Reunion Ch. 04

"I'm thinking of buying a farm up this way and I wanted you to come with me while I do an inspection." She lied for the benefit of any of the other parents within earshot.

It never ends, I thought, but what did I have to lose. I walked over and asked the coach when the first game was. There was an hour wait so I went back to Helen.

"You've got an hour." I said, Helen nodded and turned to go back to her vehicle.

I followed as Helen walked towards the Range Rover. Giles opened the back door for her and I went around the other side. Once Giles was back in the drivers seat he started driving out of town but didn't seem to have a destination in mind. Helen swiveled in her seat to face me and the grilling began.

"Sorry to drag you away like that Tony but it's important you understand my situation."

"You want to buy a farm, don't you?" I asked sarcastically.

"Maybe I should, so I can be close to my future grandchild's father," Helen shot back.

I didn't reply, instead looking out the window at the paddocks flashing past.

"Tony?" Helen placed her hand on my arm. "Please, no recriminations. Just hear me out. I don't want to wreck your marriage or destroy Melissa. God knows why, but for some reason my son is still besotted with her. I just want to get out from under the overbearing, cheating, fucking arsehole that I married all those years ago."

I couldn't help but smile at Helen's use of the words "fucking arsehole." I don't think it was a phrase that was in common usage in her circle of friends.

"I will match any payment Melissa has made or has promised to you," she added hastily.

Confusion flashed on her face as my smile turned to a scowl at the mention of money.

"What is it with the wealthy? Do you think you can wave a few twenties in front of the downtrodden and they will climb over each other to do your bidding?"

"No, no that's not what I meant." Helen retreated.

"Certainly sounded like it."

"Well, you jumped Melissa when she waved a few twenties under your nose. Or maybe that was just for Sal's benefit, maybe you wanted to do it for nothing." She repaid me for my sarcasm with interest.

"You could never understand." I said, looking straight into her eyes.

"Why not? Try me."

"How could you understand, you haven't ever wanted for anything. I guess that's not true, you want out of your marriage but you're not prepared to pay the price. You can't settle for Australian Sparkling, you have to have French Champagne. Sal and I paid the price, not for ourselves but to give our kids a chance to make a better life for themselves." I was getting worked up.

It was Helen's turn to gaze out the window at the countryside. She began speaking after a pause while still looking away.

"On one level you're right, but it's not the money I don't want to lose, it's the family company. I don't want John owning, as well as running, the company."

"But what can I do about that?" I shrugged, "he still holds all the aces, the fact his chosen vessel is a manipulative slut is not going to change that."

"All true, however there is one chink in his armor." She turned back towards me. "His pride. He has been squiring her around, bragging to his friends about his prowess. Being exposed and humiliated as a old, frail, limp-dicked cuckold might just do the trick." A malicious smile spread across her face. I raised my eyebrows at the vicious slur.

"His problem started when he was still interested in me," Helen explained. "I blamed myself for a while, thought I wasn't good enough to get him going. Sometime later I happened upon one of his credit card statements, he was a voracious consumer of erectile disfunction products, and that was when he was sleeping exclusively with his mistress. He has a secret hiding place in the back of his dressing room. The cupboard is full of creams, pills and powders that are supposed to help the problem.

"I just don't understand why do you need me, just wait for the birth and get a DNA test and you would have all the proof you could want."

"No! That would destroy my son as well. The only thing keeping him from a complete breakdown is the hope that Melissa's child is his."

That didn't seem plausible to me. Was Dave really that infatuated with Melissa? I thought he would just throw her out and move on. What's more, I thought that Helen would be cheering from the stands while it happened.

"It could be his ... I was only with her a couple of times..." She fixed me with a withering stare that dried up my feeble argument. "Well, what can I do? Do you want me to front your husband and let him know I was hired to father a child with Melissa?"

"No, no. You don't have to leave here. I doubt you fronting John would do the trick. I want him condemned by his own little tart."

"Shouldn't you be talking to your daughter-in-law, the tart Melissa?"

"I doubt that's a conversation that would get me very far. In her mind she has both ends covered. If John, my husband and her lover, were to suffer a misfortune she is married to my son and only heir. While if I or David leave she goes to her lover John who would then have it all."

