Our Rules: Honor Bright

Not that any of it made me happy. Carol and Trish's work involved the same task's as those provided by the 'professional adult industry' which had not included the physical sex act's. Hopefully.

The dining and dating video's had sound. What was noticeable with both women was their ability to get their clients to start talking about their lives, loves and difficulty's that life throws up. Added to that were the amount of repeat clientele both girls got it was that part I concentrated on.

The more times they met the friendlier and more relaxed the dating got and while the conversations were long (about 2-1/2 hours) the subjects varied very little from the date before. The biggest standout with Carol's recordings, she had one customer who dated her once and in four instances twice a week. The other repeats were close to fortnightly. He looked early to mid sixties, six foot or so - fit looking slim, full head of hair and goatee.

He had a thing for Carol, there is no way she could have missed it. Very careful in the first two weeks - no touching at all, not that the others were handsy but when opportunity arises they're men after all so light touches to her hands, forearm or shoulder. Only to emphasize a point of course.

His name: Merrell Falconer. Merrell was as cool as a cucumber. Initial meeting no closeness, he sealed himself off. Second and third meeting - reluctantly open to persuasion from Carol's suggestion to relax, open up and talk 'when you feel comfortable'. By the third week she was making headway. Merrell was coming out of his shell so when his right hand reached across and lightly touched her hand, I saw her look down at his hand. The consternation on her face even though she was looking down was evident in her body language, she struggled not to pull her hand away, she took in a deep breath. Merrell broke her thoughts as he excitedly exclaimed feeling rejuvenated and alive. By this time Carol's hand was now held lightly but possessively in his.

I'd got a clear picture of their relationship. Merrell had Carol's undivided attention. He was Carol's success story, she'd pulled him out of his funk and depths of near depression. Of course the closeness and touching that had been denied to others showed trust and faith in Merrell's ongoing recuperation.

I'd gone through the recordings of Carol and Merrell's meetings until I'd understood Merrell's seduction process. The frequency of Merrell's dates was the biggest tell. All of Carol's dates including those behind closed doors were recorded. Why? I'd have to ask.

Something was out of whack with the last date with Merrell. The date that Jerry torpedoed. Until Carol fled the room in a panic with my text announcing my pending arrival it appeared there was a new relationship dynamic in the room. Subtle, sensual. Behavior not apparent previously. And a shared excitement. Sexual? Yes. My question is gonna be, what changed.

I'd run through that date a few times before I spotted something else, 'Son. Of. A Bitch! Motherfuckers got a wedding band on.' Question three, did my wife know Merrell was married?

--- ---

I was sat on the couch when fate leant a hand. Carol walked in the house. She came through to the lounge, walked straight to her normal seat looking at an imaginary spot on the floor in front of her. I continued working on my tablet, I needed to get this bit sorted. I finished and her sad face was staring at me. She quickly looked down. Something prompted her and she looked at me. Taking a breath she launched, "Tony, honey I am so..."

"Save it Carol! I don't wanna hear it. And you're not about to hear any forgiveness crap from me either. I don't know where I am right now but I am not there. So save it. The things I need from you right now are answers to questions and for you to nod your head that you understand what I've just said."

Her face turned to a look of sadness, tears welled up in her eyes, and she closed them tightly. Her body froze where she sat and both hands clenched tightly in fists, but no reply. Standing I grabbed a box of tissues and tapped her leg before placing it on the arm of her chair, "I'm yet to see a nod."

She wiped her eyes. Her head moved in the affirmative, and she spoke, "Yes."

"Alright then when you're ready we'll start."

She took a minute, looked at me trying desperately to give a confident smile which was anything but, "Did you know Merrell Falconer was married? Yes or No."

"YES! But..." (She recognised I'd not asked for explanations and shut up).

"But?"

"Tony. His wife Lily passed. He's a widower.... Is... is all I wanted to say honey. It was all on his client information sheet but we weren't to talk about any personal information that the client did not bring up in the first instance. And he never talked about his married life."

"Really. And he's from Boston. The one in Massachusetts not the one in Minnesota?"

"What? Honey. There' s no Boston in...."

"Curiously enough there is no Merrell Falconer like your Merrell Falconer living in Boston. The one in Massachusetts. There is however a Merrell FALKNER who lives in St. Paul who could be a twin of your Merrell Falconer from Boston and going by the pictures on Falkner's face book page, well to be honest his wife Grace's page, his page has zip on it, they've been married forty-two years and have a son, two daughter's and ten grand-kids.

