Laura and Greg

This story is the property of the writer Kalimaxos.

Welcome to part 10 of the Laura and Greg epic.

No sex in this one. Greg and Laura reach an understanding due to the events that transpire in the chapter. It's not RAAC or BTB the way we know it. I wanted it different. You'll just have to read it.

Please read the previous chapters of this series and you will catch up on the saga of Laura and Greg; a young upscale couple with two young children whose marriage went off the rails. They and just about all the characters are flawed. If you are looking for good versus evil characters and story, this is not it. It's just a story and they are just people.

So if you like the story and want updates of new chapters, please follow me so you can be informed of new chapter publication. This is important as I may have the chapters published in different page categories due to the content.

To those who are following the story, thank you. More is to come.

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Greg 2004

Laura was quiet on the drive home. We usually talked about our dalliances with other couples, but she seemed distracted.

"Did you have a good time?" I asked as I drove.

"Yes," she replied shaken from her reverie and turning to smile at me. "You?"

"I did," I replied. "Until now."

"Why?" my wife asked apprehensively. "Did I do something wrong?"

I gave her a quick glance then turned my gaze back toward the road.

"You've been distracted of late. All week in fact. What's wrong?"

She nodded looking down. I got a bad feeling just then.

"Greg, we have to talk."

Funny I thought just then, but it was the same thing my cousin Celia had said almost a week ago.

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Greg 2004 The Monday before meeting the Washingtons.

"Greg, we need to talk." My cousin and former lover Celia said at my office door.

"Close the door," I replied. "I have the next forty five minutes free."

She closed the door and sat down across me. She wore the typical female office uniform. White blouse, tight gray skirt and black three inch heels. Her black hair was braided toward her right side laying over her ample right breast. I felt my cock stir in my pants but knew nothing would come of it.

Celia and I had a month long affair some time ago, but it had ended when my wife and I had chosen to reconcile our marriage. My wife Laura and I had both cheated on each other during that time and had since decided to cease our affairs and instead find an outlet for our extramarital sex needs in a group of exclusive swingers.

Celia and I worked at the same place, Holden Foods Corp, but were now just family and coworkers. She had since began an ongoing affair with my mentor and family friend Garrison Gray who was a senior VP in our corporation. It had been good for her career, but not my idea of how to get ahead in life. Still, Celia was a grown woman and made her own decisions.

"What's up?" I asked when she seemed to hesitate to begin.

"There is no other way to say it, so I will," she said. I could tell that she had stressed over something before coming to me. "Garrison is blackmailing your wife."

"What did you say?" I asked in shock.

"Garrison and Laura had an affair some time ago," she stopped when she saw the reaction of shock on my face. "You didn't know?"

"Go on," I replied with a cold stare. Garrison! Fucken Garrison! My wife had fucked my mentor and family friend?

My cousin had been warming my mentor Garrison's bed since she and I broke our affair off. In my mind, she was his agent in the company now and my life. Her motives were suspect to me, but I still wanted to know what she had to say then pass judgement.

"I overheard him call her the other day at my place. He thought I was asleep, but I got up to go to the bathroom. He clearly said her name."

"What did you hear?" I asked. "Tell me Celia. Tell me exactly what you heard."

"I can do one better," she said and took out a recording device she had in her hand. It was a small handheld device and she placed it on my desk and clicked the on button. I heard Garrison in a one-sided conversation.

"Listen to me Laura... I don't care about your marriage and what you agreed to... No... shut up and listen... are you listening?... Laura if you don't listen to me I will tell Greg what you and I were doing, and he will not be happy with you... now do I have your attention?... Good. Now listen. I have pictures of you and I together and I have pictures of you and him together... You know who... Yes I know... Shut up Laura... you will do as I tell you or your husband will know who you were fucking around with. Do you understand?... Stop crying you stupid bitch. Now, you will do as I tell you. I'll call you again and give you instructions. And you will follow them or else. Do you understand?...Begging will not work Laura. I don't care about your family or kids. I own you. When I call, you have better listen. Bye."

