Shirley's Dilemma

"This thing ought to run an hour or so. I should be home soon after that. Gotta take care of the key. See you then, lover. Enjoy the show."

And she threw on her jeans and a FIGS scrubs top, grabbed her handbag and the key and off she went.

As she walked out the door, she dialed her sister and asked if she would like some company. "Have I got a story for you." Shirley told her. Mary could not wait to see her little sis and told her to hurry. She did.

As Shirley drove to Mary's house, Bud struggled with his situation. Even closing his eyes to avoid the sex that was taking place in front of him did not help. He could still hear all the goings on happening on the screen. And the video had its effect on him. The agony of his cock growing in the cage was something he could not escape. And no matter how much he struggled, there was no way he was going to escape. No way to elude it, no matter how much he wriggled and strained. The bed frame was just too strong and held him firm.

Mary's gaze fixed on the key around her sister's neck as Shirley entered the house.

"Is that it? Is it working?"

"Well," Shirley said, "if he is still locked to the bed when I get home it is. Even if he isn't, you will have the key and he won't know it. If he puts me on the spot, I will tell him I gave it to Billy. Let's see if he tries to get it from him."

"When did you get so devious, Shirl? I've never seen this side of you."

"Ya do what ya gotta do when the shit hits the fan, Mare. Wait till you hear what's next."

And she laid out the entire plan, tattoo and all. She also told her how she left Bud in bed, porno and all. Mary got a good laugh. She almost peed herself.

"Tell me about the tattoo, Shirl. When and where?"

"Remember Lucky John from the old neighborhood?"

"The artsy guy with all the tattoos?"

"Yeah. He became a tattoo artist and has his own place down off of South Street in Philly. I'm gonna call him tomorrow and see if he can fit me in on Saturday. He's good and I know he will do it exactly the way I want. 'True to Shirley, Forever and a Day.' Nice and bold and right on his chest. What woman is gonna want to fuck him, then?"

"Oh, you might be surprised at the bitches that are out there. And he's a looker."

"Maybe I should make the tattoo say 'This Dude has herpes' instead. That would give anyone pause."

"Nah, he would attract chippies with the disease and you don't want to take the chance of bringing that shit home. Stick with your original plan. If that's what you want. I'd still kick the motherfucker to the curb. Once a cheater..."

"I don't believe it. I think I can reform him. Especially if I can manage to satisfy his libido. And I so want to make our family work. I think once he sees this baby, he'll commit. I believe it."

"Shirley, you believe it because you need to believe it. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating."

"I'm gonna make this work, Mare. Just watch me. Take the key, put it in a safe place, and don't tell anyone about it. I'd better get home and free Bud. I'm certain he's had enough of that movie. And Lola."

19.

Friday rolled around and Shirley just got off the phone with Lucky Joe, her old friend and tattoo artist. Joe squeezed them in for the next day in the late morning, after a tramp stamp he had scheduled at 9:30. He bumped one of his regulars who had enough ink that he had no problem being published at a later time. The guy had always been late for his appointments, anyway. A later time would be more appropriate. But he'd still probably be late.

Things at the office were quiet and Bud didn't have any appointments - just a few calls to return. Sales were up and he was leading the company, so the pressure was off - at least as far as business was concerned. He called Norma into his office and asked her if she was free for lunch. She was ready. Dressed to kill and expecting the invitation, she sat on Bud's desk and lifted a leg enough to give him a flash of pink under the nude pantyhose that accented her long legs. She knew what was coming and worked against the grain to keep him on edge. He felt it, as her scent was enough to cause him the discomfort that had become a regular feature caused by his device; that damned thing keeping him from living the life he had become accustomed to. A life which was coming to a quick ending. With any luck, today would be the first step in that direction.

"Let's do deli. You know where. I'll meet you there at one. I'm feelin' corned beef. You?"

"Deli's fine with me," she said. "Maybe ham and cheese."

"Good," he thought. "The deli would be casual and crowded." Hopefully, she would hold the tears and keep her reaction down to a low roar. Hopefully. If not, the usually loud crowd would muffle her protestations.

Bud went through the line and ordered his corned beef special with extra pickles. Norma was not there yet, so he grabbed a table for two, and waited. And waited. One ten, one fifteen. At twenty past one, she walked in the door and strutted toward the line. Heads turned - both men and women. He raised his hand, and she shot him a look. As if she could not believe he did not order her ham and cheese sandwich. He would make an excuse. Maybe he didn't know what kind of cheese she wanted, or what kind of bread. She'd been so vague at the office.

