Busted!

Busted!

This is a love story of betrayal and commitment.

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What a day! Some weeks it seems that Friday evening will never come. I dropped my purse onto the couch and tossed my coat over the back. Some days you just don't care about unimportant things like hangers and neatness. I fell into my favorite chair and laid my head back until I was more lying in the chair than sitting in it. I was so pissed off that a part of me wanted to kick my shoes across the room, but with my luck I'd break something, so I contented myself with just letting them drop from my feet.

"You look exhausted. You okay?"

It was my husband, Jim. He'd come in from the kitchen where he was fixing dinner.

"Bad day. I swear some people are just too damn stupid for their own good. No, scratch that. They aren't stupid. They're immature. I feel like I've been a witness to a train wreck. It's all playing out in slow motion and all I can do is watch."

"Sounds bad. Want to talk about it?"

God yes! I wanted to spill my guts and tell him everything, but then I'd be putting him in the same position that I'm in now. Did I really want to do that to this man I love?

"No. Not much point to it. Give me a minute and I'll get changed for dinner."

"Dinner won't be ready for a half hour. You sit and relax."

A minute later he was back with a glass of chilled white wine and a small plate of crackers, cheese, and olives. My favorite!

"What did I do to deserve you?"

"I don't know - kicked a baby, hit a nun, I don't know." He was smiling and now so was I.

"Sister Mary Alice in sixth grade. I came so close..."

Jim laughed and returned to his labors in the kitchen while I sat there with my wine and plate thinking about the last hour. What is wrong with people? They have everything they need and still they want more. I swear I think that some of them just do these things to prove that they can. If I told Barbara "Don't jump off that cliff!' she'd be over the edge shouting "You're not the boss of meeeeeee..."

At least I was home. I finished half my wine and some of my plate, then headed upstairs to change. I had time and stepped into the shower for a quick rinse and then dressed in my most comfortable clothes which means sweatpants and one of my husband's flannel shirts. I reached the table just in time as Jim and the kids were setting the plates and serving bowls.

"Wow, mom, are we dressing for dinner?" That was my smart-mouth twelve-year-old daughter Claire.

Jim was laughing. "Give your mother a break. She's had a hard day." Then after a moment he added, "By the way, weren't you stopping off for drinks with the girls?"

And with that question reality came crashing back again. "Yeah, but I didn't stay. I just wanted to be home."

My boys saw an opening and took it.

Jacob, who was ten, said, "Mom just can't party like she used to."

My youngest, Paul, who was only eight added, "Mom's getting old."

Wow! Are all my kids smart mouths?

"Okay, that's enough. Give mom a break. She's had a hard week."

Thank God for Jim. The rest of the meal was the usual cacophony where all three kids wanted to speak at the same time, arguments for every imagined reason, and a rapid-fire exchange of challenges and support. In other words, it was a pretty typical meal at the Erickson house, and I felt greatly recharged and rejuvenated by the time it was done.

Soon the kids headed off to do their homework because they had games on Saturday. Even at their tender age they were already learning to budget their time. Jim offered to do the dishes and told me to pour another glass of wine and go relax in the living room. That sounded good to me. Sitting there, I took a moment to reflect on my life and I couldn't help but think how lucky I really am. I have a husband who loves me, three kids who need me, and a life I wouldn't trade for anything. Barbara has all those same things. Her husband, Tom, is a great guy. Her kids play with my kids. I know them. They're sweet and fun. So what the fuck is wrong with her?

Drinks after work had turned into an ugly business and I had soon announced that I needed to go home. Bill Bradley showed up not long after we got there. Who do they think they're kidding? They weren't even trying to hide it. If she wasn't having an affair with him, she soon would be. Between drinks and dancing, the little touches, and the whispering face-to-face so close it was embarrassing to share a table with them, I finally excused myself and left for home. They barely acknowledged my departure.

