Vickie

+++++++++++++++

Two days later when I got home from work there were three guys leaning on a pickup in front of my place. One was bandaged and I was betting he was the driver of the red Dodge and that he had brought a couple of friends.

I could have just driven away, but that would have just postponed things and truth be told I was curious as to why the shithead had been riding my ass. But I wasn't stupid. Three of them, even thought one was hurt, was still heavy odds. I kept a sawed off ball bat under the seat of my truck so I pulled it out and slid it under my belt and under my windbreaker.

I got out of the truck and walked toward my front door and the three of them moved to block my path. I stopped and the bandaged one said:

"You owe me a car motherfucker."

"Fuck you asswipe. You tailgate a bike rider and you deserve what you get"

"Oh yeah? Well I guess we will just see about that."

They moved toward me and I did what they didn't expect. When they moved toward me they expected me to back up, but instead I ran at them. I knew the bandaged guy was going to move the slowest so I went right at him and nailed him in the crotch with my knee while pulling out my bat and swinging it at the guy on my right. My surprise was total and the bat connected with his head before he could set up to defend himself and he went down like a pole-axed steer. I swung to face the third guy and saw him setting himself up. He moved into some kind of martial arts pose and said:

"What's with the bat dickhead? Afraid of a fair fight?"

"You come here three on one and you're talking fair fight?"

I moved toward him and he snapped a kick at me with his right leg. I took a step to the right and took the kick on my left side and dropped my left arm and pinned the guy's leg to my side. I took a step backwards pulling him with me and he had to hop off balance on one foot. I brought the bat down on his shoulder as hard as I could and he screamed and started to fall. I kicked him in the crotch, let the leg go and then spun to face the other two.

The one I'd smacked in the head was lying on the ground moaning and the bandaged guy was trying to get up. I raised the bat and moved toward him and he threw up an arm and said:

"No. Enough; enough already."

"Not near enough man. What the fuck is going on here. You tried to run me down the other night and now you are here tonight and I want to know what the fuck is going on."

"You're fucking my wife and you're pissed at me? I should have just taken a gun and shot your ass."

"Whoa up there. I am not fucking your wife. I don't even know who you are let alone who your wife is. I do know I'm not messing around with any married ladies. The only woman I have been with the last six months is my fiancée."

"You deny you are fucking Vickie?"

"My fiancée's name is Vickie, but I'm not fucking your wife Vickie."

"The hell you aren't. It cost me nine hundred dollars, but I've had a private detective following her. She's been with you. I've got the pictures and it damned sure is you that she is with."

I just stood there looking at him. He seemed so sure.

"Okay. Take your buddies home, get your pictures and come on back. It seems that we need to talk."

+++++++++++++++++++++

There was no doubt. It was me and it was Vickie in the pictures.

"This is your wife?"

"Yeah."

"It doesn't make sense. How does she explain being gone from you for three or four days at a time?"

"I'm not there. I drive for Murray Transport and my regular run is from here to Atlanta then to Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and then back here. I'm usually gone four days. How does she explain not seeing you for three or four days at a time?"

"She's a flight attendant and her trips are all three and four day trips."

"Bull! She's a secretary at Wayman Industries over on Oxnard."

"It still doesn't make sense. Why would she say yes and take my ring when I proposed if she is already married?"

"I don't have a clue."

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Tony swapped runs with another driver and he was sitting with me at the kitchen table when Vickie used her key and let herself in.

"Hi baby; I'm here."

"I'm in the kitchen."

Tony was sitting with his back to the doorway and he was wearing a hat and had the collar of his windbreaker turned up. There was no way Vickie could recognize him from the back. She came in through the doorway and then stopped when she saw I wasn't alone.

"We are playing gin. A hundred points is a game and he is whipping my butt. The winner gets to ask you a question."

"Ask me a question?"

Just then Tony gruffly said "Gin" and laid down his cards. "Damn!" I said, "You caught me with twenty-six. That's game so I guess you get to ask the question."

Tony turned in his seat and Vickie's face went pale when she saw who my visitor was.

"The question Victoria Marie is which one of us do you want?"

