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A Small Indiscretion Ch. 01

By: alex_lover



(Many thanks to Greowulf for his wonderful editing)



"Cheers!"

"Way to go!"

The four men held up their glasses in celebration.

"To Orbit Mall ... and beyond," said Dave.

The other three nodded in agreement. They knew what he meant.

There was silence for some moments as the group sipped their drinks, the memories of the last few hours no doubt running fresh in their minds.

Dave Harding looked at his team members over his glass. Alistair McCain was on his right. He was their construction supervisor and a key person on their team. Tall and lanky, he always had a smile on his face, always cheering up others. He was Scotty to all those who knew him well. True to his nature, he was enthralling others with some new titbit he had just learned. 

To Dave's left was Ron Ferguson, the team's commercial man in charge of all purchases. Unlike Scotty, he was more the reserved type. When it came to meeting tight deadlines, though, he was second to none. Right now he was silently listening to Scotty with an amused twinkle in his eyes.

Well, if one has the likes of Scotty as a team member, it helps to have a couple like Ron to appreciate his sense of humour, reasoned Dave.  

He looked across to his third member, Fred Smith. He was the finance man. It was his responsibility to ensure that funds essential to the smooth functioning of the project was disbursed on time by their corporate head office. It was also his responsibility to track and return details of the expenses incurred to the head office, along with an analysis of the budget and projected fund requirements for the week ahead.

Dave Harding, himself, was their Team Leader. A civil engineer by profession, he had been with the company for almost five years. 

The Orbit Mall was his first independent assignment as a Team Leader. The management at SeaTech Builders had noted his dedication and sincerity as he executed all assignments handed over to him with alacrity, always within the timeline allotted. The construction of the Orbit Mall was his first solo assignment, completely entrusted to him and his team.

Orbit Mall was a City Council project. There had been other competitors in the fray for the project. It had been a closely fought affair, not that the winner stood to gain anything substantial in terms of hard money. The profits would be nominal. But then, everybody knew that if the winners completed the mall to the satisfaction of the City Council, they stood a very good chance of being awarded the Wilbur Smith Housing Project. Now that was big bucks. Part of the ramshackle downtown area was being converted into a swanky new residential township complete with a swimming pool, Children Park and a recreational club.

In other words, the Orbit Mall project was a dry run of sorts for short listing the contenders for the Wilbur Smith Housing Project.

And his company had selected him to be the Team Leader for completing the assignment. 

"Definitely a feather in my cap," thought Dave with a smile.

The meeting at City Hall had gone swimmingly. They had submitted their completion report for Phase 2 of the work, the representatives had listened raptly to him during the Power Point presentation, and even stayed awake while Ron explained the financial outlay incurred to date along with the projections. They of course had their queries and even expressed some reservations, but Dave had been able to satisfy them.

Yet he was worried. He didn't blame them for the reservations expressed; there had been some mishaps, injuries to workers, but luckily nothing fatal. He had been able to convince them that, for a project of the mall's size, such occurrences were almost negligible.

He would have to beef up the safety and security measures, though. Phase 3 was the most critical one. The escalators would be installed as well as all the electrical wiring. The architects would also be visiting to review the work and evaluate necessary design changes. In short he would be co coordinating with different teams of professionals all at one go.

Dave picked up his mobile and punched his wife's number. No celebration could be complete without Sherry.

Dave closed his eyes while he waited for Sherry to answer her mobile. He sighed contently as her face flashed across his mind. He envisioned her heart shaped face with that ever-endearing smile, looking at her cell's flashing screen through those mesmerising blue eyes. In his mind, his eyes slowly travelled down from her generous lips to her 36C, still-firm breasts with those proud, ruby-red nipples, and then on to her flat tummy, then further down to those wide, flaring hips, fleshy creamy thighs and lovely long legs that are smooth as silk. At 5'8'' Sherry, with her shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes complemented well with her husband's 6'', 200 pound strong muscular frame. He liked to keep in shape, though the current project had forced him to skip his daily routines. He could feel a little flab building along his sides ... nothing that he couldn't burn away once he was finished with Phase 3. He smiled. With his dark hair and eyes supplemented by a luxuriant moustache, broad shoulders and an easy going but confident demeanour he never failed to get that deep look and a sigh from the fairer sex at his office, single or otherwise.

But he was thoroughly domesticated and the father of a five year old boy, aptly named Dave Jr or DJ, and he loved every moment of it.

His reverie was broken by the sweet, melodious voice of his wife.

"Hi honey, how did it go?" asked Sherry with a tinge of worry in her voice.

"Great! Just great. The presentation went off smoothly. The City Council people were impressed with our timeline achievements."

"Fantastic," replied Sherry, relief evident in her tone. "But you must take care of those frequently occurring mishaps at the site. If it were to reach the press then it could cause a lot of embarrassment. After all, it's a City Council project and you know how touchy the politicians are about their goody-goody image."

"Yeah, I know. I'll have to work on that," replied Dave. She would know, he thought, After all she is a sub-editor with the local daily paper.

"So when do we celebrate?" asked Sherry with a giggle.

"Will be touching home by midday and then ...," replied Dave in a low, conspiratorial tone.

"I'll have the bath tub filled up and ready and umm ... would you like a landing strip or go for a smooth landing?" replied back his wife in a husky voice. He could tell she was getting turned on. "Nothing but the very best for my man," she continued.

Dave could feel the tent forming in his trousers. 

Before he could reply his wife continued, "DJ wants to congratulate his father."

The next few moments were filled with the sound of his baby's squeals of delight as he joyfully clapped his hands and ran behind his battery operated toy plane.

His heart missed a beat on hearing his son's voice. He missed his family, his home. 

* * * * * * 

He called for a refill. There were some couples dancing on the floor. The music was soft and soothing. It made him relax. Scotty and Ron had moved over to the bar where Scotty had managed to gather some of the more curious onlookers to hear his fables. He could see Fred moving across the dance floor with a pretty blonde. He was good on the floor.

Sherry loved dancing. He wished she was here with him. He missed her.

The Harding and O'Brien families had been next door neighbours in Bellevue. Both their fathers were engineers while their mums were in the education line. Given the common background, both the families had always been close to each other. He, his elder sister Julie, and Sherry and her brother Mike had grown up together.

Sherry had always called her own mother as "Mother" while his mother had always been addressed as "Ma," as addressed by Dave and Julie. Likewise Dave had always addressed Sherry's mother as "Mother." 

She was younger to him by two years but definitely his best friend.

And as childhood gave way to youth, the two had also discovered together all about the birds and bees. Sherry had a friendly, talkative nature right from childhood, although the Irish blood running in her veins could also make her stubborn at times. She would always make a determined effort to get what she wanted ... like losing her cherry on her own bed.

Dave smiled at the childhood memory. He had had to jump out of her bedroom window as Mother O'Brien had returned home early that day. He looked down at his right elbow. The scars were faintly visible. 

Sherry had been adamant. It had to be on the first day of her safe days. It was only later that he realised that what she really looked forward was a romp on all the five safe days ... yeah, according to the girlie grapevine it could be only five days—the rest of the days he would have to be content with some terrific oral ministrations, and nothing more. Yup, that was his Sherry O'Brien.

Luckily the law of the land never caught up with us, thought Dave with a chuckle.

It had always been the two of them. They had done it in just about every possible position and read all that there was in the Kama Sutra together. Surprisingly she had never gone out with another boy and neither had he thought of chasing another girl. 

He had heard from one of his friends that she had gone ballistic when one of her friends had expressed her interest in him. He had never asked her, her Irish blood making him hesitate on that count, and she had never confided in him either.

Mother O'Brien and Ma Harding had looked on encouragingly on the blossoming love. Nothing had escaped their notice. The two families had always been close and they hoped it could go on to something beyond. Nothing could be more perfect than a family alliance.

After High School, he had moved on to Seattle to do his graduate studies in Civil Engineering. His sister was already there completing her graduate degree in Paediatric Dentistry. 

The O'Brien and Harding families were mildly surprised but nevertheless pleased to note that the young Sherry was now becoming serious about her own career, as she would often travel back to Seattle with Julie to get a feel of the courses being offered. 

Those days would turn out to be his most hectic ones as he would have to juggle his time between a demanding Sherry and his almost as demanding coursework, not to mention the part time job. The "safe days" now no longer mattered as he made it a point to keep a stock of Trojans ready for use. And yes, he did give her the information she wanted on the variety of courses being offered. He did the leg work as Sherry very rarely left Julie's pad. Thank God for Julie ... she never spilled the beans on them, though in hindsight and with the maturity that comes in growing up to be a responsible husband and father, he wondered if Mother O'Brien and Ma Harding had really been that oblivious.

A year later she joined him in Seattle. She had enrolled in the course for journalism. 

Anyway that was his Sherry Harding née O'Brien.

"Mr Dave Harding?"

Dave snapped out of reverie and looked up to see a smartly dressed woman standing next to his table. Her dress showed just the right amount of cleavage without being vulgar and stopped a few inches above her knees.

"Yeah, that's me," he replied casually as he perfunctorily checked out the tall, blue-eyed blond. 

"I'm Susan Gilmour," she replied brightly and extended her hand.

Oh heck, where are my manners, thought Dave. The drinks were depleting his capacity to think clearly. He got up hurriedly and offered her a chair.

Susan sat down with a grateful look on her face.

"I don't think we have met before ..." continued Dave as he tried his very best to recollect having met her before.

"It's really nice to meet you. Let me tell you, you guys are doing a swell job at the Orbit Mall. Oh, I'm sorry, I work in a real estate firm and we have been hearing a lot about how the project is coming up. Everyone seems to be naming you as the reason for the success."

"Team work, it's all about team work," replied Dave, pleased with the compliments coming his way.

"Oh, you are being too modest," she gushed, leaning forward just that little bit as she said so.

Dave could see that she had decided to go without her bra for the evening. The swell of her ample breasts mesmerised him.

"You must have heard about the Lockbourne project. What a mess that was!" she continued as she sipped her drink.

Dave nodded. Everybody had heard about the delays, the slipped deadlines and shoddy construction. In fact he had carefully gone through the reports of that project before taking up his current assignment. He had no intention of repeating the mistakes made there.

They continued discussing more works and the construction industry in general.

Dave began to slowly open up to the woman sitting in front of him. She was quite knowledgeable, and well informed about the latest happenings. He found himself giving his opinion on the future prospects of the business, the threat of international firms coming into their line of work, and yes she had a wonderful pair of boobs. Time and again he would find himself staring down the front of her dress.

A pretty lady, said Dave to himself as he put down his empty glass.

"You married?" asked Susan, looking down at his wedding ring. It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yup, thoroughly domesticated" he replied with a smile.

They were soon talking about family matters, the problems faced in juggling time between family and job.

Dave felt completely at ease in the company of his admirer. They continued chatting on child upbringing and other trivia matters as the drinks flowed. 

He felt light headed. 

"Hey you didn't ask me for a dance," said Susan in a mock hurt tone, with a twinkle in her eyes.

"My apologies," replied Dave as he carefully got up from his chair. The drinks were making him feel funny.

"Accepted," replied Susan with a laugh and extended her hand towards him. 

Susan placed her hand on his shoulder as Dave expertly guided her across the floor in tune to the slow number being played.

"Umm ... so you are good dancer too, what else are you good at?" she asked mischievously as he led her firmly by her waist and twirled her around the floor.

She stepped closer to him as they came face to face. 

Dave stared down her front, the delicious twin globes were on full display. Susan made no attempt to adjust her stance. He could clearly see her taut tits. Instead she moved closer to rest her head on his broad chest, her hand moving behind to rest firmly on his back.

They were dancing very close to each other. It was getting late and there were not many other couples on the floor. The two had the dance floor more or less to themselves.

She pressed closer, melting into his arms, breasts touching his chest, his hardness rubbing against her belly.

"Ummm ... I'm flattered, the Dave Harding of Orbit Mall fame finds me attractive," she murmured. By now she had both her hands clasped behind his neck, sending a strong and clear signal to Dave.

Dave had his eyes shut. He inhaled the intoxicating scent of his partner on the floor. Oh, she was so soft and warm, so bubbly, so lively ... he just couldn't wait to step into the bath tub. He pressed his face into her hair.

They were now motionless.

"It's getting late Dave. How about escorting me to my room? I don't think I will be able to find it all by myself," she slurred.

The two moved towards the foyer, leaning heavily against each other.

Dave turned the key and the two lurched inside in a drunken stagger.

"That was a fantastic evening," said Susan as the two sat on the bedside.

"You are wonderful company," replied Dave.

"Ooh thank you," said Susan. She came close and pressed her lips on his. Their mouth parted and the kiss turned into a slow, wet and steamy affair.

"How about a night cap?" asked Susan with a smile.

"Huh, I don't know ... I think we have had one too many already," replied Dave hesitantly.

"Oh pretty please, your flight is at midday, so what's the harm?" she asked with a pout.

"Guess one more will not really not make much of a difference. Besides, my room is on the same floor, so I suppose I will just about make it there," he replied thoughtfully.

"Yippee!" exclaimed Susan with clap of her hands.

"You order the drinks and I will freshen up and join you," she replied and moved towards the bathroom.

The room service soon had their drinks delivered.

Dave settled on the couch, waiting for Susan to return. He heard the shower stop and shortly thereafter Susan walked in.

His eyes opened in surprise. She was wearing the briefest of negligees. It was made of a sheer fabric and hid practically nothing. His eyes travelled from her plump breasts down to her thighs. He could make out the dark patch of neatly trimmed pubic hair. Her breasts flounced about in their very own movement, the taut nipples straining against the soft fabric.

She sat in the middle of the bed, her legs straight out, the negligee riding up to 

over mid thigh.

"Come sit beside me," she chirped in a happy tone.

Dave hesitated.

"Aw," she looked down at herself and then back again to Dave. "Nothing you 

have not already seen or felt," she said impishly.

"And pull back the curtains and switch off the lights. The night view is beautiful."

The two sat on close to each other, admiring the night skyline.

He felt her soft body upon his. His arms reached out to clasp her. The two kissed 

each other hungrily. 

It was a full moon. The moon light lit coming through the window lit up the two sweating bodies as they coupled with an animal lust. 

The woman wailed as her partner drove inside her with powerful thrusts, bolts of electricity shooting through her body. Her screams turned to a whimper as the man rammed inside her hot, welcoming pussy one final time and then slowly collapsed on her.

Dave pushed his head into the pillow, but the dull pain in his head refused to subside. Once again he had downed one too many pegs. He thought of Scotty. Dave never remembered Scotty complaining about any hangovers, and he would even touch the construction site on time the next morning after a night of heavy drinking.

He sat up rubbing his eyes, trying to adjust to the morning sunshine.

He saw her sitting on the couch, looking steadily and silently at him.

For a moment, there was a look of confusion on his face and then realisation set in.

He looked down at his nude body and then to the rumpled and soiled bed sheets. They told their own story.

"Sarah ... huh," he said with a look of alarm on his face, desperately trying to recollect the name of the lady he had slept with.

"Susan, it's Susan," she said with a sob. "Dave, I ... I think we made a mistake," she continued as she crossed and uncrossed her legs. 

"I suppose the night cap did not turn out to be a good idea after all. I mean it was a wonderful dinner but ... but I'm married, and so are you," she finished with a whisper, tears running down her cheek.

"I couldn't agree with you more," replied Dave morosely. 

He felt guilty for taking things that far the previous night. He looked at her. She was wearing a tight pair of faded jeans and a blouse. Obviously she had woken up much before him and had refreshed while he continued to sleep.

"The evening was great, and you are a wonderful person," continued Dave, "and I should have stayed within my limits. Blaming it on the drinks is not going to change the matters. We did spend the night together," he continued.

"You ... you were nice . . . No, I will be honest, you are terrific," replied Susan with a wane smile. 

Dave looked at her. Her frank reply and the odd look in her eyes which he could not fathom made him feel disconcerted.


A Small Indiscretion Ch. 01



"Your wife's a lucky gal," she continued with that look, "in fact, had I been single and you available, I would have been after you till you took me to bed anyway," she continued wiping the tears running down her cheeks. 

Dave felt like shit. He should have said good night at her door. He had been so dumb. And what about Sherry? What will she have to say? He loved her dearly. She would be hurt, very hurt. And then there was Susan's husband—quite a complicated mess.

"Dave ... I ... I have been thinking. I think it would be better for all of us if we came clean with our spouses. I mean, I don't think I can carry around this guilt inside me without fucking up my life. A confession will be the best way to close the matter. I'm sure ... at least I'm hopeful that our spouse's will understand and look upon it as a little indiscretion and nothing else," she finished with a sob.

"You think your husband will forgive you?"

"Well, we aren't planning to run away together are we? We are adults and something happened which really should not have occurred. After all, we are all humans."

Dave sat thoughtfully with a towel wrapped around his mid riff. He felt his cock twitch as he caught her looking at him with that same funny look in her eyes. 

Yes, they were all adults and there was nothing forced. It had been consensual. He had been under a lot of stress during the past one week as they had been not only supervising the work at the site but also preparing their presentation for the City Council. The meeting had been a success and that had been a real high, and then the celebrations.

But how the heck did he end up in the bed with Susan? His memory was all blurred. He could just about recollect making it to her room from the elevator. Anyway they had fucked and spent the night together.

