Better Advice, Better Marriage Ch. 03

"So. Are you completely done with Mandy and this ridiculous notion that all men are jerks that deserve to be manipulated by the woman they love?"

"I don't know that all Mandy's ideas were completely off base..."

"Oh, so which of her ideas were good ones -- the one where she sleeps with one of her patients or the one where she ruins my life with false accusations."

"Maybe the one where men will do almost anything to get the sex that they want."

Jon pauses to reflect for a moment.

"Okay, maybe there is some truth to that one," he concedes. "A lot of guys (maybe myself included) will do an awful lot of ridiculous things when we're horny. But consider this for a moment: Maybe the guy does all those stupid things not JUST because he gets sex but at least partially because, deep down, despite it all, he truly loves the woman that he promised to love, honor and cherish all the days of his life. Even when she behaves like a manipulative bitch."

Is he trying to tell me that he still loves me and is willing to work this out with me? Sue thinks silently, hopeful.

"A lot of our life together has been good, Sue. You've been my partner and life coach. You were there for me through all the crazy shit when we were first married -- that tiny, fire-trap of an apartment over on Union Street? And you put up with all the crap when I first started at Lambert and worked all those crazy hours? I mean, I know you were stuck at home with the kids while we launched that product and I was there twelve, fourteen hours a day. You were my rock and even brought me dinner when shit happened and I just didn't come home and didn't even call.

"Sue, I love you and I wasn't willing to throw that away when you started to push the 'men are just out to subjugate women' bullshit and started trying to manipulate our sex life. I thought we could work it out somehow. I thought I could get you to see what Mandy was doing to you, doing to US. I thought we could fix it, if I could just love you enough.

"And I realize now, that I was stupid. I thought that loving you enough meant playing along and giving in to you and that eventually you'd wake up but now, all we have is this ridiculous rape accusation and years of us arguing over sex.

"Are you willing to work with me on this? Are you willing to be honest and try to see the good in me again? See me as more than just a stupid male that is completely driven by testosterone and begin treating me again like your life partner?"

"Yes, Jon. That's what I've been trying to tell you. That's what BJ day is all about. I want you to be the husband. I want you to be the man of the house. I want you to stop putting up with my shit and stand up for yourself. The more I demanded of you, the more you became a pussy. And then the other night, I pushed your buttons and you let 'the beast' out and I got to see the passion in you again, the fire. I want that. I want you to have that passion for me.

"I want to work with you, Jon. I want our marriage to work and I recognize that I've done a lot of things that have hurt it. That I've hurt you. I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"I want to, hon. I want the great things that are going on in our life -- like your career and my career and the house and the kids and... and a day just fishing with you and the kids -- I want that to carry over into the bedroom, too. I want our relationship -- our partnership -- to be part of what we experience together.

"I'm a guy, Sue. And as much as I like making love to you and adoring you and pleasing you, sometimes I just want to fuck. I just want to get down and dirty and fuck like a bastard."

"Sometimes I want that, too, Jon."

"But anytime I ever let that out, really bad things happen. Like I get accused of rape."

"I know, Jon. I realize that now. That's what I've been trying to tell you. I want you to be who you are and I promise not to... shut you down."

"And not punish me later for 'being a man'?"

"That's what BJ day is supposed to show you. You can be as demanding of me as you want without fear of reprisal outside the bedroom."

"This is good, Sue. I think we are finally communicating. Maybe it took stupid Mandy and her fucked-up accusation to wake us up and get us actually talking together."

"Maybe she did us some good after all, in a perverse sort of way. What are we going to do about her anyway?"

Jon picks up the camera again and flips through the images on the little screen.

"What were your intentions taking these photos?"

"I don't know, Jon. I guess I just couldn't believe what I was seeing and wanted to have a record of it that would prove I wasn't mistaken somehow."

"I think you managed that," Jon grins, staring at the little screen. "What do you think we should do with them?"

"Oh, I never intended them to go anywhere. What are you thinking? Go public with them and ruin Mandy's career just to prove a point?"

"Kind of like she did her damnedest to ruin our marriage just to prove her point?"

"I guess there is that."

"Yes, my dear, there is that. And I'm going to protect the next poor bastard down the line from the false rape charges. If she is really doing what I think she is doing with a patient, then she needs to be done counseling. Don't you agree? I mean, Sue, look at these pictures. The ink isn't even dry on their divorce yet, if it has even happened. What chance did their marriage have if the counselor is sleeping with one of the couple?"

"She's been my friend for a lot of years, Jon. I can't just call the State Board and ruin her career. Can we do this somehow so she doesn't have to know I took the pictures?"

"Yeah, I'd like to keep my name out of the papers, if I can help it. Maybe..."

--

"Mike, thanks for meeting me. You may not remember me; we met at the Robinson's Christmas party."

"That's where I've seen you before! But I confess I couldn't place your name when you left me that voice mail."

"I'm terrible with names myself and wouldn't have remembered our meeting if my wife hadn't reminded me," Jon grins, acknowledging just how awkward this exchange is. The two men sit down at the café table.

"So what is this about, Jon?" he asks.

