Enabling

Wes is having the horns put on him

Funny story, great ending, thanks for writing

I enjoyed this

It's true, your just as guilty as your friend when you are ok with what their doing.

A very good story

It was all fun and games until someone's wife got fucked.

I wonder if Wes still thinks Reg is a stand up guy.

A fun read, thanks

typical

a good start, but no balls to finish.

write some more of this group

i liked it so far but it needs some more writing to make a complete story. loved it so far!!!

Loved This !

This is a simple story that's not that simple. I swear i saw the twist coming & was all primed 2 time it just so & hit it out of park but blinked & the sucker caught the outside corner of the plate knee high for strike 3. Wait till next year !

Well conceived story. Clever.

The story is complete as is. Adding more would just be gilding the lily. When I was a kid my best friend's dad was just like Reg. He helped break up a bunch of marriages, including his own. Only one day he hit on the wrong wife. She may have been flattered, but her husband wasn't. He and a couple of friends beat the shit out of my friend's dad. They mentioned to him that if he got within 10' of the guys wife again, next time he would be spending months in the hospital. Not very PC, but it did take care of the problem.

Well done

just a little ditty to get a reader's imagination to act up. I understand and agree that the story is complete and that adding to it would just lessen the impact.

However, I like Jim so much that I'd like to see and read more about him and his friends. I would also like to see Reg get what's coming to him.

Thanks for your hard work and keep it up please.

Woodmanone

Great (complete) little story.

Nice twist. I knew something had to be coming, but it caught me out anyway.

Good entry in the Short short category!

I thought it a good short short story. The ending the kind O'Henry would use. Short with a nice twist.....

The theme is also nice. Your friends are a reflection of yourself. I wonder if Wes rushed home to Reg.....

Nicely conceived and executed

Some stories are the idea and the trick is not to ruin the idea by doing too much. Nicely realized.

Perfect

As pointed out, not so much a complete story as a simple morality tale. By sticking to the theme, though, FD has perfectly conveyed--in a beautifully written structure--the simple point that if you get entertained by the snake and encourage it to continue in its ways, don't be surprised when the damned thing bites you!

Just perfect.

Sweet!

I won't stay where Reg is. . .

Pretty much says it all.

Well Done

Short, to the point and very enjoyable. Thanks.

Well done, author!

A quick & meaningful tale!

Are there two Reg's?

I thought he'd just left the bar?

A clarification

I was not clear enough on timing.

Jim visited ALL the wives ("I actually started at your house since you pissed me off with that ruined weekend fishing trip")in the days before he had this latest invitation to the bar.

Reg did not mystically transport from the restaurant to the house, and did not just come from there. Nor had Jim just finished visiting the wives.

Jim saw the bastard in the bar, went back outside and waited for him to leave. He was already ready to confront his friends on the issue, particularly considering his 'joyous tidings'. He had known about the cheating for a short time. This was his first opportunity to 'make an impression'.

Sorry for the confusion.

Bravo

Your story shows that a concise story can hit the mark perfectly. I agree with your comment that you could have alluded to Jim getting something from his car when he had walked out. But I understood the timing of the events as I read the story. Great job!

Good stuff

Makes a very good comment about how we can enable destructive behavior by others...as long as it does not hurt us directly.
But stand too close to fire and you get burned...for one of his friends.

Enabler

wasnt he doing the same thing by not telling the truth about what he knows about Wes' wife and Reg?

Good Work

I love your story. I also agree with Woodmanone that you should continue to tell what happens with Jim, Reg, Wes, and ther others.

5* from me!!!!!!!

Finally, someone who knows what being a MAN is all about. "Man codes" my ass, just an excuse to be a moral degenerate.
I loved this story. Thanks for speaking up.

Food for thought?

I liked it! Wonder what's going through his buddies' brainpans now?

Good Story, But Needs Another Chapter

Oh, this is good. He just informed his 'so called friends', that he was offended by them associating with Reg. What do they do? They tell him,"We might be losing a friend,but it might not be Reg.", This shows that perhaps they think Reg is a better friend. Maybe now, Wes doesn't think so, but that is why this story needs a second chapter.

Nice, short and to the point

Great story that makes you think. Do wonder if Reg had been sniffing aroung Jim's wife too. But, it doesn't need any more.

Are there two Reg's???

To the person who said "Are there two Reg's?" because Reg was there when Jim got to the bar to talk to the three dumb asses. Jim said he went by each guys home but not in what order, Wes's home must of been Jim's first try, that way it would take a bit of time to explain to the rest of the others wives while Reg was pounding away on Wes's wife. By the time Jim got done talking to the two others wives and got the personal stuff he already had his surprise for Wes when he saw who was there at Wes's home.

Still a 5

I did notice the timing error, but discounted it. The story was delicious!

cool ending

and would have a lot of potential. why the guy hates Reg so much, there must be a story. what happend after the last present, that would be a story too.. pretty good plot.

