All Comments on 'A Matter of Trust'

Janets's concerns are of course 100% valid. Especially with a young daughter. BUT... when steve intervened and got that guy away from Kathy at the Trade show then did NOT take advantage of her.... ( hey babe you owe me....) THAT action ... that BEHAVIOR.... in itself SHOULD of convinced Janet that Steve had indeed become a Good Guy .

The hot tub set up scene was NOT necessary. Janet should of seen that.

Steve was fucked no matter what he did. If he let this slide and says to janet " Ok baby I understand " then she might in the future again get super suspicous and / or paranoid and try and set up up once again.

There are no guarentees in marriage or relationships. Which is what Janet wanted.

the the Only real down side was Steve's Mom. Hher reaction was very cliche.

Frankly, Harry, I disagree with you somewhat. I liked the story, and I agree Janet went overboard after Steve passed up the first offer when he saved Kathy. However, earlier in the story, Steve defined exclusive as no dinners, drinks, and so on with others of the opposite sex. Janet didn't like this definition, and he gave her several days to think about it, whereupon she agreed. Then Mr. Fuckin' Rigid himself spends nearly every night at the convention having drinks with this supermodel and, on the last night, is in a hot tub with her and only her. Granted, Steve did nothing inappropriate--UNLESS we use Steve's own definition of inappropriate. In which case, it's okay for Steve to go hot tubbing with hot looking, half drunk models, but not for Janet?

This was all wrong: She should've dumped his ass when he was violating the rules he expected her to follow to the letter!

She was cheating the whole time, thats why she didn't trust him. She was most likely the reason for her divorce, he took her at face value, she was smarter and didn't. I don't have as big a problem with her checking him out as he did, he really didn't know her and it almost bit him, next time he should be less trusting. Good story, thanks.

In the end, history or not, trust is simply a matter of choice. In this story, they were both less than honest with each other. He should have told her about this past at some point and not let her find out, which certainly would have caused her doubts. She should have told him more about what she did. Full disclosure is not a requirement of a good relationship, but honesty over important matters now and in the past are. I think they were doomed early on because they did not trust the other enough....to be honest.

When he rescued Kathy I agree, that was the potential trust builder - Janet didn't need to go further. THEN for her to be an escort, or whatever, decent words would have failed me in real life.

I liked the story but I thought it was a little rushed at the end. Whilst not strictly necessary I would have liked to hear her explanation/rationalization for seeing other men yet simultaneously having him investigated for potentially the same thing.

...he didn't go on a 'date' - I suppose it was inappropriate to be in a hot tub alone with her but it was an 'after work' thing AND he'd already proved to Kathy that he was trustworthy so could, in his own mind (as he must have thought), trust her as well as himself; plus, it wasn't really a pre-planned event. Janet was actually having 'dates' (maybe without sex) with men, kissing and touching and so on and actually lying to him about what she was doing. I don't really think it compares and she showed her actions to be the height of hyprocrisy.

Great story. Well done. Janet's trust was non-existent from the start. When she would not tell Steve what she did for a living, with good reason as it turns out, she was assuming that he would find her 'job' objectionable. Her daughter was part of it perhaps, but basically she abandoned her best argument. She sees cheaters every day and knows that Steve cheated in the past. She automatically assumed that the her job as 'cheat-bait' would be a problem and never even thought of letting him in on her career choice.

Re-read the relevant portion. Janet expressly asks "No going out with anyone else of the opposite sex? Not even for just a few drinks after work?" Steve's response is a resounding "If you want to do that, then we're not exclusive."

Then Steve turns around and has a few drinks with Kathy after work EVERY NIGHT OF THE CONVENTION. And Kathy wasn't even a "friend;" no, she was a total stranger when they first met. And really, I don't care if he'd proven anything to himself about how he could be trusted around her, nor about whether Kathy could be trusted around him. He's in a hot tub with a superhot stranger. Alone. Without Janet. And without Janet's knowledge. So, in short, fuck his own intentions. He demanded greater exclusivity of Janet than he was willing himself to give. Also, given his own history as a cheater, it's hard to understand why Janet wouldn't have simply confronted him far earlier while he was violating the very rules he set down. If Steve had a vagina in this story, every commenter would be raising holy hell at his present actions--particularly in light of his history. It strikes me as both funnier than hell and incredibly hypocritical that no one seems to think his actions are inappropriate here.

Of course, I agree that Janet's job was also a problem as it--apparently--required her to attempt to seduce wayward husbands. Yes, she surely should have shared this tiny little fact [extreme sarcasm intended] with Steve. Steve, however, was less than honest in a totally self-serving manner throughout the story, as well.