Celia shut the device off and stared back at me. There was a cold sweat down my back as I realized that this was damaging. This was nothing Celia made up to get me to dump my wife. This was real. That had been Garrison's voice. One thing though, I only had his side of the conversation.

"Does Garrison know of this tape Celia?" I asked staring at her with intent, trying to judge her honesty.

"No," she replied and gave me a floppy disk. "This is your copy. I have another saved."

She then placed the device inside her bra under her blouse.

"Do you intent to use this as leverage with Garrison?" I asked.

"I can't lie Greg. I thought about it. But we are family. You come first. I owe you."

"What do you owe me?" I said still not ready to believe her. "Garrison is your meal ticket in this company and has been since the day you went to his bed."

"You got me a job here before Garrison even knew me. I no longer want that arrangement with him. He is a pig," she replied. "You were right, it was a bad move."

I was seething in anger at Garrison and trying to think at the same time. Celia was staring at me expectantly. There was a fire in her eyes. I knew that fire. But this was not the time. Laura had come home unsettled yesterday and distracted. I had asked her what was going on, but she had said she was trying to sort something out and just made dinner. She had been moody the rest of the evening; and we did not have sex. Now I knew what had been on her mind. All evidence pointed to the call by Garrison being truly to Laura. And who was the "him" Garrison had brought up? Was it that shit-wit from Laura's job? At this point did it matter anymore? Garrison had somehow gotten the drop of Laura with some guy and was using it against her.

"When did this happen?" I asked my cousin.

"Yesterday. Sorry I couldn't bring it to you earlier." Fuck!

I had a lot on my mind, but this situation with my cousin had to be resolved quickly.

"You have to decide Celia. Right now. Are you on my side or Garrison's?"

"Greg, I brought you the..."

"I mean it Celia." I said fixing her with a cold stare. "Garrison is playing a dangerous game with my family. You said we are family more than once. Are you with the family, or are you going to ride his dick for higher pay?"

Celia looked at me and I saw a range of emotions in seconds. One was shame and the other anger. Shame at what she had been doing for sure, but anger at whom? Me or Garrison?

"I'm with you," she replied nodding with conviction. "With the family."

"Good, then I need you to find out more for me. I want to know what his intentions are. Think you can do that?"

"How?" she asked.

"Pillow talk cousin. Pillow talk." I said staring at her. She seemed to understand and nodded to me in agreement. She gulped looking back at me submissively.

"And Celia," I said as she stood. "While I appreciate you coming to me, you have better not cross me. When all this is settled, you can either be here with my support or out on the street and dead to me. Think hard before you turn on me."

"I'm on your side Greg," she replied. "I may have taken advantage of an opportunity with Garrison, but when I found out what he did I came to you. Don't you forget THAT."

We nodded to each other in understanding and she left.

Two days later, she came back to my office. But I had not been idle.

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Greg 2004 The Wednesday before we met the Washingtons

Right after Celia left my office that Monday, I had done something I should have done all along; I called the investigator that had been recommended to me when Laura was doing her disappearing act. Her name was Janice Cappio and was a retired police detective.

I had decided to give Laura and us a second chance, but enough was enough. Trust only went so far and in our case, not far considering the amount of cheating she had confessed to me. My guilt after cheating on her and my denial as well, (I have to admit my weakness) had kept me from checking on my wife's honesty of late. But Celia's information coupled with Laura's change in mood had made me finally do what I should have done all along.

Twice the investigator had informed me that Laura had not gone anywhere outside work, her parents and lunch with Angela this week. The bugs and cameras installed at our home by the investigator had shown nothing either.

"If she is in contact with anyone, it's by her work phone," Janice Cappio, the private investigator informed me. "Her cell is clean of any of his calls since last Sunday."

I had taken Laura's phone to the front door Tuesday morning while she was still asleep. Janice had installed a file that gave her access to my wife's phone. So she was not calling him on her time.

"Can you bug her work phone?" I asked.

"No Mr. Hansen," she replied. "Their system is not web based. My hacker can't access it. But I am working on installing a bug in her office tonight."

"How?"

