I am Yours

Angie shed a tear of joy. She learned that day that Gabe truly was a man of his word. "That's awesome sweetheart! I knew you'd get their attention sooner or later. You're too dedicated of a worker for them not to notice you and reward you. If you ask me, you deserve it. Now we can go visit some extended family for the first time as husband and wife. This is gonna be the best Christmas ever!" And it was.

* * * * * *

Gabe desperately wanted to strike again while the iron was hot. He tried to think of another way to see Angie again and hold her in his arms. New Year's Eve was just a few short days away and he had a plan. Shortly before his 7:30 pm dinner break, Wayne's line supervisor, Harold, called him into his office.

""What's up boss? We have another emergency order to throw into the mix today?"

"Actually no, Wayne. Nothing like that," Harold said. "As a matter of fact, I was planning on taking my wife out for a night of dinner and dancing New Year's Eve at the Green's Supper Club over on Silver Avenue. You know the place?"

"Well, yeah, I've heard of it.... Never been there before but I've heard it's nice. I'm sure you and Debra will have a wonderful time." Wayne replied.

"Well that's just the thing, Wayne. I won these tickets in a raffle back on Valentine's Day for a special New Year's Eve dinner and dance, all expenses paid, Champagne, limousine ....everything's included, the works. It's a romantic dream come true. But I found out that Debra already made reservations for us out of town where we could kick up our heels and visit her folks at the same time. I didn't have the heart to upstage her with this. I had planned on surprising her with it so she'll never know. At least it didn't cost me anything. So it occurred to me that I couldn't think of a nicer guy to give these tickets to than you. Do you think you and your wife might be able to use these?"

"Are you kidding? Sure man! Wow. Thanks. Angie will be thrilled. We'll be able to ring in the New Year with the muckety-mucks. I'll definitely put these tickets to good use. I appreciate you thinking of me to share these with. If I can ever do anything for you Harold...."

"Forget it. You two lovebirds just go and have a good time."

"We will, thanks again."

Wayne couldn't wait and excitedly shared news of their good fortune on the phone with Angie during his dinner break. She was just as excited about it as he was. After hanging up, Angie wondered if Gabe would be there and whether or not he had anything to do with this.

They both dressed to the nines and enjoyed the luxurious limousine ride over to the fancy supper club. Although they were seated at a small table against the wall near a corner, the food was excellent. As they were toasting themselves with Champagne, Gabe surprised the couple, showing up at their table accompanied by his wife, Andrea.

"What a pleasant surprise! Wow, it's great to see you guys here!" Gabe interjected with his bass profundity. "Honey, you remember Wayne Vanstory, and his very lovely bride Angie from the Christmas party, right?"

Andrea smiled and nodded, "Yes, of course. He's that go-getter you've mentioned before isn't he?"

"That's right. With his hard work, and the right recommendations, he has the potential to go far in the company."

Wayne stood up and said, "It's good to see you two also, sir. We didn't expect to run into anyone we know tonight. This is our first time here. Mrs. Weston, if I may, I could easily mistake you for his daughter."

"Oh, isn't he the kindest...? Angie, make sure you hold tightly onto this one. He's definitely a keeper!"

"Make no mistake, Andrea, I'm never letting him go."

"Say, I just had a thought" inserted Gabe. We have a table for four right over there. It's one of the best seats in the house. Why don't you guys get out of this corner and join us? We insist, don't we Andrea?"

"What a lovely offer. We'd love to, wouldn't we Wayne?" quipped Angie. Wayne was surprised and ticked off that she would accept for the both of them out of hand without so much as a look his direction. But after all, it would be rude to refuse his boss. The waiters moved everything for them over to Gabe's and Andrea's table and they chatted amiably as they finished their meal. It was patently obvious to both Andrea and Wayne that their spouses seemed enthralled with each other. They hardly looked anywhere else but at each other.

The evening's entertainment was provided by a full live orchestra which played wonderful dance music, accompanied by a local celebrity singer who belted out a number of popular show tunes. After Gabe and Wayne accompanied their respective wives on the dance floor for about 30 minutes, they all sat down for a short breather.

"Isn't this awesome Wayne?" Remarked Angie. "I'm having a really good time."

"As am I" Gabe jumped in with his retort.

