Revelations

On July 15, 2015 my life was turned upside down. I just didn't know it at the time. Looking back, I was like so many others caught in the middle-class grind with a demanding job, family life, a house in the suburbs, and the hefty mortgage to go with it. It would appear by world standards that I was living the American dream, or so I thought at the time.

When I made the decision to become self-employed, I have no idea how demanding that would become. As the business started to grow, it seemed like every moment was accounted for between my work and family obligations. Janice was as busy as I was with her teaching, being a mother, and maintaining our home.

It didn't take long before we found ourselves living life through our pocket planners. Weekdays were consumed by business responsibilities and the weekends were packed with chores and family commitments. What little romance remained did not survive the onslaught of our demanding work schedules. Needless to say, this was a recipe for disaster. Our love life was practically nonexistent and on life support. It wasn't that we didn't need each other... life just seemed to swallow us up. This last year we'd given each other enough rain checks in the bedroom to fill the Pacific Ocean.

Speaking from experience, I don't believe people suddenly find themselves stuck in a rut; they actually dig it themselves, one boring scoop at a time. As for me, I had always found a sense of security in having a daily routine. It made everything more predictable and easier to manage. I considered spontaneous living was a luxury for singles and those with little ambition. Success on the other hand, demands strong discipline, sacrifice, and careful planning.

I remember it was on my thirty-fourth birthday, I was sitting at fast food restaurant treating myself to a foot-long Meatball Marinara and reading The Wall Street Journal, when a deep voice pulled me out of my culinary trance.

"Ricky? Is that you? Damnit, it is!... Remember me?"

It took me a couple seconds to place the voice with the face, but sure enough it was my old college roommate.

"Jason!" I smiled, standing up. "Wow! This is a surprise! Why don't you sit down and join me?"

"I'd be delighted to." He placed his tray on the table and pulled up a chair.

"So, what brings you to California?" I asked.

"Business. I just relocated here from Huston a few months ago. I'm now working as marketing and sales rep. What about you?"

"I'm a self-employed CPA. My office is just across the street."

He looked out the window at my building and said, "That's great, dude. I always knew you'd be successful. How long has it been since we last saw each other... ten years?"

"Actually, nine years and two months—but who's counting?"

Jason laughed. "Damn, Ricky..." He smiled and gave me a long look. "You haven't changed a lick since college! You're exactly as I remember you."

"Thanks. I can say the same about you."

At fifteen pounds heavier, I knew he was just being kind to me. However, Jason actually did look exactly the same, except for a bit of premature graying at the temples. I wondered what his secret was. From what I could tell through his tailored suit, he maintained himself well.

In college we were polar opposites. I was a serious focused student, and he was the stereotypical jock looking to party. I always suspected his football scholarship and his father's generous donation to the university had something to do with him receiving a degree. It certainly wasn't his study habits, which as I recalled seemed almost nonexistent at the time.

He looked at my ring finger and asked, "How long you been married?"

"Almost eight years now. We also have a six-year-old daughter. How about you? Did you ever get married?"

"Married? Me? Hell no! There is way too much pussy out there to limit myself."

A lady walking by heard his declaration and gave him a grin. He smiled back at her.

"Speaking of pussy, I see you're reading about that cheaters website hack." He pointed to the front-page article.

"Yeah, I was just starting to read it. That whole situation seems crazy. It says the hackers released tens of thousands and possibly millions of names and photos."

Jason nodded. "It appears there's gonna be a lot of explaining to do for a whole lot of cheaters."

"I imagine the divorce lawyers will be working overtime. What could they be thinking of, taking such a huge risk?" I said.

"Actually, don't knock it until you try it. I find married pussy to be a very fine delicacy."

"A delicacy? What do you mean?"

"Well, single chicks usually have an agenda, but with a cheating wife there is no chance they are going to make more out of it than what it is. Plus... most of them feel so damn grateful for the attention, they actually attempt to fuck me to death." He laughed.

"Don't you ever feel badly for interfering in their marriage?"

"Fuck no! I'm doing them a favor—probably saving their marriage."

