Frank and Doris
written by:
Just Plain Bob

It started when my cousin Tom set up a bachelor party for his brother, my cousin James. I was invited and I of course accepted and said I would be there. This did not set well with my wife Doris. Doris had an extremely low opinion of bachelor parties because of what she had seen on her side of the family.

Her brother Sam had attended one, had partaken of the offer made by the hired stripper to ‘entertain' anyone with the proper amount of cash and had ended up with a case of VD which he was unable to adequately explain to his wife. Her cousin Ron had left his wife and two children and had run off with the hired entertainment at a bachelor party that he had attended. Her father had gotten drunk at a bachelor party and had wrecked his car and put himself in the hospital for a week. No indeed, Doris was not at all happy with me for accepting the invitation.

I pointed out that she had gone to a bachelorette party or two where they had male strippers come in and she said that was different.

"In what way?"

"There is no way a male stripper can do what a female stripper does at a man's bachelor party."

"Explain that to me please."

"A female stripper can take her panties off, lay back and take on every man there until they are done. So guys are more likely to take advantage of the opportunity. A male stripper at a girl's party can only go once or maybe twice so since they can't all be helped girls tend to behave themselves."

"Do you have any idea of how stupid that sounds?"

"It is a well known fact that women can control themselves and men can't."

"Do you know just how stupid THAT sounds?"

"I don't want to fight over this Frank. I don't want you going to Jim's bachelor party. Take him out to dinner or something, but I don't want you going to that party."

"What you are saying Doris is that you don't trust me. After two years of going together, two years of living together and eight years of marriage you don't know me any better than that? Well I'm going Doris and that's final."

It wasn't of course. There were still nine days to go before the party and Doris used those nine days to do whatever she could to get me not to go. Things were pretty chilly around the house as she pretty much ignored me. Her big gun of course was her control of the little furry patch between her legs. We normally made love three or four times a week, but for nine days all I heard was:

"Not tonight Frank. I'm not feeling well."

There was also the perennial favorite, "Not tonight; I've got a headache."

It was clear to me that if I did go the dry spell could continue long after the party was a memory, but I can be just as stubborn and pig headed as Doris and I was going and that was final. We lived in a state where spousal rape was not a crime and I could have just taken what I wanted, but the aftermath of that wasn't worth contemplating.

I was able to strike back all be it in a limited way. Every Friday night I always - without fail - took Doris out to dinner. Friday when I came home from work Doris was dressed and ready to go out. I went into the bedroom that I had turned into a home office/den, sat down at the desk and turned on the computer. When I didn't come down dressed for dinner Doris came looking for me. She came into the room and said:

"What are you doing? Why aren't you getting ready for dinner?"

"I'm too busy cruising the Internet looking for some good porn sites.

"You are what?"

"Looking for some good porn. I'm horny as hell since you cut me off and I'm looking for some good material that I can use to masturbate to. You can watch if you'd like."

The slamming of the door as she left pretty much told me that she wasn't interested in being a spectator.

Saturday I was up and out of the house before Doris woke up. I had a standing golf date with three friends every Saturday and our tee time was ten after six and Doris wouldn't get up until eight or so. She had a standing appointment at the beauty parlor at eleven and she would usually just be coming home as I got in from my round of golf at Red Ridge. Doris was going to miss her appointment that morning because I took her car instead of my pick up. Her car had an automatic transmission and my truck was a stick and Doris couldn't drive a stick shift. I know it doesn't sound like much in the way of fighting back, but when you are ‘game playing' you have to take what you can get.

To say that Doris was pissed off when I got home would be an understatement. I ignored her and got ready to go to Jim's bachelor party. I got one last "Damn it Frank; I told you I don't want you going to that party" and I ignored her as I walked out of the house, got in my truck and headed for the party.

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

It was your typical bachelor party. There were seventeen guys there and I knew and liked most of them. I say most because Mel Timmonds was there and I didn't like him one little bit. He had always had the hots for Doris and he had tried several times to break us up before we got married.

There were three tables set up for poker. It was nickel, dime, quarter, dealer's choice with a three raise limit so no one was going to get hurt. Two hours into the game (which was being held in Jim's apartment) the doorbell rang and Tom answered it to find two female cops standing there. One said:

"Your neighbors are complaining about the noise. Whose place is this?"

Tom pointed to Jim and the two walked over to Jim and quick as a wink one of them slapped handcuffs on him as she said:

"You are under arrest."

The cuffs were real and not fake. One of the cops began to read Jim his rights, the "You have the right to remain silent" and all that jazz. Until that point everyone thought the girls were strippers. I could tell from the look on Tom's face that he hadn't been expecting it and a close look at their uniforms seemed to tell that they weren't fake. Everyone was starting to worry about what was happening until the one reading Jim his rights said:

"You have the right to have a hard cock when Missy gives you a lap dance" and as she said that she took a mini cassette recorder out of her pocket and stripper type music began the play as the other lady cop started peeling off her uniform. From that point on it was just the kind of bachelor party that Doris had envisioned. The two girls took on every guy there who wanted to play and a couple of times both girls were doing three at once. I'd heard of ‘airtight' and I knew what it was, but I had never seen it. It was wild and I'm not going to say that I wasn't tempted.

But I didn't take it. I just watched the action and allowed myself to get all steamed up even knowing that my only outlet was going to be my right hand when I went home. I was watching Tom, Jim and Mark doing the one named Missy when Mel came up to me and said:

"You aren't going to play?"

"Nope. No way! If I did and Doris found out she would throw me out on my ear. You know, the marriage vow thing and all that."

"Tough luck guy; these are two choice ladies and they know what they are doing. I've never had better."

He went over to the other girl, Donna was her name, and since she had an open hole Mel promptly filled it. As I watched I had to wonder why I didn't just say "To hell with Doris" and join in. I mean I was a man and I needed sex and Doris wouldn't give me any and I was in an apartment with two girls who would. It wouldn't be ‘love' and there would be no emotional involvement. It would just be sex for the sake of sex so why not? A couple of times I caught myself reaching for my zipper or belt buckle, but at the last second I stopped myself.

Shortly before the party started breaking up both girls came up to me and Missy said:

"What's the matter honey; don't either of us appeal to you?"

"Just the opposite. I'm dying to take on both of you, but unfortunately I have a character flaw."

"A character flaw?" asked Donna. "What kind of character flaw?"

"There is this silly thing inside my head that says I have to stay faithful to my wife."

"Really" Donna said, "I didn't think there were any good guys left out there. I'm going to have to give you my number in case your wife is ever silly enough to let you get away."

"That goes double for me honey" Missy said, "I would love to have a guy who thinks like that."

Tom and am came up and took them by the arm and led them away and as I watched two delightful asses walk away from me I was thinking, "You do gangbangs at parties and you want a guy like me? Go figure."

The party started breaking up and soon it was down to just Tom, Jim, the two girls and me. I was reasonably sober so I stuck around to help with the clean up. Donna and Missy came up to me and Donna said:

"You have to at least give us a kiss sugar" and Missy giggled and said, "No charge of course." They both kissed me and both of them did slip me a piece of paper with their phone numbers on them. Donna said:

"I meant what I said sugar. If your wife is dumb enough to let you go call me."

The two of them left and Tom, who had been the money collector for the two said:

"I should have been born a sexy looking babe. Those two just spent four hours thoroughly enjoying themselves and they walked out of here with twenty-three hundred dollars to split between them and that doesn't even count the four hundred they got for coming here to do the strip tease. That's almost three hundred and forty dollars an hour."

We cleaned the place up and I left, but the night wasn't over for me yet. When I got outside I found the two girls standing in front of a Ford Focus with the hood up. I walked up and asked:

"Got a problem?"

"It won't start."

I went to my truck, got the flashlight from the glove box and came back to take a look.

"You girls are out of luck tonight" I said. "Your positive battery cable terminal is corroded and split in half. There aren't any parts houses open at this time of night so the car is dead until tomorrow."

"Shit!" Missy said. Now what?"

"We call a cab" Donna said.

"At this time of night? We will be here for hours."

