Wife Wants a Hall Pass

When we returned to the house she asked, "Luke, may I be alone for a while? I can't think about this anymore if I am with you."

I answered, "Yes, I have to go to the office for a couple hours anyway." I held her for a minute, kissed her softly. "Don't leave here while I'm gone and do not communicate with Ben. I want to be the first to know what your decision is."

She nodded.

I changed clothes into something more appropriate for the office and left.

Lex's dossier was already on my desk. I opened it and read down the list of fuck-ups this creep had been involved in. If he was hustling all these attached women he better get the hell out of Texas. Men get hanged here for stealing a horse or a cow. What might happen to a wife thief? Drawing and quartering might not be out of the question.

I took care of a couple minor problems and put another one off onto my assistant, Alice. It really didn't matter which way she went on this one, but I'm trying to get her some experience in making decisions on her own. She is a smart girl and can be of great help, but she is hesitant to think for herself. She is young. She will be fine with a little more time.

I told Alice I would be in and out the rest of the week, but I would be available by cell phone and to call if she needed me. I escaped and went home taking Lex's documents with me.

When I got home I saw Linda on the far side of the lake. She was feeding the ducks. She stood and waved. I flashed my lights at her, so she would know that I had seen her.

I walked into the house and thought, "its five o'clock somewhere." I poured myself a double and took it to my chair in the den. It would take Linda at least fifteen minutes to return from where she was. I could use the time to have my drink take effect. Actually my mind was doing pretty well after reading the report Lex had provided.

Right on time she entered through the kitchen, and a minute later she walked into the den with a glass of wine in her hand. She didn't flop into my lap like I expected her to. She sat in the love seat to my left and quietly looked at me. I resolved to let her speak first no matter how long I had to wait.

Twenty minutes later she finished her wine placing the glass in a coaster on the coffee table. She rose and walked to the side of my chair and said, "Hold me."

I opened my arms and she cuddled into my lap. She lay there a while, and I felt her start to whimper. Finally, in a low trembling voice she said, "Luke, my wonderful Luke. You are the only man I have ever loved and the only one I will ever love. I love you with all my heart and soul." Then in a whisper I could barely hear said, "I still want to sleep with him."

I held her closer and quietly died a little bit more inside. I knew that Ben was never going to lay his hands on her again, but the thought of what had already happened and what she wanted to happen hurt.

She lay there mewing.

I bent down and sang in her ear, "Don't worry baby, everything will turn out all right." Then, I asked her, "What did the ducks think about that?"

She answered, "I didn't tell them. I am ashamed of being such a slut. I didn't want them to know."

I said, "Linda, you aren't a slut. You have been faithful to me since you were fourteen years old. How could you be a slut? I think I know what's going on. Do you want me to tell you what I think?"

She raised her head to look into my eyes and said, "Yes, I surely don't understand."

"I believe," I said, "That subconsciously you are concerned about reaching middle age. You didn't do any sexual experimentation with other partners like most women do when you were younger. Your subconscious mind is telling you to do that now, before you become too old. This situation makes you very susceptible to other men's advances. You become infatuated easily. It's not your fault.

Everyone knows this happens to men so often that it is considered normal. They call it, Middle Age Crazy. The fact is it happens to most women too. In your case it is most powerful, because you are an extremely sensuous woman. You have a very strong libido and have only had one sex partner in your whole life. I should have seen this coming and should have been better prepared to help you through it.

I detest the idea of you going to bed with Ben. I think he is a terrible person. If I have to share you with another man I would not have chosen him. You did choose him however, and in the end it's your choice to make. I know you really want to do this, and all things considered I don't believe I should stand in your way. We've talked about this. I don't want to be responsible for your regret. I know now that I can handle it, but I'll be glad when it is over, so I can have my wife back. I've turned it over in my mind again and again. I can handle it."

She paused then asked, "Are you really sure?"

"Yes, I will handle it. I just want it over with.

"All right," she said, "here is my decision. In a minute I'm going to get up and call Ben. I am going to invite him to spend Friday night with me at the bed and breakfast you suggested in Gainesville. I looked it up, and it will be perfect. When I leave with him Friday I will let myself become totally involved and immersed in him. He will help me do that. I have to do this. If I don't or can't do it, I will have you in my mind, and guilt won't let me carry through."

