Lost Lives Ch. 03

Well I acted surprised, Steph and Janine actually had to drag what I felt out of me, before Steph was convinced that I was happy to have it 'come out behind my back'. She never questioned about what I may have known other than having met Neil previously but not knowing his link to Ginia, so when it was the normally calm and composed Janine that called Ginia well Ginia I expected Steph to jump right on top of that, but she didn't even ask, Janine had looked horrified in my direction but I didn't react, just smiled besides Steph didn't know Virginia as anything other than Virginia and certainly didn't know Ginia was my name for her. Neil well he was the stereotypical boyfriend meeting the girlfriends parents, nervous but confident.

That night was a repeat of the night before just a bit more gentle and relaxed as we rediscovered each other, we loved, she cried, I comforted, we loved. As we lay Steph asked the question, "Honey all those things we did last night, we've never done anything like that before, how did you know....you know?"

"I er, um porn honey, I figured that we did need some excitement that we were maybe stale and staid in our sex life so porn."

"Oh, no actually honey, that's great, maybe we should both you know, look ...together."

"Steph, I'd love that." I could've added just not that bit of porn honey. If Steph hadn't asked I would never have realised that all the things we had done actually even the anal, well not the initiation that was totally up to Steph, was taken from porn, I'd watched, that day, from Ginia's video - every move was one Ginia had performed on her 'victims'.

Well, we settled back into married life, Steph still had her meetings with Ginia, Janine saw Neil daily at her or his place so Ginia was a solid part of her life. Ginia and I talked but irregularly now, I guess she thought we didn't need it anymore so she just stopped calling really. Now and then Janine would bring me up to speed on what her and Neil were doing and add in a snippet about Ginia but not often, I tried to be up beat about it when she spoke about Gin, but I guessed she knew it was a bit hard for me to take.

As far as Steph and my sex life it had been going well, we'd surfed the net, found porn we liked and endeavored to up-skill on a pretty regular basis. Variety was high on the list as were the toys that began littering our bedroom floor. I made Steph get a 'toy-box' complete with lock and key so little prying eye's and hand's couldn't get in if you get my drift, and we had hours of fun with most of them.

Three months after our problem's a change in Steph occurred again and I maybe was a little bit surprised when Steph started backing away from our adventure time and reverted well not back to our old habits as much as less than that really, she also became withdrawn and no matter how I approached her the answer seemed to be the same "I'm fine honey, just going through a phase."

A week later it was just, "I'm fine."

The week after that it was, "Don't even ask, OK!"

So I asked the two people I thought might know something, first her daughter and then her newest best friend. Janine and I still had our talks but either school problems or how she was getting on with Neil, News on the Ginia front was never broached, I guessed they were getting on well though.

So when I asked Janine about her Mum she replied not the way I thought she would, "She's starting up again, isn't she Dad?"

"Really honey, is it that obvious?"

"Yep, somethings going on, I've talked to Ginia about it and she said she's noticed it, she doesn't go see Ginia like she used to and she goes out for lunch now, we don't know where but Neil and I are thinking about..."

"Janine, No You will not! Either of you, do you understand me? This is not up for discussion if any spying on your mother is to be done, I'll take care of it, do I make myself clear."

"Crystal!!"

"Janine!"

"FINE!"

"Janine! Don't start with me!"

"Whatever." Kids can't live with them, not allowed to ...oh never mind.

When we'd settled I said I'd ring Ginia and see what her take was on the situation. She was mystified too, it had happened suddenly and she said Steph changed so quickly she never really understood what initiated it, she just backed right off with Ginia as well, not really unfriendly but more aloof when she was around Gin. Ginia said she seemed secretive, she would leave little quip's that Ginia felt she was meant to understand but in the end meant very little. This past week it had turned to snide little comments, criticism's aimed at Ginia without naming her specifically, things like, "Single Mums get the chance to whore around a lot easier than married mums."

"She said that Gin?"

"Yes M, I don't know what's going on but I don't like it."

I made a subtle little cynical laugh, "What Mitch?"