In short, both hid incrediby salient facts from the other throughout their short relationship. They both did it knowing the effect such knowledge would have on the other and the survival of the relationship. As such, this relationship was failed to doom from the beginning. Both were guilty of extreme lies by omission, and neither was ultimately trustworthy.

considering how terrible an authour you are, im surprised at good this story was. im still pissed that no one empathizes with the man in any of your stories-especially family which should always have your back- and that you didnt explain why janet acted a bit like a slut that night. still, it was overall a good story and i thank you for writing it.

i've just read an old story of yours. your writing skills have improved.

It had some original and engaging aspects, and I liked it a lot.

Thanks, ohio

Good Story, Babes! It was nice that you didn't have Steve beaten up when he confronted Janet with her new boyfriend at the end. In a few of your previous stories, the hero, when placed in that circumstance, got the shit kicked out of him. Overall, the story had a happy ending, except for the fact that the little girl's mother is a conniving slut. Thanks for sharing. Ohio, USA

Your right trust should go both ways. Good read once again. Thanks Slirpuff.

I once knew a lovely woman (30ish) who had a substantial fortune. She'd been burned before. She was asked out a lot. Before she'd accept, she had a background check done. She discovered that a lot of the guys were losers.

One check came back very positive. She was so excited that she shared it with her date. He reacted like Steve, ended the date and never took her out again.

I thought both Harry and Rehnquist brought out good points. Janet's test went way overboard. But even if it had not, Slirpuff's comments are spot on, "once a cheat, always a cheat" is what most commenters here preach. I believe that our actions can define us. For Steve, it was 5 years of faithful living. Janet did not see it that way. Steve was right, she would have trust issues for their entire relationship.

That said, Steve is no bargain either (as I suspect Slirpuff wanted us to see). Frankly, his getting into the hot tub alone with a woman he had been socializing with all week would do it for most women. My wife would excoriate me for doing that. Thinking about it, I would do the same to her if the roles were reversed. So, Rehnquist was right. Steve broke his own definition of exclusiveness.

Thanks again for another fun read,

-Ttom

I loved the way you delivered this tale.

It was an interesting to read. Yes trust is a fickle thing. But most of us know how important it is to have a satisfying and faithful relationship.

Thanks for writing!

Good tale - enjoyed it a great deal

Steve broke his own "being exclusive" rule with Kathy. Sure Janet over reacted by setting Steve up, she lied by not telling Steve she would be there. Both lied by omission and they were big lies. So both showed themselves to be untrustworthy. Steve could use some more growing up and became a man.

upon a more re- reading of the story Steve terms were kind of rigid.

That being said I would of thought that his terms would NOT be an issue for Janet given how badly she claims she was treated.... right?

and one must give credit Steve was Open his terms. janet did think about it and she did agree to it.

I think that Janet could of gotten Steve to concede that he had violated his own terms of appropriate behavior by flirting with kathy... even if kathy was a "Plant" and working for janet.

Was Janet working thata night Steve was with tim and his wife?

the story seems unclear.

even if she was and her job is trap cheating husbands.. maybe Steve cannot handle that line of work mentally.

If Janet's job was to trap unsuspecting husbands into cheating then she would always have a trust issue. Her job would have ensured she would always be cynical about husbands fidelity. But coupled with that she was never honest about her job. Why not? Because if Steve knew what she actually did it would have been a relationship ender right there. So she was lying to him from the very start. So you want a relationship built on trust as you lie to your partner? A liar and a cheat will always think that their partners will also lie and cheat.<P>

I can perfectly understand her need to test Steve. Too bad for her he found out. Lucky for him. <P>

Good story. Different. I liked it. Thanks for sharing.

The story--second to last paragraph in Janet's e-mail, so perhaps not the most trustworthy source from the story's point of view--expressly pointed out she was working when Steve caught her with the other man. Given what she was doing, and that she'd previously been so successful in quickly setting up the Kathy thing across state lines, indicates strongly that Janet is, in fact, in the business of setting up wayward husbands. And, frankly, she was a total lying bitch to not make this clear up front. Moreover, Steve had every right to not want the relationship once he learned of her line of work. Hell, I couldn't date her if I was always wondering what strange men she was trying to seduce at work!

My point, though, was that Steve is really no more trustworthy. To the contrary, he comes across as a self-centered, controlling prick. I both agree and disagree that given her history Janet should have had no problem with Steve's rules. I agree if Janet entered into the rules knowing Steve would likewise be bound by the same rules--after all, he's the one who demanded and set the terms of their "exclusivity." He wasn't bound by his own rules, though. So is this a case of what's good for the goose--i.e., drinking and hot tubbing with strange women while out of town--is NOT good for the gander? If that's the case, then I disagree because Janet, had she known Steve wouldn't have been bound by his own rules, would have never agreed to be bound by them herself. Given that she was less than honest--okay, she lied her ass off--about her job, though, one wonders why the rules were proposed by him and agreed by her. Or why they were made a part of the story in the first place.