Oh and here's a picture of the couple taken at their fortieth wedding anniversary. She comments that Merrell and his business partner have opened an office in Las Vegas that they're hoping to get a manager for so poor Merrell don't have to commute or be away from home so long. During fucking Covid! When everything is fucking CLOSED!

Seriously! YOU and his wife are gonna have a talk with each other and between you sort shit out. I'm picking Grace is gonna glean more from the exercise than you. And that is a given, you have zero option on that."

The anger wasn't helping. I walked across and placed my tablet on Carol's knees for her to see my evidence. She stared at the picture of Merrell and his wife, "I goggled 'Falconer' definition and it gave family name alternatives. Falconer and Falkner, one is an English translation for the other. The other is Teutonic or German origin surname. The rest came through face-book search."

Carol quietly bowed her head and closed her eyes, "Can I have five minutes Tony?"

--- ---

With Carol 'straightened up' a bit we continued, "Why were all your date's, even the ones behind closed doors recorded? Jerry said Trish implied that the ones behind closed doors weren't recorded?"

"Yeah we were too until we bullied Lou into giving us our recordings. At first Trish called him a perverted old bastard and he took such a dim view of that I got suspicious and when Trish asked him again he clammed up. So I put my suspicion out there that he didn't trust us to tell him the truth about what went on behind close doors. He wanted his cut of the extras we maybe providing. Asshole. Anyway he denied but Trish and I knew. Knew that look. That was exactly why he wanted the recordings. He wouldn't have confronted Trish and Jerry so quickly otherwise. He knew I wasn't gonna do the deed otherwise he would've been happy as all get out, he'd get his cut and I would've been turned. Win win for Lou."

Carol looked pallor, "I've completely and successfully fucked everything up haven't I Tony."

"Yep." I tried a subtle little smile, "So. Still gonna skulk off to Sacramento and leave your mess for me to clean-up?"

"No. No Tony. I'm here for you till it's all cleaned up. One way or another."

I wanted to talk to Jerry, amongst everything else an idea that was forming. I needed his input so I may have left Carol hanging but she had a bit to think about.

When I got home Trish was there but neither acknowledged my arrival just kept on looking through the recordings. There was a bit of argument going on that I listened in on from the kitchen. Trish believed Carol had got too close and involved with Falkner as a client, that the tapes showed personal contact that wasn't there with other customers. I'd made the same assumption as well, and as Trish showed comparison between three tapes from early to latest Carol contested that all it showed was the familiarity and ease that coexisted between Falkner and herself as the number of dates increased.

"Trish, prior to the last date we never overstepped our or my boundaries. Never."

"That be as it may Carol the level of familiarity, the touches and in his cases near to caress's are more visible in all these later recordings like this Carol."

Trish had pulled up one of the later dates, "No don't bother Trish, I know what it'll show...... God Trish. How could I be so fucking dense. I wasn't bringing him out of his funk. He was setting me up wasn't he Trish. I thought I was so smart. She paused. You know what! If I were Tony I'd divorce me just for being a dumb-ass!"

Trish burst out laughing then a good few seconds later a red-faced Carol looked at her, "Oh. Shut up you! Some friend you turned out to be."

After they'd stopped laughing Trish's expression turned questioningly, "So that video you got me to edit down and send to Merrell, what was that all about?"

"What wasn't visible on Lou's recordings is while I was waiting for Wayne to pick me up. I'd wait five minutes to let Merrell leave, call you, wait another five and go wait outside. Twice Merrell was still waiting for his uber so he'd come over and we'd end up chatting. Both times Wayne arrived before his uber. He didn't have an uber did he Trish? Of course he didn't! Anyway the date five days ago he said he was going home to watch some porn and 'take the edge off.' He kinda waited for me to give an answer which caught me flat-footed. I had no idea what to say so I said that there was nothing wrong watching porn but remember it wasn't reality."

