Greg and Allie 03: February's Curse

"I understand, son," he said. "Listen, it's been good meeting you. Have a nice day now, you hear?"

"You do the same, Coach," I said. "Good meeting you as well." I turned back to Lenny, who smiled as he looked at me. "You got everything under control here?"

"Sure do, Smitty," he said. "I should have two of these switches mounted, configured and tested today."

"Good," I said. "I'm going to check up on the other guys. Call if you need anything."

"Will do," he said. I went back into the hallway and there he was -- Marc LaValliere. For a moment, we stood there like two gunfighters facing each other off in the middle of a dusty street.

"So, it really is you," he said. "I thought I saw you walking around with that little nerd guy but I wanted to make sure. Greg Smith. That's your name, isn't it? I never figured you for a geek. Were you really in Iraq?"

"Well, you know what they say," I said. "Never judge a book by its cover. And yes, I spent three years there. Two as a United States Marine and one as a civilian contractor. Why are you so interested in me, anyway?"

"You still with that hot little number from the club?" he asked. "You said she was your fiance." I was surprised he remembered after all these months.

"She's not my fiance anymore," I said.

"Oh?" he asked. "What happened?"

"We got married," I said. "She's my wife now." He smirked and nodded his head.

"Even better," he said.

"I think so," I said. "What do you want? I have work to do."

"You don't get it, Smith," he said. "When I see something -- or someone -- I want, I get it. It's that simple. No matter how long it takes. She still work over at the hospital?"

"That's not your concern," I said.

"I think it is, Smith," he said. "And I figure you owe me."

"How do you figure that?" I asked.

"You embarrassed the hell out of me that night," he said. "Made me look bad in front of my teammates. I can't have that."

"That's not the way I see it," I said. "My wife told you no. Maybe you haven't heard, but 'no' means 'no.' You shouldn't have pressed it. In my view, you made yourself look bad."

"No one says no to me, Smith," he said, his face turning red. "Especially a woman."

"There's lots of other women out there," I said. "Forget about my wife and move on. I hear that's what you generally do anyway."

"And what if I don't want to move on?" he asked. "What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know what kind of men you're used to dealing with," I said. "But I can assure you I protect what's mine. Especially my family. You stay away from me and my wife and we'll get along just fine. Don't fuck with me."

I did a quick comparison. We were about even in height and I figured he outweighed me by about 20 pounds or so. But I had an advantage in that I had been trained in combat by the best and I had combat experience, something I seriously doubted he had, since he was drafted straight out of college. I had another advantage over LaValliere, but I shuddered thinking about it.

"That sounds like a threat," he said.

"Consider it a friendly admonition," I said. "You DO know what an admonition is, don't you?"

"I'm not stupid," he said, spittle flying from his mouth.

"Couldn't prove it by me," I said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." I walked past him and got a few steps beyond him when he spoke.

"Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you," he snarled. I stopped, turned and saw Lenny watching us from the door I had walked through earlier.

"Or what? You'll take a swing at me? I don't think that would be very wise," I said.

"What makes you say that?" he asked. I nodded to the ceiling.

"You see those little dark domes in the ceiling?" I asked. He looked up at them as I spoke. "Those are security cameras. And my foreman is right over there watching us. Are you really so stupid that you'd assault me on camera and in front of witnesses? You really think I'd just stand here and take it without defending myself? You forget, I've been in combat. I've faced assholes who did far less that take a swing at me. You stay the fuck away from my wife or we're going to have a very real problem, you hear me?" Suddenly, I heard a voice from farther down the hall.

"LaValliere, get your ass in here, right now." Marc turned and we both saw Coach James standing outside a door, looking at us.

"Coming, Coach," Marc shouted. He turned back to me for a moment before speaking.

"This isn't over, Smith," he said.

"I think it is," I told him. He turned and left. I watched him leave and glanced at Lenny, who gave me a "thumbs up." I nodded my head and returned the gesture before leaving.

That night over dinner, I told Allie about the confrontation. She was shocked when I told her that he knew where she worked.

"Have you seen him at the hospital?" I asked. She shook her head.

"No," she said. "You think he's stalking us?"

