52 comments/ 158380 views/ 21 favorites Payback of Different Kind By: woodmanone For those of you who read my work you know what I'm going to say, for the virgins to my work; there are no graphic sex scenes in this story. There are only so many things that can go on between two people or three people or more. After reading or writing once about those things you're just doing reruns, so why bother. I enjoy writing about the characters, the evil or good that happens to them and how they react. Along the way if I'm lucky a good story grows, if not I've still enjoyed myself. So I hope you enjoy this tale; all constructive comments and/or emails are appreciated and looked forward to. Your critiques help me to grow and learn. Thanks for taking the time to read and/or comment on my work. ******************** He was sitting on a stool at the end of the bar with his back against a wall watching a baseball game on one of the TVs above the bar. Not a little guy at around 6' or 6' 1" and about 190 pounds, he was still quite a bit smaller than my 6' 4", 255 pounds. Never the less I was going to be careful around him. I hoped he would listen to what I had to say without going crazy on me. "Are you Jack Wilson?" I asked as I walked over to him. He nodded and I said, "Can I buy you a drink?" "Who are you? I don't know you and I don't want another drink, I'm meeting my wife soon," he replied. "My name is Steve but that's not important. You need to know what's been going on with Julie while you were on your sales trip," I said hoping to arouse his curiosity and not his anger. "My sales trip, how did you know I'd been on a sales trip? And how do you know my wife's name?" There was a bit of anger in his voice. "I...I..." I faltered and stuttered for a few seconds. This wasn't a good situation and it could go bad very quickly. "Oh hell, there's no other way to say it Jack. I know your wife's name because I just most of tonight screwing her brains out at my place." That's when the fight started; well it wasn't much of a fight, he hit me and I hit the floor. For a smaller guy he sure could punch hard. It happened so fast that I didn't realize he had hit me until I found myself on my ass on the barroom floor. He was standing over me yelling at me to get up so he could knock me down again. I sat right there and looked up at him trying to think of what to say. I owed him that shot at me but I wasn't going to be his punching bag. Why would I tell a man that I'd been screwing his wife? It all has to do with payback. ******************** My name is Steven Harrow and I'm a moron, well not really but I feel like one. You see only a moron or a husband, and I'm both, wouldn't have seen what was going on behind my back. I didn't see it or even suspect it until cliché of clichés I saw my wife somewhere she shouldn't have been. She told me that her sister had broken up with her fiancé and needed cheering up. Apparently my wife was the designated cheerer upper and went to console her distraught sister. She called me at work and told me about visiting her sister and that it would probably be late before she got home. There was a casserole in the fridge and I could heat it up in the microwave for my dinner. I decided to hell with some stupid healthy tuna shit casserole, I decided to grab a beer and burger at a new place I had heard good things about. It was about 10 miles from my office in the opposite direction to my home. When I walked into O'Toole's it only took a few seconds to spot the two of them. The man she was sitting next to in a booth at the back of the bar might have similar features as her sister but he had the wrong fixtures; if you know what I mean. In addition, I've never seen my wife kiss her sister the way she was kissing this guy. It was full blown let me check you tonsils type of kiss, complete with breast fondling and crotch grabbing. I wasn't really that surprised; I guess I'd been expecting something like this for the last three months. ******************* My future wife Stella (Estella) Rodgers and I met in high school dated a few times and then went off to different colleges. We weren't in love or anything and there were no sad goodbyes; we'd had fun together and then went on our way. Stella was not the most attractive girl at school, in fact she was a little on the homely side. She wore glasses, was still carrying around some of her baby fat, and she had no grooming or fashion sense at all. What she did have was a satirical sense of humor, a quick mind, and man she could really dance. Stella transformed on the dance floor, leaving the rest of us in her wake. She and I were a perfect match of two, if not ugly then less than attractive people. I was tall, skinny, and uncoordinated with a more than average acne problem. If you looked in the dictionary under the word geek, you would have seen my picture. But put the two of us together and we were good for each other. It was almost six years later that I saw her again. I was taking some post graduate classes and took a break from my studies at an off campus bar. It wasn't a place I normally went to but that night I needed to decompress and relax. The place wasn't really very loud, just the normal ebb and flow of conversations going on but then a sort of hush fell over the room. I was staring into the one beer I allowed myself and wondering