Ate's Date

Kate's Date

Many thanks to those who offered comments and constructive criticism on my previous stories.

For those who want to say this or that would never happen, remember this is my universe, a place where nearly anything can, and often does, happen.

At least on paper...

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(Yes, I moderate comments) And please remember, this is a work of fiction, not a docu-drama...

How long does it take to completely screw up a 22-year-long marriage? Not very long. I watched the flashy sports car take off down the road and something told me this would be the last time I would ever see her. How could she possibly do this, I asked myself. After 22 years -- more if you consider we were high school sweethearts four years before we married.

My name is Ron Nelson, and I thought I'd grow old with Kate, the woman who just took off down the road in the company of one Jake Greene. But I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

I won't bore you with all the details of how we met, dated and fell in love. I will say I was smitten with her the first time I saw her at the vending machine in our high school. She wore a knee-length dress that showed her toned legs, but it was her eyes that first caught my attention. We struck up a conversation at the machine and we just clicked.

We dated all through high school, and celebrated our 18

th

birthdays by surrendering our virginity to each other. She was the only woman I had ever been with and up until tonight, I was the only man she had ever known in the biblical sense.

We got married shortly after graduation and settled into married life. She had been working for Walmart since she was old enough to work, so she stayed there, since she liked what she did. Thanks to my father's connections at the plant where he worked, and my aptitude with computers, I got a job as a helpdesk technician in the company's IT department.

It was pretty good work, and I made a fairly decent wage. On top of that, the company paid for my college education, so I took night classes and got my networking degree in about three years. At the same time, I got a number of certifications.

Kate stayed with Walmart and was working her way up the ladder. We weren't rich by any stretch of the imagination, but we did alright.

We had two children early on. Our daughter, Linda, was born about a year after we married, and our son, Greg, was born about a year after that. Greg's delivery was pretty rough, so Kate had her tubes tied when he was born, saying we had done our bit to perpetuate the human race.

We had what you might call a fairly typical life. We loved each other dearly and we loved our children. Sure, we had issues like every family does, but we managed to work through them. Kate was a wonderful wife and mother and I did everything I could to be the best husband and father possible.

A few months after Greg was born, Kate decided to go back to work. I was concerned about the cost of child care, but her parents and mine graciously stepped up to watch over the children as much as they could.

After Greg turned one, we realized there just wasn't enough room for all four of us in that little two-bedroom apartment, so we worked out our budget and realized we had enough to put a nice down payment on a house. So we went out and bought a fairly new three-bedroom ranch home with a full unfinished basement and a two-car garage.

And that's where we've been ever since. Life was good, or at least, it seemed that way to me. We did all the things married couples with children do -- games, recitals, you name it. We even did the PTA thing. We decided early on that Fridays would be our night out, so the kids would spend the night with one set of grandparents or the other and Kate and I would go out to enjoy each other and reconnect.

Eventually, the children graduated from high school -- the same one Kate and I had attended, by the way. Linda decided she wanted to be a doctor, so she went to college after she graduated. Greg enlisted in the Marines after he graduated.

After Greg went to boot camp, I took Kate on a cruise to the Caribbean to celebrate our 20

th

anniversary. Things started going south about six months later.

I noticed Kate seemed a bit moody and uncommunicative at times. I did everything I could to lift her spirits, but it seemed as though her mind was always somewhere else. I reached out to her to find out what was on her mind, but she would always dismiss my concerns.

Like most couples our age, sex had also dropped off quite a bit. When we first married, it seemed like we did it every single day -- sometimes two or three times a day.

Of course, things dropped off a bit after the kids were born, but we still enjoyed each other about three times a week. Lately, though, it seemed like that had dropped off to about three or four times a month. I didn't push the issue much, and chalked it up to age. Both of us, after all, were now pushing 40.

The last six months, though, it seemed like we didn't do very much at all. Sure, we went out on Friday nights, but it seemed like Kate always had a headache or something that caused her not to want to have sex.

