Demo Day 01

"Ooooh Phil pleeease don't say that. I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking about the implications of those kisses; please forgive me Phil, please." She was kneeling on the floor with her head and chest in my lap and crying again.

Once she stopped crying I said, "Jackie, you aren't dumb, you knew what he wanted. It may have started innocently but you knew by Tuesday what he wanted from you and you went back there twice. How can I trust you now that you've lied to me and snuck over there? If you had been honest on Wednesday instead of the story about a customer we would have talked and made some decisions. But today you went over knowing where it was going to go and you still went. I don't see how we can 'fix' this. You were a very willing participant in the beginning of an affair, sexual or romantic with sexual overtones. Either way you've broken OUR trust. What would you do if the roles were reversed?" My tone had gotten angrier as I spoke. I had the urge to walk away but I love her so much.

After a minute she said, "You'd never do anything like that to me because you love me. I don't know what I'd do."

"And I thought you loved me too Jackie. But you started seeing him and let him kiss you and caress your breast without stopping him."

"But I did stop him. I couldn't go any further than that. I left and came home."

"But you let him go further than it should have gone if you were a wife who loved her husband. You let the limit go too far, beyond where a married woman should have stopped it. I don't know what to do because you may decide to go back again and when would you stop him the next time?"

"I'll never go back to see him again. I promise I'll not see him."

"How can I be sure of that? I can't be sure of that."

"Yes you can, I promise Phil, please believe me, please."

"But you've lied already to hide seeing him, what's to stop you from lying to me again? I can't trust you now. I think we've come to the end of our marriage Jackie."

"Oh, please no Phil. Please there has to be some way I can fix this, make up for my mistake. Prove to you that I'm trustworthy again. Please Phil you can figure a way to have me prove to you I'm trustworthy. I'll do anything to fix this mistake I made, anything, please Phil."

I looked at her she was wracked with guilt and so sad and I was hurting as badly as she was. "Okay, can you give me until tomorrow to come up with an idea to...oh, I don't know Jackie. I can't even figure out what I need to do to prove you aren't seeing him. He could come to the store to see you and I can't control that unless I sat and watched the store the whole time you're at work and then go everywhere with you. I don't think this will work for us."

"Please Phil, think on it tonight and maybe something will hit you. I really can't lose you I just can't lose you. You are the person I depend on and miss when I'm at work. Please think on it tonight, please for both of us please."

I sent her to bed and then got on the computer and ordered 4 GPS trackers of the mini-size. They'd be here tomorrow afternoon and then I'd track her purse, the car, her jacket and I'd have a reserve. I also took her phone and put a tracking app on it so in the morning I'd tell her that I could track the phone anywhere it went and if I had a doubt as to where she was I'd call the phone. If she let it go to voicemail for some reason and didn't call back in 2 minutes we were done. If I tracked it somewhere out of the 'normal' routes we were done. I wasn't going to tell her about the mini-trackers although with my stipulations for the phone I was pretty sure the minis were a redundancy. But better safe than fooled again. I'm not the smartest but I learn quickly so we'd see what happens.

I crashed on the bed in the computer room and Jackie woke me with a gentle nudge of my shoulder a few times. I woke slowly, somewhat groggy from the late night thinking and decision making. I had also written up a short list of articles to be read, individually initialed and signed by Jackie and myself. I knew I was taking an analytical approach to this, I had to because if I went on emotions alone I'd have walked out the door 5 minutes after she came home on Thursday.

The list of articles had been sitting in the printer and Jackie had it in her hand and she asked, "What is this?"

Articles of Agreement (initial in front of each point)

The weekly schedule will be posted on the calendar. Deviations of the schedule will be made to Phil on the store phone, not your cell phone.

Verification calls to the store or your cell are possible at any time I have a doubt of your location. If you don't answer your cell and let it go to voicemail then don't call back within 2 minutes I have the option to cancel this agreement within 24 hours with written notice of cancellation.

Your phone will get a tracking app and if your phone is turned off for whatever reason I will leave you within the next 3 days. No exceptions will be tolerated on this point. PHONE OFF-I'M GONE WITHIN 3 Days

Household errands will be announced the day before if you plan on going without me.

Outings with 'the girls' or spontaneous departures are subject to written notice of cancellation of this agreement and I walk out the door forever.

I looked into her eyes and said, "This is the agreement that will either make us or break us. It is solely up to you. If you don't want to abide by this list then I'll start looking for somewhere else immediately. I actually have a few places bookmarked in Edge at this point. So if you don't want this then I'll start visiting those locations tomorrow. I'm going to give you 12 hours to decide if you want to sign and live by this or we're done."

Jackie had scanned the list and said, "What if I'm in a meeting and you decide to call me then. I can't necessarily get back to you within 2 minutes. It might be a meeting with my d.m. or regional manager."

"You did see the article about the tracking app on your phone, right?"

"Yes and that answers the 2 minute question how?"

"Would you be having a meeting with your d.m. or r.m. say at a Holiday Inn or down the street from here?"

"Well we have had meetings at the Quality Inn before."

"Yes and you always knew a week in advance so what would stop you from telling me the meeting was scheduled?"

