No Apologies

No Apologies!

This is a story about a player. I was shooting for 750 words, but I cut it off at 1,237.

Warning, there is exactly one word of dialog in this story. This is just one man telling his story. If you find you don't like him much, you have company. I don't like him at all. I just wanted to explore what sort of individual chases after another man's wife.

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What did P.T. Barnum say? "There's a sucker born every minute!" Ain't that the truth. The world is full of suckers carrying the heavy burden of sexy wives with money to burn, and it's my job to lighten their load whenever possible. Don't get me wrong. I don't set out to take their wives and they don't support me. I just like to borrow them from time to time, put a few extra miles on them, and then send them home to hubby who is usually none the wiser. Some of them get a little too attached and normally I set them straight, but then every now and then I find one that is just too juicy to let go, so I string them along until the novelty wears off.

Let me put it another way: there are sheep and there are wolves, and it's good to be the wolf.

My name's Frank Williams and I work in sales. It's a great way for a wolf to make a living. The same skills that help me seal the deal on a bored wife have made me salesman of the year five years running. I can charm the checkbook off the boss and the panties off his secretary both in the same day.

I was doing well up until about a year ago. That's when I met Debbie McCormick, or Debbie Mac as she was called. Until then I never let any of them get too close, but she made me break all the rules. She was blonde, tall and slender, and she looked like she was smuggling cantaloupes under her sweater. She rebuffed my early attempts, but that just made me want her more.

She was married and I spotted the ring right away. The rock was the size of a cherry pit at least, so I knew she had money, but that wasn't what I was after. She had money and perfect nails, so that meant either she was a trust fund baby or hubby was bringing it home. Either way, she had time to kill, and I learned long ago that a bored or neglected woman was a natural mark. That doesn't mean she was going to be easy. She was, simply put, drop dead gorgeous. She was used to being hit on, so I needed to approach this one with caution.

I started watching for her and I soon learned her hangouts and to recognize her friends.

The best friend a wolf can have is an unskilled player, and she attracted players just by walking in the room. I watched her reject one dog after another and then play briefly with a few, but nobody got anywhere with her. I was waiting to capitalize on the mistake of a wanna-be player, and I wasn't disappointed. A half hour before closing time as she and her girlfriend were preparing to leave, a couple of clowns with too much to drink got way too handsy with the women. Taking them from behind was easy. The next step was the key. I nodded to the women, wished them a good night, turned, and walked away. I felt her eyes boring into my back.

After that, I stayed away from that place for a week. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and these two weren't used to being ignored.

I was sipping a beer when she and her girlfriend came in a week later. I saw them nudge each other out of the corner of my eye, and they beat a bee line for my table. That night I danced with them both. Other men came over and asked them to dance, but they rejected everyone. When I was dancing with one, the other was waiting her turn. After that, all I had to do is take my time, show an interest, and avoid doing anything stupid.

For a time I considered playing them both, but that's risky. If I got too greedy, I could lose them both. It's better to choose, play with one, and then when it ends, I can take a run at the other. Women talk, but they don't always listen.

I knew I had her the night she showed up without her friend and without her wedding ring. After that, I showered her with attention, played dumb about the missing ring, and never let my eyes wonder. Most importantly, I took my time. It's always best when they work for it. Three weeks after the ring disappeared so did her panties. At least, they disappeared once we got back to my place. I guess hubby was out of town because she spent the night and half the next day. When she left, I was drained.

Every man has known a beautiful woman who thinks it's his job to please her, but I'm telling you this one pulled out all the stops. When she left that next day I damn near threw out all the rules and begged her to stay. I didn't, but I almost did. Our dates became increasingly public. We met in restaurants, went to dance clubs, and attended concerts. All the while, she was finding ways to visit me on weekends and stay the night whenever hubby wasn't home.

I don't know when her husband figured it out or who told him, but one night she came through the door and was sporting a black eye. She was borderline hysterical, and it took me an hour to talk her down. I told her he needed time to cool off and convinced her to spend the night. That night she threw herself at me like a drowning woman. It's always the most fun once the husband knows. That's when the real excitement starts.

The next two weeks were the best part of the whole affair. She gave up trying to hide our relationship, and as near as I could tell she flaunted it in front of him. She never told me why. The wives usually ask forgiveness when they're caught or promise it's only temporary, but she wanted him to hurt. No matter. Once they're found out, I usually string them along until the husband knows who's the better man and then I send them back to hubby. If I don't, they start to grow attached and I don't need that. It pained me to admit it, but this one was reaching her expiration date. No amount of sex, no matter how good, is worth all that.

I figured one, maybe two weekends, and then I'd give her a tearful goodbye, tell her it's for the best, and send her on home used but not broken. At least, that was the plan. Things don't always go according to plan.

We were leaving my condo and headed off for dinner when a figured blocked our path. She stopped short and with a surprised voice asked, "Jimmy?" I remember a brief, blinding light and then everything went dark. There was no pain, no chorus of angels, and no heavenly light. There was only darkness, perpetual and eternal darkness.

News at eleven: "A local man and woman were shot and killed tonight coming out of his condo. Neighbors said she was a frequent visitor. The police have not yet released their names. The shooter was arrested at the scene and offered no resistance. He is reported to be the husband of the dead woman."

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So there you have it. There are those who play outside the rules and get away with it because they expect everyone else to play within the rules. When they meet someone with fewer rules than them, they lose.