New Years Kiss Pt. 01

My wife asked me to try my hand at writing a story. So here goes. It is in two parts. The first part is how it ends and the second part is how it began. No explicit sex in part one. Anonymous be kind, or not.

Chapter One.

Mathew Collier stood proud to applaud his eighteen-year-old daughter Megan as she accepted her graduation certificate. Upon hearing their whooping cheers and with a big grin she gave a shy acknowledging wave to her family. Beside Mathew was his wife Jenny and to her side their two children Janet and John. To Mathews left applauding just as proudly was Sally, Megans mother and Mathew's ex, to the other side of Sally stood Greg her husband.

Although now on friendly terms it had taken years for Mathew to get to a place where he could even talk to Sally never mind forgive her, never mind be friends. Even then he had made the first steps to do so because he'd met Janet, who had told him in no uncertain terms that she wouldn't countenance being in a relationship that was overshadowed by a previous one. So, in order to lay any ghosts to rest Mathew had been forced to come to terms with what had haunted him for years, Sally's betrayal. The thing was, Janet had been right, and having made that first move it became surprisingly easy to take the next step and then the next and before he knew it, he had not only come to terms with Sally's infidelity and their break-up but was even softening towards his ex. In doing so Mathew genuinely felt a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Thanks to Janets prompting he was not only able to continue enjoying his new found relationship with her, but he felt happier in himself now that he was able to prioritise the nicer memories and the things he had liked about his ex-wife - he even, if begrudgingly, started to get along with Greg who she had married. Janet simply told him he was now acting like an adult.

Reconciling with his ex-wife had also helped Mathew build on his own relationship with Megan who's early years he now regretted missing. With the animosity he had felt towards Sally now gone, he no longer felt as though he had to steer clear of the big events in his daughter's life. Megan's birthdays and holidays became nice times in which he could now be involved.

Mathew turned to Sally, "She's a credit to you."

"Not just to me."

Mathew leaned forward to look past his ex-wife to Greg, "Hmph... I suppose Greg too."

Sally smiled and nudged him with her shoulder. "I was thinking Megan is a credit to us all, we all played a part in raising her to be the bright intelligent independent woman she is..." Sally then aped him by leaning forward to look past Mathew to Janet. "Between the four of us we didn't do too bad."

Mathew laughed... "Who'd have thought?"

With another nudge Sally smiled. "She taking after you... She tells me she'd applying for an Army bursary to go to university."

***

Seventeen years earlier.

Sgt Mathew Collier RM had been looking forward to being home for Christmas, it would after all be his first with his new daughter. Unfortunately for Mathew, as his flight was on the runway a group of insurgents launched an attack which included the firing of rockets into the airbase. Several of those rockets narrowly missed the plane he was on but with one missile did hit a nearby Apache. His plane was evacuated.

All outgoing and incoming flights were immediately cancelled while the surrounding area was secured. Mathew had no idea when he would now get to travel knowing that even when the airbase reopened, flights with a higher priority would take up runway slots. He phoned home to give Sally, his wife, the bad news. Sally was naturally disappointed, not only because she was looking forward to being with her husband who she hadn't seen in six months, but she too was excited about spending their first Christmas together as a family.

A few days later, Christmas morning back in barracks, Mathew telephoned his wife to wish her and their young daughter a Merry Christmas. Although in the early hours for him, with the time difference it was around breakfast for Sally. After saying how much he loved and missed her, he laughed about how he'd been really looking forward to opening their presents and carving up the Turkey. Sally laughed and told him not to worry about the Turkey, it was in the freezer and they would have their Christmas Day dinner when he did get home, as for the presents, Megan was too young to know any different and they could open all their presents when they were together. Mathew again apologised for spoiling her Christmas. Sally chided him, saying it wasn't as though it was his fault. Besides she had been invited to have Christmas dinner at her friend, Gina's house. Mathew knew Gina and her husband Paul, Gina and Sally had been best friends since kindergarten and Gina was one of Megans Godparents.

Four days later he received his orders, he was cleared to ship out, his flight left in one hour. With the last-minute rush getting his kit packed he didn't have chance to call home. He had missed Christmas but at least he would be home for New Years.

