Beetlesmith's Ch. 05

I fixed my gaze on Gloria's face. For a brief moment her features remained perfectly sharp to my eyes, but the areas about her were shadowy and out of focus, as if I were looking at an antique photograph of her. With my head still clasped within her hands, I saw her mouthing something to me. It looked like...What? I can't be sure for my brain had already stopped functioning...

Darkness fell about me.

******************

I wasn't sure how long I was out, but when I woke I could tell the morning sky was just beginning to lighten. I sat up in bed, and other than a feeling of lightheadedness, I felt normal. I could hear deep breathing next to me, and when I looked over in the morning gloom I could just make out the silhouettes of the three women still sleeping on top of the bed covers, each wrapped in the other's arms. I felt like lying my head back down and returning to sleep, but there was one thing I needed to do today and sleeping in wouldn't make my mind any clearer.

I stumbled my way into the bathroom and took a close look at myself in the mirror; looking for any telltale sign of the potential adverse effects of the elixir. I really didn't expect to see any appreciable change from one application of the drug. Still, I was relieved to see William Henry and not Danny DeVito staring back from the mirror. I had a full head of hair and no hunch to my shoulders. There were no obvious signs of weight gain or a sudden need for me to wear glasses. However, I could see that my pupils were dilated, similar to Gloria's from a week ago. I was experiencing the residual effects of the elixir. What did Beetlesmith call it, his Afterglow Effect?

I looked down to check on the most important bit of my anatomy, and for the first time I noticed I was wearing a pair of Karen's panty hose. I chuckled to myself. I guess the women had some fun amusing themselves at my expense. I thought about returning the favor by throwing a bucket of water on them, but I started the shower instead.

I felt my head beginning to clear as the hot water washed over me. As I lathered, I thought about what I needed to do for the day, when I heard the bathroom door open.

"Mind if I join you?"

I was relieved to see that it was Karen this time, and not Gloria.

"Of course not," I said as I opened the shower door.

Her eyes were dilated like mine. Her face still exhibited the large red welt where Jackie had slapped her.

I must have grimaced at the sight of the bruise, because she started to defend herself, "If you think I look bad, you should see Jackie," then she laughed and wrapped her arms around me, "How come you're up so early?"

"There are a few things I need to do at the office."

"It's Saturday," Karen started to whine, "And don't forget we have to drive Glo to the airport."

"I haven't forgotten. I'll be back in plenty of time."

Karen quickly shifted gears, and taking the bar of soap out of my hands began lathering my cock just as Gloria had done under similar circumstances. I was hard immediately.

Karen giggled, and said looking down at my groin, "That's the little guy I remember from last night, so nice and hard; and so nice and thick. I think it's time we play again."

I pressed my cock hard against her body, and said, "Why don't you drop that bar of soap and we can play 'horny inmate and the prison guard.'"

"Speaking of dropping things, what happened to you last night?"

"I guess I was finally overcome by my good fortune, and passed out. I hope you three were able to get along without me."

She giggled while answering, "Oh we got along all right."

"Who do I have to thank for the panty hose?"

She stared to laugh again, but didn't point an accusing finger at anyone, particularly at herself.

"Well I guess I should be thankful I didn't wake up with a dildo shoved up my ass."

"We thought about it, but you can thank Gloria for interceding."

"Only Gloria? Thanks a lot. I can see Jackie trying that, but my own wife..."

"Don't give me that, 'my own wife,' shit," she said laughing, "Not after what you put me through. Besides, the panty hose was the least we could do to you after dropping off and leaving us high and dry. Well, high and wet anyway," she laughed again at her pun, "But now that I think about it you didn't really leave us. You stayed hard well after you checked out. Jackie couldn't believe it. It took both Gloria and me to finally pull her off you."

"She banged me when I was asleep?"

A look of embarrassment crossed her face.

I knew what that look meant, and asked, pretending to be shocked, "All of you had a turn?"

Karen got defensive, "Well it would have been stupid of us to let it go to waste. I mean there it was sticking straight up, just crying for someone to...you know...sit on it."

I started to laugh, "You could have used the dildos, you dope."