"No you won't" I said. "I'll run you to where you need to go. I don't work tomorrow so I'll hit a parts store, get what is needed to fix it and we can come back and get it going."

"Oh God; you are a life saver sugar" Donna said and we got in my truck and I ran them home.

It turned out that it was Donna's car, but they were roommates so I only had one place to drive to. When I got them to their place I made arrangements to swing by and pick Donna up in the morning at ten.

When I got home I found the bedroom door locked. I remembered a John Wayne movie where his wife had locked him out of the bedroom and he had kicked the door down as he yelled, "There will be no locked doors in this house" and I briefly contemplated doing the same thing, but reason prevailed. If I kicked it in I'd be the one repairing or replacing it and unless I was going to commit spousal rape there wasn't anything on the other side of the door for me except the bed and the living room couch was just as comfortable.

Comfortable couch or not I was not in a good mood when I got up that morning. Doris was still in bed so I fixed myself some breakfast and I was sitting at the table eating when Doris came into the room. She looked around and then said:

"Where's mine?"

"You haven't fixed it yet" I said as I got up and put my dirty dishes into the dishwasher and headed for the door to the garage.

"Where are you going Frank?

"To pick up Donna and then go over to Jim's place and fix her car."

"Who is Donna?"

"One of the strippers from last night."

"You are going to pick up a stripper? I suppose you fucked her last night huh? Going back for more?" she sneered.

"What do you care? You don't want to give me any so what's it to you?" And then, because I'm male and males can be inherently stupid around females I let my mouth run away. "And it brings up a thought Doris. You like sex as much as I do so you must be hurting just as much as I am. Or are you? Maybe you aren't suffering at all. Maybe you have a boyfriend on the side to keep you happy while you are keeping me miserable. Is that it Doris? You been hanging horns on me?"

I could see the shock on her face as I unloaded and it did my heart good.

"Got to go. Donna expects me at ten."

I headed for the door.

"Frank? You get your ass back here. We need to talk. We need to settle this now."

"The only thing we need Doris is for you to apologize for being an absolute bitch for the last two weeks."

I walked out into the garage and got my cable cutting tool and my cable swagger from my tool box and then went to pick up Donna. We hit a parts store and got the terminal end we needed and then drove over to Jim's place to fix her car.

On the way she asked me why I looked so sour and I was just in the right mood to tell her the entire story.

"So on top of her disliking bachelor parties she thinks you strayed last night?"

"That pretty much sums it up."

"You want me to call her and tell her what actually happened?"

"God no! That would only make it worse. She would figure that I put you up to it and that you were lying for me. As it is she thinks I with you now to have more sex."

"All I can say sugar, is that if things go south between the two of you give me a call." She looked at me for a second or so and then said, "But you won't, will you. I'm just a whore and who wants anything to do with a whore, right?"

"Don't be stupid Donna. You are a lovely woman and you seem likeable. I'm betting that we could be real good friends, but as long as I'm married it can never be any more than that. That includes any split that comes between me and my wife. I will not break my wedding vows as long as I'm still legally married to my wife. If a divorce does happen and you are still around you will be one of the first I call."

She gave me another long look and then said, "I do believe that you mean that."

"I do sweetie; I do."

She leaned over and kissed me. "I haven't met very many really nice guys in my life sugar, but you go to the top of the list of the few that I know."

We got to Jim's and I fixed her car and waited until she started and drove off before heading home. When I got home Doris wasn't there. I went out to the garage and did an oil change on the truck and when Doris still wasn't home I fixed myself some leftovers, ate and then settled down in front of the TV.

Doris came in about seven and didn't say a word as she walked through the house and into the kitchen. I heard her rattling around as she fixed herself something to eat and about twenty minutes later she came into the living room and stood there with her hands on her hips as she said:

"Want to know where I've been?"

I looked over at her and said, "No."

"Maybe I've been out looking for a stud since you have a stripper."

You need to understand my mindset at that moment. She had been a bitch to me for almost two weeks and had cut me off to try and force me to do what she wanted. I was pissed and I'd had enough so I said:

"I doubt that you were looking. Most likely you were just out fucking the guy that you have been fucking ever since you cut me off."

I looked back at the TV as she yelled, "You bastard! How can you think that of me?"

"It is just as easy for me to think that of you as it is for you to think that of me. Besides, didn't you just say you were out looking?"

She turned and left the room and I went back to watching TV. I decided to get to bed early to avoid the locked door again and I was in bed reading when Doris came into the bedroom.

"I don't want you in here with me" she said.

"Tough shit Doris. I slept on the couch last night so if you don't want to be in here with me you can sleep on the couch tonight."

She left the room and slammed the door behind her.

I was up and gone to work before Doris woke up and I rather liked the fact that I could start my day without having more bad words with her.

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

When I got home from work that evening as I pulled into the drive I saw a bunch of stuff scattered across the front yard. When I got out of the truck I could see that it was my clothes. My clothes!! In fact, it looked like all my clothes were on the lawn. What the fuck was Doris doing now?

The door was locked so I pt my house key in the lock and it wouldn't work. I went around back and tried that door. Same thing. Doris had locked me out of the house. That was it!!! The straw that broke the camel's back. I went back to the truck and got the tire iron from behind the seat and walked back up on the porch. Since it was Doris who was going to have to clean up the mess I used the tire iron on the large picture window and then I went into the house. I grabbed a bunch of garbage bags and went out and gather up all my clothes and put them in the back of the truck.

I went through the house and took everything that I wanted. I had a separate savings account that I put ten percent of my pay into every payday to save money for vacations so before I unhooked the computer I went online and transferred everything out of our savings and checking accounts into the vacation account that Doris didn't have access to. I used the phone to call and cancel all of our credit cards and I only kept the American Express that was in my name only that I used for business travel.

I don't know what Doris thought she was doing, but she should have known that I wouldn't sit still for it. Lock me out of the house will she? Let's just see how she likes living alone with no credit and no money except for what she made at her job.

I drove away from the house and headed for a motel close to work. I was just carrying the last of my stuff into the motel room when my cell phone rang. I looked at the display and saw that it wasn't Doris so I took the call.

"Hello?"

"Frank? This is Ray Hendrickson. I may be sticking my nose into something that's none of my business but I thought I'd let you know that Doris is at The Hitching Post with Mel Timmonds and they are being pretty chummy."

"Define chummy for me Ray."

"They are sitting side by side in one of the back booths. Mel has his arm around her and he was nuzzling her neck. She wasn't doing anything to fight him off."

"Thanks for the heads up Ray. I appreciate it."

So the cunt was finally giving Mel what he had always been after. Well fuck her!

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

When I got to work the next morning Stella, our receptionist, had several messages for me. Three of them were from Doris and I dropped them in the trash without reading them. I told Stella that I didn't want to take calls from Doris and to tell her I was in a meeting or out of the office.

"Then again you can just tell her that I told you that under no circumstances did I want to hear her voice and I told you not to put her through."

"Trouble on the home front?"

"Not for much longer."

About ten o'clock things slowed down enough that I could get on the phone and call a friend who had just gone through a divorce and I got the name of the attorney he used. I called and made an appointment for the next day. I wasn't quite ready for the divorce yet, but I did want to know what I was looking at if push came to shove.

There was a bar across the street from the motel and before going to my room I stopped in and had a few beers and watched the basketball game that was on their TV. I had no interest in either team, but it did give me something to do.

The next day I got the bad news from the attorney. We lived in what was called ‘a no fault' state so any divorce was going to result in an even split of assets and since I made almost twice what Doris did I was going to have to pay her alimony. Also, since I would be the one filing I would, along with my attorney's fees be responsible for all court costs. In addition to that if Doris fought the divorce I could, depending on the judge, get hit with having to pay her attorney fees. The only thing I had going for me was that we had no kids.

That information kind of cooled me down. In the long run it would be cheaper to just stay married, but not live together. If Doris didn't like it then she could file and at least then I wouldn't get stuck with court costs and her attorney fees. I left the attorney's office determined to find a reasonable apartment close to work and move on with my life.

