Joad in February, Alternate Version

This is another story based on the basic plot from George Anderson's classic tale. Some have grown tired of them. I haven't. This version has been extensively reworked lately from one I did a while ago. Remember, it's a story, fiction.

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I was standing in the parking lot and a big size 13 shoe was headed right at my face. You may wonder how I got into this situation. Well.....

My name is Tom Joad. (Yeah, I know.) By all appearances I'm an average guy. I'm 5'10", 160pounds. I have brown eyes and brown hair, regular men's cut. I've always tried to avoid standing out, and I've been successful at that. I don't know why I have an aversion to being noticed.

In H.S. I didn't go out for the big sports like football or basketball. I did club gymnastics, and, since I was real young I took 'self-defense' lessons at a club near my school. Mr. Chin was the teacher, and I was by far his best student.

When I graduated HS -- second in my class -- I joined the army -- 17 y/o. I went thru basic, but there I did get noticed. I was sent to a special training spot and stayed there for 9 months. Then I went into a special unit designed to do things no one would be able to trace back to us. My talent for not being noticed came in handy there. My specialty was close combat, mostly unarmed. I had quickness and strength. But the most important thing I had was an ability to anticipate what would happen next....just before it did happen. If not for that, I'd be dead ten times over. One other requirement -- ruthlessness. Cold ruthlessness.

I spent ten years in the army. For six of those I attended Tech and got a degree in accounting, and one in economics, with a lot of computer training. I also met my future wife, Linda.

College was easy for me except that I sometimes was absent for a week or so doing my duty. That happened about three or four times a year. At first, I returned from these forays with some injuries. But by the time I went to college, I was mostly able to avoid those.

I met Linda one day when I was helping out with the boxing club at school. I would spar with the guys. I just avoided their punches and tapped them sometimes. Linda was there one day watching a big red-headed heavyweight -- Don. I noticed her. She was 5'8", slim, long dark hair and a pretty face. Great smile as she watched Don spar with the other heavyweight. The coach called me to get into the ring with Don, because he was hurting the other guy. So, I went two rounds with him, keeping out of his way and tapping him now and then. He got frustrated because he couldn't hit me. As the third round began he charged me like a bull. I couldn't help it, I swear. I whacked him once and ended it. It had nothing to do with his pretty girl friend.

Later I was walking along on campus and Linda ran up on me.

"You knocked out Don."

"Yeah, sorry, he just charged at me. Instinct, you know. I'm not supposed to hurt these guys."

'But he's way bigger than you. He's on the football team.'

'I have training. The army."

After that conversation I saw her fairly often, and I noticed she would look at me. So I asked her out and she accepted. We got closer and she dumped Don. I had a room above a local barber shop that I used when I was not due on base. After six months she moved into the room. She and I graduated the same year, although she was five years younger. I proposed, and she accepted.

At the time I thought that we had a very satisfactory sex life, and I'm sure she did as well.

She had a degree in math and wanted to teach. I had had enough of the army, and after ten years I resigned, soon after graduation. I couldn't keep putting myself into these situations when I was about to be married. And...I was tired of killing. Sometimes I could see faces in my dreams -- faces of men who were long gone.

I got a job with an accounting firm and Linda began teaching high school. She was soon pregnant with our first -- Jill. And Bobby came along two years later.

When Bobby was one year old. I resigned from the firm and started my own business from my home office. For a while, things were tight, but then I began to make some money, and also I began to do some computer programming for a local IT firm. I was really good at that, and some material I developed worked so well that I patented it. And...just like that, I was really well off. Our family moved from our lower middle class neighborhood across town to an upper middle class area. I had the house put all in my name because I used savings I got from my family to buy it. It was a four bedroom with a pool and a pool house out back. We gradually made new friends in our new area, and the kids had school and sports friends.

Life went on. I found that I needed some of the competition that I had in the army, so I went to a boxing gym twice a week to spar, hit the heavy bag and practice kicks. It soon became a gym for mixed martial arts fighters as well. They were a different bunch. I sometimes sparred with them as well, and I just kept them at bay. Once in a while, I'd whack someone just to maintain order. I kept in good shape, and none of those guys could have lasted a round with me if I tried my best. It wasn't just the army experience. It was my ability to see what was going to happen just a split second early. I had great reactions and, although I didn't look it, I was stronger than the rest.

