Chapter 17

My co-workers looked up when I entered the front office. Cindy is obviously worried about me. But Helen looks frantic. I know what she’s thinking; that I went through whatever I just experienced only because I stopped Delon from hitting her. It’s nice to get a little sympathy from her. But this isn’t her fault. And as unpleasant as it was, I’ve been through worse things since meeting Delon.

Once I’ve taken a few Tylenol and the pain in my nipples and clit hood stops throbbing I’ll be fine. I’m more worried about whatever Delon has planned for Wednesday.

Cindy and Helen followed me into my office. I smiled wryly as I dug out my Tylenol and said, “Lighten up, girls. It wasn’t that bad. And Helen, it wasn’t your fault. You had every right to tell the son of a bitch off. Let’s not forget whose fault it is that we have to deal with that devious bastard. I’m the one who fucked up and gave him all the power. It’s my fault he’s become a part of your lives.”

I slid into my seat and sighed loudly. I’m exhausted. I looked up at Helen and asked, “Did I miss anything important?”

Cindy rushed out of my office and came scurrying back in a moment later with a handful of phone messages. But both women continued to stand around my desk and stare at me with compassionate looks on their faces. Finally I said, “Relax. I just had to buy them some beer.”

Helen looked at me skeptically and said, “For more than three hours?!”

I shrugged and admitted, “I didn’t get to use money.”

I sent them out of the office so I could return my calls but before they left I said, “I won’t be in on Wednesday.”

They turned to look at me and the alarm on their faces made it clear that they understood. They’re nearly as worried about me as I am.

I managed to do a little business in the little time remaining before quitting time. But there was a lot left undone. I’m starting to get behind on everything. I have two reports I have to get out every week and I haven’t even touched the accounting other than to enter the deposits from last week.

Helen and Cindy came back into my office before going home. I stopped what I was doing and said, “I know it isn’t fair. You have both been working harder for a long time than you should have to. I keep telling you that we’re going to hire someone to help out but every time I decide to do it we get into a budget crunch and I can’t.”

I sighed and said, “So I really do understand how unfair it is of me to ask your help this week. I’m getting behind on everything and I have no idea how I’m going to get even the bare minimum done. I haven’t touched the books. Those two reports that waste so much of my time have to get done to keep the Government from having kittens. You know how bad it is to have government kittens.

“I’ll do what I can tomorrow and I’ll work as late as I can. But I don’t have any choice about taking Wednesday off. It isn’t my idea. If you guys will do what you can to get me through this week I’d appreciate it.”

Helen smiled and said, “I’ve done bookkeeping in the past. I can take care of that. You suck at it anyway.”

I laughed. She’s right. My high school education and total lack of business experience did not prepare me for keeping the books for a company as large as ours is becoming.

I thanked her for her help.

Cindy said, “I’ve typed up those two reports so many times I can do them in my sleep. I’ll need access to the records you keep in your cabinet. But I can do them. If I have any problems I know Helen can help me out.”

Suddenly the tears I’ve been holding back broke through the gates and began flowing. I covered my face with my hands and let it go. They both rushed around my desk and tried to comfort me. The problem is that more than half the reason I’m crying is because I’ve been such a bitch to them over the years.

That strange tableau was what greeted Doug when he came in to collect me for our walk through. He stood just inside my door for a moment before asking, “What have you three done with the ladies who used to work here?”

Helen answered, “They’ll be back tomorrow. You’ve been working them too hard. They needed a break.”

He got serious then. He quietly said to me, “I heard you had a long lunch today. Are you alright?”

I smiled wryly and said, “I had to go buy some beer for Delon and his friends.”

He didn’t think it was funny either.

I put my work up and grabbed my purse out of my drawer. I got up and hugged Helen and Cindy and thanked them for the sympathy and for their offer of assistance. I sent them home and Doug and I walked through the quiet plant making certain everything’s in order before going home.

He asked about my long lunch on the drive home. I told him what happened in the storeroom of that old convenience store.

He glanced down at my piercings through the sheer blouse I’m wearing and asked, “Should we maybe check with Dr. Platt? Damn! I should have thought of that earlier! I guess I haven’t been thinking very clearly. Of course we should have him check you out. What if those things get infected? From what you told me about that tattoo parlor it isn’t the cleanest place in town.”

I shook my head and said, “There’s no way I’m letting him see me like this! I could never look him in the eyes again. That antiseptic cream is doing its job just fine. I’m healing up quickly. What they did today was painful but they didn’t do any damage. I checked.

“Assuming that someday we’ll find a cure for Delon, I’ll go to a reputable piercing place once he’s out of our lives and have these god-awful rings replaced with something a little more discreet. Until that happens I won’t be going to see our doctor.”

As soon as we got home I went up and took a long, hot shower. Doug started dinner and I forced myself to call Carol from the phone in the bedroom.