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

"Good morning. Thank you for calling Benton and Associates. How may I direct your call?"

"Dorie? This is Steph."

"Hi Steph. What's up?"

"Is every thing okay with you and Frank?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You know I work in the Marston Building right? This morning I saw Frank coming out of Tucker Davidson's office."

"Why call me about that?"

"Tucker is a divorce attorney."

"Oh shit!"

"Not good huh?"

"Not good at all. I've got six lines blinking so I have to go. Can you meet me for lunch at Maxine's? Say noonish or there about?"

"Will do."

After the waitress had taken their order Doris asked, "Does this Tucker guy do anything else besides divorce?"

"No. His practice is strictly family law and that pretty much means divorces. You and Frank having problems."

"Kind of."

"It has to be a little more than "kind of" if Frank is talking to Tucker."

Doris told Steph about what had been going on."

"You have to be kidding me Dorie. As long as you have been with Frank and you don't know him any better than that? Frank would no more take part in something like that than you would pull a train at a frat house.

"But he did. Mel Timmonds called me and told me."

"Mel did what?"

"He called me and told me what Frank did."

"Why would he do that?"

"He was always trying to get with me, but I was with Frank and when I married Frank Mel told me that some day I would be sorry that I picked Frank over him. He called me to gloat. Told me that my so called loving husband was making it with two strippers."

"And you believed him?"

"Frank confirmed it the next morning. He told me he was going to meet one of the strippers and he walked out of the house."

"That doesn't sound like the Frank that I know."

Doris told Steph just how things had gone that morning and Steph said:

"And you didn't give him the benefit of the doubt that what he was telling you was true? That he was just helping some one with a car problem?"

"Why would I after hearing what Mel had to say?"

"So after a phone call you tossed Frank under the bus."

"It was more than a phone call Mel said he had pictures. After Frank left to go to the stripper I met Mel at Denny's and he described the entire evening to me. There were two strippers and Frank did both of them a couple of times. Mel must have believed that I didn't believe him so he told me had pictures and if I would meet him at the Hitching Post the next night he would show them to me."

"Why didn't he show them to you at Denny's?"

"He had put his phone on the charger and didn't have it with him. Frank was home when I got back from seeing Mel and I made Frank wonder if I was late coming home because I was out looking for some one to get even with. I shouldn't have done that because then Frank accused me of cheating on him for weeks. I ended up sleeping on the couch that night and I was so pissed in the morning I tossed all of Frank's clothes out onto the front lawn and then called a locksmith to change the locks on the house."

"How did Frank take that?"

"Not well. He broke a window to get into the house, took everything he wanted and left."

"What did he say to you?"

"I haven't been able to get in touch with him. He won't take my calls. I called a company to come and fix the window and when I paid the man with my credit card he told me it was declined and so I had to write him a check."

"I hope you were smart enough to call the bank before you wrote the check. If Frank was pissed off enough to cancel your credit cards he might have cleaned out the bank accounts too."

"Oh shit! This just keeps getting worse and worse."

"What about Mel's pictures?"

"I met him at the Hitching Post and he showed me two pictures. They showed Frank watching a couple of guys doing the stripper doggie. The only face you could see was Frank's. When I asked him if that was his proof he said no, but he wanted something before he would show me the good stuff."

"Don't tell me; let me guess. He told you that you should let him help you get even with Frank and then he would show you the photos."

"Well yes, I guess that is what he wanted."

"And did you?"

"Good Lord no! I did get a little touchy-feely with him to lead him on and get him to show me the rest of the pictures he had."

"And did he?"

"No. I wouldn't leave with him and go to his place so he wouldn't show them to me."

"Did it not occur to you that he didn't show them to you because he didn't have any more? If he did he would have shown them to you to get you even more pissed off at Frank so that you would want to get even."

"I didn't think of that."

"Did you also not think about what you were doing? The Hitching Post is the hangout for most of Frank's friends. Did you not consider that one of them might see you getting all touchy-feely with Mel and call Frank and tell him? No wonder Frank was seeing Tucker. What it is Dorie is that I think you have managed to toss your marriage into the trash can."

"I can't believe that Frank would do that."

"Dorie honey; I'm not a man so I have no idea how a man would think after going through what you have just told me you've put Frank through, but if it had happened to me I'd be signing the divorce papers even as we speak. If I were you girlfriend I'd be finding some way to get to Frank before things get any more out of hand. Assuming that you want to keep him that is."

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

The intercom buzzed and I hit the button and said, "Yes?"

"I know you told me not to take messages from your wife or put her through to you" Stella said, "But there has been a development that makes that impossible."

"What development?"

"She is standing here in front of me and she says she isn't leaving until she talks to you."

"Tell her I'm busy and I'm not going to talk to her on company time."

There was a pause and then Stella said, "She said to tell you she brought a book and she will sit here and read it until you are done for the day."

I looked at my watch and saw that it was three hours until quitting time. What I was doing wasn't pressing and I could have gotten away early, but the mood I was in wasn't going to allow me to cut Doris any slack. I did need to take Stella out of the middle of things and I was going to have to talk to Doris sooner or later so I told Stella to tell Doris to enjoy her book.

At four-fifteen I received a phone call from Doris' cousin and best friend Stephanie.

"How are things going Frank?"

"They have been better Steph. What can I do for you?"

"I had lunch with Dorie today Frank and the girl is a mess. She told me what has been going on and while I agree that she has done some stupid shit I don't think it has reached the level of divorce."

"Why do you bring up divorce?"

"I saw you leaving Tucker Davidson's office and divorce is what Tucker does."

"When she told you what has been going on did she mention the cheating part?"

"She didn't cheat on you Frank. Timmonds told her he had compromising pictures of what you were doing at the stag party and he was trying to convince her that she should get even with you by screwing him. She led him on trying to get him to show her the pictures. She swears she never did anything with him and I believe her. You two need to sit down and talk Frank."

"Maybe Steph, but there is more going on than whatever she might have done with Timmonds and I'm not sure that talking is going to do anything. But you are right; I am going to have to sit down and have it out with her sooner or later. Thanks for the concern Steph, but I'm busy and need to go."

"Bye Frank. Good luck."

"Thanks Steph."

At five I saved my work, shut down the computer and went to face Doris. She looked up from her book as I entered the reception area and I noticed the worried look on her face. She stood up and I said:

"I'll meet you at the Hitching Post. We can sit in the same booth where you were making out with Timmonds and have our talk there" and I walked on by her. I stopped at a gas station on the way and filled up so Doris beat me to the bar. She was sitting in one of the back booths and I remembered that Ray said that he had seen Doris and Timmonds in one of the back booths and I wondered if she was in that booth because she took me literally when I said we could talk in the booth where she had been with Mel.

I walked over and sat down opposite Doris and when Alice came over to get our order I ordered a Bud and said:

"Separate checks Alice."

The look on my wife's face when I said that helped make my day. As Alice walked away I said:

"Okay Doris; you called this meeting. Speak your piece."

"Why did you cancel our credit cards and clean out our bank accounts?"

"Oh come on Doris; you aren't stupid. You threw all my stuff out of the house and then had the locks changed to keep me out. That told me that you didn't want me around anymore. I can take a hint so I left and as long as I was going I wasn't going to support you and pay your bills so I cancelled the cards so you couldn't run them up. As for the money in the bank? You threw me out of the house so as far as I was concerned you get to help pay for wherever I end up living. Your share of the cash that was in the bank can help pay for my move.

"Besides, you have the house and it is worth more that what was in the bank. Of course you also get to make the payments on it from now on and also you get to pay all the utilities. Might be tight on what you make, but what the hell, it is what you wanted right?"

"No Frank, it is not what I wanted. I over-reacted to your going off to see that stripper after going to that party that I didn't want you to go to in the first place. It turned out just like I knew it would. A drunken orgy."

"So what does that have to do with me? Just because it happened and I was there does that mean that I had any part of it? How about when you stop for drinks after work with the girls you work with? I know for a fact that Linda Bliss and Joyce Baker go out to the parking lot with guys they meet at the bar and spend time on back seats. Because you are there with them does that mean you do some back seat playing too?"

