The Unreal Estate Business Ch. 01

This is going to be a long story. I may have to break it into two chapters. Reader be fore-warned. This is a tale of cheating that does not end well for the guilty parties. But nobody gets a dynamite stick stuck up an orifice and lit either.

My intention is to tell a tale. You may like it or might not. You may like my characters or maybe not. People are flawed as is how they react to any given situation. Sometimes when you take a trip, the journey is as important as the destination.

Even though he told me some readers might not like it, I want to thank Vandemonium1 for his input as I developed my story line and characters. I even incorporated some of his suggestions. All mistakes in editing are my own because I went back over the story after the editor made it readable.

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It was not even noon yet but I found myself sipping a beer while mulling over my dilemma. How do you tell someone you suspect his wife is cheating on him? Especially if the guy is someone you like but not a close friend. If it was my brother it would be a no brainer. I would sit him down and give it to him straight. But the guy in question was my wife's boss and I certainly did not want him to shoot the messenger or take it out on my wife if I was wrong.

We needed her job intact. At least for a while. Almost half our family income streamed from her job at the real estate agency and I certainly did not want to rock the boat if I was wrong about what I suspected. Proudmore Realty did a whole lot more than just sell houses. Carl Proudmore was also a property developer . He had taken on that role about two years ago and had done well. His latest project was a gated community selling homes in the four hundred thousand dollar range. I know that kind of money buys a shack in some parts of the country, but around here that type house is where the doctors and lawyers live. And the properties seemed to be selling well. My wife's commission checks soared the last six months and had even eclipsed my own income.

Sarah had had a few jobs over the years but none that paid as well as this nor had she seemed to enjoy herself as much. She had been an English major with a political science minor when we met in college. She ruled out law school early on and settled for a teaching certificate. That career lasted only two years. She found out dealing with small children except for her own was not her forte. About that time she got pregnant with our first kid and embraced motherhood. Two more babies followed in as many years.

I was happy when she decided enough was enough and had her tubes tied. The IUD did not agree with her and she absolutely hated the side effects of the pill. I had offered to get snipped as an alternative, but she made the decision for the tubal ligation while in the hospital after having our third child. She was a good mother, happy to stay at home and run the household as long as she could take classes at the same time. I swear she had enough college credits that if she had concentrated them into a few fields, she could have had at least three PHD's. I mean she took classes in about every subject under the sun from business to anthropology. I tried to put my foot down when she came home with nets, waders and a snake stick for a herpetology class. It did no good and we soon had frogs, lizards and snakes in jars and cages around the house, some dead in preservative and some live. But nothing really caught her interest as a possible career until she decided to take real estate classes.

She sold just enough at the first brokerage she worked for to pay her expenses, which included a decent wardrobe. She blamed not making a real profit on the soft market. I had always heard that ten percent of the agents did ninety percent of the sales. But when she started to work for Carl, her sales soared through the roof. Carl claimed it was because Sarah could talk to her high end clients about almost any subject they could think of. I suppose taking all those college courses was finally paying off.

I know Sarah looked the part of a vibrant young professional. She carried herself with an air of assurance and class. At forty four, she had the same trim body she had in her early thirties. She kept fit and did not need the support of a special bra or girdle to look really good in a dress. She was still beautiful in a cute, girl next door, fashion. We were the same age but I did not fare as well myself. I kept in decent shape and exercised regularly, but that was mainly for my cardiac health. I would never be muscular nor did I care to be. I inherited premature grey hair from my father and alopecia from the X chromosome on my mother's side. When out with my wife, I know people who did not know us well assumed I must have money to get and keep a pretty woman obviously at least fifteen years younger. I had heard that comment more than once over the past several years..

I glanced at the clock trying to decide if I wanted another beer and write off the day's work altogether or get busy with one of my current projects before I got drunk. I could put my angst on hold for now. My decision was made for me when the doorbell rang. I stood up and opened the door. I was certainly not happy to see the cause of my uneasiness standing there on my doorstep. Amelia Proudmore fidgeted a bit as she greeted me.

