Free Pass

"Sorry but I don't buy into that, I think an affair is exactly what it is."

She walked out leaving me sitting there chewing on my swollen lip.

It was later after work and I was cleaning up, when Dez walked in again, "Blaine I am going over to Stu's place to apologise to Angela, would you please come with me? I thought if you and I could show a united front she might change her mind and take him back."

"No Dez, go if you want, but me...I think she is better off without him. He's a cheater; god knows how many wives he's bedded."

"That's none of your business though is it? All we can do is try and repair the damage you've caused."

With no answer she snarled. "OK then I'll do it by myself, if you're to chickenshit to come and step up, I'll say it for you."

"I will visit her when I am ready, and I will tell her the truth, she needs to know what sort of arsehole she's married to."

"Don't you bloody dare, I'm trying to fix your fuck up, please don't be a spiteful prick?" Her confrontational snarl softened and she whispered, "Blaine put aside your pain, there is still a chance that they could reconcile, please babe let's see if we can help, they are innocent in all this, I am begging here, please come with me, show some compassion."

"You do what you feel you have to and I will do what I think is right."

She stormed out leaving me with a cold empty feeling. Maybe I was telling the truth, maybe my marriage was over?

I didn't have to go and see Stu's wife she walked into the workshop the very next day. When I saw her walk in I put down the job I was working on and waved her in. I welcomed her into the office and asked if she wanted tea or coffee. She shook her head and I closed the door behind her.

She tried to speak but the tears flowed and I had to get her a tissue. Eventually the words rolled out. "Destiny came and saw me last night, she had a lot to say. She said you knew about the one time they got together?"

I nodded, "Yes she told me but it's not what you think, I don't know what she told you but she conned me."

I then went on to explain exactly what happened, I saw her nodding and wiping away tears as she listened. I explained that Dez told me afterwards Stu asked many times for a repeat. I wasn't soft soaping this it was nothing but the truth.

When she spoke she asked, "Why did you let it happen?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, it happened so quick and came out of the blue. I was stunned and right up till the moment she walked out the door I thought she was joking."

"But why did you come around the other night? Why the fight?"

"Because she lied to me, told me it was just a one night stand, she didn't tell me who it was with and that they worked together. The other night was when I found out they had been carrying on at work. That was too much for me."

She sniffled, "What am I going to do? I don't work, we can't survive without his money."

"Then hit him hard, find a good solicitor and take him to the cleaners, you will get the Domestic Purposes Benefit and a housing supplement, there's help for women in your position. Sue the firm, try and get something out of them as well."

Her tears flowed unstoppably, "I want to, I want to hurt him but if he loses that job he might have to move and then Karen will never see her dad."

"I can't tell you what to do, if you think you can forgive and forget then do that, but I warn you, I think he's a cheater and you know what they say...like leopards they never change their spots."

She peered up at me after blowing her nose, "What are you going to do?"

Shrugging tightly I croaked, "I don't know. What happened between Dez and me is my fault as well. I bloody let her do it and I feel just as angry at myself but I don't think I can let go the fact she lied to me."

"What do you mean lied?"

"She may not have lied exactly, but when I asked her if she had seen him again she said a couple of times, as if she bumped into him at the shop or something, not that they worked together, not that they had an ongoing relationship at work and were carrying on like lovers."

Submissively she sniffled, "But she never lied, and she seems so sorry, she was very nice yesterday."

"Yeah well it is what it is. You need to make up your own mind. I'm sorry that you had to see that. I didn't know he was married when I came around to confront him, seeing you and your daughter was a shock."

"But you came to beat him up?"

"Yes, I wanted to hurt him."

As she left I shook my head in disbelief, she sounded like she was going to take him back. Oh well, that was her call, I felt like I had done all I could."

Two days later I got another visit from Dez and she looked unhappy. Her usually bright eyes were dark with bags under them. She obviously wasn't sleeping well. That gave me a warm feeling inside, because sleeping here wasn't exactly fun either. All I had was the sofa in the office and it was not comfortable at all.

We sat in the office and I made her coffee, as we sipped she blurted out, "Blaine, when are you coming home? We all miss you, this is crazy."

