Cheating Bastard

Authors note:

My editor (Nonethewiser) recently sent me a very interesting email. Here it is:

So, I am on a 6:30 train from ---- to ---- and I am sitting with an old friend that I met in the station. Guys a very senior real estate executive at a big company. He tells me that two of our mutual friends are getting divorced. In one case the guy cheated and all their friends are saying he's a cheater, a pig, a typical male asshole etc etc. In the other case the guy's wife cheated and the reaction is "she must have been soooo unhappy", "what did he do - he probably neglected her" etc etc

Interesting, no?

This got us thinking. We threw a couple of ideas around, and came up with this short story. It was fun for the both of us. There are a few places this could go (Non Erotic, maybe even Humor/Satire) but we are patrons of the LW hub. We felt that you guys may appreciate it more.

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The country club restaurant was buzzing with the typical low murmur of idle conversations. It was summer, so the outdoor patio tables were available. A light breeze that swept across the area brought the smell of the ocean to mingle with the pleasant scents from the restaurant. Overhead, the melodious sounds of singing birds mixed with the trilling of insects. It was the soundtrack of summer.

This July day should have been hot, but the ocean breeze was lovely and the air was quite comfortable. The view of the beach was perfect. It was a serene tapestry of summer.

Among the patrons were three women, each in their mid-30's. They were very attractively dressed in tasteful, yet sexy, summer clothing. Sleeveless sundresses that showed a hint of cleavage, but not overtly so. Manicured hands and pedicured toes that were displayed by flip flops and sandals. Carefully applied makeup that was almost invisible. But most importantly, gold bands on that tell-tale finger.

These ladies met here at least twice a month. It was a reprieve from their daily tasks of being wives and mothers. It was "their time", not time dedicated to soccer practice, homework, cooking dinner, and performing other tasks that are expected of young wives of successful men. They can come here to let their hair down (metaphorically of course, they would never leave the house with their hair undone), and enjoy a time of good food, good friends and idle chit chat. In other words, gossip.

This group of three was actually two members short. The ladies who were present, Carol, Suzanne, Layla, were sipping on their white wine and waiting for their food to arrive.

"Has anyone heard from Gina? She was supposed to meet us here, wasn't she?" Suzanne asked as she scanned the restaurant. Carol nodded.

"She sent me a text earlier. She said that she was running late. John (her husband) caught some kind of bug. She was making him chicken soup, if you can imagine. You know how men get when they catch a cold. The whole world stops."

"God, men can be such babies! They get a sore throat and want you to wait on them hand and foot. Last month I had the chills, a fever, and a runny nose. I still managed to get Tracy to cheerleading practice, Kenny to his karate class, clean the house, and have dinner ready. When I finally was able to get to bed Mark had the nerve to wake me up and ask me for a little fun time. I swear they want you to be a combination of their mother and their sex slave. Half of the time I wanna tell him to go fuck his mother and cut out the middle man!" Layla said with a smirk. The other two women's mouths opened wide with surprise at their friend's audacity.

"LAYLA!" They cried out in unison. Layla smiled unapologetically and nibbled on a grape from her fruit plate.

"Speaking of men..." Carol's voice lowered in that way that women do when they want you to know that they are about to say is oh so important. She leaned her head forward. "Have either you heard about what's going on with Jen?"

"Yeah! I talked to Gina yesterday." Layla's eyes got wide as she also lowered her voice to just above a whisper, demonstrating that what she had to say was equally -or more important. "Gina said something about Jen and Dave getting divorced, but she didn't go into detail. I asked. Believe me, I asked. But I got the sense that she wished she hadn't brought it up."

Suzanne's voice practically squealed. "Oh my God! Is that why Jen is so sad? I ran into her the other day when she was dropping her kids off at school. She looked like she hadn't slept in ages. She was a mess!"

"Oh my god Suzanne! Stop it!" Layla exclaimed as she lightly slapped Suzanne on the shoulder. Suzanne looked at her with wide eyes as she spoke again. "No, it's true! Her hair was wrapped in some ratty looking bun, and she was wearing sweats and a t-shirt. Poor girl didn't even have a bra on!"

"That's terrible!" Carol said, her tone somewhere between appalled and amused.

