Cam Girls 1

Cam Girl

I walked in to see her sitting at the kitchen table. She looked like she had a full head of steam, but that was her usual look, so I didn't give it much thought. I saw she'd made a fresh pot of coffee, so I poured us both a cup and sat down.

"Something on your mind, Claire?"

"You fucking pervert! What is this filth?"

Oh, she had printed out a few of my favorites. I made a note to get some transferred to photo stock, maybe blown up a size or two. There were a couple that I would love to have as full-size posters. I picked them up and eyed them critically, putting a few of the best to the side.

"Well, honey bunny (she detested me calling her that), it looks like pictures of naked women. Beautiful, young, hard-bodied women. I remember when you used to look like that."

That was a direct hit. At forty, she started developing her soccer mom body, exercising like hell to keep it at bay. It gave her a little pause, making her even redder in the face.

"You bastard! These are cam girls! Girls you're giving money to! Why would you do that?"

I sighed. She wasn't going to like what was coming. "Because every once in a while, I like to talk to a woman who isn't too busy pointing out my shortcomings to have an actual conversation. It's cheaper than a therapist, and I get to see boobs. And believe it or not, it isn't sex talk. They could talk all the junk they want, but it means diddly unless I was right there in front of them. China is a college student, and this is paying her way. Alex is a single mother of two with no job skills but a great body, so she does her best to provide for her children. They could both be lying to me, but I doubt it. I'm already giving them a little extra without them asking, so what would they have to lose?"

"You will stop this instant! There will be no more money spent foolishly!"

It shocked her when I agreed. "All righty then! No more foolishly spending money! This is going to work both ways, right? No more shopping sprees, spa trips, or nights out with the girls. All that combined is probably more than four times what I spend on the girls. We'll have money hanging out of every pocket. It's a great idea!"

"What? Now wait a minute, this isn't..."

"Yes, it is! It's exactly what's going to happen. I can't wait! Of course, since you can't stand the sight of me lately, it'll probably be uncomfortable for you at first, but you'll get used to it. It might even cause you to have a conversation with me once in a while."

"That's not fair! We talk."

"No, we don't. Making pronouncements about what will happen in our lives isn't a conversation but a lecture. I tell you what, let's separate our finances and split the bills down the middle. That way, you can spend anything you have left over in any foolish way. Of course, that leaves me free to do the same. I meant to tell you, but couldn't get you to stop talking long enough to listen, but I bought a kayak. I used to love those things, and I've met a group that goes out most every weekend. Think how much freedom that would give you to pursue your hobbies. Of course, your spendable cash will be much less, so the presents to Markie will be fewer and farther between. I'm sure he cares enough for you that it won't lessen his affections."

She was red in the face and sputtering. I think she was surprised I knew about Markie. I mean, he was 32 and still went by Markie? Didn't say much about his emotional maturity. I knew they hadn't had sex yet, but I knew it was coming and had my ducks in a row. She was fighting a battle she couldn't win, in a war she didn't realize had been declared.

I sighed and got up, coming in a little later with a manila envelope. "Here you go. It's just the preliminaries, and we can adjust it, but let me give you the finer points. You can't get the house because it's still held jointly with my parents. You can get half of everything else, and I won't make much of a fuss, but if you get nasty, the gloves come off. You don't know what I know, or have the pictures I have, so you'd look mighty foolish if they came to light. Your mother might lose her standing in the Country Club, and your father does a lot of business with my company. I don't own any of it, but the man that does happens to love me like a son, and if it gets out you broke my heart, he might not feel so warm and fuzzy about your family. I would never do anything to hurt Dad's business. I like the guy. It's his daughter I'm having trouble with. Don't drag the whole family down this rabbit hole, because it won't end well."

Oddly, her mouth was moving, but for once, no sounds were coming out. I stood up.

"I have to go now. I'm going on a two-day kayak trip. I can't wait! It's easy water, which is good because I don't have the skills I used to have, but I hope this starts me on the journey to get me back. Have a good weekend. Say hi to Markie for me. He should be over the moon, with me out of the picture, he can step it up."

