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When Sorrows Come... Ch. 01

By: Blue88



"Look Ted," explained John Brock, the National Sales Manager. "If you want to advance, you're going to really have to think about this. You've been with the company for, what, almost fifteen years now? You're a senior sales rep and this is your opportunity to move up. A few years as a trouble-shooting rep. and you'll be in line for a district of your own, and don't forget the twenty percent increase in income you start to draw as soon as you say okay."

"Shit, I know, John. It's just the travel. Barbara will have a fit when she discovers that I will have to be away three days or more a week. She really hates when I have to be away the occasional day or so. What is she going to say when she hears this?" Ted just shook his head.

John nodded, he understood the difficulty of Ted's dilemma. "Okay, Ted. You think about this and talk it over with your wife. She has got to be made to understand how important this decision is; it will affect your future with the firm. Make her understand that."

John sat and looked at Ted's retreating back. He knew Ted's wife. Barbara Arnold was a beautiful woman, still firm and shapely despite her 40 years, but with her physical attributes aside, she was also very strong willed and he knew the battles that ensued in the Arnold household. In fact, he was just a bit surprised that the marriage still worked. Ted was also strong willed and they seemed to clash almost constantly. He felt sorry for what was going to face Ted when he dropped this bit of information at the dinner table. 

Ted had a frown of worry and concentration on his face as he returned to his office. He should have been tickled pink at being offered this position, it was a step up the ladder and a nice increase in pay; but he also knew that it was going to provoke a battle at home - or should he say another battle. It seemed that all they did lately was fight. He couldn't understand why they seemed to get on each other's nerves so often lately. He knew that it wasn't always like that. Damn, they were so much in love at one time.

His mind wandered back to the early years after college. He had majored in computer science and had secured a position with a small software outfit that seemed to have a bright future. Barbara Clarke was a blind date arranged by her brother who had been a roommate. He remembered how terrific she looked when he first saw her. He had almost embarrassed himself, standing there tongue-tied. She wore her tawny blond hair almost to her shoulders and her light brown eyes always seemed to twinkle when she talked to him. She was about five inches shorter than his 5' 10' and had a knockout figure. He had no idea what her measurements were, but he did see that she was well endowed on top.

She was a brand new nurse working part time at the ER at Jefferson Medical Center. They went to a small Italian restaurant not far from his favorite hangout, Pat's, King of Steaks. After dinner they strolled the Italian Market. He took her hand as they walked and felt like he was walking on air. After a bit, he drove her home and walked her to the door. He stood, uncertainly, for a bit until she took the initiative and gave him a quick peck on the lips and turned and went into her apartment. Before she closed the door, she smiled and her eyes sparkled.

He was smitten and he realized it. He was old enough and had enough experience with women in his two years in the army and during his accelerated program in college that he didn't mistake this as just an infatuation. They dated and were soon known as the "love birds,"

Their courtship was marred by the one incident that still rankled Ted from time to time. Barbara had told him that she had to work some overtime at the ER and wouldn't be able to see him as planned one evening. Since this did happen from time to time, he gave it no thought and changed his plans from staying in, as he told her he was going to do, to going out for a couple of drinks at one of the local neighborhood bars. 

It was with a sense of shock and betrayal that he saw his fiancé snuggled in a corner booth with some guy. Snuggled was an appropriate term as the guy had his arm around her and was turning her face in order to kiss her. Ted could see Barbara's engagement ring as she brought up her hand to rest it on this asshole's shoulder. 

Almost without conscious thought Ted moved quickly to them and watched as Barbara looked up and saw him. Color fled her face, she turned ashen and stunned, words obviously failing her. Without a word, Ted took her left hand and smoothly removed the ring from her finger, placed it in his pocket, turned and left.

Barbara frantically attempted to rush after him, but Ted was in his car and gone from the parking area in seconds. Days went by. Ted ignored all calls from his ex-fiancé, refusing to speak to her and vowing to never again see her. 

He could never remember being as angry and distraught as he was then. He loved her and she had blatantly betrayed him. He could make no sense of the why of it. Why agree to marry him if she did not intend to be faithful? He knew that in order to retain his sanity he would have to see her, talk to her, find out just why she had done this to them. In this frame of mind he did finally answer her call and agree to see her at her apartment. He wanted the meeting there so that he would have the option to leave at any point that suited him. 

It was after 8:00 p.m. that he rang her bell. Barbara opened the door quickly and attempted to throw herself into his arms. He gently held her off and told her to keep away. He saw that she had been crying and that she was pale and drawn.

"Barbara," Ted began quietly. "I'm here only because I need to know why you did this. I need to know that so that I can move on. You have to realize that whatever we had is now gone."

"Nooooooo, Ted, Please, please, just listen, just listen to me. It's not what you think. Just listen, please Ted." Barbara pleaded.

Ted nodded and they moved into the living room. Barbara sat on the couch while Ted very deliberately moved to the chair across from her. He could see how nervous she was, fidgeting and pulling at her sleeve. She looked at him imploringly while he sat impassive.

"Ok, Barbara. I'm listening. Tell me why you lied to me, why you cheated. While you're at it, perhaps you can tell me how many other men you've seen while engaged to me." he said cruelly

"No one, Ted. No one, I swear. Let me explain. The guy I was with was my boyfriend before I met you. Things were getting serious, but I had reservations about my feelings for him. A few months before we met, I told Mark that I really didn't love him and wanted to end our relationship. He became very upset, but finally saw that I meant what I said and left. I later found out that he had moved out of town and I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew that I really didn't love him and I didn't want to hurt him.

"He called me a couple of weeks ago and asked me to meet him. I told him that I was now engaged and that he needed to let me be . He seemed genuinely happy for me and pressed me to at least join him for a drink and allow him to properly wish me a happy lifetime with my future husband. I knew that it was wrong, but he begged and begged and I thought, in order to get rid of him already, I would meet him and that would be that. I was afraid to tell you and I thought that I would get this over with and be finished with him." 

Barbara was now looking at Ted with pleading in her eyes, silently begging him to understand and to believe her. She vowed to hold nothing back. Ted just sat and listened.

Barbara continued, now lowering her eyes. "I didn't count on him getting tipsy and amorous. If you had watched a bit longer you would have seen that I was trying to get him off of me. He kept asking for a goodby kiss and I told him forcibly that that wasn't going to happen. I was trying to get out of that booth. I knew then that I had made a terrible mistake, that I should never have seen him there in the first place. 

"Please, Ted. That's the god-honest truth. I was never unfaithful and I never intended to be unfaithful. I love you, Ted. I do, I do." she now whispered and the tears streamed from her eyes.

Ted's resolve crumbled. He believed her, her explanation was in keeping with what he saw he now realized, and he knew that perhaps he had reacted in too extreme a manner. He rose and took her in his arms. She clung to him and wept into his shoulder. "Oh, Ted. I would never do anything to make you think that of me. Never, Ted. Never," she murmured softly against him.

*******************

They were married a year later. Barbara had gotten her bachelor's degree and now was full time in at the ER. Ted struggled as a sales rep. with the company, knowing the difficulty he he was having trying to sell software that wasn't all that valuable to the business world - it was just too much like much of what was already out there. Ted continued and intensified his efforts and they managed with their two salaries until Barbara discovered that she was pregnant. 

She resigned from the center to have the child, a boy that they named Andrew. They struggled in their small apartment, but were happy and content despite Ted's almost futile efforts to make more than just a living. They sat and talked and came to a mutual decision to have another baby as soon as possible. They had both wanted two children and wanted them as close in age as possible. They both knew that money was going to be a problem, but they both felt that this was something that they both really wanted.

That was when fate intervened and the software company that Ted had applied to before landing his present position contacted him. It seemed that he had gotten an excellent reputation in the field for both his expertise as well as being well liked as a friendly and sincere person. He was offered a sales territory in the area and he jumped at the chance. He was very familiar with the products that his new company offered and he knew that his income was going to change dramatically. He was right. The Arnold's money problems became a minor blip on their screen for awhile.

After the birth of Julie, two years after Andrew, they decided that it was time to move and the purchased a relatively large four bedroom, two and a half bath home with a two car garage. One interesting plus to the house was that the previous owner had built a large room with a half bath over the garage that he had used as a study. There was a door at the end of the hallway on the second floor of the house that led directly into the study as well as a flight of stairs from the study down into the garage. Ted thought that this would be perfect for his office and quickly appropriated the space. He purchased an L shaped desk and moved his computer, file cabinets and all of his paperwork in. They had decided on new living room furniture so the old sofa bed and easy chair went into the garage office as well. 

The only problem that continued to plague them was that while Ted's income improved significantly and continued to improve as the years went by, their expenses also mounted until it seemed that they were living from paycheck to paycheck. Very little was put aside for emergencies or savings.

Money problems, while not dangerously urgent, still nagged at both Ted and Barbara and slowly became a bone of contention. From arguments about money, they proceeded to disagree about other things - idiotic, silly things that previously were never even discussed.

Ted had become more conservative politically and Barbara was a volunteer for liberal candidates. Barbara began to slowly avoid meat and built meals around vegetables or fish, which Ted abhorred. They had even started to argue about the kids. Barbara thought that Ted was too lenient with them and Ted thought that Barbara tended to be a mite too strict.

The occasional disagreement slowly escalated into frequent bickering until it was an almost integral part of their relationship. It was a slow, insidious process, but they went from "love birds" to the battling Arnolds. Fortunately, the love that they shared was real as was the foundation upon which they had built their marriage, but the frequent spats were worrisome and tested that love. 

That night after dinner Ted broached the topic of his promotion. Barbara just looked at him and asked, "Okay, what's the catch? I know that there's always a catch."

Ted sighed and told her. "I'll have to be away at least three days a week, visiting sites around the country. But remember, there will be an immediate twenty percent raise in pay and I'll be in line for my own district in about three to four years."

Barbara's lips had tightened. "At least three days a week away from home, huh? You thought that I would buy that? Why don't you just agree to be away for seven days a week? What kind of marriage is that? We might as well not be married at all. This is bullshit, Ted and I can't understand how you would even consider it. I'll tell you right now that I won't agree to it."

Ted's eyes had narrowed and he felt his head start to pound. Even though he knew that this dispute was coming, he found it difficult to control his temper. "Look, Barbara. We've been trying to get a second mortgage to finance Andy's college tuition. Did you ever stop to think how we're going to manage paying that off? And, Julie will be ready for college in a couple of years. Where's the money going to come from for that? Bitch all you want to, I'm taking the job." and he turned and left the room leaving Barb to stew.