Giles pulled the car up outside I coffee shop in the next little town. Helen and I took a seat while he went to place our orders.

"Alright then, once again, what can I do?" This conversation seemed to be going nowhere.

"I want you to secretly record Melissa giving a forthright opinion of John's, um, capabilities."

"How?"

"Giles has some miniature recording stuff, from some internet spy firm. He can explain its operation to you." Helen gushed, taking my previous question as an acceptance of her offer.

"Hold on there Helen, that's the easy part. How do I get Melissa to talk about John. I have asked her on a couple of occasions before and she changes the subject."

"So? Come on Tony, she is coming back to her home town for a reason. You must have something she wants...desperately." Helen's snide smile returned.

"Unfortunately I think you are mistaken. It's not me she is playing with." Helen gave me a confused look then I continued. "It's Sally. I'm just the pawn in her game, I'm sure Melissa's real goal is to make Sally miserable by coming between us."

"All the more reason to help me." Helen countered.

"The problem is Sally still thinks Melissa is her best friend and saviour. If this goes pear shaped Melissa can spin this so I'm the guilty party."

"How can she?"

"The only way I would have any chance to get you a recording would be to sleep with her again. That means going behind Sally's back, I'm not proud of the deal we made with Melissa but it was all up front. We're adults and we knew what was going on."

"Giles told me you were planning to go over there last Friday night. What was that for coffee? Monopoly? Don't start with your holier than thou routine about not going behind Sally's back."

"I wasn't going to sleep with her," I replied looking down at my hands. I was trying to convince myself as much as Helen.

"If you believe that you are lying to yourself as well as too me." Helen said coldly, turning away from me towards the waiter bring our beverages.

He placed a flat white coffee in front of Helen and a coke and glass in front of me, then left.

I opened the coke and poured it into the glass before having a drink. Helen took a sip from her cup, grimaced, and put it down again with a look of disgust.

"Yuck," she wrinkled her nose. "Coffee's burnt and the milk must be past its best before date."

"This isn't the Ritz," I waved at our dank surroundings.

"What I don't get is if you are so worried about Sally, why would you even organise to go to see her. You have already completed your side of the contract." Helen leaned close searching for eye contact.

"She's got something on me...a picture that could be misconstrued and would be hard to explain." Helen just kept staring. "She started sexting me, various pictures and messages. I was going to ignore it, then I asked her to stop or I would tell Sal. Next she sent a picture she had taken of me earlier...when we were...anyway the picture of my ... um ... bits and pieces looks like I took it and my work pants and boots are clearly visible. She threatened to tell Sal I started it."

"But surely Sally would believe you over Melissa," Helen interjected.

"Before the deal we did, probably, but Sal has body confidence and self confidence issues. They had largely disappeared before the reunion but seeing Melissa and then the baby business...They've resurfaced now, I don't think she would take that much convincing that I was choosing Melissa over her."

"Umm, seems like we are both in a pickle." Helen absentmindedly picked up her coffee to have another sip, only to gag and spit it back in the cup.

A plan of sorts was forming in my head but I wanted a bit more time to work out the various permutations before putting it to Helen. Something Helen had said earlier about getting Melissa to condemn John, I wondered if more of her own words could be turned back against her. I suggested we head back to the netball or I would miss the first game. Back out at the Range Rover Giles again opened the door for Helen while I got in the other side. Once we were on the road I filled Helen in on my possible solution.

"You want the inside dirt on John." She nodded, "if I get it for you I want something from you."

"Giles already told you we will double whatever she is giving you."

"I'm not talking about the money here, although if Melissa withdraws from her obligation I will expect you to stump up for the school fees. I want three additional things, firstly I don't want David to know that I'm...I could be the father."

"Well, of.." Helen tried to interrupt but I stopped her.

"Wait till you hear all three, condition two, Melissa's child is bought up as a Beaufort, no matter what. Number three, I want something on Melissa that means she leaves [Sal and I] (Sal and me) alone."

"Can I speak now?" Helen wasn't used to being ordered around. I nodded.

