Don's Wet Dream Ch. 01

Don answered quietly so as to not embarrass her. "Kim, what are you trying to do to me, get me in trouble? Libby says I gotta be professional and you go and teasing a simple man like me like that."

Kim laughed. Oh dear! Sarah, babe, I'm just lookin, honest. "Don, I'll eat what ever you're used to making for Libby; is it true, is your cooking as good as Libby tells me it is?"

When you didn't have many things to boast about, you had to make the most of what you had. "Yep, all true."

Kim laughed again, a little quieter, still clear and still pretty. Think of Sarah! Think of Sarah!

Don tried again to be professional, he told Kim that tracksuit gear was comfortable around the camp site at, jeans made good work day wear, and to be ready for mild days and cold nights. "And I guess I best go, see ya Sunday Kim, okay?"

"You bet, look forward to it."

As he stood from that flimsy weak noisy chair, and sauntered into Max's office he was thinkin' this was going to be a interestin' week.

Felicity waved him though to Max's office with a smile, and Max greeted Don happily; too happily. Bad news? The kids? Sarah? No, Max wouldn't try and look happy about that. Don had 'borrowed' the company boat a couple of weekends ago to take the kids fishing, but Max wouldn't sack him for that surely; he filled the tank up before puttin' it away; anyway, Max would have left that for Libby or one of the senior engineers to handle somethin' like that. No, it was somethin' else…

"Don, I have something to pass on to you that I found upsetting, and I'm not sure how exactly to break it to you, but it has to be said."

Get it over with Max! "Shoot Max."

"Last Friday I had lunch with a couple of clients -- managers from Libby's client actually, nice guys -- and we were at the Airport Central Hotel having lunch, a long lunch as it turned out if you know what I mean?... Don… Sarah, was there… With a friend… A man… Having lunch… They looked pretty close, you know? But maybe nothing. But it didn't look right, you know? And they got more affectionate toward the end. Don, I was stunned, the guys I was with thought I was sick or something. Anyway we watched them for a while, and the other guys helped me take a few photos with their phones, then they followed them, and got a couple more as they went into a room. We got his name from the waiter; Ben, Ben Fernandez, ring a bell? Don… I'm so sorry to be the one telling you this."

Don thought he must have looked like an idiot to Max right then. Only this morning he'd thought how good his life was: his achievements -- his transformation Libby called it proudly -- twenty years the best possible man he could be; now he just felt like a piece of dog shit on the footpath. No! It could not be true! Max looked so sure. He had started working for Max fourteen years ago, not long after Christy was born. There was just two engineers to look after then, and he was the labourer, driver, 'gofer' and occasionally body guard - those early work sites were pretty wild. Him and Max had drunk gallons of beer together, and nearly as much rum before Max got more management than engineer. He wouldn't tell him this unless he was very sure; never gived Don a bum steer yet.

"What do I do Max?"

"First thing Don, don't do anything drastic, for God sake, I don't want to be baling you out of prison tomorrow, clear?... You need to think very carefully about that. Secondly. if it were me I'd check what Sarah was actually up to, confirm it first. And Don, no one knows that its you and Sarah except my wife, I had to ask Sofia to advise me how to break this to you… damn hard Don… Damn hard… she sends her love. Our lips are sealed. It's up to you. Do nothing? No one else will ever know, I promise you. Listen, there maybe a logical explanation" His tone said otherwise. "But what I'd do is take a couple of days off, check the phone records for a number that doesn't make sense, follow her if you want -- hell, borrow a car and camera and anything you think you might need. You're allocated to Libby next week, yes?"

"Yep." It was hard to think about work just then.

"Well, if you want, I can hire someone else to escort Libby."

"Libby wouldn't like that Max, she won't let anyone else guide her, and I still need a job too won't I… But if its okay with you I will take a couple of days off."

Don's answer seemed to please Max. "Whatever you think Don. Anyway, let me know if you change your mind. If Libby is happy with it we could defer the trip." Max came out from around his desk, put a hand on Don's shoulder "Don, this is a hell of a shock, and I'm sorry it was me that had to tell you, but can I ask you to think about anything you do or say before you do it. Call me, or Libby of course, anytime."

