The Happiest Day of Her Life Ch. 12

Vittoria took her job very seriously. She personally escorted the paperwork through every step of the process. She knew her client wanted everything ready to sign before the ceremony in December. Vittoria worked hard to get everything pushed through quickly. It was after three o'clock on Friday and Vittoria was preparing to lock up for the weekend.

Her phone rang shrilly and she picked up on the second ring, as was her habit.

"Delmiglio," Vittoria answered.

"Good afternoon, Vittoria," Marie's dulcet voice replied. "How's everything going?"

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Melar." Vittoria liked Mrs. Melar. She was one of the few people who never tried to call her Victoria. "Everything is going well. The paperwork should be ready for signatures on Monday."

"That soon?" asked Marie. "That's wonderful, Vittoria. Thank you. That's not why I'm calling, though. I have another little project for you. What do you know about how Megan's Law is interpreted in New Jersey?"

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Dani was introduced to several of the rituals at Tarabella. She had been delighted to know the household had many rituals and she wanted to know all of them. After Marie finished her important call, a small group headed out to the stables. Thunder, Hunter, Daisy, Freckles and Maverick were prepared by their riders. Dani was introduced to a horse named Snowcap. She had absolutely no idea how to tack a horse so she watched Marie get Thunder ready and she followed along with Snowcap step by step. She got lost a few times and needed Marie to stop and explain things more clearly. Jayne looked over everything that Dani did. She said something about the girth, whatever that was, being wrong. There was a belt hook that Jayne tightened by pulling on the strap. She checked to make sure Snowcap was comfortable but that the girth and saddle weren't going anywhere. When the horses were ready, Dani had trouble mounting Snowcap. Frank all but threw her into the saddle before he went to mount Maverick.

They rode single file. Marie was up front. She was followed by Jayne, then Jenn, Chloe and Frank. Dani brought up the rear. It was not Dani's first time on horseback, but it had been a very long time since she knew this joy. She thought about the old expression that if you're not the lead dog, the scenery never changes.

As they rode across the compound, Frank would point several things out to Dani. Dani asked questions and tried to draw a map in her mind so she would know how to find certain things again on her own. She was, after all, fiercely independent. As they journeyed on, Snowcap started to go faster than Dani had intended. His ears would go back and he would attempt to bite Maverick's ass..

Frank noticed and said, "Dani, you have to stop him from doing that. If he tries to pick up speed or if his ears go back, correct him."

Dani had no earthly idea how to do that. Jayne mentioned an old saying. "Ask a stallion, tell a gelding, discuss it with a mare." Dani had no clue that Snowcap was a gelding. Jayne had Dani ride between Marie and her. Snowcap seemed to prefer this place in the procession. His ears stayed aimed forward, except occasionally when they were following a particular sound.

The ride was very relaxing once Snowcap settled down. Dani especially loved when they rode along the shoreline. Since it was almost winter, they did not let the horses get wet. Still, there was something about six horses on the sand that seemed positively antediluvian to Dani. She loved it.

"This is a very good ritual. I wholeheartedly approve!"

After the ride, there were other rituals to observe. Friday evenings, Dani learned, were reserved for Dinner and Board Game Night. Guests arrived for the event and Dani was introduced to a judge, a physical therapist, a police officer, a police dispatcher and a dance instructor. Dani learned that Gail, the dispatcher, and Beth, the instructor, were recently married. Liz, the therapist, and Rae, the patrolwoman, met at Jenn and Chloe's wedding and moved in together shortly thereafter. Holly, the judge, was in the process of getting a divorce. She found it interesting to listen to the stories of how each person became part of this weekly ritual.

Before that ritual could get started, however, there was another ritual. Everyone had to help out in the kitchen despite there being a full staff. Dani knew this ritual did not originate with Frank. She knew how he'd relied on his own staff. She was surprised to see how relaxed he was working elbow to elbow with the actual chefs.

Liz, an atheist, enjoyed talking to Dani. She asked why a preacher would be hanging with so many lesbians and bisexuals. Dani's reply was similar to what she'd said to Jayne earlier. Dani honestly felt that people who were marginalized by "decent society" were God's kind of people. More often than not, Dani felt, it was the so-called normal people who were the trouble makers. Liz agreed with her and sat next to Dani at dinner.

