Craving Them

His Wife

I look at her. "I feel awful. I don't even know your name." I laugh slightly. How did I go from f*****g Wayne, coming here to get him to notice me, to sitting in bed with his wife?

"I'm sorry, I didn't even realise. I'm Elise." She smiles at me gently.

"Melinda, so your partner. Does he always get a stand-in for those events?" It seems weird she doesn't go.

"These days, yes. I used to go, but it is all business. I could be sat there for six hours alone while he walks around talking. The women who escort them there don't move or talk." 

I look at her, shocked. She is his partner; he should pay more attention to her at the events.

"To be honest, I am glad. To start with, he would. He would walk around with me on his arm, which meant I had to listen to everything, which just drained my energy. By eleven, the event had ended, and the guys often just sat and talked while drinking."

"So, these escorts he uses?" I look at her.

"Most of the men who go to those events use escorts. I don't see the issue. Most are married, in relationships, so meeting any woman and taking her will be complicated. Escorts sign to agree they won't discuss any business they hear and whatnot."

I need to ask. "Are you not worried that these escorts will be more than escorts?" I would be.

"No, you have to remember there are people at those events who they rely on. At the same time, they may treat their workers like crap. Seeing one with anyone other than their partner in that way won't work. They respect their families, so if someone who works for them, in any sense, treats their partner bad, it would end in them walking out to show they disagree."

So, he doesn't cheat with those he takes to the event because he is afraid those in the business will find out? 

"How about you and your friend who called?"

Turning, I look at her and laugh. "We ended ages ago, I found him cheating on me, and now for some reason, he is still trying to get back with me. I am running out of ways to tell him no." I laugh slightly. He needs to forget it.

"Say you're a lesbian now, that men don't do it for you." She laughs, looking at me before taking a drink.

"While that is an amazing idea, he would ask to watch, so not such a good idea. He will quit, eventually."

"True, maybe don't say that." Sitting in the room falls quiet. Then, turning, she looks at me. "So, your boss you want revenge on, I am guessing part of the revenge was hope that he would give in again?"

My eyes widen at her words.

"Look, it was apparent. People get revenge when they don't get what they want or when they feel used. While these guys can be arrogant and not care about their workers, it isn't to the extent to drive them to want revenge, now f*****g a worker and acting like she is nothing more than that, I know that would."

Hell, she isn't dumb. "Guess I won't try to lie. I don't even know what the hell happened. He kissed me, the phone rang, and he acted like nothing had happened. Then we slept together, and again, he acted like nothing had happened. Then again, and that time it was like he had accepted it happened, but it was nothing more than a quick fuck." 

"They are hard men to break Melinda, I fit into their world, and my partner Wayne was a beast. It took nearly a year for him to accept he liked me more than it being just a f**k here and there. They have money. They are on guard and worried. This boss of yours, any idea if he has a partner?" 

I look at her. What the hell do I say? I can't say yes or how I know. "I assume not. He wears no ring. I never see a woman visit him at the office."

"Highly unlikely he has a woman then. But, as I said, them cheating and it getting found out could be devastating to their business." 

I guess she is right. I laugh slightly, looking around. "I need to ask, why just invite me in here? You don't even know me. Surely you should be sat with your neighbours?" 

"Well, I saw the shock and pure horror on your face after we walked into each other. It told me you weren't some sort of creepy murderer or anything. The women I know are, as I said, too stuck up. Most were born in this world, their parents training them almost. Me, while I was born in this world, I had freedom. I like to sit and eat junk food, get drunk, laugh, dance, fall over. They like their mini wine testing nights, with a book like I don't know. I think the last time I went; they were reading Moby d**k. I would rather party and read smut, like full-on smut." 

I look at her. She looks trapped, not in this relationship or world but without anyone to have fun with.

"To be honest, that is why I invited you in. You aren't like them, and it was like a sign. I miss it, I work, so afterwards I don't get time to find friends, so I am just stuck with those women local." 

"Well, if you ever need a release and someone to get drunk with, let me know." I smile at her. Hell, this is wrong, all wrong! I f****d her husband, and now I am offering to go for drinks with her?

"Thanks." She smiles at me.

"So, you and your partner, how long have you two been together?"

"Six years. Yesterday was our wedding anniversary." 

I stare at her, s**t. I feel even worse now. What the hell? I glance at her, stuck for what to say. I want to tell her but how can I when she looks so happy.

"Does he ever go out drinking with you?" 

"Yes and no, depends on work and everything. Before his business grew, he was different. We would go out and have fun, weekends away, but then his work grew, as it got bigger, the stress of it took over." I watch as she shakes her head. "I don't blame him. I can see he hates it; hates the fact he can't be home as much. He hates that we no longer get that freedom. He was just like me at the start. Drinking, wild and having fun, sure he was cold-hearted and pushed me away, but he lost his life in some ways just like me." 

"It sounds hard." It does. I know his work takes a lot of time but to lose who you were and everything you did before? I can't imagine how awful that feels.

"We got used to it because over the years, it has become the norm. Once or twice a year, he tries to leave work for a weekend so we can go out and do everything like we used to before. The issue then is when he gets back, he has to work longer hours because his PA's never do the job right, and it means he has to catch up, so it doesn't happen often. Some of these men are pricks, Melinda. Others are just too stuck and wish they could be free without giving up their business." 

I look at her. Maybe I got Wayne wrong? Okay, he is a douche for cheating, but maybe it was because it was a thrill, more than what his life is right now? He is stuck and misses everything, so maybe he doesn't hate us. Instead, he hates his life and himself, which is why he is always shouting and angry?