Chapter 5: The Lawyer and the Wife

Jonathon Abbott had barely reached his car when panic began to set in. What on earth had he done? What was he going to do? Leave his wife? Absurd! That Maggie always seemed to have a power over him that made him agree with everything she said. She had suggested they do things that no respectable couple would do.

Spanking her was something she liked, and he admitted it turned him on, but he would never strike his wife like that. It was obscene. He’d handled domestic abuse cases in the past and they all started out as innocent little games, it seemed. No, if he was actually married to Maggie, it would be the end of that kind of play. And what kind of life would they have without it?

He needed a plan. He stopped at the supermarket and ran to the floral section. He should have thought this all out in advance. He hadn’t planned. Few floral bouquets were left in the tubs, and they were a bit scraggly. And no one was in the department to help him. Well, he knew how to handle this.

He pulled a glass vase from one of the displays and began arranging flowers from the various remaining bouquets in it. Perhaps it wasn’t a dozen long-stemmed red roses, but he’d always had a talent for fixing flowers. His mother had loved his flower arrangements. The remnants of four bouquets lay on the counter by the time he was finished. He peeled the price tags from each of them and stuck them to a piece of paper to take to the checkout.

Then he went to the candy aisle. The Valentine candies were in no better condition than the flowers had been. The heart-shaped box he chose was a little bent on the corner, but it would get the message across to his wife that he loved her and would be there for her. He quickly snatched a romantic comedy from the rack of DVDs for sale at the checkout and juggled a bottle of wine with the other purchases.

After dinner, he would need to go to the Hilton to meet Maggie and tell her it was all over. There was nothing else to be done. The girl certainly couldn’t expect that he’d sacrifice his marriage and possibly his law practice to her. Foolishness. It was just a little fling.

He paid for the flowers and candy, then rushed to his car, fastening the arrangement in the front seatbelt. He looked in the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of himself. He looked frightful! Was that lipstick on his cheek? He sniffed and caught the scent of Maggie’s perfume. This wouldn’t do!

In five minutes, he was at the club where he usually played racquetball. The locker room attendant gave him a towel and Jonathon deposited his clothes in a locker while he went to take a shower. Louella far preferred him to arrive home smelling fresh from the club rather than stale from the office.

He didn’t take the time for a steam or a soak, but got through the shower and used the club’s products to comb his hair and shave. He dressed and headed for the car again, feeling cleaner than he had since he first touched Maggie.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, my love,” Jonathon announced when he entered the house. It was all quiet until he heard a sudden scurrying upstairs, the bathroom door close, and steps on the stairs.

“Jonathon, I didn’t expect you so early,” Louella said as she fastened the back on her earring. She wore a tight dress and high heels, and looked spectacular. “I was just finishing getting ready for you. Oh, for me?”

She snatched a kiss from Jonathon and took the flowers from him.

“All for you, my dear. Chocolates. Wine. And a movie for later.”

“You’re so sweet. Where are we going for dinner?”

“Going? Oh, no! I thought we were staying in for dinner. Let me see what I can get for a reservation,” Jonathon said. How could he have forgotten dinner?

“No, honey. Let’s just order Thai takeout. We’ll have a nice loving night in.”

“Oh. That’s ... Well ... I have bad news about that. The judge required that we be ready with our defense tomorrow. I need to go back to the office tonight and prepare,” Jonathon lied smoothly. He hadn’t forgotten to prepare that.

“We’ll just have to make the best of the time we have, then,” Louella said brightly. “Want to skip dinner?”

“Oh, I need to keep my girl’s energy up. We’ll get a delivery. Shall I pour you a glass of wine?”

Jonathon always moderated Louella’s wine intake. He felt he was a good and careful guardian of his wife’s health. But a single glass of wine before they made love would be acceptable.

Louella was always accommodating. Whatever Jonathon wanted, she was happy to provide. If that meant that she didn’t always reach fulfillment, well, that’s what her vibrator was for. She had plenty of alone hours to enjoy herself. She’d never had to work outside the home. Raising their two children—both at sleepovers for tonight—had kept her active and fit. Jonathon was proud of her trim physique.

Once dinner had arrived, they adjourned immediately to the bedroom where Jonathon turned out the lights and joined his wife in bed.

“With the children in school, I’ve been thinking about getting a job,” she ventured as he feasted on her breasts.