Mental Toughness Pt. 01

Jen turned her back on me. "The keys are on your dresser, asshole!" she yelled.

I didn't blame her for being pissed.

If there were four guys I needed a weapon - just in case - even if they were as drunk as Amber sounded. The only weapon that I had - but one that I was very familiar with and had even trained with - has the ridiculous name of "Travel Wrench." The makers apparently want to disguise that it is a weapon so they put hex holes in it and stamped "Travel Wrench" on it.

In actually the Travel Wrench is an angled piece of very hard, though light, plastic with a ring at one end through which the user places his index finger, and a hand grip, with finger contours, in the middle. When gripped the right-angled free end of the weapon extends past the user's hand and acts much like brass knuckles if it impacts a combatant.

I got to Amber's condo in ten minutes and illegally parked on the street. She buzzed me in, and when I got off the elevator I saw this really big guy coming out of her condo. He must have been six five, two eighty. "Shit," I said to myself. "I hope that he's really drunk and leaving, and that the other three are smaller than he is."

As I approached him he did a double take and said "Are you the fucking Ninja coming to kick us out?"

"I'm not a Ninja but I hope to talk you into leaving - I see that you are, so I trust that you'll just keep going," I said, trying to sound firm, but non-threatening.

"Fuck no, I'm gonna fuck Amber again," he said, pushing me against the wall as he turned to go back toward her condo.

Fortunately, he really was drunk otherwise I never could have taken him even with the Travel Wrench. I hit him two quick blows on the side of his head with the Travel Wrench, and he collapsed on the hallway floor, and puked his guts out.

Amber's door was unlocked. A guy about my size was pawing Amber, while a guy almost as big as the one I had just hit was really forcing himself on the woman who I assumed was Millie. I didn't see the third guy. Everyone was naked.

I grabbed the hair of the guy pawing Amber, yanked him down to the ground, and stomped on his throat with my heel. He gagged and rolled around in obvious pain - he was out of the fight.

The big guy heard his gagging and turned toward me. He was another guy I never could have beaten if he was sober. He wasn't - he was even more drunk than the other big guy.

"Get your clothes on and leave now," I said firmly.

"You fucking asshole," he yelled as he charged. He was off-balance, hit his shin on the coffee table as he bulled ahead, and left his groin unprotected. I gave him a side karate kick in the nuts and he collapsed screaming. I hit him with a hammer fist - with the end of the Travel Wrench - on top of the head, and he splayed out.

A third guy came out of the bathroom - he was the best dressed of the group; he had boxers on. He was a little bigger than I was, but not much.

I pointed at him. "Your three friends are incapacitated and hurting badly. You have two choices. You can help me get them into the elevator and out of the building, or I can beat the shit out of you."

He was either not as drunk as, not as stupid as, or more cowardly than, the other three. "OK, OK - let me get dressed," he pleaded, holding out his hands in a "peace" gesture.

As he dressed I pulled the guy I had stomped on onto his feet, handed him a pair of pants - they looked like they would fit him - and told him "Put them on or I stomp you again."

He did as told, still gagging.

The dressed reasonable guy and I dragged the big guy in the condo out the door. Fortunately the really big guy was gone, although his puke was still there. The guy gagging, the reasonable guy, and the almost unconscious big guy and I were all in the elevator together. We dragged the big guy onto the street, the other two guys took off, and I went back to the condo to get the big guy's clothes. I collected them quickly and went to leave.

Amber and Millie, completely wasted, started slobbering thanks and were trying to grab me. They were still naked. Millie was almost as good looking as Amber. I didn't like the bite marks on Amber's tits or what looked like caked cum on her thighs. "Brad, why..." she started to say.

"Sorry, Amber, I have got to give the big naked guy his clothes," I said as I hustled out the door. By the time that I got downstairs the big guy was sitting up, holding his head with one hand and his nuts with the other. "Put these on and get the hell out," I snarled as I threw the clothing at him. I then got in Jen's car and left. I was back in my apartment in a little over forty five minutes.

