Lost Lives Ch. 01

Dwight just stood staring and it wasn't till I looked closer I noticed unobtrusively and without Steph realising he'd been recording it all on his phone. Yeah come what may -- dead man walking.

I resigned myself to the fact that I didn't know what fate Dwight and Chelsea would face but I'd ensure their jobs would be one of their losses, as a minimum, more than like with the recording that Dwight had I'd imagine Steph's job sat on the bubble as well. I actually wasn't feeling benevolent in wanting to save it for her anyway, I felt she walked into the predicament she found herself in and she could dig herself out. I also felt that our marriage and her behaviour had fallen below the line that I wanted to save it right at this moment so any sympathy I had was aligned to Janine and myself rather than Steph. Nothing more to observe really, outwardly an office that appeared to be going through it's normal day.

I sat in the chair provided for Virginia's visitor's, slumped would be a better word, I actually felt like I was approaching seventy rather than forty. I looked out the office window towards Sally's work-station, and there. She. Was. Gliding more than walking towards Staff services front entrance. Still with that delectable bobbing thing she does, where everything bobs in unison, her long luscious brunette locks, her beautiful breast's that I use to spend hour's in the presence of and her long shapely legs and strong supple thighs that she wrapped round my head damn near severing me at the neck on occasion.

God she is still as gorgeous as ever, oh she had changed there was no doubting that, she had matured, had lost the young girl look she retained even in her early twenties, when we had parted, but my god she had replaced it with a mature refined and beautifully filled out hour glass figure still exhibited on that same five-foot-ten-and-one-half-inch frame, and with heels, well she came close to my six-foot height. Damn, I felt my gut involuntarily suck itself in, yep given the circumstances I maybe will do something about that now. She was moving past the front desk glided to Sally as she held her gaze on me standing looking out at her, momentarily as she lightly touched Sally on her shoulder her gaze shifted and her lips broke into a smile for her friend as she mouthed 'Thank you'. And just as quickly her gaze returned to me, I could see that face, her eyes smiled as she finally stood outside her office looking at me looking at her, she walked in, we stared at each other finally she spoke first,"M".

"Ginia."

The last thing I thought as our mouths met was what my wife was doing in her day, sitting at her desk, no more than twelve feet away, go figure.

Well, I can't say it honoured my marriage or did anything for me or my wife's chances at reconciliation but damn it felt good, I revelled in it, it definitely picked my ego up. We talked at first mostly about the early years after we broke up and then about our kids, she had one, a boy. We talked about her divorce, the why's, it was an amicable split they fell out of love, for that I said I was sorry to hear about because he'd sounded to me to be exactly who she needed when they first met.

We kind of both danced away from my marriage and Steph until Ginia bought it up, "So, I see your wife on occasion what with her working next door, she really is quite beautiful."

"Yes Gin, She is."

"Do you trust me." Err.. don't know where this is going. "I mean really trust me Mitch."

Looking her straight in her eye's, "Implicitly Gin, yes, always have."

That caught her off guard, "Mitch, you need to take care of her, I see what goes on down there, I don't snoop but I hear what they talk about, and more to the point I see some of the things that go on. Mitch, be wary of the people she works with, they're controlling and manipulative from what I've seen and heard. I also met them at the monthly administration meet and greet and I can tell you Dwight comes off as a nice, pleasant, young man but what he really is, is a player, smooth, but a player all the same."

So I came clean on the whole story. I had just started the explanation when Ginia got up went to her office windows closed them, She paused for a moment obviously looking at Steph, "Sorry, I should have done that before, sound travels in both directions round here."

I continued on and told her everything right up to when she had arrived an hour ago. Yeah I decided that everything else could wait, I wanted her in my corner, I knew she'd have a women's take on the situation and I did trust her.

When she met her husband-to-be she was conflicted, held off doing anything with him till she found how I felt, we dated, were serious friends and were each others go-to's when it came to sex. If I'd said I wanted something more serious she would of gone with me in a heartbeat. I told her I really didn't, I was a young poor Lecturer living in a one bedroom bolt-hole in the middle of the CBD, he was a well paid business manager with a condo, yeah if nothing else I'm a realist. So seventeen years on here we were.

