Unhappily Ever After B. 02

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

As was the case with Book One, Book Two of Unhappily Ever After

is a long, novel-length story that recounts the trials and tribulations experienced by a veteran who returns to civilian life and pursues a career path begun before joining the Australian Defence Force. He is forced to resurrect his 'stay alive' skills when he is betrayed by his wife, whose lover puts a hit order out on him.

Book Two picks up Stoney Bourke's life after he had been ambushed and critically wounded during what he hopes will be the final assassination attempt. Despite having witnessed the demise of his would-be killer, he knows there are others out there who want to hang his scalp on their belts.

---oooBJSooo---

I apologise for the time it has taken to get the second book in this duology finished but life and near death have a way of interfering with the best of our intentions. As so much time had elapsed between Book One and Book Two by the time I got back to it, I decided to do a full rewrite.

Although many of the points raised in the readers' comments from Book One had already been addressed in Book Two, a few additional things were brought to my attention that I thought were valid. Hopefully, I have addressed those points in the rewrite.

In an attempt to please as many readers as possible, I have left a few typos and technical and procedural errors in Book Two of Unhappily Ever After to satisfy the nit-pickers.

As each book tells its own story, I'd recommend reading Book One first to familiarise yourself with the backstory and the characters. Despite Book Two containing chapters that could be posted under different category headings, I have posted all ten chapters under Loving Wives for the sake of continuity.

Like Book One, Book Two will be posted in seven parts, all of which have been submitted simultaneously, with a request to the moderator that they be published on consecutive days.

I trust you will enjoy my offering, but I will be happy to receive your comments either way. It should be noted, however, that I have blocked anonymous comments. I know that might inconvenience a few readers, but my philosophy is that 'better one commenter be inconvenienced than ten trolls be allowed to spew their vitriol'.

---oooBJSooo---

Please Note:

The right of Black Jack Steele to be identified as the author of this work - Unhappily Ever After - Book Two - is asserted under worldwide copyright laws. All rights are reserved.

---oooBJSooo---

UNHAPPILY EVER AFTER

BOOK TWO

Copyright © Black Jack Steele 2024

CHAPTER FIVE

December 26, 2020 - April 06, 2021

Trouble In Paradise

As she had told me would be the case, Kate returned to work on Boxing Day and worked through the New Year holiday. She was home at a reasonable time each night, however, and there were no 'girl's nights out'; not even on those Mondays when she'd interrupt her long weekends to attend her tactical meetings.

I was enjoying the feeling of normality that had once again settled on our relationship. So normal had our lives become, in fact, that when she took her next long weekend - which fell in mid-January - we hooked the larger of my two boats onto the back of the F250 and headed up to Bribie Island. We spent the four days fishing, sunbathing, sharing food and drinks at the beachside hotel, and making love.

While browsing the shops that lined the Bribie Island beachfront after we'd enjoyed a pub lunch one day, Kate found a little black dress that she thought would be just the thing for her to wear to dinner on Valentine's Day. Of course, she also had to buy a pair of shoes and a few other accessories to go with it.

"This will be an excellent match for the necklace and earring set you gave me for Christmas," she said as we loaded her parcels into the truck before heading back to the boat. "I can't wait to give you a preview when we get back home."

And she was right. I particularly liked the way she fitted into the dress. I

was

a tad concerned that with the deep vee at the front, which ended between her breasts, and even deeper vee at the back, ending just above her waist, she wouldn't be able to wear a bra. But then, with her tight, firm breasts, she didn't really need one. I also hoped that with the shorter skirt length than she usually wore - and the way it flared out when she spun - she intended to wear something more substantial than a thong beneath it.

'Still, she'll be wearing it for me,'

I'd thought at the time.

'And as I'll be the only one dancing with her, I won't mind. It'll save time when we get home.'