The kids were doing well in school and sports, and Linda was still beautiful as ever. We had always been sexually compatible, and that continued. Twelve years went by in contentment -- for me at least. Then one day at the end of February we went out to dinner and dancing with six of our friends. It was a great dinner, and Linda and I had rented a hotel room to use when we were done dancing. The kids were at her parents house. We went dancing at a club near the hotel.

Toward the end of what had been a great evening a hush fell over the place as a party came in. One of them was Marc Stevens, a football star as a linebacker on the local NFL team. Our table immediately identified him, and there was some discussion about what a hunk he was. The ladies mostly spoke about that. He was dressed in a sharp suit, and danced with an attractive blond. But he also kept looking over at our table.

As Linda and I were about to leave the table to get our coats, Stevens approached and, ignoring me, asked her to dance. And she immediately dropped my arm and took his hand. I can say that I was really quite annoyed. But I didn't say much, and just watched them dance. There was a fast number, and another. Stevens was a good dancer, a little too handsy for me, considering that it was my wife he was with.

Then there came a slow dance and Linda melted into his arms. I got up. The other three women at the table immediately protested that I should let Linda have her fun. But I walked over past them to the bar, and ordered a coffee. Even though I had passed within ten feet of them, Linda paid me no mind.

The barkeep, a fortyish woman, brought the coffee and asked me if that was my wife.

"Yes. At least she was."

"Well, that guy has done this sort of thing before here. He's going to ask her to sneak out with him and take her to his place. So far he's never missed. It can cause some trouble."

"It'll cause some trouble for both of them if that happens," I said.

As I watched, they separated, and Linda walked back to our table. I followed her, and sat next to her.

"Have you had your fun?" I asked, with some bitterness.

"I'm sorry, Tom, I was just captivated. Don't be mad."

Just then Julie, one of the other women at our table said she had to go to the ladies room. Linda said she would join her. I took hold of her hand.

"Don't you just want to leave? We have a bathroom at the hotel."

"No, I need this right now."

I watched her walk away, and then I saw Stevens leaving out of the front entrance. I got up and followed him out, much to the dismay of the rest of our table.

I just hoped that I wouldn't see Linda come out to join him.

He walked to a red SUV, and pulled up outside an alley at the side of the club. I saw Linda come out and start to get into his car.

I jogged up to her and grabbed her arm.

"I cannot believe you're doing this. What about your family? Me?"

She had a stricken look and stepped back, staring at me open mouthed.

"I have to do this. I want to do this. It's only for this night."

"It's forever. You go with him, don't come home."

Stevens had gotten out of the car and come around to our side. He shoved me and snarled.

"Leave her alone. I'll tear you up. Let her into the car."

"If you beat me up, do you think she'll still go with you?"

Linda said, "Tom, let me have this. Don't get hurt, please." Apparently she thought I'd get my ass kicked. She should have known better.

Marc couldn't contain himself. He shoved me again. Since I didn't fall down, he twirled and aimed a straight kick at me.

And that's how I ended up with the size 13 shoe headed at my face.

I ducked and as he lost his balance I sent a short knuckle punch into his throat. He was moving forward, and the blow was devastating to him. He landed on his side, clutching his throat. He struggled to his feet. A mistake.

I stepped into him and sent an upper cut to his balls. He leaned over. I supported his weight on my shoulder, kicked his leg out and kneed him in the balls -- three times, real hard. He was almost unconscious.

I thought about messing up a knee, but instead I hefted him and dumped him into the passenger seat of his SUV. I crammed him in. I shut the door.

Linda was standing a few feet away staring at me.

"Maybe you should drive him to his house and see if you can get him to fuck you. That's what you wanted, eh?"

I walked past her and went to the front door. She shouted at me to stop. I didn't.

I went inside and walked to the table that Stevens had occupied before he danced with my then wife.

There were two big guys -- one white, one black -- and three women.