By the time I'd finished, Gin sat listening as I reeled it all off, we sat silent, I wasn't lost I'd just got to the fork in the road, which way did I want to go, at this point -- Fuck knows. I wasn't lowering myself to living with a cheating slut if that was what she wanted, even though she wanted to end it, god knows if she wanted to meet other opportunities. "What's your immediate plans Mitch?"

"Ah, confront her, seperation, she can go live with her Father in the mean-time, then I'll deal with the others."

"Dare I ask what that means?"

"No I don't know right off, death of some kind would be preferable." We both laughed.

My phone 'pinged' a text, I looked at the i.d. I couldn't help myself I stood and walked to the window and moved the blind enough to peek a look. Gin was up now standing off my shoulder paring over my shoulder first at the text and then at Steph sitting at her desk looking at her phone. Steph's text read, Mitch we need 2 talk, I'm very sorry.

I replied, Time to talk was B4 u acted. Too L8.

Gin and I looked up to see what Steph's reaction would be. I sensed Gin was agreeing with my text by her silence, a second later I felt her hand rubbing up and down my forearm.

As Steph's phone received my reply we watched as she stared at the screen, for ten or fifteen seconds she sat like stone then we watched as her head and shoulders slumped forward in defeat and her hand holding her phone slowly fell to her desk. Her back shuddered and her head fell forward more as she cried, the other two were unaware. Ginia's hand gripped my forearm and I felt her face softly rest against my shoulder, "Oh Mitch, she just realised what she's lost."

It was sobering to watch, but I wasn't sorry, I actually didn't even feel sad, given that I was with Verona must of helped a lot. She sat back at her desk, contemplating something, she tried to start a sentence three times, it never came out, after the third attempt she finally sat back and started to chuckle.

I had to ask, "Tell me, go on, what is it?"

"Nope, on second thought I've decided, well it's stupid and I know you're gonna hate the idea, so..."

I interrupted her, "So. Tell me, I'm not going to know if its worth trying unless you tell me."

"Well, Has Steph got any friends other than those two." She pointed in the general direction of the two dropkicks Steph chose as workmates.

"Yeah, old college friends, but all but one of the three have moved away, and they only get together irregularly. Actually no she doesn't, oh there's the odd one but no, I'd have to say friends aren't that common."

Ginia had a lop-sided, smile on her face, I looked at her, and then it clicked, I knew what her plan involved. What immediately came into my head was a little retort one of my students had let out a few weeks ago. It all but fell out of my mouth, "Hell to the no!!"

"Told ya you wouldn't like it, if we dotted all the i's and crossed the tee's, it would've worked M, you know 'I get it done.'"

I burst out laughing and rolled my eyes back in my head all at the same time, I had termed the phrase about her ability to 'get it done' when she first started working here, when we were a semi item, and it kind of grew around her. She looked at me, those eyes smiled again, "M, it was a term I have always been immensely proud of and have tried to live up to in my life, AND I've never forgotten the man who gave it to me."

"Okay Ginia, what's on your mind?"

"Steph needs friends in her life, I've watched her not often, I really like her and yes I knew we could be friend's you know why I'd never move on that, don't you?" I nodded. "I could also see why you fell in love with her, hell I even felt a little jealousy over it, but I got over myself. Look M the point is she has successfully distanced herself from both you and your daughter, she works with the people that helped her deceive her husband, her marriage. You don't know what you want to do, I'd have to agree with that but she still needs somebody to vent, talk, cry with. Let me do that. Okay I'm still a bit unsure how I feel about us talking about everything behind her back and yes I know it could all blow up in our face's but Mitch, we're both pretty smart, we can manage it one step at a time and see where it goes from there. And she'd have somebody in the right camp for a change, somebody not wanting to take advantage of her." Gin paused, thought, then continued, "Oh just one more thing though M, how much of our past does Steph know?"

"Yeah, I was mulling that while you were talking." The corners of Gin's mouth turned up in an ever so subtle smile, she knew now I was considering her suggestion. "I don't think we've ever talked about us, only in passing and a long, long time ago, before we married, and I remember because I thought you were still working here and things could get awkward otherwise, I'd called you Ginny."

