Harmless Flirting - Cary's Dilemma

I clued in my friends, and since she was always teasing them, they were all for it. The only rule, I told them that she was not to be really harmed. We were not going to beat her or anything.

Anyways, without any more talk we all burst in to the bedroom and did what she wanted. We stripped her, while she struggled, gagged her, to keep her quiet and took turns taking her in every way possible.

After, when the other guys had gone, she told me that it was the most exciting experience of her life. She also asked if we could do it again sometime. That was when I told her to gather up her things and get out, that we were done.

She put up a fuss, saying that I couldn't be serious about giving up a girlfriend as hot as she was. I countered saying that I could never stay with a girl that had banged my friends. We never saw each other after that night," Innman finished.

He had possibly torpedoed any chance at a conviction of the three men.

All eyes in the courtroom shifted toward Gayle, who by then was sobbing, her head in her hands. The eyes were also seeking out Cary, to see his reaction, but he had left the court room when Innman started describing how Gale wanted a rape fantasy and wanted him, her then boyfriend to make it happen.

Anna and Darleen had taken off work to be there to support their friend, but now shifted their concern to Cary and left the courtroom right after he did. They caught him as he was leaving the building, hugged him and asked what he was going to do.

He said, "I can't be with her anymore. I realize everyone will hate me, think that I'm shallow, leaving a rape victim. But rape, or not, look at the position she put herself in that day. Lying to me about where she was going, and especially cozying up to that guy of all the men in this town. I swear, I would have divorced her for just those actions alone, when you consider our previous troubles, including trouble with that guy, and her promises to stop.

Anna spoke up, "Cary, before today I would have been in the group condemning you for leaving her, especially considering her circumstances. But after hearing those defense witnesses today, I have to admit that I feel for you. I don't think I could carry the burden the rest of us are thinking that you should. Your life and happiness matter too, and I have to admit, my friend, Gayle, has made that very difficult for you. I will not think badly of you no matter what you decide to do, but I have to also say that she is still my friend and I will continue to do what I can for her."

Darleen jumped in, "I agree with Anna, you are entitled to a life also and she made it near impossible for any man to stick it out with her. I too am going to continue to be her friend, she will need us, and if you decide to pull back from our friendship, I'll understand, but miss you terribly."

"God, I hate the idea that your leaving our circle is possible, but I agree, you have to do for yourself also. I would miss the hell out of you, so would Matt and Clark, but we'll always love you," Anna added.

About that time the hearing had adjourned for the day and Gayle came out. Cary helped her to the car and drove her home. That night, not much was said until bedtime.

Gayle spoke up and said she was ready to go upstairs and inquired if Cary was coming. He replied that he didn't think he was ready. They were both tip toeing around the elephant in the room, Gayle not wanting to start conversation for fear of what Cary's position would be. Cary also not anxious to start what he knew would be a very unpleasant discussion of how to dissolve their marriage.

As a test to get a feel for where they stood, Gayle invited Cary to come to bed with her. She made it even more clear telling him, "Cary, I'm ready for sex again. I would love for you to come up to bed and make love to me."

He had avoided the inevitable long enough, "Gayle, I can't. I'm going to file for divorce. I know that in a lot of people's minds I will be thought of as a heal, considering what has happened to you."

She was taken back, "I thought or at least hoped that you had forgiven me. You have been so kind, taking care of me. Can't we just stay together, please allow me to make this up to you, I love you so."

"I cannot get past what you did prior to the rape. In my mind you closed the book on us when you lied to me, so that you could go out to a club. Then, by most any definition, you ended up on a date with one of the men I detest the most.

Yes, I do believe that he and his friends conspired to rape you, and that you were not a willing participant. However, you did place yourself in harm's way, in a manner that you had to know that I would be furious with you.

To add insult to injury, that testimony today, four different men speaking of your continuous disrespect for me, even while in my presence, is unforgiveable.

