All Comments on 'Funny You Should Ask'

It just DOES NOT get any more LW than this!

I do not understand how anyone can think this is not complete with the "FYSA." The emotions of each of the three principals are excruciatingly wrung out and skewered.

Sweetie was already compromised due to her decision to put her assignment above her marriage and her vows ... and she is conflicted because of that. She hopes that she can get over that by relinquishing her job and finally fulfilling their family plans. But Hubby will be changed since her actions were busted ... their marriage will never be the same, and the relationship may very well be irreparable. Sweetie can no longer just gradually let her romance fade in the dustbins of history.

Sweetie can go back to her Bull ... she was changed due to her actions, but now that she knows her Bull is an old friend of Hubby, she will realize the complete story will eventually (or very quickly) get back to him, even if Hubby does not 'out' her! So THAT relationship will be tainted as well. Bull may have been a womanizer, but his lack of respect for Hank/Frank suggests he was NOT an unprincipled home-wrecker. Not with a stranger's wife, and certainly the fact that she was actually his old friend's spouse is likely to REALLY change their dynamic!

Time for Sweetie to immediately get her job back, and dedicate her life to what she does best!

FIVE (walking away!)

Tell her immediately you know who gave her the necklace. Her response determines her fate, which to me, is circling the drain. She gave her heart when she cheated.

How was it necessary for the job? She clearly needed the physical reminder that she was unavailable to other men; and there was a good chance Jack would have behaved differently if he knew she was married. Any girl that personable and attractive is no stranger to being hit on. I guess she is just a very likable slut; or FM needed her to be for the twist in this story.

what happens next

NOT FINISHED, A JPB SPECIAL SAD BECAUSE THIS WRITER IS NORMALLY GOOD.

5 STARS FOR STORYLINE 0 FOR ENDING, 2 STARS.

It's also the fact that she kept and cherished the memento from her lover, blatantly displaying it to her husband, as if to say; "I cheated on you, but you don't know it, and this is my secret way of laughing at you, because I got away with it! I wear his gift in public to remember and cherish him, and at the same time to secretly shame and demean you!" It is probably not the first time she took an opportunity presented by her job to cheat.

Cantbuymy made a very valid point. Not only is she a cheating slut, but she completely compromised a lengthy and important investigation by sleeping with a suspect, then indicting the other suspect. If, or when, that fact comes to light, the case against Frank/Hank will be dismissed, and she may even be prosecuted herself for influencing a federal investigation.

I think the aftermath from her perspective, if just for a chapter would be nice.

Just enough for an epilog about the divorce.

OK, maybe I'm blind, but you completely caught me with the ending. Well played! I disagree with those commenters who think there needs to be more. As one commenter said, this ended with the story's land mine going off, and was a perfect ending. A very well done story. Thanks!

VisualPerv

You well & truly caught me with my pants down with this ending; didn't see it coming at all. It doesn't need another chapter or else you'll only ruin the terrific effect of this one, no matter what type of storyline you use. Congrats for another 1st class story, you certainly are a rising star. 5 big * * * * *

just one thing I found a bit 'OFF': the way the guy described to his friend the intimate details of his lovemaking with the woman. It just didn't gel right: sounded altogether a bit twee.

It would be great to have another story with a similar premise,but with the husband figuring it out and what resulted.

The graphic explanation of the sex encounter to a buddy didn't really fit with this story.

...but that ending of yours seems to scream for an aftermath.

We read this story, we know where it's going, we learn what two of the characters did and it ends without answering the most important question the story has: What will do the third character? so only 3*

I think SplitAces hit the critical issue: "Why appear to be unmarried?". Quoting the story: "I'd already checked: she wasn't wearing a wedding ring. Iit looked like she might have done so in the past, however, so I figured she was divorced." Then she deflects any attempt on Jack's part to learn about her personal life.

Either she wanted to be free to play around, or she took a job that required her to play up to men romantically in order to get them to confide in her. Either way it doesn't speak well of her. She didn't just accidentally get in a situation where she was close to someone and committed an indiscretion. Rather, she deliberately placed herself in position to be unfaithful.

I don't have high hopes of her fixing her marriage.

Unbelievable ending, since I read some of writer's other stories, I knew something was going to happen, but was surprised at the actual conclusion. Gave it a 4, could have been 5, but did not meet my expectations for that, rating on writer's list of stories is probably appropriate.