By the time we returned to civilisation, I felt that the chasm that had been opening up between us during the months leading up to Christmas had closed, and we were once again back on firm ground. I was even considering retrieving the diamond and sapphire ring from my office safe and giving it to her at our next celebration.

'Valentine's Day would be an appropriate occasion to ask her to marry me,'

I thought as I washed down the boat after unloading our gear from the truck.

With that thought in mind, I called

Roberto's

the following morning and made a booking for a nine o'clock dinner seating for February 14. I also asked him to have a bottle of Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial chilled but unopened, ready to serve at the appropriate moment.

"Nine o'clock is an excellent time, Mr Bourke," Robert responded when I made my booking. "Being St Valentine's Day, we'll be fully booked. But things will start to quieten down later in the night. Having said that, however, I don't expect we will be shutting down the kitchen until well after midnight. Your table will be ready when you arrive. Thank you for thinking of us for your special occasion."

I called in to give him a two-hundred-dollar deposit on the table the next time I passed the restaurant on my way to town. I had no intention of cancelling for a second time, but it was almost a month away, and anything could happen in that time.

And it wasn't just Kate reverting to her previous behaviour pattern that concerned me. There was also a possibility that I wouldn't be around to celebrate the occasion.

Although there'd been no more talk of anyone coming after me for a while, that didn't mean I could let my guard down. Someone might still be looking to make a name for himself - or herself, for that matter - and even amateurs can get lucky sometimes.

---oooBJSooo---

With Kate's next four-day weekend scheduled to start on Tuesday, January 26 - Australia Day - and as having attended her tactical meeting the previous day, she would have an uninterrupted break, I suggested that we spend her weekend up in our hinterland cottage overlooking the Sunshine Coast.

I explained to her that I had been putting off conducting a site inspection up there so we could kill two birds with the one stone. We could combine a weekend sightseeing and touring the craft markets and antique stores with a few hours of work thrown in to pay the bills.

"But you'll need to be up bright and early on Tuesday morning," I said. "I'd like to get a head start on the holiday traffic. That means no stopping for after-work drinkies with your coworkers. You'll need to get home at a reasonable time so you can get a good night's sleep. I've got something special in store for you."

What I didn't tell her was that the Mustang had gone through all its engineering and roadworthy inspections and was road-registered. Apart from a few cosmetic additions to be made to it before it would be ready for showing, it was finished. And I was looking forward to taking it on its first shakedown road trip. I thought I'd keep that as a surprise, though. I was looking forward to seeing the look on Kate's face when, instead of loading our gear into the Chryler, I loaded it into the Mustang.

---oooBJSooo---

While there was nothing I could put my finger on, I had begun to get the feeling that something was 'off' between Kate and me as we got closer to the Australia Day weekend.

The signs weren't obvious, but there were a number of little things; one of which was that she had gone back to working extended hours again. That was something she hadn't been doing for a while.

I also noticed that the easy rapport we'd fallen back into was slowly disappearing. The conversations were once again becoming stilted. And, most noticeable of all was the dropping off of our lovemaking; not only the frequency but also the quality.

It seemed that the chasm that had existed during the period leading up to Christmas was again opening up between us.

I was finding it difficult to understand how our lives could change so much in a short, two-week window. Kate had gone back to work after our Bribie Island weekend, a loving and caring wife. But, within a matter of a few days, she had begun reverting to the woman she had become before Christmas. I resolved to discuss the situation with her during our upcoming trip.

---oooBJSooo---

The shit hit the fan when Kate returned home almost on the dot of midnight on Monday night - the last day of her work roster - filled with alcohol and lust; and carrying the same masculine smell I had detected on her on several occasions during the last few months of the previous year. She almost blew me away when she breathed on me as she tried to kiss me. The only reason she had managed to make the walk between the garage and the house was because the portable office she dragged behind acted as a supporting third leg. Without it, she would have been crawling.

