Fifty Pound Friend

Another 'loving wives' story with little actual live sex.
No errant wives were actually physically harmed in the making of this story.
Be warned ---- It has a happy ending -------- for some.
I enjoyed writing it, and hope you enjoy reading it.

Pray continue!

++++++++++

If I'd have known how it was all going to turn out, then maybe I wouldn't have got so upset.

Then again, being a normal sort of guy, with normal reactions, I damn well think I would have done anyway!

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

"Hi Neil," I called to the guy sat at the bar. "Don't see you in here very often."

"Oh Hi there Rich," he replied somewhat sullenly. "I don't go to pubs all that often, but tonight's an exception."

He didn't look too happy, but then, it really wasn't much of a pub. So! What should I to say. He didn't look happy at all.

"What's up mate?" I asked him carefully. Neil wasn't actually a good mate of mine or anything, and in fact except for the odd party etc. I hardly saw him at all. His wife Judy and my wife Corrine were however as thick as thieves, so I knew, or at least thought I knew, quite a lot about what went on in their lives.

"It's alright Rich," he carried on miserably, hardly looking me in the eye. "I'm not blaming you for anything. It's not really your fault."

Eh?

What?

My fault? I had no idea what he was on about.

"What's not my fault Neil?" I asked tentatively, not wishing to upset him further.

But instead of answering me he just sat there, rested his chin on the tightly held fists in front of him, and let out a long drawn out sigh.

"Come on mate. What's up?"

I was genuinely concerned about Neil who was normally the life and soul of any party, but also curious as to my involvement in his grief.

"It's Judy of course," Neil told me. "Her and that bloody wife of yours'."

That took me back.

Corrine and I had been married for just over ten years, at that time, me being just the wrong side of forty and her, just the other. We were, it seemed to me, so suitably matched that we almost knew one another's thoughts. I can't say as I was too happy about some guy I hardly knew talk about my wife like that.

"What the hell do you mean by making a remark like that," I said firmly, but keeping my temper in check.

"Oh come on Rich," he scowled at me. "Don't play the innocent with me. You know damn well what's being going on."

Something was going on???

What the hell was going on?

What was he on about?

"I don't know what you're talking about Neil," I told him, deliberately keeping my voice steady, realising quite how upset he was.

"Oh no Rich," he just about spat at me. "And I don't suppose you know anything about the Golden Flower either."

I just shook my head in denial. Never heard of the bloody place. Sounded like a Chinese restaurant or something.

I hoped he'd go on, but to no avow, and slamming the remains of his pint down on the bar, he stood up, glowered at me, and stormed out of the pub without another word, leaving me standing there, my insides churning.

"What was all that about then Rich?" asked Fred the landlord, walking over towards me.

"Buggered if I know Fred," I replied. "You'd better give me a pint of best. I've obviously got some thinking to do."

I sat there nursing my pint, wondering what it could all mean, and the one thing that kept coming to mind, was surely the least acceptable.

But what were Judy and my wife up to that would upset Neil so much, and why the hell would he think that I knew all about it?

And for Lord's sake, what did a Chinese restaurant have to do with it.

No idea --- forget about it for the moment.

I'd ask Judy herself when I saw her later.

But I had a sinking feeling that it wasn't going to be that easy.

"Ever heard of a Chinese called the Golden Flower?" I questioned Fred, but he couldn't help me, and had no more idea than I did.

It was a very puzzled man that walked home that evening, wondering what on earth I was going to say to Corrine, with no idea where this bloody Chinese restaurant was, and wondering whether I'd get a truthful answer anyway.

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

"Hi Honey. Have a good day at work?"

Nothing odd there was there? I guess I'd half expected to get home and find her in tears or something.

"So, so," I replied. "Stopped off for a pint at the Red Lion."

"Good," she went on smiling at me. "You work hard enough and deserve a pint now and then."

"Neil was in there," I mentioned as if it was just a passing comment, and I wasn't sure if I noticed her stiffen just a little.

"He seemed a bit upset about something," I carried on, and this time I couldn't help but notice her face lose it's smile for a moment.

"What about that order you were chasing Rich," Corrine asked, all too obviously trying to change the subject.

