Chapter 8

When I was next aware of my surrounding I was lying in the middle of my cold, cement driveway. My purse is beside me. I dug out my cell phone and looked at the time. It’s nearly three in the morning again. I looked down at my battered body. I’m a mass of angry red welts. There are places where the skin has been broken, though surprisingly few. My knees are the worst. They look like raw hamburger.

I started sobbing hysterically. I don’t know what to do. I can’t go inside like this. If Brad were to see me now he would surely kill Mr. Riggs. That’s an extremely pleasant concept but I certainly don’t want to see my husband arrested and tried for murder.

I can’t stay out here much longer, either. Pretty soon the paper will be delivered and people will start to drive by on their way to work. I thought about hiding until Brad went to work. But that would be a problem, too. When he wakes up and discovers I’m not home he will of course be worried and come looking for me.

Finally, in desperation, I called Midge. I was still sobbing so hard I could hardly talk. I apologized profusely for calling her so early in the morning but she could hardly understand me. At first she didn’t even know who I was. Finally I forced myself to calm down and I told her I need help.

She asked me where I am. She didn’t even get dressed. She rushed right over in her robe.

I was hiding between our cars in the driveway when she drove up. She got out of her car and rushed over to where I’m curled up in a pitiful ball and crying quietly. She looked down at me in shock and exclaimed, “Oh my god! Jan! What in the hell happened to you?!”

“Mr. Riggs. I can’t led Brad see me like this. He’ll kill him!”

“I’ll gladly help him! Can you stand?”

I nodded, although I’m not really sure. She bent down, put her arms around me and carefully helped me up. She said, “Come on. Let’s get you in the car.”

She slowly half led, half carried me to her car. She gave me a blanket to wrap around myself while she drove me to her house. We went inside and she helped me to a seat. Then she went upstairs to get David up despite my protests. He came down, still mostly asleep until he saw me.

“Son of a bitch!” David exploded when he saw me. “Jan! Riggs did that? What happened?”

I told them all about my evening, right from the beginning. I kept apologizing for waking them up. I even told them I was sorry Riggs ruined my new dress. They would have loved it.

Midge has been cleaning my wounds as I told them about my evening. But she stopped, turned to David and said, “This is above my pay grade. I’m going next door and get Damon.”

After she got up and left I asked David, “Who is Damon? I really don’t need more people to see me like this.”

David moved over beside me and carefully put his arm around me. He said, “Damon is Dr. Damon Green. He’s very nice. You’ll like him.”

Midge was back in about ten minutes with Damon. By then I had calmed down a little. David stood up and together they gently laid me down on the sofa.

Dr. Green examined my wounds. He ended up taping one of them closed on the underside of my breast. He spoke in a very soothing voice. He told me my skin was not just lovely, but very resilient at my age. He assured me that he was reasonably certain there would be no scarring. He put some strong antiseptic on my knees and decided it would be best to leave those cuts open to the air.

When he was finished examining me I thanked him sincerely. His calm demeanor and his soothing voice had helped me as much as anything he said or did. He gave me a shot. I don’t know what it is. It didn’t occur to me until later to wonder. Before he left he gave me a couple of strong pills for the pain.

Midge handed me a glass of water and I took the pills. It may have been because my stomach was empty. But they worked incredibly fast. I felt the effects almost immediately.

I thanked Midge and David, and I apologized again. They kept telling me to stop apologizing for what has been done to me.

I’m starting to get worried about David now. I sat up and wrapped the blanket back around me. I insisted that he keep this to himself, in part because I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. But mostly I’m scared because I know that if Brad finds out about this he’ll kill Mr. Riggs.

David sighed and said, “There’s no way to hide those marks, Jan. Brad is going to find out. And what’s to stop Riggs from doing this again, if not to you then to someone else?”

I leaned back against the back of the couch and said, “Oh god! I don’t know! I can’t think. I’m tired and I hurt and I’m drugged. Great drugs, by the way! I’d like to get some more of those!”

I turned to Midge and smiled. Only then did I see she’s crying. I tried to put my arms around her but it hurt too much and I dropped my hands back down onto the cushions beside me. I told her to stop crying. I’m fine. I just need to stay here until Brad goes to work if they don’t mind.

