Hero

My undying love,

Your Bev

His falling tears stained the bottom of the paper and caused her name to blur. His hand shook as he pushed her note aside. Even though she didn't come right out and say it, by her words and tone of the letter, he was sure that her guilt over failing to compensate their rescuer won out in the battle of her conscience.

Five minutes prior he had been on top of the world, now he sat bawling like a baby. Every ounce of the elation he felt from his victory at work had been drained from his spirit as he now crumbled in defeat. He had lost the most important battle of his life and suddenly nothing else mattered.

He had wondered how he would handle this moment if it came. Would he be able to live with her decision? Now he knew the answer...no. The pain in his heart was overwhelming, he had to escape. He had to get away.

His breathing was ragged. He tried taking a few deep breaths as he reached for the pen. Leaving her a note was the coward's way, but he just didn't have it in him to face her. He would collapse and die at her feet. A note was the only way.

My love,

I have to assume from your note that you have decided to submit to Barry's demands. I cannot tell you how deeply this hurts me. I know how hard you fought with your conscience and know your decision cuts you as deeply as it does me, but it a decision I'm afraid I cannot live with. I'm sorry.

I will always love you,

Carl

He laid the pen on top of the writing pad. Never in his life had he experienced such sorrow. His whole existence had become a shambles in just a few short minutes.

His mind wandered back to the night they had invited Barry into their home. He was the devil disguised as an angel of mercy. It wasn't until the end of the evening that he showed his true colors when he revealed his sinister plot. Simply fucking his beautiful wife wasn't enough. He had to have her as his sex slave. Carl envisioned his bride helpless, with her hands tied to the head of the bed while Barry pounded her with his cock.

In an instant his grief had given way to a blinding rage. He grabbed the vase of pretty flowers from the table and hurled them at the wall with such force he almost fell from his chair. "I'll kill the mother fucker," he shouted with all his might. "So help me God, I'll kill him," he screamed as the shapely glass container shattered on impact.

If he only knew where they were but he didn't and he had no way of finding out. He felt lost, empty, and defeated. He slumped back into his chair. Anger and sorrow tormented his soul as his emotions fought for control.

He sat and stared at the scattered flowers lying about in the broken glass and watched as the life sustaining water now slowly and futilely drained down the wall.

He had to get away before he went mad, he thought. Carl picked up his crutch and made his way up the stairs and to the bedroom. He bent down and used his crutch to pull his suitcase out from under the bed. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he began to pack.

***

Barry watched as one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen approached his table with the style and grace of a Paris fashion model. The clicking of her high heels musically highlighted each sway of her hips as she strode across the floor. He rose from his chair to greet her. "I'm so glad you came," he told her. Her young savior took her gently by the hand and brought it to his lips. He could taste her soft flesh and became almost dizzy as he breathed in her essence. He couldn't believe that soon he would have this woman at his mercy, performing sexual acts at his command.

"Waiter," he said motioning with his hand.

"Don't bother, Barry, I'm not staying that long," she revealed.

His ear to ear grin suddenly turned to a scowl. "What do you mean you're not staying, I thought we had an agreement," he snapped.

"No Barry, I said I would have dinner with you, I never agreed to your pitiful, little, slave girl fantasy."

"But..."

"There are no but's; I was going to have dinner with you so we could talk and find some other way for us to pay our debt, but on the way over here I decided you just weren't worth it.

"Since you left our home, Carl and I have gone through hell. I have struggled between what I felt was my obligation to you and keeping my marriage intact. By even considering to accept your proposition I have already hurt the man I love, hurt him bad. If I were to give in to your demands it would cause irreparable damage to my marriage and I would most likely lose the love of the man I cherish above everything else in life." She saw the waiter coming over and waved him off.

"I was a fool to even contemplate such a proposal no matter how hard my conscience told me I owed it to you. You saved my man. You gave him back to me and you will never know the depth of my gratitude, but now you're trying to take him away again. If saving my life means losing the man I love then you should have left me in that car to die, because without Carl life is meaningless.

"So, in answer to you demands, I will echo the words of my husband, 'Barry, go fuck yourself."

Barry sat, stunned into silence as Bev stood up and walked out.

It was a little after eight o'clock when Bev pulled into her drive. She had no intention of taking the car out again for the evening so she drove passed her husband's Lincoln and into the garage; from there she entered the house through the kitchen.

The house seemed quiet, too quiet. She knew Carl was home because his car was in the drive. She saw what she thought was her note on the table, but upon closer examination, realized it was Carl's handwriting. She picked up the tablet and started to read; "No, no, no Carl, you have it all wrong," she spoke aloud while starting to panic. She looked up and saw the broken vase. "Carl," she screamed, "Carl wait..."

She threw off her high heels and ran through the house and up the stairs. Carl was just closing his suitcase when she came flying into the room.

"No, no," she screamed again. "Honey I didn't do anything, I told Barry to go fuck himself," she excitedly yelled. Bev ran into his arms with enough force to knock him off his feet. He dropped his crutch to the floor as they tumbled onto the bed with him wrapped tightly in her arms.

"But..."

She interrupted him by smothering his face with kisses. "I'm sorry, my darling. I knew before I ever got to the restaurant how ridiculous I've been. I could never betray you, my love...never."

Carl looked into those beautiful green eyes and smiled. "You told him to go fuck himself?" he asked with a grin.

She rapidly nodded her yes with a little chuckle.

