Adulterer Jack

When I first went off to college, I immediately pledged a fraternity. I wasn't interested in that brotherhood stuff so much; I just figured it was the best way to drink a lot of beer and fuck a lot of women.

It didn't work out that way.

When I went to my first keg party, they wouldn't give me a wrist band because I wasn't 21. And it was there that I met Jennie, an underage virgin just like me.

We became inseparable. We were known as Jack'n'Jennie from then on because you didn't get one without the other.

After we earned our degrees, we married, bought a condo in the city, and started our careers. We remained inseparable. We worked at two different companies but had lunch together nearly every day and went home together nearly every evening. As they say, we worked hard and played even harder. We made a few friends, had a lot of adventures, and life was good.

Everything was going along fine until I was up for a great promotion. I would be making really good money and I had a bright future ahead, so I figured it was time to move to the suburbs and start raising a family.

It didn't work out that way.

Jennie shook her head and said, "Jack, we need to talk about that."

I was in shock, "What do you mean? We've been talking about this for years."

"Jack, have you ever wondered what you missed out on? I've never been with another man and I know you've never been with another woman. Do you ever wonder what it would be like?"

"No Jennie." I spoke slowly and precisely because I wanted to be completely unequivocal, "I met the love of my life early on and I have never had any regrets - never. And I certainly don't feel that I've missed out on anything."

I paused for a moment to calm myself and then, nearly whispering, said, "Jennie, don't beat around the bush. Just tell me what you're going on about. Rip the damn bandage off!"

Jennie smiled sadly; she knew how I was, "Jack, you know that Mary Ellen just graduated, right?"

Well, things were becoming clearer. Mary Ellen was Jennie's younger sister by a good many years and she was a spoiled, petulant child, a change-of-life baby who could do no wrong in her parents' eyes. I never liked or trusted her and now I knew I really hated her.

Jennie went on, "Well, she's going to Europe to teach English as a Second Language and I'm going to go with her."

I stared at her. I knew Jennie well enough to understand that this was no joke. She really intended to go off with her sister. I spent the evening trying to change her mind but she blithely dismissed everything I said. This went on for hours and even though I knew I wasn't making any headway, I still had to try.

Unfortunately, my efforts seemed to have the opposite effect from what I intended. Rather than convincing her to stay, the more I told her I loved her and needed her, the more it seemed to convince her that I would be there when she returned. Finally, I took a deep breath and very quietly said, "You understand that if you do this, it's the end of our marriage, right?"

I guess she had actually anticipated that I might say this and she had a ready response, "No, Jack. It only means we'll be taking a time-out. We'll both get to try new things and when I come back we'll settle into a boring suburban life and start a family."

Apparently, she didn't know me any better than I knew her because at that point I realized that I had had enough. I filed for divorce immediately.

I was surprised again when the divorce papers didn't faze her even a little bit. She shook her head and said, "You're wasting money, Jack, but at least now, no one will be cheating, will they? When I get back we'll start fresh and get remarried. You'll see." She patted me on the head as she walked away.

She was delusional and I simply shook my head sadly.

A no-fault divorce without children is practically a do-it-yourself project here: a 30-day notice and then six months later it becomes official. Since we both had good incomes (at least we did on the date of filing), there was no call for support payments. Counseling was useless and a judge couldn't order it anyway. We kept our own 401(k)'s and would split the profit on the sale of the condo when it was sold after the divorce became final. Jennie didn't even wait for the marriage to end; the title company told me they had to wire the funds to an account in Barcelona.

* * *

For myself, it was tough. I knew I wanted to get married and raise a family, but I wasn't much interested in jumping back into the dating market. Going to bars to find a new wife seemed both stupid and pathetic; I had no interest in taking up some hobby just to meet women; and dating apps seemed sick. I was stuck.

Then I got the text from Marilyn asking me to call her.