"Any idea why he'd be so upset?" I asked, dragging the subject back.

"No," Corrine replied looking away from me. "You were telling me about the order."

"No I wasn't," I countered. "We were talking about Neil."

Corrine looked at me unhappily, told me that she had no idea why Neil would be unhappy, turned, and disappeared upstairs without another word.

Bugger it!

What about my dinner?

I guess that wasn't the most important thing on my mind at that moment.

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

I chickened out!

I knew it --- she knew it ----- and we didn't talk about it.

I tried to pretend that nothing was wrong, and Corrine tried to pretend that everything was normal.

What a mess!

What a bloody awful week that was.

I was in denial, and Corrine.....? Well I don't know.

I didn't know then, and I don't really know now.

I'm not sure why, but I looked up all the Chinese restaurants for miles around and couldn't find a single one with a name anything like the Golden Flower.

I copped out of asking her, and I admit it.

You may think different, but when the woman you love and adore seems to be hiding something from you, then all you want to do is hide yourself.

Believe me --- That's the way it is, if you love her enough.

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

"That Chinese place you were trying to find the other day Rich," Fred, the pub landlord asked me as I sat forlornly at his bar one evening a week or so later. "Did you ever find it?"

"No Fred," I answered him. "Looked through the yellow pages and all, but there's nothing like it in the area."

"Did you look in clubs and lounge bars?" he asked.

I hadn't of course.

"There's a place with that name in the centre of town," he informed me. "A bit classy maybe for the likes of you and me Rich," he joked. But apparently it is the place to be seen in by some."

Well that sparked my interest as you can probably imagine. I had to know where it was.

An hour later I found myself parked outside the place, all obscured lighting and subdued ambiance.

Oh well!

I half expected that I'd be refused entry, but they let me in no problem, even though I was hardly dressed for a night of wining and dining.

But it was early!

I found myself in what was apparently a 'bar lounge'!

What was that? Well I hardly knew myself to be honest. But looking round I discovered that it was a fairly upscale club sort of place, with a bar, a small dance floor, some private booths and all. Just the sort of place that one might want to go to pick up women.

Except there weren't any!

"Bit early for the ladies," my apparently personal barman enlightened me. "They don't normally get in till after ten O'clock or so."

"I can wait," I let him know.

"Be worth your while," he expanded.

I took a sip of my drink, and wondered what to say next. The decision wasn't too difficult.

"Does a woman called Corrine Walters still get in here?" I asked, as casually as I was able.

"There's a couple of Corrine's," he replied. "What does she look like?"

"Blonde," I responded, trying to remain calm, even though my heart was pounding away like crazy. "About five foot four, nice legs, medium build, quite decent sized boobs."

"Comes in with a redhead?" He queried.

"Probably," I replied, shocked that I had hit pay dirt so quickly. Judy was indeed a redhead, and they weren't that common.

I nodded my head in agreement. Even though I was boiling over, I was still trying to play it cool.

"Yer," he carried on. "Comes in most Wednesday nights and sometimes during the week after work I suppose."

"And what does she do when she's here," I asked.

Damn it!

To specific!

Too direct!

Too damn involved!

"She a friend of yours or what?" the barman asked, backing off somewhat.

"Just a friend," I confirmed, but I'd spooked him, and he wandered off to the other end of the bar.

Damn it!

It was a good ten minutes before he came back my way, and what a surprise, he wasn't quite so friendly.

"Another beer please," I ordered, and passed over a ten pound note. "Keep the change."

To say his eyes lit up would be an exaggeration, but without doubt I had his undivided attention.

"This Corrine," I questioned him. "Just what does she get up to? What do her and her friend do when they are here?"

We eyeballed one another for what seemed like an eternity, and eventually it was him that broke down.

"Is she your girl friend or something mate," he asked. "What's the interest?"

"My wife as it happens," I decided to tell him honestly. "And I want to know what she gets up to on her night out with her friend."

He backed off yet again, but a fifty put on the bar, even though I kept my hand firmly on it, opened him up again.

"She comes in with the redhead as I told you, and they dance a bit, chat a bit," he informed me. "The normal sort of thing?"

"The normal sort of things married women do in a place like this?" I pushed him.