I was relieved when I saw Jen still in the bedroom. I wasn't pleased when she sat up and looked at me. "Now that my car's back I can get the fuck out of here," she snarled. I tried my best to pacify or cajole her. She said nothing else as she got dressed. I yelled "I'm sorry, Jen, really sorry," as she stormed out the door.

"Great," I thought to myself. "There goes great sex and a possible great relationship. Obviously Amber's a tramp; it wasn't worth it."

Starting about ten Saturday morning my cell phone started ringing every fifteen minutes. It was Amber, leaving message after message. I didn't want to answer or listen to them yet. I was going to try to repair the situation with Jen first.

I tried to call Jen. She was apparently taking the same approach with me that I was with Amber. After three unanswered calls I went to her apartment. She answered the door.

"I'm truly sorry, Jen..." I started to say as soon as the door opened. She held up a hand in a "Stop" motion, and then delivered a clearly rehearsed but very effective "closing argument."

"Brad you were honest with me from the start that you carried the torch for Amber. I started out without true emotional attachment to you, but I couldn't help myself. I fell in love, and I held out hope that you did too because you treated me nicer than anyone else ever has. Last night brought home how stupid my dream was. I'll be recovered by Monday and will still be your friend, but there will be no more 'benefits.'"

With that she slammed the door shut.

"WOW - she's going to make an awesome trial attorney," I said to myself as I shuffled out of her apartment building, feeling like shit.

I took a long walk before I returned to my place. There was Amber, sitting outside my door. I groaned.

"I don't know how you found me, Amber," I said, "but now is a bad time."

She hopped up, blocked my path and grabbed my lapel. "I want an exclusive relationship with you," she blurted out and then tried to kiss me.

"Whoa; then why didn't you call me. I made it clear after our lake date what I needed from you..." I replied before being cut off.

"I've thought of you every day since then; I want you to give me a chance; I know that last night was hard on you as evidenced by the fact that you never came back to the condo to accept my thanks; but you won't regret it," she continued, starting to tear up. This time I didn't stop her from giving me a quick kiss on the lips - but I didn't let it linger.

"Maybe we should talk," I said, unlocking my apartment door.

I motioned for her to sit opposite me at the kitchen table. The chairs weren't comfortable; I didn't want either of us to be comfortable.

"I have lots of questions about whether we could be compatible, Amber, despite your many good qualities. What I saw last night really disturbed me."

"I'll not try and insult you by making excuses. Millie is a bad influence on me, I drank too much, and I get too amorous when I drink. I know better, but I still did it. It was good in one sense because how out-of-hand it got ensures that I'll never do it again. It made me realize - especially after you rescued Millie and me - that I don't just want a relationship with you - I need one." She sniffled a little. "I've never begged a guy for anything before; I'm not good at it; tell me what I need to do."

I sat there staring at her for the longest time, making eye contact throughout. I'm not sure that either of us blinked. Even dressed in jeans and a regular blouse and with no makeup on she was beyond alluring. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," popped into my head.

"I don't know if your pride could take the three conditions I'll lay out," I said.

"Try me," she replied with a determined look on her face.

"Number one, we're completely exclusive unless one of us officially breaks it off before we become non-exclusive. This is both sexually AND romantically. Two you get a complete battery of tests for STDs and we do not get intimate unless and until you come back with a clean bill of health - in writing." She winced at that, but only for a split second, and then regained her composure although her eyes got a little moister.

"Three, you buy me a pearl necklace - a real pearl necklace - to give to the woman I was having a relationship with when you called Friday night - I guess, technically Saturday morning - and ended it."

"What kind of pearl necklace?" was her first question.

"Get one that you would wear to a nice social event; one that you would be happy with." I didn't know shit about pearls; all that I knew is that Jen coveted one but a law school student can't afford one. I was sure that Amber could.

"Can we date before the STD test comes back?" was her second question.

"Yes, but not before you bring me the necklace," I replied.

She got a big smile on her face, got up, gave me a peck on the lips and said "Meet me at the Chart House restaurant at 7:00 tonight; smart casual dress; come hungry. You'll be happy with the necklace."

I was sure that I would be.

