My Wife or a Whore 3

The manual was completed Wednesday afternoon. I phoned the client and arranged to deliver it on Friday. Because I didn't have to stay overnight, I booked a morning flight to Dayton with an evening return.

My presentation went off without a hitch. No one found so much as a misspelled word. When I presented my invoice, there was a little grumbling, naturally. Because I had delivered a week earlier than expected, I walked out with an extra two thousand dollars. Nancy would certainly be pleased with that.

I left my car in the airport parking lot so Nancy wouldn't have to pick me up. I took only my briefcase, which was five pounds of book lighter and five thousand dollars heavier. I couldn't complain about the weight change. I stopped at my bank's ATM to deposit the check before heading home.

The house was empty, and Nancy's car was gone. I checked my watch and noticed it was close to the time that we had arrived at the strip club the previous Friday. She had probably entered the contest again. If I hurried, and if the traffic was right, I could get to the club in time to see her dance, then take her out to dinner to celebrate the bonus.

The only available table was in the back of the room. One of the female employees was dancing as I sat down and ordered a scotch on the rocks. I glanced around the room. The audience seemed much the same as the previous week. The noise level was about the same. A loud cheer went up each time the dancer dropped a piece of her costume.

As the music ended, a door to my right opened and Nancy and some guy I had never seen before came out. She was only wearing a G-string, a matching buckskin leather bra, and buckskin moccasins. She gave him a quick kiss, and he walked away from her. She looked around the room. Her mouth dropped open in shock when she saw me. She sat down beside me. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I got home a little while ago," I said. "When I didn't find you at the house, I figured you would be here dancing. I thought I'd surprise you for a change. They paid me an extra two thousand for delivering early, so I thought we might go out and celebrate."

"That sounds like a great idea," she said. Her voice had no enthusiasm. "I'll be finished in a little bit."

"Who was that guy with you when you came out?"

"Just a customer."

"Customers usually aren't allowed in employee areas in most businesses."

"It's a special room." Her expression was grim.

I stood up. "Could I see it?"

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. "Excuse me, buddy, but I'm next with her," he said. I turned to face him. He was the man I had sat nex to the previous Friday night. "Oh, hi. You're the lucky husband."

"That's right," I said.

Nancy stood up and placed a hand on his chest. "I'll be with you in a minute, honey," she said. "We have to talk a minute. Marriage stuff."

"Okay," he said, "but make it snappy."

Nancy took my hand and led me to the door and opened it. She closed the door behind us. I looked around the room. There were two chairs along one wall and a double bed in the middle of the room. Her clothes were on one chair. She sat on the edge of the bed, and I sat beside her.

"What is this place?" I asked. I looked at her questioningly, but she didn't respond. "A bed in a strip joint? I don't get it. Why are your clothes in here? This doesn't look like a dressing room." Again she was silent. "He said he is next with you. "What did he mean by that?" More silence. "Talk to me, dammit! What's going on here?" Suddenly I was in shock. "You're mostly naked when you come out of here. Some guy says he's next. Oh, my God! He's waiting to fuck you!"

Nancy stared at the floor. "I can explain," she said almost inaudibly.

"What is there to explain? You're a whore. What's the price of your pussy?"

"A hundred dollars."

I stood up and turned my back to her to hide my tears. After a minute, I turned around. "Why?"

"I figured that since you were playing around on your road trips, I could have other men too."

"What are you talking about? I haven't touched another woman since the day we met."

"Really? You don't pick up secretaries or girls in bars?"

"No! Why would you even think such a thing?"

"You know what they say about traveling salesmen -- they have a girl in every town."

"'Sailors have a girl in every port.' That's the old saying, but it's mostly a saying. The overwhelming reality is couples who are faithful to each other. Do you remember your wedding vows? The part about forsaking all others?"

"Yes, of course I do."

"Is this how you forsake all others? I don't remember an exception for turning tricks."

She looked at the floor. "I guess I'm a big disappointment to you. I'm sorry."

I looked around the room again. "I don't see a receptacle for used condoms."

"I don't use them. I'm on the pill, remember."

"The pill doesn't prevent disease. Don't tell me you never heard of AIDS. We watched a report about it on the news last night. God only knows how many diseases you have passed on to me."

She looked at me in horror. "I never thought about that."

I sat back down on the bed beside her. "At least you haven't been pregnant. I could not go through life wondering if any children we raised were really mine. You may be certain I will not touch you again until both of us have had blood tests."

"That's reasonable. Jim, I love you. I know I've hurt you very badly, and I'm terribly sorry."

"I love you, too. That's what makes this so difficult. I've been able to come to terms with your dancing, about the fact that you are entitled to a life your own. Being rid of those hangups has taken a lot of weight off my shoulders. I can't remember being happier than I have been this past week. Now I have twice as much weight on me." I paused and took a deep breath. "Everything up to this moment is the past, and I'm willing to leave it there. Now we have to decide our future."

"Can we talk about this when I get home? That guy is waiting for me."

"The future begins now."

"He has already paid."

"The word 'refund' comes to mind. May I also remind you that prostitution is illegal? I'm very tempted to call the cops and have this place raided." I turned to look her in the eye. "My future depends on your decision about your future. You must decide whether you want to be my wife or if you want to be a whore, because you are not going to be both. I'm going back out and finish my drink while you make up your mind."

I got up and went to the door with tears in my eyes and terror in my heart. "Jim!" she pleaded. I opened the door and went out.

My drink was still on my table. I sat down and took a sip. There is one good thing I can say about that place. They served the best scotch.

I turned my attention to the door and waited to see if the woman who came through it would be my wife or a whore.