Rewards of Virtue

Alice collapsed on the parking lot and held her head in her hands. She was crying and wailing at Alex. "Oh Alex please don't do this. I want to be with you but I need a good fucking once in a while. I know I can be your woman after you learn how to take care of me. I really don't like the other boys but you just need to learn how to make love. I'll teach you but honey ..."

Alex broke in and said, "NO! I don't want anything to do with a SKANK. I had heard rumors but I didn't believe them. I thought you were a nice girl and I wanted to be with you. Now I don't. Just get the hell away from me." He reached down and pulled Alice up from the ground. He guided her over to the sidewalk and returned to his truck to head home.

Alice drove home dejectedly, tears streaming down her cheeks. As she was passing her grandmother's home the old lady saw her and waved. For some reason Alice went around the block and pulled into her grandmother's driveway. When she stopped her grandmother called out to her. "Child what ever is the matter with you? Come in here and tell me about it."

Alice slowly walked up to the porch and inside the old house. Her grandmother led her to the living room and sat down beside her on the couch. "Now tell me what's wrong honey."

Alice looked at her and began crying again. She said, "Alex saw me and Jason at church the Saturday before Christmas and he broke up with me today. He called me a Skank and said he didn't want anything else to do with me."

Mrs. Fowler looked at Alice a moment then said, "Alice what do you mean he saw you at church Saturday before Christmas? I don't remember having church that day. What were you doing there?"

"Oh grandma. Jason and I were in his car behind the building talking and..."

"Alice Fowler what were you doing going out with Jason again. I thought we all told you to stay away from that young man. Why would Alex call you a skank because you were talking to Jason... Alice are you sure you were talking to Jason? I've been hearing some pretty unflattering things about you lately. Did you maybe do something Alex didn't think his girl friend should be doing?"

Alice looked at her grandmother and then ran from her house crying once again. The old lady watched her leave and said to herself, "I'm sorry boy. I know my granddaughter is a Skank and I'm sorry you got hurt by her."

That evening seemed to be a watershed for Alice. She became less careful to hide her screwing around. It became common knowledge that any boy, any man for that matter, that got her alone could fuck her. If rumors could be believed she became an exceptionally good piece of ass too. She seemed to have a natural talent for fucking and loved men. Many times she let it be known that the more men she could have that night, the merrier. She almost became a gangbang queen.

Alice always had a wonderful singing voice. For years she had sang in the church choir. Many Sunday's during the service she sang a solo. When Alice sang anywhere people would stop to listen in rapture. All were amazed and uplifted by the pure clear sound coming from her mouth. Over the years the choir became so good that they traveled to perform. Slowly rumors began to circulate about Alice and some of the men in the choir and some of the men and boys she met during these trips. Wives, girlfriends and mothers began to complain when they saw their husband, boyfriend or son talking to Alice. They knew she was on the prowl again and wanted to protect their men from her. One Tuesday night just after choir practice the wife of the choir director caught him and Alice having sex in the church.

This was the last straw. Alice was excommunicated from the church and her father was asked to keep her out of the church building. Eventually the people in town turned away from Alice and her parents. Attendance at the services declined. Her father had to give up the ministry and her mother got fewer and fewer children to watch at the day care center. The consensus of opinion was that if they couldn't raise Alice better than they had no one wanted them influencing their children. In fact, several of the local men began wondering if, perhaps, Reverend Fowler was just a little too friendly with their wives.

Of course the wife of the Choir director divorced her husband and named Alice in the filing. The pictures she had of Alice and her husband somehow got circulated all over town. Since Alice's parents couldn't make a living in the small town they finally moved away. Eventually her father found another church to pastor but he never got another church even as large as the one in Steelville. Alice stayed with her grandmother part of the summer then when college started again she moved into a house in town with some friends. Her few remaining weeks in town were not very pleasant because none of the women and few of the men would talk to her. The men that did talk to her made it obvious they were only interested in one thing.