Will Sherry also think along the lines reasoned by Susan? This would be making Susan the second woman with whom he had slept. It had been Sherry all along. He had never had the desire to chase another skirt. Their growing up together had been so natural.

He was still not sure whether to go along with her idea. What if Sherry did not...? 

Gut instinct told him that it would be better to stay silent on this indiscretion. After all, many affairs were said to have lasted for some months before the couple called an end to it without the other spouse getting a wind of it. 

And this had been just a one night stand. He did not have a desire to have an affair with Susan. She was attractive but then he could say the same for many other women in his office.

Hell, it was getting complicated.

"Dave, I gotta rush," she said as she got up. She walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder and stood looking at him with that look in her eyes.

"You're a good guy ... and terrific too," she said meaningfully, "but now we must get back to our lives and make amends."

She leaned closer and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Now go to your room before I call for the bell boy," she said with a quiver in her voice.

Dave took a deep breath. Her fragrance was intoxicating. Hell man, she was sexy. He quickly put on his clothes and with a final glance towards her, he walked out of the room.

Susan stood watching silently.

* * *

Dave remained in a serious mood on the flight back home. He should have been happy just like Scotty and the other guys. But his one indiscreet act seemed to have poured a bucket of cold water over his celebrations. 

Scotty noticed his reticent mood as he drove him to his house.

"What's up Chief?" 

Dave just shook his head.

"Hey we will take care of those mishaps. You did a swell job in convincing the City Council representatives and we won't let you down."

"Yeah, I know I can count on you guys," he replied in a gruff voice as the car came to a stop at his house.

He saw her standing by the door as he got down from the car. Oh, she looked so cute, so damn sexy in those denim shorts and short t shirt coming upto her mid riff. Her hair was bunched up and tied with a bright scarf. She had a twinkle in her eyes as she stood waiting for him to walk up to her, the dimples in her cheeks deepening as her lips parted in a welcoming smile. 

A lump began to form in his throat. 

Sherry looked fondly at the big, gentle giant with broad, square shoulders, lean hips and muscular body slowly making his way towards her.

"Welcome back, honey," said Sherry as she wrapped her arms around her husband. Dave held her close, feeling the warmth of her soft body against his.

"Mmm ..." sighed Sherry as she ran her hands over her husband's broad back. The mere feel of her man, his manly odour was getting her all worked up. Her nipples were already taut with excitement. He could get incredibly passionate during love making. 

The all too familiar feeling gradually began taking hold of her body. The dildo had not been much of a help, especially when a girl knows she has a hunk that is well built in all the right places and also knows how to use it.

Sherry stood on her toes and pressed her soft, generous lips on his, savouring the touch of her husband's lips. She was now breathing faster, heart beat increasing by the seconds.

Reluctantly she pulled away from him and led him to the kitchen.

"Let's share some hot coffee and some cookies I have baked especially for you," she said in an excited voice. "And I have already placed the bottle of white wine next to the bath tub," she continued with a giggle. 

"So you guys are all set for Phase 3 now?" asked Sherry as they sipped their coffee.

Dave nodded and began to tell her in detail how the meeting had worked out. He kept looking at his coffee mug most of the time. He really couldn't bear to look at his wife in her eyes.

The change in his attitude did not escape Sherry's notice. 

"You seem to be in a serious mood. Anything troubling you?"

The dreaded moment had finally come. He could lie to her; say something about being stressed out or thing like that. No, better be a man and own up to the mistake.

He cleared his throat and then looked at her.

"Sherry, I have something to tell you, something that happened the other night after we had our talk on the mobile."

Taking a deep breath, he began speaking. He did not go into details about what they did in bed, but other than that he did not hold back anything.

He watched in despair as his wife's face lost all its colour. Her head went down as he continued to narrate the incidence.

Then there was nothing more to tell. They sat silently. 

Dave looked at his wife. Sherry eyes were wet. She was trying her very best to hold back her tears.

"You mean to say that it just happened between the two of you?"

Dave nodded his head.

"C'mon Dave, you'll have to do better than that. Should I then assume that this is what you have been doing at all your out of town seminars? You dine and dance with a pretty face and then spend the night at her room? Is that what you have been doing all these years?" she asked in a dull tone.

Her remarks stung him as though he had been slapped.

"Sherry this has never happened before," he replied hoarsely, "and will never happen again."

"Oh I see ... you come home and tell me that you fucked a strange woman after speaking to me over the mobile and that this will not happen again ... and, and what do you suppose I should say? Oh really? ... and it won't happen again ... whoopee, let's go out and celebrate?" she responded with an edge to her voice.

"Tell me Dave ... tell me!" shouted Sherry. She was trembling all over.

"Sherry, it was a bloody fiasco. I was drunk and I had just spoken to you and I guess I was kinda lonely and ..."

"But how do you explain going into her hotel room? What were you planning to do in there? Playing tiddlywinks? Definitely not drunk enough to misunderstand that you were entering a woman's room." The last statement dripped with so much sarcasm that Dave could almost see it floating across the room at him.

"Look here Sherry we had had a perfectly normal evening and ..."

"Dave!" she interjected in a distantly cold voice, "that was my place with you that you traded with for your supposedly first time fling. That was my rightful position as your partner ... which, Mr Dave Harding, has a certain degree of sanctity attached to it. Marriage calls for obligations and responsibilities from both the partners, something that just cannot be washed down and done away with through a couple of drinks."

"I realise that Sherry and that's why I am speaking about my ... huh, shortcomings with you. I could have remained silent but that would not have absolved me. I have done something which I shouldn't have even dreamt about and I feel I should share it with you."

Sherry didn't reply. She continued to stare at the wall in front of her, her lips pressed together into a thin line, arms folded across her breasts.

"I'm not going to ask you about ... about that woman ... Susan or whatever her name is. I couldn't care less about her. It could have been a Mary or Cyndi or whatever. It's you that matters," she finally spoke through gritted teeth.

Just then his mobile buzzed.

It was Susan!

He glanced at Sherry who was watching him closely.

"It's her," he said. Yeah, he had almost forgotten that she had said she would like to explain to Sherry that it was an accident, that nothing was planned.

"Hi, Dave," said the voice at the other end.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

"Look can I have a word with Sherry ... I ... I feel guilty as hell and I want to get this load off me as early as possible."

He looked across to his wife. "She wants to talk to you."

Sherry had gone all rigid. She took the cell from his hand.

"Sherry?"

"You had something to say to me?" replied Sherry in a terse voice. Dave could see she was breathing irregularly.

"Look, I suppose Dave has already told you all about us, well I just wanted to say that it was all a big mistake. I am not ... I mean it's not that I am on a prowl to hook on to somebody. We just met, had dinner and ... uh, things got carried away. I feel guilty as hell."

Sherry was seething with rage. The bloody bitch ... she has the nerve to call me up and apologise! 

"You do this often? Calling up the spouse after having a one night stand with some dumb fella?"

Dave winced. Things were going downhill fast.

"Oh Sherry," gasped Susan, "Please don't say that, I am a married woman." 

"And your husband has forgiven you?"

"I told Phil all about it. Perhaps we may have to sit together again," replied Susan in a hushed tone.

"Goodbye Susan," replied Sherry in a flat tone and disconnected the call.

She turned her steely gaze towards her husband.

"Did you have any protection?"

Dave shook his head.

"What the shit," hissed Sherry, "Seems you were thinking through your little head around her!" she all but screamed at him.

"I will have myself checked out ... now," said Dave as he made to get up.

"You do that Dave ... and Dave, I think it would be better if you looked up an apartment."

It was now Dave's turn to be shocked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he retorted.

"Just what you heard. I'm a mess, my minds a mess ... hell our marriage ... I don't know where it is heading."

"Sherry, one small indiscretion can't put to an end what we have going for us."

"Small ... indiscretion?" she repeated with an emphasis on each word, "Dave, when I married you, I expected my husband to shoulder his responsibilities like a man and not behave like a dick head," she finished with a look of contempt in her eyes.

"I think this time round you bedded a woman who felt guilty about it. I'm sure it must have been her idea to call me up and apologise or else you would have never got around to telling me," she added, the steely edge again coming back in her voice.

"In other words you think I have been fucking around behind your back?"

"It's time to wake up DJ," she said and walked out of the kitchen.

Dave finished his coffee and made his way to their bedroom. He glanced at DJ's room. The door was shut. No doubt it was locked too.

He called up his office to inform that he would not be coming in after lunch.

"You sound pretty low down. Are you okay," asked Cyndi his secretary. Yeah, she would catch on. She had been with him for some years now. Cyndi was an intelligent girl, and beautiful too ... one of those beauty with brains types.

"Nothing that I hope will not clear up in the future," he replied despondently. No use lying to a beauty with brains. She was an efficient gal and took pride in keeping all work and correspondence up to date. She had come from a different industry, but she took a deep dive into her workload right from day one. She understood the type of responsibilities he handled, the networking she would have to do with other departments, and also the senior hierarchy. 

Once he was satisfied that she had a grip on things, he had even given her his official password so that she could make the necessary correspondence on his behalf while he was busy at some construction site. 

"You mean something between you and Sherry?"

"Kinda," he replied gruffly.

"Oh," she replied and put down the phone.

She wouldn't gossip, he knew that. He glanced again at his kid's room on the way out to see the doctor. 

It was shut.

He shook his head and made his way to the garage.

To Be Continued ...

ALEX_LOVER

Dear readers, please do not forget to vote.



A Small Indiscretion Ch. 02



Many thanks to Greowulf for his wonderful editing.

*****

Sherry watched her husband drive out. Tears streaked down her cheeks. She had never thought that she would have to hear something like this in more than a million years. When Dave broke the news to her, it was as though the earth had split under her feet and tried to swallow her whole. Somehow she had managed to hold back her tears in front of him... only just. And that hussy had the guts to call her up!

Why... and for how long? 

Sherry closed her eyes, her mind recalling memories of the distant past.

They had grown up together. They had played together in childhood, she, her brother, Dave and his elder sister, Julie. They had always been so close—even their parents had hit it off.

Then childhood had morphed into adolescence. She had always had a crush on him. He began to grow tall, started sporting a moustache and let his hair grow long, as was in vogue. She would watch him go jogging, hang around till he returned so that she could chat with him and admire that lovely growth on his upper lip. He had become a bit self conscious of the changes taking place in his body, and he would keep a distance from her, preferring to hang around with guys of his age.

Then she entered puberty herself. 

She began to grow taller, the rose buds very much noticeable on her chest and her hips wider and rounder.

Sherry had felt pleased. Her new appearance translated into Dave spending less time with his male peer group and more time with her again. The fact that he had difficulty maintaining his gaze fixed on her face made her all the happier.

She went to her bedroom and opened her closet. She rummaged about until she found what she was looking for. It was a small, intricately designed wooden box. Sherry sat on the bedside and placed the box besides her. She sat looking at it for some time, then picked it up and lifted the top. Sherry lifted the plastic wrapper and gingerly took out the hand towel.

Sherry unwrapped the hand towel and looked at the contents with a wistful smile. Dave had deflowered her on her own bed. She had wanted it like that. To make it more memorable and romantic, he had plucked fresh roses from his garden. 

After they had done with the foreplay and she had become wet and ready for her first time, Dave had placed the hand towel beneath her with the rose petals. By the time they finished their coupling the hand towel was soaked with her blood, her juices and his semen. He had then wrapped the towel and placed it inside the wooden box and gifted it to her. 

That was moments before they heard Mother O'Brien's car turn into the driveway. Sherry smiled. Dave had to then make a hasty exit from the window, making the moment all the more memorable, and she had to tuck away the empty beer cans... yes, Dave had a weakness for booze.

And now he confesses to this indiscretion. She had been devastated on hearing him confess to his fling. Somehow she had managed to retain her composure, but his confession had opened a Pandora's Box in her journalistic mind.

Was this really his first time behind her back? After all those years of togetherness... was he tiring of her and wanted to taste what else was out there? If she were to believe him that it was actually his first time straying, then what guarantee could he give for the future? 

She sighed. 

The betrayal of trust hurt her the most. He was asking her to give him another chance, but could she again bestow her faith to her husband?

This was her family, and like any other married couple, they had dreams of doing so many things together. Suddenly she seemed unsure of what lay ahead as well as insecure. She picked up her cell and called Ma Harding.

* * *

The next day at office, Dave looked dully at the reports on his table, his eyes totally unfocussed. He had spent a restless night in his friend's apartment which was lying vacant, as the friend had moved out of town and lacked the time to put it on rent.  

By late evening yesterday, all hell had broken loose in the Harding and O'Brien clans. 

Ma Harding had been the first to let him have it with both barrels. He wondered what exactly Sherry had told her, because all his explanations and reasoning seem to only heighten her anger. Her next volley of words was even more scathing; she looked upon Sherry as her own daughter, just like Julie. 

He looked at his watch. In a couple of hours, Ma Harding would be touching home—well, at least the place where his family lived.

Julie took the next slot in the firing squad. She had first politely heard him out, perhaps just like she listened to her patients, and then her questioning had started. Although she had sympathised with his drinking problem, she found it hard to believe that a man with one too many drinks under his belt could end up losing all sense of coordination and land in bed with a total stranger. In sum, he had cheated on Sherry with his one night stand, and deserved whatever punishment Sherry chose to dole out.

Dave clenched his fist in despair. His very own family turned against him, forming a sort of protective wall around Sherry and DJ. He was an outcast, a pariah. 

His cell phone buzzed. He looked to see Mother O'Brien's incoming number. 

"Son, I have been talking to Sherry, and well, you guys seem to be sailing through some rough weather," said Mother O'Brien in a soft but distinctly sad tone. 

Dave felt his heart give a lurch. Mother O'Brien had always been an optimistic personality, always seeing the bright side of everything, cheering him up whenever he was feeling low. But now she sounded totally broken-hearted. He felt a slow anger building up inside him. These were the people he loved and cherished.

"Mother... "

"Dave, the two of you make a pair, and then there is DJ. As we move on in life, we realise that we don't live for just ourselves, there are others who are dependent upon us for their happiness and well being... a man is a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a bread-earner and so on. All of those roles make the complete man, and a woman is just the same. And life has a habit of throwing up surprises just when you least expect them. It's how you overcome those obstacles that matters. I... I hope you understand what I mean."

"Mother, I love Sherry and my kid. They are my world. I have made a mistake and I don't deny that. But I am going to do everything possible to have them back with me. People are finding it hard to believe that this was the first time... but I have never lied before and neither am I lying now when I say that this was the first-and only—time anyone will find an excuse to point a finger at Dave Harding!" replied Dave in an emotion filled but strong voice.

"Son, I believe in you... I believe you when you say it was a mistake. Mistakes are unintentional. But Sherry is hurt, any girl in her place would be. Now it is up to you to convince her, to win back her trust. Just how you are going to go about it is something you will have to figure out."

"I'll be doing that Mother, and thanks for your support. Ma and sister have more or less disowned me."

"I know," replied Mother O'Brien with a sigh, "She has always looked upon Sherry as her younger daughter. She kinda filled the void on Julie's growing up. But Dave, I think you should keep a check on your drinking. If my memory serves me right you had some problems in your younger days also."

Dave nodded in agreement. He remembered the incident pretty well. He had been in his first year in college then. He and a couple of others had gone out on a late night drive after a drinking session. To cut the story short, he had lost control and the car hit a tree on the road side. Luckily nobody was injured, just a few scratches and bruises. 

"I will keep that in mind. By the way what has dad got to say?"

"Why don't you speak to him yourself," she replied as she handed the cell over to her husband.

A moment later he heard his father's voice. His tone was somber.

"Hello, Dave."

"Hi Dad," he replied.

"Look son, nobody is happy with what has happened, but then what happened, happened. We cannot undo the past. What matters is how we move ahead from here. I have known you since you were a toddler and it is not in your nature to deliberately hurt another person... and I... we have known your family well enough to say confidently that the Harding's never lie. So when you say that it was something happening for the first time under the influence of alcohol, and that you will never allow that to happen again, I know you mean just that."

Sherry's dad was breathing heavily. Dave could tell he was having difficulty in controlling his emotions. 

Heck, he had hurt a lot people with his indiscretion. 

"Dad, I accept that it was my fault, I should not have gone on a binge... and I ended up hurting you all. But I'm glad to know that you all are standing by me."

"Son, the very fact you are speaking along the lines I have just heard you say shows that you are a man of substance, but the final decision will be coming from the two of you. Sherry has Irish blood flowing strong in her veins. Family and marriage mean a lot to her... in that typical Irish way of things. And right now she is hurting a lot. My advice to you would be to give her a bit of space, let the dust settle down a bit, and then go about talking to her."

"Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it," replied Dave.

"And Dave, that Orbit Mall is only an hour's drive from our place. So why don't you stop by the next time you are there?"

"I'll be doing that, Dad," replied Dave, accepting the olive branch extended by hiss.

He had hardly put his cell down when it buzzed again. 

It was Scotty.

"Chief, there's been another of those accidents. Luke slipped and fell from the first floor of the building. Luckily he managed to hold on to some scaffolding. That broke his fall, but we think he has a dislocated shoulder. You're needed here."