That was when I realized I had two reasons to be angry with Barbara. First, she was betraying Tom and Tom is Jim's friend. Then there was the way they made me complicit in their inappropriate behavior at drinks that night. Anyone who saw me sitting there would have thought that I approved and that meant that I was betraying Tom, and by betraying Tom I was betraying Jim. She made me feel dirty and I did nothing to deserve it.

I sat there stewing over the whole mess when Jim wandered in from finishing the dishes. He set down another plate with a few more crackers and cheese, freshened my glass, and put his arm around me as he sat down beside me.

"You ready to talk about it?"

I just shook my head. God knows what he was thinking, but I just couldn't tell him. If I did, then he would need to tell Tom. What was there to tell? His wife was behaving like a slut, but it was only my suspicions.

I snuggled into his side and said, "Just sit with me for a time."

"Anytime, gorgeous."

And that is how we spent the evening. We got the kids to bed and returned to the couch. We watched a little television, although I can't tell you what was on, and in time we went to bed ourselves. My wonderful husband held me as I fell asleep and never asked me again what was on my mind.

The next week was like most weeks. Work was hectic, home was more hectic, and I said silent prayers of thanks for a good job and a loving family and enough sense not to take them for granted.

I decided that I would not be a true friend if I did not try at least one time to talk to Barbara about her behavior. I know some will say it was none of my business, but I felt I had a vested interest because sooner or later her behavior was going to get me burned either by being a witness to her actions or through the suffering Jim would experience as he tried to get Tom through his pain.

So Tuesday I invited Barbara to lunch and once the meal arrived, I broached the subject of her behavior Friday after work. I tried to pretend I thought her actions were innocent, although that was a lie, and I told her that anyone who might see her could get the wrong impression. I didn't get very far before she started in on me.

"Who the hell do you think you are sticking your nose into my business? What I do and who I do it with is nobody's business but my own..." It went downhill from there. Her tirade wasn't lost on the other diners, and she soon took her meal to the front desk and got a to-go box.

As I looked about at all the other tables staring at me, I thought, "Well, that went well."

The next day she gave me a half-hearted apology that was more a warning than regret. "Annie, I know you mean well, but I would appreciate it if you would keep your nose out of my business. I know what I'm doing, and I don't need your judgement."

We didn't have much to say to each other after that.

It was Friday afternoon a little more than a week later when it all it the fan. I was working at my desk when I heard the screaming start. My first thought was to call 911, but I ran to the source of the noise only to find Barbara collapsed on the floor. She was the source of the screams and was now collapsed on the floor weeping uncontrollably. There must have been a half dozen people gathered around her and more running in her direction, but when she looked up and saw me her demeanor changed from sorrow to rage.

"You! You bitch! You told him, didn't you? You couldn't just keep your nose out of it."

All eyes were on me as I wondered what she was going on about. Then I saw the manilla envelope with the papers scattered across the floor in front of her and I knew. Tom knew. She was busted.

She was still screaming at me, but once she finally exhausted herself, I said simply, "No, I didn't tell anyone." With that, I walked back to my desk and let myself forget about her. I had tried and what did I have to show for my troubles? She was warned and now she would face the music.

One by one, friends and coworkers would stop by my desk that afternoon and ask what had happened. I would quietly refuse to talk about it. There was no need to hang her dirty laundry out for all to see. She had already done enough of that.

That night when I got home it was a repeat of two weeks before. I dropped my purse on the couch, tossed my coat over my purse, and collapsed in a chair. That was how Jim found me. He said nothing. He just stood there and waited for me to speak.

"Tom had Barbara served with divorce papers at work today."

My husband had that sad look on his face that I didn't often see, and he just nodded his head.

"I think she was running around on him with Bill Bradley."

Jim showed no change in his expression or demeanor. Then it occurred to me.

"You knew?"

He just nodded.

"How long have your known?"

