Annual Leave

ANNUAL LEAVE

"Oh, it's so good to come home and know I don't have to go back to work for over a week."

"I'm glad you're home Mia, but what's this about not having to go to work for a week?"

"I'm taking a week off of annual leave from work, dear."

"I would have appreciated more notice than this, but maybe I can take a few days off from work myself. We could go on a short trip."

"Jacob, WE are not going on a short trip. I am going on a long trip."

"What are you talking about?"

"Sweetheart, I am not only taking a week's annual leave from my work but also our marriage. Don't worry, you can do anything you want with whoever you want while I'm gone. I won't hold it against you just like you won't hold what I do against me."

"Excuse me?"

"Jacob, when I we first got married, I didn't realize how much a marriage was like a full-time job. I discovered that a wife has to be dependable, be able to perform her job as expected, and, the most difficult part, keep her boss happy. Our home life has become as scheduled and organized a day in the office is. I got to thinking one day. Jobs give annual leave so employees can take time off some time off from their responsibilities. They are supposed to come back refreshed, ready to go to work again. I wondered why it couldn't be the same way for a marriage. Face it, our marriage has gotten a little stale, boring, and routine lately -- especially in bed. I've almost forgotten what an orgasm is. My conclusion was that we both need a break from each other to get our juices flowing again. Once you think about it, you will realize that I'm right. Then you will appreciate what I'm doing. You'll be glad, you'll see."

"You've gone absolutely crazy, Mia. I never agreed to this when we got married, much less having it dumped on me without notice. I don't know why you think I would do along with your bizarre scheme, but I won't allow it!"

She chuckled, "Silly man. I don't need your permission. Relax, I am not leaving you. It's just that after being a loyal, hard-working partner in our marriage, I deserve some time off. You do too. I didn't tell you earlier so you wouldn't be able to stop me. The tickets and hotel fees are non-refundable and you know how much you hate to waste money. Listen, I need to go out and buy some swimwear for my trip. We're going to sunny Jamaica."

"We? Who the hell is 'we?'"

"My boyfriend and me."

"You have a boyfriend? Who the hell is he?"

"You don't need to know. You might so something stupid like tell his wife. Look, find yourself a pretty girl to play with while I'm gone. Just be sure to get rid of her before I get back. I'm not leaving for good. I value our marriage and you. I'm taking a week off for both our benefits. In a week, we'll both be excited to see each other, and our marriage will be rejuvenated. You'll see."

"I see that you're delusional that's what I see. I forbid you to go. That's my final word on the subject."

"Jacob, don't make this difficult. I was afraid that you wouldn't be happy about this, so I've already moved most of our money into an account in my name only. You have enough to last slightly more than a week. I have been issued a credit card in my name only so you can't strand me in Jamaica by canceling our joint cards. While I'm gone shopping, calm down and come to terms with what is going to happen. The sooner you start adjusting to the idea the more you'll be okay with it. Heck, you will probably want to do it again. Jacob, after I'm done shopping, we'll have a few hours before I leave. I would like for us both to get naked and have a bon voyage fuck for the ages. I don't want you to forget what it will be like after I get back. I love you." She left.

Jacob was not home when she returned which didn't surprise her. Hey, you didn't want a going away taste of my pussy, that's your tough luck. Soon, my pussy will be filled by my lover. I just hope I get to go out on the beach while we're there.

*****

ONE WEEK LATER

"Hello, dear. I'm home." Where is he? I guess I should have checked the garage to see if his car was here. She went and looked in the garage and his car was gone. Looking around the living room and kitchen, she didn't notice anything out of place. Soon, she was headed upstairs. As she feared, much of his stuff was gone. Shit! He's throwing a hissy fit. I hope he has checked into filing for divorce. Once he finds out how much he'll lose in a divorce, he'll come groveling back. The sex with my boyfriend was good, but I missed some of the things that I've only been able to do with my husband's body. I'll make Jacob apologize first, then I'll lovingly forgive him, take him to bed, and fuck his brains out. Everything will be back to normal after that.

As she put her things away and prepared for bed, Mia felt sure that Jacob would return soon. The trip had made her exhausted and she fell asleep easily. When she awoke the next morning, she reached over in bed. For an instant, she had forgotten he was not there. Oh, well. He'll be back soon. She went downstairs and noted quickly that the coffee she loved to wake up to was not ready as it always had been since she and Jacob had been married. Without Jacob's help in the morning, she was almost late for work. She was beginning to get pissed off with her uncooperative husband.