I was silent.

She went on, "Now, I'm going to fight dirty again. All you will have to do to stop this is to say Linda, don't do this, or Linda, this is a bad idea. Just say no, any time between now and 6 PM Friday. It will not happen, and you my husband, can have a talk with Ben, and inform him he is not to have further contact with me forever. Next, you can take me home and spank me again. It wasn't that bad. The ball is back in your court, Sweetheart."

I was silent.

She went on, "If you allow me to go through with it, I will return to you squeaky clean and on time. I will spend the rest of my life being the best wife you can imagine. Either way, I will always love you. By the way, I did tell that to the ducks."

I said, "Little One, I'm not going to stop you. I think you should go make your call to Ben. Tell him to meet us at Ted's Place, at 5 PM Friday. I want an hour to talk with him face to face. He must agree to my conditions, like you did, or I will stop it. You need to make your reservations as well. The only way this isn't going to happen is if you change your mind of your own free will."

To myself, I said, "Now, Luke boy, your scam better work, or you will have to kill the dip-shit at Ted's Place."

The three days until Friday were a real bitch for me. I knocked around, kicked around and couldn't think about anything, but my up-coming sit-down with the asshole. I memorized the dossier, all the names and places. I went fishing once and went in to work one day. Time dragged on. I thought about asking Gus to kill the bastard before Friday. If he knew the situation, he would be glad to do it for me. He could make it look like an accident, that way we wouldn't have to let Linda know we were involved.

There wasn't any sex. Oddly enough, I just wasn't interested. I held her in bed a lot, but mostly we just slept. When she tried to instigate something the monster wouldn't rise to the occasion. That scared me. It had never happened, before. Maybe, I'm having a psychological problem. I wonder why. Linda didn't really try too hard. I think subconsciously she was saving herself. I really got angry thinking about that.

Friday afternoon finally came.

Ted's Place is a nice little neighborhood bar a block off the main drag. Ted is a friend and a contemporary of Gus's. He is good people. I can't remember when I didn't know him. He doesn't try to make a living with the joint. He is retired military, and he has old family money. He opens the bar three days a week, Thursday through Saturday. If it just does a little better than break even, he is happy. He only runs one shift, five in the evening until two in the morning. He sells beer, whiskey and wine. If you need food you can bring it with you, or he will order a pizza for you. The Pizza Hut delivers. He has a couple pool tables, and a small dance floor with a jukebox.

Ted saw us walk up and opened two minutes early for us. We exchanged pleasantries. I told him, Ben Johnstone was coming to meet us. I saw a question in Ted's Eyes.

He asked, "What ya got goin' with that prick, if it's any of my business?"

I looked at Linda and grinned. I told Ted, "It's just a little negotiation session. It shouldn't take long."

Ted said, "Well, find yourself a seat. I'll send him to ya when I see him. Mary will be around to take your order."

Linda excused herself to go to the powder room. I picked a table on the edge near a wall. Except for the area near the bar, the whole place was dark. The only light would be the candles in their little red holders on each table. The waitress, Mary, would light them as people were seated. The place was set up for about a hundred customers seated at tables for four. If a bigger party came in they would shove tables together, until they had enough seats to accommodate. I couldn't remember ever seeing more than thirty-five or forty people there at any one time.

Mary and Ben showed up at the table about the same time. Ben stuck his hand out to shake. I pretended not to notice. He got the message. I noticed that Mary was not especially happy to see Ben either. Ben must have some history that wasn't in the dossier.

Mary was a little sweetheart. She was twenty-two, cute as a button, and in her third year at the great school of the minds at College Station. She was carrying a GPA high enough that she had already been accepted for Vet School after she graduated. She had been roommates one year with Ted's granddaughter. If you saw Ted with both the girls, you wouldn't be able to detect a difference in the way he treated them. He loved them both like granddaughters. He let them both work when they could, or when they needed a little extra cash. Anyone who got out of line with either of them would be in deep trouble here.

