Career or Marriage?

i often find choosing a category for these stories difficult. If you are looking for steamy sex this story is not for you. it is about the difficult journey that marriage can be. It is about mental health, consent, loyalty and most if all fidelity and love.

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Betty and I have had a great marriage over the past five years. We met six years ago during a recording session in Los Angeles. She worked with the PR company for the artist. I was a lowly session player. During a typical spoiled artist hissy fit we found ourselves in a small studio chatting about the joys of working with entitled prima donnas. I asked her to have dinner with me and she agreed. We dated and fell in love, six months later we married.

Our married life was best described as comfortable. We loved and trusted each other. A musician's life is a constant series of trials, from recreational drugs to groupies. With Betty as my anchor I could navigate through the rough waters.

Shortly after dinner one day Betty asked, "Jon, are you going to be available this Friday night?

"Umm, I have an afternoon session with a pop artist downtown. If they come prepared I should be free, if not then I may be tied up recording till midnight."

"There is a charity event Friday night, I would love it if you could come. They want me there to help greet the guests as they arrive."

"Sounds great honey, I'll join you if I can."

The artist was not prepared and I knew this was going to be a very long session. I made my apologies to Betty and settled in for long haul.

It was 4am when I got home, totally exhausted. Betty was nowhere to be seen. I stripped down and crashed on the bed and slept like a stone.

"Morning sweetheart." I heard as my eyes cracked open.

"What time did the recording session wrap up?"

"3:30am. Fucking, ill prepared, shithead,, showed up late with lousy chord charts. How about you?"

"I overindulged. A few of us got rooms at the hotel and stayed over. I am very hungover. I need a cuddle."

I never could deny that sweet woman a cuddle. She was so warm and beautiful.

"I met a very interesting man last night, Sam Decker. Have you heard of him?"

"Nope, who is he?"

"A patron of the arts, supports a lot of charities. He seems to be very wealthy, an entrepreneur of some sort. He is a cool guy, a lot of fun."

"Never heard of him. Let me make you some breakfast and get you some pain killers."

A week later Betty came to me asking if I could attend a performance of the local opera company. They were premiering a new work by a local composer.

"I've heard that opera is going to be terrific. Which night?"

"Saturday evening. Sam has three tickets and he has invited us."

I looked at the calendar on my phone. I had a hard deadline for revisions on a recording I was co-producing.

"Shit, looks like I need to pass. Damn, I wanted to catch that opera too!"

"Do you mind if I go with Sam?"

"This is a platonic date, right?"

"Yes, I wouldn't do that to you babe."

"Okay, go ahead then, enjoy the show. Try not to be home late."

The evening of the opera, Betty came downstairs to my home studio to say goodbye. She was dressed to the nines. She looked spectacular and once again I wished to hell I could be joining them.

""Have a great evening honey."

"I will, and you finish off that record tonight okay?"

She gave me a kiss and left.

Recording, re-recording and editing can be time consuming work. I glanced at the time and it was 3am. Fuck! It still needed some polishing but that can wait till tomorrow.

It surprised me that Betty wasn't home yet. I crashed on the couch. She came home around 3:30am

"I thought it was that new opera and not the Ring Cycle." Yes I can be a smart ass.

"I didn't think you would be up. The opera was great. We went for a late dinner after and went dancing. I caught an Uber home."

"Let's see, fancy opera, late dinner, dancing... sounds like some is getting romanced."

"Come on Jon, you know damn well you were invited too. We are just friends and he is a lot of fun."

"It just doesn't look good. People know us as a couple. If they see you being entertained by some other guy there will be gossip."

"So, next time make yourself available and come with us."

"Or, just maybe you could say no to Sam." I muttered. In my mind I hear the voices of thousands of outraged husbands screaming at me to put an end to the madness. Those voices aren't wrong aren't wrong.

The following Thursday Betty asked if she could go out Saturday with Sam. He had tickets to the symphony. I checked my schedule to see what was happening. That Saturday afternoon I was in the studio with Travis White. Travis was always well prepared so I'd likely be able to go to the symphony.

"Looks like I'm free this time. Tell Sam that we are in."

She fired off a text to him and got a message back fifteen minutes later.

