Its In The Wrong Category Too

It's In The Wrong Category Too!

History: A continuation to "It's In The Wrong Category" by qhml1 published in 2014. I have contacted the author, and he has given his blessing. I strongly suggest the reader review the original story to understand this extension of his story.

Editor: des67 came to my aid by correcting my spelling and grammar mistakes and offering story flow advice.

Disclaimer: All characters involved in sexual situations are 18 years of age or older, and this is a copyrighted work of fiction.

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Prologue:

Jerry Stone was in his early teens when he started working part-time in his Uncle's Bar. His first job was bussing tables and washing dishes. He went from that to short-order cook. When he was of age, he became the bartender, obtaining his bartender certificate.

Wanting to improve his horizons, Jerry enrolled as a mature part-time student in a College course for hospitality management. At college, he met Marie, an unhappy married woman. He and Marie had an on and off platonic relationship until her divorce became final. As a settlement, Marie received two car dealerships.

Six months later, on the eve of our marriage. Marie's father (John Patterson), as chairman of the Briarwood Country club, using nepotism rules, declares. "Jerry, you can no longer tend bar at the Club. I can't have my son-in-law working there. It would be a conflict of interest."

However, he suggests Jerry becomes the manager of Patterson's business enterprises, allowing John to semi-retire. Jerry loves Marie so much he is willing to forgo his passion for bartending so they can marry.

Two children quickly follow. We pick up Jerry's life ten years on.

*****

Jerry's story:

I'm now forty-two, my wife Marie forty-three. Our daughter Connie had just turned ten and Johnny eight. We all live in a spacious two-story, six-bedroom house Marie built eight years ago on the outskirts of town. With a Granny cottage for Grandma and Grandpa on the same property. I have been managing John Patterson's business enterprises for the past ten years and have increased the profit margin by twenty-five per cent. While initially, it was a challenge, consulting with clients bringing in new business.

With help from the local IT company, we upgraded the office computer systems with networking, cloud backup service, finance, and payroll software over the last ten years. I now find the work a dawdle in the park and beginning to bore me. I can see why John took on the chairmanship of the country club to fill in time. However, I hate being locked away in a claustrophobic office all day, missing the social atmosphere of the bar.

Over the past three months, Jerry's mother, Constance, has observed Jerry has become distant.

She consults Marie, "have you noticed Jerry's lost some of his spark for life? It seems to have dimmed!"

Marie's comments, "Yes, I put it down to the stress of managing Dad's business interests."

However, Constance feels there is more to it than that but keeps her council. She wonders about Marie and the long hours she has been keeping recently, as CEO of the car dealerships. On the other hand, Marie has noticed to her char-din Jerry's sex drive has diminished somewhat. But didn't want to tell her mother-in-law that.

Marie responds further, "I agree, Constance. However, Jerry never forgets anniversaries, birthdays and often puts a fresh rose in a small vase on her bedside table. Praises me for my beauty, especially when I have dressed up to please him. He notices when I have changed her hairstyle. But I, too, feel something is missing from Jerry's persona. I just don't know what?"

Marie has also become aware that Jerry is showing less interest in her business activities and often appears distracted. Does she wonder if he is having an affair? Over the past few months, work has kept back, often arriving home late to find the children in bed asleep and Jerry in bed reading.

Jerry told Marie the children to have a rule, 'if mum's not home by seven in the evening, the family will have dinner without her'.

My two children are the most important people in my life at present. I'm always interested in what they are doing at school, helping them with homework, taking them to sporting fixtures after school. The only advantage in managing John Patterson Business is it allows me to slip out for the children when necessary. Most weekdays, Marie is a way out of town at the car dealership.

On weekends Marie, being a very social woman, supposedly relaxes or entertains business people at the Country Club. However, as I cannot tend the bar, I decided not to be there, unless for special family occasions. So instead, the Children and I take the opportunity to go on adventures into the woods, walking trails in the area, ride bicycles on the local cycleways, or have a picnic lunch at the park playground.

*****

It was a Wednesday when I received an unknown email hailing from a Gmail account. Initially, I was going to delete it without further investigation.