"Oh, so you want to know where I am all the time." Her voice had gotten a tinge of annoyance in it.

"Basically, yes I want to know exactly where you are any time I want to look at your location."

"I don't think I like this idea."

"Fine Jackie, no problem. Just rip it up and I'll start looking at places today instead of tomorrow."

"Wait Phil, I'm sorry. I know I screwed up badly but I didn't think you'd be so 'helicopter husband' on me."

"Well, what did you expect Jackie? You lied, snuck down the street, let him play with your breast and you want me to not wonder where you are at any given instant? Was I ever a 'helicopter husband' before this happened?" My tone had gotten a bit terse, more so than hers had been but I'm the wronged party here and she needs to remember that now!

"Okay, I'll let you know this evening if I agree or not."

"Okay, I'll start looking in case you say no." She looked at me, didn't say anything because she knew I was always trying to plan for the worst eventuality with some things. I hadn't expected her to go to another man and never considered that possibility before. What she didn't know was I had put the tracking app on her phone last night anyway. I could track wherever she went today. I'd see how things might work before we got to the agreement. It might not be needed if she ended up somewhere unusual or down the street today.

The store opens at 8 and I knew Jeff couldn't get in before that and I was pretty sure he would try to see her and plead his case today. So I had to decide, go to the shopping center and see if his work van shows up which I'm pretty sure it will or just wait and see what she decides tonight. The other, slightly more private chance for them to talk would be at the bank when she does her deposit and usually goes to the local Burger King and there they could sit in her CRV and talk or do more privately.

I don't have a smartphone but I have a tablet. So I headed to the CVS which is diagonally opposite the BK and got on their network at 9:30. I checked her location and she was still at the store. I wanted to get closer to BK so I actually went there, got a coffee and made myself comfy in a corner blocked from view unless you were going backward in the drive-thru lane. I checked her location and she was on the move toward the bank at 10:21. I tracked her phone to the bank and then it came into the BK parking lot and through the drive-thru. I was pretty sure she wouldn't come in because if Jeff showed up she'd want to talk very privately. I saw her go past me and into the parking lot facing the embankment for the highway that cut through that area of town. I then watched Jeff's work van drive through a couple minutes later and park next to the CRV.

I waited the longest 5 minutes of my life then walked out to the driver's window of the CRV to find them leaning into each other kissing. I tapped on her window and she jumped and turned and I saw shock on her face. She said, well shouted something at Jeff who got out of the CRV and got in his van and left.

Jackie put her window down as Jeff was leaving and started to say "It's not..."

"Save it Jackie I'll start looking this afternoon." I turned and started walking away from her. I walked over to a flower bed and puked the coffee I had been sipping for the last half-hour. Jackie pulled up and asked, "Can I drive you home before I go back..."

"WE don't have a home anymore Jackie. YOU have a house, you alone because I'M moving out ASAP. And I don't want a ride after he was sitting in that seat kissing you... So get out of my face and leave me alone."

"But Phil, I was kissing his cheek. I told him I wouldn't"

"Didn't you tell him that at the store this morning?"

"How did you..."

"I didn't know until just now. I can't trust you to stay away from him so I'm leaving and we're splitting up. You are still cheating in your heart. Good bye Jackie." I walked away, heading to the house to start searching in earnest and packing.

She didn't call that she was on her way but showed up an hour early. I hadn't bothered to check her location because she was obviously going to meet him somewhere sometime. She came in and she was crying when she saw suitcases in the foyer. "Phil please, please let me explain."

"There is nothing left to talk about. You said you wouldn't see him again and you met him at BK and I can't trust you to be honest with me. We're history."

"But he followed me from the store. He was watching the store I think."

"But you didn't have to let him in the CRV. You didn't have to spend time with him and YOU DEFINITELY DIDN'T HAVE TO KISS HIM. You are encouraging him so I'm gone."

"How did you know I'd be at Burger King?"

"I sat there from 9:30 waiting to see if you'd show up and if he'd show up. And you were being pretty sneaky so I'll never trust a word you tell me again. I have a 1-bedroom apartment and I already did a mail forward for my self. The cab will be here in 15 minutes. I was going to be gone when you got here."

"Oh god you were serious about leaving me."

"Have you ever known me to not follow through on anything but a deadly threat?"

"No."

"SO why would you think I wasn't serious about this of all things?"

"Because you love me and I thought..."

"You thought I was making an idle threat? You don't know me that well then do you? I love you enough to leave and let you have what you want. But obviously you don't love me as much as I thought you did. My loss, your gain with a personal carpenter."

"But...but pleases Phil."

"You had the 'Articles of Agreement' that you were going to review. Rip them up because that's what you did in the parking lot of BK this morning. I'll be back for more stuff while you are at work. I'll call to make sure I'm not interrupting you with your new boyfriend before I come to get more of my things." She was crying again and she reached for me and I stepped away from her. She sat down hard and I heard the toot of the taxi's horn. I opened the door and walked out with the 2 suitcases I had packed.

After I had gotten home from BK this morning I went and talked to our neighbor Sherry, across the street. I explained the situation and she said she was surprised and sorry to hear about our splitting up.