"That's different."

"No it isn't Doris. You are saying that I am guilty because I was there when it happened so that means that you are guilty if you are there when Linda and Joyce do their thing. I didn't do a damned thing with the two strippers that were there other than give them a ride home when their car wouldn't start. I went back the next day and fixed her car for her. All I got out of it was a kiss on the cheek and a thank you and that was fine with me because it was all I expected. And before you asked I did it because they were in trouble and I was there and could help. I've done the same for other people. Just because they were strippers I should have turned my back on them?"

"Why didn't you explain that to me?"

"Why would I waste my breath Doris? You haven't listened to a word I've said for the last two weeks so why would I expect you to listen to me explain anything to you."

"Okay Frank; I'll eat crow and admit I was wrong to do what I did."

She opened her purse, took out an envelope and slid it across the table to me.

"What is it?"

"A key to the new locks so you can come home."

I pushed it back to her and said, "I don't think so Doris. The bachelor party and the thing with the strippers is only part of the problem. There are other things I am not happy about. One of them is that I'm sick and tired of you withholding sex whenever you want to try and make me bend to your will. Another is that I'm not sure I want to live with a woman who I think cheats on me. I meant what I said Sunday morning. You like sex as much as I do and you didn't seem to be suffering after not giving me any for two weeks so I have to wonder if in fact you were going without. I think I know the answer to that after hearing about you and Mel Timmonds. And I have not forgotten that you strongly hinted at the fact that you were out looking for cock when you came home late Sunday evening and as far as I know you managed to find one before coming home. I really don't see any reason for me to come home Doris."

"Damn it Frank! You should know me better than that. I was pissed at you and I was jerking your chain. I would never cheat on you."

"That's not what I hear. My information is that Mel Timmonds helped you ‘get even with me' for what you believed that I had done at the bachelor party."

"I didn't do a damned thing with Mel. Well, maybe I did do a few things to lead him on. He said he had pictures of you fucking the girls at the party and asked me if I wanted to see them and I of course said yes."

"And did you see pictures of me fucking some girls?"

"All he had were two pictures of you standing there watching. He said he had some that were a lot more explicit, but I wasn't willing to give him what he wanted to show them to me. I did kiss him twice and I didn't slap his hands away when he copped some feels, but that was all."

"You have any way to prove that Doris?"

She thought for a moment and then said, "I think I do. Your friend Ronny Thomas and his wife were there and I stopped and said hi to them as I was leaving. They can tell you that I left alone and that Mel was still there when I left."

"How do I know that you didn't meet him later? How do I know that you didn't leave alone just to throw my friends off? You know what I'm saying. "I'll leave first Mel so no one sees us leave together. I'll meet you at your place." How do I know that isn't the way it went?"

"God damn it Frank! What do you want? You want me to take a lie detector test? Fine! Set it up and I will do it."

"So tell me Doris; how does it feel to deny that something happened and not be believed?"

"It sucks Frank."

"A minute ago you said that I should know you better than to believe some of what I said. Shouldn't you have known me better also? All the years we have been together and you didn't trust me any more than you did?"

"I'm sorry Frank and looking back from this point I can see that I wasn't being very rational. There was every thing that I knew about the disastrous results that bachelor parties had on people that I knew and I just didn't want you to go. Yes, I should have known you better, but in the back of my mind there was the thought that any man, even a good man, would lose it when exposed to a naked woman willing to take on any one there. When you said that you were going to see that stripper Sunday morning it just confirmed all my fears. All I could think about was Ron leaving his wife and kids and running off with that stripper he met at a bachelor party. I was crushed Frank and you didn't make it any better. When I snapped at you you should have known how I felt. Why didn't you tell me to go with you if I thought you were going to do something wrong? Why didn't you say "Come and see for yourself" instead of taking off and leaving there thinking what I was thinking?"

"So now it is my fault Doris? I'm not buying it. Everything that has happened has been because of your actions. The fact that you pushed and pushed and it finally forced me to get my back up and push back does not make it my fault."

"Can't we just put all this behind us Frank? I love you and I need you with me. Please Frank, take the key and come home" and as she pushed the envelope with the key in it back to me she looked up and said:

"Hi Brenda."

I looked back over my shoulder and saw my favorite stripper standing there. She smiled at me and said:

"Hi Frank."

Doris looked from me to Brenda and then back to me and asked, "You two know each other?"

‘Yes" I said, "And I take it that you know each other?"

"Brenda works with me. Actually that isn't really true. I work for her since she is the office manager."

I motioned for Brenda to join us and she sat down next to Doris and opposite me.

"I didn't mean to intrude, but when I came in and saw two of my favorite people sitting together I just had to come over and say hi."

"Frank is one of your favorite people? How is it that you know my husband?"

Brenda looked at me in surprise. "You and Dorie?"

I nodded a yes. The "How do you know my husband" hung in the air between us and my mind went into overdrive. Obviously Doris did not know Brenda worked nights as a stripper which told me that Brenda probably didn't want Doris or anyone else in the office to know so how to answer the question? I really didn't know Brenda or enough about Brenda to chance telling a lie that might easily be seen through so I decided that Brenda was going to have to field the question. I looked at Brenda with what I hoped was "Answer the question" on my face and I guess she caught it or had arrived at the same conclusion I had and decided that it was the way to go.

Brenda laughed and said, "I tried to steal Frank from his wife and he wouldn't give me a tumble. Here I am thinking that I'm one of the most beautiful and sexy women in this state and he wouldn't even let me give him my phone number."

"You tried to steal my husband?"

"I didn't know he was your husband. In fact he was wearing gloves so I couldn't see a ring and so I didn't know he was married. What happened was that Marsha and I were in here for drinks and some stupid idiot who had too much to drink decided that he was God's gift to women and me in particular and he kept trying to get me to dance with him. I kept saying no and he finally got verbally abusive. He said a bunch of really upsetting things and I finally got mad enough to throw a drink in his face. He raised his hand to hit me and Frank just happened to be walking by on his way out and he stepped in, grabbed the guy, subdued him and walked him out the door and into the parking lot. I heard him tell the guy that if he tried to come back in he would hurt him and then stuff him in the dumpster.

"Then he came back in and offered to walk Marsha and me to our cars to make sure that the idiot wouldn't bother us when we left. So there he was. A Knight in Shining Armor doing good deeds for a damsel in distress and he just happened to be an absolute hunk besides so I threw myself at him and he just smiled, said he was glad to help, wished me a good night and left. He did let me buy him a drink the next time I saw him in here, but try as I might that was as far as I was able to get with him. Of course it was probably a good thing he turned me down because Marsha wanted him too and we would have ended up fighting over him and would probably have ended up not being roommates any more."

"Marsha wanted my husband too? I guess I'll have to pour water on her head at work. You get a pass because it wouldn't be smart to screw with the boss."

"Good thinking girlfriend. Now that I see you two together I can see why I couldn't entice him so I don't feel so bad at being turned down."

While we were talking the band was setting up and when their first number started Brenda asked:

"Mind if I dance with my hero?"

I was pretty sure that Doris minded, but I guess she didn't want to say no to her boss so I was not surprised when she said she wouldn't mind. When I took Brenda in my arms to start the waltz I said:

"Nice save Donna, or is it really Brenda?"

"It is Brenda. I don't use my real name when I'm working parties."

"I guess that means that Missy is really Marsha?"

"That's right. Jesus Frank; I had no idea that you were Dorie's husband."

"Why would you." You have never seen us together."

"As much as she talks about you I should have recognized you just from her descriptions. Things any better between you since we last talked?"

"Actually things are worse" and I told her what had gone on since I last saw her and she was shocked.

"That's not the Doris I know. Believe me on this Frank; she would never cheat on you. When she talks about you at work it makes all the other girls mad."

"Why in the hell would the other women get mad?"

"Because according to Dorie you can do no wrong. According to her you can walk on water."

"Why would you be talking about me anyway?"