All three women were sad for their friend, but at the same time enthralled. How could you not be? This was news. Big news. Huge news. The five of them had known each other for years now. They all lived in the same neighborhood. Their kids played together. Over the years they'd swapped recipes, griped about their husbands, and shared secrets. They thought that they knew everything about one another. To find out such major information that was previously unknown was guaranteed to peak their interests.

CAROL: So, tell us everything Layla? Did Gina say anything more about Jen? She must have said something.

LAYLA: Well, after Gina mentioned it, she got all hush hush about it. I asked what was wrong and she just told me that Jen and Dave were having some issues. I asked what, and she just said that it was bad and they would probably get divorced. That's all she would say. Then she said, "gotta go" and hung up.

SUZANNE: What? Oh my God! She must be devastated! How long have she and Dave been married? Six years? Seven? They haven't even made it a decade yet. He just ups and leaves her with two kids? That bastard. I never liked him.

The conversation was put on hold because the main courses had arrived. The waitress smiled pleasantly as she spread their dishes out in front of them.

"This smells wonderful!" Carol as she tucked her napkin into the cleavage of her dress. With her fork, she shifted her chicken around in the sauce that it was covered in, cut a small piece off, and put it in her mouth. A smile came over her lips as she savored the flavor.

Once the waitress was assured that they were satisfied with their food, she refilled their glasses. With one final inquiry, she pleasantly smiled and left the ladies to enjoy their meal.

"I know that I shouldn't be eating pasta, but the linguine here is my weakness! I always have to spend an extra 30 minutes in the gym after I leave," a self-deprecating Layla said as she wrapped the noodles around on her fork.

"Layla, are you kidding me? You barely have a waist. I'm the one that has to eat salad! I'd blow up like a balloon if I ate all of those carbs!" Suzanne exclaimed as she looked down at her own salad with a mock pout on her face.

"Umm, yeah. You blow up like a balloon, and it goes straight to your tits. What are you, a D cup! Steve only wishes I filled a bra like you do!" Carol said playfully. All three of them laughed.

They took a break from their conversation for the next few moments as they their meals. Carol was the first one to break the silence.

"Hey guys, do you think that Dave..." she looked around, then leaned forward and lowered her voice, again demonstrating how critical what she had to say was "...is cheating on Jen?"

LAYLA: I wouldn't be surprised, but why do you ask?

CAROL: Well, about a month ago Dave asked me to watch the boys. He wouldn't explain why. I told him I would, and when I looked out of my window, I saw him get into a car with a woman! Some skinny red-headed girl. They drove off together."

"You're kidding!" the Suzanne gasped as she covered her mouth. Carol just nodded matter-of-factly as she took another sip of her wine. Layla blinked as a thought crossed her mind. Something she saw, but ignored because it didn't seem important at the time. But with this new revelation, she felt compelled to share.

LAYLA: Come to think of it, I did see something interesting."

"What?" the other two asked in perfect unity.

LAYLA: One night, a few weeks ago, I was taking out the trash. I saw a strange car parked outside of Jen and Dave's. A few moments later, Dave got out of the passenger side. He was going into the house, but someone called his name out from the car. It was a woman's voice. He went over to the driver side and leaned his head in. You know, like he was giving someone a kiss. Then he went into his house. I'd bet my bottom dollar it was the bimbo that you saw, Carol.

"OH MY GOD!" Suzanne cried as she covered her mouth with both of her hands. "Right outside of his house! That's disgusting! What if the kids saw?"

Layla shook her head. "You know how these men are! They don't care. They dip their wick into anything that moves. Doesn't matter who's around."

"But why would he cheat on Jen? I mean, has he seen her? She's a knock out! I'm not gay, but if I played for that team I would do her in a second." Carol said. They all had to agree. Of the five women, Jen was the youngest and the prettiest.

LAYLA: It doesn't matter to them! Men are dogs! Always sniffing the next butt. My brother once told me they call it SPS. Same Pussy Syndrome. Can you imagine? Pigs! But I will tell you, if Mark ever cheated on me, I'd be on an episode of "Snapped"!

The three of them exploded in laughter. When they realized how loud they were, their laughs muted into snickers and giggles.

CAROL: Layla, you are crazy!

LAYLA: You better believe it! And as long as Mark knows that, there won't be any problems.

