How Wonderful Ch. 04

* * * Sam's perspective * * *

On Saturday night when I returned home, Gerri wore the baby doll, as she had promised. Damn but she looked beautiful and very sexy and my discovery had left my mind. Then I did a second take.

That WAS NOT the baby doll that I had purchased for her. The one I bought was split up each side almost to the arm pit. What she was wearing had no splits. Now I remembered that the one I saw at Sharon's house had the splits. It finally sunk in! The baby doll night gown that I had seen at Sharon's was Gerri's and that's why I couldn't mentally get Sharon into it.

I wanted to walk over to her, rip the damned thing off, put her over my knee, and turn her bottom bright red with some of the red being her blood. Of course, I didn't. In a very unloving voice I told her I was tired, pushed by her, and went to bed. I was so sick that I couldn't sleep. At four in the morning I gave up, got dressed and left the house. I went to a local pancake house ordered breakfast and ate little while I tried to put my thoughts in order.

When I got home that night I could tell she was upset and she asked me again, "What's wrong?" and without waiting for a reply she wanted to know why I had left so early and why I hadn't kissed her goodbye?

I simply informed her that I had problems to work out. I didn't answer her when she wanted to know what kind of problems.

The family was at home the first couple of days when I came home from work. But, on Wednesday they had remained at Sharon's. I immediately went to the laundry room and retrieved the card of pills. Sure enough, more pills were missing. So, now I knew for sure she was on the pill. Things started to fall in place, like the kids wondering about her absence from lunch. There had to be something more than her missing lunch on infrequent occasions that brought their queries. It was right under my nose and I hadn't seen it. She was fucking that SOB rooming at Sharon's.

Now I knew what I had to do to obtain positive proof. If I accused her with no proof, she would simply deny it and that bitch Sharon would back her up. Gerri was definitely having an affair and I rationalized that it wasn't necessarily with Sharon's boarder; what's his name? Oh yeah, Mike or Mark or something like that. But the probabilities were high that he was the one.

At this time my emotions went from a feeling of being sick to that of outright rage. If I were a violent person, someone would have been getting hurt in a very short time. This infidelity wasn't going to go on and I was going to get to the truth of the situation. If my suspicions proved to be true, Gerri would be needing to find a new life. We would be through.

Well, whoever she is doing it with she is almost certainly doing it at Sharon's house because there is not enough time for her to travel very far. Then the sickening thought hit me that she might be doing it in our house. I knew that if I were correct, the liaison is taking place at my house or at Sharon's and it won't be hard to get what I need.

I now had proof, though it wouldn't hold up in court. But I sure had enough to start planning how I was going to handle the situation. I knew that I was going to start planting seeds of fear and that, to the degree I was able; I was going to make her life unpleasant. I wanted her to start guessing what, if anything, I knew. In short I would do whatever I could to make her uncomfortable.

I have a very good friend who has access to surveillance equipment. In addition, Sharon had asked me to install extension phones in her garage and on the new sun porch. I had told her I would be happy to install them for the cost of the materials. 'Well Sharon, the extensions are about to be installed.'

Thursday I contacted my friend and made arrangements to rent six cameras, a central recorder, a remote transmitter/receiver, and six motion detector controls.

Mondays and Fridays are generally my busiest days and very often I am late getting home and I'm usually tired by the time I do get home. It occurred to me that Gerri's liaisons might well be on Mondays and/or Fridays since there would be the least chance of my coming home early and that there would be the least chance of detection. That also would explain why the children asked about mom's errands on Fridays.

I knew that the installation would have to wait until Monday since I didn't want anyone around to see what I was doing. I took a half day vacation, picked up the video equipment and got instructions for proper installation, and went home.

After leaving the house on Monday (supposedly to go to work), I called the house and received no answer so I was sure Gerri and the kids were at Sharon's. I drove by Sharon's about ten but didn't see anything. I drove by the park, and sure enough, Sharon and the kids were there. However, I didn't see Gerri. I was immediately tempted to go to Sharon's and maybe see what was happening in the chicken coop. Then I thought, no, even if I did catch them it would still be my word against hers.

