Jake's Story, Take Two

Some people thought I had treated Jake badly in the story: "The Best Birthday Present Ever!"

And, perhaps I did. This is a totally different end to the story that came to me this morning.

Jake and Julie Burrows had been together for 16 years, even though they were only in there late 20s. They'd met at Junior High and had quickly become an item. They were so obviously right for each other that their friends soon started to call them 'Mom and Pop', or the 'two Js'.

Rather than going to college after graduation Jake had decided to join the army, and Julie had decided that the life of an army bride would be acceptable to her, so they had married jut before he went off for his basic training. She went to the local college and studied business administration.

All was going well until at age 23 Jake pulled his first overseas duty, which was to help clear mines in Afghanistan.

He'd been part of a team sent out to deal with what they believed was the remains of an old Russian minefield. The last thing he remembered was helping to unpack some equipment, when there was a flash, followed by a gigantic roar. Then blackness took him away.

When he awoke a week later he was convalescing in a US Army hospital in Germany. He had pins in his legs, but he would be back home in the US, with Julie by the end of the next week and that was all that mattered to him.

His rehabilitation had taken a couple of months, but Julie was there for him all the way through. What had happened had, Jake believed, made their relationship all the stronger, their love even more complete and, he felt, more mature and deeper.

A couple of years later and their married life was perfect, or so it seemed to Jake. He had a job working for a local media production outfit (though he was still on the Military Reserve) Julie worked in a local bank and they were buying their first home (a smart two bedroom house) in a decent part of town. The loan had been arranged through Sally's employer. The bank's chairman, Miles Simpson, had a great deal of time for the couple as he had served in Gulf War 1 as an infantry officer before leaving army life to work at his family's bank.

Jake was receiving counselling funded by the military. He had a number of issues. His injuries, though not impacting much on his life, still hurt him, but he never let Julie know about the pain in his legs. He just got on with life as best he could.

He also suffered from survivor guilt, when the survivors of a terrible disaster or a military operation gone wrong begin to feel guilty about the fact that they had survived, when their comrades had not. He confided in his counsellor that he felt God had somehow saved him to continue his relationship with Julie.

His counsellor was worried. In his notes he recorded that, although he had not raised this with Jake, he was concerned that Jake relied too much for his happiness and for his existence, perhaps, on his wife, Julie. "If something were to happen to damage this relationship or to end it, I am worried what Jake's reaction might be," he wrote.

They'd been married for ten years and Julie's birthday was upon them and Jake was stumped as to what to buy for her for her birthday. He wanted to really show Julie how much he loved her, how much he cared for her as the one special person in his life.

He asked him what she wanted. She grinned as she said: "Oh, Jake! Don't worry! What I want is the best birthday present in the world. Ever!"

He laughed, and asked her what she meant. She shook her head. You have over a week, Jakey! You'll find my best birthday present in the world. Ever! And you'll get it for me. I know you will! I trust you!"

He mentioned his dilemma to his co-workers at lunch, the next day.

A wily, older colleague suggested that he planted a Voice activated Recorder in either her car or her purse. "That way you can hear when she talks to her sister or her friends on the phone about and you can work out from that what her ideal present would be. I've done it for years!"

So that was what Jake decided to do. He borrowed a VAR from the co-worker that was disguised as a working pen and placed it in Julie's voluminous purse.

He felt so pleased with himself! He'd be able to find the ideal gift for Julie!

The evening of the day he had planted the VAR they made love, passionately and with all of the romance that they had felt since their first time as 16-year-old lovers. When she, with a shy, coquettish smile, asked him to go down on her, he complied with gusto.

The next morning, before Julie went to work (he had the day off) he retrieved the VAR from her purse and downloaded the recording to his laptop. As he listened to the recording, after Julie had kissed him on the lips and left for work, he felt his heart turning to stone.

First, he heard a conversation between Julie and her sister, Pat:

Julie: "Hi, Pat. How're things?"

Pat: "Oh, not bad. By the way, have you thought any more about what I said?"

Julie: "About what?"

Pat: "You know. About you cheating on Jake with that asshole security guard at the bank. Ted Bailey-Simpson, isn't it?"

Julie: "Oh, Pat! Give me a break! I'm not really cheating on Jake, this thing with Ted it's... well..."

Pat: "Are you fucking Ted?"

Julie: "Yes."

Pat: Well, then, that's cheating on Jake, isn't it?"

Julie: I suppose so, but the stuff with Ted, it's just a naughty adventure! A fantasy! And Jake doesn't need to know! What he doesn't know won't hurt him!"

Pat: "What if he finds out, Julie?"