Louisiana Redneck.

and I guess she just forgot. TK U MLJ LV NV

@SplitAces Re: Why Appear To Be Unmarried? To encourage the targets to approach her – it obviously wasn’t necessary with Hank, but I think that Jack might have respected the boundaries.

As for where it goes, while as KarenE says we’re sort of on Jack’s side, and would maybe like her to end up with him, but RAAC wouldn’t exactly be uncalled for here.

Maybe her husband could ask about the necklace and see if there could be at least SOME honesty there. I wouldn’t necessarily expect a confession of the physical affair, but hopefully she could at least own up to the EMOTIONAL affair!

I saw it coming from the beginning, but it was still moving....

This story has it all -- should be a 4.8 (of course a 5 in my book). It does expose one problem with the classification system, however. No one would have been tipped off about the outcome if this were not in the Loving Wives category.

ya got me ... I did not see it coming

Very well done.

A great flash tale. Five stars.

Delightful quick read.

At first I thought "here we go again, he's going to take his unhappy friend home only to be cuckolded," but you surprised me.

Extremely well written but quite sad. If it had been just about sex? Well that's one thing, it's quite another when she clearly had and still has feelings for Jack, hence why she keeps wearing the knot, even while with her husband.

Whether they can work through it, who knows? But I think you stopped at the right place. Bella was guilty on so many levels while both men were completely innocent. To continue could turn it into just another slut wife / wimp cuckold / vindictive spouse story. Plus it's nice to be given the chance to use our own imaginations.

Thanks :))

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

Excellent flash story. The sex was hot, and I loved the twist. You didn't get the curve by me, but I only picked up the spin on the ball in time to foul it off.

when it was new I immediately fived it, but didn't comment. Like Karen I never saw it coming either. Reading the comments 'Betrayed by Love' keeps getting angrier and angrier. Go back and check.

Yeah, I'm afraid divorce is in order, but I know it would hurt terribly. His pal, the womanizer, ruined his marriage, but his wife sure didn't put up much of a fight did she? Our protagonist loses all the way around, an old friend and the woman he truly loved. I really feel for the guy; everything just collapsed.

This was and remains one of my favorite MacCombers. It was kind of a 'what could have been'. Almost there, wife ready to settle down, and then the damn necklace. So sad.

Jedd Clampett

Beautifully done

I agree with Carvohi's comments with one exception. I thought that Jack had reformed himself from the womanizer of old and was trying to a better person. I thought it was karmic justice that he couldn't get the woman of his dreams, but at the same time I can see him now as a different man than his was before.

I would really like to see the author invite others to write a 2nd chapter and give readers a time table to vote a best sequel award. Or even female writers to write about Bella's POV. I think a woman writing that chapter would be really interesting. But regardless, this is an excellent story, full of very emotional drama and tragedy.

Thank you Francis

Looking back over this story, I'm really surprised at how simple it is and yet how engrossing also.

Two old friends chatting over a bad day ...... was quickly forgotten as I wondered about the rivalry between the 'office casanova' and the 'good guy'.

Only at the mention of Bella did I suddenly twig.

Brilliant short story ..... another easy 5*

unfinished. and likely to remain so after 3 years.

But agree this one is unfinished

This is left unfinished!

This could be a five if it was finished properly

I love this man's work. I wish he hadn't abandoned us.

Read it again. Appreciate it more. Dump the cunt.

Oh Yeah

Nice 'gotcha' to wrap it up. Thanks!

wait until the next reunion, TK U MLJ LV NV

And I would have given it a decent rating if it would have been finished.

What a bitch. She comes home fresh from her lovers bed to tell hubby she's going to quit her job, have babies and expect him to financially support her for the next 10 years or so. His reward, poor quality sex since she doesn't have much passion or feelings for him; not like she has for lover Jack.

Wonder if she gave him Jacks sloppy seconds the night before.

Deliberately cheating? Yes, divorce is the only reasonable way forward.

Did not see that one coming. 5 stars. As for the ending, it was perfect.

Don't know how I missed this one!

5* and would love to see this play out.

Need another chapter here!

... I was wondering how the writer would managed to bring it all together, and make the whole thing stick.

Well he did. He sure did.

