The Greatest Love

"I see, in that case, can I get a number where I can call you? We should go out sometime."

"Ah, they don't want me giving their number out, Steve. Why don't you give me yours and I'll call you."

He took a napkin from the counter but didn't have a pen. Reid felt betrayed by his mother when she volunteered one from her purse.

Reid didn't enjoy the movie very much, in fact, after sitting in front of the large screen for an hour and a half, he had no idea what it was even about. He'd thought about Carol the whole time.

First the guy in their living room, then Steve. His mother was right, sooner or later Carol was going to start dating again, could he handle that? He was used to her being around. Was that the same as love? Of course not, but he'd given up on ever finding Leilani again. Maybe his mother was right, maybe he should at least see if there was any spark between Carol and himself.

As the movie credits rolled and the house lights came on, Reid decided to pursue a relationship and just see where it went. At the first opportunity, he talked it over with his mother who was delighted. Carol had been a God-send to her and Reid's dad; she just knew Carol would make a fine wife for her son. "Will you be okay if we leave you alone while we go out?"

"For heaven's sake, Reid, I'm not an invalid; of course I'll be okay," she answered with a little anger.

"Okay, I'll ask her to go out this weekend then. Who knows, she might turn me down."

"She's not going to turn you down, Son. That woman cares very deeply for you. I've seen it in her eyes when she looks at you."

Carol almost jumped into his arms when Reid asked her out for dinner and dancing. Of course, Reid and his mother took her enthusiasm as a display of affection, but to Carol, it was the first positive sign that her plan was working.

Carol wasn't even sure what love was. She certainly had never seen it demonstrated in her own home. Her dad was a drunk and her mother was a cynical shrew who hated everyone, including her husband. As far back as she could remember, she couldn't recall ever seeing her folks kiss or show any sign of affection toward each other.

When she was still a young teenager, she had decided on the kind of guy she would marry someday. He had to be tall and handsome. He had to be smart and have a good job. He had to be the exact opposite of her dad. She found her man after moving in with the Prescotts and listening to all the stories about their son. Reading his letters just solidified her decision. He ticked all the boxes. He was honest, kind, hard-working, and brave; he had a chest full of medals to attest to that. Did she love him? No, she'd never loved anyone. Would he make a good husband? You bet.

The only real question she had about Reid was... is he good in bed? Certainly, sex didn't top her list of qualities for a good husband, but she still enjoyed it very much and wasn't about to do without. The thing was, sex was easy to get. Hell, she'd already slept with dozens of guys. If Reid turned out to be a dud in the sack, she could always find guys to supplement her needs.

As sure as Reid was that he'd never see Leilani again, he couldn't help but feel guilty during his date. As it turned out, Carol was fun to be with. She laughed at all of his jokes and danced like a ferret in heat. When they returned home she cuddled with him on the couch and thanked him for a wonderful evening. Carol was sure she could set the hook with sex, but she remembered how shy he was in high school and didn't want to scare him off; so, Instead of fucking, she'd leave him wanting for more with a kiss that started his socks on fire, before retiring to her room.

Reid was having so much fun, he lost the guilt about halfway through dinner. He was disappointed that she didn't show any signs of wanting to have sex. He would have been up for it, figuratively and literally.

Mrs. Prescott's curiosity was killing her, so after Reid left for work the following Monday, she had to ask, "How did the date go, Carol?"

"Oh, Mary, it was marvelous. I can't remember having a better time. Reid really is a wonderful man."

"Yes, he is. He'll make some lucky woman a great husband someday."

"You're right, Mary, he sure has everything I'd look for in a husband."

The conversation ended there, but Reid's matchmaker of a mother wasn't done yet. Later that night, with Carol out of the room, she had a similar conversation with her son. "You sure made an impression on Carol."

"I did? Why, did she say something?"

"Oh, she couldn't stop talking about what a great guy you are and how much fun she had on your date. Are you going out again this weekend?"

"I haven't asked her yet, but as long as you're okay being alone, yeah, I think I'll ask her to go out next Saturday night. One of the guys at work was telling me about a lounge called Plato's Place that has live music."