"About three weeks." Jim sat down in a chair near mine and said, "She wasn't even trying to hide it. She was seen several times flirting shamelessly with Bill. Her behavior wouldn't come close to passing the test."

I knew what test he meant. It's the "Would you behave this way in front of your husband?" test.

"Once he heard about it from several of his friends, he hired someone to follow her. Tom tagged her car with one of those tracking devices and before long they were not only following her, they were getting there ahead of her."

"So there's no doubt?"

"Not a drop. I've seen more of Barbara and Bill than I ever wanted to if you know what I mean."

"Tom showed you photographs of that?"

Jim was nodding with an expression like he'd just sucked a lemon. "He even showed me a photograph of you sitting with them one night after work. He asked me if you knew about them?"

There it was! Try to help a friend pull her butt out of the fire and you get yourself burned.

I looked at my husband and I began to plead. "I suspected, but I was never sure. That night was the first I learned of her behavior. I went for drinks with her that night after work when Bill showed up. Their behavior upset me so much that I left. She never admitted to anything despite my attempts to talk some sense into her. That's the truth. You have to believe me."

Jim reached out to take my hand. "Shhh. I know. I pointed to the photograph and showed him the expression on your face. I could tell you weren't happy. Then he saw it, too."

"Oh, Jim, I tried to talk some sense into her. She just yelled at me and stormed off. I couldn't reach her."

"I know, sweetie. I know. So many people were telling Tom about her behavior that I think she must have wanted to get caught, although I have no idea why."

"What are we going to do now?"

He thought about that for a moment and shrugged. "I'm going to go on being a friend for Tom. He's going to need friends now more than ever. I guess you need to decide if you can be a friend for Barbara."

Then it was my turn to shake my head. "She pushed me away. I'll try to be some small comfort to her for old times' sake, but if I have to choose between Tom and Barbara, I'm going to choose Tom. He doesn't deserve this." I suppose on that point, we were of the same mind.

Soon it was getting time for dinner. Jim and I worked together to prepare the meal that night and we took our time to enjoy the moment. Sometimes we need to see the mistakes of others to fully appreciate what we have, and I knew right then that I had all that I ever needed right here in this home.

With the kids fed, games played, and off to bed, I sat with my husband and thought about the awful day we'd had.

"You know I would never do to you what Barbara did to Tom. Never! I would never do that to myself, either. I'll never be that person. I would hate myself."

Jim was holding me. "I know. If I were completely honest about it, there isn't a husband alive who doesn't worry just a little that the woman they love might find someone they want more. I know if that ever happened, you'd tell me and not run around like Barbara did."

His words cut through me like a knife. How could he ever doubt me? I sat up straight and looked in his eyes. "I could never find anyone I love more than you. Never! You and the kids are my whole life."

"Even though I snore?"

He always knows how to make me smile. "Yes, even though you snore."

"Even when I watch the game instead of cutting the lawn?"

"Yes, even when you watch the game."

"And even though I leave my dirty socks on the floor?"

I paused for a moment. "Well..."

I finally felt that the horrible day was behind us both. I looked at my husband, saw the love in his eyes, and said, "I think we need a little pair bonding tonight, don't you?"

And that is how we ended the evening. My husband and I went to bed and spent the evening reaffirming our marital bond.

In the morning as we languished in bed, we were reminded that no child will ever learn to respect boundaries. Our door burst open and in charged three hyperactive kids demanding breakfast. We were naked and as I struggled to get beneath the sheets, I saw my daughter with her eyes wide and her hand covering her mouth. Okay, she knew what they had done, but the boys rushed in. Jacob hesitated at the side of the bed, but Paul jumped up oblivious to it all. Together, they began to negotiate breakfast. They wanted pancakes, syrup, bacon, and orange juice. At that moment, I'd have promised them anything.

Claire hustled them out and with a devious smile closed the door behind them.

Jim was trying not to laugh and failing badly. "We're busted!"

Yep, we were busted, and I wouldn't have it any other way.