The Affair

A Story by Alex S. Foley

A man suspects his wife of cheating and follows her when she goes out.

As James limped down the steps, he could hear Danni on her phone in the living room.

“I told you I was coming.”

“No, I didn’t tell him.”

“He wouldn’t understand. I still love him, but I need this … I need to see you.”

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes.”

James stepped into the doorway and saw his wife pulling on her coat.

“Where are you going?”

“I told you I’m seeing a friend from work.”

“I would think after last night you would cancel.”

“What about last night?”

“You said you would come to bed at ten. I had to come down and get you at one.”

“D****t James, I was writing. I couldn’t just shut it off.”

“I don’t understand you, Danni. You say you love me, but we never do anything together anymore. All you do is sit in here writing.”

“I asked you to read my stuff.”

“And I have told you I do not like that kind of stuff.”

“Last week we watched that movie together.”

“You fidgeted through the whole thing.”

“You were playing that stupid game on your phone the whole time at least I watched it.”

“Danni, I don’t want you to go.”

“I promised James, please don’t do this now.”

Pivoting on his bad leg James limped towards the kitchen his fist clenched.

Danni grabbed her purse and then stopped. She glanced at the kitchen doorway and started to turn towards it. Looking down she saw the corner of a yellow legal pad sticking out of her purse and turned towards the front door. She hurried out grabbing her car keys off the small table as she went out.

As she backed out of the driveway, she saw the roads weren’t that bad for this time of year. She shifted the truck into drive and headed for town eight miles away. She reached over and turned on her music so she could sing as she drove.

James waited until he heard the truck pull out before he went and grabbed his coat. He called for an Uber and limped outside to wait for it. He had been ignoring this for six months. One Saturday a month Danni took off for the day, and her excuses were always the same, a friend from work. He had never met any of these friends from work, but he had just ignored it until he had overheard her on the phone.

It hadn’t taken much to get a GPS tracker and slip it into the truck. This time he was going to confront her. He knew she was seeing someone else.

When the Uber pulled up, he climbed in.

“I’m really sorry about this but a last-minute change of plans. I have a new drop-off point, it is actually closer and you can charge me for the original.”

The driver turned in his seat and looked James over. “We are not allowed to charge you for the extra distance. I could lose my Uber permit.”

“It will be between us. I have to get to this address.”

“What is so urgent?”

“It is my wife. I think she is having an affair.”

“You have proof?”

“No that is why I have to get there now.”

“I do not know. You bust in and kill them then I end up in trouble for driving you.”

“I just want to know. I don’t even own a gun.”

“Okay I take you, but you pay me forty cash also.”

James dug into his pocket and handed over the money and the driver pulled out.

“Your wife she always goes out and not tell you?”

“No, she only goes out one Saturday of a month.”

“My wife she goes out every Friday night calls it ladies’ night. Come home late drunk but I not worry because I trust her. You not trust your wife you not love her.”

“I love my wife I … I just need to know d****t.”

“You catch her then what? Now you can tell yourself it not happening but if you see you cannot unsee.”

“What kind of logic is that? I should ignore it and let it continue?”

“If you are not sure then you give her benefit of doubt. You going looking for proof shows lack of trust.”

“Just drive the damn car.”

James slumped back in the seat and closed his eyes. He thought about what he knew which wasn’t rock solid proof, but could he ignore it. Private calls that she never really explained. Meeting friends from work that she never mentions except to say she is seeing them. One Saturday a month going out without really saying where. His gut told him something was going on, but he couldn’t believe Danni would cheat.

“We are here sir.”

James sat up as he opened his eyes. The address was a motel, one of those flea bag motels you see along the highways across the country. James got out as quickly as he could and started limping forward. The lot was empty except for Danni’s truck and a large motorcycle parked side by side.

James looked at the office door but shook his head as he turned back towards the two vehicles. They were each parked in front of a different room and James figured she was in one of those rooms, but which one. He hobbled towards the door of the room Danni’s truck was parked in front of.

Grabbing the handle, he twisted it and found it unlocked. He pushed the door open as his eyes scanned the room. The walls were covered in white and green wallpaper with some kind of seashell pattern on it. His eyes passed over the perfectly made bad and came to rest on the back of his wife. She was sitting at a small table in front of a laptop wearing headphones and typing away. Across from Danni was a gray-haired man staring intently at a laptop wearing headphones also.

James stood there staring at this crazy scene in front of him for a minute. He had imagined so many things he would have walked in on, but this never even entered his mind. He grabbed the door handle and quickly backed out. He slumped against the wall next to the door.

Dannie pulled her headphones off and looked over at Alex. “Did you hear something?”

Alex continued to type so she kicked him in the shin.

Ripping his headphones off he looked up. “Jesus, why did you kick me?”

“I thought I heard something.”

“We are in a motel, there are probably a couple next door having sex.”

“Just go look out the door.”

“God you are so paranoid, you need to tell your husband what you do on these Saturdays so you can just relax.”

“We discussed this. Now are you going to check the door or not?”

“Ok d****t, I already lost my chain of thought.”

Getting up Alex walks over and sticks his head out the door. He spots a man limping across the parking lot. He starts to pull his head back in then remembers Danni saying her husband had a prosthetic leg. He watched the man for another second then went back in.

“Nobody out there. Let’s get back to work.”

James entered the house and went into the living room. He flopped down on the couch and picked up the hard copy of one of his wife’s books. He thought about it for a second before he started reading.

“I’m home.”

James dropped the papers and hurried out to greet his wife. He hugged her and kissed her.

“I love you, Danni Lee. I’m sorry I never understood before, but God you are a brilliant writer.”

Danni stood there staring at him.

“Are you ok James? You haven’t hit your head, or something have you?”

“I … I … I started reading one of your stories.”

“Really. How much did you read?”

“I’m almost done. I have a million questions.”