Love Me Tender - Please Pt. 05

She made it a point to drive down the street where Ray and the kids lived. The house looked the same and there was no car in the driveway but she only slowed down and did not stop. The front yard looked neat and there were even flowers in the box on the porch railing.

"Was it a woman's touch?" she thought.

"Maybe he has a girlfriend," she said aloud and felt jealous at the thought.

There was a garland of some kind hanging on the yard light pole and it brought back the memories of the fight Ray had with Montrell when he caught them making out in the garage. She remembered that it had been another of her record-breaking margarita consumption days. The excitement of the graduation party and her upcoming trip upped her intake to the point where she lost control and the fight was the result.

Corey laughed when she read the entry in the journal where Karen admitted that,When I drank or used cocaine it went right to my pussy and my pussy took control over my life.

Their house, his house now, did not look any different then it had the day she had returned to pick up the suitcases. She wondered what it looked like inside. Did it have any memories of their 20-years together left in there?

Now, almost two years later, she sat on her balcony and let the memories roll by like the waves lapping at the beach. Taking a sip of her coffee, she noticed the invitation sticking up out of her purse and pulled it out to read it again.

Raymond Royals and his daughter, Melody are pleased to announce the graduation of his son and her brother, Brian R. Royals, from Savannah High School on Saturday, May 20. Ceremonies will be held at the school's athletic field. Casual attire is suggested.

Inside was a card inviting the recipient to a post-graduation party at the Royals' home. It included Ray's telephone number for an RSVP but Melody asked her not to call since it was to be a surprise for Brian.

The date was only a little over a week away and on the spur of the moment she decided to drive up to Savannah early. It would be good for her to look around at what was happening in the city where she had spent most of her life. She wanted to buy a graduation present for Brian and it would give her time to shop. Melody would be out of school by then and they could meet for lunch or something.

Chapter 55

It took a few days to arrange her schedule so that she could leave. Her staff was well trained to take over and she was always available for any questions that they may have. She left early in the morning for the two-day drive to Savannah.

She stopped for the night at the Argosy Casino in Baton Rouge and after eating dinner, she tried her luck on a few of the slot machines. She dressed in heels and Capri pants and a mid-riff baring camisole top and she knew she looked good.

She had carefully chosen her clothes to be attractive without looking slutty. She was no longer a young chick and she accepted that fact. She also knew that she was still attractive and, even though she barely admitted it to herself, deep inside she hoped that Ray would find her that way.

She quietly ate up the admiring stares and comments she got from the men who saw her. It made her feel good and gave her confidence a boost. The prospect of seeing her former husband in a few days was making her nervous and excited at the same time.

Several men attempted to start a conversation with her as she sat at the machines, but she rebuffed them without making them feel bad about it.

One younger-looking man was clever enough to get her to open up a little and she agreed to move into a piano lounge with him. He was surprised when she told him she did not drink but she was happy with a diet soda with lemon. She enjoyed flirting and several times over the next two-hours she gently rebuffed his suggestions that they change clothes and go somewhere where they could dance.

They shared enough of their stories for her to find out that he was 28-years old and recently discharged after eight years in the Marine Corps. He worked with his father, a Mortgage Banker, to try and rebuild New Orleans and the other hurricane devastated areas.

He obviously had plenty of money and he tipped the waitress enough to where she spent most of her time making sure that he and Kari were happy. Kari finally decided to go back to her room and she allowed him to walk her to the elevators. While waiting for the elevator, she thanked him for a nice evening and gave him a gentle kiss goodnight.

Watching him watching her as the elevator doors closed she smiled at him and relished the feeling that he made her feel desirable. She was not sure how Ray would look at her.

"If only, God, if only," she whispered in the empty car.

A short time later she lay quietly in her bed enjoying the afterglow of solo sex. Using the corner of the sheet to wipe her lube and scent off of her toy, she put it back into its bag and set it on the nightstand. Curled up under the covers, she felt alive and attractive and for the thousandth time, she wished that Ray was lying next to her.

"Let's not go there, girl," she laughed and tried to get into a comfortable position to get some rest for the long drive she had the next day. Her thighs were still wet from her orgasm and rather than be uncomfortable she finally gave in and getting up she wiped herself with a damp washcloth.

Back under the covers in the nearly dark room her last thoughts, as they were every night, were, "I love you, Ray, and I'm sorry," just before dropping off into a peaceful sleep.

Chapter 56

The sun woke Ray in Savannah a short time before it reached Kari's room in Baton Rouge. Kari was already awake and anticipating the ten or eleven hour drive to Savannah when that same morning light peeped through the crack in her hotel room's curtains.

Both of their thoughts were on each other and both were anticipating their coming meeting with anxiety and more than a little trepidation. She wondered what he looked like after two years. She wondered if she should shake his hand or to try and hug him for the sake of their children.

"Who am I kidding?" she laughed at her rationale. "It's for my sake, too."

She shivered with the thought that he may reject her and make her feel uncomfortable.

He wondered what she looked like after two years and whether he should shake her hand or try and hug her for the sake of their children. His mind flashed back to the image of her being fucked by Montrell. He wondered if he would be able to face her without getting angry at what she had done.

