An adult stories – Recognition, Wind by LJA644,LJA644 I came up with a theme, but I found I had two routes to take. I didn’t know which one to take, so I decided to do both. The other one is called ‘Recognition’. You are going to find similar sentences in both stories. But in most cases the response to the sentence will be different. The outcome is the same, it’s just how they get there is different.
There are a lot of similarities to ‘Recognition’. I have told you this, so don’t whinge at me for it.
Neither of these stories will please some people. But I enjoyed writing them. Please, just enjoy the stories, they are fiction just like Pride and Prejudice.
There is no sex in this story, sorry.
Recognition. Wind, no more second fiddle.
She came in through the door with Jane, our babysitter and was amazed to see me sat there in jeans and T-shirt. She was expecting me to be dressed in a suit ready to go to the award ceremony at her company. We knew she was on the shortlist for an award but not what. She had been at the hotel setting everything up and picked Jane up on the way back.
I had been suspicious for a while, and I had made plans, but last night after a very nice laid back, well for me, blow job she said. “You know I love you, right?” Why did she not just say ‘I love you’ and why did she want a confirmation by asking ‘right.’ This sounded to me like she had or was going to do something I wouldn’t like.
I had been to her company functions before and I wasn’t looking forward to it. It would be full of managers and office staff, the shop floor weren’t invited. In fact, I wanted to just sit at home in front of the fire, watch crap on the telly and drink some beer. I’d had a busy week with the kids and work. I just wanted to put my feet up, not hang around with those pretentious prats that she worked with. Especially her boss Ralph. In fact, I wasn’t sure something wasn’t going on there. And there was a reason for my thoughts.
I had put the kids to bed. “What the F…” she realised that Jane was behind her, and she moderated her language. “You should be getting ready; I’m going to need the bathroom; we can’t both share it.”
“I’m not going. You can take Jane back on your way over there. I’ll still pay her for all night.”
“Why not? Please you have to come, I’m probably getting an award and it’ll be strange if my husband wasn’t there.”
“Why, so I can be humiliated again? When we went to the summer picnic you didn’t talk to me all afternoon, you circulated with your workmates and spent more time with your boss than you did with me, and I was expected to look after the kids whilst I watched you flaunting around. I got smirks from Ralph and pitying looks from almost everybody else. But at least they looked at me, where you completely ignored me. I’m not going.”
“But sweetheart when you explained that to me, I made it up to you and I promised I wouldn’t do it again, and I haven’t”
I stood up. “But I shouldn’t have to explain it to you, you ignore me and then think 3 weeks of sex makes up for all the times I’ve been ignored, left at home with the children, belittled by your workmates because I don’t earn large sums of money.”
To be fair, she did make it up to me, the loving, the attention and the sex were fantastic. But it only lasted 3 weeks and we were back to normal, well, it didn’t get as bad as it had been, the new normal was better than the old normal, but not up to where I wanted it, where it had been in the past. But the problem was still there. But once I’d told her she rarely made the same mistake again. But I shouldn’t have to tell her.
Whilst she worked at the company’s head office, they had several smaller sites all over the UK and even a few small ones in Europe. Most stuff was done over the Internet but occasionally she would have to go to the larger sites to sort stuff out.
She’d been away for a couple of days over the last month or so, meetings and then a conference. On her last trip to a conference she didn’t even phone me to tell me she got there safely. I phoned her in the evening and got no reply. I had to phone her again the following day to ask her where the bloody hell she was. She told me she got so busy wrapped up in the conference she forgot.
That was when I pointed out to her that her work seemed more important than her family. She again apologised and made it up to all of us, especially the kids.
She looked at me and had a serious tone to her voice. “Sweetheart please, I need you there. If I get the lowest prize that will be £2000, and I will take us all away on holiday to make it up to you all. But please come and support me.” She looked around and Jane had gone, probably making herself scarce from a family argument and to check her bed, she was staying overnight. Christine came up to me and wrapped her arms around me and looked me in the eyes and said. “I promise I will not humiliate you, and I will get Mum and Dad to have the children over the weekend, and we could spend it doing those special things you like, you know, corsets and ropes and things.”
I gave her the impression I was giving in. I just wanted to worry her because I was getting really fed up. This ceremony will go one of two ways. “Right, I’ll come, but if you humiliate me just once. I will cause such a scene as I leave that you won’t be able to show your face there without somebody taking the piss out of you, and I don’t care how much the prize money is.”
