HOTEL RESTAURANT CONFRONTATION by LJA644
You know how you recognise somebody by the way they walk? Well, I recognised the lady walking into the hotel, she walked and carried herself exactly like my wife, Karen. It was dark with just the lights from the hotel, you couldn't see clearly, but the way she carried herself made me think it was her.
It couldn't be her because she was at home, I had spoken to her last night on the phone and she didn't tell me she was going out anywhere, in fact this hotel was many miles from our home. I was completely bemused, the bloke she was with looked like Darren. He was our boss. We both worked for the same driving school company.
It couldn't be. Could it?
Something wasn't quite right here. I had just pulled into the car park at the hotel I was staying in tonight, there had been a scheduling change to the training programme, and I had changed hotels at the last minute. It was easy as we had an agreement with this hotel chain.
I had tried to phone home earlier and I got the answer phone, Karen's mobile went straight to answer phone. I phoned the offices and tried to phone Darren. I didn't get all the messages through because I got a phone call back from the office, it was all broken up. There's not a great deal of mobile phone signal around Salisbury Plain, but never mind I will just carry on.
I stopped the car and ran across to the hotel entrance and peered around the door. That was my wife and my boss, worst of all they both had small suitcases and he had his arm around her waist, much more familiar than a working relationship.
Fuck what was going on? They looked very familiar together, it certainly looked like they were having an affair. I sat down heavily on the steps of the hotel, and I wanted to throw up, I started breathing very deeply. What the fuck was going on and what do I do now? In actual fact it cleared up a lot of doubts I'd had over the last couple of months.
Now it all became clear. Changing the programme, the change in the schedules, the change in my job. I needed time to sit and think. I went back and parked the car properly. A car with driving instructor's 'L' plates on should drive and park responsibly.
I crept back up and made sure that reception was empty and then I approached the desk and booked in. I'd stayed here a few times. Kelly the deputy manager was on reception duty, we got on well. I'd done her a favour a couple of months ago. We chatted about the weather and stuff, then I asked who the previous couple were that booked in. I told her they looked familiar.
She told me it was a Mr and Mrs Smith. She tilted her head slightly as she said 'Smith' which indicated she didn't believe them. "I hope they're not near me, it sounds like they are going to be noisy tonight.
"Oh no." She said. "You're in 214. They are in 236, way down the corridor."
"So how often have they stayed here?" I asked.
"Is there something going on here?" Kelly asked.
"There may be. That looks like my boss but that's not his wife, I just want to get my facts straight before I say anything. Don't worry I won't mention the hotel or where I got the information from." I didn't mention that it was my wife he was with.
Kelly did some stuff on the computer and said, "I shouldn't tell you this, but they were here three months ago for a large symposium or something. They had separate rooms then. They've been back twice since then. I traced him because he uses the same credit card, I just had to check the last four numbers. It's a company credit card."
I needed time to think, so I went into the bar and bought a pint of beer, something I don't normally do as I'm driving in the morning. I took it to my room. I need to ponder how we got to this point. I think a little background could be needed here.
The driving school company I work for was based in Salisbury, we had the contract to teach young Army recruits how to drive cars, buses and trucks. Up until five months ago I used to teach in my local area around Salisbury covering the Garrison towns of Tidworth, Bulford and Larkhill, just north of Salisbury. Other chaps looked after other locations around the North and West of the Plain. Cyril looked after Lyneham to the north. Graham looked after the Warminster area. It was a brilliant job, meeting young people and seeing them grow up in the Army system, much like I had. Adolescence giving way to adulthood.
These locations are well spread apart around the edge of Salisbury Plain Training Area which is quite difficult to get across unless you have a main battle tank or a big truck.
Five months ago, Cyril retired, and a couple of months ago Graham fell off of a ladder putting himself out of action for several months, this left a hole across the northern part of the training area.
I had been asked to step in and take care of the northern training area for a couple of months whilst they recruited a replacement and Graham got better after his fall. There were other driving instructors but most of them were young with children and were not ex-military. You could form a better bond if you have a shared experience, and the training can go much better. So, I just knuckled down and got on with it. It won't be forever Darren told me.
Karen worked in the offices of our driving school arranging appointments, payments, accounting and the instructors' expenses. Including mine, so I was always very careful to make sure I was below the limit. It's not good to put your wife in the position of having to tell you off about spending too much money. When I looked at our bank balance every month to see how much she spent, the irony struck me every time.
Darren wasn't a good looking sex god, he was a bit plain and a bit overweight. What were they both doing here? Or as my mind was coming round to it, had this been arranged between the two of them so I will be away and they can have an affair. I would have to find out.
I would need proof to take to Darren's wife, Sheila. She worked in our Salisbury office too but did not come in that often. I had to protect my job. The children were still in University.
