The Way You Look Tonight Ch. 04

Sitting on the floor by the fireplace sipping a glass of wine, I thought back to yesterday's events. She was an absolutely stunning bride. Everyone said so. And she took my breath away, just as she did the day I met her. I hear her coming down the hall into the room and I shudder with anticipation. She walks in and stops close by, allowing my eyes to take her all in. Dressed in a baby blue camisole with matching panties and high-heeled black pumps, she can be any guy's wet dream. But she's not a dream. She's real and she's all mine.

Kneeling down in front of me, she takes the wine glass from my hand, furtively takes a sip, and then puts it down. I run my fingers through her curly blonde hair and gently beckon her closer. I tilt her chin up with my index finger, bringing her mouth close to mine. And then I lean forward and kiss her cherry red lips. She responds, opening her mouth and allowing my tongue to dance with hers. Then she pulls away, looks down, and giggles at the tent in my robe. Slowly undoing my robe, she's licking her lips in anticipation.

Her pupils are dilated as she stares in wonder at my raging hard-on. She leans down and gently cups my balls with her right hand, applying just the right amount of pressure to drive me crazy. Then, with one of her finely manicured red fingernails, she slowly and teasingly runs her finger up the back of my rock hard cock, from the bottom to the top, stopping at the back of the head where it meets the shaft, and applying just a little more pressure to that spot. She repeats this several times, up and down, up and down. Then she places the palm of her hand on the head and rubs the pre-cum around and around, nearly driving me over the edge and back again.

Just when she knew I couldn't take any more, she stops and grips my cock tightly with her hand, while kissing my chest and brushing her other hand through my chest hair. She lowers her head and begins to take me into her warm and inviting mouth. Sucking the head ever so slowly, it's not enough pressure to make me cum, but just enough to hold me on the edge. She knows this, as she lets her mouth linger in that way for several minutes. Then she lowers her mouth farther and takes in my entire length, sucking and licking, slowly at first, and then faster and harder, faster and harder. Oh God, Candice, I Iove you. Suck that cock. That's it. That's it! A little faster. Ohhhh........

"....accident on the McDermott Freeway just east of exit 6A at the 375 loop and 16 spur. The Pan Am Expressway is clean and green at this time. But it's early yet, folks."

Nicholas shot up in bed with a bolt, and yelled out, "Fuck. Goddammit. Again! Why won't it fucking stop? This God damned fucking dream!"

He froze for a minute, staring into the morning sunshine as it came through his bedroom window.

The reporter on the radio continued to drone on. "And as for the weather today, well, what can I say? It's mid-August in Texas people. And it's hot. And speaking of hot, how about those San Antonio Tonitos under the management of Nicky Faggioli, battling it out for first place with the Shreveport Bayou Boys."

Quickly leaning over his bed with the right side of his body, he made a fist, and slammed it down on top of the clock radio. He sent pieces of the radio flying in all directions.

"Son of a bitch. That's the fourth fucking clock radio this month. Why do I keep dreaming about that night at the cabin the day after we got married? This God damned woman still haunts me after almost a year."

He then just sat there in his bed and cried, as he did every time. He cried for missing her; he cried for cursing her; he cried for her beauty; and he cried for the evil, heartless, and cruel thing she did to him.

He got out of bed that morning at 5 a.m., as he had done every day for years, and went out for a run, which varied between 3 and 5 miles depending on the weather or what was going on with the team. Nicholas immersed himself in his work as a means of distraction. Candice was ever present in his thoughts no matter what he did. But the activity helped to numb him a little. After breakfast, he would head out to the ballpark very early, watch game films and study statistics and scouting reports. He'd also catch up on any paperwork that had to be sent up to the franchise. By the afternoon, the catchers and coaches would arrive and go over a summary of what he saw on the films and in the scouting reports earlier that day.

On Fridays, he made lunch for his team right in the clubhouse...home made "pasta e fagioli," or what they called in Nicholas's old neighborhood, "pasta fazool." For those of you non-Italians out there, this is a thick tomato-based soup with small pieces of pasta, onions, and other Italian spices. He learned how to make this dish from Momma Manetta. The players really loved his cooking and looked forward to it each week. Cooking was also a distraction for him.