"The hell with that, why go fake when you can use the real deal?"

"I feel so violated. I got date-raped by my own wife. I hope you and Jackie didn't start fighting over who would get the choice seat and give Gloria another shiner in the process."

"I'm sorry about that. I don't know what happened."

"I know. Both of you were acting like a couple of forty-year-old, adolescent brats, and it's..."

She cut me off with a kiss, "You don't have to scold me. I know we were acting like a couple of cun...bitches. Toward the end of the evening, though, I think we came to an understanding, and at least started to cut through some of the bullshit that has built up between us over the years. Don't get me wrong, we've still got a long way to go, and we'll never be the Brady Bunch, god forbid, but I don't think we'll be seeing a repeat of the Manson Family, either."

"Good. You know I wasn't kidding about trying to get Jackie back into our lives. She is our family, and she really is very sweet in a brain-dead sort of way."

"I know, and I'm also sorry...," she started to say, but stopped herself and lowered her eyes.

"Sorry for what?"

She looked up at me again, and said, "You know, for Roger."

I looked into her eyes, which were beginning to water from the upwelling of her tears. I kissed her, and said, "I know you are. I'm sorry also. I had no right to use it against you like I did last night after I said I had forgiven you. That wasn't fair of me," she smiled at me sweetly, and more tears followed, "But before you get all misty over my contrition, let me add that you're not to do that behind my back again."

She started to point out my apparent hypocrisy of demanding fidelity from her while at the same time banging her cousin and best friend, but I cut her to the quick, "I said behind my back. If there's someone or something you desire then tell me about it, and we'll see what we can do, but from now on you're to include me."

"Anyone and anything?" she purred.

"Within reason," I laughed.

Just like that, all my fears of Karen suspecting, questioning, and possibly discovering my administering of the elixir, evaporated. Now the seed had been planted in her mind that what once would have been considered an abnormal and suspicious occurrence, willing, unabashed sex with multiple partners, may now become a natural event. I could tell from the look she gave me that she was beginning to accept the idea. With any luck she may eventually accept the idea as her own, and in that way I can more easily moderate the use of the elixir, at least between the two of us.

She pulled me down to the floor of the shower, saying, "I'll have to give it some thought, but in the meantime I want you to stick that fat cock into me like you did last night."

Just as I entered her, we heard the bathroom door bang open and Gloria say excitedly as she dashed to the toilet, "Sorry. Don't mind me. I have to tinkle."

"Gloria, there is another bathroom in the house," Karen said with some irritation.

"Jackie's in there."

It was an awkward moment as Karen and I waited for Gloria to conclude her business. Both of us were trying not to laugh at our circumstance.

Karen whispered into my ear, "I guess she really has to go."

"Sounds like it," I said.

It was about a minute later when Gloria headed out the door, saying, "I'm next."

"Next for what," Karen yelled after her. Given the events of the past week, it was an open ended statement, and Karen knew it, "For a shower or for my husband?"

"Yes," Gloria replied ambiguously as she closed the bathroom door.

Karen stared at me for a moment, and then said with justified incredulity, "Why that little slut. If she thinks she can just fuck you any time she wants..."

I smiled at her and raised an inquisitive eyebrow, "It is her last day with us."

Karen thought for a moment. Her look of heightened irritation soon turned to one of benign acceptance, "Oh, all right," Karen finally relinquished, then guessing correctly what could follow, added, "But if Jackie asks for an early morning screw, the answer is no."

It would take Jackie and me about five minutes to convince her otherwise, although Karen stipulated that she be included; all for the sake of our newfound family harmony, of course.

******************

I was waiting in the lobby of New Body when I saw Roger Kendall get out of his car and walk toward the entrance. New Body was a very posh and exclusive health club and spa that was also associated with a world class golf course. Membership was restricted and expensive, even by entrenched, old money standards, and could not be obtained except by a recommendation from two other members. I was surprised the staff allowed me to hang around the lobby, but twenty dollars pushed into the right palm could still buy a certain degree of leeway and autonomy.

Fortunately for me, Kendall was an arrogant prick who had always made it a point at work to brag when and where he worked out over the weekends. He was also very punctual, so it wasn't just blind luck that I was at New Body waiting for him.

