Caught! Pt. 01

No Ordinary Girlfriend

He had to maintain his composure.

More than anything, he must not cry. Jon had cried a lot over the last several days, but he'd done it in private. He'd been careful to give Vanessa no reason to think he knew something was wrong. But something was indeed wrong. Very wrong. Jon hadn't experienced heartbreak before, but nothing like the betrayal he felt now. It was hard to believe she'd done something so horrible, but Jon slowly accepted the obvious truth: Vanessa wasn't the shy, quiet, considerate girl she pretended to be. She wasn't the simple woman he thought she'd been when he fell in love.

"Jon, Vanessa is here," said Phil, Jon's personal assistant. Phil knew something serious was happening, but he didn't know exactly what. Only three people knew: Vanessa's supervisor, the head of accounting, and the chief financial officer. The gossiping wouldn't start in earnest until Vanessa didn't show up for work Monday. It was humiliating to think that the people who worked for him would surely suspect Jon had made a huge error in judgment. It couldn't be helped.

"Show her in, then close the door," Jon told Phil. "Go home after that."

Vanessa walked into Jon's office and smiled warmly. "I got a message you wanted to see me before I left," she said. "Am I here to talk to my boss, or my boyfriend?"

It took a lot of effort to maintain a neutral expression. Vanessa was such a beautiful woman that the sight of her usually put a smile on Jon's face. "Have a seat. We need to discuss something."

Vanessa realized that something was wrong. Jon was acting very strange. "What's on your mind?" she asked.

"Your life is about to change. A lot. You can't work here anymore. We can't have the same kind of relationship we've always had," Jon said.

Vanessa realized that she must have gotten caught. She'd done something she knew was stupid, but she'd done it anyway. That was the way she was. Something always compelled her to act without considering the consequences, and her life was a long series of disasters as a result. She'd done it again, and she expected that it meant she was about to lose the best man she'd ever known.

"These papers in front of me prove that you've embezzled money from my company. From me. You've done it three times at least. It makes me wonder what other horrible things you've done that I don't know about, but these three thefts are more than enough."

Vanessa began to cry. Jon didn't know if she was trying to manipulate him, or if she was genuinely regretful. He thought it was probably a bit of both, but he no longer believed he could trust anything about Vanessa.

"I hired a lawyer outside the company to look at this and give me her opinion," Jon said. "She says you've committed three serious felonies. This would be enough to send anyone to jail, but it's especially bad for you because of your prior convictions." As a juvenile, Vanessa had committed several minor offenses, but the real trouble started when she was caught shoplifting as an adult at 18. She got probation for that, but a conviction for drug possession sent her to jail for 30 days when she was 20. She'd been warned that a third conviction would send her to prison.

"The lawyer says that you can expect an 8 to 10 year sentence if I give these documents to the district attorney. You'll serve a minimum of five years if you behave yourself. Of course, you aren't likely to behave yourself, are you?

That last question was so cold - and so correct - that Vanessa began sobbing uncontrollably. Of all the bad things she'd done in her life, this was the worst. Jon was a wonderful man. He was crazy about her. And she'd betrayed him anyway.

"Baby, I am so sorry," Vanessa said as a deep feeling of shame overwhelmed her. Jon fought the urge to take her in his arms and comfort her. He'd put a lot of thought into what he would do, and sentimentality wasn't going to sway him.

"Part of me thinks that a long prison term would give you an opportunity to reflect on the poor choices you've made, and maybe that's exactly what you need," Jon said. "But I love you. I would rather not send you to prison. There might be a way we can avoid that. But it's going to be up to you."

"Oh honey, I'll never do anything like this again. I promise. I'll do anything for you to forgive me," Vanessa said. She began to imagine she could manipulate Jon into forgetting this had happened. She was wrong.

"I have no idea if you're telling the truth. I don't trust anything you say," Jon said. "We both know that you've been pretending to be someone you aren't. We both know you lied, over and over, to get me to fall in love with you. Congratulations. Despite everything, I love you. But I don't believe you. We're at a point where words no longer matter to me."

Jon said this with such cold, calm resolution that Vanessa felt sick. In fact, she did love Jon. She admired him. She knew he was, by far, the best man she'd ever known. Those were the reasons she'd worked so hard to make him think she was the kind of woman who deserved his love. But she wasn't.