how I was going to get through one of my classes without kicking the professor's ass. He was a liberal somewhere to the left of Karl Marx and I was just a bit right of John Wayne. It got very quiet in the bar and I looked up to see why. That's when I saw Stella. At first I didn't recognize her, it wasn't until she smiled and then laughed that I knew it was Stella. Man, she had really changed and for the better. Stella had grown, evolved, or metamorphosised into a stunningly beautiful woman. Gone were the glasses, gone was the baby fat, and gone was the homely girl who didn't know how to dress or groom herself. In that girl's place was this woman who was dressed to the nines, this woman with long, long legs and a body you could bounce quarters off of, this woman with long golden hair and perfect makeup, this woman that made everybody stop and stare. Stella was so beautiful that when she walked across the bar room even women would watch her and say, "I'd do her." I couldn't believe the transformation in Stella. Man I blew it when I let her go I thought, and then laughed at myself. That had been back in high school and we wouldn't have stayed together all this time anyway. Of course I had changed also. I was still tall but I had filled out; the result of better nutrition and playing tight end in college. Playing football also improved my coordination and I outgrew the acne problem. As I turned and started to leave the bar I heard this melodious voice that I remembered very well, call my name. I turned and there was Stella right in front of me. "Hello boyfriend, what's it been about six years now?" As she greeted me she leaned against me, stood on her tip toes and kissed my cheek. "Hi Stella, good to see you," I answered when I got my tongue unstuck from the roof of my mouth. I was the envy of every male in the joint If only for a moment. "Come join us and have a drink. We've got a lot of catching up to do," she said pulling on my hand and leading me over to her group. "Hey guys, pull up another table so Steve can join us." I watch as three or four people jumped to do as she asked. It was ironic, the girl I had known was so shy that I was about the only one she talked to and here she snapped out orders like a drill sergeant. Stella had definitely changed. One of the guys from the group asked what we wanted to drink and went to fetch them. It must be nice to have servants, I thought. Stella and I played catch up for several minutes. After several how are yous, what's happened in the last six years and what are you doing nows; I had to address the 400 pound gorilla at the table. I know Stella was waiting for it and I couldn't resist. "Damn Stella you look great. I almost didn't recognize you. You're a lot different than back in high school," I said paying homage to this lovely creature. "Yep, I have changed and it's all because of you Steve," she said chuckling at the puzzled look on my face. "Me? Me? What'da you mean it's because of me? I didn't do anything." She giggled and then laughed out loud. I've never liked a grown woman of 23 or 24 giggling, she should have outgrown that phase but in Stella's case it was cute and sexy and made me want to hear more. I was staring at her waiting for her to tell me how I'd made her change. Stella then explained why she blamed me or maybe it was better to say gave me credit for her development. She said that when we parted after high school, she was crushed. Her looks, her personality, her shyness made me turn my back on her; at least that's what she thought. I started to deny the things she said but before I could say anything she held up her hand to stop me. "You, we, had never talked about love or commitment but that didn't affect what I thought. We were going to different colleges and it was natural that we would part. I didn't want to think about the logic or facts of our break up, just that if I had been prettier, slimmer, and more polished you wouldn't have left me," she told me, again that little laugh that in a younger female would be a giggle. "That's not the reas......," I started to say, but Stella interrupted me. "I know it wasn't true but that's the way I felt at the time. So I decided to take action, to change myself into someone you would want. I went to college and immersed myself in "Project Stella". I began to eat healthier and started an exercise regiment; I worked out in the school gym almost daily, I ran three times a week building up to a five mile run, and I joined the drama club to get over my shyness." Stella stopped to finish her drink, lifted her empty glass, and waited while one of her minions brought her another. "I even took a beauty course at a technical college to learn how to use make up and style my hair. Next I read all I could find on grooming and fashion. By my junior year, the change was almost complete; I still had to put everything I'd learned into practice. I began to flirt and interact with some of the men in my classes; I needed to see if I could get over being an introvert." She paused as if to gather herself before continuing. "Stella, I had no idea you felt that way in high school," I stepped in. "You have to remember I was a geek, a male version of what you felt like. I liked you and ask you out not because of how you looked but because you were interesting to be with." I paused for a few seconds