I decided that this really would be the opportune time to install the video cameras and the central recording equipment at our house. Also, by doing it now I would have something to shake Gerri up with later. While I was at it I installed a phone tap that fed into a recorder. I was surprised that even though the surveillance system was quite sophisticated, since it was wireless, the installation went very quickly and I was done a little after 2:00 p.m.

I then went to Sharon's house. The kids had just gone down for their naps, and the ladies were in the kitchen. I caught them by surprise when I knocked on the back door and let myself in. Gerri was flustered seeing me home so early on a Friday again.

She wanted to know what I was doing home at this hour.

I told her this was just one of those unusual days where things allowed me to come home early. Then I tossed out a light jab at Gerri and said, "Hello, I'm glad to see you too. Your welcome home makes me wonder what's going on. Have I interrupted something?" She turned pale and I made note of the fact that she was wearing make up which she rarely does except for special occasions. I also noted that the makeup was smudged. I had to resist the urge to walk over and, not gently, rub the makeup off with the dish towel lying on the counter.

I had definitely caught her by surprise and shaken her. While talking I was making detailed mental notes of the house and I even wandered back to the bedrooms to check them out for the installations. Then I went back to the kitchen. I was ready to toss a grenade in her lap.

I said, "Oh, by the way Sharon, you know the extensions I promised to install?"

She lit up and said, "Oh, yes. I was wondering about them."

I told her that I would be in the area sometime on Monday and that I would stop by then and install them.

Gerri gasped lightly and said, "Sam, why don't you do that over the weekend? You don't want to take time off from work do you?"

I told her that we were installing lightning protection equipment and that my boss was letting me do my own house and Sharon's and I would add the phone extensions at Sharon's while I was doing the lightning protection.

Gerri stepped right into my plan and asked me if I was going to do our house on Monday too. She had just pulled the pin on the grenade and I was about to toss it. I was looking forward to her reaction when it exploded in her face as I told her: 'no,' that I had gotten home early enough to do ours before coming here. For a moment I thought she was going to faint. She turned pale and could hardly squeak out, "Oh, that's nice." Then she excused herself and almost ran to the bathroom. I could see that she was really shaken and I was certain now that she had had sex earlier, but not much earlier. If I had come here before doing the installation at home, I would have walked right in on them.

She was in the bathroom for five or ten minutes and when she returned I could tell she had been crying. The mascara had run and she didn't want to look at me. It pleased me that I had put her 'on the ropes' and that she was so extremely uncomfortable. Even though I was pleased with my performance, I wanted to puke.

Sharon went to her and whispered something in her ear. She turned completely away from me (I'm sure she was trying to hide her face) and then she asked Sharon if she could take a shower before she went home.

With her on the ropes, I decided to take another jab. I said, in an attempted joking manner, "Why not wait until we get home and we can have a shower together." I wanted to see her squirm over the idea that I wanted to have sex tonight.

She almost came unglued. She tried to hide it by acting embarrassed. She made some weak excuses and finally went and got her shower before we left.

Walking home she asked me if I couldn't call and let her know when I was coming home so early, that my appearance had scared her to death thinking something had happened. I told her it didn't happen very often so don't worry about it; but she pushed on. She noted that this was the second Friday that I had come home early recently. I struck home again when I asked in a joking manner, "What's wrong, are you afraid I will catch you doing something you shouldn't be doing?"

I saw her stiffen and she let the issue drop.

A moment later she asked me to go on home with the kids. She had left something at Sharon's and needed to go back and get it. She would be home in a few minutes.

While fixing dinner I gave her another jab. I walked up behind her at the sink, rubbed her ass, and said, "I can't wait to get the kids to bed." She shook her butt at me but didn't say anything.

