Teacher's Pet

Near the end of the show one of the guests offered his theory on why these teachers are doing this. "Now Harmon; junior high and middle school are formative years in a young girl's development. I firmly believe that these women had a crush on a boy who spurned them during this time. The boys they get into trouble with, just might remind them of that long ago boy in some way."

I suddenly had to know what this kid looked like. The boys that I knew of in Katie's past had all been the typical blonde haired blue eyed all American boy. I opened the year book from the previous year and found him. I had to look twice. Staring back at me on page 67 was a kid you'd expect to be a 40 year old virgin living in his mother's basement. I was expecting Brad Pitt with a smattering of freckles, I found Manny from Modern Family.

Now I really hoped that Katie could prove that she hadn't done anything with that kid. It would be one thing to have your wife cheat with a gorgeous movie star type, but to cheat with a chubby little troll would be ego crushing.

* * * * *

My daughter's question kind of caught me off guard. One moment she was telling me how "that slut Barbra Hanson" had got herself knocked up by the star basketball center, who'd had a full ride to A&M. The big drama was centered around whether or not he should go to community college while she finished high school. Personally I doubted he gave half a shit what she thought and would "gig 'em," then she hit me with this: "Have you noticed anything weird about mom?"

I had noticed a lot of odd behaviors from Katie since she'd come home. Chief among them, her sudden lack of sex drive, but I was sure Becky hadn't picked up on that. "Which weirdness are you speaking of?" I asked her.

"Well for one," she chuckled. "For one, what's up with her carrying her purse all the time? I mean who takes their purse into the bathroom at home? It's not like she did time and got conditioned by the other cons."

"Look at you using big terms," I teased. That got me a playful slug on the arm.

"Come on dad. Really, she keeps it on her all the time. I'm surprised she doesn't sleep with it. She's probably even named it. Pursey Jackson or more your age, Pursey Faith."

"You ain't talkin' to your Papa here child." I laughed, and decided against admitting I didn't know who Percy Jackson was.

I actually had noticed Katie's new habit. If we were sitting in the front room watching TV she had her purse by her side. She kept it near her during meals and even carried it with her into the bathroom. I wanted to ask her if she thought Becky or I was going to steal her wallet, but I hadn't been speaking much to her let alone joking with her.

Things came to a head the following Friday. Thursday night I got home to a very happy Katie. "Guess what baby," she cooed as she hugged me. "Linda Vaughn says the DA will probably have to drop the charges. She's going to make a motion to dismiss on Wednesday."

"Really? That's great news! What has changed to remove you from the public enemies' list?"

"She said that the only evidence they have is text messages. They can't prove that I sent them. My phone was clean and they can't find the number that was texting him."

I was dubious, but I figured if she was going to be in a good mood maybe we could patch our deflating relationship. I proposed that we go out the next night, and she readily agreed.

I hinted around all day about bedroom activity when we got home, and Katie seemed pleased with the idea. When we got home, I led her to the bedroom. I moved in behind her and nuzzled and kissed her neck as I cupped her supple breasts. I felt her nipples harden and her breathing quickened. She arched her back into me and reached back to cup my cock. I responded by kissing her neck. She moaned and I moved her toward the bed. When we reached the bed, she turned around and fished my cock out of my pants and gave it several strokes.

I kissed her deeply and pushed her back onto the bed. She moved back and I crawled up between her legs. I kissed her again and then moved down and lifted her skirt above her waist. I kissed my way up her thighs and did some heavy breathing on her pussy. I could smell her arousal and her crotch was getting sopping wet. I reached up and hooked my fingers into her waistband.

I started pulling them off of her when she said, "Stop Jace. We can't."

"Oh yes we can," I said as I continued working her panties off of her. I caught a glimpse of the promised land before she planted her foot on my shoulder and shoved me half off the bed while launching herself away from me. "What the fuck?"

"I said stop Jace. I'm not in the mood tonight!"

"Are you fucking schizo? Ten seconds ago you were so turned on I thought I might drown while eating you. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you all of the sudden but I'm getting a bit tired of this shit."

"You act like we never have sex."