San Antonio was actually good for Nicholas. When he first arrived in April after spring training, he was pretty depressed. But his team and his players (he called them his "kids") kept him occupied. The Italian-American community in San Antonio welcomed him with open arms. In fact, on this night, before game-time, he was to receive an award from the "Children of Italy" society for his volunteer work in the community. He was quickly becoming a bit of a legend in San Antonio. He took a club of mediocre green kids and turned them into contenders, battling for first place. They take their baseball real seriously down there.

One thing about tonight that he was not looking forward to...a visit from the sole owner of the franchise, Beatrice Ocean. Several years ago, Beatrice had made a move on Nicholas when he served as a visiting instructor at spring training. She practically threw herself at him. But good old and loyal Saint Nicholas never strayed from Candice. Sure, he was tempted. She not only had money and power, she was also built like a brick shithouse, and very easy on the eyes. Somehow Beatrice recently found out about Nicholas's marital situation, and put the moves on Nicholas again last month on her last visit.

Beatrice , though aggressive, was actually a very kind hearted person, uncharacteristic of a blue-blood major league franchise owner. She took Nicholas out to dinner one evening and made her after-dinner intentions obvious. Nicholas gave in for one reason, and one reason only. He thought that at least for a little while, he could block out the memories of Candice. It didn't work, and Nicholas felt guilty about the encounter weeks later.

That night, she lured Nicholas into her hotel room. Upon entering, Beatrice quickly scampered out of her clothes and jumped him. He never had a chance. Nicholas had a hunger in his loins. But his hunger was for Candice. And with each move he made with Beatrice, he imagined he was with his wife. It wasn't long before Beatrice had her way with Nicholas, demanding and getting the dominant position. She placed her now soaked pussy on top of his engorged cock and impaled herself with it.

"Jesus Christ, Nick. Your cock is so fucking big. It's been so long since I had a cock this big. Just sit still. I'm gonna ride you nice and slow."

Before long, Beatrice could hold back no longer and neither could Nicholas. She was riding him so hard, her thighs were making slapping sounds on each down stroke. It seemed like she was coming continuously for several minutes.

When he was ready to blow his load inside of her, he made the mistake of yelling out Candice's name. Neither one of them said anything until later. After their lust had subsided, Beatrice brought it up.

"You still miss her, don't you?"

"Yeah. I'm really sorry Beatrice. This should not have happened. I feel like a real shit taking advantage of you."

"Hey. I'm a big girl, remember? I knew what I was doing. Listen, Nick, I know you still love her. You need some closure here. Have you thought about taking a trip up there to see her?"

"I just can't do it, Beatrice. The level of betrayal was just way beyond anything I could ever get over."

"I'm sorry she hurt you so deeply, Nick. You're a really great guy and you don't deserve that. But did you ever consider that there may be something behind all this, like maybe a logical explanation?"

With that last question, Nick, with a sense of urgency, popped out of her bed and got dressed.

"Once again, I'm sorry Beatrice. Thanks for the dinner. I'll give some thought to what you suggested."

The evening of the award ceremony, Beatrice made her way into the clubhouse while the team was warming up and Nicholas was finalizing his lineup card. She walked into his office without knocking.

"Beatrice. Always good to see you."

"Don't worry Nick. I'm not going to chase you around my bed tonight. I came here for two reasons. First, the owner should be present when one of her managers wins a humanitarian award. I really thought it would be nice to be here as a show of support. You're doing a hell of a job with this team.

"The second reason is personal. How do I say this? Aw, hell...I'll just say it. I love you Nicholas Faggioli. I know you don't love me, but maybe in time, you can learn to forget that wife of yours. God, I feel like a lovesick teenager here. Look...I'm not putting any pressure on you. But I'll tell you what I told you last month when I was down here. You need to confront this thing and get some closure. If you don't, you'll live with this pain for the rest of your life and it'll eat you up alive. If there's anything I can do to help you get that closure, I want you to know that I'm here for you. Once you put an end to your torment, want to help you get over her. I can be good for you Nick. You know I can.

"Now, let's go get that award of yours. You make the organization proud, Nick. And one day, you're gonna have a bigger job with us, no matter what happens between us. And that's a promise."

