Adultery Cheating and Rivals by xleglover-COMPLETED

[Ramesh_Rocky]

They decided to go to a pub for beers and burgers. Mike took a shower before going. With Mike not there, Jen asked "Sam, what's the Barnes Fellowship?"

"You know he won the Barnes award right?" Sam said. "It's the Fellowship that goes along with it."

"Is it important?"

"Yeah, it is," Sam said. "He'd be working with all the big wigs in math and finance, computers, internet security. Mike could pretty much write his ticket."

"Then why doesn't he want to do it?" Jen asked.

Sam eyed her. "It's in Cambridge," he said.

"Near Boston?" Jen said. "That's where I grew up."

"No Jen," Sam said. "The University of Cambridge, in England."

"You know the Barnes Fellowship?" Jen said to Allie the next week. "It's 6 months in England."

"It'll be good for him right?" Allie said immediately, delighted at the prospect of getting her wingman back. "He should do it."

"Allie, stop," Jen said knowing what her friend was thinking. She hated the idea of being apart from Mike for so long.

"It's only 6 months," Allie pointed out. "If you're so much in love, you can last 6 months. Anyway, he'll be home for Christmas right?"

"I guess," Jen said with a shrug, looking unhappy.

"You need to do it Mike," Jen told Mike later that evening. "You can't pass up this opportunity."

"I'm not going," Mike said stubbornly. He wasn't going to leave Jen. He'd found the girl of his dreams, he planned to marry her (although he hadn't brought up marriage yet). Somehow, miraculously, she loved him too. He wasn't going to risk that.

"Mike, baby, it's just 6 months," Jen said rubbing his arm. "We'll see each other at Christmas. It'll be good for your career."

Jen's words stopped Mike in his tracks. His career? Was Jen worried about whether he could get a job after college? But then, her last boyfriend (Colin) was a sure first round NFL draft choice, maybe a top 5 pick. As Colin's wife, she'd be set for life financially. What were his prospects, as a math major? Was Jen worried whether he could support her, provide for her children?

"Maybe I should do it," Mike said hesitantly.

Jen gave him a weak smile. "It won't be that terrible," she said. She didn't want him to go, but she felt like she had no choice. She didn't want Mike to resent her in the future, if he gave up this opportunity to be with her. What really convinced her though was Mike's mother. They'd gotten off to the worst start, with what happened at Crypts. If Mike gave up the Barnes Fellowship for her, what would his mom think? Not good things, Jen was sure of that. Jen hated the idea of Mike being away, but she'd just have to suck it up.

They continued to live together, but with their looming time away from each other, the rest of the summer was bittersweet. Jen was still loving to Mike, even more so as Labor Day approached. But Mike couldn't help feeling something was ending.

A few days before the start of the school year, they moved Jen's stuff back to the sorority house. Mike planned to bunk with Sam in the frat house the last couple days before flying to England. "What are you doing with the apartment?" Jen asked.

"I'm sub-letting it," Mike said. "His name's Ricky. We were in the same dorm."

The night before his flight, Mike and Jen made love and slept together in the frat house. (Sam crashed with another frat brother to give the couple space.) Jen clinged to Mike all night long and cried herself to sleep. Even though he hated seeing her crying, Mike couldn't help being pleased she was upset at his going. He certainly couldn't stand leaving her.

Jen drove Mike to the airport (she was going to take care of his car while he was away). She cried when she dropped him off, and on the drive home. She already missed Mike. And she hated being alone.