Emerald Binds

By the time she had consumed her anger in a session of frenzied lust, Claudia was unable to move. She looked up at the ceiling with glazed eyes. The scent of her arousal filled the air, and her entire body ached deliciously. She shuddered, surrendering her body to aftershocks so powerful they almost kicked off another round. All she could do was lay there, basking in post-orgasmic bliss, as the final waves of anger slowly burned down to nothing.

X X X X X

"Sorry," Claudia heard Donna call out as she stepped through the front door of Speakman's, "we're closed... oh. It's you."

Claudia threw on her best fake smile. "Hi, Donna. I know you're closing up, but I was hoping to sit and talk with you for a few minutes."

"Why?" Donna scoffed. "We've got nothing else to say to each other." Claudia remained quiet, standing just inside the door. After a moment the bartender shook her head. "Fine. Grab a seat. You want a drink?"

"Ice water, please."

As Claudia sat down at the far end of the bar, her eyes caught sight of Donna's smartphone sitting next to the cash register. She quickly turned her focus to Donna, however, as the bartender set a tall glass of ice water in front of her. "So," Donna said, leaning against the bar, "What did you want to talk about?"

"I thought about what you said last week. About how I'm too passive and not the kind of woman my husband needed. I just wanted to tell you that you were right."

"Of course I'm right," Donna scoffed. "You really came down here at 2 AM to tell me this?"

"I figured you'd appreciate hearing me admit it. You strike me as that kind of person." Claudia took a slow sip of her ice water before continuing. "I had become so ingrained in my routine, with how things had always worked, that I was blind to my husband's needs. I was so comfortable sitting in the passenger seat that I never realized that sometimes Kyle needed me to drive so he could ride shotgun. What you told me opened my eyes to the cracks in my marriage. If you were a better human being you would make a decent therapist."

Donna shrugged at the quasi-compliment. "Thanks. But if this is some kind of sympathy ploy to get me to call it off with Kyle, don't bother."

"I can't change what happened between you and Kyle," Claudia admitted. "He and I both have things to work on. So do you, Donna..."

Claudia's smartphone vibrated in her pants' pocket. Immediately she sat up straight, rolling her shoulders back and stiffening her spine. "...but I'm not here to ask you anything. I'm here to tell you, stay away from my husband. You and Kyle are finished. If you contact him again, you'll regret it. I promise."

Her firm tone made Donna blink for a brief moment. She slowly stood up straight, bracing her arms against the bar and looking Claudia dead in the eyes. "That's what this is then. Your little attempt to grow a backbone. Forget it. Your husband's a damn good fuck, and I won't give up control over him for anything."

"What matters more to you? Fucking my husband or having control over him? Either way, it's over." Claudia leaned forward. "Stay. Away. From. Kyle."

"Or what? You think I'm scared of you?" Donna gestured to her smartphone at the other end of the bar. "I got some lovely pictures that would ruin your marriage more than I ever could. They'd get taken down the second I posted them on social media but once the cat's out of the bag, you and your husband are through in this town. What are you going to do about that?"

"I'm going to ask you to step out back so you and I can settle this like women."

"Seriously? You want to fight me for your husband? You know what, sure. You're so old that when I punch you in the jaw it'll break your hip! It'll be like fighting the other Paul brother!"

Claudia stood up from her barstool as Donna stalked her way around the bar. She made a show of loosening up her shoulders while they made their way towards the emergency exit. The cool summer night painted a canopy of bright stars above them as they stepped into the rear parking lot of Speakman's, where Donna's Ford Explorer was the only car left for the evening. "Alright," Donna said, stepping away from the building. "How are we doing this?"

"Personally I'm thinking I hit you, you hit the gravel, and then you stay the hell away from my husband."

Donna slammed a fist into her palm several times. "You found your ovaries, I'll give you that. Come on then, let's..." She paused before sniffing the mountain air. "Do you smell gasoline?"

"It's leaking from your gas tank." Claudia smirked at the sound of Tara's voice. She glanced over her shoulder to see her sister-in-law was standing next to the emergency exit. "That's a 2013 Ford Explorer," Tara said. "Nice truck. Too bad you don't take care of it like you should."

"What is this?" Donna glanced back and forth between the women. "You two are going to jump me? Fine. I'm hardcore, I'll take you both on at the same time."

