Some days you can't win no matter what you do or say. On those days you wish you had pulled the bedsheets over your head and stayed there. Being the head of the house according to your better half comes with certain responsibilities that at times you wished you never had.
Mine started the moment the police department woke me up at seven am Saturday morning to inform me my bar had been broken into. I quickly dressed and rushed out the door ready to jump in my ford truck only to find I had a flat tire. It didn't help that I only had about four hours of sleep.
In a rush, I grabbed my wife's company car because it was a Saturday and off, I went. Unfortunately for me, because the cash had been locked up in the safe, they had taken most of the bar alcohol supply. One of the officers said someone has gotten themselves a fresh new huge supply of top brand bootlegging stock. They had damaged the front entrance beyond a quick repair by driving their vehicle through it. I roughly estimated that it would take at least two weeks before I could open.
The police wrote it up as a smash and grab. After the insurance agent came out and took pictures, I got the place boarded up. Now I had to wait for the insurance adjuster before starting the repairs on the main entrance. Thankfully my business's retail sale losses would be covered by my insurance until I could reopen.
It was about lunchtime as I was preparing to climb in my wife's car to head back home when I heard a voice yelling Melody wait. I turned to where the male's voice was coming from causing the man running towards me to come to a complete cold stop. As I looked at him, he mumbled whoops sorry I got the wrong car and quickly walked away.
When I returned home, I described the man in detail to my wife Melody, and she appeared to have no clue as to who he might be. My Melody asked what was the big reason I was in such a rush so early this morning that I had to take her car. I replied the bar got broken into and the police had called me down to the scene.
After getting a quick sandwich to eat I went out and changed the tire on my truck and drove over to get it fixed. Turns out the valve stem had blown. Before I went back home, I stopped on the way home picking up two new pairs of blue jeans, a bag of Hanes T-shirts and a Maga hat. I returned to find a note from Melody saying that she had gone out shopping.
It was my usual habit to work Friday and Saturday nights because that's when we were the busiest. It meant that by the time I got home it would almost be morning. I shaved my full beard off for the first time in twelve years before showering and getting ready to go as I would regularly. Except that I did not comb my hair out. Its natural curls ended up going everywhere. As a result, I had changed my appearance so well that I almost did not recognize myself. I was going to use this night to my advantage and check out the other joints in town.
Off I went at my normal time as if nothing had changed as Melody still had not got back. Going in through the backdoor of my bar I took in my new clothes and changed into them. I borrowed an old set of reading glasses that one of my staff had left to complete my new look. Being clean-shaven made me look a lot younger. With the black rim glasses, I could almost pass as a university dork. Then it hit me everyone knew my truck, so I called a taxi to pick me up and drive me over to National Car rental. I picked up a white non-descript mid-sized ford white tarsus.
I had started on the northside of town working my way south. Going in ordering a beer watching to learn how well the staff was trained while examining the layout the decor their customers and prices. I was learning a lot of minor things that could benefit my own business when I reopened. Once I had gotten the information, I wanted I left quite often leaving the full beer behind.
It was the seventh joint, down along the Mississippi river on the poorer side of town where the university students hung out that I discovered something that would change my whole world. I had just entered through their front doors of New City Jack when I saw her. My wife Melody was on the dance floor with a man that was not me. For a slow dance, they seemed to be dancing to dammed tight. My first urge was to do some serious physical damage on his face because it was the same man that had been running towards me at lunchtime calling her name. That made it clear that my loving wife had been lying to me. Melody was wearing a sheer skin-tight outfit that I had never seen. It was so sheer that you could see the lines of the dark thong she was wearing. Her blouse was left half undone allowing everyone a full view of her full cleavage.
As a bartender, I knew that looks could be deceiving. I started looking for a seat so I could watch her when a guy hollered at me above the loud music there is a seat here if you agree to buy around for the table. It surprised him that I took him up on his offer and got the waitress to bring me a double gin and tonic.
I learned they were a group of regulars. I said I was just passing through and had stopped for the night. Are they always this busy I asked? On the weekends yes was the response because of the university students.
As the night progressed, I casually inquired about who the lady dressed in the matching white almost see-through pants and the low cut blouse was. I did get asked why I was interested. I said she seems to be flaunting her sexuality a lot as if she was looking for someone new to do her. She does that a lot was the reply. Melody Corbett is her name and that's her boss Payne Richards. I asked them what's their story? Are they friends with benefits? The general thought was that he was single, but her situation was 'it's complicated' but they were regulars here and were known to be together all the time. The redhead sitting across from me said they come here every Friday and Saturday night as her husband worked out of town. The only thing I learned beyond that was when one of the other girls at the table said that they always show up in her car.
Just before the band started its last set, I thanked the table for allowing me to join them. I bought one them one more round then said goodnight. Slipping out I quickly found her car and was letting the air out of all her tires when the nice-looking redhead who had been at the table caught me.
"You didn't know did you Kaleb?" said the redhead. "By the way, my name is Carrie Anne and I work with them. Everyone at that table does."
"How did you figure out who I was," I asked.
"I didn't. I just saw by your facial expressions that you were holding your temper in all night. Although you tried not to your eyes watched her too dam much. It wasn't until I saw you letting the air out her tires that it all came together. The questions you asked earlier got me to thinking what would be the first I would do if I were her husband who had just found out?" Carrie said. "So, I came out to find out if I was right. You don't work on the oil rigs, do you? Perhaps when you finish, we should have a long talk."
"Fair enough the white ford tarsus over in the corner with the rental name on is the car I am using. The bar on Bythia street is closed because it got hit with a smash and grab this morning." I said. "Melody believes I'm still there working. I was using this night to check out the competition and had been hitting different bars all night checking them out. Here are the keys go sit in it. I really don't want you to get caught with me if someone else catches me."
"You work at Bythia's on Bythia that place has a great reputation." She replied as she took the keys before walking off.
As soon as I was done, I joined her. Carrie was sitting in the driver seat and started the car. I had been lucky no one else had come out.
"Where do you want to go?" Carrie asked.
"Anywhere where we won't be disturbed or overheard," I replied.
"My place is it besides I needed a ride home," Carrie said with a smile.
It was a twenty-minute drive to her modular home just outside of town. I was surprised to see a car in the driveway.
"That's my car, Susan the brunette that was sitting with us picked me up and we went together. It's easier to brush off unwanted attention if you say you came with a friend." She said, "I texted her and said I took a taxi home."
It was a beautiful home, looked like it could be new because it appeared to be hardly used. She grabbed us a couple of beers and we started to talk.
"Carrie Anne thank you for catching me. I'm not sure what else I would have done if I had stayed." I said. "You made me realize that I may have been overreacting."
"You weren't Payne has a monthly regular suite at the Ramada Inn over at the fourth. If you check on them, you will find the two of them going there just after closing time." Carrie Anne explained. "She comes in carrying a shopping bag wearing blue jeans and a tank top when she leaves to go out with him, she is wearing dressed up clothes. After they come back, about two to three hours later she leaves freshly showered wearing the same blue jeans with the same shopping bag in hand.
"How do you know all this?" I asked looking for more.
"My brother is one of the night managers he works Wednesdays to Sundays. According to him, they have been lovers for over a year." Carrie said. "It was Melody that told him you worked on the oil rigs and could be gone for up to six months at a time. As a result, he was led to believe that the two of you were a married couple who had an open relationship."
