Charlie Martin couldn't help grinning as he stood by the window in the arrival area at the airport He watched as the huge jet taxied up to the terminal finger and the boarding ramp slid out to the door of the plane. He was trembling as he waited for his wife of fifteen years to come off the plane. This was the longest they had ever been apart.
He knew who it was as soon as he saw the two blond heads came into sight, Inga, his wife, and her sister Helga. He knew they were not expecting him to meet them. He was supposed to be in Texas with his inspection crew. He had won the trip for two to the islands as a bonus in a casino last fall. Then he had to work and Inga took her sister on the trip rather than go alone or loose the trip.
He moved toward them then froze. Inga was laughing up at a tall handsome man as she hugged his arm. Helga walked with a man who had his arm around her. They were all smiling. He felt as if he had been hit hard in the stomach. He stood and watched them go down the escalator to the ground floor. He shook himself and followed well behind. He saw them all gather their baggage and place it all on one cart. They had a porter pull the cart to the pick up area. They were met there by a limo and he watched as they drove off. He moved slowly to a bench and sat looking at nothing. He didn't know what to think. Harmless flirtation? They were being given a free ride home? What the hell was going on.
Finally he got up and walked to his truck in the parking lot. He hurried home. No one was there. He sat in his chair and was numb. Suddenly he realized it was dark. He didn't bother going to bed that night, He knew he would not sleep. At eleven o'clock he called Helga's apartment. Helga answered. He asked to speak to Inga, she said just a minute. It was at least five minutes before Inga picked up the phone. "Hello Sweetheart! Where are you? I missed you."
"I'll be home tomorrow. I tried to get you at home."
"I decided to spend the night with Helga. What time will you be getting in?"
"About three. Will you be there?"
"You know I will be."
"Did you have a good trip, I expected you to call on my cell phone."
"We had a good time. Sightseeing and all. Giggle."
"What was that?"
"Nothing, Helga poked me in the ribs."
"I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Aren't you going to say you love me?"
"I didn't hear it from you."
"Oh! You know I love you."
"I do?"
"What?"
"I do."
He hung up and got in his truck after removing all traces that he had been home. He drove to Helga's apartment. She lived in a ground floor apartment. The lights were all on. The limo was in the parking lot. He drove past and saw the driver was asleep in the driver's seat. Charlie parked in the next lot over and walked back. He walked up to the limo and rapped on the window. The driver jerked awake. He cracked the window.
"Yeah! What do you want?"
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine I am waiting for my boss and his buddy. They are shacked up with a couple of broads." He looked at his watch. "They should be out soon, they have to get home to their wives."
"OK. I was just checking, I saw you when I went by earlier on my evening walk. I was surprised you were still here."
"Hey, me too! They must be a couple of real hot babes, they looked hot."
"Night!"
He walked between the buildings and stopped behind Helga's place. The glass door to the apartment was open. He heard a man say, "Hey Dave! Come on, we have to go."
"Hey, wait till I shoot my load in Inga's hot little pussy. Here I come, Ahhhhhhhhh! Damn these girls are hot." He heard low voices for a few minutes but couldn't make out what was being said. He walked back to my truck and watched the apartment. He saw the door open and four people stepped out. Everyone kissed each other. Very damned friendly all around. The girls yelled, "Goodnight Tim, Nite Dave." The men waved and walked away to the Limo. It drove off. The lights went off in the apartment. He found a motel. He lay on the bed and never bothered to even turn off the light. He stared at the ceiling. Charlie tried to find some possible way this was not what he really knew it was.
He went to the office in the morning and took his bag to the locker room. He shaved and changed clothes. He went to his office and completed his report and E-mailed a copy to the customer and one to the main office. He called his attorney and asked him to draw up divorce papers. The lawyer couldn't believe him. He said, Charlie, "I never knew anyone so in love with his wife. Are you sure?"
"I am scared to death Mike. I don't know what else to do."
"God Charlie, I don't know what she did but I think you ought to give this a lot of thought."
"I will. Good bye Mike."
He had lunch with his boss and briefed him on his trip. His boss was excited. "Charlie, that was a real good trip for us. I figure you saved Malgatec at least twenty million dollars by finding the way to reroute the system so they could stay up and running while repairs were made. The CEO just called from New York and told me you would be getting a huge bonus, Malgatec is thrilled to death with your work."
"Glad to hear that boss. Can I take a couple of days off?"
"Hell yes, take off as long as you want. Just call and let us know when you will be back. I think they are going to want you to come to New York."
Charlie drove slowly home. For the first time ever he did not want to see his wife. Her car was not in the garage. He went in the house. Her things were there. He saw a note on the kitchen table saying she had gone to the grocery store. She said she was making a special dinner for their reunion. "Shit."
He went to our room and changed into jeans and a t-shirt. He saw her camera bag on the dresser and took it to the office. He took the memory card out of the camera and replaced it with a fresh one from the stack of them in his desk. He found two more cards in the camera bag and replaced them too. He put the cards from the trip in an envelope and hid them in the back of his drawer. He replaced the camera bag on the dresser. He heard her come in the door to the garage. She yelled his name. He told her he was there.
She ran to him and kissed him passionately. She hugged him and cried. She said over and over that she loved him and had missed him terribly.
He couldn't respond to her. He was just not able to bring himself to even touch her. She pulled back and looked up at him. "What is wrong?"
"Well your trip to the islands is going to be a little expensive."
"Expensive? You won that trip."
"Tell me everything about your trip, everything. The truth, no lies, no omissions. Everything."
"What do you mean, I never lie to you?"
"Well I lied to you last night."
"What."
"I got home early and met your plane. I saw you get off. I went to Helga's apartment last night. You had the back door open. Do you need to hear more? The expensive part is going to be our divorce, and my funeral."
"OH Charlie, Oh My God. I never saw you. I want to know what you saw. I can't explain it. I just don't know! You have to believe me. Please help me. I don't understand what you think I did."
"What you did? I think you made your choice. Tell me you didn't cheat on me. Tell me you are not a slut or a whore. Did you get paid a couple of bucks. Tell me all about it bitch." He had promised himself he wouldn't do that. He was going to remain calm. Tears ran down his cheeks. His knees buckled and he flopped in a chair and wept. He couldn't help it, He had never felt such complete despair and hopelessness in his whole life. When he was cried out he looked at her. "I loved you with all my heart and soul. Now I have to tell you I think it would be best if you left here as fast as you can. I feel very much afraid of what I might do. Murder is in my heart. I have the tag number off the limo. I might just look up Tim and Dave. Get out of here right now. I can't stand to look at you. Don't stand there sniffling, GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE. GET OUT!
"I need my purse."
"NO, YOU NEED TO LEAVE HERE. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT FOR YOU HERE. GET THE FUCK OUT, WHORE!"
He sat and cried. He took all her things and from her closet and drawers and stuffed them in black plastic garbage bags. He crammed the bags in her car. He backed her car out and his truck too. He put her purse on the roof of her car. He threw the groceries she had bought home that day in the front seat of her car. He locked the house and drove slowly away.
The next morning he went to work and asked to see his boss. He was sent right in.
