fucking airport? I told Jannie not to book me through Denver. Who the fuck accepts a layover in Denver in January? I mean, it snows here all the time and they do a good job of handling it, but why risk it?
Of course, I knew the answer. A direct flight from San Francisco was an extra $90.00 and this flight was $17.00 cheaper than flying through Dallas, so of course, the fucking bean counters insisted she book me on this flight. Cheap bastards!
I finished my work a day early and thought I’d get out ahead of the storm, but now I have another three hours to kill while they work to remove the newly fallen 8 inches of snow, one runway at a time. Christ, I hate this job! Actually, that’s not true. I love my job, but the travel has become a real pain in the ass. The same is true for my wife, Cindy Miller. I think she now travels more than I do.
Contrary to the doom-and-gloom news reports and political lies, the economy is booming, at least for our employers. Between our two schedules, I think we are only home together about two weeks per month. We’re making killer money, but it has put a strain on our marriage.
I was looking forward to getting home because Cindy was due home tonight as well. Now I’m stuck here, hoping the ground crews win their war with today’s snowstorm. I take a deep breath, okay, time to stop feeling sorry for myself. Well, at least they have a couple of nice bars at this airport so I can grab a bite and have a beer while I wait.
I spotted a place and headed in. I found a table off to one side and took a seat. The waitress was quick and I ordered a Ruben and a draft IPA. When she walked away I took out my phone and texted Cindy.
Mike- Hey babe, the weather here looks bad. Hope it doesn’t cause you problems, fingers crossed.
Cindy- Our flight’s been delayed, we may need to book a room if the next flight is canceled.
Mike- Damn, hope not! I’m sure you want to get home. I miss you.
Cindy- Miss you too, text you later.
Great, now we might both be stuck in airports and not get home tonight. Well, at least Cindy is traveling with Shelly and Steven Smith so she’s not alone. Shelly and Steven are the husband and wife team who own her company. Shelly told me they were going with her to open a new office in Seattle. Cindy had done all the groundwork to get it staffed and they came with her on this trip to attend the grand opening ceremonies.
Cindy has worked for the Smiths for two years and has done well. I really like Shelly, she is very smart and down to earth. Steven, on the other hand, is a pretty boy, and an obnoxious bullshitter with a roving eye. I disliked him the moment I met him. Cindy says he’s harmless, but I told her to keep her guard up around him.
The waitress brought my sandwich and it looked good. I had just shaken out my napkin to place on my lap when I heard a laugh from across the room. What the fuck? I leaned to my right to see around a pillar and I saw her profile.
WOW! What are the odds Cindy and I would be stuck in the same airport, at the same time, and pick the same restaurant for a meal? Holy shit, this is great! I stood and started to step around the potted plant next to the pillar just as my wife leaned across her booth seat to kiss Steven on the lips.
I froze. My brain froze, it simply could not compute what my eyes had just witnessed. I blinked trying to refocus on the scene in front of me. The couple ended their kiss as Cindy used a delicate finger to stoke his face as they broke apart.
Steven had his left arm across the back of the low booth. He slipped that arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for another kiss. I watched as she scooted closer to him while they kissed. The kiss ended and he whispered something in her ear causing her to laugh again.
I pulled back to be hidden by the pillar and sat down in my seat stunned by what I’d seen. I was about to get up and storm over to them when the PA system announced the ground crews had successfully cleared the runway and everyone should recheck previously canceled flights.
Checking my phone, I saw my flight was now scheduled to board in 50 minutes. Then my phone vibrated with an incoming call from Cindy. I leaned around the pillar to see her holding the phone to her ear and letting Steven listen in to her call.
“Yes!” I snapped.
“Hi Mike, bad news, we’re snowed in and all outgoing flights are canceled. We’ve decided to just grab a room and spend the night.
“Oh? That’s awful! Where are you guys?”
“Denver, we’re caught in a snowstorm and the ground crews are overwhelmed. I hope they have it sorted out by morning.”
I stepped a little farther around the pillar and potted plant. I could clearly see the smiles on their faces. It appeared Steven had a hand at least partway up her skirt.
“Well, I guess you better get a room before the management throws you out.”
“Yeah, I think the hotels will all fill … What did you say?”
“I said, your public display has not gone unnoticed and management may ask you two to leave.”
She sat up straight and quickly looked around, but didn’t see me. “What, what, are you talking about? What display?”
“Well, If Steven gets his hand any farther up your skirt, you guys might get thrown out!”
Steven jerked his hand up and slid away from Cindy as he looked around. She twisted in her seat and looked up at the ceiling. I guessed she was looking for cameras.
“Michael! What the hell are you saying?”
As I stepped toward them I scooped up a pitcher of water from a table. I stepped up to the side of their booth and dumped the water on both of them.
“There! That may cool you two off enough to avoid any additional public displays!”
Steven sputtered as the water soaked his shirt and pants. Cindy screamed as the cold water ran down her partially open blouse and soaked her skirt.
“Michael! What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here? You mean besides finding out my wife is having an affair with her boss?”
Steven found his tongue, “Michael it is not how it may look, I can assure you.”
“Save it, Fuckface, I’m sure Shelly will be very interested in the video I shot of you two.”
I could see the sudden panic in Cindy’s eyes. “No Mike, please honey, this was all a mistake. Please don’t say anything to Shelly, it’s just a misunderstanding.”
I laughed, “Yeah, I’m sure it was just a mistake that Fuckface here had his hand up your skirt and you had your tongue down his throat. And I’m sure I am completely misunderstanding what those actions mean. — Give me a break!”
