Trust Me

VALERIE

I was packing my suitcase in preparation to go to my tenth-year high school reunion. I was being careful not to pack any special lingerie or items that my husband might think suspicious. That was okay by me because I did not plan to be intimate with any of the likely attendees. What I was worried about was my husband's concern over my re-connecting with my one-time lover, Randall Briggs.

My main reason for going to the reunion was to see several of my close girl friends who now lived all over the country. This was the only occasion that could being us all together at one time. My secret second reason for going was to show Randall I was not the naïve bimbo he managed to score with years ago. I'm just glad I wasn't a virgin when we had sex, but I was pretty close. I would like to get revenge for his telling everyone that he finally made me another of his many conquests, but I couldn't think of anything vile enough that wasn't illegal.

"Simon, are you sure you can't go with me? A lot of the people there were your friends too."

"I wish I could sweetheart. There is a huge loan negotiation going on right now and I have to be here."

"Be honest with me Simon. You're worried about me and Randall, aren't you?"

"It's more like I'm worried about him. He pretty well had every girl he wanted in high school. He was and probably still is a master seducer. Do both us a favor and stay away from him."

"If you tell me not to go, I won't go, but I hope you would not say that. I want you to believe you can trust me. I can handle that narcissistic, asshole Mr. Briggs. You are my one and only lover now until we die. I will not betray you and our marriage. I am yours as long as you want me. I am telling you: You can trust me."

"Val, I know this is a great opportunity for you to see Beverly and the crew you hung around with. I'm sure you'll have a good time catching up. Besides, he hasn't been listed on the persons who have committed to attend. He may not even show."

SIMON

God, I hated to see her leaving. The idea of her being around Randall again gets my blood boiling. It wasn't until after Val and I got engaged that he and I were in a bar together. I was celebrating my engagement with my male friends. He was there uninvited. Everything seemed okay until he got me alone. "Simon, you are one lucky son-of-a-bitch. Valerie was the finest piece of ass I ever had. Of course, I was the finest lover she had or ever will have." He smirked and laughed. "I may have not gotten her vaginal virginity, but I was the first in her ass. My goodness, how she screamed in pleasure. I think she had ten orgasms that night. Don't worry, I'm sure you give her some satisfaction, but she'll always remember the best."

That did it. I charged him and swung my fist, but he easily blocked my punches. Several friends pulled us apart. Randall was asked to leave. As he walked out, he tossed one last insult, "Just remember, Simon, I can have her anytime I want, and it won't even be difficult." I had to be restrained again.

I never told Valerie about that episode. I didn't want her to be thinking about Randall for any reason. I know how much she says she hated what he did to her, but his dating history is replete with examples of girls he shit on coming back for more. He was handsome, smart, the consummate charmer, and, evidently, very good in bed. Clothes seemed to fall off on their own whenever he passed a girl.

"I will miss you, Val. Have a good time and remember 'I love you.'" I wanted so much to tell her not to do anything I wouldn't, but I didn't want to upset her. I had to trust her.

"I love you too, Simon. Be ready for me to attack you as soon as I get back."

VALERIE

When I got off the plane, I immediately saw someone in the baggage area with a sign regarding our tenth-year reunion. Two of my classmates who married each other owned a hotel in town and had given everyone a special rate so we could stay together. The main gatherings were in the hotel's ballroom and conference room. I made myself known to the man with the sign. He was the driver of the van for the hotel. He asked if it was okay to wait a half hour as several others would be on the next flight. I agreed and was pleased to see that Beverly was one of the people we were waiting on. We hugged and didn't stop talking until we split at the hotel to go to our separate rooms.

Our first event of the reunion was an open bar reception in one of the hotel's conference rooms. I met Beverly there and we quickly connected with two other friends who had arrived earlier. It was fun trying to figure out who some of the people were: old classmates, old classmates' spouses, or someone crashing the party. As much fun as I was having, I still wasn't relaxed. Occasionally, I would scan the room looking for Randall. I was hoping I could get my confrontation done quickly and get it over with. He never showed for the reception. I was too scared to ask the hosts if he had registered because I didn't want anyone to think I was wanting to see him.