"I just had a thought. Why don't we make the night even more interesting by changing up our dance partners for the next few dances? I'm sure Andrea would love to put her arms around a strong young man like you Wayne."

"Would you be okay with that honey?" Angie timidly asked.

"I guess so. We came here to celebrate, right? So let's celebrate." Wayne responded not wanting to bite the hand that feeds him.

With that, Gabe rose and offered his hand to Angie who took off with him in a flash, giggling like a silly schoolgirl.

"You know, we don't have to if you'd rather not, Wayne. I'd understand." Andrea broke the silence.

"Don't be silly. I'd love to dance with you. You're the most caring woman in the room."

The third dance was a slow one and Wayne noticed that Angie had her head lying lovingly on Gabe's shoulder as if it has always belonged there. This night wasn't turning out anything like he'd hoped it would. As they continued dancing, Andrea noticed him looking over at the other couple fawning over each other.

"I know what you're thinking and to be honest, I like it even less than you do. I've got Gabe on a short leash but damn if he isn't pulling as hard against it as he can."

"What do you mean? Short leash?" Wayne inquired.

"I've caught him cheating on me twice before, and foolishly took him back both times. If it wasn't for our two children who don't deserve a part time father, I'd have left him long ago."

"Cheated? Mr. Weston? I mean Gabe?"

"Yes cheated. You see what he looks like. He's every girls' dream, and his voice is devastatingly effective. Believe me, I know. How do you think he snared me? But I learned the hard way that looks and personality doesn't help a person remain honest and loyal."

"Oh, wow. I didn't know. I'm sorry Andrea. I don't know what I'd do if Angie was ever unfaithful to me. It'd kill me for sure. I don't know that I could live with it to be honest. You're a better person than I am."

"I seriously doubt that, Wayne. I've done some of my own checking around. You're a solid stand-up guy with everything going for him and more loyal than a German shepherd. I sure wish that my Gabe was a lot more like you."

"You don't think that he and...."

"It's entirely possible. If they haven't already, just from what I've seen tonight, I believe it's only a matter of time. But he knows that three strikes and he's out. He must really be smitten with Angie to flaunt her in my face the way he has tonight."

"But why do you think he has his sights set on my wife? I mean, it was just a fluke that we ran into you two tonight after all, wasn't it?"

"Wayne, I'm sorry if you believe that, but the truth of the matter is that you were set up."

"Set up? Me? But how?" Wayne urgently pressed.

"Gabe doesn't know that I overheard him talking on the phone a few days ago, but I heard him make the call and speak to Harold. He's your line foreman, right?"

"Right, but.."

"Well I heard Gabe ask Harold to go to his office and get the tickets for the gala tonight and get them innocently to you somehow. Then he helped Harold concoct the cockamamie story you were told about how Harold came to have the unusable tickets. It was all just a ploy to get you, more especially your wife, here tonight. I'd bet my life on it. But the problem I have is that I can't prove that they've done anything yet. That's why I'm keeping a sharp eye out and my Spidey senses have been tingling all night."

This information really disturbed Wayne. "If you don't mind my asking, if it's not too personal, that is, how did you find out he was cheating before? I mean, how did you confirm it?"

"Oh that. Once I had firm suspicions on both occasions, I used my secret weapon."

"What sort of secret weapon?"

"Well, that's the good part, good for me anyway. My brother is a private investigator and he has always believed Gabe to be a sleaze ball and is always ready to prove it. On both occasions when my intuition and gut instinct were telling me he was cheating, I sicced my brother on him and he collected all the evidence I needed to divorce him and clean him out. The first woman was a married neighbor. I forgave Gabe but her husband wasn't as generous and he divorced her. She kept the house and remained living there so I made Gabe uproot us and move us to where we now live to get him away from her."

"I see" said Wayne, drinking it all in.

"The second affair was with a single mother who worked at the plant." She continued. "He tempted her to get in her pants, with bonuses, extra days and vacation weeks off, even raises and promotions. That's just his style. Once he'd bribed her, then they just continued an unchecked affair for nearly a year before I became suspicious. Ever since then, I pay close attention to as many details as I can gather. That's why I'm glad we're having this chance to dance together tonight, so I could warn you to be on your toes and keep your eyes open. I don't know for sure, but in light of how you came to be here tonight, I wouldn't put it past him to bribe your wife with bonuses for you, or time off, or raises or even a promotion just to get in her pants. Has anything like that happened to you recently Wayne?"