Feel real bad for both fellows, stuck falling for a unworthy woman. I'm really against a sequel to this story, though - it couldn't possibly do justice to the original tale.

Sad, yet still enjoyable. Good job, author.

Definitely a five star story.

I met a beautiful, luscious and sultry woman when we were both in our mid twenties. She told me that she was 'seeing' someone but wanted to spend time with me so she had to be careful. We were fucking each other's socks off at least three times a week, sometimes twice that, for almost a year until I went to a new years party and saw a firefighter friend of mine that I'd been in the Army with. Guess who he pointed across the room to as his WIFE. He told me that they'd been married for four years. I tried to get the hell out of there before she saw me but he called out to her to come over. She was about halfway when she saw me and stopped in her tracks with a frozen look of fear on her face.

Needless to say, Joe saw her reaction and the shocked and stunned look on my face and started asking her rapid fire questions. She didn't answer... just stood there looking like a shattered glass that hadn't yet fallen to pieces... let out a loud, agonized cry... started crying and ran out the door.

It became a New Years Eve party that everyone in attendance remembers.

Joe was my friend. Once the initial clubbed in the head, stabbed in the heart and punched in the gut feelings started to let up, I told him the truth... first off that I had no idea that she was married and then gave him the details that he had a right to know... when it started and how often. That she'd told me that she was 'seeing someone' that she never talked about and that's all I ever knew.

He was so proud of having her as his wife until she saw me and her reaction revealed her treachery. What an incredible piece of ass she was... and I loved her, too. I wasn't married to her but I felt the same sense of betrayal that Joe did.

The above story had a necklace as the 'giveaway'... the 'tell'... but Joe and I had a sudden and totally unexpected 'face to face' encounter with our disaster.

Somebody needs to finish this story, please! I’ve got a number of potential outcomes in mind but sadly I am not a writer at all. Surely one of you brilliant folks can spin some great endings to this.

Always listen when someone tries to warn you about themselves.

Sorry. Generally, I would feel that this LW story really starts here. The effect the ‘adventurous wife’ actions have on the marital relationship is, IMHO, the crux of the LW category. In THIS case, however, the continuation of this account is too obvious to need any further elaboration. Hubby is devastated and angry and Sweetie needs to call then go back to her New Bull ASAP, ‘cause she has NO future with Hubby!

5*

But I don’t expect the author to continue this story. It’s very well written. Excellent play of emotions and drama. And it leaves the reader wanting more. Great story. Does anyone know if there’s a chapter 2 by any other authors? Would you, FrancisMacomber, allow another author to continue this story? Is there anything that we readers can discuss to get you to write more?

Thank you

That had to hurt. Good job Francis.

As devastating as Jack feels after learning that Carla/Bella spent the previous evening happily screwing his old friend he must also be wondering how many other “suspects” she investigated in a bed. I’d recommend he notice her new necklace and ask her who gave it to her and when. If she shows any remorse there might be hope but if she lies he can contact a lawyer because he will never trust her again.

good story id like to see a part 2 of some sort to see where it could end up

Did she not think that all of her long hours and devotion to work wouldn't cause a problem in her marriage? So instead of holding it together she auditions another man for the husband's job? Not much integrity involved in her thinking. Like someone commented, how many other suspects has she "investigated" in her work? Problem with undercover jobs is that sometimes you become what you are playing and evidently she was playing an untrustworthy slut. Don't know what hubby is going to do, it doesn't matter. But I think he is about to rock her world and not like she thought. I would also out her to her employers for the way she acted on that particular job. Good job of writing, of course. I gave you a low number the first time I read this but I must have hit the wrong button because this is an excellent story.

I too would like to see more, however I don’t think it is likely to happen. I’d like to se different takes ranging from btb to reconciliation and every thing in between. But, such is life. This is an amazing piece of work! Bravo!

If Carla/Bella had returned the necklace to Jack when they departed, the story could still potentially have gone the reconciliation route, even if unlikely given that she so willingly slept with Jack. But, wearing the necklace when she returned home and fingering it while talking to her husband is a killer -- she should not be married to the poor sucker while wearing another man's love token .

They have no kids. There is no reason for them to stay together. She strung up trust and let the trap door drop. Wearing that keepsake from her lover, fingering it in front of him, no point in continuing. Really well written tragic story.