"I think we need to talk." she said hesitantly. "Well, I mean, uhh, I need to ask you a favor, uhh Mr Saturn, uhh, I mean Ty." I understood her nervousness. She had obviously seen me this morning at the local Denny's when I had brunch with two of my colleagues.

'Come inside," I said. I was trying to think what I was going to say to my wife's boss's wife. I decided to be polite and offer her something to drink. "Would you like something to drink? I could make you some coffee or tea. or if you want something stronger..."

She surprised me by smiling and nodding at the beer in my hand. "I think a beer would be nice." I stepped into the kitchen got one and offered her a glass. She shook her head as she twisted the top off, once again taking me by surprise. I looked at her closely as I motioned her to a seat in the living room. She was dressed as she had been this morning, a stylish summer dress that did nothing to conceal her luscious figure. I knew her to be thirty six, eight years younger than her husband and me for that matter. She looked like the stereotypical trophy wife.

I had met her on a few occasions socially. The last being only this past weekend at a dinner when her husband and my wife were attending a real estate banquet. We sat at the same table. She had called me "Mister Saturn" until I corrected her and told her to call me Ty which is short for Tyler. I told her that despite the grey hair I was not old enough to be called 'mister'. She had stammered about how my face was young looking but with the grey hair and, as she pointed to her head I knew her to be referring to my bald top. I laughed loudly which put her at ease.

I was not in the mood to host this woman for long. Cutting to the chase, I said, "Okay Amelia. I think I know what this is about. What is it you want to say?" My tone of impatience or possibly exasperation must have surprised her. It certainly put her on edge.

"Uhh, I was hoping you would not say anything to your wife or my husband about seeing me this morning." she said hesitantly. "I know you heard me say Saturday night I was not going to be in town this week. And then you find me in a local restaurant."

Oh yes. I had seen her alright. She was sitting in Denny's with two men, neither of which was her husband. It could have been a casual meal, but then again you don't hold hands with a guy you eat breakfast with if it is casual. There was no social distancing going on there. The guy holding her hand could best be described as a stud. Maybe late thirties, dressed in a sports shirt, his bulging muscles evident. He held Amelia's hand and patted it as they talked with the second man. What he did when he slid out of the booth convinced me his relationship was anything but casual. He reached down and picked up her purse and held it until she got to her feet. Touching a woman's purse unless she hands it to you is not the norm. At least it isn't where I come from. He gave Amelia a hug and kissed her on the lips. No tongue involved but this was a family restaurant after all.

I snorted when Amelia offered the next line. "It's not what it looked like." Her eyes got wide as I chuckled. "Seriously. I saw you were watching me when we got ready to leave. I knew I better talk to you before you said something. It took a while for me to find Sarah's address. I drove straight over." I must have looked amused at her audacity.

"Damn it!!" she exclaimed. "I have a problem here. And I need your help!" I came close to saying I was not going to help her hide her affair when she said. "My husband is fucking around on me! I know it but I don't have any proof yet. I can't let him know I suspect anything, Not now. Not until I have concrete proof."

"Wait a minute. So who were those two men you were with in Denny's?" I asked, taken aback by this new development. She explained one was a private investigator she had hired. The other was her brother. "So the body builder patting your hand and kissing you was your brother?"

She nodded."He was there to support me and help me out. I am staying at his house for the week. Carl would never go near his place. He thinks my brother's gayness will rub off or something. They barely speak, even though Brad and I are very close."

My dilemma was solved. "So the guy holding your hand and who kissed you is gay," I shook my head. "I saw him walk you out with his hand on the small of your back and thought he was your lover! I thought YOU were the one cheating on Carl. That man looks anything BUT gay."

"Your gaydar isn't that good is it?" Amelia laughed. "You must really be the Boy Scout Carl said you are." I must have looked as shocked as I felt. "Well Carl said you were kinda naive, and pretty religious. He said you were straight and narrow in your beliefs."

"What?" I asked. "He said that about me? I've met him several times, but never really talked about anything important. I have no idea how he got that impression."