I thought about our life together. Our sex life had always been good before the children came along, we tried pretty much everything. Spanking, vibrators, sexy clothing. Money was a bit tight, it took us months to save up for her first pair of thigh length boots. She still has them, they still fit and she still wears them. Things we liked we did again. Those things that we didn't like, we didn't do again. Things took a bit of a dive when the children came along as would be expected. But it had picked up again after they went to college, well apart from the last couple of months I'd been looking after the Northern sector. I was away three days a week and knackered when I got home on Friday.
So, why was she here with Darren?
I had come up with a plan. It wasn't a definite plan. It would depend on their responses. It was more of a set of guidelines for confronting cheaters. I went down to have some dinner, not that I was particularly hungry.
I went down early and had a chat with the Maître-d'.
I asked him where Mr and Mrs Smith were going to be sitting because I could have embarrassed myself earlier and didn't want to be in their eye line.
I had been in that restaurant quite a few times and got on with the staff. Often the Maître-d' gave me a choice of where I sat, he pointed out where Mr and Mrs Smith were going to sit. I chose where I could watch them but hopefully not be seen. There are good things to be said about aspidistras.
The Maître-d' told me they were going to be in at seven, I set up my laptop, so it looked like I was working.
They came in, his arm around her waist, which grated on me quite a bit. They sat themselves down, I waited until they had ordered and I summoned the Maître-d. I asked him to deliver on my account a bottle of Mosel wine. I knew it was on the wine list, and I knew it was one of her favourites. I asked him not to tell them where it came from.
Peering around the shrubbery I watched as it was delivered, it seemed to set up quite a consternation, especially when the Maître-d' would not tell them where the wine came from. For a while they just sat chatting however there was quite a lot of hand touching and smiling and giggling, mainly from Darren. This was no business meeting, they can't pull that one on me. The dress she was wearing was stunning. I had never seen it before, certainly it wasn't one she had worn for me. Karen did keep on looking at the bottle of wine and then around the room. I recognised that something was bothering her. Good.
It was approaching the time that I would normally phone her 19:30- 45 ish.
I wandered out into the hotel foyer and called her on her mobile. I could just see her from where I was. I saw her take her phone out of her handbag, she seemed to say. "I've got to get this, it's John." She took the phone and walked into the foyer where there is no sound of background music.
I plugged the earphones in and turned the video recorder on. I should be able to talk to her and record at the same time, wonderful inventions these phones.
At the time I noticed some smart young man walking around videoing the hotel on his phone, I noticed him because he kept on getting in the way so I couldn't see Karen.
"Hello sweetheart." I said. "Just a quick call, there has been a change in plan. I did phone the office, but I was told you'd gone home early, anyway how's your day going, you up too much? Sounds very quiet there, have you not got the telly on?"
"I've muted the telly. Just keeping busy, you know how it is the house, always something to do even if you're not here my sweetheart. You sound funny, are you on your normal phone?"
"Yes, but I'm using earpieces so I can video and talk to you at the same time."
"I didn't know you could do that. What are you recording?
"There is some chap walking around videoing the hotel, so I am videoing the videoer."
She looked around and saw the videoer walking into the restaurant, will she put two and two together and come up with four? She had a quizzical look on her face. I ploughed straight on.
"Are you sure you're at home? The noise in the background is not the same as when we are on the landline?"
"Of course I am, it must be your phone." She was starting to look a bit agitated.
"I tried to phone you on the landline. You didn't pick up." I paused.
"I must have been in the garden, sorry I missed it."
"That's okay. Obviously, there is so much to do this time of year, don't get too fucked by doing too much." I said, she looked a bit taken aback by the 'F' Word, not a word I normally use. "Look I was going to tell you about the change of plan, but something has just come up, can I give you a call later?"
"Certainly, sweetie just don't leave it too late in case I'm in bed."
"It's quite early, have you got something interesting in bed, another man perhaps?" I tried to say in a serious fashion, I think it came across like that.
"Oh no sweetie you are the only man for me nobody else could match up to you."
"So how do you know, I thought I was your first, have you been doing something to do a comparison with?" Trying to be a little more light hearted this time.
I could see her from where I was standing. She started to look nervous and maybe even stagger a little bit. "Right, time for you to go back to comparison man." I laughed as I punched the hang up button up.
She looked startled, like she was waiting for a 'goodbye, I love you', but nothing came, she held the phone in front of her just looking at it.
Whilst she was doing that, she was facing away from me, this wasn't in the plan. I took the opportunity to walk up behind her and gently tap her on the shoulder. She turned, looked at me, gasped and then collapsed on the floor. That was unexpected. It was hard, but I walked to reception to tell them a lady had fainted. I told them that I wasn't going to touch her as I didn't want to be accused of molesting a lady. However, one of the waiters saw her fall and rushed across; he picked her up and returned her to the table with Darren.
Whilst I was at reception, I asked who the chap walking round videoing was. I was told he was an 'influencer'. I had to ask what an 'influencer' was, and I got told it's a person who goes around recording things and doing reviews and putting them on YouTube. They did this in the hope of getting a free night stay, didn't work here they had to pay for the room but got a free meal. Bloody silly idea if you ask me.
