How's That Working Out For You?

Copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved

Author's note: As usual, if you're looking for either a lot of sex or aggressive revenge you likely won't enjoy this one and I would encourage you to move on.

Constructive comments or criticism is greatly appreciated as they can help me grow.

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They say everything works out for the best, and I guess that's the case for me as well, but it SURE sucked getting to this point!

My name is Brice Edwards. I feel like I'm a pretty normal guy in many ways. I'm 5'6", and weigh 155. I have dark brown hair and blue eyes. I'm one of those guys who tend to watch others at parties rather than being the center of attention. I guess I just always feel like I don't know whom to talk to or what to say to be entertaining.

I was in the Army at the time that I met Julie. I had a rare weekend pass on one of my last couple of weekends in my time at the Ft. Benning Summer Resort for Boys. Ok...that's my own name for it. The actual nickname was Benning School for Boys....that's Officer Candidate School, or OCS for those that don't happen to recognize the nicknames. In case you're still hanging out there, picture An Officer and a Gentleman. OCS was the Army's version. However, I digress.

A couple of buddies and I had decided to get away from Columbus for the weekend and visit the sights and sounds of the big city, so we made the drive to Atlanta. Of course, where would 3 red-blooded soon-to-be lieutenants go in Atlanta, but Buckhead? It took us a while to find it since none of us knew the town, but finally we did and immediately started to enjoy the local sights and sounds.

We went to the ESPN Zone first and had a couple of beers and competed with one another in the various sports arcade games for an hour or so and had a great time. It was a little hard to focus since we were constantly pointing out one girl or the other to each other, but hey...that's why we were here, right? We didn't really expect to have a chance with any of the girls with our heads being shaved, anyway.

As luck would have it, we did run into a couple of VERY attractive ladies...literally...on the sidewalk just a minute after leaving the ESPN Zone. My buddy, Robert, and I were having a friendly argument over the last round of the quarterback game (or whatever they call it) and found ourselves in a collision with a couple of the most breathtaking ladies we'd seen all evening. Robert wasn't as studly as me but at 6'3" he didn't have to be.

Apparently they had been paying more attention to their discussion than to the sidewalk as well. Janice was about 5'4" and weighed what I would guess to be about 120. She had platinum blonde hair and blue eyes and a pretty smile. Julie had dark auburn hair. She was probably about 5'6" and weighed about 130 or so. She had green eyes that immediately captivated me and fantastic legs. God, I love summer!

Robert and I opted to insult them for not paying attention to where they were going as our approach. It was a risky move, but again, luck was on our side, since they both laughed and gave it right back to us. We stood on the sidewalk and talked and laughed for about 45 minutes before someone finally suggested that we find a place to sit down and have a beer.

It turns out that both Janice and Julie cut hair at one of local Sports Clips franchises, so they noticed our buzz cuts and that started us on the great times to be had in the US Army and, in OCS in particular. They teased us about our need to let them cut it next time so it wouldn't get ruined and force us into cutting it all off.

To make a long story a little bit shorter, Robert and Janice continued to see one another when they could as did Julie and I. Julie was everything....or at least realistically everything I could have ever wanted in a girlfriend. She was gorgeous, smart, attentive, and fun. She seemed to enjoy sex, though she was a little reserved about what she liked to do.

Oh, well...there are more important things in life, right? And I wasn't being denied. She didn't seem to have a problem with the time we had to spend in the field and always seemed glad to see me when we got back in.

After OCS, I stayed at Ft. Benning for Infantry Officer's Basic Course or IOBC as we called it, and spent even more time in the field along with a lot of very painful time in Building 4. Building Snore (did I say that?) was the building in which all the classroom instruction took place and it was VERY hard to stay awake as very dry instructors of the Captain and Sergeant First Class ilk droned on incessantly. However...I digress...again.

As IOBC started to wind down, Julie and I obviously had to make a decision about our relationship. I had grown to love her and I thought she probably felt the same way, though we had never exchanged that sentiment. I decided to take her someplace nice for dinner over the weekend and tell her how I felt and try to see if we had a future together.