Jon was so exhausted that he wanted to finish this as soon as possible. "Let's get this settled. Before I tell you what I want from you, I need to know something. Why did you steal this money? I've given you a place to live, a car to drive, and an allowance sufficient to pay for anything you need or want. You didn't need the money, but you took it anyway. Three times! Why?"

Vanessa tried to be honest as she explained. "I don't do this stuff for any reason you'd see as logical. I saw that it was possible to forge company checks, so I just did it. It's a compulsion. Every time I get in trouble it's because I see an opportunity to get away with something, and I forget that I never get away with anything."

Jon thought that this sounded true. It sounded like a healthy amount of self awareness. But it could also be further proof that Vanessa was very, very good at saying what he wanted to hear.

"I have another question. When we met, and you were trying to get me to fall in love with you, you were generous with sex. We made love every single day, usually more than once. And you used to give me the most amazing blow jobs. But a while ago, you started making excuses to avoid making love, and I haven't had one of your blow jobs in a long time. Why did that happen? You must have known I wouldn't like it. What did I do to deserve that?"

Vanessa began sobbing again. "You didn't do anything. I did that because I'm stupid." Jon handed her a box of tissue, and she wiped the tears from her eyes. "You are so good at so many things. I'm not good at anything. Withholding sex made me feel powerful. I never get to feel powerful. It doesn't make sense because I don't make sense."

Jon thought it made perfect sense. It fit with his emerging understanding of what went on inside Vanessa's head. He hoped it pointed to a route out of this mess, but the only way to find out was to try it.

"I have an idea," Jon said. "I think you might be someone who is basically a good person, but who keeps doing self destructive things. There might be a way to deal with that."

"I hate feeling this way. I'll do anything," Vanessa said.

"Years ago, before either of us were born, men and women related to each other very differently. For most people, the man was in charge of almost everything important. Husbands told their wives what to do, and their wives just did it. There wasn't the kind of discussion and debate like we have today," Jon said.

"That was a bad way to do things, and I'm glad that most of the world isn't like that anymore. But I'm sure that it was a good system for some people, and it might be good for someone like you. It might be that you can have a much better life if you let someone who loves you make your decisions.

"My parents were like this sometimes. I loved my mother, and she was a wonderful person in most ways. But she didn't have a lot of common sense, and she was lucky to be married to a man who told her what to do. It worked pretty well.

Jon looked over at Vanessa, who looked so crushed and dejected that it took a lot of effort to say what he'd planned. "I have a suggestion. I think you may be one of those people who needs to be told what to do. I want you to agree to do whatever I tell you. No argument. No lying. No cheating. Just do as you are told. I promise that I won't tell you to do anything that I don't sincerely believe is a good idea. But I also promise that I'll send you straight to prison if you try to trick me again."

"Like, what do you want me to do?"

"I've got a list. For starters, I'm going to insist that you start meeting with a therapist. That's clearly something you need to do anyway; I'm just going to insist that you actually do it. Now."

Vanessa was quiet for a long time. She didn't know what to think of Jon's plan, but she knew she had no choice. "Ok. I'll do whatever you say. Things can't possibly get any worse than they are now."

"Let's get started right now," Jon said. "There's one thing we need to fix immediately. You really hurt my feelings when you started withholding sex from me. You made me feel like the world's greatest lover when our relationship began, and then you made me feel like dirt. It's hard for me to even say this without crying."

"Oh Jon, I am so sorry. You are the world's greatest lover. I've never felt the way you make me feel. I will never do anything like that again. I promise to give you whatever you want, whenever you want it. You deserve a woman who'll do that for you."

"Let's try this out," Jon said. "I've really missed those wonderful blowjobs you used to give me. I'd like one right now."

Vanessa couldn't quite believe what Jon said. He wanted to have sex in his office?

"Here?" she asked. Jon occupied the corner office on the top floor of a 10 story building. Two walls had floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Yeah. Right here," Jon said.

"Now?"

Jon looked annoyed. "This is supposed to be pretty simple. I tell you what to do. You do it. You don't ask questions. Look, this is completely voluntary. If you don't want to give this a try, we can have the police decide what to do with you."