Bob answered the phone. He tried to kid around like we would have before he fucked me last Saturday. I ignored his sophomoric jokes and asked to speak with Carol. He seemed nervous and I got more than a little bit of pleasure from that. I like it that he’s afraid of what I might say to his wife.

I finally assured him, “I’m not going to say anything about what you did to me on Saturday, Bob. But don’t try to act like it never happened. And don’t think that we can go back to the way we were. But knowing Carol as well as I do, you probably won’t have to worry about that anyway. After what she saw yesterday I’ll be surprised if she wants to see me again. Now let me talk to her ... please.”

He didn’t say another word. There was a moment of silence and then Carol came on the line. She has obviously calmed down since we spoke last night, but only a little.

I’m very uncomfortable. I don’t know what to say to her. We’ve been friends for a long time but she’s like I was before Delon began to change me and I don’t think she’ll be able to handle even a sanitized version of what I’m going through now.

I realize, though, that I have to try to work this out with her. We’ve been good friends for a long time and I’ll miss her if that ends now. I said, “Carol, Doug is making dinner. If you want to talk, and I hope you do, please come over in about an hour. I don’t know what I’m going to say. But I want a chance to try to save our friendship. Will you do that for me?”

“Of course I will! Brooke! You’re my best friend! I’m worried about you! I’ll be there at seven. Have a drink ready for me. I think I’m going to need it.”

I smiled and promised to make it strong. We hung up and I started for the stairs. I was just about to enter my bedroom when I suddenly remembered the emails from the anonymous ghost from my past and curiosity won out over hunger. I turned and went to the computer room to see if there was another email from whoever is taunting me.

I wasn’t disappointed. But I sat there looking at it for a long time, too afraid to open it. This person represents only a minor threat to me. They have the power to ruin my reputation in my hometown. But my parents are dead now. I have no living relatives in that town. I still have a few old friends I hear from every now and then. It would be sad if I ended up having to cut all the ties to my childhood. But if it becomes necessary I can. I’m not planning on attending my high school reunion anyway.

I finally opened the email. There are still no threats. He’s making no demands. Just more requests for embarrassing information. Whoever it is apparently just wants to know what I’m thinking and feeling when I do the things I’m doing in those pictures. He or she wants to know every detail of what it was like when someone pissed in my mouth and when I sucked a dog’s cock.

I don’t have time for that now. But I sent a short response, promising to answer in detail within a day or two. I tried for the first time to get the person writing the emails to give me some clue about their identity and then I shut everything down.

I got to the kitchen just as Doug was serving dinner. I told him Carol is coming over after we eat. He grinned and said, “That should be interesting. Cory called me on my cell phone while you were upstairs. He’s coming over later with some parts he’s pretty certain are an exact match for your car.”

I waited until we finished eating and were clearing off the table to tell him I won’t be going to work on Wednesday. He didn’t say anything for a long time. But finally he stopped work and said, “Maybe it’s time to take a different tack with that little pervert. He’s getting out of hand and his obvious lack of limits concerns me as much as it does you.”

I shrugged and pointed out the obvious. “We still have no leverage we can use against him. And he still has those pictures. Even after Cory fixes my car he’ll have the evidence. What are you going to do? Have him beaten up? That will just piss him off. Have him killed? Then what happens to the evidence?

“I’m sorry, Doug. I want him out of my life more than I know how to say. He just keeps getting scarier. But one thing hasn’t changed. This is all my fault. I brought this down on us. And as much as it pisses you off when I say it, I deserve this. I’m being punished for the terrible things I’ve done and the terrible person I’ve been. And do you know what? I think I’m learning from it. I get along so much better with Cindy and Helen now. And you can’t deny I’m a better wife now. I want this to end as much as you do. But until we can find some way to control Delon he has all the power.”

Doug sighed and said, “Yeah. I know. It just seems like I should be doing something to protect you from him. I feel so fucking useless!”

I closed the door to the dishwasher and put my arms around his waist. I rested my head on his chest and said, “Don’t be silly, Doug! You aren’t useless! You’re an excellent cook!”

We laughed at that and I added, “And you have become the best lover in the world. You’re the only man who has ever fucked me into unconsciousness. I’m thinking of having a statue of you erected in the front yard.”

He chuckled and said, “That’s a great idea! A permanent erection in our front yard!”

I checked the time and wormed my way out of Doug’s arms. I said, “Carol will be right over. I promised to have a strong drink waiting for her.”

He leaned down and kissed me. He said, “I love you. I suppose you can go ahead and make two. After a day like today I guess you’ve earned one.”

I know how much he hates to see me drink, and with very good reason. I smiled and said, “Thank you. I appreciate that. But I think the need for a drink has passed. If you offered it to me when I got back to the office today I would have taken it. I don’t think I need it now.”

