Another reconciliation story from me. I have to say I do like writing them and I have decided it is my thing. They give me more scope, as a writer, to develop a story further past the cheating. I know it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but they are my stories and I am going to write what I enjoy.
The Punch
Have you ever had one of the sliding door moments? You know, where your life could go in two different directions if different choices are made. Have you ever noticed those moments when they happen? I have and the choices I made decided whether I would still be married to my wife or not.
My name is Anthony, but few people call me Tony. They usually shorten it to Ant which I prefer. My wife, Brooke, and I had been married for just over ten years and together for fifteen. We have two kids, Charlie who is eight and Dawn who is six. Can you see what we did with the names? That was Brooke's idea.
Brooke and I met at a house party when we both finished college. I say met but that isn't strictly true. We have known each other for a long time. We went to the same schools ever since elementary, and our mothers would often chat together when they met but Brooke and I were never friends or moved in the same circles. She was one of those archetype popular girls like you see in movies, good-looking and smart, not necessarily book smart although she wasn't stupid, but she was more street smart. She knew how to use her looks. A party wasn't a party unless she was there. I, on the other hand, was one of those nerdy types. I got into electronics at school, and I was always tinkering with or building something. I was just grateful to get invited to any party.
That all changed at the party in question. Brooke was by herself and looked upset. She was having one of those, where do I go from here moments in her life. She studied law at college. Unfortunately for her, she found out the hard way that good looks and street smarts can only get you so far. Her grades meant that she couldn't progress to become a qualified lawyer. A law degree is a law degree, though, and she would go eventually on to be a paralegal. To make matters worse, she had spotted her date kissing one of her friends. I thrived and metamorphosized at college. I got a first in Electrical Engineering and I discovered martial arts. I was waiting to start a graduate program at a prestigious company which paid better than a graduate was entitled to and thanks to my training in martial arts, I bulked up a lot. Somehow, I had become a catch in dating terms, Brooke told me that later, I had no idea. Somehow, we had swapped places in the desirability stakes after college. Becoming less desirable was very hard for Brooke despite still being very good-looking.
"Hi Brooke, are you okay?" I asked her.
"I'm sorry do I know you?" she asked me suspiciously.
"It's Ant, we went to school together," I reminded her.
She gave me a long hard look then her eyes widened in recognition, "Oh my God! Ant, you've changed. Changed a lot."
"In a good way I hope," I replied with a laugh.
"Yeah, in a good way," she would later tell me that she had to stop herself from drooling.
We began to talk, and we kept talking. It was approaching midnight and I told Brooke I had to leave,
"Are you going to turn back into a nerd at midnight," she joked.
"I will always be a nerd," I laughed. "I have a martial arts tournament in the morning, so I have to get up early."
Brooke thought for a moment and asked if I could take her home. I had driven to the party and hadn't been drinking so I was happy to do so.
When we got to Brooke's house, I took the plunge and asked her out for a date the following night. To my surprise, she agreed. To my greater surprise, Brooke turned up to my martial arts tournament. I have no idea how she found out where it was, but I was happy that she did. I didn't win the tournament, but I got to the semi-final and got a medal. More importantly, Brooke saw me win a few fights too before I got nailed in the semi-final.
So, our story followed the usual path. We dated for a few years, we moved in together, I proposed, and we got married. Our children arrived not long after we married. For the most part, our relationship was happy and drama-free. Brooke became my world, and I would do anything for her. We had a good and very comfortable life. I earned very good wages and with Brooke's paralegal wages, now and again we could treat ourselves to a taste of the high life.
Fast forward to now. We are both in our mid to late thirties and Charlie and Dawn are old enough to be left with a babysitter or one of our parents for the night or overnight while we go out or me or Brooke go out leaving the other to stay at home to look after the kids.
On the night of my sliding doors moment, Brooke and I went to her firm's start-of-the-year party. They held this every year, and I suspect they did this because they were too stingy to pay the premium for a Christmas party and that they held it the week before Valentine's Day told me I was right. The start-of-the-year party was a swanky black-tie affair held in a posh hotel. Her firm encouraged their staff to bring their partners to the point of it being expected. Brooke loved this party because it meant she could dress up to show the world how attractive she still was.
That night Brooke outdid herself. She was simply stunning in a gold sequinned dress that hugged her body. A split down one leg showed off a stocking-clad leg. I knew she had bought new sexy underwear for the occasion too.
I should have been delighted and looked forward to making love to her when we got home but our marriage was in a rut. We hardly had sex in months. I couldn't shake the feeling that the effort wasn't for me.
"You look beautiful," I told her.
"Thank you," she replied without warmth, reluctantly allowing me to kiss her cheek.
When we arrived, the great, the good and the ordinary of Brooke's firm were there with their partners. We greeted Brooke's colleagues warmly. They were all at Brooke's salary level and all with partners. We then took a seat at our table and found ourselves sitting next to her colleague, Trey, and his husband, Nicholas. It was Nicholas and never Nick. He was very firm with that. I liked these guys. They had adopted two daughters and for some reason were always interested in my job. Normally, I would get glazed looks, but they always genuinely seemed interested. I would have happily mixed with them in our spare time, but Brooke never wanted to for some reason. This year, however, they appeared uncomfortable talking to me.
