Quacks Like a Duck

Danielle prepared dinner for her husband’s brother and his wife who should arrive shortly. She puts the finishing touches on her famous beef brisket as her husband, Bobby, is upstairs taking a quick shower.

Bobby’s cell phone buzzes on the counter next to she is cutting up the brisket. She glances down to see if it is Bobby’s boss who usually texts him at all hours of the day. But it is a number she doesn’t recognize with the words, ‘Are we still on for tomorrow night handsome?’

She played it off like it was one of those random sex messages everyone gets.  

Bobby came down after his shower and dressed for their dinner guests. “What time are our guests arriving?” he asked

“They should be here in a few. Oh, your phone buzzed while you were in the shower. It looks like one of those sexts we all get.”

Bobby glanced down to see the text and said, “Yeah I don’t know why I keep getting these even thought I block them.”

“Don’t forget we have happy hour tomorrow night with our friends,” Danielle said

“Oh, honey my boss told me this morning he needed me for something for tomorrow night. Can we reschedule?” Bobby asked

“I’ll just go without you. Don’t worry they’ll understand.”

The next night Danielle is joined at happy hour by her closest friend, Laura, whose husband decided to bail and give the two of them a girl’s night.  

“Bobby got a mysterious text message from some woman asking if they were still meeting tonight. He played it off like it was a sext message from a stranger,” Danielle said

“Is that why he couldn’t come tonight?” Laura asked

“No, he said his boss needed him for something.”

“You really think Bobby is working with his boss tonight? Do you?” Laura said

“Yes, I believe him. Why would he lie? We have a great marriage, and we are both happy,” Danielle said

“Dani, Bobby has always had a wandering eye with women. How many times have we seen him flirting and carrying on with other women in front of you?”

“That’s only harmless fun he’s having. It doesn’t mean anything,” Danielle said

“Was it harmless fun when he told those two waitresses in Lake Tahoe that he wanted a threesome with them?” Laura said

“You don’t know Bobby’s sense of humor. He likes to play around and see their reactions,” Danielle said

“All I’m saying is keep a close eye on him because if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, it’s a duck. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. That’s all,” Laura said

“It’ll be fine Laura. I have nothing to worry about. I promise you.”

A few days go by, and Danielle can’t stop thinking about what Laura said the other night. Bobby was out golfing with a couple of his friends. Danielle let her curiosity take over as she began searching their bedroom drawers and closet for anything suspicious and came up empty.

She paced the living room thinking where else could she look for clues. She got distracted by a noise out her front door. When she turned to look out the window, she saw his Toyota 4Runner in the driveway. She found the perfect spot for him to conceal any evidence, in the car he only used for work.

The keys were hanging on a hook by the front door as she grabbed them and stepped out into the driveway.  

She unlocked the car, sat in the front driver’s side seat, and rummaged through the center console and glove compartment but found nothing.

Danielle jumped in the back seat and stuck her hand ion between the seats to see any evidence of infidelity. But she came up empty. She laid back on the seat and saw something small and brown. She bent over to get a better look thinking it may be a bug but at a closer look at was plastic. Danielle reached down and picked up a little brown hair clip and put it in her pocket.

Bobby comes home from golf a couple of hours later and finds his wife in the kitchen putting groceries away. He walked to the refrigerator to get a drink and spotted the hair clip on the counter.

Danielle saw him looking at the clip and said, “I found that in your car.”

“Wait, what were you doing in my car? What were you looking for? Do you think I am cheating on you?” Bobby asked

“Whose hair clip is that?” she asked

“It’s probably my boss’s wife because I gave them a ride home from work the other day. It must’ve fell off.”  Bobby said

Bobby walked over, wrapped his arms around her waist, faced her and said,” Baby you know I could never cheat on you. You’re the only one for me.” As he laid a passionate kiss on her lips.

“I believe you. I know you would never cheat on me. Hey, I’ve got an idea why don’t I take you out for a nice dinner tonight to make up for my accusations?” she said

“Oh honey, no can do. I got another impromptu dinner with my boss. Rain check? Why don’t you ask Laura to go out?” Bobby said

Bobby could feel Danielle’s disappointment and brought her in for another tight hug, “I’m sorry baby. I love you.”

                                              *         *         *         *

Laura wasn’t up for going out so she invited Danielle over so they could just grab a pizza and some wine.

“I found a hair clip in his car,” Danielle said

“Are you serious? Whose did he say it was?” Laura said

“He said it was his boss’s wife’s and that he gave them both a ride home the other day,”

“I knew he was a cheater all this time. You can’t trust him Dani,” Laura said

“Well, we don’t know if he is cheating. Give him the benefit of the doubt,” Danielle said

“Dani when are you going to wake up? Leave him now.”

“I can’t. I love him and besides he hasn’t done anything,” Danielle said

“Remember what I said about ducks the other day. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Laura said

                                              *         *         *         *         *

“Hey, Danielle have you seen my blue blazer? I have an important meeting this morning and I’m running late,” Bobby asked

Danielle raced around the downstairs looking for the blazer. She bounced from room to room searching high and low but couldn’t find it. “Bobby, I don’t see it down here. Have you tried our bedroom closet or the guest bedroom?”  

“Yes, I don’t see it in either place. I gotta find it.”  

“I’m going to look in the laundry room,” she said

Danielle picked up a couple of shirts that were laying on the dryer and found the blazer underneath. She held up the shirts in one hand while she grabbed the blazer in the other. As she turned to put the shirts back down on the dryer something flew out of the blazer pockets.

She looked down to see what had fallen. She stared at the object and was unsure what to think of it until she bent over to pick it up.

As she got closer, she knew she couldn’t user her hands and looked around for something to scoop it up with. She grabbed a nearby hanger and used it to pick it up.

She couldn’t believe her eyes and found herself in a trance until Bobby’s voice snapped her out of it.

“Honey, did you find the blazer?” Bobby said as she heard his footsteps coming closer to the laundry room.

She hid the hangar behind her back and handed her the blazer. “Why didn’t you tell me you find it?” I’m gonna hear from my boss when I get to work,” Bobby said

“Oh, honey I forgot to tell you I’m going to visit my sister this afternoon and won’t be around for dinner,” she said

“That’s fine. Have fun. See ya later,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her.

Bobby comes home from work with a fast-food bag in his hand ready to chow down. He opened the door and noticed a few items in the house missing. He placed the bag on the counter and headed upstairs to get changed.

He entered the bedroom and noticed the closet door is open and the light is on. “What the…” he said as he looked at half the clothes in the closet gone.

He raced downstairs to grab his cell phone to call Danielle to make sure everything is alright when he noticed something strange on the counter.

It was a pink pair of panties with a note attached that read, ‘See you in court.’