David went upstairs and started getting ready for work while Midge made breakfast. Well, she made coffee and toast. I had some coffee when it was ready. The warmth of the hot coffee seemed to help my aching jaw. I couldn’t chew, though. I passed on the toast.

I suddenly flashed back to the beating I’d received and remembered that I had been beaten on the face, too. I asked Midge how much damage had been done to my face. She started crying again. That didn’t do anything to reassure me. But she said, “Your face is fine. There are just some red marks. It doesn’t even look like they’re going to bruise. Christ! The crazy son of a bitch could have put your eye out!!”

David came down and got his coffee and toast. While he was having his breakfast he asked Midge to get me a robe to wear. She went upstairs to get one for me.

While she was gone my cell phone rang. It was Brad. He sounds very worried. I told him everything was fine. I gave him the impression I had too much to drink and it was very late when Riggs was finished with me. I told him I stopped off at David and Midge’s house. I promised him I’d see him tonight.

Midge came down with a light robe and a pair of slippers. I was grateful for those. I don’t know what happened to my shoes. I didn’t even realize I was barefoot until she helped me put the slippers on my feet.

David looked at his watch and got a thoughtful look on his face. He told us he’d be right back. He got up and stepped outside for a minute. He came back inside a few minutes later with Matt, his driver. They both sat down and had another cup of coffee with Midge and me.

Midge looked at David curiously. He just said, “I’m going into the office a few minutes late this morning.”

A half hour later, David and Matt stood up. David came to me and said, “Come on, Jan. It’s time to go.”

I was fully under the effects of the drugs by then. I didn’t even question him. I let him guide me out to the car and pour me into the back seat. I leaned up against him and dozed off almost immediately as he held me in his arms and his chin rested lightly on top of my head. He held me close and I felt safe in his arms.

The next thing I knew I was being gently shaken. David helped me out of the car when I was as wide awake as I was going to get. I looked around but I didn’t recognize anything. It turned out to be a private back entrance for the senior VPs at the plant. I’d never seen the building from this side before and I didn’t recognize it at first.

David started leading me to the door but I came to a stop when I finally recognized where we were. I exclaimed, “Oh no! Mr. Burton, please. I don’t want to screw things up.”

He smiled, kissed my forehead affectionately and said, “Sweetheart, relax. You won’t screw anything up. You’re going to make them infinitely better. Trust me on this.”

I sighed and let him lead me inside. We went down a long hallway I didn’t know existed. There were no secretaries or receptionists here. There was just a narrow corridor connecting Mr. Morris’s office, the six VP’s offices, and a large conference room. The conference room is where they hold their morning staff meetings.

Mr. Burton gently guided me inside. The quiet conversation came to a sudden halt as we entered.

Mr. Burton said, “Gentlemen, I apologize for being so late.”

Everyone was looking at me curiously, everyone except Mr. Riggs. He still had that arrogant look on his face. He doesn’t know what’s going on but he obviously isn’t worried. It never even occurred to him there might be repercussions for the things he did to me last night.

Mr. Morris looked up and in a stern voice said, “Heather, please leave the room.”

Even in my drugged state I recognized the barely controlled anger in his voice.

I watched Heather get up and leave the room quickly. I hadn’t even noticed she was in the room until she was asked to leave!

Damn those are good drugs!

Mr. Burton put his briefcase down and turned me so that I faced him. He loosened the belt on my robe and carefully removed it. When I was naked he turned me around to face the six other people in the room.

I just stood there, not knowing what to say or do. All but one of the men at the table have already seen me naked and had sex with me, though they haven’t seen me with stripes before.

Mr. Morris asked quietly, “David, what happened to her?”

Mr. Burton just pointed at Mr. Riggs.

Mr. Riggs shrugged nonchalantly and said, “So what. She’s just a slut.”

From his tone of voice I could tell that he really doesn’t know what all the fuss is about. He just doesn’t get it.

Mr. Morris leaned forward and pushed a button on the intercom. He said, “Heather, ask my driver to come in here.”

Then he turned to Riggs and said, “Give me your keys.”