Claudia remained silent, allowing Tara to have the floor. "All the road salt that gets laid down during the winter tears up the undercarriage if you don't wash it off. It'll start rusting all the metal. And when you consider that the 2013 Explorer got recalled for having a faulty gas tank, is it any surprise that your truck sprung a leak?"

"The fuck are you talking about?"

Claudia could almost Tara rolling her eyes before she responded, "I'm saying all the gasoline that was in your gas tank is now one big puddle underneath your truck. Your tank was a rusted mess, so all it took was a few jabs with a screwdriver to make a nice little waterfall."

"You messed with my truck?" Donna whipped her angry glare back and forth between Tara and Claudia. "What is this, a pathetic attempt at payback?"

"It's a statement," Claudia said in a toneless voice.

"Then I've got a statement of my own to make," Donna shot back, "and it goes 'watch me upload some nasty pictures to Instagram...'"

Tara's response was to hold up a small black rectangle. "The pictures you had on this phone?" Donna's eyes went wide as Tara shook her smartphone. "You didn't have your iCloud set up. Rookie mistake. All those photos are gone. Even cleaned out the 'Recently Deleted' folder just to be sure."

"You're bluffing," Donna snarled.

"1-2-3-4." The look of rage fell from Donna's face at the same rate the smirk on Tara's face grew. "I've been sitting at the bar watching you use your smartphone all week. A basic passcode for a basic bitch."

"You know what, fine!" Donna whirled towards Claudia. "You think vandalizing my car and deleting those photos is going to scare me off, think again!"

"I figured as much." Claudia took a step forward. Donna immediately stepped to the side and brought her fists up, but Claudia swept right past her towards her truck. "Like I said, I'm making a statement. Having your gas tank spring a leak is bad enough. But considering people like to step outside and grab a smoke while they drink, it would be even worse if a stray bit of ash drifted across the parking lot and landed underneath your truck."

"What the..." Donna immediately fell quiet as she saw Claudia pull a plastic cigarette lighter from her pants. "No way," she exclaimed quietly. "No way. You're not going to..."

"Tell me not to." Claudia turned to stare at Donna. "Tell me not to light your truck on fire."

The rich smell of gasoline was more prevalent now as Donna glanced at the lighter in Claudia's hand and then at her truck. "No," Donna declared. "You're bluffing. You don't have the guts to..."

Claudia crouched, ignoring the creaking in her knees, and spun the metal wheel on the lighter, causing it to spark. As soon as its flame sprung to life and before she could have second thoughts she dipped the lighter into the pool of dark liquid. The pool instantly caught. Claudia flung herself backward, barely managing to keep hold of the lighter, as the gravel underneath the Explorer became awash in a sea of fire.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Donna screamed as Claudia got to her feet. "You lit my truck on fire!"

"I'd step back if I were you," Tara warned. "The stuffing inside of those seats gives toxic fumes when it burns. And since someone left their window down so someone else could unlock the door and lay JUST enough of a trail of lighter fluid..."

Even as Tara spoke, Donna saw a pencil-thin line of flame ignite along the driver's side running board. The flame ran underneath the door. A moment later, a bright orange glow lit the cabin as the driver's seat became engulfed in flames which quickly spread to the rest of the interior.

Donna was unable to string her words together as she watched her car burn. One hand twisted her black hair in disbelief as she watched the destruction of her truck. "You're both fucking insane," she managed to spit. "You'll never get away with this!"

"I've been a volunteer firefighter for thirty years," countered Tara. "You don't think I know how to commit a little bit of arson?" She crossed her arms and basked in the glow of the flaming truck. "Spontaneous auto combustion. You hate to see it."

As the Explorer burned, Donna's hands slowly clenched into fists of rage. "Fine," she hissed as she advanced towards Claudia. "If this is how you want to play it, I'm..."

Claudia burst into motion. She rushed forward and grabbed Donna by the front of her t-shirt while putting her forearm under the young woman's chin. With surprising speed, Claudia easily drove Donna across the parking lot before slamming her against the large metal trash dumpster. "Listen to me, you barback wastewater cunt." The vulgar word shot from Claudia's lips like a bullet from a hunting rifle. "You tried to ruin my marriage. You blackmailed my husband. You blew me off the first time I confronted you."

