Shadow Lake Estates Ch. 06

"But...how? How can you be pregnant? You said you couldn't get pregnant!" Art stood just in front of the back door, facing Asha. He caressed her shoulders. Tears cascaded along her dark cheeks.

"I...I don't know," she whimpered. "I just know that I am."

Art rubbed his bald head. "Okay, listen, we don't know that it's mine."

"We don't know that it isn't," she interrupted. "I can't keep this baby, Art."

"Oh, god, no," he said. "No, no, no. Asha, please. Don't kill my baby."

"You just said it might not be yours," she said, folding her arms in front of her.

"Right," he said. "No, you're right. I'm just saying, let's think this through, okay? I mean...this baby is a miracle! You couldn't get pregnant, and now you are! You've always wanted to have a baby, and so have I! We need to consider all the possibilities."

"Art...if I have this child, and it is yours, Sunil will know immediately. It will be very obvious, don't you think?"

He rubbed her scalp again. "Yeah...okay...well, I will help you raise this kid, then, if it's mine. I wouldn't let you do it alone. I'm not like that. I take responsibility for my actions."

"You would leave Roxanne for me?"

"Well...no, I love Roxy."

"What, then?" she said with a frown. "If you want to take responsibility, then the responsible thing to do would be to tell Sunil and Roxanne, so that we can all come to some solution together as adults."

"Now, hold on," he said. "Let's not make any hasty decisions today, okay? I need some time to process this. Just give me a few days to think this through, okay? Can you do that?"

She nodded, and he hugged her tightly.

***

Denise sat in the chair. A towel was wrapped around her wet hair. All around her, women were chatting and chortling loudly. Roxanne fastened a smock around Denise's neck, removed the towel, and began combing her hair.

"Thanks for fitting me in today," Denise said.

"Oh, no worries," Roxanne responded. "I had a cancellation. It was perfect timing. So how are things going over there in our backyard? I haven't seen you guys in forever. Art was just saying we need to get together."

"You haven't heard?" Denise said. "Dan kicked me out."

Roxanne gasped. "No! You're freaking kidding me! Why?"

"He thinks I cheated on him with my manager."

"Well...did you?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Do you want to?" Roxanne asked with a sly grin. She resumed her combing and snapped her scissors in the empty space above Denise's head.

"That," Denise said, "is beside the point." Her eyes twinkled.

"So why does he think you slept together?"

"I...well, we went on a business trip together. My manager - Andrew - got a little drunk, and we kissed."

Another gasp.

"It wasn't like that!" Denise protested. "It was very brief. And that was all it was."

Roxanne shook her head and continued to snip away. "You know, we put so much importance on these things that just don't matter. I mean, who cares if you kissed him? Hell, who cares if you banged him? What difference would it make to your relationship with Dan? That's why I took sex off the table."

"What do you mean?"

"Art begged and begged for me to marry him, and I kept saying no. I married my first husband when I was very, very young, and that scumbag cheated on me. I was absolutely devastated and said I'd never marry again. I figured that men are all dogs, and you can't teach a dog not to hump a leg - am I right?"

Denise sniggered. "I guess so."

"Anyway, after about his fifth proposal I said fine, we can get married, but on one condition. When it comes to sex, you do whatever you want, with whoever you want, and I do the same. I just don't want to know about anything you do, and vice-versa. And don't embarrass the family."

"You're kidding me! You said that?"

Roxanne nodded enthusiastically. "I insisted on it. He hemmed and hawed about it, but eventually agreed. So when we said our wedding vows, I had them take that part out about 'forsaking all others.' Best decision I ever made. Now, I don't have to wonder: is he or isn't he? I just assume he is, and I assume the same. And there's no big deal about it. I know he still loves me, and vice-versa. There's no more mistrust, no more jealousy. Best relationship I've ever had."

"I don't think Dan and I could ever do such a thing. He gets very jealous, and I don't like the idea of him being with some other woman."

"Yeah, well, it's not for everybody, honey, but it works for us, you know?"

***

"That was delicious, Andrew. Thank you." Denise smiled at him from across the table. Her gorgeous face was illuminated by a flickering candle, which made her eyes sparkle.

"You are more than welcome," Andrew responded with a toothy grin. "You are always good company."

"Oh, I imagine you don't have much trouble keeping company," she said.

"I have to confess, I don't get out much. I hate the dating scene. Ever since my divorce, I've become a homebody."

"I can't even imagine that," she responded.

"Oh, yeah, totally," he said. "I lie around on my couch almost every night, wearing a ratty old pair of shorts and a tee shirt, and I binge-watch TV shows from Netflix."

Denise laughed and took a sip of her wine. "See, I was picturing you as the Playboy type. Out on the town every night, dancing and dining with a new hot young woman."

