After 15 years of marriage, Ellen seemed to believe she was the straw that stirred the drink. We both worked, and I made slightly more money than she, but gradually she had begun to feel she owned the controlling interest in our marriage. I suppose we call that controlling interest 'pussy'.
I don't know exactly when it started, but Ellen used sex to achieve her personal agendas when dealing with me, and our marriage. I began to sense she held me in slight contempt in many ways. It was not any single thing, but I knew it was not my imagination. I was getting vibes from her and I realized I should take steps to rectify these inequities or they would continue to worsen.
Like many men, I was secure in my work and my marriage and had never felt the need to assert myself too much. If Ellen was happy thinking she was the driving force in our partnership called marriage, I saw no real advantage in resisting it too strongly. A happy wife is always the key to a man's contentment.
At 36, Ellen is an attractive, athletic woman. Her tanned, long, muscular legs were her most obvious assets. Her breasts were full with small round nipples that would harden like pebbles at the slightest touch. All in all, Ellen was a very lovely, desirable woman.
At 6 foot, I was four inches taller than my wife. My weight remained around two hundred pounds and I was a regular at the gym. I enjoyed the attention of women. They liked my easy way and quick smile. I prided myself on being able to, with a concentrated effort, schmooze any woman. Still, I was a faithful, loyal husband. It is just that there is no reason for false modesty.
I wonder now if Ellen mistook my fidelity for weakness. It was just that we had taken an oath those many years ago and I never felt there was any justification to break it. If I wanted sex outside marriage, I would first terminate the marriage. To me, there was nothing worse than a spouse sneaking around on their mate. If you cannot trust your partner, you have the wrong partner. If they cannot trust you, then you should not have a partner. You need to be alone. Marriage is a partnership, and it can only succeed when partners pull together for common goals. Each person must be willing to place their desires second to their spouses. At least this was the way I had approached, and functioned in, my marriage.
We attended an Independence Day party at our neighbors. There were around 30 people there and the drinks were flowing. It was a hot day and the neighbors had a beautiful pool, so most people were in swimsuits by mid-afternoon. Ellen wore a somewhat modest two-piece suit that looked sexier than some of the string bikinis some of the women wore. It was the bright orange color, her tan, and her wonderful figure that made it look so sexy. I noticed men watching her all afternoon, and felt quite proud of her.
For my part, I was chatting with the many wives, mothers and daughters, that were in attendance. I was careful to not be with any particular lady too long. I made an effort to spend time with as many as I could. I am in sales and networking is done everywhere, all the time. A good word here, or a recommendation there, can make a huge difference and no one knew it better than I. I made the ladies like me, without making their husbands dislike me. It was a fine line, but I had mastered it over the years.
Ellen understood this well and never seemed threatened by my attention to women. One thing was obvious to Ellen. I was nice to all women and never showed a preference for any one woman. I spread myself around. She had zero reason to worry about me and I like to think she felt some pride in my popularity with her gender. No one wants a spouse that others do not find attractive, or desirable.
As the afternoon wore on, I noticed that a fellow from the next block was staying close to Ellen. He was getting drinks for her and monopolizing her attention any way he could. I personally felt this was unwise at a public function. It sends the wrong message to those you are ignoring, as well as to the one to whom you give your time.
I am an old hand at noticing things without being obvious about it. I am sure no one realized I was annoyed with Ellen for allowing the guy to dominate her day. He was about my height and weighed a bit more, but it was in his stomach. Why can't soft men with big guts see it? They always strut around like gorillas with their waistband low (They still have a 32-inch waist, unless they pull their pants up where they belong!) and their arms hang away from their bodies. They seem to believe the large assortment of muscles under their arms forces them outward. Can't they see the fat?
I didn't know the guy's name, but I guessed it to be Frank, Tony, or maybe Dominic. This 'Frank' guy would touch Ellen's arm or back as he spoke to her. There are 'touchy-feely' types, but I personally believe that when a man does it, he is trying to sneak a feel. Maybe I am a natural skeptic, or too cynical. I only know what motivates me to touch and feel.
After watching this crap for an hour or so, and not seeing Ellen make any effort to get away from the guy, I worked my way over to where Ellen sat by the pool. The guy was in a chair next to her and held his hand on her shoulder as he was telling her some story.
Ellen looked up at me and smiled. "Dave! I saw you entertaining some ladies by the deck. Looks like you are having a good time," she concluded. "Have you ever met Tony?" she asked.
I had to smile to myself at the introduction. So it was Tony? These jerks are never named Milton, or Dudley.