"Only two tickets for Saturday. I could try to scrape up another but it wouldn't be together."

"Jon, he only has two tickets. If you want to come he said he will try to get another ticket but it won't be with the other two."

"I guess that would be okay."

She gave him the go ahead.

Saturday came and we dressed up for the event. I wore my awards dinner tux and Betty wore a stunning pink dress. Fully made up and well dressed, she was a knockout!

We arrived via Uber and met Sam in the lobby. This was my first time meeting him. Somehow I had pictured an older man. Sam was a strapping young man that had spent hours in the gym crafting a finely tuned body. He wore a tux as well, his fit better.

"Jon it's a pleasure to meet you." We shook hands.

"Sam, it good finally meet the man who has been entertaining my wife so much recently."

"Thanks for loaning her out. We have become good friends."

"Here is your ticket. I couldn't get it with the other two I am afraid."

After saying that, he took Betty by her arm and led her to their seats right up front. My seat was six rows back.

Perhaps I am a Neanderthal but I would have thought that Sam would give up the two seats together for the married couple. No, instead of that he sat with my wife.

I enjoyed the program despite being preoccupied and frankly, pissed off with the seating arrangements. After the concert we met in the lobby.

"Wasn't that great? I just loved it," Sam gushed.

"Excellent, thanks for the tickets. What did you think Betty?"

"Lovely just lovely," said Betty, with her hand through Sam's arm.

"Well, I must be off. Thanks for joining me tonight!" Sam left.

"So Betty, would you like to go dining and dancing? The night is young!"

"Maybe we should just go home."

It was a quiet drive home. There was some tension between us. We had a glass of wine and and sat in our family room.

"So Sam wasn't up for dining and dancing tonight?" I asked.

"Obviously not. I thought he would be."

"Three is a crowd Betty."

"I was surprised that he didn't give you the seat."

"Me too. If he did that intentionally then he was being a prick. If he did it unthinkingly then he's a moron."

"I think in his mind it was supposed to be just him and me. You hadn't been to any other events so he didn't count on you coming to this one."

"There's a simpler explanation Betty. He sat with you to insult me. He didn't want to wine and dine you with me present. He is not your new platonic friend, he is trying to get into your pants."

"You are jealous! There is no way. He knows we are happily married."

"Do happily married women go on dates like this with male acquaintances? I am worried that you are giving off the wrong vibe."

"You're wrong."

Two weeks later Betty said that Sam had invited her to join him on an upcoming business trip.

"He has some appointments in Vegas and he thought I'd enjoy the trip."

"I'm not comfortable with that. It is bad enough that he takes you out here in town. A weekend in Vegas is ridiculous. It's out of the question."

"We are just friends. I will have my own suite. There's nothing to worry about."

"Famous last words!"

"Don't you trust me?"

"Yes I trust you, I don't trust him or his motives. I would rather you stay here. If you want to go to Vegas then let's go together, we can go next week or whenever you want."

"I would like to go with Sam. It would be to help him with business, he has certainly helped me with mine. I already booked my suite. Please Jon, don't be like that."

"No, I am not giving you the green light to go to a Vegas with your new boyfriend. You have a husband here at home, me."

"Jon, this isn't like you. I respect you and I don't want to hurt you. I really owe Sam for his help with these charities I have been working with. I need to be there for him. I promise you no hanky panky while in Vegas."

"Betty, if you are tired of being married then let's just get a divorce, then you can go to Vegas with whoever you want."

That last sentence was met with a stony silence.

The next day Sam came to the house asking to meet with both of us.

We sat in the family room. I opened a bottle of wine.

"Jon, your lovely wife Betty and I have become good friends. We have a lot of fun together. I help her and she helps me. I have many resources and I enjoy entertaining her. I've asked her to accompany me to an event in Las Vegas. Its the kind of event that requires me to have a guest with me. A person who is there solo would be at a significant disadvantage. Betty is the only woman friend I have that I know could carry this off. I promise you that I have no inclination to romance your wife. Could you possibly allow her to come with me as a favour to me?"

