No Saints (Part 5 of 6)

I sat in the car, at first saying nothing, then I begun to cry. I screamed at myself, wondering how long it has been going on, what had I done wrong, why didn't I see the signs. I wanted a drink, something strong, but I knew that once I crawled inside a bottle, I'd never get out of it again, so I just sat there, feeling sorry for myself.

Half an hour later I actually went to get the butter. What a corny excuse to get me out of the house. Butter. What would it be next time? Milk?

Eventually I pulled up to my driveway and found Susan's golden Caddy parked in it, so I put the car on the side of the street, in front of Mike's vehicle. Mike always loved his black sporty Lexus, and the day he drove it from the dealer's lot he bragged about it for hours. Walking back to the house I sank my keys in the doors as hard and deep as I could.

Outside of the door I managed to dig a big smile from inside of me and put it on my face, then I walked in.

"Knock knock!" I called out opening the door. "The big bad wolf is here!"

Mike was sitting on the right arm of the couch, talking to Susan who was sitting in the armchair. He turned my way and yelled "Here he is! Thought we had to send out a rescue party!" He smiled and winked at Susan "And that's not the kinda party I like to be in!"

"Dan!" Susan got up and came to give me a big hug. "How are you? How long has it been since last time? Ages!"

"It sure has been," I replied. "I'm so happy to see you." I hated her. Why couldn't she keep her man on a leash?

Caroline walked out of the kitchen with a mixed look on her face. "Honey! What took you so long?"

I had to force myself to keep on smiling. "Oh, it was a mess. A fuck up after another." I stared at her, aware that my face muscles were straining my smile into a smirk. "Two guys got in a fight over a woman, right there in the store. Apparently she was double timing one of the two. Then the cashier tried to short change me. Tried a bait and switch scheme on me." I looked at Mike with the same intensity I looked at Caroline. "Could you believe that someone would try to screw me over? And that some broad would cheat on her man? What a crazy world we live in, huh?"

Mike didn't change expression. "There sure are some weirdos out there!"

"My aunt once was mobbed in a super market," piped in Susan, but I barely noticed her. I kept my eyes fixed on Mike's, smiling at him.

I went to put the grocery bag in the kitchen, going past Caroline, with same frozen smirk on my face. She said something but I didn't hear it. In the kitchen I looked out of the same window those two traitors used to frame their betrayal. I felt like throwing up so I walked out.

"So, Mike," I said while putting the coat up. "How was it?"

"Hm?" Mike was having another drink. Sure, go ahead, you already had my wife, why not take my whisky as well.

I walked up to him, he was sitting on the couch, Susan by his side. "How was keeping her warm? Did you do a good job?"

Mike gave me a puzzled look. "What?"

"Caroline," I nodded at my wife, smiling. "Did you keep my wife entertained while I was out?"

"Uh.. yeah. Yeah!" He gave a belly laugh. "We caught up with the latest and greatest happenings until Susie got here. Caroline is sure a hot kitten!!" And he laughed again.

Right there I wanted to kill him. I wanted to take that bottle of wine he brought and smash his face with it. I wanted to cram it down his throat and stare him in the eyes as he'd choke on it, clawing at it, desperately trying to catch a breath, while I'd push more and more down. His face would turn blue, his eyes would become as glass, and I'd drink with glee at his funeral.

"Danny!?" Caroline whispered to me. "Are you ok?"

Those sweet thoughts still coursed through my head, but I banished them, lest I'd let on that I knew. Meanwhile Susan was hitting Mike with a pillow for those remarks. I'd have handed her a battle axe if I had one.

"Danny??"

I took a deep breath. "Yes, honey, I am ok," I said and looked at her. I couldn't smile any more. "Are you ok?"

"Danny, what's wrong? You look awful."

"I'm ok. I'm just tired, I guess. I had a hard day."

Meanwhile Susan was laughing while hitting Mike. "You are a real bastard, you know?"

"Yes, yes," Mike was protecting his drink and trying to take a sip between pillow hits. "But you love me like this anyways, so why should I change?"