"A lot of them are married," he conceded. "They flirt just as much as the single girls, and sometimes even more."

"What about the two we are talking about?"

"I would say ....." he said, hesitating before he went on. "I would say that they're not much different from the others."

"So they flirt with the guys here do they?"

"I guess you could call it flirting," he admitted, his eyes falling to the fifty quid note still under my hand.

"And how far does this flirting go then?"

At this, he simply shrugged his shoulders and gave me a blank stare.

I slid the note a little further up the bar, but kept my hand firmly upon it. I didn't need to say anything else to encourage him.

"There's a lot of messing about goes on," he relented. "You know ---- touchy feely stuff. It happens all the time in a place like this."

"So what does that mean," I pressed him, my insides knotting up. "They feel up her ass?"

He shrugged his shoulders and I assumed that meant yes.

"How about her tits?"

"Wouldn't be surprised," the barman agreed. "They get up to all sorts once they've had a few drinks and get out on the dance floor."

"What else?"

That was the question, wasn't it, and he remained silent, again eyeing up the fifty that I still kept imprisoned under my hand.

Sliding it over to him, I released it.

"Well?" It was the ultimate question.

"Some of the girls go outside with the men," he admitted. "I'm not saying those two do mind you, but I don't exactly keep tabs on what all my customers get up to. I've never seen them actually leave with any guys, but as I said ........."

He left the rest unsaid, for me to read as I would.

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

I pressed the barman further but he wouldn't tell me more, and to be honest the information I already had made a further investment a waste of time.

I went home.

Was it still home?

Yes, but not like it had been before, and not like it would ever be again quite likely.

"Hi honey," Corrine greeted me as I walked in the door. "You're late. You been working overtime?"

"No," I answered her as casually as I could. "Popped in at the pub, and had a pint more than normal."

"That's OK darling," she told me, smiling and walking over towards me; holding out her arms to me to give her a welcoming cuddle.

Was this all a coincidence, or had her sudden mood change have anything to do with my movements that night? I couldn't believe that the barman had rung her to warn her. Then again, I still couldn't believe that it was my wife that he'd been talking about. None the less, I took her in my arms and wondered not for the first time, at just how wonderful her firm breasts felt crushed against my chest.

Then I remembered that there were apparently plenty of other men who had enjoyed that feeling recently, and the magic of the moment was snuffed out.

I wasn't ready to have it out with her yet, thinking that I needed a little bit more evidence. After all, he hadn't actually told me that she'd gone off on her own with other men, but then he hadn't exactly said that she hadn't.

Still --- didn't mean I couldn't rock her boat a little did it,

"Find out anything about why Neil was upset the other night Corrine?" I asked, still holding onto her so she couldn't escape.

"No idea at all," she came back, almost too quickly, as if she had been planning her response. "Why should I know?"

"Well Judy's your friend," I reminded her. "You go out for a drink with her every Wednesday. I thought she might have mentioned something."

Corrine made an effort to pull away from me, but I held on tightly, not letting her get away, and not letting her avoid my questioning.

"She hasn't said anything to me," Corrine replied shortly.

"Judy hasn't been messing around behind Neil's back or anything has she?"

That was upping the ante somewhat.

"How would I know?" Corrine shot back, trying to wriggle out of my clutches.

"Well you go out with her on Wednesday nights and you never get home till late. I just thought that you might have noticed her messing around with some guy or other."

"Of course I haven't Rich," she blurted out. "Why are you asking me questions like this?"

"So you're sure that Judy isn't fucking about behind Neil's back on Wednesday nights then," I pressurised her even further. "You're sure about that?"

"Get off me," Corrine cried out, at last managing to push me away. "Stop treating me like this. I haven't done anything wrong."

"I didn't accuse you of doing anything wrong Corrine," I pointed out to her. "We were talking about Judy not you. Why would I think you have done something wrong?"

The look on her face spoke a thousand words, and with her eyes misting up, she turned and fled into the kitchen.

Damn it!

It was true!

Trouble was, I still wasn't sure what was true.

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

Dinner that night was quiet as one could imagine. I didn't accuse her of anything and she volunteered nothing, and for the next few days we continued our unhappy existence as before.

