What's Love Got to Do with It??

"So how did it get from there to your little plan to swap with his hooker?"

"He told me that at the session, we could have sex, and that he could get your approval. He'd bring a really hot younger woman for you."

"You agreed?"

"I told him I thought you would say no. I mean, I didn't think you'd shoot him, like you were going to do."

"And today. Did you discuss the whole episode?"

"Yes. He said he was disappointed to be stuck with Rita, when he wanted me. That's when I warned him off. That's it."

"Hmmm. Well. I'll think about it."

"I like my job, Terry. And I make a lot of money at it."

"Jennie. I believe that you have....that you're very attracted to him. And so I think you'll eventually fuck him. Because I think that, I'll always be on edge about the marriage and you. To me, it's not worth any amount of money. Look at it from my viewpoint."

"Oh. I won't deny the attraction. But I'm not some sex starved woman. You take good care of me. More than good. I can stay away from him."

"No, you cannot. He's your direct supervisor, really. How often in a week do you and he consult about some matter?"

"Three or four times. I see what you're saying. But...I won't let it get anywhere near another kiss. I will not, Terry. I love you."

"But not enough to do what you can to allay my fears."

"You have my word."

"You didn't listen to what I said. Remember I'll always be on pins and needles."

"I can't help that, Terry. If you don't trust me, that's on you."

"We can see how it goes this week. It didn't help that you were late. Nor did it help that you were breathless when you answered."

"I wasn't."

"You were. Why?"

She walked out of the room, went upstairs.

I went into my small office in the basement, and started playing the recordings. It was sound activated, and did okay with conversations. I was getting bored when I heard Bass's voice.

"Hello, Jennie. I was so sorry that things didn't work like I planned at the conference."

"Me, too. Well, in a way. But I won't give up my marriage and family, Don. Just will not. Anyway, I'm sure you had a good time with Rita. She was hot."

"I would've gladly traded up to the hottest woman I know."

"Just stop. We need to end this little drama. Do I have to quit?"

"I only want...well, you know what I want."

"But, no matter if I have a thing for you, I won't give up my family. That's it. Right now, I have to go home and assure Terry that I can keep this job and remain his wife. I will have to be honest, because he's no fool."

"We could just take some time during certain workdays. How would he ever know?"

"He'd find out. He's capable. He can look at me and see stuff with no words spoken. I will not do it. So, do I have to quit?"

"No. I'll back off."

"If not, I will leave."

"In the long run, Jennie, I'm gonna get you. I won't have to try like I have been. I won't do that. But you have desires that are centered on me. So, to be honest, I want to fuck you. And, when you make the offer, you'll never regret it. Nuff said."             

That was the end of that conversation. I listened to the end of the day, when Jennie answered the phone call from me and seemed to be out of breath. I heard a door open and close. There was some scuffling. There were no words, but a....hard to describe...a groan. Her voice. Then her phone rang. She answered. The door opened again as she spoke to me. The call ended. I distinctly heard her sigh. Then she seemed to pack up and leave.

I thought a lot about what Bass said. I thought he was correct. I decided that I had to consult with some sort of expert. I went on line and looked up psychologists. Sexologists. In the end I made and appointment with a therapist specializing in sexual issues -- Maggie Burnette.

The two of us were cool to each other that night, but slept in the same old bed. Just no sex or much talk.

Off she went that Tuesday. The pen was in place. I began to wonder if the firm had provisions against being recorded. But I decided that they must not, because the conversation I overheard would not have happened as it did.

Maggie Burnette was a fiftyish woman with an elegant demeanor. She had grey hair, pulled back into a ponytail. She ushered me into her office and asked, "What's the reason for your visit, Mr. Baker?

I explained to her that my wife seemed in some way to be under the spell of her boss, and was in danger of having sex with him and so ruining our long marriage. I gave her some details.

She asked a bunch of questions about our sex life now, and before. She asked about Jennie's family. Her early life seemed to get special attention. Jennie's childhood was ordinary until she was eight. He father left the family then, and soon was killed in an auto accident. Jennie's mom raised her and her younger brother Tom by herself, using money from her dad's insurance. She met her current husband, Bill Mason, when Jennie was fifteen. They married in six months, and were still happily married, apparently.

