My Aim Is True

Someone had set up a small tent on a vacant lot, and people were milling around a portable barbecue grill on which hotdogs were being roasted. I filled a plastic cup with beer from a keg and began to wander through the crowd. Spotting a neighbor who had loaned us some tools once, I went over to chat. He was nice. He said he had been sorry to hear about our divorce and wished me well. It felt good to hear some kind words.

But the mood didn't last long. A few minutes after I had walked on, my neighbor's wife came stalking up to me and angrily demanded that I stay away from her husband. I was dumbfounded. "I did nothing but say goodbye," I protested.

She pointed her finger at me accusingly. "I've heard all about you and your morals," she said shrilly. "Everyone in the neighborhood knows about you. I'll only say this one more time: stay away from my husband!"

I glanced around and saw we were drawing a crowd. I dropped my beer, turned and fled through the crowd in tears. My sense of humiliation was almost unbearable. "They're acting like I'm the whore of Babylon!" I muttered as I retreated into my house.

Plus Seventeen Months and Two Weeks

I resigned from my job today. The atmosphere there -- the furtive glances, whispered conversations and the giggling that always seemed to start up whenever I left the room -- had become so poisonous that I couldn't bear it any more. I never did find out which one of the girls talked to the detective, and the uncertainty only added to my discomfort.

I felt like I'd become a pariah, an outcast. It was time to go. The night before I'd called my parents and asked if I could come home for awhile. It was pretty tough for me to have to do that, but like Robert Frost said, "Home is where, when you go there, they have to take you in." I hoped that maybe it would be easier to build a new life in an old familiar place.

There was just one last phone call to make, a number I hadn't dialed in a long time. "Hello?" came Suzanne's voice through the receiver.

"It's me, Allison," I said hesitantly, my voice catching in my throat. "I'm leaving town, and I just wanted to talk with you one more time before I go."

"Allison, you nearly cost me my marriage," she replied sternly. "When Hank found out I knew about your affair, he was livid. It took quite awhile for him to convince Nathan that he hadn't known as well."

"I'm so sorry, Suzanne, I never meant to cause you any grief. I guess I just wasn't thinking very clearly back then. Anyway, I hope you have a beautiful, healthy baby and the three of you are very happy together. I also hope that someday maybe you'll forgive me."

I began weeping and started to hang up the phone, but Suzanne stopped me. "Wait, Allison. I don't hate you. It's just that Hank was so upset about everything. He'd be angry with me now if he knew I was speaking with you."

"I understand," I sniffled. "I'll keep this short. But just one more thing: have you seen Nathan? How is he doing? I haven't even spoken to him since he left me; every communications since then has been through the attorneys."

"I guess you don't know, then," she replied. "Nathan's been transferred to his company's headquarters on the West Coast."

"No, I didn't know that," I said, my voice catching in my throat. "Well, I'm glad he's doing well," I said sincerely. "He deserves nothing less."

Suzanne's voice got lower. "I don't think he's doing all that well. He only took the transfer because he felt there were too many memories here in town. Hank talked to him the other day, and he said Nathan is still miserable. Hank says all he does is work; he hasn't started dating or anything. Hank's kind of worried about him."

My depression deepened. "Do you have his phone number, Suzanne? Maybe I could call him."

"No," she snapped. "If you called him, Hank would find out and he'd know where you got the number. I'm sorry, Suzanne, I just can't give it to you."

"I guess I understand," I said sadly. "Well, take care of yourself. Maybe you can send me a picture of the baby when it comes." I paused. "I'm so sorry for everything, Suzanne. I love you."

"I love you too, girlfriend," she said, and then she hesitated. "But it would be better if you didn't call again." Then she was gone.

Plus Eighteen Months

I had packed the things I would need immediately in the car; the rest was in storage. I'd have it shipped once I was settled in my old home town. It was time to put this city and this life behind me.

As I drove toward the main highway, I had to give a rueful smile as I noticed that my route had taken me right past Jack's condo. I glanced over at his building and to my amazement I spotted his sports car stopped out front. Curiosity overcame me and I pulled over to the side of the road to see if I could catch a glimpse of him. I hadn't seen or heard from Jack since my confrontation with Nathan. At first I wanted to avoid him because he was the cause of my downfall, but lately I'd been so lonely that I'd even tried to contact him, although without success. He seemed to be avoiding me. That hurt, but I guess I could sort of understand it. I figured Jack might be afraid that Nathan would come after him in some way. Nathan wasn't that kind of person, but Jack wouldn't know that.