"I don't know," I said. "He could be. I want you to keep an eye out, though. Let me know if you see him, okay?"

"Of course," she said.

"You remember what I taught you?" I asked. I had given her some tips on self defense and we had practiced them in the workout area I set up out in the garage.

"Yeah," she said. "I remember. Are you gonna be okay, though?"

"Oh yeah," I said. "I've faced up against bigger assholes than him, believe me."

"Oh, by the way, don't forget to have your suit tailored and cleaned for the Christmas party," she said.

"Thanks for reminding me," I said. "When is that, by the way?"

"A week from Friday," she said. The hospital always held an annual bash every year for Christmas for employees and their significant others. This party was being held the Friday before Christmas, which fell on a Wednesday. It wasn't exactly a formal affair, but most everyone liked to dress up for the event. I had the suit I wore to Mom's funeral, but I hadn't worn it since then.

"I'll take care of that tomorrow," I said. "What about you? Have you bought a new dress or something?"

"Yeah, I got a little something," she said with a smile.

"Care to model it for me?" I asked.

"Not yet," she said. "You'll just have to wait."

The next week and a half went by fairly quickly. I kept an eye on things at the job site and didn't see LaValliere. Lenny hadn't heard anything from him, either. Perhaps he had gotten the message and decided to back off, I thought.

Allie and I took off a couple hours early on the day of the party so we could get ready and make it to the hotel on time. We knew parking would be tough, so we wanted to get a head start. I had to remind myself to breathe when I saw Allie in the gown she bought for the party. It was a black, floor-length gown that accentuated her body perfectly. It was very sexy on her, even though it didn't show off a lot of skin.

"Damn, you look incredible," I said as she modeled it for me.

"Thank you, kind sir. You look quite handsome yourself," she said. We kissed and headed out. The place was already fairly packed when we got there. Apparently, quite a few others wanted to get a head start on things. We were ushered to our table, which we shared with two other couples. I knew some of the nurses Allie worked with, but I didn't recognize these couples. We made our introductions and enjoyed the meal.

After dinner and the requisite speeches, the Master of Ceremonies got on stage and took the microphone. We wondered what was going to happen next.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the MC said. "We have a special treat before the dancing begins. Please give a big welcome to... the Sharks!" Everyone applauded as the curtain on the stage was pulled back. Standing on stage was the entire Sharks football team, with Coach James standing in front. Looking at the line of players, I saw him -- Marc LaValliere.

"Did you know about this?" I asked Allie. She shook her head.

"No, I didn't," she said. As we watched, Coach James took the microphone and thanked the hospital administration for inviting them to the party. Then he introduced the members of the team, who waved as he called their names. LaValliere waved and looked right as our table as he did so. I hoped he wasn't planning to screw up our night.

When the coach finished, he and the team members walked down the steps and among the tables, shaking hands and talking with the hospital staff. Meanwhile, a band had taken the stage and couples were already starting to dance as the music began. Looking around at the people near us, I noticed that several of the women seemed to get very excited all of a sudden and I wondered why. My question was answered in very short order.

"Good evening, Allie. May I have this first dance?" I looked up and saw him -- Marc LaValliere. He was standing in front of Allie with his hand out. I saw the smile on his face and noticed the look he gave me. Her response prompted gasps from some of the women around us.

"I told you a year and a half ago the answer was 'no.' It's still 'no,' and my husband is the only man I dance with," she said. Then she turned to me. "I believe they're playing our song, dear."

"I believe you're right," I said. "Care to dance?" I held out my hand. She smiled, placed her hand in mine and we stood up.

"If you'll excuse us," she told Marc, "they're playing our song." I eyed Marc as we left the table. His face was red and his eyes narrowed to slits as we walked by. We made it to the dance floor, where she melted into my arms.

"God, I love you so much," I told her. She ground herself into me as we danced, a wicked smile on her face.

"Did I do okay?" she asked.

"You did better than okay," I said. "I'm so proud of you right now."

"Really?" she asked. "You're proud of me?"

"Absolutely," I said. "You really are the best wife a man could ever ask for. And I love you more than you'll ever know."