"No. It is highly inappropriate. If you need a woman with you then hire an escort. Look, Sam, Betty is her own woman. She is my wife but she makes up her own mind. I don't approve and there will likely be consequences if she does go with you. She knows that, and now so do you. That said, it is her choice, I just hope she would rather stay home with me.

What can I say, she went to Vegas.

Part of me wanted to pull the plug on this marriage but the other part was so madly in love that I was willing to wait it out and see if it works out. I trusted her but didn't trust him.

It was damn hard to concentrate that weekend but sure enough on Sunday evening she came home. Surprisingly, Sam was with her.

She kissed me and asked if we could talk in the family room. I offered wine but everyone said no. I was guessing they had more than their fill in Vegas.

"This weekend was a lot of fun Jon. The conference was fascinating and Sam picked up a lot of business."

"Thanks to Betty, she charmed everyone."

"There was a lot going on and we had a great time. But I have something else that I need to share with you. Sam and I are no longer platonic friends."

Silence.

My heart started hammering in my chest!

"By that, do you mean that you two fucked while in Vegas?"

"No Jon, we didn't. We kissed, we have some... feelings for each other."

"This is why I asked you not to go. You two have been building up to this and I am shocked that you haven't fucked each other yet. Unless you are lying of course. So what wonderful solution do you have to this problem?"

"Sam has an idea."

"Jon you are a very busy man. I know Betty loves you, but you are too busy to accompany her to her charity events. I on the other hand have the time, money and inclination to take her wherever she wants to go. My business often requires me to be at events with a partner. I am perfectly happy to have her attend as my guest, of course she will remain married to you."

"So she stays married to me and you become her friend with benefits?"

"Ideally, that would be how it would work"."

"I'm searching for the right words here, how about NO FUCKING WAY!"

"Betty, what do you want? Marriage or divorce."

I don't want to leave you Jon, but I also enjoy the socialite life with Sam. Plus he is really making a difference at my charity events. This is good for all of us."

"I think a divorce is our best course of action. Maybe you should gather a few things and spend a few days with Sam here. I will have you served wherever you want."

Of course she cried and ran to me and begged me not to divorce her.

"Then stay here. Tell Sam to leave and not call you again. Stay and be a loyal, loving wife."

More tears. More angst, then she spoke in a broken, quiet voice.

"Goodbye Sam. It was fun but you need to go now."

Sam was scarlet red from the neck up. He looked like he could explode any moment.

"Fuck you." He muttered as he turned and left the house. A rare and embarrassing moment for this man.

We slept in the same bed that night but we may as well have been on different planets.

Morning came, I made a good breakfast for us.

She came down the stairs in her pyjamas, yawning.

"That smells wonderful."

"It's your favourite, French toast and bacon."

"You do love me!"

"Yes, but if you ever try to pull another Vegas disappearing act, I will divorce your ass in a heartbeat."

"I'm sorry. I really am."

"I really don't understand, I thought we were doing great. I am obviously missing something. Have I been such a bad husband to you?"

"No, but you're a very much in demand studio musician. If you aren't recording with some famous artist you're producing or writing music. Your hours are crazy and unpredictable. On the other hand, I have been doing fund raising work for a few charities which means lots of fund raising events, galas, auctions etc. You're too busy to attend many of these events so I go alone. A lone female at events that court the movers and shakers, the money makers in the nation, is like a lamb lead to the slaughter. If you knew the number of times I've been propositioned at these events you would have a fit."

"I didn't know."

"Meeting Sam was a godsend! He protected me by staying with me at the events. People naturally assumed we were together so they left me alone. Since he attends most events we became friends. I had no intention of developing any non-platonic feelings for him."

"So how did these non-platonic feelings develop in Vegas?"

"In a single day we signed up over three million dollars in future business. Sam is a great salesman, people like him. I was supposed to be his arm candy and charm the prospects. We made a great team. Later that night a client and his wife took Sam and I to a club. They don't call it sin city for nothing! It was a sex club. Honest to God Jon, there were people fucking everywhere. After a few drinks the client asked Sam if he was interested in swapping. Sam actually looked like he was going to say yes! Then he said he was sorry but it was too early in our relationship. I nearly died!"

