Reflections

Chapter 3+G

This will make absolutely no sense if you don't read parts one and two. But as a reminder, Claire wants to sleep with another man. Alan is torn about what to do. He realises that Claire has to call this off otherwise the itch will always remain so he has said 'Yes' but tries to make it impossible to achieve, if he can. It hasn't gone well for Alan so far. And of course, the fall-out. A longer chapter with a lot going on. And for those of you that are still here, I hope you enjoyed the ride it's going to get a bit shouty towards the end.

Friday

Julia was up before me, tea and toast were ready, she looked at me and said. "Bloody hell, you look worse than yesterday, I could put a week's shopping in those bags under your eyes."

"Well, whose fault is that do you think," I said giving her a weak smile. "All finished one way or another just after this time tomorrow." Had I done too much to upset the apple cart? I didn't want to risk more, like actual physical abuse with a cricket bat, or even my box bashing stick, but I had been tempted, it might still happen. As I sat there quietly eating my toast I thought, "I will have revenge, but let's try and miss out going to gaol bit."

I gave her a hug as I left. The first thing I did was to go to Shithead's office and make sure the door was still jammed open by the wooden wedge. Then I went down to my small office to see what was on the Dash Cam audio recorder that I had downloaded last night. I extracted the audio files and started listening to them, for the first 10 minutes it was the 2Cs crapping on about their cars, and how they needed them, and it could ruin their weekend and how they didn't know how it happened. Why them? the usual blonde airhead stuff, after a while they seemed to calm down, probably because they'd run out of breath. Then there was a loud scream. "Look where you're going, you nearly ran off the road, you prat. Can't you drive." I gather Shithead nearly crashed.

That seem to wake them up and I started to hear the stuff that I was really interested in.

Shithead was moaning about the car, it was rattling now he said, it was the sound of something vibrating in the central console. Charity said. "What's this, this is what's making the noise?"

"Devious bastard, that's an audio recorder." There was a pause for a while. "He's recording what we say, he must be on to something. Get that bottle of water pour it in the cup holder and drop that in it. That'll fuck him up."

Looks like they found the audio recorder, bugger I should have thought that out better. But they seem to have completely missed the Dash Cam.

There was a pause for a while then Chardonnay said. "Do you think it will work then? If you do shag her that's 100 quid you owe us each."

This was it, all I needed was for one of them to say her name or even mine, and I'd got him. I was praying to hear a name.

"It's not in the bag yet, you'll find out Monday, that bloody husband of hers keeps getting in the way."

Charity went on. "It's up to you now, we did our bit, led her on, hinted, suggested ways around the husband problem, embarrassed her a bit, actually even embarrassed the other two old two biddies. Hey, are you going to go after them next," they both giggled. "Well, you could do with the practise, we've had better," more giggling.

That is when I heard Chardonnay's voice pop up. "Actually, I think 100 quid is a bit short, hey girlfriend, don't you think £200 would be more like it, what do you think?"

"That's an excellent idea, listen, lover boy, it's now £200 each or we go to management and tell them you blackmailed us into helping you seducer her, and anyway it's not about her it's about getting even with that husband of hers, she's just an added bonus, what do you say lover boy?" There was more giggling from the pair of them. I didn't find it very funny.

"Oh, I don't think so," he said, "that would drop you in the shit just as much as me."

Charity said, "Hey girlfriend, have you still got those recordings on your phone, you know the ones that back mine up. The ones where he explained his plan to us and asked for our help? I think the price has just gone up to £500 each."

There was a screech of tyres and the sound of what it sounds like when someone beats their fists and head against a steering wheel. I know it didn't happen but would have been nice if the airbag had gone off.

"I don't have that money to hand, £250 each this month and the same next," he said.

Charity calmly carried on. "So, is it still in your plans to fuck up their marriage and get him sacked?"

That was his ulterior motive to get me sacked, fucking hell.

"I don't think so, she's not that good looking, she scrubs up well enough but bit dowdy normally. It's just to get one over on that git of a husband, but you know that, he made me look stupid, and lost me 2 Grand. I don't think I can get him sacked, I was hoping by me making a play for her he'd lose it and have a go at me. But he's not taking the bait, he's far too calm. Bit of a wimp really. Anyway, he's too far up the Boss's arse."

