The Offer 8

To all my readers. I am sorry that I haven't published any stories for some time. I have two that are unfinished, one because the middle isn't right and the other because I can't find an ending. Then this idea came to me and the story just flowed. Please remember that all my stories are pure imagination, with perhaps a little bit of wishful thinking somewhere. I hope now this one is published I can finish the other two and then you will have a flurry of stories to read.

The Offer

Until recently neither my wife nor I had to travel far or very often for work. That changed when Jenny was promoted. Now she was in New York attending her first conference as a representative for her company.

It was only a three-day conference and she had left on Tuesday, a day before it started. She was due to fly back this evening, which would give us Saturday and Sunday together. I had just got in when she called me.

I checked my watch, it was only just after six, that would be just after one in New York. I thought she was a bit early to be phoning from the airport. 'Jenny, you're calling early, are you already at the airport.'

There was a pause before she replied. 'Darling, I'm not flying back tonight.'

I hadn't expected that. 'What! Why not? Why aren't you flying back tonight,' I tried to sound calm.

There was another unexpected pause. 'Well, Darling, one of the delegates who knows New York has offered to show me around. So I've changed my flight to Sunday.' She carried on before I could reply. 'You don't mind do you, Darling, it's just too good an offer to refuse, isn't it, Darling?'

Now it was my turn to hesitate before answering. The first time in twenty years that I had been separated from my wife by such an enormous distance and now she wanted to stay for another two days. Two days in New York being shown around by another man. The two days that I had been looking forward to spending with her. 'Who is he?'

'Don't worry about me, Darling. He's over sixty years old, a real gentleman.'

Somehow that information didn't help me much. 'What's his name?'

'Oh, Josh, I think it's short for Joshua. Look, I can't talk now, we had to change hotels and Josh is booking us in.'

'What do you mean, changing hotels? You have a room at the Hilton.'

'It was only booked for the conference but Josh has arranged for us to stay at the Sanctuary Hotel, it's nearer to Times Square.'

Why did it have to be nearer to Times Square, I wondered. Before I could say anything, Jenny ended the call.

'Darling, I've got to go, Josh is waiting for me to go to my room. I'll call you after I've changed for dinner. Love you.'

Change for dinner, she was going to dinner with this Josh guy, five thousand miles away in New York. I was hurting. I'd never been jealous in my life before, certainly not about Jenny, but I was hurting. I was hurting a lot.

It was now ten-thirty but I knew it was only five-thirty in New York. After sitting all by myself stewing about it I finally opened my laptop and looked up the Sanctuary Hotel. It wasn't expensive but, my God, it was luxurious. The bedrooms looked amazing. Then my gut twisted in pain. Oh no! No, she wouldn't. No Jenny would have her own bedroom. Right up until she called me again, I agonised over it.

I picked up on the first ring. 'Jenny, where are you?' I blurted out.

'Steve, Darling, are you all right. I'm in my hotel room.'

'Where's Josh?'

'Darling, what's the matter with you, Josh isn't here.' She sounded so calm.

'Oh, oh ok. What are you doing?'

'I told you, Darling, Josh is taking me out to dinner, there is a small restaurant he wants to take me to rather than use the hotel restaurant.'

'Why?'

'Steve, what is wrong with you. I told you Josh is much older than me and is a perfect gentleman. He just told me it was much nicer than the hotel restaurant.'

Silence followed and I had visions of much nicer meaning much cosier, much more intimate.

'Steve, are you still there?'

'Yes, but you are so far away, Jenny, I'm worried about you. I don't want anything to happen to us.'

'Oh, Darling. Nothing is going to happen to us,' she sounded so positive. 'I love you, Steve you know that, Darling. It's only two extra days. Look, I know it's half-past eleven over there so why don't you go to bed and stop worrying about me. I've got to go, Josh just knocked on my door. I'll call you tomorrow morning. My time,' she quickly added.

When the call ended I wondered why I hadn't heard Josh knocking on her bedroom door.

Everything she said should have sounded reassuring, but it didn't. She was with another man, something I know she would never have done here in England, so what difference did New York make. What would she do if the next conference was in Tokyo, would she stay for a few extra days if some Japanese guy offered to show her around.