Before I'm misconstrued, I'll restate that both lied through their teeth about things they knew would upset the other. Janet's lie, though, was about her work, while Steve's was about his personal life and cheating history.

I'll say it again: Reverse the roles here--give Janet the cheating history caught in a hot tub with a hunk while giving Steve the private investigator job trying to seduce wayward wives for his clients--and I'm pretty sure 90% of the torch the bitchers on this site would be screaming for blood.

All told, though, I do want to point out something I didn't in my earlier comments. Most notably, I really did like this story precisely because it did blur the lines and was not painted in such black and white strokes of the pen. Unlike many readers and commenters, I like all characters to be somewhat flawed as it makes them more interesting.

As I see it, both Steve and Janet's behavior violated the agreement.

To start with, Janet wasn't honest when she accepted the terms of the agreement. Several of you who have written comments seem to have missed the point that Janet's job was to trap errant husbands by trying to let them pick her up (and maybe more). She clearly would be kissing, and perhaps more, with her target. It was her job! She didn't just hire others to do it---she did it herself.

Once Steve "rescued" Kathy, the relationship should not have escalated to drinks, dancing, or hot tubs. His bad. Rehnquist is correct.

Several gutless wonders, all with the original name of Anonymous (OH, how daring!), didn't get it at all. One thinks Janet was cheating from the start. It's not that he's necessarily wrong, but he doesn't seem to understand that this was her job and it required her to "date." We don't know how far she would go, but it's fairly easy for me to accept (as determined by her adamant statement that Kathy certainly wouldn't take it beyond flashing her tits), that she would not have had sex with her target. That, in her mind, would not have been proper behavior for her or her co-workers as professional bait. I don't like her job.

The "Trust" Anonymous got it right in my opinion. Congratulations.

For curiousss, Janet wasn't an escort, she was bait. That was her job.

To the amazing Anonymous who entitled his comment "hmmm..": I think that, even if your statements had indicated that you understood the story (which you clearly didn't), your use of English as a Second Language disqualifies you as a legitimate critic. In my opinion, the only thing you got right was that "... it was overall a good story..."

Well, that's more than enough from me.

I think the definition of an exclusive relationship is what you agree it is. My own take would be that occasional lunch or dinner with a female (or male for her) is not a big deal. No touchy feely or kissing. He didn't, she did (as part of her job). In the hot tub together, is probably over the top BUT he behaved himself there as well. I get the feel that he is a social person. His job has him traveling and meeting people and lunches and dinners with them are commonplace. If Janet had a problem she could have simply stated her expectations and they could have worked out an agreement. Since Janet told him he passed the test she obviously didn't care about the dinners or hot tub. Her job on the other hand is obviously a problem. She is acting to tempt men into cheating. That involves a lot of touching, kissing, body contact, probably the removal of some clothes, and ???? She says she doesn't have sex with them, as defined by what? Is playing with their cocks part of the job? She KNOWS this is unacceptable behavior. I understand her concern about his reliability but I don't blame him for being pissed about what she did. She is playing power and control games. And not telling him about her job showed that she is worse than him.

Nice work Slirpuff. Thanks!

Trust is an act of faith based on one's intuitive sense of self. Burn out those

connections and you have difficulty ever trusting anyone again. Her ex husband seemed to have done this to Janet, and Janet did this to Steve...

The strange part was I did not understand his going to the hot tub which clearly broke his rules or Janet saying that he passed the test.

Steve's rules for exclusivity seemed too rigid but on the other hand Janet did not seem to be bothered by them, perhaps Mr. Clinton was her lawyer....

I think these two are both too immature, too selfish and both have their heads too far up their asses to have committed relationships with anyone. He does have a double standard, no dinners with male friends for her but he hot tubs with a "12." She was lying when she agreed not to meet men but then continued with her job of seducing men. What was the point of their long discussions if they were both just going to ignore what they promised each other. In terms of writing, they both act more like college students then 30 something adults.

I have just two comments to add to those already stated. Firstly, I think the author still needs better editing help. Getting "passed" this should be getting "past" this. There were other, similar errors. Seriously, these distract from one's focus on the story. The other issue concerns Steve's Mother. Why would his mother reveal that he cheated on his fiance five years earlier, or make the comment, "Once a cheater, always a cheater." Its as if she was jealous of Steve for having a pretty girlfriend, or something similar, so she decided to sabotage his relationship with Janet. Time to disown Mom . . .

we'd like to see this one go no more. ......

It wasn't a bad story as stories go. In fact it was fairly decent in several respects. But, there were rather glaring grammatical errors and there wasn't much flesh on the bones of the characters.

For one, why would any man be attracted to Janet? She had absolutely no endearing qualities that I could discern.

Another was Steve's double standard as already mentioned.