"You almost make this sound like a noble thing, Jason. Then again... you were always able to spin bullshit into fine linen."

He laughed and replied, "Hey, we all have our gifts! Yours is crunching numbers and mine is... well—more relational."

"What about the husbands? Don't you ever worry they might find out and come after you with a gun?"

"That's the real kicker. Many of them know about it. Some even want to watch. Like I said, I'm doing them a favor."

"That's unbelievable. I'm assuming you must do this a lot?"

"I used to in Texas but not since I moved here. I needed to get an apartment and establish myself first. Most of the time I used a well known dating app for quick hookups, but I signed up for that married cheaters site the first week I moved here. I looked through all the local offerings and you wouldn't believe who I discovered."

"I wouldn't have a clue. I'm a happily married man."

"Good for you, Rick. Anyway, do you remember that tall redhead with the big boobs you had a thing for back in college? The one that wouldn't give you the time of day?"

"Yes... I remember her very well."

"You might be interested to know she's on that hookup site. I sent her an invitation to meet me for a little extra curricular fun." He grinned.

"Oh? How can you be sure it's her after all these years?"

"It's a gift. I never forget a face... or tits. Let's just say I'm gonna tap that real soon. She sent me back a short reply and a private pic. I think she's actually better looking now than I recall her being in college."

"Really?"

"Yep. Hey, buddy, I have to get back to work. I can't be late for my new job. Here's my number. How about we get together and shoot the shit sometime?" He dropped his business card on the table.

"That would be great," I replied as he walked away.

I sat there dumbfounded by his revelation. Yes, I did remember the tall redhead with the big tits... I married her.

-oOo-

The rest of my day was shot. There was no way I could concentrate on the work in front of me. Janice's beautiful face stared at me from our wedding photo sitting on my desk. Surely it couldn't be my wife he was talking about. There must have been hundreds if not thousands of redheads on that site.

Hours passed by and I continued to struggle with my work, unable to concentrate. What I really wanted was to hop online and check it out, but it felt like a betrayal of my trust for Janice if I did. An internal battle raged within me for hours before I finally gave in to my curiosity and logged on.

As soon as the home page appeared, it became apparent that it required a paid membership to access any of the files. Glaring at me was the opening introduction that stated: Life is short. Have an affair.

I wasn't about to give this cheaters site my hard-earned money, especially with a traceable credit card. At first, I had no plan what to do. But then I had an idea. Taking out Jason's business card, I punched in the numbers in my phone. The automated answering machine picked up and gave me the usual options. I selected zero for the operator.

"Marketing and sales. How may I direct your call?"

"Jason Andrew please."

"Whom may I say is calling?"

"Richard Hamilton . Accounting Services."

"One moment please."

After a pause, Jason answered.

"Ricky! Hey, long time no see. What's up?"

"Nothing really important. I was just curious about the redhead you mentioned."

"You always had a thing for her, didn't you?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess I still do. I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything. I still owe you for writing that term paper for me in my Statistics class."

"I tried logging on to that site, but it required an account. I was wondering if you might let me use your login ID and password? I promise I won't abuse the privilege. It's just that since we talked, I became more curious about her."

"Sure, no problem, you old dog. I can't blame you for still having the hots for red. I don't mind sharing but remember she's mine first. You don't mind sloppy seconds, do you?"

"Uh... I'm not sure about that."

He laughed. "I'll text you the info. What do you say about Saturday for beers?"

"Thanks for the offer but it depends on what time. I've got T-Ball practice in the morning until noon."

"Damn, you really are married, aren't you?"

"Yep, that's me—really married."

For the time being, I thought.

"Okay, how about two o'clock at Western Inn by your work? By then we might be able to compare notes."

"I'll see you then." My heart ached at the thought.

About five minutes after our conversation, my phone beeped with a message. The text was in bold letters.

login: JockCock9

Password: Icum4u2

I typed it in and the program opened. I wasn't emotionally prepared for this. Jason's inbox had several inquiries. The one that caught my attention was from RedhotWife. When I clicked on her profile, I choked on my coffee. There... as plain as day... was a photo of my wife in her bikini. It was a picture I'd taken during our Hawaii trip. In this pose, her face was turned away, but it showed plenty of side boob. I also knew it was her by the little heart tattoo on her shoulder.