Alex didn't speak to Alice again after that evening at school until his third year in college. One evening he was walking back to his apartment after studying in the library when he heard a woman screaming and crying.

When he got closer to the center of a courtyard he found the sound was coming from the center of a large clump of bushes. He heard a vaguely familiar voice saying "NO, don't. That hurts. I don't do anal. PLEASE STOP IT. PLEASE."

Alex broke through the hedge and bushes. He saw a tall black man trying to get his cock into the ass of a very cute white coed. Without thinking Alex pulled the black student up and pushed him away. "The lady said stop. You going to get the hell out of here or are we going to have trouble asshole?"

"Hey man. Stay cool. Dis HO been doin' all the team. It jus my nite and now she doan wanna put out tha bootie. I wasn't a gonna hurt her none. Hell most of da Ho's like it once they start takin it inna ass. Shit. Fuck yo Bitch." He pulled his pants up and walked off through the bushes leaving Alex and the girl alone.

As Alex was turning around he heard the girl say, "Thank you. I thought I knew... ALEX? OH MY GOD, It is you. Thank you so much."

Alex got a good look at the girl for the first time and saw it was Alice. "Well Alice, if I had known it was you I might have just gone on by. Still fucking around I see. You really need to be more careful. You could get hurt sometime or catch a serious disease. Bye." Alex turned and walked out the way the colored boy had gone. He heard Alice sniffling in the background but never looked back.

Two weeks later when he got home from class he found Alice sitting on the steps to his apartment. He started to turn away when Alice said, "Alex, please can't we just talk? That's all; I just want someone to talk to. Please?"

Alex sighed and said, "I suppose. Come on in."

Alice said, "Thank you. And thank you again for what you did that night on the quad. It seems like all my boyfriends lately have been real assholes. None of them are anywhere near as nice as you were. I really miss just having you around to talk to. Remember all those conversations we used to have?"

Alex thought back to their childhood and smiled. He remembered the little girl he first met in grade school and all the fun they had. As they got older he remembered all the times they were at one house or another studying and just hanging out. He looked at the beautiful woman now sitting on his couch and smiled. "Yes," he said. "Sometimes I remember those days and wish we could go back to them. But we can't."

"Alex, I know I screwed up with you and I'm sorry but please, can't we just visit sometimes? I am so lonesome here and I don't go home much. I don't seem to get along with people back there very well and not many of the girls here will have anything to do with me."

Alex didn't say so but he was sure her problems were caused by her willingness to fuck anything with a dick. Naturally no woman would want her around their men because they would be afraid she would try to steal them. Of course her causing the choir director's divorce didn't endear her to people in Steelville either. In any event, he did feel sorry for her and agreed to visit with her if he could find the time.

Alice jumped up and said, "Oh, thank you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and started out the door. "Oh, here are my phone number and address. Please call me?"

She turned once again and left him standing there watching her bounce down his sidewalk. He thought again she was so beautiful and had such a nice personality. He wondered how she could be such a skank.

That was the beginning of their time together at college. They never dated and never even thought about having sex with each other. Their relationship was as near platonic as a male and female could be. Alex decided it was at least good he could have Alice in his life as a friend.

One night after ten p.m. Alex heard a banging on his door. When he turned on the light he saw Alice sitting on his steps. She was huddled over crying. Alex opened the door and walked out to Alice. He gathered her into his arms and helped her up and into his apartment. He said, "Alice what's the matter? Are you OK?"

Alice looked in his face and said, "Oh, Alex I did it again. I just couldn't help myself and went dancing with a boy from one of my classes. My fiancé caught us at the bar and followed us to his apartment. He waited for me and when I came out he took my ring and told me to forget about him that he didn't need a cheating bitch for a wife."

Alex held her until she quit crying then he asked, "Alice honey. You know running around on your boyfriends is wrong. You know it always ends up like this. Why in the heck do you do it?"

