Recognition

"And if she doesn't?" I asked.

"Then we will have to reduce the workforce by losing a team, maybe two." He held his hand up. "That's not a threat that it will be Cheryl's team, there are others who are not performing as well as hers." Oh yes it was a threat.

"It'll be her decision, we will talk about it, but I will make her aware of my feelings."

Dennis said. "So we have some insight and do some planning, may I ask what they are?"

"You can ask. But don't expect an answer." I smiled, just to wind them up. We were getting friendly.

We left on good terms.

Cheryl got home early that evening, I cooked dinner as usual, I didn't want much. She noticed my small portion; I told her I'd lunch earlier with Dennis and Phillip. She raised an eyebrow at the use of their forenames, but said nothing. The kids jabbered on about school and stuff. We just let them.

After the children went to bed, I got us both a drink and she asked me to sit down, she wanted to talk. She sat close and took my hand. "I've been thinking. Gerald has gone, someone needs to run the project. Julie is good but she's not ready for this, I've got the knowledge and experience to get this contract. It will protect the income of a couple of teams for a couple of years. I know I've resigned but I think they'll take me back."

I opened my mouth to speak, she leaned forward and kissed me, it was a strange kiss, I only just managed to get my lips together before she got there.

"Please let me finish." I nodded. "Please can I finish the project and then I will look for something with fewer hours and less responsibility. I will not promise to be home on time every night, but I promise I will try. I will finish midday Friday so I can rest to be ready for the weekend. No weekend work will stay. But you have to do that as well, no more weekend catching up on report writing. After the project is finished, we sit down and re-assess what we want. And finally, you will have a veto on any conference or party invites, but if I must go to a meeting, I would like you to come with me. I have already spoken to both Mum and Dads about having the kids when that happens. But I am hoping to go back to how we used to do presentations before Gerald got here."

I had already made the decision to let her decide, but if I didn't like what she said, there would be objections. It was how she reacted to the objections that would decide our future. But I couldn't see anything wrong with what she was suggesting. In fact it's better than what I had thought of.

I was about to tell her what Dennis and Philip had said when she started again. "I want to go shopping this weekend, together." Oh poo. "I have arranged for your Mum and Dad to have the kids whilst we go looking at Motorhomes, why wait? We will need to learn how to work one of these things before we travel Europe."

I was stunned, why hadn't I thought of that. She looked down into her lap. Then at me. "I've been putting a bit away each month for several years. Not so much the last two or three, but a bit and the with the interest I've made I think we have enough for about half the cost of a 3-year-old small 4 berth van, or a healthy deposit on a larger one without touching our investments." Blast, how do I tell her that I have enough to buy a big brand new one from my trading, I will have to work on that.

We spent the weekend looking at Motorhomes, we learnt a lot from talking to people. We even managed a little try out of one of the beds, if you know what I mean, it was a bit quick, but the risk of getting caught was very exciting. We learnt about how much these things rock when you're busy.

We settled on a mid size 4 berth 3 year old Motorhome and paid cash, I came clean that I had some money stashed away from my trading, I just didn't tell her how much I had.

Things went well for us, she closed the contract for a 3 year advertising campaign, with the possibility of an extension if things went well. After we talked about it she stayed with the company. She did reduce her hours as she said, and actually worked from home more often. That worked well.

Susie got married, Derek enjoyed the single life and volunteered to house sit. We retired when I reached 55, not when she reached 55. We gained enough experience driving around the UK in a motorhome to buy an excellent one we needed for travelling Europe. It had a big shower. We got ourselves a nice little Fiat to tow behind it.

Summer at home with the family touring the UK, when autumn came round and it started to get chilly, we headed South. We had to pop back now and again for the birth of grandchildren and weddings. Life was as it should be.

Gerald. Sexy shenanigans are well known in the advertising business. Stealing ideas and getting away with it is OK. But to get caught stealing someone's ideas is a big no-no. He will never work in the advertising business again. His intentions for Cheryl were passed from Phillip to his wife, she divorced him, but she got a proper divorce solicitor to do the job, she took him to the cleaners. He ended up with a paper pushing job, no house and no family. I did consider physical retribution, but decided against it as I would probably get caught and a spell in gaol, didn't fit with our plans.

I know some of you folk like to make up your own ideas, and that's fine by me, but this is as exactly written. Cheryl never did cheat on Harold, with Gerald or anyone else.

It is a thing of mine that spouses who support their often do not get the recognition that they deserve. I am ex-forces, and I could not have done half of what I did without the support of my current wife. The first one not so much. You may see this trend in my other stories. And it is worldwide, not just on our small island or the military.