Amber handed me a box containing the necklace as soon as she walked up to the restaurant - at 6:55. OK, so I was anxious and early too. I looked in the box. It took my breath away. "Wow, this looks expensive," I whistled. "How much did it cost?"

"About one fiftieth of what even a short relationship with you is worth. Let's just say that this woman" - then she paused waiting for me to supply a name. I shrugged my shoulders and said "Why not?" to myself.

"Jen."

"Let's just say that Jen will be pleased; really pleased; pleased enough to try and fuck you, but you'll resist," she giggled, then hugged me.

That night Amber and I got reacquainted at dinner, and by a stroll along the waterfront. Since we knew that it wasn't going to end in sex that took some of the pressure of rekindling off, and we simply enjoyed each other's company. We did passionately kiss goodnight, but as far as I know you can't get most STDs from that.

I waited until Monday to give Jen the necklace. She was friendly but guarded when we talked. "After Administrative Law I have something I need to give you," I told her as we walked into the only class we were taking at the same time that semester. She gave me a skeptical look but nodded "OK."

In the Quad after class I held up the box and said "This is a peace offering and the biggest 'I'm Sorry' I can provide. Please, please, please accept it."

She took the box, looked inside, started crying, and ran off with it. Two days later she told me how much she loved it, then smiled and gave me the peace symbol. I smiled back. She was my best friend at school the rest of the semester.

A proven STD-free Amber was my best friend outside of school; and the sex was even better than during our first romp. She was simply all-time!

*************

By the time that I graduated law school four months later there was no doubt in my mind that I was madly in love with Amber, and unless she was both a pathological liar and great actress she was madly in love with me. I got a job with the Public Defender's office, borrowed money from my parents to get Amber a decent - though not near the quality of the pearl necklace - ring, and asked her to marry me.

Fortunately I proposed to Amber while we were in her condo after a fun night bowling and playing pool - something that I was surprised that she really enjoyed. Without verbally responding she nodded for me to put the ring on her finger. When I did in her most sultry voice she said "Actions speak louder than words," and proceeded to turn into a complete animal and fucked and sucked me through four of the most sensational orgasms of my life!

I moved into her condo the next day, and we were married three months later. How she arranged the big wedding that we had in that small amount of time I didn't find out until later - she had picked the date, put a deposit on the place, and had already hired a wedding planner three months before I proposed.

Surprisingly neither her parents nor mine made a big deal out of the age difference. The mothers were sanguine because they could sense that we were truly in love. I knew that my father wouldn't object once he saw a photo of her in a bikini. Her father was won over when I insisted on a pre-nuptial agreement to protect her assets, although I had an ulterior motive; a fidelity clause.

I was very generous in the financial terms provided in the pre-nup that I drafted, as was appropriate given that she was now an Executive VP of MegaBank and in charge of operations in the entire state while I was a grossly underpaid public defender. She never said anything about the fidelity clause - she just signed.

I did have one issue to approach gingerly, but was necessary to deal with, before the wedding. Amber's friend Millie was kind of a wild child. While Millie seemed to like me - why wouldn't she since I saved her ass the first time that I met her - I was apprehensive about what she might plan for Amber at a bachelorette party since Millie was the maid of honor. So I invited her to lunch for a heart-to-heart. After some small talk, I got right to the point - I had to be discreet because every guy there was staring at us. As I said before, Millie was second only to Amber in the looks department of any woman I had had personal contact with.

"Millie, I really like you and I think that you're about the best friend that Amber could have, so I'm asking you to do something that I think is really in her best interests," I started out with a smile.

"I'd love to help any way that I can, Brad," she cooed.

"Well, I don't know if Amber has told you but I really, really prize fidelity. Even though I'm madly in love with Amber, a condition of that love is fidelity, and I've heard some stories about wile bachelorette parties in our fair city," I said with a serious face.

I could tell that Millie was a little uncomfortable. "Oh, really - what have you heard?"

