Women: Conniving, Scheming...

Daddy didn't look at me, he looked at Del, but he was caressing my neck when he talked, "She has her career. Don't mess it up. You better not hurt her. I mean it Del. I'll kill you."

Del didn't look at me either. He looked at my dad, "I would never hurt her."

I cried, "Oh daddy," I ran back upstairs, got a hot shower, slipped on some slacks and a blouse. Of course I put on underclothes. I packed up a few things. Grabbed my computer and a few school things and ran back downstairs.

As Del and I went out the front door my daddy grabbed my arm, "This is your home, remember that. Try not to hurt your sister,"

I reached up and kissed him, "I love you daddy."

A few seconds later Del and I were off to his workplace.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

God what a traumatic turn of events; Del thinks he caught his wife on tape cheating at a basketball game, and I almost got kicked out of my home. We got to his work. I waited in his car while he went inside. After maybe thirty minutes he was back outside carrying a cardboard box full of stuff I knew almost nothing about. He said we didn't need to go to Consumer Electronics after all. He had everything he thought he needed. The man's a marvel. He looked so masculine the way he carried that cardboard box; his biceps looked so big.

We went over to where Vonda worked, found her car, and Del put something inside under her seat, then something in her trunk, and then something else under the hood. I didn't know what any of it was. Del told me he'd installed a voice recorder under her seat with some kind of special recorder in the trunk. He said he put the G.P.S. unit under the hood. He said there were a lot of places the G.P.S. could have gone, but by screwing it in under the hood it was in the least likely place Vonda would look if she got suspicious, and besides she wouldn't know what it was if she saw there anyway. Last he showed me the unit he had in his car that made it possible to track every place she went.

Next we went inside the hospital. I was a little afraid, but Del insisted I tag along. The first thing he did was find out if Ms. Metcalf was available. She was, and we waited in a guest room until she came in.

Aria Metcalf looked to be in her early forties. She was a small woman. I thought she was attractive. She sat down next to Del and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Aria," he started, "I'm worried about Vonda."

Ms. Metcalf didn't pull any punches, "You found out."

He answered, "I taped a basketball game. She was with this man Metzger when she said she was going to be at work."

Ms. Metcalf replied, "I don't want to get in the middle of anything. I could lose my job."

"This is just between me and you," Del answered.

"I'm sorry Del. I like you. They've been an item for nearly six months. I caught on to it right away. They were pretty careful at first, but I guess for the last month it's been a kind of an open secret around the hospital."

Del asked, "Isn't he married?"

"He's married with three grown or nearly grown kids. I think ones in med school, one's in college; I think the big university near the state capital, and his youngest I think is still in high school."

"Does his wife suspect anything?"

"His wife's not a well woman. She has Parkinson's. It's pretty far along from what I hear. Look Metzger's a real rat. He's used the same line on another woman, a nurse who was here not long ago. You can guess how he plays it."

Del scratched his chin. He'd forgotten to shave this morning. He mused, Like he says to his target, What I'm really tired, worn down. My wife's an invalid; it' all so hard. Nobody understands."

Ms. Metcalf was remorseless, "I don't want to hurt you Del, but Vonda didn't need much convincing. Metzer's not her first pony show. There's a doctor..."

Del stopped her there, "Can you get me in her office?"

Ms. Metcalf checked the clock on the wall, "She's probably in the OR right now."

He smiled, "All I want to do is look around."

Ms. Metcalf looked at the packet Del had under his arm and smiled, "I'll let you and your friend in, but I won't be able to stay."

That's when Del smiled too. He looked at me, "This is Vonda's youngest sister. Her name's Sherry."

I held out my hand. Ms. Metcalf took it, "You don't look anything like your sister." Then she smiled at Del, "Maybe you got the wrong one?"

That's when I smiled.

A few minutes later we were in Vonda's office. I was surprised. It looked so austere. I expected to find a few family pictures, but I didn't see anything. There wasn't even a picture of Del anywhere. Gee the desk in my classroom was cluttered with family pictures. I even had a picture of Del and Vonda on my desk. That's when I saw them; she did have pictures, but they were all stacked and put in an out of the way place. I guessed she'd put them away so they wouldn't remind her of what she was doing.