"No! This is just... sudden."

"It doesn't feel sudden to me. I've waited weeks."

He was right. Vanessa had deliberately neglected him, and now he was angry. There was only one solution. "OK," she said. She moved to kneel between his knees when he said, "Take off your dress first."

Vanessa grinned at him. He loved looking at her body, and it always thrilled her. "OK boss!" she said, unzipping the dress and lifting it over her head. She was glad that she'd happen to wear an especially pretty lace bra and matching thong. As always, Jon felt overwhelmed by her beauty. She turned around slowly to let him see her from all angles. Seeing how much she affected him always made Vanessa feel powerful, and she regretted acting like such a frigid bitch for so long. He didn't deserve it.

What he deserved was a first-class blow job, and that's exactly what she would deliver. She slowly knelt in front of him and unlatched his belt. She looked into his eyes and smiled the way he liked it. She was unzipping his pants when he pushed one bra strap off her shoulder, then the other. "Take it off," he said.

"Whatever you say, sir," she said, unhooking her bra and shrugging it off. Men felt like they were in command when they looked down at a naked woman on her knees, but Vanessa knew this was the moment when she was in charge. Jon's cock was almost erect when she pulled it out. That was because of her.

As soon as she sucked him into her mouth she remembered how much she enjoyed his cock. It wasn't overly long, but it was wonderfully thick, and it fit in her mouth perfectly. Vanessa considered herself a masterful cocksucker. She used her tongue. Her lips. Her fist. Even her teeth. She periodically made eye contact with Jon, knowing how much he liked that.

Vanessa knew that Jon was pretty good at controlling how long it took him to cum. She thought he might drag this out a long time; she'd certainly made him wait long enough. But Jon made no effort to prolong things. As he got closer he began thrusting in and out of Vanessa's mouth. This was not unusual, but she noticed that he took her head in his hands and forced her to take him deeper and deeper. That was unusual. Jon typically cradled her head gently as she sucked him off. She had no intention of trying to get away, but Jon acted like he wanted her to know she had no choice.

That was a bit different, but it wasn't a problem. Vanessa could tell Jon was getting close, so she took his cock as deep as she could and sucked vigorously. She took a deep breath, then eased the head into her throat. He groaned as he started to cum, and Vanessa sucked every drop down her throat as soon as it burst from his cock. He gushed a second time, and a third, and Vanessa sucked it out of him as hard as she could. This was what made her such a good cocksucker. Guys loved it when women sucked the cum out of them, and Vanessa looked down on women who refused to swallow cum. It was no different than men who were squeamish about eating pussy. If you wanted to suck a cock or eat a pussy, you ought to do it right.

Vanessa had come to the part of the blowjob where there was one little detail left to handle. She'd sucked almost every drop of Jon's cum down her throat, but a small amount was still oozing out of him, and Vanessa made sure to keep sucking until there was nothing left. But she didn't swallow this last little bit of cum. Instead, she kept it in her mouth as she finished him off. At last, his cock went soft, and she let it slip from her mouth. Slowly, she raised up from his crotch and looked him in the eyes. She smiled, letting her lips part just enough so the cum oozed from her mouth, down her chin, and on to her tits.

Jon had never seen anything more beautiful than the way Vanessa looked when she finished him off. "Oh God, I've missed you so much!" he said, showing more emotion than he had since the moment she'd come into his office. Vanessa was glad to see him so satisfied, but it shamed her to know how much she'd made him suffer.

"You will never miss me again," she said. Vanessa held his limp cock and rubbed it against her cheek. It was a gesture Jon had seen many times, and it always endeared her to him. Now he wondered if it was part of some scheme to mislead him into thinking she loved him. The idea just depressed Jon, but he tried not to show it. Vanessa might be an expert manipulator, but she couldn't deceive him forever. He'd get to the truth eventually.

"Let's go to your place," he told her. "We'll take the Porsche."