I fell back on our bed, mentally exhausted by my frenzied imaginations. I woke at eight and wished I hadn't, because it was only three in the morning in New York. Another five hours at least before Jenny would ring me again.

I sent her a text. *I hope you slept well. Did you enjoy dinner with Josh? I Love you.* As the morning wore on my imagination increased and my anxiety got worse and worse.

When the phone eventually rang at one-thirty I grabbed it so quickly I almost dropped it. 'Yes, I did enjoy dinner with Josh and the restaurant was wonderful,' she told me immediately. 'How are you this morning, Darling.?'

'I, I've been waiting for your call.'

'Well I'm here now, but I haven't got long as I'm meeting Joss in the restaurant for breakfast in ten minutes.' Her voice didn't sound nearly as reassuring as it did last night.

'What are you doing today?'

'Well, after breakfast Josh is going to show me around but he hasn't told me where. Oh yes, he did say he was going to take me to where I could spend all that money you gave me on a dress without paying tourist prices.'

I was shocked. 'You told him that?'

'Yes, why not, he asked me if there was anything special I wanted to buy while in New York. Perhaps there will be some money left over for something to wear under it,' she added in a sexy whisper.

I wondered if Josh would help her choose it but instead asked if she had taken any photographs.

'No, I never thought about it. I try and take some today.'

I wanted to ask her to take one of Josh but then hoped she would without me asking.

'I've got to go or I won't get to the restaurant in time for breakfast.'

'When will you call me again?' God. Why did I sound so anxious?

'How about I call you a bit earlier, say about five, ten your time, so you can get a good night's sleep.'

Why would she be worrying about me getting a good night's sleep? 'Yes, I'll be waiting for you.' Then I added. 'I do love you, Jenny.'

'I know you do, Darling. Don't forget, I'll call you at ten. Love you too, Darling.' The phone went dead. Perversely, I wondered if my marriage was also dead.

This was supposed to be our day together. Now I had to wait another eight hours just to speak to her again. I did some jobs in the garden then tidied the garage before lunch. In the afternoon I washed my car. Jenny's was at the airport car park. I then drove to the garage to fill it up on my way to the pub for a pint and something to eat.

I'd hardly started my pint when a hand rested on my shoulder. 'Don't usually see you here on your own at this time of day, Steve. Where's Jenny?'

I turned to Russel. 'In New York,' I told him.

'I thought she was coming home yesterday.'

'So did I.'

'Pint of Adnams,' he told the barman, before turning back to me. 'So, where is she?'

'A delegate called Josh offered to show her around the place. She's due to fly back on Sunday.'

Both of us took a long drink then looked at each other in silence for several seconds. 'Have you spoken to him?'

'No, only to Jenny. Midday Friday she rang and told me she wasn't flying back till Sunday and they had moved to the Sanctuary Hotel because their rooms at the Hilton had only been booked for the conference. Later she rang and told me this Josh guy was taking out to dinner. This morning she told me they were spending the day sightseeing.'

'Did she tell you anything about him?'

'Only that he is over sixty, and in her words, was a real gentleman.'

Russel gave me a very serious look. 'Do you think she's sleeping with him?'

There, he'd said it. Exactly what I had been thinking. 'I don't know. I doubt if I'll ever know.'

'Another one?' Russel asked me. 'Ring the hotel,' he suggested as we watched our glasses being filled.

'Wouldn't they have a policy about disclosing that sort of information?' We both agreed on that.

'When she rings again, just ask her,' was his next suggestion. 'Josh sounds like the name a black guy would have,' he added with a grin.

Jenny sleeping with a black man, no, my wife would never do that.

'You are not being much help here, Russel,' I told him.

'No, you're right. What are you going to do when she gets back?'

'I have no idea, see how she behaves and go from there I suppose.'

Neither of us wanted another pint and I no longer wanted to eat so we both left and I returned to my empty home. Russel's suggestion about phoning the hotel kept bugging me so I looked it up again on my computer. My watch told me it was only six when I phoned the Sanctuary Hotel. Sod the cost.

After the usual introduction, I spoke to Stephany at reception. 'This is inspector Norman.' God, I hope this works I thought to myself. 'I'm phoning from England and we are trying to trace a man who we believe is staying at your hotel. He is in his sixties and would have booked in about

one on Friday afternoon. His first name is Josh or Joshua and there may have been a woman about forty with him. Can you confirm if he booked in?