"It usually isn't about you. During one of our breaks a girl will be bitching about something her husband and boyfriend did and the other girls will jump in and talk about their men folk. Then Dorie puts in her two cents worth. That girl thinks you hung the moon and stars Frank. No way she would ever cheat on you. Get pissed and pull your chain? Probably, but cheat? Not in this lifetime."

"I don't know Brenda. Her tone of voice and the way she said what she said didn't sound at all like she was trying to pull my chain."

"I don't stop very often with the crew after work because I usually have an appointment if you take my meaning, but when I do stop with them all of us girls get hit on and Dorie has never danced more than once with any of the guys who have asked her. A few of the girls have even made trips out to the parking lot and Dorie gives them disgusted looks when they do. She won't even talk to Joyce and Linda because Linda and Joyce cheat on their husbands. There is no way that woman would cheat Frank. Absolutely no way. Whatever problems you are having Dorie's cheating on you isn't one of them."

The music stopped and as we were walking back to the booth Brenda said:

"I'm going to piss your wife off when we get back to the booth. And when I do I want you to think of this. Dorie is my friend, but if you can't work things out with her I was dead serious when I told you to give me a call."

We got to the booth and she did give me a kiss on the lips and then she picked up her purse and said she had to be going and then she said to Doris:

"Take good care of my hero. I'll see you at work."

I sat down and Doris said, "You turned her down? She was kidding when she said she was one of the most beautiful and sexy women in this state, but the fact is that she is just that and you turned her down?"

"Of course I did. I'm a married man and I made some promises in a church and in front of a hundred people and I honor my promises even if some others don't."

"God damn it Frank! I told you I would take a lie detector test if I have to. I did not cheat on you!"

"Here is my take on it Doris. You created this mess so if it gets cleaned up you get to be the one to clean it up."

I got up to leave and she said, "What do you mean Frank? Where are you going? We need to settle this Frank. You need to come home."

"Think on it some Doris; maybe you will figure it out."

I left the bar and went to my room. As I was emptying my pockets onto the dresser I saw that I had picked up the envelope with the key in it that Doris had tried to give me. Was it a sign?

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

The next two days were busy ones for me. I had to fly to Denver for a series of meetings and they were very productive. The outcome could lead to a nice bonus for me. I was in a good mood when I flew back home and I decided to treat myself to a celebratory dinner at my favorite steak house.

I had been there about ten minutes when Brenda, Marsha and two men came in and were seated on the other side of the room from me. Brenda looked around the room, saw me, gave me a big smile and turned and said something to Marsha. Marsha looked over, waved and gave me a smile. I thought that the two men had to be the luckiest guys in the world to get to have those two and I wondered at why I was internally wired they way I was. I could have had both of them and had taken a pass. That thought reminded me that it had almost a month since I had been laid and it looked like it was going to be a good bit longer for me.

I was just finishing my dessert when Brenda got up and came over to my table. "Come on over and join us Frank."

"I wouldn't want to intrude on your dates."

"They aren't dates Frank. It is more of a business meeting. They are setting up a bachelor party and we are having dinner with them while working out the details. I pointed you out as a satisfied customer and they asked me to invite you over. I think they want to ask you if we are worth what we gave them as far as price is concerned."

"I didn't partake of the delights Brenda so how would I know?"

"You saw it all Frank. Did you see disappointment on anyone's face?

"No, not even a little bit."

"You don't have to tell them you didn't play. Just say that everyone there had the time of their life."

"I suppose I could do that."

I joined the group, answered the questions I was asked and apparently the men were satisfied. One of them picked up the check and they both stood up to leave. The one named Don said as he shook hands with Brenda and Marsha "We will see you Friday at seven" and then both men left.

"Okay Frank" Marsha said, "Now you are alone with two hot babes who want your body so what are you going to do?"

"Go back to my room and cry."

"Why would you do that?"

"Look ladies; if I was single I'd kill to be able to have either one of you, but I'm married and it is something that I take seriously. Cheating on my wife is something I will not do."

I saw Marsha give Brenda a look that I couldn't decipher and Brenda said:

"You can at least sit with us and have a drink or two."

"Yes, I can do that."

I had two drinks with them and then called it a night.

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

I spent some time thinking about the situation with Doris and by the end of the next day I decided to swing by the house and talk some more with Doris. I was pretty sure that she was telling the truth about Timmonds, but we still needed to talk about her bad habit of cutting me off whenever she didn't get her way.

I used my new key to let myself in and as I came through the front door I heard Doris talking in the kitchen. I hadn't figured on there being any one there with here and I was all set to turn and leave when I realized that she had the phone on speaker which was something she sometimes did when she was working in the kitchen. The voice on the other end of the phone sounded like Brenda so I stopped where I was and listened.

"If you and Marsha couldn't tempt him I doubt that the strippers at that bachelor party got to him."

"I guess that it is confession time girlfriend. The story I gave you the other night about how I met Frank was pure bullshit. The truth is that Marsha and I were the strippers at that party and the story that Frank gave you was one hundred percent true. Our car wouldn't start and he gave us a ride home and then he came back the next morning and fixed the car. Marsha and I pretty much threw ourselves at him and all he would let me do was kiss him on the cheek. He was in a downer of a mood and I asked him why and I guess he felt the need to unload and he told me about how things were going between him and his wife. I did tell him that if he couldn't work things out with his wife to give me a call. Of course then I didn't know you were his wife. You have gold there girlfriend and you need to do whatever it takes to keep him."

"My problem is that I painted myself into a corner and now I'm screwed."

"How so?"

"I told him I would take a lie detector test to prove I wasn't lying when I told him that I hadn't cheated on him with Mel. I expected that he would say no need. I mean why would I offer if I had anything to hide right? The thing is that he told me that since I was the one who made the mess that it was up to me to clean it up. I took that to mean that I should set things up and take the test."

"So do it."

"I can't. It would show that I wasn't lying when I said that I didn't do anything with Mel, but you can bet all the money you have that one of the questions would be "Have you ever cheated on your husband" and we both know I couldn't get by that one."

"Why not?"

"Have you forgotten the three parties I worked with you way back when?"

"Oh wow. Yeah, I had forgotten them, but they were over six years ago."

"But I was married when I did them and the question would be "Have you ever cheated on your husband." I've backed myself into a corner. Now Frank is expecting me to take a test and I don't dare. I lose either way. If I take it I can't pass it and if I don't take it Frank will assume that I haven't because I knew I couldn't pass it. I'm screwed either way I go."

"I never did ask at the time, but why did you stop? You were definitely a hit with the men and you seemed to enjoy it."

"I did more that enjoy it. I loved it. I loved it so much that I wanted to do more of it, but I knew if I kept at it sooner or later Frank would have found out. I didn't matter how much I loved it and wanted it. It would have cost me Frank and I couldn't let that happen. He means the world to me."

"If you feel that way why did you do a party in the first place?"

"Frank had been gone for over three months on a project and wasn't going to be coming home for another two or three months and I was horny as hell. I was climbing walls and hearing you and Marsha talk about the fun you were having at the parties that you did made it worse. You made it sound so exciting I volunteered to help. It was mind blowing Bren and I still think about it and wish I could do it, but it was a choice between it and Frank and Frank is always going to win when I have choices to make. Oh God Bren; what am I going to do? I can't lose Frank. I just can't."

"You aren't going to like hearing this girlfriend, but you are right; you have backed yourself into a corner and the only hope I can see for you is to confess. I haven't known Frank all that long and I obviously don't know don't know him well, but he strikes me as the kind of guy who appreciates honesty. I also get the feeling from the way he acted when I threw myself at him that he loves you one hell of a lot. If I were you I would sit down with him and tell all. You are where you have nothing to lose by trying. If there is anyway I can help you let me know. Got to go. I'll see you tomorrow at work."

I quietly left the house and returned to my motel room.

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

My Doris doing gangbangs at bachelor parties? I would never have believed it. Not in a million years! It certainly changed things. Doris apparently had not cheated on me with Timmonds, but she had cheated on me and big time at that.

