From the Ashes

"So he came, I'm happy for you," the waitress said, smiling, friendly, at Marge. "So what can I get ya?"

"Two eggs over easy, white toast, bacon, orange juice, and a coffee," Magnus said, rattling off his order.

"And you hon?"

"I'll have the same, and a refill," Marge said, holding up her cup.

"Sure thing, I'll get that in for you," she said, smiling at the two of them.

"So you haven't answered my second question," Marge said, her hand never leaving her son's.

"Twenty minutes south of Helena, Montana," Magnus said, matter-of-factly. "When I'm not in LA."

"Oh?! Why Montana? Are you living in an apartment or?" Her eyes followed the woman's hand as she set his drinks before him.

"Have a hundred acre plot, nice big house, bought it for a steal," Magnus said, pouring his creamer into the black coffee and two packets of sugar. "As to why... you really want me to answer that?" he asked, arching an eyebrow as he lifted the steaming cup to his lips.

"Yes baby, even if it hurts," Marge nodded.

"Wanted to get as far away from you all and Iona as I could, without paying out the ass in taxes," Magnus said, setting his coffee down.

"Oh, but doesn't it get really cold up there?" Marge asked, her eyes downcast.

"Yeah, there's already a nip in the air when it's still eighty degrees down here," Magus nodded. "Already got my winter gear sorted out. This rather friendly sales girl helped me pick out all the things I'll need to ride out my first winter there."

"Then... you have someone new in your life?" Marge asked, bringing her eyes back up.

"No, not at this point in time. Trying to work on me, you know? Trying to figure out why and what I did to make Iona cheat on me. Why she would hurt me as she did. You know I only kept that job so she could stay in school. Only worked myself to the bone to make sure my wife had everything she needed. Still that wasn't good enough."

"I know sweetheart. You don't know how proud I was that you were stepping up to be a good husband. That you didn't complain when your father gave you that job when I objected when he babied Bill. Sometimes I wonder what's going through that mind of his," Marge sighed. "It took strength of character to work all those hours and still do everything that Iona wanted to do. I know there were times that you didn't want to go to one of her company's events when you'd just worked a ten hour shift. Yet you did it anyway, because you wanted your wife to be happy. I'm just sorry that it took me so long to see the truth about that woman." Moving her arm out of the way as their waitress placed their plates down onto the table. "So tell me, how did you get signed onto a band?"

"Sent them an audition tape when I got out of lock-up," Magnus said, as his fork broke the yoke of his egg. It's yellow, gooey substance ran down onto his plate. Scooping it up with the corner of his piece of toast before taking a bite.

"And how was it? Being on the road I mean. You didn't get into any trouble I normally hear about rock stars, did you?" Marge asked, as she took a bite of her bacon.

"No, I didn't. Not that I didn't see a lot of that happening back stage. But I was normally in the bus once the show was over. Being on the road was actually fun. Brandan and George helped me out a lot. Haleema was there with me every step of the way when I met the band's agent."

"So I don't have to worry about some eighteen-year-old showing up on my doorstep with a child claiming to be yours?" Marge asked, a coy smirk appeared on her lips as her son choked on his food.

"That's not funny," Magnus said, red faced.

"Well... how would I know; you haven't called your mother in ten long months. Who knows what little tikes you got running around out there," Marge said, teasing her son.

"I... don't do that, okay," Magnus said, in a low whisper.

"Oh? So you're not running around being chased by those groupies that I hear haunt those kinds of shows?'

"No... that actually does and has happened," Magnus admitted.

"Yet you aren't partaking in them?" Marge asked, with a pointed look.

"No."

"So if you aren't being chased or the chaser, are you seeing anyone?" Marge asked, wondering if someone new had come to sway his heart. Yet her son was tight lipped about that subject, so she didn't push it. Before long, their meal was over, and she knew her son would be leaving. "Please, a few more minutes," she pleaded. Her fingers wrapped around his hand, giving it a light squeeze.

"Fine, you have until I finish my coffee," Magnus said, signaling the waitress that he needed a refill.

******

Noon that day...

"So tell me what's the deal with Iona?" Mary Lou asked, as they waited for their food. "Oh, Scott told me to tell you hello."

"Odd. I thought he didn't even know my name," Magnus chuckled.

