Convicted

"Mrs. Riley, I'm not here to judge anybody. But, bad things sometimes happen to good people. It's life. You need to go see Sean, tell him the story, and let him have a chance to forgive you, and yes, to mourn his baby.

"Can I ask, your other daughter...?"

"Veronica," said Mrs. Riley.

"Veronica. She should go too. Sean will be out in a few years, maybe even sooner. When he is out he will find you and ask you the hard questions anyway. Go see him, Marissa. He needs you and he needs to know the truth from you," I said.

We talked a little longer, and she cried the whole time. I did find out some more about Veronica Riley age twenty-three; I knew Sean would appreciate the fact that she was a college student attending the university on a full ride scholarship.

I don't know why Sean's wife talked to me; I mean a stranger knocking on her door and mentioning her husband's name. It could only be because the stars were aligned in perfect order for her to tell her tale and confess her sins. I gave her my phone number, well, the number of the Blue Collar, and asked her to call if she felt the need. I would be looking after her for Sean's sake to the extent that she'd allow me to and their daughter too.

******

It was a full week later that I got a visit at the Blue Collar.

"Marissa, glad to see you. What can I do for you?" I said.

"Yes, Mr. Reardon thank you for setting me straight. I went to see Sean. You were right. It was the right thing to do. It was tense at first, but well, again, you were right; he is a forgiving man. We mostly just cried together for the whole time. He told me to tell you he owes you," she said.

"Marissa, he doesn't owe me a damn thing. He saved my ass inside, and I will never forget it," I said. "But I am glad things are working out for you.

"Can I ask? Did Veronica go with you?" I said.

"No, no, I had to do this first visit alone. I mean, well you understand," she said. "But, I think she's decided to go up there next month. Anyway, I guess, we'll just have to wait and see," she said. I nodded.

"I'm going to get up there myself before too long," I said. I checked, and even though I'm an ex-con, they'll let me in to see him. They've humanized some of the rules up there in recent years, I guess."

"Well, good, I know he'll be glad to see you.

"I'd be going myself; I mean next month, but—well—it's a long drive and I don't make a lot of money. But, I am going to try and see him every other month from now on," she said.

"I know he'll appreciate it," I said. We talked for a bit longer and then she was gone.

******

And then there was Rhena, my still wife that I had not seen in over six years. Did I want to see her? Yes and no. But, I sure did want to fuck her.

I'd thought about her almost every day since I first went inside. Hell, there was no almost about it. She had a sweet pussy, and I frankly needed it real bad. The thought made me smile. I'd been out less than a month. But, I was employed. I was healthy. I was free of any probation restrictions. I wondered what she'd do or say if she saw me. I made the decision.

I tried the old number; it rang.

"Hello," said the familiar voice.

"Hello, Rhena," I said.

"Arthur? Arthur! It's you! What? How?" she all but stammered.

"Yes, it is me. I've been out about a month. Any chance of you being willing to see me?" I said.

"Arthur—I—I—sure, yes, of course. Where?" she said.

"The Blue Collar on fifth?" I said.

"The Blue Collar? Okay. I remember the place. You and went there a few times. Sure, yes," she said.

"Okay," I said. "Seven tonight good?"

"Yes, that would be fine," she said.

******

Hanging up the phone, Rhena was at odds with herself. He who had been the love of her life was not only out, after so many years, he'd actually called her. She'd expected that she'd see him again, someday, but not on good terms. The truth was she expected that he would spit on her; but no, he'd sounded—something—horny!

Sweet Jesus! did he want a piece of ass! And if so, then what of William! Oh my. Oh my indeed. This could turn into something very weird. Arthur, her Arthur, had to know, suspect that she could not have gone six years without getting any. Heck, he very well knew that she couldn't six days without getting any. Oh my-oh my-oh my," she thought.

******

Well there it was, I thought, I guessed we'd be seeing how things turned out. Was she still with Kursk? If so how would I handle it? If she were with him, how would she handle seeing me again was the better question? It was going to be an interesting meet up. But, no matter what, the first thing on the agenda was going to be getting my ball sack emptied and that not by the five sisters.

