Bluff

{if Intervene = true}"Well, it's just not that interesting," you tell them to buy yourself some time while you think. {endif}"I wanted some coffee, so I came to a coffee shop."

Matt and Ariana exchange a glance, silently communicating their suspicion to each other. You feel a little humiliated, having to defend yourself to your wife and best friend, when they've clearly been sneaking around and talking behind your back. But you can't get mad. You have to stay calm and convince them.

"There's a coffee maker in the office break room though," Matt points out.

"And it's a piece of shit." You look to your wife. "Haven't I always said how horrible the coffee in the office tastes?"

"That's true," your wife slowly agrees with a thoughtful pout.

"I just had to get out of the office for a while," you continue to lie. "So I came here to get some coffee and stretch my legs."

Your wife nods along and you think that she's bought your story at least. However, your friend frowns, still unconvinced.

"Here?" he arches an eyebrow. "It's a bit far from the office. You're already half way home. And we both know the coffee here is shit too."

Matt says that just as a cute brunette barista who looks to be in her late teens marches past with a tray of empty glasses. When she overhears the comment, she shoots your friend a dirty look and continues walking. Matt hangs his head in shame while Ariana tries not to laugh.

"What can I say, I just like this place," you say and try not to smile too hard at Matt's misfortune. "Although unless I want spit for froth I'm never coming here with you again."

You and your wife laugh while Matt just takes his lumps. As the amusement fades into a silence, you decide now is the best time to take your leave, before either one can ask any more questions.

"I should be getting back to the office now," you lean down and kiss your wife, making sure to do it right in front of Matt. "See you back home."

Ariana looks a little flushed as you break the kiss and she looks up at you with big brown eyes. "Yeah, I'll see you later, sweetie."

As you quick walk to your car, you notice out of the side of your eye that both Matt and your wife are watching you from inside the coffee shop. You'd like to know what they're talking about, but you said you were leaving so you have to go.

You start the engine and drive out of the parking lot, then head in the direction of your work place, so that it at least looks like you're going back where you said you'd be.You drive around in a circle and come back to where you started, although you don't park in the lot beside the coffee shop. You park down the street, obscured by some other cars and signs. Although there's no way to see into the coffee shop from here, you can see when they leave. So you wait and watch.

It occurs to you that if they are hiding something, you may have just spooked them. Is that a good or a bad thing, you ponder. Criminals who know the police are after them sometimes make mistakes. On the other hand, knowing that you're watching might make them cover their tracks more carefully.

While you're still thinking about this, you see Matt and Ariana leave the coffee shop and cross the parking lot. Matt walks your wife to her car, where they embrace for a moment, then she gets in and leaves first. Matt heads to his car then and leaves as well, in a different direction. You sigh with relief.

Although {if Intervene = true}you keep thinking about Matt flirting with your wife,{else}you keep thinking about why Matt and Ariana must have been meeting,{endif} you **** yourself to focus on Kali finally. It takes much longer than you would have liked but eventually you settle for Wicked Felina, a small downtown taco bar. At this point, you're so tired, you don't even care what it's like, but it's close to some bars and a hotel, so you make your choice and prepare head home already.

A terrifying thought crosses your mind however. What if Ariana and Matt only pretended to leave in opposite directions in order to fool you, and they met up elsewhere? Are you just being paranoid now? Not taking any chances, you speed back to your house.

Your wife's car is in the driveway, alone. You glance down the street but don't see any cars that resemble Matt's. However, it's much later than you anticipated, so something could have happened while you were searching for a place to take Kali, and you missed it.

Entering the house, you find all the lights except for the hall lamp have been turned off. Quietly you get ready for bed in the dark and slide in beside your wife's sleeping figure. As your eyelids get heavy, you look over at Ariana and wonder, just how much can you trust your wife.