They chatted and laughed about other things as they enjoyed their meal. They caught up on each other's kids, the disturbing habits of their husbands, the latest on their favorite shows, the crazy presidential race and all the other things that women who lunch talk about. Eventually the waitress made her way back to the table to check on them and ask if they wanted anything for dessert or coffee. After much arm twisting, Carol and Suzanne ordered a slice of cheesecake. Layla felt she'd consumed enough carbs with her linguine, so she just had an espresso.

SUZANNE: Layla, you need to live a little. You jog, like, every day! One piece of cheesecake won't hurt you. Speaking of jogging, have you tried that new bike path that they just made? It's supposed to lead all the way down here to the beach.

When Suzanne mentioned jogging, Layla's eyes lit up.

"Oh my god guys! I just remembered something else!"

The other two women's ears perked up. Layla's bit her bottom lip, like she was trying to decide whether or not to spill what she knew. "Last week when I was jogging, I saw a black Nissan pass me and I kind of thought it was Dave in the passenger seat. There was a woman in the driver seat. And I believe she was a red-head. But you guys know how I get when I'm in my runner's groove. I didn't really pay it any mind. But now, I know it was him with her. That piece of shit!"

CAROL: A black Nissan? That's the car I saw!

SUZANNE: What were they doing when you saw them Layla?

LAYLA: I couldn't tell, but I will tell you this. It didn't look like they were strangers. It looked like they knew each other, if you know what I mean.

CAROL: What???

LAYLA: Yep! Like I said, I first saw them when I was running. They passed me as I was leaving my driveway, and I run for about 30 minutes. That same car was parked in front of Jen's house when I finished my run. And they were still inside. Probably getting one last kiss. Or maybe even more! Right in public!

The other women gasped. Thirty minutes in a car with a woman that wasn't your wife! Running off to God knows where (motel probably) with her. Making out like drunken teenagers, in full view of the kids. Who does that? Right in front of your house? It was too much!

LAYLA: I hope Jen nails that cheating bastard's nuts to the wall. I wonder if she has a lawyer yet? Carol, do any divorce lawyers work at Steve's firm? I mean, real bastards. She needs one of those man eating sharks.

CAROL: I already planned on asking him that tonight. He won't want to get involved, but I can make him come around. All I have to do is..."

With that she did the tongue in the cheek imitation of giving a blowjob. The other two girls burst out into fits of laughter.

"Take one for the team Carol! That poor girl needs justice!" Suzanne said in between giggles. Layla was laughing too hard to even chime in. The group was getting quite silly, but that was okay. This was their time to do that.

"Having fun without me I see?" a voice said from behind them. They all turned to see Gina sauntering over to the table.

"It's about time!" Carol said as she got up to hug her friend. The other two waved.

Carol and Gina were best friends. They had been since high school. They'd been in each other's weddings. Their kids thought they were cousins. Their husbands played golf together and were friendly with each other. These two ladies were by far the closest out of the group. Another relationship of note was Gina and Jen. They were actual cousins. That was how Jen was introduced to the ladies. She was a few years younger than the rest of them, but it was a fit. It wasn't long before she joined the lunch group.

"I'm sorry I'm late guys. John's sick. He needed a nurse. Plus..." She narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice, like she was about to spill a juicy secret. She knew the protocol. The other ladies picked up on this and gave her their undivided attention. "I was up all night on the phone with Jen."

"We were just talking about her. How is she?" Layla asked, her voice filled with sympathy. Gina just shook her head and sighed.

"The poor girl's a mess. Her marriage is over. She doesn't know what she's gonna do. Dave came home the other day and dropped divorce papers in her lap. She's been hysterical ever since."

"That fucking bastard!" Carol said, her voice brimming with venom. Not only did the asshole cheat on her, he had the audacity to drop divorce papers on HER? The nerve. She was going text Steve right away. His blowjob would be epic! She would give it to him as a reward, not a bribe. Not that men really cared why they got sucked off, as long as they did.

"Cheaters need to die!" Layla said through gritted teeth. Gina was taken back a bit by that, and her expression was one of shock. Then she became a little irritated.

"Layla, you don't know the whole situation. My cousin had her reasons for doing what she did."

