My timing was out when I spoke to her. She had all the answers.
"Bianca, you go to all these work functions, and you want to tell me spouses are not welcome at any?"
"Ian, we work with top-secret government contracts. Sometimes things slip out, so we safeguard."
"Once a week?"
"Are you accusing me of cheating, Ian?" she had a rather difficult temper. We had only been married a year.
"No, but things feel different. If I don't initiate intimacy it does not happen."
"What do you mean, tested it?"
"Monday evening I purposely held back Bianca. Do you realize that the first time you acknowledged me was when we went to bed, you said goodnight?"
"I did not, I fucking spoke to you, asked you about your day, everything."
"You did not Bianca. I did it last week as well, and the week before. Did it only take a year for me to become furniture?"
"No baby. Ian, I will take note. There has been a lot of pressure because we have a new contract starting up. That is no excuse though."
After that conversation Bianca started making an effort, but she also started working late. Our sex life was mediocre, limited to weekends. Despite it, we got pregnant, which seemed to be a strain for her, and a joy for me. I found us a house, and we moved out of our apartment. We had the option of buying after the lease expired. I was doing well, my architecture firm was getting known. My financial advisor gave some advice, which became easy to follow since the discussion with Bianca. I had set up my finances separate from hers, because I was worried she was not going to stay with me. In spite of this I drove the application for a home loan, and we decided to split the repayments in the middle, as Bianca also earned a very good salary. At five months pregnant I was in the final stages of the home loan approval and needed her signature, so I drove to her offices one morning.
"Bianca Smythe please?" I asked the receptionist.
"Who may I say is calling?"
"Ian Smythe, her husband." The receptionist frowned and studied me as if I was flaky. It was a very odd reaction, but I paid it no further thought. Bianca came out and rushed me out the door.
"Ian, I am busy. What is it?" she sounded provoked, but I was used to her abrasive nature by now.
"Sorry Bianca, just the final signature for the loan application."
"I could have signed tonight?"
"I was just excited."
"Sorry for snapping at you, it seems I am getting more emotional, being pregnant," she quickly scanned our surroundings, chiefly the entrance to her offices.
"Yeah, I did read that it will happen. I have commissioned the handmade baby room stuff. Bianca, I cannot wait."
"Fuck Ian, neither can I." She scanned the area again and I saw her stiffen. I followed her sightline. A stunning blonde woman was getting out of a car, and she was looking at us. Bianca was signing the forms on the hood of my Raptor. Bianca kissed me quickly, then rushed back into the building. I gathered the papers together.
"Sorry, how do you know that woman?" I turned with the papers in my hand, and the blonde was standing behind me.
"She is my wife, Bianca. Why?" I saw her face contort into sympathy.
"My name is Jane Graythorn. Can we talk, away from here? It is important." I felt my senses tingle. This woman was hurting. I had no idea what it had to do with Bianca, so out of curiosity I agreed. She followed me to a coffee shop.
"What was she signing?"
"Our home loan application, what are we doing here?" I spoke gently, not hiding my annoyance at her probing into our personal affairs.
"You should hold off on that, Ian."
"Why, Jane?"
I watched her fidget, then put a memory stick on the table, pushing it across to me with her fingers.
"Ian, my husband and your wife have been having an affair for close to a year now. This is evidence. I was on my way to hand it in at their HR, to burn his world. I have had a PI on him, as this was not his first time. I saw the signs when it started again. When I saw you with her I realized I had to tell you, because it is clear you have no idea."
I felt my world lurch, and then the tell-tale signs of shock appeared. I became icily calm, calculating. There was no emotion in me, a remnant of me being sexually molested as a child.
"The work functions?" I asked because everything fell into place.
"What work functions? Is that what she told you. That company has not had a work function in five years."
"Yes, she told me that. This also means the baby could not be mine." I hissed.
"Oh fuck Ian, you have no idea how sorry I am that you now have joined this club."
"Have you filed yet, Jane?" I asked softly, knowing I will be filing as well. I felt the rage simmer.
"No, I wanted to be around when his world burned. I have no idea where all this hate for him comes from," Jane reflected my emotions.
"I am so sorry for you as well. Bianca and I have been married for twenty months, I had a feeling at one year, but she changed, made an effort."
"Makes sense, he also started to make an effort. What the fuck are we going to do Ian, because I cannot stay with him,"
I got an idea, and I saw her fear. I realized it was because I was grinning.
"I will serve her in the maternity ward, Jane."
"It means you have to be stoic for four months. If the baby is yours?"
"I will provide, but I have been deeply betrayed before, by my family. There will be a divorce."
"What do you do Ian?"
"Architect, startup. I am doing very well though."
"I am a civil engineer. I know, blonde bimbo?" She smiled as she tugged at her hair.
"Nothing about you says bimbo, Jane."
"Thanks. So maybe we can use the fact that our careers overlap as an excuse to be in each other's orbit."
"Yes Jane, because what you see now is a veneer. I know I am going to crash and I need a friend."
"Can you get away, realistically?"
"Maybe, her family is here, I disowned mine."
"Then take a long weekend, somewhere you can scream and cry. Being stoic helps nothing." She watched as I reached into my laptop bag and pull the signed application out. Then I drenched it in coffee. The waitress came running and started wiping furiously, smudging the signatures completely.
"Oops," I muttered with a treacherous grin.
"You seem to be very calculating," Jane said, she was mulling something over.
"You also seem to be calculating," I responded.
"I have an out-of-state project, and I can swing the idea of a consulting architect, there are real issues st the site."
"Okay, are you thinking that would be my screaming getaway when the pain hits?"
"Partially, but I also need to not be alone. We have known each other for an hour, but I know you would be a good friend."
I handed her my business card. At that moment I saw the effects of her husband's infidelities on her. She was tired, worn. Jane was in hell, and it cemented my resolve.
