The Wages of Sin, Revisited Pt. 01

Author's Foreword: I return to the people who DO NOT live next door in this story - although the climax of Part 1 actually did happen.

And again, there are no hot scenes so please read someone else's submissions if that is your forte. Also thanks again for reading my short stories as I continue to teach myself how to write.

*****

Prologue: Article in Harbison Community News: "April 18, 1982. Norman Rounder, an 11-year old star catcher for his peewee league, was hit beside the head with a bat in a freak accident. He was rushed to Greenway Hospital where the attending Physician told this reporter that he had suffered a mild concussion but should be back on the diamond in a few days."

Ten days later their family physician said to his parents, "He has lost 85% of his hearing in the left ear. My guess is that its permanent, and my suggestion is that he quietly begin lip-reading training so that he will appear to be a normal boy when he becomes interested in girls and, later, when he pursues a career. The alternative is to fit him with a bulky hearing aid."

Norman's Mom and Dad were the only two people who ever knew that he had mastered lip reading before he entered high school, where he ultimately was voted both , "'Most Likely to Succeed' and President of the student body."

*****

Norman Rounder and his wife of 10 years, Jill, were dressed to the nines for this gala Christmas Party for local resident alumni of BBA in New York. Snow was blowing outside and the hall was chilly for this annual shindig of 2003, as icy wind found its way into the hall. Fraternity and sorority members of ten years ago grouped together mostly after milling around and chatting with old classmates. The Rounders were talking to Jill's very close friend through the years, and former sorority sister, Susan.

Jill asked her husband, "Darling, will you go back to coat check and get my shawl because I am freezing?"

"Sure, Dear. I will be back shortly."

Norman's return interrupted their intense low-level conversation and he said, "Here you are dear. I am going to find some Frat brothers to chat with."

Neither woman paid any further attention to Norman while deep in their conversation. But he only went to a dark spot a few feet away and turned around to face his wife. He was beside two strangers who ignored Norman. He could see clearly his wife's face. Reading her lips he was shocked and dazed at what she had just said to her Sorority Sister, "Helen, don't tell me you have two men on the string and manage to keep it secret from your husband! Tell me how."

After a pause to listen to her companion whose back was to Norman, Jill continued, "What a clever idea for keeping Jeff from knowing. My pastor and I get it on about twice a month if we are lucky. And he is a hunk. I will tell you something funny that you will appreciate. Both my Hunk and I are non-believers, but I force Norman to go to church with me because I want to see my lover. Norman thinks we are there to worship. And, I am quite sure the whole topic of the Deity is nonsense in my Norman's private mind." Both ladies laughed big over her expose statement.

After another pause, Jill said to Helen, "Oh. I am very active in our church and I am even a Deacon. Hey, look at me I am a pillar of the community as well. Norman was recently promoted National Sales manager of his company at 31 years old. He has worked and traveled 20-hour days to get where he is. I am so proud of him. But that imposes some community obligations on me, as you might imagine. And that reminds me; I have spotted another Hunk in one of the non-profits I work with. Hmm. I just might get invited to his bed using your technique. Thanks for the tip."

Norman was shocked and sick to his stomach so he went to the men's room and sat in a stall to figure out what to do with this new information. He knew she had been cool to him and their two children, 6 and 8 years old, for the past year, but he honestly had thought that it was because she was so busy with her church and non-profit activities. He reasoned that since she hadn't worked in five years and surely had to be busy doing something, she must be busy with her volunteer work. After all, they had a daily Nanny to take care of the children.

He sketched a preliminary plan in his mind, washed his face, and bought a stiff drink from the cash bar. He spotted a group of his Frat brothers chatting, and he walked up to them.

One guy called out, "Hey a celebrity has joined us. I saw your picture in business pages, Mr. Rounder, stating that you had gotten a big promotion. Congratulations!" There were several handshakes and pats on the back as the chatter went on and on until Jill found him to say it was time to go home.

"Jill, if you will hold on just a moment because I want to ask John Massey a question?" He went to the tutor who literally pulled him through engineering school. He was very close to John Massey ten years ago who had been the student everyone affectionately called the' Wizard.' He whispered to John aside from the group, "I would like to buy you dinner soon if you allow me to pick your brain? Say meet me at the Starbucks near West Park at a time of your choosing," as he pressed his business card into John's hand?