"I told you before, don't you worry about me, I'll do just fine. You've given up a lot and it's time you start living for yourself. Go out and have some fun."

He couldn't argue with her. Before the war broke out he had dreams of spending the rest of his life in paradise with Leilani at his side, instead, there he was living in the town he vowed never to live in again, working for a company he vowed never to work for. Dreams are one thing, he told himself, life is something else entirely. Of course, Carol agreed to a second date.

The band was still setting up when they walked in. As they looked around for a table, Reid noticed the guys outnumbered the gals by two-to-one, at least. He already knew Carol was a popular girl around town and hoped he wouldn't be sitting at an empty table all night, watching her dance with other guys.

As it turned out, he needn't have worried; although she'd been asked to dance by fifteen or twenty other fellas, she refused every one of them, explaining that all her dances were reserved for her escort. A couple of the guys looked a little ticked off, but Reid's reputation preceded him. No one wanted to start a fight with a war hero.

Carol knew Mrs. Prescott would be sound asleep by the time they got home. They'd both had just enough alcohol to be feeling mellow and she had been teasing Reid on the dance floor all night... the time was right. She turned, pushed their bodies together, and planted a kiss on Reid's lips as soon as they walked in the door. He wasn't shocked, in fact, he had the same idea. She just beat him to the punch.

After a lengthy, passionate kiss, with both arms around his neck, Carol looked into his eyes. "Reid, do you like me?"

"Of course I like you, I like you a lot."

"Then show me how much you like me, please, make love to me tonight, Reid. I need to feel you inside of me," she pleaded.

Reid wasn't sure if it was the liquor, the fact that she'd rubbed her body against his hard cock on the dance floor all night, or he truly had feelings for her, maybe it was a combination of all, but at that moment, he wanted her more than anything.

He took her in his arms and met her lips with his own. "Take me to bed," she said after breaking the kiss. He didn't need to be asked again. As soon as they got downstairs he wished he had opted for the bigger bed. Within moments they were both naked. Carol sat on the mattress and was about to take him into her mouth but had to smile at the stiff manliness pointing straight at her. No preparation was needed, he was ready.

She swung her legs up and lay waiting to snare her prey. Reid snuggled up and ran his hand through her hair while gently kissing her neck. Her moans told him she was enjoying it. Slowly he worked his way down to her nipples, gently biting, kissing, and sucking on them. Her moans got louder and more intense as he worked his way down. He felt her body tense up when sucked her sweet clit in his mouth and rolled it with his tongue.

Reid took it as a sign when she spread her legs further apart and got into position. She reached down to guide what felt like a piece of flesh covered steal into her vagina. It had been a while for both of them. Her screams of ecstasy joined his grunts as they both came within minutes. The second round took much longer.

In the hands of a skilled manipulator such as Carol, Reid didn't stand a chance. Even his own mother thought she was the girl for her son. Within six months, Carol had an engagement ring and four months later the happy twosome stood in front of a preacher and exchanged wedding vows in front of family and friends.

Carol, not wanting to be embarrassed in front of everyone, didn't even invite her father. As a result, Tom Bennett, Reid's best friend from the plant, walked her down the aisle before joining the groom as his best man.

The reception was held in the newlywed's backyard. Reid and Carol worked hard to make sure everything was just perfect. A few days before, Reid went around the yard three times with a sprayer full of pesticide to kill as many mosquitos as possible. Carol found two large fold out tables at a second-hand store, one for the gifts and one for the food. While at the Ben Franklin store in town to buy paper table cloths for the tables, Carol spotted some crepe paper streamers and a bunch of Chinese lanterns with which to decorate the yard. Reid was not about to have his mother and wife cook, so he splurged and got a local restaurant to cater the event.

For Mary Prescott, it was one of the three happiest days of her life, the first two being her own wedding and the birth of her son. Unfortunately, try as she did, Mary was unable to ignore the sadness lingering under the surface. At one point, she just couldn't prevent the tears from falling, so she disappeared into the house to avoid anyone's discovery.

Reid saw her go inside and had an idea of what was bothering her. He gave her a few minutes to be alone, then followed to give her support. He found her sitting on the edge of her bed, wiping her tears with a tissue.