Dave immediately became brisk and businesslike. All personal sufferings got locked and stored in a distant place in his mind. "Work is Worship" had always been his motto. 

He immediately called Cyndi to his office. She was his PA and perhaps the only person he really trusted.

"Cyndi, we have had another of those freak accidents at the Orbit site," he said in a crisp tone.

"Now I want you to go through the schedules submitted by the electrical team and the architect firm. The electrical work is to start from the North Wing and move on to the South, then the West and finally the East. It has to be completed in a fortnight. So that means the architect's team can start their work from the North Wing on the eleventh day, and not a day earlier. They're gonna try their level best to get permission to start by the eighth day. But that's a no-no. Got it?" he said as he hurriedly picked up some papers and stuffed them in his briefcase. He would go through them on his way to the site.

The tall, blue-eyed brunette surveyed her boss with concern. His personal life was in turmoil and here he was rushing over to the site to see his injured workers. She knew everything. Sherry had confided in her. She wondered if he was in a fit state of mind to drive all by himself.

Cyndi wrote down the instructions Dave gave her, asking for some clarifications every now and then. Finally she picked up some reports and put them in his briefcase.

"Dave I need your signature on these papers, but you must go through them first. Why don't you let Jim drive for you? That will give you sufficient time to go through the reports before you reach the site."

"Yeah, I will do that," he replied. She was logically correct. Why waste the travelling time.

Cyndi relaxed. It would be much better to have somebody with him.

She watched him disappear down the corridor, briefcase in one hand while the other pressed his cell to his ear, his long, confident strides seemingly making his tall, muscular frame glide over the marble floor.

"How the heck did he manage to screw up his married life?" she asked herself.

As far as she could tell, he and Sherry were a happily married couple. The last thing she expected to hear was a story about Dave's bedding some woman on the sly... or women. That's what was eating up Sherry. She was finding it hard to accept that it was the first time. She, too, found it likely the fact that Susan felt guilty about their romp in the bed, and that she wanted to talk to Sherry, was the primary reason he owned up to the whole thing. 

Sherry's confidence in her husband had been badly shaken.

Cyndi had spoken to Sherry soon after talking to Dave the other day. The two were close. She had gotten past Sherry's scepticism earlier on. When Dave had introduced Cyndi to Sherry as his PA at one of the office parties, she had noticed a definite coolness in Sherry's attitude towards her. Perhaps she didn't think much about her husband spending a lot of his office time with a female PA, especially an attractive one, despite the fact Cyndi was married and a mother.

Later during the party Cyndi spoke to Sherry quite frankly. She had told Sherry that she was aware she was young, attractive and yes, she did get to spend extended periods of time in privacy with her boss; but, Cyndi explained, she loved her family and home. Bedding the boss was not high on her list of priorities-in fact, it did not appear on that list at all. 

Since then the two of them had gotten along like a house on fire. Perhaps Sherry had recognised in Cyndi the beliefs the values Sherry, too, held close to her heart. She had since then given Cyndi the nickname of "office wife" while Sherry was the "house wife."

If Cyndi were to work on weekends to clear up pendencies, Sherry was the only one Cyndi informed other than her immediate family. That was a system Cyndi had put in place to keep things in the clear.

Cyndi went back to Dave's office and rang up Sherry. 

Sherry was a junior editor at the local press and was no pushover. But her husband's confession had shaken her. She hoped the two of them would be able to come out of this crisis.

"Hi Cyndi," came the tired voice from the other end of the line.

"Hi Sherry, how goes the day?"

Not good, not good at all," replied Sherry, the tension and stress evident in her voice.

"Sherry, was it wise to ask Dave to move out of the house? I mean... uh, are you already thinking in terms of a...?" she could not bear to say the word.

"And give you a clear chance to shanghai him? No way, 'Office Wife'" she replied in a bantering tone.

Cyndi couldn't help smiling. At least her sense of humour is intact, she thought.

"No Cyndi," Sherry continued, "Nobody is divorcing anybody... yet. When he confessed to the fling, it was like a bolt from the blue. I was shell shocked... and I think if he were to continue to be under the same roof as me, then I would have gone berserk... there were one too many emotions running loose inside me. I... I just wanted some space to clear my head and think ahead. And to be really honest, I haven't made much progress on that front."

"Okay Sherry, I understand... just don't rush into anything headlong. Take your time... my... my boss is a good man," she finished with a little defiance in her voice.

"You rung up to tell me that, dearie? Remember, my dear girl, I'm his wife. Sherry O'Brien knows a good deal when she sees one, but now...?" she trailed off uncertainly, the enforced liveliness suddenly going out of her voice. 

"Take your time Sherry, we don't need any hasty decisions here," replied Cyndi in a soft tone, "I'm sure Sherry O'Brien checked and evaluated real hard before coming to the conclusion that the deal was as good as it seemed, now all I would like to say is that Sherry O'Brien should consider all options before arriving at an alternative conclusion."

"Anyway, the reason for my calling was that we had another of those nasty accidents out there. Dave just left for the site."

"Decisions... decisions," mumbled Sherry under her breath. "What happened now?" continued Sherry in a troubled tone. 

"Luke slipped off the first floor of the building under the construction. Luckily he managed to hold on to the scaffolding and that broke his fall. Lucky for him... and the company too."

"Hmm... you have seen quite a few of those, you know. Not good. If some press guys were to get a wind of it then the shit will hit the fan."

"Yeah, Dave is also of the same view. We plan to increase the security over there. I have a list of some good agencies on my table and I have called their representatives to the office today. Hopefully I will be able to shortlist a couple of them for Dave to finalise. Our budget will take a hit, but security of the workforce is far more important than money matters."

"True, Cyndi. You guys are thinking in the right direction."

"By the way has Ma Harding arrived?"

"Yup, just got a call from her. Why don't you drop in this evening? I think you haven't met her since she had her appendix removed," said Sherry. "I may be a bit late as I have to cover some points on the child abuse story I am working on, but I will join you soon."

"Right, Sherry, meet you in the evening."

Cyndi picked up her papers and returned to her desk. She glanced at the list of tasks to be completed and began to furiously work on her computer. She would have to skip lunch today.

------------------------

Dave stepped out of the car even before it came to a halt at the construction site. Scotty was waiting for him at the makeshift office set up at the site.

"How's Luke?" asked Dave.

"We took him to the local hospital. The doctors say he has a dislocated shoulder. Some more cuts and bruises, but otherwise the shoulder is the most serious problem."

"How did it happen? Never known him to take risks."

"Dave, the funny part is that he thinks it was no accident."

"What do you mean Scotty?"

"Well, according to Luke he was inspecting the flooring and a couple of times he got the feeling that he was being watched."

"What?!"

"Yup, and when he was standing near a pile of construction material neatly stacked up, all of a sudden a section of it began falling down. He tried to avoid the falling material and that's when he slipped."

"But why does he think that it was not an accident?"

"He swears he heard the sound of running footsteps."

"Take me to the place where he was working. Now that we have one man in the hospital, I have asked the Head Office to depute somebody from the Swanson Office Complex site. We can't afford any further delays."

"Right, Chief," replied Scotty as the two of them made way towards the Mall, followed sharply by a team of supervisors and workers. Dave personally inspected each wing on each floor, giving out the necessary instructions wherever needed. He felt satisfied. The work was progressing well. Tomorrow he would give his go ahead to the electrical team to start their work. They had already stored their material and equipment at the other end of the site so that they could start their work as soon as Dave gave the green signal.

Dave peered into the elevator shaft.

"Have they plugged the leakage?" he asked. The last time he had been here, he had observed water seeping into the shaft.

"All fixed Chief," replied Scotty, "the technical team from the elevator manufacturers has also okayed the work and they will begin their installation work three days from now.

"Good," replied Dave in a satisfied tone. The progress was satisfactory.

"Now let's go to the hospital. I want to see Luke." 

While on the way to the hospital, Dave spoke to Cyndi. He briefed her about the progress at the site. By tomorrow morning she would have the draft minutes of the progress report on his table for him to approve and then she would forward it to the Head Office.




A Small Indiscretion Ch. 02



The meeting with Luke was short but satisfying as the doctor preferred that his patient got as much rest as possible. Luke's face lit up on seeing Dave.

"Hi, Chief," he said with a small wave with his right hand.

"Luke, the guys have been telling me that you have been missing your missus a lot... and you suddenly decided to high tail back home by jumping off the first floor," said Dave in a jovial tone, but his eyes showed the concern he was feeling for his worker. The fact that Luke missed his wife whenever he was on duty away from home was an open secret. 

Luke smiled. "I think it's working out fine. She has taken leave from her office and will be joining me here... I sure will be saving on my mobile bill."

"Next time you start missing her that much, just give me a call and I will make sure Scotty gives you a couple of days off," replied Dave with affection, giving Luke's shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

They smiled at each other. Luke was an experienced hand.

"Chief, I will be back in a week's time or so, but that was no accident. I swear I heard the sound of running footsteps before that stack of construction material came crashing down."

"Now why would somebody want you out of the way?"

"I don't know, Chief, that's for you find out. As far as I'm concerned, I'll be back with a vengeance in a week's time."

"I will be doing just that, Luke, I promise you that," shot back Dave with an edge to his voice.

The nurse came in just then, and Dave took his farewell from his worker.

Dave sat silently in his car as Jim drove at a steady pace. In an hour's time he would be touching hiss' place. He went over the events of the day in a chronological sequence. Luke did seem to be convinced that it was no freak accident. He had himself inspected the entire construction site on the pretext of a review of the inventory storage and handling procedures, looking for something, anything that could raise a suspicion.

Dave decided that he would be spending more time at the site, especially during the night shifts. He had not yet spoken to Sherry. He was waiting for his medical report on social diseases to come in. Hopefully his wife would also simmer down... as of now her Irish blood was on the boil. He didn't blame her for that... he himself wouldn't have been exactly ecstatic on his wife coming home from a tour and confessing to a one night stand with a total stranger.

He picked up his mobile and called up Mother O'Brien to inform her that he would be reaching their home in an hour's time. Then he shut his eyes and let his body relax.

Neither he nor Jim noticed the beat up Ford pick up following their car at a safe distance behind them.

As Jim drove towards the O'Brien's house, another gathering was taking place at Dave's home. Cyndi had been with Ma Harding for almost an hour before Sherry joined them. Sherry was delayed because she was caught up in a story. Although she had already read the interviews with the victims of parental child abuse and the various medical therapies put forward by various professionals, she still wanted to review the CDs of the interviews, just to make sure the transcripts had not left out anything important.

But her mind was not on her job. She had told Cyndi that she would be joining them late but finally she decided to just take a copy of the CDs home with her. She would finish the work in the night after Cyndi had left and DJ had been put to bed.

Sherry reached home to find Ma and Cyndi in the living room with DJ glued to the TV set, watching a cartoon show. She made herself comfortable besides Cyndi as Ma Harding placed her drink on the side table.

"How was the day baby?" asked Ma Harding with a worried look on her face.

"Oh I guess I earned my salary for the day. The parental child abuse story is all set to hit the stands. I just want to go through the interviews once again to make sure we haven't missed out anything," replied Sherry in a tired voice as DJ came rushing into her arms.

Ma Harding nodded sympathetically. She watched her daughter's face closely. There were dark circles around her eyes and her face had gone all puffy. She wasn't getting much rest... and her son hadn't exactly been doing anything brilliant these past few days. Where had she gone wrong in her son's upbringing? 

The three chit chatted about trivial matters until DJ decided to catch up on his cartoon show and plonked himself in front of the TV. Sherry looked on with a loving smile as he clapped his hands and made gurgling sounds of delight.

"He must be missing his father," said Cyndi, "What did you tell him?"

"Just that father had some work to do."

"Sherry, it was a mistake committed in drunken stupor," said Cyndi gently, bringing the main agenda of the meeting to the forefront.

"How could he do that?" whispered Sherry.

Sherry bit her lip as tears rolled down her cheek. If indeed this was his first indiscretion then Susan would now be the second woman with whom he had slept. All along it had only been just the two of them. The very thought made her feel like throwing up... her Dave!... Oh, how could he do this to her.

Her mind went back to her school days. She and some other girls had been watching a porno CD. The stud in the movie was fucking a couple of sexy bombshells. Priscilla had hitched up her skirt and had been openly playing with herself. 

"Hey you would like to switch places with those girls wouldn't you?" Sherry had playfully teased her.

"Naw... not that stud with his medically stimulated dick, I was thinking of Dave," Priscilla had replied in a hoarse voice as she continued rubbing herself.

Sherry smiled. She had gone ballistic on hearing her friend's reply. She had grabbed Priscilla by her hair and given her a good piece of her mind. After that incident Priscilla had always avoided Sherry and Dave.

"Look Sherry, if Dave had been a womaniser then he couldn't have kept it hidden from us in the office all these years. In fact there are quite a few pretty faces in our office but I have never seen Dave cross the line. In course of time we all get to understand each other's nature, working style."

Sherry nodded. Cyndi had a point there. So was it indeed his first misdemeanour? 

"Sherry, many a men immediately strip a woman naked and imagine how she would look naked the moment they set eyes on us. We women adapt to such situations. Mother Nature has prepared us well to deal with such situations should they arise, otherwise we would find it impossible to move out of our homes. And I, for one, can say with complete conviction that Dave's eyes have never strayed... and hey I am definitely not down the hill am I?" said Cyndi with a smile.

Sherry winced. Although Cyndi had made her pact with Sherry some years back, Sherry always felt a twinge of jealousy. Cyndi was not only attractive but also intelligent, complimented by a gracious nature... just the type of girl her Dave would be attracted to. Perhaps in Cyndi she always saw her own personality.

And that brought her to Susan. How did she look? Was she also in the same league as herself and Cyndi? Or was she one of those women on the prowl?

"Cyndi, even if I were to forgive his shortcoming, it... it is the breaking of the trust I have always had in him... oh, I just don't know... "

"Baby, supposing Dave had got waylaid and mugged or God forbid, he was diagnosed with something like cancer, then what would you have done? Shown him the door just like you have done because he broke his trust of always being with you?" said Ma Harding.

"Nothing like that is gonna happen to Dave," retorted Sherry quickly on hearing Ma Harding speak about terminal diseases.

Cyndi smiled. As long as Sherry continued to care for him, there was hope.

"But then, just for argument's sake, that would be different," continued Sherry with a faraway look in her eyes.

"Oh you mean since it does not involve his... huh little fella, it's kinda okay with you and you will stand by him," retorted Cyndi, standing up in defence of her boss.

Sherry's temper began to rise. She gave Cyndi a withering look. Cyndi returned her gaze without a flicker.

Ma Harding looked on worriedly at the two sparring women.

"Look girls, I have heard about drinks making men do funny things, and Dave has had his share of problems with the bottle. Do you remember, Sherry, he lost control of the car while driving and swerved off the road? Luckily nobody was seriously hurt!"

"I bet that hussy spiked his drinks," retorted Cyndi.

"Did you ever speak to Dave about his drinking habit?" continued Cyndi.

Sherry's silence more than answered her question.

Cyndi rolled up her eyes and shrugged.

"Anyway he was honest enough to accept that he had done something wrong. He could have kept quiet and denied the whole thing when Susan had rung up. In fact he could have lied and said that she had been coming on to him and he had turned her down and now she was being just spiteful," commented Cyndi thoughtfully.

"My boy would never lie, especially to Sherry. Lying doesn't run in our blood," retorted Ma Harding in a firm tone with just that little hint of pride.

Sherry silently acknowledged to herself that perhaps Dave had been telling the truth when he said that it had been the first time.

"Have you spoken to him after he moved out?" asked Cyndi.

"First of all, he hasn't moved out. I... I was feeling so hurt that I just couldn't bear to be in the same room as him," sobbed Sherry.

"I think you should not cut him off completely. Talk to him, in fact call him over to meet DJ... let him understand just what he now stands to lose because of what he has done," said Ma Harding.

"Ma is right, you two should have a serious talk on why it all happened," said Cyndi.

Sherry nodded her head.

"He is supposed to call me up once the medical reports come in," she replied.

"Good, then wait for his call. Till then let him stew in the soup he has made," said Ma Harding firmly.

The three women sat silently for some time, lost in their own thoughts. Then Cyndi got up and walked over to DJ and sat beside him on the rug. 

Sherry watched Cyndi play with her son. Their kids were in the same age group and they had often called over each other's family for get together at their respective houses.

"How's Luke doing?"

"He should be back in a week or ten days. Dave visited him in the hospital. But somebody complained to the City Council about our safety standards. Their representatives will be visiting the Orbit site tomorrow."

Sherry tensed. She could just well imagine how worked up Dave must be.

As though on cue, her mobile rang. It was Dave.

"Hi," she said tentatively.

"Hi Sherry. Some work had come up at the Orbit Mall and since its getting late I thought I will drop in at Mother's place. It's been quite some time since we last visited them," said Dave.

He had deliberately rung up his wife to let her know his plans. There had been enough goof ups already and if she were to get to know through somebody that he was not spending the nights at the apartment, then it could create more distrust. And he had knowingly used the word "we", just his way of sending a subtle message across to his wife.

They talked for a few more minutes. Dave asked about DJ while Sherry told him to look after his health. Then there was a momentary silence, neither of them wanting to be the first to close the call. Finally Dave wished her good night as hiss' home loomed into view.