"We never fucking do!" I yelled. I was trying to control my temper. "We've been fucking married for 15 years and you act like it's wrong for me to want to make love to my wife. I act like we never have sex? Maybe that's because I can count on one hand how many times we have since you've been home. Then both fucking times you act all shitty afterward."

"Damn it Jace, is that all you ever think about? I've been through a lot and all you can talk about is sex. Am I supposed to be your whore? Am I supposed to just let you jump on me whenever you feel the urge?"

"God damn it Katie. Why didn't you tell me earlier today we were going the fucking Puritan route? I'd have grown a fucking chin beard and raised a mother fucking barn!" I was glad that Becky had slept over with Nancy and Sarah because I'm sure our neighbors were hearing my rant.

Katie's face turned bright red and her mouth screwed up into a snarl. She whisked her panties off and flung them across the room. "Here Mr. Macho caveman Og. Come get your pussy," she said laying back dramatically and spreading her legs. "Come fuck your whore."

I turned for the door then stopped. "Katie, I don't know what the fuck your problem is, but I've had enough. Your lawyer wants this picture of a happy fucking family, well she can suck my dick. I won't be anywhere around your little show. Fuck you."

I heard her start to sob as I left the room and headed downstairs. I went to the fridge for a beer. I threw the door open a little too hard causing a box of cereal to fall off of the top knocking Katie's purse over.

As it fell I heard a "buzz buzz" come from her purse like a cell phone giving a low battery warning. As I went to pick it up, I noticed that it had been sitting on the wireless phone charger. I put the purse back on the platform and was rewarded with a single "buzz."

I opened her purse and looked through it. At the bottom I found a cell phone that I had never seen before. I woke it up and tried to open it. Katie always uses either Becky's or my birthday as her pass code. I tried both and hers to no avail.

On a whim I went to the office and found her lesson planner. Each month she had the name and date each kid had a birthday that month. I quickly located the "victim's" name and tried it. The first time I was denied. When I used the other possible birth year it opened.

"Well mother fucker."

* * * * *

I looked at my watch just as the waitress took my order; shrimp po-boy and fries, more junk that Katie wouldn't normally allow but, as I had come to realize; fuck her. It was late morning Sunday. Friday night I had discovered Katie's secret phone and had read the text messages.

I didn't say a word to Katie on Saturday. I mowed the yard and washed my truck. I was sharpening the lawn mower blade when Katie came into the garage. I glanced at her and returned to my work without a word. I could tell she wanted to say something, or maybe she expected me to say something, but I was through talking to her.

I slept in the camper Friday night. I was up early Saturday and made two phone calls. The first was the reason I headed for Carl's Crazy Cajun as soon as Katie's parents picked her up for church.

The second call was to the family attorney, Ben Wise. "Hello Jace. Is everything okay?" he asked with the same aplomb as he might ask if I had a lawnmower. Ben had always acted like I was a lower life form to him.

"Hi Ben. Yes everything is fine. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday, but I need some advice."

"Are you in trouble Jace?"

"No. It's nothing like that. No, a friend of mine caught his wife stepping out and is going to file for divorce."

"I don't know how I can help Jace, I don't handle family law."

"Oh no. I didn't mean for you to take his case Ben, I just need to know who is good for him to contact. See, his girl's parents have a lot of money to hire a real shark, and he wants to avoid getting raped in court."

"Oh okay. If he can afford him, Martin Blake is one of the best high dollar divorce attorneys in the state. But if it were me, I'd hire Ronit Kampour. Even guys like Blake and Dennis Greer don't like facing her. She hates a cheater Jace, so if he has cheated he might not want to try to hire her."

I assured Ben that my friend wasn't a cheater and bid him a great weekend. I quickly looked up the numbers for the attorneys that Ben had recommended. I would be making some calls Monday morning.

Twenty minutes after I sat down in Carl's the waitress brought my sandwich and put a fried chicken dinner and a plate of oxtail stew opposite me. I looked across the room and saw Greg enter the restaurant. He nodded to someone I couldn't see then made his way to my table.

"Oh I love Carl's chicken," he said as he sat. Then as if he'd just noticed me he shook my hand. Good to see you Jace."

"Called ahead huh?" I asked stating the obvious. "Who's the surprise guest?"