She kissed me and said, “Come on, let’s get ready.” I don’t think she noticed that I was already shaved and showered. I went to the bedroom and started putting the suit on and I waited downstairs talking to Jane. She gasped when Christine came down the stairs, and so did I. She looked fantastic, her hair piled on her head looking very chic, I’d never seen that red satin dress she had on. It fitted where it touched, and it touched everywhere, it was split to mid thigh. I’m certain she was wearing hold up stockings. I just hoped it was all for me.
We were a little late in arriving at the hotel. As we walked in arm in arm I reminded her. “Just one humiliation, and I leave.”
“I understand.” She said, but even as she said that she was looking around the room. I put my hand into my inside jacket pocket making sure the envelopes were there. I looked around the room and I saw her team and her boss all together in a huddle. I also saw a mate of mine that I’d asked to be there. He was there looking like he was a security guard, which was good because that was his job, but not in this hotel.
Her boss, Ralph saw us walk in and he headed straight towards us. As usual, he ignored me and gave Christine a kiss on the cheek and said to her. “You look fantastic.”
I dropped Christine’s arm, turned round and walked towards the exit. It had taken less than two minutes for him to humiliate me in front of her colleagues. I glanced out of the corner of my eye; my actions were noticed. People got out of my way. I felt my arm being pulled, it was Christine. “I didn’t do that, that wasn’t my fault.”
“No, but you didn’t stop him,”
“Please come back with me, give me one more chance.”
I let her take me back. We got back to Ralph, and she said to him, “Ralph that was extremely rude, if you cannot show respect to my husband, our relationship is going no further.”
What the fuck is she on about, ‘our relationship’, what fucking relationship. I didn’t get time to ask her, he put his hand out and apologised saying he was just so glad to see Christine. I didn’t take his hand, there was an awkward quietness in the atmosphere. We were being watched. I’m sure other people thought that there would be some entertainment tonight that wasn’t planned. There was. Well, I’d prepared for it, I just hadn’t told anybody else. He turned and walked away but I’m sure he had a smug grin on his face. I think he thought he got one over on me. I wasn’t so sure. We’ll see by the end of the evening.
Ralph was Christine’s boss, he was head of admin for a large international engineering company, Christine was his deputy in charge of the accounting section which she had sorted out over the last two years. It was a mess when she took over. But by getting rid of some of the deadwood, upgrading their operating procedures, getting better software, training and the sheer dint of her personality, she turned it from being one of the worst sections to one of the most efficient. I knew all about it, she kept me fully informed and often asked for my help working out the best approach to a problem, my background helped with that. Ralph’s name came up a lot, far too much for my comfort. And the fact he was a big strong good looking man was mentioned didn’t help. And if I mentioned it I was just pooh poohed. There were rumours that she could be promoted to look after HR as that needed a spot of help.
Christine did ask if she could go and talk to her team but said she would only be there for five minutes, and would I get the drinks in whilst she was gone. It would only be natural for her to talk to her people. I looked around, Ralph was in a different group, a group of bosses. I recognised them from other functions, but I didn’t know who did what. I stood at the bar and joined the large group waiting to be served, but I kept an eye on her. She did join her people and went to the far side of the crowd, every now and again she looked at me and smiled. Ralph slid beside her. I saw him whisper something to her and she looked at him and shook her head and then looked across at me, she didn’t smile that time. She could see me watching her, I just nodded my head towards the exit.
She disengaged herself from her team and started towards me. That was when the bell sounded and we were called to table. She waved to me. I could see we were sitting on the table next to the big cheeses. The company owner, the CEO, the CFO, their wives and the owner’s personal assistant. She was a tall elegant commanding lady wearing a shimmering purple dress, she appeared to be running everything from the top table. And apart from Ms purple shimmer lady I still had no idea who was who on that table. I got to the table and I went to sit next to Christine to find out she was sat next to Ralph, I was relegated to the other side of the table. Ralph had his wife sitting on the other side of him, a small plain, mousey woman, but in a bright yellow dress, almost like she was trying to compensate for her looks with the bright colours. I was almost content, but I couldn’t show it. Ralph wouldn’t start anything with his wife there, especially in front of the owner. He was known to be a stickler for moral values. All that meant was that people doing stuff he wouldn’t approve of just had to hide it better. And I wondered.
I was still standing behind the chair allocated to me. She looked across the table at me and mouthed. “Sorry, nothing to do with me.”
I was pissed off at being seated where I was, but it fitted with my plans, so I was going to let it go. However, I looked at Christine, shook my head and then pointed my thumb towards the door and started to walk away.
She talked to Ralph. He got up and came round the table and caught me. When he got close he held his hand out, I took it this time. “Sorry about that, it was a bit of a mix up, there’s nothing that can be done about it now.” His face didn’t match the words that were coming out of his mouth. Yes there was, but he wasn’t going to do anything about it.