I remembered one of the very rare fights we'd had after she revealed that tat to me. She knew how I felt about body ink and piercings, but she asked my honest opinion anyway. I made the huge mistake of telling her the truth. That had to be one of the dumbest things I had ever done in all our years together. I regretted it instantly as she stormed off, refusing to talk to me for several days. It was only after I begged and bought her enough flowers to make our house look like a funeral home that she finally forgave me.

As I began to read her profile, tears welled up in my eyes. It suddenly struck me that I might've been viewing more than a picture of my wife. I was quite possibly witnessing the end of our marriage. The pain I felt was indescribable. I sat for the longest time contemplating my dismal future.

After regaining some of my composure, I read further on. She used the name "Misty." The profile listed statistics first and then gave a brief introduction. One thing that immediately stood out to me was the date she had joined: it was less than a month ago, which was confirmed again in her opening paragraph.

She wrote that she was new on the site, then went on to reveal that she wanted to explore her submissive side... "restraint, light pain, and possibly anal sex." What struck me the most was her hypocrisy; she'd specifically said in the past that these were all off limits. Who was this woman? Strangely, at the end she made it clear she was happily married and not looking for anything but sex.

I read Jason's text conversation with "Misty" from yesterday:

Jason: Hey beautiful, what's up?

Misty: Hey yourself.

Jason: I love your profile pic! How about one showing me a bit more skin?

Misty: Sorry. Can't risk the exposure. The one pic will have to do.

Jason: I read your profile. Look at mine. The photos are all me. Do I fill the bill?

Misty: Ummm. You look very nice.

Jason: Nice??? I bet your husband isn't hung like me, is he?

Misty: Actually, he is but please leave my husband out of this. This is about me, not him.

Jason: Well, if your hubby was taking care of business you wouldn't be here would you? I

don't give a rat's ass about your husband. It's you I want. How about we meet at Starbucks on main and take it from there? No pressure.

Misty: I don't know. Maybe. I've never done this before.

Jason: You've never been fucked before?

Misty: Don't be silly. You know what I mean. I mean I've never cheated. I will let u know.

I need time to think.

Jason: Look doll, it's not a date. It's only sex. We can use my apartment. It needs to be

christened anyway.

Misty: I'll think about it. I have a very, very tight schedule.

Jason: When I'm finished with you, you won't be tight anymore. lol

Misty: I've got a daughter. How do you know I'm not loose as an old sock?

Jason: All I want is to find out. That's the fun of it.

Misty: We'll see. I'll get back to you. Bye.

She sent him one of the private photos I'd taken of her kneeling on our bed, completely nude with her hair covering her one breast—the other tit fully exposed. In this picture her face showed. My heart sunk to my gut.

What the hell is she doing risking our marriage and family?

At this point I was too numb to be angry. Immediately I started assessing what possibly had driven her to this.

I took a few more minutes to view Jason's pictures. He must have really been narcissistic to have posted that many photos of himself. At first glance I noticed that he was fit. In fact, with his killer abs and bulging biceps, I could see why he attracted so many women. I was no slouch, physically, but my workout routine suffered greatly since I'd started my business.

I could look no further and closed the laptop. With the fact that my wife was looking elsewhere, my ego had suffered a serious blow. The rest of my day was wasted. What Jason had said had cut to the core. He was right about one thing, though: I had been neglectful of Jan's needs. However, I also felt it was not too late. I needed a plan because I wasn't going to go down without a fight. Surprisingly, I had no issue with Jason. He was simply doing what came natural to him. This was about my wife and our marriage. It was obvious if it hadn't been him, it would have been someone else.

-oOo-

After I pulled into the driveway, I sat there in the car contemplating what I was going to say to my wife. My heart and soul ached. From what I knew she had not done anything yet; but the intent to cheat was there. Knowing Jan so well, I knew any sort of verbal confrontation wasn't my wisest move—that would just draw lines. I wished she would have said something to me. We always seemed to find a solution to most things. This last year had been difficult on both of us. Admittedly the business soaked up most of my energy. It occurred to me as I sat there that I couldn't remember the last time we made love.