"Oh nothing Gin, it was something Janine said when it all blew up and then I thought I'd fixed it the first time."

"What was it M?"

"Janine said something like 'don't be too unhappy if things don't go back to what they were', she asked me to promise I'd look after me."

"Mitch, have faith, don't give up yet."

"Yep, you're right Gin, I won't give up."

That was Wednesday, Friday morning I got a phone call, at work on my cell, I thought I recognised the number, "Good morning Joe, what can I do for you this morning?"

"Buy my bar for a start, however Mitch, not to muck around, consider this a courtesy call you'll remember when we start negotiating price. Ahhmm.. Your wife has been frequenting my bar again at lunch-times, as you may or may not know we do bar lunches and they are really quite popular with the clientèle. She is more than welcome to partake of them when ever she likes. One of my staff noticed her here about two weeks ago, but has only caught me up since I was sure I recognised her and asked the appropriate question's. It may interest you to know that the people she eats with shall we say have a pandering for group sex, if you know what I mean. My suspicion that they have not been successful with their recruitment program was confirmed when the person in my employ was made aware of his responsibilities and he has found out that they consider they will be successful today. I know that your good lady eats here between twelve fifteen and one o'clock sharp Mitch. I am not trying to influence you but maybe if you were to come here at say quarter to twelve we could maybe get a bite and I could bend your ear with a further offer to sell you my bar, totally up to you, then of course you could surprise your wife."

"Joe, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course Mitch, fire a head."

"Joe, why do you care?"

"Oh, quite simply put, because I can Mitchell, because I can, I take it I'll see you at quarter too then!"

The more I had to do with this Englishman the more I liked him.

I arrived at Night Moves a bit after twenty to twelve found a seat in the area designated for lunch time however before I could settle in Joe had politely asked me to follow him. We wandered up a carpeted curved stairway to an upper lounge area which Joe told me was a VIP area, it wasn't huge by any means but private. At the top of the stairs was a landing that overlooked the lower floors. There were five tables along the landing balcony. I followed Joe's lead and sat opposite him. There was already a water jug and glasses ready on the table. He said the menu was not large, probably a variety of ten different choices plus a range of burgers. The fish sounded good so I ordered that. Joe followed suit.

With that out of the way, we talked casually and about nothing in particular until he asked if I knew how I was going to handle the confrontation with Steph.

"Joe I was wondering whether I could avail you of the services of one of your waiting staff to deliver an envelope to my wife when she is sitting at the table. Here's the item I'd want them to give her."

I passed Joe an A4 envelope which had items inside as well as a note, Joe looked inside and I told him to read the note. He did, put the note back in and then passed it back. "That's it Mitch?, I'd have to say that's not what I was expecting at all but that has to be the most unique way to get a message across I've ever seen, I can't see that not getting her undivided attention, of course you can use one of the waitresses, I think I'll see if Louise can do it for us, she dealt with a husband who was cheating her last year."

"You know Mitch, I know I've been banging on about you and Virginia buying my bar, but I'll tell you something for nothing, I've always had a knack of picking good people by talking to them. The night that we talked here and at the Library proved to me that you were both good people, morally principled and trustworthy..."

I had to stop him, I held my hand up. "Joe there was nothing we were doing that night that was either moral, we had come to glean information, record it, as we did and if anything break trust with anybody that we could get information out of."

"Oh so Mitch you and Virginia are neither morally principled or trustworthy with each other?"

"Yes Joe yes we are, we've known each other a long time, but I was meaning you, wasn't that what you were meaning?"

"Why would you want to be morally principled or risk your trust with me, you don't or didn't know me, did you?"

"Ah no, but, I think we maybe at cross purposes here, I'm not sure if I know what you're saying."