On Thursday Don drove to work at his normal time, then returned after Sarah would have left, searching methodistly through the house phone records, then the mobile phone records too –- none of that made much sense. He also checked Sarah's handbag that night as she slept, looked in her diary and found which underwear was missing on Friday. It was her sexy stuff. He had called Max a couple of times for ideas, and he said they looked like they were well known at the hotel and advised him to not to try anything tricky like following Sarah from work to the Hotel, just be at the Hotel waiting.

Wearing a jacket and stupid fly fishing hat Max loaned him, and in a company car he was in the carpark of the motel. He saw them pull up, Ben, helped Sarah out of the car, they kissed the way Don and Sarah used to kiss, and walked into the restraint arm in arm. Could of guessed the boyfriend was a suit, a little younger than Don and Sarah, and a very smooth looking arsehole he was too; probably wore perfume! And Max had ordered him not beat anyone up for now so he didn't follow them inside. His head was too busy for his heart to break straight away.

Saturday morning Don had decided he would talk with Sarah while the kids were playing sport. He thought he had a good plan, thought hard on what to say; wanted to keep it polite, wanted to stay married, tell her what he knew, and make her stop this horrible thing she was doin'. It would be real tough -- there'd be tears -- but they could get past it. Kids should have both a Mum and Dad, especially boys; they needed a dad to growl at them sometimes, tell them how many testicles they'd lose if they didn't treat their girlfriends with respect. He wished his dad had teached him that.

Don's plans didn't work much and his temper stuffed it up this time. "Sarah, how long have you been seeing that arsehole?"

"I beg your pardon sweetie, what did you say?"

"How long have been fucking around behind my back?"

"Are you accusing me of being unfaithful Donald? I certainly deny it. I'm ashamed that you'd think that."

That was ordinary. Sarah always said he wasn't the brightest guy around, but just how stupid did his wife think he was?

"So it's been a different Sarah Wilson fucking Ben Fernandez at the Airport Central Hotel? Most Fridays?"

Sarah's face got red, then a bit blotchy, and her lips went thin, she was still calm. She hadn't denied it any more.

"Oh shit! This does complicate things. Life was a lot easier when you didn't know Don. What on earth possessed you to spy on me like that?"

Don needed to know one thing first. "Do you want us finished?"

"NO! No of course we're not finished, marriage is forever, but this is tricky, it's really complicated, and I refuse to part of an undignified dumping scene, that would be embarrassing all round. I hope you can accept that--well there isn't a choice you, well just have to accept that--"

"--Are you askin' me to let you keep doin'--"

"--Please don't go getting all manly about this, Don we have a good marriage, we're good for each other, divorce will be terribly expensive, and you would probably loose the chance to see your kids grow, just when Mark was turning into such a promising young man and needs you in his life more than ever."

Don temper had got him in a lot of trouble as a kid. It hadn't been a problem for a long time, but then he'd wasn't often tested like this; what shit she was sayin! He imagined Sarah lying on the floor with a bloodied face, maybe a broken cheek. But that wasn't Don, not anymore. He sat silent for a while; Sarah sensibly stopped talking for a moment, then fucked it up. "Don, I think you're being a bit emotional. I'm still your wife. I've been available for you anytime you asked. This thing with Ben won't last forever. I'm counting on you calming down, and accepting this. You've trusted my judgment all this time, there is no reason to change that now. This is just not that big an issue. I plan on us growing old together, that's what I meant when we married."

In a daze Don ended up on the bank of a river not far out of town, one of his special fishing spots, but this time not fishing. He spent the afternoon sitting on the grassy bank, head in his hands trying to sort out what to de next. 'Ok Max I conformed it, now what the fuck do you want me to do?' He couldn't sleep at home, not now, the kids would know; he slept poorly on a camping mattress in his work shed, beside the boat, confused and lonely.

When morning finally came dragged himself out of the sleeping bag, showered to wake up, and drove to Libby's place. He was an idiot -- well, everyone knew that -- but a real dumb idiot. What he should've done was sleep at Libby's, she would have helped him. Ideas always came to him too late. Lib and Brett would have looked after him last night. No maybe it was better not to have got Lib's kids mixed up in his problem too. Oh shit he'd forgotten Kim. He made a hasty turn-around and he picked her up. He'd have to get his brain to work better that this when he got back: it didn't look like he could rely on Sarah to do the hard thinking anymore.