She pressed forward. Donna winced as she was forced against the dumpster. Fear was evident in the young woman's eyes, and this time Claudia wasn't bothered one bit. She tried to push Claudia away, but the older woman dug her feet in. Donna coughed as she pressed her forearm against her throat for a brief moment. "You're crazy," she choked.

"No, I'm angry. And this is why I don't get angry, Donna." Claudia motioned to the burning truck, now entirely covered with roaring flames. "You said I didn't have that spark. What do you have to say for yourself now?"

The fear had given way to panic. Donna tried to escape from Claudia's grasp, only to cry out in pain when the older woman pressed her forearm against her throat. "I'm sorry," Donna screamed. "I'm sorry! I won't fuck your husband again! I promise!"

"Not good enough." Claudia leaned in close. Donna was trembling with terror as her assailant loomed over her. "You have until Sunday to pack your shit and get out of town. You put Emerald Pines in your rearview mirror and never look back. Got it?"

"How?" Donna's arm shook as she gestured towards the burning vehicle. "You lit my car on fire."

Claudia blinked in confusion for a moment. "Oh." She let up on Donna, who immediately dropped to one knee, clutching her throat as she tried to catch her breath. "I didn't think of that." The rage overflowing inside of Claudia began to settle as she looked at the flaming truck. "I don't think Donna can leave town in that thing," she told her sister-in-law.

"Let the bitch rent a U-Haul then!"

Claudia glanced down at Donna. She was a quivering mess. Tears were running down her face, and her breath came in sharp, rapid gasps. The sight of the broken woman quelled Claudia's anger. Donna flinched as Claudia bent down and helped her to her feet. "This is what's going to happen then," she told her. "You're done with Kyle. You don't talk to him, you don't look at him, you don't even wear a low-cut crop top around him. And you find a new fucking job somewhere else in Emerald Pines. You do all that, and you'll never see me again. If you don't..."

She spun Donna around so she was looking at her burning Explorer. "That's the result of sixty years of repressed anger. Don't make me show it to you a second time. Got it?"

Donna nodded. "I got it," she said between choked sobs.

"And if ever hear you say my brother assaulted you, I'll just fucking shoot you." Tara cocked her head to one side as the faint whine of sirens could be heard in the distance. "Here come the boys. I'll grab a fire extinguisher, try to make it look like I give a damn."

As Tara headed inside, Claudia told Donna, "Look at me. Here's what we're going to do. We'll tell them that Tara and I stopped in right before last call for a late-night drink and you asked us to stay while you closed the bar. We heard something outside and came out here to find your truck on fire. That's our story, the three of us stick to it, and you'll get a nice insurance check that'll let you get a new car. OK?"

There was a hint of fear in Donna's voice but it was mainly tinged with confusion. "Why would you cover for me like that?"

"Because you're young and stupid. Hopefully, this will be a wake-up call for you to grow up. Come on, let's get you a glass of ice water."

X X X X X

"That was stupid and reckless!"

Kyle slammed his fit against his desk. The awards and citations hanging on his office wall shook from the impact. "You committed arson, Tara. You're a volunteer firefighter! You should have known better! Both of you!"

Claudia sank in her chair. Despite her anger at Kyle, memories of being scolded by her high school principal and feeling six inches tall ran through her head. Sitting next to her, Tara tried to argue, "I had it under control..."

"What if you breathed in toxic gas? What if Donna had? What if a stray spark or piece of fabric got caught in the wind and landed in the woods? The entire town might have burned down!" Kyle rubbed his face before falling into his chair. "Damn it, Tara. Seriously, lighting a truck on fire?"

"It was my idea," Claudia offered.

"My wife, the criminal mastermind. You're lucky the police are blaming this on a random act of vandalism. I would've had to call in every single favor and marker I've got to keep you two out of jail." Kyle leaned back in the chair. A tired smile managed to fight its way onto his face. "Did it at least work?"

"Tara deleted the pictures and Donna promised never to contact you again," said Claudia. "I'm pretty sure she'll keep her word."

"I can't believe I'm saying thanks for committing an act of arson... but thank you. You both bailed me out of a bad situation."

"Yeah, you're still an idiot," Tara said as she stood up. "And tonight I saw a high-definition photo of your dick. I'm gonna go home and scrub that image out of my mind." She walked around the desk and gave her brother a hug. "Don't fuck up anymore, OK?" Lightly slapping Kyle on the cheek, Tara gave both him and Claudia a small grin before stepping out of his office.