However, the title "SHE MAY BE CHEATING..." Not the typical spam subject heading prompted me to look further. The message read:

"YOUR WIFE MAY BE CHEATING. HE'S A SLIMY BASTARD, A REAL SNAKE OIL CAR SALESMAN. A FRIEND."

Now that I have read the email and taken in its possible implications. A couple of things stand out; first, the emailer knows I'm the unsuspecting husband and still married, the WIFE. Who hopefully is not yet physically CHEATING, perhaps only flirting with the SLIMY BASTARD. Most probably a seducer of married women and has a reputation. The sender also knows my wife manages the car yard employing said SNAKE OIL CAR SALESMAN. Finally, the unknown author personally knows me but hasn't got the balls to tell me to my face.

I need to find out a couple of things, who is this snake in my garden, and how far has it progressed?

Borrowing my secretary's car, I head for Marie's most prominent car dealership, some one hundred miles away. I couldn't ask for better timing. I arrive just as they exit the car yard. Marie gives him the keys to her Mercedes, and they head for the flash's most expensive restaurant in town. My well-dressed nemesis is tall, maybe six foot two, clean-shaven, broad-shouldered, slim, fit, and younger.

I take a few snaps with my mobile phone when he opens the car door as she flashes her legs. Sheppard's her to the restaurant door. I sit patiently watching through the restaurant window as they indulge in a long lunch. I take a few more photos as they exit with his arm around her waist, hand on her left bottom cheek. Thankfully they drove straight back to the dealership.

The pain in my chest felt like heartburn as I drove back to work. The question that ran around and around in my head, "WHY IS THIS HAPPENING, WHY?" I could feel the anxiety building. Halfway back, I had butterflies in my stomach feeling and had to pull over and throw up.

Back on the road, I wondered, we're happily married with two beautiful children. Marie has everything, a loving family, a great home, and plenty of money. I'm attentive, try to be loving without becoming too gooey. We have sex at least once a month, and I make sure she gets off at least once. What more could she want? WHY would she want to cheat, not just on me but the children as well? Is it unfathomable!

Have I shown weakness by bending to Marie and her father's will over the last ten years doing John's bidding for Patterson's business enterprises? I've given Marie and the children all my spare time, and this is how she repays me. Her apparent arrogance makes me wonder if she has lost respect for me? I felt like a zombie that evening, just going through the motions. Helping my children with their homework, we eat dinner together. They chat about their day and friends, then shower and into bed, where I read them a bedtime story. They were asleep by eight in the evening.

I'm in bed reading a novel when Marie finally arrives home late again after nine pm, claiming work duties. She's upset she didn't get to say goodnight to her children.

I responded with, "well, perhaps you shouldn't spend so much time working and get home earlier?"

With a glass of wine in her hand, she responds with, "what?"

I continue, "I'm doing all the heavy lifting around here."

She replies, "what's that supposed to mean?"

I stated angrily, "you are never around anymore, early off to work, late home. I make the children breakfast and their lunches, drop them off at school, pick them up, and return home with them for their evening social activities. Deliver and watch their sports games on Saturday mornings, as you want to sleep late. By the time we return home around lunchtime, you are at the country club socialising. Sunday is not much better. By the time the children and I get back from church services and Sunday school, you're gone again. Thank god my mum makes a great Sunday roast - you certainly don't cook anymore."

I finally blurted out, "let me put it in terms you will understand you're looking more redundant by the day."

I got out of bed, leaving Marie looking like a stunned fish. I don't want to hear her rant, so I head for the spare bedroom. Maybe I'm a wimp, but it's simply not worth the aggravation. I can't stand the sight of her at the moment, let alone sleep next to her.

Thirty minutes later, she knocks on the door, saying, "Jerry, WE NEED TO TALK."

I yell out, "fuck off."

She just can't help but get the last word in, "you need to wake up to yourself, Jerry..." Then to add insult to injury, she yells through the door, "...you're not the man I married."

I was so tempted to take it further there and then, but I bit my tongue; I needed to get all my ducks in a row!

*****

Marie's gone by the time I get the children up for their school day. She obviously, thinks so little of our relationship and heated words of last night, our first in ten years. Am I off to work without any further discussion? She must think I'm a wimp of the first order; we will see about that. I was backing the car out of the garage for the school drop-off. When John approaches, tapping on the car window.

