The Company Trip

"Hi Gail. How are you?"

"I'm fine, but you look like you were just pulled out from under a bus. Are you okay?"

"Yeah...just barely. I think I got myself in trouble last night. Too much drinking. Everyone seemed to want to get me polluted."

"Did she spend the night Chris?"

What!! Gail knows...Oh my God. Oh my God!! "What did you ask Gail?" There was definitely desperation in my voice. I took a deep breath.

"I asked if Debbie Kozinski spent the night. The two of you were practically on your honeymoon at the club. Never seen anyone dance like that before."

"Wait a minute. You know who she is?"

"Sure Chris. She's the senior VP of our Tampa office."

"I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Why Chris? She's a lovely woman. You are very lucky if the two of you connected. You seemed connected last night, that's for sure. She's been asking about you all day. She was here at the pool a half hour ago. You went and told her your name is Bill, didn't you? Why would you want to hide from a woman like that? She bright, beautiful and very successful Chris. And she doesn't take prisoners or no for an answer."

She was here half an hour ago. She knows who I am.

"Did you speak with her Gail?"

"Sure...we work together often. She's an old friend. I told her you are the most successful salesperson in the company and that you hold all the most prestigious accounts. She just smiled and said she could just imagine...and that you were the perfect gentleman and a great date. I just assumed you spent the better part of the night together."

I rose and held my hands to my head.

"Are you okay Chris? Maybe sitting in the sun isn't wise."

"I've gotta go," I said.

I practically ran upstairs and into my room. I have betrayed my wife. I have ruined my marriage. I have broken my vows. I am a slut pig shit fuck. That's what I am. And I've got a ten month old at home. I am a fuckin idiot and have thrown away happiness and have left my beautiful wife and darling child to be without a father.

I picked up the phone. I dialed my number and Astra picked up. What do I say? How to explain?

"Astra...I...Astra..."

"Hi darling. How are you enjoying yourself in Orlando? We miss you."

Oh God. I must be honest. I must tell her everything. Oh God help me!!

"What's wrong sweetie? I can tell something is wrong."

I started at the beginning and finished at the end, leaving nothing out. There was silence...silence for a long time.

"Are you quite finished Christopher? Have you told me everything?"

"That's enough...don't you think. I'm a horrible human being. I'm dirt. I'm..."

"Chris."

"Yes Astra."

"Chris, you cheeky monkey...boys will be boys...I know that. Don't punish yourself. I'm sure you weren't able to help yourself and I'm proud of you for throwing her out...and even more so for being so honest. Boys will be boys Chris."

I went in to my office on Monday...three days later. I smiled at Valery my receptionist and she looked up at me and laughed.

"What is it Val. Do I look funny or something?"

"I'll say."

She hands me my mail and I go to my desk. There on top is a DHL package. It is already opened and stamped by Val at reception so I know that she's read it. In it is a letter from Debbie pleading that we can be together. That we are a great couple. That I can do whatever I want to her. That she craves my body. And there is also a photograph of her apartment with an arrow penned in to indicate her unit. Oh my God.

I must have blanched white as a ghost because my colleague who sits across from me, a trashy blonde named Felicity who always tries to get me in trouble, is looking at me with a bit of contempt and a modicum of concern. "What's going on man? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I hand her the package and explain. She looks at me and smiles. I drive her nuts talking incessantly about how wonderful married life is and how much I love my wife. Now she has the upper hand.

"You dick." She says. "How could you ever have done that to your sweet, loving wife? The woman who gave up everything to be yours and yours alone. The woman who's borne your child and done all those disgusting things with you...to you...for you. You dick."

I could take this from Felicity because I loved her as a best friend...someone who really did wish me well. I'd taken her with me from company to company three times as I'd moved. She always sat opposite me and was sexy as hell and the best wit I'd ever met, putting me in my place at the drop of a hat. Never could keep up with her. She looked at me like I was some kind of worm, then crossed her legs in the opposite direction slowly and with enough care that I could see she was not wearing underwear. Oh shit!

One week later another piece of mail was waiting for me, again opened and stamped received by the receptionist. This time I was stunned. There were photographs of Debbie spread eagle on her bed, naked and with a banana up her ass. Others of her in all kinds of contorted positions and another of her in front of her vanity with a mouth full of toothpaste, the white soapy mixture dripping down her chin onto her tits. I sat back and stuffed the pics in the envelope just as Felicity walked in.

"What now? Another letter?"

I handed her the letter without a word. She looked at the pics for quite some time, making me squirm.

"Give me the first envelope." She said.

"I threw it out."

"Bullshit you dick. It's in your drawer. Give it to me and I'll take care of this for you."

"What are you going to do?"

"Never mind that." She took both packages.

A month passed and I had almost forgotten the whole thing. It was June and Felicity and I were having lunch at Merchants Bar. She was her usual flirtatious self, making me crazy and tripping me up every chance she could.

"Have you heard from that slut in Tampa?" She asked.

"No...not a word. I guess she just gave up. I wonder why?"

"You wonder why huh?"

I looked at her. She was just dying to tell me and not tell me at one and the same time.

"What did you do?"

"Well...I have an aunt in Tampa so I went down for a visit. I looked up this Glen Close clone and knocked on her door."

"Holy shit...what did you say?"

"I really banged on her door at midnight and when she opened I flung the mail in her face and told her to leave my fuckin' husband alone or I'd be back to kill her."

I sat back stunned...thinking what a lucky jerk I am. I have the best of wives and friends and I could not be a luckier son of a bitch.

© 2015 Rebecca Branch