When I had gone back with my new key it had been my intention to try and repair the breach between us, but that overheard conversation changed it. Suddenly I didn't know what I was going to do. To hell with it! I wasn't going to sit in my room and go crazy thinking about it. I grabbed my keys and drove over to the Hitching Post.

Two beers and three games of pool later I saw Mel Timmonds come in with a good looking redhead and I decided that I would try and ruin his evening. I waited until he and his lady took a seat and had their first drink delivered and then I walked over to their table.

"What's up sperm breath? I understand you told my wife you had some pictures of me doing bad things at Jim's bachelor party. She said you told her that if she would fuck you you would show her the photos. How about you show them to me? I won't fuck you to get a look at them, but the mood I'm in I'm willing to fuck you up."

"Buzz off Frank. I'm not scared of you."

"That's good dick breath. If you were afraid of me you would avoid me and I wouldn't be able to get my hands on you. Win or lose Mel it doesn't matter as long as I can put some hurt on you."

"Let's do this some other time Frank. I'm with some one now."

I turned to look at the woman and said, "Let me tell you a little story. Dirt bag here has been trying to get into my wife's pants for years. Last week we were at a bachelor party for my cousin Jim and when it was over fart face here called my wife and told her he had photos of me cheating on her with the two strippers who were at the party. He told her that if she would screw him to get even with me he would show her the pictures. As a result we are now separated. Is this the kind of guy you want to spend your time with?"

She looked at Timmonds and then back at me and said, "No, but I've got no way to get home if I walk away from him."

"Sure you do. I'll be more than happy to give you a ride, but if you don't want to chance it with me I'll give you cab fare."

"The problem is that I just got here and I've been looking forward to a night out."

"Do you shoot pool?"

"Yes."

"Then come on over and join us at the pool tables. You can shoot pool with us and when the band gets here I think Dave, Jim and I can keep you on the dance floor until you feel like leaving."

Without a word to Mel she stood up and said, "Let's go."

I looked at Mel and said, "It isn't over between us Mel. Sooner or later we will manage to get together in a place where we don't have to worry about the cops being called and one other thing. Every time I see you in here with a girl I'm going to do the same thing that I just did."

I turned and followed the redhead to the pool tables. Her name was Hanna and she was a lot of fun. Not a bad stick at the tables either. We shot pool until the band started and I asked her to dance. As we danced she asked me how much of what I'd said about Mel was true and I told her "All of it."

"You and your wife work things out yet?"

"Not yet and I don't know that we will."

"So hooking up at me is getting back at Mel and you are hoping to get lucky to get back at your wife?"

"Not at all. Screwing things up for Mel? Yes indeed, but regardless of what my wife has done I don't cheat. I meant what I said. A no strings attached ride home or if you want I'll pt you in a taxi. I will say that if I was divorced or at least separated and going for a divorce I would be after you like a duck after a june bug."

"I think I believe you and that's weird, because I really haven't trusted married men all that much."

The tune ended and for the next two hours Dave, Jim and I kept Hanna out on the dance floor and I noticed Mel off to the side taking pictures with his cell phone. I guessed that Doris would be getting a phone call from him.

Around eleven Hanna said that she needed to be going as she had to work the next day.

"Should I call you a taxi?"

"No, I'll take you up on your offer of a ride."

We talked as I drove her home and I learned she was a legal secretary and she had met Mel when he had come in for a consultation with one of the attorneys at her firm.

"He seemed like a nice enough guy. Guess I'm not too good at spotting the bad ones."

"I don't know. I'm prejudiced because of what he tried to do to my wife, but to be honest about it there are not too many guys who wouldn't try if they thought they could get lucky."

"She's that hot?"

"Don't forget I'm prejudiced."

When I got her to her place she leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and handed me a piece of paper with her phone number on it.

"I might not be too good at spotting the bad ones, but I'm dead on when it comes to spotting the good ones. If things don't work out for you give me a call."

I drove off feeling pretty good. The feeling stayed with me until I got to my room. My cell went off just as I was opening the door. The display said it was Doris. I flipped it open and said:

"Yes?"

"I need to talk with you Frank. Can you come over after work to morrow?"

"No. Can't make it tomorrow."

"How about the day after?"

"Yeah; I can do that."

"Seven? I'll make dinner."

"No dinner Doris, but I'll be there at seven."

I could have made the next day, but I had an idea that I knew what Doris was going to say and I had something that I wanted to do before talking with Doris. I dug through my wallet and found the piece of paper I was looking for. I stared at it for several seconds as I asked myself if I really wanted to do it and decided that yes, I did. Even though it was kind of late to be making a phone call I dialed the number. When she answered I said:

"I need a huge favor Brenda."

She was waiting in a booth at the back. As I sat down she said:

"Okay Frank, you have my undivided attention. You said that I might be able to help you put things back together again with Doris. I'm all ears sugar. What can I do?"

"You can tell me everything that you know about Doris. Skip all the good stuff; I just want to hear the bad. It's the bad that I have to get by."

"I don't know about that kind of stuff."

"Of course you do Brenda and you aren't going to help by lying. I know for a fact that you know about the three gang bangs she did at bachelor parties when I was up in Alaska for five months."

Her face turned white. "You know about that?"

"Indeed I do, but what I want to know is what is there that I don't know? What other things are there that I don't have a clue about. If I am going to get back together with Doris I'm going to have to grant amnesty, but I want to know just what I am pardoning. There will be no second chances. If she confesses like you suggested I want to hear it all and not just part of it. If she confesses and I find out later that there was some other stuff she didn't confess to we are done. I walk away and I don't look back. And if there is something else I'll find out sooner or later just like I found out about the bachelor parties."

"How do you know I suggested she confess?"

"Trade secret. Bottom line is that if she does confess I need to hear it all. If I grant forgiveness for what she tells me and find out later there was more it is over. So tell me about the bachelor parties and whatever else there is that you know."

"What's to tell? You saw the one where we met and they are all pretty much the same. The only thing that changes is the faces."

"How did she get involved?"

"All the girls at work know what Marsha and I do. We never intended them to know, but Sandi's husband attended one of the parties and he took some pictures on his cell phone. Sandi discovered the pictures and recognized us. She showed the pictures to the girls in the office and our secret was out. The reaction was totally unexpected. Instead of treating us like freaks all the girls wanted to know what it was like. How did we get started? Why were we doing it and things like that. A couple of them even said they would like to try it so Marsha and I set them up. Both did it once and both said that once was enough.

"Dorie was one of the ones who wanted to know all about it. She was always asking about what we did, how we did it and I could tell she was interested in trying, but just couldn't quite get up the nerve. One day during lunch break Dorie sat down with me and asked me why I was so down in the dumps that day and I told her. Marsha and I were set up to do a party that night and Marsha had gotten sick. I was looking at having to do twelve to fourteen guys by myself and I wasn't looking forward to it. Dorie told me that she would sub for Marsha. I asked her if she knew what she was letting herself in for and she said no idea, but that it was something that she had wanted to try since first hearing about it.

"I asked her why she was willing to risk her marriage and she told me that you had been gone for three months and wouldn't be back for at least two more and that she was horny enough to fuck a hundred men. You would never know so she wasn't risking anything. She went with me that night and she liked it. She liked it enough to do it two more times and then she said she couldn't do it any more and as far as I know she hasn't."

"I'm having trouble believing that she could go from faithful wife to pulling trains overnight. In my mind there has to have been a transition of sorts. A parking lot romance or two or maybe a short affair. I just can't see a faithful wife on Tuesday doing a gang bang on Wednesday."

"I don't know what to tell you Frank. I didn't stop every night that the girls stopped so I don't know what went on when I wasn't there, but I never saw her doing anything on the nights I was there except dance with guys that asked her and other than that I wouldn't know."

I hadn't really expected to get anything from Brenda. If she did know anything I doubted that she would tell me because she was Dorie's friend and she barely knew me. What I did expect was that she would tell Doris about our meeting and suggest that Doris hold nothing back if she was indeed to follow Brenda's suggestion and confess.