and said, "There was another reason that I asked you out, you know." "What was that?" "You said yes. You were the only girl that ever said yes when I asked for a date. At first that was the main reason but by the third date I wanted to be with you because of you. We seemed to fit together. I regretted us having to say good bye but I was only 18 and had never thought beyond going to college." I hadn't intended or even thought that sitting and talking to an old friend would lead to "True Confessions". Stella gave me a warm smile, took my hand with both of hers, and leaned against me for a few seconds. "As good as you look, as confident as you seem, you must have men falling all over themselves to be with you," I said with a big smile. "No, there's nobody special Steve. Oh I've had two "serious" relationships since college but something was missing so we broke up," she replied. I motioned and indicated the others at the table, asking a silent question. Stella leaned closer so no one would hear her and said, "These people are just friends; well not even friends, more like companions. That's Kyle fetching drinks, he's asked me out at least a dozen times; I enjoy the attention so instead of saying no, I smile say maybe and he keeps coming around. Two of the three girls I'm helping change themselves like I did; in the mean time they catch some of my rejects." She giggled, again, at the expression on my face. "C'mon you know that less attractive girls pal around with a pretty girl; it's not always for the friendship, it's to latch on to guys that they might never have a chance at." "That doesn't say very much for them does it?" I was surprised at her revelation. "It says they are smart enough to make the most of an opportunity," she replied. "What about the other two?" "The other two are going together; I used to date Brad and when we stopped Sherry caught him. They seem to be happy with each other and that's a good thing. Sherry is one of my success stories, don't you know." I had to smile grimly at the change in her personality; the girl I had known was shy, less than confident, almost withdrawn with everyone but me. The new Stella was confident to the point of being cocky or even overbearingly conceited. I think I liked the old Stella better; there was a hard shell around this new one. "Guess I better go, got classes tomorrow morning. It's been... maybe interesting is the term, seeing you again Stella. Good luck with your projects," I said standing to leave. She stood, hugged me, and kissed my cheek again. The hug wasn't one of those A-frame hugs that woman use, you know hug you but keep their body away from you, this was a full body hug meant to show off how a woman feels. By the way, Stella felt damn good. Stella handed me a card and said, "Here's my home and cell numbers, give me a call and we'll talk some more." It was just short of being an order; Her Majesty, Stella the First had spoken. Again I couldn't believe the change in this woman. I had spent less than two hours with the new Stella and I wasn't impressed. There was absolutely no doubt that her appearance and her confidence was improved but she had lost the sweet, kind, thoughtful girl she had been. I didn't think it was a good exchange. Handing the card back to Stella I said, "There's no need to talk again, we've went over our lives between then and now. You've moved on and don't need another member for your entourage. I'm glad you're happy Stella. See ya." I walked away before she could respond or argue; I'd had enough of Her Majesty to last me. Just before I got to the door I heard Kyle say, "How dare he talk to you like that. Want me to drag him back here and make him apologize?" Stella laughed out loud, "Do you actually think you could make him do anything he didn't want to? Look at the size of him, you idiot." It would have been interesting and I was almost sorry that good old Kyle didn't try to "drag me back" because I was a little upset; I would have liked to share that feeling with someone. I was upset that my friend from high school had turned into such a conceited bitch. After Stella and I parted after high school to go to different colleges, I thought about her a lot. My first Christmas break I went home to visit my folks and tried to reconnect with her but her parents had moved. I tried to get her address from the college she attended but of course they wouldn't give out any information or even verify that she was registered; I found out later using somewhat devious means that she wasn't attending the school I thought she was. I lost her trail and had no idea where she had gone; it made me a little sad. It wasn't love but when I thought about that young girl it was with fondness and appreciation; we had been good for each other back then. Maybe that's why the change in Stella made me angry; my good friend was gone. Three weeks later I had just finished a nutritious dinner of pepperoni pizza and a beer when someone knocked on my door. When I opened the door, who else but Stella stood there door; as if I didn't have enough on my plate. "Aren't you going to invite me in?" She asked, smiling. After I waved her into the apartment she looked around and commented a little sarcastically I thought, "Nice place Steve." I lived in a second floor walk up; it was a basic studio apartment with one big room which