"Oh things like some of the bride-to-be's friends getting her drunk and then either laid or gang-banged. I don't really know how much of it is true, but except for you I also don't really know Amber's friends that well. Since I do know and respect you, however, I was hoping that you could see to it that something like that doesn't happen to Amber," I continued, trying to make eye contact, although Millie's gaze occasionally wandered.

"Oh..." was about all she said at that point; I could tell that she was a little uncomfortable.

"The reason why this would really be helping Amber out is because I really do believe that she loves me and wants to marry me, and if I found out about her being with someone else at a bachelorette party - or anywhere else for that matter - there would be no wedding, I'd get an annulment, or get a divorce, depending upon when I found out."

After a few seconds delay, Millie got a forced smile on her face and said "You have nothing to worry about, Brad. I know that Amber knows where you're coming from and would never do anything like that, and as her maid of honor and best friend I will assure you that I will intervene if some of her friends try and get her too drunk to know what's going on."

"Thank you so much, Millie," I said with a big smile while squeezing her hand. Then we talked about nothing but fun, light things, and she even insisted on paying for the meal even though I had asked her to lunch. "I know you have lots of expenses associated with the wedding; let me take care of this, will you?" was her nice way of putting it.

I heard no "bad" reports about the bachelorette party - at least as they related to Amber. I'm sure that Millie reported our conversation to Amber word-for-word.

****************

Married life with Amber was - in a word - Fantabulous! We were compatible in every way, it seemed, although different enough and independent enough not to get clingy or boring. Our sex life was as good as it realistically could be. Like everyone else we could not sustain the passion of the first few months, but we both clearly enjoyed all aspects of our sexual relationship and had universally outstanding and frequent orgasms.

I also didn't mind that Amber made scads more money than I did, or that she owned most of the property that we shared. It simply was unimportant and she never held it over my head or in any way commented on it or let others.

After I was a public defender for three years I got a job as an assistant District Attorney for City X. I actually liked prosecuting the bad guys much more than defending them. As a PD I believed that only about 5% of the people I represented were innocent, and only another 10% were guilty of only a lesser crime than they were charged with. I still did the best that I could with the guilty ones, though I didn't like it.

I had only been an assistant DA for a little more than a year when big things happened. I had already obtained a reputation as a tough but fair prosecutor and a good trial attorney. The guy who was the DA assigned me all of the most difficult cases, but I gladly worked on them. One case was particularly pleasant because the scumbag was also being prosecuted in Suburb Y, one of the closest suburbs to City X, and Jen was an assistant DA there. We enjoyed re-connecting since I had only seen her a handful of times since graduation; including when she wore the pearl necklace that I had given her to my wedding, something that did not go unnoticed by Amber, although she took it in good humor. Of course I had never told Jen that Amber bought the necklace.

During that case I found out from Jen about the way that her DA ran her office. It was different from the way that my DA ran our office; much more ethically. I started wondering about some things, and came to the conclusion that my DA was corrupt, terminating some prosecutions under suspicious circumstances, and going all out against some people that we had no business prosecuting.

With the help of the Attorney General for our state I convened a grand jury, working with an assistant state prosecutor. Even though it was supposed to be done in secret the DA found out about it, and tried to fire me. I fought back hard - I took seriously my pledge after I had washed out of the SEALs to never again fail to succeed because of lack of mental toughness.

I was backed by the Mayor and Governor when I showed them the evidence that I had. The DA was placed on administrative leave. Some of the allegations were so serious that the public became skeptical of the entire office when they were revealed in a front page article in the city's major newspaper, so in an unusual collaboration by the Mayor and Governor I, the second most junior assistant DA, was appointed Interim DA.

There were six assistants with more seniority than I had; I got along well with all of them except for one. Three of them had no interest in the Interim job, two took it well after I had a heart-to-heart talk with them, and the one guy that I didn't get along with resigned. I immediately replaced him with a woman assistant DA from another county who wanted to work in the City.

There were several drawbacks to the Interim DA's job. The one that related to my relationship with Amber was that I had to work longer hours. I knew that she was unhappy about it, but I assured her that I would not run for DA when the election would occur in about fourteen months. The City charter did not require holding a special election, and the Mayor was happy to let me finish the suspended DA's term.