Seatbacks and Tray Tables | Prequel to The Liberated Wife by Danica Boutté Page B

more people didn’t know they were selling wine.”
    “That’s because more people aren’t always up on the latest by way of technology and innovation as you are.”  And I was telling the truth.  My husband read everything and he was so smart.  Coupled with being funny as hell most of the time and his boyish good looks, it was easy to se why women were drawn to him.  Even women who already knew he was good and married. 
    “Thanks.  Listen.  I’ve thought about this long and hard and I think it’s the only way to save our marriage.”
    I choked on my sip of wine and put my glass down.  “Excuse me?  Save our marriage?  Is our marriage in trouble again?  Jim…dammit, ARE YOU FUCKING AROUND ON ME AGAIN?”
    “Calm down Taylor.  No.  I’m not.  At least, not yet.”
    “What in the hell do you mean at least not yet?”
    “I’ve met someone and I want to sleep with her and I know I’m probably going to but I’d like your permission.”
    “Are you fucking kidding me?” I yelled as I jumped up.  You want me to give you permission to cheat on me?  Seriously?”
    “Will you listen to me?  Please!  Look…this has nothing to do with anything but sex.  I have a problem and I’m not doing very well with keeping it at bay.  I’ve done some research and well, I will never, ever leave you.  I love you.  I love us.  I love our life.  I love your family.  I love our dog.  I just want to be able to have sex with women , who mean nothing to me, without the guilt.  I just want to…well, I want an open marriage Tay.  That way, we’ll always have each other even as we might, you know, dabble elsewhere.”
    And that’s the last thing I heard him say before the roaring in my ears started and the tears began.  I don’t really remember what was said but I know it was enough to have the dog running under a bed somewhere because I haven’t seen his ass since.  Jim slept in another room as I simply couldn’t look at him another second.  He’d thought it all through.  Our life.  Our future.  He’d made all of the decisions about how it should go.  Sex with just me wasn’t, and wouldn’t ever be, enough and he was leaving it up to me to give him permission to fuck other women.
    I looked at myself in the mirror again as I brushed my teeth and washed my face after my shower before I put on makeup and I saw the 40 year old woman that I was.  Put on a pedestal by so many women as having the perfect home and husband and now look at me.  Old, tired and used up with nothing to give to my husband to keep him from straying probably with or without my permission.  I got dressed in silence focusing on keeping the tears at bay.
    I heard Jim open the door to our bedroom as I was putting the finishing touches on my hair.  I walked out of the room and he was standing there with my suitcase.  “Your car is here to take you to the airport.  I’ll take this down.”
    I didn’t even look at him and stepped past him headed to the office to get my computer bag and a stack of business cards.  I walked down the stairs and out of the opened door.  Jim was standing there talking to the driver who walked around to the driver’s side to give a husband and wife some privacy to say goodbye.  Normally we’d share a laugh or two, kiss and hug and then kiss again, this time on the cheek.  Normally.  Today was a new day.  The bright sunshine was blinding as I put my sunglasses on and Jim held out a bottle of water and a bag.  “Here.  You didn’t come down for breakfast so I put some fruit and a few bars in a bag for you.”
    I moved past him to the car and he moved to grab the door for me.  I got in and slid all the way behind the driver so I didn’t have to see him and to get as far away from Jim as possible.  Jim put the bag and the water on the seat next to me leaning into the car.  “I love you.  I’m sorry.  Please call me when you get there and have a good trip.”
    And then he closed the