"What, you mean, up the Boss's arse because he does what he's paid to do, and you keep bunking off to give us a fucking. That's rich. And you haven't done much of that lately." Then the other bimbo carried on in a more serious tone. "I don't think he's a wimp, I think he loves her, and he's giving her something she wants. And if you go through with it, I'd watch your back, don't go down any dark alleys. I wouldn't like to get bashed with that stick of his, that could hurt."

I was almost screaming at the recording. "Just give me a fucking name, please!" It was pretty obvious who they were talking about, but without a name they could deny everything. And so could Julia. But at least I had those two.

He was lying about the money, some of the information I got from the camera over his desk was his online banking details. I'd had a look. He had thousands of pounds in his current account and 10's of thousands in his savings. It was his usual power game.

Fuck, still no names, too tenuous; but it did prove this was a set-up. And I was hoping what they'd said about him being not very good was true and not just a wind-up. Unfortunately, I might find out later. They reverted to that inane drivel that these two bimbos do, I listened to the end, but got no more from this. Fuck! I was getting used to hoping and then having my hopes dashed.

I had just finished when Julia arrived with a tray, a teapot, milk and digestive biscuits. This girl knows my soft spots. She just put them down, smiled at me and left.

Just after 09:30 I was summoned to Mr Barstow's office, when I got there Julia and Mrs Barstow were there. Mrs Barstow was in full blown Matron mode. "What the bloody hell is going on with you two?"

"Sorry Mrs Barstow, I cannot say, it's a family problem between the two of us." I replied.

"It's not a family problem when it affects the whole bloody factory, everyone has noticed you're having problems and they're walking around the pair of you as if on eggshells, and it's David and Sylvia in here."

"Mrs Barstow." That got a frown from her, I carried on. "Julia can't talk about it or I will divorce her, and I have to give her the same respect, she will divorce me if I talk about it." The last part wasn't true, and Julia could talk about it if I was present, I just didn't want to share what was happening with anyone. I didn't want to look as weak as I felt. And I didn't want the Barstow's to put two and two together and come up with four and realise Shithead was involved, they aren't stupid.

"But I can promise you it will all be over by Monday, well Saturday actually, by eight o'clock Monday it will be resolved one way or another. If you are not happy to give us until Monday, I will resign and walk out the door right now." I felt very brave, there were only six hours left in the working day.

Julia spoke for the first time, "and I will follow him."

The Barstows looked at each other and there was a slight nod from Mr Barstow, looking at his wife he said, "Yes, go on."

Mrs Barstow was still in Matron mode. "You say finished by Saturday?" Julia and I just nodded under the assault. "Right, you two, our place Sunday for lunch, we need to sort this out, 1pm, if you're not there you will be sacked Monday morning. We need to be prepared for whatever you two do. Got it?" We both meekly nodded. "Now get out." That was us told.

Mr Barstow held the door open for us to leave and he saw Shithead coming up the stairs, he looked a mess, crumpled suit, no tie, unkempt hair, unshaven, he actually looked grey. In a tone of voice I've never heard from Mr Barstow. "Andrew, my office, now!"

Julia made a beeline for her office; I think she wanted to get out of the way.

"Sorry Boss, I overlaid, the kitchen was flooded, I didn't get a wink of sleep all night it was so hot, the bloody heating was jammed on full. I had to call out the water people and the heating people to get someone to fix it all, as soon as I get the call that it's fixed, I'll go home and change. I had to call somebody out to fix it." He was repeating himself.

I smiled myself, there was nothing wrong with his house if he bothered to look.

My thermostat trick worked again, brilliant.

Shithead looked at his door and shouted at me. "You promised me you'd fix it."

"I promised you I would stop it being jammed closed, I've done that, I think Mr Barstow is waiting." I nodded to the door that Mr Barstow was still holding open for him.

Pointing to his office door as he walked past, he growled at me. "That's not good enough."