Ted knew that she would eventually come around. She was an intelligent woman and she would realize that he really didn't have an option. They needed the money and he wanted to continue to climb the career ladder in the company. Barbara did come around, but things were a little strained in the Arnold household for awhile.

They tiptoed around each other for a few weeks until things settled down, but things just never seemed the same. It was a bit strange, while things were a bit cool, the fights seemed to have almost disappeared. In place of the passionate arguments, their conversations were cool and almost formal, as if they were acquaintances, not man and wife. Even the little gestures of affection had vanished. Eventually, a degree of calmness returned to the Arnold house, but they were both aware that things were just not the same.

************************

Weeks turned into months and almost two years had gone by since Ted had accepted the new position. Julie Arnold had graduated from high school and had been accepted to the same college that Andy attended. Ted's salary had continued to grow and money wasn't the pressing concern it had been in the past. Yet, Ted was uneasy and unhappy. He and Barbara seemed to have entered into a strange phase in their marriage. They were cordial and friendly to each other. The arguments had virtually disappeared. But Ted realized also that the passionate love that they had shared had ebbed. Even their love making seemed to have become mechanical and accomplished by rote. Barbara seldom seemed to have an orgasm and also appeared to be a reluctant bed partner at best. Ted was discouraged and eventually just lost interest in approaching his wife sexually. Intimacy between the two had virtually disappeared.

**********************

Barbara sat in Ann's kitchen, both sipping on mugs of coffee. Ann was concerned about Barb's appearance. She looked drawn and wan and seemed unusually quiet.

"Ok, Barb. Enough is enough, tell me what's going on. You obviously have a lot on your mind. Is it about your marriage?"

"Why do you automatically think it's my marriage, Ann? Why does everyone always think it's my marriage?" exclaimed Barb.

Ann took a breath and shook her head. "Barb," she said softly. "I almost always think it's your marriage because it almost always is about your marriage. You know what everyone says about you two, they call you the battling Arnolds and there's a reason for it."

Barbara head sagged and she was silent for a moment. "Ann, I've known you for over almost fifteen years, ever since we moved into this community. You and Dave have been our closest friends and we were also shattered when Dave passed away. But, I've always been jealous of you. You and Dave had such a loving relationship. The love that you shared was so evident every time I looked at the two of you."

Barbara now had tears in her eyes. "Why, Ann. Why can't Ted and I get along. It's been like this for years now. We just rub each other the wrong way. Ann, we don't have knock down, drag out fights anymore, and you'd think that would be a good thing. But it seems to be even worse now. We treat each other like casual friends. It just seems that Ted doesn't give a damn if we stay together or split up and I'm really afraid that's where we're headed."

Barbara looked up at Ann and colored. "Ann," she whispered. "We don't even make love anymore. He just stopped and even before that it was just so.....so....impersonal, I guess is the best word to describe it.. It was like.... by the numbers. I just wonder if Ted is having an affair; that really wouldn't surprise me at this point. In fact, I feel it in my bones, it's just a matter of time before I find out that I'm right."

Ann looked at her friend sympathetically. She could intellectualize Barb's angst, but could never really internalize it; she couldn't fathom a marriage that wasn't caring and loving. "Barb," she said softly. You know that you're going to have to do something or you'll be looking at a sad road ahead of you."

"I know, Ann. I'm not sure yet what to do, but I think that things will be soon coming to a head and we'll just have to see what happens. But enough about me, tell me what's been happening to you. I haven't even talked to you in days."

Ann hesitated before answering. She didn't want to further sadden Barbara with her good news, but decided to share. "Barb, I met someone and I think that I can really care for him."

Barbara's smile was sincere. "Hell, that's absolutely great, Ann. It's been four years and you haven't even had a real date. Tell me all about him, dish the dirt, gal."

"Well, his name is Matt Weeks and he's the new Director of Personnel at work. He was transferred in to take the place of Doris who retired recently. He had also lost a spouse so I guess we're kindred spirits. Anyway, we've been talking and he asked me out for dinner on Wednesday and I accepted. I think I really like him, Barb." and she colored as she admitted this.

Barb was enthusiastic. "That's such great news, honey. We have to get you all spiffed up for this date. We'll make an appointment for the beauty parlor for Tuesday. Let's get our hair cut, we both wear it too long anyway. And I have the perfect dress for you; we have the same measurements and we're both about the same height. You've got to wear this dress, it'll make you look terrific and I have the shoes to match." 

Ann giggled, "Damn, I feel like a schoolgirl. It's just a date, Barb. It's not like I'm getting engaged or anything."

"Who knows where this could go, Ann. The thing is for you to look your best. Don't worry about a baby sitter, I'll be here and look after your girls. They're getting almost old enough so that you won't have to worry about a sitter soon anyway. I want you to just go and enjoy yourself, you certainly deserve it," Barbara bubbled.

*******************

That evening Ted mentioned to his wife that the annual company Christmas party was being held in a couple of weeks at the downtown Marriott. "Why don't you go out and splurge on a new dress and stuff," Ted suggested. "It's been awhile since we've been out to a bash and I think that we would both enjoy outselves."

Barb's eyebrows went up a bit. "This was a bit unusual for Ted," she thought to herself. "We haven't gone to one of these company parties in awhile. Does he have some ulterior motive? I wonder if there's someone he wants to see at this party? Well, two can play at this game."


When Sorrows Come... Ch. 01



"Okay, Ted. I just might do that. I can always use a new outfit and I did see a beautiful little white number at the store a few days ago. By the way, will Phil Stine be at the party?" 

"Stine?" Ted repeated. "Why are you asking about that ass? You know that he's the biggest pussy hound in the area? Why so interested in that prick all of a sudden," he asked suspiciously.

"Don't be so crude, Ted. Phil has always been a complete gentleman around me and I find him amusing and an interesting conversationalist. What? Now you're getting jealous all of a sudden?" Barbara retorted, inwardly satisfied that she had gotten his goat.

Ted eyed her stonily, wondering what the hell she was up to. He knew his wife and he could feel the wheels turning in her head. Whatever she had in mind, he knew that it wouldn't make him happy. He shook his head and went up to his study.

The next days were even cooler between Ted and Barbara. The short conversation about the Christmas party and her mention of Phil Stine seemed to open an even wider rift in their relationship. They viewed each other with a degree of suspicion and wariness. Ted just knew that some kind of major eruption was coming down the road.

The next couple of weeks passed uneventfully. Barbara did, in fact, get the "little white number" she had had her eye on. She had been a bit hesitant because that little dress was a bit risque. It was a little on the short side, coming down to mid-thigh with a plunging neckline and virtually no back. But Barbara knew that she still had the figure for it and she also knew that Ted would be royally pissed that she would wear that to a party attended by his colleagues. 

"Screw him," she thought. "Let him realize that others appreciated what he didn't. Let him eat his heart out."

The day before the big Party, Ann was sitting in the Arnold's living room watching Barbara model her new dress. "My God, Barb. Are you sure that you want to wear that? I mean it's a beautiful dress, but there are going to be a lot of guys at that party and there's going to be a lot of drinking. What you're wearing could be like a red flag to a herd of horny bulls, plus you know you can't wear a bra with that," she laughed. 

"And Ted will be royally pissed," Barbara giggled. "I can't wait to see his expression when he sees me in this." But, inwardly she had doubts about the appropriateness of the outfit and was not quite sure that she should go through with actually wearing it. She knew that she shouldn't push Ted too far. Realizing that she was being too apprehensive, she shrugged her doubts off and looked forward to the splash she would make at the party.

The following evening, after showering, putting on her makeup and dressing, Barb made her way slowly down the stairs, awaiting Ted's reaction to her dress. He looked up from his seat in the living room and then quickly rose to his feet, his face flushed. 

"What the fuck are you wearing," he shouted hoarsely. "You can't go in that thing." 

"Why? You afraid that other men might think I'm hot? You don't own me, mister. I'll dress however I wish." she snapped back at him, and without a backward glance went to the closet and shrugged into her coat.

Ted stood there, his anger almost overwhelming him. He knew that she was doing this purposefully, goading him. He also knew the sales force and the ribbing he would get days after. He kept his mouth shut, got his coat and went out the door and into the car, not waiting for her. He sat behind the wheel and when she was finally beside him, he started the car and drove to the hotel. Not a word was exchanged between the two of them. 

They arrived at the hotel shortly and had the valet take their car. They made their way to the main ballroom and stopped at the coat room where Ted averted his eyes as they gave their outerwear to the gal behind the counter. Entering the ballroom, Ted quickly left Barbara's side and made his way to the long bar. He ordered a scotch neat and gulped it down quickly.

John and Joyce Brock saw the Arnolds enter the room and John muttered to his wife, "Oh, oh. It looks like Ted and Barb are at it again. Shit, he looks like he's ready to spit nails. I better go over and calm him down." He rose and waited for Barbara to make her way to their table.

In the meantime Barbara had attracted quite some attention in her attire. She felt the eyes on her as she wandered into the room and, seeing Joyce Brock, moved over to where she and her husband were sitting. 

Joyce smiled at Barbara and murmured, "Damn, Barb. That dress is gorgeous and you sure know how to fill it out. Just make sure that my husband doesn't get too near you," she laughed. 

John colored a bit and asked Barbara if she wanted a drink and then wandered over to the bar next to Ted. He put his hand on Ted's shoulder and said quietly, "If you don't settle down you're going to have a heart attack. Your pressure must be sky high." 

Ted took a breath. "Yeah, I know, John. I'll be ok, just give me a few minutes. Did you see what she's wearing? It's like she's surfing to get laid, and not by me."

"Wait here for me, I'll be right back," John told him as he made his way back to the table, depositing drinks for his wife and Barbara. He looked down at the ladies and told them that he would be with Ted for awhile. Joyce nodded and he departed.

Barbara turned to Joyce and whispered, "Joyce, I know that Ted is really angry about how I'm dressed, but it's not really all that outrageous. I've seen worse."

Joyce nodded, "I know, Barb. The dress is not all that daring, but I think that Ted's mad because of the setting. You know how these guys are here. Half of them keep sniffing around trying to get laid all the time, and being married is no impediment to them. Ted's jealous and fearful, I think. It could be that he's pissed because he thinks that you're fishing, and without a license - being married and all that."

Barbara sighed. "I know, Joyce. I probably went too far with this outfit, but I wanted to get his goat. It looks like I certainly did do that. Besides, "she added with a grin, "a girl can use all the attention she can get at my age."