combined a living room, dining room, and a small galley type kitchen, with a bathroom through a doorway. My goal was a post graduate degree, not entertaining guests so it suited me. I worked for two years after getting my bachelor's degree and was able to save enough money to go back for post grad classes. It helped that I was in Information and Systems Analysis so I could schedule my work and my classes around each other; basically I worked part time about 25 to 30 hours a week. "It's a place to sleep and study; all I need really. What do you want Stella? Wait, how did you find me?" "You're listed in the phone book." "Bullshit, the only phone I have is a cell. How did you find me?" Stella paused smiled and said, "It was obvious that you weren't going to call me so I tracked you down. One of my girls works in the registrar's office and I had her check the files for your address." "I repeat, what are you doing here?" "I wanted to see and talk to you without the "entourage" as you call them." "Why? It's not like we've been close for the last five or six years, we were friends a long time ago when we were both young. I don't understand you're need to have a "heart to heart" with me." "Remember that night at Kelly's I told you I'd only had two serious relationships and that something was missing? When I saw you, I realized what was missing was you." I started to say something about how idiotic that was but she stopped me. "Wait, let me finish please," she asked. "I told you that I wanted to change because you left me and yes I know that's not what happened but that was my motivation. Shortly after I began "Project Stella", I became a little more confident and realized that you hadn't left, you'd just gone on to college the same as I had. But by then I was seeing results and continued working on myself. This is the finished product but now I'd like to get to know you again." I interrupted her by asking, "What do you see happening here Stella? "Maybe we could go out a few times, perhaps we could get back to being friends, and maybe we could be more than friends. I don't know for sure, but I do know I want to spend some time with you." "Why? You obviously don't lack for company. Why me" "Steve you were the only boy that asked me out back in high school. You didn't mind that I was chubby, you didn't mind that I didn't wear makeup or styled my hair or dressed funny and you were always nice to me. You're right I don't have any problems getting dates or whatever now, but they look at the package and not what it contains." A man would have to be total idiot not to want to spend a few evenings with this stunningly beautiful girl, unless she was a total bitch. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed but I'm no idiot and she hadn't been bitchy to me only to Kyle. The deciding factor for me was the friendship we'd had in high school; if I could discover that girl inside of this beauty this could be interesting. "I'd like to be friends again but I do have a few conditions," I told Stella. "Like what?" Now she was smiling. "When we get together to hang out or date or whatever, I have to be your main focus. No posse, no entourage, and no group, just us. I scrimped and saved for two years so I could come back to school for my masters and I don't have a lot of extra money; so we won't be going to any five star restaurants or over the top type places." Stella listened and looked at me and nodded. Before she could say anything I continued. "One more thing, the amount and number of times together will be limited; I'm here to continue my education not be a social butterfly." "Is that it?" "Yeah, that's it. I know I sound like a sanctimonious jerk here, making demands and setting conditions; but I'm making an investment of my time in you. Time that I could use to study and get some extra work done so that's why all the conditions. I would love to rekindle the friendship with the girl I knew back then, I'm not sure about this new Stella. If you don't want to do this I understand." Payback of Different Kind "May I ask one question?" I nodded and she asked, "Could we go for pizza tomorrow night? We went out for pizza the next evening and so began our "quest" to reconnect. Stella and I went places and did things that you would expect friends to do. We went on hikes and picnics, attended free outdoor concerts, explored the art museum, and just generally got to know each other again. It was fun and we enjoyed ourselves. A couple of evenings at Kelly's or one of the other off campus bars we ran into Stella's entourage. It wasn't planned and Stella suggested we go somewhere else. It was my decision to stay and to join the group; I couldn't expect her to give up her friends entirely. I have to admit I had a good time and contrary to my first thoughts, these people were interesting and a lot of fun. The first time we joined them, Kyle immediately jumped up to get drinks for Her Majesty and her consort. I pushed him back into his chair and asked the group if anyone wanted another drink. Kyle followed me to help carry the drinks back to the table. "Kyle, what the hell are you doing? I know you'd like to be more than a friend to Stella but she'll never give you a chance if you keep acting like a love sick puppy. Stand up and be a man," I told him. I couldn't resist; I hated to see any guy being treated