The Game

"To be honest, he signed on this afternoon. This is a celebration."

"Jake, I wish you had told me. I had to pay a babysitter. I better go send her home."

He reached out a hand to stop her. All he had to do was get her inside his house and she'd see that he was the one for her.

"Please, Libby," he said with a cajoling voice, "come inside. I have dinner waiting." When she hesitated, he added, "I'm in the mood to celebrate and I've no one to do it with. Just come in and eat. I don't want to be alone."

With a sigh she took a step forward. "All right, but just for a little bit. I have to get back to my kids."

"Of course."

Jake ushered her inside, hiding a triumphant smile. She was his now and there was no stopping fate. He inhaled her fragrance as she walked by him. She smelled of soap and the softest hint of perfume. The way she looked, the way she smelled could only mean that she'd gone to a lot of trouble to make herself alluring for him.

He had candles lit and the lights turned low. Miles Davis was on the stereo and wine was chilling in a bucket near the fireplace. The scene was set and the players were in place.

Appetizers were served in the living room. As he poured the wine, he asked her to have a seat. Libby seemed confused, acting as if she was uncomfortable, but Jake knew different. She knew exactly what was happening and he was going to oblige her.

His fingers touched hers when he handed her the glass. Libby's hand jerked, sloshing the wine onto her dress. Ever the gallant host, Jake was at her side, dabbing at the stain with a napkin. Just beneath the black silk of that skirt was the prize that he longed for and he thought he showed amazing restraint by not grabbing for it.

There would be time for that later, when she was more relaxed. As it was, she pulled her lap from under his hand. Her body's posture was one of rebuke, but her eyes said something different. Oh, she played at being annoyed, but that was all part of the game.

It was a game that Jake enjoyed, cat and mouse over hors d'oeuvres. She would pretend to be offended and he would be cajoling, teasing and glib. Then, when she tired of the game, she would surrender to the obvious victor -- him.

"Let's eat," he said after their second glass of wine. "I don't think I've ever seen you look more beautiful than you do tonight. I'm glad you're here."

As he extended a hand to her, she drew back and set her glass on the coffee table.

"Jake," she said slowly, rising to her feet, "I think you have the wrong impression here. You're my boss. I work for you."

"Yes, and?"

"And I don't think this is at all appropriate. I can appreciate the trouble you went to and all, but I'm going to leave now."

"Ah, Libby, don't be like that," he said smoothly. He took a step forward to take her hand and pull her toward the dining room.

"I'm serious," she said as she pulled her hand back. She was glaring at him now and he wasn't sure he liked it.

"Libby, is it so wrong for a man to want to spend an evening with a beautiful woman? I know you have to put on a show because of our situations, but don't you think you've carried it far enough?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Jesus, Jake. Just because you gave me a job doesn't mean you have a right to expect me to roll over for you. Get something straight right now. This isn't an act. I'm insulted and I'm angry. I'm going home."

"That's right," he said. He was feeling very annoyed himself. "I gave you a job. I created a job for you, even. Where would you be without my help?"

"Your hel...? Who the hell are you?"

"I'm the guy you owe your living to, babe, and it's time you started showing a little gratitude."

"Excuse me?" Libby's voice was shrill as took a step back, working her way around the coffee table. She was heading for the door and not taking her eyes off Jake.

"Where do you think you're going?" he yelled as he lunged for her.

They tumbled together, landing on the couch with him on top. He pinned her wrists in one hand, using the other to reach inside the neckline of her dress.

"Get off me!" she screamed.

Libby nearly succeeded in connecting her knee with his groin. His reflexes were sharp, though, and he deflected the blow with his thigh. He managed to get inside her bra and let his fingers pinch and pull at one ripe nipple.

She gasped in shock, fighting in earnest now. Jake had to wonder what kind of game she was playing. He thought she was taking it way too far.

"Get off me!" she shrieked again. "You bastard. I'll call the cops, do you hear?"

Her voice was silenced when he ground his mouth against hers. He forced his knee between her thighs, tearing the fabric of her dress. She screamed again, digging her nails into the side of his face.

The sight of his blood on her fingers made him stop, if only for a minute. Jake was past irritation now. The crimson that stained the flesh of her hand flooded his vision, distorting his mind with rage.

"Bitch," he said through clenched teeth. His hand shot out, striking her across the cheek.

Libby was finally stilled. The fight left her like the wind from a deflating balloon. She sagged against the couch, her eyes glazed and dimmed.

He stood then, shucking off his jacket and dropping it on the floor. As she tried to gather her wits once more, he opened his fly, releasing a rock-hard cock that brought a new fear to her eyes.

She tried to get her feet under her, but Jake knocked her back against the cushions. With one yank, he ripped open the front of her dress. The skin underneath was soft and pale and begged to be touched. There was something about a woman in a black lace bra that set his blood on fire.