He tried to squeeze my hand; he picked the wrong person to do that with. He wanted to humiliate me in front of my wife and his colleagues. He wanted to show how strong he was. I leaned slightly forward as if in pain, I was. Then I said in a voice loud enough to be heard. “It’s obvious you are stronger than me, there is no need to prove it, so if you continue with this childish display of strength, I will just knee you in the bollocks so hard they will turn up in your throat and you will look like a gerbil, it will be an act of self defence.” He let go rapidly. I wanted to shove my hand under my armpit to help the pain go away. I didn’t, I just looked at it, gave it a little shake and went, “mmm.” And I walked back in my chair leaving him standing there. I even used my aching hand to pull the chair out. Now that was humiliation.
People were purposely looking away.
We sat down and the first course arrived. I tried to talk to the two chaps sitting either side of me. They were polite but didn’t engage in conversation. If Christine hadn’t looked at me occasionally and smiled, I would have walked. At one stage I did. Although there was waiter service for drinks, they were taking their time. Whilst waiting for the main course I stood and walked towards the exit, the plan was at the last minute whilst heading towards the exit was to swing towards the bar. I could do with a pint of Guinness, they hadn’t got a proper beer, Guinness will have to do, but that was fine. It didn’t take long for Christine to catch me up.
“Please sweetheart stay, that has nothing to do with me, he wants to be close so he can be seen to support me.”
People could see I wasn’t sitting next to my wife and I’m sure some of them wondered what I would do about it. I think some of them had seen what was going on, including the handshake. The top table had a clear view of what happened, they had probably heard it as well.
“I thought that was my job, not your boyfriends.” I said it loud enough for people around me to hear what I said, it drew a few discrete looks.
She leaned in and whispered to me. “He’s not my boyfriend, he’s here with his wife.”
“You forget where I’m sitting, he’s talking more to you than he is to her. She’s just as humiliated as I am. But I think she’s used to it and will put up with it, I won’t. If you want me to come back, give me a kiss.”
That brought a smile to her face, she leaned up and kissed me on the cheek. The freaking cheek. I turned and walked towards the door. And it was going to be the door this time. I’d only gone a pace or two when she caught me on the arm. I turned around. “What’s wrong, I gave you a kiss.”
I said quietly. “No, you gave me a perfunctory peck on the cheek, no show of affection, no show of love. And everybody saw how false it was.” People were trying not to look, but I could see them peeking out of the corner of their eyes.
I saw the lights go on in her eyes, she moved up to me and put her arms around my neck and she leaned into my ear. “I’m sorry sweetheart it’s still only going to be a kiss on the cheek but it’s going to be accompanied by a big long hug. Will that do?”
I put my arms around her and held her. “That’s better than a kiss, thank you.”
I had just established myself in front of everybody who was actually in charge in our marriage. I carried on to the bar and got a white wine for her and myself a pint of Guinness. I returned to the table and placed the wine glass beside her. I gave her a kiss on the cheek. This was in view of everybody, especially the top table.
I can’t be sure, but I think people were looking at me slightly differently. Perhaps I wasn’t the wimp who spent all his time playing with children at picnics, whilst his wife hung around with her team and her boss.
So far, she hadn’t done anything wrong and to be honest I needed the evening to play out. So, I would have just probably sucked it up. My other option was to wait outside until the right moment. But I wanted everyone to know I was there. That would have done, but this is more effective.
Although that had caused a bit of a stir, still nobody talked to me at the table, perhaps they knew something I didn’t, so I sat there with my own thoughts.
I was certain that something was going on with her boss, although I could find nothing, that was probably because they hid it well. The coldness in the bedroom and then the sudden heat. She was moving up the management chain in the company. I stayed at home looking after the children. I pondered on stuff as I sat there being studiously ignored.
I was six months out of my apprenticeship, working as an aircraft mechanic trying to find my way. She was at the local university reading media studies and psychology. She thought the two went together. We bumped into each other at a pub, literally. She was standing behind me with her friends and took a pace back and knocked my arm holding my beer. It went everywhere. She apologised, got me another beer and we started chatting. We hit it off straight away. We found we had things in common, we liked similar stuff. There were enough differences to make it interesting. We married 18 months later. She was still in university. We hadn’t got a great deal of money, but we loved each other, and it was fun. I worked all the overtime I could so she could spend time studying. I even related some of my psychology stories from an engineering point of view. She left university without too much debt. After a few false starts, she managed to get a post in a large financial institution. Those early days were hard until they recognised her skills and she got promoted. Before long she was earning as much as me, without being out late at night in the cold and the wet fixing aeroplanes so holiday makers could have their two weeks of well-earned rest and fun in the sun. I loved my job. The challenge of making sure that the jet was ready and safe. I would sometimes wait and see the jet taxi off the stand and then take off just to make sure it got away.