Avoiding the kiss and holding her at arm's length, I quickly examined her as she swayed. That she had been drinking, there was no doubt. That she had been dancing with someone was also not in doubt. That their dancefloor antics had included slow numbers was evidenced by both her elevated desire and the strong smell of male cologne she carried in her hair. She would only have received that much transference if she had been dancing with her head resting on his shoulder, with him resting his face on her hair.

The fact that she carried only one man's scent indicated she'd had only a single dance partner during the night. But that didn't mean she'd limited herself to one dance.

My spidey senses were on full alert. But I couldn't quite tie what they were telling me together.

My guess was that this man - the man whose unmistakable cologne told me was the same man she'd been dancing with on and off during the period leading up to Christmas - had returned from wherever he had been over the Christmas-New Year period, and the pair of them had picked up where they'd left off.

Kate's one saving grace was that neither her lipstick was smeared nor her hair dishevelled. Nor, for that matter, were her clothes in disarray. Of course, she could have adjusted her clothing before coming into the house, but I didn't think that, in her present condition, she would have been capable of giving any thought to such things. That told me she hadn't yet stepped completely over the line.

That was probably due to him rather than her. I knew that she was way past the inebriation level that would have her jumping into bed with him at the shake of a dick. Whoever he was, this bloke was obviously an experienced player who knew how to play wind in his mark. He knew not to push too hard too early in his game. He wasn't after a one-night stand. He had his sights set on stealing Kate away from me and was gently enticing her into his trap by holding the carrot just beyond her reach. In his case, I had no doubt that the carrot was his cock; perhaps with a measure of good looks and sweet talk to add to the attraction. After getting her loaded up on alcohol, he'd dance with her, rubbing himself up against her groin until he had her simmering, then pull away, leaving her frustrated.

Either the next time they met or the time after that, he'd let her boil over into a dancefloor orgasm. That would be when he knew he had her. If he was anything like Kingston or Manyweather, he'd then turn his attention to me because there is no real joy in taking a man's wife away from him unless you can humiliate him in the process.

While I knew the moves, I also knew that Kate was the only one who could stop herself from taking that final step. I could forgive her for her weakness because I knew it was fueled by alcohol. But I could never forgive her if she betrayed me. And that's what worried me about this whole situation. She knew what would happen if she ever - even once - cheated on me; either emotionally or physically. We'd talked about it before we committed to each other, for Christ's sake! Besides, she'd seen the consequences of such action.

I resolved to talk to her about her problem in the morning. I also resolved to find out who this bloke was and explain to him the error of his ways. Whether that involved an element of physical counselling or not would depend on him.

"Please take me to bed and fuck my brains out, Aaron," Kate pleaded. "I need you. I need you badly."

"You sound like a junky slut hanging for a fix," I responded, my voice sounding more controlled than I was. "I wouldn't touch you with a bargepole, the condition you're in."

"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" she shouted, stepping back away from me. She would have fallen over her carry-on bag had I not grabbed her. "I'm not a slut! And I'm certainly not a junky! I'm your wife! And I deserve a little more respect!"

"I'll show you respect when you show respect for yourself," I answered, raising my voice to match hers. "At the moment, all you are showing me is that you have no self-respect.

"Not only do you not respect yourself, but you also don't show any respect for your position or for the uniform you wear.

"You want me to show you the respect you say you're due, but you go out drinking, dancing and making a complete fool of yourself with your coworkers - your subordinates, for crying out loud. And then you go and break all the laws you've sworn to uphold by driving home when you're so drunk that if you were breathalysed, you'd have your licence taken off you and your car impounded; not to mention the possibility of being thrown into a cell and losing your job.

"How does that show respect for yourself or those you vowed to protect? And what about those you lead?

"How much respect do you think they have for you? A successful and respected superior leads by example. What sort of example are you setting for your troops? In military terms, that means first in and last out. In your situation, it means you're the last to the pub - or wherever you go to let off steam - the least amount of alcohol consumed and the first to leave. That's how you earn the respect of your subordinates. Give them something to measure themselves against.