I realised then the phones were still connected so I could hear everything that was being said. I made sure I was still recording. I must have missed the hang up button and in my haste hit the mute button.
Karen had recovered after the waiter took her back to her table.
I made my way discreetly back to my table. I could just see them, but they were too intent on their problem to look around for me.
"John's here Darren, John is here!"
"He can't be, he's at Lyneham."
"I saw him, he tapped me on the shoulder. One second I was talking to him on the phone, the next he was there." She was almost crying. "He can't find out about us, it would kill him."
"Hang on, why would he do that and walk away? Fuck that, he would kill us, he can't find out about us." He paused. "If he finds out Sheila will find out and my marriage will be down the tubes as well, I'll phone him." Darren said, picking up his phone.
If looks could kill, Darren would be dead right now, "You should have thought of that when you started this." Karen reminded him.
"But he was never going to find out." After a few seconds. "It's engaged."
"Who sent us that bottle of wine? Someone who knows Schwatz Katz is my favourite." She paused. "Something is not right here?"
"Look, if he's here we say it's a business meeting."
"Really, don't be so stupid, dressed like this for a business meeting at eight o'clock in the evening. And I've just told him I'm at home. We are fucked."
"Okay we will say it's just the first time and it doesn't mean anything we just got carried away."
"He is not stupid enough to fucking believe that."
"Look, it's just been a couple of times, we can blag this."
"A couple of times? At least three in this hotel since that symposium where you blackmailed me."
"Yes, but you wanted it."
"No, I fucking didn't! You drugged me and took photos."
"Yeah, but you kept on coming back without the blackmail."
"Well, you showed me the photos of John and that receptionist, what's her name? Kelly, I had to bite my tongue at reception. You threatened to sack me and tell John that I came on to you and in a moment of weakness you gave in. Anyway it became a bit of fun to take away the boredom whilst he was away." She said. "It doesn't matter he will still fucking kill us."
"But you enjoyed it!" he said.
"It was something to do, he's away three nights a week and is so knackered when he gets home on Friday I have to wait until Saturday before I get anything. You were just something to fill the time. You're actually not that good, you're too selfish."
"But you seemed to enjoy it?"
"If I've got to do it, I might as well fucking enjoy it. And with a bit of training, you might just get as good as John at it."
That was when I decided to take some action. Because we were often alone with young females taking lessons, to back up the dash cam recording, all of the instructors had pens which were audio recorders. I set mine to record, stood up and headed towards their table. I heard Darren say. "I'll phone him again." I hung up, but my phone was still recording. He must have hit redial because I was halfway to their table when my phone rang loudly and everyone looked at me, including Darren and Karen. She swooned for a few seconds and Darren just said, "Oh fuck." I sat down opposite them. I was noticed by everyone in the restaurant.
I waited a few seconds for Karen to come round again then said. "Killing you would let you off too easily, it will be much more painful than that.".
"John, it's not what it looks like." Said Darren.
"So, what the fuck is it then?"
"It's a celebration for the new contract that we've just got."
I looked at Karen, she was looking at Darren with an incredulous look on her face as if to say 'what the fuck are you talking about'.
"Okay then, saying that I believe you, which I don't by the way. What the fuck are you doing here so far away from Salisbury with the office slut and not your wife?" That got me a serious dirty look from Karen. I looked straight at her and said. "Don't you say a fucking word." Looking back at Darren I said, "So what is this contract then enlighten me, it is more shit to have me further away from home so you can fuck my wife." His face fell.
Karen sat there looking very subdued. Try as I might, I could not remain calm. All the frustration I had thought about in the last couple of hours came flooding out. I said in a loud voice. "So, you arrange for me to be away three nights a week and work so fucking hard I am knackered, so you could move in and fuck my wife whilst I am away. You organised all this, just to have your dirty way with my wife." I raised my voice a bit more now. "You evil dirty fucking bastard, just you wait till Sheila hears all about this."
At this stage I can see the Maître-d' hurtling towards our table. In a subdued but direct voice he said, "Sir, you are a valued customer to this establishment, can you please refrain from swearing and keep the noise down."
I looked up at him and said. "Sorry Paul, you are quite correct, however I think some of your customers like the entertainment." As I looked at the Maître-d' I'd notice that the influencer was videoing all that was happening. I looked around the Maître-d' at the influencer and said. "You can call this 'husband confronts wife and lover in a hotel', no better, make that, 'husband confronts wife and lover in a restaurant'. Let's keep the hotel out of this, I think they might appreciate it."
Addressing the Maître-d' again I said. "I will have what they're having and put it on his bill, the company is paying anyway it's not coming out of his pocket, in fact have one for yourself on us." I seemed to have got my appetite back.
The Aberdeen Angus Sirloin was fantastic, I had on the odd occasion paid for one myself, it was about double the meal allowance that we were given.
Karen opened her mouth to say something probably about the expenses, I just gave her a Paddington hard stare and she shut up.