Marilyn was Jennie's best friend at work. She and her husband Gerald were both our age and, like us, didn't have children yet. And they were also two of the nicest people I had have ever met. So I was curious what was up. I called her and she insisted I had to come over for drinks and dinner and they simply wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

When I arrived, Marilyn hugged me and told me how sorry she was for us, "Jack, let me assure you that I knew nothing about what Jennie was planning. I asked her if you had done something to deserve this and she looked at me oddly and said that you were the perfect husband and she expected you two to grow old together, that this was something she felt she had to do. ... Honestly, I don't understand it at all. I told her she was playing with fire, that she was going to lose you to another woman."

As she spoke, her husband kept nodding his head in agreement as he continued working at the barbecue grill. Gerald was a man of few words and I appreciated that.

I told Marilyn that I certainly didn't blame her in any way. This was all on Jennie, but Mary Ellen was the one behind it.

"Your mean her younger sister?" I nodded yes and she continued, "I've met her a few times. I know she's young and immature but do you really think she's able to influence Jennie like that?"

"Marilyn, you have to understand that Mary Ellen isn't just immature, she's a wild child and pure id in motion. Most people are repelled by her act, but Jennie and her parents think she's perfect in everything she does.

"My former sister-in-law and I have never gotten along and she has always taken every opportunity to tell Jennie that she should dump me and get a real man in her life. I certainly didn't think it was funny when she actually tried to sabotage my marriage.

"Mary Ellen was staying with us while her parents were out of town and she tried to seduce me, or, at least, put me in a very bad position. Jennie was outside working in the garden and I was in our home office when Mary Ellen walked in wearing only bra and panties.

"She said, 'Hey, Jack, see anything you like.' I wasn't actually surprised. I knew she was capable of doing something like this, so, as she spun around in front of me, I quickly started recording with my phone.

"She continued with her attempted seduction and then I responded in a way that she didn't expect. I laughed and told her that I thought she was old enough to dress herself, but that if she needed help, I could call Jennie.

"Well, that really set her off. Her face turned red and she started ranting at me and finished by saying she was going to tell Jennie that I had tried to molest her.

"That was when I realized how evil she was. I lifted my phone and let her see that I was recording everything. She yelled 'Fuck you!' and stormed out of the room.

"I told Jennie the whole story that evening and even showed her the video, but she simply laughed and said, 'Isn't she something? She's going to have a lot of fun in her life. I wish I could have been more like her when I was a teenager. I certainly wouldn't have been that shy virgin you met in college.'

"So, you see, even though I won't pretend to understand it, I do know that Mary Ellen was the snake in my garden."

We sat silently for a moment and then Gerald said dinner was ready. While we were eating, Marilyn asked me what I was going to do, "Jack, are you willing to wait for Jennie to come home? Is there any hope at all for some sort of reconciliation? What if Jennie comes home in six months and admits that she's made an awful mistake, would you consider forgiving her and taking her back? Maybe you made a mistake by rushing to divorce her."

That made me snort, "Honestly, if I hadn't divorced her she might have returned in six months but it would only be to tell me that she was three months pregnant and that I was going to be a daddy."

I shook my head, "Seriously, though, I've thought about nothing else since she left and I think I now realize and accept that she's not coming back. She as much as told me she wanted a different life and she left to have it. Our story is over.

"I've always believed that Jennie and I were soulmates, but the woman who patted me on the head and then flew off to Europe is not the woman I married and is certainly not someone I would have any regard for, now or in the future.

"I'm hurting, sure, but I will survive this. What I want for myself is to have a family and I need to find the right woman to have one with. My problem is that I don't know where to begin. Hell, I haven't dated anyone since high school. I'm at a loss here."

We fell silent again while we finished our meal. Gerald cleared off the table and Marilyn and I went back to the living room where she sat so that she could look me directly in the eye. "Jack, if you will agree to my two conditions, I think I can help you out."

I looked at her and thought, 'Help me out? Two conditions?' and then, 'Well, what the hell.'

"Okay, what are the two conditions and what can you do to help?"

"Well, some of the women at work have been asking if you've started dating yet because they would be interested if you were. I could get you in touch with some of them if you like. And Gerald knows a good many single women from the art world that neither you nor I, in our 9-to-5 world, would ever get to meet."

She let that sink in and said, "So, what do you think?"