He looked irritated, probably because he was running late. His mood visibly worsened when he caught sight of me. Given my impromptu appearance at his weekend sanctuary, he probably thought I had found out about his involvement with Karen.

"Henry, what are you doing here?" he said as he sipped from a container of bottled water, barely making eye contact and barely concealing his contempt for me.

"Hi Roger, sorry for the intrusion. I know this is unorthodox, but I really need to talk to you about my situation at the office."

Kendall visibly relaxed when he realized I was not there to confront him about Karen, "Can't this wait 'till Monday?"

"No Roger, it can't, particularly because I rarely get a chance to talk with you at work," Kendall smiled wryly in response and kept walking toward to check-in desk. I continued talking as I followed, "Look, I don't know what caused this falling out between us, but I wish it would stop. I've worked hard on my accounts. Christ, I've worked on most of them for months, some even years, and I've got an established track record of success with all my clients, as you well know. I don't think it's right that you let my hard work go for naught by giving my accounts to someone else."

Kendall made some half-baked excuse for being an asshole, "I don't see things that way. I think your accounts could be doing better. They needed a fresh look, and fresh ideas. They needed someone younger to go ov..."

I purposefully cut him off, which annoyed him more, "If it's new ideas we need let's go over them. I've got millions that have been knocking around in my head. Let's just sit down and go over them. Invite one of the young Turks to pow-wow as well if you think someone younger could help, but don't just cut me out without..."

He held up a hand to cut me off and looked down his nose at me like I was some pathetic schmuck, hat in hand, begging for a few crumbs off the table. I knew then that he had finally decided to cut me loose from the job, but this wasn't the right time or place to really humiliate me to his sadistic satisfaction. He would wait until Monday, and do a proper job of twisting in the knife, probably in front of all my colleagues at work. For now, he would try and placate me, "Look Henry, I'm late; and this isn't the place to talk shop. We can go over your ideas on Monday."

It was a tone of dismissal. He turned his back to me, and put the water bottle down on the counter so that he could sign in at the desk. I saw my opening. I reached over his water bottle and snatched the pen out of his hand. I took out one of my business cards and scribbled my number on the back, saying, "I really don't want to wait until Monday, Roger. Here's my home number. Give me a call when you're done with..."

Irritated by my brash behavior, he didn't see the small wad of elixir-soaked flimsy fall into his bottle. It turned translucent the moment in hit the water, and in a few seconds, it dissolved completely. Kendall snatched the pen back, and said with contempt, "Keep your card. I've already got your number."

He took some swigs from the bottle and started to walk toward the gym entrance. Knowing my tenacity would piss him off even more, I followed and continued to make my pitch. As he got to the door, he turned around and slammed an outstretched hand into my shoulder. The force of the blow was purposeful and harder than he really needed to exert in order to stop my progress.

With a look of incredulity, he said, "Can't you read, Henry? 'Members Only'."

I ignored his physical violation and condescending attitude, and instead put a look of contrition on my face. My only regret was that I couldn't hang around and watch what was going to happen.

Seeing my look of embarrassment, he curled his lips into a cold smile, "I'll see you on Monday," and then he added with a wink, "Say hello to Karen for me."

I ignored that insult too, and smiled back affably, "That's kind of you Roger. I certainly will send her your regards. See you later...And enjoy it."

'And enjoy it,' I had said as a last goodbye. It was the only bit of arrogant showmanship I allowed myself to exhibit. Stupid, I know, but I needed to say it. I needed to believe that when his life was in tatters, he will think back on those words, and realize that somehow and in some way, I was the architect of his downfall...Well, I can dream, can't I?

Kendall drank the last remnants of his water. He shook his head at my cryptic words of valediction, and let the door close between us.

It would be the last time I ever saw him.

******************

By Tuesday of the following week, word began to filter down from Jack Avery, the President of the agency that Roger Kendall would be on permanent leave, which was a nice way of saying Kendall was shit-canned. I didn't get any details until Peter, a colleague of mine, stopped by my office. Although I never knew why, Peter hated Kendall as much as I did, and was naturally ecstatic to bring me the news.

