The Truth after Seven Years Pt. 02

"It's very straightforward," Leandra held the device, which looked like a lipstick to me. "See this groove? Turn it to the left, and the screen will present itself. You increase or decrease the chemical composition by turning the top - right to increase left to decrease. Of course, we could decrease Tuck's chemical composition, but that doesn't necessarily help you. If we did that, Ashley might decide that she wanted neither of you, especially if she found someone more compatible."

"I understand, but how do I use it?"

"Once you've set it at eighty-nine percent, all you have to do is contact Ashley's skin and push this button on the bottom. The chemical change will happen over two or three weeks. After that, every time you're with her, she will fall further in love with you. She won't be able to help herself."

I took the device that Leandra offered me and kissed her softly. She kissed me hard, and we made our way to the bedroom. We made love until the wee hours of the morning.

Sometime before dawn, I woke up to find Leandra already dressed. She was wearing a jumpsuit like the one that had been destroyed. Apparently, she had a spare for that also.

I quickly dressed and drove her to a remote part of the ranch. Leandra took the blue box and set it on the ground. Next, she took out what I had initially thought to be a cellphone and began tapping something into it.

"Are you sure that you won't come with me? I can make the pod big enough for both of us."

"I know this unfair, Leandra," I said as I took her into my arms. "I wish I had met you first."

"If I could, I would reduce your chemical attraction to Ashley," Leandra said wistfully.

The idea of not getting Ashley back suddenly filled me with fear. "You could do that?"

Leandra shook her head slowly with tears filling her eyes. "Not without your consent. Increasing the compatibility is never a problem. However, reducing it once it is in the ninety percent range, without you agreeing to the change, it would be perilous. Doing that kind of forced transition could possibly kill you. I would rather for Ashley to have you then to see you dead."

Leandra looked at me with deep sadness and asked, "would you be willing to allow me to reduce your attraction to Ashley?"

"No," I shook my head, "I think this is for the best." Of course, I was so horribly wrong.

Will I ever see you again?" I finally asked as Leandra was checking on her pod.

"I'll be back to this world in six months," she said softly. "If you like, I can visit you."

"Won't it be dangerous for you to travel while you're pregnant?"

She chuckled. "The gestation for my people is five months, not nine. And I'll most definitely be sent back to this world. They will be hoping that I can conceive another child with you. However, I would not even consider that if you are married to Ashley."

I kissed Leandra passionately and thanked her for giving me my life back. Her pod didn't seem to have any means of propulsion, but it rose straight up, and in seconds, disappeared in a flash.

The next day, I knew there would be a meeting of the entertainment board at the club, and in all likelihood, Ashley would be there.

When I entered the conference room, I found Ashley and seven other ladies seated around a table. Silence filled the air. I ignored the awkwardness and went from one lady to the next, shaking hands with all of them. When I reached Ashley, I offered my right hand while I kept my left forefinger on the button. As soon as she grasped it, I pushed it. There was a tingle of electricity that caused Ashley to jerk her hand away.

As I had done with Leandra, I apologized. "Sorry, that must have been static electricity."

Despite Leandra's warning, I had bumped the compatibility to ninety-eight percent. I didn't want Ashley to even give Tuck a moment's thought.

"What can I do for you, Mike?" she said in an annoyed tone. "We're kind of busy here."

"Well, I've come to join the entertainment committee," I said with a smile.

"I don't think so," Ashley said flatly. "I'm not interested in this silly attempt to get back with me. I love Tuck, can't you finally get that through your thick skull."

The other ladies gasped in shock at Ashley's harsh words. But Ashley wasn't backing down.

I just chuckled at her comment. "Ashley, please, let's put our past behind us. I believe that you're planning the Fourth of July celebration, and I thought a man's perspective might be helpful. I've heard some of the men grumble that the whole day's events are set up with only the children and women in mind. I thought I could share some ideas that might be of interest to the men."