But, it was okay. I would say that Janet will eventually get married and divorced a couple of times before she realizes she just isn't relationship material and Steve will probably marry some lame-o and live to a fat middle age and die from a heart attack.

regards

C

Will you finish the damn story or edit it so it make sense.

this was one of the best stories I have read. I guess what is good for the good is good for the gander. I side with Steve because even his boss said he was a changed man. Women, can't live with them and well you know the rest. But, I do think it was very lowlife of Janet to try to entrap Steve into cheating so she could be right. In the end, it seens like Janet was cheating, so could she have cheated before. I think it best they go their seperate ways, or it is Best For Steve. Janet was a very coniving Cunt. If she takes this approach with everyman she meets, she will die a very lonely old woman and her daughter will not have a father figure in her life. When it comes time for Tammy to get married and walk down the isle, who will give the bride away?

Great story - I was easily able to shield myself from noticing any spelling or grammatical errors! You certainly dropped us in the middle of a serious goose/gander conundrum. Bill's rules (which evidently didn't apply to his own behavior) may have been a tad on the severe side but at least he was clear. Janet's trust issues paled in contrast to her pseudo-escort service activities. No one with Bill's rules is going to let that one pass - yikes! So bye-bye Janet; my nominee for psycho-trust bitch of the year.

"I can't believe that you're breaking up with Janet over something so trivial!" He's an idiot! I assume she was "on the job" in the restaurant and not on a date, and catching cheating spouses was her job. Given her past history no wonder she checked him out, in fact his innocent dinners with the decoy (while not on the job), didn't exactly fit his definition of fidelity and he should have been glad that she didn't hold him to it.

Generally I like stories with likable characters. At least the protagonist should be likable.

In this case, however, the 'hero' was kind of two-faced: he sets rules for his significant other that don't necessarily apply to himself. Not much to like there. The 'girlfriend' or whatever role she was playing was secretive and controlling as well.

So there really wasn't anyone to root for.

Still, the premise and the denouement worked well. It was an original take on things, and that counts very highly in my eyes. Originality isn't even a goal on most LW stories posted here.

So thumbs up to a story with no one to like.

Liked the story line. A bit vague in the end and then again it wasn't. keep writing.

in what Janet did for a living. I'd have a hard time marrying someone in her line of work. I don't think she could ever trust someone. Be interesting to know how many times women in Janet's line of work gets their target to cheat. I'm betting it's better than 50%.

Good Story, but i think the end a bit rushed.

"Well, carry on, I wouldn't dream of interrupting someone when they're doing something they really enjoy." - - That one actually made me chuckle. But the same line fits you too Slirpuff, so keep on writing!

I have to agree with 'thebullet' on this one. None of the characters are especially likeable. He should have talked to her after the dinner with his mother. She on the otherhand, should have talked to him instead of creating this test to prove his trust. Hell his mother is also not very likeable. I mean, come on, there is such a thing as too much information (particularly sensitive information). A person married to a PI or a PI being married to a former cheater have to realize that there is no relationship without trust...there is no trust without communications.

Was she in the restaurant with a colleague or with a suspect and she was the bait. If she was the bait...well, then she would occasionally end up naked and/or in bed for photo ops.

They didn't have a relationship right from the start when she wouldn't talk about her job. We (your readers) all knew it would end badly and the innuendo was that he was a bad guy. I think we all knew she would be a kink somewhere, trajically - her concern for her daughter while being well founded wasn't going to be her downfall, her own mistrust of human nature, her work and probably her conduct would ultimately hurt the daughter. She had no business encoraging Steve...NONE''' I suspect she is a slut hiding behind a job! Maybe I'm wrong. Anyway, your usual fine story telling...Thanks!

Sorry, but it wasn't one of your best stories. I always perk up when I see your name on a story, but this one left me pretty cold. Not sure why!

....worst fuckin luck with women, don't ya!!!! Oh wait, I guess I must mean you're addicted to irony.

issues, but the bottom line is, it was a good read, entertaining and kept ones attention. Thanks author, you have a knack of writing that's appreciated. ML

Ply not pry and perspective not prospective

and one big one was sarcasm which you used twice incorrectly. It is intended to be insulting, demeaning and contemptuous not teasing which is what I think you were going for.

Sarcasm:

witty language used to convey insults or scorn; "he used sarcasm to upset his opponent"; "irony is wasted on the stupid"; "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Jonathan Swift

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Sarcasm is the rhetorical device of using a characterization of something or someone in order to express contempt. It is closely connected with irony, in that the two are often combined in the same statement.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm

A form of humor that is marked by mocking with irony, sometimes conveyed in speech with vocal over-emphasis. ...