"The first two are no problem, the third one? I have no idea how I can help you."

"Well, it will most probably be Giles that helps you get it. Melissa is all sweetness and light around Sal but privately she has said some things about Sally to me that show what I think are her true feelings. I want a recording of Melissa's true thoughts about her country friend, and I'll get you what you want."

Helen was quiet, then she leant forward and tapped Giles on the shoulder.

"Can we do that Giles?" She asked the driver.

"We can only try Mrs. Beaufort but it shouldn't be too hard."

She turned back to me holding out her hand. "Looks like we have a deal."

The Range Rover stopped back in the car park at the netball centre. Giles reached over and opened the glove box. He pulled out a small box that he passed to me. I opened it and lifted out what looked like a mobile phone.

"I realized that you may not be able to secrete recording equipment on your person with no clothes on. So this is a hide in plain sight device, place it on a table close by and it will pick up any conversation in the room. Instructions are underneath, it will record for three hours so don't take too long."

"I'll let you know when I have something." I jumped out and rushed over to the courts. I missed the first half but my girls were on the sideline for the first quarter of it so I didn't miss too much.

When I got to the house Melissa's car was nowhere to be seen, so I thought we'd gotten there before her. The girls rushed inside because they knew we were having a visitor. Inside Sal was busy in the kitchen but I could hear my daughters talking excitedly in the lounge room. A quick peak in the doorway and I saw Melissa sitting on the lounge with the girls showing off their new school uniforms, bags and books.

I went back to the kitchen, walking up behind Sal I slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against me. Nuzzling into her neck I whispered a greeting.

"How was your day?" Sal asked, momentarily she stopped stirring the pot on the stove top, to lean back against me.

"Boring, they lost more than they won. Have I got time for a shower before dinner?"

"If you're quick." Sal untangled herself from me and returned to work on dinner.

"How did Melissa get here?" I asked innocently before I left.

"Her father dropped her off. We thought we might have a few wines so I told her you could drop her home."

At least I wouldn't have to worry about Melissa ambushing me in my home, she would have plenty of time in the car later. Dinner was actually quite pleasant, Melissa was great with the girls. I would never have picked her for a mum but from the evidence before me, her child was going to be very lucky. Melissa's father rang around ten to see if she needed him to pick her up, Sal told him I was doing it and we were just leaving. I went out to Sal's car while they were saying goodbye and placed Giles recording device on the dash. After turning it on, I was thinking about the 'hide in plain sight' idea, maybe that was too much in plain sight. I put my phone on the dash and the bug between the two seats under the hand brake. Melissa got in and waved and smiled to Sal, the smile lasted until I had reversed out of the driveway.

"What the fuck happened to you Saturday night and why was Giles driving around town today?"

I'd planned on another lie but when she mentioned Giles I changed tack. The best lies have an element of truth.

"Giles happened, he was at the pub when I went to the buck's night. I didn't think you would want me leading him to your door."

Now instead of tearing me a new arsehole she was worried. "What did he want?"

"Information." I said enjoying her vulnerability.

"What did he offer?"

"Double what ever I'm getting off you."

"What did you say?" Now she was worried.

"I told him I'd think about it. That's why he came around today."

"What did you say today?" She asked her voice betrayed her anxiety.

"I told him I needed more time. Where did you see Giles today?"

"I was coming to see you, Sal said something about a netball gala day. I went past the car park and I saw Giles getting into a black Range Rover so I kept going."

Melissa was silent for a bit as she processed the new information, I thought it might be a good time to question her while she was off balance.

"He did tell me some things that I found very interesting." She turned her head, I could feel her eyes boring into me. "I've heard of guys having a fling with a mother and daughter but the father's mistress marrying the son, that's a new one for me."

"It's bullshit." She said without conviction, in an attempt to deflect me but I was enjoying this too much.

"Really, is that all you've got? Giles's story was so much better, a regular Days of our Lives potboiler." I replied smirking.

"I don't care, I've got me feet firmly in the Beaufort compound no matter which way this thing breaks." Melissa lifted her chin proudly.

"So I'm curious, between the two of them you couldn't find one viable swimmer to get you pregnant. Surely they must have been keeping you busy."

