The Movie Star and My Wife

I've read the original "February Sucks" story and all the subsequent takes. I tip my hat to the original author as it was a great concept. However, I've found the original story and most of the others not totally believable. I can imagine a wife leaving her husband in a public manner like that. Doing it with a celebrity - maybe. But my biggest problem is that the wives all come home, say that they love their husbands but that the sex with the celebrity was so great.

I decided to add my own version of this scenario, but with a different take. First of all, I don't think professional athletes are sleazy enough. Therefore, I've gone with a much sleazier animal, a movie star. Not only that, but I've included the first three rules of the Cheater's Handbook -- deny, deny, deny.

With that I humbly submit my version -- The Movie Star and My Wife.

*

My wife, Abbie, loved going to the movies. If I wanted to make my wife happy, all I had to do was take her to a good movie. I couldn't just take her to any movie. It had to be in one of four categories -- animation, action-adventure, drama, or romance. The last category, I believe, is also referred to as "chick flicks." Abbie would also go to just about any movie that started Tom Torino, Matt Wright, or Brad Talbot. They were her favorite actors.

My first date with Abbie was when I took her to see Sleepless in Seattle. She didn't care much for Tom Hanks, but she loved the story. Years after we were married, she admitted that she fell in love with me after that movie. Why she did, I have no idea.

After twelve years of marriage, Abbie is still a very beautiful woman. At five foot six and a hundred and fifteen pounds, she has a great figure. Her dark, emerald green eyes really stand out against her raven hair. When Abbie gets all dressed up, she still turns heads.

My name is John Sawyer, and I'm no slouch either. I'm six feet one and a hundred and eighty pounds. I have sandy colored hair and blue eyes. Many times, Abbie and I have been told that we are a beautiful couple. During my college days, before I met my future wife, I never lacked for female companionship. However, when I met Abbie, I knew I didn't want anyone else. And for twelve years, I thought that Abbie felt the same about me.

We met in our junior year in high school and fell in love. Our love grew during our four years at one of the state's universities, and we were married three months after graduation. Abby is my true love, my soul, my everything. I couldn't imagine life without her. And while we both love our two kids to pieces; it is really had to be spontaneous when their around. Tonight, was going to be just for the two of us.

We had decided to go dancing with three other couples in the city. Since we'd be out late and drinking, we booked rooms at a downtown hotel. We had arranged with my parents to take our two girls for the night, so it was to be a truly special night. It turned out to be something special, alright, but not anything like I thought it would be.

When we got to the nightclub, I couldn't put my finger on it, but the mood seemed off. The women seemed to be keyed up about something, and one of the men seemed kind of smug. Of the three couples, I really liked George and Helen, and also Bob and Anna. George was a software engineer while Helen was a stay at home mom with three kids. Bob owned his own plumbing company, and his wife worked in the office doing the books.

The one couple that I didn't care much for was Chad and Thelma. And in truth, I was fine with Thelma, but I thought Chad was an asshole. But Abbie and Thelma had been roommates in college and remained good friends. So, I had to put up with Chad. As near as I could figure, he had something to do with the motion picture industry. I think Chad said he was an agent or something. From what I could gather, he wasn't terribly successful, but Thelma had a high-paying job as a pharmaceutical representative.

I'm a financial advisor with one of the larger brokerage houses. It was slow going when I first got into the business, but now I have more business than I want. The way it works with my firm is that once you reach a certain number of clients, the firm insists that you train someone and set the new advisor up with your excess customers. Of course, you keep the most profitable clients for yourself. I've had to do that twice already, and I'm getting close to having to do it again. I make a really good living.

Abbie started out working as an administrative assistant for Mike Winston, an executive vice-president for a regional bank. When our two girls came a year apart, Abbie became a stay at home mom until Stacy, our youngest, started first grade. Then one day, Mike called her and explained that he had been promoted to president, and he wondered if she would be interested in working for him part-time. Abbie asked me, and I told her to go for it.

If you're thinking that I made a mistake letting Abbie go back to work, and she's now sleeping with her boss, you would be totally wrong. Mike is sixty-two years old, bald, but even more important, totally devoted to his wife and five kids.