We went to dinner at Nick's Fish Market in Atlanta (and yes...making that drive from Columbus constantly was beating me down). The food was fantastic and the service was impeccable. We ordered dessert and I finally got up the nerve to ask Julie about how she felt.

"Julie, we've been seeing one another for a few months now, and it has been great.

"As you know, I'm going to be transferred soon to Ft. Riley Kansas, so I guess I'd like to find out where we stand with one another. I have grown to love you and would love it if you would consider going with me. I know the middle-of-nowhere-Kansas can't really compete with Atlanta, but I'm hoping if you feel the same for me...or if you could get there, the location won't matter as much."

"Oh, Brice! Yes, yes, yes, I love you!

"As for going with you to Ft. Riley, I'd like nothing better...and maybe you've already implied as much and I just don't want to make too many assumptions. But...do you see us as eventually getting married? I don't want to put any pressure on you or anything, but I really need to know if you feel like we could be headed there before I uproot my while life to move with you."

Of course that was reasonable. Julie had grown up in Atlanta. All her friends and family were here. When I professed my love, I was by default saying that I assumed we'd get married sooner or later if she felt the same way. I guess not everyone thinks that way, though.

"Of course, honey! I'm so sorry not to have clarified that better. I have never told any woman before that I loved them. I certainly assume that we're headed for marriage if you feel the same way."

"Then, it's settled. This is SO exciting! I can't wait to tell Janice!"

Needless to say, we had a great night of sex that night. Julie almost let me cum in her mouth, which would have been a first. Oh, well. As I said before, it's silly to think you can have everything, right?

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A couple of months later, we had moved to Manhattan, KS and I was hip-deep involved in the training cycle since our battalion was going to deploy to the National Training Center (NTC) for our biggest and most important combat exercises and evaluation soon. Julie had no problem, of course, finding a job since you can find a Sports Clips, Great Clips, or something similar hiring almost anywhere. We found a nice apartment and Julie did a great job of making it into a home for us with very little help from me.

I got along great with Captain Reynolds, my Company Commander, and even more importantly, with my Platoon Sergeant, Sergeant First Class Harrison. Sargeant Harrison's deeply tanned lined facial features sitting on 5'11' of muscle and gnarly manner demanded respect. For those that may not know, the more experienced non-commissioned officers pride themselves on being the "backbone of the Army".

Not only are they responsible for leading soldiers in fire teams and squads, but the more senior NCOs are responsible for helping the officers lead platoons, companies, and above as well as training young new officers. Bad NCOs can make your life miserable. Good ones are worth their weight in gold. As I have already inferred, I had a good one as my 2nd in charge and my mentor.

The only real challenge I had in acclimating was with the company supply sergeant. SGT Jacobs was a huge guy at 6'4" and a weight that was proportionate. He was always in the gym and had the arms, back, and chest to show it. He was all about his upper body, though. He did nothing to develop his legs and he never did any cardiovascular work.

He was also one of those guys that always seem to have a profile so he couldn't run for PT. When someone in the Army is sick or hurt...or if they want to get out of something, they are required to show up for morning formation like everyone else, but then are allowed to go to sick call. At sick call, they wait for their chance to see the battalion PA and be treated. There are those, unfortunately, who will work the system to avoid having to run or do other kinds of training they don't like.

SGT Jacobs only like to exert himself to build his upper body, so he was often busy running profiles, which allowed him not to participate in any training involving running. He also often found a way to stay out of the field training exercises. I guess I didn't hide my opinion of SGT Jacobs very well, and, as a result, he made life tough on me whenever he could, which, because he held the role of supply sergeant, was often.

Whenever we needed almost anything, we had to work with him to get it. If nothing else, SGT Jacobs would always refer to me as L.T. That was how enlisted soldiers, and particularly, NCOs with little respect for officers and/or military courtesy would address Lieutenants in order to avoid calling them "sir" or at least "Lieutenant". There were some, in fairness, who used that terminology and didn't mean it as discourteous, but SGT Jacobs wasn't among that group.