like a doormat. Don't know for sure but I think he took my advice; I never saw him with the group again. On one of our "off" nights, I went to Kelly's for a burger and saw Stella dancing with a man. Her "posse" was sitting at a couple of tables near the dance floor. No big deal, we weren't exclusive and I couldn't expect her to sit at home breathlessly waiting for my call. But I have to admit that seeing her with another man bothered me. Maybe I'm starting to think of Stella as more than just a friend, I thought. Maybe it's time to make a decision about Stella and me. Maybe it's time to take the next step; to be more than just buddies hanging out together. But the last thing I needed was a full blown romantic relationship, at least until I got my post grad degree, so maybe it would be best to dial this friendship back a notch. On the other hand I was enjoying our "dates" and didn't want to go back to spending all my time studying and working. Man, I was really confused. Stella saw me as they finished their dance, smiled and motioned for me to come to her table. I waved at her, smiled, and shook my head. I finished my beer wrapped the burger to take with me and went back to my apartment. Less than 30 minutes later someone knocked on my door. Surprise, surprise, it was Stella. First she smiled at me, then she frowned, and then she walked past me into my apartment. "Why didn't you come over and join us?" "Looked like you were on a date. I don't think your guy would have liked my interrupting." "He wasn't my date, he's just a guy that started hanging around with us after Kyle left," she explained. "Why didn't you come over, you've spent time with our group before." "So good old Kyle left the group did he?" He wasn't a bad guy and I was glad to hear that he had developed some backbone. "Yeah, funny thing, he hadn't been around for two or three weeks and I ran into him at a coffee shop one day. I asked him where he'd been and he said that he was tired of acting like a love sick puppy. He told me if I wanted him I knew how to get in touch with him and walked off. Strange behavior, very strange." I had to laugh; Kyle had basically told Her Majesty Stella to shove it. Good for him, I thought. Stella saw my grin and heard the laugh and asked, "Did you have anything to do with Kyle leaving?" "I told him that you'd never respect him or go out with him if he didn't quit jumping every time you told him too. I guess he got the message." She shook her head and smiled. "Now what's the real reason you didn't join us?" I took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds and let it out. Time to confess, I thought. "I didn't like seeing you dance with another man. I know, I know," I said before Stella could say anything. "We are supposed to be just friends or buddies. Stella smiled again took my hand and led me to my sofa pulling me down beside her. "Go on," she prompted. Taking another deep breath I continued, "We never talked about being exclusive; I mean why would we talk about it, being just friends and all? But I think I've gone beyond that and rather than cause a problem I came home." She crawled onto my lap and said, "I've gone beyond that friend stuff too. I was waiting for you to take the next step. But I guess I'll have to do it." Then she kissed me. So began the next step in our "relationship", now we went on dates, not just hanging out together. We were exclusive or going steady or whatever it's called. Stella's entourage became her friends rather than her minions and she spent a few evenings with them when I was working or studying. Any men in the group was told bluntly that she wasn't available so don't bother asking her out or playing up to her. The queen bee that she had been disappeared and that person wasn't missed. Instead I had a woman closer to the old Stella and was happy to have her back. We continue seeing and being with each other until I finished my post grad work. The day that I finished I asked Stella to marry me and she accepted. We had a quickie wedding in Las Vegas over a four day weekend and I started my new job. ********************** For the first three years our marriage was great. We'd had discussions about what we wanted and expected from a partner and agreed on the most important things. We had already decided that children would come later along with a house and we, or at least I, discussed fidelity. I ask that if either of us became so upset or dissatisfied with our marriage that we wanted someone else that we be upfront about it and not become the cliché of a cheating spouse. We both agreed it would be more respectful to confront each other and part as friends. Now we had the time and income to enjoy some of the things we hadn't been able to when I was in grad school. We took weekend trips, joking that we were taking our honeymoon three days at a time. I'd always wanted to visit San Antonio to see the Alamo and experience the River Walk so we flew there on a Friday and explored for three days. Stella wanted to see Hurst's castle and on another weekend we made that trip. We were having fun and loving each other. Things began to change at the beginning of our fourth year of marriage. Her Majesty Stella was back, she was a little testy to me a few times and she gave me orders. Not requests for me to do something, but orders to do it. I didn't