I changed into shorts and a T-shirt while she sat at the table, grabbed my backpack, and started out the door. She suddenly came back to her senses and jumped up.

"Don't you dare leave! We need to talk!"

"We needed to talk eighteen months ago when I asked if you had a problem. It may be too late, and for once in our marriage, you don't get to dictate terms. I'll see you Sunday, if you're still here."

She came to the door and noticed my truck for the first time. I saw the frown and grinned. I'd mentioned I needed a new vehicle, and she went on a long rant, saying we couldn't afford anything right now. She had a two-year-old Rav Four, and I'd had a ten-year-old Chevy with 145,000 miles on it.

It wasn't new, but I got what I thought was a killer deal. It was four-wheel drive, and the tires were brand new. Everything worked on it. The man had just gotten too old to drive, and he let it go cheap, so I bought it. There was a shiny new kayak strapped to the back.

I waved as I backed out of the driveway, feeling very satisfied by her expression.

..............................................................................................................

I had a ball. The trip was mostly lake work, but there were a few river passages and enough fast water to make sure I knew what I was doing. We camped at a designated area, and I surprised the group with my cooking skills, so much that I had to do most of it. Garrett's girlfriend Melissa was also pretty good, and we made an efficient team. The beauty of cooking was that we didn't have to clean up, so we got to sip coffee and critique her boyfriend and the others.

They asked about my wife, and I told them she had no interest in kayaks and camping, and that she was probably at a spa as we spoke, covered in slime with cucumber slices over her eyes. They laughed and changed the subject, discussing the Canadian trip they planned for late summer, four days of intense paddling and interesting rapids. I hope my skill level was enough to be asked to join them by then.

We parted at the pickup point with hugs and backslaps, and my happy face morphed into a sad one the closer I got to my house. As expected, she wasn't there and didn't breeze in until almost ten. I'm sure she was loaded and primed for a confrontation, but I was beat and looking forward to sleeping in an actual bed. I'd used my time wisely and moved everything into a spare bedroom with the attached bathroom. Right before I went to sleep, I locked the door. Then I propped a chair up against it, just in case.

She made a point of slamming things around and making a lot of noise. I woke up briefly and grinned before rolling over and drifting off again.

........................................................................................................

I was up early, dressed for work, with a fresh pot of coffee on when she dragged up. Claire got a cup of coffee first, then sat down and sighed, while I grinned. "Have a good weekend?"

She looked about ready to explode, then seemed to deflate. "I had a horrible weekend. Thanks for asking. How was yours?"

"It was both exhilarating and exhausting. I'm out of shape for kayaking, but it's returning to me. I'd like to work myself into shape before the Canadian trip they're planning for late August. I'm sorry you had a bad weekend. Markie not entertain you? Did he measure up, so to speak, or was his size just water cooler bullshit and fantasy?"

"I wasn't with Markie!"

"Sorry, dear. Did he have a previous engagement with another of his married sluts? He could pencil you in for the weekend after next. I'll be on another kayak trip then."

She refused to rise to the bait. Instead, she talked about money. "You split our bank account? Really?"

"I did. It would be a good idea, especially when the divorce comes. Cheer up, I don't think any of the money was yours. I'd be careful with it because I won't be contributing to it anymore. I put a little thought into it while I was on the water. I'm perfectly fine with cohabitating, at least for the near future. Thanks to my parents, we don't have a house payment, so the bills are minimal. You pay the phone and internet bill, I'll pay everything else, and we'll split the groceries. You pay your car insurance, and I'll pay mine. I have a car payment now, but I got a good deal and put a bit down to pay it off in two years. Yours is paid for and has low miles, so you should be good for another four or five years, if you keep the maintenance up."

"You may have to contribute some to Chelsea's college, but she has enough right now to last her through to her junior year, and surely by then we'll be able to cover the rest. Good thing we only had one kid, huh?"

"Oh, I'll keep the insurance on her car, so she doesn't have to worry about that. Does this sound reasonable to you?"

