Walkabout

"It's a fucked up situation, no doubt. Thanks for being here to help with her. I don't think I could have handled it without you."

"Of course honey. Although I don't think she's going to be much trouble until she wakes up tomorrow. I actually gave her a tab and half. She'll sleep until noon, I hope. Why don't we order Chinese and watch some TV. I checked the guest room while she was in the shower; it's got fresh linens on the bed. We might as well make ourselves comfortable."

"You're my rock Shirl. You know that don't you? I love you."

"Yeah, I know. Make the call and we can get situated on the couch. I think my feet need your undivided attention while we watch TV."

----

It was almost noon when Gail finally came downstairs, she had managed to brush her hair and put on a house coat.

She found the kids out on the patio, the remains of the coffee and bagels Andrew had gone to get earlier. They were enjoying the garden view; they had spent the morning being as quiet as they could. But it was also kinda nice just sitting around with nothing to do.

"Good morning Mom, how are you feeling? Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

Gail plopped down on one of the chairs around the patio table, "I feel like shit, I've really screwed the pooch, haven't I?" She drew a shuddering breath and started to quietly cry. Andrew moved his chair closer to her and hugged her to him. They stayed that way for several minutes.

"Mom, why don't you go get some clothes on and we'll go out for a burger. I don't think you've eaten since yesterday. You need to keep your strength up."

"Andrew, where is your father? I need to talk to him. I need to tell him how much I love him and get him to work on getting past all this."

"Mom, I really don't know where Papa is. He didn't say where he was going or how long he'd be away. I think he's taking a time-out to come to terms with all that's happened."

"What did he tell you? What do you mean you don't know where he is? What did he say to you?"

"Mom, Papa didn't' say much of anything about what he was thinking. He was totally focused on the fallout of Mrs. Parson's revelations. He may have said something to Auntie Barb, but I didn't hear it."

"Mrs. Parsons, Aunt Barb. What are you talking about!?" She clearly didn't remember what Andrew had told her at the airport yesterday.

"Mrs. Parsons showed up to the office on Monday morning and she and Papa spent all of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday meeting together. Papa did say that he took all the evidence that Mrs. Parsons brought from Chicago and gave it to Auntie Barb."

"Evidence, what evidence!?"

"Apparently Mrs. Parsons had a full dossier from a private investigator about your affair with Mr. Parsons."

"Oh my god, oh my god. What kind of evidence?"

"Papa said he turned it all over to Auntie Barb. He said he just read the executive summary and didn't look at any of the pictures or videos."

Gail's brain short circuited again and she fainted.

Andrew and Shirley looked at each other and then Shirley said, "I hope she wakes up hungry, you got me thinking about a cheeseburger now."

Saturday - Tom: September 12

They had waffles at the hotel restaurant! Tom loved waffles, crispy, crunchy, moist on the inside, good ol' American waffles. He ordered one and asked the waiter to please have the cook make it well done, he loved his extra crunchy. A side of bacon and two eggs 'over easy' was exactly what he needed to start his first full day in paradise. And coffee, a hot steaming mug of something fully caffeinated. He felt like he was eating back at the Courthouse Café, now sadly long gone.

And paradise it certainly was. Maui in September was the perfect time to visit. The kids were all back in school but the weather was still awesome. Today was going to be in the eighties - perfect for lounging by the pool. Hmm, perhaps they had novels in the gift shop. Nothing too heavy, just a beach read to keep his eyeballs busy while he pondered his fate.

He popped in to the gift shop and picked out something trashy looking from the shelf and got some sunscreen while he was at it. Back up to the room to change into his shorts and t-shirt, and then wasting no time got back downstairs.

Tom found that there were not too many people around the pool at this hour, it was still early. The hardcore tanners would be out in full force closer to noon. He could stake out a good spot and be settled in before the crowd arrived.

He woke about forty-five minutes later as some kids started to make noise splashing about. That was a great nap! The breakfast really was just the ticket, and his brain clearly needed a time-out. He felt refreshed and relaxed. So after dunking in the pool himself he got comfortable in the lounge chair and thought it was a perfect time to figure out what condition his condition was in. Kenny Rogers if he remembered correctly, ah good times.