Rarely do you find a story as involved and as interesting as this one and it's just the beginning of a story. The story is just about a sucker punch to the guy, it ends as the breath is leaving him. It's a story that is left to the imagiation of the reader, it's like a paint by number kit, leaving you to fill in between the lines. It was masterfully done, a grand piece. But i am greedy and lazy, i wanted more. Damn good sucker punch.

No possible reconciliation after she keeps wearing necklace

What gut punch right to gonads and then twisted

That's all she wrote!

or Celtic karma. TK U MLJ LV NV

This was brilliant, I loved every bit of it.

So masterfully crafted, the way the story just moved at just the right pace, every word crucial to the plot.

Beautifully written story. Somewhat foreshadowing the ending, but no matter, it's a really good one.

I liked the end, sad but really good. You really need to finish it.

Not sure who's teeth are being kicked. Wow, what a great story. Author, thank you.

Didn't see that coming. Great little story that calls for a sequel. That was tough.

The interior story was excellent and the ending, which I confess I saw coming once she entered the house, was terrific. That's a 5***** story!

And other adulterer?

Great story, but needs a conclusion. It would interesting if the former college roommates meet up with Carla/Bella in tow. 5 stars

The clever twist at the end may be the best of all time.

Perfectly crafted story!

Great twist at the end, I didn't suspect it all.

That her husband gave her. Pretty dumb to walk in wearing a visible gift from her lover.

Jack might really lucky or physically damaged, depending in "Honey's" response

Good story 5 stars. I would have liked to know how it all played out. QuietCritic AKA CC

This guy could write. What a creative mind. There is hardly ever a LW cliche' in his stories. I think his body of work taken together is superior to any LW writer before or since.

I believe he passed away. But his stories have left a legacy that will be hard to surpass.

Great lead up. Too bad you left out the brutal revenge...

That's a coincidence that I could live without.

I only rate it as entertainment. I am not an editor and see it as very entertaining so to me it is a 5

She came back. Wanted nothing to do with her old job realizing its going to cost her everything. If he had accepted her at face value and her desire to throw herself body and soul back into their marriage then you could have ended it there. But it seems he isnt too keen so we all want to see how she tries to explain things and if her arguements to win him back succeed. The Celtic knot was going to be juicy!

I hope they can work it out!

I loved it, so I gave it 5 stars. The only problem is I can't stop laughing about the ending.

Holy crap!

I had to reread the last part. What a unique way to end the story. Great job, thanks KS

Oh wow. What a story! Love the ambiguous ending. 5 stars.

Very Nice. I kind of expected some kind of twist at the end, but it certainly wasn’t THAT twist. I just did not see that one coming. Good one, FM.

Might be my favorite story on here

Didn’t see that one coming! That’s a great twist. One question, was the bad guy Hank or Frank? I got confused. I guess that’s not an unusual case for me tho. Five stars, no doubt.

Now that ending came swinging in from left-field. Neat twist.

😲 what a great story!

What a great story, 5 stars to writer. What a surprise twist at the end. Didn't see that coming at all. I don't think she was bad or a whore. She was just a determined professional who was sympathetic for one of the men she was investigating. Had she not been such a wise and talented in investigater she may not have been able to close her case.

Nice surprise ending, Well done

Well,what happened to the marriage,did he divorce Bella?.

Ftds

Some other commenter(s) has/have already thought of this, but one word woulda FTDS.

“Funny you should ask, Carla!”

Next options.

“It was very informative, Sweetie! How about we invite him over for dinner tomorrow night?”.

or

“I really want you to forget about him and let’s start planning our future relationship and family!”

Of course, leaving an ambiguous ending on a story like this is also great for internal debate in case one of We-the-Readers’ hits a dilemma like this.

Do you think it's lever to not finish the story? 1

Hey that was really a fun story, unless you happen to be Jack or Hank. Or the nameless husband. I liked where it ended. It leaves the reader a bit unsettled, similar in a way, to the characters in the story. Ending a story in this way, is nourishment for the mind. Embrace it folks.

Work gets in the way of relationships all the time - temptation! Happened to my wife - 2 day event - broke my heart - still breaks my heart every day 39 years later - married 46 years now! Guess I made the wrong choice, life is not fun.

Still a 5***** story!