******

I was early. Well okay, so I was anxious. I admit it. My anger had died over the years and had been replaced with desperation, desperation to get back to living a normal life—no—a good life.

I saw her come in. She saw me. For as short moment time stood still. Jesus she was pretty, and it was clear she'd made an effort to be pretty. I hoped like hell her looking so good presaged a good fucking result for me. Man did I ever hope it did!

"Hello, Arthur," she said. Her tone was tentative.

"Hi, Rhena. You look very pretty tonight," I said. She seemed to relax at my tone, or, maybe my words.

"How are you my husband?" she said.

I shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Missed you. Hope you're doing good," I said.

Her turn to shrug. "I'm okay. Not starving to death. I missed you too, big guy," she said. I smiled.

"You still my wife, Rhena? Still want to be?" I said. Okay, I was getting right to it.

She slumped back into her seat. Just then the waitress came forward to take our orders. It was a welcome interruption. We ordered: a JD on the rocks for me and a white wine for her.

"I think so," she said. My brow knitted; I could feel it.

"I'm not—" I started.

"What I mean, Arthur, is that there has been a lot of water under our respective bridges, and, ideally we can get by it all and pick up the pieces of our marriage and get on. I want to do that. I really do. But...

"Since you called this morning, I've been thinking of what might come out of this sit down tonight. I'm sure you have too. I mean, you did make the call. And, I guess we need to hash things out and see where we're at," she said.

"Sounds about right to me," I said. The drinks came and, again, the waitress was timely. I'd have to be tipping her accordingly.

"Rhena, when I went inside, I have to say I actually hated you, And I wanted to kill Kursk. But, over the years, I've mellowed out. I met some guy, well, he straightened me out kinda. I don't hate anybody anymore, not even Kursk. But..."

"But, you're still not cool with me having a lover, I mean apart from you," she said.

"That's about the size of it, I guess," I said. "So, any chance?" She eyed me.

"I've had a lover or two over these past years," she said. "And, well, I have one now. He was not and is not intended to be long term—it's been about a year now though—and it would be hard to just abruptly tell him to get lost. I was sure you were going to be in prison for a few more years. But, well, you aren't, and I'm glad you aren't, and now you and I have to make some decisions."

"You damn near killed my last lover, Kursk..."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute," I said, some things she was saying were finally registering. "Am I to understand that Kursk is history? And, if so, may I ask is this new lover paying your bills?"

"Yes, and no. Yes, Kursk is history. He has a new chickee he likes better, so he gave me the door. I do still work there; well, I am good at what I do quite apart from fucking and sucking cock. And, to answer your second question, I pay my own bills. And again, Kursk and I have been broken up for the past three years.

"Still, Like Kursk, who was never going to be a long term thing either, William will be gone one of these days too. He's twelve years younger than me, and sooner or later he's gonna be wanting some girl with a little less millage on her. I had intended to just go with the flow until that happened, until he dumped me, but now you're out; and well, we have to talk; we have to make decisions. If we can agree on how to handle things; then, I guess we'll be good," she said. "Anyway, that's what I meant."

"I see. Would I be right to assume that you would like to continue making it with this William fellow?" I said.

She eyed me for a long moment. She was clearly evaluating the usefulness of what she was about to say. "Yes, in the best of all possible worlds, yes," she said. I nodded.

"And me? Us?" I said.

"Again, in the best of all possible worlds you'd be my husband again. You'd tolerate my little thing on the side. And ninety-nine percent of the time it would be us and only us," she said. She sank back in her chair and waited for my reaction. I nodded slowly. She interrupted my thinking.

"Arthur, if I may. You've been out a month. Have you..."

I knew what she was asking. It kinda bothered me that she would be thinking about that particular thing, about asking, but I decided to be straight up with her. "No, not yet," I said.

"And you're..." she said.

"Horny? Yes," I said. She looked into my eyes, wrinkled her brow, stood, and came around the table to me.

She reached out her hand for mine. "Come on. We're going to get rid of your hornies first and then we'll talk some more if you want," I said. I didn't exactly jump up to follow her, but almost.

Our old place, hers now, looked the same on the outside. On the inside it had had a complete makeover. I told her so. "Looks nice," I said. "You've done a lot, made a lot of changes." She ignored me.