Julie and I had been at Ft. Riley about 2 months when I decided that it was obvious we would and should get married. It was easy, since we had pretty much decided before moving here. I did try to make the official proposal as romantic as possible by taking her to the lake for a picnic one weekend afternoon in the fall. It was a great day and we made love right there on the picnic blanket and Julie even let me cum in her mouth, though she spit it out immediately thereafter.

It didn't take much to plan a wedding for a couple of reasons. Our training calendar wouldn't allow us to get married in Atlanta any time soon. Julie wanted to get married as quickly as possible, which pleased me. Obviously some of the other lieutenants in my battalion along with SFC Reynolds comprised my wedding party and there was no need for tuxes since we all wore our blues. Julie had Janice come from Atlanta to be her maid of honor, but some of the friends she had made at work and the family support groups served as her wedding party.

We got married in late October on a beautiful fall Saturday and spent a wonderful and relaxing weekend in Crown Center in downtown Kansas City, which was a couple of hour's drive away. I had to be back for the company lanes training exercise on Monday morning, so it was a short honeymoon with promises to one another to take a real one after our battalion's NTC rotation in February.

Married life wasn't a lot different since we had already been living together. I have always been pretty laid back in relationships and was no different in my marriage. Most things just aren't that big a deal to me and I was happy to let Julie make decisions on decorating, social calendar, etc. She seemed to enjoy doing it, so things were great.

Our sex life predictably picked up to a frenzy for a few weeks, but then started to drop off to something less than it had been prior to getting married. Additionally, Julie really didn't initiate anymore, which was a change because she used to initiate about 1/3 of the time. Thinking back, that was about the time that Julie started to treat me in a subtly different manner. I was, and always had been, fine with her taking the initiative on many things in our relationship, but she started to treat me with what I can only describe as a lack of respect. Those couple of nuances were lost on me at the time because I was working so hard to make a good impression on the LTC (Lieutenant Colonel Ryan was the battalion commander as well as my senior rater, so his opinion of my work would significantly impact my career).

It was during our Table VIII gunnery qualifications in early January that I found out for sure what should have been obvious to me for at least the last month or so. We ran out of kerosene for the heating stoves in the tent we used for our company CP (Command Post). I'll give you 3 guesses who should have made sure we had plenty of kerosene, but then you wouldn't need them would you? Of course, the stellar NCO in question wasn't in the field with us. He was on profile, and therefore was in the rear detachment group.

CPT Reynolds asked me to go to the rear and get some kerosene. This was kind of a mixed bag because I could stop in at my platoon CP in the rear and give Julie a quick call to tell her I loved her, but it was also a gopher assignment, so that part really sucked. In fairness, my platoon had just fired, so I was the logical choice to go and the CPT certainly did not intend it as an indictment of my value to the unit in the field.

It took about 30 minutes to get to the rear and another 10 for my driver, PFC Johnson, and I to find the kerosene, but it was locked up in the company supply area. It should have been, so that was no big deal. I told Johnson to go and find SGT Jacobs, who should have been in the company area, but was not and I went to my platoon CP in the barracks building next door.

I heard voices coming from my CP when I got almost to the door. There shouldn't have been anyone in there, so I quietly walked up close to the door and heard the voices of both SGT Jacobs and my ever adoring wife, Julie. Julie had never been so vocal when she and I made love, but then I guess they weren't making love. They were fucking.

You have no doubt already guessed this was going to happen by virtue of the fact that you're reading a story found in the loving wives section, but I was very surprised at the time. I listened long enough to hear some of what they were saying. It was the definition of cliché. Both SGT Jacobs and Julie were belittling me and both were singing the praises of his massive cock. (Mine was average, by the way.) In the 10 minutes I stood there and listened, I found out that SCT Jacobs was the recipient of things that had always been denied me....a blow job to completion with her swallowing his cum and then anal, which I had always been told was of no interest to her.

I was hurt, of course, but more than that, I was embarrassed and I was furious. I made a couple of very quick decisions after that few minutes. First and probably needless to say, my short-tenured marriage was over. Second, I wasn't going to allow that to adversely impact my career...at least not based on a decision made in haste or when I was this angry.