John stated a good time and both men shook hands and said good night. He then rejoined his wife and they walked out side by side.

Norman Rounder sat at a Starbucks table awaiting the college friend. John Massey had been the engineering Frat Brother that had pulled all the struggling engineering students through the tough courses. Basically a third of the members were in John's debt for not being washed out of engineering school. This was especially true of Norman who was, as John Massey once said, 'Engineering Challenged.'

Massey came in about five minutes or so late, got his decaf and sat down beside Norman. He said, "Greetings again, Norman. I cannot believe you want to talk about partial differential equations again, did you? Heh heh"

Norman chuckled, "No. Well back at BBA I didn't think I would graduate until you spent all night reviewing previous final exam questions with me. And I never forgot your kindness."

John said, "I remember that. I also remember you paid me well."

"Yes, I had forgotten. But a miracle occurred. I passed the test and the course with a solid C, graduated, got a job designing circuits. But soon I really learned the extent of what I didn't know - i.e., I couldn't design. So they put me into technical sales trainee position and I have done well for the past 9 years, as you know."

"I am very happy for you."

"I asked you to come because I need more tutoring about something unrelated to engineering. I was drinking enough Saturday night to imagine that you might be generous enough to 'tutor' me on some life's lessons ten years later for the price of the best steak dinner you ever had."

"Well, Norman, you gave engineering school the proverbial 'college try 'and succeeded to some extent in spite of your right brain orientation. Let's hear your problem as I am currently alone and have lots of time."

Norman felt much better already and smiling asked, "Since you are still a steak and potatoes and salad bar man, let's go to my country club then."

After both were stuffed and enjoying a coffee liqueur in a nearly empty dining room of the Northside Country Club restaurant, Norman said, "My wife is having an affair - I only found out at the party Saturday night."

John thought for a moment and said, "I am not surprised, Norman. She showed scant interest in you at the party. Beautiful still, as she was for sure in college, but she was a party girl and you knew that before you married her - and it wasn't a shotgun wedding either! Sometimes that kind doesn't ever stop being that kind. And she, being a Number Ten, was always in the crosshairs of the popular Loverboys on campus. Couple that with the modern psychosis many have of only hitting on married women, they really must hit on her now, I suppose."

He replied, "Yeah. You have her pegged exactly right."

John asked, "Are you sure about the cheating, though?"

Norman replied, "Yeah. I was near and stood silently with two guys arguing politics faking participation, while she and a sorority sister talked about the 'men they have on a string.'"

"I am very sorry. You are such a hard working, super guy!"

"John, I read people well - which has made my career blossom and once netted me Jill when the competition for her was keen; plus I have used that same skill in my sales career," as Norman pointed to his custom-made suit and waved his arms to indicate they were in the plushest country club in the city. "

John said, "Of course. Nothing speaks as loudly as the public record. And your dilemma is?"

"I don't know how to tackle a problem like this - just like the advanced circuits final exam all over. My thinking is that John Massey has been divorced twice in 10 years since college, he can help me solve a problem like this; hence, I asked you to be my guest for dinner."

"Actually, Norman, it was three wives in 10 years although one didn't last long enough to count. Heh heh But I can tell you what not to do and what end goal you might consider pursuing visa vie your party girl wife. Interested?"

Seeing Norman's approval, John said, "My first advice is don't seek revenge because nature provides that. The most important reason for that contrary advice is that in the long run you not only don't get your wife's love back, you embitter your children, not to mention yourself."

"W...wait, John, does the correspondent walk away free and she gets to continue to spend my money freely?"

"To a certain extent, yes. That is the way society is organized, Norman. Get over it!"

The second piece of advice is don't look at divorce through your eyes. Rather, look at it as an honest judge looks at it - i.e., what is in the best interest of your children? And yes some attorneys are better at telling the judge what to think than others."