She sat me down at a new, to me, dinette table. It was a nice one. She noticed me admiring it.

"A gift," she said. I didn't ask any follow up questions, but I did nod my understanding. One or another of her lovers had given it to her.

I watched her disappear down the hallway. She'd be getting ready, I knew, powdering her nose, whatever.

She reappeared five minutes later. The yellow teddy, the matching panties that I could see through, the sheerness of the teddy's fabric tantalized me. Oh, and she smelled terrific.

"Sweet Jesus!" I said. "Rhena you're beautiful. Even in the darkest of nights, while I was inside, dreaming of you if you want to know; the vision I see in front of me right now never made an appearance."

She actually curtsied. "Thank you, Sir Galahad," she said. "Now if you will take me over to yon couch and begin kissing me and feeling me up, I would be most appreciative—it's a female thing."

I played along with the knight in shining armor thing she had going and let her place her left hand on my right forearm as I escorted her to her couch.

We sat beside each other lightly touching and kissing. After some little time I began massaging her breast. She shivered; it was delicious.

My hand slithered up the smoothness of her thigh and stopped just short of touching the hem of her panties. Her hand squeezed the hardness of my cock through the fabric of my jeans and I could almost feel precum oozing from the tip of my so far unexposed sex engine.

I hefted the sheer teddy over her head and off, tossing it to the floor behind the couch. Her breasts were now open to me, and I suckled on them as a small baby might a new mother's.

She slid to the floor and undid first my belt, then my pants, finally pulling them down and off of me. My underpants were next as she sought impatiently to get at my cock and balls.

She took hold of my dick and stroked me several times before leaning forward and taking half its five-inches in her mouth and massaging it with her tongue. I blew my load in less than three minutes.

"There, now you'll be able to last a little while, while you screw me," she said.

She remounted the couch and pushed her butt back at me. I peeled her panties down and off and began licking her crack and the secret harbored there. My cock, dead but minutes before, rose again to steel hardness once more.

I stood and pressed home my assault on her daintiness. She grunted a few times as I seesawed in an out of her trying to get her into the act as much as possible. Finally her feminine juices lubed her vagina and I took her fiercely. She moaned and squealed and then tensed and shuddered as she made it. I was inordinately proud of myself for having gotten her off; it hadn't always happened in the old days, but it did this time.

She sagged down onto the couch and pulled herself up into a fetal position. She mooed her satisfaction. It was a good moment. I slipped to the floor my face but inches from hers. Her eyes were closed; I kissed them.

As good as it had been, my fucking her; could I bring myself to share that exquisite body with another man, a boy? I wasn't sure.

******

Breakfast had only been coffee and toast and some light conversation. Neither of us wanted to awaken the elephant in the room. Would I allow her to keep her little thing on the side? Could I? And, if not, would she, could she, remain faithful to me? By lunch I had gotten up the courage to make a decision; I just wasn't sure what the decision would be; I was playing that one by ear.

"The tuna sandwiches were good. I'd forgotten how much better home cooking was compared to restaurant food; I mean even the simple stuff is better," I said. She smiled.

"Well, thanks for that," she said. "So, I guess this is it then. I can tell from your look that you've got something to say."

"Yes, yes, I do," I said. "You said it was my choice about you and your friends." I was being about as euphemistical as I could. I figured a lot of nasty language and attitude wasn't going to do it. The situation was so weird.

"Okay?" she said.

"You wanna play a little on the side. I'd prefer you not do it, but I am of the opinion that you will even if I put the boff on it. Oh, maybe not at first, and maybe not often, but you've tasted the forbidden fruit, and I'm figurin' it would be more than a bitch for you to give it up entirely," I said.

"Arthur, I will honor whatever decision you make. I'd like to keep my William, but my world does not revolve around him or anyone else. It revolves around you.

"Last night was kind of a test for me. I did it to help you out on the one hand, but also to help me make up my mind. I needed to know if you would do me up right or if there was just too much water under the bridge to get past. The result was a major positive. Frankly, while I wasn't exactly surprised; I was, well, surprised.

"We could make it, and I could do it—remain faithful," she said. I looked dubious.