"I don't know which way to jump at this moment, I'm pissed off I feel like just dumping her ass and moving on. My daughter and our relationship is most important thing for me at the moment, but Steph? I guess I need to know just what's left. Okay Gin, do it, let's try it, you have a loose plan I'm guessing?"

"Yes, On the premise that I happened to see her having a bad day, I'm gonna go over there and drag her ass over here for a sit-down chat and coffee. The other thing is I want to make a statement with dumb and blonder, just to let them no someone else is watching out. I can't wait to see what that does to the way those two jump."

"Yep, it'll certainly make them wonder what else you know, or what Steph is gonna tell you."

"Then M, I'll give you a ring and we'll talk, Yes?"

"Gin, are you sure about this, what about your work?"

"Actually Mitch what I'm doing at the moment is just to get me oriented in the job, they want me to take over Manager of Staff Services eventually, they're letting me find my feet at the moment and you can see by the amount of clients at the front desk, we're not quite rushed off our feet, besides lets say Steph's case is a bit of hands-on experience for a manager under training."

She looked at me expectantly, "So drag Steph here, cry her out, coffee and we'll talk?" Ginia nodded. "Game on then."

I got Ginia's cell number, we hugged, and I left. She was eager to get to Steph before her melt down made her do something she would regret later, She wanted to know whether Dwight had tried to coerce Steph with his recording. Ginia by herself was going to be a better than equal adversary for Dwight, that was fine, I'd handle the other side, the not so subtle side. I got to my office and sent a text to my daughter giving her a heads up about the meeting her Mum was going to have with her later on tonight and too at least let Steph explain her side of the story, Janine text back that she would do just that, She didn't love her Mum at the moment and that was something Steph would have to put up with. I smiled I knew Janine was not going to go easy on her Mum, so be it, Steph had stuffed up everyones future.

There was one other person I felt needed to get a 'heads up' on what was going on, a just in case, because I didn't want him to be blindsided if Steph turned up on his doorstep more than likely in tears, I had to go and see Marcus Gallagher. It wasn't something I was happy to do at all, but I figured that he didn't need to have the whole story presented to him, we could settle with a story around Steph and I needing some space and an amicable seperation in the interim. I think he'd wear that without too much of a hassle.

And as it turned out I was right. What came as a surprise was he asked me what part his wife had played in the seperation? I had no idea what he was talking about and it appeared mother-in-law may well have been launching her own little break-up-the-happy-couple campaign, or at least not dismissing Steph's worries or thoughts and pushing her back in my direction. Marcus apologised profusely about what maybe going on between his wife and daughter and said he'd wished he'd been more proactive in admonishing his wife over what he'd heard her talking to Steph about, he said he would definitely correct that situation starting tonight, "Okay, Sir, but don't jeopardize your relationship. If we are meant to get through this, we will. Are you comfortable with telling me your suspicions about their talks?"

"Yes, I can tell you Mitch, that in the two cases I heard them talking about Steph's freedoms, to get out, meet people and have a good time, not to be stifled sitting at home all the time was the way my wife was explaining it. Well I was not happy and I thought I made myself clear after the first time. When I overheard her the second time I didn't even let her disconnect, I laid into her and told her if she didn't I'd bring you into the equation, as I knew that everything they were talking about was behind your back. The talk tonight that I'm going to have is going to be very one-sided and she is going to be made aware if you and Steph break apart I'm going to make her responsible for it. You don't deserve this Mitch, nor does my granddaughter. You take care of business as you see fit, Mitch."

I left after that, he knew what we all would lose and over a period of just under 20 years we had all been very close in our relationship's with each other, now it could all be done with and the personal loss would be big. I doubted that Steph's mother would sense the same loss though.

On my walk back to my office a text came in. From Ginia, Those muthaf_ _kas need a serious asskick! bunch of aholes. Hi, holding up?, S &me doin lunch, lots to talk about, let u know 2nite, in loo gotta go, luv ya Ginny, lol.