After a delicious meal, the Help Out In The Kitchen Ritual continued with washing the dishes, appliances and floor. Dani was so delighted with the entire dinner that she pulled Marie in for a hug.

"So far, I think all of your rituals are brilliant," she whispered in Marie's ear.

The game that evening was Trivial Pursuit: Bet You Know It. It was interesting because you did not need to know all the answers. You just needed to know if the other players would know the answer to their question. Everyone else seemed to know to always bet that Chloe would know the answer. People quickly learned to bet that Dani would know any Bible or History trivia. Dani was a little upset at the game. This game was really about knowing the other players. She learned to always bet with Chloe, but everyone there knew that. The only other person she could predict was Frank. Dani did not acquire wedges as quickly as everyone else. Jenn won the game and Marie and Holly quickly followed when they played for second and third places.

Dani was excited to learn that all of the guests would be staying the night. She was learning a lot about the trio she'd be marrying by learning about their friends. Since the game only took an hour, everyone left to change into swimwear and they met again at the outdoor hot tub.

Before she actually got in it, Dani thought outdoor hot tubs in November were the dumbest things in the world. Then she got in. The kitchen staff had left, but all of the guests and their hosts shared the large tub comfortably. Everyone was drinking white wine and there was a wine fridge steps away from the tub. There were outdoor space heaters on the deck. There was a weatherproof plasma TV. They put on a Music Choice station that played classic rock. If this wasn't actually part of the ritual, Dani thought, it needed to be.

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On Monday afternoon, Tony was spotting Trunk as he lifted weights. The two bulls looked nothing alike but had quite a bit in common. Both bulls were once rapists. Once they arrived at Sing Sing, both rapists had become bitches. Once they accepted their place in the world as bitches, both men were allowed to become bulls.

It was a bittersweet day for the two of them. This would be their last workout together. Trunk had been paroled. Tony was happy for his friend, but wondered what it would mean for him. Trunk and he were involved in an unofficial project that tried to teach rapists how to treat other people by raping other rapists. There was more to it than that but, in effect, rapists were treated the way they had treated others and were then shown a better way. Trunk and Tony were the only two candidates who ever graduated to becoming bulls.

Tony was lost in thought about how he would miss his friend when a familiar voice called to him.

"Hey, Scanz! Are you listening to me?" Guard Axelrod, or Axe as everyone called him, was pretending to be angry.

"I am now, sir," Tony replied.

"You've got a visitor."

"I do?" asked Tony.

Axe looked at Tony a little less patiently and asked in reply, "Did I stutter?"

"No, sir. You did not."

Axe chuckled a little and said, "Let's go."

Tony said goodbye to his friend in case he didn't get a chance to later. Trunk and Tony did a handshake/half-hug combination and wished each other well. Tony then followed behind Axe as he was led to the visitors' area. Axe patted Tony down, as was protocol, and then brought him to the visitor's station where a gorgeous woman waited patiently for him behind the glass. Tony recognized the woman immediately. She had visited him a few times before. She was the reason he was in here, in a way. This was the woman he and five of his friends had raped almost three years ago. They picked up their phones together.

"Good afternoon, Tony," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm well, ma'am. Thank you for asking."

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing here," she said with a smile.

"I was wondering that, ma'am, yes."

"As of ten o'clock this morning, I am a partner in a newly formed corporation. We'll be doing a number of philanthropic projects. One of those projects involves rehabilitating convicts. My lawyer is still making some arrangements, but it looks like we'll be able to transfer you to another correctional facility in about a month."

"Why am I being transferred?"

"Because we have arranged for you to be paroled from that prison so that you can reside and work in that area. We've set up the job and contacted a landlord who will be happy to rent to you."

"Where is this?"

"New Jersey."

"You're sending me to Jersey?"

"It's not as terrible as it sounds. You'll transfer to the Camden Correctional Facility and remain there for three weeks. During those three weeks, we'll set up your apartment in Turnersville with furniture and hammer out the clearances for your new job in Washington Township."

"The only one of those places I've heard of is Camden and, no offense, I'd rather stay here."

"I understand what you mean but Turnersville is actually very nice I'm told. We will pay your first year of rent. After that, it's up to you. You'd also be going to high schools in the area to talk to the students about respecting women."