Barbara Harris, who sat across the table from Ashley, spoke up immediately. "He's right, Ashley. My husband complains about the Fourth of July celebration all the time. He says there is nothing to do but eat. For obvious reasons, we've limited the amount of alcohol consumed during the day. We've also turned off the internet access, so there is no television and limited cellphone service. It would be refreshing to have a man's view."

The other women quickly agreed, and much to Ashley's chagrin, I was installed on the entertainment committee.

I don't know what I was expecting. However, Ashley was hostile during that first committee meeting, and also every time I ran into her or her and Tuck over the next three and a half weeks. I was starting to think that something had gone wrong, and it wasn't going to work. I was about to give up on the whole thing and crawl back to my old way of living. Still, I had forced my way onto the entertainment committee, and I felt honor-bound to see it through. Anyway, at the next committee meeting, I realized things were finally changing between Ashley and me.

Also, being on the committee was surprising. I was actually coming up with some good ideas that I was sure the men would love. One was a family softball game. Another was a couple's scavenger hunt, with the prize being tickets to a baseball game and dinner out.

Throughout the meeting, Ashley hadn't been staring at me with scorn. Actually, she smiled at me several times. At the end of the committee meeting, Ashley stopped me at the door and asked if I'd like to have lunch with her. Her excuse was that she wanted to talk about the fourth of July celebration. I readily agreed. After that, we started having lunch once or twice a week. Again, the reason given was to further discuss the fourth of July party. Each time we met, Ashley found various reasons to touch me or get closer to me.

It was during the Fourth of July celebration at the club where things really heated up. I had been running around, taking care of my responsibilities when Ashley grabbed my arm. She asked if I'd help her get more soft drinks out of the storage shed.

After I followed Ashley into the shed, she locked the door behind us. Ashley slid in front of me and kissed me with a passion I had never experienced from her before. I got hard immediately and kissed her back. I pulled Ashley's panties off and lifted her onto a metal table. I couldn't believe how wonderful it felt to be inside her again.

At this point, I started doing something I thought I'd never do. I began having an affair with a married woman. Ashley and I began meeting in various motels, several counties away. At first, I was nervous as I knew I wasn't as well-endowed as Tuck. However, I didn't need to be worried. That first time, Ashley had four orgasms to my one. As time went on, I wasn't as thrilled with the affair as I thought I would be.

Over the next few months, despite Ashley and I trying to be discrete, rumors started to float around the town. If I was questioned about it, I would roll my eyes and tell whomever to "get real."

It all came to a head about two months after the affair started. Ashley and I had just finished a round of sex, which I might add was excellent. More and more, however, I was coming to the realization that I wasn't as head over heels in love with Ashley as I had been. Ashley, as Leandra had predicted, had fallen hopelessly in love with me.

"Mike, can I ask you something?" Ashley asked while we were lying in bed.

"Of course," I answered.

"Mike, I made a terrible mistake," she said with tears in her eyes. "I never should have left you. I now realize how much I love you. I miss you terribly. Can I come home?"

I looked into Ashley's eyes and saw the fear of rejection. Three and a half months ago, I would have been over the moon happy at such a prospect. While I still wanted to have her home again, it wasn't as big a deal as I thought it would be.

"I'd love to have you back," I said and then pointed out the nine-hundred-pound gorilla in the room," but you're a married woman, I think Tuck might object."

"I've already decided that I'm going to divorce him," she said in a matter of fact way. That comment left me cold. It was so Ashley. It was all about what she wanted.

Tuck may be many things, but he wasn't a fool. The rumors about Ashley and me apparently got back to him. He hired a private investigator, and somehow, a camera had been installed in our motel room. I don't know how they got the pictures and video because we changed motels almost every time.

The confrontation between Tuck and Ashley went very badly. The next time I saw Ashley, she had a black eye. I was incensed that he had hit her. Despite the cheating that Ashley and Tuck had done on me, I never struck her. A couple of times, I wanted to, but I never did. I was raised from a very early age that you just don't hit a woman.

Jake, you pretty much know what happened next. The divorce between Tuck and Ashley got very ugly. Tuck fought it every step of the way. As the divorce wound its way through the courts, Ashley moved back to the ranch. You were decidedly unhappy with me when I allowed your ex-mother, as you still called her, back into the family home.