Julie: "Oh, he won't. And what if he does? I can wrap him round my little finger! He'll forgive me, because he loves me!"

Pat: "I hope you're right sis, I really do. If he found out, it'd break his heart!"

They chatted a while longer about inconsequential matters and terminated the call.

There was a pause, then another call, this one between Julie and Ted:

Ted: "Yo, Julie! How is my main squeeze?"

Julie: "I'm fine, Ted! How's my big boy?"

Ted: "Your big boy is just fine, Julie! Ready for some hot sex today, at work?"

Julie: Yes! I certainly am!"

Ted: "What's wrong, honey? Isn't Crip doing you well enough?"

Julie: "Oh, Crip's OK, he does me as well as he can, but you really know how to pleasure a woman!"

Ted: "Cool! Glad to hear it. What about my suggestion, yesterday? Did you do it?"

Julie: "What suggestion, Ted?"

Ted: "When I got you to let me do you bareback, when I asked you to take my full load back to Crip and make him suck my sperm out of you?"

Julie: "Yes, Ted, I did, that for you, but I felt so guilty about making Crip, I mean Jake, do that, please don't ever ask me to do it again, OK?"

Ted: "Did he? Did he lick you clean and suck my sperm out of you? Did you make him swallow my load, just like I asked you to?"

Julie: Yes, I did! But... Ted! Please! Stop that! If you want any more of my body, you'll stop going there, OK? I know you and me are planning to quit our jobs and run away together to a start a new life in California, but I feel badly enough about what we are doing to Jake, without me helping you make a fool out of him in that way, too. So if you want us to remain an item, well, just quit it, OK?"

Ted: "OK, I am sorry, Julie, I just thought it would be a fun idea, that's all."

Julie: "It was a fun idea. But when he finally cleaned me out and swallowed it all down, and he looked up at me and smiled and told me how much he loved me, I... I felt like such a heel, I almost confessed to him, what I had done."

Ted: "Shit! I am glad you didn't. He might have hurt you and me, so you must never tell him. Look, I am sorry, I can see how torn up you are over cheating on him. So we'll talk more about this over my uncle's desk whilst I fuck you on it, this afternoon. He's going to be out all day, so his office is clear for us to use it."

Julie: "OK, lover, that's a date! Now I have to concentrate on my driving!"

Devastation. Betrayal. Heartbreak.

Yes, Julie had asked for him to do down on her, last night. So yes, he had cleaned her out. He had sucked and swallowed her lover's sperm from her vagina.

He ran into the downstairs toilet and began throwing up until there was nothing left. He splashed water on his face, drunk a little water from the palm of his hand and stumbled back through the house, into the living room.

It was a little after 7.20am and Jake suddenly knew what the best birthday present ever that he could offer Julie, was. And then, with a twisted grin, he thought better of it. He suddenly changed his mind. And he came up, instantly, with another, even better ideal birthday present for her.

And the best part of it? He had everything he needed in the house or in the garage. It would, he felt, really be the best birthday present ever! Yet he felt no joy as he began his preparations for Julie's birthday surprise. Just a sense of purpose.

He emailed and phoned round all of Julie's immediate family and some friends and told them he was organising a special a birthday surprise party for that evening at their home. He even invited Julie's several of her co-workers to attend. Including Miles Simpson. And...Ted, too.

Of course, Ted told Julie about it. That irritated her, as Ted had no reason to spoil Jake's surprise. She would just have to pretend to be surprised. She figured she owed Jake that much. "God! I only hope that Jake doesn't spot anything between Ted and me!" she thought, suddenly concerned about her illicit affair.

When everyone converged at their modest house, there was some good boxed wine and some beers and soda pops for those who didn't want to drink alcohol. There were some pretzels and other snacks. Everyone had a good time.

At 8pm Jake set up his laptop and a 3M Pocket projector which he aimed at the large wall at the end of the lounge.

It told the story of Jake and Julie. With slideshows, some video clips and with a voiceover made by Jake. It told the heart-warming story of how they met, how they were known as Mom and Pop or the two Js, because of how close they were, even from a very early age. There was even a light and bubbly piece of music in the background.

It showed their early married life, his joining the army, his passing out parade, how proud both their sets of parents had been. The death of his parents in an auto wreck, then there were things Julie had never seen. His devastating injury, how long and hard his recovery had been, how he was in constant pain, which he had, until then, kept hidden from Julie.

Everyone had tears in their eyes. Julie was bawling her eyes out. Ted looked decidedly uncomfortable. Miles Simspon, Ted's uncle, looked both misty eyed and was he giving Julie and Ted suspicious looks? Or was that Julie's imagination?

