Tales from The Esquire Bar 1

A Greenville story. 1st in a series of the Esquire Bar Tales

Preamble Ramble - This is a rewrite of Cheated, Cheater and Cheating. I read some of the comments and made me wonder if I could improve on the story. Much of it is the same as the original but with expanded and shortened. It only focuses on what happens when the cheated confronts the affair partner. I tried to develop the characters more and taken one out per a suggestion. I took out a main character to see if it flows better.

There were quite a few comments that felt the ending was rushed. I also tried to rectify that.

I haven't posted in a while because I lost motivation. I have 3 other stories I'm pushing to finish. One I've been working on for almost 2 months. I thought doing something quick would help get me restarted.

I hope you like the story, If not I'm sure you'll let me know.

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Bob was wiping the bar top with his white towel. When he wasn't serving a drink or talking to customers he was cleaning. It was his nature. The bar top was clean as it always was. Bob wouldn't have it any other way. The same four mooks have been in here for the last two hours. Not quite drowning out the sounds of English Premier League Football on the old fat back TV hanging from the wall.

Drinking their typical one beer an hour and solving the problems of the world. Their not bothering anyone so it doesn't bother Bob. This is the slow time of day. Between 2pm to around 5pm and it usually picks up when people start getting out of work. Husbands who don't want to be around their wives, Fathers taking a short break between work and kids and alcoholics who can't make it more than 8 hours between drinks. Until then its the same group of guys who come in during the day. Earl is holding court as usual. Espousing his wisdom that nobody wants to hear. He's one of the smartest guys Bob as ever met. Earl is fluent in many subjects and always speak with knowledge when he talks to someone without talking down to them. Some people underestimate him, being an elderly Black man. Earl never seems offended by that. He usually smiles and schools the unknowing offender. He doesn't know what Earl does for a living but whatever it is it gives him time and money to live a good life from what he sees.

About 3 pm a middle age white guy comes into the bar. He's definitely not the usual customer and doesn't seem to be from around here. The Esquire used to be a hopping spot back in the day. Now the area is full of old half abandoned industrial buildings and businesses that are barely holding on. It makes enough money to pay the bills. The stranger looks to be in his late 30's or early 40's. Wearing a very nice suit and shoes. He most definitely makes good money.

The stranger sits at the bar, "What ya have?" Bob ask.

"A Blanton's neat."

Bob looks at the guy, blankly "We have Evan Williams, Jim Beam or Wild Turkey if you want Bourbon. Ain't got Blantons. We don't get much request for the fancy stuff." He had a feeling from the look of the guy he could have given him Jim Beam and he would have drank it without complaint or question. He had the look of a man with troubles in his life.

"Shit, figures the way my life is going, Give me whatever is closet and keep my glass filled." The stranger says in resignation.

Reaching back for the Wild Turkey Bob says, "You sound like you got troubles. This time of day its either the job or the wife." a question without being a question. Bob has been doing this for a long time.

Taking a big gulp of the offered glass of bourbon wincing as the liquor burns going down. Its definitely not Blantons. He looks at Bob, "I guess its not hard to figure out huh? My fucking wife, well at least she's fucking someone because it hasn't been me for a month!" He holds up the now empty glass for a refill.

"Do you know she's cheating or think she's cheating. Being a bitch doesn't make her a cheater. If that was the case half the women in the world would be cheaters. Maybe she's just going through the change or something."

"Yeah she's changing alright. Changing into a bitch." They both laugh at his unintended humor.

This is something Bob is used to dealing with. You're not only a bartender but a priest people confess to, a therapist they get advice from. Sometimes someone who just listens. He's found people need to talk about things they can't talk to a friend, relative or coworker. But a bartender, they tell everything. Bob has heard everything in his 25 plus years of bartending. From murder to theft. Once how a guy was in love with his sister. Given enough emotional pain and alcohol people will talk.

The cheating wife stories used to be hard on Bob. He's been through that almost 25 years ago when his wife decided to trade up. He was going by Robert back then. Working as a newly hired sale rep for a flooring company. He felt his future was bright, her not so much. Sadly for her he made more money, had a nice house, a fast luxury car but also was abusive and a serial cheater. When she showed up four months later with a black eye and one suitcase Bob shut the door in her face. That was the last time he ever saw her and the last serious relationship he's ever had.

"How has she changed that's made you think she's cheating?" It was slow so he had time to devote to the stranger.

"She used to be so nice and sweet. We would talk all the time about anything. Spend time together. Now, she comes home late. Doesn't talk to me except to complain about something. We haven't been out together in weeks. She always has some lame excuse. She's even missed family events and my birthday. Not even a fucking card! Even the kids have noticed"

"Maybe she's dealing with something at work." Trying to give the guy some hope.

"That's when this shit started. She got a new job three months ago running the office for a roofing company. How hard can that be. They put roofs on houses for Christ sake. It's her and two other girls there. Everything was good for the first month or so. I heard about this guy or that guy. Funny things that would happen in the office. Problems they had with customers. Then she stopped talking about the job and two weeks later she started to change. She started working late. Then the attitude changed. She started complaining about everything. The house was to small, I didn't respect her. I didn't clean up or do my share with the kids. Hell, I was the one running them to soccer and baseball during the week and attending games. Cutting the grass and taking care of the yard on the weekends."

