February Sucks - Linda's Choice Ch. 02

"Yes," I replied. "My dad has been a fan, as well as my husband and all his friends. I know football."

"Good, so we have that. Our lawyers and Mark's agent tell us that they can negotiate a contract with a loosely defined moral's clause. Its California. What can I tell you?"

I played along, but I think she could tell I still had questions. That was in fear of what she would do, what she wanted of me. She had yet to say.

"And now we come to you, Linda. You may think you are not to my sex appeal and beauty level, but you are wrong at that. I know modeling, and I can tell you emphatically that I can get you modeling work tomorrow."

"I doubt that," I retorted and meaning it.

"I have already checked with the agency that handles me, and they agree. My company targets not just young women, Linda. Our marketing strategy includes women customers from their teens to their fifties. It's a total lifestyle concept that we reinforce by having examples of women from each age group be the standard-bearers of N-Fit. Women who live the lifestyle as well as look the part. And that means moms like you in their late twenties and early thirties. I have others as well, but I am hoping to showcase you as one.

"And to answer your question, your lack of modeling experience is what we want. Normal women who wish to stay healthy, fit, and looking good in our sportswear as they exercise. That will be part of what you will do for me. At first."

"I will have to run it past my husband first," I replied.

"How cute. Did you run fucking my husband past your husband first?" she stared at me coldly. "No, you didn't. So you will do what you have to do to make it happen. Anyway, what man doesn't want to be married to a model? I bet Jim will cream in his pants."

She knew so much about us. The mention of my husband's name brought me cold fear. But it was also the manner of how she said it. With familiarity as if she knew him.

"Oh, yes, Linda. I know quite a lot about you and your hubs. More in fact than you know. I'll let you know if I think you need to know. Or if it suits me. For now, just listen."

I sank in my seat, totally defeated.

"When we leave town, you will have to quit your current job. You are wasted there anyway."

I tried to say something, but she raised her hand to cut me off.

"When Mark and I leave, you will be offered and accept to run my local gym on top of your modeling duties. The compensation for both will more than double what you make now. And that is just a start. There will be a signing bonus and other perks like a new vehicle every two years. I plan to expand this market with two to three more gyms. One on each of the four suburbs. Maybe one downtown as well.

"I believe in that rule you may have heard, Linda. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I am doing all this for insurance. Insurance that you will not even contemplate of ever following Mark and me where we go. That is your first option."

"There are more?"

"Yes, there is. One more, to be exact. You may decide that even with all I am offering you, you may wish to leave your husband and go with Mark when he makes his pitch to you."

"What pitch?"

"I am not sure at that, to be honest. But I know that Mark is enamored with you. Enough to jeopardize all he and I have built and custody of his children. He is not thinking straight, Linda. But whatever my husband decides, and how you react, I want you both to choose of your own free will."

"How can I?" I replied. "You are blackmailing me."

"Am I Linda? I am only offering you options."

"If I were to go with Mark, you would tell my husband what I have done. Destroy our marriage."

"No, Linda. You have that wrong. If you choose to go with Mark, it is YOU that would have destroyed your marriage. It will be YOUR choice."

"Why take the chance of me choosing Mark and taking him from you?"

"Because in going with me, instead of staying here to be near you, he chooses me over you. And if he does that, I want you to have that same choice. Once my husband chooses you and you reciprocate, I will have my answer, and it will be easy for me to divorce him. It will hurt, but I will manage."

"What if I choose him, and then he dumps me?"

"Who's to tell, Linda? I'm no fortune teller. All I know is what options I want for myself. Either Mark chooses me over you, or you decide for him after he asks. Or you go to him now. But in the end, I will know, and neither of you will have been forced into anything."

"Why are you offering me so much? You can just ruin me. Make me do as you please?"

"Because Linda, you have been and are the biggest threat to my marriage. No other woman had ever walked away from Mark. He is besotted with you. And beyond smitten. He is obsessed. I want you as far away from him after he makes his choice to go with me to California. And if you choose to stay, I want it to be very financially rewarding."

"Mark would make good money even after a settlement with you," I replied. "Why take the chance when you can just make me do as you please?"

"Because Linda, I want Mark to decide. Me over you. And you to choose as well. Your marriage and a good life here, or taking Mark away from me. Either way, I will know. And in knowing, I can move on and live my life. But one way or another, I will know."

"Bella, he could cheat on you again in California. You must know that."

Bella winced at my statement but continued.

"Mark may just do that. But it will not be with you, Linda," she replied. "If you decide not to go with him and stay here, there has to be a separation between you and him. The deal you make with me is binding. I will be watching you and Mark both. If you reunite, your husband gets the information. Do we understand each other?"

I had no choice but to concede and contemplate the options she gave me.

"Yes, we do," I replied. "When are you and Mark leaving town?"

"He will be playing in California next fall. Again, if you take this to the press, your husband gets the pictures and video. Do you understand? If you take the offer, I gave you and go to Mark after, your husband gets the pictures and video. This is your only warning.

"Depending on how you choose, you and I will meet or not after. My offers will all be honored as promised. Agreed?"