********************

Libby got her usual nice half asleep goodbye kiss from her husband, Brett -- the kids were still asleep -- made a coffee for Don in the travel mug and was waiting on the road in front of the house. Don pulled up, grunted and loaded her bags into the boat.

And then silence.

She had seen Don depressed a few times, his work in the rescue service was often hard on people, but nothing like this. Embarrassed on behalf of Kim too, Libby recalled with a cringe how much she had raved about Don's trips, his cooking, his company, and practical experience, and now he was behaving so out of character. She and Kim exchanged confused glances. They didn't stop for Don's normal mid-journey coffee either, and the boat was launched late in the morning, ahead of schedule. The client's men responded to Don's terseness with understandable resentment. Libby felt a flash of managerial anger herself as she was forced to address some of the practical coordination issues that Don normally dealt with so easily.

They loaded the boat and motored upstream. Libby becoming less angry and more concerned with each hour, but conscious of poor Kim squashed in with the camping gear in the back didn't want to pry yet. It was a slow and complex trip, between the heavy boat and abundance of rocks and shallows, so she left Don to concentrate on his work. And it was nearly dusk when they were finally set up. Don set up a small and sturdy tent for Libby and Kim, with a swag nearby for Don. The fire was started and the eskies and portable fridge were set up under cover. Don also had a small gas BBQ for the days when he wouldn't have time to cook with the fire, like tonight. It was such a pristine spot -- the river ran through a narrow valley -– the sort of spot that reminded her why she chose an environmental career. In the middle distance across the river to the East were rock escarpments with tree lined ridges, and lush growth along most of the river banks. Her husband should be here to see this, he would climb around those hills looking for fossils all day. And why wasn't Don enjoying it? Standard Don-being-corny procedure, near the end of unpacking and setting up, would be for him stand beside her, squeeze her shoulders -- as long as she was braced for it it didn't hurt -- and say something like "Lib, fancy Max thinkin' he's gotta pay us to come someplace like this." Or similar, it was a nice ritual. But not this time. This just plain sucked, grumpy Don, and even when she tried to make isn't this nice conversation with Kim all she got was "Sure, but do those fucking birds ever shut up, how are we suppose to sleep with that noise…" A city girl through and through. The temperature dropped sharply as soon as the sun dipped below the escarpment behind them.

After a simple dinner of juicy tender grilled sausages and steamed veggies, Kim volunteered to clean up, she seemed glad to be out of Don's sphere of terse silence, and Libby couldn't blame her. He was relaxing against a log near the fire, staring dully at the darkening hill across the river, and Libby decided it was time, took a deep breath, knelt next to him and asked gently, nervously. "What's wrong Don, you're not yourself, will you talk to me?... I'm really worried… Please?" Don was obviously reluctant to talk, wouldn't meet her eyes and looked to want to be left alone, she thought because Kim was here. Or… "Is it something I've done?... No?... You'd tell me?" So it was just having Kim near, well that was something they would have to work around. "Well if its not me, can you tell me what it is, c'mon baby, tell Lib what's wrong, Lib might be able to fix it, please let me help." Apart from Don needing help, she needed him functioning safely in the boat tomorrow or she'd have to abort the trip.

Eventually he said simply, with a choke, "No Lib, my… Sarah is having an affair…"

"Oh shit… I mean are you sure?"

"...and she doesn't want to stop…"

"FUCK!" Then she reprimanded herself, leadership was needed here. She put one arm over his shoulders and took his hand into her lap.

"…and yes I'm sure, she said so, and look." He handed her the photos Max's friends had taken. He pressed his forehead against hers for a moment. "Do you think guys in suits fuck better than labourers?" Don then dropped his head onto his knees and he lost what composure he had left, her sympathy seemed to make it worse but she persevered, and he sobbed uncontrollably. Libby felt like doing the same, but fought the sensation. Support Don, then she'd make a decision about the job. She stayed close and comforted him as best she could, and noticed Kim trying to appear busy and out of the way. She's a good girl! Don would have said if he had his wits about him. He eventually related the last four days in his unique disorganised style, "... Well the boots on the other toe this time, isn't it Lib? What am I suppose to do now?"