"The cleaning service woman will do it. I met her this morning as she was leaving the premises. I made out like I was company security and searched her purse. She had some company items she pilfered from your wife's place of work. In return for not reporting her, I recruited her. She will place the device and I will know tomorrow."

"That's very thorough," I replied.

"No offense Mr. Hansen, but you should have hired me some months back," she said it more matter of fact like than to insult me. "I also went to some of the places she used to go in her... off the grid days."

I listened to her as she looked at her notes.

"She went to the bars she told you and from what their staff told me when they saw her picture, she was definitely active there. Multiple men, never the same one. In one bar, Finnegan's, one of her conquests was there when I visited. The barmaid pointed him out. He confirmed that they had gone to a local motel and had sex. Your wife told him she did not want to know his name and just had sex with him. Next time she was back at Finnegan's she picked a different guy and never looked at the one I talked to again. I got the same reports from other bars. John's Barrel, Lindstrom's and Red Pony."

"Red Pony! The redneck bar by the highway?"

"Yes Mr. Hansen," Janice replied. "It was near the end of her running around. She apparently hooked up with some trucker with a military jacket. Probably a vet from the tattoos on his arm. I saw the security cam on that. They then went to a motel not far from there and that was it. After that, your wife's days in those places ended."

"What about at her job?" I asked. "The local hotel where she and that guy Steve from her job were going?"

"That ended at the same time as well." Janice continued. "There was another man, a onetime deal hookup from another company in your wife's building, but he relocated a month ago to Seattle. I can pursue that if you like, but I think it's a waste of time. She had plenty of contacts and opportunities here to go with anyone out of town and she has not traveled anywhere since."

"There is something...I mean someone missing in the picture. I told her. Someone else. I have a feeling we are missing something."

"Someone other than Garrison Gray?" Janice asked as if surprised that I would question her assessment. "I have been very thorough."

"Have you accounted for all her time?" I asked. Janice looked perplexed. "How about Saturdays back then."

Janice shook her head.

"She would go to the mall for a short time and pick up a few things quickly and come home. I saw the mall security video."

"How do you get all this stuff?" I asked surprised.

"Mr. Hansen, you are not the only spouse that hires me. I have built good contacts over the years locally. I have testified and provided information for over one hundred divorces. More than that in simple investigations. Getting video from security systems is nothing hard for me. All I have to do is put my staff on reviewing tapes in places looking for a specific person."

"So where had she gone all that time on Saturdays?" I asked to both myself and Janice.

"Well, she got a speeding ticket once early on one of those Saturdays just outside your parent's gated community," Janice replied. Then she hesitated.

"What?" I asked.

Janice looked at me as if judging what to say. I stared back.

"Mr. Hansen," she said leaning in. "Like I told you, I have contacts in places all around town. Part of the job. I have contacts in the subdivision your parents, your in-laws and the Grays live at. As you know the place also has judges, wealthy people and politicians living there. If those people knew what I know about their security, they would have a cow. As is, the Congressional security people do know what I do and cover for me."

"Wait," I said trying to think it out. "Congressional? As in Congresswoman Ainsworth?"

"It's a touchy topic Mr. Hansen. Don't ask anything more about her; there is no connection to your wife."

We stared at each other, but I realized Janice was holding stuff back from me. Still, she had been thorough about Laura's whereabouts and had brought up Lindenhurst Estates where my and Laura's families lived.

"So she got a ticket outside Lindenhurst," I asked. "So what?"

"Mr. Hansen," she replied cautiously as if careful what to say and not say. "I checked Lindenhurst. You wife visited there every one of those Saturdays for a few hours before leaving to go do her quick shopping at the mall and return home."

"And?" I asked impatiently.

"Mr. Hansen," she replied slowly. I could tell she was hesitating to continue. "This may be nothing at all considering where your wife went at Lindenhurst Estates those days. It could be nothing."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Mr. Hansen," she replied with a sigh. "I don't think she was doing anything bad there."

"Call me Greg, why do you say that?" I asked.

"Greg," she said closing her folder. "Have your parents discussed your marriage with you at all during that time or recently?"