He tells me, "I need to attend to husbandly duties". He's received a phone call from, miss perfect.

He only manages to piss me off more, so I tell him everything is in hand. Then, on my drive to work, I decided to do something about the problem. I'm going to shake the tree and see what falls out.

I called Bob Brown, my solicitor, and made an appointment for two in the afternoon. At Bob's office, I listed all my concerns for the past six months and showed him the email and the photos I took the day before. I also prove I'm the children's primary carer, and Bob agrees she may lose them in any divorce settlement, especially if the children request to stay with me.

Bob recommends counselling. I disagree Marie needs a shock to wake her up as to what she could lose. I suggest, instead of divorce, legal separation papers for irreconcilable differences. Best served next Saturday afternoon at the country club to maximise her embarrassment.

Back at the office using my computer, I look up Caribbean Ocean cruises and make a call. After a discussion where I disclosed all my bar experience and management diplomas. They advise there is a position available on a cruise leaving port Sunday evening. A plane ticket will be waiting at the local airport on Saturday evening.

Thursday and Friday's nights are a repeat of Wednesday. I do my ' father knows best' imitation for the children and ignore Marie.

Saturday, after lunch with the children, I pack a small bag, then phone my mother to ask if she can mind the children as I have a bit of work to catch up on at the office. I leave my wedding ring on top of my bedside draws. Then head for the airport via the office to send a short email to John Patterson notifying him I am taking a week's leave of absence from my allotted annual holidays, parking my F150 truck in long-term storage. Five hours later, boarding the cruise ship headed for the Caribbean as a member of the bartending staff.

All hell breaks loose at the country club that afternoon when Bob serves Marie the separation papers. Marie is so enraged, saying, "Bob, how could you?" Then slaps his face.

Arriving home, she is met by her father and mother-in-law, minding the children.

"Where the hell is Jerry," Marie screams, looking around for him.

Her father gives her Jerry's email he received late that afternoon. Does he demand to know what's going on?

Marie shouts, "I just got served!" Then, handing them the separation papers, prompting her father to curse Jerry.

Her father declares, "if Jerry doesn't have a good excuse for his absence, I will have no option but to fire him."

Marie picks up her mobile phone and dials Jerry's number. "It's ringing," she announces. In the distance, they can hear Jerry's phone ring tone and follows the sound to the master bedroom. She looks disbelievingly at his ringing phone and wedding ring lying there.

Looking at Constance, who had followed her to the bedroom, she whispers, "what have I done to deserve this?"

Marie was stunned, in an emotional turmoil, unable to take it all in. Finally, she sits on the bed and bursts into tears.

Marie looks to Constance, sobbing out, "Jerry's my lover, husband, and father of our children. So why would he feel the need to serve me separation papers and run away for a week from his family?"

Constance sits down next to Marie and questions. "We spoke of this the other day. Over the past six months, I have noticed Jerry has become distant, but you have also changed. All the CEO business has you very occupied. I'm sure Jerry has noticed as well. You once recounted, Jerry, telling you. 'You're way out of my league. You're rich and beautiful. An unattainable dream'. Or words to that effect."

Still sobbing, Marie nods her acknowledgement.

Constance goes on to say, "all your time-consuming business activities have only confirmed Jerry's suspicions. I think he feels he doesn't deserve you and is pulling away. Could I be right? Or...is there another reason?"

With no response from Marie to Constance's question, she carries on. "Also, remember I told you, Marie, if Jerry feels forced into a corner, he will react and do something out of the ordinary, which is just what he may be doing now. If you love him, you need to find him, talk about his and your fears, before it all goes too far and both lose your connection to each other."

Marie realises Constance has a good point. Contemplating for a moment, she responds, "You're right. I have to hunt him down and sort this out. I'll call the detective agency and see if they can locate him."

Constance suggests, "he's good at covering his tracks. Unfortunately, they didn't do too well last time!"

"No. So I need a better detective. I'll call my university classmate Alec*. He used one a few years ago." Replied Marie, picking up her mobile phone.