As I said, something was a little off, but I didn't know what it was, and at that moment, I didn't care. I was looking forward to an evening of dancing with my wife and a whole night of loving afterward.

We mingled around the room as we knew several of the other couples there. If you go dancing enough, you get to meet some really nice people. One couple turned out to be an old college friend, Fred Abbot, and his wife, Brenda. I stopped to talk to them while Abbie and the others went to our table.

I was about to rejoin my wife, as the music had just started. But then there was a commotion at the doors. A crowd gathered around the entrance and then parted. Brenda gasped.

"What's wrong?" Fred asked.

"Don't you know who that is?" Brenda was breathless.

I looked over and saw an extremely handsome man. He was only about five foot six or seven, but as a woman would say, "He was gorgeous."

Both Fred and I expressed our ignorance.

"That's Brad Talbot," she gushed. "He and his fiancé, Rita Sommers, are two of the hottest stars in Hollywood."

"Oh yeah," Fred said and began looking past Brad. "I wonder if Rita Sommers is here also. John, on a scale of one to ten, Rita is at least a fifteen."

Brenda slapped her husband's arm playfully. "You would think of that."

As I looked at Brad, I did recognize him. He was one of my wife's favorite actors. I was wondering if I might be able to get an autograph for her. But what happened totally stunned me. Brad walked right up to our table and asked my wife to dance. She didn't hesitate, jumping up and dancing the next four songs with him.

I walked over to the table and sat down, totally pissed. My wife hadn't even asked me if I was okay with her dancing with someone else. When the fifth song started, I went to cut in, but Chad's glass fell to the floor. When he reached to pick up the broken glass, he came up with a bloody hand.

"John, could you help me with this," he asked.

I looked at my wife dancing and then at Chad. I should have just gone to my wife, but instead, I followed Chad into the men's room. However, when I got there, the cut was very minor. Still, I helped him clean it and wrap it in a paper towel. When I got back to the table, I just caught a glimpse of my wife leaving with Brad. I started after them.

Chad was right on my heels, and when we got out the front door and into the parking lot, I saw Abbie getting into a car with Brad. I started to run to catch up to the car. I just saw Brad kissing Abbie's hand as she laughed at something he said when Chad took my legs out from under me. I crashed to the ground but was up in an instant.

"What the fuck's wrong with you?" I yelled.

"Brad's just going to take your wife for a ride," he said with a smirk.

Thelma was there a few seconds later. "It's a dream date for Abbie. She told Chad and me how much she likes Brad, so we arranged for him to take her out."

"That's my fucking wife!" I screamed. "You didn't think I should know about this?"

"Abbie told us that you would say no," Chad said with a smirk. "Just go with the flow."

"Fuck you! You go with this flow!" I yelled as I lashed out and smashed Chad directly on the bridge of his nose. The sound of it breaking was the only good thing about that night. Thelma then launched into me, punching and trying to kick me. Fortunately for me, Fred had seen what was going on and had followed me out. He quickly picked Thelma up and set her down on the other side of him.

"He attacked my husband!" Thelma started screaming.

"No, he didn't," Fred said calmly. "You two attacked him first. He was just defending himself."

Thelma went ballistic and called 911. The police arrived about ten minutes later and began taking statements. Fred maintained his story, and I told the same, adding that Chad had kicked my legs out from under me first. The people who had gathered after the disturbance started had only seen Thelma attacking me. They told the officers that all they saw was me simply trying to get away from her. The final result was that Chad and Thelma were arrested.

By the time the police left, I was devastated. I went back to our table and found the two women smiling.

"Where's everyone else?" Helen asked.

"Chad and Thelma were arrested for assaulting me," I answered, struggling to keep my anger in check. "Abbie left with Brad and seemed very happy about that."

"That wasn't supposed to happen," Anna said. "She was just supposed to go outside with Brad, have a few pictures taken, and then come back to the table."

"My wife and Thelma, apparently, didn't tell you what the real plan was," I said as I got up to get a drink.

Fred caught up to me at the bar.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked.