Ms. Burnette wanted to know if there were any photos of Jennie's dad. I had seen a few. I described him to her. He was tall and husky, light brown curly hair. In the pictures I'd seen he was always laughing, or at least smiling.

She asked me to describe Don Bass. I did. He was tall and husky, light brown curly hair. He didn't always smile, though.

I looked at her after I gave that description.

"She may have 'Daddy' issues." She said this with a little smile. "That's not a term defined in the DSM. But it is something that happens. She craves attention from someone in authority, maybe someone who looks like her absent father. And, you say she is very sexual with you. She seems to crave sex, especially surrounding the lodge incident -- before and after."

"Well, if that's true, what's to be done?"

"She could come see me and talk about it. Or, if not me, someone."

"I can try to get her to do that. If she understands why she's so hot for this guy, will it help?"

"Maybe. But....probably the risk would remain high. You haven't described any other incidents, and you've been with her a long time. Now she was truly blatant about it. So, I assume that something about Mr. Bass has triggered her need for approval from an older, authority figure. And the approval would take the form of sex."

"What more is there to do? She seems determined to keep working with him."

"If she gives in to him, what will you do? Will you forgive her?"

"No. No, I don't believe I would, because she has had all this warning. I'm going to make that clear to her -- see what she says and does."

I made an appointment for Jennie to see Maggie Burnette, Saturday at 9:00 am. Just Jennie, not me.

I sent Maggie photographs of Don Bass and Jennie's dad, as she had asked.

Tuesday evening Jennie was home on time. She didn't seem any different than normal. She had on Monday, and there had been something at the end of the day, but impossible to know what, exactly. Something with Don Bass, though.             

I asked her about her day.

"It was fine. You're asking about Don. I never spoke to him today."

"Okay. I went to see a therapist today. Her name is Maggie Burnette. We had a discussion about you and about our marriage. She and I decided that it would be a good thing if you had a session with her. I made an appointment for Saturday morning."

"Jesus. That's so presumptuous of you. It's controlling. I will not do it."

"Jennie, I've told you how nervous I am about you working with that asshole. You have some sort of thing for him. I explained that to you, and asked you to quit. You refused. You came home yesterday, and I immediately saw that something happened at work with him. Now I ask you to do this small thing for me. You refuse. Are we over, then?"

"No. I told you I would not give in. He's keeping away from me."

"What happened Monday at work? I mean that you didn't tell me about."

"Terry, please. I promise, okay?"

"WHAT HAPPENED?"

"He came in....at the end of the day. I was standing at my table, packing up to go. He just pulled me to him and kissed me. Then you called. I saw it was you. That's why I was out of breath. But he left when I answered the phone. I haven't seen him since."

"You said he kissed you. I'm sure you resisted, right?"

She looked away. I had my answer.

"And if I hadn't called right then?"

"I wouldn't have let it get too.....shit, Terry. I don't know what would have happened. I don't know why he's so attractive to me. But I need you to give me some space, because I want this job, and we need the money."

"If I give you space, he'll be right there in it, and in you. Then you'll have all the space you could ever desire, because I won't be around."

"You'd leave me? Over this infatuation?"

"I want to make this very, very clear Jennie. It's him or me. No two ways. If you have sex with him -- any kind of sex -- I will divorce you."

"That's harsh. You must not really love me at all."

"Oh, I do love you. I will not share you, though. I can love you and still leave. You and I made promises to each other when we married. I've kept mine."

"And I kept mine."

"So.....keep on keeping yours, and I'll keep on keeping mine."

"I need.....the job. It's very important to me."

"You're lying to yourself. You know the reason I've drawn such a hard line? Because you know full well what will happen with that asshole. But you do nothing to stop it. So....just know what's at stake."

"When I agreed to sleep with him at the conference -- if you said okay -- I thought that if I did that, I'd get him out of my system. But I see your point you made. Once might not be enough, but now it would be too much for you."

"Simple choice, Jennie. Him or me. Which will it be?"

"It's not true that choice. I want the job. I want my marriage. So, there's not an up or down. I won't give in."

"Go see the therapist. Then we'll talk. Do you think you can keep free of him? No more kisses at the end of the day? Until next week, at least."

"I told you." She walked away.