Then she got pregnant, it appears the pill isn’t 100% effective. Never mind we were both looking forward to it. We decided she had greater earning potential than me. Even after 2 years she was earning nearly as much as me as a mechanic, her promotion prospects were far better than mine. We both had to keep working as she was doing night school to increase her qualifications. So, we decided that when it came to it, I would be a stay at home Dad and with the qualifications I had, with a bit of work, I could become a technical author, work from home and look after the baby.
I used her pregnancy time to get that sorted with my company. Being a tech author was OK, but I missed the challenge and the satisfaction of aircraft work. When she went back to work after Gary was born, she went to a different firm, one that did engineering. I occasionally did some tech authoring for them as a contractor. Then Linda came along just over a year after her brother, planned this time. I was still in baby mode. Things were looking up for Christine, and she got another promotion. She would come home on time mostly and we’d spent the weekends together. And we were right, she was earning a lot more than I ever would as an aircraft mechanic. Licensed aircraft mechanics are not badly paid, not brilliant, but not bad.
We had a plan. By the time we were 55 we’d have enough savings and investments and we could retire to the south coast, get a small camper van and tour Britain. See all the things we didn’t have time for in our early years, maybe even Europe, and of course a few cruises. I was really looking forward to the Caribbean.
But I’ve been worried for the last nine months or so, now with the late nights, the meetings and the courses away from home, granted they were only for a day or two and never at the weekend. And the coldness of the sex. It was like something she had to do, there was no love in it. She told me she was tired with all the work and not to worry it was all for us. I tried to perk things up, date nights, flowers, and weekends away with the help of the parents having the kids. It was fine whilst we were away, but back to the same when we got home. In one fit of anger I told her that she used to be so loving, but now it was as if it was a chore. She just asked me to hang on. Not much longer. Well, I wasn’t waiting too much longer. I set a date, and it was today.
I had seen the pictures in the company magazine. They were taken at a conference last month. They weren’t the main subject, but in the background I could see Ralph holding her hand across the table. I contacted the company magazine and asked if they had any more pictures of the event, they were kind enough to send me a load. It didn’t take long to go through them looking in the background, I found several more of them doing things I wouldn’t consider passing the husband test. The pictures where they were the subject were very proper.
I looked across the table, she looked across at me anxiously as the names were being read out. It wasn’t her for the fourth place or the third nor the second, I wasn’t sure if she was anxious that she might get first place, or sad because she had nothing. But Ralph looked smug, I was certain he knew. It was announced, and she got first place. Now £6000, that would make a nice holiday I thought. I am sure we will find out in a few minutes. She stood up and went up to the stage and to the dais. I knew she had written a small thank you speech, I had seen it. Ralph followed her. I didn’t think I was going to like this.
She accepted the award and she looked at the crowd and said. “This award is not just for me, it’s for my team. The next round is on me.” There were small cheers from the table her people were sitting at. “But I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of a man who is very important to me.” I started to fill with pride, hopefully. Then she carried on, she indicated Ralph standing next to her. “Without this man’s help I could not have achieved half of what I have done.” That part wasn’t in the speech that I had seen earlier. I gave her time to carry on, but she didn’t. The pair of them made to leave the stage.
Now I was really pissed off, after the stuff I had put up with over the years. I missed a job I loved, nights out with the boys, the time I spent lying underneath cars in the early days to fix them while she was studying and the long hours I spent learning how to be a tech author.
In the early days it had been worth it. But these last two years, and especially the last year or so, not so much, in fact not at all.
There was a general murmuring of agreement, and a light applause came from the room. However, I stood up and started a slow, loud hand clap. Her face looked down at me in complete shock, almost as if she’d forgotten I was there. Ralph just looked at me and smiled.
I nodded to my mate, as I was loudly and slowly clapping my hands everyone was looking at me, especially the top table. He got up onto the stage and walked toward Christine and said loud enough to be heard. “Your husband asked me to give this to you.”