Guilty

I have looked the other way on occasion. If I think a friend is fucking up I will tell him or her. On the other hand, I am not their mother. Thats all you can do. This is tricky business. What if you tell them and they kill someone? I think the man in this story was doing the right thing. R. made the analogy with a snake. He was correct. If you allow a poisonous snake into the fold something bad will happen eventually. The man in this one had a unique way of getting his point across. If his friends will still talk to him is a different matter. My best bud since high school was like this. I have not seen him for a few years now, my wife hates him. Probably a good thing. His wife was a friend also, but she is fond of me because I was the only one who tried to talk him out of the stupid shit that he would do. They were getting a divorce the last time I spoke to him years ago. Good story it made me think.

Thank you

I don't always try to write comfortable stories

Creative and unique

I don't think I've read another story here quite like this. It's always easy to be one of the "good old boys" and we all like to have friends. Friends are not going to be perfect people. But when you have someone regularly behaving badly and you choose to continue to associate with them you only have yourself to blame for the outcome. Guilt by association. The revenge for their acceptance of the asshole instead of respecting a good friend was perfect. He did almost nothing except rub their faces in it. He did tell their wives who they were associating with, breaking the "male bonding code". But they deserved it. Nice job.

Great Story line

Me thinks your story length was perfect. It has an agenda and it executes very well!

And there's plenty of room for a sequel if you so decide.

Thanks for the effort in writing and sharing.

Constructive critism

Each of the following is a COMPLETE SENTENCE (not two, separated by a PERIOD, as written).


#1: "Hey guys." I said with a wave, setting my gift bag down next to the seat Reg just left.

[Correct: "Hey, guys," I said with a wave..... ]


#2: " .... You missed the first half of the game." Hank groused at me.

[Correct: ".... You missed the first half of the game," Hank groused at me.]


#3: "We might be losing a friend, but it might not be Reg." Hank said ominously.

[Correct: "We might be losing a friend, but it might not be Reg," Hank said ominously.]

Loved the ending

Just a wonderfully clever and well written story. Man oh man what terrific discipline. Still have that silly grin on my face after reading this great story. Thank you FD 45 .

wonderful

just read your story, It was Great. It had a very unusual twist. Please consider going on with it,(maybe from the friends point of view). But if not it stands well on it's own.

The last time I had this feeling...

...about a new author was 2/9/10, when DQS1 submitted his first story to Lit - 'Moment of Clarity' - one of the finest stories I've ever read. This story is completely different in substance, length and context, but there is a similar strain of excellence (if not genius) here in the simplicity, yet effectiveness, of the plot - 'smack you up the side of your head' effectiveness. It's not epiphany time because, really, we've all known forever about 'Reg' and his ilk and the problems they cause, but the unveiling of the revelation is classic. I'm not comparing DQS1 to FD45 because they are different, but both authors think 'outside the box' and each sets his own rules. FD45 does his own editing too. Yes, there were a couple of errors, but the quality of this story makes them transparent. "Rode hard put away wet" was likewise delivered with aplomb and a flourish.
We have ourselves another classy author folks and this is a '5' for me.

Damn Good!!!!!!!!!

What a fun read. You told a complete story without trying to write the great American Novel thanks for sharing.

Complete Story?

Who says it has to be?

I think it was perfect. I wouldn't want this style every time, but it did exactly what you wanted. I'm assuming that I am smart enough to have figured it out.
As for the confusion in the timeline, I don't think any explanation is required.
This story had me thinking and filling in the holes with my imagination.
I'm pretty sure that was your intent and you it did it very well.

Neat...

... Sweet, Complete

Super story 5 stars.
BTW A newer SS06's story is on SOL.

Great story. Everything else was already said, really.

nicely done!

quick and too the point! Like a bullet to the heart just enough time for them to know!

Well Done

A good story and complete-but did not stop me from wishing it was longer.

However you have adhered to the show biz creed-Always leave them wanting more!

Thanks for the tale

It IS complete

Nicely written and to the point. Thank you author.

Re: it is complete

True. The story doesn't NEED a ribbon festooned, fancy bow knotted ending. Agreed. Yet I sense that the author should not resist the muse to write again about these people , the bar & especially the lead character who would not contenance the company of the indiscriminate '' ladies' man".

I get a ' Andy Griffith ' vibe ' off him ( my fav show btw ) & think there are many stories to be told - lessons to be taught by both sagacity & example instead of tiresome lectures. One of those stooges definitely could mature into an invaluable Barney Fife.

Nice Five star short.

This is a fine story and at the same time opens all kinds of discussions about morality. Great work.

Great Short Story

Brief and to the point, if it wasn't for the enablers, the gods gift to women types wouldn't be half as successful as they are. If nobody listens to their boasts then there isn't a whole lot of point doing something to boast about.

Great little story

It would have been a great lead into a longer story, too. On the flip side, when Reg is with them at least they know he's not fucking their wives. I wonder where Reg went when he left the bar before Jim came back.

This is a good short story!

It was complete and very good. Thanks!

Excellent

Maybe this story will cause some "enablers" to think twice. If so, great! If not, I still enjoyed it.