"How old are the kids?" Bob asks trying to get him to calm down a little.

"11 and 12 years old. Boy and Girl. Gerald Jr 11 and Lizzie 12. He plays soccer and she plays baseball of all things. They are both good kids. They get good grades in school. Have lots of friends which keeps them active. Lizzie is the first girl to play Little League in the city."

"I think I read something about that in the paper, that was her?"

"Yep,' the man now known as Gerald says with pride. 'She didn't want to pay softball. She plays third base, the hot corner. Even has a 280 batting average." Gerald says with well earned pride. "Only bad thing is they have started to notice that their mother hasn't been as present as she used to be. She stopped going to games 3 weeks ago. Always has something else to do."

"So far it sounds like she's just become a bitch, that doesn't mean she's cheating. You need some kind of proof."

"Who do I look like Inspector Clouseau? I work 50 hours a week to put a roof over my family's head. Jesus, do you know how much a private detective cost? I'll tell you, a lot of fucking money."

"There are cheaper ways to find out. Put a tracking app on her phone. Buy a mini recorder and put it in her purse. If you want answers you got to figure something out or you'll go crazy thinking about this. Worse comes to worse you might even find out she's just a bitch and not cheating. I'm sure your happiness is worth a couple of hundred bucks. What kind of work do you do?"

"I'm a sales rep for a pharmaceutic company. Yeah, I know you're right. I don't know if I want to learn the truth. We had such a good marriage until a few weeks ago. I would have bet my bottom teeth we would make it until the end. Almost 15 years down the drain."

"Listen, you're a sales rep who is on the road most of the time. How hard would be to drive by her job around quitting time to see where she is going? That doesn't cost anything except time. But you got to think positively. Here have one on me." Refilling Gerald's glass again.

Just then the doors burst open and this guy, dressed like a bad 80's car salesmen came busting in. "Hey everyone hows it going?" He was wearing a green blazer with a huge brown tie and white belt and loafers. He reminded you of Herb Tarlek from WKRP in Cincinnati.

Gerald heard someone at the other end of the bar say "Ah Shit, this asshole."

"What's up Norm, the usual?" Bob asked opening a PBR.

"Sure thing and let me get a shot a Crown Royal also. I'm celebrating knocking off that Milf again. Damn she can really f...' Spotting a young lady sitting at the bar he stops his announcement of another successful sexual encounter. 'Excuse me miss. My apologies for my crudeness." He says in a slick manner that would creep out most women. "Can I buy you a drink to make up for my rudeness? He asked with a cheesy smile. She politely declines and turns back to the TV on the wall.

"So is this the same married woman you been knocking off Norm?" Sid ask. Which brings a groan from several patrons. No one wants to hear this story, again.

"Hell yeah, why not. I get mine and she goes back to her stupid husband and kids. Its the best of both worlds. Easy pussy and no hassle. I don't even have to take her out anymore. Once you get it they are turned on by the thrill of cheating. It makes them extra hot. They always say its just this once. Trust me, its never one time. At least with me. They get hooked and can't stop. And husband is sitting at home fat and dumb. As a matter of fact I just left her at the Hideaway Inn about twenty minutes ago. Married women are so grateful to be wanted." saying with the cockiest smile this side of the Mississippi River.

"How can you do that to someones family?" Gerald yells at him

"Slow down partner, I'm not the one doing anything. She's the one who is married." Norm says with his hands up. He doesn't know this guy or why he would be so mad at him. Its not like he's screwing his wife.

"You knew she was married also right? So you're just as responsible as she is for ruining her marriage and destroying a family. You said she has kids, Jesus, Its pieces of shits like you that give good men a bad name!" Gerald says with more heat then he has since he walked in.

"Calm down, Jerry', say Earl trying to stop the potential fight that is brewing. 'Don't let him get under your skin."

"What's his problem? I don't even know this guy."

"His wife might be cheating on him you asshole. And here you come talking about screwing another mans wife. That's his problem." Alan the other bar patron announces.

"Well he should take better care of the little misses and he wouldn't have that problem. I'm not screwing his wife so don't be mad at me,"

"Jesus you are an asshole' Gerald says 'One day you're going to screw the wrong woman with the right husband and when it happens I hope he takes you out!"

"Listen, I'm not going to apologize for being a man, If Sherry didn't want to cheat on her husband all she had to do was say no. But she's been saying yes Yes YES for almost a month now. So don't put it on me."

"Sherry!! did you say Sherry?"

"Yeah, that's the milf I been knocking off. Why you hitting it also?"

"Black hair, mole on her neck?"

"Oh Shit" Several people say at the same time.

Norm is looking a little unsure of himself now. "Uh, yeah, on the right side of her neck. Do you know her?"

