Taking a Wife

With the quote request from Edward I was starting to feel good about pulling Michelle away from dating him, then it struck me. Maybe they were meeting each other at the convention he is attending. I checked online and determined that the convention was in Las Vegas, then confirmed her tickets were to and from Denver, and that Amber actually lived there. I talked to Michelle a couple times over that first weekend and it seemed like she was were she said she was. I asked her to post a picture on facebook with the mountains in the background because I love the mountains. The next day the posted picture showed her and Amber with the Rocky Mountains in the background. At that point, I decided I needed to stop being so paranoid, put my worries aside, and concentrate on the quote.

The rest of the week I was very busy with preparing the quote. We txt'd a few times through the week where she talked about shopping, movies, dinner, evening shows and so forth. On Sunday, I told Amber how much I appreciated her entertaining Michelle this week. She replied that it was not a problem. Her flight home would happen Monday evening. I had the quote ready for our meeting with Edward on Monday morning.

Edward:

The week in Vegas with Shelly was wonderful. I flew in on Sunday, attended meetings on Monday before Shelly arrived on Monday sometime in the early afternoon. I left her a card key at the front desk, so she was in the room when I got up there. When I first saw her, she had unpacked, taken a shower, and was doing her hair while wearing just a robe. We almost did a quickie right there against the counter. If socializing during the scheduled happy hour and dinner wasn't so important for business we would have skipped the evening activities and continued the romp on the bed. She showed me the new dresses she purchased while in Denver and I "helped" her get dressed. Undressing her later turned out to be much more fun.

The week was filled with meetings, some of which Shelly attended with me, and all the typical Las Vegas fun in the evenings. We played some in the casinos, went to dinners and a couple shows. We made love when we felt like it, which was about every time we were back in the room. Since I knew I was clean and she was on the pill and claimed to be clean, condoms were not necessary this week. It was nice to go bareback all week and not worry about sending her back to Stephen with my juices dripping out of her. It also felt better during the act of making love.

On Friday, the meetings ended and we made preliminary plans to go to Europe that I had suggested earlier through the txts. It would be a three or four week trip through a few of the western countries. The business goal was to expand my business over there. The personal goal was more ambitious. She said that she had been thinking about it, would love to practice her language skills there and would find a way to go.

Saturday morning Shelly flew back to Denver. Ironically, my flight left a hour later and would take me to meet with her husband in Monday. I expected he would have a very good quote for me.

Stephen:

Edward liked our quote a lot and ended up placing a significant and complex order to be delivered in a couple months. While it was going to be difficult to deliver on time, some extra work would make it doable. With Michelle being in Denver, I knew she could not have had a date with Edward when he came to town. So this quote and order must be based on the merit if the deal. I still was being paranoid.

Over the next couple months, we worked hard to deliver the products to Edward. He didn't have reason to stop by and was probably busy with other parts of the systems and installation at the clients. During that time Michelle signed up for a trip to Europe with a small group of teachers to work on their language skills. She would be gone for three weeks during this busy time. With a hug and a kiss, I watched her go through TSA checkpoint, and off to her gate to fly to New York where she would meet up with the other teachers.

In her calls during the trip, she seemed to be enjoying her travels through the various countries and said it was helping to refine her speaking abilities to pass on to the students. She also liked seeing so many of the historical places as well as various art galleries. She was also enjoying the company of the others in the trip. Everyone was getting along great. She sounded so happy. When she returns I planned to suggest it would be time to start shopping for a house.

Edward:

Shelly met me in New York and we started our trip around Europe meeting with the many clients and shows in the various lands. It was a constant stream of meetings mixed with exploring many of the sights in western Europe. Shelly was not only traveling as the love of my life, but also was helpful with translation for the business. She was so perfect for me in both areas of my life.

While in Paris I decided to push the relationship to the next level and proposed marriage. While I knew she was married, that could be changed. I needed to know that I was more than a temporary affair and wanted to make our relationship permanent. My heart was too far along to give her up. She said she needed some time to sort some things out. I didn't push it anymore at that time because I knew it was complicated for her. I could wait a little bit before raising the subject again.