"Busy was not a term I would use with Dave, I'd heard before he came home he was something of a bad boy stud. Unfortunately his reputation is a gross exaggeration. As for John, he keeps me busy trying to encourage some lead into his pencil. However if I succeed it rarely last for more than a few strokes. That old saying about what I used to do all night now takes all night to do. In John's case it takes all night and mostly doesn't get done."

"So Dave's little and John's limp?"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter to me because I've got my stand up guy right here." She made a grab for my crotch but I hit her hand away.

"Not any more, our deals over. I've done the job so it's finished."

"You're finished when I say you're finished. Do you think I'm scared of Giles and Helen, John may be impotent but he has got Helen by the short and curlys. She can pout and preen but if she divorces him then he gets it all."

"And how is John going to like having a bastard child in the family?"

"Are you threatening me little man? How are you going to like being a childless divorcee? I've seen how much you love your cutesy little family, I could fuck that all up for you in one hour. I know how to push little miss piggy"s buttons, I've been doing it ever since I've known her. She has been my little science project. I can make her laugh and I can make her cry and I could certainly make sure she never trusted you ever again."

"Fuck you!"

"Is that all you've got?" She giggled, "I'm going to ring your workplace at seven thirty tomorrow morning and request your presence to service our mowers. Mum and Dad are going on a garden club bus trip so you will be servicing me all morning. If you're not there I'm going to make you into a homeless hobo, and take pleasure in doing it."

"That might be difficult if you are homeless as well. I can't imagine either of the Beaufort men would be pleased to share with a commoner like me."

"I've got them both where I want them. As long as I stoke John's limp noodle and coo on his ear I could fuck a regiment in the ADF. As for Dave, he can get cranky and nasty, but one come hither look in my bra and panties and he is on his knees worshiping me."

"Jesus, Melissa! Why don't you fuck a regiment? Why the fuck do you have to come after me?" I asked, trying to sound exasperated so as to hide my glee at her self-incrimination.

"Because my darling Tony, it's so much fun! Watching you flip and flop like a fish on the hook. And then there's your little fat wife. The plain Jane who snared the football hero by getting pregnant. She is so stupid."

I couldn't help but grin, I had everything I wanted. She was fucked even as she laughed at me. She moved so fast I didn't have time to stop her. Grabbing the phone off the dash she bought it down screen first on the gear shift, little shards of glass flew everywhere. Then gripping the phone in both hands she bent it double before lobbing it out the window onto the roadside. I slammed on the brakes, coming to a shuddering halt as the ABS tried to slow my progress.

"What the fuck did you do that for?" I asked as I removed my seatbelt.

"I'm not some dumb bimbo, I know about recording apps in mobile phones. You were looking so proud of yourself." For the last bit she put on a voice like she was speaking to a child, then the cruel laugh reappeared.

I slammed the car into reverse and went back to roughly where I thought she threw it out. I wasn't acting pissed off, I was really pissed off. I still had the bug recording but with my phone and SIM card gone I would lose all my contacts. After turning the car slightly so the headlights illuminated the side of the road I got out. I walked along the edge of the bitumen but couldn't find it. After searching in vain for ten minutes I returned to the car. Melissa was on her telephone to her father.

"Yes daddy, we will be home in a minute. Tony is just changing a flat tyre."

Once inside I floored it, leaving more skid marks. I hoped I could come back in the daylight and look again. We were only a couple of kilometres from the Masons place so I soon had Melissa back at her front door.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning and don't disappoint me. You won't get off as lightly next time."

"Fuck you!" I muttered tersely as she got out.

"You certainly will be, whenever and wherever I want." She said ducking her head back inside the car before stepping back and slamming the door.

Back on the road to home I picked up the bug and turned it over wondering how I could listen back to what was on it. As I turned into my street I saw the outside light go off at my house. It seemed weird, Sal knew I was coming back. As I got closer I could see all the lights were out. Getting out of my truck I went to the front door only to find it locked. I hadn't grabbed my key assuming Sal would wait up for me. I quick walk around the back door gave me no satisfaction as it was locked too. I called out and knocked but nobody came.