'Just a moment, sir.' I heard keys clicking. Surely it can't be this easy,' I thought.

'Yes, sir a Joshua Harrington booked in on Friday at one-thirty.'

'Do you have his room number?'

'I'm sorry, sir I can't give out that information over the phone.'

'Did he also book another room or did a lady by the name of Simmons book in at the same time?'

More key clicks. 'No, sir he only booked the one room. One of our best rooms, sir and there is no one else booking in at the same time.'

My mind was spinning with the questions I wanted to ask her. 'Were you in reception at that time on Friday?'

'Yes, sir. I remember him now.' She sounded quite pleased with herself. 'He was an older, coloured gentleman, and when he left to be shown to his room a lady, who I think had been sitting in reception talking on her phone, joined him. I remember her because she took his arm as they entered the lift.'

Well, there it was, straight from the receptionist's mouth, my wife was sleeping with him. It took me a moment before I could answer her. 'Thank you, Stephany, you have been most helpful. By the way, please don't mention my inquiry to anyone else.'

'No, sir of course not, thank you, sir.'

I must have been sitting in my office for over ten minutes before I realised I needed a drink and moved into the lounge. The first whisky brought some feeling back to me. The second helped calm my mind. The third just numbed me. I shouldn't have had the fourth one.

Much later I was still in my chair and the clock told me it was eleven. My head was pounding and I was in pain from the way I had been sleeping. Somehow, I made my way upstairs to bed. Before falling to sleep again I remembered my conversation with someone called Stephany.

It was nearly nine the next morning when I woke up and for a moment I wondered why it was so late. Then both the pounding in my head, and my bladder needed urgent attention. A coffee and some pills eventually quietened my head. Then everything came back to me and I wondered why Jenny hadn't called me last night. She always called me. Then I remembered I was drunk, asleep in my chair at ten and my phone must still be in my office where I left it, besides my computer.

When I found it there I checked my messages and there was one from my wife. *did you forget I said I'd call you at ten? Had a wonderful day. Spent all your money, hope you like the dress I bought. Josh won't tell me where he's taking me this evening. I'll call before breakfast. Love you.*

"Love you." I just stared at those two words and imagined so many different meanings to her message.

It was only four in the morning in New York and I wondered what time they got back to the hotel. Had they spent the night out on the town, dancing, drinking and flirting with each other, or had he taken her to a Broadway show and when they returned to the hotel and then spent the night fucking before sleeping together for the last time.

I re-read the end of her message. "I'll call you before breakfast." That was another four to five hours away. Would they have fucked each other before she called me?'

I had to wait nearly five hours before my wife called. 'Darling, I missed talking to you last night, where were you?' she immediately asked me.

Where was I, what did she care. I had already decided not to tell her anything I knew until she got home. Cowardice or just good sense. A bit of each I suppose. 'I was at the pub with Russel, left my phone at home.' I lied to her, the first time I had ever done so.

'Oh, Darling, I'm glad you didn't sit at home on your own. Did you get my message?'

'Yes, did you have a nice evening?' I hated asking because I knew any answer had to be a lie.

'Yes, we had a meal and then Josh took me to a show, I'll tell you about it when I get home.'

'Are you coming home today?'

'Yes, you know I am.'

Perhaps not everything she said was a lie. 'Will you call me when you get to the airport,' I asked, wanting to end the connection because of the sick feeling I had in my stomach.

'Yes, of course, I will. I've got to go down for breakfast now or I'll keep Josh waiting.'

I nearly said that she hadn't been worried about keeping me waiting for two whole days. I know I shouldn't have, but I just had to end the call. 'Call me from the airport.' Somehow, I didn't care what she thought as I ended her call without any endearments. I had a dreadful pain in my guts.

It was just after midnight when my wife called me again. 'I'm in the departure lounge now, Darling and we should be boarding in a few minutes. I can't wait to get home.' she added.

'Why didn't you get this morning's nine -twenty flight?'

'Josh still had some places he wanted to show me,' she said.

I replied, rather tongue in cheek. 'I hope they were interesting. I expect Josh is missing you already.'

'Why are you so interested in Josh?' she asked rather sharply.

'Well, he's had my wife to himself for the last five days.'