"Let me get right to the point, Mike. Are you and your wife getting marriage counseling from Mandy Cassidy?"

"Yeah, I guess that's no secret."

"We... well, really my wife, Sue, has been going to see Mandy for a couple of years."

"Oh, sorry about your luck, then," Mike grins ruefully.

"Yeah, really," Jon nods. "To be honest, she hasn't been too much help."

"Pfffyeah," Mike snorts. "Color me surprised. Look, Allison and I were already separated and headed for divorce before the counselor from hell ever came on the scene. In fact, our lawyers had it drawn up and we were looking for court dates when her lawyer said that the judge would insist that we try to work some of it out through counseling. My dumb-ass lawyer agreed and her lawyer suggested Mandy. Dumbest mistake I've ever made, short of marrying the bitch in the first place. I shoulda kicked my dumb-ass lawyer in his dumb ass; told him to man up and get us into the court room."

Jon nods, sensing that the guy needs to unburden himself of the frustration he's been living through.

"We ended up on a four-month 'program'. Every session is the same -- drag me in there, tell me I'm a shitty no good man and try to pry some other detail about how much more at fault I am that she wants out of the marriage. We've renegotiated the agreement twice now and each time gets progressively worse for me. Thankfully, my four month sentence is almost up, we can set a date and I can become a free man."

"I think you should negotiate one last time, my friend," Jon pulls out a folder and slides it across the table. Mike flips it open and is confronted with pictures of Mandy and Allison out on their "date."

"The little fuckin' bitch!" Mike roars. Perhaps the diner wasn't such a good idea, Jon thinks. "I'll kill the cheatin' dyke!"

"Mike!" Jon barks and it brings the irate guy back to his senses. "Get a grip, man."

"But this? Aw, Allie. You didn't have to go doin' shit like this!"

"Mike, get your head on straight. I didn't give you these so you can go all postal on us. Yeah, it is a shitty hand you've been dealt but you deserved to know. And it may give you a little leverage in the next round of negotiations. Now, these pictures are incriminating but maybe a little tame. You are probably going to have to bolster it with more evidence -- whatever you can find.

"Don't go charging in shouting and swearing and make an ass of yourself. That won't get you anywhere. Calmly ask the four of you to get together -- you, Allison and both your lawyers. Say you've one or two things to tie up. Calmly, quietly, show them the pictures and ask them if there is anything that they would like to revise about the current divorce arrangement.

"They'll ask you where you got the pictures. Just say it doesn't matter; are they trying to deny the truth of what you can all plainly see -- your wife cheating on you with your marriage counselor? If her lawyer starts to object, remind him that he is the one who suggested Mandy in the first place and wouldn't the court just love to hear about whatever little kick-back system they've got going on there."

"But Jon, my marriage was all but over, anyway. I have already started seeing someone myself..."

"It really isn't about you and Allison, Mike. She'll go along with it to try to protect Mandy who is the only one that is really going to get in deep shit over all this. There are rules about counselors fucking with those they counsel. Once Allison realizes those pictures are going to come out in court? I think your divorce arrangement is going to get better."

"So, what's in it for you? Why you doing this?"

"Look, man, if I were in your shoes, I'd want to know. I feel for you. And from what I've seen here and a few other things that I don't want to talk about tonight, I just think the world would be a better place if Mandy Cassidy weren't advising people on how to reconcile their marriages. I would consider it payment enough if she permanently leaves the counseling business and doesn't do this," he nods toward the folder, "to anyone else."

--

A week or so later, Sue springs some news on Jon as he sets his laptop bag down by the backdoor. "I got an interesting call from someone at the Department of Social Services today. She wanted to talk about the rape accusation."

"Oh?" Jon is dreading yet another round of trying to explain to government officials what actually happened. "What did you tell them?"

"The truth. The whole incident was a misunderstanding between me and my therapist; it was not a misunderstanding between me and you. There never was any assault and I have never felt threatened, abused or forced by you in any way."

"Thanks for that. I appreciate it," Jon acknowledges. "Did they ask about her relationship with Allison?"

"They didn't say anything to me about it but you can bet if they are investigating, that somehow it came out."

"Yeah, I suppose something that juicy isn't going to stay secret very long," Jon replies.

"It sounds like they are being pretty thorough, if they are going back and investigating the rape charge as well."

"Yes, I suppose," Jon agrees.

"I heard that the police threatened to charge her with filing a false report. Apparently this was not the only case of her doing this to couples and they were tired of it."

"Good to know they believe us that no rape happened. Nevertheless, Sue, you do understand that this accusation will never go away. It will always be on file; people will forever have this in their mind about me."

"I understand, Jon, and I'm sorry about that. It will always be there and I will always owe you, then. If it takes you a lifetime to live it down, then it will take me a lifetime to make it up to you."

"I like the sound of that," Jon gives her a crooked smile. "More BJ Days?"

"Maybe," she grins back. "That and so much more. Lynne has given me some advice on other ways to improve our marriage," she answers with a twinkle in her eye.

"Better advice leads to a better marriage," he grins back wondering what she has in mind. For the first time in a long time, though, he is looking forward to finding out.