Barbara sounded confident, but she was uneasy and she kept her eye on Ted. It wasn't long before Joyce's husband returned to the table, leaving Ted to simmer by himself at the bar. Chatting with the Brocks and another couple who had joined them, Barbara kept stealing glances at Ted. She had almost made up her mind to approach him to try to salvage the evening, when she saw an obviously tipsy blonde woman stagger over to Ted.

"Teddy, buy a girl a drinky poo?" Denise burbled as she leaned against him.

Ted tried to shrug her off, leaning her against the bar. "Denise, you're smashed, I think that you've had more than enough."

Denise Richards worked in accounting and had been flirting with Ted for years, but not in any serious manner and Ted always took it for what it was, harmless bantering. Denise was very happily married to an airline pilot, who, as usual, was absent for the evenings festivities.

Denise leaned over and whispered in Ted's ear, "Ted, now's your chance. I'm drunker than hell and hubby's not here." and she then caught his ear lobe in her teeth. 

Ted, amused, knowing that she was pulling his chain, straightened her and smiled, "Denise, hubby would have my balls on a skewer and I'm not suicidal."

Denise suddenly lurched and turned a bit pale. "Ted, I think I'm going to upchuck. Help me to the little girl's room, will you?"

Ted quickly put his arm around her waist and walked her out of the door and down the hall, searching for the lavatories.

Barbara had sat, observing the interchange between her husband and the blonde, from across the room. She had felt her temper flare and her anger caused bile to rise in her throat. Then, to her shock and dismay, she saw Ted, with his arm around this strange woman, leading her out of the ballroom and down the hall. Her fingers clutched the tablecloth tightly.

"That bastard," she hissed to herself. "So that's why he wanted to come to this shindig. Bastard - right in front of me and everyone." 

Barbara had turned pale and her eyes blazed. Her first reaction was to get her coat and drive home, but she calmed herself. "He thinks that he can thumb his nose at me in front of everyone, does he. Two can play at that game,"

Meanwhile, as Barbara steamed, Ted was frantically searching for the ladies room before the woman he was holding up barfed all over him. Noticing two gals from the office coming out of a door he shouted for help. Seeing his dilemma, they laughed and quickly gathered Denise and led her into the ladies room.

Ted breathed a sigh of relief and realized that he really didn't want to return to the ballroom just yet. He continued along the hallway until he came to a door which led to a sheltered outdoor alcove. He stepped out, making sure that the door didn't lock behind him. The air was cold, but it felt good on his overheated skin. He slipped a slender panatella from his inside pocket and lit it with a match. He felt now more relaxed then he had in days. He stood there, smoking his cigar and wondering how the two of them had screwed up their marriage so badly. He now acknowledged, at least in his own mind, that there were real problems in their relationship and he knew that he and Barbara needed help. He loved her, but they had to find ways to get back to the loving couple they had been years ago. He knew that with love and understanding, they would be able to fix what had gone so wrong.

Back in the ballroom Barbara was startled to find a tall, slender man, bending over her, asking her to dance. She looked up and saw that it was Phil Stine. She smiled broadly and took his hand, accompanying him to the floor. She laughed inwardly to herself. "How delicious, how perfect. The bastard - let him burn, let him know that I'm still desirable. Let him know that I won't sit back quietly and let him play around." 

"Damn, Barb, you look absolutely scrumptious, good enough to eat in that outfit," Stine almost leered at her. "Sorry, didn't quite mean it the way that sounded," he added and laughed.

Barbara colored a bit, looked around to see if anyone had heard that comment, and swatted him playfully on the shoulder. "Behave yourself, Phil. You're supposed to be a gentleman."

"Oh, I am, Barb, I certainly am, you know that" he murmured as he gathered her into his arms for the slow number the band was playing. Barbara could feel his cock starting to stiffen against her and she tried to move her hips back a bit, but he held her closely and she just relaxed and put her head on his shoulder.

Stine held her captive for dance after dance, intermingled with drinks from the bar. Barbara had tried to keep her eye out for Ted, but as time went by, she finally gave up looking for him. She knew that by this time he was enjoying the favors of that blonde and she fought to keep the tears from her eyes. She just gave in to Stine's compliments and kept consuming the drinks he would periodically get for her. 

Ted had finally returned to the ballroom and he saw immediately his wife in the clutches of Stine. "Son of a bitch," he thought. "It didn't take either of them long to hook up. Is this what she had in mind all along? Is the dress for that prick?" All of his noble thoughts about fixing their marriage went out of his mind and he turned to the bar for another scotch, stewing and allowing his blood pressure and resentment to rise.

He made his way over to a group of buddies and joined the conversation, trying to get the sight of his wife and Stine out of his mind. It wasn't long before he was engrossed in the conversation and didn't notice the passing of time. When he again looked at his watch, he realized that he had been sitting there for almost an hour and he looked around to see where Barbara was sitting. He couldn't see her and then slowly examined the room, section by section. Nothing - and what was even more worrisome was that Stine was nowhere to be found either. Ted quickly rose to his feet and excused himself.

Striding out of the ballroom he looked one way and then the other. Moving down the hallway he had previously traversed, he saw door after door of conference rooms, all seemingly locked. The fourth door was slightly ajar and he slowly and cautiously opened it and peered in. He froze as he saw his wife in the arms of Phil Stine. They had their lips locked and it looked like his tongue was down her throat. One of her breasts was out of her dress and Stine was pulling on her nipple. 

Ted exploded; he rushed into the room and pulled Stine's hair and head away from Barbara. He then kneed him viciously in the groin and watched as the prick collapsed to the floor, curling up into a fetal position and moaning piteously. Ted turned to his wife, who was now cowering from him, white faced. Her words were slurred but understandable. "Ted, don't - it was a mistake. Please," she muttered, trying to stand upright.

"Find your own way home, you slut," he snarled at her, disgust and anger distorting his features. "Maybe you can fuck a ride out of someone else here." He then turned and almost ran out of the room, down the hallway to get his coat, and then out of the door. He collected his car and broke a few speed limits getting home, trying to drive with tears blurring his vision. 

Ted left his car in the driveway and stumbled to and entered the front door. He threw his coat at the closet and then turned, trembling, not knowing what to do next. He clenched his fist and suddenly hit the wall with maximum force. Luckily, he missed the studs and punched a significant hole through the wallboard. The suddenness of the unexpected damage seemed to bring some semblance of sanity back to him and he took a deep breath and tried to calm down and think rationally.

Ted's first thoughts were of divorce. He would not stay married to a wife who cheated, who betrayed him. The shock of that course of action rocked him then, could he actually walk away from Barbara, from all of the years that they shared together? He then told himself that the last few years weren't all that wonderful anyway, perhaps it would be best for both of them if they split. He also knew, deep down in his psyche, that he still loved his wife and wished desperately for a loving and giving union with her.

Ted was a man torn, pulled in different directions. His rage at what Barbara had done at the party consumed him, but he also realized that walking away from her would be terribly difficult for him to do. Ted was not a stupid man; he knew that making any decisions now would be impossible. He would wait and have a rational discussion with Barbara tomorrow. Tomorrow, when he was calmer and more able to contain his anger. Together, they would come to some kind of resolution. 

Ted wearily climbed the stairs, gathered his toiletries and his pillow from the master bath and bedroom and made his way to the guest room where he undressed and climbed into bed. He more then suspected that he would get little sleep that night. As he lay there, eyes wide open, he heard a car pull into the driveway. He heard car doors slam and then voices in the foyer. They were muffled, but he soon heard the front door close again and then hesitant footsteps up the stairs. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sounds. Ted lay there, quietly, listening to himself breath in and out, willing himself to concentrate on the memory of an evening at the beach when he was a teenager, remembering the setting sun, and the reflection on the calm sea. He fell asleep. 

The bright sunlight streaming through the window caused Ted to reluctantly open his eyes and squint at the clock on the dresser. It was 9:33 a.m. and his head was pounding and his mouth felt as if it were filled with cotton. Memories of the previous night flooded his mind and he felt a tinge of nausea which he fought down. He made his way to the hall bath and downed three aspirin and brushed his teeth and gargled with mouthwash. A hot shower followed by a few seconds of icy spray soon had him feeling more human. He now noticed that the master bedroom door was wide open and saw Barbara sprawled on the bed, naked except for her panties. She was still asleep, snoring softly.

Ted made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. Picking up the coffee pot, he paused and lowered back to the counter. "Fuck it," he muttered as he picked up his coat from the floor near the closet and walked out of the house. He drove downtown and stopped at a IHOP and had a late breakfast and then to his office. No one was there this Saturday late morning and he was able to finish up some odds and ends that he had put off. 

It wasn't until almost 1:00 p.m. that he headed home, steeling himself for what he knew would be a very unpleasant confrontation with his wife. He truly didn't have any idea what the outcome of their conversation would be. He suspected that it could very possibly lead to the end of the marriage at worse, but if not that, then what - a continuation of a marriage that was troublesome at best? He tried to clear his mind and let whatever denouement come. 

He walked into the house and saw Barbara sitting in the living room. The drapes were drawn and the room was lit only by the daylight trying to creep in around the fabric over the windows. She sat in the shadows and he saw that she was wearing her housecoat and was pale and drawn. He sat down heavily across from her and began:

"We have to talk," he said quietly. He looked at her and saw that she wouldn't meet his gaze. 

Barbara finally raised her head and said, "Before you say anything, I want to ask you a question." She paused, waiting for his approval to continue. Ted nodded.

"Did you fuck her? Did you fuck that blonde who was hanging all over you last night?" 

Ted felt the rage rise up and threaten to overwhelm him. He had to make a conscious effort to tamp it down, not let it gain control over him. He shaped it, compressed it and rose to his feet.

"Why is it that cheaters always feel that everyone else is also a cheater? They cheat, so I guess it follows that everyone else does it too. Perhaps it makes them feel less guilty. To them the marriage ceremony isn't a commitment to love and cherish - it's only round one in a constant battle for supremacy. To them marriage isn't a promise to be faithful, it's an opportunity dominate and overwhelm," Ted

replied quietly. He kept his voice low, but the steel and anger were quite evident.

Barbara had turned deathly pale and he saw the tears start to flow down her cheeks, but he felt no sympathy for her. He continued:

"To answer your question, no, I didn't fuck her. I took her into the hall, looking for the ladies room and two of the gals from the office saw my plight and took over. Also, and pay close attention to what I'm going to say,..... I have never cheated. I have never in my married life touched a woman inappropriately and I have never allowed a woman to touch me inappropriately." 

He paused and looked at his wife with contempt. "Can you say the same, wife?" he snapped. " Can you repeat my words? Can you tell me that no man has every touched you inappropriately?" He looked down at her and there was now sadness and hurt in his eyes.