They talked about work as they ate, keeping it very business-like until he was half finished his sandwich. "Norm, I have some news that I have to share with you. It's really important to me and it's gonna impact the both of us."

"Oh," she said, "what kind of impact?"

"My wife is pregnant. We're due in January."

"We're due?"

"I'm going to have a family. It's..."

"And how does that impact us? I guess you expect me to congratulate you. You think I want to let you go just 'cause you are building a family? The fact that you are married never stopped us before. Why should this?"

Bud couldn't believe it. She's not letting go - she's doubling down. He thought he must push harder.

"Norm, we gotta break it off. It's time for me to dedicate to my family - my wife and child to be, and..."

"You shoulda thought about this before. You know, I have needs and feelings too. Don't I matter? How can you just discard me like this? Do you really think I'm gonna make it that easy on you? Maybe I should talk to your wife?"

"No, no, no, you don't want to do that. It wouldn't be good for either of us. My wife can be a real bitch. How about your job? She can come down on you like a hammer; on both of us, for that matter."

"That would be on both of us. You know how conservative the company is. What impacts me impacts you. You think I'm going to go quietly? Don't be such a child."

"You're willing to risk your job... my job?"

"I can always get another job, but there's only one you."

"But Norm - my wife... our baby? Let's not be selfish. Let's think about them. I, I, I..."

"You! What about me? Again... I have feelings too. What if I'm the one for you? Why would you and I be together if she was the one? Doesn't that matter?" she said as she stood up, drawing the attention of most of the patrons. People stopped eating, jaws dropped, and a hush fell over the deli.

Bud was visibly shaken. "Please. Please sit down. Calm down."

"Calm." she said, "This is calm." And she turned and stomped out the door; her smirk hidden from his view.

"Shit! Now what? How the fuck do I get out of this?" he asked himself.

He called the office and told his secretary he would not be coming back to the office and that he would see her on Monday. Norma, on her way back to the office, called Shirley to report the results of her lunch with Bud. Shirley was pleased and let her know. Norma could almost see her grinning through the phone. She could feel the wife's power in every word as she spoke. "Keep up the good work, Norma. I'll let you know about the next move."

"Next move? Maybe the next move should be to find a job with the competition and take the power back." She thought. "End this charade and take Bud back for herself. Let it be about her for a change and let it be about her life with Bud, not Shirley's. Fuck that bitch. Fuck that baby. The hell with all those other women and fuck me going home alone. Alone again. By myself."

20.

A shared desire often creates rivals. Such was the case with Gloria and Sheila. They both wanted Bud, but each knew that Shirley was pulling the strings. Independent of each other, they kept him off balance with their calls and texts.

Feelings don't matter at a time like this. Just action to both continue and terminate the relationship with the libertine lady killer - all at once. The sex had been great - incomparable with any experienced before this man who was pure art and artist all at once. This man neither of them would ever experience again. Not if they wanted to keep their families together - and their marriages. Would the sacrifice be worth it? Was it enough? Would the shrew indeed let them live their lives, or would she bring those lives, as they knew them, to a screeching halt? How long would she hold their indiscretions over their heads?

What of Bud? Would he sell them down the river or support them? They could each have these feelings and concerns, but could not share them; only act on them - alone, lonely and fearfully. They could not seek the support of this small, exclusive community they belonged to. Small? Ha. God knows how big this community truly is.

Gloria, having been the most diligent and apparently the most desperate, got the first call from her paramour.

"Glor, Bud."

"Hey lover. 'Bout time you got back to me. When am I gonna taste those sweet lips, hon?"

"Glor, we gotta talk. Meet me for dinner tonight - or lunch tomorrow?"

"How 'bout the Red Roof tonight? My motor is revving and I can use a tune-up. I can break away tomorrow afternoon for a quickie if that's good for you?"

"Nah, just lunch. We gotta talk."

"Talk? That's not my Bud. Is there a problem? Did I do something to upset you?"

"Listen Glor, we can't do this on the phone. And I don't want it to wait. We need..."

"We need what? What are you getting at, Bud? If you've got something to say, just spit it out. Tell me now."