It was his turn to laugh. "Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, this was the first night in a long time that I've spent any time with a hot young woman."

She peered at him from above her wine glass, and then rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Please. You're embarrassing yourself."

He laughed and signed the check. "Ready to go?"

***

Holly and Brandon rolled around in the grass beside his motorcycle under a moonlit sky. Their mouths meshed against each other's and their hands explored each other's body. He squeezed her breasts through the fabric of her shirt, and she emitted a soft moan. Her hand slid shyly down his chest until it came to rest on the bulge in his pants. She could feel it twitching in her hand as she squeezed it.

She rolled him onto his back and gave him a lustful look. While kissing him deeply, she unzipped his jeans and freed his cock. She then slid down his body and took it in her mouth. He placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes as she worked her lips along his shaft in a steady rhythm.

"You're really good at that," he moaned. She responded with a muffled thank you.

She continued to work her magic and felt his cock pulsate. She prepared herself for the mouthful to come, but instead, was surprised when he stopped her and reversed positions.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he removed her jeans.

"Don't worry," he said. He reached into his pocket. "I have a condom."

She looked panic-stricken as unfurled the condom over his cock. He kissed her deeply and entered her. She winced in pain and clawed at his back. As he thrust into her, over and over again, she closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. Thankfully, it didn't last long. A moment later, he moaned loudly and held himself steady, deep inside her. He then withdrew and kissed her once more.

"That was awesome," he said.

He kneeled between her legs and removed the condom. His face contorted. He tossed the condom to the side and wiped his hands on the grass.

"You're bleeding," he said.

***

Dan sat in his car, staring at the door of Denise's hotel room from across the parking lot. He could no longer deny the fact that he missed his wife. He missed seeing her smile and hearing her laughter. He missed sharing fun times with her and the kids. He missed their quiet times together. Although she seemed like a different woman in some ways, she was still the same smart and beautiful girl he met more than twenty years earlier.

He had a lot of time to ponder something Denise had said at counseling. People do change over time. There was no denying that. He wasn't the same man he was twenty, ten, or even five years before. As a married couple, each partner must either adapt to those changes and grow together or reject those changes and grow further apart. The decision to grow further apart had been his, and he was forced to acknowledge that. The time had come to listen to her side of the story with an open mind.

He exited his car and strolled across the lot to her door. He knocked a few times and waited. When there was no answer, he attempted to peek through the window. Assuming she must have left the room, he began to walk back to his car. That is when he spotted them. His wife and her manager were walking toward her room. Although they weren't holding hands, they were clearly keeping an intimate distance between them.

She gasped when she spotted him and stopped on the spot. Andrew noticed her expression and followed her line of sight just in time to swerve away from a roundhouse punch. Without thinking, he reflexively swung at Dan and connected with his jaw. Dan's knees buckled beneath him and he dropped to the pavement.

Denise shrieked and moved past Andrew to kneel at Dan's side. Dan lay flat on the pavement. His eyes were open, but unfocused. Denise placed her hand on his head and stroked his hair.

"Oh my god, Dan, are you okay?" she asked.

He seemed to regain his focus and looked at her. Then he pushed her hand away and stood to his feet. Without saying a word to either of them, he strode across the parking lot to his car and sped away.

***

The motorcycle roared down the street, leaving Holly standing alone in her driveway. As she turned to walk into the house, she heard Kiersten call to her. She peered through the darkness toward the sound of her voice and saw her friend jogging toward her.

"What are you doing out here?" Holly asked.

"My nightly run," Kiersten said. "Who was that?"

"His name is Brandon," Holly said with a sly grin.

"Oh, really?" Kiersten teased. "Biker guy, huh? I didn't know you had a thing for bad boys."

"He's not that bad."

"Oh, I'm sure he is," Kiersten said. "They all are. So...did you get lucky?"

Even by the light of the moon Kiersten could see her friend blush. Holly smiled wide and shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, come on, you're not going to tell me?" Kiersten implored.

"I may have," Holly said, and then held her ears as Kiersten squealed. "It hurt like a son of a bitch."

"Yeah, well, it gets better," Kiersten assured her. "Trust me."

"I hope so," Holly said.

Kiersten paused for a moment and bit her bottom lip. "I've been meaning to ask you...I may have a business venture that might interest you."

"A business venture?"

Kiersten nodded. "It can be big-time money. I'll talk to you later about it. I gotta finish my run."

Before Holly could ask another question, Kiersten disappeared just as quickly as she appeared.

***

Dan held an ice pack to his jaw. With his other hand, he grabbed a glass of Scotch and brought it to his lips. He couldn't see much from his vantage point on the back deck, but he wasn't sitting there for the view.