Wednesday night arrived and as usual, she got ready and went out with Judy.

She wasn't dressed any different than normal. A pretty dress that wasn't too short and didn't show off too much, and a pair of unexceptional high heels.

She looked nice.

Very nice indeed --- Just how a husband might like his wife to be dressed when going out without him.

"See you later Rich," she called to me. "I won't be too late tonight."

I just nodded, and went back to reading my book, wondering what time 'not late' might be. She normally didn't get back in till well-gone midnight, by which time I was normally in bed.

I determined to stay up late that night to see what time she really got in, and for that matter what state she would be in when she got home.

OK, so Corrine caught me out.

About ten-thirty I heard the front door opening, and in breezed my lovely wife, looking as fresh as a daisy.

"Hi honey," she called to me. "I missed you, so I came home early."

I stood and took her in my arms, and told her that I'd missed her for the last few weeks. That I'd missed the way we had always been together, and how close we'd been, and that it hadn't seemed the same for several months.

Corrine cried in my arms and said she was sorry for neglecting me, promising that everything would be different from then on.

That night we made wonderful love together. It was the first time for some little time.

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

So!

Where did that leave us?

I was pretty sure that over a period of several months my wife had been messing around behind my back. I was by no means sure that she had actually gone very far with any other men, and to be honest I thought that she probably hadn't. I didn't know for sure, but that was what I thought. But there was no doubt that she had been acting like a single girl; flirting necking and probably letting other men feel her up. Touching her tits and probably letting them get their hands inside her tops, and for all I knew even inside her knickers, though that was less likely.

Now don't get me wrong here.

I'm not saying I was happy about this at all, and in fact deep down inside I was fuming.

But she'd had a close shave and she knew it.

I really didn't want to end our otherwise wonderful marriage if I didn't have to, so maybe I could turn a blind eye to what she had done, as long as it was over.

And it did seem to be over!

For the next five or six weeks our marriage went back to being like it had in the early stages. Little smiles, little touches, and lots and lots of loving. The two girls still had their night out together just as before, but they were always in before eleven.

So ---- Story over you might think. Not a perfect story maybe, but with a bit of effort on my side especially, one with a happy ending.

Of course not ----- I really should have known better.

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

Around the seventh week of our idyllic marriage recovery, Corrine kissed me as she went out to meet Judy for their night out.

"Hope you don't mind honey," she smiled at me. "We might be a little later than normal. It's one of the other girl's birthday."

"That's OK," I confirmed smiling back at her. "Have a good time."

I watched as she walked jauntily out of the room, dressed in a simple skirt that stopped just above her knees, and knitted top that covered her up, but without hiding the lovely shape of her ample breasts.

She looked nice, and I couldn't help grinning.

Then I thought about it.

She'd never mentioned any other girlfriends before.

But that wasn't mysterious ---- Or was it?

Why did I feel that churning in my stomach again, the like of which I hadn't felt for some weeks.

I don't know why, but I found myself picking up the phone and ringing Judy and Neil's home number. I hadn't spoken to him since that night in the pub all those weeks ago, and I wasn't sure what reception I'd get.

"Hi Neil, it's Rich," I greeted him. "Corrine's husband."

"Oh --- hello Rich," he replied, not seeming unusual or anything. "What can I do for you?"

"Just wondering if Judy's left yet," I asked, not sure what else to say, and wishing I'd thought it all out a bit more before calling him.

"Yes she's left," he replied. "She's meeting Corrine at the restaurant. Is it anything important?"

"No nothing important," I told him. "Everything OK with you and Judy now?"

That was a bit pointed, but he sighed and told me that they'd worked it all out, even apologising for being so short with me that evening, and I told him that it didn't matter.

I put the phone down.

Damn!

Damn and blast it!

Meeting at the restaurant were they?

Then why had Corrine just had an early dinner, and told me not twenty minutes ago that they were meeting at the George and Dragon pub?

Could be a mistake.

Could all be perfectly innocent.

I thought maybe not!

I considered it for a while, and decided that nothing would be wasted if I did a little investigating, so I popped upstairs, had a quick shower, and changed into some casual clothes more suitable for a night on the town.