I picked up my phone and snapped a picture of Darren and Karen together. I already had plenty but this was part of the threat.
Karen put a hand up like a little nervous schoolgirl, asking if she could speak, I looked at her and nodded. She looked at Darren and said. "You told me John asked you for the assignment up north, is that not true?" Looking at me she said. "Did you ask for this?"
"No fucking way, why would I leave our bed to go to sleep in several strange beds all through the year?" I turned the phone round and showed both of them the picture I had just taken of them sitting quite close in a hotel restaurant.
"Right, you tell me the fucking truth or this photo goes straight to Sheila right now and you can sort out your own marriage."
Karen said. "So what about the photo I saw of you going into a room with that receptionist, Kelly, at 10:45pm. Why would she go into a room at that time of night if it wasn't for something naughty,"
"Show me the photos." I could see how devious he was trying to get into my wife's pants I was starting to feel a bit forgiveness for her, but only a bit
She looked at Darren. "Give me your phone and unlock it or John will send the photographs to Sheila." He did as he was told.
She flipped through some pictures and turned the phone around that showed me, I took the phone off of her, and swiped a few more pictures. I could see what he had done. I gave it to her and said. "If you look here, he's taking a photo of a picture but with a different timestamp to make it look like it's 10:45. Look at the window in the background, it's never daylight at 10:45 at night."
She came back with. "It could be the car park lights?"
"If it was, the shadows would be on the ceiling, not the floor."
"Shit." Was all I heard.
I asked a passing waiter if he would be so kind as to bring me a leaflet from the front desk advertising the hotel.
It was very quiet around that table until he got back. I opened up the leaflet and showed the photograph of Kelly showing me into a room. The picture was for an advertising campaign and I had been asked to help out.
"Oh shit!" There it was again.
"They asked if they could take some photographs of me because I looked normal, not like a model. Kelly was just showing me the room. It wasn't even my room in fact it wasn't even a bedroom it was an office. You've been fucking had!"
Karen's face took on a quizzical look, she slid away from Darren, I can see the cogs were going around in her head.
She looked at Darren and said loudly. "So let me get this right, you sent my husband away, told me he asked for it when he didn't. You faked photos that he was having an affair, you drugged me, had your wicked way with me, blackmailed me by threatening my marriage and my job?"
I could see it had taken her a few minutes to come up with what had taken me a couple of hours to workout.
I am surprised the slap she gave him didn't break his jaw, the whole restaurant including Mr Influencer looked at us and it went deathly quiet. Mr Influencer was still videoing.
She was about to take another swing at him, I was tempted to let her do it until I saw the Maître-d' heading our way. I grabbed hold of her hand and said, "Calm down or we will get thrown out and I haven't finished yet."
Seeing this the Maître-d' retired. Although the restaurant was very quiet, everyone was looking at us surreptitiously, waiting for the next event, they probably hadn't had so much fun in years.
"Oh, it gets worse," I said. "I may have some of this a bit wonky, but here goes." At that I reached across and took Darren's half full wine glass and took a sip.
"Mmm that's nice, you won't be needing this." I like Schwatz Katz too. I said, putting the glass down in front of me. At this time the Maître-d' brought my steak, as he laid it in front of me and said in a loud whisper, "Keep the noise down, or I will throw you all out."
I took the hint, being thrown out would not help me at all. I was the most aggressive so it was probably my fault, I looked at him and said, "Sorry Paul, I will be better behaved now I have my dinner," I think he was happy that I knew his name.
"Let's start off what I think is the beginning, Cyril retired, and Graham fell off a ladder. That gave you the chance to send me off to the northern sector, keeping me away from home for two days at least, and it turned out to be nearer three. You knew I wouldn't let the company or the customer down, you used that to your advantage. You promised me you would recruit new people to replace Cyril and then sort out the workload better."
I looked at Karen and asked. "How many interviews has he had in the last five months to replace Cyril?"
"I don't know of any, but he told me you were happy with that and you're happy with the extra money,"
"Money doesn't compensate for spending time away from home." I took a mouthful of my steak. It gave me time to think.
"Has he even put an advert out?"
"Not that I have seen."
"Right second point, He invites you to a symposium on driving simulators, don't you think his wife who owns the company would have been a better person to make those decisions than someone doing clerical work?"
"But she was sick so she couldn't go, and it was already booked, all he had to do was get an extra room."
"Do you know why she was sick?" I asked. "She had an allergic reaction, she is nut intolerant, how easy would it be for him to give her a bit of nut and make her poorly. Not saying he did that. But with the things he did for you, I wouldn't put it past him."
"You poisoned your wife, you sick bastard!"
All through this diatribe he had looked down into his lap, but this he looked up and said, "I wouldn't do that to Sheila, I love her."
Karen glared at him and said. "Then why were you fucking me?" With this outburst she got up and came and sat next to me. She looked at me and said "I am so, so sorry, can we talk about this?"