I almost enjoyed how her mouth opened and closed, but it was still a little painful. I thought we'd be forever, and now we'd be a statistic.

I rose. "Well, think about it. We'll talk tonight."

...........................................................................

Once on the job, I called the guy I'd hired to keep an eye on her. He'd wired the house for sound and pictures on Thursday before she got home. I paid for a month, figuring it would all be over by then, one way or another. He also shadowed her all weekend.

"All she did was visit people, mostly her family and yours. I got snatches of the conversations with my devices, and heard some interesting things while she was on the phone at home. She made sure she never went near the other subject that you had us tail, but they talked on the phone. I'll give you the transcripts, or you can listen to all the conversations once you get home."

I opted to wait and sent him a money transfer to pay for his services up to date. It was one of the reasons I'd split the money. I didn't want her to know I was watching.

I talked to my boss to get him up to speed on what was happening. He listened, then leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. It was his 'thinking pose', and I'd seen him sit for hours like that, but when he was done, he was usually decisive. I knew not to rush him, so I waited. Twenty minutes later, he started and looked at me.

"Is it too late?"

"It might be. She hasn't had sex with anyone yet, but she's been on dates with three different men. I don't know if she's looking to trade up or wants out. I know the last eighteen months have been hell on me. I didn't get to draw a breath until we bundled Kelsey off to college.

I did what you suggested and separated our finances. She's always taken her salary for granted, and it's always been play money to her. She hasn't had to worry about a bill in seventeen years so that it will be a harsh reality check. I don't think she can handle it."

"She will if she has no choice. Does she know I want you to have the company when I retire?"

Dan had been a family man all his life, and when his wife and two sons were killed in a car accident eight years ago, I thought we lost him. I barely knew what I was doing, but I held the company together until he returned to the living. He looked around, saw what I'd done, and made me his right-hand man. Right now, I'm making many day-to-day decisions, and he is shifting more of the responsibility over to me.

He met a widow five years ago, ten years younger, looking twenty, and they hit it off. She had to chase him because he was so reticent, but she finally convinced him to give her a chance, and as far as I know, they never looked back. She never had children, and they latched onto Chelsea. She became their granddaughter, and Mom would laugh about it, before she finally called Megan, and they met. They planned out Chelsea's whole adolescence and tried to influence her choice of colleges.

Her high school graduation present was a new car from both of her grandmothers, and she had to promise to spend time with them every chance she got. They collectively cried for eight hours. Claire seemed a little miffed they had left her out, but I convinced her it was a grandparent thing, telling her she'd get her turn in a few more years. That depressed her instead of cheering her up.

Returning to the present, I told Dan no. "Every time I was going to bring it up, she would launch into one of her tirades, so I just gave up, figuring she'd know eventually."

"Well, I'm going to structure it so she can't get her hands on any part of the company. If you're still together and work out your differences, it won't matter, but if not, I'd like to think that when you sit in this chair, she regrets her life choices."

He ended the meeting with advice. "You've got nineteen years together, most of them happy. While she's done some idiotic things, she hasn't done anything you can't work out, even if you have to have therapy. It's your call, I'll support you either way. I'm glad your mother is in Florida, well away from what may come."

So am I, I thought, as I hugged the man who was like a second father to me.

....................................................

I left work just after lunch, beating Claire home by about three hours, and spent the time reading the transcripts of her time away from me. She visited her mother, her sister, three friends, and called my mother, talking for an hour. She didn't go out otherwise, ordering takeout both nights, and the lights were out by eleven. The phone calls were enlightening.

Her first was to her best friend. I could only hear her side of it, but it was interesting. "Bets, I think he knows about my dates with Jim and Eric, and he also knows about Markie. I think I've seriously fucked up here. I still can't understand why I let things get this far."

"What? No! I hadn't had the first thought about leaving him. I just wanted something different in my life. I felt like someone threw ice water on me when he told me he knew about Markie and left me for the weekend. No, not leave leave, just for a float trip with some new friends. No! Not friends with benefits, well, as far as I know. If he did, what can I say? I haven't fucked anybody yet, so I'd have the high ground. If he's gone far enough to sleep with someone else, my opinion will matter very little to him."