Saturday's agenda was a variety of outdoor events at the local country club. People were scattered choosing between tennis, swimming, golf and tanning. Of course, all these activities were done while drinking. Most of the time I was not engaged in reciting old war stories with the girls from high school, I was looking to see if Randall had made an appearance. I think I got a crick in my neck from looking so hard. Damn if Randall wasn't ruining part of my fun and he didn't even show. Not yet, at least.

That Saturday evening was the main event: dinner and dance back at the hotel ballroom. In my room, I looked at myself in the mirror. I was going for moderately sexy, somewhere between conservative and slutty. Most people say I am attractive. I have a pretty face and a body a teenager would love to have. I was still slender at only five pounds above my high school weight. The bra I wore made my 34 B's look like 34 C's. My dress made it sure that I would rarely see a man's eyes when he looked at me. My raven dark hair was short now with a wave. Everyone seems to like it. I have always attracted men and I figured I probably would tonight. That was okay as long as they looked and didn't touch.

Beverly and three other of our friends shared a table with a couple. The husband was a member of our class but not in the group we hung around with. We didn't talk much with them. When the dinner was over, most people mingled while a band popular in our day was playing dance music. Not many people were dancing yet. Drinking and talking were the main activities.

I had a couple of drinks and was asked to dance by one of my old male friends. His wife, also a friend, didn't like to dance so I agreed with her permission. As we were dancing, HE made his entrance. Randall Briggs. Damn, I had forgotten how handsome he was. He still had that little partial bang that hung down over his forehead. Girls supposedly had orgasmed just from seeing him flip his hair back into place. He seemed in great shape, maybe even more fit than high school when he was on the swim team. 90% of the crowd at swim meets were girls who wanted to see Randall's body, especially what showed while he was in tight swim trunks. You could hear the collective sighs when he emerged from the water and the outline of his penis stood out.

Upon seeing him walk around, my heart fluttered in spite of my hatred. He was taking his time saying hello to people. Randall was always confident, but he didn't seem to have the arrogant, 'better than you' confidence of our high school days. He seemed sure of himself but appeared he was being very polite and mannerly.

Back at the table, Beverly remarked, "Gosh, Randall is even more sexy than before. I wonder how long it will take him to seduce a woman tonight, and why do I want to be one of those he chooses?"

"Beverly! You're married. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing a good fuck wouldn't cure. I love Hank but I'm ready for a one-night stand to recharge my juices. Hell, I'm getting wet just thinking of Randall. Come on, don't tell me you're not getting wet too. After all, you got to sample him once before."

I looked at her in disgust but couldn't deny I was getting a little bit turned on. "Beverly, I got all of him I ever wanted when I was a stupid schoolgirl. I have the best husband in the world and I'm not about to risk that for a tell-all Don Juan."

"Valerie, come on. You know your reputation increased after he made it known you two had had sex. There were a lot of girls who wished they had the chance to make it with him. Some of them are here tonight still wishing he would take them."

"Well, I'm not one of them. I've got my own little speech ready for Mr. Lothario that will make quite clear how I feel about him."

As the night went on, Randall continued to mingle, mostly with the women. Sometimes he laughed with the woman. Sometimes the woman walked away from him in obvious disgust. Sometimes a woman would make it clear she was available. Randall kept an even keel as he made his way across the room.

Then he spied me. I said to myself, "Damnit, he caught me looking at him. Oh no, not the smile. That's the smile that help lead me to let him take liberties with me. Woman up, girl. He's coming over."

"Valerie, may I have the honor of this dance?"

He saw my reluctance. "I promise to behave. Please?"

I let him lead me to the dance floor. It was a slow one. I was confident, probably over-confident, that not only were my defenses up but also my offense was ready. He surprised me by keeping us a foot or so apart while we were dancing. There was no effort on his part to draw me closer or put his hand any lower down my back. He kept smiling at me and subsequently disarmed me enough that I began to smile back.

He breathed, "You're so beautiful when you smile."

A frown came to my face in anticipation of his come-on line. He noticed.