"How many, Barbara? How many guys have you allowed access to your body? How many men have felt your tits, stroked your pussy. How many men have you fucked, Barbara? he asked quietly, the sorrow evident in his voice.

The questions that Ted hurled at her caused Barbara to leap to her feet and scream, "Never, never, never. Ted. No one has ever done that. Last night was the first time that any man has done that to me besides you. I was drunk, jealous and angry and I let that creep go too far. I was trying to pull away from him when you burst in. You have to believe me, it's the god-honest truth." she wailed and then collapsed into a fetal position on the couch. He heard her whimper softly, "I have never been unfaithful to you, never."




When Sorrows Come... Ch. 01



Suddenly, and unexpectedly, Ted's anger and resentment dissipated. He felt his heart go out to his wife, but he did not move. He put his hand to his head, his thoughts chaotic and malformed now. Then, with a abruptness that surprised him, he turned to Barbara.

"Sit up, Barb. Sit up and listen to me. I think that we've reached a fork in the road for us - a point where we have to make a concerted effort to love and support each other or else call an end to this marriage. Perhaps the events of last evening were a call to both of us; perhaps that was a wake-up call. I do know that things are going to have to change. We both have to change if we're going to survive."

Barbara's tears had stopped and she was listening to her husband intently. "Ted, I know that you're right. I'm disgusted with how I acted last night and I hope that you can forgive me. I also know that we both have to remember why we married in the first place. I do love you, honey. Please believe me, I do love you," Barbara said softly as she moved to him.

Ted gathered her in his arms and they kissed tenderly. He breathed a silent sigh of relief and prayed that a page had been turned and their future would be better than the immediate past.

They were cautious and careful with their words and actions in the days following. Things seemed to be getting more comfortable and they were both making efforts to be loving and supportive. They were both making the effort it takes to make a marriage work and it showed, except in the bedroom. They both recognized that there was a certain restraint, a withholding and because of that their love making was strangely empty and unfulfilling. 

*******************

Some days later, on a Sunday morning, Barbara poured a cup of coffee for her husband and, while brushing a kiss on his forehead, reminded him, "Honey, do we have enough liquor for the New Year's Eve party next week? I took care of the caterer and the food and soft drinks will be delivered as promised, but I'm not sure if we have enough booze."

"I think so, dear. But, you know what, I think that I'll shoot down to the store and get a couple more bottles of scotch, just in case." Ted replied.

Barbara smiled at him fondly and quipped, "We just have to make sure that no one gets too drunk to drive, or else we'll have overnight guests for sure."

*****************

There were about 28 or 30 people at the Arnold's New Year's bash and the liquor was flowing and the food disappearing. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Everyone had chanted along with the countdown ending the old year and kisses were exchanged, regardless of where the mistletoe was. Barbara had made sure that she was close to her husband and when the last stroke of the clock sounded, signaling the beginning of a new year, she turned to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.

"I love you, Ted Arnold. I love you with all my heart," she murmured into his ear. 

Ted choked up, he felt his heart fill with emotion. "I love you, Barbara Arnold. I'm so grateful that you're mine," and he held her close.

The night slowly wound to an end. Slowly couples began to say their goodbyes and leave until there were just Ann and her date Matt and the Collins' from next door. Everyone chipped in and helped clean up a bit until the Arnolds convinced everyone that it was late and thanked them for their help. With the house to themselves they came together and drifted to the voice of Sinatra singing 'Stardust' ; was there ever a more romantic song? They had turned the lights off and the room was lit by the flickering flames in the fireplace.

Ted had begun to nuzzle his wife's neck and her breathing deepened as she became more aroused. He slowly, while still holding her and shuffling to the music, unbuttoned her blouse and let it fall to the floor. His lips moved to her ear and he nibbled on the soft lobe. Barbara sighed and held herself close to him. While tonguing his wife's ear, he lowered the zipper on the back of her shirt and let it also fall to the floor. Ted reaching into the back of her panties and ran his fingers down the crack of her behind feeling the moisture oozing from her pussy. Barbara gasped as she felt his fingers run along the lips of her labia and held on to him tightly.

With one hand on his wife's bottom, the other hand snaked up to her back and quickly unsnapped the catch of her bra, which he allowed to also float to the floor. He now had to be careful not to trip on the items of Barbara's apparel as they still moved slowly to the music. Ted now stopped any pretense of dancing and stood still with his wife in his arms. He lowered his head and took a nipple into his mouth, feeling her hands press his head to her. Sucking gently, he brought his other hand up and gently palmed the other nipple, then gently squeezed it, bringing moans from her.

Stooping lower, he softly kissed her navel and, almost surreptitiously, he grasped the sides of her panties and lowered them from her legs, watching them pool at her feet. His nose was at the juncture of her thighs and he inhaled the heady aroma of her excitement. He saw the wetness of her pudenda and buried his mouth into her pubic hair. He penetrated her lips with his tongue and had to move quickly to catch her as she virtually collapsed into his arms. 

"My God, Ted. Take me, please. No more teasing, I need you in me. I'm ready to explode," she pleaded.

Ted chuckled and caught her up in his arms and carried her up the steps and into their bedroom where is deposited her on their bed. It didn't take any time at all for his to shed his clothes and join her. She reached for him eagerly and forced him onto his back. She then threw a leg over his and hovered over him for a moment. He saw the devilish grin on her face as she murmured, "Get ready for a wild ride, lover."

She reached down and grasped his erect and throbbing phallus. Holding it upright she impaled herself on it slowly, sinking down until their pubic hair meshed. Barbara moaned loudly and her face contorted as she felt herself so filled by this man, the man whom she loved so totally. She leaned forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. Supporting herself thus, she began to slowly raise and lower her hips, feeling him slide slightly in and out of her steaming pussy. She saw his eyes squeeze shut and his mouth grimace as he tried to control his imminent climax. She stopped and waited until he had control again and then continued her movements. She saw his neck arch and with a shrill cry she began to bounce up and down almost violently and she also felt her orgasm approach. 

They held each other tenderly as they both came down from the petit mort that was the culmination of their love making. The sweat cooled from their bodies and Barbara kept her face buried in her husbands neck, her fingers playing with the hair on his chest. His labored breathing had eased and he felt relaxed and at peace with the world.

Their lovemaking that evening seemed to be the breakthrough that they both had sought. The weeks that followed seemed to restore the love and affection that they knew was never really lost. The old, silly arguments seemed to be a thing of the past. Any disagreements that did crop up were easily resolved. It certainly appeared that the "love birds" had returned to the Arnold household. 

The next weeks seemed almost surreal. The love that Ted and Barbara shared seemed to pervade the very atmosphere that surrounded them. Oh, it took work - they knew each other's buttons all too well. They had made a conscious decision to concentrate on what brought them together originally, not on the things that drove them apart. They had come to the realization that a successful marriage did require effort and they both had vowed that they would never again forget that. 

Their new commitment to each other didn't go unnoticed. Everyone saw the difference in how they now interacted and complimentary comments were made. Ted's boss, John Brock, seemed almost effusive when speaking to Ted about the changes he noticed in his friends marriage. Their other friends were equally happy for them, especially Barbara's best friend, Ann.

Ann and Barbara were sharing cups of coffee in the Arnold's kitchen when Ann remarked again for the umpteenth time about the love that was now so evident in her friends face.

"Barb, I just can't tell you how happy I am for you. I just can't believe how things have turned around. Every time I see Ted, I can see how he adores you. Did you find a magic potion?" Ann laughed.

Barbara smiled fondly at her friend. "No, Ann. We wised up finally. We came to realize that if we wanted our marriage to work, we would have to put the necessary effort into it. You know, Ann, I guess I always thought that love was enough - I was wrong. Hard work is necessary to nurture the love. Thank goodness we discovered that in time." 

Barbara then grinned at Ann. "Besides, we screw like rabbits now. It's like our honeymoon. I now have the best of both worlds again," Barbara said impulsively and then colored and quickly changed the subject by asking Ann how her relationship with Matt was going.

Ann blushed an interesting shade of scarlet and cleared her throat. She cleared her throat again and hesitated. Barbara, a bit perplexed, looked at her friend. "What's up, Ann? C'mon, spit it out," she teased.

"Well, Barb, ahhhh.... that is, I....... I think that it's time that Matt and I became........ this is, I think that it's time that Matt and I....... oh, shit." Ann looked at Barb almost pleadingly. "We haven't gone all the way yet, Barb," she finally blurted out.

Barbara sat and just looked at her in amazement. She then just shook her head and asked, "Why the hell not, Ann? All these weeks, or is it months, and you haven't had sex? I don't understand?"

"It's both of us, Barb," Ann sighed in frustration. "I think that we're both too worried about spoiling what we have. We both know that having sex will certainly take us to a different level and I think that we're both a little nervous about that. Barb, I know that he loves me and I am sure that I care for him too. I think it's time that we made love, that we go all the way."

"Honey," Barb stated. "I couldn't agree with you more and I intend to help you achieve that goal. What we need is a plan."

*********************

The following Wednesday saw Ted Arnold in Atlanta finishing up a training session with a group of programmers. He was amazed at how quickly they picked up on the quirks of the new program and he began to see that his presence was not going to really be required for the entire three days. He would be able to finish up the session by the end of the day on Thursday and perhaps he could get a late plane out of the airport. He would be home a full day early and he had a few thoughts of surprising Barb and making reservations for a romantic weekend away somewhere. 

Things did work out as he had hoped and he deplaned and strode out of the airport at 10:55 p.m. as scheduled. He couldn't wait to get home and surprise his wife. Fortunately, the traffic was light and he was able to make it home in just 30 minutes. He saw his wife's car in the middle of the driveway and wondered why she hadn't moved it into the garage. The house was dark and he entered silently, not wanting to wake her.

He deposited his bag and briefcase on the floor and moved quietly up the staircase. Their bedroom door was open and he quickly saw that there was no one in the bed and that the room was empty. He turned, puzzled, and his gaze moved down the hallway to the study door that was was slightly ajar. He thought that he heard slight noises there as he walked to the door.

He saw through the small crack in the door that while the room was unlit, he could tell from the soft sounds that someone was in there. He cautiously pushed the door open a bit more and looked in. He saw the moonlight streaming in the study window, illuminating the easy chair. He also saw, with a sickening feeling suddenly developing in his bowels, Barbara's "little white number,," draped over the chair; the infamous dress from that Christmas Party. 