I extended my hand and smiled. "Hello, Tony. Glad to meet you!"
Tony stood and took my hand. He squeezed it pretty hard. I made a mental note that he was trying to assert himself as the alpha male. I made another mental note to kick his ass if the need ever arose. He hadn't even spoken a word to me yet and I already knew he was an asshole.
"Hello, Dave," he answered. "I was just chatting with your lovely wife. She really looks hot in that suit! I had to tell her how good she looks. You are a lucky man."
"Well, I sure feel better now, Tony," I sniped. "Without your approval of Ellen's 'hot' body, I don't think I could have finished the day."
What sort of prick tells a man he just meets that his wife is hot? Ellen looked great, but there are gentlemanly ways to express it. Ellen picked up my sarcasm immediately and gave me 'the look'. I reached down and took her hand and helped her to her feet. She didn't really want to get up, but she had no choice. I had made my mind up that she was going to mingle, at my side, for the rest of the party.
"See you around, Tony," I called as I led Ellen away.
"What was that all about, Dave? You were barely civil to Tony," she stated. "We were just chatting."
"Ellen, that prick wants to get in your pants, and he doesn't care who knows it," I replied. "I have seen guys like that my whole life. He is a shit, so stay away from him."
I could have been more subtle and worked at my phrasing, but I was annoyed and didn't have the patience to try.
"You are jealous?" asked Ellen. "Mr. Suck-Up-To-Every-Woman is jealous? You have a lot of nerve, don't you?"
"I do not want to get in their pants. That is the difference," I growled. "Tony is a snake. Stay away from him!"
"You don't tell me who I can speak with and who I can't," Ellen huffed. "I am a big girl and can take care of myself, thank you!"
"I don't want to have to tell you again, Ellen. Just stay away from that fat stud," I responded.
By this time we were near the bar and several other guests. Ellen was not able to graciously tell me to fuck-off. I spent the rest of the party with Ellen at my side. As time went on she lost her anger and actually seemed to enjoy my attention.
"I like you a little jealous, Dave," she told me. "It seems to keep you closer and more attentive to me."
"Ellen, I did not realize I was not as attentive as I should be, but I can change that. I seem to have the finest, sexiest lady here," I finished.
She smiled and squeezed my hand. That was the right thing to say, I realized, and it was the truth. We enjoyed the rest of the party and had some great sex that evening. The flirting, drinking, and I suppose, the 'jealousy', fired us up and it was great. I really felt I was not jealous. I was concerned that Ellen had no idea what she was toying with. I had seen pricks like Tony a hundred times. They don't make very effective enemies, but they can kill you if you think they are your friends!
We always have a party in late July and spend a lot of time and effort preparing for it. Our pool isn't the biggest, but it is neat and the good food and drinks prevent any complaints.
I was circulating with my neighbors and friends, being the perfect host. Ellen was doing the same and things were going great. She was wearing a small bikini and her globes were fantastic. It was a hot day and no one wore very much. We always invite mostly the same people every year. I throw the party for a good time. Things go so much better when you enjoy the folks you are partying with.
About 3 o'clock I saw Tony talking to Ellen and almost shit! How the hell had he found the nerve to crash our party? I just kept playing the good host and waited to catch Ellen alone. About half an hour later she went to the kitchen for more food and I quickly followed.
"How is it that Tony, the Asshole, is here?" I questioned. " I sure as hell didn't invite him. Do you have any ideas?"
"There is no reason to go postal, Dave. I ran into Tony at the store last week and invited him. Do we have to approve each other's invitation list?" Ellen asked. The sarcasm dripped to the floor.
"It would seem that we do, Goddamn it!" I answered. "We will hash this out tonight, but you can be sure you have fucked my day up."
I didn't wait for her response as I turned and headed for the bathroom. Few people would guess I have a bad temper because I have learned to take measures to control it. When I feel really angry, I try to get to a quiet place and talk myself into calming down. It usually works. I spent about 5 minutes working on my control, but I knew it was going to be close. It would require a lot of effort to conceal my annoyance the rest of the day.
Whenever I saw Ellen, she would glare at me but seldom spoke. She did not watch "Kung-Fu" as a child. (As a grasshopper, he had learned control. I struggled to be like him.) When she is unhappy, she lets it out. Tony was never far from her side and that was a huge thorn in my side as I smiled and joked with our guests. I wanted to slap that miserable prick so bad I could almost taste it.
The guests began to leave as dusk fell and those left moved inside to continue the party. Naturally, Tony was one of those that stayed. There were four other couples still at our place and I liked them all. Tony was the sore thumb and he really stuck out!