Then it happened -- the night that changed my life forever.

I came home at my normal time. By now, I worked as the head network administrator for the company, and Kate worked as a regional manager. I came home one Friday, having just bought a bouquet of flowers, and hoped to have a nice evening out with her.

When I went into the bedroom, I noticed she had put on a very nice black dress that showed a lot of leg and a lot of cleavage. She had just put on a new set of earrings I had bought for her a couple months ago.

"You look good enough to eat," I said. "Where are we going?" She looked down before she answered.

"We're not going anywhere," she said quietly.

"What?" I asked. "What do you mean, we're not going anywhere? This is Friday, we always go out on Friday nights. And you're all dressed up. What's going on?"

"I said, WE'RE not going out," she said. "But I am."

"Wait, what?" I asked, shocked. "What do you mean, you're going out without me?"

"Yes," she said quietly. "I... I have a date."

"WHAT!?" I exclaimed. "You have a date? You mean, like with another man?"

"Yes," she said.

"And you expect me to just be alright with this?" I asked.

"It's just one date," she said. "I need to do this, just one time. Then we can go on with our lives."

"I suppose you intend to have sex with this man," I said.

"Probably," she said.

"No," I said. "This is totally unacceptable. I won't allow it."

"Look, Ron," she said. "You're the only man I've ever been with. I just want to experience someone else just once before, you know, we get too old. It's only one date. It doesn't have to affect us."

"It already has," I said. "Who is this guy, by the way?"

"His name is Jake Greene," she said. "He works in the regional office with me."

"Have you slept with him already? Do you love him?" I asked. She shook her head.

"I don't love him and we haven't done anything yet," she said. "We've been out for lunch a lot these last several months, but we've never done anything. Honest, Ron, I just need to get this out of my system. After tonight, we can move on with our lives."

"No, you're wrong, Kate," I said. "I'm here to tell you if you go through with this, we're finished. I will not be your willing cuckold."

"But it's just one date," she said. "Surely you love me enough to let me do this just once."

"Is that what Jake told you?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "He told me that if you really love me, you'd let me do this just once. He said that you wouldn't jeopardize 20 years over a single date."

"I'm not the one jeopardizing anything," I said. "And I promise that if you go through with this, our marriage is over."

"You'd throw away 22 years over a single date?" she asked.

"Like I said, I'm not the one throwing away 22 years," I said. "You are. I've never once even thought about another woman and I sure as hell have never cheated on you."

"I wouldn't be cheating, either," she said.

"What?" I asked. "You just got finished telling me you were going to screw this guy. How is that not cheating?"

"Because I told you beforehand," she said. "I would never do anything behind your back."

"You've spent the last several months with this guy behind my back," I said. "You let him get into your head and the two of you planned this night out. You think that just because you told me you're going to screw him that's not cheating?"

"It's not the same thing," she said. "Look, Ron, it's only one date. That's all. You and I have been together over 20 years. You owe it to me to let me do this."

"I owe it to you?" I asked. "Are you kidding?"

"Please, Ron," she begged. "I promise it's only the one date." I shook my head in disbelief.

"You're determined to do this, aren't you?" I asked. She nodded her head.

"Yes," she said. "It's only the one night. Then it'll just go back to being the two of us." Angry, I reached out, took her left hand and yanked her rings off.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"What do you think?" I asked. "I've given you my entire life, and this is how you repay me? Screw that. I'll not have you spoil the rings I gave you."

"But..." she began.

"But nothing, Kate," I said. "I promise that if you go through with this, you'll not be welcome back into this house."

"That's where you're wrong," she said. "I'm going to do this, and there's nothing you can do to stop me. Now, get out and let me get finished. He'll be here any time."

"What?" I asked, shocked. "You invited him here so you can rub my nose in your infidelity?"

"He's picking me up," she said.

