Freak the Freak Out

Finally someone answered the phone. "Hi sis," said Jessica.

"Jessie, do you know where Darren is?" asked Helen.

"I'm pretty sure that I could find him, if it was important," said Jessica.

"God damn it Jessie. He's with you right now isn't he? Jessie you promised me that you'd wait..."began Helen.

"It's out of my hands," said Jessica. "Besides I only promised to leave him alone until their marriage was over. And after the way she treated him and what she did to him last night, their marriage is fucking over."

"Please tell me that things haven't gone too far Jessica. You haven't..." asked Helen.

"Of course not, I'm not like his fucking wife. I'm not the kind of woman who goes into clubs and lets strange men rub all over her titties. I don't tell my man I'm going out to have sex with another guy and then expect him to like it," said Jessica.

"Jessica, where is he now? She needs to talk to him," said Helen.

"I don't think he's ever going to talk to her again," said Jessica. But right now he's going out to have some final little touches done to his car. If she wants a chance to talk to him, her best bet might be tonight at your club. The one I sang at last week. I'll be there tonight, to try out the song he wrote me, in front of an audience."

"We'll be there," said Helen.

"Sis, you and the little wife and your gang of sluts had better dress for it, or you won't get in. There are going to be a lot of people there tonight. It's going to be different."

Helen wondered what her sister meant by different. It didn't matter though. They were all attractive women and had never had a problem getting in before.

Inside the office Agatha Harkness looked over her newest patient. Agatha knew that people sometimes thought of her more like a witch than a psychiatrist. She was able to do things in therapy that were almost magical. She was able to save marriages and relationships that had been written off by others.

She would probably have to be a true mistress of the magical arts to pull this one off though. As she listened to the crying, nearly hysterical woman speak she was shocked. For ten years the woman had mentally abused her husband and he put up with it.

If the shoe had been on the other foot, Agatha knew that she'd have told any woman who had put up with such treatment to run and get out of the marriage and never look back.

She felt a bit hypocritical though because here she was listening to the woman talk and trying to find a way for her to come to terms with her problem.

The bad part is that Melissa still doesn't seem to realize that she is the problem. She keeps claiming that she knows that she wasn't very good to Darren but it still didn't give him the grounds to just freak out and divorce her with no warning.

Melissa still believes that her treatment of Darren was justified because some college wolf took her cherry and dumped her.

"Okay Melissa, " said Agatha. "I think I've heard enough of your story to get an idea of where we're going. I need to ask you a few questions. Is that okay?" Melissa nodded her head.

"Melissa, was Darren the guy back in college who took your virginity and then humiliated you and dumped you?" asked Agatha.

"No that was Ryan," said Melissa. Her voice showed stress even saying his name.

"So your behavior now is partially a defense mechanism against what happened to you back then. You want to make sure that never happens to you again, correct?"

"I guess so," said Melissa.

"And you also want a bit of revenge for your humiliation, don't you?" asked Agatha.

"Maybe," said Melissa.

"Do you feel that way against all men or only the one who hurt you?" asked Agatha.

"It would be silly to feel that against every man." said Melissa. "I don't hate men. I'm quite comfortable with them."

"Right, you've been letting a few of them become very familiar with you in the clubs, you said. What about your husband? Does he often rub on your body parts in public?" asked Agatha.

"Of course not." said Melissa. "That would be embarrassing. I'd never let him."

"But you let strange men do it." said Agatha.

"It's different. When those men do it. It's because they just want me. They want to use me. All they want is sex and they're never going to get it. But Darren loves me so he should know better. He should respect me," said Melissa.

"So what you do in the club is a way of proving that you won't let the wrong man hurt you again?" asked Agatha.

"Maybe," said Melissa. She hadn't ever considered that.

"Why did you have sex with Ryan?" asked Agatha. "Why did you pick him to be the man you first gave yourself to?"

"Well he was handsome and he said things that made me believe he was going to be with me forever. And we'd have the life I always wanted. I thought that he loved me. But it was just a lie, so he could have sex with me and then dump me. And everyone at the school knew how stupid I was. It was humiliating."

