Blow Job Bet

This is a short one. Flash length. Yeah, I know I just did a poker-themed story. What can I say? They both came to me while I was playing online poker.

Disclaimer: As you read this story, keep in mind that I try to include something for everyone, and some people are always looking for mistakes. So, if you find any errors, please remember that they are there for a reason.

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It was just a blow job.

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I was never much of a card player. My dad and uncle tried to teach me some games growing up but I couldn't seem to grasp the nuances of the games. Eventually I just gave up on everything except solitaire.

My wife Cathy, on the other hand, really enjoyed it and was pretty good at it. Not 'World Series of Poker' good, or even 'smoky back room in Las Vegas' good, but she had a group of friends that she had been playing with for some time and regularly beat them. She had also entered a few local tournaments and done pretty well.

On this particular night we were at the house of one of our friends. Larry and his wife Sandy had a nice house at the end of a cul-de-sac and a bunch of us were gathered to play poker and hang out. Larry and Sandy both played, along with our friends Paul, Terry, Mark, and Brian. Terry and Mark were single, and I hung out with Paul's wife, Mary, and Brian's wife, Alison. And no, I wasn't embarrassed to be in the group of 'wives'.

Cathy had known Larry and Sandy since college, and met Terry not long after that. The rest of the group were friends we had

picked up along the way.

I was sitting in the living room with Mary and Alison talking about nothing in particular. It was starting to get late and I suspected the game would be wrapping up soon. I was all ready to hear Cathy come in and say it was time to go, but I heard something else entirely. It was almost...no, it definitely was a chanting coming from the kitchen where the game table was set up.

"Blow job! Blow job! Blow job!"

'What the hell?' I thought.

I walked into the kitchen and shocked doesn't even begin to describe how I feel when I see Cathy on her knees in front of Mark, who has his dick hanging out for all to see. She has her hand wrapped around the base and is obviously on the verge of putting the damn thing into her mouth. I move quickly and simultaneously pull her away and jab my open hand into Mark's chest to push him away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Cathy?"

Terry stepped in and tried to explain.

"It's part of the game, Henry. They made a bet and Cathy wanted to raise but was out of money so she offered a blow job in exchange for credit."

"I don't give a crap what it was for. She's not doing it."

"Honey, please," Cathy jumped in with. "I had a great hand. I probably win 9 times out of 10 with that hand. It was a gamble and I lost."

"Fine, you lost. We'll settle up next time with actual cash. Let's go."

"No Henry, I can't. I didn't bet cash. I have to do this. It was a fair bet."

"No, you don't have to. Now let's go."

Tired of the argument, I marched over to her to grab her hand with the intention of bodily removing her. I didn't give a damn about any bet. There was no way my wife was sucking on that guy's dick! I grabbed her hand but she yanked it away.

"No, Henry! If I welch on a bet I won't be allowed to play anymore!

"I don't care, Cathy! You're not doing it!"

I tried to grab her again but she moved and escaped my grasp. Frankly, I was getting pretty pissed that she was fighting me on this. Why in the hell was it so damned important? It was like she was intent on humiliating me. And then the final thrust was made.

"Guys, help me out here."

Before I could figure out what in the hell that meant the other 3 guys grabbed a hold of me and pulled me away from her, holding me still. I'm no slouch but neither were they and there were 3 of them. I continued to struggle while begging, yes begging, Cathy to please stop.

"I'm sorry, honey, but I made the bet and now I have to honor it."

I caught the slight smile on Mark's face as Cathy again took her knees in front of him and wrapped her hand around it. I hoped for a little help from the ladies but they all seemed to want to see this happen as well. I was running at the mouth trying desperately to stop her. I'd manage to get an arm free only to be held back until one of the guys got my arm under control again. But I continued to fight, until the moment when all the fight left me.

Cathy wrapped her lips around Mark's dick, sucking in about half of it. At that moment the fight was over, and I had lost. I collapsed in exhaustion, the adrenaline I had been using depleted. As I went limp I felt their grips lessen just a bit, but I no longer had the strength to take advantage of it.