"Alex I just can't help it. I don't care how much I like the man I'm with. After a while I get bored. The sex gets to be the same every night. I know what he will do to me and how he will do it. I just need more. I need the excitement of a different lover from time to time. I know it's wrong but I just can't help myself. When a really hot guy comes onto me I don't even think. I just feel the excitement of the new relationship and before I know it I go out with him."

Alex sighed and held her until she fell asleep. He laid her back on his couch and covered her with a blanket then went back to bed. By the time Alex got up the next morning Alice was gone. He found a note on his refrigerator. It said, "Alex, thank you for being a good friend. I'm sorry I bothered you again. We will graduate soon and I won't see you again probably so thank you. I think in my way I love you. I think I love you more than I ever have any other man. If I can ever beat this affliction I have I will look you up once more. Love, Alice"

Although Alex had dated some during his college years he never found the right girl. Some of them came close and there was one he thought was special until she found he had to do 4 years Active Duty with the Navy when he graduated. When she found that out she left him. About two weeks after he found Alice on his doorstep during his last semester of college it came to a head.

When Alex told his girlfriend he had been selected for active duty she looked at him and said, "Alex you know my father was in the Navy. He was gone all the time. He was never home for mother and us kids. He spent 20 years and retired. I watched my mother die inside every time he deployed. I heard her cry night after night because he was out drinking and whoring around with the other officers. We heard several times that when he was over seas he went to the bars and did the bar girls. Mother loved him and put up with it. I won't. I will never marry a military man. I would have made an exception for you if you had been selected for reserve service but not active duty. I'm sorry. We might have had a chance except for that. Every nice man I have ever seen in the Navy is at risk and the mercy of the B Girls. I know a lot of them never succumb but I won't take the chance. Good bye Alex." She gave him a gentle kiss and walked away, never even looking back. She refused to take his phone calls after that. A couple of weeks later he saw her out with one of their classmates and finally gave up on her.

Alex had some trouble keeping his mind on his studies for a couple of months after Petra dumped him. Finally, after mid term grades were posted his Professor of Naval Science called him into his office. What started out as a dressing down quickly became a combination of dressing down and commiseration. The PNS said, "Alex I know this hurts right now but you have to snap out of it. If there is a bright side to this it may be you found out now instead of after you were married. You could have a bright future ahead of you but you have to buckle down and study now. I have been divorced and I am sure my career was a big part of that. Not all women are like your girl friend or my first wife though. All I can say is for you to keep looking. Now get back to your apartment and do some studying. Good luck."

That little pep talk helped and Alex began doing better. He studied hard and passed all his courses that semester. He graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Agribusiness. He was commissioned in the Navy Supply Corps when he graduated. He went home for two weeks after college then went away for four years of Navy service.

One of the last stops he made before he left was to "Grandma" Fowler. Even though Alice had treated him so badly she still looked at him as one of hers. When she hugged him good bye she said, "Alex you're one of the good ones. You always treated me so nicely and took better care of me than my blood relatives did. I pray I am still here when you come back but if I'm not, remember me and that I loved you like one of my own." Alex looked over his shoulder when he opened her yard gate and saw the tears running down her cheeks. She stood with her hand raised waving good-bye until he was out of sight.

After Alex left his home to see the big world there were many women in his life. Most of them were one-night stands and yes, like many Navy men there were a lot of Bar Girls but he was always careful and used a rubber. Aids was nothing to take a chance with. By the time he was separated from Active Duty Alex had at least a Masters Degree in plain and fancy fucking. It had been years since a woman had left his bed unsatisfied.

Alex took his time returning home from his last duty station. He drove his new SuperCrew F250 Powerstroke across country. If he saw something he wanted to see he stopped. If he found a place he liked he stopped for a while. He met so many friendly people he lost count. If truth be told he was looking for a place to light. He knew his parents were getting older and really wanted him to return to the family farm but he just wasn't sure what he wanted. None of the women he had met were what he was looking for and none of the places he saw were where he wanted to stay so he kept moving, getting ever closer to home.

