Mr. Bartlett had started working there years ago when the old man who owned the company started it and apparently made a lot of money. He still had an office at their headquarters but nobody really knew what his job was, mostly PR. I really liked the guy and he and his wife had taken a liking to Terri and I.
He was a lot of fun and like me he didn’t care for Ron, the president of the company, which is why the Bartletts weren’t at the Christmas party and why Ron and his wife wouldn’t be at the New Year's Eve party. I was looking forward to going because I knew they would have anything you wanted to drink and eat.
My wife dressed a bit more conservatively for this party and I noticed instead of thigh-highs she put on pantyhose.
I said, “I thought pantyhose were inconvenient at parties when you had to go pee?”
She just stared at me without saying anything.
While we had put on a good front when we went to visit our respective families at Christmas, nothing had changed. We hadn’t had sex since before she found the garbage bag with my stash of lingerie.
I said, “Terri, I plan on drinking tonight at the party, and I am sure you will have something so let’s take a cab there and back.”
She agreed that was a good idea.
When we got to the party Mr. Bartlett met us at the door and immediately took me to the bar. I am a beer drinker and he had any kind you wanted so I knew I was going to have a good time.
Other than a couple of other young couples whose wives worked for the company (neither of them were one of the two guys who watched the action at the pool house) everyone else were older friends of the Bartletts.
A few minutes after we got there the company pilot, Chuck, showed up. It turned out he was single and was a good friend of Mr. Bartlett. Mr. Bartlett was a big hunter and Chuck was always flying him somewhere in the company plane with clients to kill something!
Chuck and I actually hit it off and other than the fact he had fucked my wife since I had he was a pretty nice guy. We talked for a while. I went to get another beer and asked Chuck if wanted anything,
He said, “No thanks, I don’t drink because I never know when I might get a call at anytime to fly somewhere to take or pick someone up.”
I found out he didn’t even have his own place if he wasn’t in a hotel somewhere he would stay in one of the apartments in Shreveport that the company owned for visiting clients or if those were occupied he stayed with the Bartletts because their kids were grown and lived out of state.
When I went to get another beer Mr. Bartlett said, “Bob, I am going to make a scotch drinker out of you tonight.”
I said, “Mr. Bartlett, I tried it before but just couldn’t acquire a taste for it.”
He smiled, “Oh hell, you probably had some of that crap they sell in bars... Let me get you some good stuff.”
He brought me a scotch and I admitted it did taste a lot better. He laughed and said, “After about three it is going taste damn good.”
Mr. Bartlett wasn’t kidding. After about three drinks the scotch became very smooth.
I wondered if Terri and Chuck would talk. I walked into the kitchen and they were chatting and I saw him move his hand real quick, like maybe he had been touching her somewhere but that was about all I saw.
At midnight we toasted with champagne and I was so drunk I could hardly stand up. Terri was pissed that I was that way.
Mr. Bartlett said, “Terri, it’s my fault I made him drink scotch.”
I was so drunk I couldn’t use the phone.
Terri called for a cab and came back over and said, “Damn it’s going to be at least an hour before we can get a cab.”
Chuck asked where we live and Terri told him. He said, "Hey, I am staying at one of the company apartments tonight and its close to your house. I can give you a ride.”
Terri and I both thanked him because I wasn’t going to last an hour without passing out.
We got in his car, I got in the back seat and Terri was getting back there with me. I said, “You need to sit up front and tell Chuck how to get to the house.”
She agreed and I could hear them talking on the way home but couldn’t make out what they were saying. When we got to the house Terri and I thanked Chuck for the ride.
He said, “Terri, you need help getting Bob in the house?”
Terri said, “No thanks, I can manage.