I ate another slice of the steak, looked at her and said, "Later, maybe, we'll see." I had already pretty much made-up my mind what I was going to do.
"Okay tell me about the symposium and the blackmail I've only got what I just overheard,"
Karen explained to me how although she had her own room, she woke up in Darren's bed naked with a massive hangover. She assumed that she had drunk too much and he had put her to bed in his room because he was a gentleman, she thought no more about it.
On the following Monday he invited her out for a lunch time coffee, he then showed her the photographs of her doing naughty things with him. He told her that if she didn't carry on, he would get her sacked, get me sacked and blame her for coming on to him, and he was weak. He would throw himself on his wife's mercy. She always forgave him for his mistakes because she loved him, and almost certainly would for this one if he could put the blame on Karen.
I was angry but I needed to finish this off, so I tried to keep calm. I leaned across the table, grabbed his hand and pulled it onto the table. I put the steak knife point down on the back of his hand.
"So, you drugged my wife and then raped her, you evil bastard."
He was panicked, he looked at me and said "No, no, no I did not rape her. What's the point in fucking someone who's like a dead fish? There's no pleasure in that."
I took another bite of the steak. It really was very good, and so was the wine. I was using this time to calm myself down but to make Karen and Darren more anxious.
"Next thing, expenses, So I'm guessing you are paying for all of this?"
"Of course," Darren replied
"I know how many times you have stayed here with her, because you used the same credit card, the company credit card at that." I looked at Karen and said, "That is a stunning dress, and I bet you have equally stunning underwear underneath it as well. It's not something I have ever seen, you've never worn that for me. Where did it come from?"
She bowed her head, slowly lifted it, looked at me and said, "Darren brought it he said it would suit me." It did, it was gorgeous, at least he had an eye for that.
"So, who do you think paid for all these meals, trysts and sexy clothing, him or the company? I suggest when you get in on Monday you go through his expenses as thoroughly as you do mine and anything that is not strictly company business you report to senior management.
"One question I have to ask is why are you here at this hotel?"
Karen answered, "I saw it as revenge to be doing it in the hotel where you had cheated on me."
"But I phoned to tell Darren the change of plan and I was moving on to my next slot."
Karen's face fell, she looked at Darren and said. "You really are a stupid bastard, he told you where he was going to be and you still brought me here, you really are an arrogant pig, only thinking of yourself aren't you."
"No, I only got a message that he was moving on, the office couldn't hear him properly. They thought he was going to Lyneham from Warminster, not the other way round."
"But if that was the case. We would still have been here the same time as him, you stupid bastard." Karen spat back at Darren
"But he hasn't followed my plan that I gave him."
I let them argue as I was finishing my steak now, and I thought it was about time to wrap it up.
"Okay, let's sum this up. Firstly, you used my dedication to the company and customer to get me to do something I didn't want to do. You had me away from home three nights a week, and worked so hard I was so knackered on Friday that all I wanted to do was sleep. You lied to me about a replacement to look after Lyneham, you didn't even put an advert out for a replacement."
I continued "You drugged and then took compromising photographs of my wife so you can use them to blackmail her for more sex.
"You fabricated evidence to convince my wife I'm cheating on her, you used company funds to pay for your nights out and the presents for her. I think that's misappropriation of company funds, I wonder what your boss, Sheila would say about that. You did all that so you could shag my wife?"
"Yes." He nodded his head gently.
Karen looked at me with a furrowed brow. "Did you say it was Sheila's company? A minute ago you said 'senior management', what do you mean senior management? I thought Darren was the boss, it's his company, he's senior management."
I shook my head. "No, it's Sheila's company, she owns it. Her Dad started it, and he left a clause that shithead here doesn't get to own any part of it. He is a director but it's not his company."
"But she never comes in, we only see her about five or six times a year."
"Well despite him being an evil, cheating, shagging bastard, he does seem to be able to run this company and do a good job of it. She doesn't need to come in. But I bet she will be interested in him using the company money to shag the admin staff."
I have never seen Karen's face so red with anger, she held her hand out to me, and said. "Give me the key card to your room, don't fucking argue, just give it to me."
I had rarely seen her that angry and I wasn't going to argue, I gave her the key card. I could book a different room later if I needed it. She ran from the restaurant like a whirlwind.
I picked up the steak knife and started playing with it and said to Darren. "Now this is what you're going to do, or I will tell Sheila what you two have been getting up to. Tomorrow morning you are going to phone Sheila and tell her that I have been taken sick, and as you're in the area you are going to pick up my training. I am going to take the day off to see if I can remain married. When you get home tomorrow night you are going to tell Sheila you had forgotten how enjoyable it was teaching and that you want to do more of it. To that end every other week you will pick up my training schedule. Yes, I know there's a problem with continuity of training, but they'll get over it. You will then explain to Sheila that I will do your job whilst you are doing mine. That way you have a succession plan and should anything happen to you or Sheila, like you want to take a long holiday, or you have a serious accident." He didn't miss the threat in my voice. "You have somebody else who can step in, somebody who understands and can run the business for a short time."