"What did she do? That poor girl is the victim!" Layla returned, a little shocked at her friend's irritation with her.

"That's what I'm saying. Can you imagine how unhappy she had to be to cheat on Dave? And with one of his best friends no less! It was a cry for help." Gina's voice was getting excited and filled with emotion. However, the bomb that she just dropped took a second to sink in to the rest of the group.

"Wait a minute." Carol said as she tried to wrap her mind around things. "Jen is the one who cheated?"

"Yes. That's what I'm trying to tell you."

"Wow." Was all Carol could say.

"Well, of course she cheated!" Suzanne shifted in her seat and leaned forward as she spoke. "Dave is running around with some red headed bimbo in a black Nissan! What's good for the gander is good for the goose!"

"I think you have that backwards sweetie." Carol giggled.

"Oh hush! You know what I mean! Men are such hypocrites! He runs around with this bitch, and then wants to divorce Jen for getting even?"

Gina looked confused for a second, and then shook her head. "No, no, no. You've got it wrong. That woman was the PI that he hired to follow Jen around. He was meeting with her to get the evidence together."

"Ahhhhh."

The table was silent for the first time this afternoon. This information changed everything. It's one thing to have the husband cheating. Men are dogs. But for the wife to cheat, that was big. This already salacious story just got better. This was big. Gigantic. What a shame that somebody they cared about had to have her life ruined by it. That didn't make it any less intriguing though. Actually, it made it more.

Gina droned on with details. Apparently, Dave grew suspicious when he came home to find his best friend's car parked in front of his house. His friend gave some excuse about waiting for Dave to get home from work so that they could shoot some hoops. Dave bought it the first time. It was less convincing the second time. After the third, it was just a matter of finding the right PI. When he had all of the evidence he needed, he went to a divorce lawyer and had papers drawn up. He had her served just the other day.

"Oh my god. Poor girl. What would make her do that?" Suzanne said, her voice brimming with sympathy.

"Unhappiness. That's what. You know she had to be miserable to do that! Dave must have really neglected her. Maybe even abused her. Not like hitting her, but verbally. That's just as bad you know! That fucking bastard! She must be devastated!" Layla said, her voice getting filled with emotion. The rest of the group nodded in understanding.

Carol pursed her lips and shook her head. "Dave has always been controlling and possessive. He was smothering her! I mean, having her followed? Who does that? No wonder she did what she did!"

"Well, we need to be there for her. She's gonna need a lot of support getting through this tough time." Suzanne chimed in. Once again the rest agreed.

"Well Suzanne..." Gina started. "She actually needs a place to stay for a while. You know, to get her head together. You have that extra bedroom in your finished basement, don't you? Could she crash there for a while?"

Suzanne stopped short at that. Jen, staying at her house. With her husband. Young, pretty, and already proven to be...less than committed to marriage vows.

Plus, Suzanne didn't know what Paul would think. Jen was her friend and all, but what if Paul got the impression that she was like Jen? Birds of a feather and all that. Not to mention what the neighbors would think. If word hadn't got around by now, it was sure to not be long. If they found out that she was harboring a cheater, she could very well get caught up in the scandal. That just would not do.

"She wouldn't be comfortable in that room." Suzanne said quickly. "It's drafty. Plus, it's right near the washer and dryer. Poor woman would never get any sleep. What about Layla's house?"

When her name was mentioned, Layla stiffened up. Then she put on a smile and laughed. "Guys, you know how my kids are! Noisy and bad as hell! That poor girl needs some peace. My kids would drive her bananas! Carol has that au pair suite above her garage? That's far enough away from all the noise. She would probably be more comfortable there."

"Uh, Uh, sure. But, well, you know we use that for storage. There's no room in there. And Steve is so busy, he's not gonna have time to clean it up for her. I couldn't have her in there with that clutter! She's been through enough already. But Gina, she's your cousin! Why can't she stay with you?"

Gina, who'd grabbed Suzanne's glass of wine to take a sip, almost spit it out. "C'mon guys! With John being sick, it's just a bad time. The last thing she needs is to catch whatever he has. But you know what I was thinking? What if we all just pitched in and got her a room? Just until she can figure out her next move. She can relax in the peace and quiet. That's what she really needs. We'll visit her to make sure she's okay and give her whatever help we can."