So, where was his head at? That he was done with Gail was a certainty, it was one and done. The fact that she'd kept on betraying their vows for six years just cemented his decision. But it wasn't really a decision he mused, it was like an internal switch had been thrown, a wire pulled from its connection. He'd found out he didn't have a marriage, and hadn't for some years.

Up until then Tom had not been exclusive with Gail by choice. It was just the way it was. He stood up in front of all those people in the church and made a solemn vow. He had decided that Gail was the one, so it had been easy to focus on her, the notion of exclusivity never entered his mind. It was part of his essential makeup, his essence.

But when he repeated the words the Padre had said, he gave voice to a fundamental thing for him. He was wedded to Gail, this heart and soul backed up the words he gave voice to. The words weren't a mystical thing, nor magic. But they had power, and in later years when he thought of his vows he envisioned a set of waves emanating from him. Kinda like those that Professor X gave out when he was doing his mind control thing. But for him, it felt all too real. He had made a declaration and the power words had emanated out to the universe.

And so it had been ever since. He had never been tempted, not once. Sure he looked at a fine ass walking by or the cashier's cleavage - that was the monkey part of his brain. But all the other, higher functions of his mind and heart left no room, no place for anyone else to even get a foothold.

He had been happy in that condition. He was sure of his woman, his home, his foundation. Everything else was outside, was other. They were wedded, they were one. Full stop.

People get confused he thought, about what a marriage really is. They see only the trappings; the decorated church, the fancy reception, everybody dressed in their finest - all the externalities. He'd heard of some societies where the ceremony was just jumping over a broom. But the actual marriage is the solemn vow, it's an oath, and once it's broken, it's done. Strictly speaking, their marriage had ended about six years ago; he was only now being informed of the fact.

He hadn't really dealt with the fact that Gail had betrayed their vows, had betrayed him. It was more of a resetting of his reality. The bond they had was now broken. Whatever Gail thought she was doing with her fling, she certainly didn't realize that Tom would be so deeply affected. It was jarring, he thought, to be sure. A small part of him was angry and hurt. But the most of him was really just adjusting to the new reality. He didn't have a wife any more.

It had happened in his office on Monday after he'd skimmed through the PI report Marsha had brought. He literally vapor locked for several minutes while the change happened inside him. It was like some giant machine where the operator threw a lever and spun a wheel. And all of a sudden instead of making short pieces of steel rod, small metal disks came out the end of the machine. His internal gears had shifted, some were spinning in the opposite direction, others were moving faster. On the outside he was the same, but his internal workings had been re-arranged.

Everything that had happened since then had been about Tom adjusting to the world from a different standpoint, a different set of rules. Gail was out, she had broken their bond, so he was a free man. He was free to forge new relationships, to pursue new interests. Or for that matter keep on doing what he had been doing before. He was on his own, he was adjusting to that above all else.

So why had he run away? Hmmm, good question. No not running, going to ground. Yeah, that was it. He needed time to adjust, time to reflect. And to send the strong message that the old Tom was gone from the scene. Whether he ever came back or not remained to be determined. But first he needed to stretch those new wings, new abilities. And what better place than Maui.

He'd always loved Maui, he and Gail had vacationed here many times over the years. Although they usually stayed in Wailea or Kaanapali. They didn't like the windward side as that tended to be more touristy. Which is exactly why he was at the Maui Beach, he'd never stayed there before and wouldn't have thought of it. It was all part of his plan to do the unexpected.

Ok, enough navel gazing, time to see about the trashy novel. He'd picked it mostly by virtue of the cover, his intentions to read it were sincere. But as it slipped out of his hands as his head flopped back on the lounge chair, it was all forgotten.

Sunday - Tom: September 13

Tom woke feeling like a zillion bucks. He wiggled a little bit lower into the covers, boy the soft sheets really make for a snuggly cocoon he thought.

He glanced to his right at the black haired beauty snoring her little 'puppy snores', he half expected there to be drool running down her cheek. But no, she had one arm draped over her eyes as she was lying face up, dead to the world.