Ted's eyes then moved, fearfully, to the sofa bed which he saw was open and occupied. In the shadows he saw two nude

figures on the bed, one on top of the other. It was obvious what they were doing as he watched an ass moving up and down between the spread legs of the woman under him. He heard the soft moans and then, ".........I love you........" He couldn't make out most of the words, but the "I love you" was unmistakable. He watched as two female legs went up and across the hips of the man fucking her.

Ted staggered back, his mind awhirl. He couldn't think straight, his thoughts muddled and chaotic. He felt the sweat cover his body. He stumbled across the thick carpeting in the hallway to the stairs and almost fell as he tried to maneuver his way down. Seconds later he found himself outside with his bag and briefcase clutched in his hands. He stood, frozen for a moment. He felt light headed and weak - breathing had become difficult. He moved, in a daze, to his car and sat behind the wheel. He lost all track of time; he didn't know how long he sat there.

"Why? why? why?" his mind screamed the question. "Why had she done this to them? How long has she been fucking around?" He felt the desolation creep throughout his soul. He felt the emptiness, the sorrow, the grief. The tears flowed and he sobbed, knowing that his world had ended. He had no future, he faced only a pit of self-pity and regrets.

Finally, the tears ebbed. He found he was exhausted, totally wrung out. He made a conscious effort to collect his thoughts, to put events in some kind of order. He started the car and drove, aimlessly. Ted then shook himself, almost violently, and headed for downtown. He pulled into the Hilton and got himself a room. Dropping his luggage on the floor and throwing his jacket onto the bed , he went into the bathroom and washed his face. Looking at himself in the mirror he was shocked at his appearance. His face was drawn and haggard. He grimaced wryly, he would have to get used to a new appearance.

He then removed his shoes and dropped into the easy chair. He felt a bit calmer, he was able to think a bit more rationally now. His mind went back in time, to the incident before they married, catching her with her ex-boyfriend. Then again, with that asshole at the Christmas Party. Were those incidents as innocent then as she had claimed? Those were two times of which he was aware. How many other times were there? Incidents of which he was totally unaware. He didn't know her, he suddenly realized. He had no idea who his wife was. "Was she schizophrenic?" he asked himself, groping for answers. 

Ted wondered why he didn't just storm in and confront the bitch. Why did he just stand frozen, unable to react? He then recognized that the shock was too great. The shock of actually seeing her fucking someone in their house - especially after they had seemed to be so successful at getting their marriage back on track. Ted sat and searched himself for the anger, the rage that should be infusing his mind. He felt little, he just felt an emptiness, a sense of loss, a love that was shattered and would never again be shared. 

After what seemed hours, Ted had a tentative handle in terms of what he was going to do. While he felt little anger, he wanted his wife to feel just a little of the hurt he was feeling. Perhaps it was vindictive, but he wanted her to feel some of what was now killing him. Ted moved to the desk after pulling a blank sheet of paper from his case. He picked up a pen and wrote:

'Barbara - I'm leaving you. I found someone with whom I want to spend the rest of my life Don't try to find me, I'm leaving the area. My lawyer will be serving you with divorce papers, please do not contest it. Ted'

Ted laughed bitterly to himself. "Perhaps this would not be so hurtful after all, perhaps this would make her happy," he thought to himself.

He sat, in the easy chair, going over what his moves would be in the morning and fell into a fitful sleep around 4:00 a.m.



When Sorrows Come... Ch. 02



Ted wearily opened his eyes a few hours later and saw that it was after 8:00 a.m. He used the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. Shrugging into his suit jacket, he lugged his bags to his car and drove to his office. It was early and he thought that he might avoid everyone. He slipped into his office and wrote a brief letter of resignation which he intended to place on John Brock's desk, but was surprised to see that Brock was already in. 

"Ted, what's wrong, you look like hell?" John exclaimed seeing Ted's haggard appearance.

"John, please. Do me a big favor and don't ask any questions", Ted replied as he passed his letter of resignation over the desk.

John looked at it and looked up at Ted. "What the fuck is going on? Don't tell me not to ask questions - I don't deserve a statement like that. We're supposed to be friends, or am I wrong about that?"

Ted seemed to sag a bit. "You're right, John. We are friends, but please, I just can't talk about it. I have to leave and I have to leave today," and he turned to do just that.

"Wait, Ted. Okay, I won't ask you anything, but I'm going to rip up this letter. Take a leave of absence, okay? You can do that, can't you?"

Ted hesitated and then nodded. "Thanks, John." he mumbled as he left the office. He didn't see the worry and concern on his friend's face.

Ted then went to his bank and withdrew $10,000 from a money market account and bought a stack of travelers checks. He checked his watch and saw that he had 20 minutes to get to his appointment with Carl Ballard. He made it with 5 minutes to spare.

"Carl, I've known you for over 15 years. You've taken care of all of my legal concerns and I'm here to ask a huge favor of you. I know that you don't usually handle divorce cases, but I'm asking you to handle mine. Wait, don't say anything yet. I know that you're going to ask a million questions of me, but know now, I'm not going to answer any questions. I've made out a check for $5,000 as a retainer and I want you to draw up a Power of Attorney which will give you authority to act in my behalf. You will, in all likelihood, not hear from me again, so just do what you think is best. If something comes up which is critical, you know my email, but please Carl, no contact with me unless it is critical. Use irreconcilable differences as a reason and let it go at that. Give Barbara whatever she wants, I really don't care." Ted sat back, seemingly exhausted.

Carl Ballard just sat and looked at him in amazement. "Ted, you lay this shit on me and you don't want me to ask any questions? You really take a lot for granted, and a Power of Attorney to act in your behalf? You have that much trust in me?"

Ted nodded. "Will you just please do as I ask, Carl? Please."

Ballard saw the almost desperate need in his friends eyes and bit his lip and sighed. "Okay, Ted. I hope that someday you'll see fit to let me know what precipitated this. In the meantime, give me a little time and I'll get some paperwork for you to sign."

Ted rose, "Thanks, Carl. I'll be back in a couple of hours and sign whatever. I need to take care of a couple of things."

Ted left Ballard's office and headed home. He knew that Barbara would be at the hospital, volunteering, as she did every Friday. It felt strange, all that he was doing this morning - almost like out of body experiences. He went through the necessary motions, but it was if he was observing someone else. It was like he was just along for the ride.

Ted entered his house and went into the kitchen. He placed the note to his wife on the table and, as an afterthought, took off his ring and placed that on the note. He then proceeded up the stairs and quickly packed another suitcase. Moving into his study, he saw that the sofa bed was now in its closed position. He suddenly felt light-headed again and fought back a touch of nausea. Quickly grabbing some personal folders, he exited the room and minutes later was out of the house .

Parking in the parking garage and before going up to Ballard's office again, Ted called his children. He found it interesting that they were not totally shocked by the news that he was leaving their mother. They had both grown up with the bickering and arguments - they had both somewhat anticipated that something like this could occur. Ted said nothing about his discovery Thursday, just said that it was time for their mother and he to move on. Reassuring them that he loved them and would stay in touch, he breathed a sigh of relief that that chore was over.

Ted signed whatever was put in front of him by Ballard, shook his hand, and was out of the door and in his car about 30 minutes later. He made sure that he had a full tank of gas and headed for the bridge into New Jersey where he picked up I-295 South. As he drove, he felt some of the tension leave him, it was as if he had ended one life and was beginning a new one. The sorrow and grief would always be with him he knew, but maybe he could bury it and move on.  He also knew, deep down, that he was running away and he didn't care. It was the coward's way out, and he didn't care. Fuck it.

*******************

Barbara Arnold sat at her kitchen table, her husbands "letter" lying at her feet. Her face was ashen and her eyes wide with shock. She stared ahead of her without seeing. She had no idea how much time had gone by since she had entered the house. Her mind couldn't grasp what she had just read, she just sat, numb and unfeeling. 

The ringing of the phone startled her and she automatically reached for it. "Hello" she answered, her voice flat and emotionless.

"Barbara? Is that you? Ann questioned, concern evident in her tone. "Hello," Barbara repeated. She then allowed the phone to drop from her hand. She looked at the broken instrument on the floor and wondered what it was. Her eyes then moved to the letter lying near the phone and a puzzled expression covered her face. She tried to recall what the sheet of paper contained; she knew that it was important. Suddenly her face seemed to screw into a horrible grimace and she started to whimper, and soon her mewling turned to sobs.  She sat and cried until she thought that her heart would break, and then she sobbed some more.

"Barbara, Barbara, where are you", shouted Ann as she burst through the unlocked front door. Dashing into the kitchen she saw her friend at the table, her eyes red and swollen, her nose running and her hair disheveled. 

"Barb, what happened? What's wrong? her friend was now almost yelling. She then saw the letter on the floor and immediately stooped, picked it up and read it. Ann blanched and saw exactly what was wrong and an expression of pity and sympathy came to her eyes. Barbara's sobs had subsided a bit and she was trying to catch her breath. Ann moistened a dish towel and gave it to Barbara.

"Wipe your face, honey, and catch your breath. You have to take hold of yourself," she said softly.

"Why, why Ann. I can't believe this - we were getting back on track. Things were going so well for us. I know he loves me, Ann...... I know he does," Barbara cried out as she tried to control her emotions.

"Barb, right now you have to get over the shock of what has just happened to you." She rummaged through her handbag. " Here, take one of my Xanax, it will help calm you." Ann filled a glass of water and made Barbara swallow the pill. She then led Barbara to her bedroom and made her lie down.

"Get some rest, Barb. I have to get back to work, but I will stop by after work and bring some dinner for the two of us. I'm going to plan to stay here tonight so that you won't be alone. Don't worry, honey - just get some rest."

Barbara nodded, sighed and closed her eyes. Ann stood for a moment and then turned and made her way to her car.

An hour or so later Ann was having a late lunch with Matt Weeks and was telling him what had happened in the Arnold household. "I'm really worried about Barbara, Matt," Ann said softly. "I don't know how she's going to hold up."

Matt sat and listened, concern evident on his face. He had come to like the Arnolds and considered them friends, especially since Ann was so close to Barbara. He then seemed a bit puzzled and interrupted Ann:

"Honey, wasn't Ted supposed to return from his trip this evening? How come he was in his house early this morning? He obviously came back early, but why didn't he let Barbara know that? The timing just seems a bit strange," Matt said contemplatively. He shook his head and continued. "I totally agree with you. Go over to Barbara's place tonight and plan to stay with her for the weekend. I think that she will really need some support."

Ann gazed at him fondly. "You really are a special man, Matt. Thank you, that's what I had intended. I'll call you from Barbara's." Ann responded as she rose to leave.