"What's the matter, Mom?"

She looked up and felt bad that he found her crying on his wedding day. "Oh, Reid, honey, I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to see me like this."

He walked over and sat beside her. "It's dad, isn't it."

She nodded, "He would have been so proud of you today. I just wish he could have been here, honey." She wiped away more tears between sobs.

"Mom, I have a feeling he's looking down on us right now. He has that great big goofy grin on his face and he's thinking, 'Silly woman, doesn't she know I'm still with her, maybe not physically, but I'll never leave her heart."

She forced a chuckle when he mentioned his dad's goofy grin. "I know, honey. I'll be all right. You go down and be with your guests, I'll be along in just a couple of minutes."

"Okay, Mom," he said with a kiss on her cheek.

As soon as Reid left, she picked up the framed photo of her deceased spouse and kissed it. "He's right," she said out loud, "I know you're looking down on us with pride. I love you so much." With that, she wiped her eyes one more time, valiantly put a smile on her face, and rejoined the party.

The honeymoon was short but fun. After secretly asking the neighbors on both sides to look in on his mother several times a day, Reid and Carol spent five days at the Wisconsin Dells. Neither had ever been there before, so they took in all the sights and shows during the day and screwed like rabbits every night. Carol was desperate to show him all the things she like to do in the bedroom.

He enjoyed the different positions she showed him, especially doggy style. He also liked her on top. He wasn't crazy about eating pussy. He did it because she gave him blow jobs, which Reid considered to be one step from heaven, but Carol could tell he wasn't really into it whenever she had his face between her legs. She wasn't all that concerned, though, he had shown his willingness to learn what she liked and for a while, thought she might not ever have to go outside the marriage to be sexually sated.

For the next two years, things couldn't have gone more smoothly. Reid's mother insisted he and Carol take the master bedroom and she would move into the smaller one. They bought her a new, full-size bed, and a brand new bedroom set to make her as comfortable as possible.

Reid was doing well at Inland Steel and had been given a raise he hadn't even asked for. He had made several good friends, most of whom were married, so he and Carol socialized on a regular basis. Life was good, although secretly, from time to time, Reid would wonder about Leilani. How was she doing? Was she happy? Had she forgotten all about him by now—most likely, he thought.

Carol was also happy with her life. She had everything she ever wanted, a wonderful husband with a well-paying job and who came home every night without the smell of liquor on his breath. Having Mrs. Prescott there to talk with and confide in was like having the mother she never had. The house was paid for, so when Mary passed, she and Reid would get it free and clear. She had even befriended some of the wives of her husband's co-workers and buddies. There were casual get-togethers, holiday parties, and an occasional night out on the town with friends. Life was good, she'd be a fool to do anything that would jeopardize it... so why was she getting restless?

Reid paid attention in the bedroom and had become a better than adequate lover. He was just always so damn gentle. Several times, she tried to get him to just fuck her, but he didn't seem to have it in him. He tried, she knew he tried, he'd start out kind of rough and assertive but would soon fall right back into his tender, loving self. She'd sometimes remember some of the guys she fucked after high school. They were young and aggressive. They used her; they took what they wanted and made her feel like a whore, made her feel dirty, made her feel... GREAT.

Some of those guys still lived in town. Most were married, but not all of them. The married ones, she realized, would be safer. They had as much to lose as she did. There was no way they'd take a chance of bragging to their buddies in a bar someplace. She decided she wouldn't go out looking, but if an opportunity presented itself and it was a sure thing that they wouldn't get caught...

They'd been married a little over four years when Tom Bennett, Reid's best man and the person who walked his bride down the aisle, asked his friend if he had time for a beer after work.

"Ah, yeah, sure, but it'll have to be a quick one. I don't want to get home too late."

"No problem," Tom replied.

Stopping at a little neighborhood dive a few blocks from the plant, they each took a stool at the bar and ordered a couple of beers. "All right, Tom, what's up?"

"Reid, this is none of my business but you're a friend of mine, and" he hesitated, "well, I... I just think you should know."

Reid could tell his friend was struggling with whatever it was he wanted to say. "What, Tom? I should know what?"