"Not on the phone."

"Are you breaking it off with me? Is that it?"

"I, I, I..."

"You son of a bitch." Click.

"Glor. Gloria. Ah shit."

As soon as Gloria hung up, she dialed Shirley.

"Well, Mrs. Huff, your husband is sufficiently uncomfortable. He just tried to schedule a break up meeting and I didn't let him off the hook. So what's next?"

"You leave what's next up to me, deary. I'll let you know when I need you again. Stay tuned."

After he struck out with Gloria, Bud tried Sheila, but she didn't pick up. She did, however, after letting him stew for a while, call him back.

"Bud, you called? Are we getting together, or are you putting me off yet again?"

"Let's have lunch tomorrow. We gotta talk."

"What's that mean? Tell me now."

"Not on the phone. We should talk in person."

"Are you breaking it off with me? Is that what this is? Well, my man, it ain't gonna be that easy. You know I have feelings for you and I'm ready to do something about it - take it to the next level."

"But..."

"But nothing. If you were satisfied with your wife, you wouldn't be fuckin' me. Right? So where are we meeting tomorrow? My husband's working all day and all I need is for you to put me in the mood. So, where?"

"Let's do lunch, Sheil. There's a nice place..."

"Lunch just ain't gonna do it. It's nice to see ya, but I want to see more of you than that. You make the arrangements and call me back. I'm lookin' forward to it." Click.

Bud was beside himself. Three for three and with Maria hanging out there, he was batting a thousand for bad news. If Shirley didn't help him, he'd be locked up, threatened by four crazed women and potentially two irate husbands.

Tonight, dinner would be on him at the fanciest place he could find. Time to grovel. Time for him to beg for help.

Shirley got the steak - the New York Strip. She was in a raw meat mood tonight but would settle for it medium rare. Baked potato and par boiled husband would also be on the menu tonight. She would not make this any easier than the other women had.

The waiter was great, and she flirted with him when they ordered. Just to annoy her husband further. It worked, although he didn't show it. He needed her help, and indulgence, too much to put her off. He would overlook her coquetry to attain her cooperation.

"I really need your help, Shirl. These women will not let go and I can't even get them to meet with me without agreeing to fuck them. They're makin' my life a living fuckin' hell. I don't know how to do this without you."

She had him right where she wanted him. She knew it and she worked it.

"Trust me, Bud, there is nothing these women can do to hurt you. Not just yet. Not with me. Let's get you that tattoo tomorrow and we'll take it from there. We'll send a photo to each of your girlfriends and that ought to put them off. If not, then maybe we can confront them together. Would you like that?"

"Not really, but what's the alternative?"

"One step at a time, my man. Let's see what the tat does. If that doesn't put them off, we will go a little more hard core. Now finish dinner and let's go get a good night's sleep. We've got a date with Lucky Joe tomorrow."

21.

Things were just picking up on South Street when Shirley and Bud left Lucky Joe's and the usual characters, tourists, beggars and thieves roamed the street. Shirley's stomach was grumbling. They'd had coffee before leaving home, but nothing to eat. But all Bud wanted was access to a bathroom and the key to the lock that kept his cage affixed. Now that he was properly marked, his first priority was to free himself from the bondage his wife had subjected him to.

"Sorry, my man," Shirley said. "I don't have the key with me now. It's locked up in a safe place. Besides, I'm still on the fence about setting our special little friend free just yet."

"C'mon, Shirl, ya promised. I did my part, now it's time for you to do yours. Right?"

"I'm feelin' brunch first, then we'll see. Remember, attitude is the most important thing. Now buy me brunch - I'm thinking crepes. Beau Monde is just a of couple of blocks away."

"Beau Monde it is. Then home for the damned key. I'm hurtin' top and bottom."

Ham and eggs, crepes, cappuccinos and two mimosas later, the couple was out the door and heading home. Brunch was chatty with Bud declaring his love for Shirley and pleading his case for removal of the chastity device. She found this dichotomy stimulating and empowering, but it left her at a crossroads. Is it time to set him free now that her territory was thoroughly marked? Should she wait until the four women in his past life were totally dispatched? Either way, tonight would mean a reward for him, one way or the other. She moistened up watching him getting his tattoo and needed some relief herself.

The ride home was quiet but as soon as they got home the begathon continued. Bud stripped off his shirt to show his new pledge of allegiance to the woman he loves. His patience was running low.