"I don't know what the fuck is going on," I admitted. "I hope my wife has just gone for a ride with that movie star and will be back shortly. When she gets back, we're going to have a very unfriendly discussion."

"Look, John," Fred said with concern, "I don't want to stoke the fires, but Brenda told me that Brad Talbot is a notorious womanizer. He seems to get his jollies bedding married women. I hope that's not Abbie, but I think you should prepare for the worst."

My heart sunk into my stomach. I didn't know what to do. But I told Fred, I'd be okay. Before I headed back to the table, I tried to call Abbie on her cellphone. It went immediately to voice mail. The atmosphere was very awkward when I sat down. The wives looked very ashamed, and their husbands looked furious. I continued to try to call Abbie with no success. Finally, the other two couples said they were heading back to the hotel. I told them I was staying for a bit to see if Abbie came back.

I waited for a half-hour before heading to the hotel. I waited there until three am in the morning, calling Abbie's phone every ten minutes. Finally, in disgust, I checked out and headed home. I got there about four and sat on the couch. I must have fallen asleep because the sun shining through our bay window woke me up. It was now seven in the morning. I checked our bedroom, but Abbie wasn't back yet. Then I checked my cellphone, and there were no messages from Abbie. So, I logged onto my computer and pulled up our Facebook page. It had blown up with pictures of Brad and Abbie leaving the nightclub, pictures of them going to his house, pictures of Abbie going into Brad's house on his arm.

I searched the Hollywood websites, and they were all blowing up by Brad's latest married woman conquest. I was beyond furious at this point. I immediately called my attorney, and since it was Saturday, my call was forwarded to his house. Since I had woken him, he wasn't too pleased to hear from me until I explained what was going on. He convinced me to do nothing until Abbie came home and explained her behavior.

Finally, at about eleven, the front door opened, and Abbie came in with a huge smile on her face. The smile disappeared when she saw the look on my face.

"We didn't do anything," Abbie said immediately. "We just spent the night talking. I know I should have asked you, but I was sure that you'd say no. You know how much I love going to the movies and how Brad Talbot is one of my favorite actors. Last night was like a fairy tale. Nothing happened, John. I still love you with all of my heart."

I just glared at her, and I could almost feel steam blowing out my ears. "I want you to pack up your shit and go to your parents. I can't stand the sight of you right now."

"John, why are you making a big deal out of it?" she with annoyance and a little fear in her voice. "We just talked. There was nothing to it. It isn't a big deal."

"It is a big fucking deal to me," I said through gritted teeth. "I don't believe for a second that nothing happened. But for argument sake, let's pretend that nothing did happen. You still embarrassed me in front of the whole world."

"Now you're just being overly dramatic, John," Abbie said, putting her hands on her hips. "Outside of our group, no one knows anything. And Helen and Anna know it was just a harmless adventure for me."

"You, stupid bitch," I snapped, which caused Abbie recoil. I had never spoken to her like this before. "It's the top story on all the Hollywood news sites. They have pictures of you and Brad leaving the nightclub, going to his house, and by now, there are probably pictures of you leaving his house sometime this morning. I think our marriage is over. So, get your shit and get out before I do something I'll regret."

"Please, John, I'm sure that you're exaggerating," Abbie was on the verge of tears now. "I love you with all my heart. I'm sorry if I upset you, but nothing happened. I knew you'd be annoyed, but I thought you'd give me a pass when you knew that nothing happened. We have to work this out. Think of the girls."

"You didn't think about your girls when you sped off into the night with your asshole movie star," I hissed at her. "How would you like Stacie or Gail doing something like that when they're of age?"

Abbie turned pale at those comments and then dissolved into tears. "I'm so, so sorry, John. I didn't think it would be this big a deal. I made a mistake. Please forgive me."

"You're right; you didn't think," I was beyond reason and getting angrier by the minute. I had to get Abbie out of the house before I did something I would truly regret. So, I left her standing in the entranceway and headed to our bedroom. I pulled a suitcase out of the closet and began throwing Abbie's clothes into it.