I carried on. "Think you can do that?"
"I think so, it actually makes sense. But how can I trust you, how can I be sure you won't tell Sheila?"
"You don't. You will have to trust me. Do you think she will let me and Karen stay on, we would both be out of a job or at least Karen. And we both like our jobs. And I can't be arsed to start looking for a new job now."
I poured myself another glass of the £30 bottle of wine, that bottle of wine was more than my whole day's expenses. I just looked at him. "Well?"
He had a little smile and said, "Yes, I think I can do that, it does actually make good sense. She might believe it."
I didn't like that little smile he had, that was going to get wiped off. "Just because we like our jobs doesn't mean that we won't bubble you to your missus, even if it does mean us losing our jobs. If we did lose our jobs, it will be fun going for unfair dismissal. It would shut you down."
"Next, you will write a letter to Sheila explaining everything you have done to get into Karen's knickers, including spending company funds. Then to cover my arse I am going to add a bit explaining why I didn't dob you in to her. I like her, she has been a good friend over the years, I used to like you as well. I don't want her to get hurt any more so you are going to be faithful and I am going to keep the letter as blackmail."
Just then Karen came back, she was walking a bit slower, but not much. She had completely changed her clothes. She sat down next to me and said. "That's better I started to feel a little dirty in those clothes. I have thrown them away. Oh, and Darren I wouldn't let Sheila unpack your suitcase there may be some surprises in there, I appear to have lost a couple of pairs of knickers."
He was not smiling now. I continued. "Oh, and finally you stop shagging around and remain faithful to Sheila, because if I see you shagging around, I don't have to bring this affair up, I can just tell her about what you're doing there and then."
He raised his head slightly and shook it. "I won't write the letter. I'll do the rest."
I could understand that. Giving someone else power over you is not easy.
I picked my phone up. "Right then, I've recorded all this and it goes straight to Sheila."
He held his hands up. "No stop, I'll do it."
The letter wouldn't hold up in a law court, it doesn't have to, just in the court of Sheila.
I leaned across the table and with a sarcastic growl, I said. "Right now 'Boss' fuck off and write a letter. She." Jerking my thumb at Karen. "She has got to try and save her marriage."
She grasped my arm, looked at me. "Is there a chance, can we do that, really?"
"When I walked in here there was no way in hell, but after listening to you two and what the devious bastard has done, there may be. But what I want to know is how could you have the conscience to cheat on me with him?" I said pointing at Darren. At that point he got up and left.
"I thought about that when I went to get changed and I think I have a sort of an answer. Boxes, revenge, the excitement, lack of sex four days a week
"I have been thinking about this, actually I haven't finished thinking so some of this is going to come out mixed up and some of it I have already worked out. But it's all jumbled up in my head. It's not going to come out in the right order.
"Firstly, I'm so, so sorry. Sorry for cheating on you, so sorry I hurt you and so sorry we're here now like this. Whilst Darren tricked me, I must take some of the blame. I'm sorry sweetheart but some of this you're not going to like, but it's never been your fault you have done nothing wrong."
"I don't know where to start, let's just say revenge, when I saw you with that pretty young receptionist going into your room at that time of night, one thing crossed my mind. You were having an affair whilst you were away. I've just remembered this, but as he was showing me the picture, he was making innuendos about 'why is that pretty receptionist going into your husband's room at that time of night' and 'I wonder what they could be up to. I'm sure it's completely innocent and nothing is happening'. I now realise he was being very crafty and putting doubt and thoughts into my head. It didn't help but you are here every week and when you get home on Friday you are too tired to make me happy. Now I know that was all made-up."
I opened my mouth to ask why she hadn't confronted me, but she leaned in quickly and kissed me, keeping me quiet.
"Please let me finish darling. Next thing I suppose is why did I carry on, after I found out he drugged me. And then blackmailed me. I should have come straight to you. I was worried about our jobs and paying for the kid's uni. That's no excuse, that's what I should have done, but I didn't and for that I'm sorry, that was a mistake."
"Sorry sweetheart this bit may be a bit painful. It's painful for me so I'm not sure how bad it will be for you, I missed the sex. Since the menopause I've been as randy as hell and I wasn't getting enough, oh the vibrator helped but it wasn't like the real thing. He sort of filled the gap. It was only once a month, but it seemed to take the edge off so I could be ready for you. A really shabby excuse I know, but it's all I have. And there was the excitement, it was a little bit exciting to do it in the hotel where I thought you had cheated on me. Again, now I know that you didn't cheat makes me feel really shit."
I just opened my mouth again, but she put her finger to my lips and carried on.
"I don't want your sympathy, with my gullibleness and stupidity, I have brought this on myself."
"The gifts and presents didn't mean anything. I never used our stuff with him or the stuff he got me with you." She looked down. "I have never done anything with him that won't do for you, in fact we only ever had normal sex, he's not very good."