"Agreed that I have a choice to make as you laid it out," I replied and offered my hand.

This time, Bella took it and shook it without reservation.

"You can pay the bill," she said. "I don't need a ride. My bodyguard and driver will take me where I need to go."

Only then, I noticed two men in suits at a table within eyesight of our table. They both stood as they saw Bella stand. One of them, who was shorter, brought her coat and helped her with it.

"This is my personal cell number, Linda," she said, giving me a card with just her name and a phone number. "Call me as soon as you make your decision."

And with that, she turned and moved toward the entrance. The taller man leading, then her, and finally, the smaller man.

I sat there, stunned at what I had heard before I reassembled my cellphone and waved to the waitress, to whom I paid and tipped in cash.

***

Would you like to dance?

The drive home was a nightmare. My mind a blurt of things Bella had said today, Mark had said at the mall our last time, and the meeting with Maya at the police station.

I had thought my life was back on track. But one hour with Bella and my life was upside down again. I needed to get home and be surrounded by the comfort of my family. The house, the stupid stuff on the bookshelves, my cracked coffee mug, my kids that loved me unconditionally, and my husband who endured life with me.

"Something wrong, hun?" Jim asked as I hugged him tight.

"Not anymore," I replied.

I held on to him as if it was the last time. Bella's implied and direct threats had terrified me. No matter how much she talked of choice, I felt trapped in a morass of my own making.

Later that night, Jim and I made love instead of fucking. I need his soft caresses and gentle in and out motions as he faced me and kissed me. Oh, how much I had missed that from him. Having him look at me again as he was inside me was beyond description. After a while, I reached up and pulled his head to me, kissing him frantically.

"Take me, Jim," I whispered in his ear. "Make me yours like I was before kids and before everything else."

Holding me with his strong hands, he pinned me to the mattress as my legs spread wide for him. Slowly, he pushed his cock all inside me until his wide shaft split me apart. It was what I had missed for three years, and now I could not get enough. Somewhere along the way, not sure when, my tears came. I did not sob. But Jim's thrusts in me as he and I kissed felt reassuring; healing. As he worked me, I lost myself in his arms.

By the time he transitioned from slow pumping to fast deep thrusting, I was in another world. Not realizing it, I felt my body respond as Jim made me forget. Overwhelmed by pleasure, I gave in and pushed my groin up to meet his. As the sounds of our bodies slapping together, smells of secretions and squishing of fluids assaulted our senses, I felt my groin spasming and grunted to keep from yelping. Jim kissed me to keep me from screaming.

"Keep doing that... don't stop..."

"I got you."

Just hearing that made me start crying and sobbing in his arms. Him still in me. Stroking me gently again. Holding and kissing me. I was in my safe place.

"I got you."

***

We had just finished playing with the kids in the living room before it was time for them to go to bed. The nightly ritual, part of my recovery. It was then that my cell-phone rang. Checking caller-ID, I turned to Jim.

"It's Dee," I said apologetically, then made an "I'll keep it short gesture" to him.

Jim rolled his eyes, making me fight not to laugh. He stood and took the kids to bed while I chatted with the group social butterfly.

"So, what was all that about?" he asked.

"Well, dear husband," I smirked at him, "I know you think this horrible February has gone on just about long enough."

"I'll drink to that," he said, reaching for his glass of wine.

I seized his wrist to stop him and firmly placed his hand on my slender waist. Much better idea.

"Well, we've been bemoaning the fact that not only is this the worst February in the history of the human race, we have to put up with an extra day of it.

"Dee had this wonderful idea. The extra day of horribleness is on a Friday. What if we all got together, got sitters for the kids, had a really nice dinner, then some dancing at a good club, and then had hotel rooms for the night? That way, we could get a little bit crazy and not worry about driving home, and we would end this horrid month right."

"What about getting from the club back to the hotel? Wouldn't we have to drive?" Jim asked.

"That's the best part, Jim. You know the Madison uptown? We've eaten there, remember? There's a dance club some of Dave's co-workers go to in the next block over. They'll have a live band Friday night, and there's no cover if you ate at the Madison! Oh, and Phil and Jane have already asked Mrs. Porter to take their kids overnight, and they say she's fine with ours, too."

"Hmmm, I have to think about this..." Jim replied as if he was debating it.

I knew Jim hoped that I would use my female persuasion methods to convince him, but he got a sofa pillow to the head instead. I know him by now. And he should have known better.

"Ow! Okay," he said. "Let's do this. But there's one condition."

"What's that?" I replied suspiciously.

"You wear the dress you bought for Valentine's Day that I still haven't seen."

"Your wish is my command," I replied with my feigned husky voice.

Yup, he knew about the blue dress. And he didn't have to twist my arm. After the winter we had been having and all the stress, I wanted to go out to dance in it with him. To be a couple again, having fun with all our friends.

For once, Dee had a great idea.

***

Before going to dinner and dancing, each couple stopped at our room to drop off our overnight bags. All five couples were in one corridor with the rooms bunched up together. With the restaurant and club all in walking distance, we didn't have to worry about designated drivers, parking, or anything of the sort. We were in a good mood as Jim fixed his tie in the mirror, and I walked in wearing the blue dress.