Matt continued to sit for a few moments. He had a strange expression on his face. His mind was working with the information he had been given by Ann and he felt a very icy feeling in the pit of his stomach. With a start Matt saw that it was late and quickly walked to the elevators and made his way to his office. Closing the door, he pulled a telephone book from the shelf and flipped the pages until he came to what he was seeking. He picked up the phone and dialed.

"Hello, Pinkerton Security and Investigations. How may I direct your call?"

**********************

Later that day Ted had stopped to fill up with gas south of Richmond, Va. He saw an Army-Navy store across the road and made a snap decision. While he realized that he had packed suits and dress shirts, he now realized that he would no longer need that mode of dress. He made his way to the store and outfitted himself with khaki pants, denim jeans, plaid shirts, athletic socks and a sturdy pair of plain, brown shoes. On the way to pay for his purchases he pulled a plain, beige baseball cap from a rack and included in the pile on the counter. He paid for his purchase and was soon on his way, but he had decided to no longer use the Interstate. He looked at his map and made a decision to use only the blue routes, the secondary routes that were shown in blue on the map. He chose a road and headed west.

He drove through small towns and hamlets, making sure to obey all the speed limits. He stopped at small motels along the way and ate at Mom and Pop spots when he was hungry. He was amazed at the quality of the food served to him. It had none of the institutional taste of the major chains - this was down-home cooking. Servings were huge, hot and tasted wonderful.

The third day out Ted stopped for breakfast at a small eatery with a sputtering neon sign out front trying to spell out "Mom's Kitch__" The "en" was burnt out and it didn't look like anyone was going to give that sign any attention anytime soon. He entered the place and saw a few booths along the window wall and a short counter with five stools. He took a seat next to a grizzled old-timer who turned to look him over.

The waitress, who didn't look like any Mom he remembered, took his order and brought him a steaming cup of strong coffee. He took a sip and heard the old-timer address him.

"Howdy," The voice was gravely and deep.

Ted nodded and returned the greeting.

"Where ye headed? " the old guy asked.

Ted turned to him and noticed his eyes. They were a piercing blue and weary, as if he had seen things better left to the imagination.

"West," Ted replied briefly.

The old guy nodded, as if expecting such an answer. Moments later he continued.

"Where ya comin' from?" he questioned. Ted felt a flush of irritation creep up. "Why the fucking questions?" he thought. He turned to his tormentor and with a shrug, answered.

"East," he said dismissively. 

Ted was relieved to see his breakfast then placed before him and he dug into the eggs and sausages. He spent the next few minutes assuaging his hunger, thanking the waitress who came to refill his coffee cup.

"Yer running. It ain't gonna work, buddy....... been there, done that. I'm here ta tell ya, it don't work. It all catches up to ye."

Ted turned to him, ready to snarl, when he again saw the old guys eyes . There were unshed tears there and Ted suddenly felt uneasy and apprehensive. He threw some money on the counter and left quickly, not turning around. Seconds later he was again on the road.

"What the fuck," Ted muttered to himself. "Is everyone a goddamned Sigmund Freud? Damn bum, giving me advice. I really need that now." But the old-timers remarks kept haunting him, gnawing at his subconscious as he drove. He knew, deep down, that he was running away, he knew that it was stupid. But he just couldn't face the situation now - or was it that he just didn't want to?

Ted also began to realize that added to the sorrow and grief was another emotion - anger. Not a burning, searing rage, but a tired, empty sense of bitterness. His mind kept going back to the two incidents that almost caused him to leave Barbara. He now pretty well knew that they weren't isolated events, only things that he had managed to catch her at. She had been very clever throughout their years together. He had never really suspected that she was having affairs, but she must have been cheating from the start. 

Ted then froze and had to pull over to the side of the road. He was trembling, breathless. He had suddenly come to the realization that his children may not even be his own. "Oh, my God," he screamed. "Oh, that fucking bitch," he shrieked. He felt the nausea return and barely made it out of the car before vomiting his breakfast by the side of the road. The tears started again and he fought them back and gained some control. "No more, no more tears for what was," he vowed.  "Time to move on," he muttered to himself.

The next few days passed in a blur of shabby motels and small eateries along the road. He was sorely tempted, many times, to stop at the bars or saloons he noticed, lit up with dying spots, as he drove by in the evenings, but he knew the danger of driving drunk. He would not travel down that road. He didn't relish a night in jail for drunkenness. 

Ted passed a sign announcing the Nevada border and on a sudden impulse decided to vist Las Vegas. The lights and noise of sin city could prove distracting, something that he sorely needed at the moment. A few hours later he cruised into town, but had absolutely no idea what was where. His senses were a bit overwhelmed by the bright streets and the crowds. He saw up ahead the entrance to the Golden Nugget and decided that it looked like a good stop.

Checking in, Ted carried his own bag to his room and immediately went to the wide window which overlooked the city. "Jeez  It's like the Emerald 'fuckin' City," he thought to himself as he stood, entranced by the town below him. He quickly washed and changed into a pair of slacks and polo shirt. Making his way down to the casino he was momentarily confused by the cacophony, lighting and mass of people milling about. The damn place looked like a scene out of Dante's Inferno.

Ted bypassed the slots which were ringing and jangling and almost as noisy as the patrons jumping in front of them. He then noticed the poker room to which is quickly headed and found an haven of relative quiet. He stood and watched for a few moments and then moved to a table in the corner where a group of five were playing Texas Hold 'Em. Besides the dealer he saw four older men who seemed more than half lit and an attractive women who appeared to be in her mid or late 30s. Ted smiled as he saw quickly that the men had no idea what they were doing and that the woman was slowly and efficiently taking them for a ride. It was obvious that she was a skilled poker player and just as obvious that the men there, while loud and overbearing, had no idea that the "little lady" was taking them for a ride. 

Ted moved to the table and took a seat, throwing some money at the dealer in exchange for chips. One of the jerks at the table chortled, "Well, some new blood. Now it's time for us to play some real poker, guys."

Ted smiled and caught the eye of the gal at the table who smiled in return. After about two hours at the table Ted was up around $800.00. It was almost like taking candy from a baby. The four old farts chased after hands, kept playing poor cards and were easy as hell to bluff. He learned that the woman's name was Gail and she was a resident of Las Vegas. It wasn't long before the jerks at the table gave up in disgust and left the game. Both Ted and Gail decided not to compete against each other and rose to leave.

Gail smiled up at him and remarked, "Now that was an interesting few hours."

Ted laughed, "You mean a profitable few hours. How much did you take them for, if I may ask?"

"About $1200.00 or a little better. A good nights work. There are always idiots like those guys around. They just won't believe that a woman can beat their pants off and I almost always take them to the cleaners," she grinned and continued. "I'm having a drink for the road, care to join me?"

The last thing in the world Ted wanted right now was to develop any kind of relationship with any female, but this seemed innocent and he was sure that he would never see her again. "Sure, Gail. A drink before bed would be good."

Gail glanced up at him again and grinned at the double entendre. Ted, recognizing the innuendo, turned a bit red and just shook his head. He smiled sheepishly and she assured him that she understood his meaning.

They sat in a booth at the lounge, enjoying the small quartet and sipping their drinks. Ted learned that Gail was a single mom with a 12 year old daughter and she made a very comfortable living doing just what she was doing this evening. 

"If tonight was an example of what happens every time you play, I'm sure that you do very well," Ted said.

"Tonight was a little better than usual, but I still do very well. Didn't someone once say that there's a sucker born every minute?" Gail laughed.

After another drink and another half hour of conversation Gail rose to leave, saying that she had to get up early to get her daughter off to school. She shook his hand and then met his eyes and said softly, "Ted, I hope that whatever is wrong is made right one day. You may not realize it, but you're wearing your heart on your sleeve. Someone has obviously hurt you badly and I hope that you can find some peace soon." With that she turned and walked away from him.

Ted just stood there, his mouth agape. "What the fuck," he thought to himself. "Do I have the word cuckold written on my forehead," he wondered. He shook his head again and headed to his room. He didn't think he would be able to get much sleep, but to his relief he nodded off quickly and didn't open his eyes again until midmorning.

The next day saw Ted cruising the strip and visiting the various casino hotels along that storied corridor. He was again amazed at the concept that was Las Vegas. Nothing was spared in order to capture the visiting dollars. Each casino seemed the same; the slots, the blackjack tables, roulette, etc. No windows and few exits. By evening he had tired of his excursion and made his way back to the Nugget. He caught a quick dinner at the hotel and wandered the casino floor.

Ted felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find Gail smiling up at him. "Hi, Ted. Going to try your luck at the table aqain?"

Ted was glad to see her. "Maybe later, Gail. You have a game tonight?" he asked. 

"Yep, a big one. This could make my year, if I'm lucky. My daughter is at a friend's house tonight so I can stay late. Wish me luck," she grinned and turned to saunter into the poker room.

Ted smilled after her and thought about another round of poker. Perhaps he could join her in her game, but then realized that he could be a distraction to her and unwanted competition. He wandered the casino floor, played a little blackjack and shot some craps, winding up with pretty much what he started with. Passing the dollar slots he, on a sudden impulse, changed some bills into coins and started playing the machine, not paying too much attention to what he was doing. 




When Sorrows Come... Ch. 02



His mind kept returning to the same question. It was always the why, why, why had she so betrayed him and also, how long had she been doing that. He felt pretty certain now that the two times he had actually caught her were probably just the tip of the iceberg. How many other times had she cheated? He knew that one day he would have to face her and get the truth, as painful as he knew it would be. In the meantime, he hoped that distance and time would help, at least in small part, heal the hurt that was tearing at him.

Suddenly it seemed as if all hell had broken out. Bells were ringing, whistles blowing and strangers banging him on the back. Ted turned around, confused as to what had happened and found a huge man shaking him by the hand while flash cameras almost blinded him.

"Congratulations, my friend. You just hit a sizeable jackpot," the giant shouted to him. "Follow me, please." With that said, the tuxedoed goliath led him to the lobby and down a thickly carpeted hallway. Seconds later Ted found himself ensconced in a deep, leather easy chair in front of a mammoth desk behind which the huge man seated himself.

The door opened behind Ted and a trim and well-dressed woman in her 40s, Ted guessed, entered.

"Let me introduce myself and Tess to you. I'm Harry Davis, Casino Manager and this lovely thing is Tess Lowenski." Tess smiled at Ted and shook his rather limp hand.  "Tess is an attorney and a CPA and is in charge of this end of the business. We have other personnel like Tess on duty at all times. Now let's get down to business in regard to just what you've won. You're a guest here, so I already know your name, Mr. Arnold. The forms in front of you are the standard ones we use for this purpose. Sign where Tess tells you to and we can get this paperwork out of the way."

