The Seduction Trap, Part 1
Tammy had worked hard all afternoon, decorating, shopping for food, cleaning. Now she was having a drink, spending time with a dozen or more of her and her husband's friends, waiting for him. His birthday was never a fun time for him, but she was going to go all out for James' 40th. It was time he had something special like this. At 35 herself, she secretly hoped he'd do something similar for her.
Especially now. He was working so hard, leaving early in the morning and coming home late at night. He worked at a publishing house downtown, proofreading texts and trying to attract new authors. For some reason, his boss had given him extra special responsibilities and that gave him a ton of extra work. At least that's what he told her.
The crowd in the room was boisterous when the phone rang. She just knew it was him. Every time something like this came up, he somehow managed to be too busy... some emergency... something.
"Shhhh, everybody. Wait, wait, wait... it might be him," she told the crowd, turning down the music. She waited a moment for all the sound to disappear. "Hello," she said, picking up the receiver.
"Hi honey... I'm running late again... I'm sorry."
"Oh, James... damn it... not tonight." She looked around at all the eyes focused on her and her conversation and felt her face flush with embarassment.
"I'm sorry Tammy, but Phil has me working on this text that needs to be done by tomorrow morning. I can't leave for at least another 3 hours."
Tammy heard a sound in the background. It sounded like the laugh of a woman... or two.
"I'm sorry, too. Is... is someone else there?"
"Well... yeah... there's a couple interns here, helping me through this. Hopefully they'll help me get it done faster."
Was that the clink of a wine glass she heard? A moan?
"I'm sorry I'm disappointing you again, honey. I really am. But I'll be home just as soon as I can."
"Ok," she said, dejectedly. "I just was hoping to spend time with you on your birthday."
"I know... and I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. I promise. I'll wake you when I come in, ok?"
"Ok... I'll see you soon. I love you..." and the phone line went dead.
Tammy closed her eyes, wondering if she actually heard what she thought she heard. She imagined James in a hotel room, drinking wine with a beautiful young woman... sliding his hand up her leg, beneath her dress... She shook her head to clear it. While it all might be true, she still had guests to take care of.
She set the phone down and looked up, the crowd of her friends watching her intently.
"I'm sorry everybody.... work has called him away again. But enjoy the party anyways." She turned the music back up and moved through the crowd to the back bedroom, talking, laughing, smiling the entire trip. As soon as she was out of sight, she lost her smile and started crying. He was cheating on her... she just knew it.
It took two more hours for the party to finally wind down. At 1:00am, she was alone with the last of her guests, her best friend Jordan, and the two sat in the living room as they had for the last hour.
Jordan looked up over her drink. "You won't be able to do anything about it until you get some kind of proof, you know."
Tammy looked down, shaking her head. "I know. I just don't know how."
"Maybe you can hire a private detective... somebody to follow him around."
"It just sounds so stupid to have to go to all that trouble, you know?"
"I know... I just don't know what else to tell you. As you said, his phone records are clean, his bank records are clean. He's hiding his tracks well if he is up to something."
She put a hand on Tammy's shoulder. "You'll get through this."
"I know." Tammy pulled her friend into a hug. She wondered where she'd find a private detective and wondered what it would cost. Then suddenly an idea came to her. She didn't have to prove who he's cheating with now. All she had to do was convince him to cheat with someone she knew... someone she could trust... someone paid to do it.
*****
Tammy woke to the sound of an electric shaver. She put a hand out to where her husband should be laying, but it was empty and cold. She opened her eyes and turned towards the sound. James saw her through the open bathroom door and turned off the shaver.
"Sorry, hun... I didn't mean to wake you. Did you have a good night?"
"Yeah... well, no, actually. We waited for you. I wanted to surprise you for your birthday, so I had friends over... and cake."
"Now I feel like a real idiot. I'm sorry. Maybe we can do something fun this weekend... to make up for me being such an ass."
"Yeah... that sounds good." Tammy lay back in the bed and realized that he hadn't even come to bed last night. He just got home and he was going back out to work. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She knew what she was going to have to do.
*****
Tammy entered the front doors of the expensive hotel lobby downtown and moved directly towards the bar. She could feel the eyes of the clerk watching her from behind his desk and wondered if he'd seen her husband before. She wondered if he knew why she was here and wondered if other wives came in here, trying to trap their husbands.
She walked into the archway separating the bar from the hotel lobby and quickly scanned the room. There were a few people about, some couples, some solitary, but nothing out of the ordinary. She wondered if she had the right place. She thought this was considered a pick up bar, where high-paid call girls plied their trade, and wondered if her information was wrong.
Wondering what to do next, she moved to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic, something to calm her nerves. Music was playing from the jukebox and some conversation filtered through the crowed along with the TV behind the bar, but all in all, the place seemed quiet and tame. She sipped her drink.
"It's kind of quiet in here tonight," a beautiful voice said from nearby.
Tammy looked up at the sound and saw a young, beautiful woman, maybe 21. She was dressed in a long, black dress, emphasizing her breasts, long legs, and long blond hair. The woman smiled, eliciting a smile back.