He entered Mr Barstow's office and as the door closed, I took out the screwdriver I had in my pocket and started to unscrew his office door hinges. Suddenly John appeared and supported the door. As I got the last screw out, Chris appeared and grabbed hold of the door then the pair of them walked away with it. John looked at me smiled and winked. "Fuck, what do they know? I didn't want them involved." I said to myself.

I soon found out. I got back to my office, and it appears I had a spare door. John and Chris came in, and Chris said. "Chief we don't know what's going on between you, the Mrs and Andy Davis, but we don't like the smarmy shit, so we're on your side, if there's anything we can do let us know, but you seem to be doing Ok on your own."

A few minutes later there was a strange sight, a salesman on the factory floor, walking, well more like storming down the floor towards my office. "Put that fucking door back on you shit," he shouted.

John stepped forward and quietly pointed out that they had taken it off to get the edge planed so it wouldn't jam, they couldn't do it whilst it was fitted, they both stood there with supercilious, grins on their faces.

He growled at me. "You're just doing this to fuck me off aren't you." I added my supercilious grin to the other two. "I have to go home and get cleaned up and changed; have it back on by the time I get back."

"You do look very shabby to be going out to meet a lady, I don't know what they'd see in you. Oh, and by the way, I don't take orders from you and finally you smell like a brewery, don't get caught drink driving." He didn't smell like a brewery, just stale sweat; I'd said that to wind him up. It worked.

His face went white, and he shouted. "Fuck off," as he stomped off like a small little child.

John looked at me and held out his hand, in it was the micro actuator that I had used to jam Shithead's office door, he smiled and said, "I filled in the hole where this came from, you don't need it now as you've got his door. Oh, and by the way we found your trip wires. Strange they only seemed to trip up the sales creep, and the lift only failed when he was in it."

"How did you find out?"

Chris said. "We needed an actuator on Tuesday, we didn't want to bother you as you obviously had something on, so we went to stores, there were ten last week and six this. We saw what was happening to sales creep, put two and two together and had a look around, they weren't hard to find if you knew what you were looking for. Oh, and the Internet over Mains transmitter behind your desk told us just about everything we needed to know. Nice job Chief, by the way."

I smiled at them, the gits, they had known something was up from at least Tuesday and said nothing. "Stop calling me Chief, haven't you got work to do, and thanks?"

John replied with a cheeky grin. "No Chief, Yes Chief, we've got your back Chief. Bye." They knew using my old service rank would wind me up, that's probably why they did it. As they reached the door of my office John turned round and asked where the other actuator was, I just smiled at him. It was in my desk as a spare. That would keep them busy looking for the other one. They left with smiles on their faces.

Shithead was away getting cleaned up if his house had been fixed. So I did normal work stuff, but I had to let Julia know that Chris and John knew something, without her knowing what I'd done. I messaged her. "Need to talk, Costa, round the corner 12:00." She replied. "OK."

His talk about money on the audio gave me an idea, a quick search through the video records of his office and I had all his bank details. I did wonder if this would work; if not it would just fuck him up anyway. I went to his Online bank and opened him a two-year bond savings account. High interest rates but locked in for two years, with massive penalties for early withdrawal. I wasn't sure if this next bit was going to work. Quite often large transactions will get a security phone message with a security number on it. I transferred all the money that was in his current account, including his maximum overdraft to his savings account; I then transferred all in his savings account into his new bond. It appears transferring money between your own accounts didn't use a security number. It wasn't too criminal, he still had all of his money. He just couldn't get at it.

I was monitoring the admin office camera but not paying much attention when I saw Julia stand up, shit it was 5 to 12. I heard Julia say she was off to lunch, Anne commented that Julia didn't normally go out for lunch, was everything OK? Then one of the 2Cs piped up, couldn't tell which one they both sounded similar over the camera. She suggested that it was with our sexy salesman. I saw Julia give her a withering look and said. "It's my husband as if it's anything to fucking do with you." I can image the shock in the office when Julia used the 'F' word.

I heard Jane say. "Charity, you really are a stupid cow."

Julia got there first and had a cup of something for me and a Garibaldi biscuit for each of us, I like them. I picked up my cup and had a smell, tea, it was going to be shit tea but that's alright. I looked at her and said, "it's not drugged, is it?" She pulled a funny face and poked her tongue out at me, I took a sip, I was right it was shit tea.