"Mitch it wasn't about me, this is all about what I observed, you do a lot of that when you work round bars. Its something the 'Old Bill' should..." He saw the mystified look on my face, "Sorry Mitch, Old Bill, are the Cops, it's what the Cops should do -- make them all do barman for a year, they'd be far better at their day jobs. Anyways just observing can tell a lot about people. Besides you maybe weren't so clandestine as you may have thought you were, My Doorman and Bar Manager both had you pegged within five minutes of being here. We knew reasonably early you weren't Undercover Cop's or ATF just not arrogant enough. You were also dressed wrong, we thought you maybe private dicks but again there was none of the familiar characteristics, they sit observe mark their targets they want to talk to and go in, you two sat under the brightest lights and shared everything, ....with anybody. Oh look I love being flirted with like the best of them so it certainly did no harm at all having to deal with Virginia's advances. What was most obvious was you both cared about each other deeply. Oh and you both respected one another and it rubbed off on how you treated me as well, you showed respect for me. There was a reason you moved so fast to distance both of you once you'd talked to me, I suspected that there could have been an overlap of circumstances I just didn't know what, the final observation that sealed your approval was the handshake when you got up to leave. You can tell a lot about people by their handshake. Your body position to me was square or straight on. Your other hand fell by your side, your hand was straight out, no over the top handshake and mannerisms were as an equal, or respect, not only that but both of you mirrored one another which meant a belief in what you do."

I think I'd just got a lesson in target threat analysis by a professional.

Fortunately our lunches arrived. As we ate, Joe explained that he wasn't wanting to sell out, he was after partners, not money people, he'd been there, found they were on the whole morally corrupt or worse were devoid of morals, had no concept of looking after anything including asset's and staff unless it was associated by a zero cost and failed to get involved with the nuts and bolts, oh and they were narcissistic to the extreme. For the same reason's or similar he disliked accountants, trading bank's and family.

He was not demanding and to be honest I was warming to the idea, I told him I was not discounting the idea, I just maybe needed some time to consider, I didn't bring Virginia's name other than to suggest he maybe right to approach her initially get in contact with me and I could talk to her as well.

By the time we finished our lunch it was twenty past twelve, a couple minutes later a nervous looking Steph walked in the door with two rather large gentlemen (as in beer belly large) and a female all in their early thirties I guessed. All three were heavily tattooed and the women had face piercings. Just as they were ordering their lunches Louise arrived and after being explained the task I wanted carried out she asked me to identify Steph, we did and then Joe asked Louise to just hold off for a few moments I realised that Joe had rung the kitchen and told them to hold the orders until he got back to them.

He'd held up Louise for two reasons, both bouncers and the Bar manager had both entered the bar should something go wrong, and there all of a sudden seemed to be more male's around than what there was ten minutes ago, curiously they were hovering or close around that one table.

We sat and watched Louise walk up, she looked down at Steph and asked her name, she then told her that she had an item for her and handed the envelope to Steph. The other's looked on curiously. Steph opened it and first pulled out the note put it on the table still folded. She looked in the envelope and couldn't quite figure out what it was she was looking at. She reached into the bag and with a nervous smile on her face started pulling out whatever it was she had only got one out and realised she didn't know what it was she was looking at, when she pulled three of the same out, they were all sealed and joined in one long strip, the other women burst out laughing, "They're condoms honey, you'll need them today, he-he." Billy-Joe and Cletus both had shit-eating grins on their faces. Steph was still looking down at the sealed packets like they were a death warrant. Without looking directly at the table she reached across and picked up the note opening it slowly so only she could see it. Sammy-Joe asked "What's it say love, have fun." All three burst out laughing.

She would be reading it now, the words, it wasn't much, just enough to say what it meant, 'Make sure they wear these, and if they do, don't bother coming home. Mitch.'

She just sat staring at the note for a full minute. I figured she was probably weighing up her options. Finally she looked up, saw Louise standing there and promptly asked her who gave her the envelope. Louise pointed up to where we were seated and said, "The envelope came from a man having lunch with my boss."

She looked up and saw me sitting with Joe, she looked back and forth between us. I could see the distress when she looked in my eye's but when she saw and realised I knew Joe she showed a level of complete defeat I don't think I will ever witness again.

Joe was on his phone again, "Phil get those three scum out of my bar, tell them as nice as you can they will be right out of order if they come back here."