Trying to hold back the rage I moaned, "I'm not sure I am coming back Dez, I have been throwing this around for days now and I don't think I can trust you. Leading up to that party you cried foul saying you didn't want to go, then I assume at the last minute Stu said he would stay home and you got all happy and decided to go, is that about it?"

She nodded, "You see Dez, that's my problem, you lied to me, you deceived me, you knew what was going to happen if I saw him there so you convinced him to stay home and hoped nobody would say anything."

"Yes, I knew what you would say, Stu wanted to meet you and talk to you, explain and I did to, but after what happened after our date I was scared."

"So you lied?"

"No I never lied, I told you that I saw him after the date, I never lied."

"Omission is lying, if you think that's not lying I think I'll get someone else to do my tax returns."

"Yeah, I agree, it wasn't right I should have said something sooner. I wanted to, I wanted you to know the truth, but it wasn't an affair. We might have kissed three times at the most when he caught me unaware and he pinched my boob about the same but that was it. Nothing else happened...ever."

"How can I believe you, don't you see, that's the bit for me, when you've lied once you'll just keep on doing it and hide behind, you didn't want to hurt me."

"Please Blaine, come home, if we can talk sanely we can work it out just like before."

"I'm not so sure, these things have a way of blowing up in your face. What happens the next time I'm busy with work and you're feeling abandoned and he is there kissing you and squeezing your boob, what happens then?"

"I thought I was doing something that would give our marriage a kick start, I read a couple of online articles, Cosmo and other magazines and they said that if both parties agreed then it could be a real sexual boost for couples who were drifting apart. We joked about it so many times that I thought it would be OK, I mean we did both agree, I told you over and over in that week and you were so excited I thought they were right. We had more sex in that week than we had in the previous two months."

"Yeah well that wasn't entirely my fault was it? If you had just bothered to ask we could have talked and sorted it out and you wouldn't have had to go on your fucking date."

"It was a mistake, I can see that now, but we can't let it ruin our lives, it was just one stupid moment."

Clutching her purse like it was a squeaky toy she added, "How can I fix it? Please whatever it is I will do it?"

I didn't answer so she barged on, "Do you want me to quit my job? Will that help?"

"Let him quit, if he's half the guy you say he is he should offer."

"He already has and I said no, theirs is a single income family, we can get by without my income while I look for another job but they can't."

I nodded, "OK then...Fine, that will be a good start."

I think she was shocked, thinking I would say no, don't do that we can make it work or something. She swallowed hard, "Alright, I will hand in my resignation tomorrow, I have to work out my notice though."

I frowned, "That's a start."

"Blaine it's Christmas next week the kids are wondering what the hell is going on, they're not babies anymore but... I'm pleading with you come home don't spoil Christmas for them."

It's weird, I had forgotten all about Christmas, she was right, I didn't want to spoil it, Christmas had always been such a wonderful time in our home. Regardless of how much money we had we always made it fun and exciting for the kids. They were well past believing in Santa, now they were young adults. The holidays were a big family day, something we had always held dear to our hearts and it meant a lot to all of us.

Swallowing my pride I mumbled, "Yeah, you're right. I will be home tonight and we can try to keep this private until after the holidays."

She threw her arms around my neck and cried, "Thank you babe, you won't regret it."

Huh, she wasn't out the door and I already regretted it.

.

Dez already had dinner cooking and it smelt wonderful, better than bloody Macca's anyway. Both Joel and Bailey looked uncomfortable and they had questions but they went unasked. We were all feeling the pain.

Joel especially looked like he had something he wanted to say but didn't know how to start so I made an announcement. "Look guy's, it must be obvious to you both that your mum and I aren't getting along at the moment. I don't want that to get in the way of our celebrations. We are talking and trying to see what the future holds, but I am asking just give us some time OK."

Dez gave me an angry glare but smiled for the kids' sake.

It was after dinner once the kids were gone that the atmosphere changed and it got cold and distant. Silence settled like fog over a lake. We sat at the table staring across at each other; both wanting to talk but afraid to open up what we knew would become a war.

