Country Roads

She noticed and said, "I think you're worried about what you're going to find at home, John, but you don't have to worry."

"Shut up!" he muttered. He didn't care if she stopped right there and made him get out of the car. He never wanted to hear her voice again.

"I will if you want me to, but I spoke to Loretta this morning," Ida said.

"I don't want to hear anything from you," he said. "You're pure evil. You belong in prison for what you did to me."

"You agreed to everything," she said. "Before you do anything foolish, don't forget. I have it on video. Remember, the second night when you told the camera you were doing everything willingly. And it was the truth. You did agree to our deal. I'm taking you home just as I promised. You could have taken your chances on the highway. I wasn't holding you prisoner."

John was silent, thinking. Finally, he spoke.

"What did you say just now?"

"You mean before you yelled at me?"

"Yes."

"I said I talked with Loretta."

He looked at her with wild eyes.

"What?"

"You heard me, John," she said. "I told her you were nearly home. I want to drive you there safely, without any drama. Will you let me talk? I can't hear you, John."

She was shouting.

"Yes!" he shouted back.

She took a breath and lowered her voice.

"Do you know a woman named Mary Beth Jerome?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Answer my question."

"Mary Beth was my girlfriend in high school, but what does that have to do with Loretta?"

"Did you see Mary Beth at your tenth high school reunion?"

John thought for a moment, and then he yelled out, "Oh no!"

"Calm down," Ida said. "Now it all makes sense, doesn't it?"

"Someone told Loretta the story about me and Mary Beth at the reunion," he said. "I can't believe it. That was more than five years ago. Somebody must have told Loretta. Why would she believe that lie?"

"Because you fucked Mary Beth at the reunion."

"No, no, no. That's what people were saying the next morning, but it was just a story. I danced with her a few times and I got really drunk and I took her to her room and went to my room and fell asleep with my clothes on. I didn't do anything. How could Loretta believe that lie? I would never cheat on her."

"It isn't a lie," Ida said. "I'll be charitable and admit that maybe you were too drunk to remember. But you definitely weren't too drunk to perform."

"What are you talking about? You weren't there."

"I saw the videos Loretta showed me. There's no doubt it was you. You and Mary Beth were naked and going at it like rabbits in every position. All the lights in the room were on, and there were about a dozen girls and guys around the bed cheering you on and recording everything with their phones.

"Mary Beth even let you go into her ass, although as soon as you did she started yelling for you to pull out. But you were too drunk to hear her above the cheering, because you kept going until you came inside her ass.

"She slapped you a few times and ran into the bathroom crying and it was over. Some of the girls pulled your clothes on and the guys dragged you off. It's all on video. Loretta can show you when you get home."

"No, no, I don't want to see it! I don't want to remember it."

John stopped. Tears were streaming from his eyes. He forgot what pain his body was in. He forgot Ida sitting next to him. Then he began explaining to her, although it was more like he was talking to himself.

"I felt uneasy the next morning when they kidded me about Mary Beth. I didn't see her that morning and they told me it was because she could barely walk. I was sure they were making it all up. But that was more than five years ago. Nobody showed me any video."

"Remember Mississippi maidens, John?" Ida said. "They never forget. Loretta probably would have never heard about it except for her friend, Penny, who came to work at her company a year and a half ago. Penny is married to one of your high school classmates and knew the story. One night, she had too many drinks and told Loretta. Loretta didn't believe her until Penny made her husband get the video from one of his friends.

"You know how passionate and emotional Loretta is. She told me that at first she wanted to cut up your nice face and then geld you. When she calmed down a little, she decided to throw all your stuff on the front lawn and change the locks.

"But she didn't, because she realized that despite her fury and thirst for revenge, she still loved you. Even while she was planning everything that happened to you the last few days, she was careful and protective. She wanted you to feel humiliation and pain but not be damaged permanently.

"My job was not only to torment you but also protect you from someone who might have seriously hurt you while you were hitchhiking. I guess I did a good job, because you're still in one piece.

"You probably think I'm a monster. Should I tell you the truth? It was easy because I thought you were just another lying, cheating bastard husband. Right now I'm feeling a little weird because of what you just said."

John listened to Ida in silence. When she finished, he didn't respond. He just stared straight ahead as she drove. When he heard a sound, he turned to look at her. Tears were streaming down her face.

"What now?"

"Nothing," she said through her tears. "I believe you about Mary Beth. I'm sorry, that's all."

When she pulled into the parking lot of a Denny's, he said, "Why are we stopping here? We're nearly home."

"Get a cup of coffee," she said. "I need to go to the ladies room."

He waited for her outside. When fifteen minutes had passed, he went inside and saw her sitting at a table drinking a cup of coffee and looking at her cup. She was startled as he came up to her.

"I didn't see you and thought you left," she said.

"Let's go," he said.

"Please sit down for a second. I need to tell you something before we go"

He sat opposite her and looked at her. She was staring into her coffee. Finally, she raised her head and spoke. She no longer looked as confident as she had for the past few days. He heard her trying to keep the emotion out of her voice.

"I shouldn't feel so bad, because being drunk is no excuse. You're still a cheater, and Loretta didn't deserve what you did to her. You could still be lying to me. Cheaters are good at lying. But for some reason, I believe you. I called Loretta a few minutes ago and told her what you said in the car.

"It really broke her up. She said that she's been a wreck thinking of you for the last few days. Yesterday she went to see your minister and confessed everything. He said it took a lot to shock him, but he had never heard the like.

"He told her she had forgotten 'Exodus twenty-one twenty-four' and 'Matthew five thirty eight.' He said he could understand how hard it was for her to turn the other cheek, but even worse was violating 'an eye for an eye.' You had wronged her, but she had gone way overboard in punishing you. It was more like an eye for a tooth. He said that she needed to ask you for forgiveness and to never talk about Mary Beth again.

"Loretta said she knew the minister was right. She had known it even before he told her. She intended to hurt you more with the videos I made and the one she made of the guy filling her with come. She hired him when she had a dream about drowning you in a vat of come. She destroyed that video already, and she said she'd destroy the videos I put in your suitcase.

"John, I could tell she still loves you tremendously and would give anything for you to forgive her. I think you love her, too. You may be thinking about a divorce lawyer -- or maybe a prosecutor, but I hope --"

"Let's go!" John said impatiently.

"All right," said Ida.

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

When they pulled up to his house, John jumped out of the car and began running to the door.

"Wait!" yelled Ida. "Your suitcase."

He walked quickly back to the car and pulled it out.

"I'll be right back with your money," he said.

"Don't be silly," she said. She hadn't said anything since they had left the coffee shop, but he had heard her quiet sobs through the country music.

"I think you're a good man, John. Loretta already paid me. Tell her I'm donating everything except my expenses to my church. Tell her I hope God blesses both of you and your marriage. Goodbye."

She drove off quickly. John stood watching her car disappear. All of a sudden, he wasn't so eager to run up to the front door. He walked to the door slowly with the suitcase, wondering what to do. Should he knock? Should he turn the handle to see if it was open?

Before he could decide, the door opened and he saw Loretta standing there. She looked more beautiful to him than ever. She was smiling and crying at the same time.

"Hi, honey," she said. "I'm glad you're finally home."

For background on the stories of edrider73, see "Author Interview: edrider73" by Literoticauthor. Tag: "author interview."