He ordered me to sit down and he made a drink for Carol. He’s the bartender in the family so I was happy to let him. He left it sitting on the counter and turned to ask, “Last chance, are you sure you don’t want one?”

I smiled and nodded. Then he asked, “Are you sure you want to have this talk with Carol dressed like that?”

I’m not wearing one of the slutty outfits Delon and his friends bought me. I have on a light t-shirt and a pair of shorts. But I’m still wearing the dog collar Doug bought for me. I ran my fingertips over it lightly and smiled at him. I nodded and said, “I like it. I like that you put it there. I love what it stands for.”

Before he could respond the doorbell rang. I started to get up but he waved me back down and said, “Sit. I’ll get it.”

I groaned. I still don’t know what I’m going to say to Carol.

And then she was standing in the door to my kitchen staring at me and blushing. It’s painfully obvious neither of us knows what to say.

She went to the counter, picked up her drink and gulped down almost half of it before turning back around and quietly asking, “Are you alright? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

I smiled at the huge understatement. I avoided her questions and said, “I’m surprised you’re even speaking to me after what you saw yesterday.”

“Of course I’m speaking to you! You’re my best friend! Or at least I’d be speaking to you if I had the slightest idea what to say. Brooke, what the hell is going on?”

I decided that I was wrong earlier when I said that I didn’t need a drink. I called out to Doug in the living room, “Honey. I’ve changed my mind. Would you make another drink for Carol? And I need one, too.”

He came into the kitchen and went around the table, stopping on the way to kiss me. He smiled and said, “I kind of figured you’d change your mind.”

He mixed us each a drink and set them on the table. Then he had to leave to answer the doorbell. Carol sat down. I was sitting at one end of the table. She sat to my right, so close that our knees are touching. I think she plans on doing a lot of whispering.

I can’t help but notice she’s more nervous than I am and for some reason that makes me feel better. I watched as she gulped down the remainder of her first drink. I took a couple sips of mine and waited for her to calm down a little.

It didn’t help that Doug came through the kitchen on the way to the garage with Cory following close behind.

Carol gasped when she saw him and then looked at me with a look of horror on her face. As soon as they closed the garage door behind them she whispered, “That’s him!”

I sighed and said, “Yes. But that isn’t the ‘him’ that’s the problem.”

She’s justifiably confused. I slowly reached across the corner of the table, half expecting her to pull away. She didn’t. Instead, she met me halfway and we held hands in silence for a moment. Finally I said, “I can explain, at least some of it. You aren’t going to like what you hear and you may not want anything more to do with me when I’m finished. But I’ll tell you what I can.”

She looked at me as if I’d slapped her. She exclaimed, “Brooke! What kind of person do you think I am?!”

I smiled and responded, “You’re the kind of person I was a week ago. Unfortunately, I’m different now. I’m not the same woman you’ve been friends with since we moved in here. Honey, I’m being blackmailed.”

She swiveled her head around towards the door behind me that led into the garage.

I squeezed her hand and said, “No. Not him. He’s one of the good guys. He’s actually kind of nice. He’s hung like a horse, too.”

I had to laugh at her reaction to that. I never would have said something like that to her or to anyone else before last Monday. Her mouth gaped open in shock. I said, “Sorry. I told you I’ve changed.

“His name is Cory. He’s a friend of the little prick who’s blackmailing me. Believe it or not he’s helping me out. The little son of a bitch across the street is the one blackmailing me.”

“The kid who had that awful band?! Devon or whatever his name is?”

“Delon. Yes. That’s him. He has something he’s holding over me that’s so horrible I can’t possibly tell you what it is. It’s so awful that since last Monday I’ve had to do whatever he tells me to do. He’s a nasty little pervert. Compared to the things he makes me do, what you saw me doing in the garage yesterday was nothing. I didn’t even mind it. I would have preferred that you didn’t witness it. But except for that I enjoyed it.”

Carol took another big sip of her drink and whispered, “Two black kids! You’ve had sex with two different black kids and one of them is hung like a horse?!”

If only! But I couldn’t help smiling. I never thought I’d hear Carol use the phrase “hung like a horse.”

Her expression changed suddenly and she exclaimed, “That car wash! Bob was there when you were washing those cars across the street. You were almost naked! Did Bob...?”

I hate to lie to Carol. But I don’t want to be responsible for harming her marriage. I’m mad at Bob and I don’t feel much like protecting him. But Carol loves him and I don’t want to hurt her.

I smiled and said, “He just watched me wash the cars, Carol. He doesn’t know I’m being blackmailed, and he didn’t know I would rather have been just about anywhere else. You can’t blame him for enjoying the show.”

She isn’t quite sure if she blames him or not. I know she didn’t talk to him for nearly a month once when she found out he went to a strip club with a couple of his friends. But she believed me when I said he only watched. Maybe that’s because she wants so badly to believe.