_____

Candice

The weather up at the lake was cold and damp that last day of our honeymoon. Nicholas and I had come in from a brisk walk before making dinner. He made up the fire and we both stood in front of it so that we could thaw out. As we began to kiss, Nicholas slowly undid first my blouse, then my boots and pants. He unhooked the front clasp on my bra, and then quickly slid my panties off with his two thumbs.

"Hey. That's not fair. I'm the only one naked here."

"Shhhh. Let's get this robe on you. Here's a glass of wine. Sit by the fire. I'm gonna fill the tub, give you a nice bath, and then give you a good fucking...Sorry, I meant soaking."

After he mouthed those words, I could feel my pussy starting to become damp. He returned ten minutes later.

"C'mon princess. Let's get you good and clean."

Nicholas undid the robe, picked me up with his two arms, and carried me into the bathroom, slowly lowering me into the tepid water. With a sponge, he lovingly washed me from head to toe. When he was done, he guided me out of the tub and dried me. Before he was done, however, I led him by the hand into the bedroom. This time I undressed him.

"I need you to fuck me Nicky. Don't worry about making me cum. Just take me hard and fast. I need to feel you filling me with your cock and punishing my pussy. Do it now Nicky."

God, it was wonderful. I came as soon as he rammed his cock into me the first time.

Suddenly, and without any warning, two men burst in through the bedroom door. No...This couldn't be. It was Packy and Gronsky. But they were dead! They both pulled Nicky off of me and tied him to a chair. Then, slowly, with an arrogant stroll, in came Cordo and Guy Gisborne, totally naked, with their cocks at full staff.

"Thought you could get away from us, did you Candy O? Now we're going to punish you for your sins, and we're gonna make Saint Nicholas watch."

They flipped me over and handcuffed my wrists to the bed posts. They then spread my legs and tied each of my ankles with heavy rope.

"Ready Candy O? First I'm gonna fuck your ass, and then Guy will get some after I'm done. Ooohh...Looks like you don't need any lube. Lover boy here got you all nice and wet."

Writhing around on the bed in a futile protest, I could feel Cordo climb on top of me, positioning himself between my legs. Nicky was trying to yell through his gag. But it was no use. He was powerless to help me. I could feel Cordo's cock at the entrance to my ass.

"Nooooooo," I screamed.

Tony and his live-in girlfriend Ann Archer, quickly ran into their guest bedroom when they heard my blood-curdling scream. I was soaked with perspiration. Ann held me, then dried me off, and rocked me to sleep. It was the same nightmare over and over again. It was the one thing the doctors couldn't fix.

I was so loaded that night at the bar when Nicholas confronted me, my memory of it is very hazy. Tony filled in the missing pieces for me after I dried out. Thank God Tony got me out of that bar. I spent the next three days in the hospital, and as it turns out, I had two different STDs. No surprises there.

After I got out of the hospital, Tony took me to his home to stay with him and Ann. They were both so nice to me. My talks with them made things a lot clearer. I once again sought the help of a psychologist, and over the course of the next several months, I began to get a grip on my problems. The recurring nightmare began to subside, replaced only by a hollow feeling in my heart and a loneliness that lingered.

While I was in the hospital, Tony went to my house and picked up some clothes and other things for me. He also brought me Nicholas's letter, wedding band, and crucifix. He told me that he debated giving this to me, but he knew at some point I would have to read it.

My reaction to the letter was as expected. I was devastated beyond words. The pain I had caused Nicholas came through loud and clear. So, while the letter knocked me down, his leaving wasn't altogether unexpected. I would hold the letter close to my heart every night before I fell asleep, hoping beyond hope that maybe, just maybe, someday I could win Nicholas back.

As Nicholas had instructed in his letter, I went to see our attorney, Miguel Santos. That trip set my recovery back a little. I told him I would never sign the divorce papers and if he had any way of getting in touch with Nicholas, he should relay that message. It was going to take a lot more to get me to walk away from the love of my life. Miguel confirmed that I had two very healthy incomes coming in from the two gyms we owned. There was no need for me to return to work in the foreseeable future. And I could never go back to my old job after my escapades with Guy and his band of merry men.