When Mathew landed at Brize Norton, instead of calling Sally to come and pick him up he decided to surprise his wife and hired a car. He figured it would make her New Years.

Pulling into the drive Mathew saw his house was in darkness. Letting himself in through the front door he found an empty house. To say he was both disappointed and surprised was an understatement, but mostly he was angry at himself for not having rang home. Thinking Sally would be at her parents; he could still surprise her. When he walked through the door Sally's parents were so happy to see him. He immediately noticed the absence of his wife and asked where she was. Sally's mother told him that as Sally wasn't expecting him, they had agreed to babysit Megan so Sally could go with her friend Gina to a New Years Party at the Hollander Hotel. They told him if he rushed, he could get there before they rang in the New Year. Mathew said he'd like that but first he wanted to check in on Megan.

After watching a sleeping Megan for ten minutes, and still in uniform Mathew told his in-laws that he had decided to go join Sally. Seeing the time perhaps he could still get there in time to see in the New Year with her. He got in the hire car and headed into town hoping he wouldn't be too late. By the time he pulled into the hotel's carpark it was ten to midnight and he knew he was cutting it close, but he was still hoping to surprise her. It was ticket only and he didn't have a ticket but the doorman, seeing he was enlisted, let him in wishing him a Prosperous New Year.

To no surprise Mathew saw the ballroom floor was choc a block with revellers. He climbed onto a chair by the entrance and looked and looked over the heads of the party goers but couldn't see his wife. Then with a few minutes to go he thought he saw Gina and her husband Paul. It was nearly midnight and he didn't have long. He pushed more forced his way through the crowd in the general direction he'd seen his wife's best friend, hoping they'd know where Sally was. As he got closer, he could definitely see Gina and Paul, they were less than ten feet away and in their own world. Ten, Nine, Eight... Then he smiled as he recognised the back of his wife's head.

Seven, Six... Then as the crowd seemed to part and as he made to step forward, he froze. There was his wife alright, but she was in the arms of another man and they were embracing. Sally's wife's face was pressed into the curve of the man's shoulder and her eyes looked to be closed as if she was enjoying, even savouring their closeness. Her arms were hanging about his neck, she seemed comfortable, seemed comfortable in leaning into him, the man seemed comfortable supporting her. Both of his arms were around Sally's waist and he was holding her real close as they slow stepped from side to side. Mathew could see that his wife was pressing her body up against the man and the man's hand was smoothing over the material of her dress.

He recognised the guy at once, it was Pauls younger brother Greg, he'd met him before, Paul and Greg ran a building supplies company, the same one where his wife worked behind the counter.

Five, Four,

He took a step toward his wife

Three, Two

He pushed his way through, now feeling frantic, confused.

One...

The lights came up, balloons fell from the ceiling, streamers were being popped and he saw Sally stand on her tiptoes to lock her mouth to Gregs. It wasn't an innocent kiss they were sharing; it was a full-on tongue duelling French kiss, a kiss full of passion, of want, full of intent. Mathew saw Sally's fingers entwining in his hair, pulling his head and hence his mouth to hers. Mathew saw Gregs hands instinctively move, one sliding down to grip and cup her ass, giving Sally's bum cheeks a firm squeeze, the other hand was on her upper back pulling her as tight to him as he could.

Mathew stood, unable to move, not wanting to believe his eyes, the muffled sounds of celebrations as if he was underwater filled his ears and streamers and blurred visions of balloons fell about him to whoops and cheers from the crowd 'Happy New Year'. Mathew's chest tightened; he was unable to breathe he was filled with mind numbing hurt.

It must have been a full fifteen seconds before Sally broke the kiss to look up into her dance partners eyes and with a big smile clearly mouthed 'Happy New Year'. Then as if by a sixth sense she glanced over Gregs shoulder - that was when she saw her husband. She jumped back, it couldn't be, she exclaimed a silent open-mouthed gasp of horror. Mathew was stood like a statue being jostled, he was staring at her, at them, the colour had drained from his face as if he'd seen a ghost. She immediately knew what he'd witnessed and pulled her arms from around her beau's shoulders and stepped back from his embrace.

Greg turned to see what had disturbed Sally. He saw Mathew.

