The Night Had a Thousand Lies

So there I was, standing at the bottom of the stairs watching Dick disappear down the hall. I didn't care how drunk he was, he was not getting near that bed. Not tonight. Tonight he was going to have to deal with me. I was on a roll now. Nothing gets you in the mood to open a can of "whup-ass" on your hubby like meeting the woman he's been sleeping with does. While he was in the bathroom I went to the bedroom and sat myself down on his side of the bed. I didn't turn the light on so when he came out he thought he was safe, until he hit the switch. "Hello" I said, "Don't you have anything to say?" "Huh? Oh..good night." He mumbled. Yes... I did have to restrain myself from jumping up and bitch-slapping him, so I just said "Oh no. Don't give me that crap. I know you're half in the bag, but if you could stand in that parking lot and talk to her you can dam well stand here and talk to me now!" He stared at me for a bit then said "I don't know what you want me to say?" "Really?" I said "I catch you with your girlfriend and you can't think of a thing to say?" "She's just a friend. There is nothing going on. I don't know why you would even think that." I took a deep breath and chose my words carefully so I wouldn't get all emotional. "Oh, I don't know, lots of things. Did you know that there is a list of about ten or eleven things that are signs your husband is cheating? You've done everyone, and then some." He just stood there, still with nothing to say. I continued, spouting off numbers 1-5 of the list. "To start with, buying new clothes, different underwear, new cologne, blaming me for everything that is wrong, being out almost every night to all hours. They say that cell phone use is a big give away. You carry your work phone with you now 24-7 and never leave it unattended. I've seen you talk on it, but only when you are outside or sitting in the car before you come in the house." I could see these things were not making an impression on him. He looked at me like he thought I was nuts and said "So, all that is supposed to mean I'm having an affair? Because I bought new underwear I'm cheating?" Another deep breath..."Its not that its new...its that its different...different style and color. Not to mention the fact that you only wear your black or gray boxer briefs when you go out at night, and only tighy whitey during the day! "You're serious..." he said, "...you've actually been keeping tabs on my underwear?" "Yes...I mean, no." I stuttered "It's just something I noticed and started paying more attention to." "You have way too much time on your hands" He said "None of those things mean anything." I was about to play my final card, my ace in the hole...this was really going to get him. "True, on their own. But, what about the hotel receipt I found. You know, the one with her name, address and phone number on the top and your credit card number on the bottom...with check in time 4:30PM on the 3rd and check out on the 4Th at 11:00AM? What about that? Hmmm?" There was no way he was getting out of this one. He was quiet for a bit, then... he said...wait for it..."I don't know." On...my...God!!! Did I just hear him say that? I thought. That's it? I don't know? How can he be so...so...I couldn't even think of a word to describe it. With that he turned and went downstairs where he planted himself face down on the couch. I knew I would get nothing more out of him after that, so nothing else was said between the two of us that night. I decided to take a page from Gone With The Wind, my favorite book/movie, when Scarlet O'Hara says "Well, I won't think about that today, I'll think about that tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day." I wondered what tomorrow would bring. Would he act like it never happened as he so often did when he would come home drunk and we would have "words"? That was the norm around us, never resolve anything. After a bad episode when things would be calm again I would always let it go because I so didn't want to go back to the craziness. Well, this time I had to go back. There was no way to avoid it...I had just met his freakin' girlfriend!! And, I didn't want to avoid it. I wanted Dick to admit it. I wanted him clear headed and sober when the words came out of his mouth. He was going to tell me the truth once and for all even if I had to beat it out of him. I didn't know where we would end up when all was said and done because I couldn't think that far ahead. All I knew was neither one of us was going to leave that house until I was satisfied with what he had to say. Either that, or one of us would be leaving feet first.