"Did you hear about Kendall?"

I tried to contain my glee while casting an aura of surprise and ignorance about the whole situation, "Yeah, too bad. Is he sick?"

Peter started laughing hysterically, "Yeah, he's sick alright. Look, I've a few connections in the DA's office and I'm getting updates every so often, so you have to keep these details mum, but know how Kendall's always going on and on about that club he joined?...Jesus, he fucking bores the crap out of me with that shit...Anyway, he's at his club this past weekend and goes berserk."

He started laughing uncontrollably again, and I was having a hard time not joining in. I forced myself to stay straight-faced while asking, "What do you mean berserk?"

"I mean he had a full blown, total freak out of biblical proportions. I heard he physically accosted a bunch or other members at his gym; men, women, even some freaking kids that were there, the sick fuck. Well, I don't really know about the kids, but I heard kids were there..."

"What do you mean accosted?"

"I mean, old buddy, he's running around that snooty health club with his stiff schlong hanging out and grabbing anyone within reach while trying to bone them. I mean literally trying to fuck anyone he could, right there in front of God and everyone. Can you picture it, Kendall running around with a hard-on screaming at people to let him stick it in? All the members are screaming bloody murder and trying to get out of the gym at once. It was fucking pandemonium."

Both of us started laughing uncontrollably.

Peter continued between fits of laughter, "I guess toward the end he grabs a couple of chicks coming off the squash court, or whatever it is they play there, and he gets all 'Conan the Barbarian' with them. They're screaming. He's got a hold of one, and starts saying shit like 'Suck my dick, baby' and 'Bend over, I'll give you something to scream about,' and the whole time he's dry humping her leg like some mongrel. Anyway, one of them kicks him in the nuts and they get away, but the next thing anyone knows he's in the showers going after some old dude who's there with his grandkids. Can you believe that? What a sick fuck...Finally, someone at the club calls the cops because none of the staff want to go near him. The cops show up just in time to see him waving his hard-on around, spraying jizz everywhere...Fuck, it must have looked like a CSI crime scene with all the cum he shot out at everyone....Anyway, when the cops show, Kendall's running after some poor girl who was just there making deliveries. They finally tazed him."

"Jesus," I said with mocked incredulity, "Is he alright?"

"Fuck him, who cares? The cops should have shot him instead, but I guess he's okay. At least he's okay enough to be out on bail."

"Bail?" I said, surprised. I don't know why but I felt a tinge of remorse for Roger, maybe I had gone a little overboard with my revenge. These feelings didn't last long, however. 'Fuck him,' is right, but still...

"Yeah, I heard the DA might bring charges of attempted sexual assault against him. But the lucky prick will probably plead out on temporary insanity and get a couple of years community service...What's with the worry, I thought you hated the guy?"

"I do, but I wouldn't want to see anyone going to prison, even a cocksucker like Kendall."

Peter nodded his head in mocked understanding, "Like I said it probably won't come to that, but one thing's for sure he's not coming back here. Ding, dong, the dick head's gone, which brings me to the other good news."

"There's more?"

"Yeah, Avery needs to fill Kendall's spot. I don't know all the players yet, but I do know you're on the short list, old buddy," Peter smiled, and then added before heading out the door, "Fingers crossed."

******************

When I got home that evening, I told Karen all that I heard. Naturally, she was shocked and more than a little embarrassed that she had had a fling with a person capable of such degenerate behavior. I thought about reminding her of that fact and rubbing her nose in the Kendall mess one last time, but I had given her my word never to use it against her, so I let it go. She never said so directly, probably because the whole idea would have been construed as outlandish, but I got the impression that deep down she thought I had something to do with the incident.

In the coming days I busied myself deciding on how to take advantage of this opportunity. Kendall's old position would be a plum job that held industry prestige and vastly increased monetary benefits, and I could do just about anything with my own career advancement once attained. I figured another dinner party should do the trick in securing the position. It would be a small affair, nothing fancy but catered, with Karen and me, Avery and his lovely wife, Jackie of course, and maybe one or two of Karen's more buxom divorcée friends. Maybe this time I'll take pictures.