I thought she was going to faint. The room was deathly silent as she opened the envelope and you guessed it, it was a divorce petition. It cited adultery, although I had no proof. I took one envelope out of my pocket and gave it to Ralph’s wife as I walked towards the top table where the CEO was sitting with his entourage. I pulled out the enlarged photographs of what I had found and threw them on the table. I’m sure one of them would pick them up and look at them. I didn’t care who, I think Ms. Purple shimmer dress reached for them. They would see my wife dancing close with Ralph, hanging round his neck, the hand holding. The pair of them walking with his arm around her waist down the corridor towards the rooms. I then placed an envelope on the table, Ms Purple shimmer dress reached for it. Everyone around that table was looking at me quizzically, except Ms Purple shimmer dress. She was busy reading the contents of the envelope
I loved my wife, I always would, but I would not stand for her putting that twat before me and doing it so publicly. I had already been to a solicitor. I knew I would get the kids, probably the house and she would have to pay maintenance. I didn’t want this, but I wasn’t going to stand the humiliation anymore.
Then I turned to the crowd and said in a loud voice. “If you don’t know me, it’s because I’m never introduced, most of you don’t even know my name.”
A chap in front of me said. “Yes, we do, it’s Rick.” He was trying to make a point. He did.
I ignored him. “I am the husband. But most of you probably don’t know that. And you probably don’t know that I look after our two children so she could come here and work for you, sort out your problems. I helped put her through university, whilst I worked all hours I could in the cold, the wet and dark to keep money coming in, while she did a bunch of low paid jobs as she learned her skills. She has an aptitude for management. I know my job’s not high flying like hers. But somebody needs to write the technical stuff to fix the aeroplanes that take you lot around the world on your fancy holidays.
“But now I see I’m not the most important person in her life.”
I pointed at her. “She stood up there and said the man she’s known for less than two years is important to her. For the past 12 years I have supported her, loved her, made sure she had everything she needed. She would come home to find the house tidy and dinner waiting. I looked after the children, the house, the cars and still did a full-time job, and I don’t get a mention. It would appear he is more important to her than me. So I think it’s time to end this charade.” I looked up at the stage and said. “I hope you’re happy with your new boyfriend, I hope he supports you like I have. Oh, shit he can’t, he’s married.”
With that I’d run out of steam. I headed towards the bar. I needed a beer before I went home.
I got to the bar and decided to have a gin and tonic instead. I told the barman to go heavy on the gin and light on the tonic and just one lump of ice. I didn’t want to water it down. I told him to put it on the boss’s tab. He smiled at me.
The room was still very quiet, except for my wife was on the stage crying. Ralph had his arms around her. I shouted from the bar. “Don’t they look cosy up there?”
The room was in silence, well that had caused a stir. I noticed the people who earlier agreed with her comment were silent.
I sank the G&T in one go and headed towards the door when I heard an almighty scream.
“Nooooooooooo,” I tried not to turn around, I knew I was going to fail. But standing up there in front of all the company saying he gave her more support than I did, and the way I’ve been treated over the past few years was more than I could stand. I was not going to suffer the humiliation anymore. I would get the kids, she would have to pay child support and then she could get on with her life. I would miss the fuck out of her, but I wasn’t going to take it anymore.
But I did, I stopped and looked back and there she was rushing across the dance floor. Her face was like thunder, probably because I had shown her up and she stood a chance of losing her job, well fuck me never mind. “No, please wait, please. I love you, please wait.”
I love this woman, but it was over now. She had chosen him. I hesitated and she caught up with me. She grabbed hold of my arm.
“Please, give me 1 minute, just 60 seconds, please I love you.
“After 12 years, 60 seconds won’t hurt you.”
I just nodded, what I didn’t expect was her grabbing me by the arm and dragging me towards the dance floor. I was surprised by that. When we got to the edge of the dance floor I resisted, what further humiliation awaited me out there? We were back beside the table I had just left, my pint of Guinness was still there, barely touched.
She turned and looked at me and said. “Please, trust me.”
“Give me one good reason why?”
“Please, I love you.”
“No, I’m not sure you do, not after what I have just seen and heard.”
She looked at me with that determined look I knew so well. “Please 60 seconds”
I dithered.
Holding up the envelope, looking at me through her tears she said loudly so everyone could hear. “I have done things I’m not proud of over the years, but I have not done what you are accusing me of in this.”
“Prove it, but that is not what the grin on his face is saying.” As I pointed to Ralph, he stood just behind her. Why so close. But what I did see was the yellow dress standing beside him. So perhaps it was all innocent, but that comment of mine wiped the supercilious smug look off his face, and a quizzical look on yellow dresses face. Then I realised I didn’t even know her name, she’d never been introduced either.
I couldn’t believe he would be so stupid as to have that smug ‘the cat has got the cream’ look on his face in front of his boss and his wife, by the look on her face she knew that look too. She was glaring daggers at him, but he didn’t see it.
Christine looked down and said, “I can’t.” She then looked me straight in the eyes. “Trust me I have never been unfaithful to you. Not even emotionally.” With that look in her eyes I almost believed her. But then I showed her the photo of her on the dance floor with her arms round his neck, her head resting on his shoulder.