He was surprised when the expected surge of anger and the urge for revenge at the thought did not surface. He wondered if time and counseling had dulled the edge of her betrayal.

"I wonder if she's had sex since we split up?" he asked the bathroom mirror.

As Kari showered and got ready to check-out, she wondered if he dated much or even if he had a steady girlfriend that Melody did not know about.

"Do you suppose he's had sex since we were together?" she wondered.

Collecting a bagel and coffee from the breakfast bar, Kari ate while she drove out of Old Town and onto the Interstate. By the time she had gotten to her car, Ray had already been up and eaten breakfast and was trying to concentrate on reading the morning paper.

"It's just four days until Brian's graduation," Ray thought, "Four days before we see each other after two years. It doesn't seem to be that long."

Traffic was light as she clicked the miles off on I-10 and her thoughts wandered back to the night before. That Marine had stirred something in her that she had forced into dormancy. He had made her feelings of sexuality bubble up to the surface again. Corey had told her that before she could truly recover she would have to face her repressed feelings and she now knew what she meant.

Long periods of being alone always made her look back on her life and she remembered the time leading up to her trip to Vegas. She had looked forward to the week in Vegas for months. She was afraid that Ray would make such a stink about it that she would be forced to cancel it.

She looked in the rear view mirror to make sure no other cars were close to her before she squirmed around to try and get more comfortable. She still was not used to the seat in her new, black Escalade. She felt a little cramp in her ass cheek and it brought back memories of the time she and Ray had tried anal sex.

Reflecting on that incident, she realized that she used it as a way of making amends for her indiscretions but it backfired when it hurt too much. When he forced himself on her she refused to believe his reasoning that he thought she was enjoying it.

His explanation was logical when she honestly considered it. At the time she was more than willing to use the episode as an excuse to drink and look for approval some place other than from him. The congratulations she received when she walked into the office that morning more than validated her decision and her resolve not to let him interfere with her career.

By the time the plane landed in Vegas, she was already high from anticipation. She was looking to have fun and maybe one last fling. She did not think she would learn anything from the etiquette school and she viewed it as just an excuse to get a free vacation in Vegas.

She surprised herself with all that she learned and the spa treatments and pampering made her feel like a new woman. They talked her into cutting her hair and adding some highlights and when she looked in the mirror, she did not recognize herself. By the third day, she felt twenty years younger and she could not stop touching her newly tanned and silky smooth body.

She wanted to let everybody see the new her and when she shopped with the girls, she let it all hang out. She bought the sexiest underwear, dresses, and shoes that she could find. Standing in front of the mirror in her new, blue dress, she fell in love with what she had become. The first night that she wore it to dinner and then to the casino, she must have been hit on fifteen times.

When they talked her into going to the dance club she was hesitant but after having that little tiff with Ray she went anyway. The celebratory champagne she had at their graduation luncheon was the first drink she had in over a week and it set her off.

Ray's attitude when she called him while she was changing to go to the dance club pissed her off. She wanted him to be happy for her but all she got from his tone of voice was that he was suspicious that she was drinking again.

His sleazy comment about girls getting pregnant on graduation night was uncalled for and she was not going to let him deny her a good time. Changing into her new dress, she admired herself in the mirror and readjusted the halter-top to show off her breasts a little more.

The dress was fitted with a built-in bra that only covered the sides of her breasts and barely concealed her areolas. To her delight, it made her look like she had a lot more than she really did have there. Her ego amped up and she squared her shoulders to emphasize her chest. After touching up her make-up she went down to meet the girls.

She agreed to one drink at the dance club, but more drinks followed. She finally gave in to the girls' teasing and danced with a couple of guys. They all tried to get a feel and she let a few of them squeeze her ass. One even got his hand down the back of her dress before she stopped him.

She could not believe how open everybody was and she could see couples grinding together on the dance floor without regard for the people around them. One guy, barely over 21, flat out asked her if he could take her back to his room.

"I want to make love to you," he whispered in her ear and pulled her belly into his erection. "I love older women and I will make you love me."

"How old do you think I am?" she asked expecting him to lie and say 35 or so.

To her surprise, he told her that he and his friends figured she was 30 or 31-years old.

When she informed him that she was over 40 and married, he held her hand up and asked why she was not wearing her wedding rings. She laughed and told him that it was against the law to wear wedding rings in Vegas.

Montrell's appearance in the hotel bar where they stopped for a drink after leaving the dance club caught her by surprise. She had managed to stay away from him during the classes but it was more difficult in the club atmosphere. She was not sure how to react but she knew that she had to keep her distance and not drink anymore.

"If Ray knew he was here he would shit," she told herself. "Nothing I could say would make him believe that this was not planned."

"Hey, girls," he said when he walked into the bar. "Fancy meeting you here."

Everybody but Karen rushed to greet him but she remained seated and only nodded when he looked over at her.

"Do we have a party pooper here?" he laughed. "Is she our chaperone for the evening?"

Karen was embarrassed at his comment and immediately went on the defensive.