'He hasn't had me, Darling. He was just an elderly gentleman I met at the conference who wanted to show me around New York.'

That was the worst lie she had ever told me and it brought the pain back into my guts. 'I hope he showed you everything you wanted to see.' I told her. 'It will be early morning when you land, drive safely.'

'Oh, OK then. I see you when I get home.'

I cut the call, unsure how much longer I could stand the pain I was suffering. I knew she would land about six-thirty and get home between eight and nine. As this was the first time we had been so far apart and for so long, I had no idea what to expect when she arrived home.

It was just after eight when my wife got home. I knew she would be tired and probably hungry so I was going to use that as an excuse not to start discussing her time with Josh. I planned to do that sometime after lunch.

The first thing she did when the front door closed was to throw her arms around me. I let her kiss me without making any effort to return it. Perhaps she hadn't noticed as she leaned back with a very worried look. 'What's wrong, Darling? You've hardly talked to me the last few times I've called you?'

'I'm all right,' I told her. 'Do you want something to eat or would you rather have a hot bath and then sleep for a couple of hours?'

She looked at me sort of funny. 'Are you cross with me because I stayed for a couple of extra days?'

I thought for a moment. 'Not as cross as I was.' I hesitated, unsure what to say. 'More disappointed.' I told her

'What Darling, you're disappointed because you weren't with me in New York?'

I wasn't ready to discuss the real reason I was disappointed. 'We'll talk about it after lunch or this evening.' I told her as I gave her a quick kiss before extricating myself from her arms. 'I'll get your bath ready.'

Jenny slept nearly four hours before I heard her moving about. It was another fifteen minutes before she came down.

'Thank you, I needed that,' she told me as she came into the kitchen. She only had a jumper and skirt on and she looked lovely, just as I liked her. At five foot ten, she was still a slim woman with a perfectly proportionately figure. She always looked about ten years younger than she actually was. As I allowed her to kiss me I wondered how often she had kissed Josh. That thought hurt me much more than I expected.

I already had some sandwiches ready for lunch and started to make the coffee. Eventually, we were sitting opposite each other and I could see that Jenny wanted to ask me something. 'What's wrong, Darling. You hardly spoken to me since I came home?'

I thought I had this conversation planned. 'Have you rung Josh?'

'Ring Josh, why would I ring him?'

'To tell him you got home safely. He must be missing you.' I just stared at her wondering if she would admit anything. 'So, tell me about him?' I quietly asked.

'What do you want to know?'

'Who is he.'

'He is the CEO of our New York subsidiary,' she stated then just looked at me.

'Had you met him before the conference?'

She sighed with resignation. 'I met him briefly about three months ago. Probably spent no more than fifteen minutes with him in a meeting. He must have found out I was at the conference because he left me a note at reception to meet up in the cocktail lounge.'

'Did you then have dinner with him?'

'Yes, and then we had some drinks in the Duke's bar.'

'What's he like?' I was hoping she would tell me what he looked like.

'He's a real gentleman and he knows an awful lot about the company. He worked in England several years ago setting up a new division.'

'Was he good company?'

'Yes.'

I waited for Jenny to say more, but I realised she was only going to answer my question. Now, I thought, it was time to shake her up a bit. Well, quite a lot I hoped. 'Do you want to know why I didn't answer when you tried to call me on Friday?'

'You told me you were having a meal at the pub with Russel and left your phone at home.'

I look right into her eyes and told her 'I lied, I was actually asleep in my chair.'

'Didn't you hear your phone ringing?'

'No, I was too drunk.' I was beginning to enjoy this, watching the expression on her face change as I divulged a little more information.

'Drunk, you don't get drunk.'

'Would you like to know why I was drunk?' I didn't give her a chance to reply. 'Earlier I had been on the phone to a receptionist at the Sanctuary Hotel.' I hurried on without giving her time to say anything. 'I told the receptionist I was a detective from England wanting information about a possible resident. A man we only knew as, Josh. A few keyboard strokes and she confirmed that a Joshua Harrington had registered at just after one on Friday morning.' I hurried on. 'I think that ties in with what you told me. I then asked if a Mrs Simmons had also registered, but there was no record of her registering.'

I was watching my wife's face and had seen the curiosity turn to concern, now I could see the fear.