Jennie did not have another encounter with Bass that week, except two work conversations, in the presence of others. I was, however, getting tired of monitoring her. Even though I could speed through a lot, it took time. But I left the recorder in her purse. I wanted to hear what went on with her and Maggie.

Jennie acceded to my request, and went to the session on Saturday. When she got home, past noon, she didn't want to say too much. I made her and the girls grilled cheese for lunch, with gouda and some cheddar. The girls were excited about school opening. They'd be juniors, and would start applying to schools. Jennie participated in the conversation, but halfheartedly.

When the girls went out to a meeting, I cornered Jennie in the TV room. She had turned on a basketball game. She never liked basketball.

I came in and muted the TV.

"How did it go, Jen?"

"I...maybe I don't want to speak on it just now. I have to think things through. That's why I was watching the basketball."

"Okay." I left. I went to the kitchen and got the pen from her purse. I took it to my study and downloaded it to the computer. I put on headphones and listened. Maggie spoke first.

"Ms. Baker, we're here because of the situation that has developed involving you, your boss and your husband, Terry. I understand that you have developed feelings for your boss."

"Yes. Sexual feelings."

"And you proposed a swap on a weekend a few weeks ago."

"Yes. I...I never thought Terry would do it. Except when I saw Rita, I thought maybe he would. She was hot. But he didn't."

"Tell me why you went so far with that."

"Don pressed me. And....to be straight, I wanted him. Wanted him a lot. I still do."

"I want to show you some photographs."

"That's my dad. He died. And that's Don. Oh. Oh, I see where you're going. They look alike."

"What happened with your dad?"

"He died in an accident.

"That's all?"

"He...he left the family before that."

"Do you recall how that made you feel?"

"No. Well...bad."

"Abandoned?"

"You think I'm susceptible to Don...because my dad left. That's crazy."

"Is it? It definitely isn't rational to think that. But not crazy, is it?"

"I meant that....it's crazy what you think about it. Don is Don. Dad was gone a long time ago. I like Don. Nothing to do with my dad."

"I think it does, deep down. You needed your dad's affection."

"I see. Well, if I get Don, you know a few times, will that cure me?"

"No. It won't. It'll screw up your life, but never solve your problem."

"I believe this is all crap. If I fuck Don a few times, and Terry doesn't know, I'll get over the whole thing. Don just wants a little more closeness."

"Uh huh. And you really believe that? I mean, what if he just wants to fuck you? You're very attractive."

"He says...he says...damn."

"You trust him? Really? What reason do you have?"

"I never trust anyone. Not completely."

"Not Terry? He's been your husband -- a faithful husband -- for many years."

"He set this whole thing up. He just wants to keep me...to keep me...."

"Keep you from screwing up the family, maybe?"

"You don't understand."

"It's maybe you who doesn't understand."

"I'm outta here. Outta here."

Sound of door slamming.

I left the audio running. I heard her get into the car, crying. She drove away, muttering about 'set up...set up.'

I stopped it. I was very sad about what I heard. She seemed so set on having sex with Don. I went back downstairs, and she was still watching basketball. Another game. It was a good game and I watched.

Jennie got up and decided to cook. She usually did cook on weekends, with me doing weekdays, since I was mostly home. I didn't go help. I walked about four miles, just watching other people. When I came back, I smelled dinner -- fish.

The four of us ate, and Beth piped up, "What's up with the two of you? I feel like I'm in the middle of the cold war." (They were studying 20^th century history in class.)

I said, "Some issues. We can talk about it later."

Mary looked around, "Is this about your boss, Mom?"

Jennie was flabbergasted. She didn't respond at all, but her face crumpled.

Mary was now frightened, "I'm sorry, Mom. But I see some things here, and it affects us, too."

I said, "Mary, Beth, your mother and I will work on it. You guys only need to concentrate on school."

"That might not be so easy, Dad."

The two of them went upstairs. Jennie was silent. I had nothing to say to her. I didn't see any way out of the dilemma. If she went with Don, I'd kick her out. If she didn't she'd have to quit her job. Then she'd be a vortex of resentment in the house. If only Don could be disappeared. But I hadn't any skills that would allow me to do such a thing with any confidence that I could get away with it.