There was no hiding from bed time and when I switched of the light and walked into the bedroom Dez was already there propped up playing on her phone. I stripped and climbed in beside her. She put down her phone and as I pulled up the blankets she snuggled behind me, as always the perfect spoon, "What are you doing Dez?"

"I'm cold and snuggling, there's no reason why we can't be cosy, I'm not going to rape you."

Her hot body moulded to mine and there wasn't a spare centimetre of flesh. Her wet sexy lips nestled against my shoulder and then lower against my chest as her arms held me tight.

Sleep didn't come easy, I had a hard on that wouldn't die. She didn't try to rape me, not that I would have fought her off. Sometimes anger manifests itself in strange ways. I was still mad but my little head was well and truly in control, my cock ached and throbbed, dying for some attention.

The morning as always found us snuggled together and it was hard prising myself out of her grip to get ready for work.

There were only a few days left before the holidays and there was a ton of work to do. Lunch time I got a strange visit, one that I certainly wasn't expecting. Stu walked in bold as brass. He walked right up to me and I thought here we go, but with his face inches from mine he barked. "We need to talk."

I pointed him to the office and one of my workers came over, "You alright boss?"

I nodded, "Yeah mate we'll be fine."

As I walked in he waited until the door was closed before he started, "You have to know I feel responsible for what happened between Dez and me. It was me who seduced her and I know you're pissed at her but making her resign is ridiculous, she loves that job. She is part of the reason it's successful. She was there when Marilyn started it. When she resigned Amanda broke down and begged her to stay, she was so disappointed. "

"That was her idea not mine."

"Yeah she said, but you didn't exactly try to change her mind did you?" He snapped sarcastically.

"Nope, I agree with her she needs to get away from you, you're a toxic influence."

Swallowing whatever insult he wanted to throw he barrelled on, "Look I don't know what you think goes on there, but yeah I tried to get her to agree to a second date but she always turned me down. I snuck a couple of kisses, but that wasn't any worse than she would have got at tons of New Year's Eve parties and you wouldn't have even thought twice."

"Doesn't change the fact you're going to keep hitting on her and I think she's better off away from you."

"Blaine, I'll make you a deal, get her to change her mind and I will never hit on her again and I will look for another job and the moment I find one I'll leave, that is the promise I will make here and now. I like Dez, we are great friends and I have fucked that up as well as the rest of my life, but she loves that bloody job."

We stood toe to toe staring at each other and he held out his hand. "She loves you man, don't be a fool, that job means a lot to her. Make her give it up and it will fester inside her forever more, and when it comes to the surface there will be no way back."

I looked down at his outstretched hand and I sighed, "Yeah alright, but I don't even know if we'll be together after Christmas."

He laughed, "Don't be an idiot; one divorce is enough at the firm."

That night at dinner Dez was as grumpy as a bear with a sore head. She didn't say much and she snapped at everybody. "You'll be happy, I handed in my resignation today."

"Cool, how did Marilyn take it?"

"Not well actually, she tried to talk me out of it."

"Well you are her best rep, no doubt she's pissed. Now she will have to train somebody new."

"Yeah...she offered me more money, a better percentage."

"Good for her, how did that go?"

"You already know the answer. I said no."

Nodding I reached into the fridge to grab a beer she snorted. "Does that make you happy?"

Sucking in a deep breath I snapped, "No actually it makes me sad, sad that it was the only response because my wife couldn't keep her legs together, sad because you love that job and I know that but sad because you knew it was the only thing to do, it was your idea remember."

"I only said that because I knew it was what you wanted."

"I think we have been down this road before, you offered to resign hoping that I would say don't do that."

"Yeah, I didn't expect you to say yes."

As I opened my beer I passed it to her and got another one for me. We moved over to the table and she said, "Is there any hope for us or are we going to end up like Stu and Angela?"

"Dez, if you want to stay with Marilyn, do it, don't resign for me because we might not even be together come the New Year. But, I warn you, if you give me one reason not to trust you, we're over."

She smiled, "So we have a chance?"

"Maybe, sorry but that's the best I can do."