Then the pleasant music stopped, to be replaced with a dark, brooding and threatening piece of atonal music. Jake was rather pleased with that. He had lashed it together with some shareware software that morning.

The voiceover continued, but Jake's voice had changed to match the new, darker music. "But folks, now we come to a time in the life of Jake and Julie when they are no longer describable as Mom and Pop and when the two Js are now coming to an end." The music cut out abruptly and to her horror Julie heard the recordings of her two telephone conversations of the day before.

The presentation ended and Jake looked at Julie with eyes that showed hatred, love, anguish and loss. "Julie!" he shouted. "After all we meant to each other, girl, just what in the name of FUCK did you mean by cheating on me with that fake cop, Ted Bailey-Simpson? Huh? Why? What had I ever done to you, that you should not only cheat on me, but humiliate me by making me suck that miserable piece of shit's spunk out of your cunt?"

Julie was sobbing and looked ready to faint and Ted was standing up, trembling.

The next voice was a low growl that came from Miles Simpson. "Ted, you little fuck. Not only do you cheat on a fine, honest and honourable medal-winning soldier like Jake with his IDIOT wife, you have the nerve to fuck that slut on my fucking desk, damn you! And you have the balls to mock his injuries, received on active service, by calling him Crip?"

Ted raised he hands in a placatory gesture. "U...Uncle Miles... I... I..."

Ted made a chopping gesture. "Shut up. Don't 'Uncle' me, you little turd! And don't bother coming in to work tomorrow. You are fired." He rounded on Julie: "And you, you stupid little whore, you'd better not come in either."

He turned to Jake: "Jake, my friend, I am so sorry that they did this to you. You handled this very well. I dare say we will meet, in the near future." He shook Jake's hand, then left the house.

Julie's co-workers made their excuses and left, glad to leave after such a dramatic situation.

Julie's sister Pat jumped from her chair, walked over to Julie and slapped her face. "That's for cheating on the best man I ever knew. When I was 16 years old, I longed for Jake, I ached for him to love me like he loved you. I used to frig myself silly, thinking about Jake, wanting him in my bed and in my life as more than just a brother-in-law. But you, you stupid bitch, you have thrown him away! After being together for 16 years, you throw Jake over for a rent-a-cop in a cheap store-bought uniform, when you had your own real life soldier boy back home!

"And you actually made Jake clean you out of the leavings of shit boy?"

Julie looked at her younger sister. "I don't know what to say. I can't believe I did that to Jake. I have no defence. None." She shook her head.

She turned to Jake: "You weren't meant to hear that. That talk about leaving you for Ted and running off to California, that was just a silly little fantasy game. I'd never have done it."

From the expression on Ted's face, it was clear that revelation came as a shock to him.

Julie's parents came over to Jake. "Jake, we are so sorry our stupid daughter hurt you. If you want, we'll take her home with us," said Mabel, Julie's mother.

"Thanks," said Jake. "That's a kind gesture. Please take her with you."

Julie said: "I'll go. But before I go, Jake, I have to know... how long did you suspect me of having an affair?"

Jake shook his head. "I never suspected you of having an affair, Julie. The thought had never crossed my mind. I trusted you, fully.

"The reason I put that recorder in your car was so I could hear you talk to your mom or your sister, to see if I could get an idea for your best birthday present, ever."

He gave a bitter laugh. "You know, at one point I actually thought of pretending to rob your damn bank and getting Ted to shoot me down, to give you the gift of widowhood. But then I thought better of it. Why should I give a cheating whore like you the opportunity to make me take my own life?

"So I decided to get you the best ever present in the world. Your very own divorce!"

Pat said to Jake: "Jake, what about you and me, now?"

Jake shook his head. "Sorry Pat, no can do. Try to see it from my point of view. You knew that Julie was cheating on me, fair enough, you did try to dissuade her, but you never told me, did you? So how could I trust you to have my back, to look out for my best interests?"

Pat looked sickened. She burst into tears and fled from the room. She knew she had ruined her chance to get together with Jake. If only she had confided in him!

"Damn it to Hell, Mabel!" shouted her husband, Bill: "How the hell did we raise two such fucking stupid daughters?"

Mabel shook her head. She didn't know how, either.

Eventually everyone left. Jake decided to leave the tidying up for another time. In the morning he would make three calls. He'd call in sick, then he'd call a divorce attorney and the other call would be to his military counsellor.

He knew he'd need a lot of professional help to get him through this. But he knew he would. After all, he owed it to his fellow soldiers who died in that explosion to live his life to the full and not let a slut dictate whether he should live or die.