Libby fought once more. Her hands lashed out, her fingers curved like deadly talons. He caught them easily and pinned them once more over her head. With his free hand, he grabbed the hem of her dress, tearing the cloth farther along the side as he yanked it up.

The only thing between him and his prize was the thin lace of her underpants. He made short work of them while she screamed in horror. Jake paid her no mind, not caring anymore if it was all a game. He took a moment to appreciate the beauty of her naked pussy.

Settling himself between her legs, he prepared to ram his cock home. Instead of burying himself deep in her writhing flesh, he found himself flying backwards through the air. Libby had stopped screaming by the time he hit the floor and it took him a minute to figure out what had just happened.

Jake gave himself a shake to clear his mind. When he looked up, it was to find Ed Gordon standing over him. The man had murder in his eyes and his fists doubled for a fight.

Thinking it was in his own best interests to remain where he was, Jake did his best to haul his pants up over his ass and stuff his withering dick inside. He didn't take his eyes off Ed, even when the other man turned to speak to Libby.

"You okay?" Ed asked. "Did he...?"

"N-no," she stammered in reply. "You got here just in time. I couldn't get him to let me go." She was pulling at her tattered dress in an effort to cover her body.

"Your face... Jesus! Did he beat you?"

"I only hit her once," Jake interjected as he pulled himself to his feet. "The bitch had it coming. Look what she did to my face. I'll probably be scarred for life."

It was a sound punch to the nose that sent him sprawling again. He was still trying to get his bearings back when he heard a cacophony of crashing dishes and glassware. When he opened his eyes, he saw Ed walking from the dining room. He was carrying the cloth that had been covering the dining room table.

Without bothering to glance in Jake's direction, Ed wrapped the tablecloth around Libby. He pushed her toward the door as he told her to go home and wait for him.

"What are you going to do?" she asked with eyes full of fear.

"I'm going to talk to him," Ed replied as he pushed her toward the door. "This has been a long time in coming. Go on home. I'll be there in a minute."

Libby looked doubtful, but pulled the table cloth tighter around herself and disappeared through the door. By the time Ed had turned back, Jake was on his feet with blood from his shattered nose dribbling off his chin.

No words passed between them as they squared off. Jake took a swing, landing a blow on his opponent's jaw. Ed barely flinched. He snatched Jake by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the wall behind him.

"Fucking asshole," Ed said, spraying Jake's face with spit. "You got any idea how long I waited to tear you apart? I shoulda killed you for what you did to Marla. She didn't tell me until years later, but I shoulda killed you then."

"You think I care what that lying bitch said?"

That was the wrong thing for Jake to say. Ed was bigger, and spent most of his time doing the kind of work that Jake always shunned, real manual labor. When Ed's fist collided with his gut, Jake felt as if he'd been hit by a truck.

Ed didn't let him fall to the ground, but held him up against the wall. "You're the only lying piece of shit around here, Stanton. There's no mistaking a woman who's been raped. It kills her off in pieces and I saw that death when she told me about it. I knew you'd pull the same crap with Libby. That's why I came looking for you. I knew it the minute she told me why she had to break our date. Just couldn't wait to get your hands on her, could ya? It's just another one of your fucking games."

Ed punctuated his words by beating Jake bloody. He alternated his punches between body and face, and when Jake finally fell to the floor, he kicked him.

Jake tried to stand, tried to swing back, but Ed kicked him again. He finally had to give up. He was beaten and he knew it.

"Just lay there and bleed, asswipe," Ed said between panting gasps. "You're gonna pay for what you did to Libby and Marla and all the other women who were unlucky enough to meet you. I'll see to it, you son-of-a-bitch."

That was Jake's last memory before the lights went out. The next sensation he had was that of icy water hitting his face and body. The shock of it pulled him from the black void of unconsciousness to the pained reality of a new day.

"You're a lucky man, Stanton," he heard Ed's voice say through the haze of pain.

Jake's first impulse when he opened his swollen eyes was to clamp them shut again and hide from the morning sun streaming through the windows. Ed, on the other hand, wasn't going to let him indulge in such a luxury.

"Get your ass up," Ed growled. He lifted Jake by his shirt, tossing him at a chair before taking a seat on the other side of the room.

"What the fuck are you still doing here?" Jake asked while righting himself. "Didn't you get your pound of flesh last night?"

"Not even close, asshole," Ed said. "You and me got a lot to talk about, so listen up. I was all for turning you over to the cops, but Libby wouldn't hear it. Seems she's afraid that her husband will use what you did to her last night against her in court."

"Yeah? Smart woman. Maybe I'll give ol' Brad a call today and see what he thinks of his wife..."

"You're not going to do anything," Ed bellowed, "except exactly what I tell you. Now shut up and listen. You're going to stay away from that woman. If you don't, I'll slip in some night and cut your balls off."

Jake felt the first lurch of real fear in the pit of his belly. Somehow he knew Ed would follow through on that threat.