Mary smiled at me and asked, "What are you going to have Luke, the usual MGD?

I nodded.

She looked at Ben and asked, "And for you, Mister Johnstone?"

I thought, "Yep, she knows who he is, and chose not to call him Ben. There was a little ice hanging in the air.

He said, "The usual Mary. How have you been?"

Mary didn't have any Idea what his usual was, so I decided to cover for her.

I said, "Mary, you know Ben is a Bud man." I got that from the dossier. "Let me buy him a Genuine Draft, maybe we can make a convert."

She looked at him, and he nodded.

I said, "Mary, do you remember everyone's usual?"

She answered, "I remember the usual from all the big tippers." She grinned, and bent down to my ear. She whispered loud enough for Ben to hear, "and the ones I want to sleep with."

I said, you better get out of here you little trollop before you get us both in trouble. Linda is here somewhere."

She let her eyes get big, and put her fingertips to her lips. "Oh, yes sir, white wine for the lady." She turned to walk away, and I swatted her on the butt. She wiggled a little extra, looked over her shoulder and smiled at me.

Ben said, "My, my, you do have a way with the ladies."

I replied, "so do you, I understand."

Linda walked up to the table and said, "I see you've met." She then looked down at me and asked, "May I sit next to Ben?"

I answered, "No ma'am, not in my presence. When ya'll are alone you can do whatever you want." I stood and helped her into her chair. The charming bastard across the table also stood.

I said, "Well, we have already burned fifteen minutes of the hour I reserved. I think we should get started." I said, "Ben, I find myself in the terrible position where I feel I am obligated to share the most valuable thing in my world with you. I'm not going to explain how I got in this position. Maybe Linda will tell you, if you are interested.

Quite honestly, if I had made the choice it could not have been you. It was Linda's choice to make. You have been sneaking around, behind my back, trying to steal my wife for almost a year. I doubt that we will ever be friends. That upsets me more than you know. My first thought when Linda finally told me what was happening, was to kill your young ass, and feed you to the fish in Lake Ray Roberts."

"Linda saved your life," I continued. "She told me that you were a fine young man and a perfect gentleman. She informed me that you were never improper with her either by word or touch, until she flirted with and encouraged you. She told me that she precipitated this situation, it was her fault and if I killed you that would be her fault to. She said you were a good man.

"Here we sit. I have given her my permission to spend twenty-four hours, with you, for the purpose of extramarital sex. She shall not be bound by her marital vows to me. She in effect has a, hall pass."

Linda took the pink card from her purse and showed it to him. He grinned like the cat that ate the canary.

I continued, "I do, however, have a few conditions that I expect you to agree to right now and live up to later. If you cannot agree to any one of them, the Hall Pass is rescinded. Linda has already agreed to all of them."

Ben said, "Shoot."

"My first concern is disease. My requirement originally, was for you to have a blood test before today. Linda said that you had told her that you had been monogamous with your wife for twelve years and there was no chance of disease. That being true the requirement for a blood test is waived. Further there will be no need for the use of prophylactics as Linda can't get pregnant."

I went on, "Frankly, the disease thing was most important to me, and the rest are just minor rules of conduct that I'm sure you would follow, anyway, gentleman that you are."

I went through the list, as I had done with Linda. I didn't mention the communication codes that Linda and I had agreed to. He held up his hand in question only once. When I said the whole episode would be over Saturday.

He asked, "What if we both want to meet again or have an ongoing affair for a while?"

I said, "Ben, Linda only asked me for one night. She told me that you had only asked her for one night. One night is all the pass is good for. If you cannot agree to this the pass is rescinded. I will take my beautiful wife home, and the episode is over."

Linda asked, "I know I'm just a girl, but may I speak?"

I answered, "Of course you may speak, Sweetheart. You are not just a girl. You are, The Girl, this is all about."

She looked at Ben and said, "Ben, this condition is non-negotiable. Our time together will end tomorrow evening. I have already agreed to this. Luke means what he says. He will take me home, and you and I will have missed our only chance to be together. You must agree, and you must live up to that agreement, or I will leave here with Luke, willingly. All he has to do is ask."