He reached behind his wife's head and pulled her gently toward his waiting lips.

For the next few minutes they lay embracing one another without speaking a word between them. Bev was the first to talk, "I'm hungry," she announced.

"I thought you had dinner," said Carl.

"No, I told him off before we even ordered."

"Hell, honey, you should have hit him up for the most expensive item on the menu first," he joked.

"Have you eaten," she asked.

"No, I was going to take you out for dinner to celebrate," he said.

"Celebrate; oh yeah, your big client, what happened?"

"I'll tell you later. How about if we just order a pizza tonight and I'll make reservation at Frank and Marie's for tomorrow night?"

"Frank and Marie's; I hope you got a raise with that big client," she said.

Carl ordered the pizza then took the champagne from the fridge while Bev set the table. She had just turned down the dining room lights and was about to light the candles when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Bev saw him pass by with his crutch in one hand and money in the other. A moment later she heard her husband screaming,

"Get off my property you son-of-a-bitch before I kill you."

That's no way to talk to the pizza delivery boy she thought. She ran toward the door to see what all the hollering was about. As she approached from behind her husband she was shocked to see Barry on the front porch.

"Barry, we have nothing more to say to each other," she barked.

"I know that," he replied, "Please, I came to apologize."

Bev moved to the side of her husband, touched his arm and looked into his beet-red face. "Let him in, honey," she said in a soothing voice. "Let him say what he has to say."

Carl gave out a sigh and stepped aside.

"I'd offer you something to drink but you're not staying that long. Say what you have to say then get out," demanded Carl.

"I don't blame you for being angry, Mr. Stapleton, I know I deserve it. May I?" he asked gesturing to sit. Before Carl could say no Bev told him to go ahead. It was easy to see he was a bundle of nerves as he sat down.

"First, Mrs. Stapleton, Mr. Stapleton, I sincerely apologize for the grief and trouble I've caused. I hope and pray that in time you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. I also want to say thank you, and that you have paid your debt in full."

Bev and Carl looked at one another. "Oh really, and just how did we do that?" asked Carl suspiciously.

"By showing me what real love is all about," he replied. "You see my dad and mom hate each other, at least that's the way they act when they're in private. When they're entertaining, of course it's a different story, but behind closed doors they can't stand one another. My mother has had numerous affairs and loves to rub my dad's nose in them. Of course the number of affairs my mother has had is pale compared to dad. I couldn't count the number of women he's been with."

Barry had to stop a minute to wipe away some moisture that collected in his eyes.

"Anyway, that's pretty much the way I grew up; hell, their friends are all just as bad. I guess I kind of assumed everyone was like that. Please don't get me wrong, what I did, or at least tried to do, was despicable. I know that. I guess I just figured you two were like my folks. Bev, when you said you would rather I had left you in the car than to live without Carl it...well, I don't know, it just really hit home for me. I don't think I've ever seen true love like that before tonight. It was a real wake up call."

He stopped a minute to try and clear his dry throat. "Would you like a glass of water?" Bev asked.

He looked at Carl to see if it would be okay. Carl nodded with his head and a minute later Bev handed Barry a cold glass of water. He thanked her and took a couple gulps before continuing.

"You see I'm getting married this summer. She's a wonderful woman, certainly better than I deserve that's for sure. The thing is, I love her with all my heart, but I have no doubt I would have cheated on her. Hell, I was going to cheat on her this weekend with you," he said looking at Bev. But tonight you taught me that cheating is not something you do as a status symbol. Cheating is cheating. It's wrong and it causes pain and heartache for the one you love. That's something they don't teach you at Harvard, although maybe they should."

He took another sip of water. "Tonight I learned the meaning of love. It's a lesson I will never forget, and I'm sure one that will benefit me for the rest of my life...so, we're even. I rescued you and you rescued me back. Whatever debt you feel you owed is paid in full." He stood and reached out his hand to Carl.

Carl was not about to shake his hand, but it was his turn to talk. "To your apology, I say accepted; to your gratitude for a lesson in love, I say you're welcome. As to your excuse for propositioning my wife, I don't buy it. You're old enough to act and think for yourself. Only time will be able to prove whether you're sincere or not. I hope for the sake of your bride that you are. At this point I'll say no hard feelings, Barry, but I don't ever want to see or hear from you again; and if I ever hear that you've tried to contact my wife, I will feed your carcass to the wolves. Have I made myself clear?"

Barry nodded his head. "I don't blame you, Sir; but I was hoping you'd come to my wedding."

"Don't even bother sending the invitation; you'd be wasting a good stamp," replied Carl.

As they opened the front door to let him out they found the pizza boy just about to ring the doorbell.

Bev walked Barry past the delivery boy while Carl was busy paying him. "Go ahead and send the invitation," she whispered with a small smile. "I'll work on him between now and then."

Barry nodded with gratitude.

"I suppose you think I was too hard on him," Carl said wiping a little marinara sauce from his chin. Bev got up and walked around behind him. She reached over his shoulders and rubbed his chest as she leaned in close to his ear.

"I'm just wondering where you're going to find a pack of wolves around here," she said with a chuckle.

"Don't worry," he said jokingly, "I'll find them."

Bev gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Last one up stairs goes down on the other first," she said taking off playfully for the bedroom.

Carl casually finished his last bite of pizza and followed it with the last swig of champagne before grabbing his crutch and heading for the stairs. A wide grin stretched across his face with each step. "I win again," he told himself out loud.

The End