I looked at Susan. Was she part of the conspiracy? "So, how come that you got your hair done at the last minute?"

Susan held a pillow over Mike's head and looked at me, still breathing hard from all that hitting. "Yeah, things that happen."

"Really? Just today, just right this day?"

"Yeah," the look on her face was becoming more confused. "I made the appointment last week and they cancelled on me. Then today I worked late and had totally forgot about it." She looked at Caroline. "I was lucky to get in as it was."

Mike looked over his shoulder and grinned. "And while you were doing chores at the store and Susie was doing her hair, I was doing.." Susan slapped Mike upside the head with the pillow and his drink spilled all over his corduroy pants. Mike, Susan, and Caroline were laughing, while I felt like someone had just pushed my face into a toilet and flushed.

"Danny," said Caroline regaining her composure. "Did you notice Susan's hair?"

"Her hair?" I looked at Susan.

"Yes, look at her now! What do you think?"

Until now I had forgot she had hair, except that she used it as an excuse to let her wandering bastard of a man cheat on me.

"Hmmm.. I give up?"

"Oh, you're such a man!" She laughed and went to stand next to Susan, while Susan got up and stood next to her. "Look! The same hair do! Same dress as well!" Susan giggled.

Susan put an arm across Caroline shoulders and Caroline reciprocated. "We could pass for twins," said Susan and they both giggled.

I stood there, frozen like a snow man. They did look very similar. Who did I see flirting with Mike?

Mike stood up and came to my side to admire the recently rejoined twins. "Danny, my boy," he said while sipping on what was left of his drink. "If we'd get into wife swapping, I don't think I'd notice."

He laughed. Susan and Caroline laughed heartily. I gave my best effort.

No Saints (Part 4 of 6)

Even with that rain and the weekend traffic, the store was no more than ten minutes away. The rain kept coming in waves, alternatively slowing the traffic and speeding it up. I always wondered why people couldn't drive more smoothly in the rain.

A traffic light ahead turned red and I slowed down, and my mind slowed down as well. Caroline and her butter. What if when I would be back, she'd send me out again? Bread? Lima beans? Besides, she had said she wanted butter, but she didn't specify whether it was salted or plain butter.

I reached into my pocket for my cell phone, but it came up empty. As the traffic started moving again, I patted myself but I couldn't find anything. I must have had left it on the coffee table, or on the cupboard. Maybe Caroline had put it away for me, she always tidied up behind me. I took the first turn and sped back home. It was much better to look stupid and getting more details, than to come back with nothing but plain butter when she wanted salted butter and a can of corn.

I pulled up behind the house. I wasn't going to walk in like a complete moron, not in front of Mike. Mostly he would have started talking more and more, and it would have taken one hour before I could go get the butter. As it was, I was going to be about ten minutes late.

I got out of the car, lifted the lapels of my jacket and closed it tight on my chest and neck. I was going to get really wet. I went in the dark backyard, walking in long steps to avoid the deep cold puddles of rainwater. I should have had the yard landscaped, with some sort of pathway to the rear deck.

I leaped one large puddle, nigh a pond, and put one foot on the steps up to the deck, and stopped. The deck was illuminated by the window in the rear of the kitchen, and although the rain was falling hard on me, blurring my vision, I could see someone moving. It was Caroline, of course, but something made me stop and wait.

Whatever told me to wait was right. Barely a second after Caroline passed in front of the window, I saw another shadow. A bigger one. Mike.

He walked in front of the window and Caroline joined him. They both had glasses in their hands. Caroline was smiling. It was a warm, welcoming smile. Mike was laughing, but all the noise was drowned by the rain.

Mike said something. Caroline laughed, her cheeks turning a deeper tone of red. Blushing. Mike talked again and got closer to her. She laughed and covered her mouth. Mike put an arm around her and drew her close. Caroline didn't stop him, instead she put her arms around his neck and laid her head on his chest. She was smiling.

Then she looked up to him and they kissed.

A vehicle passed by and startled me. Slowly I turned around and returned to the car.