"I'll do it," Abbie said through her sobs after a few minutes. Then she slowly packed up the suitcase and carried it downstairs. I didn't even offer to carry it for her. I waited until she was out the front door before I slammed it hard. I peeked out the front window to make sure she left. I could see her put the bag in the trunk and get into the driver's seat. Then she put her head down on the steering wheel and sobbed. I wanted to go out and comfort her, but I was too damn mad.

After about twenty minutes, she started the car and drove away. I immediately called my parents and explained to them what had happened. I asked if they would keep the girls for a bit more. And if Abbie showed up, tell her I had them. They agreed. Then I was left to contemplate the ruins of my marriage. I began running everything back and forth in my head.

Abbie claimed that nothing happened. Could that be true? I didn't know, but my gut told screamed that she was lying. Could I live with what she had done and try to move forward? If, as she believed, no one knew about it except our friends, maybe. Now that it had gone viral, I didn't see any way forward for our marriage. I desperately wanted to get back at both of them, but I could think of nothing to accomplish this. I cried for at least an hour, pounding the walls and the doors as I walked around.

I felt so impotent. I knew there was no way I could get back at Brad. He was a Hollywood hot shit, and there was no way I could touch him. And I knew a divorce would hurt me financially, but if it came to that, I was prepared to work from home and sue for full custody of the girls. Since I was, obviously, the more stable of the two parents, I felt I had an excellent shot at that. I don't think Abbie ever considered that her actions might actually lose her the girls. But the thought of the damage a divorce would do to my daughters sent me spiraling further down.

About one o'clock, I was just making some more coffee when the phone rang. So far, the media hadn't gotten my phone number, but I knew that wouldn't last.

"Hello," I answered the phone.

"Is this John Sawyer, and is your wife's name Abbie," a female voice asked me.

"Look," I snapped, "I'm not in the mood to talk to any reporters."

There was a gentle giggle that sounded a little like bells ringing. "Good," the voice said, "I hate talking to them also."

"Who is this?" I asked about ready to slam down the phone.

"My name is Rita Sommers," she responded softly. "I think you are already familiar with my fiancé, Brad Talbot?"

"Yeah, I'm familiar with the asshole," I didn't know where this conversation was going, but I wanted to be done with it as quickly as possible.

"Do you love your wife?" Rita asked.

The question seemed to come out of left field. I sighed. "Despite everything my wife's done, I do still love her. However, after everything that's happened, I don't think there is any chance of saving our marriage. I just can't accept what she did."

"If I could offer you, hopefully, a way to save your marriage and also save my relationship with Brad, would you be interested?"

My heart started to beat irregularly. I had to sit down and think. Finally, I responded, "Yes, I'd love to save my marriage, but I just don't see any way to do it."

Again, there was that gentle giggle, and then a sigh. "I've loved Brad for a long time. We've known each other since we were kids. He came from a very dysfunctional family, as did I. His father was a womanizer, and as a result, his mother hated all men. She showed Brad absolutely no love. Nothing he could do ever pleased his mother. He has slept with married women many times before. I think this is Brad trying to get the love his mother never gave him. In any event, I came from an equally dysfunctional family. Only, in my family, my mother was a drunk, and my father abused me. Back then, Brad was all I had, and I loved him to my very core. But then he moved away when his mother divorced his father. I cried for weeks. We reconnected in Hollywood after we both had made it. I had heard the stories about Brad, and I was very leery about starting a relationship with him. But as soon as we saw each other, we fell in love again. And when we got engaged, he promised me that the married woman thing was behind him. When I confronted him about your wife, he claims nothing happened. I have no way to prove it one way or another. But right now, the thought of losing Brad is driving me crazy."

"Yeah, my wife also told me that nothing happened," I admitted. "And the thought of losing her is driving me crazy also."

"Do you believe her?"

"No, I don't."

"And neither do I. I know Brad, and it would be totally out of character for him to take a woman back to his house and do nothing. But I suppose stranger things have happened. Still, I'm going on the assumption that something did happen. So, I want him to understand how much hurt he has caused me, and I want your wife to understand the same thing. I don't know if that will be enough, but I'm hoping that if we're successful, we'll be able to move forward with our significant others."