I explained to Julia how Chris and John had turned up just in time to help me with Shithead's door and I told her about what they'd said later in my office. I didn't go into the details of the things Chris and John had found out. After what Mrs Barstow said, it appears that our little problem had been spotted by pretty much the rest of the factory, we didn't think we were that important. Julia said things would have to be resolved this Saturday, I said they would, and we would either be in the same bed Saturday night, or a divorce started Monday. She could call it off now and still have the male escort, but this was the last time I was offering it. When we left the coffee shop that offer was no longer on the table.

She did tell me that everyone in the office heard Shithead shouting over the phone, it sounded like he was talking to his bank. It appears there was no money in his account, and he was in fact overdrawn past his limit. An added problem to not having a door on your office was that you shared all your personal financial secrets, especially if you shouted.

Shithead wasn't going to be a threat much longer, I was tempted to bubble him to management about the drink driving, but people would wonder how I found out, it hadn't been published in the local newspapers yet. I think he was hoping to not tell anyone and get away with it.

We got back to the factory, and I watched for Shithead, he looked much neater. But from the state he was in before, that wasn't difficult.

He must have been in a good mood with the thought of his upcoming evening, he used the lift. He was spitting feathers when he eventually got to the top and then fell over coming out, nothing to do with me. He was even more pissed off when there was still no door on his office. He got himself a coffee and put it on his desk, I saw him straighten his tie, smarm his hair down and walk to the admin office. He still looked grey and tired, but a dapper grey and tired. Excellent, I was up those stairs like a rat up a drainpipe and a crushed sleeping tablet went into his coffee, a quick stir with my finger, bugger it was hot again. Will I never learn? Obviously not.

On leaving his office I headed to the admin office to see how things were, we passed each other, he called me a cunt, I called him a twat. On entering the admin office Julia grabbed me and took me into the kitchen and closed the door. She was livid. "We need to go to the supermarket on the way home tonight, I need some clothes to throw away when I get home tomorrow, I am not wasting any of my clothes on that shit." That was always part of the plan anyway, not wearing anything again she wore that night. She must have forgotten.

"What happened?"

"Chardonnay asked Shithead if he had any plans for this weekend, he told her he was going to fuck a married lady and do it so good that she wouldn't go back to her grease monkey of a husband after he'd finished with her, he turned and looked at me and said. 'That's on Saturday, nothing special on tonight,' he smiled, winked at me and walked out. I think I know what he was on about. He wants to take me away from you. Just to fuck you up. It may not be about him fucking me, it's about him fucking you over."

Finally, she has got it!

I changed my mind. "The offer of the gigolo is back on the table." I told her.

"No fucking way, I'll show him he can't fuck around with our lives like that, I have to prove him so wrong." This time I really couldn't see her logic. Women!

I really wished I could tell her all the things I'd been doing just to make him useless. Maybe one day. I was quite proud of some of the things I'd done, very ashamed of others, but I'll get over it.

On finishing work, we went to the supermarket and she selected granny bra and knickers, a plain grey skirt and a simple white blouse. She spent ages looking at shoes and after a few minutes she approached me and said. "I can't find the sort of shoe I am looking for; can I have a dispensation to wear my red FMS, the ones with six-inch heels and not throw them away when I get home." I wasn't happy about that, I like those shoes they make her legs look great, why would she wear boring clothes and six-inch FMS?

"Why?" I asked her.

"None of these are tall enough, I want to be taller than him, I want to put him in his place from the word go."

I could see where she was coming from. "Ok, you can do that." I told her.

We got to the hotel at about 17:30, I booked in, got two key cards and gave one to Julia, I told her I was going to set up her laptop to record the event and make sure it streamed to my laptop so I could listen for safety words and the alarms, like if the lights or the computer went off as per the agreed rules. I ashamedly didn't mention it would be my proof of adultery if it came to a divorce. Nor did I tell her about the additional Co2 and smoke detector video cameras I had taken from work and was going to put them in the room, these would record, and I would download the files onto the laptop for later use. Just in case something went wrong with the laptop set up.