"That part sounds wonderful, ma'am, but why Jersey?"

"We need to know that you won't hook up with old associates and jeopardize this program. Also, one of my partners had a contact from New Jersey who was able to set a lot of this up."

"This is crazy. I can't believe I'm agreeing to this."

"You are?" Marie smiled brightly.

"Yes, ma'am. You said I'd be speaking at high schools. I'll have a chance to stop guys from becoming... well... me."

"I've been speaking to Guard Axelrod about you for some time now. He said you'd be excellent at this."

Further details about this project were discussed and both Marie and Tony grew more enthusiastic as the conversation went on. Axe came up, eventually, to let them know that their time was up. Tony thanked his new benefactor and walked back with Axe.

"I can't believe both of my graduates are leaving me," Axe said finally.

"Am I going to fuck up what you have here, sir?"

"Hell, no, Scanz. Don't even worry about that. I have plenty of good bitch tamers. You take this deal. You're not ever going to get a better offer. I will need you to finish taming the bitch in your cell, though."

"Yes, sir. It will be tamed today."

Axe had them open Tony's cell and then he trotted off quickly.

Tony's cellmate was on the top bunk reading a magazine with earbuds in. He hadn't noticed Tony's return. Something grabbed his leg and he was yanked off the bunk. He landed hard on the floor. The inmate looked up at the frightening countenance of Scanz.

The inmate said, "I thought you were working out..."

"I was, bitch," Tony said in his Scanz persona. "Now I'm back. I'm glad to see you missed me. Suck my cock. If you do a good job, I'll spit in your ass and use my fingers to stretch it before I fuck it. If you fucking use your teeth again I'm going to grip it and rip it."

The inmate took off his jumpsuit, rolled it up and knelt on it. He kept his back straight and his hands at his sides.

"Good, bitch. That's a good bitch. Open."

The inmate obediently, and yet somewhat perfunctorily, opened his mouth. Tony stroked his cock a few times before placing it on the inmate's tongue. He let it sit there. His bitch did not move. Tony silently counted to eight. The bitch did not move.

"Good bitch. Suck it."

There was nothing pro forma about this blowjob. The bitch had skills. Tony grabbed the back of the bitch's head and fucked his face hard. He slapped the bitch a few times when it looked like the mouth was about to close. Tony wanted this bitch to be perfectly trained. This desire became more important now that he knew he'd be leaving in a month or so.

The bitch behaved well during the face fucking and Tony was true to his word. He carefully prepared the bitch's ass. He spat in the inmate's ass and swirled the spittle around with his finger. He added more spit and slid the finger in the anus up to the first knuckle. He spat a few times more and eventually got the finger all the way in. More careful attention to the ass got a second finger inside. Tony cautiously spread his fingers apart inside the bitch's ass. The bitch moaned but did not make any sounds Tony would associate with pain.

He monitored the sounds and breathing pattern of the bitch vigilantly. He added more spit and more fingers. He sawed his fingers slowly in and out of the tight asshole. He spread his fingers apart and occasionally pulled them out. Each time he removed his fingers, he checked to see how much of a gape was left. When the opening seemed large enough, Tony spat on his dick and slid it in. He stopped and let the inmate acclimate to the intruder.

Tony left his cellmate know that Gentle Time was over with a loud slap on the ass. The bitch yelped in surprise and the ass fucking began. Tony would draw his cock back slowly and slam it back in. He kept this up until the bitch seemed used to it. Then he fucked him hard and fast. The bitch moaned but did not complain.

"Good, bitch. That's a good bitch. Would the bitch like a reach around?"

The bitch gave two nods of his head and Tony's hand searched for and found the inmate's cock. Tony was not gentle as he jerked the inmate off. Tony wasn't very concerned with finesse. He did not try to sync up the jerking of the bitch's cock with the thrusting into his ass. The bitch was being fucked and wanked. Was it the greatest sexual experience a bitch could ever have? Who gave a fuck? He was a bitch and he needed to be taught his place.

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Axe hurried from Scanz' cell to the next inmate Mrs. Melar asked to see. It was Calvin Jefferson, the other person who raped her to still breathe air.

"Jefferson!" Axe bellowed. "You've got a visitor!"