He took a moment to gather his thoughts then started with a small sigh. "You remember when you showed me your dad's car a while back?"

"Of course."

"You said Carol used it to go to the store and run errands when you're not home."

"Yeah, she still uses it, why?"

"Well, I had a bunch of things that needed to be done on a weekday, so I took yesterday off. I was coming out of the IGA with some groceries and saw Carol pulling in. She parked seventy or eighty feet away, but I recognized the car right off the bat. I was going to yell hello as she got out of the car, but she got right into another one. It looked like she leaned over and kissed the driver, but I couldn't tell for sure. Then they started to back out of the parking space. I thought it was a little weird so I got into my car and followed them. They... they..."

By now he had Reid's curiosity piqued. "They what, Tom?"

"Well, they drove over to that little motel on Algonquin." He heard his friend gasp for a breath. "I'm sorry, man. I waited to see what was going on. She stayed in the car while he went inside the office. When he came out she met him in front of room one-ten. They kissed before going inside. I didn't stick around any longer.

"I'm sorry, man, I really am. I wondered all night about whether to tell you or not. I figured you're a lot like me and I know I'd want to know."

Reid was devastated. He'd never given a thought to his wife cheating on him. Hell, she was with his mother most of the time, at least that's what he thought. "I appreciate you telling me, Tom. I'll ask her what's going on. Hopefully, she has a logical excuse, but if she's cheating on me, I won't stand for it."

"Well, give her a chance to explain it to you. As you said, it's possible it was all very innocent," Tom replied, knowing the chances of it being innocent were almost nill.

They quickly finished their beers then went their separate ways. Carol was in the basement doing some laundry when he walked in, so he asked his mother to join him in the living room where they could quietly talk.

"Mom, do you ever go with Carol when she goes shopping?"

"Sometimes, but not all the time, why?"

"How long is she gone when she goes alone?"

"Oh, I don't know, sometimes only twenty or thirty minutes, sometimes an hour, it depends on how much she has to get."

"That's it, no more than an hour?"

"No... she's gone longer when she goes out to see her girlfriends. She's sometimes out for two or three hours then. What's this all about, honey? Are you still worried about me being alone?"

"No, Mom, that's not it. Did she go out to see her friends yesterday?"

"Ah, yeah, for a while, why?"

"Because Tom Bennett saw her go into a motel room with a guy he didn't know."

It took his mother a few seconds to realize what her son was inferring. "You don't... you don't think she's cheating on you? Oh, Reid, she'd never do that."

"Mom, I can't think of another reason for her to be in a motel room with another man, can you?"

She couldn't, but she wasn't ready to accept the obvious. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation, Reid. That girl loves you; I can't believe she'd cheat on you."

Just then Carol came up the stairs with a basket full of laundry. "Hi, honey." She startled them both and got the proverbial deer-in-the-headlights look. "What's the matter? Is everything okay? Did something happen at work?"

"Come on over here, Carol. I have something I need to talk to you about." She started toward the living room. "Put the laundry down for now. This is important."

She put the basket on the floor and walked over, taking a seat next to Mary on the couch. Her mind was spinning with questions. She was expecting him to say he lost his job, or that he was sick.

Reid wasn't the kind to beat around the bush. "Yesterday, Tom Bennett saw you go into a motel room with some guy he didn't know. What's going on, Carol?"

Now she was the one with the deer-in-the-headlights look. She was totally unprepared. She and Arnie Becker had been meeting for months without a hint of discovery. She didn't have time to come up with a good story so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Oh, Honey, that was just an old friend. He'd moved out of town a few years ago and came back for just a couple of days. That's why he was staying in a motel. We ran into each other in the store. I wanted to tell him all about you and our wonderful life so I went to his room where we could talk for a little while, that's all."

Reid didn't look convinced.

"Honey, you don't think I was cheating on you, do you? Nothing happened, Honey, I swear. We just talked for a little while."

His mother was willing to believe her story but Reid knew better. "Carol, you didn't run into him in the store. Tom saw you pull into the parking lot in Dad's car. He saw you get out and go into the other guy's car and he followed you to the motel. He saw you kiss the guy," he said as his voice rose in volume.