"Only after some careful prodding," Mary Lou smirked. "So spill, and don't leave out anything," she said, patting his hand.

"Caught her cheating on me with her boss a little over a year ago."

"Oh no! I can't believe that! I mean she was head over heels for you in high school," Mary Lou said, in stunned shock.

"I thought so too," Magnus agreed.

"What changed?" Mary Lou asked, taking hold of his hand as she saw those hard emotions in his blue eyes.

"The hell if I know," Magnus spat bitterly. "Just one day she slowly stopped talking to me and started working later. The last time we were even together was after this Halloween party we or more like she dragged me to. I had just worked for nine and a half hours out in the sun and I was dead tired. In hindsight it kind of felt like she was doing me a favor."

"That's just wrong," Mary Lou said, her anger rising.

"Tell me about it, then when I tried to initiate sex she would brush me off telling me she was tired, or that she wasn't in the mood. After a week of this I asked what was wrong. Why she didn't want to have relations with me after we had sex at least once a day, if we had time or if we were both off two or three times a day. After six years of this it was like she just simply slammed on the brakes and I was going without. I know now that was the first sign but at the time I didn't even register it as a sign of her cheating or whatever she was doing at the time.

So as the weeks wore on and Thanksgiving rolled around. We still hadn't been intimate, and it was really starting to piss me off. We had it out before we had to be at my parents. That was one cold holiday I tell you. After a few days of us giving each other the cold shoulder. I tried to bury the hatchet. Yet she wouldn't hear a word of it. Then the words just came out of my mouth: if you aren't going to be my wife you can sleep on the couch. I'm not sharing my bed with a stranger," Magnus said, before taking a sip of his sweeten iced tea.

"What happened then?'

"She just looked at me like she just pitied me. Like I was below her or something," Magnus said, his hands moved through the air.

"Below you?!" Mary Lou asked, in confusion. "Did she not understand what a marriage was?"

"Obviously not," Magnus said, rolling his eyes. "Then she just grabbed her bag and left the apartment. I don't know when she got back. When I woke up she was snoring on the couch. Bitching to me to be quiet, that her head was killing her. I told her if you don't like it leave. Telling me not to be an ass and just give her an hour. Oh, I wasn't quiet nor was I all that supportive as I slammed the front door as I left for work. Mind you this is all in hindsight. Now that I've had time to go back and see every little sign that was being thrown up. I was simply pissed that she walked out and stayed out until who knows when doing whatever it was that she was doing. That was about a week before Christmas. How I wish I knew then I would have saved a lot of money on gifts that year."

"I'd say, so did she get you anything?" Mary Lou asked, her heart going out to him. She had no idea what she would do if she found Scott cheating on her. Not that he would, she trusted him enough to know Scott would never do that. Not to her or the kids. He loved them too much to put them through that. Plus, she knew he had vehemently shot down the wife of their neighbor when she tried to seduce her husband. She couldn't have been prouder of him when she found out he sent that bitch packing.

"Nope. So all the gifts I got her, were quickly returned. You should have seen the look on her face when she thought I would waste my money on her when she didn't bother to do the same. Then she brought up a very curious question to me."

"Oh?! What did she ask you?" Looking up as their waiter sat her salad in front of her and his country fried steak before him. While her mouth watered at the smell of it, she still had to watch her calorie intake, and it wasn't her cheat day.

"What I thought about open marriages."

"What?!" Her fork falling from her hand and clanging against her plate as she stared at Magnus with a gaping mouth.

"Might want to close that or you'll catch flies," Magnus said, with a warm smile. "So I told her then what's the point of being married if you're fucking who knows what. I'm a one woman kind of man, you know. If I'm with you then I'm with you. Not running around town dipping my dick in whichever woman's ink that I got the favor of that day. Iona quickly clammed up after that. She never brought it up again. She certainly didn't like it when I asked her if she would like to come home only to find me in bed with another woman. And trust me, I know the looks I got before I left town. So I knew I could spread my seed, if you know what I mean, if I was into that kind of thing," Magnus said, seeing Mary nod as she took a bite of her salad as he cut up his steak.

"So... she was okay with herself fucking behind your back but the thought of you doing the same set off her ire?"