Then I saw Jack get out the car and walk around to the other side to open the passenger door. A woman got out, and I blinked because she looked vaguely familiar. I squinted my eyes and then jerked back in astonishment. Oh my God, it was Stephanie! That conniving little bitch!

I tried to compose myself. I'd broken it off with Jack; he was free to see whomever he pleased. For that matter, I had no quarrel with Stephanie; she'd never had an affair with Nathan. Nevertheless, the fact that they were together had set me off.

I shook my head. It really was time for me to get out this town, to put all the mistakes and heartaches and insanity behind me. I pulled back onto the road and stepped on the gas. I didn't waste another glance back at Jack and Stephanie.

Stephanie gave Jack a businesslike nod as she handed him the envelope. "Here's the $1000 for undertaking the assignment plus another $1000 for successful completion, just like we agreed."

He took the envelope from her and tucked it in his inside jacket pocket without opening it. "Glad to do business with you, Stephanie," he said with a smirk. Then his expression shifted to one of curiosity. "So tell me, why did you pick me to seduce her?"

She looked at him incredulously. "Are you kidding? After living next to you for a year, seeing the parade of women you brought to your place and listening to their moans through the walls, I knew you were the right man. The fact that you worked at the same company as her was just icing on the cake."

"I guess I am pretty good," he said without a trace of modesty, "but what made you sure that she could be seduced so easily?"

Now it was her turn to smile. "A woman can tell these things. When he introduced me to her at an office party, I saw how her eyes wandered around the room, admiring the men and comparing herself to the women. She was ripe for an affair, whether she realized it or not. I knew she'd take the bait, even from someone like you."

He bristled at that, but she wasn't fazed. "Come on, Jack, you have to admit you do have a bit of a reputation."

He didn't like what she was saying but he kept silent because he knew she was right.

After a moment he ventured another question. "So when did you decide to go after him, anyway?"

Stephanie got a faraway look in her eyes. "Exactly eighteen months ago. I fell in love with him when I was first assigned to his team, and I started planning right away."

He was stunned. "You've been working on this for eighteen months?"

She smiled. "These things take time, Jack. First I had to earn his professional respect, then become his friend and finally his confidante."

"But why go to all this trouble with me and his wife?" Jack asked. "Why not just seduce him yourself and steal him away from her? God knows you're hot enough to do it."

She ignored his crude compliment. "I knew he would never leave his wife no matter how strongly he might feel about me. The truth is that his loyalty to her was one of the traits that made me sure he was the one for me."

"So why did you wait so long after she wound up in my bed the first time. Why not blow the whistle right away?"

"You don't understand," she told him, "you have to stick with the plan. I couldn't take the risk that he might forgive her for a one-time slip. It had to be a full-blown affair, something so outrageous he could never live with it."

Jack nodded slowly.

"Now I have a question for you," she said. "Would you have made a move on her if I hadn't approached you with my little proposition?"

He shook his head. "No, I like them younger. There's a whole bunch at the office who . . ." He stopped himself abruptly. "I like women more your age, Stephanie. Say, is there any chance . . ."

"Don't even ask," she said coldly.

Just then a taxi pulled into the parking area. Stephanie pointed at the stack of luggage and the driver dutifully began to load it into the trunk.

"So you're off to the West Coast?" Jack asked somewhat wistfully.

"That's right," she nodded. "They just approved my transfer -- I'll be starting my job at headquarters next week."

Jack looked at her carefully. "How can you be so sure you'll get him?"

"With his wife out of the way I have a clear path. The timing is perfect: he's had long enough for the pain of her betrayal to fade. He's deeply lonely but hates the idea of having to start dating all over again. He's ripe."

"You seem to have it all figured out," Jack said. "Don't you have any doubts?"

She got into the cab and rolled down the window. "Not really," she said with a confident little smile. "Nathan is picking me up at the airport."

Jack shook his head in wonder. "You are something else, a regular Machiavelli."

"No," she said, "just goal oriented and highly motivated."

She gave a little wave and the taxi headed toward the airport.