For several seconds she stood there looking like a deer caught in the on rushing headlights of a car and then she took a deep breath, set her purse down on the table and sat down on a chair.

"I want you both. I want you when you are home and I want Frank when you are gone."

"How could you do this Vickie? I thought you loved me."

"I do love you Tony."

"Then why did you do it?"

"I'm a woman who needs a lot of sex Tony and with you gone as much as you are I'm not getting it. I don't want one night stands or parking lot romances so I looked for a steady boyfriend to take care of me when you were gone."

"You plan on leaving me for him?"

"Good Lord no. Why would you think that?"

"He proposed, you said yes and took his ring."

"Not my smartest move. I should have said no, that I wasn't ready for marriage yet, but I was afraid if I said no I would lose him and he was just too perfect for me. I didn't want to start over looking for someone else."

I jumped in with, "What did you plan on doing when I started pressing for a date to tie the knot?"

"I would have come up with an excuse."

"So you never really loved me? I was just a toy to keep you occupied when Tony wasn't around?"

"Don't be silly Frank. Of course I loved you. Maybe not at the same level I love Frank, but you were not just a toy for me. I loved every minute we spent together. And it doesn't have to end. We can keep the same arrangement. It's a win/win for all of us."

"How do you figure that?" Tony asked.

"Nothing has to change. I'm with you when you are home and I'm with Frank when you aren't."

This was between them so I just sat there, listened and kept my mouth shut.

"You can cheat on me, tell me that I can't satisfy you sexually and then expect me to go along with something like that?"

"I didn't say that you don't satisfy me. What I said was that I need more than I can get from you on the three days you are home. You are a fantastic lover honey, but I can't go four days without sex. I could if it was only occasionally, but not on a regular weekly basis. And it isn't just those four days. Six times this year you have gone on extended runs and I have had to go ten and twelve days without you. I can't do it. You haven't lost a thing honey. Your house is clean and as neat as a pin when you come home. I cook your favorite meals, I treat you like a king and I give you all the loving you want. All it is honey is that I take great care of you when you are home and I take care of myself when you are gone."

"Paint it with any brush you like Victoria; the bottom line is you were cheating on me."

"But it wasn't hurting us honey."

"It wasn't when I didn't know, but now I do. How do you think it is going to affect me now that I know? How do I handle running down the road a t night all alone in the cab of my truck thinking of you back here fucking another man? There may be some men who could do it, but I'm not one of them."

He got up and started to leave the room. "Where are you going?" Vickie asked.

"To the place where I stay between trips. I can't call it home any more thanks to you."

He walked away and I heard the front door open and then close. Vickie looked at me and said, "I can't stay baby. I need to go to him. I'll reason with him and it will work out. I just know it will" and she got up and left.

After the two of them were gone I sat there and pondered the situation. Vickie hadn't included me in her conversation with Tony. She more or less assumed that I was good to go with what she wanted, but was I? At that time I honestly didn't know. I went to bed to sleep on it. When I awoke the next morning I still didn't know where things were going. I did know that it would be two days before Tony left on his run and I doubted that I would see Vickie until he was gone.

+++++++++++++++++++

I called Charlie to see if the group had a run planned and was told that they did. I showed up at Charlie's at six and found most of the group already there. Odette walked over to me and said:

"I didn't expect to see you here tonight. Thought you would be spending the evening with your squeeze."

"She had some things to do tonight."

I looked around and didn't see any empty second seats. "Who do you ride with when I don't go on the runs?"

"Nobody. I stay home. Charlie doesn't trust anybody with me but you. I don't know why. Everybody but Charlie knows I flirt like hell with you and they all expect that one of these days you will fall for my charms."

"Yeah! Right! Get on."

As if to add emphasis to her statement about flirting her tits seemed to press harder into my back and her arms did seem tighter around my waist. We motored on over to Morestown and she did another one of her 'accidental' falls when she got off my bike and made sure that she rubbed my cock.

We drank some beer, shot some pool, tossed some darts and then cranked on home. Half way home Odette put her hand on my bulge (what did you expect with those tits stabbing me in the back) and squeezed as she said:

"I want it Frank. I really, really want it."