Tess Lowenski proceeded to inform Ted as to exactly what he was signing and the purpose of each of the forms as Harry Davis sat smiling and puffing on a rather large cigar. 

"Okay, that's out of the way, thank goodness," Harry boomed. "This is the part I just love. I can tell by just looking at you, Ted, that you have no idea in the world what it is that you've won." Harry grined at the blank expression on Ted's face.

"Okay, Ted. With all of the withholding taken and the other fees and shit, you've won exactly...." and Harry looked at the check in front of him, "$674,566 and some change. Not bad for a few coins in a machine," he laughed.

Ted sat there, totally befuddled. "I'll be a sonofabitch," he muttered to himself. He realized that life just threw him another curveball and, for the life of him, he just couldn't make sense of it all. 

"Ted," continued Harry Davis. "This is just a suggestion, but I would strongly advise you to deposit this check immediately into a money market account. We have a branch of a major national bank here at the hotel and the account can be opened and the deposit handled quickly and easily. Believe me, you would be well advised to do that."

Ted quickly saw the wisdom of that. "Good idea, Harry. Let's do that right now."

"I can take care of that for you, Mr. Arnold. There will be just a few more forms to take care of," remarked Tess Lowenski. She was quick and efficient and in a few more minutes he found himself with well over half a million dollars in a money market account.

Ted turned to Harry Davis. "Harry, how much publicity will winning this jackpot stir up? Am I going to have to avoid the press for the next few days?"

Harry laughed. "You have to be kidding, Ted. This is not unusual. All of the casinos in this town often have jackpot winners. It's good publicity for us and it keeps the suck.....errr. customers coming back. I doubt that your win will even make the local paper, let alone anything national," he observed keenly.

After a few more details, Ted, in somewhat of a daze, made his way up to his room. He opened the mini bar and had a scotch and water which he sipped as he sat and tried to make some sense out of just what happened. He again shook his head in wonderment and was then startled to hear a knock at his door.

"Gail," Ted said with some surprise. "I didn't expect you see you here."

"Hi Ted. Well, aren't you going to ask me in?" Gail grinned at him saucily. 

"Oh, of course. Sorry about that," Ted mumbled, surprise still evident on his face.

With a sparkle in her eyes, Gail continued to toy with him. "I see you have a drink, Ted. You going to offer me one?"

Ted stood and looked at her for a moment before moving to the bar and getting her a drink. He held the glass in his hand for a bit before handing it to her and then commented, "Word gets around quickly, doesn't it?"

Gail grinned at him, but there was just a bit of anger and disappointment in her eyes. "You really think that I'm here in your room because you hit a jackpot? I guess I really shouldn't blame you; you don't know me or what kind of person I am."

Gail plopped herself down on the bed and raised the glass to Ted in salute before taking a sip. "Ted, let me explain something to you. I would have been here, jackpot or not. I do very well financially, as you have seen and I don't have to sell my body for a few bucks. I'm here because I like you and for some reason, I trust you. I trust you to take this no further than it deserves."

She looked at him intently as she stood and placed her glass on the end table. She was wearing a slinky, black dress held up by spaghetti straps which she loosened. The dress fell to the floor and she stood there in a brief bra, garter belt and stockings and thong panties.

Ted sat speechless. His senses were saturated, too many amazing events had buffeted him within the last hours and he found it difficult to sort them out. He was not so far gone as to not recognize that this woman had a fabulous body.

Gail reached behind here and unclasped the bra which fluttered to the floor. Her breasts were large with very little sag. The nipples and areolas were a dark pink and very erect. She placed her palms on her breasts and softly caressed them as Ted watched spellbound.

She then placed her fingers in the sides of her panties and lowered them until they fell to the floor. Her genitals were bare, shaven clean. Gail noticed where his attention lay and grinned again. "I keep it shaven, Ted. Not for anyone special, but because it excites me and makes my orgasms more intense. I'm glad that you seem to like it."

Ted's eyes flickered over her body. From the lips of her pussy, which now appeared to be moist, across her slightly rounded stomach and up to those magnificent breasts. He tried to swallow and he realized that he had a massive erection.  

Gail moved to him and straddled his lap, placing her forearms on his shoulders. Ted could feel the heat and moisture from her on his erection. "This is my sex life, Ted. I refuse to involve myself with any man on any long term basis, so I take oppoirtunities when they arise, and you're just such an opportunity. Are you easy, Ted? Feel like getting laid?" 

Gail saw the stupefied expression on Ted's face and laughed easily. "I think I shocked you, didn't I? Ladies aren't supposed to take the lead in the game of seduction, isn't that so? Well, as you can see, I'm no lady, Ted. So what do you say?"

While Ted's mind had finally started to function, he still felt confused and conflicted, but this didn't detract from the eroticism of the moment. His hands were on Gail's waist and as he moved to kiss her he noticed a small mole on the side of her neck, just under her jaw line. Barbara had just such a mole in the exact place, he realized and he then totally lost it.

Without any warning, he broke down and completely lost control of his emotions. Whether it was the accumulation of the traumatic events of the day, or the reoccurring and crushing realization of his wife's infidelity, he shuddered and the tears came. He made an almost violent attempt to control his grief but without success.

Gail, instead of leaping to her feet, just cradled his head to her breast and allowed him to purge those emotions so deeply felt. The tears finally came to an end and Ted poured out to her the torment that was plaguing him. He finally leaned back, emotionally exhausted. They both then recognized the incongruity of the situation and Gail moved from his lap, found the hotel robe which she slipped over her shoulders and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Ted?" Gail asked. "You've been carrying this around for the last couple of weeks? Don't you realize how foolish you've been?"

Ted just looked at her, wondering what she was talking about. "Foolish?" he repeated. "I'm foolish? Why would you say that? What did I do that was so foolish?"

Gail smiled at him sympathetically. "Ted, you have to sit down and talk to your wife. You have to confront the situation. You'll solve nothing by running away. Sure, it's the easy way now, but later you'll be sorry that you never gave her the opportunity to explain herself. Look, Ted - you may be, and probably are, correct as to the circumstances that led to your flight, but you'll always have a little nagging doubt about the situation. At least give yourself the opportunity to prove yourself right, and give your wife the opportunity to tell her side, even if she doesn't have a defense. At least you'll get some closure. Running only prolongs your agony - you'll drive yourself crazy. Go back and face her - find some resolution."

Ted again shook his head. "I can't, Gail. I just can't go back now. It's too raw. I know that I'm being a coward, but I can't help it. What I need is some time, time to collect myself and get my head straight. I know that you're right and that I will eventually have to go back, but right now I need some time for myself. I need to find someplace where I can just be alone and get some sanity back into my head."

Gail gazed at him with pity in her eyes. "Okay, Ted. I just wish you luck, you seem like a nice guy, I hope that things work out for you, but now I need to get dressed and out of here. I don't think that you're in the mood for anything romantic right now," she grinned.

*********************

Ted checked out the following morning and headed south.  For some reason he didn't feel like dawdling - he wanted to get to where he was going quickly, the only problem being that he really didn't know where he wanted to go. He was still filled with a mass of conflicting emotions and he did know that he needed the time to sort himself out. He found himself on Rt. 93 and just followed it south. Seeing signs for Phoenix and Tucson he decided that he would head that way. Approximately seven hours later he pulled into Tucson, now hungry and tired.

Ted saw a Courtyard Hotel not far ahead and decided to stop. He checked in, took the elevator to his room and flopped on the bed. "Well," he thought to himself. "I'm here, now what? Is this what I want, traveling from place to place?" He shook his head in exasperation. He then washed his face, combed his hair and went over to a diner he noticed across the road from the hotel.

Despite the early hour, the place was relatively busy. Sniffing the enticing aromas from the kitchen, Ted began to understand why this place was bustling. Taking a seat at the counter, he examined the menu and gave his order to the waitress. He noticed the patron beside him munching down what looked like a Cobb salad with some, what looked like, dry toast.

Looking back at him with a wry smile on his face, the diner remarked, "Looks like rabbit food, doesn't it? I'm supposed to be on a diet, but I'm not sure how long it's going to last before I start growing long ears."

"You don't look all that heavy," Ted chuckled while looking the guy over casually.

"Yeah, you're not married to a nutritionist. She monitors everything I eat and she insists that I lose 5 pounds. Hey, I'm really not complaining. I know that she loves me and wants me to be healthy, so I go along."

Ted felt a wave of sadness wash over him. He smiled at the man and turned as the waitress put his order of a small steak and baked potato in front of him. He was hungry and dug in quickly, polishing off the meal in a matter of minutes.

"Wow," said his dining companion.  "You must have been starving. By the way, I'm Bud Troop, I own the Real Estate Agency up the street," and extended his hand.

Ted shook the proffered hand and had a sudden idea. "I'm Ted Arnold, Bud and this accidental meeting may be beneficial for both of us. You're in real estate and I'm looking for some temporary lodging. A small house, perhaps, with a lot of privacy - on the edge of town maybe, totally furnished, something like that? Any ideas?" Ted asked, realizing that he was now flying by the seat of his pants. 

Bud Troop looked at Ted more carefully now, doubt evident on his face. "I may have something, Ted, but I have to tell you that what you want may be very pricey. How much do you want to spend?"

Ted's gaze was steady as he replied. "Price is not a problem, Bud. If you want to do some business, just show me what you have and if I like it, price won't be a consideration."

Bud blinked a couple of times and smiled. He again realized that first impressions in his business were not always accurate. At first glance he just assumed that this guy looked a little down on his luck, he looked like he sure didn't have the resources to handle what he said he wanted. Well, Bud recognized, he had been wrong before and could very well be wrong now. They made an appointment to meet the next morning at Bud's office and would go to examine a couple of prospects that Bud thought might fill Ted's need. 

Early the next morning Bud drove Ted out to a development on the edge of town and bordering a vast desert area. The house was an adobe ranch with a starkly landscaped lot. It was located at the end of the block with only one other house nearby, separated by about 20 feet of cacti and century plants. There was a two car garage and a large alcove which led to the front door. Instead of entering right away, Bud took Ted around to the back. The view of the rear caused Ted's eyes to widen a bit.