"He said the porn he watched was very real it featured a cute little five-foot-something brunette with the cutest little breast's and tightest little butt he'd ever seen. I flamed red and I couldn't look at him. Luckily Wayne turned up and I dashed to the car. I wasn't expecting him to be still looking at me so when I looked - there he was. It was trance-like, he held me in his gaze. He could see right though me. I knew what he was thinking. He wanted me to know that he knew what I was thinking. Trish - he wrecked me. I was a mess. Wayne dropped me off but I snuck and sat in my car for fifteen minutes to cool down. Hah as if that worked. Truth be told Trish I've never needed Tony more than I did right then. I could of screamed. If you remember I wasn't in the office more than two minutes. I jumped in a cold shower first thing when I got home."

"I made that video the next day for Tony hoping he'd get the hint. God I was missing him NOT Merrell Falkner, he was the....." (Carol paused. She mused deciding how to continue, Trish helped.)

"Catalyst?"

"It is. The catalyst not the beneficiary. But then I had an attack of the stupid's. I decided he could have a bit of a visual of what he was never going to have in reality. Stupid mistake Trish, too late now Tony's already seen it and it won't help my case. He's every right to be upset about it and that Merrell has seen it let alone that I sent it to him."

"Ahhh so Tony's seen it? The WHOLE thing?"

She silently, with a very forlorn look on her face nodded 'yes' to Trish.

'What fucking video! Shit, I need that fucking USB."

I walked into the room and the surprised look on their faces caught me by surprise, "TONY!! When did you get in." (They hadn't heard me earlier.)

"A while ago."

I watched the exchange of looks, I wasn't going to help their cause, "Trish can I grab the USB please?"

She passed it to me explaining she'd sent a copy to the computor they were using. I nodded turned and left. Carol had a worried look while Trish's was quizzical. I walked to the kitchen, hid out of view so I could hear what was said but the conversation was whispered. I'd use the spare bedroom. I'd missed it. The recording had a file cover I'd not opened. It was not what I'd envisaged, not good. It was suggestive. Meant to tease and seduce the viewer.

--- ---

As the scene opens, Carol sat in a chair next to the dressing table and mirror. Not facing the mirror the fixed camera showing the rear of the wing-back chair. The high chair back means the viewer is cheated from knowing what she may or may not be wearing or doing. Her intention to goad the viewer's imagination, staging the reveal.

A naked arm stretches out. A delicate hand reaches down as two fingers and a thumb pluck a pink silk stocking from atop the table. Flitting it seductively, it shimmers and sparkles as it catches the light then moves out of view.

Across the right arm of her chair Carol's upper leg appears, partly obscured by the chair back until the leg and knee rest over the arm. She straightens her lower leg. Her bare toes are visible now. Then her tiny sexy foot. Her legs stretches, a suspender flops over the arm. Her right leg fully extended the muscles along it's length and foot now visibly stretched and taut, she slowly rotates her foot exercising her ankle and stretching her toes.

Her left leg begins the same routine following the right. Both her bare legs eventually end extended in a wide 'V'. The viewers mind imagining the view from in front. The right knee bends she rolls the pink stocking up over her toes and foot and slowly down calf and leg. Her hand reaches for the wayward suspender. We await the same for the other stocking as she retrieves it.

She changes the script, her bare foot finding the edge of the table, gently pushes the chair around until she faces the mirror.

She sits low in the chair still cheating us to what she wears, treating the viewer to a profile view of her naked thigh and leg. She turns her head, glances at the camera briefly, glances away. A broad smile signals she knows she has the viewers undivided attention. She flexes her leg three times, extends her foot and wiggles her toes.

She bends her leg at an angle rolls her hip enough that we get just a glimpse of her bright red suspender belt, sexy sheer Tanga panties containing her tight butt cheek. Rolling back Carol flicks the stocking open end over her toes and then seductively strokes her last stocking down her leg. One more exaggerated leg stretch. As she lifts her hip reaches and finds her errant suspender clip she turns her head her eyes find and fix a stare at the camera.

At us. At Merrell.

--- ---

I stared at the screen. It wasn't hard core porn. It needed a brain to decipher and an active imagination. If she had made that for me. Alone. I'd have been rapped. She hadn't. I knew now why at the next of their dates the sensual level had appeared. Carols recording had done that.

Resisting the urge to kill, maim and destroy something I needed to get my head on straight. I don't project anger when I'm pissed I don't scream or yell. Carol tells me I get centric. Evidently I have a 'look'. Right now I just need to get away, clear my head, find a plan. I walked through the lounge, "I'm going out, I'll be back." I looked at Carol. She looked a bit puzzled but then she knew.

