Jackie and Steve had met up to get even for their spouses having an affair together. She had seen her husband's, car at Steve's house and heard Carla and Brad together.
They had only slept for a few moments after sex, when Jackie nudged Steve out of her bed saying, "That should make us even."
"How about a round two?" Steve asked.
"Don't push it Steve, this was a grudge fuck, no more, no less. Now go back to that slut wife of yours and tell her she's a whore."
Steve was unable to parry with her anger, and just left Jackie irate, wallowing in her self pity and rage.
A few minutes after Steve had left, Jackie walked to the living room and noticed the light on the answering machine blinking, indicating a message had been received. She pressed the play button and listened as Brad's voice erupted from the machine, "Hi honey, I'm going to need a ride home tonight; my brother borrowed my car for a date he has with Cindy. Call me when you get this. Love you, bye."
Jackie was stunned; she crumpled to the floor, sickened by the realization that she had made a grave mistake. Cindy was Steve and Carla's daughter. She had been the one she had mistaken as Carla, and Bob, Brad's little brother, was the man she had heard through the window.
"Oh my god!" She muttered through her hands pressed to her face. "How will I ever explain this to Brad?"
Jackie called Brad, but decided not to mention anything about the mix up. Then, just as she was getting ready to go to pick Brad up, she realized there was someone else that she had to call, Steve, he had gone home and was quite possibly in a rage over the incident. Jackie called Steve's home number and he picked up on the first ring.
"Hello."
"Steve, we have to talk. It wasn't Brad at your house today it was…"
Steve cut her off, "It was Bob, I just found out myself, he's still here with Cindy."
"Oh god," Jackie sobbed, "What are we going to do?"
"Jackie we can't say anything to anyone." Steve replied earnestly.
"But I've made such a big mistake. I'll have to tell Brad." Jackie pleaded.
"No, you mustn't tell him, he'll get mad and tell Carla, I couldn't possibly explain it to her, Jackie. Please don't say anything."
"I have to go." Jackie said matter-of-factly, and hung up the phone.
Bob stood in the kitchen doorway and watched as Steve pleaded with his sister in law over the phone. What was the big secret? What were these two up to?
"What's up Steve?" Bob asked as he stepped into the kitchen.
Steve tensed and turned white as a sheet, turning to face Bob. "Oh, nothing Bob, what's up with you?" He managed to say, his voice trembling.
"You look like you saw a ghost." Bob said inquisitively, his eyes squinting, trying to discern what Steve had cooked up with Jackie.
"Oh, just some disturbing news, that's all."
Bob wasn't convinced, "What does Jackie have to do with it?"
"Oh no, you heard that? I'm so ashamed, Bob, you can't let anyone know what I… We have done."
"What have you done that could be so bad?" Bob said with a smile, and as he did so realized what was tearing at Steve's heart. "You mean you and…Jackie…are lovers?"
"It's not like that, Bob, It was a big mistake."
"I'll say so," Bob interjected.
"Jackie saw Brads car here, thought it was Brad having an affair with Carla and, well…"
"You and Jackie were getting even?"
Steve nodded 'yes' his eyes downcast, "You have to keep it secret, Bob."
"Shit, you screw my sister in law and I'm not supposed to tell my brother? You don't ask for much, do you?"
"Please Bob, I can't bear to break Carla's heart like this…"
"Ok, Ok, I'll have to think about this, meanwhile, don't you dare go near Jackie, do you understand?" Bob admonished Steve.
"You have my word Bob."
***
The following day Jackie droned around the house; not sleeping the night before had left her listless and depressed. Brad was at the gym with the guys, at noon she heard the door bell ring and couldn't surmise who could be just dropping by unannounced. She looked through the peep hole in the door and saw Bob, Brad's brother, standing there. Jackie's heart leapt for a moment, but then composed herself and opened the door, smiling widely as she did.
"Hi, Bob. What's the occasion?"
"Hi Jackie, is Brad home?"
"No he isn't, he goes to the gym Saturday mornings. Can I help?"
"Well, I'm here to see you, Jackie." Bob explained with his gaze level, his eyes burning a hole through his sister in law.
"Oh?" Jackie looked startled, "What about?" She leaned against the door for support, her knees were weak, and her mind raced grasping for a steadying thought, anything that could make this moment go away, could explain Bob's presence here, without dredging up the sordid acts of the previous day.
"Maybe we should talk inside Jackie."
"Uh,,, oh,,, ok." She froze as Bob walked through the doorway, past her to the living room. Finally, managing to move herself to the opposite end of the couch, sitting, hands clasping and fidgeting in her lap, avoiding his gaze.
Several minutes of tense silence filled the space between them before Bob finally spoke. "Jackie I was at Cindy's house yesterday." He paused and waited for a response, then continued, "I found out about the mistake you and Steve made…"
Jackie burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably, unable to mask the fear and anguish that had consumed her.
Bob was touched by the emotional scene before him, and reached for Jackie, then thought better and pulled his hand back, offering instead his soft even voice as a consolation; "Oh Jackie, don't be so hard on yourself. Look it was just a mistake, but we have to reconcile this with Brad…"
"Oh god!" She bursts out falling back onto the couch, flailing her hands as she does so. "I can't tell him, Carla will kill Steve and me, and Brad will leave me for sure. I can't tell anyone, I just can't."
Bob saw her point, as bad as it was, the situation could become much worse, Steve had expressed it much the same way too.
"Ok, ok, we'll hold off telling anyone," he said, as he moved closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder and wishing he hadn't confronted her now. She leaned into his chest and sobbed, he could feel the tears as they flowed freely onto his shirt. He held her there for what seemed like forever, before she fell asleep. He laid her back on the couch, covered her with a comforter, and left her to rest.
Bob was Brad's younger brother by some sixteen years. Their parents were surprised when Bob came along; he was an unexpected addition to the family and was always the 'baby' of the family. He was now eighteen and in college, although still living at home with his parents. Brad and Jackie were 34 and seemed more like uncle and aunt to him than brother and sister in law. Bob had become infatuated with Cindy, Steve's daughter in high school, and now dated her as often as he could, they were a matched pair; both liked casual sex with few strings attached. This is how Bob had come to be at Cindy's house when Jackie mistakenly assumed he was Brad.
Now Bob shared a secret with Steve and Jackie. A secret he desperately wanted to share with Brad, but couldn't, for everyone's sake. Now he found himself wishing he hadn't stuck his nose into their business. He regretted knowing anything about the whole affair. He had even stopped calling on Cindy, he just couldn't be with her without recalling the fallout that had befallen the people he loved and wanted to protect.
Some few weeks later, after school, Bob had come home and his mother informed him that Jackie had called and asked that he return her call as soon as he could.
Bob picked up the cordless phone and went onto the veranda to call Jackie, "Hi, you wanted me to call?"
"Yes." Jackie said, succinctly, "We need to talk."
"Ok…"
"But not at my house, I'll pick you up, at seven, ok?"
"Sure, ok."
Jackie waited at the curb, as Bob left the front porch and made his way along the curved path to car door. As he entered, the glare of bright white light made Jackie's face appear frightful and ghoulish. Bob said "Hi" and fastened his seat belt, as Jackie accelerated, the car lurched from the curb and she began driving out of the neighborhood.
"Where to?" Bob asks.
"Nowhere, I just need to talk, and you are the only one I can talk to about it."
"I see…"
"No you don't see. I'm living a hellish nightmare, day and night, I can't sleep or eat, Brad wants to know what's going on and I can't tell him. Oh Bob, what do I do?"