I turned to head back to my table to grab my bag.
“Where are you going? Come back! We have to talk.”
I spun around. “Way too late for talking now, Slut! I’m headed home, I’ll have your shit in your parents’ driveway before you get home tomorrow.”
I then turned back to my table, handed a fifty to the stunned waitress who had witnessed the entire event, and said, “Keep the change.”
I snatched up my bag and sped down the walkway towards my gate. I heard Cindy calling out to me as she tried to catch up with me. When I got to the gate she grabbed my arm and spun me around.
I screeched like a little girl then yelled “SECURITY!”
“You have to let me explain! It was not …”
“HELP ME! SECURITY!”
A burly guard ran up to us. “What’s going on here?”
“This crazy woman is grabbing at me and blabbering on about something.” I looked her up and down. “My god! I think she peed herself! Do something, Officer!”
Cindy tried to speak but the guard cut her off. “You need to calm down, Miss.”
I leaned in, “Officer, just keep her away from me, I’m getting on my flight now!”
As I rushed away I could hear Cindy yelling at him as the officer said, “You’ll need to come with me, Miss.”
When I got home, Bill and Kathleen, Cindy’s parents were there waiting for me.
“Michael, What in the world is going on? Cindy said you nearly got her arrested over some silly misunderstanding.”
I popped my trunk and retrieved my bag. I wheeled it to the door. “Come inside and I’ll explain.” I directed them to my kitchen table. “Please have a seat.”
I went to my liquor cabinet and poured myself a small bourbon. I waved the bottle at Bill and he shook his head. I carried my drink back to the table and sat down. This was not going to be easy. I really liked Bill and Kathleen, they did not deserve what was about to happen.
“Okay Son, tell us what happened,” Bill said.
“Mom, Dad, I’m sorry but I’m divorcing Cindy. (Kathleen gasped) She has been cheating on me with her boss and I just can not live with that.”
“Now hold on there, Son. Cindy said you saw her sitting with her boss while they had dinner and thought something was going on. I know he is a married man, so I’m sure you were mistaken.”
I looked at the two kind souls seated at my table. These are good people, they would never believe their daughter was a cheater and it was tearing me up to know I was about to break their hearts.
“I’m sorry, I know what I saw and I am definitely NOT misunderstanding what I saw.”
Kathleen put a gentle hand on my forearm. “Michael, dear, I’m sure what you think you saw must have upset you, but you know Cindy loves you and would never do what you think she did.”
I hung my head, Damn that slut! Why did she have to make me do this to these fine folks? I sighed deeply and looked Bill in the eye. “I have a video.”
Bill’s brow furrowed as he tilted his head, “Video?”
“Yes, I shot it on my phone when I saw them together. I, I really don’t want to show it to you, but it’s all the proof I need.”
Bill looked at Kathleen and then back to me. “Michael, I think you better show us what you saw.”
I explained how I’d recognized her laugh and how I had to lean around a pillar to see them. “When I saw her kiss him, (Kathleen gasped) I was stunned and sat back down. Once my brain kicked back in, I pulled out my phone and started recording them. This is what I saw.”
I set the phone down so they could both see it and then hit play. A few seconds into it Kathleen cried out. “Oh my Lord!”
When the video stopped Bill said, “Can I get that drink now?” Kathleen said, “Me too.”
After we had our drinks, Kathleen hugged me. “Michael, is there any chance you can get past this? I know she loves you and you love her. Please, Son, is there any chance?”
I hugged her and nearly let a tear escape as she sobbed on my shoulder, “Sorry, Mom.” They both hugged me before they drove off with a few bags of Cindy’s belongings. I sat on my deck and thought about what I wanted to do.
What I had seen and what the Video captured would not be very damning if viewed by a lawyer or maybe even a marriage counselor bent on reconciliation. It showed two people kissing, but not making out like people about to fuck. It showed her boss with his hand up her skirt, but she could claim he was stroking her inner thigh and not touching anything else. And that might even be true. It would also show she had a couple of buttons undone to flash some cleavage, but you could see that on a woman walking through the grocery store. So no hard evidence of adultery.
What I saw, and what her parents saw, was the casual way they kissed and touched each other. It was intimate, the way lovers touch each other. They were completely comfortable inside each other’s personal space the way a couple is.
It is subtle but visible. A wife can come up to her husband and softly hug his arm, maybe stroke his back and the man, being a man, may not even be aware she’s done it. Now put his young secretary into the same situation and you can be DAMN SURE he would notice what she’d done.
If you look closely you can see the familiarity that is shared by a couple who are used to touching, kissing, making love, and sharing their bodies. It takes time to develop that closeness and it is not seen in casual friends. What I saw was the open, easy, affection that a couple shares and not two people just beginning to explore each other for the first time.
So was I wrong to react the way I did? I don’t think so, I know I can’t remain married to a woman I do not trust. In my heart, I know what I saw (her parents saw it too) and it is the end of my marriage. I had her served three days later.
End
Epilogue,
I gave the video to Shelly and she forced Steven into counseling and a vicious post-nuptial that would leave him with nothing if she caught him fooling around. Cindy continued to deny she was unfaithful until Steven revealed the truth in a counseling session with Shelly.
I guess I should have felt vindicated, knowing my instincts had been correct that day when we just happened to be at the same place at the same time. What are the odds of that? I mean, it was almost as if the universe wanted me to see her for what she was and not as the perfect wife I had believed her to be.
It is said that love is blind, I’m just glad my vision was clear on that extraordinary day in the Denver airport.