"Just let me go, and I'll leave. Don't make me watch this."

The guys all looked in Cathy's direction, and she turned her head toward me. She looked at me and our eyes met, and then she just gave a silent nod to the guys that were holding me, and they let me go. I looked her in the eyes for just a few more seconds, hoping she'd realize the extent of my pain and actually stop, and then I silently turned and walk out the front door. I was desperately hoping she'd follow me. She didn't.

My knees were weak, barely holding me vertical as I stumbled to the car. I was still in complete and utter disbelief at what had happened. One minute I'm chatting away and the next my wife is crushing my soul and violating our marriage vows. It's amazing the way things can change so quickly.

I don't even remember the drive home, but I pulled into the parking space just the same. We had taken her sedan to the game so I just tossed her keys on to the counter and went into our bedroom. I pulled a suitcase and duffel bag out of the closet and began packing. I heard the door open about 30 minutes later and Cathy calling my name.

"In the bedroom."

She started talking then stopped abruptly when she saw me.

"Well, thanks very much for leaving me there. I had to get a ride with...what are you doing?"

"That's kind of a stupid question. I'm packing."

"Okay, but why? Where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here."

"Is this about what happened at Larry and Sandy's?"

I looked at her like she was an idiot, then went back to packing.

"C'mon, baby, I made a bet and I had to honor it. I mean, jeez, it was just a blow job."

"It wasn't just a blow job."

"Yes, it was. If you had stayed you'd have seen I didn't do anything else."

"Even if that was the only sex act you did that still doesn't make it okay, and that's not what I meant anyway."

"Then what did you mean?"

I stopped packing and looked at her. I couldn't believe I actually had to explain this to her.

"What I meant was that in addition to its being a blow job, it was also a deliberate and intentional violation of our vows, not to mention an act of humiliation of your husband. And if that wasn't bad enough, Cathy, what you said to me by doing that was your poker game was more important to you than your marriage."

"That's not true!"

"Of course it is. I was begging...BEGGING...for you to stop what you were doing, and the only thing you cared about was not losing your spot in that damn game!"

"Honey, those were my friends. I couldn't renege on my friends."

"If they were really your friends, Cathy, they wouldn't have even let you make that bet, let alone expect you to honor it."

"Okay, I see your point. But don't you think you're overreacting?"

"No, Cathy, I don't. I think I'm reacting perfectly."

"My God, Henry, it was just a blow job!"

I hadn't actually finished packing but I had enough for a few days and I was tired of this conversation. I just zipped everything up and left as Cathy continued to try and convince me to stay. When the door finally closed I was sure she was crying. Hell, I was certainly crying myself.

I checked into a hotel for the night and slept fitfully. I couldn't help that I still loved her, but I just couldn't accept what her actions told me about her attitude toward me and our marriage. It was a blatant act of disrespect and it was more about that than the blow job itself.

I threw myself into work the next day and was still at it come 8:00pm. I hadn't answered any of Cathy's calls nor responded to any of her texts or emails. She was apologizing but still seemed hell bent on the position that it was a matter of principle to honor her bet. Apparently honoring her marriage vows had dropped to second place.

I stopped off at the Left Field sports bar after work. I was hungry but mostly I wasn't much interested in going back to an empty hotel room. I missed the hell out of Cathy but I was still so angry at what she had done and hurt at the way she had done it.

I felt them before I saw them. Two figures standing next to my table. I glanced up to see Mary and Alison standing with concerned looks on their faces. I turned back to the game without saying a word.

"You're pissed at us too, huh?" said Alison.

I didn't respond, so they sat down. I glanced at them again and then back at the game.

"Henry, please talk to us," said Mary. "Let's at least talk."

I took a deep breath.

"What's to talk about? There were 7 people in that room and no one but me objected to my wife sucking off Mark. Your fucking husbands even held me back and neither of you said a damn thing. I bet they wouldn't have been happy if one of you was on your knees doing the deed."

"We were just so shocked at first. And then it was like a car crash and we were wondering just how far she was gonna take it. And by the time we got past the shock it was too late."