I began to wonder just how good her relationship was with Charlie.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

I was wrong about not seeing Vickie until Tony left on his run. I dropped Odette off and the drove home to find Vickie waiting for me in the parking lot. She came up to me while I was throwing the tarp over the bike.

"Glad to see me baby?"

"Always, but I didn't expect you until Tony took off on his run."

"Tony left."

"I thought he didn't leave until the day after tomorrow."

"He didn't leave on his run. He left me. He says he's getting a divorce."

"Can you blame him after what you did to him?"

"I explained all that."

"Yes you did. You explained it from your point of view, but what on Earth made you think that he would see things your way? To him you were just being a cheating whore."

"Is that the way you see me?"

"Cheater yes; whore no."

"You think I'm a cheater?"

"Of course you are. You are married to Tony and you are fucking me. That is called cheating. Doesn't matter what kind of spin you put on it, it is still cheating."

"That your way of telling me that you don't want me either?"

"You are Tony's wife. You belong to him, not me. If I had known you were married when we met we never would have gotten anything going."

"How about when Tony divorces me?"

"I don't know Vickie; I really don't know. I loved you enough to propose and give you a ring, but you cheated on Tony so what would keep you from cheating on me?"

"Damn it Frank; I told you why I did it. If Tony had a job that kept him at home I never would have gotten together with you. It wouldn't happen to us because you don't have a travelling job. You have a stay at home job where we would always be together."

"You never did answer the question the other night."

"What question?"

"Which one of us would you chose. None of that I want you both bullshit, but who would you chose, Tony or me?"

She looked away for a second and then she looked back at me and said:

"Tony."

"Then what the hell are you doing here? Go find Tony and fight for him."

After Vickie had gone I went inside, got a beer and then went outside to sit on my small patio porch. I was bummed. I knew I'd done the right thing, but that didn't make me feel any better. God knows that when I asked her the question I wanted her to say it was me and I felt like I'd been punched in the gut when she chose Tony. All I could do was wish her well and get on with my life.

++++++++++++++++++

I was so bummed that all I did was spend my nights in my condo, drink myself stupid and watching TV. If you asked me the next morning what I had watched on the TV I couldn't have told you. I had some calls from guys wanting to know if I wanted to go on a ride, but I said no to all of them. My life at that point was pretty much go to work, come home and spend the night feeling sorry for myself.

I spent a week in a funk and then one Friday evening just after I got home from work the doorbell rang. I opened the door and found Odette standing there. Over her shoulder I saw Charlie looking up at me from his bike. He gave me a 'thumbs up' and started his bike and rode away.

"I understand that you finally found out about Tony."

"You knew?"

"Yeah, I knew."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Can I come in or do I have to stay out here on the porch?"

I stepped aside so she could come in and I led her to the living room. She sat down on the couch, looked at me and said:

"I don't like raining on anybody's parade. I knew you would find out sooner or later or at least I hoped you would."

"Why would you hope that?"

"Oh come on Frank; you can't be that dense. I've pretty much shown you why since I've been riding with you. Nothing I did was accidental Frank."

"What about Charlie?"

"Charlie is my cousin. He was my way to stay close to you until I could make my move."

"Make your move? I don't understand."

"I saw you a while back and I liked what I saw. Once I found out you rode with Charlie I asked him to help me meet you. Before it could happen you hooked up with Vickie. I got all pissed off and Charlie told me that if I was really all that hot to meet you I should stick around because you and Vickie wouldn't last."

"How would Charlie know that?"

"He recognized Vickie when she went on a run with you in your truck. He knew her from company Christmas parties and picnics and he knew she was married to Tony. He works with Tony. Well maybe mot with, but they both work for the same company."

"Why didn't he tell me?"

"Same reason I didn't. People tend to stay clear of people who bring them bad news. Tony was nothing to Charlie, just some one he knew so why screw up a friend's fun. So Frank, now you are a free man and I'm here to put in my bid before I lose you to another Vickie."

"Why? You don't even know me."