We ate our meal and the conversation, although polite, was sporadic. Once the meal had finished the music and dancing began and that was when Brooke's behaviour over the past months began to make sense.
I am not going to lie; dancing isn't my forte. To say that I have two left feet is being kind. Brooke on the other hand loves to dance. I asked Brooke if she wanted to dance. I knew this was an important night for her, so I wanted to make an effort at least, so she could enjoy the night to the fullest. I would like to say we danced, but it was more like I tried to move to the music and for Brooke, it was more like an act of preservation for her feet.
After stepping on her feet one time too many, Brooke returned to the table in a bad mood after just one song leaving me alone forlornly on the dance floor. I tried to apologize but she just walked away without saying a word. Wanting to make it up to her I went to the bar and ordered us both a mojito, knowing it was her favourite cocktail. The bar was free, but I wanted to make the gesture at least.
There was a queue at the bar, so it took me a while to return to our table but when I arrived, Brooke wasn't there. I turned round to see where she had got to, and my heart froze. Brooke was dancing and laughing with another man.
I just stood there watching her, feeling humiliated as she enjoyed herself in his arms, not having a clue what to do. I could see he knew how to dance and dance in a way that I never could. Her stocking-clad leg appeared to wrap itself around him as she pressed herself against his hip.
When the song finished my wife and the man returned to our table. When Brooke saw me and saw that I had seen her dance with him, a flash of guilt and panic briefly swept across her face before she composed herself.
"Ant, this is Xander Coulsen. Xander this is my husband, Ant," Brooke introduced us as I gave her the mojito.
Xander confidently reached out his hand for me to shake with his lips curled into a smirk, "Hello Ant," he greeted me. I took his hand, and he gripped my hand tightly and didn't let go in a clear power play. "Brooke has told me a lot about you. She says you're an electrician."
"No, I am an electrical engineer," I wasn't going to be intimidated by the likes of him. He may be better looking than me, but way worse people have tried and failed to intimidate me. You meet all sorts of people in electrical engineering and it being a male-dominated industry, there are a lot of egos.
"Same thing isn't it," Xander replied, deliberately trying to be offensive.
"Only to the uneducated," I answered back with a smile that was less than friendly.
Xander's smirk disappeared with that remark and Brooke looked furious,
"Ant, don't be rude!" Brooke hissed. "Xander is a senior partner here."
I glared at Brooke did she really defend him instead of me? Before the situation could escalate, a song came on and Brooke exclaimed, "I love this song."
With missing a beat Xander took Brooke's hand and took her to the dance floor. Her mojito was left unwanted and discarded on the table. My mouth dropped open at the audacity of it. Right in front of me, my wife went with another man to dance like I wasn't even there.
I just stood there dumbfounded with my undrunk mojito. I felt two arms around me. It was Trey and Nicholas.
"I'm so sorry, Ant," Trey said with a voice strong with sympathy. "Xander joined the company in September, and he made a beeline for Brooke. You may have noticed, but he is a very good-looking guy and a very talented lawyer who brings in a lot of money, however, he has a reputation. He has a taste for married women, and your wife is very attractive so I suppose he couldn't help himself. He has been taking Brooke out for lunch and drinks after work for months. You're a good guy, Ant. You don't deserve this."
I then felt Trey and Nicholas move closer and they rested their heads against briefly mine to console me before letting go. Working in an ego-driven male-dominated industry and being a martial artist, I should have been threatened by this open display of physical connection from two gay men, but truth be told, I was grateful to them. It was what I needed at the right time.
The music slowed and Brooke and Xander moved closer. Brooke rested her head on his chest as they held each other tightly while they danced slowly together. If it wasn't obvious before, it was clear as day now for who Brooke had dressed up for.
If I had any character flaw, then it was Brooke and my inability to put any boundaries in place with her. If any guy tried to confront me head-on, then I was an immovable object as Xander Coulsen found out. But with Brooke, she was my world, anything she wanted I gave it to her. Any argument we had, I ended up apologizing to her. So, it was baffling to me why she was treating me this way. I was at a loss for what to do. Brooke appeared happy so I turned to leave quietly.
This was sliding door moment number one. If I had continued and walked out, I am in no doubt Brooke would have spent the night with Xander Coulsen and our marriage would have been over. I don't know what happened, but something just snapped inside of me. It was like I was a different person. I wasn't going to let Brooke do this to me. I wasn't going to let my marriage end this way especially not because of a man of the calibre and low moral code like Xander Coulsen. If my marriage was over, then it was going to end with my head held high.
An anger that I had never felt before built inside me and I turned around and strode towards Brooke and Xander. There were gasps from a few people when they saw my destination and the drama that was about to unfold.
