The Cheating Zone 08: The Wish

“Stay here,” he said. He got up and walked out the room, leaving Christine alone with her thoughts. A half hour later, he returned with another man, wheeling a large equipment-laden cart into the room.

“I’m going to have you take a polygraph test, Christine,” he said. “All you have to do is answer truthfully. If you pass, maybe the DA will work with you. Agree?” She nodded her head.

“I’ll do anything,” she said. Detective Ferguson nodded to the test administrator, who connected her to the machine. Once finished, he asked her a series of questions to get a base reading. Then he began asking her a series of yes or no questions related to her case.

The test didn’t take very long. The tester marked the paper as he asked her questions about her marriage, her child and even her affair with Jake. Soon, he was finished and shut the machine down. He removed the connections and handed Detective Ferguson the paper with his conclusions. Ferguson looked at the test results as the administrator wheeled the cart out of the room.

“You know, Christine,” he said. “If I didn’t see this for myself, I never would’ve believed it.”

“What do you mean, Detective?” she asked.

“You passed,” he said. “With flying colors. Despite the lack of evidence, you really believe this happened.”

“Because it did,” she said. He nodded his head.

“Or you truly believe it did,” he said. “Stay here, okay? I’ll be right back.” He left with the test results, leaving Christine alone again. He returned to the room a half hour later with another man.

“Christine, this is District Attorney Michael Johnson,” Detective Ferguson said as the DA extended his hand to Christine. “I’ll let him take it from here.” The DA sat down and looked at Christine.

“Ms. Trent,” he said. “I’ve been watching your reaction throughout all this, and I’m impressed with your polygraph test results. Mind you, that’s not admissible in court. There’s been a crackdown on filing false police reports, but after what I’ve seen, I think it would be an injustice to prosecute you. You truly believe this happened to you, even though all the evidence says otherwise. I’m personally at a loss to explain it.” He paused for a moment before continuing.

“Here’s what I’m going to do,” he said. “I’m going to give you a pass. This time only. And with one condition.” He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her. “I want you to make an appointment to see this doctor as soon as possible. He’ll be expecting your call and I’ll be following up to make sure you actually make that appointment. Are you following me, Ms. Trent?” Christine nodded her head.

“Good,” he said. “Believe me, I’d hate to bring you up on charges. Make that appointment and get yourself squared away.”

“Thank you, Mr. Johnson,” she said, shaking his hand.

“You’re welcome,” he said before walking out of the room. Detective Ferguson also stood up and motioned for her to join him.

“Consider yourself lucky,” he told her. “Around here, they call him the ‘Hangin’ DA’. C’mon, Christine, I’ll take you home.” She followed him and thanked him as he opened the car door for her. “I really do hope things work out for you, Christine,” he said as he dropped her off at the apartment. She nodded her head.

“Thanks, Detective,” she said. She went inside her empty apartment and sat down on the couch, wondering what to do next. After a few minutes, it hit her. She knows where Manny works. She pulled out the phone book and had the address in minutes. Grabbing her keys, she went to her car and headed out.

She got to Manny’s shop and was surprised to find that it looked just as she imagined it might. She walked in and was greeted by an attractive blonde receptionist.

“May I help you?” the blonde asked.

“I need to see Mr. Jennings,” Christine said. “It’s a matter of the utmost importance.” Christine saw the door marked “Private” and saw it had a “Do not disturb” tag on the knob. She didn’t wait for the receptionist and headed for the door.

“Miss, you can’t go in there,” the receptionist said as Christine opened the door and walked in. Closing the door behind her, she got another shock.

Sitting in a chair behind a large wooden desk was Manny, his shirt open, his khaki shorts at his feet. In his lap sat a well-endowed brunette, her blouse open, her skirt bunched at her waist. Christine could smell the sex in the air and saw his cock sliding in the woman’s pussy as she moaned. Manny’s head was buried in her bare tits as the woman ran her hands through his sandy hair.