He smiled to himself, the self-satisfied smile of the cat who got the canary. He reflected on the vision of her cocktail hostess uniform tossed onto the inevitable chair that was always near the bed in suites like this. That she was wearing a sensible bra and panties underneath had only served to inflame his lust. He hoped he hadn't torn anything in his haste to get her naked.

Theresa, that was her name. At least that's what it said on her name tag. He had read it carefully when she first came to his tabletop to get his order. He hadn't thought he'd end up with her; there were several other women, (three to be exact), who'd made their intentions known last evening. But as the night's events drew to a close she boldly staked her claim.

Tom thought back to the beginning of the evening, he'd kinda planned it to end up like this. He just didn't know who it would be with. He'd done his level best to make his availability, indeed his suitability, no, no, his desirability absolutely clear in the piano lounge.

It was almost a sure thing, he hadn't pulled this trick since college. But here again, as he'd often said, humans haven't evolved all that much in the last ten thousand years. So forty years on from college didn't seem that long at all.

It was his cousin Kyle that brought about his realization of the trick. Although trick was really cheapening of what had gotten him well and truly laid last night.

It was in college; Kyle had a gig playing in the piano bar at the local Holiday Inn. Tom and Kyle were in the 'a cappella' club and often just had fun singing together. Tom liked popular songs, Kyle was more of a crooner. They harmonized really well, perhaps due to their shared ancestry.

One Friday Kyle called Tom in a panic, his voice a hoarse whisper on the phone. He'd gotten a cold and could hardly talk, much less sing. And he had two shifts at the Holiday Inn that weekend, Friday and Saturday nights. He was feeling mostly fine, but he'd completely lost his voice. Would Tom join him, sing while Kyle played the piano? Tom agreed, for half the tips, and only if Kyle would build a set around Tom's favorite songs. That way they would be sure to do OK and nobody would notice any awkwardness. And thus was revealed that certain women, irrespective of age, would literally swoon over a well sung Beatles love song.

On that Friday night Tom was challenged to bring to bear all his youthful energy as the middle aged business woman who'd been filling their tip jar all evening practically dragged him to her room after their set. Since Tom's daddy didn't raise no idiot, he went enthusiastically. The next morning Tom thought for sure he'd have to get skin grafts on his member. Marsha, Madeleine? He couldn't remember now, other than it had started with an 'M'. He'd told Kyle that she'd fucked his dick off and sucked on the stump. She must have been thinking of some long ago boyfriend from her youth because she never even asked Tom his name. When he got back to his apartment he must have drank a gallon of water trying to re -hydrate.

And the next night it was a twenty something maid of honor, she had been leading the rest of the hen party in singing along with all the songs. She was a hard body the likes of which few mortals have ever seen in person. Tom got only a brief glimpse of her taught ass in the mirror as she rode him to one of the several orgasms she used him for. He did try to give as good as he got. He remembered fondly how incredibly good she tasted when he had licked her. And in the morning had awoken to her taking him in her mouth.

So it was that for several months, Tom would ask Kyle to let him join him at the Holiday Inn - tips be dammed. All of that pre-Gail of course, once they became a couple Tom stayed true. And had kept on staying true until last night.

He'd dressed smartly, black slacks and blazer over a tuxedo shirt. When he'd walked into the piano bar he knew he'd attract the attention of the ladies. He'd kept himself in shape. After all Gail was a very good looking woman, he'd been determined to keep her looking in his direction. He'd never let a tummy develop, and his five mile run every morning had kept him in fairly good condition otherwise.

While Tom was in his late-fifties, his physique looked fit and trim. Think a 'silver fox' with a healthy body. Taking a seat at one of the high-tops with his back to the wall, Tom was able to survey the rest of the lounge easily. And he was easy to spot too, sitting alone.

He'd hardly settled in when Teresa was asking him what he'd like to drink. She arched an eyebrow at his request for a pomegranate Cosmo. While she was getting that he was watching the piano player getting ready. The guy introduced himself and launched into his opening set.

Tom nursed his first Cosmo thru Chad's entire first set. He'd been watching the piano player carefully, sizing him up. He was decent, but Tom felt that he could sing better. When Chad came back from his break, Tom made his move.