"They know we had trouble," I said to her, "but nothing extensive. Why do you ask?"

"Greg," she replied, "on those Saturdays, four consecutive ones to be exact, your wife visited your parent's home."

My parents' home! She went to see my parents? I was confused.

"You are certain?"

"Yes Mr. Hansen. I mean Greg. She went in and left approximately two and a half to three hours later."

"Oh shit!" I replied and felt my world spin around me.

"Mr. Hansen...Greg, are you OK?" Janice asked.

"You know for certain that she was in the house?" I asked.

"Yes. She parked down the street and walked over to your parent's home."

I did some quick thinking, and it was the same each time. It was when my mother was not at home. When she was at work weekends. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

"Did your contacts see anything or anyone there?" I asked. "Anyone other than her?"

"Well, according to the notes, your father would leave soon after she arrived, then return after a couple of hours or more. Once it was three hours." Janice stated looking at her notes again. "I figured your wife visited your mom and your dad made himself scarce."

But I knew that was not the case. I just knew. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I knew.

"I didn't think this would be important when I retained your services Janice, but my mother works during that time. She leaves around eight in the morning and returns around three in the afternoon. That means my wife went to my parent's home when my father was there alone and then he left?"

"Yeah, that is strange," she replied. "Do you think he was facilitating her seeing someone else at your parents' home?"

"That's for you to find out Janice," I replied. But I had a bad premonition about this. Still, I wanted Janice to investigate and tell me facts rather than me go off on unproven possibilities. To say I was a mess was an understatement.

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Greg 2004 - Celia gets back to me that Wednesday.

It had been two anxious and uncomfortable two days waiting for Celia to get in touch. During those days, Laura had been distant and almost distraught. I had caught her crying twice; once in the bathroom and when I came home to find her crying over the washer as she sorted laundry. Both times I had backed away realizing that she was trying to sort out what had happened with Garrison and what to tell me.

Was she trying to soften the blow? To come up with a good lie? Or how to tell me the truth without losing me. Bracing myself for the worse, I waited for Celia to let me in on what was going on with Garrison and Laura.

"Greg," Celia said as she came to my office and shut the door that Wednesday. "You have to hear this."

She gave me a floppy disk that I placed in my PC. There was an audio file right on top which I played. I could make out both Celia and Garrison talking. She had obviously recorded their conversations. Most of it at first was him telling Celia about him and Laura. Then telling her what he wanted to do with her.

"I have plans for that slut wife of Greg's," I heard Garrison say gleefully. "Lesson to you my dear. Never waste an opportunity to use people when you have something on them. In her case, it's her infidelity."

"You seduced her?"

"I didn't have to do much Celia," he chuckled. "She was so pissed at her husband thinking he was fucking you that she called me herself and asked me for drinks. I played along and took advantage of an opportunity. It was her doing."

"But you knew I was his cousin and Greg and I weren't fucking then..." I heard Celia. She was drawing him out knowing she was recording him.

"Yeah I knew, but she didn't," he scoffed at Laura's expense.

"You could have told her who I was and that we weren't," Celia interjected. "But you sly fox, you played that to your advantage and got her to fuck you."

"Spare me the moral indignation Celia," he reproached her. "You fucked your cousin nonetheless and didn't give a shit that he was married. You have no room to talk."

"I guess I don't Garrison," she replied. "So what happened next?"

"I fucked her twice." Garrison continued. "The first time was to see if she was worth it. And it was. So the second time I paid for the room and had a camera installed. Two to be exact. So I had video of her and proof of her infidelity."

"Then why didn't you blackmail her then?"

"Well, let's just say I know cheaters being one myself. I counted on her being a nasty girl and had her followed. Let's just say she was not just seeing me in Lindenhurst Estates."

"Who else?"

"That my dear is valuable information that I don't wish to share at the moment. But let's just say, she was visiting someone, and they were driving off to an out of the way place for fun. They did this four weekends straight. Each time driving back to his house at Lindenhurst after. She would then drive to the mall, buy some shit she had on hold or something like that and go home as if she had been shopping. Greg bought her story. Or was by then too busy fucking you to want to care."