say anything at first but questioned her about it the third or fourth time it happened. She apologized, using a stressful situation at work as an excuse, and promised to watch herself. Stella was back to her old self for a few days and then it started again. The third time we went through this cycle, I'd had enough. "I don't know what's going on Stella, but whatever is bothering you needs to be fixed. I'm not one of the minions you had before and I won't be treated this way. If you've got a problem with me or with us, speak up and let's solve whatever it is." Stella apologized, cried a little and ask me to forgive her. I did and we spent the evening making up. I got sidetracked and didn't push to find out what the "problem" was and why she was acting the way she had. Then came the night at O'Toole's when she was supposed to be with her sister and instead was making out with a guy in a back booth. It was obvious that this wasn't the first time they had been together. I didn't know if it had gone farther than a make out session or if she had been to bed with the guy, but it didn't make any difference. The first time she blatantly lied to me, the first time she passionately kissed this guy, the first time she snuck off to be with him, our marriage was over. I'd heard stories or read about what other husbands had done when confronted with a cheating wife. Some had folded up and let it break them, some had waited getting evidence for a divorce, some got the evidence and came up with elaborate schemes for revenge and some just beat the hell out the guy and sometimes the cheating wife too. I did none of these. My first thought when I saw them was oh shit, next why would she, and anger was the final thought. Stella was much too sharp and confident to be seduced by some slick character so this guy was with her by invitation. Other than being a sleaze ball for running with a married woman, I couldn't blame him too much; Stella was a very, very, attractive woman. No my anger, or most of it, was directed at my cheating wife. As I walked toward them I wasn't too worried about the guy getting physical. After all I had the moral right on my side didn't I? Actually the reason I wasn't worried is that I'm 6'4" with no slack belly; might is right, isn't that what they say? My wayward wife and her friend didn't notice me until I slid into the booth opposite them. They broke off their kissing and fondling and if it hadn't been my wife, the look on their faces would have been hilarious. I've heard the old saying about someone's face going white with shock but I'd never seen it until now. Stella's mouth was opening and closing like the proverbial fish out of water. It was funny as hell; or it would have been if it wasn't Stella sitting there. "I didn't know your sister got a sex change operation Stella," I said in all seriousness. "Maybe that's why her fiancé broke up with her." Stella's reaction was cliché. I heard, Oh my God what are you doing here, it's not what it looks like, it's not what you think and so on. Her "friend" decided that it might be a good idea to leave and started to slide out of the booth. I grabbed his arm and stopped him from leaving. "You better stick around friend. Stella's going to need a place to stay and when I leave you can take her with you." "No, I'll come home with you Steve. We can talk and I can explain all this," Stella said. "Stella you don't have a home. You lost that the minute you hooked up with dick head here. Don't come home, don't call, and don't try to see me. I'll have my attorney contact you at work to get your attorney's name and we'll let them do their job," I replied. "Give me your wallet," this to the man sitting across from me. He hesitated and I said, "Don't make me take it off you after I knock you out. You've got a free ride here because you wouldn't be here if she didn't want you here, so don't get stupid." He handed me his wallet, I took his driver's license and handed his wallet back to him. "That's so I'll know who to subpoena if need be Jerry. You can apply for a replacement license pretty easily." I looked at the two of them and continued, "Stella this is a no fault state so we'll just split everything down the middle, you can keep the apartment if you want. Don't fight this and it'll be over quickly." Good old Jerry started mumbling to Stella something about his wife and family. "You two assholes deserve each other. Have a good night" I said sliding out of the booth and went home to pack. Of course my cell phone started ringing right away. Not tonight Stella, not tonight, I thought. If someone had known what was going on and watched me when I confronted Stella they would have thought what a cold hearted bastard I was. He doesn't really care about his wife. The truth was my heart was broken. I'd lost the girl from high school, found her again and been happy and now I'd lost her again. On the way home I decided that I wasn't going to go the way of some husbands in my position; I wasn't going to turn into a drunk or wallow in self pity. When you sobered up or overcame the self pity your problems were still there, waiting to bite you in the ass. The only way to handle problems was to face them and kick their ass. The phone was ringing as I got back to our apartment and the caller I D showed it was Stella's sister. I had calmed down a little