They couldn't be in there much longer and I definitely wanted to wait to let them both know they had been found out in my own time and way. I went back downstairs and found Johnson waiting for me by the Hummer. He told me that he hadn't found SGT Jacobs. I decided to have a little fun at that point. I told Johnson that I needed a field manual from my desk and gave him the key to the platoon CP. I told him I'd go look in the battalion area for SGT Jacobs. He was back in about 10 minutes with a very nervous looking SGT Jacobs.

"Sir, SGT Jacobs was in our CP. He said that he thought he might find some acetate there."

In the Army acetate is often used as overlays on maps.

"Did you find what you needed, Sergeant?"

"No, Sir. I'll see if 3rd platoon has any in their CP. The Sergeant Major asked me if we had any."

Interesting. He had never called me "Sir" before. It was always "L.T." unless the commander happened to be around, then it was "Lieutenant".

"Well before you do that, help Johnson get some kerosene loaded up in the Hummer. Let's make it enough to last the rest of the week this time, ok?"

"Yes, sir."

Twice in 5 minutes? Hmmmmmm.

10 minutes later, Johnson and I were on our way back to the Multi-Purpose Range Complex (MPRC). Johnson never mentioned my wife having been in the CP or even having seen her. I wondered if she happened to get out, hide, or if I was the only one that didn't know about this?

I thought about what do to the rest of the week. I hope I did well with my work responsibilities. If anyone thought otherwise, they didn't comment. I came to a couple of conclusions. I would ask for a transfer out of the battalion. I thought the battalion and brigade commanders would probably approve it under the circumstances.

Military wives cheat on occasion, of course, but not usually with someone from within the unit and very seldom with someone of lower rank. I would divorce Julie, of course. I didn't want to miss the NTC rotation coming up, though.

I talked to all those I needed to when we got back from gunnery, obviously using the proper chain of command. I was gratified that they were more than willing to do what I asked. Simply put, to transfer me to another battalion, but not until after NTC and not to say anything to anyone until the time was right. For all I know, SGT Jacobs and Julie continued to see one another and fuck one another every chance they got.

I was somewhat surprised and very pleased that after the initial shock; I continued to feel anger to some extent, but very little hurt. If she would betray me that way, she really didn't matter to me at all. It was interesting how her demeanor continued to change at home.

She treated me almost with disdain and we obviously didn't have sex anymore. I don't know what I'd do if she asked for it. I certainly wouldn't have it, but I didn't have to worry about that because she was clearly not interested which was fine with me.

Our NTC rotation was very successful. The OPFOR (opposing force) kicked our butts in every fight as they always do, but we learned a lot and the OCs (evaluators) told us that we performed much better than almost any other battalion. I was awarded a coin by the OCs as a result of the performance of my platoon in a particular mission and I was very gratified because no other lieutenant got one.

My platoon celebrated in a very robust manner when I told them about it. Of course, even though it was awarded to me, it was really a group effort and I told them so. I got CPT Reynolds to let us take a couple of hours off from vehicle recovery and we walked to the bowling center and had a great time drinking beers and bowling even if we were in our BDUs.

I won't lie. I was kind of fun to have the MPs serve Julie with divorce papers when I got back and to see SGT Jacobs served with a field grade Article 15, which effectively started his career in a slow death track.

Julie was, for some reason, very surprised and mad. She denied her affair initially, but when I pointed out to her that it was not going to do her any good to be upset about it or lie about it, she softened considerably. I explained, first, that it wasn't going to make a difference and that she was apparently fuming simply because she was mad and embarrassed at having been caught. I was past the initial hurt and my anger had subsided at least a little bit by this time. I was apathetic about her thoughts and feelings on the matter.

Second, I reminded her that SGT Jacobs was single and a divorce for her meant that she could be with him. I had a feeling that she wouldn't be as excited by that prospect in the long term as she would be in the short term. Anyone that would approach his career in the manner that SGT Jacobs did was highly suspect relationship material in my opinion. Obviously, the same is true of any soldier who would fuck another soldier's wife. But as I previously indicated, I didn't really care. It was interesting, that she seemed to take my comments to heart and show only what I assume she considered to be the minimum acceptable level of contrition while seeming to make plans for her new future at the same time.