"Maybe you should see to your buddy. He might need a hand."

"What did you do to him?" The black guy asked.

"He tried to kick my head into the next county. I didn't let him do that."

There was some grumbling, but they both went out the door.

I turned and saw Linda walking to our table. I met her there and handed her the coat check chits.

"Get our coats. If you want to leave with me."

Julie -- the woman who had gone to help Linda sneak away -- rose from her seat.

"What happened? Why couldn't you just let it happen?"

Linda said, "Tom beat Marc up and stuffed him in his car."

I said, "Just get the coats." She went to do that.

I turned to the table: "How many of you knew what she was going to do?" There was a general dismay, and a lot of looks at the table. All the women avoided my eyes. The men, except for Fred, Julie's husband, looked at me and shook their heads no.

I said, "You crazy bitches. Any one of you would have done the same thing. I hope you guys understand that. He just picked the wrong woman. The one with the lethal husband. Fuck you all."

I walked away to the bar, and spoke to the same barmaid.

"Do you have a video of outside?"

"Sure, I watched it all. Wait here." She left and came back with a jump drive.

"Here you go. What are you anyway, some kind of professional fighter?"

"I guess you could say that. I'll bring the jump drive back soon."

Linda brought our coats and we walked outside toward the hotel. We said nothing until we came to our room door.

Linda asked, "Are you going to hurt me?"

"Not as much as you've hurt me, I think." She didn't say anything else. We went inside and I took off my suit, dressed in slacks and a sweater. I packed the rest and started to walk out the door.

Linda said, "What are you doing? Are you leaving me? Here?"

"Yep, I'm headed home. You better stay here. Maybe you can find some stud to service you."

She threw herself onto the bed and I walked out, drove home. I went inside and packed a duffel bag with things I needed for a few days. I could work off my computer for a while. I left my wedding ring on the kitchen table, and took the wedding photo we had on the mantle down, stuffed it into a closet.

I left the car and took my truck. I drove out to a cabin I knew about 30 miles away. It was owned by a friend of mine, and I could use it from time to time.

Pulling up, I saw it was dark. I found the hidden key and let myself in, after knocking to make sure no one was there. I texted Harvey that I was there, in case he was intending to use the place. I poured some wine and sat to try to figure out what to do. One thing I knew -- I wanted no part of Linda anymore. At least until I understood why she was willing to chuck over her family to go with that guy.

But we had kids. They were 9 and 11 years old. I wouldn't abandon them.

I looked at news on my computer. Nothing about Stevens. I decided to sleep on it. The next morning -- Saturday -- I phoned her parents and spoke to the kids. Then I told her dad what had happened the night before. It was the first he'd heard of it. He was flabbergasted.

"What are you going to do?"

I said, "Dunno yet. I won't be able to trust her at all."

Jim said, "Maybe she had too much to drink."

"Nope. She was close to sober. Even when I confronted her at the car, she wanted to go with him. If he hadn't provoked me, I would have let her go and we'd for sure be through."

"It's just not like her."

"I know."

I hung up and called Linda's phone. No answer. I left a message for her to call. Then I ran the phone locator app and discovered that she was at Julie's house. I stopped worrying about her.

She called my cell around noon.

"Tom, where are you?"

"Why do you want to know? I'm somewhere thinking about things."

"I came home, and your wedding ring was on the table. And our picture was gone. Please come home so we can talk about this."

"What would you like to discuss? Arrangements for a separation?"

Linda shouted, "I don't want a separation!" I heard a sob.

"Well, that's the least that will happen. You were determined to go fuck that bozo, and you made that clear to all our friends and everyone in the bar. What should I make of that? I'll tell you. Either you got hit with a slut ray, or you just wanted a new cock, more than you wanted me or the kids."

"I just thought I could have that one night for myself, and we'd be back to normal the next day. I didn't see it as a marriage breaker."

"Well, it is. As far as I can see you're completely untrustworthy. From now on if we were married, I'd never know if you were out shopping or fucking some big football player at a hotel. By the way, did you find a replacement for asshole Marc?"

"I spent the night alone."

"Really? How do I know that?"