Mother O'Brien was at the door even before he rang the door bell. She embraced him tightly and then led him inside. 

"I have prepared your favourite Mexican dish," said Mother O'Brien as she continued affectionately to hold his arm.

"How about some whisky, son," called out Sherry's dad in his booming voice as he came over and gave him a bear hug. 

"No, Dad, I think I have had enough of hard drinks and their aftermath to last a lifetime. I think I will settle for a beer."

"Good decision, son. If you can't hold it then you may as well let go... it's difficult but one has to try," he replied. 

The two settled down in the living room. Dave began telling all about the upcoming project and the problems they had been facing. His father listened to him attentively.

"Dave, I have a feeling these accidents are not so straight forward as they seem. I think somebody is trying to sabotage your work. It could very well be the work of one of your competitors. Just watch your back," he said sombrely.

Dave made a mental note of personally going through the work profile of all the hands hired by them in the recent past. They had all been recommended by the employment agency they contracted. A very respectable employment agency too, but then, there was no harm in checking them out personally.

The City Council inspectors were going to visit the site the coming Monday. Somebody had tipped them off about Luke's accident. Dave had already doubled the security guards to ensure no outsider walked in unnoticed. More supervisors had been brought in from the nearby project. That should satisfy the inspectors as far as the technical expertise for safe working was concerned. But it wasn't going to be an easy task to completely mollify them.

It was going to be a tough day tomorrow. Jim had booked a room at a nearby motel and he would bring about the car early in the morning. Dave would have to get up early, check the mails forwarded by Cyndi, and then dress up and rush to the site. It was a good thing he always kept a change of clothes with him at the office. That was a habit he picked up during his early days in the office when he would work in the day time and then rush to catch an afternoon flight. 

"C'mon, boys, dinner is getting cold," called out Mother O'Brien.

The talk over the dinner was light hearted. They talked about everything under the sun except Sherry and him. Dave felt grateful for that.

Mother O'Brien looked on fondly as the two men continued to talk about office, politics and then sports. She watched Dave stressing a point with his father. Dave had been over for dinner so many times, right from the days when his head barely cleared the table top. Their families had always been close and it had not been without a little hope and anticipation that the two mothers had seen their children get drawn slowly towards each other. A family union and grandchildren with their blood flowing in their veins would be the Lord's ultimate gift to their two families.

Dinner over, the two men got up and made their way to the back porch with their coffee mugs. Mother O'Brien refrained from joining them. She and her husband had talked about this, and anyway she had to prepare something for Dave as he would be leaving early next day.

For some time the two of them stood silently, enjoying the cool, evening breeze. Then Dad cleared his throat before speaking up.

"Look, son, we don't live in Victorian times. Nowadays girls and boys get to know each other real well even before exchanging their marriage vows. Back in our days it was a family disgrace if an unmarried daughter gave birth to a child. The family would invariably send the erring daughter to a distant place only to return after the baby had been delivered and put up for adoption."

Dave nodded, wondering where it was going to end.

"But... but now single mothers are quite common and accepted by society. Now you two have a good thing going and both the families are proud of the union... so none of us want DJ to grow up with just... just a single parent... the other parent just dropping in on statutory visits," he said softly with a choke. He looked away, not wanting his son to see the tears.

"DJ may go on to have brothers and sisters... but they won't have both our families blood in their veins... so son... win back her love... her trust... for us," he finally finished.

Dave looked at the man standing beside him. There was a time when he used to hold his hand and skip along, trying to keep pace, his head coming barely up to the older man's waist. Now, years later, here they were; his father looked so lost... so forlorn.

"Dad I will be chasing her round and around all over the planet until she says 'I do' once again," replied Dave in a firm, steady voice.

"That's my boy," replied his father with relief evident in his voice.

That was the first night Dave slept properly in the last couple of days. He woke up by 4 a.m. and, for the next couple of hour, he worked furiously on his laptop. He carefully studied the reports Cyndi had prepared and after giving his value additions, he forwarded them to his seniors at the Head Office. 

Next he evaluated the security agencies shortlisted by Cyndi. He had two days to beef up the security at the Orbit site before the inspectors trooped in. He read Scotty's mail with satisfaction. The additional crew members would be reaching the site by midday. He would personally oversee the allocation of their duties.

He quickly took his bath and stepped out of his bedroom. The smell of hot food hit his nostrils as he made his way down to the kitchen. 

Mother O'Brien had his breakfast ready for him. A few minutes later he was out of the house after giving a quick thank you hug to his mother. It was barely seven in the morning.

On the way he quickly typed a short SMS on his Blackberry and sent it to Sherry. It was an update of his present work schedule and the fact that he would be staying at the site till the inspection was completed. He intended to keep communication lines open with her, even if they were practically one way as of now. 

They again failed to notice the Ford pickup which had begun tagging them.

Sherry leaned back in her chair and re read the SMS she had received from Dave earlier in the day. They might have had their hot talk, but she was feeling worried for him. An uneasy feeling began gripping her. 

She decided not to call him back for now. She wanted to see his medical report first. Sherry rearranged the papers on her desk. The parental child abuse story was now ready from her end. She had spoken to representatives from Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and incorporated their views and suggestions. The editing team would soon be joining her in her office to prepare the final dummy print. The story would hit the stands tomorrow.

There was a knock on her door and then the editorial team members trooped in. Sherry gave one last look at the SMS and then put the mobile on the table and immersed herself in the work in front of her. Tomorrow, she promised herself, she would take a break; but now she had a deadline to meet.

Some hours north of the city, her husband was equally immersed in his efforts to safeguard the security of his team members. The new set of supervisors had extensive experience behind them. The workers were redistributed amongst them, thereby ensuring that the worker-to-supervisor ratio was optimised.

The security had also been doubled, especially in the night. The construction work was going full time over three shifts. Tonight, he and Scotty planned to spend the night at the site. Dave looked at his watch. It was almost seven in the evening and he had to check his office mail. Cyndi had told him she would stay back late at the office so he could call her and have his queries cleared up. He was lucky to have her working under him. He wondered what was going on at his home. He missed DJ... he missed her.

Just then his mobile rang. It was Cyndi.

"Hi Dave, your medical report was delivered this afternoon. Should I have it delivered at the site?"

"No Cyndi, send it directly across to Sherry. I plan to be at the site all weekend as the inspection is on Monday. Once the inspection is through I will speak with Sherry."




A Small Indiscretion Ch. 02



"Okay, Dave, have it your way. By the way, I have sent across some more reports and a couple of draft replies on matters raised by the Head Office. Have you gone through them?"

"Just setting up my laptop, hang on."

The next hour or so went by as Dave read the various reports forwarded, requisitioned the Head Office for additional funds, and rescheduled the CPM/PERT deadlines per the actual progress at the site. Finally he was done. He shut his eyes and leaned back on his chair. He had been working almost non-stop for the last twelve hours since driving down from hiss' house. But the night shift was yet to begin.

Scotty walked in with his mobile pressed to his ear.

"Stella darling... look I'm real sorry. But we have an inspection fixed for Monday and we will be working during the weekend also... it's a kinda 24x7 routine as of now."

Dave smiled. That would be Scotty's wife. She loved the theatre. They normally attended the weekend shows. Stella loved the shows while Scotty just about survived the sittings. But like he said, the sex afterwards was out of this world.

"Look, why don't you ask Janet to accompany you. She does like the theatre doesn't she? I promise the next weekend we will... " continued Scotty as he walked out of earshot, but not before looking over to Dave and rolling up his eyes.

Dave smiled. Scotty must be getting a real earful. Stella loved the theatre while Scotty liked to watch the classic movie reruns on the cable. Dave watched Scotty enter the room with a rueful smile on his face. 

"Chief, next Friday you gotta give me a day off to take my lady to the theatre or else she' gonna throw my bag and baggage out onto the driveway," he said as he finally lumbered back to sit across his boss.

"Consider it granted. Just mail your application for formality's sake," replied Dave as he gave Scotty a playful punch.

At least he has a home to go to, thought Dave as his attention wandered to his personal live.

He missed his family. He wondered what was going on back home. After Cyndi had told him about his medical report, his first instinct had been to call up Sherry. But then he had hesitated. Perhaps he should take things slowly, that would give time to Sherry to get over her initial state of anger. No, Dave realized it was more than that, she must also feel rejected, that he had tired of her. 

On the other hand, he had been honest with her. Perhaps the truth hurt more. He would have to approach her with utmost care.

-----------------------

Back home, Ma Harding watched her daughter wash the dishes. She sighed. Sherry was soaping the same dish the second time over with that far away look in her eyes. 

Ma's mind went back to the time when she had been cleaning up Dave's room and had come across a pair of knickers' under his bed. She knew immediately to whom it belonged. She had had it washed up and then wrapped it in a brown paper along with the other packet.

A couple of days later, she had asked Sherry to help her bake doughnuts. While going about with the preparations, she casually told Sherry that there was a packet for her on the kitchen table. She watched Sherry open the packet to find her freshly washed knickers and a packet of Trojans. The look on her face had been priceless. She had then quietly come up behind the embarrassed girl and hugged her tight. Sherry had spent the rest of the time furiously kneading the dough, refusing to make any eye contact with her, her face a crimson red.

Ma Harding smiled. The doughnuts had really come out well. Both the families had praised their culinary skills. She had passed on the entire credit to Sherry. Oh! How the girl had blushed. Ah yes, Dave had been a bit fidgety that evening. No doubt Sherry O'Brien had let him have a piece of her mind. 

And now here she was with that deathly pallor on her face. She looked so frail, so fragile, just not like the girl she knew.

"Ma, do you think he no longer finds me desirable? Give me an honest answer."

"Sherry, I know something terrible has happened. We have discussed all that before. Now you have to make a real decision about what comes next in your life. Are you going to be a victim and wander aimlessly, or are you going to step up."

"Ma, how could he do this to me?"

Ma Harding nodded her head sympathetically. "Dave is a good man and a good father. He has worked hard to reach the position he is in today. He is paying off the installments for the house loan and you two are planning to send DJ to one of those better public schools in the future. Now, Sherry, with my lifelong experience I can definitely say that guys with such traits do not go messing around. They are just not wired that way.

"The problem is that you're not seeing the truth." Ma Harding paused to let the statement sink in.

"I am just an old woman and I'm not always going to talk to you the way a professional counsellor would." 

"What exactly are you suggesting, Ma?"

"First, you need to know why this thing happened to you. Next, you need to decide what to do about it. Third," she paused again, looking at Sherry firmly, "You need to ask Dave to forgive you for treating him like you did."

If it wasn't for the shock that statement caused her, Sherry probably would have stormed out. Instead she looked at Ma stupidly, wondering if this was some kind of a joke.

"I'm not kidding, Sherry," Ma continued, "If you are going to recover from this, you need to realize how wrong you were and what it's cost you."

"Cost me? My husband's behaviour may just well cost me my marriage! My son keeps asking for his dad and I am never able to give him a proper answer. How can you talk to me about cost?"

"See, now that's the victim I was talking about. Your choices caused the predicament you just described. You made your decisions and are living with the consequences. I sit here listening to you talk about how great your life was, then one event causes a complete collapse of everything."

Sherry's anger began to build further, "So what are you suggesting, I'm wrong for being upset that he cheated on me? A complete betrayal of everything we had?"

Ma Harding gave her daughter a withering look but she didn't change her tone as she continued. "I never suggested you shouldn't be upset. I never even suggested you shouldn't divorce him. You are well within your rights to do both. I said you needed to find out about the reasons for his betrayal and you need to ask for forgiveness." Her look changed to something resembling the way Sherry looked at DJ when he was not behaving.

"People have such a wrong-headed view of forgiveness," Ma went on, "It's not the act of alleviating someone's wrongdoing; it's allowing the burden to be taken from you. Right now you are acting as judge, jury and executioner. You are doing it to a person you still love, and the guilt is ruining your life." When she was sure Sherry was actually listening and trying to make sense out of what she was saying, she continued.

"There is a true story of a mother whose son was murdered. She lived in grief for several years until she went to see the man convicted of killing him. After meeting him in jail, she forgave him. The simple act of giving up her hatred allowed her to go on with her life. It didn't make her like him or understand what he had done. It didn't change his punishment or the way society treated him. She just needed to get rid of the pain to do something constructive with her life.

"Think about all the good things you've told me about your Dave. How much you loved him and what a positive impact he has had on your life. You tell me if I'm wrong, but has this punishment made your life or DJ's any better or easier?" When she saw her daughter wasn't going to defend herself, she continued.

"Without having to get all Biblical on you, any mental health professional will tell you that holding on to your anger is a negative. This vendetta you're pursuing can only keep you mired in the misery you've been feeling. I like you and want to see you get better. I don't believe that's going to happen unless you confront your fears. I don't want to sit here and see you in pain when you have the power to improve things, maybe even get past it.

"I'd like you to take steps to get control of your life. I would also like to suggest you think about the idea of inviting Dave over for dinner some day. I think you might find it very helpful in finding a way to work through your pain." 

Sherry sat in the kitchen trying to absorb everything her mother had said. She believed Ma was encouraging her to do what Ma felt would help the most, but she felt she just couldn't get her head around everything.

Surprisingly, she wasn't that upset by Ma Harding's statements. It was just that she just wasn't sure if she was ready to talk to Dave or how to go about it. She hadn't spoken to him since she asked him to leave. It was true she had received a couple of calls from him, but she hadn't really spoken much, only listened to him. Now, if she were to take her mother at her word that it would help her, how was she going to get past what he had done and actually ask him to forgive her? That would be like saying there was a way we could fix things and that was out of the question... or was it?" 

She looked at the envelope containing his medical report. Maybe it will serve as a good pretext for calling him up. She looked at the wall clock. It was almost two in the morning! Ma Harding had retired to her grandson's room a long time back. Sherry had been sitting alone in the kitchen for God knows how many hours. Yes, she would definitely call up her husband first thing in the morning.

* * *

To Be Continued... 

ALEX

Dear readers, please do not forget to vote.



A Small Indiscretion Ch. 03



Many thanks to Greowulf for his wonderful editing.

*****

Hours away from the warmth of his home, Dave stood staring into the darkness of the night. He was on the second floor of the building under construction. He and Scotty had visited all the floors, carefully scrutinizing the work in progress. He had spoken to the supervisors and was satisfied that they had a good grip on their responsibilities. Tomorrow was Sunday, but there would be no respite. Fred would be coming over and they would go through financial numbers to properly explain any cost overruns. 

He looked at his watch. Almost four o'clock. Just then he thought he caught some movement from the corner of his eye. He peered into the darkness. There was a pile of electrical wirings and other assorted items. Nobody was supposed to be working on this wing in the night. 

Gingerly, he stepped closer. His footsteps echoed softly in the stillness of the night.

"Hello, anybody there?" he called out. He switched on his torch and swung it around. 

There was no reply. The sound of men working at the other wings came floating back to him on the night breeze. The beam of the torch lit up the construction material lying on the floor, but there was nothing out of the ordinary to arouse any suspicion.

He shrugged his shoulders. Maybe just a figment of my imagination, he thought.

Dave thought he had time to catch a few hours of sleep before Fred arrived with his accounting numbers, so he made his way down the staircase. The Ford pickup parked a couple of blocks down the road turned a corner and slowly vanished from sight.

A few hours later Dave was aroused from his deep sleep by the sound of his mobile ringing. He glanced at the flashing screen. It was his wife. He became alert immediately. This was the first time she had called since that fateful day.

"Hi Sherry." 

"Hi Dave," she replied with a little hesitancy in her voice. 

There was a momentary silence, then Sherry spoke.

"How's the work going?"

"We have those inspectors coming over tomorrow morning. I'm trying to make sure they don't find anything to write home about." The two continued to talk about his work for some minutes.

"Hmm, Dave, would it be possible for you to come over tomorrow evening after you are done with the inspection? DJ is missing you a lot and it would be nice if you could spend some time with him and ... and your medical report has also arrived."

Dave pondered for some moments. If he travelled back to the city to take a flight to Seattle, he would reach home late in the night. Because the flights were available only in the late hours, he would be wasting time at the airport. But if he left immediately by road after the inspection was over, he stood to reach home much earlier.

"I will drive down immediately after the inspection is over. It should take me about three to four hours ... should be there by seven or so."

"Okay, Dave, we will be waiting for you."

Dave felt a strong sense of relief. At least they were moving toward talking terms. The road ahead was bumpy but he was never one to shy down. He got up and made for the changing room. It was time to get ready for the marathon session with Fred. 

Back home, Sherry put down her mobile and went over to DJ.

"Daddy will be home tomorrow young man," she cooed softly into his ears.

DJ clapped his hands and then rushed into his mother's open arms. He looked into his mother's loving eyes and began speaking in his childish language which he and perhaps the woman who gave birth to him could understand and decipher without a doubt in mind.

His mother hugged him, pulling him close to her chest. She felt his little heart beat against her bosom.

Her heart ached with a longing she could not fathom or did not want to acknowledge for what it was. As a mother she wanted to give all the happiness in the world to her child. She kissed her son's forehead, fervently wishing that the turbulence in her life—a turbulence that would naturally reach her young charge—would recede and disappear forever. 