"I have no idea what to do. Should I throw in the towel and say we gave it a good run? That scares the shit out of me. He's been my rock since I was a freshman in college. How do I convince him I want to stay married? Lately, my attitude and actions haven't helped. In the end, all I can do is tell him how I feel, leave it up to him, and hope he loves me enough to get over my stupidity. Yes, Bets, I know I fucked up, and I know how much pleasure it gives you to say I told you so. I would be pissed if I didn't know I deserved it. I gotta go. Yes, I'll give you an update. Bye."

The conversation with her mother was a little heated, and at one time her mom called her a silly bitch who didn't deserve me. That made me smile. Claire was crying when she hung up.

Then came the one I was listening for, the conversation with 'Markie'.

"I know he's not here, but you still shouldn't call me. He knows, Markie, I've been seeing you, and I'm paying for everything when we go out. NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! It would all be over if he came home and caught you here. And if we split, the gravy train would derail. The house is in his mother's name, and I can't touch it. Plus, he makes about four times what I do, and even if we split everything, it would be less than a hundred grand. No, dumbass, that's not a lot of money! Not in this economy. It would mean living in an apartment or a little crackerbox house in a not-so-good neighborhood. Yes, I would probably get a little maintenance for a few years, but it wouldn't let me live in the style I live in now. How about this, you get a job and come to me with a plan, and we'll talk. Don't call back until you do!"

She stared out the phone for a few minutes before walking into the kitchen, mumbling something that sounded a lot like 'stupid little bitch', and wiping her eyes. Sounded a lot like buyer's remorse to me.

................................................

Claire seemed shocked when she got home, and I had the grill going. Since I had the time off, I got a couple of really nice steaks, whipped up a salad, and even had a baked potato, something rare since we'd started the Keto life plan. I had to admit it was one of her best ideas. I'd already dropped 23 pounds, and while she wouldn't tell me, she had lost at least fifteen.

"Why are you home so early?"

"I had things to do and it was slow, so I took a few comp hours to take care of it."

She wanted badly to know what I had to take care of, but I think she was afraid of what I would tell her.

"Is one of those for me?"

"Of course, unless you don't want it. If that's so, or you have plans, I'll eat it tomorrow."

"NO! No plans, I mean. It smells great. Let me get out of these office clothes, and I'll make some lemonade."

Twenty minutes later, she came out bearing the pitcher and two glasses. I had to turn to hide my smile. She'd gone all out, wearing shorts she couldn't fit into last year and that were pretty tight on her now. She also had on a loose, sleeveless top and had lost her bra. I had a bland face when I turned back around.

"It's good to see you can fit in those shorts again. They always looked good on you. If you'll fix the salads, I'll plate the steaks and let them rest."

It was all so domestic it made me want to scream. For the last four months we'd barely spoken to each other, she ignored me, but now she was acting like the last year plus hadn't happened. I wasn't buying it.

She almost simpered over my semi-compliment. We ate, and she chattered away. Claire probably said more to me that evening than she had six months prior. I finally put down my fork and sighed.

"What is this, damage control? It's a bit late for that. What are you looking for here, Claire? I don't have a clue. You shut me out, spend money on things you want, including other men, and left me the burden of keeping things going. Then I throw what you're doing in your face, and suddenly I'm your bestest friend in the world?"

Her eyes were progressively getting wider, but I was on a roll. "Know what, I find your attempt at whatever this is sad and pathetic. If I thought for one second you were sincere and remorseful over what you've done, I might feel differently. The thing is, you're selling something I'm not buying. If you ever decide you want to talk, honestly and without bullshit, I'll listen. Not holding my breath, though. Tell you what, for just a few minutes, let's pretend it's like it used to be. I cooked it so that you can clean it up. Tomorrow, if you're here and I'm here and you fix dinner, I'll do the dishes and clean the kitchen."