Short (and sweet), no sex at all.
+++++++++++++++++
As I sat there in the courtroom, waiting for my wife's lawyer to finish his opening blurb, I couldn't help but marvel at how my life had changed so much in such a short time. How I'd gone from being the proverbial happy married man, to the equally proverbial last one to know.
"Keep to the point Mr. Jefferies," the judge, the honourable Sir Winston Jenkins reprimanded my wife's lackey, confirming my earlier opinion of what a crusty old bastard he was.
"The point I'm trying to make your honour," he, Jefferies responded carefully. "Is that if my client's husband, Michael Jones, had been more honest with Mrs Jones, then we wouldn't have all been here in this court this morning."
"Ok counsel," the good Judge acquiesced. "But keep to the point."
Oh well; One up for her, but what did I care?
Jefferies bumbled on, intent on proving to everyone that my wife's actions had been justified, and that it was all my fault even, while I zonked out, losing interest in what he was burbling on about, my mind zoning back in to that day; the day that changed my life so tragically.
THAT DAY!
I'd had several appointments that day, but except for the last one my mind hadn't really been on them. How could it when your own boss had laid something that big on you?
"For God's sake Mike," he lambasted me when I sat down in front of him. "Are you blind or something? Do you really not know what's going on?"
"What are you on about Tom?" I demanded, surprised at this outburst from my boss who was also one of my best friends. "What have I done now?"
"Not you," he growled. "That bloody wife of yours'. She's been at it again."
"Oh shit! Who is it this time?" I groaned back, knowing what he was telling me without any further explanation. Knowing that Tom had helped me get past the last time that Jane had cheated on me. Advising me to get back together with her, but to keep an eye open for what she got up to in the future. Apparently something that he'd done on my behalf, better than I'd done so myself.
"Gerald Halfpinch," Tom stated, so matter of factly, that it left no doubt in my mind. "Do you know him?"
I nodded my confirmation and that I'd met the slimy bastard a few times, when we'd been to Jane's work parties. Tall, dark, you know the sort. I'd thought that Jane had more taste than that. Bad enough that she'd broken our marriage vows again, but with a waster like that?
Our meeting ended with Tom's warning not to do anything silly, though this time round, silly didn't include throwing her arse out. I had some planning to do and would take my time, but never for one moment suspected how deadly serious the whole thing would get.
--
"My client has never denied her actions," Jefferies' grating voice broke through my self-imposed curtain. "It's all a question of justification. Whose really at fault here?"
'Not me," I muttered to myself, and went back to my recent memories.
--
I sat there waiting for Jane to come home, knowing that this time, yes this time her actions couldn't be brushed under the table. Yes this time she'd be paying the price that I should have extracted the last time.
"Hi honey," Jane greeted me as she waltzed into our living room. "Why are you sitting here in the dark?"
"Waiting for you," I answered shortly, the tone of my voice bringing her up short.
"What's up honey?"
"Gerald Halfpinch is what's up," I growled at her, and her face fell, her guilt apparent. So guilty perhaps that she didn't even try to deny it.
"Sorry. I didn't mean it to go this far. It was just a bit of harmless flirting that we both got carried away with."
--
I was snapped out of my reverie by hearing my name called, and realised that it was my turn at last to give the court my viewpoint. But even as I walked, somewhat nervously forward, and even as we went through the formalities of swearing me in, I couldn't help but let those last few moments with Jane, filter through my mind.
---
"I am sorry Mike," Jane offered when I didn't answer her previous effort. "It's over of course. I'll tell him so at work tomorrow morning."
"No so easy Jane," I grunted, fingering the sheet of paper in my hand, wondering how I had the nerve to announce what I was about to tell her.
"Not easy, no Mike," Jane tried to placate me. "But we worked through it the last time, so we can do it again."
"Not this time Jane."