"I love you more, my dear, sweet husband," she said. As we danced, I looked around and saw LaValliere dancing with another woman. They seemed to be deep in conversation and the woman he was with gazed at him with adoration. I saw him glance at us a few times and noticed the expression on his face darkened whenever he looked at us. I hoped he wasn't stupid enough to try something tonight.

After a few songs, we made our way back to the table. Several of Allie's coworkers stopped her on the way to say they couldn't believe she turned down a dance with Marc.

"Why would I want hamburger, when I've got this hunk of a man?" she told one woman while wrapping herself tighter around my arm. Coach James was at our table when we arrived. I introduced him to Allie and we sat down after ordering a refill on our drinks.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Smith," he said after shaking her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Coach," she said. He turned to me as Allie spoke with some of her colleagues.

"That's some woman you've got there, son," he said. I nodded my head in agreement.

"Thanks," I said. "I agree 100 percent."

"I saw what happened with LaValliere," he said quietly. "I also know you had words with him a couple weeks ago. I take it there's a history with him?" I told him what happened the night I proposed to Allie a year and a half ago.

"Well, that explains it," he said. "I know he has quite a reputation. He's been called on the carpet more than once for his behavior. Believe me, if he wasn't a star tight end, he would've been canned a long time ago."

"Why is he allowed to get away with what he does, then?" I asked.

"Politics," Coach said. "The last thing management wants is a scandal that affects the bottom line. I'm sure you understand."

"Sadly, I do," I said. "You think he'll try something tonight?"

"I hope not," he said. "I told him earlier today to be on his best behavior. You let me know if he gets out of line, okay?"

"I'll do that, Coach," I said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, son," he said. "Well, I'd better go mingle with the crowd. Good seeing you again."

"Good seeing you, Coach," I said, shaking his hand. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you as well, son," he said before going to the next table. I turned back to Allie and saw she was deep in conversation with another woman. Allie saw me turn to her and introduced her friend.

"Greg, this is Julie, the nurse I mentioned before," she said. I remembered her telling me about the nurse who nearly got divorced after her encounter with Marc and shook her hand.

"Good to meet you, Julie," I said.

"Good to meet you, Greg," she said. "Listen, I want you to know that you've got a wonderful woman here. I wish I had been strong like her and told Marc to buzz off. Maybe my marriage wouldn't be on the brink if I had."

"I understand," I told her. "How are things between you and your husband, if you don't mind me asking."

"Not great, but at least he's not talking about divorce any more," she said.

"Is he here with you tonight?" I asked.

"Yes, he's in the men's room right now," she said. "He doesn't let me out of his sight. I don't blame him, really. Listen, Greg, whatever it takes, you keep that asshole away from Allie. He won't stop coming after her until he has his way."

"Don't worry, I will," I said.

"Well, I'd better get going," she said. "It was great meeting you, Greg."

"Good meeting you as well," I said. We watched as she headed for the restrooms. After taking a few more sips of our drinks, we headed back out to the dance floor. As we danced, I saw LaValliere walking toward us.

"He's coming our way," I told Allie. As he drew close to us, I positioned Allie behind me and looked him square in the face.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I want to dance with your wife," he said.

"Want in one hand and shit in the other," I told him quietly. "Let's see which one fills up first." I saw him tense up and his face turned red. I knew he was about to take a swing at me. "Don't even think of it, asshole," I said. "I'll put your dick in the dirt so fast you won't know what fucking hit you. Now just turn around and walk the fuck away, otherwise we're going to have a serious problem."

I saw him look to the side and I quickly glanced in the direction he was facing. I saw Coach James standing there, shaking his head with a very stern look on his face. I glanced back at Marc. He looked at me for a moment, then turned and walked away. Coach came over to us.

"I don't think he'll bother you any more tonight," he said. "Enjoy your evening with your wife."

"I will, thanks," I said.

"Would you really have put him down like you said? He's a pretty big fella," he said. I nodded my head.

"In a heartbeat," I said. Coach nodded his head.

"I'm glad it didn't come to that," he said.

"Me too," I said. We shook hands and he walked away. I saw Marc approach another woman for a dance and I turned back to Allie. "You okay?" I asked her.