so I answered it, thinking it was Stella. It was her sister, Betty. "What's going on Steve? Stella just got here and she a mess; she's crying and babbling about she didn't mean it," Betty said. "I walked in on your sister and her boyfriend tonight and told her we were done. I told her not to come home so I guess she went to your place." "Boyfriend, what boyfriend? What did you think you saw? There has to be some mistake Steve." "The mistake was made by Stella. Tell her I'll be out of the apartment by tomorrow evening and she can come back then. Good bye Betty." "Steve, wait, what....." I hung up on her, muted the volume on the phone and answering machine so the calls that would be coming in wouldn't bother me. My cell started to ring almost immediately so I turned it off too. I packed up most of my clothes and personal things like my computer; tomorrow I would find a motel for a few days until I could find another apartment. The next morning, I saw about twelve messages on the machine and another 15 or 20 in the voice mail on my cell. I listened to each one long enough to know that it was Stella or Betty and deleted them. The only message I answered was from my dad; his call I returned. "What the hell's going on Steve?" He asked when I called him. "Stella called several times wanting to talk to you or wanting me to call you for her. "I caught her with some guy in a bar, of all places, making out. Guess she didn't like it when I told her not to come home." "Maybe she just made a mistake, maybe she didn't sleep with him. Why don't you talk to her and let her explain. I'd hate to see you guys break up." "Dad, it doesn't make any difference if she had sex with him. She lied to me so she could meet this guy." "You should talk to at least, don't you think?" "Okay Pop, I'll talk to her just to get her to leave you alone, but we're done no matter what she says," I replied. That afternoon I called Betty's place and asked to speak to Stella. She came on the line and immediately started with I'm sorry, I didn't sleep with him, it didn't mean anything and more bull until I stopped her. "Stella listen to me. Stop crying and listen. When we got married we agreed that if things got bad between us, we'd walk away instead of disrespecting each other. For whatever reason you decided you didn't want to do that and became the ultimate cliché, a cheating wife." "But I didn't sleep with him Steve. It was only some harmless flirting. It didn't mean anything and I...." "STOP. It meant something to me Stella. It showed a lack of respect for me, it showed that you don't love me at least not the way I thought, and it showed me it was time to get out." "Let's meet and talk and I can explain why and what really happened," Stella pleaded with me. "You're not listening, I don't give a damn why; just that you did. I don't care "what really happened" as you say. The lies and deceit are enough for me, the screwing around just put the icing on it. Don't call me and quit calling my dad. Do us both a favor and just sign the papers when you get them, make it as easy as possible. Good bye Stella." ********************* The divorce went through and was finalized in just three months. Stella didn't object or fight the splitting of assets so it was pretty cut and dried. She did ask to meet with me before signing the papers but I refused. There was nothing she could say or explain or anyway she could put a spin on her actions that would make me feel any different. After moving out of "our" apartment, I found a very nice first floor studio apartment. It was just me; I wasn't looking for any commitments so it was big enough. I'd rather spend the money on toys than on a bigger place to live. I waited until I was legally divorced before I started going out or dating. O'Toole's and Kelly's were no longer my first options because of Stella so I had to find a new watering hole. I found a place called Connor's Pub and Grill that was perfect. They poured an honest drink, served good basic food, and the service was outstanding. The people there made you feel welcomed and at home, it was a good place to hang out. I started going there to eat on Friday evenings. The owner, or at least one of them, was Jake Connor. He was a big guy like me and we sort of hit it off. I told my sad tale; he said he'd been there, done that, and had the damned T-shirt. Jake handed me a beer on the house and told me that sometimes you have to wade through the bitches of the world to find a good woman. After about six months or so I finally decided that I wouldn't let my history with Stella stop me from going where ever I wanted. So I went to Kelly's with a couple of guys from work a few times and sometimes Stella was there. The entourage was back in full force; this time she had two guys steppin and fetchin for her. Her Majesty Stella had returned. Surprisingly it didn't bother me all that much, but it was good to see the look on her face whenever I left with a woman. One such woman was Julie Wilson. I sort of had a steady thing with her. After the first time we met at Kelly's she would call every two to three weeks and want to get together. Being a macho type guy, I'd always thought I knew pretty much what to do and how to do it in bed, sexually speaking I mean. Compared to Julie I was a freshman just beginning to learn and she was the professor. We