I was already pissed off, but I wasn't going to say anything until I heard the rest of it, so I asked, "What are your two conditions for this fine service?"

Marilyn obviously didn't pick up on my anger and said, "Well, they're quite simple really. I think it only fair to ask that you not date any married women or anyone where you work."

I calmed myself as much as I could, but it was through clenched teeth that I responded, "Let me see if I've got this straight. You and Jennie cooked up this scheme where you'll have me dating a bunch of loser skanks. Then, if things don't work out for her and she decides to return, she can come to me with this list you're making.

"I can hear her even now, 'Jack, you actually dated Josephine? That woman is a walking cesspool. You better get yourself tested for STDs before we can even begin talking about getting back together.'"

As I spoke, Marilyn gasped and covered her mouth with her hand as her face lost all its color. I glanced over at Gerald who sat quietly.

"Marilyn, I think I'll pass on your generous offer but I think it's time for me to go. Thank you for an enlightening evening."

Marilyn was distraught, "No, no Jack, it's not like that at all. I swear I would never do anything like that to you."

There was no point in trying to argue that, so I continued putting on my jacket, preparing to leave, when, in a quiet voice with a chuckle behind it, Gerald said, "Oh, she is telling you the truth. Marilyn can be difficult at times, but I assure you, she does not have a malicious bone in her body. She does want to help you. She honestly could not believe how badly Jennie treated you."

I think that was the most I had ever heard from Gerald and I stopped to look at him. I then looked back at a crying Marilyn who was looking at her husband and mouthing the words 'Thank you.'

I sat back down. It turned out that Gerald had repeatedly warned Marilyn to keep out of it, that it wasn't any of her business and all she could do was make matters worse, but Marilyn felt duty-bound to get involved. She hadn't spotted any of this coming and felt that she had failed in some way.

I guess it was a sign of their relationship that Gerald had simply told her that he would refrain from saying 'I told you so' when it blew up in her face. He kept that promise and saved the evening.

-

I was a little wary, but I didn't have any problem with her two conditions. After all, how could dating married women be of any use to me and not dating fellow workers certainly made sense. I have always made a real effort to act and be seen acting appropriately at work and even a single bad date could easily destroy a hard-earned reputation. So, I told Marilyn I would consider her proposal.

Of course, the very next day she called to tell me about Caroline. "Jack, do you remember Caroline Davis from our Christmas party?"

"Uh, no, I don't think so."

"Well, she remembers you and she has been coming to my desk every day since Jennie left asking if you've started dating yet."

"I see. And what did you tell her today?"

"I only told her I would give you her number and you could call her if you were interested."

"Marilyn, I still don't remember her so how would I know if I were interested?"

"Well, I can tell you she's cute and her reputation is solid. The fellows here hit on her all the time, but she just laughs and tells them that she won't date anyone from work. Smart, wouldn't you say?"

She gave me the number. I sat and thought about it and I couldn't think of any good reason not to call. I was about to begin a quest for a wife and a "boring suburban life".

-

"Hello, Jack. I'm so glad you called. When we met at the Christmas party, I thought you were a fascinating person. I was really interested in getting to know you better."

That sounded promising. "OK, then. Does a dinner date work for you? Chinese, Italian, French, what kind of food do you prefer?"

"Oh, you don't have to get fancy for me. I'm a beer and pizza type of girl. How about that for a stress-free dinner?"

I laughed and we made plans for the following Friday. I would pick her up at her place and we would head out. I found myself smiling all week and realized I was actually looking forward to our date.

But, I was totally unprepared when I knocked on the apartment door precisely on time and a short, 45 year-old woman wearing a torn sweatshirt opened the door and scowled at me.

I tried to put the best face on things, "Hello, I'm Jack ..."

"Yeah, I know who you are." She turned away from me and yelled out, "Caroline, your date's here."

After that reception, anybody would have looked good, but Caroline was actually attractive in a quirky sort of way and I immediately remembered her from the Christmas party.

I ignored her roommate, named Karen I learned later, and instead said all the right things as Caroline got ready to go. We headed for my car, and once settled, I turned to her and said, "Do you have a favorite pizza parlor?"