Finally, just after noon one Thursday he topped the rise that had hidden his hometown of Steelville from sight. He slowed down as he rolled into town. He had only been home once in the four years he had been in the Navy. He hadn't been home at all in the last three years. As far as he could see not much had changed. The pool hall was still open but the quick pick and café were closed. There were some new houses but some of the old ones were gone.

Alex slowly drove through town and out the road toward his parent's home. He was looking forward to seeing them but...

When he got home his father was in the field like he normally was during much of the season and his mother was sitting in the sunroom with her ice tea. She hadn't seen him drive up and when he opened the door to enter the house she called, "Don is that you? Is something wrong Honey?"

When she saw Alex step into the room she sat her tea down so hard it turned over and spilled. She was out of her chair and running to him before she even noticed it. "Oh, Alex. You're home. Why didn't you let us know you were coming home? Your father is out somewhere. Are you out of the Navy or is this just a visit?"

"I'm out Ma. I thought about staying but... Well, like I have told you in my letters I like the Navy but some of the Bullshit I just can't put up with. I am going to stay in the reserves though. That will be a nice little income every year and if I can stay for my 20 years it will be a pretty nice retirement check when I turn 60. Now if I can just decide what I want to do..."

"Well, Honey there's always the farm. I know your father has always wanted you to have it and to keep it in the family for at least another generation. He was talking to me about that just last week. It is getting harder for both of us to do everything as we get older. He's 58 now and with the hard life he's led he is getting around a little worse every year."

"Your cousins and Uncles are still busy with the Feed and Farm Supply store as well as the resort but none of them are interested in helping around here. They had to close the little lunch counter in the store because they needed the room for a higher profit stock. We all got to going there after the café closed when Bessie got too ill to run it. No one in town wanted to put in a café or bother with the little coffee shop so they were just closed. Other than that I guess everything is about the same as when you were here last."

"We'll see Ma. Lord knows I like it here. I have been out almost a month now and just took my time driving home. I was looking for a place to live and a job I wanted to do but nothing jumps out at me like this place does. I think I have enough money stashed away to be able to take my time finding a position. Of course the few shares I have in the business will help with income if I need it."

Over the next couple of weeks Alex made the rounds. He renewed old acquaintances and reconnected with his extended family. From time to time when he drove to the family store he would look at the old quick pick store and the large unused building next to it. Part of that building had been the local café before it closed. The rest had been a feed store at one time. It almost made him sick to see those buildings and the pool hall next door falling into disrepair.

Several days when he was in the feed store he would hear locals complaining about not having anywhere close to buy emergency grocery items or get a quick meal in town. They kept asking his Grandfather if he would put his lunch counter back in. A small idea began to form in his mind. He had a degree in Agribusiness and had been a Navy Supply Officer. He had been in charge of the Navy Exchange and Shoppettes on one duty station and had been Food Service Officer on a ship. He knew he could run a business. In fact he had almost been ready to take a position in the family business part time and help his father with the farm the rest of the time. What if he opened a small store, café and service station?

Alex didn't discuss his thought with anyone in the family. He stopped one day and walked around the buildings. They needed a face-lift but they seemed to be structurally sound. They were in a pretty good location. They were only about a block from the feed store and were across the street from the post office. They were on the main street through town so some traffic would pass by every day. He found out who owned the buildings and called them to see if they were for sale. After some negotiation Alex bought the two empty buildings for a very good price. The owner kept the pool hall and told Alex he was crazy to buy the two empty buildings because the town was dieing.

Still Alex didn't tell anyone his plans. He just told his parents he had taken on a project and would be able to help them some if they needed it but most days he would be busy in town. Of course in such a small town it wasn't long before everyone figured out Alex was remodeling the old café and quick pick store. Finally people started dropping in to see the work in progress and questioning Alex on his plans. He admitted he was probably crazy but he was going to reopen the quick pick and café to see if he could make a go of them. He obtained a license to sell liquor in the quick pick and by the glass in the café.