"You're not letting him into this house, Kate," I said. "And I mean what I said. If you do this, you may as well stay gone."

"What are you going to do?" she asked, defiant.

"I'll go see a lawyer about a divorce first thing in the morning," I said. "Then you can fuck Jake to your heart's content."

"But I don't want a divorce," she said.

"Tough shit," I told her. "You made your choice, now you get to live with it." I took my ring off and set it down on the dresser, hoping she would get the message. Then I stormed out of the room.

About a half hour later, she came out of the bedroom, dressed to the nines. I fought to keep from crying. My whole adult life was getting ready to walk out the door. I heard a car horn out front and realized it was her date. Kate walked to the door and looked back one last time.

"I promise, after tonight, I'll be all yours," she said. "Don't wait up. I probably won't be back till tomorrow."

"Kate," I said. "I meant what I said. If you walk out that door, we're finished. You won't have a home to come back to."

"I'm sorry, Ron," she said. "I have to do this. I'll be back tomorrow." With that, she left.

After the sports car left, I locked the door, grabbed some trash bags and headed into the bedroom. I tossed her things into the bags, not caring if anything got broke or ruined. I grabbed our wedding albums and tossed those into the bags as well. Everything got crammed into her car. By then, it was about 11:00 pm, so I decided to deal with the rest of her crap later and sat down in the front room with a beer.

I ended up falling asleep on the couch, having consumed several beers. About three hours later, I awoke to the doorbell ringing. I got off the couch and opened the door to see two police officers.

"Ronald Nelson?" one of the officers asked.

"Yeah, that's me," I said. "What can I do for you officers?"

"Are you married to a Katherine Nelson?" he asked.

"At the moment," I said.

"Sir, your wife is in critical condition at Mercy Hospital," the officer said. "She was hurt in an automobile accident."

"What?" I asked. "What happened?"

"According to the report, the car she was in got t-boned by a speeding truck," the policeman said.

"What about the other person she was with?" I asked.

"Jacob Greene?" the officer asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but he was pronounced dead at the scene."

"Crap," I said. I wanted to get my pound of flesh from both of them, but I didn't want to see Kate get physically hurt. I never met Jake, but I felt a bit of satisfaction knowing that he paid a heavy price for seducing my wife. "Alright," I told the officers. "Let me get showered and changed and I'll head over to the hospital."

"Very well, sir," the officer said. "Again, I'm sorry."

"Thank you," I said as the officers left. I headed into the master bathroom, showered and changed and left for the hospital.

When I got there, I inquired about Kate's location and was directed to the ICU. I checked in and was told to wait for the doctor. After sitting in the waiting area for about an hour, a doctor in a green medical smock came out.

"Mr. Nelson?" he asked. I stood and shook his hand. "I'm Dr. Abernathy. I'm the doctor who's been taking care of your wife, Katherine. Can we talk for a few minutes?" I let him lead me into a small room with a table and four chairs. He closed the door and I began to suspect the worst.

"How's my wife?" I asked him.

"Not good," he said. "There was a lot of damage, a lot of internal bleeding. We did everything we could, but I'm afraid she may not make it through the night. You may want to contact the family." I knew what that meant -- she was dying. I nodded my head, numb with shock and anger.

"Thanks, doctor," I said.

"You're welcome, and please accept my condolences," he said, shaking my hand. After he left, I called her parents and mine, passing on what the doctor told me. They said they would be right over. I thought about calling the kids, but realized there was no way they could get here tonight. I decided to call them after I spoke with the parents.

I finally found Kate's room and looked in on her. She was covered with bandages and I could see the IV drips in her arms. A tube went down her throat and they had installed a nasal canula to help her breathe. Tears ran down my face as I looked at her, hooked up to all those instruments.

I sat next to her and held her hand. About a half hour later, our parents showed up.

"What happened?" her father asked me. What do I say, I asked myself. Do I tell them she was on her way to fuck her date for the night?