Mr. Riggs suddenly turned white. He looked like he had just been punched. He couldn’t believe that what he did to me even mattered. He stood up, reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He slid them down the table to Mr. Morris.

Mr. Morris caught the keys and carefully put them down on the table in front of him. He seemed to be moving in slow motion and I don’t think it was because of the drugs. I think he was struggling to keep from doing something violent. Everyone remained silent, waiting to see what was going to happen next.

David helped me back into my robe and I held it closed. He held me in his arms and supported me for a minute while we waited.

Mr. Morris’s driver came in. Mr. Morris turned to him and said, “Robert, I want you to pick Mr. Riggs up at the front entrance and drive him to his home. You will wait for him there. After he has packed a couple of suitcases you will take him to the airport.

“You will go with him to the counter while he buys a ticket to anywhere in the world as long as it’s out of this state. Then you will wait with him until he has boarded his plane and that plane has taken off. When his plane has departed you will call me and tell me he is gone and to what state or country he has gone.”

He then turned to Mr. Riggs. When he spoke it was obvious he was having a hard time controlling his temper. There was a tremor in his voice when he said, “What I should do is have you killed. I don’t know people who do that sort of thing. But I know people who know people and more than anything else I really want to have you killed.”

Mr. Riggs is now white as a ghost.

Mr. Morris continued. “For the first time in my life I find myself hating someone. It’s an ugly feeling. I’m having trouble controlling it. Listen closely, Riggs. This is your only option, other than waiting around to be killed. You can leave this state and never come back. Anything you want out of your house you had best hire someone to come and get for you. If you leave the state voluntarily, and send me your resignation, I will give you a lukewarm letter of referral if asked.

“I would highly recommend to you that you get professional help. Because Riggs, you are a very sick fuck!”

I saw the looks on the faces of the VPs around the room. They’re all shocked. I would later learn they were shocked not so much by what he’s doing to Mr. Riggs, but because no one has ever seen him lose his temper or heard him say “fuck” before!

“What I should do now is force you to apologize to this young lady. I would dearly love to beat you half to death and force you to apologize to her on your knees. I know it would be a waste of time, though. It would be meaningless. You wouldn’t mean it. Your warped little mind is so screwed up you don’t even think you did anything wrong. Get the hell out of my sight. NOW!!”

Mr. Riggs turned and stormed out, his face still white as a sheet.

Mr. Morris stood up and came around to me. He gently took me away from David, looked into my face for a moment and then took me into his arms. He held me carefully and asked David, “Has she seen a doctor?”

Mr. Burton nodded and said, “My neighbor. He’s very good. And he won’t say anything. I told him this would be taken care of.”

I looked up at Mr. Morris and said, “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t want to make any trouble.”

I guess I’m pretty woozy from the drugs. Because I could swear I see tears in his eyes!

He turned to the VPs and said, “Gentlemen, as of now there is no more EPOD.”

That sank through the fog that seems to be shrouding my drugged brain! I quickly exclaimed, “No! Wait a minute! Mr. Morris, don’t do that, please. It isn’t perfect. There are some women who don’t like it, maybe even a few men. But some of us like it, a lot. In fact, I’ve been trying to figure out how to ask you to expand it.”

He stepped back and held me at arm’s length. He looked at me like I’m nuts. “Expand it? What do you mean?”

I smiled at Mr. Burton and said, “I’ve only met one of the other VP’s wives, one of the other junior VP’s wives, and none of the junior VPs. So of course I can’t speak for all of the people involved.

“I know that some of them are only in it for the money. But some of us are having a ball. At least one of the senior VP’s wives would really like to get back in. It would be nice if you would let them. I’m sorry. I was given some really good drugs a little while ago and I may not be too clear. Don’t just end the program, Mr. Morris. Tweak it.”

Mr. Morris kissed my forehead gently. He stepped back and asked, “Is that the drugs talking?”

I smiled and said, “Maybe a little. Damn! Those things are great! But I was going to have this conversation with you anyway. As long as the EPOD program has existed you’ve had just one major jerk who didn’t play well with others. He’s gone now. Some of us want to play some more.”