I thought back to our earliest beginnings. The first time I saw her was when I was a junior. At first glance I knew she was way out of my league. Whenever I saw her on campus, she was usually with some guy that looked like a rock star. He had a strong square jaw, a slim, well-toned physique, long hair, and a gleaming white smile. I didn't have the confidence to approach her, so I just admired her from a distance.

However, whenever she caught me staring at her—which was frequently, she would smile back at me. That was something that didn't escape my roommate Jason. He would kid me about my red hair fetish. I assured him it wasn't only the long, lush red hair; she was put together like playmate of the month.

It wasn't until grad school that we said more than hello. At the time I was working as student teacher in the accounting department. For my time and service, the university paid my tuition. I was also able to earn extra income by tutoring other students.

I remember sitting in the professor's office, grading midterms when Janice walked in. I sat there almost paralyzed as she stood in front of me. Words seemed reluctant to escape my lips.

"H-hi. Is there anything I might do to—I mean, for you?" I asked, shuddering like a moron.

"Yes, I think so. Are you Richard Hamilton?" Her smile was full of confidence.

"Yes, that's me, but I prefer Ricky."

"Well, Ricky, my student aid package allows me three months of tutoring and you come highly recommended. You do tutoring in business math, right?"

It was as if God had taken pity on me. My good fortune must have shown in my face as I exuberantly replied, "When would you like to start?"

"We haven't even discussed your fees yet." She giggled.

"Whatever you can afford is fine with me. Our schedules are more important. I have only evenings available right now."

"I live off campus. We can meet there if you want. I just study most nights anyway."

"Um... what about your boyfriend?"

"What on earth are you talking about? I live alone."

"Sorry, I always saw you with a tall blond guy. I just assumed..."

She laughed at my suggestion. "Frederick? Oh my God! That's hilarious."

Now I really felt clueless. The best I could do was look confused.

"You really don't know, do you?" she said.

"Know what?"

"Freddy is the biggest gay rights advocate on campus. Where have you been?"

"Pretty much locked up in my room studying or working for the professor. I honestly don't get out much. Every time I saw you, it seemed you were with... Freddy."

"And all this time I was thinking a guy like you didn't talk to me because you were in a committed relationship."

"Guy like me? What do you mean?"

"Are you serious? You really don't know how handsome you are?"

"Me?"

"Oh my God! You've got the killer three!"

"Killer three?"

"Good looks, intelligence, and... humble."

I blushed, never being one to take a compliment. I stared in her perfect face, probably looking like a dumb-ass, but I felt like I'd just won the lottery... twice. I had no clue how to respond. Then Janice reached out and pulled me to my feet.

"Come on, big boy. Follow me."

"Where?" I asked, being dragged toward the door.

"You're taking me to dinner."

"Is that so?"

"Ricky, we'd be old and gray before you'd ask. I hope you've got your credit card. I'm hungry."

And so that started our epic romance. I found out quickly she didn't need tutoring any more than I did, but we continued to meet twice a week, until her scholarship benefit ran out. We still hadn't even kissed at that point. It was during our second to last meeting that we sat at the table, quietly looking in each other's eyes. It was almost as if we were telepathic, if only in that moment. Without spoken words, we leaned across the table over the books and our lips met for the first time.

I knew she was special from the moment I laid eyes on her. That first kiss was magical, just like in the movies, and it cemented our relationship as exclusive. She still insisted even today that I was the only guy for her from the moment she saw me. I wanted to believe that, even after her apparent betrayal on that stupid cheating site.

I knew Janice had many relationships before me. Unfortunately, my sexual history—or lack of it, included only her. It seemed natural for her to take the lead sexually. My inexperience showed greatly with her choreographing my every move. However, I was a determined and enthusiastic student. Sex oozed from every pore of her luscious body.

In those days, it was Jan that initiated sex between us. For a guy with a Post Graduate education, I was clueless about almost anything that did not involve numbers or equations.