After that I decided that it maybe best if I disappeared I shook Joe's hand, I realised what he meant the handshake is only part of the symbolism its how the rest of the body interprets that handshake, Joe would understand the deep respect and trust I hoped I was showing him. The broad patent smile was there but this time there was a tinge of sadness attached. Whether my wife was going to come with me was probably debatable. I walked past where she sat and to my surprise she ran to my side, she tried to place her hand in mine. I made a point of letting it go as we left and with out stopping or looking at her as she struggled to grab my hand again, I said to her loud enough for her to understand, "WE are not good."

I distanced myself from Steph, I did not want to look at her let alone talk to her, any time she walked in the room I walked out, she sat at the breakfast bar or dining table when she sat down I got up and sat somewhere else, for the next three weeks an air of despondency hung over the house. I came home and she had made a big meal for her and I, after the third time she tried this act and had watched me each time throw the entire plate of food in the garbage she gave it up. She kept leaving her cellphone at home when she went to work, it sat on the kitchen bench for days but she kept it charged, I guess the thought was she would be completely visible if I needed reassurance that she wasn't getting up to her old tricks. I got a parcel in the mail inside was a CD marked 'Cam2 Dining' and the date we had witnessed the event, it was attached with a note: Mitch -- If you don't need to watch, don't, hope you don't need it at all, Joe.

Of course Janine wasn't helping Steph's case at all, she had completely isolated Steph from any type of contact but the very basic. I did not expect thing's to change, I certainly wasn't about to help her. She had put up with the situation for six weeks when the dynamics changed, Ginia rang me, "Mitch, You need to talk to her."

"Why Gin, I don't recall her doing me the privilege."

"Well, you need to end this or fix this, otherwise its just sheer lunacy."

"Why shouldn't she suffer Gin, tell me why not, why should it be me and Janine that need to put her miserable life back together, hmm, tell me what has she done in the last six months to improve our life Ginia, and I caught her twice, twice she deceived us, what the hell do I do Gin, tie her to a bungee cord, I'm sorry not happening."

"Mitch, you need to do this for you as much as her, believe me, this -- what's going on it just isn't healthy for any of you. Janine's wandering round in a daze, it's affecting her school work, oh and she's started crying when we talk, that's new and worrying. You and Steph are burning her up Mitch. Its gotta stop. Now, it can't last."

That night at home, I stood and looked at her face to face, God she looked haggard, "We need to talk, where do you want to do it?"

"Here will be fine Mitch."

We sat at the dining table. "You can start if you want Steph. First thing though -- I don't want to hear any apologies -- Clear!?"

She nodded, stopped, thought and began, "I found out about You and Virginia. I should have come to you with what I found and asked you about it, I didn't, now I've ruined it all."

"I talked to Dad the day after Virginia told me about Neil being her son and that he was seeing Janine. When I told Dad that Neil was Virginia Poole's son, I saw a panic in his eye's, he denied it and I couldn't figure out why."

I interrupted her, "Actually Janine told me that Marcus never asked Neil his last name when they first met."

I could see my Dad and Mum slowly shaking their heads in unison saying, 'We told you so Son, didn't we?' I should of known this was gonna come back and bite me on the ass.

"I worked it out though, see Neil's last name is the same as his fathers, but Virginia changed her name back to her maiden name, she had said she had worked at Uni previously seventeen years previous and that she had met her husband to be during that time, she even said she had a previous love interest while she worked here but he wanted to stay single and they had split. I remembered before we married you talked about a similar story with your girlfriend and I always thought you'd called her Jenny and then I remember thinking was it Ginny. It actually wasn't to hard to find what I was looking for in the Uni historical website. Well they have pictures of classes, faculties, and various events where we all hung out, I even found one's of us two that I'd long ago forgotten. Anyway there was one of the opening of a updated library annex in the Lit. Department and there you both were, hand in hand with all the others, including Dad. She was titled 'Ginia' Poole, Assistant Administrator, English Literature Department."