"I guess I better get right to it. Val, you are the main reason I came tonight. I want to apologize for the way I treated you in high school. There is no excuse for my horrible behavior. I would have to improve a considerable amount just to get above being the scum of the earth. You gave me the greatest gift you could have, and I betrayed you by bragging about it. It's hard for me to believe now what a rotten human being I have been. The purpose of me telling you this is that I am hoping that you will forgive me, but I would be happy if you just did not hate me anymore."

I was stunned. My prepared speech was lost in the backpack of my mind. He continued.

"I cannot take credit for my being a changed man. It took a very special lady to straighten me out. As soon as I met her, I found myself wanting to do things for her. I gave her compliments because she deserved them, not because I hoped to get in her panties. I felt fortunate just to have her tolerate me being around her. Although she never said anything bad about me, she had the ability to make me look at myself and see what a cad I had been. She made me cry in sadness over my misdeeds. Because of her and AA, I have been sober for 17 months and three days. When I got out of rehab, my psyche had been demolished. She built me back up. I gradually became a new man with a new purpose. I owe her my life."

"Randall, she sounds wonderful. Where is she tonight?"

"Melody is back home. We talked about whether it was best she come or not. When we discussed my need to apologize to you and several others, she said it might be best for her to stay home. It would hurt her too badly to see if some of the women were still angry with me. In addition, I didn't know if I would have the courage to do what I needed to do tonight if I was aware she was watching. It would kill me to disappoint her. You may have noticed some of my tries at apologizing tonight. Some went well and others didn't. I don't blame those who hold grudges. I am disappointed that I couldn't do something to alleviate the hate they still have for me." Tears were coming to his eyes.

"I waited a while before I came to you. I have always felt that you were the one I needed to apologize to the most. Simon is a very fortunate man. If I could have constructed the perfect woman physically and emotionally, she would look like you. Now I've found another woman and though Melody isn't like you in many ways, she's perfect in other ways. I'm not going to mess it up this time." He took me closer into his arms, but it felt like he needed comfort and not romancing.

At the end of the dance, he wished me a happy life and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. He walked away and started talking to some others. I went back to the table.

Beverly spoke, "Well, you sure tore him another ass hole?"

"Believe me, I was ready to, but he spent his whole time apologizing for how he treated me. He seems to have a wife that has really turned his life around."

"Val, I heard from some others that his wife is very beautiful, but is often wheelchair bound due to MS. She still works part-time and does charity work when she physically can. The rumor is that she is no longer able to feel it down there if they have sex. Isn't that a kicker? The biggest pussy hound in school now is stuck with a woman who can't feel him."

"Beverly, you disgust me sometimes. Remind me why we are friends."

"Because we know too many secrets about each other." We both laughed.

As the evening went on and the effect of the drinks and Randall's statement accumulated, I felt it necessary to let Randall know how much I appreciated his apology. When the next slow dance tune was played, I went and asked him to dance. He agreed.

I held him closer than we had before so I wouldn't have to shout over the sound of the music. "I wanted you to know how much I appreciated your apology. I am glad you have turned your life around. I always knew that you had potential to be a positive force. Please give my best to your wife. She sounds like a terrific person. It must be difficult for you . . ."

Randall's expression changed to rage in a flash. "I know what you're going to say. You meant she's terrific for a cripple. 'It's wonderful how you're able to sacrifice for her, Randall.' Save your sanctimonious pity, Valerie. My wife does amazing things for ANY person, handicapped or not. It's a privilege for me to be with her. She would not accept your pity nor do I by extension. Valerie, I thought you were better than this. Suddenly, I don't want to dance with you anymore." Randall headed for the exit.

I retrieved my purse and ran after him. He was sitting outside on a concrete bench, crying. I went over to him, "Randall, I'm sorry. I meant no disrespect to her or you. I meant to say I'm glad you two have each other. Please forgive me." I sat next to him and reached my arm around him. He responded by putting his head on my shoulder.

In a few minutes, he got himself under control. "Val, I'm sorry I snapped at you. It just gets to me sometimes. I had so much to give to others, but I used my talents for evil for so long. I don't deserve her. You know, she even encouraged me to find someone tonight since she can't . . . perform. Who does something that unselfish? I really, really, don't deserve her. I'm sorry, I need to get to my room and get drunk."