* * * Gerri continues * * *

Beginning about two o'clock on Friday afternoon I got several bone-jarring shocks. I had been with Mark until almost one, the time when Sharon and the kids come back from the park and Mark has to get ready for work. Fortunately I was dressed, but I hadn't cleaned up when there was a knock on Sharon's kitchen door and Sam came in. I almost died. On Fridays he does well to get home in time for supper. I gasped when I realized 'thirty minutes earlier and he would have caught us.' I hope I didn't show my fear in the surprise.

That was the first shock. The second came when he said he would install Sharon's extensions next Monday. This created a major problem. Mark was out of town, standing in for a friend this weekend, and would not be home again until 3 or 4 Monday morning. We were to get together before lunch. I had no way to contact him until early Monday morning and I couldn't have Sam around when I made the call.

But the real shock almost buckled my knees. I learned Sam had come home before noon and had taken time to install some kind of protective device at our house. He would have walked right in on Mark and me had he come right over to Sharon's.

I couldn't control myself and started shuddering. I had to run to the bathroom to regain my composure. I couldn't stop thinking about what would have happened if he hadn't installed the equipment before he came over. As my mind raced, the tears started to flow. I was panicked and on the verge of collapsing. I finally got myself together and knew that I must get back to them before Sam started to wonder what was wrong with me.

I grabbed a Kleenex, quickly wiped my eyes and went back to the kitchen. I couldn't look at Sam and sat as far away from him as possible. I had only been back for a minute when Sharon came to me and whispered that my mascara has run. This almost sent me down for the count. I wondered, and almost knew, whether Sam had seen the mascara. Now I was in a state of panic again. I had to put an end to all this sudden chaos and get home where I could try to recuperate. I asked Sharon to let me take a shower before going home and Sam hit me again by suggesting we have one together at home. I couldn't take the chance. I had to get the makeup off and pray that he hadn't already noticed it. I went ahead and got my shower after making a bunch of lame excuses.

While in the shower I realized that this was the second Friday that Sam had come home early recently and that he had nearly caught me on both occasions. Then I wondered if his schedule was changing and whether this was going to continue to happen. I had to develop some sort of safety net to prevent his coming home early without my knowing it.

On the way home I asked him if he would call when he was coming home so early, that he had really scared me. I used the excuse that I was afraid something serious had happened. He simply told me not to worry about it; it only happens on rare occasions. I pressed the issue and asked if he couldn't do it anyway? His answer, questioning whether I was doing something I shouldn't stifled me and I shut up.

He had repeatedly hit my panic button this afternoon and now I started to wonder and to think again that somehow he was suspicious or aware of my affair. I knew that I couldn't take chances with Monday and I told Sam that I left something at Sharon's. I would go back and get it and be home in a few minutes.

At Sharon's I told her what Sam had said and what I had noted and that I was getting scared. I asked her if she knew how to reach Mark.

She said she thought she could and she was sure that he would be calling her sometime on Sunday. I asked her to please tell Mark what had happened and explain that we were to be strictly acquaintances on Monday. She said she would do that and that she would let me know when she had spoken to him.

Walking back home my mind was racing. I couldn't get over the fact that I had come so extremely close to being caught. And Sam's comments, does he know something or is my guilty conscience playing games with me? Again, I retraced my activities and could find no holes in my cover. I also told myself that if he were suspicious, he would certainly have come directly to Sharon's to check things out. Once more I concluded that my secret was safe, but I knew that I was going to have to be much more careful and that I must get serious about ending the affair. I knew that I couldn't survive another set of blows like those delivered today.

I wasn't out of danger yet. While we were fixing dinner, Sam indicated that he was looking forward to getting me in the sack tonight. I didn't respond to his implied suggestion. I had to think fast. I didn't want him in me this soon.

While Sam was with the kids, I called Sharon, explained the situation, and asked if she would call and ask me to baby sit; using the excuse that an unexpected date had called. She was glad to help.

Sam came back from putting the kids to bed and later, as we were watching TV, the phone rang. Sam answered and Sharon played her role well. She told him why she was calling so late. He asked how late and then came to me with the phone, told me what Sharon wanted, and said she thinks she'll be home by one. I asked if he would mind and he reluctantly said, no. I asked what time she needed me and he told me 'as soon as I could get there,' that she was being picked up at nine. I gathered my purse and house key from the table and walked to Sharon's.