"You lit her truck on fire," Kyle proclaimed once the door was closed. "I didn't think that would ever be part of your plan."

"Now you see why I shouldn't make me angry. I escalate. I go from 'slightly peeved' to 'nitroglycerine' at the drop of hat. I'm going by Dr. Knowles' office tomorrow to see when I can get an appointment. Hopefully, he can help. I need to learn that getting angry isn't the end of the world... and to not turn it into the end of the world when I do get angry. I'm also going to ask him if he thinks marriage counseling is a good idea or if we should hold off for a bit."

After nodding in agreement, Kyle extended his hands over his desk only for Claudia to look down at them in disdain. "You think this is all over? I'm still furious with you. You've got miles to go until you've restored my trust in you, and until you've made some real effort, your Claudia privileges are revoked."

"That's more than fair," he admitted while pulling his hands back. "And I have an idea on where to start."

X X X X X

"Um, hi. My name is Kyle, and I'm an alcoholic."

"Hi, Kyle," came the collective response.

"It's been... three weeks since my last drink." Kyle looked around at the others sitting in the circle. Most of them he recognized. One of them he even worked with. And all of them were looking back at him with sympathy and acceptance. "For the record," he began, "that's my wife sitting back there." He gestured to Claudia, who was currently sitting in the corner reading her Kindle, purposely distracting herself to respect everyone's privacy. "She's here for moral support because... I've spent my life being a leader, being the person everyone looks to and the one to make the tough calls. Even though it was my idea to come here, I was afraid that admitting I had a problem made me weak. She's the reason I got through the door tonight."

A few people nodded with understanding. "And thanks to her and my sister, I realized that admitting something's wrong doesn't make you weak. It helps you become strong enough to deal with your problems." He took a deep breath. "I'm a big guy so I would just pound three, four beers without issue. But one night I made a mistake because I was drunk without realizing it. And then I kept drinking to help with denying my mistake..."

X X X X X

"I'm proud of you," Claudia said as Kyle flopped down on the couch. "You made it through your first meeting."

"It wasn't as bad as I thought." He sighed with relief as he took off his shoes. "I thought it would be all judgmental, but... it's nice to know that there are people out there who understand what I'm going through."

"And you can always talk to me if you need to. Don't forget that."

"I know. Oh, FYI, Donna's no longer working at Speakman's. She got a job bartending in the ski lodge up at Sapphire Drop. I won't have to worry about running into her anymore if I get called to be the designated driver after last call."

"No one at the station is making fun of you because you stopped drinking, are they?"

Kyle shook his head. "I'm not the first firefighter to have a drinking problem, and I won't be the last. Hell, the guys promised to kick my ass if they see me having a drink." With that, he settled back on the couch. "I think I'm gonna watch the Majesties' game before going to bed..."

"No you're not. Come with me."

Claudia headed for the stairs, with a curious Kyle following behind her. She led him into the master bedroom and headed directly for her nightstand. Kyle's eyes widened in surprise as she opened the top drawer and pulled out a quartet of familiar looking emerald scarves. "What are you planning to do with those," he asked hesitantly.

"What do you think? Take off your clothes," she ordered. "All of them." As the realization set in, Kyle began furiously shedding his clothes. By the time he was naked, Claudia had stripped down to a gray bra and black panties. As Kyle moved towards the center of the bed, it was obvious that there wouldn't be a need for chemical assistance this evening as his cock was already at half-mast and rising fast. The sight of his hardening cock sent an emotional thrill rippling through her body. Despite everything Kyle had done with Donna, it was a sign that he still wanted her.

"Let me know if it's too tight," she told him as she took hold of his left wrist. This time she made sure that was more give in the scarves so he'd have some freedom of movement. "How's that?" she asked once he was restrained.

After testing all four scarves, Kyle nodded. "I could get out if I wanted to," he told her, "but I can't accidentally slip out. Where did you learn to tie knots like this?"

"Girl Scouts." With that, Claudia climbed over the foot of the bed. She offered her husband a smoldering look before taking his stiff cock in one hand and lightly running her tongue across the tip.

"Oh shit," Kyle proclaimed. "Oh, Claudia, you definitely don't have to..."

"Shut up," she shot back firmly, taking Kyle by surprise. "This is my penis... no, this is my cock. And I'll do whatever the heck.. the hell..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "...I'll do whatever the fuck I want with it. Got it?"