Foreheads together again she whispered, "No rush, Donnie, we'll talk about that later, and you will not be alone for this, we're friends aren't we? And sweetie, Wednesday? Really! Silly man, for not telling me sooner!" And they talked on into the night, the scenery, the bird noises, and contract forgotten. Mainly Libby prompted and Don talked. She was a good scientist, a reluctant manager, definitely not a counsellor, but she did her best to guide the conversation for the next two or so hours, felt it best to clear his head. Keeping Don's situation to the fore, steering into less emotional areas when he looked like needing a break. Kim ran out of busy work and sat a little away, across the fire, helping out with light conversation and distraction when needed, but generally staying quiet. Good Girl again. Libby revisited some familiar territory, about how he and Sarah met, his kids, their school, the good times in his marriage, the fights, talked about how he'd discovered the affair, teased out his feelings, tentatively explored his options, and mixed in with talk about his job, fishing, and the highlights of the great trips they had had together… and there were dozens of those… they were the A team right?

She did her best.

The beers had gone to his head, drained emotionally and exhausted after a big day getting his charges safely here, Don started to slur his words, then nod his head. She awkwardly manhandled him sidewise, and arranged his head, heavy on her lap. He was so tired! She thought as she gently stroked his scruffy hair. If only he'd said something earlier, as long as there was no reversing the boat trailer she could have at least driven some of the way, or better yet postponed the trip.

Libby beckoned Kim, now that Don wasn't awake to feel awkward about her presence, she came over and sat beside Libby.

"Jesus Libby, you wouldn't think it would hit him that hard."

Libby spent ten minutes filling Kim in on Don's background, the dangerous early years, the transformation and how Sarah and his kids were so important to his self esteem.

"So are we staying?"

The sixty four million dollar question! "I think he'll get his confidence back faster here, with me, than anywhere… Peace and quiet… Time to think, Don needs a fair bit of time to think sometimes, and this is his playground. Max must have thought the same thing or he would have postponed the trip." Libby looked angrily back in the direction they'd come from. "AND BY THE WAY MAX, THANKS A FUCKING BUNCH! JUST LOVE HOW YOU PREPARE ME FOR THINGS LIKE THIS."

"What did Don mean about boot's on other toe, or other foot I presume, did he play around too?"

"No! Not Donnie, never! No, he's aware my husband Brett was unfaithful once, so it seems Don and I have swapped roles."

Kim appeared close to saying something then stopped.

"What?" Libby said sharply.

"Well some of the guys at work talk as if you and Don, are… Umm… Well, have been fuck buddies. Talk about sharing showers, stuff like that, I'm sure its just talk…"

Libby sighed, "This can be a real hard business for a girl to be in sometimes. They'd be the same ones that I had to pull into line at the Christmas party I guess, Max always leaves things like that for me to sort out too. But Kim, you'd do well to notice that they never say it to Don's face, what does that tell you? Spineless shits that they are!"

Rambling a little now, but keen to explain why a bright attractive professional women such as herself would become so close to a big scuffy labourer, and still not be 'fuck buddies' she went on, "Brett tried to deny what he'd done for a couple of days, then confessed. I nearly kicked him out, but ended up leaving him with our oldest and went working with Don, in the mountains that time, nearly two weeks, looking for insecticide spray drift, 'wipin' leaves' Don called it. Eventually stayed with Brett, for the kid's sake rather than anything else. And we're sort of OK now, go weeks at a time without thinking about it sometimes…" Libby was close to crying herself, tears formed, but she was determined not break down in front of Kim.

They sat quietly for a while. Libby continued rambling while she stroked Don's hair.

"All that happened eight years ago, we had been a solid team for about two years , but nothing special -- you know I went out and bought pepper spray the first time Max said I had to travel away with Don -- and when he heard me crying in my tent about Brett, I just couldn't sleep, cried and cried; Kim you have no idea how confused and emotional and scared I was, five months pregnant, and looking at… well anyway Don finally just decided to slide into bed with me and held me and I slept. Over a week like that. He was perfect Kim, just perfect, so gentle, took charge, not embarrassed about how big I was, or how gassy I was. He wanted to take me home the first morning of course, but I needed some more time away so we finished the job. Thought giving Brett some time to stew was a good idea, that was kind of Don's take on it. He's never told a single person the things I told him in confidence that week, and if it wasn't for his… decency and support… I honestly believe I would be divorced now. And we've become very close, as you can see, I do believe we are about the most unlikely friends you will ever meet… no more pepper spray… but NOT lovers Kim. NEVER lovers."