"More than okay," she said. "But to be honest, I'm about ready to head home. I've had about enough excitement for one night and I could use some special time with you if that's okay." I looked around and saw that several other couples had already left.

"It's more than okay," I said. We headed back to our table and said our goodbyes, then went home, where we spent the rest of the night making love.

We spent the weekend doing our last-minute Christmas shopping in between bouts of love-making. Since we had no other family, we only needed to buy stuff for each other, but we did buy a stocking stuffer for Albert and I bought gift cards for the crew.

Allie also helped me address and sign the cards I would send out to my clients wishing them a Merry Christmas. I had written up a short note letting them know I would be closed for the week between Christmas and New Year's but would naturally be available for emergencies. I drove to the post office on Sunday and dropped them in the mailbox, thinking they should be delivered in the next day or so.

After Allie left for work on Monday, I noticed another message had been left on my office phone. Whoever called didn't leave any message, but I could hear heavy breathing. I deleted the message and went about my business. When I got to the job site that morning, I gathered all the contractors together.

"Is everything alright, Smitty?" Lenny asked.

"Oh yeah, everything's fine," I said. "I just wanted to give you all something for the holiday." I handed them each a nice bonus check for all their work and told them they could take off at noon on Tuesday, and come back on Thursday, January 2. It was rare that contractors got bonuses or holiday pay, and they were all very grateful. I knew it was unconventional, but I really didn't care. I felt they deserved it. "You'll get paid a full check, don't worry," I told them. "Just be ready to get back to it on Thursday."

"Wow, thanks, Smitty," Lenny said when he opened his envelope. The others echoed his sentiments.

"You're welcome," I said. "Have a Merry Christmas and stay safe out there, okay?"

"Will do," Lenny said. "You have a Merry Christmas as well." We all shook hands and I left.

Allie and I exchanged presents Wednesday morning as we had always done. Christmas had always been a special time for our family. As children, we would be awake and sitting in front of the tree by 5:00 am, eagerly waiting for Mom and Dad to come down and start handing out presents. Now it was just the two of us.

We looked at the brightly-lit tree and the ornaments that hung off its branches. It was the same tree Mom and Dad had used for years and many of the ornaments reminded us of Christmases long past. We tore into the presents and gushed over what we had bought each other.

Among other things, Allie had given me a new drone, complete with a camera and an app that allowed me to control it with my smartphone. There were other items -- toys and gadgets mostly, but she had also purchased some new power tools and a set of camouflage boxer shorts.

I had given her a brand new top-of-the-line Keurig coffee maker, since the one we had was getting worn out, along with a necklace I had seen her gush over. Of course I bought her some other things, including a remote control vibrator and some sexy lingerie.

"We've got to try this out," she said wickedly. We made some breakfast and sat in the theater, holding each other as we watched snowflakes fall in the back yard.

"I wish Mom and Dad were here," she said quietly as we looked outside. "I miss them so much."

"Me too," I said. "But they're still with us, you know, in our hearts and in our memories." She snuggled into me tighter.

"You ever wonder if our kids will spend Christmas like this here after we're gone?" she asked.

"Possibly," I said. "Maybe even our grandkids."

"Grandkids," she said quietly. "I like the sound of that."

"Yeah, me too," I said, giving her a kiss. We spent the rest of the day getting acquainted with our gifts. Allie modeled the lingerie for me, which naturally led to a bout of lovemaking on the couch. About 11:00, she headed into the kitchen to start dinner and I turned on the television, having been chased out of "her" domain.

About three hours later, we sat down to eat. Allie had prepared a turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, green beans, squash and cranberry sauce. She topped that off with pie and ice cream. It was a meal fit for a king. I helped her clean up and we made our way back to the theater, stuffed. We ended up dozing off in the middle of a movie.

That night, she put a couple towels on the bed and pulled out her new vibrator. We read through the directions and I installed the control app on my phone. At her insistence, I mounted my camera on a tripod to record her first remote-controlled orgasm. When we were ready, she laid on the bed, spread her legs and inserted one end of the device inside herself.

I played with the controls a bit and watched as her body jerked when I turned it up. I teased her, bringing the level down to almost nothing, then back up again. Her eyes grew wide and her body lifted up off the bed.