She smiled, "Maybe we should go to bed and celebrate?"

Sighing I whispered, "Yeah let's do that."

We sort of stumbled our way through Christmas and we fought, we fought like cats and dogs, it seemed like the smallest thing set us off, either her or me."

After Christmas and it was back to work for both of us, Dez took a few weeks longer to spend with the kids seeing as how it was getting close to the last time we might spend the holidays together and she was feeling that more than me. Marilyn was thrilled when Dez gave her the news she was staying after all.

Things got tricky when I was approached by a new customer, who wanted some new equipment manufactured from some old design drawings.

The client was a woman named Lenora. She was growing mushrooms on her little farm and wanted to start processing them herself. She had some old designs from an old plant. I got together with one of my employees and we put together a fabrication plan and picked up some motors, fans and such from dismantlers and wreckers.

It was tricky because things had calmed down at home and this project was going to take a lot of man hours, especially with half my staff off on holidays.

Lenora was a very clever woman and apart from her snappy business acumen she was attractive, I mean heart skipping when she smiled at you attractive. She was the complete opposite to Dez, blonde and buxom, her bountiful boobs overflowed her strained bra and she loved to flaunt them. As we got the crew on site I caught the guys gossiping about her and of course how they would love to bang that fleshy arse.

Yeah that was the other thing, I have heard women described as womanly because of their wide childbearing hips, Lenora was exactly like that. Her legs weren't long and slender like Dez's because she wasn't tall, but they were shapely, so damned shapely and sexy.

When she smiled her light azure blue eyes were bright and witty. Where Dez's were deep like wells of emotion Lenora's were like neon, bright and shiny.

As we worked on the project it wasn't hard to notice she liked me, she was never far from me, always leaning over my shoulder, watching everything.

At those times it wasn't hard to fall under her spell. Her perfume was strong and sensual and when it cloaked you it sucked you in. She always had a witty retort and it was her way of flirting. The banter grew quickly and as I stayed late one night to finish part of the project she brought in some food and a bottle of wine. As we worked through the bottle we talked, she was so easy to talk to, suddenly from out of nowhere I was spilling my guts about Dez's affair and everything that happened including the stupid free pass. She gave me a hug that was more than just comforting, and as she held that hug, she came in for a kiss. I recoiled a little taken by surprise by her sudden attack. "Lenora, stop, I'm married, I can't do this."

Her flirtatious teasing smile belayed her directness, "Blaine let me tell you, I am a grown woman. I have travelled the world and experienced a lot of things and I'm not afraid to ask for what I want...do you get the picture?"

"Lenora, you are a beautiful sexy woman, and I would love to take this further, but I can't risk it."

She pushed past my up turned hand and pulled me into the kiss, her mouth was sweet, her lips were full and juicy. Her hands slid caressingly over my face. Her fingernails gliding, making me tingle.

"Tell me Blaine, if you weren't married, would you be saying stop?"

I chuckled, "I think you know the answer to that."

She nodded slowly, "yes I think I do. So that little agreement your wife had, does that extend to you?"

I laughed, "Yes it does, but I don't want to reopen that wound, it's taken us a long time to get onto solid ground."

"I understand, but what say you put the ball in her court and let her decide because, I am telling you I would love nothing more."

Wow, my mind couldn't get traction. "No Lenora, I would love to but, the answer is no."

When I got home late that night Dez picked up the fact I had been drinking and Lenora's Perfume was all over me, there was even lipstick on my collar. She looked confused, "Should I be worried about this?" She said pointing to the lipstick."

Feeling guilty I blushed, "No, nothing happened."

"Come on Blaine, we can be honest with each other."

Sighing I relayed what happened. She flinched as I spat out all the details, "Wow, she sounds like a real tornado."

I laughed, "You don't know the half of it."

Our lovemaking was torrid that night, and I would be lying if I didn't admit that Leonora's image didn't appear a couple of times.

The next few days I limited my time on site and focused more on supervising the fabrication in the workshop.

Each night Dez didn't exactly interrogate me on my day's activities but she was showing a lot more interest than normal.