Del went right to work. He screwed something in under the well of her desk. Then he affixed what he said was a mini-camera on the wall right in front of her desk. There was a table there with lots of books and paperwork. He sort of camouflaged the camera with the books and stuff. If I didn't know it was there I would never have noticed it. Then down under the table behind a trash container he found a way to fold up a small piece of carpet and slip in what he said was the recorder. It was really small.

The whole process took less than ten minutes. At last Del looked at me and said, "That's it. If anything's going on, we'll find out about it pretty soon."

I asked him, "What you're taking me home now?"

He frowned, "Certainly not. You heard your dad. I have you for as long as I need you. Let's go get something to eat."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We drove down to a steak and fish place called Barrett's. Del ordered for both of us. He got me a piece of some new kind of fish from Australia, a salad, and some snow peas. He ordered a small steak filet, a cup of crab soup, and a baked potato. He also got me a glass of white wine. He got a mixed drink; Jim Beam and coke.

While we ate he made me taste the soup he'd gotten. It was quite good. I had to give him a taste of my fish. He said the imperial crab they'd stuffed it with was too rich. He forced me to drink all my wine; it made me feel a little giddy.

He ordered two desserts; one was a piece of cheese cake, the other was something they called chocolate lust. He took the chocolate lust and gave me the cheesecake. He took his fork and forced me to eat a bite of his dessert. He fed me another piece too. He made a big deal out of it. Like I was a kid he circled the fork around my mouth a couple times. He kept saying, "Here it comes." Then I had to feed him a piece of my dessert too.

The whole time we ate he made me tell him about when and where I went to school all my likes and dislikes. How I liked college. He wanted to find out about things like what were my favorite books, favorite movies, and favorite TV shows. Did I like my job teaching? He was real curious about why I chose to study English Literature. By the time the waiter brought us our coffees I swear he knew more about my life than my mom and dad did. That's when it dawned on me; this wasn't just lunch, this was more like a date, or maybe an interview.

As we drank our coffee I turned the tables on him. I asked him about his life. I was surprised about willing he was to tell me everything.

Del had been an only child. His parents had been killed in an automobile accident when he was eleven. He said it really tore him up because he was so close to his parents. His mom and dad didn't have much money so he thought he'd be really out on a limb. He said he was lucky though because his mother's older sister took him in. He said his aunt and her husband had two younger children, both girls, and it was like he became the older brother. He said they were very good to him, and when he was ready for college they found the money and helped pay his way. He said he started out a little behind, but pretty quickly caught up, and he discovered he had a natural gift for electronics. He got hired right away at a small town television station, and after a year got a chance to come to our city. He told me he hadn't been in our city very long when he met Vonda.

I asked him why we never met his family. He told me we had at their wedding, but Vonda said she didn't like them much so he never brought them back around. That made me mad.

I asked him, "You mean you have two little sisters, and we don't even know them?'

He answered, "I guess that's right."

"Well," I told him, "I don't care how this works out with Vonda. When this is all over I want to meet them I want to get to know all your family,"

He smiled, "I'd sure like that."

That's when I got kind of mad, "Geez Del, you've got two little sisters. I know they must miss you. How could you do that?"

He gave me a sheepish look, "We Skype all the time."

I growled, "I want to Skype too."

He laughed.

I felt real good. This could easily become a terrible time for Del. My sister was a whore, he'd only found out a day ago, but so far we'd been able to keep the blues away. I hoped it would last. I was wrong, really wrong.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Vonda didn't get home till after 8:00. She was dressed in a really smart business suit; certainly not something a PA. would wear straight home from work. When she walked in even I was surprised by her arrogant attitude. She glanced at her husband, glared at me and announced, "Well looks like the love birds are still together."

Del was on the sofa. Though we'd already had a big lunch I wanted to do more. I fixed Salisbury steaks with a Caesar salad, and corn. It was a lot considering everything we had for lunch, but I kind of wanted to show Del what a good cook I was. I mean I'd cooked for him before at other times, but he needed to be reminded someone, meaning me, cared a lot about him. I guess I just liked doing things for him. Oh, if he'd married me instead of Vonda I'd have spoiled him so.

He gazed up at his wife and asked, "You're a little late aren't you?"