"When we got back to the hotel we had another drink and a dance. Sam kissed me. Not a peck on the cheek either, he kissed me hard. I was so surprised by this that I didn't kiss back. He then told me that I was the most enchanting person he had ever met and that he would love to spend more time with me. I had just enough alcohol in me to flirt, asking "how much more time." He replied "all night." He kissed me again and I kissed back this time.

Things kind of got blurry after that. I remember being in his room. We were kissing. I told him to stop, that I couldn't do this. I went back to my own room, waking up alone. I was afraid that he might have taken advantage of me but I seemed fine. I asked him about that night and he said that after the hugs and kisses I stopped things, and he took me back to my room. He said that he wanted to fuck me so bad that he ached, but he couldn't unless I consented."

"Fuck me! You and Sam, in his room and you expect me to believe he didn't fuck you?"

"We didn't, I stopped him, we danced earlier and he had an erection. Believe me if that monster had entered me I'd be feeling it for days. I stopped him because I love you Jon. I told you I couldn't do that to you and I meant it."

"You came way too close to crossing that line Betty."

"So are we okay?"

"Don't ever get near that kind of situation again. I love you but I won't tolerate infidelity."

"I need you to support me by coming to some of these charity events. I hate having to fend off the horny bastards who think their donation entitles them to take liberties with me, just because I am not there with a partner. That's why Sam was so useful."

"You know how hard it is for me to schedule things but I promise I'll try."

It was two weeks later that I accompanied Betty to a gala event. There was a lot of meet and greet, something that I wasn't overly fond of doing, but it was right in Betty's wheelhouse. At one point in the evening she pointed out a lone woman.

"Watch what happens with her."

I did. She barely finished a conversation when a gentleman approached her. He was obviously chatting her up. He touched her here, he touched her there. She giggled. He led her towards the hallway. I got Betty's attention and we followed them. They got in the elevator and got off on the third floor. I quickly used the stairs to get to that floor. I saw them enter a room at the end of the hall. I took my time walking towards the room. There was a window at the end of the hall. I stood and admired the view of the parking lot. It didn't take long before I heard the rhythmic thump, thump, thump of a headboard hitting the wall.

Returning to the gala I found Betty with another eager benefactor who would love to get some donation nookie.

"Hello sweetheart, I had trouble finding you. Who is your friend?"

The friend was introduced and quickly excused himself.

"My saviour."

"I couldn't save the other one."

"So is she entertaining the benefactor?

"Up on the third floor, bumping uglies."

"Now you see the crap I have to put up with when I am on my own. Fending these guys off is an art form. You have to be able to tell them to fuck off while telling them how much you appreciate their support."

"I can see how a sociable guy like Sam could be useful to you. At least until he turned into a predator too."

"It's hard to see Sam as a predator. I think we just got too close."

"Bound to happen. That's why I was so adamant about you staying home. The Vegas thing was just too much temptation for both of you."

"You really were jealous weren't you?"

"Yes, you are mine and I am yours, exclusively."

"What about all of those groupies?"

"Why do you think I am now a studio musician? I got sick and tired of the drugs and the groupies. I married you. I wanted to settle down, make a career of music, not die on the road a young man."

"Are you enjoying your evening?"

"I am enjoying watching you work the room. I am enjoying looking at you in that gorgeous dress. The food is outstanding and the wine is flowing. What's not to enjoy?"

"I wish you could come to all of these events."

"I wish I could too. I also wish I could trust Sam not to fuck you silly, but I can't."

We made love that night. It was soft and sweet and full of love and passion. I felt like I was marking my territory. It is strange how these animal instincts are hard wired into us.

The next event was impossible for me to attend. Betty said she would be okay. She was pretty good at keeping the wolves at bay. She also told me that Sam would be there. She would pretty much have to interact with him.

"I get it, you're going to run into each other. Just play it safe. Don't tempt him."

She said goodbye before she left. I approved of her outfit for the night. It was classy and not too revealing. She agreed that it was best not to poke the bear.

It was another busy night of work for both of us. I wrapped up at 11pm and Betty came in at 12.

"Fuck what a disaster that was!"

"Sam's client, the guy from Vegas that took us to the sex club? He showed up tonight. Sam immediately goes into full role playing mode pretending I am his partner. Damn if he doesn't suggest the swap to Sam again."