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sarcasm

sarcastic - expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

sarcastically - in a sarcastic manner; "`Ah, now we're getting at the truth,' he interposed sarcastically"

wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

sarcastic - Containing sarcasm; Having the personality trait of expressing sarcasm

en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sarcastic

raw and scornful use of apparent approval to express disapproval. Another of London's favorite devices for social commentary.

london.sonoma.edu/Essays/glossary.html

is one kind of irony; it is praise which is really an insult; sarcasm generally invovles malice, the desire to put someone down, eg, "This is my brilliant son, who failed out of college."

academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/lit_term.html

Sarcasm is a form of irony that attacks a person or belief through harsh and bitter remarks that often mean the opposite of what they say. See, for example, Dave Bidini's sarcastic description of arena names in "Kris King Looks Terrible": ". . . these days, arena names make little sense. ...

www.pearsoned.ca/text/flachmann4/gloss_iframe.html

A verbal tone in which it is obvious from context that the speaker means the opposite of what he or she says. “Mom, I'd love to see Howard the Duck with you” is probably a phrase you would say sarcastically.

www.sparknotes.com/testprep/books/newsat/chapter12section2.rhtml

a form of verbal irony in which apparent praise is actually harshly or bitterly critical.

www.wwnorton.com/litweb/glossary/glossary_s.htm

A sharp, caustic expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt; different from irony, which is more subtle.

www.jerichoschools.org/hs/teachers/lfischer/apvocab.htm

n. heavy use of apparent praise for an actual dispraise: it is the common man's usual form of irony; sarcasm is personal and intended to hurt.

station05.qc.ca/csrs/bouscol/anglais/book_report/glossary3.html

Remarks that mean the opposite of what they seem to say and are intended to mock or deride.

elearning.autism.net/en/mod/glossary/view.php

Language that conveys a certain idea by saying just he opposite such as if it's raining outside and you say, “My what a beautiful day.”

www.wcs.k12.va.us/users/honaker/Literary_TermsTeaching1.ppt

Starred words »

You are a good writer, you take me to a place I can't forsee. I'm realy starting to keep an eye on Mr Slirpuff. Thanks for the Life Long Lessons, MrBill

As usual you've done a good job. Good story considering the characters. As discussed by others both characters were flawed. Janet for not coming clean about her job and Steve for not living up to the requirements he'd set for their relationship.

Both were wrong but from their own point of view justified.

I'm a sucker for a happy ending and would like to see you do a "Part 2" and continue the story. But that's just me wanting a happy ending where possibly there can't be one.

Thanks for your hard work.

You sometimes have trouble with endings that don't follow from the issues raised and developed through the whole story, but not this time! Seeing Janet "work" at the end was a little too ambiguous yet too obviously a nail in the coffin, needless. But not a serious flaw -- it added only violation of "exclusivity" to her major and fatal failure. Which was not as she thought mere desire to confirm her trust. Trust but verify is allowable. But mistrust, test, tempt, outright trick and deceive is not allowable, and without your spelling it out, you make us feel clearly that was her fatal mistake. Blaming it on overprotectiveness, her responsibility for her Tammy was not admirable either. That he blew it earlier in his own life adds a resonance to the story's meaning. All in all a subtle moral point set up and carried out beautifully by the narrative. Congratulations.

a lot of dumb crap.

And I did it because of the bad grammer, the poor use of quotation marks and the difficulty of reading it.

From a story standpoint, it rocked.

You really surprised me with your ending. Well done.

this was a top notch story. One of the best on this site. Keep up the good work. cheers.

works both ways and it is supposed to be unknowing. TK U MLJ LV NV

Unfortunately we live in a time of predators, serial polygamy, and idiots. The only fault I have with her is she not talk with Steve about her concerns. However, if he was naive enough to think that with her profession she would not avail herself of an opportunity to verify his character he is living in a dream world. Before too many want to crucify me on this, how many times have I heard about checking someone out on facebook. I even see where people are running credit checks on people they are getting serious about. Add to that the prenups and we really live in a time of little or no trust so why is he surprised? He needs to pull himself into the 21st century and either learn to live with it or learn to be a monk.

Therefore, I rated the story 1*. There was nothing wrong with Janet verifying and certainly she is better off without that asshole.

Steve said, "Every time I see a good looking girl smile at me or flirt with me, I'll wonder if it's one of your plants. If I see the same guy twice, I'll wonder if I'm being followed. Finally, I'll always wonder if you've bugged my hotel room, car or are looking at all my e-mails and text messages on my phone."

So what? Unless Steve plans to cheat, that should make no difference. The truth is Steve does want the option to cheat and he is in a rage because now he will never know if he is cheating with a setup.

If DWornock gives it a 1 I will give a 5. Maybe under 2 different names. Is there not anyway we can get rid of this asshole? Another rant. Sorry Puff

Thats the average of all of dwormcocks ratings, because if he rates it a 1, I rate it a 5 whether I thought it was good or not. What an A-hole!