The painful part came when I asked Miguel how Nicholas was surviving without any of his assets and his credit cards. He confirmed what I already knew...that Nicholas had an outstanding job with a much better income than he had at the college. But the next thing he told me caused my heart to shatter once again.

"Over the years, Nick had me invest some income from the gyms and from anything extra he made as a special instructor in Florida every spring. Eventually, it amounted to about $200,000. Just before he skipped town, he was about to put a down payment on a contract to build a cabin on Lake Ostego. It was supposed to be your twenty-fifth wedding anniversary present."

I'm sure you can imagine my reaction. I truly had a great life with Nicky. I had it all. The guy was even building me a cabin. God I fucked up my life so badly, I just wanted to die.

Several weeks after I got out of the hospital, I was well enough to return to my home. While physically I healed well enough, and my sexual addiction had been shocked back into an ugly cave in the corner of my mind, I was alone. It was bad enough not having Nicky around. But not knowing where he was or what he was doing with his life was killing me. Did he miss me? Does he ever think about me? Will he ever come home? Without Nicky, life seemed so pointless.

Tony's friend at the local police department, Lieutenant Santini, saw to it that Guy got arrested. As it turns out, he was wanted on a warrant in Chicago for extortion. So, Guy was shipped back. Last Tony heard, Guy was serving a long prison term.

Faith and I spent a lot of time together in September and October getting everything ready for her wedding. She shared with me that her father would call her every couple of weeks, and that he was probably not coming to the wedding. I made up my mind that if Nicky did not come home for the wedding, I really needed to sign the divorce papers and give him the freedom that he asked for.

Then in late-September, I received a very strange phone call. Beatrice Ocean, owner of the Federals, the major league team on which our son Mickey now played, called and told me she'd like to come see me. I asked her if it was about Mickey. She complimented me on Mickey, saying that he had the beginning of what looked like a fine baseball career. Then she told me it was really about Nicky. With a lump in my throat, I started asking her all kinds of questions. She said she would provide all the answers she could give me, but she would like to meet in person. We arranged to meet at the house later that afternoon.

When she arrived, even though a stranger to me, she hugged me in a very familial way. Unlike many rich people, she was not the least bit pretentious.

"Ms. Ocean...Please tell me that you know where Nicky is," I implored her anxiously.

"Candice, please call me Bea. And yes. I know where he is. He'd kill me if he knew I was telling you this. But I have my reasons. Nicky has been working for me as the manager of my minor league team down in San Antonio, Texas. He is well physically, and he's doing one hell of a job managing the team. And it probably comes as no surprise to you that the San Antonio community has embraced him as one of their own. In fact, he was recently honored for some volunteer work."

My eyes started to water and my heart swelled with pride. Wherever Nicky went, whatever he did, he always became an instant hit. His personality and desire to help people was apparent in all things. So, this was no surprise at all. In fact, it was kind of comforting to know that Nicky was thriving and that he was okay.

"But I have to tell you, Candice, he is miserable in all other respects. It is apparent that he misses you so much. He's tried, but he can't put you out of his life. He confided in me that he wish there were a way to get over you, but it's been a real challenge for him.

"And I have a confession to make. I don't want you to get angry. Understand that what I am about to tell you may be difficult for you to hear. But the guy needs closure one way or the other.

"Here goes...I love Nicky. I know that right now he doesn't love me. But I also know that in time, I might be able to get him to forget you and move on. But I won't push him unless he is absolutely sure about you. And there's only one way that will happen. The two of you need to talk."

"Thanks for being honest with me Bea. While it hurts knowing that there's a possibility I could lose Nicky for good, I always knew that sooner or later he would need to move on with his life. I do want to speak with him. I desperately want to. But he won't talk to me. I don't even think he will come to our daughter's wedding."

"Well, Candice, I will help you to make that conversation happen. It's the only way that I will know whether or not I have a chance with Nick. I've already spoken with a friend of his, Monsignor Mickey Mackay. Mickey and I will get him to the wedding. And we'll get him in front of you, leave that to us. But the rest is up to you.

"There's one more thing you should know. Later this week, Nick is being moved up to the big club, up to the majors. Our pitching coach got sick and will be out for the rest of whatever is left of the season. Nick is going to fill in. We've got a shot at the playoffs and our young pitchers could use his help."