When he agreed to move out west, he never would have imagined what a dramatic turn it would have taken for every member of his family. If he had access to a time machine, he wouldn't hesitate to teleport back to that day the decision was made and beg Denise to reconsider. They would have found a way to survive in Missouri. The temptation to make big money, and the allure of the laid-back California lifestyle, was simply too enticing.

Whatever doubts he had about Denise's infidelity were erased when he spotted the two of them walking so closely together across that parking lot. The expressions on their faces, and the ease with which they related, made it crystal clear what would have happened next. They were walking toward her hotel room door, after all. If he hadn't been there, what would have happened when they reached that door?

The pain he felt in his chest overwhelmed any pain caused by Andrew's lucky punch. As humiliated as he felt about knowing another man was fucking his wife, it was even more humiliating that she watched that man beat the crap out of her husband. Dan hadn't thrown a punch since he was in grade school, and it showed.

The back porch light of the Clevinger's house illuminated, and Dan sat up straight. When he spotted Kiersten emerging through the back door he sprinted toward her. She grabbed a few towels and had just turned to go back inside when Dan called to her. She waited for him to reach her, wearing a bemused expression.

"What's going on, Mr. Price?" she asked.

"Hey, I just want you to know I've changed my mind," he said. She appeared confused. "About the offer you made. You know, the 'Welcome to Shadow Lake' deal?"

Kiersten grinned and then broke out in laughter. When she regained her composure, she patted him on the shoulder and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Price, but that was a one-time offer. No longer valid."

"Wh—what do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, I'm over it. I don't handle rejection well. Besides, it would be weird now."

"Weird? Why weird?"

"Good night, Mr. Price," she said, and sashayed through the back door.

***

Art's pickup truck sped down the street before coming to a screeching halt. He stared at Asha's house in disbelief. In her front yard was a large home-made sign that read, "SLUT." He pulled off to the side of the road and cautiously approached her front door. As he passed the sign, he noticed a few more words. It read: "A cheating SLUT lives here," with the word "SLUT" taking up most of the space.

He knocked on the door, but there was no response. He walked around to the large picture window in front of the house and cupped his hands over his eyes as he peered through the glass. He spotted Asha seated on her couch, hunched over with her head in her hands. He rapped on the window and she raised her head. Her face was streaked with tears and mascara.

"You told him," he said when she opened the door. She nodded, looking down at her feet. He sighed heavily and tried to embrace her, but she pulled away. "Asha, I told you to give it some time before deciding what to do."

"I know," she said, "but I couldn't live with the lying anymore. I had to tell him."

"I guess he didn't take it very well," he remarked.

"I've never seen him so angry," Asha said. "I didn't even know he could get that angry."

"So what happens now?" he asked.

Asha shrugged. "He wants a divorce. Most likely, I will have to return to India."

"But what about the baby?"

Asha shook her head. "I visited my doctor this morning. The baby did not make it. Getting pregnant was a miracle. Staying pregnant would have taken another miracle. I guess I'm all out of miracles."

He couldn't hide his disappointment. Her words felt like a punch to his gut. He attempted to console her once more, but was rejected. "I'm sorry," he said.

"I'm sorry, too," she responded, looking at him for the first time.

He nodded. "I'm gonna take down that sign," he said, motioning to the front yard.

"No," she said. "Leave it."

He began to speak, but then thought better of it. He simply nodded again, touched her shoulder, and walked out the door. On his way back to his truck, he stopped in front of the sign.

"I guess he wasn't such a beta male after all," he said to himself with a slight grin.

***

Karla's eyes opened. It took a moment for her to focus, and another moment before panic set in. She was lying on a stained carpet in a small trailer, surrounded by four thuggish-looking men. They wore red bandanas and leather jackets, and reeked of marijuana.

"She's awake," one of them said, nudging the man next to him with his elbow.

The other man stood and loomed over her. A joint was pinched between his fingers and he took a long drag before handing it to the other man seated at the small table.

Karla closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She didn't dare stand or make any sudden movements. "Look, guys," she said, "I know why I'm here. But please, tell Tom I'm not doing this anymore. I'm done with all of this."

The man looked at all three of his buddies with a curious expression, and then turned back to Karla. "What is it that you think we're doing here, lady?"

Karla sighed. "I know what's happening, and I'm telling you I won't be a part of it. Just tell Tom to make it stop."

"Tom?" the man repeated. "Tom's the one who sent us to come get you."

"Yes, I know that," Karla said. "But I'm not going to be his little performer anymore. I'm not going to fuck you all. Any of you."

The man turned to his friends and burst into laughter. His friends joined him and shook their heads in disbelief.

"Lady," the man said, "Tom didn't send us to fuck you. He sent us to kill you."