And as the final coup de gras, you had told me that you had only ever been with one man prior to me, your boyfriend who took your cherry. But a prior boyfriend, not the one that was first, but a completely different guy, takes the stand today and if his story is to be believed, you had at least four cocks prior to mine, at your own request. So now the grand total is eight pricks in you, that I know about, instead of just two as you told me.

I have to ask, though I don't expect honesty, considering, was he telling the truth? Did you initiate a gang bang rape as he described?" Cary asked her, verbalizing the largest, most shattering thing to come into his world, if it was true.

Gayle looked at him and tried to speak, she hadn't been able to rehearse a less damning version of what Innman had said, so a pleading look for understanding from him was all she could muster.

"It was true wasn't it. Say it," he demanded.

"It was not exactly the way he stated, I didn't ask to be raped. But I did have sex with all three of them. I didn't initiate it, as I remember, Innman had lost a big hand in which he had offered sex with me as collateral in the bet. I went along though, so what he said was true enough." Then she said, "It was college, before I met you and I was ashamed of my slutty behavior during those years and didn't want you to know."

"Gayle, I am heart broken that I have to do this, but I do not want to be married to you any longer, please don't fight this and let me go. I realize you have a lot to deal with, and there will be an awful time ahead for you with the trial and all. I think the testimony today might cause the D.A. to press you to drop the charges. I think you should consider that.

It would be horrible to go through all of the pain, that is sure to come at the trial, only to have them walk away free, and laugh in your face. Please consider what you believe is best for you, not women's rights, or the media or your friends. Just what is best for you.

I will make you one last promise as your husband, those three men will face justice, maybe not in a court of law, but their day will come, I swear to you," he pledged to her.

"Cary, don't get in trouble over this. I'll get through it. I'll get past their crimes toward me much easier than I'll be able to come to grips with losing you. I hate them, yes, and I will dream of revenge, but being the cause of you going to jail, when so much of it was my fault, is an unbearable future, please don't," she pleaded.

"I ask only one thing, please, don't you be the one to turn me in. No one else in the world will know what was said here. Please keep it that way, please don't betray me," he said, making it clear to her that someday, somewhere, those three would get their just reward.

"You should know I could never betray you like that; I'll always love you." Her assurance was all he needed for now, later, maybe years later, he would execute a plan.

Epilogue

Gayle and the DA sat down and discussed her case. Although she had impeccable witnesses and he thoroughly believed her, he had to point out that when the defense claimed that this was another consensual "rape enactment," it would be her word against his. In light of Innman's testimony, a jury would likely find doubt as to whether this was a consensual thing or not. He further told her what to expect from a cross examination, where the defense council would grill her for hours regarding her previous flirty behavior, and more time than that regarding her college episode involving Innman, and to expect by then they would have collaborating witnesses to back up his story.

Gayle could see that the forecast by Cary was accurate and in her best interests, she dropped the charges.

Gayle and Cary were quietly divorced, he was very reasonable, and agreed to a substantial arrangement that provided all of the care that she would need.

A couple of years slid by, and not a lot of alarm was raised when Frank got into a bar argument over some floozie, went outside to make his point to the adversary, and was stabbed to death for his trouble.

Some time later, some faulty work on his car caused Ray to lose control on a straight section of road, the car rolled and caught fire. His screaming as he burned to death would have been terrible to listen to, had someone who cared been there to hear it. As it was, the only person within hearing range didn't give a shit.

The first two deaths caused no undue suspicion, however the last bit of business would not be so neat. Being that Cary had significant resources, including access to private aircraft, Kurt's sentence would be more personal.

A couple of mercenary types that Cary knew from his Marine days were contacted, and they extracted Kurt from his apartment. It was a desolate, mostly abandoned area and no one noticed his abduction. He was stuffed into a plane and flown 500 miles to where Cary was establishing an impeccable alibi. Cary excused himself from the party where he was socializing and went a mile to a plant owned by his firm that was closed down for a retrofit. No one was there other than his two "employees," himself and Kurt.