The day wore on for both Sherry and Dave, separated by distance and the emotional rift brought about by the repugnancy in the actions and deeds of one of the mates. But each had a duty and responsibility to perform, especially for their son. Life goes on, as they say, leaving behind only the memories of happier days gone by or a bitter past.

Back at the worksite, Dave watched Jake Newman examine the quality of the electrical wiring being installed. He was trying his level best not to show the anger building up inside him. The two inspectors, Jake Newman and Mike Callaghan, had spent the last three hours carefully inspecting the quality of the material being used for the construction of the mall. They had even gone through the report on the quantity of iron rods used in the pillars.

"You guys obviously don't care much for the safety of your workers, so how do you expect us to believe that the building you are constructing will not come falling down like a pack of cards," Jake had said with an accusatory sneer at the very outset.

The inspectors were out to get them, that's for sure. This was no ordinary visit. But so far they had been unable to come up with any concrete shortcomings. Dave had given them all the proper answers, which were backed by the superior quality of the work in progress. They had not used any substandard material, even if that meant that it would lead to budget overruns. 

"Just look at the cost you guys have incurred," ranted Jake, "Don't expect the City Council to agree to any sort of upward revision in estimates and fund allocations. If you guys can't prepare a proper estimate then you may as well close shop," he bellowed, waving the reports he had been given in the air.

"Jake, cost escalation clauses are invariably put in all contracts to cover this kind of contingency," replied Dave. Despite his calm demeanour, he was seething inside.

"Don't you dare tell me what can be done and what cannot be," Jake shouted, pointing one bony finger towards Dave. "I will put in everything I have seen in my report. Then we will see who goes for the cost escalation clause," he said with pure venom in his voice.

The rest of the meeting continued in the same vein. The inspectors invariably conjured up something bad or not up to the mark in just about all the construction, even though Dave's team was meeting or exceeding specifications in every area. The inspection ended with them barely on talking terms with each other.

Dave watched them finally take their leave with a grim look on his face.

"Don't worry Dave, that fellow doesn't have anything hard on us. He can't convince the City Council against agreeing to the cost escalation clause," said Fred.

"That's right, all the material used has been as per the technical specifications given by them," said Ron, "He's just one of those guys who has never had a good thing happening in his life so he keeps going after others."

"I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of him," replied Dave thoughtfully. He too was aware that the inspection had actually gone off pretty well. Any other person would have given a clean report, but Jake was trying his level best to throw a spanner in the works.

Tomorrow he would be having a video conference with the Head Office. They would want to know how the inspection had gone. He looked at his watch. It was almost four. If James did some fancy driving, they should touch home by eight. The last few days had been hard, real hard, and now he wanted to be home, albeit temporarily.

* * *

Sherry gave a perfunctory knock on her Editor's door and walked in. The parental child abuse story was ready and she was all set to present the work to her editor.

"Hi, Ed," she called out as she made her way in.

"Hi Sherry, c'mon in," called out Ed, giving an appreciative look at her.

She smiled at him. He gestured to one of the chairs in front of the desk. Sherry sank gracefully into it, crossing her legs, revealing a good length of scrumptious leg encased in sensuous nylon, something which her editor could not fail to notice. She looked at him from under her eyelashes. He was a well built man in his early forties with a long and pleasant face, his head of hair a perfectly swept back mane of black with some gray around his temples. 

Even in jeans, a light blue Oxford shirt, and a gray cardigan sweater he looked through and through a man used to leading the way in everything he did. The greying side burns and deep piercing eyes added to his charm. He had just come out of his third marriage. Office gossip had it that he was a pretty well hung guy with a difficulty in keeping it inside his pants and marriage vows. And now he was once again single and on the lookout. Not that it was a matter of concern to her. He had always been a well behaved, gentlemanly type of boss.

"So we are all set to hit the stands with that new story?" he asked in his deep authoritative voice, his eyes looking intently into hers.

"Sure Ed, we have rechecked the stories with the tape recording we have of all of them. The interviews with the government people were also on record and we had no problem in doing a quick once over. No glitches in the story line as far as we are concerned."

"Good, I know I can count on you and your team to come up with some good solid facts," he replied.

"Thanks for the compliment, I will pass it down to the team members," replied Sherry with a flush.

She reached into her slim briefcase she had set down beside her chair and pulled some papers out and leaned over to hand them to him. As she leaned forward Ed was lucky enough to get a nice view of her bosom. His eyes remained still, savouring the feast for some moments.

Sherry looked up to see Ed admiring her cleavage. His gaze shifted to meet her eyes. He smiled, as though complimenting her on her looks, and then busied himself with the papers.

Sherry smiled to herself. The way he had behaved did not make her feel angry. She was beginning to understand why her editor was jumping in and out of marriages. 

Ed carefully went through all the papers, reading again and again, giving her his value additions wherever he felt it necessary. Finally he leaned back with a satisfied look on his face. 

He continued to look at her for a few moments with that deep smoulder in his eyes.

"A penny for your thoughts?" inquired Sherry with a sweet smile as she collected the papers spread all over the desk.

"You are an invaluable asset to this press," he said finally, "Never seen a better story write-up done in a short time like you had."

"Thanks Ed." 

"No, no, just thank you will not suffice," he replied with a broad grin on his face, "you gotta promise me that you will have a open slot for me some time in the future for a lovely dinner at the restaurant of your wish. I would love to pick your brains to understand what makes a dynamic personality like you tick."

Sherry laughed. Ed was at his charming best. The constant shower of appreciation and attention was warming her up. She could feel her nipples hardening. 

"Okay Editor, I'll have to check my little appointment book and confirm."

"I'll be waiting," he replied with a broad grin as she picked up her bag and stepped out of his office.

Oh great, just great, now it seems the word is out that I am single and available, she thought to herself. Mr Dave Harding, you have a lot of explaining to do. She glanced at her watch. There was enough time for her to stop by at the local market to make some quick purchases for the evening. 

* * *

"How much more time, Jim?" asked Dave wearily. He had dozed off during the journey. The shifting of gears and the sound of the engine as the car made its way up against the winding mountain road had broken his deep slumber.

"Just over an hour or so," replied Jim affably.

Neither of them gave more than a cursory glance to the Ford pickup as it crept closer behind them on the uphill road. With a change of gears, the Ford's engine grew louder as it attempted to overtake their car round the bend. 

"Hey Jim, give that fella some ..." He could get no further as the pickup swerved towards them, almost cutting into their path. Jim instantly swung the steering wheel to avoid the pickup. The pickup corrected its path and with a loud roar surged ahead and disappeared round the bend. Jim desperately swung the steering to get the car back on the road. There was a jolt as the car hit a roadside boulder and came to a halt. 

The two stepped out, visibly shaken, to size up the damage. They stared in disbelief. Just beyond the boulder was a big drop of over a hundred feet!

"Dave, I think the Lord was with us today," whispered Jim reverently as he tore his gaze away from the drop.

"That bastard's bloody driver's license should be confiscated permanently," growled Dave.

"I had given him enough room to pass by," mused Jim as they resumed their journey.

"Must have been drunk," snorted Dave.

The rest of the journey passed uneventfully. Dave took a deep breath as the car swung down the lane leading to his house.

Sherry heard the doorbell ring. She gave a quick glance at herself in the mirror and went to open the door.

The two stood gawking at each other for a few moments.

Dave felt his stomach churn as he took in the changes in his wife. She was painfully thin, looking like she couldn't be more than 90 pounds. Her face was pale and gaunt, making her look half dead. There were dark circles under her eyes indicating she hadn't slept well in days, maybe weeks. 

He stepped forward and placed the bouquet of roses in her hands.

Sherry accepted the bouquet quietly. She watched her husband intently as he made his way in.

He looked tired ... and old, as though he had gained ten years overnight. There were new creases on his forehead. Sherry marvelled at just how handsome he really was despite his unusually ragged appearance. Her heart missed a beat as she looked into her husband's endearing eyes ... his loving eyes... the ones she always longed to gaze into. Sherry desperately fought back the impulse to reach out to her husband, to touch him. She was quite surprised by her reaction on seeing him.

"I was getting worried that you might have got held up at the construction site," said Sherry as a way of starting up a conversation.

"Yeah, we almost went off over the mountain side," he said and went on to tell the harrowing event that marked his home trip. 

Sherry didn't like what she was hearing. He had told her about the visit by the inspectors and how hard he had to control himself from having a go at them. It seemed nothing was going right for him ... for them.

Dave was by now sipping his coffee and watching the cable. She had offered him a drink. But he had refused. He had given up drinks, may be a beer now and then, socially, but no hard drinks. Sherry thought that had to be an improvement, something he should have done a long time before ... perhaps she had also turned a blind eye to his drinking habit. If only she had gotten after him to give up his boozing then perhaps their married life wouldn't be in the mess it was in ... she felt a stab of guilt.

Sherry picked up the envelope containing the medical report and placed it beside him. Dave had been busy watching the TV show. He glanced at the envelope and the colour drained from his face. Perhaps he had forgotten the purpose of his visit.

He put down his cup and opened the envelope and began reading the report. She saw the tension slowly leaving his face as he finished reading it.

"Whew, guess I came out of that mess unscathed ... physically," he remarked as he passed on the report to her.

Sherry quickly went through the contents and then let out a sigh of relief. She had been waiting to hear the results before letting Dave meet their son ... just a precaution ... life could be such a mess at times.

"Dave, why don't you bring DJ from his room? He has been missing you."

For the next hour or so she watched father and son going silly over each other. DJ had been asleep when Dave went to pick him up. But now he was fully awake and all over his dad. DJ made his dad watch his favourite cartoon, then play with his toy plane and train set. Dave went on all fours and put DJ on his broad shoulders and the two began travelling all over the house.

Sherry laid the dinner table while the two of them were busy with each other. She could hear DJ's voice full of fun and excitement as he played around with his father. Sherry stopped and leaned against the dining table. She was hurting inside. What did the future hold for them? 

Sherry walked back into the living room. The room had gone silent as DJ had nodded off to sleep in his father's arms. Dave was hugging him close, singing a lullaby close to his ears. Tears welled up in her eyes. Tomorrow morning DJ was bound to ask for his Dad. What would she tell him?

"Here let me take him to his room," said Sherry as she stepped forward to take DJ from him.

"No Sherry, let me do the honours," he replied in a firm, stubborn voice.

She nodded and walked back to the kitchen. A few minutes later Dave joined her.

"Thanks, Sherry."

"For what?"

"For calling me over for dinner and letting me have some time with our boy."

Sherry continued to eat her dinner in silence.

"I really don't want it to be like that."

"Like what?"

"Having visitation rights to see my baby a couple of days in a month. I want to be there to build him into a fine young lad who will do us all proud. I have no intention of surrendering my rights and duties to a ... a step father" he continued in a firm stubborn tone.

Sherry's eyes turned steely.

"Step father? What the hell are you talking about? There is no other ..." she began to retort in an indignant voice.

"Look Sherry, the whole world knows we are living separately. This may well perhaps be the first step to the ultimate trip to the court, not that I have any intentions of starting the process. I love you and will always love you. But the hard fact is that I have made you lose your trust in me. In any marriage that is the most precious element. If the trust is there then a couple can rough out together the most adverse conditions. But if the trust factor is missing, then the smallest of incidents can pull them apart ... and if indeed things go the way I have just mentioned, then I am sure you will have a line of suitors a mile long queuing up at your doorstep," continued Dave grimly.

Sherry's nostrils flared, her Irish blood was on the boil. She stood up with her hands on her hips, her body trembling.

"Listen Mr. Dave Harding, you may be my husband, but you have absolutely no right to talk to me like that, especially after what you have been doing on your so called conferences," she hissed menacingly. "What sort of a woman do you think I am? Divorce the current man then marry another and then divorce the fella and repeat the cycle? In case you didn't notice, I am also a human being, Mr. Dave Harding, just like you ... and I have been hurt real bad by the person I adore and love the most, someone for whom I will willingly lay down my life ... and here you go on about men queuing up at my door? What do you think your wife is a cock hungry slut? The man who deserves to walk down the aisle with me should be strong, caring, with a shoulder to bear the responsibilities that come along with a marriage. I thought I had found all those qualities in you ... but here you go talking about me as though I just can't wait to get you out of my bed and life so that, so that ..." She couldn't bring about to complete her sentence. Instead she stood shivering, her bosom heaving as she took deep breaths to control herself.

Dave looked at her with steady eyes. Her verbal assault had taken him by complete surprise. But in a way it was good. She had been keeping it within herself for just too long and it was time to let loose.




A Small Indiscretion Ch. 03



He got up and walked over to her. Before she could object he pulled her close to himself and lowered his lips on hers. She resisted initially but then went still.

Finally he pulled apart. She was still breathing heavily but the shivering had subsided.

"Look Sherry perhaps it did not come out the way I wanted it to. We are both under a lot of stress and all I wanted to say was that it would be better that we took our time to plan our next step ahead. There's too much at stake here. In our society, even a murderer gets a second chance after he has completed his sentence. And it would be a good idea if we get together again. I just want you to understand that whatever happens next will be decided by the two of us as mature persons. Got it?"

Sherry nodded her head.

They talked some more till Dave thought it was time to leave as Ma would be returning soon.

"Thanks for having me over Sherry. Maybe we should get together again."

"Yup, I don't see any harm in that."

Dave brushed her cheek with his hand and then abruptly turned and walked out into the night.

Sherry watched her husband walking down the street from the window, his long, manly strides taking him further and further away from their home.

-----------------------------------------------

"Hi Cyndi, is Dave in?"

Cyndi looked up from her computer screen. It was Rita from the procurement cell. 

"I am supposed to update him with the status of the purchases, stock level blah, blah for his video conference with the Head Office later today," she continued with a smile.

Cyndi looked hard at Rita. She was a curvaceous, long legged, blue eyed blond who had just come out of a scrappy marriage. Rita was wearing a fashionable skirt coming up to just above her knees and a sleeveless blouse. It was a well fitting blouse and it seemed her ample boobs were straining to break free. The top button was open and a flash of cleavage was clearly discernible.

She frowned. "Yeah, he is expecting you," she finally said. 

Cyndi wore a disconcerted look as she watched Rita enter the cabin. 

"Hi Dave," said Rita as she walked briskly up to him, her breasts doing a quick juggling act within the tight confines of her form-fitting blouse. She gave a sweet smile as she saw Dave staring at her bosom.

He saw Rita smiling at him and flushed realising that she had caught him looking at her assets.

"Rita you are looking wonderful as always," he finally said with a smile, acknowledging the fact that he had been admiring her and that she was also aware that he had been doing that.

"I'm sure you say that to all the girls over here, but thank you for that compliment. It makes a girl feel wonderful to know that she still has it in her to turn a few heads," she replied as she sat down and took out her reports.

"Rita you are a nice, good looking girl with a sensible head on your shoulders. We all know what you have been through in your personal life was really not your fault. It was just one of those cases of mental incompatibility with the two of you having different perceptions of what to expect from life."

"Yes, you are so right," she replied in a low voice, "I never imagined he would be so focused on his career. Having a family, it seemed, was never going to be a priority item for him." 

"And you?" asked Dave with a raised eyebrow.

"Babies, babies and more babies, the more the merrier," she replied with a chuckle.

"I'm sure you will find the right guy. So cheer up and let's get down to some working," replied Dave as he gave a quick, appreciative look at her cleavage. She was indeed a good looking lassie.

The two began poring over the numbers. The video conference was scheduled in the afternoon.

Unknown to him, outside his cabin, a different type of discussion was being held about him.

"It seems the word has got around that Dave is single and available," said Cyndi over her cell.

There was a slight pause at the other end.

"And what makes you arrive at that conclusion, office wife?" came a tentative voice from the other end.

"Well, some of the girls are more attractively attired nowadays and are making it a habit to bring reports over for a one to one discussion with him rather than sending them over to me for vetting—under the pretext of a short timeline, of course" replied Cyndi grimly.

"So I suppose we shall soon know whether there is indeed another side to Mr. Dave Harding's nature or whether things are as he tells them to be," came back the reply.

"In other words you want to give him some room to ... uh, play around?"

"Do you have to say it that way?" came Sherry's brusque reply.

"I don't like it."

"But neither can you stop the pretty faces from flocking around him can you?"

"Look, you wanna be sure that you can trust him don't you?"

"Yes," came back a tentative reply.

"Then just hear me out for now," said Cyndi as she started talking in a low tone. She spoke for some minutes and then came to a stop. "Well?" Cyndi quizzed as she finished outlining her rough plan.

"Give me some time to think over it."

"Okay, but don't take too long," she warned as she swivelled back to her computer screen.

In his cabin, Dave was becoming impatient. "How many more pages to go?" he asked.

"Just a couple remaining," replied Rita with her head down, furiously ticking the numbers.

Definitely D size cups, thought Dave. During their working a second button had popped open and Dave was treated to some wonderful visions. He could see Rita's brown areolas peeking out from her bra. 

He felt his little fella responding to the beautiful vision. Standing up with her around was indeed going to be a problem, at least for a while.

Dave tore his eyes away from their dessert, picked up his mobile and called Scotty at the site. 

"Hi Scotty, anything new to report?"

"No Chief, things are running as per schedule, and no fuck ups either."