I was somewhat surprised that most of my friends took Tuck's side in this matter. When Ashley left me, they were all on my side. Still, they continued to socialize with them. Now that Ashley was back, they were mad at me. The thing that really irked me was that Tuck had been the bad guy the first time, and now I was the bad guy. But no one seemed to want to put the blame where I thought it should go - Ashley. I guess all those years of Ashley working her charms had insulated her.

Having Ashley back was great for the first month or so. But Ashley being Ashley, she thought things would go back to the way they were when we were first married. But I had changed. I don't even remember what started the argument, but it escalated until Ashley packed a bag and left. Strangely, I didn't care. I didn't try to call her or contact her in any fashion. I can't explain it, I was just done. I came to believe what people said, time heals a broken heart.

The day after Ashley left, Tuck cornered me in the feed store. I could tell he was spoiling for a fight, but I didn't want any part of it.

"I'm going to kick your ass," he growled at me, and I believed that he was going to try.

"I don't want to fight you, Tuck, because there is no reason," I told him. "Ashley left me yesterday."

His hands that had come up in front of him in preparation suddenly dropped to his side. He looked at me suspiciously. "You're just trying to get out of a beating."

"Look, Tuck," I said with a sigh, "you and I both know I can go toe to toe with you. But what's the point, Ashley packed a bag and left last night. If you want her back, I think now would be the time to find her."

He continued to stare at me, trying to decide if I was telling the truth or not. Finally, he left to find out for himself. I guess he figured if I had lied to him, he'd find me another day and try to kick my ass.

With Ashley gone, I had time to reflect on what I had done, and I was more than deeply ashamed. Never in my wildest imagination did I ever think I would ever have an affair with a married woman. Even though Tuck had been delighted in and cruel about my pain, I found no joy witnessing his. But as bad as the situation was, it got worse.

Tuck found Ashley at her parent's house and tried to convince her to come home with him. She made it crystal clear that she loved me, not him. Ashley told him that she was going to go ahead with the divorce. It was a crushing blow for Tuck. When Tuck pointed out that she had left me, Ashley told him it was just a minor disagreement, and we'd be back together in a day or so.

At this point, Jake, you know the rest of the story. I didn't take Ashley back, but she kept up a steady stream of phone calls, emails, and ambush meetings. All this while, Ashley kept rejecting Tuck. Finally, in total despair, Tuck committed suicide. Shortly after that, I think because I wouldn't take her back, Ashley had a nervous breakdown.

I was more depressed after what happened to Tuck and Ashley than I had been any time after Ashley left me. One person was dead while another was hospitalized, and it was all my fault. Nobody blamed me for either of these tragedies. After all, Ashley and I had split for the second time, so as far as everyone was concerned, I had done the right thing. However, I know that I should have just found the courage when Ashley first left me and moved on.

A little over a month after Tuck's suicide, I was sitting in my easy chair, totally depressed, sipping a scotch when there was a knock at the front door. When I opened it, I was never so glad to see who was there; it was Leandra.

I took her in my arms and kissed her passionately. I led her to the couch, where we sat and talked. It was very apparent that she was thrilled to see me. But then a look of concern crossed her face. "Is your wife here?"

"I'm not married," I told her as I shook my head. I watched her eyes light up, and she snuggled close to me. Then she pulled out a three-dimensional hologram of a baby. She told me it was our son, and he was beautiful. Jake, he looks a lot like you did when you were baby except that he has pointed ears. Leandra was also thrilled because he was tested and found to be fertile. She named him Dalen after her grandfather. So, you have a half-brother now, on a different world.

After a while, I told her what happened. "I made a total mess of things. I think I was more than half crazy. I didn't do what you told me to do. I upped the percentage to ninety-eight even though I knew there might be side effects. I wanted Ashley all to myself and didn't want her to even think about anyone else. I didn't even consider the potential adverse effect to Ashley. I remembered you said they weren't that bad. In any event, there doesn't appear to have been any ill effects to Ashley from the higher percentage. However, a funny thing happened. As Ashley fell more and more in love with me, I began to fall out of love with her. I guess I began to see that it was just my ego that kept me from letting go."