The back of the house was shaded by a deep overhang. Comfortable and durable outdoor furniture was scattered over the area and around a deep blue olympic sized swimming pool. The vew across the landscape was breathtaking, a long stretch of desert finally ending, some miles away, in a stunning mountain range. The interior contained two spare bedrooms and a master suite that was almost sybaritic in its luxury. After a quick examination of the rest of the house, Ted had made up his mind.

"Bud, this looks perfect. I hope that I can lease it on a month to month basis, and I suspect that I'll be here for at least three months."

"Ted, I'm really sorry, the owner wanted a year lease, but I think that I could get him to go for a six monther, especially if the price is right. Also, you didn't ask about the cost - don't you think that should be discussed?" Bud asked with some surprise.

Ted didn't quibble when Bud told him what the owner wanted and he quickly accepted a six month lease on the place. He also informed Bud that he wanted to move in ASAP and would give him a check for the entire six months when they returned to the office. Bud agreed and the details were quickly ironed out in a couple of hours. Two days later Ted found himself comfortably installed in what he was beginning to think of as his dream house. For the first time in awhile, he felt at peace and he believed that he would be able to come to some kind of decision about his marriage, or to be more accurate, a decision about how to end his marriage. He had already come to the conclusion that there was no way he could forgive her. There was no way that he could accept her betrayal. Ted was also aware that at the present he had no stomach for a confrontation. He just didn't want to face the turmoil that awaited him. He just wanted a little peace and quiet to nurse his wounds. He knew that he was being cowardly, but he just didn't care. He just wanted time - time to be by himself for awhile - time to heal.

Time passed quickly and days seemed to blend into each other. Life was peaceful for Ted. He joined a local country club and was now playing golf almost daily. He had met a few people with whom he had become friendly, but he really didn't want to form any close ties to anyone, so it was always a hello, a drink at the bar perhaps and a casual wave goodby. He did become a bit close with Bud Troop and his wife June. They were nice people and he saw them on a somewhat regular basis.

Ted was more or less content. It was a time for introspection. He had made a decision about his marriage - he knew that it was over, and for some strange reason he found that the sorrow and pain had eased considerably. He now wondered whether he had ever really loved Barbara fully and if not, why not? He began to feel the need to return, the need for closure. 

He had received emails from his attorney informing him that Barbara was putting up objections to the divorce and was delaying as much as she could. Ted was advised that a contested divorce could prove very messy.  He knew that after two months in Tucson he would have to make plans to return, but he was lethargic, he couldn't take the steps to do that just yet.

**************

It was about at this time that Matt Weeks picked up the phone and called his fiancé, Ann. "Hi Ann, it's me. Look, I want you to do something for me. Call Barbara Arnold and set up a time for the three of us to talk. No, please - no questions right now. See if she can see us this evening, okay? Good, thanks honey."

Some hours later saw the three friends seated in Barbara's living room. She had made coffee which sat on a tray before them, not touched. Matt marveled at Barbara's appearance. Despite her sorrow and distress, she still managed to keep up a wonderful appearance. She was dressed nicely, makeup applied well and not a hair out of place. If one didn't know the circumstances, one could almost think that not a thing was amiss. 

"Okay, Matt," Barbara began. "What's the mystery. Ann called and said you wanted to talk to me, what's up?"

Matt looked pensive for a moment and then began. "Barbara, even Ann doesn't know what the purpose of this is and I guess I had better start at the beginning. I'm pretty sure that I know what precipitated your marital crisis, and no, it's not that Ted had found someone else to take your place, Barb."

Barbara had paled and her hand went to her breast involuntarily. She saw Matt wave his hand, indicating that he wanted to continue.

"Barbara, think back to the day that you found that note. Ted wasn't even supposed to be here that morning, he was due to arrive the evening of that day. So it's obvious that he came in early, and I'm guessing that he actually arrived the evening before to surprise you, entered the house that night and I'm pretty sure that he heard Ann and I in the study and thought that you were in there with another man." 

Both Barbara and Ann gasped. Ann was stricken with remorse and guilt while Barbara just sat there, stunned, not knowing how to now handle the information given her.

"My God, Barb. I'm so sorry. I never even imagined this scenario, but Matt could very well be right," Ann stammered, distress evident in her voice. 

"Okay, I'm not finished, please let me continue," Matt said firmly. "I had an agency attempt to trace Ted's whereabouts and they finally came through. I know where he is and I I'm going to fly out and speak with him. He doesn't know that I'm coming. Please don't ask me for his location. Just let me handle this. I kind of feel responsible for this whole mess and I'd really like to be the one to clear it up.

Barbara just sat there, fearing the hope that had welled up in her. Could it be this easy, this simple to repair their relationship? Could Matt really fix this and bring Ted home? 




When Sorrows Come... Ch. 02



"Matt," Barbara said softly. "I'll do whatever you ask. I can only pray that Ted listens to and believes you. I don't want to get my hopes up too high, I know how stubborn he can be, but he likes and respects you. I just hope that you can get through to him.

"Matt," Barbara then pleaded. "Could you, please, take this along with you when you see Ted?" She then took Ted's wedding band from the chain around her neck and handed it to him."

****************

Approximately 36 hours later, Ted was sitting at his pool, enjoying a morning cup of coffee when his front doorbell rang. He turned in surprise, he rarely had visitors. Walking to the door he was shocked to find Matt Weeks standing there, a small smile on his face.

"Hi, Ted. I know that you're surprised to see me. Can I come in?" Matt asked.

Ted quickly got over his shock and replied, "Of course, Matt. This is quite a surprise. Please, come in. Can I ask how you found me?"

"It wasn't easy, Ted. It took months, you moved around a bit, but that's really not what's important. What's important is the reason why I'm here."

Ted smiled wryly, "I think I know why you're here, Matt. Do me and yourself a big favor. Don't try to be a marriage counselor, it really won't work. While it's nice to see you, I think that you wasted your trip. Barbara and I are finished."

"No, Ted. I'm not here as a counselor, I just want to give you some information that you don't have. Please, just listen for a few minutes, ok?"

"Ok, Matt. Let's go into the den. Do you want something to drink or a snack or something?"

Matt shook his head. "I just want to get this done." Matt then proceeded to give Ted the same information he had given Barbara.  It didn't take long. Matt finished and looked at Ted searchingly.

Ted just sat there in disbelief, astonished. "Are you telling me the truth, Matt?", he asked, his voice rising. "I went through this fucking torture because you and Ann were in that room? My whole life was turned upside down by a fucking mistake?"   


Ted rose suddenly and he snarled at Matt. "Did Barbara put you up to this? This sounds like something she would come up with. I can't believe that you would go along with her, I had more respect for you than that." Ted was livid and totally confused and bewildered.

Matt had arisen with Ted and now clasped his shoulders. "I was right, you were home that evening and you did hear Ann and me, didn't you? You thought it was Barbara and another guy and that's why you left and disappeared. Goddamnit, Matt. I'm telling you the truth. I swear on everything that's holy, it's the honest truth."

Ted sank back in his chair, his legs giving out on him. He shook his head, trying to absorb and understand what Matt had told him and what he was now saying. "My God," he muttered. "My God, what have I done? I turned everything to shit - why didn't I just break into that room? All of this could have been avoided. How can I face Barbara? She must hate my guts." Ted just sat, holding his head in his hands, trying to come to grips with what Matt had told him.

"Ted," Matt said compassionately. "Don't worry about Barbara hating you. When I left she was praying that you would return to her. She loves you, Ted.  She gave me this to give to you - she had been wearing it on a chain around her neck." Matt then held out Ted's wedding band.

Ted just looked at it blankly, seemingly frozen in place. He slowly accepted the ring and almost absently placed it back on his finger where it had resided for so many years. The two men spent the rest of the day alternating between deep conversations and long periods of silence. Ted was grateful for Matt's presence; he was glad that there was someone there with him, someone with whom he was able to talk.

As night fell, Matt arose from his chair and said, "Ted, it's late. I have a room near the airport and my flight leaves early in the morning. I have to call a cab."

"Forget the cab, Matt. I'll drive you - it's not all that far and it'll give me a chance to get out of the house. I can use the fresh air."

The drive did not take long and Matt hesitated a bit before exiting the car. "Ted, what should I tell Barbara? She knows that I'm here talking to you."

Ted hesitated for a moment. "Tell her that I have to wrap up some things here and that I'll drive back sometime next week. I should get there by the end of next week and when I do we'll sit down together and talk. Something I should have done a long time ago," Ted said ruefully. He then sat for a bit as he watched Matt enter the doors of the hotel.

Two days later Ted found that he couldn't sit still. His anxiety and impatience to leave finally got the better of him. He called the airline and got an evening flight out. Packing a small overnight bag, he made it to the airport in plenty of time and fidgeted and changed position frequently during the flight. Fortunately he didn't have a seat mate.

It was well after 10:00 p.m. when the plane finally landed and he was able to exit the airport and retrieve the rental car waiting for him. His thoughts were still random and unformed. He had just decided to let things develop and see how he and Barbara could put their lives back together. He pulled into his driveway around 11:00 and saw the house dark. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed a dim light in the master bedroom - Barbara was still up.

He used his key and let himself in quietly. He moved to the stairs and hesitated when he heard voices coming from the second floor. The blood chilled in his veins as he silently climbed the stairs. The master bedroom door was only slightly ajar, not allowing him a view of the interior of the room, but he heard the conversation therein quite clearly.

"........damn it, Phil. I keep telling you. Ted'll be home next week and we have to cool it for at least a few months. I have to get my marriage back on track."

"Shit, Barb. We've been screwing for almost two years. It's not going to be easy for me," he whined.

"So jerk off a lot, Phil," she laughed. "Look, I've told you a dozen times. I love my husband and I don't want to destroy my marriage."

"Hell, Barbara. If you love him, why do you cheat? You told me that I'm not the first guy you had an affair with."

There was a brief moment of silence. "I've asked myself the same question for years, Phil. I guess it's the wrongness of it. The danger, the excitement, the thrill of a new affair. All of that gives me orgasms that nearly take my head off. You know how I almost loose it when I come."

"And Ted doesn't do that for you? Is he that lousy a lover? Is that the reason why you cheat?"

"Ted's a wonderful lover," she snapped at him. "It's just not the same. When Ted makes love to me, it's just that. It's wonderful, caring love. But when I'm with a lover, it's wild. Damn it, Phil, enough conversation. My pussy is dripping - get your mouth down here and take care of it one more time before you leave."

Ted just stood and listened. He then turned, descended the stairs and moved to the front door. He hesitated and then turned and walked into the kitchen. He removed his wedding band and placed it in the center of the table. He looked at it for a moment then turned and walked out of the house, not bothering to close the door behind him.

The End