She paused, taking a sip of wine. "While I was thinking about that, I came up with the reason for how I could do this. I'll have to explain later. I will admit to being a bit lonely, and it is nice to be around someone you know, and that you were his friend. Which probably makes it worse. I cheated on you with a friend. Oh, the dinners were nice, he's good company, his jokes aren't that bad, and there was the revenge bit as well and it was a bit exciting."
She gave me a little smile. "But he is shit in bed, he gets me off, but it doesn't have the buzz, I don't feel completely satisfied.
"I think him buying me clothes helped me keep it in separate boxes.
"How could I do it? We may have to check this with a psychologist, but I think I put everything in little boxes. One box was my work life, oh by the way nothing happened there. The big box was my life with you, and a very small box was my cheating with him. I think in my mind I separated them all out when I was with him. I didn't see the other two, so they didn't matter. When I was with you the work box was slightly open, but his was firmly shut. It's as if the cheating didn't happen. I could shut it out. I can't really explain it any other way. I am really sorry sweetheart. I felt bad about cheating on Sheila, but I used the excuse that I was protecting her by keeping it to myself, another little box I suppose."
She took a mouthful of wine.
"I'm sorry sweetheart I seem to have gone on for quite a while. How can I make this up to you, can we get over this? I really do love you. Can you please forgive me? I know forgetting will be hard, but I will do my damnedest to help you forget. I will do anything. Can we go up to your room so I can start making it up to you?"
"After what I've heard, I've already decided to forgive you. But you're right, forgetting will be hard. Yes, we can go up to my room, but there's no way in hell I'm going to be where he's been for the last couple of hours. All that’s left to do is sleep and I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”
Again, there was a little smile. "Oh sweetie, we were so late getting here because of your phone call there was no time for any of that. The last time he was with me was over a month ago, you're the last person I made love to. This may not be important but even when we did, even though I didn't need to, I made him wear a condom. I didn't want any of his seed inside me. And there was no kissing on the lips, only the cheek."
I thought to myself there were some things I could have done better. I should have stood up to him when he had me come to the North of the plain. I should have asked how the recruitment was going. However, she was right a lot of the fault was hers, but mainly his. I told her what I had arranged with Darren for not telling Sheila. And that I would be home all week every other week until we got a replacement. And that I would be with her in the office for that week, so we might have to do some catching up there, that should give her a bit of excitement."
I stood up and held my handout to her. "OK, let's get you started on making it up to me."
It was three weeks later as Karen and I were walking into the office, a little bit late because we've been a bit naughty. All our workmates were gathered around somebody's laptop, some of them were aghast and some were giggling. As we walked in it went deadly quiet and there were some embarrassed looks. "Okay what's so funny and now the silence and the embarrassed looks on your faces." I said. "Come on out with it,"
John, one of the longest serving members of the team, said. "We found something on YouTube which, errm, looks like you and Darren having a ding dong in a restaurant. It looks a bit serious. It's one of four and we're only halfway through the first one. I guess we better not look at the rest."
Karen spoke up at this point. "We can't tell you what to do, I'm going to be embarrassed because I fucked up, and you're going to find out what happened and why Darren is only here every other week. But I plead with you, please don't tell Sheila."
"Don't tell Sheila what?" Shit. She was standing right behind us.
"Oh fuck!" Karen and I said at the same time.
Sheila stormed across to the laptop, spun it round. We could see from where we're standing that the title of the video was, "husband confronts wife and lover in restaurant." and the picture was clearly of Darren, and if you looked closely, you could make out my face.
There was steam coming out of Sheila's ears, glaring at us he said, "You two my fucking office right fucking now." She stormed off.
Karen and I followed her, I went past my desk and picked up a few things. I was sort of expecting this at some time, just not this soon. I promised that I wouldn't tell Sheila. But I wonder who sent John the link to the video.
Sheila was angry, very angry. "Right, you two what the fuck is going on?"
Before I could open my mouth Karen stepped forward and said. "Sheila I'm really, really sorry I fucked up." She looked down at the floor and continued. "I had sex with Darren."
Sheila fell back into her chair. "Not again, and you, I never thought you were a risk." Looking at me she said, "John, you knew about this, I thought we were friends, why didn't you tell me about this?"
It was my turn to step forward, "Sheila I'm really sorry, Karen was tricked, I'm afraid to say Darren found out about Karen being on the menopause and had a heightened libido. He tricked her into thinking I was having an affair, after making me spend three nights a week away at work and to be so tired on a Friday to be pretty useless. He drugged Karen and took compromising photographs and then blackmailed her. He took the photographs at that driving simulator convention. The one that you couldn't go to because you were ill."
Most of the fight seemed to go out of Sheila, so I took the opportunity to sit down and placed Darren's letter and a memory stick and my pen recorder on the desk in front of her. Karen sat down as well.