As I went out the door, he called after me, "Don't be too late. I'll be waiting in bed for you."

God, what was I going to do now? He's just not giving up. Why is he doing this today? It's so unlike him.

* * * Sam's perspective * * *

After Gerri left for Sarah's house, I sat with the TV on without paying any attention to it. My stomach hurt and I felt miserable as I tried to comprehend what had happened. What started all this deceit? I still needed proof and I affirmed in my mind that I was going try to make life as miserable for Gerri and her lover as she had made mine. Deep down I knew that I couldn't make them as miserable as I was.

I remembered my wire tap and decided to verify that it was working properly. I rewound the tape and immediately found a message from Gerri to Sharon asking Sharon to be sure to let Mark know that Monday was off. Now I knew who her lover was for sure. The call continued with Gerri asking her to call about baby sitting with a story about a last minute date. Then there was the call I took from Sharon asking Gerri to come and baby sit.

By the time I had listened to the tape, my feelings of hurt and betrayal had changed to pure anger. 'Gerri, I'm going to make your life very uncomfortable and Sharon, you'll get yours too.' Then I wondered whether the girls were so smug that they would just spend the evening yakking, or whether they would be smart enough to get Sharon out of the picture.

I waited until 9:45 P.M. and called Sharon's. Obviously they hadn't thought things through because Sharon answered the phone and I acted surprised.

"Sharon, I thought you had a date."

I could hear her try to stifle a gasp and then she was silent for a moment.

She said in a rather quiet tentative voice, "Sa...Sam? Yes, yes, I do. My date has been delayed and I expect him any moment. Thanks for letting Gerri come over."

I told her, to knock off the bull shit; that I didn't know what they were up to, but I was getting pissed. Then I said in a loud and firm voice, "You tell Gerri to pack her ass back home right now. I mean right now! If she's not home in ten minutes, I'm coming after her."

She replied, "But Sam, I need someone to be with the kids."

I told her that her kids were not my problem and that she and her date could watch TV at her place. I reiterated, "Ten minutes," and slammed down the phone.

Gerri came in the door in less than ten minutes. I don't know if she was actually mad or just putting on an act as she started to speak quite loudly. I cut her off and told her to lower her voice before she woke the children. Before she could say anything more, I told her, if Sharon hadn't already told her, that I didn't know what kind of game she was playing but I was certainly going to find out.

Gerri, sounding exasperated told me that she wasn't playing any game and that if I hadn't been so impatient, Sharon could have kept her date because he showed up just as she was leaving. I pretended to be sorry and then I picked up the phone as I told Gerri I needed to call and apologize. Gerri tried to get the phone from me and protested that I shouldn't interrupt them now. As I completed the dialing, I said to Gerri, "Why? Do you think they are in the sack this fast?"

In a huff she retorted, "Sam, that wasn't called for."

Sharon answered the phone and I sarcastically said I sure hoped I wasn't interrupting anything. I could tell by Sharon's voice that she didn't appreciate my tone. Then I apologized to her for messing up her evening. She wasn't sure where this conversation was going and she responded that she understood and it was alright. Then I asked if I could speak to her date that I would like to apologize to him too. She was silent for a few moments and then told me he had left already, that he wanted to go dancing and not sit and watch TV. I couldn't pass up the chance, I said to her, "Gee Sharon, it sounds like you should be thanking me for breaking up the evening. He sounds like a complete ass. See ya."

Then, playing along with Gerri's plan, I growled at her, "I've had a rough week and I'm tired. I don't want to play anymore games and I'm going to bed." She sat down and told me she would be ready shortly, that I had upset her and could we talk. I growled that whatever we needed to talk about could wait until morning. She didn't know at that time that we weren't going to have sex again for a long time, if ever.

She came to bed about an hour later; I wasn't asleep. I'm sure she called Sharon and I could find out about that from the tape. I also know she had been crying because she was still sniffling and her breathing was not regular when she came in.