"Good, Head Office should be pleased with that," he replied, his gaze gravitating back to Rita's unbuttoned blouse.

"And Scotty, you have the coming Friday off. I have made reservations for two at the balcony and then dinner for two at that upscale restaurant you always wanted to take Stella out to."

"Hey! you made quite a dent in my pocket," he replied with a laugh.

"Oh I will take care of that through my miscellaneous expense account," replied Dave, "Just have a good time."

"Thanks Chief that should put me back in her good books. In fact I have already begun softening her up," he continued in a conspiratorial tone, "She asked me if she could accompany her colleague Evelyn to a wedding as Evelyn wanted some company. I told her to go ahead 'cause I know it will get her in the mood, and on Friday I will take her to the theatre for what should be the beginning to a fantastic weekend," concluded Scotty with a chuckle.

"As long as you make it back to The Orbit Mall on Monday I have no complaints," replied Dave with a hearty laugh.

"Finished," exclaimed Rita as Dave put his mobile back on the desk.

Dave went through the numbers and the accompanying summary analysis one final time.

"Nice work Rita, nice to have a reliable person like you on board," said Dave.

Rita leaned forward, placing her hand gently on his, "Dave you can ask from me anything ... anytime," she replied softly, her eyes gazing into his.

Dave felt uncomfortable. He was sure that statement from Rita meant more than just business and he was not in the mood to play around. 

He pressed her hand for a moment before releasing them, "I'm looking forward to some more in-depth analytical outputs from you," he replied.

Rita smiled and left with a wave of her hand.

Dave called in Cyndi and the two began putting the final touches on their Power Point presentation. Fred joined them a few moments later with his fund flow projections.

Dave glanced at the morning newspaper. Damn, he cursed himself silently. He had intended to call his wife and congratulate her for her story on parental child abuse. Now that will have to wait till the evening.

* * *

Sherry crossed and uncrossed her legs as she tried to pay full attention to her editor's talk. She, along with the other sub editors, had joined Ed in the conference room for a briefing on their next story assignment. Her mind kept going back to her husband and the mess they were in. Their newspaper had got wind of some critical goof-ups by the city councils of some major cities in the allotment of lucrative building contracts. Ed was explaining the information in detail with the help of a manual which laid down the ordinances and guidelines for awarding contracts, and which some city councils were cleverly side stepping to allot the contracts to their favoured few.

She scribbled down the cities she would cover along with the names and contact numbers of the persons they would network with. 

Ed was winding down. "Look guys, you are all experienced hands and so I am not going to go into how you should go about collecting the story. Just make sure we get some real hard hitting information and yes, also ensure that we are not open to any litigation proceedings. Sherry you have been allotted some major cities. You did a great job with that last story and we expect a lot from you."

"Sure Ed, you can look forward to it," she replied, beaming happily, forgetting the turmoil in her personal life for some moments. 

The discussions went on for some time before Ed finally called the meeting to a close. Each had been given a CD containing the relevant information, bylaws, et cetera, pertaining to the city or cities they were assigned.

"Sherry, could I have a moment please?" called out Ed as she made her way out.

"Yes, Ed?" asked Sherry as he walked up to her.

"My daughter Alice will be coming over next week. They have a couple of days' break at their college. I was planning to buy her a nice dress but when it comes to buying ladies' dress I'm a poor judge, especially what a young lady would like to wear. So I was wondering if you could help me out by accompanying me to the shopping mall?" he asked in an apologetic tone.

Sherry looked up at Ed's chiselled face, his friendly eyes looking pleadingly at her. Ed had often spoken about his daughter who was pursuing a course in mass communications. Sherry had never met her but had come to know a lot about her through Ed. He adored his daughter.

"Sure Ed, I will be happy to do that. When do we go?"

"How about this evening?" 

"Sure Ed, I think we can do it today," she replied with a smile and walked out of the conference room.

Across the town, another heavyweight conference was underway in right earnest. Dave, along with Cyndi and Fred, was bringing his head office up to date with the Orbit Mall work report. 

"Dave, we do not want the city inspectors swarming all over our work site. So keep your house in order and ensure complete safety of your crew members," said Paula. She was the Vice President of Projects. With a degree in civil engineering from Syracuse University and over fifteen years of experience, she was a walking dictionary on everything related to civil construction. 

"Keep a close watch on the workings down there," added Bob Thomson in a raised voice. He was another senior executive assigned by the head office to the Orbit Mall project. "Once we complete Phase 3, we will be through the most sensitive stretch of work. After that we should be able to complete the remaining work well in time to qualify for the Wilbur Smith Housing Project. Our company cannot afford to lose out on that project. Do you get me Dave?" 

"Your message is loud and clear, Bob," replied Dave in an irritated tone. He knew what Bob was implying: Another mess up and Dave would be replaced. Dave never did like that seedy-looking Thomson fellow. Thomson had joined their company some time back and they had never gotten along well. Now it seems Thomson was getting a good opportunity to tweak Dave's nose about.

"I plan to be there the day after Phase 3. Book a couple of tickets on the commuter jet so that we can make a quick visit to the site. We can plan for whatever reinforcements you may need, if any" said Paula in an attempt to cool down the fraying tempers. 

"We will be ready," replied Dave. As long as that stick in the mud didn't accompany her he had no problem.

The meeting went on for some time longer, and by now it was apparent that the head office was a bit rattled with the inspectors' paying surprise visits. Nobody wanted any more slip-ups at the Orbit Mall, or to finger the real issue, nobody wanted to lose out on the lucrative Wilbur Smith Housing Project. 

Dave held an impromptu meeting with Cyndi, Ron and Fred after the meeting with the head office came to a close. He rechecked the quality standard of the material being used at the Orbit Mall site and then the expenditure to be met through the additional funds being disbursed by their head office. As far as he could see, the quality of work was good and so was the material being used. It was only the string of accidents that had him worried. 

He looked wearily at his watch. It was close to eight in the evening. The others had left a long time back for their home and family. But he had no family to go home to, just a sparsely furnished one bedroom flat awaited him

Dave looked at his family photo on his table. He missed his kid and yes, he missed Sherry too. But he knew that the trust-building process was going to be a slow, uphill task. If the positions had been reversed—had Sherry confessed to him about a one night stand—then he knew it would have torn his heart apart. He just could not bring himself to imagine his Sherry in bed with another man, and likewise he could well understand the turmoil going on inside his wife's mind.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, reliving happy memories of times past. Sherry must be home by now, he thought. He mentally envisioned the activities that must be taking place. It was close to DJ's bed time. No doubt Sherry must be in the process of preparing him for the night. He really missed reading the bed time tales to his son.

* * *

"Sherry, you have been of awesome help!" exclaimed Ed as they settled down at their dinner table. As planned, Ed had picked up Sherry from her home and the two had gone to the downtown shopping mall to pick a dress for Ed's daughter. Thereafter they had made their way to the restaurant at Hotel Marriott, where Ed had already made a reservation for dinner.

"It wasn't rocket science, but nevertheless, thanks," replied Sherry as she sipped her wine with a twinkle in her eyes.

It had been quite some time since she had gone out anywhere. Since her estrangement with Dave, she had been spending most of her hours after work at home, going out only for the most essential chores. It had been Ma Harding's idea. Ma had been after Sherry to take care of herself, to go out and meet her friends or go shopping with them instead of doing things all by herself and spending most of the time at home brooding about her personal life. Meeting people, as Ma Harding had reasoned with her, would help her to get a grip on her life and think ahead with clarity.

Even then she had hesitated. Her heart was not really into it, but Ed had turned on all his charms to get her to help him out in his hour of distress as he was completely out of his depths when it came to shopping for a young lady. She smiled as she watched him fill up her glass, while he regaled her with stories of how he cooked the goose of some of the politicians who dared to try foiling his well planned exposures. Her editor could really get persuasive.

"By the way Sherry how old is your kid?"

"He will be six in a couple of months," she replied.

Ed leaned back and sighed. "I wish I could turn back the clock and watch my little girl grow up all over again," he said with a wistful look in his eyes.

"Really? We keep thinking when our little boy would get big enough to start handling things on his own a bit," replied Sherry with a chuckle.

"Oh, I know what you mean Sherry, little kids do need that much more caring and attention, leaving very little time for anything else. But I think those are some of the best years of one's family life, full of responsibility and fun," replied Ed as he finished refilling their glasses once again.

Ed then went on to tell her about some of the incidents he would always cherish in bringing up his daughter. The band started playing a fast song. Ed stretched out his hand towards Sherry with a request in his eyes. Sherry smiled. She put down her now empty glass and accepted his request. They continued to dance for the next few minutes. Then somebody asked for a slow number and the band obliged. Ed slid his arm around Sherry's waist and pulled her towards him. He maintained an appropriate distance between them as they moved across the floor, gently swaying to the tune of the music. 

He was a good dancer. Sherry felt herself relaxing in his strong arms as he guided them across the dance floor. Perhaps it had not been a bad idea after all to go out for the evening, thought Sherry as she twirled around and came back into his arms.

"Wow! That was great," said Sherry as they finally made their way back to their table. "You sure are something on the dance floor," she added.

"All your doing," he replied, "with such a wonderful person as my partner, it was all coming out real natural," he finished with a wink.

Sherry laughed, accepting the compliment coming her way.

They continued chatting animatedly as they finished off their dinner. As they got up to leave Sherry saw the waiter hand over a small packet to Ed. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. 

"I know just the perfect spot on the way back for us to polish off the remaining wine. It will be a fitting grand finale to a wonderful evening," said Ed in response to her inquisitive look as he guided her out of the restaurant.

Sherry tilted back her head and laughed. She had really enjoyed her outing. It had been quite some time since she had felt so free and light hearted; perhaps the wine had also something to do with it. 

Sherry leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes as the car picked up speed, enjoying the feel of the night's cool air softly caressing her face, blowing her hair back. She could hear Ed speaking to her animatedly, but she was really not listening. It had been a lovely evening.

She must have dozed off. She opened her eyes as she felt her body give a gentle jerk. The car had moved off from the road to the side dirt track. They continued to slowly make their way between the trees, until the car finally came to a rest. 

They had been on a curving, uphill mountain road and by taking the dirt track they had come to the edge of a small knoll overlooking the city. The two stepped down and walked to the edge. The sight was breathtaking. The moon was already up in the sky, it's cool, silvery rays lightening up the sleepy town below.

"Oh, it's so beautiful, so calm and peaceful," exclaimed Sherry as she savoured the sight before her.

"This is one of my favourite locations. In fact, whenever I feel stressed out, I take a break and make a beeline for this spot," replied Ed.

They moved under a clump of trees. Ed took off his coat and spread it on the ground and the two settled down on it. He then took out the bottle of wine and poured out a drink for both of them.

"One for the road," he said with a smile as he raised his glass.

Sherry acknowledged by raising her own glass. The two continued with their idle chit chat, with Ed telling her about some lovely spots he been privileged enough to visit in his career. Sherry leaned back against the tree, enjoying the stillness of the night, so much in contrast to the tumultuous goings on in her married life.




A Small Indiscretion Ch. 03



She murmured softly as she felt his lips brush against her cheeks. The murmur turned to a low moan of pleasure as his hungry lips sought hers. He forced her mouth open. Their tongues began to play a game of their own. Her pulse quickened as his hands began kneading her breasts, one at a time. She felt her body responding to his love making. His mouth was now on her erect nipples, which she couldn't even remember being laid bare, and he was sucking them, pulling at them. His strong body was pressed to hers, the heat emanating from his strong, hard body enveloping her, the all too familiar feeling searing up through her body from between her thighs. 

Ohhh ... it was so nice ... she wanted to surrender to her emotions ... to allow them to take her to a new high.

Her body shuddered involuntarily as she felt a finger roughly penetrate her.

Sherry sat up with a start, her eyes wide open!

Her blouse lay unbuttoned, her bra was pushed up and her breasts totally exposed. Ed was naked and between her open legs. He had bunched up her skirt around her waist and had slipped a finger inside her pussy.

He saw her staring at him. He moved up and took her face in his hands.

"You are so beautiful Sherry," he said in a low, husky voice. His hands trailed down and came to a rest on her breasts. He cupped them in his hands and gave them a gentle squeeze.

Sherry's gaze went to his manhood. It was strong and erect, ready to please her. She took a deep breath and then placed her hands on his and gently removed them from her breasts.

"No, Ed, I don't think it's a good idea," she whispered, her eyes level with his.

"But why?" asked Ed, as his hands continued to clasp hers, his manhood hard with drops of precum at its tip.

"Please understand," she whispered as she withdrew her hands and began buttoning up her blouse.

The two rode in silence during the rest of the journey. 

As the car came to a halt at her driveway, Sherry quietly got out from the car and went inside.

Can a husband be unfaithful, unintentionally? Sherry pondered over the question for the umpteenth time the next morning. She reached back and pulled her hair tie letting her hair fall from her pony tail. She ran her fingers through her hair. She couldn't have looked more beautiful if she had gone to a professional hair stylist. The breeze began to blow little strands of her hair back as she walked along the shores of Lake Washington.

Sherry had taken the day off. The previous evening had been a good outing but she really hadn't planned on it ending as it had. Had she led him on? No, not really. She hadn't been out for quite some time and Ed had made her forget her internal turmoil for some moments ... perhaps she had had one too many drinks.

She smiled to herself. Men found her appealing, and this went a long way in answering one of the nagging questions which had been going round in the back of her mind ever since that fateful day. If Ed found her desirable, then the same must be applicable to Dave. Sherry blushed as she recollected the vision of her editor's erect manhood—tempting, very tempting. He had worked very smoothly on her. She really hadn't seen it coming. The next time he wanted her to help him out with some purchasing, she would bloody well courier the thing to him. 

Sherry stood silently, watching the ferry carrying the tourists. If she could have found herself in such a tricky situation, then what about her husband? She realised that had she been a little more tipsy, then she would have been completely unable to ward off the smooth-talking Ed and would have willingly had sex with him, even if she were to regret it later on. Yes, it would have been sex, not love.

Now, hadn't Dave also been talking along those lines? And yes, he had had the courage to own up to his folly. Would she have also done the same if she had had slept with Ed? Or would she have preferred to let it go unexplained knowing full well that it was a mistake not be committed again?

She hunched up her shoulders in response to the cool breeze and began walking again. This had been one of their favourite outing locations during their college days after she had joined Dave at their alma mater. Her parents had purchased a small, one-room apartment for her and the two had moved in from day one ... No. In fact, Dave had, in theory, moved in earlier. Sherry smiled as sweet memories of the past came flooding back.

It had been a family get-together on her school graduation occasion, just the Harding's, O'Brien's and a couple of other families. She had been a bit pissed off that day because Dave was not going to be there. It was such an important event for her, but Dave excused himself because of some important papers he had to submit. Of course, he had been involved in that little surprise all along.

She had freaked out when her father had presented her with the keys to the pad. In fact she had been outright ecstatic. But she had missed Dave that entire evening. She had thought of celebrating her passing out with a quickie on her bed after everyone had gone home or retired to bed, just like they had celebrated her losing her virginity.

Then she had noticed that she had been given only one set of keys to her pad. She asked for the duplicate so that she could give it to Dave but nobody seemed to be able to locate it. That had pissed her off further. 

A couple of days later she finally got to drive down with Julie to Seattle. She had again hoped that Dave would come back and take her to the university campus. But she was again disappointed and had to remain content with Julie driving her over. She was perplexed. Dave had never behaved like this before.

Anyway they finally reached her apartment block. It was a nice, multi storied block with a view to the lake from the balcony. As she got down from the car, she noticed that Julie had made no move to do the same. Instead she gave her a funny look and told her to go on and that she would catch up later.

She had then carried her two suitcases up to her flat all by herself. But before she could insert her key into the latch, the door swung open and she was pleasantly surprised to see Dave.

Everything then fell into place. The mystery of the missing duplicate keys, the sideways glances exchanged between her two mothers and finally Julie's reluctance to join her ... it had been a very well planned surprise for her.

They didn't come out of the apartment for the next two days. 

Dave had set up everything for her. He had purchased all the necessary furnishings from his own money, something her father didn't object to.

Those were some of the sweetest memories of her life. 

By now the sky was a myriad of colours. All the blues, pinks, oranges and reds seemed to have been put on a display for her enjoyment alone. This was paradise. Their paradise. Everyone else in the world seemed oblivious to the beauty and serenity of it all. It always amazed her that no one else took time out of their busy day to stop and enjoy this. 

She stood pondering her next move, her body silhouetted against the glow of the setting sun. 

She would meet Susan. She just had to. She wanted to meet this other woman face to face and hear her side of the story. But first, she had a call to make.

Sherry punched the numbers on her cell.

"Cyndi I am ready. I think it's for the better," she said.

"Okay Sherry, we will go as planned," came back the reply.

Sherry just nodded and closed her call and began walking back to her car, the chill in the air was getting noticeable. Will a second chance work for them? Only her heart and God knew for sure. That was it ... she would have to follow her feelings, her emotions, for they alone were going to be her guide. 

The next few days Sherry thoroughly devoted in going through the files and other information provided by Ed for their next assignment. Corruption amongst the higher ups in the government was nothing new for the public at large. A lot would depend on how the story was presented to the readers. She briefed her team members on what was required from them and set their timelines for delivery. She however avoided meeting her editor face to face. The incidence was embarrassing and too fresh in her mind. 