Isn't the whole purpose of Janet's job to to try to get a guy to cheat? What then is proof of cheating? Dinner? Kissing? Some tit? Screwing? Steve and Janet's agreement excluded all of the above so I'm sure it implicitly excluded seeing how far she could get a guy to go, and therefore would be willing to go herself, in these areas. Then how does she keep her job if she is never successful IN PUTTING HERSELF IN A POSITION to get a guy to cheat? Janet said she was only a photographer, but Steve caught her making out with a guy in a cafe. If a baseball player never gets a hit/ never gets to 1st base, won't he be cut? If Janet couldn't ever get a guy to cheat, to HER 1ST BASE, MUCH LESS HIT A HOME RUN EVERY SO OFTEN BETWEEN HER LEGS, wouldn't she be fired too? Janet only gets the super faithful guys?? No one gets some tit, handjob, oral or ass from her to protect her job, or if "things go to far?" Steve wanted someone faithful and Janet agreed. But she lied and AT BEST she turned out to be a low rent semi-private soft core porn actress. At worst, nights she isn't with Steve she's letting strangers hit home runs in her pussy. What else could Steve think, especially after what Kathy pulled on him? KATHY: ""You want to come in, I've got a warm bed among other things," she said rubbing my dick...she untied her top and let her breasts fall free... "I can guarantee that you won't be disappointed," she tilted her head forward licking my ear and neck." How can he not now picture Janet grabbing dicks, showing her tits, and doing whatever else it takes to bed some guy. BUT SHE NEVER SLEPT WITH THEM! LOL! While Steve may have innocently let Kathy con him into an awkward position, he has to think every night Janet is not with him, not only is she apparently having dinner with some guy, but AT THE VERY LEAST she's also showing her tits, holding his dick, and offering up her twat as the main course. How could Steve live with that? Janet admits she lied to and deceived Steve before, and currently she's trying to redefine dating and necking as work related, to tap dance around her lying, BUT, HONEST STEVE, SHE WON'T DO IT IN THE FUTURE! WHAT BS! Janet lied, intentionally broke the agreement, and is not marriage material, at least for Steve. Question: If Janet got an STD at this "job," or even pregnant, would she be eligible for Worker's Comp?

enacted by reactionary imbeciles that make up the cast of all slurpuff stories. 3 stars

Slirpuff, you hit it dead on. Steve did the right thing by getting rid of the lying slut. It's funny how when a man cheats on a woman he's a dog. He had a wondering eye, he's a male slut. And yet 95% of the stories here. The wife fucks everything under the sun and yet some how that erotic. Lets recap, he cheats fuck'em, she cheats, give her half and she gets to fuck ever man in the 134 airborne.

I suspected that something like what happened at the end might happen early on. I thought the protagonist was a little overboard with his reaction to the set-up, but I understood his feelings. Then, sure as shit, she gets caught doing what I suspected. She's doing this shit (and maybe the kind of shit her co-worker did to him) without disclosing it to him? That's a big deal. And a big deal-breaker. Awesome writing and packs a punch in a short story.

Excellent story, 5 stars.

Seeing her in that restaurant,with another guy - SO QUICKLY AFTER....and doing all the preliminary moves in an affair - well,that just goes to prove that person was afraid that YOU were doing what they do - for a living !!!

How does the old saying go ? You project onto others what YOU are doing wrong,,,,

..what goes around,comes around...

Good story - thanks for writing it.

Sorry guys u missed the point, her job is to see if the husband cheats. As for the rest bang one, if she had trusted him and explained what see did for a living, anyway great story

This was a good story because it drew so much attention from other writers. It was pretty obvious these two never had a chance with their current jobs and past history. He met all the criteria of a cheater, had been a cheater, and had the job that gave him the opportunity to be one every month if he so wanted. She had the job that gave her plenty of reason to believe that almost all men cheat if away from home and are tempted by beautiful women. She is quite correct of course. He did not cheat only because it would have ruined the story and he could not have been righteous in his anger at the end! Still the story kept us interested and stirred us up which is what makes the best stories...

What a good read, well paced and the plot was made to be zoo real.

This is what happened when a man shoots himself in the foot by lying and toeing the line. He wanted Janet to be truthful and up front with him, but refused to own up to the cheating in his own past despite how dangerous it was to their relationship, and when he got busted on it, pretended it never happened. That's not just a lack of openness and trust, that's outright dishonesty. Then of course there's the matter of going hot-tubbing with a borderline naked woman who is clearly trying to get down your pants...

All of that he did to her, then started whining about trust and openness. The guy's just a jerk.

I realize people have a knee-jerk reaction of going after Janet for how "quick" she was to get over him, but honestly, they didn't have a relationship to start with, whether she cheated or not. He might as well have cheated because it was obvious he was going to do it again anyway as soon as he got his pesky little conscience out of the way.

Since the following comment was from "Anonymous" there is no way of knowing if it is from a man or woman.