I watched Mr. Morris take a deep breath and go back to his seat. He looked around him and saw the hopeful looks on the faces of his VPs.

After a thoughtful pause he asked, “Would any of you gentlemen like to discuss this matter with your wives and find out if they would like to volunteer to get back into the program?”

“There will be no pressure. It will not be a requirement. It will have no effect on your careers. Just let me know by this time next week.”

Mr. Morris told Mr. Burton to have his driver take me home. He told me it might be best if I not see my husband until Riggs is on a plane.

I thought that was good thinking.

I walked down to the end of the table and kissed Mr. Morris on the cheek. I thanked him for being so sweet. Then I kissed Mr. Burton and thanked him. I said goodbye to the other men in the room and started to leave. I’m woozy. My head is in a cloud. But I don’t have far to go. Mr. Burton offered to help me back to the car but I insisted I can make it.

I stopped at the door and turned around. Everyone is watching me make my way to the door with very sympathetic expressions that I found touching. I managed a weak smile and said, “Gentlemen, pool party at my new palace next Saturday. Wives are invited, but they should know it will be clothing optional.”

There were smiles all around as I left. I made my way back down the private hallway. I was just about to pass Mr. Morris’s office when the door opened and Heather pulled me inside.

She said, “Here, you can’t go around town like that.”

Then she smiled and said, “At least not until you heal.”

I looked at her, wondering how she knew so much. She smiled at her own little joke and carefully helped me pull the robe off. She gasped when she saw my tortured body. She was very gentle as she helped me into a loose dress and a pair of sandals.

She hugged me carefully and said, “It’s a terrible shame you had to go through all that. But a lot of people around here are going to be a lot happier now. That man was bad news. We were all afraid of him, even the secretaries.”

I thanked her and grabbed the robe and slippers Midge was nice enough to lend me. She took them from me and helped me out to Mr. Burton’s car despite my insistence I can make it on my own. I tried to tell her she should return to the meeting now.

She chuckled and replied, “I’m not worried. They won’t start without me. They’re all sitting in there now talking about you and Riggs.”

Matt started to help me into the back but I figured it would be easier to get in and out of the front seat. He helped me into the passenger seat and drove me slowly home, avoiding bumps and taking every turn in slow motion. I saw what he was doing and I said, “You’re so sweet. When I get better I’m so going to fuck you!”

He grinned and said, “I can’t wait, Miss.”

“Jan! I told you before, call me Jan.”

He smiled and said, “I will, Miss, when it’s appropriate.”

“It’s always appropriate with the sexy men with whom I have sex.”

“A time and a place for everything. I love my job. Knowing the right time and the right place helps me keep it. I could not possibly work for a finer couple than the Burtons. I want very much to never do anything they might find objectionable.

“I get some of the greatest perks in the world. That certainly includes Mrs. Burton and now you. I’m not telling any secrets. You already know that. But there’s a lot more to it than that. Mr. Burton is one of the finest men I’ve ever met and I love working for him. I don’t have a problem with addressing people properly. The next time we meet, and you honor me with the great fuck you promised, then you will be Jan. Today, Miss works just fine.”

I smiled at him and said, “Oh, you’re no fun, you old fuddy-duddy!”

He smiled and said, “You are home, Miss.”

I hadn’t even realized we’d stopped moving!

He came around and helped me to my door. But he didn’t leave me there. He helped me upstairs and even helped me off with my dress and my sandals. He turned down the bed, carefully covered me up and asked, “Can I get you anything? Would you like some water or something?”

I shook my head and thanked him.

He smiled down at me and in a soft, soothing voice he said, “Get some sleep, Miss. You had a hard night. I look forward to seeing you again soon.”

Except for undressing me, he didn’t take a single liberty! Oh well. I guess I don’t look so sexy with all of those bright red stripes covering me from head to toe.

I was exhausted and I was drugged. I fell asleep so quickly I never even saw him leave the bedroom. The next thing I knew, Brad was sitting on the side of my bed moving his fingers lightly over my face, tracing the faint red marks that remain.

I saw the love and the concern and the rage all mixed up on his face. I feel so sorry for him. He wants to protect me and he wants to avenge me and he wants to make the pain go away and all he can do is ache for me.