She looked at her desktop calendar. It was Friday. Susan had promised to meet her next Monday. She had been initially reluctant. Sherry could sense that. She smiled. Perhaps Susan had never realised that the wife would like to have a polite one to one talk over lunch with her husband's lover. She would definitely like to get to know more about the woman who slept with her husband within hours of meeting him. 

Then there was Dave. Should she call Dave over to their home tonight? That was another question that had been vexing her. It was almost a week since she had last invited him over. She wanted to keep the communication channels open between them; in fact it had been Ma Harding's idea. At first she had been reluctant, but then realised that it made a lot sense. Decisions were to be made by the two of them. Their friends and relatives would give them a lot of their well intentioned advice, but ultimately it was between the two of them. Even a marriage councillor would perhaps give the same opinion, and charge his fees for that. 

The decision on whether to call Dave was taken out of her hands as her cell rang. It was her husband calling.

"Hi," said Dave as she picked up her mobile. 

"Hi Dave, what's up?" replied Sherry.

"Aw, nothing new to report ... as of now the Orbit Mall is just about taking up all my time and energy," responded Dave. Sherry detected a relief in his tone as he spoke those last words. Perhaps he had not expected her to take his call. They continued to talk about a few everyday mundane things for a while. Then after a short pause, he came to the point.

"Sherry I really liked it the last time we met last week. I was kinda wondering if we could ... you know ..." his voice trailed away.

Sherry thought fast. She had been thinking of meeting him at a restaurant for dinner. But now she thought it would be better if she called him over to their house. By being there, perhaps he could comprehend what he stood to lose by his indiscretion. A man, or a woman, could choose between a home and loving family or an independent, carefree life with no strings attached ... and have very little to look back upon in the later years, just a string of short term relationships and many lonely years ahead. 

"Why don't you drop by in the evening? I will cook up something nice for dinner." 

"That's a great idea, but don't slog it out all alone in the kitchen. I will help you out," he replied in a firm tone. 

"Okay, I will be expecting you," she replied. 

Sherry stopped by at the local supermarket to pick up some things. She intended to make it a memorable outing for Dave ... something to make him think and ponder about.

She heard his car turn into their driveway and looked out the window in the living room. She marvelled at just how handsome he really was. His strong arms and legs... his loving eyes... the ones she always longed to gaze into. Then she frowned ... he had lost weight-too much. He was looking leaner and his eyes had a tired look about them. 

She opened the door as he rang the doorbell and welcomed him inside. The two did not hug or kiss each other; there was still a gap, a feeling of hesitancy between them, both unsure where this would all lead to. 

As he had promised, Dave joined her in the kitchen and began helping her in preparing dinner. 

"So what's the next big story you are working upon," asked Dave in his lazy, deep drawl as he surveyed his well maintained wife. She had changed her hairstyle to a more wavy type. It added to her over all appeal, but there were traces of worry lines which her makeup could not conceal, and just the smallest stoop to her shoulders. She's suffering from this all just as I am, he thought grimly.

"Basically related to corruption in government departments," replied Sherry. 

"Aha! I hope you come up with something about our City Councillors. That should help a company like ours who don't indulge in those under-the-table tactics," said Dave. He watched his wife as she gave a throaty laugh. She looked so appealing ... no, damn gorgeous. She was in a simple pink dress with a pearl necklace around her neck. The dress showed off her attributes. Her firm breasts displayed enticing movements as she went about her chores. He could feel his manhood responding ... damn ... that woman Susan had really screwed him up ... but then why blame her? After all, she didn't pounce upon him did she? On the contrary it was he who ... oh shit man, life was full of ups and downs and he was experiencing the worst of them first hand! Dave groaned inwardly and turned a bit so that his wife could not see the bulge in his trousers. 

"Well Dave all I can say is that your company better not be involved in any hanky panky or else it will be splashed all over the town," replied Sherry after she had stopped laughing. She had noticed the subtle change in his stance. The rising tent in his trousers did not escape her notice either. She gave an inward smile as she went about laying the table. 

"Here let me help you with the dishes," said Dave as he took them from her hands.

Sherry allowed him to take the them, and she closed her eyes momentarily as she inhaled his manly odour, his closeness ... oh, how she missed it all. 

"Your editor sure comes up with some good, new storylines. You must be getting to learn a lot under him," said Dave as they ate their dinner. 

Sherry blushed. She kept her face down, opting to concentrate on her dinner. The evening, not so long past, flashed before her eyes. "Under him." If only her husband knew how close to the literal truth he hit, thought Sherry as they continued with their talking.

"How's Paula?" asked Sherry as she gently veered the topic of discussion away from her job and her editor before it became more embarrassing. "Is she still single?"

"Yup, surprising isn't it ... with her good looks and brains it really amazes me," replied Dave as he tucked into the dessert.

Sherry nodded. She could very well understand the reason ... so simple and straightforward as it was. Paula was beautiful, she had brains and also a stake in the company she worked for. She was pretty smart. Many men found that intimidating. She was confident. Some men found that intimidating too. She never shied from speaking her mind. Even more men found that intimidating. She made more money than most men and they found that intimidating. She was attractive and surprisingly many men found that to be downright threatening. 

Put together all that intimidation and, well, she really hadn't much to choose from. And from those slim pickings, a lot of them were not intimidated because they were so full of themselves. Sometimes having it all can also become a curse instead of a blessing.

Dave continued to admire his wife as they sat across from each other in the living room. He watched his wife cross and uncross her leg as she listened to him, giving him fleeting glimpses of her smooth, creamy thighs. He wanted to sweep her into his arms, to make passionate love to her ... by now he had given up all attempts to hide his arousal. If his wife had seen his tent, which he was sure she had, she certainly hadn't shown any reaction. Perhaps he was also to be blamed for that lack of attention.

"By the way, did I tell you that Cyndi's distant cousin has joined us? She's an exact replica of Cyndi, just a younger version so to say," said Dave. 

"Oh really? That sounds nice. When did she join?" asked Sherry in an innocent tone. 

"Yvonne completed her degree in civil engineering a couple of months back. Our company selected her as a trainee and she decided to come down to Seattle so that she could be close to Cyndi," replied Dave.

Sherry continued to look steadily at her handsome, distinguished-looking husband as he went on to explain how he would be guiding Yvonne under him. She was Cyndi's cousin and this made her someone special to him. Unconsciously she wrapped her arms across her chest and hugged herself.

"Oh my lovely man you will have to go through this ... for me ... for us," she whispered to herself.

She saw Dave looking at the wall clock. It was getting late. He glanced at her and an unsaid message seemed to pass between the two. They got up and made for the main door. Dave then turned around and hugged Sherry. She did not pull away. He then kissed her forehead and stepped into the driveway.

With a heavy heart she watched his car disappear down the road. Then she slowly walked up the stairs to her bedroom. Why was she having such feelings for Dave? He had cheated on her, slept with another woman. Then her mind went back to the evening with Ed. She had enjoyed his touch, her body had responded to his caress ... or had she imagined him to be her husband in her inebriated state? Had she also cheated? Sherry cried her heart out that night. Sleep would just not come to her. Even when it did, it was an uneasy one. 

To Be Continued ...

ALEX

*****

Dear readers please do not forget to vote.



A Small Indiscretion Ch. 04



Many thanks to Greowulf for his wonderful editing.

*****

A few blocks away Dave also twisted and turned in his bed. The strenuous schedule at the office coupled with his family problems were taking its toll. 

Sleep, especially a good sound sleep, was becoming a rare commodity. Most of the previous week had been spent at the Orbit Mall site. He was meticulously executing the construction, keeping a close tab on everything, leaving nothing to chance. Paula had been more than satisfied with his management of the things at the Orbit Mall site. She did give her value additions but by and large she was happy with the way the work was progressing. With her pernickety nature that was no mean achievement. 

But most of all he was happy with the way the meeting with his wife had gone out. It had felt nice to be back home, the house had felt warm and cosy. They had watched TV together, ran errands, cooked, and talked about everything, about the kids, and work, and friends. He had never ever felt so relaxed. The stress of the Orbit Mall had just receded back in his memory.

Finally Dave rolled off his bed. He looked at his alarm clock. It was almost five in the morning. It was time for his morning jog and then an hour at the gym. He had promised to bring himself back into shape. He had already gone off hard liquor; just an occasional beer was all that he allowed himself to indulge in. He looked at his watch and nodded to himself. By noon he would be leaving for the work site. There was really no weekend for him till the Orbit Mall was completed.

True to his word, Dave was at his office early in the morning. He had no sooner settled down than there was a knock on his door and Yvonne stepped in.

"Hi Dave. I was planning to be the first, but it seems you beat me to it," she said with a radiant smile.

"Right and the loser pays for the lunch," said Dave in an affectionate voice as he admiringly watched his latest assistant walk briskly towards him in her low, hip hugging faded jeans and a top that never quite seemed able to bridge that bare skin distance from somewhere below her navel to the form hugging jeans. The younger generation had its very own sense of fashion and he for one wasn't going to complain. 

As he looked on at her smiling face, her brown eyes shining with life, dark hair falling over her shoulders, her young breasts bouncing lively in tune to her swift steps, he could not stop himself from comparing her with her cousin Cyndi. The two were so much alike. Yvonne seemed like a younger clone of Cyndi, and not just in physical attributes. She was equally bright in her work too, just like her cousin. 

Cyndi had pleaded with him to take her under his wings. Initially he had been reluctant, not sure if he could spare enough time from his tight schedule to give that little extra time to groom a young trainee. But he was surprised to learn how wrong he had been. She had picked up well enough that she was confident of going over the reports with Dave without Cyndi's support today.

"So what are you gonna show me first," he asked as he poured out a cup of coffee for her.

"Whatever my boss asks for," she replied mischievously. At the same time, she leaned forward to adjust her laptop setting enabling Dave to get a good glimpse of her breasts.

Dave swallowed hard as he somehow managed to prise his eyes away. He felt himself go red at that double meaning remark. His manhood had also locked on to that remark and he could feel his erection forming a tent in his trousers.

"Great brains think alike," he replied, "why don't you bring me up to date with the progress made by the architect team," he continued with a grin, the glimpse of her young breasts fresh in his mind.

By midday they were through with all the reports. The tantalising views in offer were an added bonus. Whenever Yvonne got down to banging away on her laptop's keyboard, she would bend down for better concentration, allowing Dave to have an uninterrupted view down her top. He was sure she was aware of the show she was putting on but she never adjusted herself. 

"There we are, boss. Anything else that you require from me?" she asked with that innocent smile playing yet again on her face as she gave one final punch on the keyboard. The double innuendo in her remark didn't escape his notice.

"This gal is sure gonna give a hard time to all the eligible males in the office," thought Dave as he continued to unobtrusively stroke his manhood from over his trousers. She was a chirpy little soul and he was beginning to like her.

"I hope I didn't disturb your weekend," he said, I am sure there must be a big line of guys in front of your cubicle requesting you to let them show you around the town."

She leaned forward and said in a conspirational tone, "Guess what boss?"

Dave found it very hard to engage in any guessing activity. The top of her blouse was again open for his inspection and Dave again found himself mesmerised by the tantalising view of two beautiful, creamy globes. He could even make out the ruby red areolas.

"Um, let me guess ... 30 days in a month is turning out a bit too short in numbers for allotment to the lucky fellas and you have yet to decide whose name to scratch out," he finally replied as he managed to move his gaze upwards.

"Oh how sweet of you, boss. But the sad fact is that there is not a single name on that list you just mentioned," she replied, her eyes going big and sorrowful.

"Am I that bad looking?" she then asked with a pout; that silly grin again back on her face.

Dave shook his ahead. He wondered if Cyndi was just like her cousin in her younger days.

"Well Yvonne, now that I have cleverly extracted your weekend schedule, can I ask you a favour?" said Dave with mock seriousness.

"Anything boss, anything, your wish is my command," replied Yvonne in a mock serious tone, with a matching seriousness written across her face.

Dave again found his gaze moving downwards towards her exposed boobs. She had again leaned forward and laid open her lovely cleavage for his admiration.

"This young filly is a real tease," thought Dave, already feeling sorry for her boyfriends. With great difficulty he managed to get his bearings back. 

"Well, here's the plan," began Dave as he got back to looking at her face, "I will be leaving for the Orbit Mall site in an hour's time from now. As there is no commuter jet available, I will be travelling by road with James. By late evening I will mail you my tour report long with my projection of the requirements for the coming week. The head office would like my report to be on their table by Monday morning as they are closely monitoring all activities at the Orbit Mall. As of now we are making good progress over there and they would like us to maintain our pace, so they will immediately send across their approvals. By midday tomorrow I should be back here. So, if you can fill up all the forms we have for the head office by tomorrow midday, I can go through them in the afternoon and send them across.

"Consider it done boss," came her prompt reply.

"But on one condition," she continued.

Dave raised his eyebrow questioningly.

"Like you just said, you cleverly extracted all information about my weekend schedule and had me agree to slog it out, now wouldn't it be proper if li'l ole me got something back in return?" said Yvonne in her innocent girlish tone.

"Hey, you just have to ask," replied Dave with a smile. He could feel himself warming up to Cyndi's cousin.

"Yipee! It's settled then, tomorrow night we will go to the best dance club ... oh do say yes!" exclaimed Yvonne.

For a moment Dave sat looking at her. She seemed to be a real livewire, full of energy and life. 

"Well boss?" she asked as she saw him hesitate.

"Okay Yvonne, will Trinity Club at eight suit you?"

"That sounds fantastic. Finally, I have a name on the list you spoke about," she gushed. 

Yvonne jumped up and hugged Dave. He felt his little fella immediately responding to the wonderful feel of Yvonne's young breasts pressing against his broad chest. 

"Okay girl, your free time starts now while your boss heads for the construction site," said Dave in a friendly tone as he gently prised himself away from her.

He watched her gather her things and make way for the door.

She opened the door and then stopped to look back at him.

"Boss you will be again travelling by road. Take care," she said with a genuinely concerned look on her face.

As he observed her leave, images of his wife in her pink dress flashed before his eyes. Her grace, her poise, the manner in which she heard him out, her well considered replies ...oh, the swell of those firm breasts straining against the pink fabric, her smooth, shapely legs and those generous lips ... no sir, he wasn't gonna lose her. He looked down at his bulge. He had wanked himself after visiting Sherry the first time. But this time, he just didn't feel like doing a repeat performance. The hard on was for his wife and it should, in all fairness of things, be sucked dry by her lovely pussy, his baby seeds safely ensconced in her warm, welcoming womb.

His cell buzzed. It was James. "Ready whenever you are," he said.

In an instant Dave's mind snapped back to the present. "Let's move then," he replied as he made for the parking lot.

The three hour drive to the site passed uneventfully. Dave even managed to take a nap before they finally reached the site. During the last fifteen days or so, things had really begun to take shape. The electrical work was almost complete and the false ceiling was in place. Some work remained at the underground car park, but that was no real issue. Some of the shop owners had even asked for permission to begin making use of the space allotted to them. All in all, it was a satisfactory state of affairs. And yes, there had been no repeat of those mysterious accidents.

He saw Luke working at the far end of the corridor.

"Hi Luke, how's it going?"

"Great chief, and I'm keeping my back covered," he said as he pointed to the young apprentice beside him.

"Scotty plans to have it all wrapped up in a fortnight's time. I have promised my wife to accompany her to her office party which is exactly fifteen days from now. So I, for one, am going all out to meet Scotty's deadline," he continued.

"Speaking of Scotty, where can I reach him?"

Luke made a wry face.

"In the office. In fact he seems to be there most of the time ever since he returned from his leave."

Dave gave him a friendly wave and moved on. Luke and his wife both loved dancing. They were pretty good at it too. In fact he recalled somebody mentioning that the two of them had first met at some dance show for a TV channel. They had been paired together. That pairing seemed to continue even today in their personal lives. 

After reviewing the work on all the floors, Dave made his way back to the office.

He found Scotty slumped in a chair, staring ahead at nothing in particular.

"Hey, what's up man?" asked Dave as he took the chair next to his and opened his laptop.

"Hi Dave, nice to see you back," he replied without much excitement.

"It seems you have all the work pretty much under control. So what gives?"

"It's Stella, I'm worried about her," replied Scotty.

"Some medical problem?" queried Dave.

"No, no nothing like that—and thank God for that. It's just that she seems to be a bit silent and kinda lost in her thoughts. Sometimes I catch her looking at me and then she just turns her face away," replied Scotty glumly.

"You did take her to the theatre didn't you?"

"Yeah we did go, and we had a wonderful time. Thanks for those tickets, Dave, I owe you one."

"Naw, don't ever mention it again," replied Dave with a wave of his hand.

"But this last time I was back home she looked so worn and distant, I suppose these long, outstation work assignments do put the entire household burden on her shoulders," reasoned Scotty.

"You could be right, there," replied Dave with a nod. Scotty was averaging ten to twelve days of continuous supervision at the Orbit Mall site, leaving Stella to take care of the kids and the house. In a way they were lucky to have such understanding and capable spouses or else they would have had to settle for some lower paying jobs within the city limits.