QUOTE

[This is what happened when a man shoots himself in the foot by lying and toeing the line. He wanted Janet to be truthful and up front with him, but refused to own up to the cheating in his own past despite how dangerous it was to their relationship, and when he got busted on it, pretended it never happened. That's not just a lack of openness and trust, that's outright dishonesty. Then of course there's the matter of going hot-tubbing with a borderline naked woman who is clearly trying to get down your pants...]

Do you really think that your current person of interest needds to know all about your past? Hell if everyone was totally honest about things they had done years earlier, no one would ever get married. Jealousy is a 6 headed monster. Honesty and open communication is the only thing that can make a relationship. Can you enlighten us on how he deceived Janet about his past? Do you not think that people change as they get older? Also, do you have no skeletons in your past? You need to take your rose coloured glasses off and take a look around.

Both of them had too many issues and are better off alone until they get over themselves.

The wife was really damaged from her past life and marriage. Sadly she allowed those past feelings and emotions to completely cloud her better judgement years later in her second marriage. Also flawed was the husband of the second marriage, ttruth be told he ws not as strong when put to the test by his wife as he alluded to. In fact he went way to far with the sexy bait that the wife had hired. But lastly the actual naild that was the cause of death of the marriage was his wife's blantant one one one expensive dinner date with kisses on the mouth and when caught she lamely said it was jut business. Just businness and why were the mouth kisses necessary and what ws the fondly careeses menat for if it was business. In the end seems that the woman who had been cheated upon by her first husband but not by her second husband all along was doing a fine job of cheating herself.

Nice to see a fairly realistic thought out scenario.

Thx

Can't believe I didn't mention this in my first comment but his mother is actually the root cause for their problems. Did she think she was really doing her son right by discussing the things about his past to his girlfriend? me thinks not...

busted the fucking slut - she was a god damn hooker and she worried about him sticking his cock in another woman when he should have been worried about her cunt full of another man, make that "men's" cum.

Why do so many comments miss the fact that the girlfriend worked as a PI setting up men and that the last scene of her flirting with some random guy was, for all intents-and-purpose, a "john" (husband about to be lured into a compromising situation much like Janet attempted on our hero at the Expo)?

Cantbymy called it.

What she was doing was NOT boyfriend/husband approved behavior and worse, she was doing it for a damn paycheck.

I love this fucking story

I think he was too resentful and I don't blame her for checking. I blame his big-mother mostly. I really wish you would write a short EPILOGUE where he got a change of attitude and took her apology and she changed jobs. I guess since she was a loose woman by trade (not saying she fucked around) he would be distrustful himself more than ever. I did want them to get together. I know this is just a story but I think that both of them went overboard. She should have told him what she did for a living. It was the next thing to being a whore, Kissing and getting felt up is not really a way to be a good example for your daughter as you know that she would eventually find out about it and so would your "exclusive" boyfriend. I did not rate it only because it would not take it. I would have given it a good rating even though I did not like the ending.

a story without an ending. why I stopped reading JPB stories.

need at least 1/2 page more. 2 *s because of sudden screeching halt stop ending.

she was correct in keeping the daughter out of the dates, because not all men would approve of her line of work, and she should get another job if she wants a husband/father in her and child's life.

I never saw that coming at the end. But that certainly brings to a close any hope of there being a future for them. While up to the ending I could see both sides had merits about what she did, the end put me fully on Steve's side. Her taking pictures is one thing but her going on dates and the pecks(kissing) is a little too much.

Oh and as far as the mother making a go of supporting Janet. I would have told her off about opening her big mouth in the first place. If she hadn't of told Janet about Beth, Janet probably wouldn't have done what she did (at least right then). Even if she was my mom I would have told her off and been pissed with her for awhile.

Some commenters say that this tale had no ending but the ending is obvious. Trust works two ways. She was caught with another man and that was the end of the relationship. Hopefully she'll end up alone and her daughter grows up hating her. Fucking bitch.

I certainly didn't see that one coming, I really thought they'd get back together.

and true knowledge is never discovered, TK U MLJ LV NV

Kept my interest.

But Janet & Steve are adults, and dating without intimacy for six months or more is beyond believable. Secondly, his mother had no business revealing his long ago past mistakes with his ex-fiancée, and her big mouth was probably responsible for the elaborate, intense 'set up' test of his faithfulness at the auto show. Finally, the last scene with Janet at 'work' in the restaurant with a possible target 'cheater' just suggested that her PI work probably involved sexual 'cheating' by most people's standards. How is she to be able to earn his trust?

Still an interesting but disappointing tale for those of us who prefer a happy ending and reconciliation if the two parties are not just lying and unpleasant characters. Dan

1. Not everyone jumps into the sack immediately, despite the literotica stories to the contrary. Some people DO wait before introducing sex into the complex world of relationships.