Linda started sobbing. I hung up.

I really didn't know what to do. The kids. If I divorced her, she might get custody. I knew I could keep the house, but I also wanted to keep the kids. And I wondered if I should stay married to her for their sake. What would the arrangements be? Did I want to keep having sex with her? After all, she hadn't gotten away with her escapade. I knew that if she had succeeded, something very bad would have happened. Death at least, maybe dismemberment. But I stopped it. Still, I couldn't be with her at all times.

I decided that I needed to hear what she had to say. I also decided to make some physical changes to the house. I showered, dressed and drove home.

Linda was there, and she looked nervous as I unlocked the door and came inside.

"I'm glad you came home."

"I thought about all this, and I decided to find out what happened, from your point of view. So???"

'I was just so captivated by him. I...I...just needed to be with him. At the time it seemed like the most important thing in the world.'              

"More important than me and the kids? I guess so."

"It's not exactly like that. I just wanted him so much."

"A big linebacker like old Don. Maybe it was Don's big dick you remembered.....with fondness."

"It was big. So was Marc's when we danced close. But you satisfy me just fine."

"Right. Except for once in a while you need more?"

She just looked at me and tears were falling down her face.

I said, "I think we need different arrangements for now. I'll see to it."

I went out to the pool house and made the futon sofa into a double bed. I took all my clothing from the bedroom, load by load, and arranged it in the pool house. My basement office was fine -- where I worked all the time. I installed a lock on the door from the main house to the basement, and on the sliding door to the pool house.

Linda watched all this, nervously. She kept saying that I didn't have to do this. I made no reply, just kept on. Three hours later I was a resident of the pool house. It had a bathroom and shower. There was a small kitchen in the basement office. I intended to isolate myself from Linda, but not from the kids.

"We need to pick up the kids."

"What will we tell them?"

"The truth?"

"They wouldn't understand. Please.....I'll get my parents to keep them for the weekend. We can pick them up Sunday."

"Ok. But this is on you. You think about what you'll say to them."

"You're the one isolating himself."

"You're the one who can't be trusted to keep her legs closed. Here's the new rules. We're both free to see whomever we want. If you want to fuck asshole, go right ahead. And if I want some companionship, so be it. BUT, you can't bring anyone to this house to have sex, or even to socialize. I don't want you partying here. I can see someone in the pool house because the kids won't know."

"I don't want to date other guys, and I don't want you dating either. Why can't we just forget this happened?"

"How can I forget? When I asked you whether it would be worth giving up your family, you were quite willing to do that. FOR ONE NIGHT WITH ASSHOLE!"

"No, I never thought it would cost my family, or you. I thought you'd get over it."

"You were thinking with your twat. I may never get over it. Probably won't. We'll just have to see about the new arrangements. I don't plan to keep track of you and who you fuck. If we were together, I'd have to track your every move... since you're so untrustworthy."

And so we lived separately. The kids noticed and I told them that we were just having some problems. They settled into a new routine. We'd have dinner together most evenings during the week, talk about school. This went on for about two months. During that time Linda never asked me to keep the kids while she went out.

But I was the parent who worked at home and who was there when they got off the bus from school. Now they were going to be out of school, and Linda was going to have her summer break, for seven weeks. One day she asked me to talk about the summer. We sat down in the kitchen while the kids were still in school. Up to that point I was pretty sure Linda had not hooked up with anyone. But not certain. And I had gone out twice on Saturday evenings, with a woman -- Kate -- that I met at the supermarket. We had kissed, but that's all. I think Linda knew about the dates, because the second time I saw a friend of hers at the restaurant, eying me.

Linda told me, "I've met someone, and I like him. But I haven't let him go too far, so far. It's been months since I had sex. Maybe you had a good time on your dates, I don't know."

"A good time, but not sex."

"I'm going to need to have a man soon. It could be you. You could move back into the house, or you could just fuck me once in a while. But I need it soon, and I need you to decide. Joe has asked me on a date for Friday. If you don't want me by then, then I wonder if you could keep the kids until Saturday afternoon. I don't...I don't think of it as being unfaithful, like it was with Marc."