The first "what if"

• What if you found out that your mate was sleeping with your sister/brother?

Linda was rushing around her day as usual. Work, pick up the dry cleaning, stop by the post office and the grocery store. Work was extra stressful today though, she had to present her proposal for restructuring the hierarchy of the office to all of the senior partners. It was hard for her to read their reactions, stone faced as always. They told her they would get back to her by the end of the week with an answer. Nothing like keeping a girl in suspense, she thought. Tapping her pen on her desk, she watched the minute hand on her desk clock move as if it were in slow motion. Finally, at 4:55 she shut her computer off and started out the door. With her thought elsewhere, digging for her keys in her purse, she ran face first into Paul. She apologized profusely without even realizing who she ran into as she bent to gather her armload of things.

Paul was a good friend at work. He was the only one at work that Linda could really open up to on both a professional and personal basis. He bent to help her pick everything up.

"Hey, where's the fire?" Paul asked jokingly.
"Oh, hey Paul" she said as she brushed her hair away from her face, "sorry I ran you over."
"Don't sweat it, you ok?"
"That depends on what your version of ok is. Honestly Paul, I don't know weather I'm coming or going these days."

As they finally stood up, Paul looked at her. He saw desperation stacked on top of exhaustion, something he has never seen in her before. She always looked so pulled together, sometimes too pulled together.

"How about I buy you a drink? It's the least I can do for you running me over." he said with a slight chuckle.
"Sure, that sounds great, where do you want to go?"
"How about we go to that small hole in the wall down the street?"
"Sounds good to me, I'll meet you there."

As Linda pulled into the parking lot, she noticed that Paul beat her there. He knew what she liked to drink, so there would be one waiting there for her. She cut the engine and looked around. Not too many people here thank God, she thought. She got out of the car and put her laptop and work bag in the trunk, then went inside. She squinted in the dull lighting and found Paul in the back corner waiting for her. She headed to the table and plopped down across from Paul instantly grabbing for her drink.

"That bad huh?" Paul asked.
"You don't know the half of it. Work is fine, it's everything else that's falling apart."
"Wow, 'falling apart' is a strong expression."
"Things with Matt aren't the greatest, I think he's seeing someone"
Paul whistled and took a chug of his beer, "Are you sure?"
"No, not really, but a woman's intuition is rarely wrong. The late nights, the unexpected outings with no explanation, things like that. He's been really testy with me too lately, which is not like him at all. I don't know, maybe I'm not giving him what he needs, working all the time."
"Listen Linda, if he doesn't see you for the wonderful woman that you are, he's a fool. It shouldn't matter how much you work, there is no excuse for him to step out on you, if that is in fact what he's doing."
"I suppose you're right, I'm probably just being paranoid. I feel it in my gut though, and it's getting really hard to shake. My sister has been acting really weird too. I don't know."
"Oh, wow. What will you do if it's true?"
"Not sure. It will be heartbreaking of course, but if that is the case, what can I do? Just keep your phone on, you know you're my best friend, and if I do find something out, you will be my first call." With that she slammed the last of her drink, "I better get going it's getting late. Thanks for talking with me, talking to you always helps."
"Anytime hun." Paul says as he stands up to give her a hug goodbye.

Paul watched as Linda strode out of the bar, hoping for her that her fears were just paranoia and stress. If Matt is cheating on her, especially with her sister, she will be devastated.

As Linda drove home her mind raced. She has a bad habit of always imagining the worse case scenario and psyching herself out. She knew that Paul was probably right, she had no proof, so innocent until proven guilty right? She pulled up into the driveway next to Matt's car. Finally he was home at a decent hour, she thought. We have made such a beautiful home she thought as she walked up the front steps, past the roman style pillars and put her key into the door.

"Matt?" she hollered, "are you awake?"
"Yea, I'm up here!"
She put her work stuff and her purse on the bench by the door and headed up the winding staircase toward their bedroom. When she walked into the bedroom, she noticed that Matt was just getting out of the shower.

"How was your day?" Linda asked as she sat on the bed and took off her shoes.
"Same stuff different day I guess, I have a new architect on the job site now, so that's an adjustment. His ideas are so out of the box. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, we'll see. How was your day?"
"I had to do a presentation for the partners, the one I've been working on for weeks. They said they will get back to me by the end of the week. I really hope they take to it. It will shake things up a bit at work, but I think it's for the betterment of the company as a whole."
"Well, I'm sure you nailed it." he said as he kissed her on the top of the head and got into bed.

Linda changed into her night clothes and climbed into bed next to her husband. She loves Matt so very much, but she has doubts that he knows because he doesn't mirror it back to her with the same passion. Linda started kissing on Matt while he was reading his book, she just wants to feel that he loves her. Matt swatted her away like an annoying fly, "What are you doing?" he asked.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" she asked being a little confused.
"Not tonight" he said with another odd kiss on the top of her head.
Matt turned over and shut off his bedside lamp.

Linda nestled down under the covers after she turned her bedside lamp off. She felt something tickle her foot. Screaming and jumping out of bed, thinking it was a bug, she threw the covers back. What she found stopped her cold. Bright pink, lacy thong women's underwear. Linda picked them up with a pen from her nightstand and flung them in Matt's face.

"Where did these come from?!" she screamed.
"They're yours!" Matt yelled back.
"The hell they are! I don't wear things like this! They aren't even my size!" she screamed, starting to tremble from the inside out.
"They are yours! They probably fell out of the laundry basket when you were putting clothes away!"
"Really? That's the pathetic story you're going to stick to?"
"It's the truth Linda. If they aren't yours, then I don't know where they came from."
"Get out." Linda said through gritted teeth.
"What?"
"You heard me, get out. Go sleep on the couch for now, and let me make myself very clear, the only thing keeping you inside this house right now is that it's the middle of the night."

To Be Continued....