2. It might be inappropriate for his mother to share his history with his new girlfriend, but that has never stopped it from happening. People do inappropriate things everyday.

3. I would have liked a little more information about "Janet's" work at the end, but I'm a curious guy.

The characters were engaging, and the story kept me reading. Also, it was nice to see fewer commas. Good work. Now master your/you're.

Sometimes what goes around finally comes around.

Nice twist at the end. Would not have thought she was a bait girl herself. Well done

I like it, 4/5

She was a true hypocrite. He did the right thing in the end and there aren't many stories in LW where the guy isn't a wimp coward loser. Thanks

are in for a let down rest of their lives.

he needed to sue her for an invasion of privacy

At first I was kind of hoping they would work it out, but two things made me agree with Steve.

First, for all her trust issues, she was never honest with him. There was much she could have told him about her job without jeopardizing her cases, and she CERTAINLY should have told him she sometimes had to get romantic.

Second, MAYBE you could forgive spying on him, but to actively try to set him up? That's going too far.

I agree that by the definition given he violated his own rules of exclusivity, but in real life there would have been further discussion, and after work socializing with friends/co-workers of the opposite sex, WITH FULL DISCLOSURE, would be acceptable.

In any case, she should have been more open with what her job entailed and shouldn't have tried to set him up. And as has been said, when he acted entirely appropriately in the bar incident (and I'm sure that was all a set-up, too), that should have been the end of it, and Janet should have shut down the operation.

Trust: What a wonderful thing. Good story!

Janet was prostituting herself! She was the cheater! So, maybe she didn`t have sex with her victims, but that doesn`t mean she wasn`t cheating. Her job was to set up guys to get them to cheat. That would involve more than just harmless dining and dancing. To get evidence on them, she would have to get intimate with them! All for a paycheck, making her a prostitute!

How are these "Honey Traps" supposed to work, anyway? Send a supermodel to flirt with a guy for weeks, have her ply him with drink, offer sex and basically throw herself at him, over and over again, until he breaks? The wife describes her husbands fantasy girl, and they go get her, and set her to work on him? What an intelligent idea. It`s almost as if they set up the perfect sting, hoping against hope that he WILL cheat. They pull out all the stops. They create the perfect scenario for him to cheat. It`s forced.

It`s like putting a fat kid in an ice cream store, telling him everything is free, and then pushing and prodding him, offering him ice cream again and again, until he eats, then slapping his face and calling him a fat piece of shit for eating.

Agree that Steve was no prize himself! He was also cheating, by getting in the hot tub, and dancing and drinking with the whore. He broke all the rules that he expected Janet to live by. Once a cheater, always a cheater. They can rationalise any situation to suit their own agenda.

Basically, neither one of them could ever be trusted, each was as bad as the other. People like them should never be in a relationship, and should be avoided.

and when one barks the other wags, TK U MLJ LV NV

He doesn't even deserve his hand for satisfaction. What a jerk

He didn't do anything. He stopped the girl cold bringing her back to her room. His girlfriend on the other hand basically lied to him. She failed to communicate her concerns to him. He was a bit of an ass but he told he flat out that he did something stupid but learned from it and grew up. His mother on the other hand basically did the equivalent of putting a live grenade without the pin into her hands and waited for it to go off. She should have kept her mouth shut. It was his secret or story to tell.

Just MHO here. He should have worked on it better especially since he brought the girl. (Her daughter ) into the picture. And she should have told him what she did as well. In short they were both to blame bit this time her more than him. A cheater can change and I've seen men do it more than once.

a good story, wonder what would have happened, if he never saw her at the hotel, but did see her when he took Tim out to dinner

He was pretty hypocritical, saying Janet couldn't go out for a drink with members of the opposite sex for a drink. I don't think he did anything wrong with having dinner with Kathy as he did nothing to truly lead her on well at least not til he shooed the guy away by calling Kathy his fiancee. He shouldn't have gotten in the hot tub with her though, that was like stepping into a Lion's den. Not the smartest move, but he still proved he could avoid temptation. I think he should have forgave Janet but she lied too, seeing that she was a seductress. I think the lack of her communication was what screwed them over, instead of just talking with him about it she set him up :/. Overall it was good 3*

Well done, thanks for writing.

tom anon

P.S. Got Kathy's phone number?

Yes, his mother DID have a big mouth, but she also said that he had grown up, and Janet obviously didn't listen to that part.

And Janet wasn't honest about her work. MAYBE she didn't sleep with her targets, but she certainly got at least somewhat intimate with them, and she never shared that with him.

reverse the roles and see how absurd the guy was.

She was NEVER going to fully trust him or any man for that matter. The only thing I would have liked to see was him getting a little revenge. Take out full page adds in the newspaper and any place on the Net he could that showed her picture and exposed her actions and her job. Make it impossible for her to work in town any more. Let her move away. THAT would have been sweet!