What Mathew saw wasn't the happy surprised smile of a wife who was over the moon at the sudden welcome sight of the husband she loved and missed - which would have been the case if everything was innocent. No, what Mathew saw was the look of horror of a wife who'd just been caught red handed doing something she shouldn't. Something that would need explaining.

She was about to speak his name, but when seeing her lips move it was as if Mathew was awoken from his nightmare, the deafening cheers and jostling party goers cranked up in volume and knocked him from his reverie. His immediate response, his immediate thought, 'he had to get away, he felt sick to the stomach'. He turned and began pushing his way back through the crowd to voiced complaints of 'hey take it easy'. He didn't care, he was shoving people aside to get away. All he could mutter was "Get the fuck out of the way."

Sally shouted after her husband "Mathew, stop... This isn't what it..." Her loud cries made Gina and Paul turn. Greg just watched from behind her. Seeing her husband disappearing into the crowd she immediately dashed after him but not being as big or as strong she found it much harder to force her way through the throng. By the time she got to the Hotel entrance Mathew was gone, a pair of red tail lights exiting the car park. A few seconds later she was hurriedly joined by Gina wanting to know what was up. Sally just gasped that it was Mathew.

Gina immediately knew that the shit had hit the fan - in a big way. Just then Paul, her husband, and his brother joined them. Sally was frantically calling Mathew on her phone.

Gina told her husband what had happened and his reaction was "Shit."

Sally cried out "He's not picking up."

Gina told Sally to come back inside, she turned and seeing Greg, Sally turned back to her best friend and asked her to take her home saying the thing she feared most had happened. She now had to find Mathew.

***

Upon getting home it was clear to Sally and Gina that Mathew hadn't gone there. Sally rang her mother. Sally's mother told her that Mathew had just left. He'd called by to see Megan. "He said something about having to go back to base and that he hadn't wanted to drag you away from the party." Sally's mom then said "Sally, what's happened? Mathew seemed upset but wouldn't elaborate. Have you two had an argument?"

"It's alright mom, don't worry."

Sally told Gina she wasn't going back to the party, she asked her to tell Greg not to call by, things were bad enough as it was. About an hour later Greg rang Sally. He told her he was checking to see if she was alright. Sally was sobbing as she told Greg that she thought Mathew had gone back to his home base in Plymouth and that she was going to go see him the next day. Sally also told Greg it would be better if the two of them didn't see each other until she'd seen Mathew.

The next morning Sally called her mother and admitted Mathew had caught her kissing someone and had stormed off without giving her a chance to explain. Her mother was a little taken back asking 'how on earth do you explain away kissing another man.' Sally didn't answer but said she was going to try and see Mathew at his base. In the meantime, could she look after Megan until she got back. Her mother said of course she could.

It was a wasted journey; even though Sally was distraught she couldn't get by the gatehouse and Mathew refused to see her. Two days later Mathew was called into the CO's office. The base CO wanted to know why Mathew's wife had turned up at the Gatehouse in a distressed state and why he had refused to see her. His CO in Afghanistan also wanted to know why Family Services had been in touch regarding concerns from his wife. Mathew informed the CO that he'd gone home on leave and caught his wife with another man, he'd left her. The CO told him that for the time being he was recommending Mathew be put on non-combat duties saying the last thing they needed was to have someone who's head wasn't in the right place back out in the field, the safety of his fellow Marines had to be considered. Until Family Services told them otherwise, he wouldn't be going back overseas. The base CO advised him to take what was left of his leave and talk to his wife.

As far as Mathew was concerned, the way Sally and Greg had been kissing was enough to tell him they were more than casual acquaintances. He had no evidence but there was no doubt in his mind that they had done more than kiss and that Sally had been unfaithful. People who are just friends don't behave like that. He was wondering how long she had been cheating on him. The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

That afternoon Mathew rang Sally, she happened to be at her parents, she was distraught and they were offering her all the support they could. When she saw it was Mathew's caller ID on her phone, her first thought was that he was calling to say he was coming back. Instead, he told her he wanted a divorce, that she could fight it but he wasn't going to change his mind. Sally collapsed to the floor in tears, she knew Mathew well enough to know he meant what he said. After the call ended, as Sally's mother held baby Megan and looked down at her balled up daughter, Sally began thumping the wall behind her, crying over and over 'Why, why, why was I so stupid'.