On her way to work, she tried calling Jacob's cell phone and got a 'no longer in service' message. Damn, it looks like he wants to play nasty. Well, I can play nasty too. I'll make him pay for his stubbornness. Mia hung up and called his work number.

"Hello, Mr. Sherman's office. How may I help you?"

"Hey, Sarah. This is Jacob's wife. May I speak to my husband?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Sherman. He's not here."

"Well, can you tell me when he'll be back?"

"I'm sorry, but we're not allowed to give out information like that."

"You've never had a problem telling me before. Since when has not telling me been the policy?"

The secretary's attitude was evident in her response, "Since Mr. Sherman told me to tell you that if you called."

"Bastard."

"Bitch."

The secretary hung up.

Maybe Jacob found a woman to shack up with and he's taking a little longer to make me jealous. By not giving him much notice of my taking annual leave, I was hoping he couldn't find anyone to get intimate with that quickly. I guess I was wrong. He may have decided to go along with this annual leave from marriage thing, too. Well, good for him. That makes us even and should help him get over his anger.

Mia's comfort didn't last long. She went to use her credit card at a restaurant, and it was declined. The ATM machine no longer provided her money. She went to the bank to find out she no longer had many funds in her private account. Mia was informed that she had a minimum balance in the accounts under her name. She inquired as to how that money could be taken without her permission. Mia was informed that according to bank records, she herself had given her written permission. The clerk got her file and showed Mia the signed documents giving her husband access to her new accounts as well as a copy of the driver's license of the woman calling herself Mia Sherman. She didn't look like Mia who showed her driver's license to prove it. Mia's protests fell on deaf ears. She was advised to go to the police and/or sue if it was a forgery and fraud.

That bastard. How could he do that to me! I'll have his ass for this. She went to the police and reported his theft by fraud, identity theft as well as forgery of her signature. They took her information and asked where she thought her husband and his accomplice may have gone. Mia gave them a few suggestions on people to contact and places he might be living in. The police and FBI investigated, but as time drug on, the police admitted that they had no good leads.

Mia could not afford a lawyer or a private investigator to look on her own as her money was quickly running out. With no other options, Mia called all family and friends of Jacob's she knew just like the police had done. The response was the same with everyone she contacted: 'I have no idea where he is and wouldn't tell you if I did.'

Fuck, I got screwed by my husband in exchange for me getting screwed in Jamaica. There's no way I can live in this house and pay all the bills all by myself if he doesn't come back soon. She looked into selling the house but could not because the house was in both their names. She could not file for divorce for abandonment because he had not been gone long enough. Mia was advised she could go through regular divorce channels, but she would lose the house in the meantime.

Mia declared bankruptcy to get a clean start. It was on moving day that Mia got the letter.

"Mia,

"Apparently, you were convinced that I had no option but to wait for you to finish your fling and welcome you back. I guess you forgot what I did for a living. I have been the defense attorney for several counterfeiters. Over the years, I came across many talented counterfeiters who also had great skills in forging. There was one woman in particular I remembered who had served her time. I remembered partly because she was so gorgeous. I tracked her down and approached her to help me. At first, she thought I was trying to trap her into proving she was still committing crimes. Once I satisfied her concerns, she gave me her story about how hard it was for an ex-con to make an honest living. She was destitute and about to either go back to crime or start being a prostitute. I was surprised that she agreed to help me if I met her one condition: I had to take her with me when I left and set up a new identity. It only took one night in bed with her for me to understand what a good deal it would be. She was able to create a driver's license with all your information and her picture. Then she pretended to be you at the bank and forged your signature. It matched so closely that no one challenged us. No one we dealt with in the bank knew you personally, so it didn't matter that she didn't look like you. She looked like her fake ID and that was all that mattered.

"Originally, my plan was to respond to your one-week annual leave with my own one-year sabbatical from our marriage after giving you your money back. But I couldn't forger how you treated me that afternoon before you left. My generosity dried up. Now, after spending some time now with my girlfriend, I have decided against a sabbatical or a divorce. So, in keeping with your analogy with a marriage being like a job...

"Mia, YOU'RE FIRED!"