"I do?" Calvin asked from his bunk.

"Would I say that if you didn't? Get your ass up. I ain't got all day to jaw with you."

Calvin got off his bunk but stayed away from the cell door as Axe called down the row for it to be opened. The doors operated electronically and Calvin always had a twinge of fear that something could go horribly wrong with them at any given time. He silently counted to three before walking through the open door. Axe called for the door to be closed and walked off. Calvin quickly got in step with him. Calvin didn't get many visitors. He'd gotten two since being here. In both cases, it was the white bitch he helped rape checking to make sure he was still there. He imagined it had to be her again and he was ready to tell her to keep her round ass home.

His eyes narrowed, somewhat, when he walked up to the cubicle where she waited for him. Her hand was already on the phone on her side. Axe patted him down and he marched over to his side. At first, he wasn't planning to sit. He was going to pick up his phone, tell the bitch to go home and then leave. There was something in her eyes, though, that stopped him. She wasn't afraid. She wasn't happy to verify the monster was still in his cage. Those were the eyes of a woman who wanted something and a part of him he couldn't identify wanted to know what that was. He took his seat and picked up his phone.

She looked at him carefully and lifted her phone a painfully long moment later.

"Have you learned how to speak to women yet?" she asked with little or no emotion displayed on her face.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" he asked in anger.

"I'll take that as a 'no.' That won't do. We'll obviously need to change some things."

He said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"No, you don't," she replied simply. "I spent the better part of the weekend talking to a Presbyterian minister about forgiveness. You're going to change cells and Guard Axelrod is going to help teach you how to treat women."

"How? By ass fucking me?"

Marie replied with a straight face, "If that's what it takes... I'm hoping you'll just talk, though. I've arranged for Tony to be paroled soon. He'll be set up with a job and a place to live. When Guard Axelrod says you're ready, I can make similar arrangements for you."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because sometimes life needs you to accept the people everyone else rejects without asking questions. Sometimes, after you've gone through hell and come out the other side, life asks you to forgive the people who brought you to hell in the first place."

"That's impossible," Calvin said.

"Maybe it is. If God wants us to do it, though, how impossible can it really be?"

"You believe in God?" Calvin asked earnestly.

"I'm getting there. God doesn't make it easy."

"No, God does not." He nodded in agreement and understanding.

Somehow, that was the breakthrough moment. Calvin softened and actually talked to Marie. Calvin's beloved maternal grandmother had gone through hell and came out of it still believing in God. It made an impression on Calvin at a very young age. He could see that same strength resonating in Marie and he agreed to work with Axe.

Marie saw the change in Calvin's eyes. She saw the potential for redemption. She ended their conversation with something she didn't expect to have: hope.

Axe walked Calvin to his new cell. Calvin would take over Trunk's bunk and would eventually fill the void as a bitch tamer.

Marie left the prison and James held the limousine door open for her. Jayne, Frank and Dani had been waiting in the back of the car for her.

"How did it go?" asked Dani.

"I forgave them."

Dani asked, "How do you feel?"

"Better," Marie admitted. "Like my heart isn't as heavy."

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On Tuesday, Dani was all set to go back to her church in Jersey. She and Frank hugged and gave each other a friendly kiss. Jayne followed suit. When it was Marie's turn to say her goodbyes to Dani, she gave the unsuspecting Pastor a surprisingly strong bear hug and a kiss that communicated a plethora of feelings without saying a word.

"Wow," was all Dani was able to say when the two broke for air. Dani was straight and had never considered women to be sexually attractive but she certainly felt things she'd never experienced previously. She understood that this kiss was "goodbye" and "thank you" and a myriad of other relatively innocuous things. She also felt the passion in it. She touched her fingers to her lips a few times before she made it out the door. James had brought her car up and held the door open for her. She thanked him and looked up at the enormous residence before she stepped into her car. She knew she'd have to visit at least two more times before the wedding.

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Twelve days before Marie, Jayne and Frank's wedding, Holly was going over the witness lists for a trial she was going to hear later that week. For the first time as a judge, she looked over the lists and saw a name she knew. Chloe Drasher-Stevens was on the witness list for the prosecution. Holly made a call and recused herself. After getting herself off that trial, she Skyped her redheaded friend on her iPhone.