"I know right! Like she thought no woman would want to have sex with me, and that all the men in the world simply fell at her feet. Whoever filled her head with that crap, kind of did me a favor in retrospect. If that douche hadn't talked his way between her legs, I'd never know what kind of person she truly is," Magnus said, before chewing his juicy steak.

"I... let me ask, tell me to fuck off if it's too personal. But when you did have sex, how was it?" Mary Lou asked, wondering if it was the reason why Iona cheated on him.

"If you're asking if it was poor sex, it wasn't. I knew all the buttons on that woman's body to make her writhe. Iona certainly didn't go to bed unsatisfied. I made sure of that like a good husband does. The sex wasn't the issue."

"But we can... you know, fake it," Mary Lou said, hoping he knew she wasn't taking her side.

"Yeah, I know, but trust me she wasn't faking. You don't leave that kind of a wet spot if you're faking," Magnus said, with a devilish smile as he took another bite as Mary Lou's cheeks rapidly heated. "And trust me I knew when she was faking I called her out on it numerous times. But that was in our early years when we first started having sex."

"How could you tell?"

"Her right eye twitches when she's lying. It's subtle if you don't know what to look for you wouldn't know. Then well... after weeks of fighting, hoping that we could work things out, because I did enjoy being married to her or I enjoyed being married to the woman I knew, not this thing that took her place. So after I bought us dinner, went to her work... and that's where I found them. And trust me, she was definitely faking with that man. So I kicked her ass out, hunted for a lawyer, who is great by the way, quit my job, told my parents to fuck off, went to jail for thirty days because I didn't want to spend another second on a lying whore. Then sent in my audition tape after I got out and left town. Spent the next few months on the road, then flying back and forth between my home in Montana and LA. But by tomorrow night I'll finally be rid of Iona for good."

"Why?"

"She's finally agreed to sign the papers."

"Damn. Well, I'm not glad you're hurting, but I'm glad you found out the truth about her before you spent twenty or so years on her," Mary Lou said, offering comfort to her friend.

"Me too," Magnus nodded.

"So... now the most important question. Are you seeing anyone now?" Arching an eyebrow when Magnus burst out in laughter. "What's so funny?"

"My mother asked me the same question," Magnus said, his sides heaving.

"And did you answer her?"

"No."

"But you'll answer mine, right?" Mary Lou asked, pointing her fork at him.

"Yeah, there is someone I have my eye on," Magnus said, going into detail about his first time meeting Haleema, the way she made him feel over the months they were on the road together.

"Then why haven't you asked her out yet?"

"She doesn't date married men, her words."

"Is that another reason you're so happy about tomorrow?" Mary Lou asked, pushing aside her empty plate. "I'm happy for you, that you can find someone that makes you feel that way after what Iona did to you," she said, once Magnus nodded. "Now if you and this... Haleema get married, I better get an invitation."

"Counting all your chickens before they come home to roost, aren't ya?" Magnus asked, while he did like the sound of that, yet he wasn't going to jinx himself.

"Nope." Shaking her head, smiling wide at Magnus. "I know you Magnus, you're the kind of man that most -- not sluts or cheating ones -- women want in a man," Mary Lou said, squeezing his hand. "And if she can't see that, then you send her to me and I'll straighten her out," she said, protectively.

"Awe. My hero," Magnus teased.

"And don't you forget it," Mary Lou nodded, taking a sip, finishing off her water.

"So now that we delved into my sex life, let's hear about yours." Magnus smirked evilly when Mary Lou almost spit out her water. "Aww. Poor Scott, does he know you don't swallow."

"Magnus!" Mary Lou, nearly shouted. The heel of her hand pressed against her forehead as she shook her head against it. Her face burning hot as Magnus died laughing. "I don't know why I'm still your friend."

"Because of all those dark little secrets I know about you," Magnus warned in a joking manner.

"I so loved this, we have to at least do another lunch or a dinner at my place before you leave," Mary Lou said, hugging her friend tightly.

"Sure, I'd love to see how your kids turned out. If they got weird tentacles..." Magnus's laughter filled the air as Mary Lou lightly stuck his chest. "You take care of yourself, Mary Lou," he said, bringing her into his arms once again.

"It'll be okay Magnus, if you ever need to talk. You call me, alright?" Mary Lou said, her hands lightly rubbing his back.

"Count on it."