Ben looked my way and said, "In that case, I reluctantly agree."

I said, "That's all I have. Unless either of you have something further, it appears the deal has been struck."

Ben said, "Great, I'm ready to go Linda. Are you ready?"

Linda blushed and smiled at him.

I said, "Hold on, I really do want to observe the rules. Your pass doesn't start for ten more minutes. Let's at least finish our drinks."

Ben replied, "Damn, Luke haven't you put us through enough?"

I answered, "Yeah, probably. Sorry man, but by the way, where is Carolyn?

His eyes snapped back to me and he said in a surprised voice, "What?"

I replied, "Well, I assumed she would be here. Surely, she wants to know exactly what is going on. I was going to ask her to dinner, after you two left. Maybe we could have gone dancing. That would have been fun, but I couldn't have taken it any farther. Linda hasn't given me a pass. We don't cheat."

I let that hang in the air for a moment then said, "Oh, I see Ben, Carolyn doesn't know does she? Do you think she would be upset?"

Linda was starting to pay attention.

Ben replied, "So that's it. I knew this was an ambush. You're going to tell her aren't you?"

"No Ben, you don't have to worry about that. She has never done anything that would make me want to make her suffer like that. I guess she never knew about Amy Foster either. Did she?

Linda broke in, "Who the hell is Amy Foster?"

"Amy was the boss lady at Ben's last place of employment," I answered. "Ben forgot to tell us about her when he said he and Carolyn were exclusive. Do you want to tell us now Ben?"

There was some flame in Ben's eyes, but he didn't answer.

I paused and went on. "Linda, Amy and Ben had an illicit affair that lasted about three months. Amy's husband of fifteen years finally caught them and it got real ugly. He divorced her, and as I understand it she is going to lose her business in the process. The worst part was, of course, there were two children involved. She has an eleven year old boy and a girl of seven."

There was one other married woman you took advantage of in that office. Isn't that true Ben?

No answer.

I looked at Linda. Her beautiful green eyes were starting to well up.

I said, "You're screwing one of the younger girls where you and Linda work right now, as I understand it."

Linda said, "WHO?"

Ben knew the party was over. He said, "I won't talk about that."

Linda and I looked at each other. I said, "Becky."

Linda came apart. She kept her voice low, but there was venom in it. She said, "Damn Ben, she is only nineteen."

I said, "Yeah, she didn't have much of a chance with a guy like Ben."

Linda said in a calm voice, "That's enough Luke. You were right, I was wrong. This is not the fine young man I thought he was."

I said, "Linda, there is a lot more If you want to hear it. I had Lex do a complete work up on him. The only thing I found that was good about him was that he really was true to Carolyn for almost a full year after their marriage."

She turned toward Ben and asked him, "If we continued with this and Carolyn found out, whom do you think would suffer the most?"

The bastard answered with a chuckle, "I know the answer to that, me."

Linda said, "That's the wrong answer you selfish bastard. It would be those two beautiful daughters that Carolyn gave you."

She went on a tirade then. "My wonderful husband has saved me from the predator that he said you were. He called you a master seducer, and he was right. You have manipulated me for almost a year now. You've had me believing I was a no good tease, and a horrible person, because I didn't fuck you after flirting with you. I thought of myself as a slut and a whore, because of my infatuation for the man you made me believe you were.

"You tried hard to get me to screw you behind my husband's back. You had no regard for the effect that could have had on my and Luke's marriage. Hell, you had no concern on how it could affect your own relationship with your wife or how it could hurt your girls. You have cheated on Carolyn so many times, you don't even think about it anymore.

"I'm sure she must know. Can you imagine the pain she is in? I'm sure she thinks she has to endure it for her children's sake. You did all this just for you own sexual gratification. Who knows how many lives you have destroyed, you piece of shit.

Linda paused. She didn't so much as whimper, but tears ran down her face. She said, "Luke, my darling Luke, please let me go home with you. I will spend the rest of my life trying to find a way to attain your forgiveness for bringing this animal into our lives. Please can we leave now?"

I answered, as I handed her the keys to my truck, "Wait for me, Sweetheart, I want just a minute alone with Ben."