"Okay what about afterwards?" asked Agatha. "Did you date a lot after that?"

"No," snapped Melissa. "The only guys who asked me out after that, thought that I was easy or stupid."

"What about Darren? Did he think you were easy?" asked Agatha.

"I made him wait weeks before I went out with him," smiled Melissa. "And he was very respectful."

"Melissa all of the things you wanted from Ryan. They seem a lot like the things that you have with Darren. Even down to the type of house you wanted. Is that a coincidence? Or did Darren want the same things?" asked Agatha.

Melissa laughed. "Darren doesn't care where we live or what we live in. He just wants to be with me," said Melissa.

"Does he ever force you to have sex with him? Or beat you?" asked Agatha.

"Of course not," snapped Melissa. "Darren loves me."

"Does he call you names? Or abuse you mentally?" asked Agatha. "Has he ever cheated on you or put other women before you?"

"Oh no, he knows better than that. I'd never stand for any of that shit," said Melissa loudly.

"Of course not," said Agatha. "So why do you think Darren has? You told me that he's a good looking man. Why do you think he put up with you doing just those things that you wouldn't tolerate, for so long?"

"I think that you're the luckiest woman in the world. You had something bad happen to you. We've all had bad things happen to us. But you never got over yours. Part of growing up is learning to move on from tragic or difficult times. You went away to college as a young girl with stars in her eyes and romantic notions. While there you met up with an asshole, who you thought could give you the fairy tale life you wanted. When he revealed himself to be an asshole, you wanted revenge. So you've spent ten years making the guy who truly has given you everything you wanted pay, for something he didn't do."

Melissa's jaw dropped. Her eyes got bigger and she started to say something but couldn't find the words.

"If you had met your husband first, you'd have a perfect life wouldn't you?" asked Agatha.

"Yes," hissed Melissa.

"So in other words your husband is being punished, not only to make up for how badly some guy in college treated you, but he's also having to pay because you couldn't keep your legs closed until the right man came along. He has to pay because you can't find the guy who abused you. He also has to pay because you can't blame yourself, for letting the wrong man through your guard." Agatha shook her head.

"Nameless guys in bars and clubs can put their hands all over you in public, but the one man who's loved you and put up with your shit for over ten years has to wait for you to give him permission to show you he loves you. Is that why you're here?"

"Dr. Harkens, it really isn't as bad as you make it seem," said Melissa. "Darren and I have sex all the time, at least once a month. If I could just figure out what's wrong with him and how to fix it. Things could go back to normal."

"Melissa, get out of my office. Come back when you're ready to face reality. I can't believe I'm saying this. It's really unprofessional but I hope your husband does get away from you."

A few moments later Melissa stormed out of the office. Helen got up when she saw her friend emerge from the office.

"That woman is a quack," snapped Melissa. "She doesn't know her ass from hole in the ground. She can't fix me a sandwich let alone fix my husband."

"What did she think? What did she say?" asked Helen.

"I told her how Darren has been acting crazy lately, with all of this talk about a divorce and everything. So she sat me down on that fucking couch and asked me all kinds of questions about my marriage and my life. She seems to think that I'm the problem," said Melissa.

"Melissa, I know you don't believe Dr. Harkness, but I'm your friend. Do you remember what I thought you should do?" asked Helen once they'd gotten back in Melissa's car.

"You told me I should suck his dick," said Melissa flatly.

"I didn't mean that literally," said Helen. "I don't know whether or not you're into the whole oral thing. What I meant was that if you want to keep him. You're going to have to do some things to make him happy for a change."

"He's always been happy up until this point," snapped Melissa.

"No Melissa, he wasn't. Maybe he was happy to be with you because he loves you. But I don't think the was ever happy with the way you treated him. No one would be. Let me ask you a question. There's no one here except us. I won't ever tell anyone the answer you give me, but you need to be honest. Okay?"

"Okay," said Melissa tentatively.

"Why do you want Darren back?" asked Helen. "And how important is it?"

"It's really important," said Melissa. "I guess I didn't realize it until a few days ago. I always thought that I could control the way I felt about him and keep him at arm's length. It actually started about a month ago. Darren made me go with him to visit these awful people. Tim and Elaine something or other. They were all over each other, and they had a baby. And they just looked at each other like no one else on the fucking planet mattered."