"Honey. Tony! Don't go. Please! Stay!"

"No! I'm not about to do anything stupid!"

I stepped off, stopped turned back and caught Carol's eye, "One more thing. Is that porn you made the last surprise or is there anything else hidden away you're gonna drop on me you haven't told me?"

The silence said it all, "You have to be shitting me Carol."

More silence, "Out with it or you'll get divorce papers tomorrow. I shit you not!"

"Honey. I didn't tell you. I hoped I could hide it. I accepted another date with Merrell the following night after the disaster date. I'm so sorry. I've not even told Trish, (Well that was obvious, Trish's mouth had dropped open and she'd turned ashen.) I knew it was important. I knew if you saw the recording and then knew I was meant to go on a date the following night you'd come to the conclusion I was probably going to..... you know."

"FUCK! Is that the word you were looking for Carol? Fuck?"

She wouldn't or couldn't look at me, tears dropped from her eyes as she bent forward softly crying.

"So that's it, nothing else?" I looked at my weeping wife. A silent shake of the head. By the vacant look in Trish's eyes she had clearly left the building. As was I.

--- ---

Carol Walker.

Trish's voice bought me round "Carol honey. Come on now. Sit down before you fall down honey, I'll call Jerry and let him know what's going on. Then I think we need a coffee."

I sat stunned for minutes. Our life, what we have is slipping away. I should be fighting for it, "I'M calling Jerry Trish."

"Nup! Way a head of ya."

Jerry was just getting back to the shop and he'd seen Tony's Camaro pull out and headed northbound toward Losee Road. Jerry told Trish he knew where Tony was heading, he'd go keep an eye out said he didn't have to hurry. Tony would want to put his good tyres on the back so he'd spend time changing wheels and uncorking the headers.

I knew where Tony was headed, I gestured to Trish to let me talk to Jerry, "Jerry I gotta go with you. Please Jerry. I need to get him back. Please."

I could hear Jerry smiling on the phone. I hoped he was still a bit on my side. I needn't have worried, "Well alright then. Problem seems to be, you're there and I'm here girl. Watcha gonna do 'bout that?"

Trish drove her SUV, something about it wasn't her time to die with a mad woman behind the wheel.

Jerry's Mustang doesn't have two seats always fitted. He can slip in what is affectionately called a Kaity seat. It was nothing more than a basic seat from a car from the 60's era. It was okay but it sat so low I could only just see over the dash. Kaitlyn's like her Mom and Dad - tall not five feet nothing like me. We didn't say a lot on the drive other than Jerry asking if I was all right, the interior is spartan and devoid of sound deadening so the road, engine noise and gearbox whine is always there. When we came to the road Jerry said he could just see Tony off in the distance, "We'll putter along at 110, 120, catch him up at the end or on the way back, he'll know its me, woulda seen my lights. So you wanna go with him I'm guessing?"

"If he'll have me Jer."

"Yeah. I'm sure of it honey, hang in there."

I couldn't help it. I felt tears fill my eyes. I couldn't see for tears. But I wasn't taking my eye's off of that dot in the distance.

--- ---

He saw the sun strike reflection in the mirror, saw the headlights. Knew what it was. Who it was. He had four miles to go, guessed the lights were four miles behind maybe.

The car responded so well to wide open runs like this.

When he got to the nine mile mark he'd backed it down, then run down - cool down.

All before shutting it off. He'd enjoyed it as much as the machine.

--- ---

As the Mustang pulled alongside Jerry switched it off and drew level with Tony's passenger door. Tony couldn't see me directly I was obscured behind Jerry, his high back race seat and part of the rollcage. My husband spoke first "All alright then Jer?"

"Yeah Bud, couldn't be better."

"Sunday drive then?"

"You could say that. You were a long way off so I took my time."

"And I'm guessing there's another reason?"

"Well sure. Of course there is. Carol and Trish were worried so I got 'volunteered' to go look for you. I'm just making sure you don't do anything stupid. Stupid! Hahaha!"

They both broke into a raucous laughter. I had to stifle a laugh which may not have been completely successful, Tony spoke, "Arhhhhh, wait a g-gosh darn minute now, YOU went and bought her with you. Didn't ya!"