She didn't even look at him, "Busy day. I'm tired," then just as fast as a howdy doody she was off up the steps. She'd left her purse on an end table.

I went over and opened her purse. Guess what; her cell phone was inside. Quick as a flash Del was there with the electric stuff. He opened the back, slid out the battery and installed the tiny transmitter, put the battery back, and sat back down.

Not fifteen minutes later Vonda was back down. She grabbed her purse and went back upstairs.

Del looked at me, "Let's see if she calls anybody."

I don't know how he did it, but whatever it was he'd put in her car was somehow spliced into something he had in a small leather packet. He opened the packet; then pulled out what I guessed was a receiver. It was some kind of gizmo I didn't understand. He pointed to the den where he and Vonda had their home computer.

On the way he explained, "For now, if she uses her cell, the messages will be transmitted to a receiver in the trunk of her car which in turn will transmit to what I have here. I'll insert it in our home computer, and we'll hear everything over the computer's speakers. We'll hear her tonight as she speaks. The message, if she makes one, will still be recorded into the equipment in her trunk.

We both sat down to wait.

We didn't have to wait long. She'd hit a button on her cell phone, and even I surmised it was probably from her contact list. Honestly I couldn't tell. Del tried to explain it, but I couldn't understand. Remember I was into Edgar Allen Poe.

Someone picked up their phone. We heard it all.

"Hi Vonda. Did he suspect anything."

"No the blockhead doesn't know a thing. He's still trying to get into my sister's panties."

"Oh really, then we're OK."

"OK as we'll ever be."

"So what about when he used my name last night?"

"He was just fishing. He doesn't know anything."

"Well how about tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's OK Metz, but let's not use my office again."

"You want to go back to the Holiday Inn?"

"Yeah, after the mess you made on my desk today. I'd rather go someplace else."

"What time?"

"I have a surgery tomorrow at 7:00. How about 11:00?"

"Oh a morning quickie. I'll skip my morning meetings, get a room, and text you."

"No better call lover. I want to hear your voice."

"And you're sure your husband doesn't suspect anything?"

"Look sweetie, even if he did, I've got him wrapped around my little finger. Christ, I could fuck half the medical staff and all he'd do would be to make me promise not to do it anymore."

"I thought you already had fucked half the staff?"

"Only a couple of the doctors; I don't come cheap."

"All I've got to say Vonda is you give great head. I'll want some more of that tomorrow."

"Yeah you'll get some, but I want some head bobbing from you too; look I've got to go. My sister's downstairs. I've got to run her off so I can give Tiny his mercy fuck."

"OK, see you tomorrow lover."

"Bye bye big boy."

Del and I heard them as they both closed their phones.

Del looked at me with a sickly grin, "Mercy fuck! Tiny!"

"What are you going to do?"

He smiled, "First you're not leaving," and then he added, "Sherry I'm going to tell a lie. Trust me on this."

I only nodded.

Less than five minutes later Vonda was downstairs. She had a slinky black nightie on. She was wearing Shalamar and it was really strong. Me I preferred Chanel 's Chance. I thought it had a softer scent. She gave Del one of her cutesy looks, "Deli I need you honey."

Del returned the liar's phony smile with a gloomy frown and a response that totally floored me, "Vonda I have a confession to make."

Vonda came over and pushed me out of the way. I obliged. She sat on Del's lap and started to rub his hair, "What's the matter? My Deli get lonely?"

"Vonda I'm on an antibiotic and we can't make love for at least two weeks."

Vonda sat back, the soft sensuous voice was replaced by the sober physician's assistant, "What have you got?"

"I'd rather not say, but it's an STD."

Vonda jumped off his lap like he was on fire, "You son-of-a-bitch," she looked at me, "I bet you got it from her."

Del whimpered. God I thought he should be in the theater. He looked at his wife with the most sorrowful eyes, "No, but I'm afraid I might have given it to her. That's why she took the afternoon off. We won't have her results back for several days."

Vonda was furious, "You fucking pervert! How long have you been infected?"

He was almost in tears, "I'm sorry honey. Please forgive me? It happened at work. It was just one of those things. Something came up after a job, one of my supervisors. She...well she's my boss. You know how it is. I couldn't say no. She's kind of hot anyway," it was laughable. He was really pouring it on, "Maybe you should get checked too?"