“That says differently.”
Then with a ferociousness I had not seen from her in a long time she said. “I was holding him but feeling and seeing you in my mind’s eye. I was imagining it was you holding me, it was the only way I could get through it. I’m sorry.” I was starting to believe her, but I didn’t let up.
“Is that what you did when you were in bed with him, made the excuse to yourself that it was me you thought you were shagging?”
“No, because that never happened.” She turned to Ralph. “Tell him the truth, or I will.”
He was oblivious to almost everything happening around him, he was probably concentrating on the angry look on my face and my clenched fists by my side, hoping they stayed there. Or maybe he was hoping I would take the first swing.
“No, she wouldn’t do it, I wanted to, but she wouldn’t.” That was when he became aware of just what he’d said, and where he was. Probably brought on by the glass of Guinness his wife threw over him. I would normally consider that a waste of good beer, but not in this case.
Christine reached out to me, I pulled back. “Please give me one minute, please just 60 seconds, please I beg you. 60 seconds in 12 years, please.”
I looked at my watch, “The time starts now.”
She turned and ran, nearly knocking over the little rotund man who was behind her. I didn’t pay him much attention, but I noticed he had a buff envelope in his hand. The thought crossed my mind, was he getting divorced as well?
She ran up to the small 4-piece band on the stage that had been playing background music. “Please, like we practised before.”
Practised? I thought.
She picked up the microphone and went onto the stage, “I was going to do this later, but I need to do it now.” Then I heard the strains of a familiar song, one that I hadn’t heard for years.
Apart from the gentle rhythm, the room was silent. She was the centre of attention. She pointed at me.
“Did I ever tell you that you are my Hero?”
That wasn’t right, that line comes later.
It must have been cold there in my shadow
To never have sunlight on your face
You were content to let me shine, that’s your way
You always walked a step behind.
She didn’t sound good, it was flat. She was singing through her tears.
She was looking directly at me, “Sorry, it sounded better when I practised.”
She looked up and around the room. “When Ralph asked me on Wednesday to publicly thank him for the help he gave me, he said it would make both of us look good. I realised that yes, Ralph had helped me in the last two years. But when he asked me not to mention my husband, I realised how much help that man.” She pointed at me. “That man standing there has been helping me for the last 12 years or more, and without that man’s help, support and love I could not have achieved anything at all. I have never given him the recognition he deserves. That stops now.”
She wiped a tear away with the back of her hand. The music carried on in the background.
“So let me tell you about my man. He was an aircraft engineer, a good one and he loved his job, but we quickly realised that I could make more money as a manager in the long term.
“Then Gary came along, before he was born we had a long talk. My man did shift work and was often cold and wet in the rain. But he loved his job, I worked in an office but earned more than he did by quite a bit. We decided he would try and get a job where he could work from home and look after the baby. After some effort he got his qualifications as a technical author. He became a tech author, a good one but it wasn’t a job he loved. Just one that paid the bills in those early days when I was struggling, it wasn’t the same. Then our Linda joined Gary and he looked after them both, without a word of complaint. I would get home to find him elbow deep in shitty nappies and baby puke. He would just smile and ask how my day was, and I would tell him how well I was doing, how I was appreciated. He would spend hours fixing the car in all weathers because we couldn’t afford anything better, just so I could get to work, he would walk or ride his bike. When he worked from home, he did all the housework, the washing and the cooking. I can’t remember a day when dinner wasn’t on the table or in the oven when I got home.”
She nodded to the band, they picked up the volume, she carried on singing.
I was the one with all the glory
You are the one with all the strength
A beautiful face without a name for so long
A beautiful smile to hide the pain
She’d stopped crying now. “I dragged him to all those parties and events, where I was lauded for doing my job well, but I couldn’t have done any of that without his support. But you lot, you ignored him. Treated him like he wasn’t there, because he was just a man who wrote technical stuff and didn’t make shit loads of money. I shouldn’t have been surprised, you lot ignore most of your own technicians, why would you talk to mine. You didn’t even bother to get his name right on the invites, his name is Ryan, not Rick.” She glared at the man who called me Rick.
“Some of you even insulted him in my presence, and to my everlasting shame, I did not stick up for him.” Her voice got firmer.
“That stops now too. And even after all those insults he still kept coming, supporting me. But I pushed too far, he almost didn’t come tonight. But I needed him here to apologise to him in front of all of you.”
She started singing again, this time her voice was firmer and clearer, and she looked straight at me. There was no one else in that room for that verse.
Did I ever tell you that you are my Hero?
Did you ever know that you’re my hero?
And everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle
For you are the wind beneath my wings
She took a deep breath and looked around the room again, “I remember our 10th Wedding Anniversary, we all worked late that evening to correct a cock up, and we went out for a few drinks afterwards to pat ourselves on the back for a good job, saved the company thousands. When I got home just after 10, he was sitting at the table, my favourite dinner was there, the candles were burning low. He warmed my dinner and poured me a glass of wine and we carried on as if nothing was amiss. I loved him that night, a lot. But I cannot get over the look of pain on his face. It haunts me to this day. I made it up to him and never did that again. I always seem to be making things up to him. And I will continue to make things up to him for as long as he will have me.”
“I know I hurt him. I thought he was living with it because the end is in sight. but I didn’t realise how much I hurt him until just now. Until he gave me this.” She waved the envelope.
“I’m sorry sweetheart, I never meant to do that to you.”
She looked around the room and her eyes fell upon the little rotund man with the envelope in his hand.
“Mr Phelps, that envelope you have in your hand is confirmation of my promotion. Something I was going to surprise my husband with tonight. But I cannot take it. I need to reassess my lifestyle. Now if you’ll excuse me. I need to finish this song.”
She came down off the stage, walked across to me, took my hand and dragged me onto the dance floor, I didn’t resist this time. She put her free arm around my waist. She turned to the band and said. “Gentlemen, with feeling please.”
She then looked me straight in the eyes and carried on singing.
It might have appeared to go unnoticed
But I’ve got it all here in my heart
I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it
There was a pause, she took a pace back, raised her hand and pointed a finger at me and sang.
I would be nothing without you
She was crying again. I went and held her. She carried on.
Did you ever know that you’re my hero?
You’re everything I wish I could be
I could fly higher than an eagle
For you are the wind beneath my wings
That was when she stopped and hugged me, tears were pouring down her face. That was good because they were pouring down mine as well. Our tears pooled together on our cheeks. I pulled back to kiss her. That was when I realised there was a gentle applause going around the room, everybody was clapping. I kissed her, that was when the whistles started and the clapping got louder.
It was time we went home, but I had one thing to do first. She still had the envelope in her hand. I took it out of her hand and tore it into shreds and threw it in the air, it came down like confetti. We headed towards the door to a round of applause. We were going home.
Then all of a sudden, the tall elegant lady in a shimmering purple dress stood in front of us. “If you would be so kind as to spare us a few minutes, Mr Phelps would like to talk to you both.” That wasn’t the way I expected her to speak. It was so polite that how could one refuse.
I looked at Christine. “Manners cost nothing.” We allowed Ms Purple shimmer dress to lead us to the big cheese table. There was a pint of Guinness and a glass of white wine waiting for us.
Mr Phelps looked at Christine “Please, don’t throw that at anyone. It would be a waste of good beer.” He smiled at us. People moved around and left two seats next to him. He indicated for us to sit down, we did.
Mr Phelps seemed to draw himself up. “Christine, Ryan I’m in a dilemma. Christine, I would like you to stay with the company, I have seen what you can do.” He put the envelope on the table he had been carrying. “But I completely understand where Ryan’s coming from.” With that he pushed the envelope I gave him across the table, it had been opened, it cited sexual harassment in the company. I thought this was going to be fobbed off with a blackmail. ‘She gets this job if this goes away, sort of thing.’
Mr Phelps carried on. He looked at me, touched the envelope I gave him and said. “This will be thoroughly investigated, but from what I’m seeing and hearing in just the last half hour, I’m soon going to need a new head of admin. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
He looked at Christine. “I’ve been very impressed with your work, your skill and the way you managed everything. You’re good at what you do, I always knew that. But what I didn’t know, was the support you had from this man over here.” He said pointing at me. “I’m not sure how to say this without coming out crass. But I would like you to stay with the company and accept this job offer that I’m giving you.” With that he pushed the other envelope across the desk. “But I realise the terms of the contract may not suit your upcoming lifestyle. Can I ask you a favour?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Go home, take next week off, give me and my people some time to think. We have brainstormed some ideas in the last five minutes, but we need to finesse them. I will be honest, I would rather you work for us than some of our competition.”
I thought that’s strange because the nearest engineering firm that does what his company does is over 100 miles away.
He looked at me and said. “I gather you’ve done work for us in the past. I’ve had a very quick chat with my technical manager, and he has no complaints about your work. I’m not sure yet but please keep in mind I may want you to come and work for us. Now you two head off home and have a good night. By the way, I’ve told George my chauffeur to take you home. I don’t think either of you is safe to drive right now. George will be at your house at 1:00 tomorrow to pick one of you up to come back and fetch your car.” I had a feeling he thought of most things. Or Ms Purple shimmer dress did.
