Book Club

Warning: This story contains swearing and sexual content.

I know that they say you can’t have it your way all of the time, but that's just not true. The people that say things like that are quitters. They don't try hard enough. This is coming from a man who has been a winner my whole life, without the help from other people, may I add. My father raised me to be a successful and ambitious man who knows when to take in order to gain what I want. In the end, it truly does not matter how you make other people feel as long as you can get what you want out of them. 

I’ve been with my wife for 10 years. We have three averagely intelligent children and a multimillion-dollar house (thanks to me). I won’t take much credit for the kids since that’s not really my department, and frankly, not much of my business. But everything else? That’s me. My wife has not worked since we had our first kid, and she does not seem to have much drive to do so. She has her hobbies like cooking and keeping up with the house, but other than that she seems to have no motivation. She let herself go as soon as our third was born and she hasn’t looked back. I have asked her time and time again to at least look into a gym membership and she just waves me off. It started affecting our sex life, which is where I drew the line. How am I supposed to put up with an unattractive wife? I don’t deserve that, no one of my standing does. 

That’s when I met Jessica. I took a stand and did what any man would do when they are dealing with inadequate women, I found another one. Jessica is not like my wife. Jessica is 26 and an Executive Assistant in my office. It was thanks to me that we even hired her, so I felt that our connection already had potential. If my wife was not going to improve how I needed her to, then I was going to get what I want somewhere else. That doesn’t mean that I don’t love my wife or that I’m going to leave her. Besides, I’m not letting her take any of my money. Anyway, Jessica gives me the best of both worlds. I get a young, hot, driven woman who worships the ground I walk on, while also getting to go home to my wife. The best part is, she does not suspect a thing. She still cooks me dinner every night and gives me a kiss at the front door every morning. On the nights that “I work late”, I get Jessica. God, she is amazing. She knows how to bend in ways that I’ve never seen. She makes me feel young again. Pulling up to her house on those nights and just seeing her cute little Jeep with the puffy pink wheel cover gets me excited. 

The only downside to her really is that she is so goddamn emotional. She goes on and on about her own feelings and our relationship status. Usually, I try to keep it vague and tell her what she wants to hear, but she has become more relentless. Jessica obviously knows about my wife, I had to tell her once I realized she unfortunately is not dumb enough to fully lie to, but I’ve given her the impression that I'm in the process of divorce. She always asks about updates and when things will be final, but I tell her that I will give her all of the information when I get it. She seems to be satisfied with knowing that. Better to keep her happy, because when she’s happy, I get what I want. Women are just so easy to manipulate. Give them chocolates and tell them they’re pretty and BOOM. They're all over you. Maybe if my wife would lighten up then I wouldn’t have to turn to women like Jessica. And if Jessica wasn’t so weepy and draining, then maybe I wouldn’t be going after one of my coworkers up at our Seattle branch. Lauren is the Accounting Manager there, but she’s “happily married.” The woman won’t shut up about her husband. Who cares though, I always get what I want, at least eventually. She will see soon enough that she could gain almost as much from our relationship as I will. 

I’m actually on my way up to Seattle right now. I’m taking the Amtrak up from LA for our monthly staff meeting with the head of each branch. Lauren will be there. I told Jessica that I’ll be gone for a few days and my wife is aware of these meetings. Maybe this time Lauren will want to play with me after months of coming on to her. She can’t say no forever. My wife texted me and told me to enjoy my time up here. Honestly, a small part of me does feel bad for my wife, but this whole thing is not my fault. I am a man with needs. It’s not like I’m doing anything wrong. Since when is looking after your own needs wrong? It’s all selfcare. My wife texted me again and said that the night I get back she will be hosting a women’s book club at our house. I didn't even know that she was a part of a book club. In my opinion, reading is a waste of time. You see, if she actually took the time to make her life more interesting, then she wouldn't need to read bullshit fairy tales, or whatever they are. And the fact that she found a club with the same kind of losers just proves how simple women really are. Whatever, maybe I’ll scope out the losers and see if any of them are attractive enough for me. Maybe then I’ll consider reading. 

Three days in Seattle is three too many. I still have had no luck with Lauren and this time she said something about “harassment in the workplace” and then something else about HR. I wasn’t really listening because she had a tight sweater on. 

The Amtrak back home to LA is my favorite part of the trip. I get to relax and take this time to decompress. I usually pull up Hinge on my phone. I have to find a Lauren replacement since she’s going to be such a bitch. I chuckle to myself whenever Jessica says something about how she’s never been with a married man before. If I had a dollar for all of the ‘Jessicas’ that I've had in the past, I'd be able to buy my house all over again. I spend the whole train ride using up my swipes and messaging the potentially lucky women who may get the opportunity to be with me. It’s a fantastic way to pass the time. 

I pull my car into our packed driveway, and I’m already pissed off. Not only are these women taking up my space, but they all parked like idiots. I’m weaving through the maze of vehicles when I see something that makes my heart drop into my stomach. A Jeep. With a puffy pink wheel cover. It has to be a coincidence, right? There must be plenty of hot weepy women with the same ugly car decoration. I keep walking until I reach our front door. I can hear laughing from many voices in the living room and I start to sweat. Why am I sweating? I slowly open the door and step into the foyer, the living room is on my left. I make sure that my most charming smile is plastered on my face as I turn to face the group of women sitting in chairs in a circle around the room. I begin with my greeting of “hello ladies” when I basically choke on my own tongue. Right in the center of the room is my wife. Next to her, Jessica. My shock must be apparent because both women have a wide grin on their faces as they both say, “Hi honey.” The rest of the women are staring too with the same satisfied grin on their faces. Faces that I’ve seen many times in the past. My other ‘Jessicas,’ you could say. The women are all standing now, watching me, as I have yet to close my mouth. The sweat is rolling down my face and I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I start to back up and the women move toward me, a horrible gleam in each set of eyes. Fuck this book club. I run.