"Tim and Elaine Matthews?" asked Helen. "Oh shit, you're lucky they didn't start making out in front of you."

"Anyway, they were in their kitchen and I heard her tell her husband that she thought that Darren was really nice, but that I was a bitch," said Melissa.

"Melissa, you are," said Helen. "And you know the way that you saw Tim and Elaine look at each other, Darren looks at you that same way. But if you don't get your head out of your ass, he's going to get over you and start looking at someone else that way."

"Remember that dick sucking thing we were talking about? My little sister is kind of wild, but she does have some scruples. She won't go after him for real, until you have your divorce papers in hand. But trust me she won't wait for the divorce to be final. And while you're sitting back waiting for him to come back to you, she will literally be sucking his dick every chance she gets."

"While you're hoping he'll remember how you let him have you every once in a while when you really felt like it. That girl will be fucking him until he can't move every night."

"You have one advantage right now. That's the fact that he's loved you for so long. You're almost a part of him. The balance right now is tipped in your favor, but every day things get a little bit more even between you and my sister."

"Right now when he thinks of you he still sees you laid out on your couch, he still thinks you fucked someone else and it's causing him a lot of pain and hurt. When he sees her, he thinks about how she painted his car and how he wrote her a song, and she's helping him to get over you."

"Very soon the two of you will be even in his eyes. If the comparison between you and my sister ever gets close to even, Melissa, you'll lose. I've already told you she's prettier than us and built better. She's also willing to do anything it takes to get her man. That girl has already sown her wild oats and is ready to settle down and start having babies."

"Not with my husband she's not," screamed Melissa.

Chapter 8

Helen called Sandra and Danielle. Both women had already expected to be going out. It was after all their favorite night to go to the club. They all agreed to meet at Melissa's house as usual.

Sandra told them that tonight would be her final night clubbing with them. She'd met a man on one of her dates that she really liked and he wasn't very happy about her going to clubs all of the time.

"So you're going to dump us for some guy?" asked Danielle.

"Look dumb ass, the only reason we go to the clubs anyway is to meet someone, right?" said Sandra. Most of the time we meet idiots and losers, so we're back the next week. I think I've found a good one. He's not perfect, but no one is. So yeah, If you want to put it like that, I'm dumping your ass. We'll still hang out and visit each other but I'm not going to go out acting like a slut when I've already got what I want."

"You're going to let some guy, control you?" asked Danielle in shock.

"Fuck yeah," said Sandra. "The way that man makes me feel, he can get me to do anything he wants. If you weren't so bitter because your ex husband's new wife is younger and prettier than you, you'd be jealous of me."

"Bullshit," snapped Danielle. "I'll always be in control. I'll never give that up."

"Well I hope that your control keeps you warm at night. And when you're miserable, maybe your control will wrap its arms around you and tell you everything is going to be okay. We're getting older Danni, it's time for us to grow up. A few years from now my guy will be hugging me and telling me that he doesn't care if my ass is getting fatter. He loves me and our kids will too. You'll be a lonely bitter old bitch with control. But without a man, what will you really be controlling?"

"Melissa, you've been sleeping alone for a couple of nights. And Darren has been doing things for about a week that really piss you off. You're losing control of your husband. Which one do you miss the most. Having him do everything you tell him to, or having him come in and wrap his arms around you while you're in bed?"

"Oh God, please don't let me be too late," sobbed Melissa.

When they got to the parking lot at the club, they realized that there was a problem. The lot was closed but there were still a lot of spots open and visible.

There was also a line stretching nearly down the block.

"What the fuck is going on?" asked Danielle.

"I told you we needed to get here early," snapped Helen. "I told you Jessie said it was going to be different tonight."

They got out of the car and walked past the line. The bouncer who normally let them in, waved them back towards the line. "We won't get in for hours at this rate," said Sandra.

Helen walked away and took out her phone. She started talking to someone and then started smiling. "We're in. Come on," she said. She walked back to the same bouncer and handed him her phone. He spoke for a few minutes and waved them in.

