Swimming

Art reached down to Julia's shaven pussy and slid his fingers between her labia. As he was doing that I felt like I was stuck by lightning and adrenalin surged through my body. Stepping up to Art I took the leash from his hand and pushed him away from my wife.

"What the fuck is going on Julia? Why are you dressed like this and why are you letting him touch you? Is this some kind of sick joke?"

As I was looking at Julia and asking these questions, Art had recovered and I looked toward him in time to see his open hand headed toward my face. Turning away from his openhanded slap it made contact with the back of my head. Pushing Julia out of the way I stepped into Art, grabbed his arm, sweeping his feet out from under him and dropping him face down on the floor. Putting a foot on his neck I twisted his arm as I pushed it up. This hurt like hell and he was screaming in pain. Julia was trying to pull me off of Art while begging me not to hurt him.

Turning to her I said, "Julia get your shit and we're getting out of here. I have no idea what just happened but I want some Goddamn answers from you. Go. Now. We are leaving!"

Still trying to pull me away from Art she pleaded, "Tim, stop, let Art go. Why are you doing this? Yesterday you were okay when I asked you if we could join the swinging club. I just don't understand why you are acting like this."

"Swinging club? Swinging club! What the fuck are you saying? You mean when you were telling me you were meeting Art and his friends you were sneaking behind my back and fucking them?"

"Well yes, but you don't need to make it sound so awful. Besides you agreed it might be fun when I told you how much I enjoyed it."

"I thought you said 'SWIMMING CLUB, not SWINGING CLUB!"

"Get your robe and get in the car we are going home now!."

Julia just looked at me, took a step back and wailed, "No Tim, we just got here. You said we could try this."

"Okay Julia. I get the message. I am out of here and we are finished. I will pack your things, put them in storage, and send you the key. Let me know where you will be staying or I will have you served at work."

I turned and was out the door when I heard her calling my name. "Tim, please no, I don't want this."

I drove home in a fog of anger and confusion. When I entered the house it seemed so empty. It made me sad, but not sad enough to take her back. I disconnected the landline and pulled the battery out of my cell. As soon as I had left Art's house Julia started calling. There was nothing I wanted to hear her say. She had been cheating on me for weeks with multiple partners and was stupid enough to think I would be okay with it and that I would even embrace the swinging life. Well, that was her second mistake. Her first mistake was cheating with her looser buddies.

Two hours after I got home a grey Honda sedan pulled into our drive and Julia got out. She was crying and telling me she was sorry. It was all the usual crap one might expect to hear. I didn't care. I told her I was done, our marriage was over. I let her come in long enough to get what she needed for the next few days. She came out of the bedroom with tears streaming down her face. She tried to apologize again but I cut her off. Handing the keys to her car, her purse and $1000 in cash I told her I never wanted to see her again. She made one more attempt to get me to take her back.

"Tim I love you. Please don't throw our marriage away. I got caught up with Art and his friends. I won't see them again, it was a mistake."

Taking a deep breath and pushing the anger down I asked her to sit in one of the chairs. I had things to say and the sooner I said them the better. Then I wanted her gone.

"Julia don't shit me you already threw our marriage away. I don't care what you call it...a mistake, an error in judgment, whatever, the bottom line...you cheated and we are finished. We will divorce, go our separate ways and you can find someone who won't mind your new swinging lifestyle."

"Tim I am sorry, I love you and I thought it would be good for us."

"Julia are you crazy? How is you being fucked by Art and his buddies good for us?"

The next half hour was more of the same crazy talk so finally just told her to get her crap and leave. I never wanted to hear her or see her again.

Sobbing she picked up her bag and purse and left. The next day I hired the sharpest divorce attorney in town. The divorce was easy as the home and acreage were in my family's trust. Julia had her job, we split the banking assets, she kept her pension at the bank and at the end of six months, we went our separate ways. She went through the usual I am so sorry, it was only the excitement and really didn't mean anything, it was just sex. All her excuses had no substance. She was a smart woman and knew what she was doing. I was sad that our marriage ended, especially the way that it did but it sickened me every time I thought about Julia with Art and his buddies. There was absolutely no interest on my part to forgive and try to work things out. I had been betrayed.

Throughout our marriage I demonstrated my commitment to our marriage and my love for Julia by remaining faithful and honoring our vows. I expected the same from her. I had truly loved the woman but my love disappeared the minute I realized she was cheating and she thought that I would go along with her crazy shit. I just did not care about her anymore.

Summer was coming and I decided I needed a change of scenery. The house and town we live in held too many memories and was a constant reminder of what we had lost. It was possible for me to work from most anyplace in the world, so I decided to try the Caribbean. During the last year and a half I have rented homes in the Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbados. I have enjoyed my time on the islands and never lacked for female companionship.

Every couple of months Julia sends me an email asking if we can get back together but I just ignore it. Tomorrow I am leaving for New Zealand as I have a new contract for a design project in Auckland. I am looking forward to another change in scenery and meeting some Kiwi women.

Six months after our divorce was final, I flew back for Julia's funeral. Her mother had contacted me to tell me Julia had been in an accident and passed away. I told her how sorry I was and asked if she would mind telling me how it happened. Her mother told me she was out on a boat with some guy named Art. They had been drinking and the authorities said their blood alcohol level was 12.5 for Julia and 14 for Art. Friends of Art's told the authorities that he couldn't swim. They think that Art may have fallen overboard first and Julia went in to save him. From the scratches on Julia's arms and face they think that Art panicked, grabbing Julia and pushing her under. They found their bodies a few days later washed up on the beach 2 miles apart. They both had drowned.

When I attended the funeral, I found out to my surprise, that Julia left instructions to be cremated and I was to receive her ashes. Now every place I go I leave some of Julia's ashes. She loved to travel.

I never did finish the damn kitchen table.