"You damn right I know her' Gerald jumps up off the stool. 'That's my fucking wife!" The young lady jumps out of the way and Earl backs up just as Gerald lets loose with a left hook that would make Joe Frazier proud. The woman is screaming as Norm goes flying into the bar and finally lands between 2 stools. There's chaos in the bar as Bob rushes around it to grab Gerald before he can do more damage.

Sid comes and stands over the supine Norm. "You got knocked the fuck out!" in his best Chris Tucker impression.

It was the most excitement the bar has seen that early in the day since that time Jacob caught his wife with Derrick and chased him around the bar and down the street with a crowbar. Bob and Earl are holding Gerald back. "I'm good, I'm good. I done okay. No more fighting. I think I proved my point." Gerald says trying to catch his breath. Besides cutting grass this is the most physical he's been in a long time. And the first fight he's ever won. Being a sales rep doesn't call for fisticuffs very often.

Norm finally came to with some help from a mug of water and was taken to the hospital for a possible broken jaw by Alan with strict instructions not to say how it happened.

Bob had told Gerald to go home. He and Earl assured him there wouldn't be any charges filed.

Norm didn't press charges. It wouldn't have gone anywhere because he had no one who would be a witness or even say he was in the bar when it happened. Alan had just dropped him off at the emergency room and drove off. He was admitted with a possible concussion and stayed overnight.

Norm stopped screwing married women, for 6 months after he got out. He got an even worse beating coming out of the Hideaway Inn by an unknown bad man a year later and ended up in the hospital for three days this time. No charges were filed since he had didn't see who did it because the assailant had on all black and a mask. The Bad Man told Norm to never do 'it' again. He moved to Cincinnati after he got out. Three years later he got beaten again. Some people just don't learn.

Gerald went home and confronted Sherry. It didn't go well for either of them. She denied it until he said he knew about Norm and the Hideaway Inn. For $200 the clerk told Gerald he knew of her going there several times over the last 3 weeks and had video of them going into different rooms. Also when she found out what happened to Norm she knew her goose was cooked. She still tried to fight the divorce.

She used all the cliches she could come up with. She was lonely. She felt she was getting older. He didn't appreciate her. Then she tried to use the kids saying it would hurt them if they got a divorce. Finally she tried to threaten him saying she would take him to the cleaners. She said everything except I'm sorry and I love you.

She tried to have the judge order counseling but the he denied it. She told Gerald she didn't want a divorce, Its was just a little fun. All the cheater excuses. He didn't budge and moved out 2 days later. She did get primary custody of the kids. She came to realize how easy life had been with a husband. Gerald was paying child support and half the mortgage. She had to pay the rest of the bills including having someone to cut the grass and fix things around the house that broke. Stuff she took for granted. She went to a therapist to find out why she ruined her marriage, until she couldn't afford it any longer.

He went scorched earth and told both families, friends and people on her job about her cheating. While her family supported her they were still very disappointed in her. Friends chose sides. Most of the married friends sided with Gerald. The guys on her job tried to pick her up more often. They had stayed away before thinking she was happily married. Now they all thought she was fair game and easy pickings. The women became catty towards her. She found a new job five months after everything blew up.

She never seen Norm again after everything came to light. She didn't date for another year. Being a single parent made that pretty difficult. It was hard seeing Gerald at the kids games or when he came to pick up the kids on his weekends. She knew she messed up a good thing. Yet she still didn't realize that it was the lifestyle she missed and not in fact Gerald.

Gerald suffered from depression for some time. The only time he wasn't in bed was when he was at work or with the kids. It took him 3 months to shake it off with help. His boss noticed he was a different man after the divorce was final. He was melancholy, its the only description that fit. People on his job were starting to talk. No one knew about his martial problems. His boss considered Gerald not only an employee but a friend. They went out after work which he almost had to drag him to the bar. Not the Esquire. They talked for nearly two hours. He recommended someone who helped him through the death of his wife 6 years ago. Gerald made an appointment the next day. Dr. Nichols was a big help. He made him realize Sherry's cheating wasn't about him. It was on all her. She was either going to cheat or she wasn't.

He tried to stay as involved with the kids as much as he could. He still went to all their games and some practices. It was hard on them at first. They didn't understand what was going on, not having him living in the house. Junior acted up in rebellion for a while giving his mother a hard time. That was until Gerald sat him down and had a man to man talk with him.

It was hard on him seeing Sherry at the kids games or when he picked up the kids. He truly loved her with everything he had. To him she was a beautiful woman. But he knew in his heart he had to move on.

He was able to find a 2 bedroom condo near his former home and in the same school district for when the kids visited. His job and attitude improved after therapy. When word got out he was getting a divorce and soon to be single women came out of the woodwork to say they had a friend or relative that would be great for him. Some even asked him out themselves. He politely told each one he wasn't ready to date but would let them know when he was. He didn't date for almost a year, for the obvious reasons, trust or lack thereof. Besides not having a romantic relationship he still had a full and happy life.

The End

Earl was in This is a Test and The mouse that roared (Romance)

The Esquire Bar has been mentioned in several stories.

The "Bad Man" was featured in The Bad Man in Loving Wives