Christine put her hand to her mouth and gasped as she took in the scene. This was HER husband, and he was fucking another woman. How dare he, she thought, before realizing that this was what she had been doing not that long ago.

Manny looked up and saw Christine standing there. He instantly closed his shirt as the brunette stood up. He pulled his pants up as the woman closed her blouse and straightened out her short skirt. Christine could see the woman’s pussy was shaved bare and cum was leaking down her thigh.

“Who are you?” Manny thundered. “And why are you here?”

“Manny, is that really you?” Christine asked. She couldn’t help but notice how much better he looked. He still had the same features, but he was tanned and more muscular than she remembered and he looked... content. Happy, even.

“Yes it’s me, and who the hell are you?” he asked. “Didn’t you see the sign?” His face changed slightly. “I remember you,” he added. “You’re the woman who thinks I’m married to you and kidnapped your child.” He looked at the brunette. “This is the woman the police spoke to us about.” The brunette walked over to Christine and looked her over as if inspecting her.

“Christine, isn’t it?” the brunette said. Christine nodded her head.

“Yes,” she said. The brunette turned to Manny. As she did so, Christine saw a picture on the credenza behind the chair. It showed Manny with the brunette and a young child, all smiling and happy. A tear came down her cheek.

“Let me handle this, Manny,” she said. “Then we can finish our lunch, okay?” Manny’s face softened as he smiled. The brunette gave him a deep tongue kiss while rubbing his crotch. “I haven’t had my dessert yet,” she added, smiling.

Christine thought she was going to get sick. That was HER husband this woman was kissing, after all. The brunette turned back to Christine. “My name is Sandy, by the way,” she told Christine, extending her hand. “Sandy Jennings. Mrs. Manfred Jennings, by the way.” Christine took her hand and shook it. “Let’s go, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”

They left the shop and walked down the block to a Starbucks where Sandy bought them a large cup of coffee. She addressed Christine after they sat down.

“So, tell me your story,” she said. Christine took a sip of her coffee and told Sandy everything that had happened the last two days.

“Wow,” Sandy said when Christine finished. “That sounds like something out of the Twilight Zone. I can see why you’d be upset.” She looked at Christine closely before speaking again. “I’ve seen you before,” she said. “At college, several years ago.” Christine nodded her head.

“Yeah, I remember you, too,” she said. “You and Manny were an item back then as well.”

“So, what happened in your universe?” Sandy asked.

“Well, don’t take offense, but as I remember, you were killed in your junior year on a ski trip. Something about an avalanche,” Christine said. “That’s when I got to know Manny.”

“None taken. I remember that ski trip,” Sandy said. “I was going to go, but Manny said he didn’t like the looks of the place and was worried something might happen. I was pregnant at the time with our little girl. Turns out he was right. There was an avalanche and several people were buried. Manny and I got married instead and went hiking in Yosemite. So, did your Manny like the great outdoors?”

“He loved it,” Christine said, tears falling down her cheeks. “He wanted to start his own business, hosting outdoor activities, hiking and that sort of thing. I was scared it wouldn’t succeed so he went to work for an accounting firm instead. He eventually stopped going out. He never said anything but I think he always resented me for that.”

“That’s sad,” Sandy said. “My Manny loves the outdoors. Can’t get enough of it. He wanted that business so bad he spent two years working up a business plan. My father offered to give him the money he needed for a startup but Manny turned it down. He got a loan instead and it’s taken off. It was tight the first couple years but it grew and now he’s very successful. You want to know the best part?”

“What’s that?” Christine asked.

“I get to spend even more time with him than ever. I always go out with him on his trips and we have a blast. When little Annie gets older, she’ll probably join us,” Sandy said. “You know, there’s nothing like making love in the great outdoors.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Christine said.

“Did you love your husband?” Sandy asked.

“Yes, I did, very much,” Christine said, wiping a tear from her eye.