Still, I decided to look into him more thoroughly. I knew he was divorced, and that's about all. So I spent the evening researching him. He married his ex after they both graduated from college. She put him through law school. He went with a big firm, but soon took out on his own. His wife, Pamela, was their main support, until he began to make good bucks. She was a teacher.

When he was financially secure, with his own firm, he divorced her. She counter-filed based on adultery -- multiple instances. She got a chunk of his income from the firm, and the house. No kids. The suit named five women as his partners in the adultery.

I found most of this from the law filings, and from an article in a local paper. I printed it all out and left it for her on her nightstand. She was in the shower. She came out, and I went in. No words spoken. I took a long shower -- thank God for the fifty-gallon tank. When I came out, Jennie was reading the material. She looked up at me.

"I never said I wanted to marry him, Terry."

"He's a jerk who uses people. You could soon become another of his victims. Me and the girls, too."

"It's you who turned down the swap, and who's so rigid. I don't want a divorce. I don't want to hurt the girls. I just...."

"You just want to fuck your boss. And have me look the other way. It will never happen."

"I'll look for another job."

"We have no immediate need for you to work. And you would have severance. There's no need for you to stay another day."

"I'll consider it all." She turned over and pulled up the sheet. Then she sat up. "I also want you to consider me, my needs. If I slept with Don, it wouldn't hurt you. I wouldn't stop loving you or fucking you. I thought a lot about the 'Daddy' thing. It's an explanation, but no solution."

"I have given thought to something like that. It's a no."

She shoved me in the chest. "We haven't had sex for days. I want it -- bad." She climbed from under the sheets. She had on a small nightgown which she pulled off quickly. Her nipples were hard. So was my cock. She shifted down and sucked it right into her mouth. It went a long way down her throat. In and out. Her head bouncing up and down. Then she shoved me onto my back and quickly mounted me. It was a quick and intense fuck that ended with us both coming hard. She collapsed on me. In about two minutes she was quietly crying. I lifted her off me, went and took a quick shower. She was asleep when I came back.

Sunday I woke early and did a long run. Jennie and the girls were going to do a shopping trip in the afternoon. I used that time to visit the office of a security firm near our house. I spoke to a young man about certain devices, simpler than the pen he sold me before. Then I went home and started a chicken on the outside grill, on rotary.

Jennie and the girls came back about five, all aglow from the shopping. The girls had new school outfits. Jennie had a new sexy dress. It was a summer weight dress. When she was about to take her purchase upstairs, I saw a look between the girls. There was another small box in the shopping bag -- unopened.

I asked Jennie, "What's in the other box? Something secret?"

"Yes. Secret." She walked upstairs.

I looked at the girls. They seemed uncomfortable. Mary said, "You'll appreciate the secret, Dad."

I stared at the both of them. "Will I? I wonder."

They weren't smiling, and neither was I. But dinner was great. The chicken was fantastic, and we had a cucumber salad and spicy rice. Cookies for dessert. The girls went to complete various homework assignments.

Jennie cleaned up. Then we watched some PBS serials. I showered, and when I was in bed Jennie again wanted sex. I was happy to oblige, and we had some sixty-nine, followed by missionary. But hard missionary, at her request. When we finished, she had come twice, but soon was sucking my cock. She climbed onto me again, giving me a salty kiss as she slowly humped me, moving around in a small circle to maximize clitoral contact. I watched her face. Her eyes were closed, and she was concentrating on the sensations she was getting. She started speeding up, opened her eyes and smiled at me. She leaned over and stuck her tongue into my mouth, moving it in and out in rhythm with her hips. I started feeling an oncoming orgasm. I sped her up, and she and I had another simultaneous orgasm, less intense, but really good. She rolled off me.

"You're my man, Terry. The man I love."

"And I love you -- only you, Jennie. Only you."

She made no response, and we soon fell asleep.

Monday she was off to work again. After the girls went to visit the public pool, with it's male population, I bicycled around to Jennie's office. I spotted Bass's big white SUV. I rode past it, stopped. I leaned the bike against the rear bumper and pretended to check a tire. And I stuck a GPS device under his rear bumper, on the frame. Then I went home. I checked the broadcast from the GPS, and found that I could track his car from my computer, or from my phone. Jennie's car had one of these on it since Sunday.