She turned toward me, grinning, and said, "Do you have beer at your place?"

I tilted my head and said, "Yes."

"Well, let's eat there. We can order delivery."

This certainly was not the evening I had planned or envisioned, but I wasn't complaining. I went with the flow. ... And flow it did.

As soon as we got inside, I called for the pizza delivery and Caroline wasted no time. She was undressing as she pointed out we had at least a twenty minute wait.

I followed her into the bedroom, where she dropped the last of her clothing and climbed into bed, rolled on her back, pulled her knees up, and spread her legs. She crooked her finger at me and said, "Hurry, Jack."

It had been a while for me and I was already hard as I undressed but I wasn't at all sure we had nearly enough time. Jennie had always required a lot of foreplay to get 'juicy,' as she put it. I had become quite an expert at oral sex, but it still took time.

I climbed into bed, crawled up between her legs, and bent my head to the task when Caroline stopped me, "No Jack, I'm ready for you now. Hurry!" I quickly regrouped, grabbed a condom out of the drawer, and put it on.

It was an enlightening experience. Caroline was hot, wet and ready. I easily slipped my cock into her and began the horizontal dance. I had learned to control my release to ensure that Jennie orgasmed first, but that wasn't necessary with Caroline. She had her first orgasm immediately and she had several more as I stroked in and out. I wasn't used to a condom but it didn't take me long to join her. I was still recovering when the doorbell rang.

I grabbed my robe and got up to go answer the door. I looked back at Caroline and she was sprawled out with a vacant look in her eyes and the contented smile on her face that Jennie often had when I finished with her. My ego appreciated the boost.

With the pizza box in hand, I headed for the kitchen for some beer and when I took it all in to the living room, Caroline was coming out of the bedroom. She hadn't bothered to dress but simply pulled on my shirt, leaving it unbuttoned. It was a sexy look.

Normally, I would have turned on a ballgame while I ate. Jennie had always wanted to eat formally in the dining room but with her gone, I simply did as I pleased. That evening, though, neither Christine nor I were interested in spending a lot of time eating. Instead, we ate quickly and headed back to the bedroom.

It may have been a dry spell for me, but I was quite able to keep up my end and it was close to midnight when I rolled over on my back and Christine headed for the bathroom.

I was wondering if I could get it up one more time when Caroline returned, fully dressed and carrying her smart phone. "Listen, Jack, I need to get going. Karen gets upset if I stay out too late."

I must have been in a bit of a fog because all I could think to say was, "Oh, let me get dressed and I'll take you home."

"No need, Jack. I've got Uber coming." She waved her phone at me and then, looking down at it again, said, "And it's here now. Don't bother getting up; I'll see myself out."

As she walked out of the bedroom, she stopped, turned to me, and with a wink, said, "That was fun. Any time you need a booty call, I'm your girl." She waved and then she headed for the front door and was gone.

I'm well aware that I'm not a real people-person. I don't read people or situations all that well, so it wasn't until the next morning that I realized that Caroline and Karen weren't merely roommates.

That certainly explained a lot and I felt a little used. Nevertheless, I simply told Marilyn that Caroline wasn't wife material and she said something about kissing frogs. I think she had the genders mixed up but I ended up kissing a few frogs over the next few weeks. Most didn't immediately jump into bed with me but it only took a dinner date to realize when someone wasn't wife material. Of course, some quickly jumped into bed with me, including Gerald's sole contribution to the plan.

-

I was supposed to meet Amy at the warehouse where some sort of avant-garde play was being performed. I had no problem spotting her; she looked exactly like her description: thin, platinum-haired, wearing a silver smock. With her pale complexion, she looked like a porcelain doll - a very young porcelain doll.

I introduced myself and we went inside to sit on fold-up chairs in front of a makeshift stage. The play itself was simply a series of vignettes of different couples talking about mundane things, like 'how was your day,' 'what do you want to do,' 'what did you think of that TV show.' Each vignette had its own setting: bedroom, kitchen, office-that sort of thing. It was rather boring I thought, but I'm certainly not avant-garde in any sense.