THE AFFAIR

Sally had hired a detective to follow Stephen, her husband. She had suspected for some time now that Stephen was having an AFFAIR. He would leave the house in his quiet way like he always left but some days he would come back happy. An odd smile of happiness that bothered Sally for she had not been happy for a very long time. Yes she was married, had a nice job, had a great house, had a great kids, and for a long time she figured she had a great husband. She was content. But Stephen on the other hand had always been a dreamer that had to give up his dreams to live in the real world of relationships and marriange and mortgages and babies and bills and goals. He gave up his childish ways upon Sally's requiest without much of a moan becauxe he loved her and he wanted her to be happy.

So Sally hired this guy, Sam. He was a well known private investigator that was affordable yet seemed to have a good reputation for not screwing people over like other private detectives. He came wel recommended from several of Sally's freinds who had caught their husbands cheating.

Catch the scoundrel, the dirty louse sounds like he getting some tail on the side her freinds told her. He sounds like he done with you Sally you better hire Sam and see what Stephen is up too.

This did not sit too well with Sally at first for she thought her life was perfect and to realize that something might be wrong well it kind of scared her a bit. What if Stephen was cheating on her what would she do then. Would she divorce him, woud she confront the other woman or worse yet what if Stephen was cheatiing on her with a man. She cringed at the thought of Stephen huched over another naked man. Still there was that time when they were dating when Stephen was in a rock band and he was drunk and he stripped down to his underwear along with the other band members and he and the guitar player made out on stage. But that was his advant garde stage. He said the Chilli Peppers had done it and he wanted to do it too. That this little shit town had to wake up because there was this great awesome world out there just waiting for PINK FUNK to make it big. He said he was going to change the world with this music.

Still in the twenty two years that they have been married Stephen has never kissed another man. And he always performed great in bed never had a problem with keep the flag pole high.

Sally looked around the house her perfect little house. Sam was coming over to show her what he'd found. She didn't want to know but she really wanted to know. She saw an episode of Oprah one time where women kept silent about their cheating wives. Everything in the house was in order, perfect. Everything in its place and a place for everything.

Sally sat in her shadowy house looking out the window sitting tightly on the edege of the chouse in her usual perfect posture.

Sam came over, knocked once then checked the door to see if it was open and it was. He opned the door and called for Sally

"Sally, its Sam." From the door he looked around the corner and saw Sally sitting on the couch motionless. She was wearing a black dress and black veil over face. She had a handkerchife that was wiping away the watery mascara on her face.

"Sam, I don't think I want to know."

"I think you'll be happier knowing. Things are not always as bad as they seem. Infact I have some good news for you." Sam took out his fancy phone. "I got some photos and some video I want you to see. I followed Stpehn all over town. It salways seemed that he was going to meet someone but when ever I got there there was no one but him. So I figured maybe he was on to me or just really clever in all this. Let me tell you I've seen some guys that have it all planned out and would never be found by an amatuer. So I just followed him where erver he went. If he took a piss I was in the stall right next to him taking one too

"Didn't he recognize you.

"I wear a disquise. So here. Stephen likes to go to the park. He went for along walk then he said hi to this woman." Sallly was startled a little by this. She was at the point of no return. Once she looked at the photo there was no turning back. Sally looked at saw the woman was a very old blonde woman who worked at the supermarket as a cashier at the cigartte counter. Stephen always smiled when he saw her and he said she reminded him of his mother.

"The scoundrel, Sally said. He's cheating on me with her!"

"No," said Sam. "She works at the supermaket where Stephen buys his cigarettes."

"Stephen doens't smoke."

"Sure he does. He smokes every Sunday as he goes to the park to feed the ducks and sit at his favorite bench." Sam showed her another photo. It was the bench where Stehpen and his He also smokes when goes to the bar. Sam showed Sally severeal photos of Stephoen.

"But he's never smoked around me."

"So you know I got thinking that maybe Stephen was planning something. Like maybe the om\\\.

So then I saw him check into the CRazy Eights Motel over then on Langford Street. '

"The one with all the prostitutes"

"That's the one. See I figured stephen really didn't care about having a mistress. He just wants some new tail." Sally gave Sam a look. She hated those fulgar terms used for to refernce procreation.

"So he's fucking prostitutes"

"Well that's what I thought. He goes and he checks into this motel room and a gets a pizza delivered to this room. so I deciided to do a little surveillance and then I go to the window and see Stephen. Yeah the guy there has a rule you can use the room for what ever you want as long as it you don't set the place on fire. I look through the window there I see Stephen in his under wear jumping on the bed. He's got the room trashed. Beer all over the place he's got the stereo so fucking loud that its shaking the glass in the windows. Playing some Black Sabbath or something. He jumping on the bed eating pizza then running all over the room banging his head like some madman. I figured this fucker must be on drungs.

"Drugs, now you tell me my husband is on drugs. First he smokes then he's sleeping with the old lady at the Food Barn

"No he's not sleeping with that woman.

"then he's all over town drinking at bars and singing with drunks."

"Now you tell me he's on drungs'

"Well it was my only explaination for what so I asked the pizza guy what's the deal with the guy. '

"Oh him he does this every Frieday night while his old lady is at some society shit thing. You know he comes here cause no body cares. You walk down the fucking hallways all you hear is people screwing so aint no body going to care if he turns the music up. He just goes crazy. He lets it all out.

"What the fuck is he on."

"Oh Mr. Sheppard.

"Does he do drungs.

"Not that I've sen just comes here downs a six pack and does some shots turns on the stereo and orders a pizza

"Ever seen him with any girls."

"No.

"How about any guys."

"No...welll You mean like him fucking some dude

"Yeah

"No but there was this one time he had like three other guys here they had guitar and drums and shit. they were leaving when Iw as coming up

always gives me a good tip.

"So I just watche him for a while. Stehphen in the room jumping and dancing to that music. And it made me smiled.

"My husbands a lunatic who sneaks around to smoke drink do drungs screw old lady's who work at the check out

"well he never had sex with that woman and he doesn't do drungs

"Can't you see, he's not cheaing on your." Sally started to cry. "That's worse."

"It means all this, he's never been happy, he's had to live a lie, and he's never let his love die. He promised me he'd stop."

"Can't you just behappy he's not cheaint on you...I guess he's just living the life he never got to live."

pizza guy sells him pot.

My disdain is not again'st love or marriage or relationships my disdain is for the sacrifices that those things create. The things that once mattered are lost in the ocean of neptune. But this is just for me. What I loose what I have lost and what it costs and what it eats up.