“My parents have been married a very long time,” Sandy said. “My mother once told me there’s three things you never do, if you want to keep your marriage alive.”

“What’s that?” Christine asked.

“First, never cheat on your man,” Sandy said. “Second, never disrespect him and third, don’t take his dream away.”

“I’ve done all three,” Christine said. “I guess I’m royally screwed.”

“Yeah,” Sandy said. “So, what are you going to do now?”

“Move on, I guess,” Christine said. “I have a card from a Dr. Albert McKinley, I’ll probably make an appointment to see him for some counseling.” Sandy nodded her head.

“I’ve heard good things about him,” she said. “I hope he can help you move forward.”

“Thanks,” Christine said. Sandy stood up.

“I’d better get back to the shop,” she said. “I really do hope things work out for you. But Manny is mine now and always will be.” Christine nodded her head.

“Thanks again,” she said. “And thanks for the coffee.”

“You’re welcome,” Sandy said before leaving. Christine finished her coffee and thought about her now-tattered life. She slowly walked back to the shop where her car was parked. She looked at it wistfully as she started her car.

“This could’ve been my life,” she thought to herself as she pulled away. She stopped for some Chinese take out on her way home and ate her dinner in her now very lonely apartment. At that moment, all she wanted was to have her family back. She opened the fortune cookie and read the words on the little slip of paper.

“Christine, your second wish will be granted tomorrow. Enjoy,” it read. She shook her head as she read it again. Second wish? What was that all about? She puttered around the apartment for the rest of the evening and went to bed, crying herself to sleep.

The next day, she went to work, thinking that would help her deal with her loss. Jake saw her and cornered her in the admin supply room.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “What happened?” Christine gave him the Reader’s Digest version of the last two days.

“Wow,” he said. “That’s the wildest story I ever heard. Well, since Manny is out of the way, what do you say we spend the night together?” Christine shook her head.

“Not tonight, Jake,” she said. “I still have a lot to deal with. Give me some space for a while, okay?”

“Well, okay,” he said. “I won’t like it, but I’ll wait.”

“Thanks,” she said, leaving the room. She finished her day and headed back to her dark, lonely apartment. She had just finished eating some leftovers when the doorbell rang. She opened the door to see a short, bald, red-skinned troll-like man smiling wide, showing off a set of pointed teeth.

“Hi, Christine,” the troll said. “I’m Zrglbork, your personal wish-master, delivering your second wish. As promised.” Christine looked and saw a sea of large, naked, very well-endowed men.

“What?” she asked. “What wish is this? I never asked for this.” She looked at the very large collection of men, all of whom were eyeing her with lust. “How many men are there?”

“Well,” the wish-master said, “you wanted 100 miles of cock. Let’s see, there’s 5280 feet in a mile. Multiply that by 100, and that gets you 528,000 feet. There’s 12 inches in a mile, so that gets you 6,336,000 inches. Divide that by 10, since I figured you wanted 10-inch cocks, and that gets you 633,600 men.” Christines eyes grew wide. “What, is that too much for one night? If you like I can spread them out over, say, two or three days. Would that be better?” Christine recoiled.

“I don’t want any of this,” she said.

“Sorry, you’re in the Zone now, sweetheart,” Zrglbork said.

“What does that mean? Look, all I want is my family back,” Christine said.

“Sorry again,” he said. “You’ve already screwed the pooch on that one.” He motioned to the men at the front of the crowd. “She’s all yours, boys. Have at her.” As Christine watched, the men began pouring into her apartment, their eyes glazed with lust, their huge cocks erect. She backed up as far as she could.

“NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” she screamed.

...

Christine’s body jerked back and forth in the bed as she moaned as if in shock. Manny stepped back as the medical professionals poured into the room and surrounded the bed, checking her vital signs and working to stabilize her. She finally settled down, prompting the doctors and nurses to step back from the bed.

Christine blinked her eyes as she looked around the room. She finally saw her husband.