*****

By now, Jerry is behind the bar on the cruise ship, chatting with customers, taking their orders, and generally getting to know them. He enjoys every minute before he realises it's one in the morning and time to close up for the night. He wonders - why he stopped bartending?

One day later, the Acme detective agency* finds Jerry's truck at the airport parking lot. Then discover his reserved ticket to Miami. And the connection to the cruise ship company. Unfortunately, the ship has just departed for a seven-day Caribbean cruise. Marie passes on all the detective's findings to Constance. She asks if Constance can look after the children while she attempts to track Jerry down.

Marie books a cabin on the same cruise ship to board at the first port of call. Here the cruise ship will stay in port for two days giving her plenty of time to get there. Then booked a flight to the Island Port. Arriving late in the afternoon on the first day the ship is in port, she makes it aboard before the gangplank is raised.

That evening Marie finds Jerry working at the Jazz club bar, which is just his style. Marie dressed in her newest, little red dress, two inches above her knees, spaghetti straps, and plunging neckline. She makes her way to the bar. Taking a seat, asking for a "double shot of straight rye, with water."

Jerry's head swings around quickly, without comment, and makes the drink. Then, passing it to her, saying, "madam, your cocktail."

Waiting a moment, Jerry acknowledges, "it didn't take you long to find me this time!"

Marie responds with, "I hired a better detective."

Marie sits at the Jazz bar counter, listening to music, being entertained by the merriment of the guests around her. Later, a pretty young woman arrives and sits at the other bar stool; her eyes start admiring Jerry. Marie gives her a cold stare, and she quickly gets the message and moves to a table.

Marie drinks slowly, admonishing all requests to dance, until the last song of the evening, when the bartender removes his apron and asks for the last dance. They dance close without speaking, their bodies touching at every possible point, being the last pair to dance as all the other patrons are too intoxicated. They all watch the couple's bodies mould together with great interest.

As Marie departs, she gives Jerry a key to her cabin and whispers those four famous words again, "we need to talk!"

An hour later, Jerry knocks on Marie's cabin door then opens it with the passkey. She sits on the bed in a skimpy, nearly transparent nightie that only covers her nipples, which point out like mountain peaks. Jerry sits in the chair, admiring her beauty. Marie's stands, legs slightly apart, displaying her still firm, youthful body for his gaze. Jerry's eyes are drawn to her pubis, and he notices she appears to have shaved, giving him instant arousal.

"Well, aren't you going to say something?" Marie replies to my silence.

"I see you are clean-shaven again. Last month you had a full bush. Sure that's for me?"

Marie bluffs, "who else would I let see me like this? I'm disappointed with you, Jerry. Let me tell you, damn straight...WHEN HAVE I EVER GIVEN YOU REASON TO DOUBT ME?"

Stretching the truth a bit, Jerry replies, "Okay, last Wednesday, I took the day off and travelled to your car dealership to take you for a surprise lunch. Guess what I saw?"

Fear gripped Marie's face for the first time. Jerry could see the guilt shadow her eyes.

Stuttering, she lets slip, "...it was only a business lunch."

"Not from what I saw. As the snake opened the car door, his eyes were on your short skirt as you flashed your long legs. His arm around your waist, walking towards the restaurant. You brazenly brushed your breasts against his chest as you entered. A gentle touch on your shoulder as he seated you into the chair. His hand lightly caressed yours during the meal while you swooned at his words." Stated Jerry.

Marie's face whitens.

Jerry carries on, "It was more than a business lunch. You forget I am a bartender. I know all the signs of a cheater - you were displaying them all. He's just a male on the lookout for pussy and married pussy all the better the challenge. Especially rich married pussy. I thought you had more common sense, but he's getting under your defences. It won't be long before he's getting into your panties."

Jerry takes a punt, "And by the way, they were not only lunches, I know about the dinners as well!"

Jerry tosses the key onto her bed and leaves the cabin before Marie can start screaming at him and wake other passengers.

On the final day in port, ship staff is allowed to visit the area. That afternoon Jerry takes this opportunity to leave the ship with a backpack. Then, he hopped onto a bus headed for the airport, booking the first flight out to Miami, which is not until six in the evening.