He was livid and almost seething. "Andrea, I don't mean to be rude and cut you short, and I certainly would like to talk with you more about this, but did you notice where they went? I don't see them anywhere and after hearing everything you've revealed, I'm concerned."

"I'm sorry Wayne, I've been so focused on speaking with you that I lost track of them too. What shall we do?" Andrea asked.

"Why don't you go back to the table and wait there? If they return before I do and ask about me, you can tell them I went to the men's room. That way they won't become suspicious that we're on to them. As for me, I'm going to do a little wife hunting. I'll be back soon, hopefully."

"Alright Wayne. But don't let them see you, okay?"

"Don't worry. I got this."

Wayne quickly scanned the ballroom once more making sure they weren't there before he headed to the restrooms. A quick check confirmed that Gabe was not in the bathroom. So he stopped a lady walking into the ladies' room and requested that she ask inside for his wife by name to learn if she was in there or not. 30 seconds later the woman emerged unsuccessful.

Armed with those facts, Wayne made quick work of covering the hallways and adjoining rooms, still with no luck. He was beginning to wonder if they had left the building but that didn't make sense. He went through the kitchen and down a hall opposite of the walk-in freezers and refrigerators where, around the corner, he saw them. He was watching through a crack in the door to the hall that they would be oblivious of his whereabouts, believing him to still be dancing with Andrea.

Wayne's heart dropped to his feet. He saw them kissing, not only kissing, but passionately kissing. They were kissing like passionate lovers. Gabe's hands were mauling his wife's breasts but at least they were on the outside of the dress. But what really got to him was the fact that Angie's hand was rubbing up and down Gabe's crotch, feeling up his fully aroused cock. There was no mistaking their identity. He could recognize her voice but they were talking so low that he couldn't make out what they were saying.

Wayne backed up about twenty feet away from the cracked door and then called out, "Angie? Honey, are you back here?" He knew she'd recognize his voice and panic. He was curious how she would explain what they were doing back here. But suddenly he heard a door close. Wayne quickly went into the hallway where he'd seen them embracing and discovered another door leading to the outside. He quietly opened the door and stuck his head outside just in time to see Gabe rounding the corner of the building with his arm around his wife urging her along quickly to get to what Wayne figured would be the front entrance to avoid being inexplicably caught.

Wayne quickly rushed back to the table where Andrea was patiently waiting. He took several deep breaths to calm down because he didn't want to cause a scene in the posh establishment, especially a scene involving his employer. "What did you find?" Asked Andrea.

"I'll fill you in later. Don't look directly at the entrance, but they should both be coming in the front door any second now. Take notice of them only after they're half way back to the table. I'm curious what they'll say about where they were." Wayne instructed.

"Got it. I won't say a word." She said.

As Gabe and Angie arrived at the table, Gabe preempted any questions by offering unsolicited information. "False alarm" he said. We were dancing and one of the staff approached us informing me that a car alarm was going off in the parking lot and they thought it may be my vehicle."

Angie jumped in following up with, "And since we were together, I decided to walk with him out there and make sure it wasn't our own car. Turns out the alarming vehicle belonged to someone else. Then they both just sat down and acted as if nothing was amiss. Wayne was devastated. For the first time that he was aware of, his wife had just blatantly lied to him right to his face and in front of witnesses. He couldn't pretend he was unaffected, yet he didn't want to let on what he knew yet, not until he learned exactly what was going on. If he confronted the liars now, he figured they would simply lay low for a while and then become even more cunning in their concealment. He put his head in his hands at the table and just sat there.

"Honey? Honey what's wrong? Are you okay?" Angie asked Wayne.

"No. Sorry. I'm not okay. I feel sick to my stomach to be honest. I apologize. I don't mean to spoil the evening for anyone, but maybe something I ate just doesn't agree with me."

"Do you want to go lie down for a few minutes somewhere? I'm sure we can find a bed somewhere nearby where you could rest a minute." Offered Angie.

"You can stay here with the Weston's if you want. I'm sure they'll get you home safely afterwards, but I'm going home to lie down in my own bed."