A guilty and a concerned look crossed Leandra's face. "Let me check, you." Leandra said as she took my hand and opened the screen on her device. Then a broad smile filled her face. Leandra hugged me tight and kissed me once again, and then she told me she was sorry.

"Why are you, sorry?" I asked.

"I wasn't totally honest with you before I left. I didn't tell you that at eighty-nine percent, your wife would have loved only you. Also, I didn't tell you that I had altered the settings. As your ex-wife's love for you increased, your love for her would decrease. Remember, I couldn't venture into the ninety percent range unless you were willing. Well, you took the percentage there yourself."

I was stunned by this information and stared at Leandra for quite a long moment as I tried to digest it. My stare must have lasted longer and been sterner than I thought. Leandra became quite frightened. "Are you terribly angry with me?"

"No, I'm not angry at all," I said, shaking my head. "I'm just trying to get my head around what's happened. One thing that has come out of all this is that I was finally able to view Ashley for who she really was. What I saw was a person who wasn't very nice. Even so, I feel terribly guilty about what I've done to her. Is there anything that you can to correct this. Maybe you could reverse the chemicals, so she doesn't love me anymore."

Leandra shook her head. "Unfortunately, no. You can only alter a person's chemical composition once. Aside from the dangers of venturing above the ninety percent level, If I were to attempt to change her, it would probably drive her insane."

I made dinner for Leandra and myself before we went to bed. We made love seven times that night, and Leandra was ready to go an eighth time, except that I fell asleep. In the morning, I woke up feeling better than I had in a month. I still had an intense sense of guilt, but I knew that was something I was going to have to live with.

As I was making breakfast, I teased Leandra. "Have I put another baby in you."

She smiled and nodded. "This time it's a female."

I chuckled and shook my head. These Thalian women certainly were fertile.

Leandra told me about the results of her last mission. Out of the twenty-four women that had come to Earth, fourteen returned from the mission pregnant, and six of them brought the men with them. Once again, Leandra asked me if I would return to her world with her. This time I said yes. So, when you read this, I will have been on Thalia for seven years.

After agreeing, I suddenly wondered how I would make a living in a strange new world. Leandra laughed at me and said that people on her planet worked because they wanted to, not because they had to. Besides, since I was a fertile male, the government would provide anything I felt I needed. Also, since Leandra will have produced two children from her missions and brought back her mate, she will be exempted from ever having to venture out again. Leandra did not tell me how many children she wanted to have, but she did tell me that she absolutely refuses to share me. That's all right with me because Leandra is more than enough woman for me.

Jake, this is the story of my disappearance. I know it is hard to believe. If it hadn't happened to me, I wouldn't believe it either. If the writing in this story seems a little strange to you, it's because I didn't type it. The Thalians have a machine that searches your mind and prints out the story you want to tell. It's not how I would have written it, but I think it has recorded the facts quite accurately.

The other large envelope in the safe deposit box contains my last will and testament. You will receive the majority of my estate, including the ranch. Of course, you'll have to work with my brothers and sisters, but I don't think that will be a problem. Also, I have set up a trust to take care of your sister, and another for your mother.

I have two additional requests for you, and I beg you to please fulfill them for me. First, I want you to reach out to your sister and establish a better relationship with her. She chose to go with your mother, but I believe that she regretted that decision. I cut her out of my life for, what I perceived as her betrayal, and that was a mistake. I should have re-established a relationship with her long ago, but my pride kept me from doing so.

My second request is going to be even harder for you. However, I beg you with all my heart to do this for me. Please, reach out to your mother. Make her part of your life. Please tell her that I truly loved her but that I've left this Earth.

I know you were very angry with her because she left us to go with Tuck. But I destroyed her life. She doesn't deserve to suffer any more than she has already. Please let her be part of your family. I beg you to let her know her grandchildren, and I pray there are some. I've never asked anything of you, but I'm pleading with you to do this for me.