The next to the last stop was in Switzerland. With the beautiful scenery and quaint villages, I poured on the romance and asked if she made a decision yet, to which she said "Yes, but she needed to clear up some loose ends when we return to the states." I then gave her the ring I purchased earlier in the trip. She looked like a mixture of excitement and life just got complicated.

The next day when we passed by a wedding chapel I said, "there is no better and prettier place than here to marry the prettiest woman in the world, and no better time than today." I expected her to make up an excuse because she was already married. When she didn't say no, I guided her into the chapel where I tried to announce to the shopkeeper that we wanted to get married. We both realized he didn't understand a word I said. Shelly immediately spoke something in German and both she and the shopkeeper broke into a large smile. He led her into a back room. When she came back out, she had a wedding veil on her head with a bouquet of flowers and a huge smile. She was my angel with special glow.

I don't remember much about the ceremony, partly because I didn't understand a word, but mostly because I was mesmerized with her looks. Shelly translated the key parts so I knew when to respond. Our love making that night was even better than the other times. In two days we were flying back to London where we made a few more sales calls, then traveled back to New York and on to our home together.

After we got home, she made a few calls and announced that she would be traveling back to her old home to handle some paperwork and arrange to have personal items shipped back here. While I offered to go help her, she felt it would be better to go alone. Since one part of what she needed to do was close out her current marriage with Stephen, I decided it would be best to let her go alone. I didn't want to make her more uncomfortable than necessary, but was a little nervous about her possibly changing her mind. In three days she was flying back to me which was a relief.

Stephen:

In her last call from Europe, she said she was going to be a week or so later returning and that we needed to talk when she got back. This did not sound good, but I was still looking forward to seeing her again.

Six days after her original planned return date I came home to find her in our apartment packing boxes with her personal items. While she was packing she kept saying how sorry she was. Then she said something about me being special but she had moved on to someone else. She also asked me to sign the paperwork on the table that left everything to me except her personal items. She didn't say the word, "divorce".

Then it occurred to me who she was with in Europe. I didn't check out her story about the teachers. That little speech hit me hard but I didn't hate her. It was more like I felt sorry for myself in letting this all happen. I wanted to ask her if her new person was Edward, but I knew it was, and really didn't need confirmation. I wanted to be a big enough person to wish her well, but I couldn't speak. I looked over at the divorce papers were on the table and walked into the bedroom and just sat.

After another hour, she came in and announced that the movers would be here any minute and hopeful that I could move on in my life. Moments later, the doorbell rang and she went to answer it. The movers were done in a about 5 or 10 minutes since she didn't take much. She repeated that she was sorry, gave me a quick hug, kissed my cheek, and left. I guess I was right when I didn't think I was good enough for her.

While I still do business with Edward, it is difficult emotionally. Each time he comes to town a part of me wants to confront him, but I realize it was probably more her decision. I don't need to arrange any escorts these days.

After the divorce, I buried myself in my work again. I was back to just interested in the technology, running the business, and working somewhere over 15 hours a day. Mary, my secretary, was very sympathetic to my situation and pretty much took care of me while I was depressed by handling shopping so I would not starve amount other things. She was also comforting emotionally by letting me vent my feelings that I bottled up.

A few months later we started dating, with just quiet dinners at first. At first, she would tell me that I needed to get out and eat so we would go to one of the diners in town to just get out of the office. Now we are living together in a nice little starter house I bought and are talking about a wedding. I have been reading up on what it takes to be a better husband this time around. There is no way I will let her date any clients for any reason.

Edward:

In the two years after our marriage, we have traveled all over the USA and many parts of the world. She is a helpful business partner as a translator, and the love of my life. We are now beginning a family with her being three months pregnant. Life is wonderful with my beautiful angel.

We still do business with Stephen's company, but most of the business is done over the phone. When we do meet face to face, Shelly stays at the hotel. I don't push the issue. He has never said that Shelly was his wife, nor has she ever said he was her husband. I think she knows that I know, but hasn't asked, and I don't plan to tell her. It doesn't seem like something to bring up unless she asks. Life is very good.