"Mmm. Too late, indeed. Hey, how'd you guys find me anyway?"

"We...followed you from work. We just wanted to talk to you. We won't tell Cathy anything."

"It doesn't really matter. I'm avoiding her, not hiding from her. She could do the same thing you did. I just don't see the point in talking. She still doesn't think she did anything wrong."

"It was just a blow job."

"I could go the rest of my life without hearing that sentence again."

"What if you...got even somehow?" asked Alison.

"Are you volunteering?"

"What...uh, no. I mean, I like you and all but..."

"Never mind, Ali. I wasn't serious. I was making a point. I'll bet you don't think Brian would forgive you, huh? Besides, I'm not looking to get even. I just want a wife that puts her loyalty to me and our marriage ahead of everything and everyone, and especially her poker game. But I don't have that, and that's unacceptable."

"She loves you, Henry. She made a mistake..."

"No, Ali, she didn't, at least not in her mind."

"Okay, but is it worth ending your marriage over? I mean, assuming that's what you're doing."

"What if Paul or Brian decided to go down on Sandy as part of a bet, huh? What if you were standing there asking them not to and they said, 'sorry honey, a bet's a bet.' Would you be as forgiving as you seem to think I should be?"

"We see your point, we really do. We just...we don't want you guys to split up over this and...you're right. I'd probably be pissed and who knows what I'd do. But it's not about me, or Mary either. It's about you."

"I know, and I've already told you I don't wanna be married to someone that treats our vows so casually."

"You don't love her anymore?" asked Mary.

"I love the hell out of her. This would be a lot easier if I didn't."

I filed for divorce two days later. I didn't really want to because I still loved her but I just couldn't accept how she had treated me and our marriage. It was more about the lack of respect she had shown me than anything else. Even as I stood there pleading with her not to do it, she chose the game over me. I couldn't accept that, and had to make a hard choice.

Cathy was surprisingly quiet as the days passed. She signed the paperwork without much fuss and then I didn't hear from her for days, even weeks at a time. To me, that told me she had no problem with losing me. I guess she didn't want me coming between her and her card games.

The divorce went final and I was a free man, but I wasn't really happy about it. I still loved Cathy and was now doubly hurt. Hurt by what she had done and hurt that she had let me go so easily. Even though I was determined to go through with the divorce, I would have liked for her to put up some kind of fight.

I stopped into a small bar that night. My choice wasn't without significance: I chose a place that Cathy and I had been to many, many times. It was a favorite date spot for us, and in fact we had come here both on the night we went to bed together for the first time and the night I proposed. It was always special to us and I felt the need to be there on the night it was officially over. Damn it.

I was on my second drink. I guess the 'leave me the hell alone' vibe I was giving off was working because even though there were a number of people I knew in there, no one approached me at all. And the truth was that I appreciated it, because I really didn't want any company, or to talk about it, or anything. So I was less than pleased when I sensed someone standing next to the stool directly next to me.

"Is this seat taken?"

I knew that voice. I looked up directly in her eyes but somehow couldn't bring myself to tell her to go away. I figured it was time for the showdown we never really had.

"Nope. Feel free."

"Thank you."

She slid on to the bar stool. I had my head tilted down so caught sight of her slim calves extending out below the knee-length skirt she was wearing. A whiff of her perfume, my favorite of course, wafted into my nose as she sat. She smelled and looked so good. I sat there waiting for the excuses to start pouring out. Instead, I got...

"My name's Cathy. And you are?"

I looked into her eyes. My face no doubt indicated the confusion I felt. Her face was one of...hope, I guess. I didn't know what game she was playing but I decided to play along.

"Henry."

"It's nice to meet you, Henry. Are you...here with someone?"

Nice to meet me? What on earth? Okay, well, let's keep this going, I guess.

"Nope, just me. My divorce was final today."

"What a coincidence! Mine was too. Are you here celebrating?"

Was I? No, I sure as hell wasn't.

"More like reminiscing, I guess. This was one of our favorite places."

"Same here, how funny. Would I be intruding to ask what happened?"