I asked if I could put a motion-activated web cam in her window, tied to their network and she said sure. Then she asked why.

"I want to see if he ends up coming over today and this will serve to monitor the house for a while. The microphone is off so I won't be able to hear what you are saying. I just want 'eyes on' the house. If he doesn't show up in the next 2 or 3 days, I don't know. If she doesn't go out anywhere than maybe we can salvage what we had but I have to give her the rope to hang herself or to save us both."

"Okay Phil, do what you think best. I'll keep an eye on the house as well. Oh, who is the guy?"

"The carpenter working on Lambert's place."

"Really, Jeff is messing with Jackie?"

"Yes, I caught them kissing in the parking lot of BK this morning. He kissed her before and she allowed him to feel her breast."

"REALLY? I'm going to have to call Donna and tell her about this."

"Who's Donna?"

"His wife, my cousin. That no good cheating son-of-a-bitch. Jackie isn't the first to fall for his line of shit."

"Well, you do what you need to do. But she admitted he kissed her and one day he was feeling her breast. That started us down the road to where we are now. Oh, ask Donna if she'd like to put a GPS tracker on Jeff's van and she can see where he's going when he's in the van. I have an extra. I have one on Jackie's CRV and in her day-to-day purse and in her coat. Donna can have the 4th one if she wants it."

"I'll call her now and ask about the tracker and I think I'll have her come over and we'll keep an eye on the house for you too."

"You might want to have her park on a street away from here so Jeff doesn't see her car near here."

"Good point; I'll have her park a couple blocks away."

I gave Sherry my cell number and said, "Call me if Donna wants the tracker and if you see something suspicious please."

"Sure, no problem."

I was in the hotel room I had booked when my cell rang; Donna calling me. She asked about the tracker and I told her she could have it. She wanted to know the brand so she could order a couple more. I gave her the info and she said she'd be by the hotel in 30. I told her to call and I'd meet her in the lobby; I didn't want her in my room. I tapped the wifi with my tablet so I could watch the house. I checked Jackie's trackers and she was at the store. The phone app put that in the store, it was a bit more accurate than the mini-trackers but it was all close enough.

We met, I gave her the tracker and she headed to Sherry's saying that she was going to park a couple blocks away and walk to the house with the shortest exposure to the most likely streets that Jeff would drive. I told her thanks and good luck.

I didn't hear anything that evening. I kept an occasional eye on the monitor but didn't see any cars pull into the driveway or Jackie go out anywhere. I went to bed and got up at 6. I pulled a robe on and went to the lobby and got 2 cups of coffee. I went back to the room and reviewed the stored footage. I was looking for some movement but didn't see any until 5 when the garage door opened and Jackie backed out and left.

It was now 6:47 and I checked her phone, she was at the store. I checked the 4th tracker and it was stationary across the river. I put that tracker in a smaller window on the upper right side of the tablet and left Jackie's phone in the main area of the screen. She was still at the store. I ran through the shower and got dressed and walked the 2 blocks to Dunkin and got a sausage, egg and cheese on a bagel then I went back and checked locations.

Jackie's phone was still at the store but Jeff's tracker was moving. It had come across the river and was moving toward Jackie's location but then turned and went to the job site. It was now 9:40 and Jackie had left the store and headed north and she went to the bank then to Burger King. Jeff's tracker was still at the job site. I called Sherry and asked what was going on with Donna and she told me Donna had ordered 3 more trackers and they'd be in late today. Sherry said that Donna was putting a tracker in her car since Jeff sometimes uses it so he doesn't need to drive the van everywhere. She was also putting one in Jeff's nicer jacket that he wears when he goes out with his brother or other friends.

I asked Sherry to ask Donna for the tracker codes so I could monitor Jeff as well. Sherry said she'd mention it to Donna and we said good-bye. So Donna was covering a lot of possible scenarios as well.

I spent the day reading and checking locations. They hadn't intersected at all. I was getting ready to go to dinner, it was 6:12. I had watched Jackie go from the store to the house on the phone app. I checked the trackers for the CRV and her purse and they were all together.

My cell rang as I entered the lobby and I answered to hear, "Honey it's me. Can we meet somewhere and talk please?"

"I don't know Jackie. Have you seen Jeff since I left?"

"No, honey I told you I kissed his cheek and told him I didn't want to see him again. I haven't seen him."

"You could have done that through a 2 inch wide window, not him sitting in the CRV."

"I'm sorry, I made a mistake. It was the last time I saw him. Can we please sit and talk please?"

"I was just going to go eat dinner."

"Can I meet you? Where are you anyway?"

"Come to the Dunkin' on South Main Street and we'll walk to dinner from there. How long do you need?"

"Umm, 15 minutes, is that okay?"

"Yes, that's fine." I went back up to the room and looked at the tablet. She was home and heading away from the house. I checked Jeff's tracker for the van and he was across the river. My cell rang and it was Donna and I asked her to email the serial numbers and codes to me and I gave her an email address. She said she'd do that and asked what I was doing. I told her I was going to have dinner with Jackie and she said okay and talk to you later then disconnected.