"Okay, then," I said. "I would appreciate it if you would dump the lovers and us make a fresh start." She didn't deflate. I figured she'd kinda made up her mind that what I'd opt for would be what I in fact did opt for.

"Okay then," she said, "that's settled. I will be speaking to the man today. You can listen in if you want. But, I do have to let him know that now that you're back, he and I are done." I nodded.

"Okay then," I said. "But one last thing. If you do play after today, I will react to it. I don't know how I will react; I don't feature going back to prison for any reason, but I will react." Her turn to nod.

"I understand how you feel and where you are coming from. And, since you've put it out there. While I am certain today, that you and I can be good, there is always the human element. Maybe I will fail you down the line. I doubt it, but it could realistically happen. That said, if you do to some so far unidentified William or Kursk what you did to the first Kursk; believe it, I will do my level best to see that you are punished and go back to prison for a very long time.

"You almost killed the man, Arthur. Adultery, bad as it is, and I am here to accept the truth that it is and that I have been very bad; it is not a death penalty offense. Divorce me, get some honey on the side yourself, do anything else, but no violence. Clear?" she said. I nodded.

"Very clear," I said. She smiled.

"Well then, welcome home my darling," she said.

******

The guards actually remembered me; well, I had been their neighbor for six years. It gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

He was already waiting for me in outdoor visitors' area. He stood up and came to me as I approached the cement table that he had been holding down.

"Good to see you, Sean," I said, coming up to him. His handshake was a little too enthusiastic, but I endured it.

"Arthur Reardon, I am forever in your debt. Until a few weeks ago... well, since then I've actually had purpose in my life. And, it's all your doing," he said.

"Yeah, well, I recall you helping me out in days gone by," I said. "Anyway, it is good to see you. I think your daughter will be up to see you soon too."

"Saw her today," he said. "She was here a little earlier. Man that was..." he started to cry. I just waited. This was one of those do not disturb moments.

"I saw her today, she was so beautiful, so tall and so beautiful. Arthur, she doesn't hate me," he said. I nodded.

"Well, what's to hate?" I said. "Sean the day will come when you get out of this hellhole, and they'll be waiting for you. You'll be able to work and have a family and get on with your life just like me."

"You and your wife?" he said.

"Yes, we're back together. Things are a little weird. But, good, good overall. I'm hopeful. I don't have to tell you—being away so long—it's gonna be a while before I really feel like I have my feet on the ground.

"You know the irony of it all: the guy I caught her with kicked her to the curb for some young chickee. Weird huh? And weirder, she still works for the guy. Evidently she is too valuable an employee to just up and fire. So, she has been able to support herself." He nodded, thought of something, and changed the subject.

"You're working." he said. I knew he knew I was. But, I wasn't sure how much Marissa had told him.

"Yeah, I got lucky. Got one the day I hit town. I'm a barkeep. Like the work, like the boss; he's a con by the way," I said.

"A con? Yeah, he married right, and when he got out she helped him get straight, and well, he's an all right guy," I said.

"I should be so lucky," he said. "I'm up for parole next month, but I won't get it. I never get it. I think they don't like big guys. I think my bein' so big intimidates them. I'll be doin' the rest of my twenty for sure; I got no illusions." I just nodded. Sean always knew what he was talking about.

We talked for a while longer. We got to killing time and the siren sounded. The guards ushered us visitors out. Our farewell was not quite tearful, at least on his part. I'd be seein' him again and sooner than I expected as it turned out.

It was a long drive home, and I had an idea. At the very least it would make Sean feel better. I'd have to see about it and that immediately.

******

"Yes, Marissa, I know it won't guarantee anything, but his behavior has been good inside, and if you and Veronica were to, you know, tell your stories, leave nothing out; it might make a difference. At the very least he will be ecstatic over your support," I said.

She and I had been talking for a good long time. The bottom line was that the two of us were conspiring to get the parole board to do that which they had not done in four previous opportunities: release Sean Riley from the slam.

******

Those first days and weeks after our reunion were nothing less than fantastic as far as I was concerned. I knew for a flat fact the same could be said for my wife. Still, that said, there was something lurking in the shadows, behind the scene that I sensed more than knew for sure; something that was just waiting to sting us.