We said nothing on the way out to the car or on the way home. I got us both a drink when we got in. We sat on the settee in our own thoughts, both in a bit of shock. Christine stroked my hand and nodded towards the stairs. I stood and led her upstairs. We didn’t say much as we went to the bedroom. We undressed and got into bed. She slid across and cuddled me, looking me in the eyes she said. “Sweetheart, I’m sorry for the last couple of years. I could manage everybody else, but I couldn’t manage myself. I should have asked you for help, you always help me when I need it and sometimes even when I don’t know I need it.
“Nothing happened between me and Ralph. But it wasn’t till he asked me to say that for him it struck me how little I appreciated you and your help. I was planning to sing that song and a little speech halfway through the evening. To let everyone know what you have done for me and by extension them. They should thank you as well.” She paused. “Because you are my hero, you are the one that supports, loves and looks after me and the children. You are the wind beneath our wings.” Tears were trickling down her cheeks. “You should have heard me when I practised, I wasn’t as good as Roger Whittaker or Lucy Thomas. I think I belted out the 4th verse too much. The band didn’t seem to mind. You are our hero and I cannot thank you enough.” With that she leaned across and kissed me and rested her head on my shoulder. We didn’t make love that night. All the emotion had drained us. We made up for it the next day whilst the children were at school.
The following Sunday we were invited to lunch at Mr Phelps’s house, children included. There were a couple of other senior managers there with their wives and children. No Ralph. It was all quite laid back. Nobody came and hugged me like a long-lost friend, I got a nod of the head and a smile from all the big cheeses, it was all the recognition I needed, just the acknowledgement that I was there. I didn’t have to look after the children, they had a professional nanny.
“Ryan, may I borrow your wife for a little while, please trust me I won’t be long. I like to drink Guinness, not wear it.” He had a little chuckle, was this going to be a standing joke?
He led Christine into the corner, I could see him talking to her, she glanced at me a couple of times. She didn’t say much. I was desperately trying to read her lips and when he’d finished talking, I think she said. “Yes, I think he will.” She nodded her head, glanced at me and smiled.
Mr Phelps was smiling as they headed back towards us. He took both of us into a quiet corner. He looked at me and said, “Sorry about that Ryan but I needed a bit of confirmation. I didn’t want to put you on the spot. I’ll come right out with it. The company has two small light aircraft. DA 42s. It saves time on trains and a whole bunch of other time wasting antics. My aircraft manager is going to retire in about a year. His job is yours if you want it, that gives us a year for you to get licences for the aircraft and you could be my fleet manager. The pay is not brilliant but there are benefits.”
“Before you make a decision, pop down to the airfield and have a word with Jeff who looks after the aircraft at the moment. Let me know what you think. I’ve had a word with your old company, they seem to think you’d like it and be good at it.”
He looked at Christine. “Was that all right?” She just smiled at him.
Mr Phelps went and fetched a couple of drinks, and we went and sat in a quiet corner. He explained that at their other sites, they generally have enough space to land a small aeroplane or were close to an airfield. The company had two Diamond DA42 Twin Star aircraft. What I didn’t realise was Mr Phelps flew himself and they had a pilot they could hire for those other members of staff who didn’t fly. If they weren’t in use the aircraft were hired out.
It didn’t take much thinking about, but I did wait until I had a word with Jeff. These were modern aircraft, reliable, they wouldn’t need much. Jeff dropped me a suggestion which I thought about and had a talk with Christine, she seemed to think it was a good idea as well.
Friday afternoon I decided to call on Mr Phelps at work with my decision. Christine was at work, she came in with me to see him. I put a sort of glum look on my face as if I was going to refuse. I don’t think I fooled Mr Phelps for a second.
“I’ve had a chat with Jeff, I quite like the job, but Jeff gave me a suggestion which we think is a good one.” I indicated Christine. “Whilst I’m getting my maintenance licences why don’t I get the pilot’s licence that will save you hiring a pilot.”
Mr Phelps smiled. “Well if you’re going to be a company pilot you’d better start calling me Roger.”
I know some of you folk out there like to make up your own ideas, that’s fine, but this is as exactly written, just like in ‘Recognition’, Christine never did cheat on Ryan, with Ralph or anyone else.
Yes, I know it was a bit lazy not writing a whole new story and piggy backing on ‘Recognition.’ but I actually wrote this one first.
It is a thing of mine that spouses often do not get the recognition that they deserve. I am ex-forces, and I could not have done half of what I did without the support of my current wife. The first one not so much. You may see this trend in my other stories. And it is world wide, not just on our small island.