"She doesn't want to live in her house anymore," Ed continued. "She wants to move and you're going to pay for it. Got that? Every dime of it. The first thing you're gonna do is buy her house." He let the words sink in a little before he added, "at twice the market value."

"Are you crazy? Hell no, I won't," Jake yelled.

"You will, and you'll do it through that dummy corporation you started last year so that she doesn't know the money's coming from you."

"How did you know about that?" Jake asked, feeling that knot of fear growing throughout his body.

"I've had my eye on you for a long time, Jake," Ed laughed. "I know all about your off-shore accounts and the illegal shit you pull to make a profit. You should learn to cover your tracks better."

Jake looked at his old former friend with new eyes. He'd underestimated Ed for as long as he'd known him.

"I see I got your attention," Ed said, laughing again. "I own your ass from here on out. Got that? After you buy her house, you're going to help her find a new job. You're gonna call in a few favors and set her up with something that will give her the freedom she needs to look after her kids and the income she needs to support them.

"She never finds out that it was you that did it. Got that, Jake? As far as she knows, she gets hired on her own merit. I'll act as the middle man. I'll steer her in the right direction. You just set it up and then stay out of the way. If she knows it's you, she'll never take it. Then you're gonna sell your businesses and clear out."

"Why the fuck would I do that? Why would I do any of it?"

"Because if you don't, I'll see you rot in prison."

"For what, attempted rape? Shit. It's her word against mine. I'll beat that rap."

"Hey, dumbfuck. There was a witness, remember? Me. I'll stand by her side and tell the whole sordid story of how I heard her screaming for help and what I found when I got there. I got a lot of friends on the force and in the court systems. I'll make sure it sticks. And while they're prosecuting you for that shit, I'll tip the federal boys off to a few of your 'other' activities. I wonder how your soft ivy-league butt will hold up in a federal pen."

"You got no evidence," Jake said. The stammer in his voice betrayed his lack of confidence. He was had and he knew it.

"You really are a dumbass, Stanton," Ed laughed, tossing a handful of photographs at him. "I got the goods on you. I even know your account numbers so don't think you got a snowball's chance in hell of escaping this one. You're going to take care of that woman and then you're getting out of town. And while you're at it, get out of the country. Go live in one of those countries that harbors sick fucks like you."

Jake looked in horror at the pictures, many of them showing him with various known criminals and even a few politicians. One photo showed him handing off an envelope to a local official. That envelope had contained a lot of cash. His hands shook so badly he dropped the pictures onto the carpet.

"Is that all?" Jake asked. He just wanted to soak his throbbing head and not have to hear anymore from the man that was destroying his life.

"No. Until Libby gets herself moved out, you're going to go live in one of those hovels that you rent out on the other side of town. I think you'll be more comfortable living with the rats that infest your apartment buildings. And I know she'll be more comfortable with you gone. Empty your pockets."

"What? What for?"

"I'm going to need money to help her out until she gets her new job. You're going to supply it. Empty your pockets."

With a pained grunt, Jake pulled out his wallet. He removed a stack of bills from it and handed them to Ed.

"There's only about $600 here," Ed said after doing a quick count. "It's a start, but she's going to need a lot more. You call my cell and tell me where to pick up the cash by tonight. I'm going back over there. When I come back in an hour, you better be gone."

Jake nodded, too tired and sick to answer more. He clutched his cracked ribs as pushed himself to his feet. What had just happened to his life? Ed turned toward the door with a satisfied smirk on his face.

"One more thing, Jake," Ed said as he turned back, "I got people watching you. These people don't wear suits to work every day and they won't think anything of cutting you to pieces and chucking you off a bridge. If you go anywhere near that woman again or try to leave town before I say so, you'll just be a bad stink in a field somewhere. If you still manage to get clear of them, I got a whole stack of pictures, videos and documents I'll turn over to the feds. There's enough shit there to put you at the top of America's Most Wanted. Don't fuck up."

Jake knew he was screwed. How could he have been so stupid not to see what Ed had been doing all this time? The man had been dogging his every step, plotting and planning revenge for something that had happened fifteen years earlier.

Ed had no real interest in Libby. She was just a means to an end, and that end was Jake's. Caught in his own trap, Jake felt his carefully constructed world collapsing around him. His choices were limited; face Ed's thugs and become a fugitive from the law, spend the rest of his life in prison or do what Ed ordered. In the end, he chose to follow the rules of the new game. He lost almost everything.

It cost him a fortune to follow through on Ed's instructions. He sold his advertising firm for a fraction of its worth and disposed of his real estate with the same results. The price of the game had been too much, leaving him with just enough to get by in South America. He became just another nameless face in a crowd of anonymous assholes.

Thanks for reading my first story. Several people came to my rescue when I confessed that I didn't know what the hell I was doing. Among them were Marsh Alien and SweetWitch. I'd like to thank them for their help.

Feel free leave me a comment so I know if I'm doing this right and vote accordingly. Thanks, Mark.