did things to and for each other that I'd only read about or seen in porn movies. I noticed something strange though. When Julie and I got together most of the time she had to leave by midnight but about every six weeks she would stay all night with me. I didn't understand but I wasn't complaining; I don't know if I would have survived if she spent every night with me. All good things must come to an end, or so the old adage goes. This good thing came to a screeching halt one evening as Julie was getting ready to leave. It was earlier than normal about 9 PM and I was trying to talk her into a least one more go around. "Can't do it honey. Got to meet Jack at 10:30 at the Lamplighter," she said as she laughingly pulled away from me. "I've got to get home and get cleaned up before I meet him." "Have I been replaced?" I joked. "Whose this Jack that's beating my time?" "Jack's my husband silly." Then she saw the shocked look on my face. "I thought you knew I was married and we were just having a little fun." "How would I know? You never said anything or even mentioned a husband," I responded with more than a little anger. No wonder she wouldn't give me her phone number or tell me where she worked or lived. She didn't want me to throw a wrench into her little escapades. "Oops, my bad. Well don't worry honey, he'll be gone on his every six week trip next week and I can spend the whole night with you. I'll call you next week baby," she said leaning over to kiss my cheek. I felt like an asshole. I was doing the same thing to this Jack and that jerk had done to me with Stella. Damn, I felt stupid and used and then I felt mad. Jack Wilson was probably a decent guy, working his ass off to provide for his wife and she was screwing anything that walked. I knew I wasn't her only bed partner but before I found out she was married, I didn't care. It wasn't morals or scruples or any high sounding philosophy that made me do what I did. It was pure anger and I thought for once somebody was going to get some payback. I took a quick shower, looked up the address of the Lamplighter, and went to find Jack Wilson. ******************** So here I am lying flat of my back on the bar room floor wondering if Jack Wilson is going to start kicking me. "Look Mr. Wilson, Jack, I owed you that one and maybe another one. So I'm going to get up and if you feel you have to, I'll take another shot. But after that one I'll protect myself," I told him. Payback of Different Kind I stood up really expecting his to knock me down again, but he stood there looking at me with hate in his eyes. I pointed to the bar stools and we both sat down. The bar tender had the phone in his hand, calling the cops I guess and I motioned for him to put it down, telling him everything was cool. Ordering two of what Jack was drinking I told him my story. "I swear Jack; I didn't know she was married until tonight. If I had I would have never started up with her." He looked like he didn't believe me so I gave him a short version of Stella and me. "I always felt she didn't get punished but then all I wanted was out. I wasn't into the revenge thing." I could tell his eyes that now he believed me. "Here's my card, if you decide to divorce her or whatever call me if you want me to testify or give a statement for you," I offered. He nodded and put the card in his wallet. I motioned for another drink for him and stood to leave. "One more thing you need to know before you make a decision Jack. I'm not the only one. She calls me every two to three weeks to get together and I don't think she's just sitting at home the rest of the time. Good luck, Jack. You deserve better than this." "Wait Steve. Would you hang around and confront her when she gets here? I'd like to see her reaction to your being here." I nodded and went to a booth in the back that you couldn't see from Jack's seat or from the front door. This is going to be fun, well maybe interesting is a better word, I thought. Julie came breezing in about ten minutes later. She walked over to Jack saying, "Hi honey, gosh I've missed you." She gave him a hug and kiss. "Order me a drink please; I've got to use the ladies room." Off she went to the bathroom. When she came back Jack had moved and she took his seat with her back to my booth. After a couple of minutes Jack lifted his hand and sort of motioned for me to come over. Walking up behind Julie I said, "Hi Julie, can I buy you and your friend a drink?" She turned around saw me, then turned back to look at Jack, then back at me and fainted. I nodded at Jack and left. ****************** Three months later I got a call from Jack Wilson. He said he wanted to fill me in on what happened between him and Julie. Jack said that he let her talk him into going to a marriage councilor and for one month solid twice a week Julie tried to shift the blame to him. He traveled too much; she got lonely, bullshit bullshit bullshit. He told me he chalked it up to a bad move when the therapist began to agree with Julie. He told them both to go to hell and filed for divorce. Apparently Julie didn't want her activities to become public knowledge so she didn't contest the divorce. He would be a free man in another month or so. I said, "Jack don't let it get you down, you'll come through. As a friend of mine once told me ...life goes on. The trick is to go with it."