The mercs had Kurt handcuffed to a steel beam and gagged. Cary had been playing this day out in his mind for nearly three years. Kurt probably had long ago figured he had got completely away with Gayle's torture and rape. When he saw Cary's face, he knew he was a dead man.

Cary took out some personal satisfaction for Gayle, this wasn't going to be quick, she had suffered, now Kurt would suffer. The gag was removed so that Cary could hear the soon to be dead man's plea for mercy, but bashed him in the balls instead of mercy. Cary tricked Kurt into giving that shit eating sneer of a grin, the same one he had given when Gayle when off to dance with him instead of staying by her husband's side.

The fool did it without hardly tricking him, of course that was the look that Cary wanted to see as he attached a ratchet strap around Kurt's neck and the beam. Now with each click of the ratchet, Kurt's ability to breathe was reduced. Cary didn't want to hurry this and took significant time between each click of the ratchet. Cary came in close as the condemned man was now gasping for air through his constricted throat, the passageway no bigger than the hole in a cocktail straw.

Cary then said, "Since you like extasy so much," he injected a lethal dose directly into the man's blood stream, saying, "Just in case you can breathe through your asshole."

Then, after allowing time for the Extasy to take effect, Cary leaned in close and said, "For Gayle," and clicked the ratchet two more clicks, closing the man's airway completely. Then looked into his eyes until Kurt was dead.

When they were certain of death, the mercs told Cary to take off the protective plastic coveralls, get cleaned up and get back to the party, before anyone missed him, and that they had it from there.

Since Cary had only been gone twenty minutes it was unlikely anyone had missed him.

The mercs already had plastic out where Kurt was secured, they bagged him, flew him back to his apartment and staged it to look like he had been having kinky bondage sex that went wrong.

When Kurt's body was found, the corner ruled that it was an accidental death due to asphyxiation, likely related to extreme sexual activity.

The cops did due some checking anyway, interviewed Gayle, asking about her former husband. She told them that while Cary hated that guy, he was not capable of murder. Cary was also interviewed, but the alibi was unshakable and truthfully these detectives remembered the case and didn't really care what kind of an end Kurt had come to.

Cary had started dating, he had his pick of the unattached women for miles around. He was handsome and well off financially. He was an excellent catch, but the woman that landed him would have to pass many qualifying tests, before he would trust a woman again. Most everyone felt that they shouldn't rule him out, he would find the right one.

The aftereffects of the rape, but even more so, their divorce shattered Gayle. It was necessary, even before the final decree arrived, that she be placed in full time care at a sanitarium.

A person is not completely over a situation if they continue to harbor hatred toward the person who inflicted their pain. Cary had been able to let his hate go, move on with his life.

His rage over what Gayle had done had mostly dissipated, due to the trauma of being raped and her breakdown following their divorce. In Cary's mind, this had been punishment enough. He still cared for her, but a reconciliation with her was never considered by him, she had gone too far for that.

After the scales of justice had been balanced, Cary decided to visit Gayle and get a firsthand report of her progress. Since he was paying the bills, the info would be provided. He went to where Gayle had been staying and found that she had been recovering nicely. She was set to be released soon and seemed to be ready to get on with her life. She was told that he was there and asked if she would like to see him.

An enthusiastic, "Yes, I would love that," was her answer.

As they talked, he found out that she was aware of the fate of her tormenters. When they were completely alone she said, "I am saddened that you have done these things for me, it will be a burden on your sole and it's my fault."

"They had it coming. Let's never speak of it again, agreed?" he asked.

Gayle nodded her head.

He then asked, "Would it be alright if I looked in on you once in a while, but not for the purpose of reuniting though, just want to make sure you're getting on OK."

Gayle said, "I would like that. God I'm so sorry I fucked us up so bad. Even though there is no chance for us to get back together, would you try to forgive me?"

"I already have," he said.

The End.