"Well, I have to get back before my hour is over," Mary Lou said, looking up at him as she pulled away.

"See you Saturday night," Magnus said, waving to her with a smile on his lips.

Pulling out her phone as she closed her car door. "Honey?"

"Yeah? How was lunch?" Scott asked, as he sat at his desk at the bank.

"How would you feel about helping me track down and cut a bitch?"

"For you babe, sure, let's go cut this bitch deep."

"God. I so love you," Mary Lou said, as she started her car.

"So... you going to tell me why we're going to commit an assault?"

"I will, once we're home, and not on the phone," Mary Lou said, as she backed out of her parking spot.

"That bad, huh?"

"Very."

******

Thursday, two p.m....

Magnus sat across from his wife, counting the seconds until he would be free from Iona. Their lawyers had left the room to give them privacy. Why? He didn't know. It wasn't like they were going to fuck on the table. He felt his cock retreating into his body at the thought of it. Glancing up at the clock as Iona hadn't said a word as they had been sitting there for the past five minutes. He didn't care, it could be a whole hour of silence, of not having to listen to the sound of her voice, he would have met his obligations for the stipulation she had set. His eyes ran down her light red hair. Her light brown eyes stared unblinkingly at him. He could tell she put on a few pounds given how her suit jacket was tight around her chest when just a year ago it was a little loose on her. Magnus could tell she was going to use her body to try to sway his mind as her blouse was unbutton enough to show the valley of her 36C breasts. Billie Eilish 'No time to die' popped into his mind as he looked upon his soon-to-be former wife.

"I've been trying to figure out a way to tell you why I did what I did," Iona finally spoke.

"Uh-huh."

"You look good... really good Magus," Iona said, her eyes running down his face and chest. Liking the new look he had. "You know there is still time to stop this. I can still be your wife, and I'll swear that if you take me back I'll never..."

"No," Magnus interrupted.

"I had to try," Iona sighed. "I had to see if you truly hated me like I read in that article," she said, looking defeated.

"I do, was that all it took for you to realize you are nothing but a..."

"Two-bit whore?" Iona finished for him. "I'll admit yes that's what I acted like. I just got swept up in it all. Thought I could do better, thought I could have a better life. I thought you weren't going anywhere in life and that if I stayed with you that you would just drag me down with you."

"You do realize I only stayed in that crappy job, working those long hours for you right? That I helped to support you, so you didn't have to worry about working while you were in school. Did you even think of the crap I sacrificed so you could get your degree? No, you only thought about your own fucking self. Did you even fucking love me?" Magnus asked, seeing Iona sinking into her seat.

"Of course, I did! I still do. I just let myself get blinded by Connor's words and my own deluded sense of self-importance. By the end of it all I didn't even recognize myself. It wasn't until I heard your voicemail, the anger in your voice, of how royally I fucked up," Iona said, laying it on thick. Not realizing that Magnus has had her under surveillance to know that she was still seeing Connor. Thinking that she could sweet talk Magnus into one last fling and pass off the child that she knew was currently growing in her womb as his. At least until Magnus wised up and had a DNA test done. Yet by then she would still be his wife and entitled to all that money he was now making, plus child support until the results came back. "Magnus, please, you have to believe me, I never meant for this to happen. I never wanted to hurt you, I know I did, I hurt you so bad, baby..."

"You will never call me that again. I'm not your husband. I'm not your baby."

"Okay Magnus, can't you meet me half way here? I'm willing to give this another try if you are. You know how hot and kinky it would be with both our lawyers out there waiting for us as we fuck on this desk? Our bodies intertwined as I make it up to you for everything I did to you," Iona said, feeling her mound quivering at the thought of feeling his tongue back within her cunt. What that woman wrote was true, Magnus never once failed to give her an orgasm with his mouth or multiples with that cock of his, unlike Conner. Who struggled to give her even one, and the times he did was only because she was thinking about how Magnus would do it and how he would make her cunt gush in her orgasmic juices. Yet he showered her with gifts and money so she over looked all that. Still, the thought of being on top of Magnus once again, feeling that cock of his being coating in her juices made her thighs rub together.

"And just like that," snapping his fingers, "all is forgiven?" Magnus asked, he wasn't about to take her back. He just wanted to see how big of a hole she would dig for herself.