I was of a mind to try and put things back together with Doris. One thing was clear in that overheard speaker phone conversation. Doris loved me and didn't want to lose me. Yes, she had cheated on me, but it was six years ago and she had quit as soon as she realized that what she was doing could somehow get back to me and cost her me and her marriage.

I was pissed that she had cheated and extremely pissed at the way she had done it. Bachelor party gang bangs for Christ's sake! But again, it was six years ago and it hadn't hurt us any. In fact, I suppose you could even say that some good came out of it. Before I went to Alaska Doris would suck my cock, but would never let me cum in her mouth. I couldn't eat her pussy and anal sex was strictly forbidden. She wouldn't even do doggie.

After I got back from Fairbanks that had gradually changed. Doris wanted to try other positions and decided that she liked cow girl and doggie. She started swallowing and told me she would like to see what it was like to have her beaver munched on. When I asked why the sudden change she told me about some articles she had read in Cosmopolitan and some other magazines like that about how to spice up your sex life and she decided to try them. Then she told me that after hearing some of the girls she worked with talk about anal and how great it was she wanted to try it at least once. All three then became a regular part of our love making. At the time I accepted what she said, but looking back at things it was easy to see that the real reason was that she had done those things during her gangbangs and had liked them. So I was already in a ‘forgive' mood when I showed up at the house for my meeting with Doris, but I guess it was really more of a ‘see if you can forgive' mood than anything else. There was still one other issue that was going to have to be addressed if we got by Doris' confession if indeed that is what our meeting was all about.

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

I rang the doorbell and waited. I rang it a second time and waited some more. I was getting ready to ring it a third time and then said, "Fuck it!" and turned and headed for my truck. I heard the door open behind me and Doris call out:

"Where are you going Frank?"

"When you wouldn't answer the door I figured that you changed your mind about talking so I'm leaving."

"I didn't answer the door because this is your house. All you had to do was open the door and walk in."

"This isn't my house Doris. Have you already forgotten that you tossed all my stuff out onto the lawn and locked me out?"

"Let's not fight Frank. Please, just come on in."

Once inside she asked me if I wanted to sit in the living room or the kitchen and I chose the kitchen. I sat down at the table and Doris went to the fridge and got two beers. She opened them and set one down in front of me. I took a pull on the bottle, set down on the table and then said:

"Okay Doris; you called this meeting so have at it."

She stared at her beer bottle for a few seconds and then she looked at me and said:

"I need you to believe me when I tell you that I love you. I do Frank; I do love you and losing you is going to kill me. I have pretty much accepted that I've lost you and I have no one to blame but me. I did myself in the other night when I told you that I would take a lie detector test to prove to you that I didn't have sex with Mel Timmonds. I would have passed that test Frank. That is I would have passed it if the only question would have been "Have you ever had sex with Mel Timmonds." But the next day while I was looking for some one to give me the test it dawned on me that there would be more questions than just that one and that one of the questions would probably be "Have you ever cheated on your husband?" I couldn't get by that one Frank. I have cheated on you, but it was a long time ago. I put it behind me and in truth it didn't hurt our marriage at all. If anything it helped make it better because it showed me how much I stood to lose if you ever found out. I know that it probably sounds stupid, but cheating on you actually made me a better wife to you. It even sounds dumb to me when I say it, but it is the truth. I did become a better wife or at least I think I did."

She looked at me as if she expected me to say something, but I just sat there, drank my beer and waited for her to get back to talking. When she realized I wasn't going to speak she said:

"It happened six years ago when you were in Alaska on that temporary assignment. I was so used to us making love four and five times a week that going without sex was pretty much killing me and after about two months I started thinking about having an affair. I thought long and hard on it. I decided to do it since you were way to hell and gone up in Alaska and would never know. I dated a couple of times but when it came time to fish or cut bait I backed away from it. I know myself pretty well Frank and I knew that if I got into a relationship I would become emotionally involved and I didn't want that. I wasn't looking to replace you; I just wanted to get laid. I did do some heavy necking and a couple of times I did get a little carried away. I gave one guy a hand job while he sucked my tits and another guy got a blow job while he finger fucked me. I just could not bring myself to go all the way.

"I was in a bad place. I wanted it. I needed it. I craved it, but I could bring myself to take the last step and do it. I could not trust myself not to become emotionally involved. Then a chance to get laid without any possibility of emotional involvement came up. Not only would there be no chance of emotional involvement, but it would allow me to live out a fantasy that I'd had for a while."

She looked at me expectantly, probably waiting for me to say something about fantasies, but I just sat there so she went on.

"You have met Brenda and while you would never suspect it of her she works evenings as a stripper and she does bachelor parties. One of the girls found out about it and we all stared asking her about it. The more I heard her say about it the more I wondered what it would be like. I started having fantasies about it. I sounded so damned exciting, but all they were Frank were fantasies. I fantasized that I was dancing naked in a room full of men who were all trying to get their hands on me. I fantasized pulling a train and being fucked by a room full of men. I never expected to ever do something like that, but I was thinking about it all the time.

"Becky and Karen wanted to try it and they talked Brenda into setting it up for them. They both said it was mind blowing and that they loved doing it, but once was enough for them. Even as horny as I was I doubt that I'd have ever gotten up the nerve to ask Brenda to set up one for me, but one day she was in a downer of a mood and I asked her why and she told me that Marsha, another girl I work with, who worked parties with her was sick or something and couldn't make it to one of their scheduled parties. Brenda was upset because she was going to have to handle at least twelve guys all by herself and she wasn't looking forward to it. To this day I have no idea what prompted me to do it but I volunteered to take Marsha's place for the party. It was just like Becky and Karen had said. It was mind blowing and I loved it. I loved it so much that I did it two more times and I wanted to do even more, but I suddenly woke up to the fact that I wouldn't be able to hide doing things like that. If I kept on doing it you would have eventually have found out and I knew what you would do when it happened.

"I couldn't take the chance. I couldn't lose you Frank; I just couldn't. You were my world. I have never loved anyone or anything as much as I love you. So I walked away from the parties even though I loved doing them. What I saw at those parties is also the reason I was so against your going. I saw how men reacted in that kind of environment. It has been years since then, but I still think about the three I did and wish there was some way I could have both."

"Both?"

"Be able to do the parties and still keep you. But here we are six years later and the damned parties have ended up costing me you and I have only myself to blame. If I hadn't done that garbage with Mel and then pulled that stupid move of trying to make you think I went out to get even with you I wouldn't have put myself in the position of having to take a lie detector test. A test that I couldn't possibly pass. I'm sorry Frank. I am so sorry for what I've done to us."

I looked at her long and hard and then I said, "Take the test Doris. If you can show me that your three parties and the hand job and blow job you say you gave are the only times you have cheated I'll come back and we can talk some more."

I got up and left the house. I believed her, but even though I believed her I felt the need to make her suffer. I was as horny when I was in Alaska as she was here at home, but I kept my dick in my pants and behaved myself because I had a loving and faithful wife at home waiting for me or so I believed at the time. Letting her sit alone in the house thinking that she had lost me would be at least a little payback. Some might have said, "Okay, she owes me so I'll just call up Brenda and Marsha and even the score" but I just wasn't made that way. Curse the rotten luck!

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

The next day at four Stella buzzed me on the intercom. "You still ducking calls from your wife?"

"No. Go ahead and put her through."

The phone rang and I picked it up. "Yes?"

"It's Doris Frank. I've found someone to give me the test. He wants to talk to you so you can tell him what you want to know so he can ask the right questions. His name is Josh Barnham and his number is 713-555-1863. If you call him by noon tomorrow he will be able to set up the test for 10 a.m. Thursday and have the results ready by mid to late afternoon."

"All right Doris. I'll call him as soon as you hang up."

"I love you Frank. I really do."

"Sure you do Doris, sure you do" I said as I disconnected.

I called Barnham, explained the situation and what my concerns were and what I needed to know and when I was done talking with him I called my cousin Lou who was a cop and asked him to find out what he could about Barnham. He called me back at six and told me that the department used Barnham a lot and that he had a pretty good reputation. I went to my room feeling that I was going to get a legitimate test. If Doris passed it I'd have another meeting with her. And if she didn't? Well, I was already moved out.