"Finally, the best divorce scenario is don't file. Rather, engineer a scenario where she asks you for a divorce - i.e., she files after you have prepared, and not you. And take your time. In the mean time, poke her from time to time the way several Frat brothers did when she was a co-ed. Just think of each lovemaking session as just a wet fuck: and be damn sure you don't accidentally satisfy her sexually while you execute your plan."

An idea plopped into Norman's mind as he asked, "You are saying a proper divorce will take months?"

"Yes. Months of secrecy while you grow close to your children and gradually move assets off shore or otherwise secure them. In the meantime, you're still the smiling, inadequate husband while her real thrill continues to be the man or men she has on a string - you know it and she knows it so B-F-D. It's important that she not find out that you know it, however."

Both relaxed and started sipping a fresh drink because the unspoken result was that John had given him all the advice he intended to give. So in a lighter mode, Norman asked him, "Mind telling me what kind of sex life you have now after three marriages?"

"Oh. I don't mind. I buy it when I need it from one of two fuck buddies."

"You mean 'buy' as in paying cash?"

"No, no, no. There is dinner, a show and dancing, and presents and at the end of the day I have bought her. Then every time we get it on, I only need to make damn sure I satisfy me. That way, she has no complaints and awaits my next phone call."

"You are amazing. John Massey! For a Wizard like you though, what's in that kind of life for your soul when the long span of time is considered?"

John displayed an obvious look of disappointment and said, "Not a thing, Norman, but someday a princess will come and we will click. I keep looking."

" But, the kind of sex life you enjoy now might be a good future start for me, come to think of it." They finished their drink and chatted some more small talk and then said goodbye.

The next morning Norman visited his successful real estate investor, Dad, and his Mom who were in their early 50s. After he told them of his experience at the party last Saturday night and his planned divorce, he asked, "Do you mind if I open a couple of off shore accounts in your two names and quietly move some assets over there during the next few months?"

His Mom asked, "Offshore, as invisible to the IRS?"

"Yes. Its not illegal. My divorce just may become bitter and expensive, so I want to reduce my on-book assets gradually, fall behind on my mortgage, and present a picture to my wife and friends that I am barely surviving in this new manager position. At that time my guess is that Jill will ask for a divorce."

"Good luck, son. Just don't run afoul of the law."

It was July of 2004, seven months later, when Jill and Susan had met for lunch to exchange gossip. After they talked about home life and trivia, Susan said, "You know, Jill, I think Jeff has figured out that I am balling at least one man and doesn't seem to mind. Hell, I don't even clean up anymore when one of my toys get off of me."

Jill replied, "I never thought of Jeff as a Pervert. Be that as it may, Norman has changed somehow. For example, many days he flies out early in the morning and comes back late at night rather than the next day. The mornings when he is not flying he is up early playing with the children at least an hour before the Nanny comes. I saw a late notice on our house payment and his explanation was that he was spending money he couldn't voucher competing with a newcomer in our industry but that he was driven to maintain market share so he had to spend some money until the budget is adjusted by corporate at which time he will get it back. Worse, we only go to the country club on rare occasions and he has lost all interest in golf."

Susan replied, "That just sounds like the stresses of business to me, Jill. How is your love life, both and at home and otherwise?"

"You are right, Susan, it's just business. Love Life? Norman is never forward about sex anymore the way he use to be. If I grab his cock he will first put on a condom and then get on top and stick it in. Less than 3 minutes later he is finished. Its almost as if he wants to fuck in a hurry before he gets soft."

"Does he know about the Reverend?"

"No! Only three people know about that, so he couldn't possibly. Speaking of my Hunk, the church secretary now senses that something is wrong, I think. But she is off work today and I will visit him later on. We meet now once a month, at most, as he is really, really secrecy conscious now. The best other news is that last week was my second feast on the new hunk's cock - he is the one who runs the non-profit I told you about at the Christmas party. He has enlarged my pussy and Norman just may have picked up on that, though I don't think so."

"How do you manage that, Jill?"

"It's a variation on what you said you did. I sign in over at his office and then we two call on possible corporate donors asking them for donations. We make a diversion to his bed - he lives alone in a downtown loft - and have a really wild experience. We then continue our funds solicitation calls. I could really get use to this but I know I am not exclusive, and that bothers me because I don't know if or when he will be in the mood for me again."

