Three hours and nineteen minutes later, Beth sat in the small apartment she shared with Jeff. She was in the kitchen, at the table, an open bottle of wine and a half-consumed glass in front of her.
When she'd gotten home, fifteen minutes ago, after Bob had dropped her off, it hadn't taken long for her to discover that Jeff wasn't there. There was a moment of panic, but one she'd been told might happen when she had come up with her plan for the evening... Jeff may not go along with the plan. He may throw a fit, and walk out for a couple of days to pout and vent.
She'd hoped not, but it was a possibility, she'd been told.
She'd immediately gone to the kitchen, gotten out her preferred form of liquid courage, and started waiting.
She wasn't surprised that Jeff wasn't still at the restaurant when she and Bob had returned. She had been in a good mood, and freshly showered, which always lifted her spirit. It had been a good evening so far.
Asking someone to wait for her for near three hours had been a bit much, she considered.
The manager had handed her a plastic to-go bag, and her purse had been in it. The look the young woman had worn as she passed Beth her belongings wasn't one of respect.
Beth had pulled her purse out, and dug out her phone. Along the way, she'd discovered that her wallet had been gone through, and a couple of cards were missing. She hadn't expected that. It certainly wasn't a good thing.
Then Beth checked her phone. There was a few texts and a missed spam call, but nothing from Jeff.
Sighing, Beth then searched the plastic bag, and after finding nothing, she methodically searched her purse. The search came up with no results.
"Have you seen my wedding ring?" Beth then asked the manager, concern in her bearing.
"No, we haven't seen any rings?" the manager had said, looking concerned. "Is it in your purse?"
"What about my missing cards?" Beth asked.
"Oh, the gentleman you... came with... took those."
Beth then sat down and poured out her purse. There wasn't any ring inside it. Bob had stood nearby, looking worried.
On the way to the house, Bob had been concerned.
"Do you want me to come in with you?" Bob asked as Beth stared out the windshield, staring into the dark.
"No, I think that... that's too far." Beth had answered after a moment. "I don't think it would be good for you two to be around each other."
"Is he going to be dangerous?"
Beth had turned to Bob, and gave him a scoffing smile.
"No, he's my Jeff. It'll be fine. He just needs to take this the right way. I'll explain it to him."
"I dunno, babe..." Bob had said as he navigated the streets. "This was cruel. I don't think you've thought this out."
"It'll be fine." Beth had told Bob, and herself. "He just needs to understand. I'll explain it."
++++++
Three hours and twenty-one minutes after, Beth was sitting in the kitchen, worried, when she heard the door open, and then slam closed loudly a second later.
Slamming the door wasn't normal.
Then came the loud footsteps, as they went to the bedroom.
Girding herself, Beth stood, and started to walk to the bedroom, to get the process started. She'd been told this was a process. She held her phone in her left hand, and started the video application.
Then deciding she needed a prop, to give the right impression, and hide her phone. She went back and got her glass of wine. She considered for half a second how to give the look she wanted, then she crossed her left arm across her body, rested her right elbow on the back of her hand, hoisted the glass in front of her shoulder, and went off to tell Jeff what was happening.
Walking unhurriedly, she went down the hallway, and stopped in the doorway to the bedroom. She leaned against the doorframe, and watched.
Jeff had a suitcase open on the bed, and was tossing clothes into it from the closet.
They were now in one of the situations she had expected. She had a plan for this.
"Jeff, stop that." Beth said, sounding confident.
"Fuck you," was the response. Jeff hadn't even looked at her.
"Very mature." Beth said, then took a sip of her wine.
Jeff kept packing.
"It was rude of you to not wait for me," she said after a moment.
Jeff, was holding up a shirt on a hanger, comparing it with another, apparently trying to come to a decision.
"Where are you going?" Beth asked.
"Not your concern," Jeff growled.
"You're my husband," Beth assured. "Of course it's my concern."
"I'll be fixing that situation."
Beth knew there would be some posturing on Jeff's part, this wasn't unexpected.
"You're over-reacting."
Beth then took another sip of wine.
Jeff decided to put both shirts into his suitcase.
"Jeff, stop that," Beth then said, warmth in her voice. "Come into the living room, sit down, and I'll explain everything."
"Fuck you," Jeff said, heading for the chest of drawers.
"Let me make this up to you... I know this was extreme..."
"How do you make up for what you did?" Jeff asked acerbically.
"I'm going to explain what happened, why I did it, and then I'll give you a treat..." Beth started.
Suddenly, Jeff was in her face, leaning at her. His face was red, and a bolt of fear shot through Beth.
"I AM NOT INTERESTED IN YOUR SLOPPY SECONDS!"
Beth stepped back hurriedly, a tremor showing in her glass of wine.
With distance, Beth could see Jeff's hands were clenching at his sides. She'd never seen this out of him. Her confidence was nowhere near enough for this.
Jeff held his ground, not moving with her. His eyes showed he was wrestling with something inside, and he was on a precipice.
"I've got to get this under control! He'll hurt me!" Beth told herself. The other, non-speaking part of her mind was saying something else. It was saying "Run."
Beth held up her phone for Jeff to see.
"Jeff, calm down. You will talk to me like a mature adult, or I will go and get a restraining order against you. I will put you in jail. You will listen to me, and then I'll let you talk. Okay?"
Jeff's face went through a fast change, showing even more anger, if it was possible.
"PUT ME IN JAIL!" Jeff shouted, stepping up to her again. "DO IT! FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS!"
Beth dropped her wine as she stepped back again. The glass hit the carpet and bounced, the red liquid splashing out.
This wasn't in any of the plans.
"FUCK YOU CUNT!" Jeff hands were clutching the air outside Beth's shoulders.
"Run," her growing instinct shouted.
"DO IT! DO IT! CALL THE COPS!" Jeff shouted, spittle flying. "FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS!"