The next two days went by quickly and at noon on Thursday I received a call from Doris telling me that she had taken the test and had signed a release so that Barnham could give me the results. She had to sign the release since she was paying for the test and not me. I didn't expect to hear from him until Friday since Doris had told me the results wouldn't be available until mid to late afternoon so I was surprised when Barnham called me at two-fifteen.

"The results were conclusive. Other than the instances that she told you about she tested as truthful when it came to any other instances of unfaithfulness. I hope that this does help to ease your mind."

"It does. Thank you for the call."

I had no sooner walked out of the office when my cell went off. It was Doris.

"You get the results?"

"Yes."

"You coming home?"

"I'll stop by tomorrow and we'll talk."

"Tomorrow? Why can't you come tonight?"

"I still have some things I need to think through. Tomorrow at seven?"

"No way I can talk you into tonight?"

"No way. I'll see you tomorrow" and I hung up. I spent the night in my room thinking on what I was going to say to Doris. She wasn't out of the woods yet. True, she had passed the lie detector test, but I had one other problem with her that would have to be worked out before I got back with her.

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

The next day I was walking up the front seeps at seven and I wasn't to the top step when Doris opened the door. "Kitchen?" she asked and I nodded a yes and we headed that way. She got two beers out of the icebox and we sat down at the table. I took a drink of the Bud and then said:

"You passed the lie detector test, but the fact still remains that you did cheat on me while I was in Alaska. I listened to you give your reasons, but I have to tell you that those reasons cut no ice with me. I was suffering from the same lack of sex that you were, but I kept my dick in my pants just like I promised I would when I took my wedding vows. I don't know what pisses me off the most, the fact that you cheated or the way you cheated. I have spent a lot of time thinking about it and I have decided that I can get by it since you never did again and the last six years for the most part - the most part Doris - have been good years and until recently I've had no reason to doubt your love for me and I will admit that I've gotten some benefit out of your cheating gangbangs. I've gotten better blow jobs and I've gotten to do anal and I know that they are because you did them during your gang bangs and either found that you liked them or at least decided that you could put up with them.

"Did you catch that "For the most part" Doris? There have been parts of those years that have sucked and what I have to decide now is whether or not I want to put myself back in a position where those things that sucked can happen again. We can go back to my Alaskan trip. I stayed true and you didn't. I was hurting from the lack of sex as much as you were, but I suffered and kept to my vows. The thread between then and now Doris is that I suffer when there is a lack of sex. I man up and tough it out. There have been several times over the past few years, most recently the bullshit over Jim's bachelor party, where you have used sex as a weapon against me. Whenever you have done that I have suffered in silence when every atom in my body was screaming out "You don't have to take this shit dummy; go out, find a woman and get laid" but I never have because I believe in the vows I took.

"I am sick and tired of you using sex to punish me or to try and get me to do what you want. I admit that your body is yours and you get to be the one who determines what to do with it. I know that there are going to be times I'm going to want to make love and that you aren't going to feel like it. I realize that there will be times you won't be feeling well or will have a headache and won't feel like making love. I can accept that, but I am done with you using your cunt as a weapon against me.

"So that's where we are now. You know my position and you need to give some thought to how you want to proceed."

‘I'll never do it again Frank. I swear to God I'll never do it again."

"No Doris, that won't work. I don't want you saying that just after I've hit you with it. I want you to take some time and really think about it. Make sure that you can make the commitment and stick with it because if we do get back together and you pull that shit on me again I'll be gone and they will not be any more talking. So think long and hard on it Doris. I'll give you a call in a couple of days and we will talk again."

"I don't need time to think on it Frank."

"Maybe you don't think you do, but I think you do and I'm the one who is going to have to take the gamble on whether or not to get back with you. I pay for my motel room by the week and I'm paid up until Sunday. I'll call you sometime Sunday" and I got up and left.

I was being an asshole and I knew it. I didn't need to stall her until Sunday, but I needed the satisfaction of seeing her suffer a little given all the shit she had put me through. I left the house and headed for the Hitching Post. I drank beer and shot some pool until I felt it was time to call it a night.

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

Saturday I ran some errands, hit a laundromat and washed my dirty clothes. That evening found me back at the Hitching Post. I was drinking beer and shooting pool when a voice behind me said:

"Why are you over here playing this silly game when you could be dancing with me?"

I turned and found Hanna standing there.

"Good question" I said and handed my pool cue to Sam and said, "You win Sam" and then I led Hanna out onto the dance floor.

"I was surprised when you never called after taking me home the other night."

"Why? I told you my situation."

"Yeah, but I thought that it was just a line you fed girls to get them to let down their guard."

"Sorry, but it was the truth."

"I've been watching since you got here and I haven't seen a woman. Still haven't worked it out?"

"Getting close. Maybe tomorrow."

"Okay then; I've got you until tomorrow."

"Till tomorrow?"

"At least until this place closes or either of us decides to leave."

The song ended and I walked her back to her table and joined her. We danced a couple more dances and we had just sat down after a waltz when she said:

"Do you know those two women over there? They haven't taken their eyes off of us since they got here."

I looked toward where she was looking and saw Brenda and Marsha sitting at a table. When I looked they both waved and I waved back.

"Just two more members of my fan club. With you that makes a total of three. Now that I've seen them you are going to have to share me with them."

"Why?"

"Because they work with my wife and if we don't join them they will assume that I'm dating you and I wouldn't want them telling that to Doris."

I got up ands walked over to Brenda and Marsha and asked them if they would like to join me and Hanna at our table.

"Won't that cramp your style" Marsha asked.

"No style to cramp. Just a girl I know who asked me to dance."

"You here alone" Brenda asked.

I nodded a yes and then said, "I came in to shoot some pool and drink some beer and Hanna decided that she wanted to rescue me."

"I take it you haven't worked things out with Doris yet" Brenda asked.

"We've talked and we might be making some progress. I'll know in a day or two."

Brenda raised her eyebrows and I said, "She took your advice. I know all about it now and yes, I can get by it, but we still have an issue that needs to be worked out."

"What advice" Marsha asked Brenda. "I'll tell you later" Brenda said.

"So how about it? You going to join us?"

Brenda looked at Marsha and Marsha shrugged. Brenda said, "I guess we will have to if only to keep you out of the girls clutches and protect Doris' interests."

"Bullshit" Marsha said. "I'm doing it to make sure that she doesn't have a clear field if Frank doesn't work things out with Doris. As far as I'm concerned we have first dibs on Frank."

The three of us went over and joined Hanna and I made the introductions. I spent the rest of the evening dancing with the three of them. When I danced with Brenda she naturally wanted to know what was going to happen between me and Doris.

"The odds are that Dorie and I will be back together when you see her at work on Monday. It isn't a hundred percent certainty, but it is close. I may be wrong. I gave her an ultimatum and if she accepts it we will be back together. If she doesn't, we won't."

"You do know that there will be several upset women if you and Doris do get back together don't you?"

"That doesn't seem likely."

"Oh but it is. Marsha likes Doris, but she is hoping that the two of you don't get back together so that she might have a chance at you. The young lady you just introduced us to is obviously smitten with you and then of course there is me. Doris is a good friend and I'd never try and steal you from her, but if the two of you were to split up I'd be after you in a heart beat."

"Well just between you and me, if Doris and I do break up and Marsha, Hanna and you are still available you will be the winner."

She smiled, kissed me and we went back to the table when the song ended. Shortly after that I called it a night and went back to the motel.

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

I slept late the next morning and when I got up I went up the street to the IHOP for breakfast. I went back to the hotel room and debated packing, but then decided not to take anything for granted.

At noon I called Doris.

"Hello?"

"It's me."

"When are you coming home?"

"What did you decide?"

"Damn it to hell Frank; you damn well know what I decided. It will never happen again. I swear it. Please come home."

"Look for me around five. I've got some packing to do."

"I'll have dinner ready."

As I packed I wondered if she could do it. Women are hard-wired to use sex to get what they want, but I had meant what I'd said. I guess only time would tell.