The Good Wife

On Joanie's left shoulder sat the complementary imaginary pixie, the red-headed Margo. She always tempted Joanie to go opposite of Samantha's pleas. Margo whispered, "Oh baby, if Fred can screw you like that on a lounge chair in a half hour imagine what he will do to you in a bedroom with more time. You gotta get us some more of that!"

Joanie mentally pulled out a roll of gray tape, resolutely tore off a strip, and taped over Samantha's carping mouth. Then Joanie dropped the struggling but now silent Samantha into the root cellar of Joanie's mind. Margo smiled exultantly.

Now Joanie just had to finish convincing her husband to accept her plan - which was for his own good, he must admit. She would not examine her own ulterior motives any further at this point.

Karen had surmised Joanie's dilemma of wanting to altruistically help her husband but also having her own more basic biological motive in the drama. Well, what are sisters for!

Karen chimed in, "Look Harry, it is like the Feds taking social security tax from all of us. Nobody likes it, but you really have no choice. However, the payment is automatically deducted from your paycheck, and you soon forget about it. You don't even notice the tax after a while. Then down the road, because you paid the tax and ignored the irritation of paying it, you get to reap the rewards."

She went on in a serious tone, "This situation your wife is proposing is exactly the same. I am a very experienced financial advisor, and my professional advice is go for the gold and ignore the minor bumps along the way. Leave your career prospects in your wife's very capable hands."

She reached over and patted Harry's hand affectionately, "Come on Harry, it is only an hour or so a week. That is only six tenths of a percent of your wife's time per week. The rest of the time she is all yours. Go ahead and let her invest a little time and effort into your career. Don't sweat what you can't control, and you will soon forget what is going on!"

Harry contemplated the two beautiful and maddening sisters for several minutes. Finally he sighed and lifted his glass with a wry smile as he exclaimed with a tinge of irony, "To my promotion and to my wife's vigorous support thereof."

The ladies both raised their glasses with smiles and cheerfully drank to Harry's toast.