"Well, he said all you did was sit at home and play video games. I sorta imagined one of those guys in their underwear in their Mom's basement playing on the computer all day." Amelia said. "And last weekend at the banquet, you looked really uncomfortable in a suit and tie. I kinda got the impression that all you did was play computer games. I mean the way Carl described you, you were like some kind of man-child who barely knew what sex was."

"Carl has no idea." I offered, confidently. "I have three kids. Two in college and one finishing up high school. My sex life is active. Yeah, I hate wearing a tie. And the shirt I was wearing last Saturday night was a little small in the neck. Sarah bought me a new dress shirt for the banquet and got one with the neck a half inch too small. I generally don't wear more than a sports shirt when I go out. At home I wear tee shirts and jeans normally." I began laughing. "Like this shirt."

It read "I don't need Google... my wife knows everything." Underneath, it said Cozumel , Mexico. I bought that shirt as a tease for all those college courses Sarah had taken. "I am no recluse. We travel whenever we can."

"And as far as my playing computer games is concerned, THAT is true." I laughed, totally amused. "I am the senior programmer for Horizon Games. My job is to not only understand games people want to play but to create new ones. So I am constantly testing and comparing games from my competitors."

"Oh, I had no idea," Amelia said contritely. "I was given the wrong impression. I apologize if I offended you." I shrugged. "But I still need you to NOT say a word about having seen me this week. Carl thinks I am visiting my Mom, I am hoping he decides to use my house to have sex with his girlfriend while I am away. Right now that investigator is having my house wired. Video cameras, listening devices, you name it, I got it. What I REALLY need from you is to not let on you know I am still in town. You can't even let your wife know. Sarah would either say something or let something slip."

"Okay. I gotta admit. I thought it was YOU messing around." I said. "I usually don't sit around and drink like this but it was bothering the Hell out of me seeing you at Denny's this morning. I like Carl and Sarah really thinks the world of him. I will keep quiet. But damn! I just gotta say this. Maybe it is the three beers I have in me but WHY in Hell would Carl ever even THINK of fucking around on you?" I stammered a bit and then said. "I mean you are a total fox."

"That is kind of you, but I understand the second part of that statement." Amelia said, her blush at my praise turning into a sneer. "You are thinking of me as the typical trophy wife. I've heard that before. I think Carl likes to promote that impression sometimes. I have even heard him tell people he 'made me' like he had me built. But the only surgery I have ever had was an appendectomy. What few know is I graduated from Vassar. I have a Masters in Business Administration. I am not an airhead. But I am begging you. PLEASE do not give him any indication I suspect him. I have to let him go about his normal routine." She had tears in her eyes and began to tremble a little.

"I am sincerely sorry." I said, hugging this poor distressed woman. "I will keep what I saw this morning to myself. If you need any help, let me know. I have a few skills that might help." She gave me a puzzled look. "I was a pretty good hacker before I got into game design. I still advise the guys over in the cyber security side of the house. Maybe I can help you in some way." At the time I said this, I had no idea what was in store for us.

She thanked me and stood to leave. Before I opened the door, I looked out the front window. "Oh damn! We have a bit of a problem. My neighbor across the street is mowing his grass. He is retired and sometimes putters around out there for hours. He is bound to notice you leaving and even if he might not say anything to me, he will certainly tell his wife about the pretty woman leaving my house in the middle of the day. Where is your car?"

"My car is at home. I thought of Carl using the GPS to track me and know where I was even if it was just to the airport. If he is at all suspicious or wants to avoid me." Amelia explained. "I took an Uber to the airport like I was flying out and rented a car there. I parked it on the street three houses down. I thought about someone noticing a strange car in your drive." Smart girl.

"Okay, Secret Squirrel." I said, grinning. "You are thinking. But while you were playing Nancy Drew, did you think about your cell phone? That is an easy way to see where someone is. Find my phone apps are easy to install." She said she checked but did not see that app. "Give me your phone and I'll check it out." I ushered her into my office.

"Holy Shit!" she exclaimed, looking around the room as we entered. I had shelves full of computer disks and remote storage devices. Various joysticks and virtual realty headsets filled another shelf. "It looks like a gamer's wet dream in here!" she giggled.