"Alright, Shirl, I did my part. Now is the time for the quid pro quo. Unlock me now. Set me free."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, my man, let's remember who holds the reins in this situation. And who has the key. The more you push, the further you push me away. And you don't want to do that. If you want to even see that key, you'd better compose yourself and you'd better do it on the quick. Understand?"

"But..."

"No buts. I don't even have the key right now. And it's lookin' like if you want some free Willie time, you're goin' into lockup again."

"But you prom..."

"I promised nothing. I said I would consider it if you got the tattoo. You've more than proven you can be a serial cheater and there are still four dames out there lookin' to get a piece of you. Now you're going to Atlanta next week and I am just not inclined to set you free to seek out some unsuspecting southern belle to tweak your beak while you are out of town and unlocked. When you get back to town, I will reconsider. Till then, are you in or are you out?"

He pointed to the tattoo and said, "Doesn't this say it all? How much more in do you need me to be?"

"All the way. There is no halfway. Either you buy in now or I'm gonna go and do the laundry. You can go out and wash the cars if you wish."

"How long do I have to be locked up before you get home with the key?"

"If I'm expeditious about it, maybe half an hour, forty minutes."

"Okay, lock me up."

"Hang on. Let me make sure the key is available."

"Available. What the f..."

Shirley grabbed her phone and keys and jumped into her car, locking the door. She speed dialed her sister.

"Mare. You home? You gonna be home for a bit? Good, I'm comin' over. I need the key."

"You better hurry, Shirl. We're going out and leaving the kids with the babysitter. Do you want me to leave it with her if we're not here?"

"Can't you hang out till I get there? Just give me twenty minutes; twenty-five tops."

"But you're only ten minutes away. Can't you make it sooner? I don't want us to miss the matinee and we've got a dinner reservation right after. I'll just leave the key with the sitter."

"Maybe I should just leave the key with Billy."

"Yeah, good luck with that. He's gonna have a lot of questions you ain't gonna want to answer. It's no big thing. You can pick up and drop off with the babysitter. You know her - it's Francee, Francee Blunt."

"Yeah, I know her alright. She's your friend, not mine. Not my kind of people."

"Listen, Shirl, I don't have time for this. She'll be here... She'll have the key. And you better get the key back before she leaves. It's date night tonight and you are not invited."

"Shit. Freaking Francee Blunt." Shirley thought, "I don't believe I have to deal with that nosey bitch. But I can't leave Bud hanging. Just have to chance it."

"Just put the key in a box or an envelope or something so that Francee doesn't know what she is passing on to me. Can you do that for me?"

"I don't have time for this shit, Shirley. I'm leaving the key and just pick it up. She's not going to know anything. Why should she fuckin' care?"

"Cause she's Francine fuckin' Blunt, the biggest busybody in town. And you know it. You know..."

"Hey, you want the key in a bag or a box, you got it. She won't know what it is when she hands it off to you. I gotta go. Already running late and Al will kill me if we miss the start of the movie."

Bud was standing at the door when she exited the car and entered the house. "C'mon, big guy, time to prepare you for a night of romance."

"Is that what you call it? It's nothing more than limited freedom and a little bit of sex. I'm still feeling pretty cheated."

"Cheated? You better watch how you use that word. You know what, Mr. Cheater, you can forget about tonight. I'm just not feelin' it. I'm not feelin' the romance and definitely not feeling the sex. Not tonight."

So she called Mary's house and Francee picked up the phone. "France, it's Shirley, Mary's sister. How you doing?"

"Fine, Shirl. How about yourself?"

"Oh, you know me. I get by. Listen, Fran, Mary set something aside for me to pick up. Just let her know I didn't come by for it."

"Yeah, she left a box for you. I'll just leave it where she did. Not to worry."

"Thanks Fran. How are the kids?"

"Under control for now, and bedtime is coming soon. Be well, Shirley."

"You too, Fran."

Francee couldn't help herself. She picked up the box, one that seemed to be a good size for jewelry. She lifted the box and shook it. Obviously something on a chain. Curious, and being who she was, she opened the box and there was a key on a chain. She couldn't help but to question why Mary was holding a key for Shirley. Then she thought about that sexy man Shirley was married to. Putting two and two together, she could only think of one thing to do.