"Don't be silly sweetie. My place is with you. Let's get you to the car. I'll drive. Andrea and Gabe, thank you both for a most lovely evening. I'm sorry we won't be around to ring in the New Year with you, but I have a sick puppy I need to take care of."

"Yes, thank you Andrea for a lovely evening" echoed Wayne. Then they walked to the car and drove home. She tried to get him to talk but Wayne remained silent all the way home. Wayne's head was spinning, dazed that his wife would lie so blatantly directly to his face as she did. Obviously her lie was constructed to conceal the behavior he had witnessed. Has she already been bedded? He wondered. Or were they making plans to do so? He didn't know and it was driving him crazy. He realized that he had to act oblivious, as if nothing was going on. It would be a daunting task for him to undertake, but if he was not equal to the task, they could go underground with whatever they have going on, making it even more difficult to expose them. Wayne feigned an upset stomach that night, as if he had eaten something that did not agree with him and Angie bought it.

New Year's Eve had been on a Monday that year, and most businesses were closed on New Year's Day. Angie spent a good portion of the day making Wayne glad he was born a man. He wondered if she was doing it out of guilt or to somehow make something up to him. Although he was not up to his usual standard, he had her believing things were perfectly fine with him. Of course it was back to the grind on Tuesday, the day after New Year's.

Wayne found it strange to be called into the office at 9 am that morning. He was then sent over to the accounting office where Margie surprised him.

"Oh hi, Wayne, and a belated Happy New Year to you!"

Thanks Margie, and the same to you as well. What's up? Is there a problem with my pay?"

"Actually there is a problem with your pay, but a GOOD problem I'm happy to let you know about." She handed Wayne an envelope.

As he opened it and looked inside, she explained, "I have amended your final pay statement from last week to include a $1000.00 end of year bonus. The approval just came in this morning, apparently an oversight, so I was instructed to add it to your last paycheck from last year so it would be included in last year's pay. Congratulations! She said cheerfully."

Wayne's radar immediately was going off. He was instantly suspicious of this turn of events and wondered if it had something to do with the interaction he had seen between his wife and his boss the other night.

He then asked Margie, "Hey, I'm just curious. Can you tell me, not who, but how many other employees received an end of year bonus?"

"Hmmmm, let me check." She pulled up a record on her computer. I believe it was 5 total. Four in management and you! Apparently Mr. Weston really likes you. He asked me to do this personally, first thing this morning."

With his suspicions confirmed, a stomach churning took place as Wayne considered what his wife had given his boss, quid-pro-quo for this $1000.00 bonus and it sickened him. Just then, an idea occurred to him that might stymie or at least, temporarily waylay their plan.

"Margie, I promise you I'm not trying to create more work for you, but could you rework my paycheck and stub to reflect it back to my regular earnings without the bonus? The reason I ask is because this amount will throw us into a much higher tax bracket costing my wife and I much more in taxes than the bonus will be worth to us. We're teetering on the edge as it is right now."

"Sure Wayne. I'm an accountant, remember? I completely understand, and besides, you're not legally obligated to accept the bonus. Your gesture is appreciated especially since it will save the company money. Hang on a second while I roll it back and print you your original amounts."

Armed with his paystub, he wondered if Angie would ask him anything about an unscheduled bonus. If she does, it will be absolute confirmation of her betrayal, so he decided it would be best to say nothing to her about it being offered.

Of course Angie knew that she couldn't ask him about it, but when she finally went through his things and looked at his paystub, she was livid and called Gabe from her office the next day.

"I thought you said you were a man of your word!"

"Angie, is that you?"

"Yes it's me and I feel SO used by you, you liar!"

"Liar? What on earth are you talking about? Angie my word is still good as gold, I assure you!"

"Well, I'm looking at Wayne's paystub right now and there's not a single penny of bonus of any kind showing. At the New Year's Eve dance you promised he'd receive a $1000 bonus if we both felt each other up while kissing and I foolishly believed you."

"Look, Angie. I don't know what happened, but I swear to you, on the life of my children that I personally saw to it that he would receive that promised bonus. It should have already have been included with last year's pay just like I told you. If Margie screwed this up, it'll cost her her job. Give me a few minutes please, to dig into it and find out what happened and fix it ASAP. I'll call you back with an answer in just a few minutes, okay?"