"This is how I make my living. I need to keep up. Everything in here is state of the art." I said, as I sat down and tapped my mouse. My monitor snapped to life. I pointed her to a second chair where my son usually sat when we played games together. I examined her phone and was happy to see it was a new model and I had the proper cable to connect it to my computer. I hit a few keys and watched a list of programs appear. I opened one and examined the lines of code briefly. I pronounced her phone and Sim card clean.

"What are you doing?" she asked, concerned as I popped the phones cover off and began to take the phone apart.

"Another way to bug a phone is to physically add a device." I explained. " The simplest and easiest goes right here in the battery compartment. It takes only a few minutes to install and it turns your phone into a listening device. Few people ever open up their phone even if they suspect somebody watching their movements. Okay none here. You are safe. Would you like for me to add an app so you can locate Carl?" Her eyes shone as she nodded her head. In a few seconds I had uploaded the program and added Carl's cell phone number. "Alright, to activate this you need to call him and keep him on the line for a minute or so. Think up a good excuse to do that. I'll do the rest."

As soon as Carl answered, I hit the enter key to start the upload. "Hey Carl, I wanted to call and tell you I arrived." Amelia said, cheerfully. "Mom is not feeling well. She wants me to go back home in case it is Covid. But I am thinking I ought to stick around in case she needs my help. What do you think? Do you think I should risk it and stay with her? Or get a hotel room and just be near in case I am needed? I might need to take her someplace to get tested. If she is positive for Covid and I get exposed I will have to go into quarantine. And then it might be a couple weeks before I can come home." They talked a bit and when I nodded, she cut off the call saying she would keep him informed.

"Carl sounded pretty normal except he seemed to like the idea of you seeing your Mom. Even if it might result in you getting quarantined." I offered. "What has he been doing that has you thinking he is having an affair?"

"It has been just subtle changes in his demeanor. He is not as attentive as he was. Always too tired to have sex. He stays out late claiming he has showings. And apart from our sex life being impacted, he has put his foot down about some other personal issues. Not even willing to talk about them." Amelia said

I began to laugh. "You candidly tell me your sex life has suffered and that is not a personal issue?" Amelia blushed.

"I was not planning to tell you my whole life story. But I like you and trust you." Amelia said. "Do we have time? It would be awkward to be caught here by your wife or one of your kids."

I assured her my son would be in school for a few more hours and Sarah had texted to tell me she was going to be late tonight. I explained how I planned to drive her to wherever she was staying and she could come back and get her rental later. I just needed a little time to sober up completely before getting behind the wheel.

"Okay. Carl is my second husband. My first died in action in Afghanistan. We had no kids. We wanted to wait until he finished his Army commitment. So there I was thirty years old when I met Carl. He claimed he wanted kids someday but wanted to delay it a while. I thought that was smart. A little less than two years ago I started trying to get pregnant. Nothing happened. I got tested and found out I was fine. Finally, Carl admitted he had been snipped. He got the vasectomy years ago after having two kids with his first wife but never told me. He kept chickening out when I urged him to try to get it reversed. That was the source of some pretty intense arguments. I loved the guy and wanted to have his kids, but I was still resentful he had not been honest with me when we first started seeing each other. I know it is petty but I'm not sure if I would gotten involved if I knew he was sterile."

"I thought you had kids now." I offered. "The other night you quizzed me about popular video games suitable for young teens. You gave me the impression you were in the market for games."

"I have a niece and a nephew. My brother's kids." That took me by surprise. I asked if this was a different brother than the one I saw this morning who she said was gay. "No, same one. He hired surrogate mothers and used his sperm. Artificial insemination. The two surrogates he used are a lesbian couple and Brad paid off their college loans. Later they wanted their own kids so Brad donated sperm again and now they have two kids as well. I know it is kinda funny. Brad has fathered four kids and never had sex with a woman. We don't hide this but we don't publicize the details either. Brad is a contract lawyer and he and I share some business dealings. Some people are a little un-accepting I guess you can call it about his lifestyle."