I replied, Ginny!!,REALLY!

'ting.' Ba-ha-ha.(smiley face).

I'd missed this, what we had, there weren't a lot of cellphones back then but we'd fool around with faxes and end up sending each other little quips, jokes during the day, I'd never missed that until right now.

I had a lecture and needed to go over course notes. So it was mid afternoon when I'd finished up.

I met Gin at her house, and on the drive to the night club she bought me up to speed, "Okay so they've been working on her for six months or since Dwight arrived on the scene, she has been piecing it together since this morning, your breakfast meeting bumped her back into reality, in fact some came out while we were talking, which scared her even more. Each time she would stumble over something she never realised she had done, she burst into tears and it would take some time for her to re-gather and find her rhythm again. We really only just started to get to the crux of the matter at lunch time so we didn't wind up til two-thirty.."

"WHAT!, Ginia this wasn't the plan! You can't commit to this, you've got other responsibilities more than my personal life, God I wish we'd ..."

She interjected, "Mitch wait, I know but look from my side I'm also doing what I'm eventually going to have to do in my job anyway, looking after the welfare and care of the staff here. That it's on a personal level is irrelevant to some extent, you are both on staff here and that's what matter's. Yes I may have a vested interest but it is still with the client at the forefront." She waited then she quietly continued, "Mitch? Understand where I'm coming from and are we good with this? If you say no, I'll back off in a heartbeat, you know I will."

"God Gin, what a fucking mess, honestly I could kill something right now!"

"Yeah, well maybe you will, just in a different way."

"Okay so how bad was it."

"Just like you heard this morning, the other night was the first time it went that far, from what she said, and I think that is for two reason's. I think she was drugged, and Dwight and Chelsea didn't do it, the barman, Benny did it."

"What the fuck!"

"The last drink she had before they started their shit, came from Benny, no one else, she clearly remembers that now, oh the other two are guilty as sin but she is positive it was that last drink that did her in, any drink after that was just a matter of consequence."

"Okay, but she still doesn't get off scott free, she knew she was stepping over the line before the shit started." Virginia wanted to interject but I wanted to make my point clear.

"Gin, I know She knows that and there's no way of getting away from the fact. I don't know that I believe her about it stopping at a consensual and mutual pussy licking session coupled with two finger-fucks, really how does she expect us to rationalise that was all they did. And anyway from my point, that's far too much."

"Yes Mitch, I agree, the reason I think it stopped there was because they got caught."

"Oh this just keeps getting better, are there charges pending with the cops, is that what your saying Gin?"

"No, no cops. Seems Benny's been a naughty boy, Steph doesn't know details, she was lying on one of the bar couches, half comatose with her panties round her ankles when the Bar Owner and the bar manager for the main bar turned up and shut it down. It appears they thought Chelsea and Steph were probably a couple of bar girls and roughly escorted them and Dwight out the door. But Benny was still there up and till they left."

"Okay getting back to up and until last night, what else did they try to get Steph to do?"

"They actually weren't all that successful up until last night lots a touchy-feely though when they were on the dance floor, surprisingly Steph said as much touching from Chelsea as from Dwight so amongst other things she's confused with her sexual orientation." Gin gave a little chuckle.

"So, not only have I got a just about cheating whore for a wife, but she's a closet lesbian as well?"

"No and No. You've got neither, you've just got one very confused, horny-assed wife."

"Okay Gin, and I should be happy about that how?"

"Well I asked whether she liked dick, and she said yes, especially yours. So my next question was why she was cheating on you and she said because she really needed to just have somebody fuck her, when I asked her why you didn't, you know, make love she said you did, you just didn't fuck her. The dummy that I am, it took a while for me to realise what it was she was saying, I still can't get my head round the getting fucked bit, unless your style's changed I don't know. I'm NOT condoning what she's done M. If the bar owner hadn't come in she would of ended up fucking everyone, she knows that. But I'm 99.9% sure she was drugged."

"I don't know that you want to know the next bit though Mitch it ain't pleasant."

"Well Gin, it can't be any worse than what's been."

"Well your mother-in-law is in on it."