Susan replied, "Jill, out here in our real world damn few of us are exclusive to someone anymore."

At this point Jill was both disturbed and bored on hearing that. She manufactured an excuse to cut their usual two-hour lunch short. The two ladies chatted uncomfortably as they walked towards the parking lot.

Meanwhile in Philadelphia at that very moment, Norman Rounder and his local salesman had closed on a major order and both felt very good. Norman said, "Drop me off at the airport will you. I brought my bag so I can get home a day early."

At home the Nanny met him at the door as the two children rushed toward him screaming, "Daddy's Home!" The Nanny said, "I am still here because Mrs. Rounder called and apologized for being late but that she was stuck in traffic."

Norman smiled and told her, "Sorry to hold you up. But I will pay you double time for the two hours. The children and I will take you home so you don't have to wait for the bus."

After the three returned home a half hour later, he played with his children for an hour. After he made them dinner, he left them watching Kid's TV. Norman went into his office to compose a letter. After typing in the addressee and the salutation, the letter said:

"I have proof that you, Dear Pastor, and fellow Parishioner, Mrs. Jill Rounder, are having carnal relations in your parsonage. Obviously you two love each other or else you wouldn't do that. As one of God's humble servants I insist that you two announce this to the congregation Sunday along with what you two plan to do about it. Otherwise, I will print photo flyers, displaying your adulterous behavior for distribution in the church parking lot.

Yours in the work of The Lord,

A concerned Parishioner. "

Norman carefully penciled in the Pastor's name and marked the envelope "Personal and Confidential." He then put the sealed envelope in his brief case. At that moment he heard the garage door going up, and so walked downstairs to meet his wife at the kitchen garage door. She was not there but presently came out of the pantry room carrying an empty plastic bag. She immediately started chattering, "I am so sorry I am late. Bad accident..."

Smiling, Norman said to himself, ["Lets see. She expected me tomorrow but here I am early. Obviously she has nothing on but her summer dress and has just deposited her soiled underwear into the washing machine. And damn! She even smells like sex. Keep your cool, Norman, and greet her like you mean it even now when she is lying."] "Hello Dear. Oh being late is O.K., Jill, as the children and I took their Nanny home and visited. I hope you are glad to see me home early?"

"Oh but I am, Darling. But I am hot and sweaty and probably smell like a horse - it's a very hot July, you know. So I need to hit the shower before you touch me."

Norman said to himself, ["'Horse is not the word, Bitch!] and smiling, said to his wife, "Good idea. I will have dinner on the table by the time you are finished."

In bed later, Jill kept expecting her husband to reach out and touch her but, as usual, he proceeded to face away from her and went to sleep. Her circling thoughts had become torrents in her mind and she never slept at all that night.

The next day, Saturday, Norman was driving home and made a detour to their church. It was locked up. So he pulled up to the Parsonage behind the church to find that the Pastor's car was gone and his mailbox had mail in it. He got out of the car and knocked on the door as anyone would expect him to do, and of course there was no answer. Norman, then slid the envelope he had prepared the day before under the door and drove off. At the family dinner later the kids talked about their day at summer camp, while their Mom and Dad were mostly silent. But finally the TV time was over and it was bedtime. Their Daddy sat on the floor while both children read to him. He then kissed each goodnight and left the children's section of his upstairs.

When Jill saw him walking downstairs, she said, "Mrs. Gillicuddy from the church - Remember I told you about her losing her husband recently - is having a nervous breakdown. Our pastor asked me if I could go over and comfort her." She showed Norman the Pastor's text message to her indifferent husband and asked, "Do you mind? I shouldn't be too long?"

"Of course not, dear, take your time. I will try to find a good movie and relax after a tough week. Pass on my regards to the dear lady." Norman picked out a lengthy fantasy shootem-up movie and started playing it in the den. He then went into his office. There he made some off shore gold purchases for both his Mom and Dad's account and reviewed his assets. He said to himself, ["I am ready for what comes']. He went back to the Den, muted the sound on his TV and opened his eBook reader to where he had left off and chilled out while reading.