"My wife cheated on me, but more than that she just...it was how she did it that made me feel like I wasn't that important, you know. How about you?"

"I did the cheating. But I didn't really see it that way at the time."

"What's that mean?"

"I was playing cards and made a bet. I was so sure I would win so there was no chance I'd have to pay up. Well, as you can probably guess, I lost the hand and felt honor-bound to pay up the blow job I had bet. My husband didn't see it that way and divorced me."

"And you disagree with that decision?"

"I did at the time. I didn't think it was a big deal, but I later realized the thing that worried me the most was losing my weekly game."

"More than losing your husband?"

"To be honest I never thought I'd lose my husband, but even at that moment the thing I feared the most was losing my weekly spot at that table."

"That sounds like a problem."

"It was. It is."

She paused as she seemed to be figuring out what exactly to say. I was on edge waiting for her to keep going but I was trying really hard not to look like that's what I was doing. She finally continued.

"Henry, I've been seeing a counselor. An addiction specialist."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. "You don't do drugs. Or do you?"

"You can get addicted to lots of things, Henry. I've come to realize that I was in the early stages of a gambling addiction. I actually took a leave of absence from work and was in a program for 30 days. My counselor suggested it."

"I don't understand, Cathy. You never struck me as having an addiction."

"I wouldn't have thought so either. After you left and I had time to think about it I got really scared. I realized that the game WAS the most important thing to me. I still didn't think I'd lose you, but I also think it wouldn't have mattered even if I knew it. I was terrified of losing my seat at that table and losing people I thought were my friends. At some point I realized you were right when you said friends wouldn't have let me make that bet or expect me to honor it. That's when I realized I didn't matter to them, at least not as a person."

"This all seems farfetched to me, Cath."

"I thought so, too, until I talked to my counselor. Hell, I gave a blow job to a guy I don't even like that much just for a game. Therapy helped me see that as much as I thought I was in control, I wasn't too far away from doing things like betting our rent money. The high was reeling me in. After I bet the blow job I was on pins and needles as the hand played out. I was nervous, excited, anxious, all of it."

"Why are you telling me this now, Cathy?"

"I owed you an explanation, Henry. I didn't want you going on thinking this was somehow your fault, or that you weren't enough, or that I didn't love you. I did. I do. It was important to me that you know the truth. But I needed to get a handle on it so I could explain it to you. So I signed the papers and did what I needed to do."

"Are you still seeing the counselor?

"It's down to every couple of weeks now, and I have a Gambler's Anonymous meeting I go to at the church over on Oak every week. And if you're wondering, I haven't seen those guys in weeks."

I nodded my understanding as I tried to take in all of this information. If she truly had a problem then hadn't I abandoned her at her time of need? Of course, we didn't know about it at the time so I didn't knowingly do it. That was something in my favor.

"Well, I guess I should go, Henry. Thank you for listening."

She got up to go, heading for the door. I could feel the eyes of those in the bar that knew us boring into me. They hadn't heard the conversation but they were obviously wondering if something was going to happen. And something did.

"Hey Cath," I called, just before she got to the door.

She stopped and turned around. The look on her face was sadness, maybe acceptance of what she thought was about to happen. I decided to take a chance. To take a chance on love, to trust again, to take a leap of faith into the arms of the woman I had fallen in love with a few years ago and still loved as much as I ever had, if not more.

"Have you had dinner?"

"N...no."

"Care to join me?"

A smile spread over her face.

"I'd like that."

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EPILOGUE

Cathy and I were back living together within just a few months, and remarried again on what would have been our third wedding anniversary.

She doesn't gamble or play poker anymore; not even the online stuff for fake money. The poker game, or at least that incarnation of it, broke up not long after Cathy and I split. It seems Mary and Alison took what I said to heart, wondering what kind of people would allow a blow job to be used as currency and what their husbands were thinking in holding me back. Cathy still goes to meetings and she sees her counselor a minimum of once a month, and makes extra visits as needed.

They still have no suspects in the random mugging of Mark in that dark alley not long ago.

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fin