“Manny,” she croaked. “What happened? Where am I?” Manny walked to the side of her bed and looked down at her.

“It’s okay, Christine,” he said. “You were in an accident on your way to Jake’s. A truck ran a red light and t-boned your car. The car is totaled. You got banged up pretty bad and hit your head. You’ve been in a medically-induced coma for a couple days or so to let the swelling on your brain go down.”

“Where’s Mandy?” she asked.

“Mandy is at my parents house,” he said. Christine realized Manny mentioned her lover and wondered how much he knew.

“You know about Jake?” she asked weakly. Manny nodded his head.

“Yeah, I do,” he said. “Your phone was going crazy with all the text messages he was sending. He kept asking where you were so I answered. I pretended to be you and told him you were in the hospital. I saw him come in later and had a nice long talk with him. He told me that you two have never had sex, but were planning to that night, and I believe him. He’s also assured me he’ll never chase you again. That is, unless you want a divorce so you can be with him.”

“No, Manny, I only want you,” she said, tears falling down her cheeks.

“Are you sure about that?” Manny said. Christine nodded her head, sobbing.

“Yes,” she said. “I’m sorry. I just got stupid and thought I owed it to myself to get some excitement in my life.”

“Well, I’d say you had some excitement,” he said. “You’ve got a broken arm and a broken leg. You damn near died in that accident.”

“Do you still love me?” she asked.

“Yes, I do,” he said. “But I’m royally pissed right now. Part of me says I should kick your ass to the curb. I still might. But another part of me says Mandy deserves to have her mother and I sure as hell don’t want to be a weekend father, paying child support for the next 16 years. This certainly isn’t how I wanted to spend my life.”

“I’m sorry,” Christine said. “Please forgive me.”

“I’ll consider it,” he said. “But we’re going to have to go through counseling. I’ve been told there’s a Dr. Albert McKinley who’s really good with things like this. I’ve already made an appointment for myself. If you’re serious, then we can talk to him and see what happens.”

“Okay,” she said. “Please believe me, you’re the only man I want.”

“If you say so,” he said. “I’m just glad you’re going to be okay.”

“Manny, do you still dream about having your own business?” she asked. He looked at her, confused. Where did this come from, he wondered.

“Yeah, I do,” he said. “But I know it’ll never happen now. Why?”

“Well, I’ve had a change of heart,” she said. “I want you to go for it. I know it’ll be a bit rough at first, but I’ll be there for you the whole time. Maybe you’ll even let me come serve you lunch.”

“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “I’m a bit out of shape right now and I’ll probably have to work a lot of long days to get it started.”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” she said. “I’ve learned my lesson. And I’ll support you 100 percent. Please. I want you to have your dream.” He looked at her for a moment before answering.

“Okay,” he said. “But we have some serious issues to deal with first.”

“I know,” she said. “You don’t trust me. I don’t blame you. But please believe me when I say I’ve truly learned my lesson. All I want is my family. Nothing more.”

“Alright,” he said. “We’ll take things one step at a time, though.” He gave her a hug and felt her tears on his cheek. He gave her a kiss and stood up.

“When can I see Mandy?” she asked.

“I can bring her by tomorrow if you think you’ll be up to it,” he said. She nodded her head.

“I will,” she said. “I’ve missed you so much. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep us together. I love you.” He smiled for the first time since she woke up.

“I love you, too,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay,” she said, blowing him a kiss as he walked out the door. She looked up at the television in the the corner of the room. A Twilight Zone episode was just ending and the scene shifted to a grim-faced man in a suit, holding a lit cigarette.

The man looked at her before speaking, cigarette smoke curling around his head.

“You’ve been given a second chance, Christine,” the man said. “Make it work. And remember, be careful of what you wish for. You just might get it. Consider that a public service message from... the Cheating Zone.”

He took a long drag off his cigarette, winked and smiled.

Fade to black...