"Oh babe!" he said, staring at me in a way that started fires where fires start trouble.

Jim and I were on a high ever since we had found out about Snider's messing up our marriage and putting that nightmare of our lives behind us. We still went to marriage counseling, but things between us were too good to see ourselves going there for long. He reached for me, but I leaned forward.

"Lipstick I can fix in a minute," I told him. "The dress not so much. Be careful."

"Can I lift it up?" he asked mischievously.

"Oh fuck yeah, you can, just be careful."

He had just begun raising it over my thighs when there was loud knocking on our door. Both Jim and I shook our heads and rolled our eyes. But it was he that opened the door. Dee and Dave burst through it with hoots and hollers.

"You ready to par-taey?" Dave said, winking at me with an exaggerated expression and a thumbs up.

Dee, resplendent in a red minidress that hugged each curve did a pirouette for Jim, making him blush. The two exchanged looks for a second that seemed a bit curious to me, but then Jane, Phil, Hellen, Gus, Rosie, and Andy burst into our room. The men in suits and the girls in different colored dresses. Yes, we did talk and coordinate. Dee in red, Jane in gold, Hellen in black, and Rosie in a glistening silver dress. All of them showing more leg than I. But I had better legs.

After chitchatting about the drive over, how we all were ready for the night, and other silly things people do when they go out together, we headed downstairs. It was busy at the Madison, but we had a table reserved. None of us ate heavily from experience. With dancing to come, none of us wanted a full stomach.

Then it was off to Morrison's, the dance club. We had reserved a large table there as well. Drinks were ordered, and we soon realized how futile it was to have conversations in such a noisy place. Before long, we resorted to sign language or to speak into each other's ears, yelling more likely. Everyone was laughing and having fun.

Before long, we all got up to dance, forming our own little group. It had been a while since we last did this, but we all started changing partners. All, except from Dee and Dave, who seemed into each other way too much that night. Jim made a face at them and laughed. I know Jim acts like she irritates him, but I have seen him stare at Dee more than once. But then he has stared at all the women at one time or another. We all did.

Just like Dee and I said to each other, when we confessed about our affairs, the men in our group were all eye-candy. And so were we girls. OK, we may not be ready for primetime and all, but we all clean up well when we dress up and go out. We were getting plenty of stares from both men and women.

After we danced fast with each other, we drifted to our spouse for a couple of slow songs. Again, Dee and Dave were off with each other. I had to talk to that girl and find out what was going on there. When the dancing set stopped, Jim and I went to the bathrooms and then to the bar to get drinks. Not having to drive was great, and we all had a few too many but were still relatively sober.

"Are you having fun?" he asked loudly in my ear. The music had started again.

"Yeah, I yelled back in his... Let's eat some wings before we dance again."

Having danced as a group, we now felt free to dance in separate couples. Often with a different spouse. To avoid issues with strange people, we had this unwritten rule. There was no dancing with people outside the group. Most people got the hint after a person asked one of us wives, and we declined.

Our men never asked any woman outside the group to dance with them, Nor did they accept any requests from other women. After a few tries, outsiders stopped asking, and we enjoyed ourselves.

Jim and I were eating wings and making out next to Phil on one side and Rosie on the other. There was a lull in the music, and we heard some laughter at another table, then in hushed tones.

"It's him."

"Hey, isn't that Marc LaValliere?" Phil was craning around me to see.

"It is, it is!" Dee squealed excitedly, giving me a sly glance.

To most in the club and the table, he was known as the star player, volunteer for charities, spokesperson for countless businesses. Build up by his media team as a nice guy, most men and women idolized him. But I knew better and wanted a hole to open up for me to fall into.

"It doesn't hurt that he's a hunk, either," Dee continued her commentary. I wanted to choke her.

The men started talking about his stats and the women about his good looks. A cold chill went up my spine as I tried to keep myself under control. What the hell was Mark doing there? Calm down, I told myself inwardly. My hair was dyed dark brown and straightened. If I turned my head and let my tresses fall his way, he would not see me. I turned to Jim praying the monster would go away and not come our way.

Wanting to distract myself, more than my husband, I leaned in and kissed him.

"Hey, you two," Andy said from the other side of Rosie, "get a room."

Just then, the music started again.

"Shall we dance here or in our room," Jim said.

"He's coming this way," Hellen said, all starstruck like.

Taking a glance, I saw Mark leave his table and walk straight to ours. He was dressed to kill in an expensive fitted dark gray sharkskin suit, silk shirt, and metallic blue tie. Fuck him if he didn't make all the women wet. And sadly, I was no exception.

For a few seconds, I thought of standing and dragging my husband to the hotel room as he had suggested. But I didn't want to draw attention to myself.

'Go past the brunette in the blue dress, leave!' I tried to will him away. But he kept coming to the edge of my vision. Stopping by Dee at the other end of the table, he gazed at her briefly as everyone stared and she primped for him. But without hesitation, he continued up our table until he was next to Jim and me.

"Hi," he said, offering me his hand. "My name is Mark. Would you like to dance?"

End of Part 02

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Part three to be submitted soon.

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