"Your next assignment is in Seattle itself. My guess is that you should be there for six to eight weeks. You can make it up to her then."

"Yeah, I suppose you are right. Quite unfair on our part to leave everything up to them girls," he replied with some sparkle coming back in his eyes.

"Right then, pull up beside me and help me finish my report. Yvonne has promised me that she will complete our submission reports by tomorrow midday."

"Yvonne? You mean Cyndi has been transferred?"

Dave then began updating Scotty about the goings on at the office as Scotty had been spending a lot of time at the site and was a bit behind with the office happenings. It was close to eleven in the night before Dave finally switched off his laptop.

Scotty had already called it a day. Dave grabbed a can of beer and munched through the chicken sandwich he had ordered. It would be better if he, too, called it a day as he would have to leave early in the morning to reach his office by midday ... and yes he was supposed to take out Yvonne later in the evening. It was going to be a long and busy Sunday.

The ring of his mobile alarm woke Dave early in the morning. He had a quick shave and then grabbed a breakfast with the crew members and then he was back on the road.

It was a few minutes to midday and they were just entering the city limits when his cell buzzed. There was a SMS from Yvonne.

"Signed, sealed, and delivered on your mail. Waiting for you at eight sharp," read the message.

Dave smiled. She was quick and efficient just like Cyndi. Something to do with their common genes he reasoned.

He drove straight to the office and took out the printouts of the reports prepared by Yvonne. Rather than going through everything on the laptop screen, he always preferred the old fashioned method of having the hardcopies on the table. By late afternoon he had read through all the paperwork. He leaned back on his chair and smiled in satisfaction. He had had to do a few minor corrections but otherwise her work was perfect. With her intelligence and looks she would definitely do well in her career. 

He thought about the outing to the nightclub he had promised her. Somehow he felt uncomfortable. After all, he was married and frankly had some problems in his life which could get aggravated if somebody saw him there with Yvonne and it got back to Sherry.

He picked up his mobile and called up his wife. 

"Hi Sherry it's me," he said as he heard his wife's voice at the other end.

"Hi Dave, still at the Orbit Mall site? You really should take a break. Week ends were specifically created for that you know, it helps one to get recharged" she said with genuine concern in her voice.

"The next ten to fifteen days are really crucial. Once the interior workings and installations are completed we will be more or less finished and on the list for the Wilbur Smith Housing Project, if not on the very top of it," he replied with gusto. The warmth and concern in her voice made him feel great. It really lifted his spirits. Nothing like have one's woman standing beside oneself.

They continued to talk lightly until Dave decided that it was time he broached the topic.

"Listen Sherry, you remember me telling you about Cyndi's cousin joining us as a trainee?"

"Yeah sure, I remember you telling me that she was her mirror copy, a younger version so to say," replied Sherry.

"Yeah, the thing is I requested her to finish some work for me during the weekend so that I could send across my reports on Monday. Well she not only agreed to do so but she actual did a pretty good job of it," said Dave.

"Well that's obviously because you did a good job of teaching her the ropes. Credit goes to you too Dave for the good job done," replied Sherry in a neutral tone.

Dave hesitated briefly, not sure how to bring it up.

"Well the thing is that she wants me to take her out in the evening as a kinda reward for the weekend slog out," he finally said.

There was a pregnant pause before Sherry spoke.

"So what have you planned?"

"I was thinking perhaps the three of us could go to the Trinity Club, that is of course if you could manage to squeeze in some time in the evening," he replied in a hopeful tone.

"Hey it sounds as though my husband is asking me out on a date," replied Sherry with a chuckle.

Dave smiled. Thankfully she was taking it in the right spirit.

"But Dave I have a morning flight to catch for Tacoma. A late evening outing will make it difficult for me to catch my flight," she replied.

Dave's heart sank. He had been really hoping that she would agree to go out with him. This would have given them a chance to be together. It had been such a long time.

"But you two go ahead and have fun. Do say hello to Yvonne from me and tell her I'm looking forward to meeting her, after all she is Cyndi's cousin," she added.

"You sure?"

"Sure Dave, from what you have told me, Yvonne seems to be a bubbly, fun loving girl. And you have used up her weekend for your selfish end, so you owe her one. Now speak to DJ, I don't think he will let me carry on any longer," said Sherry as she handed her mobile to their son.

Dave's heart thumped hard as he heard his little son's sweet voice over the cell. "Oh, why does DJ have to suffer all this," muttered Dave before he lost himself in his child's kiddy world.

[* * *]

Ma Harding watched her daughter with sad, sorrowful eyes. She was putting some clothes in the washing machine. Sherry's lips were pressed together and her face had a look of defiance—or was it uncertainty?

Dave had not asked for his mother. He knew she had taken her daughter's side, no, make it her daughter's side and had made it pretty clear that she would stick by her. She had refused to speak to him on earlier occasions. His mother had her own views. Ma's view was that marriage comes with many responsibilities and duties. To stay monogamous and faithful to each other is a means of providing the necessary security blanket for the spouse and the children that follow. If the husband or wife start having children from multiple partners then it would be pretty much back to the prehistoric cave man times. Somehow she felt guilty. Perhaps there had been something missing in her upbringing of her children.

"Do you really want to go through this? You know you could have joined them for some time," she asked softly as she gathered DJ in her arms and placed him on her lap.

"It was nice of Dave to ask me out along with Yvonne. I must confess I hadn't really expected that. I was under the impression that he would go ahead without talking to me, his wife, about it. After all, we are separated in a way; but no Ma, even if I were, for a moment, to forgive and take back Dave in my life, I don't think I could spend the rest of my lifetime thinking about who my husband is with whenever he is out of town. So, as of now I would prefer to let things play out in their natural course and then we will see where we stand and where we go next," she added reflectively.

---------------------------------------------

At exactly eight o'clock, Dave was at Yvonne's place. It was a small but comfortable apartment not far from where he had put up. After some contemplation he had decided to carry a bouquet and a box of chocolates. He rang the doorbell.

Yvonne immediately opened the door.

"Hi!" she exclaimed and gave him a quick hug. "Wow, for me? Thanks a trillion," she exclaimed as she accepted the flowers and chocolates. She then took him by his hand and led him inside.




A Small Indiscretion Ch. 04



Dave looked at his partner for the evening in amazement. 

Yvonne was looking very pretty. He gazed admiringly at her long, flowing dark hair that didn't stop until just below her shoulders, her soft, almond brown eyes, small, upturned nose, and a mouth that was eminently kissable. 

She had on a pair of jeans that might have been made of denim or maybe just spray-painted on her. She also wore a sleeveless top that he would have liked better if it had hidden her black bra straps. But he then reminded himself that she was of a different generation. 

"Give me a minute. Like to have a drink?" 

"No thanks Yvonne, I'm trying to cut down on my alcohol intake," he replied.

As she turned to go back to her bedroom, the top separated from her jeans for a moment, allowing him a glimpse of her thong above the waist of her low-cut jeans. She was definitely all set to enjoy their evening.

She was soon back with a dainty jacket carelessly flung over one shoulder.

"Let's go, handsome," she said brightly and took his hand in hers.

The nightclub was already filling up when they arrived. They ordered drinks and settled down. While he settled for a beer Yvonne decided on to have white wine. For some moments they sat observing the crowd on the floor, getting a feel of the environment. The floor was already quite crowded with party revellers, the strobe light bouncing off sweaty, gyrating bodies bumping into each other. Yvonne was gently swaying in her seat to the music, her sparkling eyes taking in everything.

Dave smiled and stood. "Yvonne, let's get the party started," he said as he stretched out his hand towards her.

Yvonne beamed at him and the two joined the couples on the floor. He was okay when it came to dancing. Sherry was the more enthusiastic of the two. It seemed Yvonne was an equally enthusiastic lady. They were soon grinding to the beat, Yvonne's hips swaying in perfect tune to the rhythm of the heavy beat booming through the speakers. The strobe lights picked up her body as she swung around, her arms going over her heads, a happy radiant smile playing upon her face. It was quite some time later when the two sweating people finally came back to their table.

"Oh Boss, this place is awesome. I'm perfectly willing to work all my weekends as long as you promise to continue bringing me here," she said with a big smile, as she sipped her wine. She was breathing hard, sweat trickling down her face and her nipples were clearly outlined against the wet top clinging to her nubile body. 

Another drink later she grabbed Dave by his arm and the two were again on the floor for a foot stomping session. 

Watching his partner swinging wildly to fast music, Dave thought back to the times when he and Sherry used to hit the nightclubs. The first time had been after he had received his first pay cheque. As it had been his first earnings, Sherry had made him issue a cheque of a reasonable amount to an orphanage and then they had decided to go and celebrate at the best nightclub in town. 

Dave sighed. That had been followed by a long night of passionate love making back at their pad. The next morning he had just about made it to office in time while Sherry had decided to skip classes for the day. In the afternoon she had rung up and pleaded with him to come home early. When he complied, they went for a long stroll along the shores of Lake Washington and then they were back at their apartment for another session of intense physical love.

Dave smiled at those happy memories as he took Yvonne's outstretched hand and twirled her round and then initiated some groovy salsa steps.

It was another hour and a half before he could convince Yvonne to call it a night and head for home. She was reluctant and it was only after another round of salsa that Dave was finally able to escort her out.

"Boss that was the most exciting time of my life," she gushed and then she proceeded to give him another hug. Only this time the embrace was more close and longer. Dave clasped his arms around her and pulled her closer, enjoying the warmth of her soft body. He really liked this girl.

They had dinner at a restaurant on the way back. After the drinks and extended hip swaying session at the nightclub, neither of them had been particularly hungry. 

"So does this mean that I get some more of your free weekend hours in the foreseeable future?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

For a moment she looked seriously at him and then said, "Sure Boss you get my time anytime you want." Her eyes had a smoky look. Yvonne came closer and planted her lips on his. She put her arms around his neck and stood close to Dave.

Dave felt himself responding to her demand. He briefly played his tongue over her lips and pressed her close to him. Finally he peeled himself away from her.

"Right then, we have a date," he said as he planted a kiss on her forehead and then turned and left.

The cold loneliness of his existence hit him hard as soon as he entered his apartment. Yvonne had made him forget his sorry state of affairs, albeit briefly. Now he was back to reality, and it sucked.

He undressed and stood for a long time under a hot shower. He dried himself and collapsed into bed. His eyes went down to his semi erect cock. He had been tempted, sorely tempted. Then he looked away and closed his eyes praying to Lord to let sleep take over his body. Like many numerous nights before, he was destined to twist and turn in his lonely bed. The image of the woman in pink seemed to be encased forever in his turbulent mind. There she was, so close to him, her pink dress billowing in the wind, her arms stretching out towards him. Dave moved forward to take her. No, ... what's this? ... she is fading away, her arms are still reaching out to him but her eyes are filled with sorrow ...oh, there she is again, ... near the auto staircase at the Orbit Mall, looking at him as she moved towards the elevator shaft ... the elevator shaft! Oh my God! ...lookout ...!! He heard Luke scream in terror.

Dave woke up with a start. He was breathing heavily, his body covered with sweat.

He looked at the ringing alarm clock. It was Monday morning and time for his morning jog.

---------------------------------------------

Sherry glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time. It was nearing two pm. Susan had promised to meet her at two. They had chosen the Italian restaurant she had visited in her earlier visits to the city. She had arrived in the morning. It was actually an official visit, but she had managed to wrap up her work by one thirty. Sherry had chosen to wear a light blue silk blouse and a black skirt which ended just above her knees-all in all a proper professional outfit of a modern working woman and which at the same time showed her best assets. 

So finally she was going to meet the woman face to face, the woman with whom her husband had spent a night. She wondered how she looked, and above all what would be her reaction on meeting this other woman. Was she more beautiful than her? More desirable? More appealing? 

Sherry recognised Susan as soon as she entered the restaurant. It had to be her. She was about an inch or two shorter than Sherry with blond, wavy hair, pale, blue eyes and a well maintained body. She was wearing a tailored suit with a matching blouse. Altogether, not a bad package. 

Susan looked around the restaurant, her hand reaching for her mobile, when their eyes connected. Sherry gave a small nod in acknowledgement. Susan began walking toward her table, her eyes not leaving Sherry for a moment, studying her ever so minutely as only a woman can. There was a confidence in her grace, her full breasts gently swaying with each step she took towards Sherry.

"Hi," she said as she finally came to a stop before Sherry. Her voice was firm, without any hint of hesitancy.

"Hi Susan," replied Sherry as Susan took a seat across from her. 

For some moments the two women sat in silence, sizing each other up.

All kinds of emotions were running through Sherry's heart. She had an urge to strike out at Susan for screwing up her married life. Somehow she managed to control herself. Ma Harding had cautioned her repeatedly against creating any scene. That would give the other woman just another victory.

"Keep your Irish temper in control my baby ... do that for me," was what Ma had said.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting," said Susan finally.

"Thanks for taking time out for me from your busy schedule," replied Sherry in an emotionless tone.

"Oh, once you rung up and expressed your desire to see me, well, I made certain the meeting time was high up on my agenda for the day," replied Susan.

She then leaned forward and continued quietly, "So how are things between you and Dave?" She stared intently at Sherry.

Sherry stared back into Susan's pale blue eyes, trying to fathom the woman behind them. She had slept with another woman's husband and now here she was asking that woman how things were between her and her husband.

"You know something Susan? People don't always act logically, sometimes even smart and reasonable people go off the track and do something crazy, or stupid, or self-destructive. But one bad deed doesn't make you a bad person. It just makes you a person who did something bad. What matters more is how you deal with what you've done—how you atone for it, how you do whatever you can to make it right."

"Dave had a one night fling with a married-but-willing woman," she continued with a heavy emphasis on the words fling, married and willing, "but he is a very brave and mature man. He knows he has erred and that has helped us move ahead."

She was definitely not going to tell the bitch how fucked up her married life was at present and that Dave was presently persona non grata at their home.

Sherry thought she saw Susan flinch when she said what she had to say, though her eyes continued to bore into Sherry as though searching for something.

Was she some kind of a kinky woman who derived some sadistic satisfaction by sleeping with married men and then breaking up their homes? 

Then Susan nodded and leaned back into her chair.

"Good, that's nice to hear," replied Susan.

"What about you? How's it going with your husband?"

Susan looked away as a frown crossed her face. 

"We are okay. I guess we are past it," she replied.

Sherry looked closely at Susan. Somehow what she said was not being reflected by her body language. There was tightness in her voice, perhaps an irritation, she couldn't be sure.

Susan was attractive, but the same could be said of many other women. She was definitely not in a class by herself. Sherry was also pleased to note that Susan certainly did not outclass her in any manner whatsoever. But as they say, beauty lies in the eyes that behold, and Dave had certainly bedded her. She had tried her level best to bury the emotions that reared their ugly heads when she had first learnt about Dave's betrayal. But she could now sense herself falling back into their clutches as she continued to look and talk with Susan. Her rage against Dave was again surfacing.

"You mean he is okay with what you did?"

"He understands that I was drunk and my biological needs got the better of me," replied Susan. 

"Tell me Susan, does it always happen like that? Your biological needs getting the better of you?"

Susan glanced at her watch.

"Sherry, I have an important appointment coming up, so if you could ..."

Sherry nodded. Her purpose had been fulfilled. She, too, no longer wished to be under the same roof as Susan.

"That's okay Susan, I understand," replied Sherry in a neutral tone. "Thanks for meeting me."

Susan picked up her handbag and walked out of the restaurant without glancing back.

Their coffee had remained untouched.

Sherry picked up her bag and made her own way out. She had a flight to catch back home.

--------------------------------------------

As the taxi pulled up at her home, she saw Ma Harding standing at the open door. Sherry walked over and they hugged each other. It was only then that the first tear flowed out of her eyes. All through her return travels she had maintained her composure. But now in the loving embrace of her mother she just let herself lose. Ma Harding made her sit in the living room and placed her face on her lap and began running her hand in her hair.

Ma Harding did not ask anything. She watched silently as Sherry cried her heart out. Her eyes were red and swollen. 

"I ... I met that bitch," said Sherry finally and then she went on to explain how her meeting went in an incoherent speech.

Ma Harding nodded her head understandingly. She was now gently massaging her daughter's back. The girl had been brave. All along she had maintained a stoic front. After the initial showdown with Dave she had collected her nerves and maintained a semblance of normalcy while she and Dave tried to put the pieces of their marriage together, if possible. Meeting the other woman was important in her attempt to find the best way forward. This outburst had been long in coming.

And she fretted for her son too. She had been shocked by his confession and somewhere deep inside she felt she had failed as a mother in the rearing of her children. 

But he had been repentant. The tight construction work schedule, coupled with his family problems was taking its toll. His health had deteriorated and no doubt he was in misery too. But he had a look of determination about him. He had erred and he was man enough to admit it, and he desperately wanted his family back. The O'Brien's were also in regular touch with their son. 

She looked down affectionately at her daughter. Her breath was more regular now. She lay silently on her lap with her eyes open. The ghost had been exorcised. 

She picked up her mobile and rang up the O'Brien's and then handed over the mobile to Sherry.

"I have prepared your favourite dish my baby. Now speak to your mother while I go about setting the table," said Ma Harding. She kissed her daughter on her forehead and then moved to the kitchen.

To Be Continued

Alex

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