Leaning across the piano and taking hundred out and holding it where Chad could see, "Chad can you play 'Yesterday' by the Beatles?"

"Yes sir, I love the Beatles."

"Good Chad, you and I are gonna get along great. Hand me the mike and start whenever you're ready."

Chad hesitated for a heartbeat and then started an overture, thinking 'a C-note'! Tom drew in a breath and started slow and deep. He was a baritone with the richness that comes from age and experience. Tom poured all the love he'd had for Gail into that set and came close to tears a couple of times. He kept going though. Thankfully Chad wasn't kidding; he really did know the Beatles catalog. They went through Yesterday, If I Fell, In my Life, and Something before Tom gave in. Every last person, assuredly all the women, were clapping enthusiastically when they stopped. There were calls for one more and so Tom asked Chad to play The Long and Winding Road.

As he made his way back to his table Tom received several appreciative glances, he knew is play had worked. Now who would it be?

"This one's on the house", said Teresa as she sat another Cosmo in front of him.

"Oh my, thank you. You didn't have to do that", taking a sip and holding her gaze over the rim of the glass.

"Don't drink too much, you're going to need your strength later. I get off at eleven. You should order some food, nothing too heavy. You'll want to stay awake for the main event."

Four times; four times Tom had emptied himself into Teresa's hungry body. It was as if she was trying to pull his soul out through the end of his cock. Her heat made him meet her stroke for stroke. It was awesome.

And just what Tom needed. He thought that his plan to begin the process of healing had begun well. Teresa was the first of what he hoped were many therapeutic sessions. With that happy thought he rolled out of bed and into the shower. The hot water washed away the night's exertions and invigorated him. Smiling to himself he began peeing in the shower, something that Gail would have pitched a fit about back home.

It was at that moment that Teresa stepped into the shower behind him and reached around to grab his cock.

"I'm glad to see that everything is still in working order. Let loose, I've never held a man while he was peeing."

Luckily for Tom he was mostly done and as her hand gripped him he began to get hard again. Which led to a soapy fuck standing in the shower. Teresa had been really, really been good for him.

Monday - Gail: September 14

"Good morning Mrs. Baker, please come with me." Gail hadn't expected an escort, but here was Steven Head of Facilities, riding with her up the elevator to the eleventh floor. Gail's apprehension grew exponentially.

"Go right in Steven, Mrs. Baker. I'm right behind you." Wow, whatever was coming would be conducted with the local head of HR, Stella Gray, in attendance. Gail felt like she was going to the gallows.

In the conference room were two other people she should have expected. Jerry Pastor, associate General Counsel, and her number two Joyce McNamara, assistant Controller.

And to complete the anguish there on the big screen was the main conference room at HQ. Mr. Adelicus himself, Gerald Teller; corporate General Counsel, Nancy Lee; global head of HR; and Clark Curtis; Tom's friend who managed Security for Adelicus. It was an inquisition.

Once everyone was seated Mr. Adelicus cleared his throat. "Mrs. Baker it has come to our attention that you and William Parsons have been involved in a romantic affair for quite some time. We came by this news in the documentation provided with the notice of lawsuit against our firm brought by Mrs. Parsons. I'll leave those details to Jerry. I have been advised by both HR and Legal to keep my comments brief. So only let me say how completely disappointed I am in your actions. The evidence Mrs. Parsons provided is quite extensive, and damming. Your actions have called into question the integrity of our company. Our customers and the regulators to whom we owe obligations would be correct in doubting whether they could continue to trust us. We are going to defend ourselves vigorously, although it will be in as transparent manner as possible given the circumstances. Gail, I hope to god all you did was step out on Tom." With that the old man sat back into his chair with a resigned sigh.

Nancy took the meeting then, "Mrs. Baker, you are being immediately placed on administrative leave. All your system access has been disabled and your phone will no longer be able to receive company email. Any company applications on your phone are also disabled. Your benefits and health insurance coverage remain in full force until the conclusion of the investigation. Thank you for bringing in your laptop." She too sat back; Gail glanced at Stella but got no sympathy there.