As the women made their way towards the door, they were startled by a loud mechanical roar. A line of at least twenty Yellow Mustangs pulled into the parking lot. The third or fourth car in the line was a startling convertible. Melissa was almost in tears as she saw Jessica's long wild hair flying as the car passed them and went into the parking lot.

In the driver's seat next to Jessica, was Melissa's husband Darren. He didn't even notice her as he passed. He got out of the car and opened Jessica's door for her. They went into the club through a side entrance and disappeared.

Helen grabbed Melissa's arm and dragged her inside. After a few minutes it was apparent that they wouldn't be able to get a table. One of the guys that Danielle was friendly with was seated at a table by himself. They sat down with him.

Danielle went off to dance with him. The same guy who sat with Melissa the previous week came over to her. "Now where were we?" he said wrapping his and around her.

"Get the fuck away from me," snapped Melissa. "I don't need to risk my husband seeing you near me."

Upon hearing that she was married, the man shrugged his shoulders and immediately left.

"Too little too late," said Helen. "Jessie saw that guy all over you and rubbing your tits last week. I'm sure Darren already knows about it."

Melissa's heart lurched in her chest. Seemingly everything she was going through right now only seemed to involve more reasons why Darren should want to be free of her.

She suddenly realized that she had never been in control of anything. He had simply chosen doing what she wanted, because he loved her. Now he had chosen not to, and she wanted him back badly. He didn't need to aske her permission to do anything, but she needed for him to forgive her and come home. It was his choice, so she really wasn't in control. Maybe he'd been the one who was in control all along.

She got up and started looking around the club. He had to be here somewhere, and she needed to talk to him. Waiting wouldn't make things any better, and it might even make them worse. There were a large group of people gathered by the right side of the small stage. Tables had been moved near there taking up a section of the dance floor. Melissa had never seen this done in the club before and thought that it might have something to do with Darren. She moved closer to that area and was suddenly standing in front of two huge bouncers, who had their arms folded across their massive chests.

They looked down at Melissa as if she was a bug.

"No admittance," said one of the bouncers. He looked away from her as if the conversation was over. There would be no further discussion on the subject regardless of the reason.

Melissa looked at the people in the special section. They didn't seem to be particularly special. There was a cross section of old and young people. There were obviously well off people and some who just as obviously weren't. She couldn't put her finger on anything that tied them together.

Then Melissa saw a familiar face. It was that woman who'd called her a bitch. The woman saw Melissa at nearly the same time and they made eye contact. Elaine waved at Melissa and told her to come over to her table.

Melissa pointed at the massive bouncers. Elaine stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. The bouncers turned around and she pointed at Melissa. The bouncer's massive head pivoted on his column-like neck and in a voice like lurch from the Adams family he invited her in.

"Thanks," said Melissa. "Please don't be angry with me for asking you this, but where's your husband? It just seems strange to see you without him."

"You know, I hear that all the time. I guess people don't realize that we both lived a long time and had lives before we ever met. We'd both been married before too. But it really does seem like my life truly started with our first date. Anyway Tim is backstage trying to keep your husband from throwing up. Today is not a good day for Darren," said Elaine."First , I guess you two are having problems. I don't know what kind or how serious they are, so don't expect me to say anything. Then apparently Darren used to play the guitar back about 12 years ago, but he never actually played in front of people. Suddenly tonight he's going to be not only in front of an audience , but there are people from a record company or two, here as well. Then he got his ass handed to him." Elaine noticed that Melissa's eyes got harder and her lips got tighter too.

"Damn, there might be hope for you yet," said Elaine."

"What do you mean?" asked Melissa.

"For a while I'd been thinking about you in the same terms as my ex. That maybe you don't really care about Darren, and he'd be better off with someone else. But I noticed that you got a bit pissed when I mentioned that he got his ass handed to him. So maybe you do care a little bit. Don't worry, nobody beat him up. We don't fight. What happened was that Darren got a little bit happy about his car. It's really a cute car, by the way. He tried to race Chrissie. It really wasn't pretty. Chrissie beat him in a single lap of the track from a standing start by more than ten seconds."