I felt so sorry for him. I offered to go with him for support. He headed to the bar and I stopped him. "You don't need any alcohol to drink. How about some coffee?"

''I don't want people to see me crying. Can we go somewhere else?"

"We both have coffeemakers in our rooms." I immediately thought it would be bad to go to his room. "Let's go to my room." Yes, I realized what I was doing, but I believed everything would be better under control if we went to my room. Just in case.

We got to my room. He sat down in a chair while I made some coffee. As I brought our cups out, I asked, "Do you have a picture of your wife in your wallet?" He got out his wallet and showed me a beautiful woman sitting in a wheelchair. Randall started crying again and ran into my bathroom. After sobbing a while, he ran water in the sink and splashed water on his face. He dried off and came in to join me. He looked so pitiful, so vulnerable, and so despondent I went to him and hugged him.

"Val, do you still hate me?"

"No, Randall. I don't hate you. And I want you to know I forgive you."

"Really? If that's the case, do you mind doing me a favor?"

"What do you want me to do?"

"Dance with me one more time like you're a woman who cares for me. I miss being able to do that with the woman who I care for the most."

He turned the clock-radio to an oldies' station, and we danced for more than one song. We held each other tight. The smell of his cologne filled my nostrils. In high school it was rumored that his cologne was an aerosol version of the date rape drug. I could sense my emotional drawbridge was being lowered. His face gradually moved across my face. Soon, his warm breath was on my neck. My knees did not buckle but they sure bent a lot. Next his lips began nibbling and sucking my earlobes. Damn, he remembered my erogenous zones. It felt so good, so right, so much like that night long ago. My vagina was getting well lubricated. When his hand pressed against my rear end, I felt every inch of his ample bulge. I swooned in surrender.

When his lips met mine, our tongues quickly followed. His hands were caressing me all over. I didn't realize that he had almost lowered my dress below my bra until he started kissing the top of my breasts. About the time he was reaching to undo my bra and I was preparing to stroke his erection, I caught myself. OH MY GOD, he's done it again!

I pushed him away. The old smirk I hated replaced the winning smile. "Come on, Val. You know you want me. I promise not to tell Simon this time. How many people get the chance to have the best sex in their life a second time?"

I was so mad, at him and me. "GET OUT!" He ignored my command and reached for me. I yelled, "RAPE! RAPE!" I ran over to my purse and pulled out my pink pepper spray container. I shot him directly in the face.

"You bitch! All right. All right. I'll go." With a look of disgust, he headed for the door. Randall turned for one parting shot, "When you change your mind, just give me a call." I noticed the egotistic asshole said 'when' not 'if.' "GET OUT!"

As soon as he left, I sat down on the bed and started crying. "How could I have been tricked so easily? Damn, I almost let him do it to me again. What is wrong with me?" After a good cry, I began to see things differently. "I almost fell for it, but I didn't completely fall for it. I beat him this time. I remained loyal to my husband and my marriage." I began to feel a little pride in my actions. I wanted to call Simon and let him know I had passed the faithfulness test, but it was too late at night. If I called now, he would think something bad had happened. I'll let him know how I feel when I get home tomorrow.

SIMON

I was feeling good even though I was at work on a Sunday morning. That was unusual for any banker especially for the Senior Loan Officer of First National Bank, but the big commercial loan deal was almost complete. We were just waiting for the amended contract to be run off and signed by all the parties so the out of town folks could make their flight home. I took a minute to check my email since I had not done so the last two days.

There was a recent email from Randall Briggs of all people. The subject line showing was, 'I told you so.' I couldn't resist opening it despite the feelings of nausea churning inside me. I opened the email and read, 'I told you so. I didn't even have to try hard. She was hot and ready from our first dance on. Don't blame her too much. It's hard to turn down sex with the Master. In case you think I'm making it up, see the attachments I took from her hotel room.' There were four pictures to click on. I hit the first one and almost threw up my breakfast. It was a nude picture of my wife. The other pictures showed similar nude poses. I wanted to destroy my computer.