Vonda went nuclear, "You God damn no good cheating whore mongering, worthless, adulterous bastard!"

She ran upstairs. We both heard her throwing stuff around like she was a mad woman. No sooner had she gone upstairs than she was back down.

Del got this innocent look on his face and asked, "Where you going darling?"

"Don't darling me you cock sucking mother fucking shit eating cheating asshole! First I'm off to the hospital to get checked. Then I'm getting a room someplace. After that believe me I'm out of here!"

I bet half the neighborhood heard her as she slammed the front door, jumped in her car, and spun out.

The pretense was over; I could see Del was on the verge of a major emotional breakdown. I had to say something or we'd both be crying all night long. I said the first thing that popped in my head, "Well there goes the mercy fuck."

For once I got it right. Del burst into laughter. We both laughed ourselves silly for the next ten minutes. Then he broke down and cried.

He cried, he really cried. He sat there. I sat there. There wasn't anything I could think of that would help. The reality had finally sunk in to him. His marriage was over. I think he thought Vonda was the one. I think right up to when he heard his wife and that man talk on their cell phones he thought there was a chance it was all some big awful mistake. It wasn't though. There was no denying it; Vonda was a cheating bitch.

I guess a break up is kind of like a death only maybe worse. I mean when somebody dies the bereaved cry, they have a funeral, they bury the deceased and they go on. With something like what Del was going through there was a death, but no funeral, no burial, and no closure.

Worse, the other party might still stay around. So if Del got a divorce and if he stayed around he might see his ex-wife around town. He was a cameraman; he could be at her hospital anytime. What if she moved on, found somebody else, somebody like a doctor, somebody who'd be richer and have greater respect than him. She was already a stunningly beautiful woman; what if she hooked up with some kind of Brad Pitt type?

That scared me. I knew Del; he'd never hang around and watch her become some kind of local medical celebrity. For sure he'd leave, and he wouldn't think twice about leaving me. I'd be a constant reminder of his failed marriage. Yeah, he'd leave me in the dust.

After more than an hour I got him up and walked him into the living room. We both sat side by side on the sofa. He finally started to articulate what he thought. I felt so sorry for him.

"Honest," he said, "I thought she was the woman I'd grow old with. I mean I thought she and I were going to live the fairy tale, you know Sherry the happily ever after thing. Did you hear her; she's been fucking around probably the whole time we've been married, and me the dumb assed shit sitting home like a fool believing every word she said. My whole marriage, everything I thought mattered has been a big lie."

I held his hand.

He looked at me, "What I wasn't good enough for her? My job doesn't measure up? I don't make enough money? I'm not a fucking doctor? I'm not smart enough? My dick's too small?"

The last thing he mentioned, that's one thing I could set his mind at rest about, "Del I know this is wrong, but I've seen your thing. I've seen it soft and I've seen it when it gets big..."

He stopped sobbing and stared at me.

"OK, listen I've been in your bedroom when you were asleep. I was kind of bad. I touched him, you know...it," I pointed to his crotch, "I don't know what other men have, but I've seen pictures in books. God you're beautiful. I mean down there. After I saw you I looked on the Internet. You're big Del. I mean real big."

"Then what's wrong with me Sherry?"

"Del it's not you it's her. I've known her longer than you have. Vonda's somebody who when she wants something always seems to find a way to get it, but then she throws it away or forgets about it almost right away after she gets it. Something else; she's always been promiscuous. I don't know why she married you. Maybe she thought you were interesting. I mean you do something most people don't know much about. I know she knew I wanted you, and she's always stolen everything I ever wanted. Del she's always been jealous of me. I had daddy's love because I was the baby. She always had to work for it. Maybe it wasn't fair that dad was like that, but he was and still is. Then she's always been kind of greedy; greedy for things, greedy for attention, greedy for affection. My dad said she was 'always in a want'."

Del had stopped crying.

I went on, "You saw this morning. I was wrong to threaten to leave. Dad knew it. You knew it, so did mom. At first dad said go ahead, but after just five minutes he caved. I got everything I wanted. It's always been that way. If that had been Vonda this morning I know dad would have let her walk; not because he loves her less, but because he holds her to a higher standard."