"I am," said the woman taking a seat next to Greg. She was accompanied by a sheriff's deputy. I couldn't believe my eyes. I was looking at Harris County's superstar assistant district attorney Cece Williams.

Cece had been on TV many times throughout her career. One of the cable networks had even based a reality show around her. She'd also been voted one of the most powerful women of color in the US, and now she was prosecuting my wife.

I tried to not act star struck as we ate and had a light conversation. The deputy had joined a couple of detectives in the adjacent booth. When we'd all eaten, Greg excused himself. "I've put you two together so now my part is done." He patted me on the shoulder, "Stay strong Jace. Your daughter will need you."

Greg left and Cece said, "Let's walk and talk honey. It helps the digestion."

We got up and left Carl's. One of the deputies paid the check as we headed out of the door. We crossed the street and walked into a park. "OK honey," Cece began. "Mr. Davidson somewhat filled me in on what you found, now you can give me details."

I related a few of the texts I had read, and told her of a couple of topless pictures I had found in the phone. I didn't know if she'd sent them to him or not. She asked me at one point if there was a chance I would change my mind about reporting the phone to them.

"No ma'am. She cheated on me and she did it with a minor. The sick bitch belongs in prison."

"You know for a fact she had sexual relations with him?"

"She thanked him for giving her the best orgasm of her life. That kinda says 'we fu'...I mean 'we had sex' to me. I mean would I go telling you that you gave me the best orgasm unless we have been intimate?"

She released a belly laugh. "Honey you got a way with words. Are you definitely planning to divorce her?"

"Yes I am," I said. "To be nice I will probably wait until after her trial so she's only dealing with one legal issue at a time."

"You're more considerate than I would be hon. I divorced Mr. Williams in the middle of his senate campaign."

I laughed. "I guess he lost more than a race that year."

"Well, if he'd have kept it in his pants he wouldn't have lost either one."

Behind us detectives Garza and Ramirez were speaking to each other in rapid fire Spanish. I understood a word here and there but almost all of it went over my head. Cece turned and said something to them in the same rapid manner as they'd been speaking. This went on for several minutes before they clued me in.

"Okay Mr. Bradshaw," Cece began. "If we have to wait for a judge to sign off on a new warrant we won't be able to search your house again until Tuesday or Wednesday. If you want us to get her tomorrow, you have to answer the door and consent to a search so we won't need a warrant, and because of her bail agreement, we can search your wife's personal effects."

I laughed at the fact I would be playing a big part in sending the cheating whore to prison. "Of course I'll consent. Just tell me what time to expect you."

* * * * *

I spent the rest of the day watching the Astros play the Rangers at Sal's. Sal was a die-hard Astro fan. I rooted for the Astros as long as they weren't playing the Rangers. The Rangers pulled it out in the ninth and I wasted no time rubbing it in.

I decided on the way home that I wasn't going out of my way to be nice to anyone in my home not named Becky. I went in and found Becky watching TV in the front room. "Watch out dad," she said. "Church was about forgiveness today."

"Why does that affect me?" I asked.

"Mom will be after you to forgive whatever stupid thing she's done to piss you off."

Ah my daughter. She was nothing if not perceptive. I laughed. "And where is your mother?"

"She was in the kitchen with Pursilla Presley last I saw her." I had to chuckle at Becky's naming of Katie's hand bag. .

I went into the office and fucked around on the net for a little bit. I was reading the list of racist jokes that Bruce had sent me when Katie and her purse came in and sat on the settee.

"I missed you this afternoon," she said after several minutes of silence.

"Was your boyfriend unable to text?" I thought. I said nothing.

"Jace, are we going to start working on us?" she asked.

"I wasn't aware WE needed any work. You however, have become a fucking stranger to me." I wanted to ask her if she felt like she was cheating on her boyfriend when she was with me but I held my tongue. My days of asking that pedophile for sex were history. If she were to offer I would likely take her up on the offer since I had never grudge fucked anyone before.

"Look Jace. If we're going to get past all of this we have to talk and have some forgiveness. So, I'll swallow my pride and start. I forgive you for being so childish about our sex life."