Vanessa drove a cheap, unreliable car that broke down soon after they began dating. Jon "loaned" her one of the many cars in his garage: a cute little Porsche 911, which she loved to drive. Jon soon realized that she loved that car a bit too much. She started making fun of drivers with run-down vehicles, acting like she was better than them because she drove such a nice car. Jon found her attitude to be distasteful, especially since she didn't even own the Porsche. They would fix the problem that night.

As always, Vanessa drove a little too fast on the ride to her place. Of course, that wasn't really hers either. She'd been fired from her job as a restaurant hostess when her employer discovered she'd lied about her criminal record, and she didn't have the income needed to pay the rent on her shabby little apartment. Jon's company owned several small homes for customers and consultants from out of town, so he put her in one of the nicer ones. As with the Porsche, Vanessa became a little too comfortable a little too quickly. The cost of the car and apartment was insignificant to Jon, but it bothered him that Vanessa showed so little gratitude for his generosity. He'd considered moving her into his house, but he realized that the relationship was too new for that. Thank God he hadn't made that mistake; as much as he loved Vanessa, he couldn't possibly live in the same house with someone who'd hurt him so badly.

"I don't really understand what you want me to do," Vanessa said.

"We'll figure it out together," Jon said. "This might be a stupid idea, but it's the only idea I've got. I'm just not ready to give up on you."

There was a long moment of silence. "Thank you," Vanessa said.

"You can decide if you want to thank me later," Jon said.

They pulled into the garage, where there were several empty boxes from Vanessa's move. Jon picked up one of the bigger boxes and carried it into the kitchen. "Let's get started," he said.

"I'm going to give you four weeks to prove you can do this," Jon said. "I don't want to spend months trying to make you into someone you can never be. Four weeks should be plenty of time to see if we have any chance at all."

Jon reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Part of the reason for this four week deadline is a legal one. I invited you to live here, and I can't just kick you out. This is an eviction notice. If this doesn't work - if you can't do the things I tell you to do - you have to get out of here in 28 days."

Vanessa looked hurt. "Where will I live?"

"Honey, I'm not saying this to be mean. But if you can't get with the program in four weeks, your next landlord will be the Department of Corrections."

Vanessa held back tears. "It sure sounds like you're trying to be mean."

Jon put his arm around Vanessa's shoulders. "I'm doing the best I can, baby. If I'm being mean, it's not deliberate. But nobody has ever hurt my feelings as much as you. Things have been pretty awful since your supervisor came into my office to tell me that my girlfriend was embezzling money from me. It has not been easy maintaining my composure around you as I struggled with my feelings.

"I guess this is a good time to tell you that I'm seeing a therapist," Jon said. "I need to talk to someone objective. Almost every romantic relationship I've ever had was a total disaster. I'm obviously doing something wrong."

That did it. Vanessa started crying again. "That is not true, she said between sobs. You did nothing wrong with me. You were always just wonderful. This whole mess is all on me. All of it."

There it was again. Vanessa sounded sincere. Her words made his heart melt. But that was exactly what a manipulator would say. It was maddening for Jon to be so unsure of so much when it came to Vanessa. "That's very kind," Jon said. "I still want to discuss this with a professional. And I want you to talk about this with a therapist." Jon handed her a business card. "Here's the contact information for someone recommended by my human resources director. Make an appointment."

Vanessa had seen court-ordered therapists when she was a juvenile, and she'd hated every minute of it. Now she understood what Jon meant. He was going to force her to do things she wouldn't do voluntarily, even though she knew they were in her best interest.

"Let's move on. Give me your keys."

Vanessa gave Jon her key ring. He removed the key to the Porsche and put it in his pocket. "I'm taking the car back," he said.

"Why?" she asked.

Jon sighed. "For future reference, I think it would be best for both of us if you just do as I ask, without asking any fucking questions. Since you ask, I'm bothered that when you drive the Porsche, you act like you think you're better than people who drive Fords and Chevys. You drive too fast. Take too many risks. You sneer at people. I don't want anybody to get hurt. Especially you."

"How am I supposed to get around?" Vanessa asked.

"Let's try to ask fewer questions, OK? I don't know that yet. I'm working on it. For now, you're going to walk. There are lots of stores within walking distance. You need the exercise. On that topic, there is a nice gym a couple of blocks from here. Tomorrow you're going to walk down there and hire a personal trainer to help you get into shape.