"She was in a car with one of her work colleagues," I finally said, deciding to spare them any additional pain. "From what the police told me, they got hit by a truck. The other person was killed."

"Oh my God," her mother said, tears streaming down her face. "Is she going to make it?"

"The doctor said she may not make it through the night," I said, prompting more tears. "I need to call the kids, so you may want to say your goodbyes," I said, stepping out of the room.

I called Linda first and gave her the news. I knew she couldn't make it since she was on the west coast. After she calmed down a bit, she made me promise to keep her informed about Kate's condition. Greg was just as upset and I made the same promise to him. After speaking with the children, I went back into Kate's room. All four of our parents were doing their best to keep it together, but I knew it wasn't easy for them. Finally, I saw Kate open her eyes. I walked to her side and took her hand.

She looked up at me, sadness in her eyes. I saw her lips move, but heard no sound. As I bent down to hear her, I saw a tear slide down her cheek. Then I heard the equipment she was hooked up to sound off. Looking up, I could see she had flat-lined. I knew at that moment she was gone for good. I gave her a kiss on the cheek and stepped back as the room filled up with medical personnel.

The five of us stood in the hallway as they did their work. Finally, Dr. Abernathy came out and gave us the news. She was gone -- dead. We cried and hugged each other for a while.

"Let us know if there's anything we can do, son," my father said as they left.

"Thanks," I told him. After they were gone, I sat in the hallway, processing everything that just happened. If I had been more insistent, perhaps she would still be alive, I thought. We might have ended up separated or divorced, but at least she would still be alive.

Epilogue:

The funeral went well, I thought. The pastor gave a nice speech and Kate was eulogized as a loving wife and mother. Greg got emergency leave from the Marines and showed up in his dress blues. Linda was there as well. There were plenty of tears and condolences to go around.

I had managed to get a copy of the police report and read that Jake and Kate had just left a night club. The report didn't say, but I suspected they were on their way to a hotel for the night. According to the report, Jake's neck was broken when the truck hit them and the officer noted that his trousers were open.

Kate's body was slumped over and it appeared her head was in his lap when the truck hit. It was pretty obvious what was going on when the accident happened. A piece of his penis was found lodged in her mouth when they pulled her from the wreckage.

A couple days after the funeral, Greg reported back to duty and Linda came to sit with me on the couch.

"Dad," she said. "I hope you don't mind, but I read the police report. What was Mom doing in that car with that guy?"

"Ending our marriage," I told her.

"That bitch. You never said anything to anyone about it," she said. "How come?"

"I didn't want anyone to remember her that way," I said.

"What are you going to do now?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said. "I'll probably stay here, redecorate the place. Maybe turn it into the mother of all man-caves. It'll give me something to do."

"Just don't turn into a bitter old man, okay?" she asked. "There's lots of fish in the sea, you know."

"So I've heard," I said. "I just don't think I'll ever meet anyone like your mother. It's going to take a while to get over this."

"I understand," she said. "Just take care of yourself, okay? Mom would want you to find someone, you know."

"I guess," I said.

It took a long time for me to get over what Kate had done. I spent the next couple years redecorating and painting the place until I had finally exorcised it of Kate's presence. I had met and dated a few women, but none of them struck my fancy, and I wasn't sure I could trust any of them.

I finally met a woman at a conference I attended in Seattle that caught my eye. Her name is Carmen, and like me, she's widowed. We spent a couple evenings together and stayed in touch. One day, she called and said she was being transferred to my city, so we spent some time together and I let her stay in the house while she looked for a condo of her own.

We dated for about a year before I decided it was time to make a move. I'm not sure what's going to happen, or even if she'll accept my proposal, but I figure I'll never know unless I ask.

"Go for it," I heard a female voice whisper in my ear. I looked around and saw nothing, but a chill went up my spine. Could it be...

Nah, I said to myself. That stuff only happens in stories...