"I know you well enough Frank. The more time I spent with you the more I knew you were the kind of guy I was looking for. The more I teased you and the harder you fought me so you could stay true to Vickie went even farther to convince me you were a man I wanted to get to know better. So what do you say Frank? Want to give it a try?"

"I don't know Odette. It is pretty tempting, but I was pretty wrapped up with Vickie and I'm not adjusting well to what happened. It may take me some time to get by it."

"I can help you Frank. We can date and I can keep you company."

I looked at her for several seconds and then I said, "How did you get here? Charlie's bike isn't set up for a rider."

"I rode on the fender and held on tight. I felt every crack, every pot hole and every bump in the road."

"Then you could probably use a stiff drink about now. Let's take a ride on over to Bud's Bar."

+++++++++++++++++++++

Odette did indeed keep me company. We dated over the next three weeks and though Odette made no bones about wanting to spend intimate time in my bedroom I couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew Vickie was history, but I still half hoped that she would show up at my door and tell me that she had decided on me after all.

My half hope was put to rest one night when I came home and found Tony sitting on my front steps. I opened the door, invited him in and gave him a beer. He took a long pull on the bottle and then said:

"I've no fucking idea why I'm here to ask you for advice, but for some strange weird assed reason it seems like the thing to do."

"Advice? About what?"

"About Vickie. She won't leave me alone. I moved out, told her I'm divorcing her, but she says she will fight it. She says she isn't letting me go over shit we can work past. The problem is that even though she stabbed me in the back I can't get her out of my mind. I miss her and I want her and I think about her all the time, but the bitch cheated on me."

"You don't need my advice. You just answered the only question that I could ask you."

"What's that?"

"The only question that matters. Do you love her? You just said you miss her, think about her all the time and want her. If that doesn't fit the definition of love I don't know what does."

"But she cheated on me."

"So what? You know why she did it and it wasn't because she didn't love you. She came over here the night you left her and I asked her to give me an honest answer to the question we asked her the night the three of us sat at this table. The night she said she wanted us both. I pinned her down and told her to answer the question - you or me. I sat there praying that she would say "You Frank" but she didn't. She said her choice was you and so I told her to get the hell out of here, find you and fight for you. She loves you. If you love her you can work it out. There will be some rough times and what she did is always going to be there, but if you love her as much as she seems to love you, you can make it work."

"But the sex thing is still going to be there."

"Does your truck have a sleeper cab?"

"Yeah."

"Tell her she has to quit her job, get a commercial driver's license and then take her with you as a co-driver."

"You think that might work?"

"What have you got to lose? I'll be honest here Tony. A large part of me doesn't want it to work out for you. I loved the woman enough to propose to her and it wouldn't upset me at all if she came back to me, told me that you two couldn't work it out and would I like to give her another chance. But it won't happen and I know it because the bottom line is that she loves you more than she loves me. You are the one she wants; not me."

He finished his beer, stood and offered me his hand, said "Thanks" and got up and left. I could read him like a book. He was on his way to "His" Vickie. I knew when the door closed behind him that my 'half hope' was as dead as a door nail. In a way it was a relief to know for sure and I knew it for sure and certain the next night when I got home from work. I'd just started my dinner when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello baby. Surprised to hear from me?"

"Very."

"I understand that I have you to thank for getting me into a new line of work."

"How's that?"

"I signed up at the Action Driving Academy. In two weeks I can take my drive test for my CDL with Tanker and Hazmat endorsements."

"I hear the sleeper cabs on the newer trucks are quite comfortable."

"Thank you baby and I mean that from the bottom of my heart."

"You're welcome Vickie. Just remember to keep the rubber side down."

"Take care baby; I'll never forget you."

"The same Victoria Marie; the same."

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Surprising me greatly I was eventually able to put Vickie behind me and develop a relationship with Odette. At first it was just a 'good buddy' type relationship for a while, but then one night when I took her home after an evening run and went to kiss her goodnight she grabbed the front of my shirt and said, "Enough of this silly shit" and pulled me down on the floor, sat astraddle me and started undressing me. It never occurred to me to fight her off.