I laughed. "You forgive me? Fuck you. Look, take your forgiveness and shove it up your ass. I don't need or want it." I almost laughed at the way her mouth hung open. "The problem isn't us or my reaction to our lack of sex. I don't know exactly what the problem is, but it seems to all be on you. We went from an awesome sex life to I get a pity fuck on occasion and you act guilty afterward. Don't worry, I won't ask YOU for sex ever again."

I left the office, took a shower and went to bed, leaving a sobbing Katie to her own devices. I hoped my little tirade wouldn't drive her out of the house before Detective Garza could come serve his warrant. I felt Katie crawl into bed sometime later. Usually she'd snuggle up to me, but that night she lay there with her back to me crying.

Monday morning I took Becky to my sister's house as I normally did. I was glad she slept for most of the ride and didn't notice I wasn't dressed in my normal work attire. As she got out of the truck she said, "Your face looks good naked dad."

I was surprised she'd noticed that I had shaved off my goatee. She paused and looked back as she put her key into my sister's door. I thought I was busted, but she entered the house without any further delay. I drove the seven blocks to the highway and headed for a truck stop. When I got there I parked and took a nap.

At eight thirty I went into the restaurant and had breakfast. At nine I began making calls. Before I was done with my food, I had two appointments for that day. I left the money on the table and left. As I walked past the cashier she bade me to have a good day. "It's gonna be good," I replied.

At eleven I was sitting across a large oak desk from Martin Blake. Grant was the picture of a power attorney. His salt and pepper hair was impeccably combed and his suit and tie showed no wrinkles. Everything about him said "power and money."

I was treated to a view of Houston through the glass wall behind him. On the wet bar were a crystal decanter and four matching scotch tumblers. A humidor adorned another corner and a picture of Blake and former president Bush watched over two golden pens that sat next to his blotter. He finished looking at my paperwork and looked at me strangely.

"You want to hire me, to represent your daughter if your divorce should come to a custody battle?"

"Yes sir. You have the best reputation in that arena and I want the best."

He looked at me dubiously. "You know I also do divorces, as a matter of fact I do them well, and you want me to act in interest of your daughter IF it should come to that. So who is handling your divorce?"

"My sister's friend from college, Ms. Ronit Kampour," I lied. I wasn't sure she would take my case yet and my sister had no clue she existed.

"Okay. You're in good hands with her. I'll take the case. In other words, when your wife tries to hire me I won't take the case since it will be a conflict of interests."

So he saw through me. He was still getting a retainer. I had raided our savings to pay him, but I doubted Katie would ever know. After tonight our savings would be the least of her worries.

At ten 'til one I was waiting in the more modest office of Ronit Kampour. Martin Blake's office had been in a glass skyscraper downtown, while Ronit's office was in a small office building on the beltway. Instead of a giant oak desk, Ronit's desk was maple and somewhat smaller. No view of the city could be seen behind her, just a wall with several photos and degrees displayed. There were no pictures of her with former presidents.

As she looked over the papers I had filled out she made notes. After some time she looked at me and said, "This is the part where I usually tell you that if you are putting me on retainer to prevent me from representing your wife that it's not going to work. I know who your wife is Mr. Bradshaw; I have been following her case when it's been in the news. I have to ask if this is the path you really want to take? It seems cold to divorce her during this turbulent time."

"Ma'am, if I thought she was innocent I wouldn't be here. Sadly I am not disillusioned enough to believe she'll go free. Besides, even if her peers fail to convict her, I know she's guilty. My marriage is over, and I have to think about my daughter."

She considered what I'd said. "Well then, I commend you for waiting until she is through the judicial process before filing."

"I'm not such an ass, er excuse my language, I'm not such a jerk I'll pile on to her troubles. No, once her trial has reached its conclusion we can file. She gave me at least 15 good years and my daughter. I can be a tad merciful."

"Mr. Bradshaw," she began, pulling me into those deep black pools that were her eyes. I had never personally witnessed such exotic beauty; I almost didn't catch all she was saying. "I know things are about to get rough for you, and I am sorry you are going through this. I will do all I can to see that no more pain is put on you."

* * * * *

"Law office," came the raspy voice on the other end of the phone.

"Can I speak to Ms. Ronit please?"

"Who may I tell her is calling?"