"You don't earn respect - or at least the sort of respect you're asking for - by trying to win drinking races and tripping the light fantastic with every Lothario who wants to rub his dick up against you on the dancefloor."

Tears were streaming down her face by the time I ended my tirade. I let her think about my words for a few minutes before quietly suggesting that she take herself to the guest bedroom to sleep off her drunk.

"But I want to sleep in

our

bed," she pleaded.

"It's

our

bed when you behave like a wife who respects her husband. You demand respect. But I also demand respect. Until you can show me the respect I believe

I

deserve, you will be treated like a guest in my house.

"I don't want you in my bed with the stink of alcohol and other men on you. I wouldn't put up with it from Samantha or Charlie, and I fucking-well won't put up with it from you. If you want out of our civil marriage, just say so. I loved the Kate I committed to. But I'm not even

liking

the Kate I see standing in front of me tonight."

It almost broke my heart to watch the woman I loved trudging dejectedly along the hallway towards the guest suite. But, if she was to learn anything from what I had said, it was a walk she had to make alone. I just hoped she'd remember it in the morning.

As I made my way to the master bedroom after ensuring the house was secure, I accepted that our four-day weekend would now be reduced to three days. The planned early start was off the table as I knew Kate wouldn't surface before midday. And even then, it would take her the remainder of the day to get over her hangover. She wouldn't be in a fit state for anything like a coherent conversation until late in the afternoon at the earliest.

Whether or not we went up to the cottage would depend on the outcome of that discussion.

---oooBJSooo---

The one positive thing that came out of Kate's blowout night and the resultant recovery day was that we had missed the Australia Day holiday crowds when we finally arrived at our hinterland cottage. In fact, the subdued atmosphere of the usually bustling tourism precinct matched our own moods as I unpacked our gear from the Chrysler - I'd decided against bringing the Mustang - and carried it into the cottage.

Our discussion the previous evening had been less open than I'd hoped for, with Kate refusing to engage in any constructive dialogue. The only thing she seemed to remember from the previous night was my referring to her as a junkie slut.

There was no make-up sex that night, as she decided to punish me by spending another night in the guest suite. I wasn't too disappointed about that because none of her words during our talk had included an apology for her actions.

"I'll be leaving for the Sunshine Coast at nine in the morning," I said to her back as she made her way up the hallway. "I have an appointment with a client to inspect his site tomorrow afternoon. I'd like to take you with me, but it's up to you whether you want to join me. For all I know, you might prefer to stay down here so you can catch up with your drinking and dancing mates.

"Anyway, with you or without you, I'm leaving at nine o'clock. Be ready if you want to join me."

---oooBJSooo---

"I would have thought you'd have wanted to give the Mustang a run," Kate said as we headed northward out of the city. "Didn't you tell me it's finished?"

"It is finished," I answered. "And I did think about using it for this trip. But I haven't stress-tested it yet, and I'd hate to have to spend what little time we have together standing beside the road waiting for a tow truck if it broke down.

"Besides, it's probably a bit too flashy for the business meeting I've got to attend this afternoon. Maybe we can take it for a run during your next break."

After dropping Kate and our luggage off at the cottage, I went off to meet the Phoenix client to inspect the site where he wanted his new home built. Fortunately, money wasn't a problem for him as the block upon which he wanted his sixty-square (6,000 sq ft) home built was a difficult one. Once completed, however, it would have magnificent, uninterrupted views over the whole of the Sunshine Coast.

Returning to the cottage, I showered and changed before taking Kate down to the local pub for one of their highly-rated seafood meals. She selected Macadamia-crusted Barramundi with a mango-infused salad. I also went for the fish but selected their famous Teriyaki Coral Trout with barbecued greens and soba noodles. Being the pleb that I am, I also ordered a large bowl of beer-battered chips to go with the fish.