"Sheila it is because you are a friend, we didn't know what to do. Do we tell you the truth and ruin your marriage, or do we hide it so you don't find out? You seem happy in your marriage. I got Darren to write down exactly what he had done to Karen to get her to cheat on me. He signed that. Karen and I then explain our reasons why we did not tell you. Karen wanted to tell you, I didn't. I know what the pain is like and I didn't want to put you through that. We didn't know he'd done it before, we thought this was a one off. I threatened Darren that if he cheated on you again, I would tell you about it, here are the audio and video recordings of that meeting you saw on YouTube."
"I suppose it was you who got him to go back to instructing?"
"Yes, I wanted to spend some time at home to give us time to sort out our marriage. Now I have the whole story, I have forgiven Karen, mostly."
Karen gave me a dirty look, pretty upset about the "mostly" comment.
Sheila said. "You two had better get out, I have got some thinking to do."
We left. Karen left it for about half an hour and then took coffee into Sheila, she knocked gently on the door, when she got no answer, she quietly opened it and looked into Sheila's office. She quickly disappeared inside. Some nasty thoughts crashed into my head, I rushed to the office to see Karen hugging Sheila who was crying her eyes out. Karen waved me across, and we had a three way hug. After two or three minutes Sheila seemed to give herself a shake. Pushed us away and said. "Thanks, I needed that."
Looking at us both she said. "I've just finished reading and listening to what you left me. I need to think even more now. So, fuck off out again." I gave her hand a little squeeze and said, "We are really sorry Sheila." Then we left. Just as we reached the door Sheila said, "Thanks for the coffee, Karen, I appreciate it, I might need another one in twenty minutes." That sounded like forgiveness, or at least an olive branch for what she'd done.
The office was very quiet for the rest of the day. Suddenly Darren burst through the door and headed to my desk, at speed. I could see what was going to happen. I stood up with both hands up and said. "I didn't tell her, blame Mr Influencer and YouTube."
He veered away and went straight to Sheila's office, he didn't knock but went straight in closing the door behind him, if possible, the office got quieter. Ten seconds later there was a slap so loud it was like a sonic boom. Those walls are very thin.
"You're a cheating, lying bastard. With one of our staff, our friends, you humiliated me. You're fired." You couldn't miss Sheila's tone.
"You can't fire me for that."
"No, I am firing you for misappropriating company funds,"
"But I love you. It was just a bit of fun. It didn't mean anything."
Sheila got even louder. "What, you risk our marriage and your job for a 'bit of fun' and our friend's marriage as well. You do realise Karen can hear you."
There was another slap, nearly as loud as the first one. "And that is for Karen, because she is too nice a person to do it to you." She obviously hadn't picked up that Karen had done just that, probably not as hard though.
The shouting stopped but there was obviously a lot of talking going on and it seemed one way.
If she had just fired Darren then we were down three instructors, that was not going to be fun.
About half an hour later Sheila left the office followed by Darren, she pointed to Cyril's old desk and said to Darren. "Sit there and shut up." She looked around the room. "Okay you lot, you know what has happened, there are going to be some changes. Firstly, Darren has been fired, but we can't afford to be down so many instructors, so I have rehired him as a basic wage instructor. If he doesn't like it, he can leave. But he knows if he leaves the company, he will be leaving the marital home. John is going to take over all of Darren's duties excluding his directorship, and that may change later. I am not sure if this is the right decision, but it will have to do for now.
"Karen, everyday Darren is going to bring you the SD card from his tracker and dash cam. I will be grateful if you would carry out random checks to ensure he is where he is supposed to be. If you have any doubts that he isn't, you are to tell me immediately. And can you please cancel all the contracts with the hotels he will be coming home daily. John, you know the area, work out a schedule so he doesn't get too tired. Karen, you won't need to check his expenses; I have removed them. He will have to pay for everything out of his own pocket until he has made good what he stole from the company. He will give you all of his receipts, will you keep track of his spending please?"
It was now Darren who looked down in the dumps, totally humiliated and under the thumb of his wife. I gathered that divorce was still on the cards. As much as I wanted to take physical revenge, I also didn't want to be down another instructor and risk losing the contract with the Army. I am a patient man.
I wasn't travelling so much now. Karen wanted to make it up to me for what she had done. I did not object. But now we have time for the excitement she wanted. I gave her excitement as the office stationery store may be able to attest to.
At times we may have gone a bit far. We were asked to leave a department store in town. Who would have thought they would have CCTV in the changing rooms, that's an invasion of privacy.
A loud authoritative voice saying. "Please open the door, we know what you are doing in there." I mentioned this to the security guard as we left. "We don't, can we just say that your wife is not very quiet." As he held the shop front door open for us, he whispered to me "Nice one mate."
Whilst that voice may have deflated my working parts and dented my libido, it did the opposite for Karen's. We headed to the nearest park and managed to find a secluded spot to finish off. We found a copse where we could not be seen. I was not going to get done for indecent exposure, so I spun her around, faced her away from me.
When she recovered and her legs could take her weight, she looked at me and said. "We need to get you home, as I have work to do." With these words she stroked my fly.
We went home. To a very happy home.