"The girls laughed and when they urged Karen to join them in another drink she gave in so as not to look like a mother hen. They stayed in the bar for a little while before Montrell invited them up to his room for a surprise.

"C'mon girls, I've got something for each of you," he said and they headed for the elevators with Karen tagging along behind.

Once in the room, Karen tried to figure out a way to leave without making a scene. Before she could get away, he gave them each a box with a necklace and earring set in them. Even Karen was impressed and taken by his generosity. They tried them on in front of the mirror and the next thing she knew she was going down the elevator to a limousine hired by Montrell.

She managed to stay away from him and the two other men who were already in the car but at the club she could not refuse to dance with any of them. One was named Sean, but she could not remember the name of the other one. The men danced with all of the girls and at times, the entire party was on the crowded dance floor.

Karen did not know who was feeling her up on the floor but she was enjoying herself and letting go to the music. During one of the dances, she felt someone's arms wrap themselves around her from the rear and she knew it was Montrell even before he whispered into her ear.

"Do you know that you are the most beautiful creature in this club?"

Karen let herself continue to move with the music as she ate up the words that were filling her head. She felt his lips touch her neck and she tilted her head to give him better access. When his hands came up and squeezed her breasts she tensed and tried to move away. He quickly released her and backed away to continue dancing with the group.

She did not know how many clubs they went to but it was at least three and at each one of them she had a drink or two. By the time they headed back to the hotel, she was not feeling any pain. She found herself sitting next to Montrell in the limo and he offered her a pill that he took from a little plastic bottle.

"Want to fly?" he asked.

Karen was at the point of refusing when she noticed Sean passing out identical tablets to the rest of the girls in the limo. They all took one and washed it down with champagne.

"Stick out your tongue," he said and when she did, he placed one on it and offered her his glass.

Whatever was in the pill took the edge off of the booze and made her feel loose without feeling drunk. She joined in the laughter and the innuendoes and told them about Ray's comment about getting pregnant.

They all laughed and someone made a joke about a college professor who stuffed his pants with a sock to make it look like he had a decent sized wiener. One day it fell down his pants leg and his whole class laughed at him and called him Dr. Wiener from then on.

Karen found herself laughing along with the crowd at Ray's expense.

Going along with the group, she ended up in Montrell's room again but found she was alone with him when she came out of the bathroom. She knew she had to get out of there or she would end up doing something she was not supposed to do. It did not work and when Montrell talked her into having some more wine and then told her how great she was, she stayed to hear more of his praise.

The sound of a car's horn warning her that she was drifting out of her lane brought her back to the moment. Focusing back on the road, she started concentrating on her driving as she neared the turn to get on I-65 towards Montgomery. Stopping at the first rest area, she stretched her legs and went to the ladies' room. It was a beautiful afternoon and she sat at one of the picnic tables drinking a soda and watching the people go by.

Several men stared at her and one made a move to come over to talk to her but she gave him a cold stare and he thought better of it.

"I've still got it," she smiled to herself and thrust her chest out a little. "I wonder if Ray will notice."

Getting up she tossed her empty can into the trash and walked back to her car.

"Stop it you fool," she admonished herself. "You're acting like a drunken slut again."

Back on the road, her mind wandered back to Vegas.

She remembered Montrell offering her something to drink while she looked into the mirror and admired herself. His compliments fed her ego and she loved having him touch her and talk to her. When he offered her the cocaine, she was not going to take it but she did not want to disappoint him and maybe not get the training job he talked about.

Once he started making love to her in front of the mirror the thought never crossed her mind to make him stop. The final straw came when she tried the cocaine and lost all reason. She remembered feeling like her head was going to explode.

As soon as the powder hit her nasal membranes, the lights in the room got so bright that her eyes ached and she felt like she had developed a thousand new nerve endings all over her body. The touch of his hands and lips was like fire on her skin and the feeling remained even after he moved away.

Kari's hands tightened on the steering wheel when she felt her nipples engorge as she remembered how she felt when he touched her breasts and fondled her nipples.

She squirmed in her seat and the voice of Corey came to her mind.

"We have all had some wonderful times while we were using alcohol and drugs. That's why we used them. They took us to places that we never knew we could reach. You'll remember those good times and it's OK to do that. You also have to remember that you don't need drugs or alcohol to reach those same places once you learn who you really are."

She remembered looking at herself in the mirror in that Vegas hotel room and thinking that she had never seen anything as erotic as the images reflecting back to her. She watched his hands move over her body and her flesh seemed to anticipate his touch and become ultra-sensitive. She expected to find a mark where he had touched her before he moved on to another, even more sensitive, place. It was like watching a movie but she could feel what the woman in the movie was feeling.

Thankfully, there were no other vehicles near her when her cell phone started vibrating followed by Ray's ringtone. She had not heard it since that night in Vegas two years ago and it jarred her so much that she swerved into the other lane. At the sound, the vision of she and Montrell naked on the bed flashed in front of her eyes. For an instant, she was back there with Montrell between her legs.

Trembling with fear at her near accident, she pulled back into the right hand lane and saw "Ray's Cell" displayed on the cars GPS screen.

Pushing the button on the steering wheel, she answered it.

"Hello," she said haltingly.