Christmas Vacation

FRIDAY

“I am so excited for this trip! John, I still can’t believe you got reservations for skiing the week before Christmas! This is going to be the best Christmas vacation ever, don’t you agree, kids?”

“Yup. This is gonna be great.”

“So, final pit stop. Remember, no stopping. Let’s load up and get on the road!”

She turned to her husband, “Thank you, Dear, for making this possible. Just another reason why I love you so much.”

She reached across the car and rubbed John’s thigh and then slid up and rubbed his soft little love tube. It started to stretch and grow under her finger tips. John checked the rear view mirror. “There’ll be plenty of time for that later, Jamie. We’re in a two bedroom condo. One for them and one for us. Now leave me alone and let me concentrate. You know the rules.”

And so it started. Her main goal this week was to do everything she could possibly think of to make him happy so there would be no yelling or screaming. And maybe, just maybe, no hitting. If only. She looked behind her. Chris and Hailey. Ten and twelve, just eighteen months apart. Headphones on, heads down, glued to their games. They knew the rules too. It was best to be invisible. No talking, moving about and never, ever ask to stop, for any reason.

As they continued the four hour trip to the slopes her mind drifted. Random thoughts and remembrances floated by. She remembered the vision board she’d created in high school. She’d been right on track. Straight A’s, or almost. Dual major, business and accounting. She already had a good job offer far away from her overly strict and controlling folks.

And then she met John. Relaxed, friendly, a great listener, made her laugh and liked all the same things she did. Before long he charmed her out of her dress and into his bed. Sex was great, although she really didn’t have much to compare it to.

But then just before graduation she realized she was pregnant. How? How was it even possible? She still didn’t know. She was on the pill and a fanatic about taking them. Same time every day. No exceptions. The last couple of packs looked a little different, but she figured it was just a different generic brand or something. But there went the vision board. Her life changed overnight.

He suggested an abortion, but there was no way. He knew she could never do it. There was a life inside her and she already loved the child. She was ready to go it alone. Be a single mom, but then he asked her for her hand. Shortly after graduation they married. At the courthouse. No dress, no celebration, and short honeymoon. Her folks said that they were not going to allow her to advertise her shame and theirs by walking down the aisle with a baby in her belly.

No one would hire her. Who wants a new pregnant employee who’d be gone for a while in just a few months? He insisted she stay home and care for the child. He was supportive, helpful and wanted a second one as quickly as possible.

She turned around to check on the girls. Where had the years gone? She patted Hailey’s knee flashing her their three finger salute. The Three Musketeers, although when John was around it was more like the Three Mouseketeers. Be quiet as a mouse. She smiled. Hailey smiled back and squeezed her hand. They were such a blessing.

John smiled inwardly and chuckled. Quiet. Just the way he liked it. A sign that he was in complete control. Life was good. He’d needed someone to care for him after graduation so he switched out Jamie’s pills for fakes and made sure he screwed the hell out of her and sure enough she got pregnant.

Back to back pregnancies made her essentially unemployable. Out of college for almost three years with no work history. She had nothing without him. He charmed his parents and her parents and they joined him in heaping guilt and shame upon her so she would do whatever he wanted. But then, after Chris she wanted to get a job. Started making her own decisions. Acting like they were equals. An intolerable condition from his standpoint.

Her role in life was to serve him and not create problems. But she was the reason his work wasn’t going well, his team lost, the car needed the oil change…Everything that was messing up his life was her doing. He knew it. And so, she needed to pay the price. He got angry, hostile, and started hitting her. Never where it showed, but more and more frequently.

Despite his ‘educational’ efforts, she started to get an independent streak, to question his ‘trips’ and ‘client meetings.’ She even had the nerve to defend herself. So he devised a new plan. A plan to get her under control and keep her there. He got her pregnant again and then gave her a triple dose of the abortion inducing pills he’d gotten south of the border. He remembered laughing inside when the cramping started, but then she bled so damn much, he was afraid he might have over done it. No way did he want her to die and saddle him with the kids.

It worked! She was in so much emotional pain over her loss that he heaped shame upon her and blamed his own pain from the loss of their little baby on her failures. He remembered striking her. Felt good. She wanted to be punished because she’d miscarried and so he granted her her wish. He beat the hell out of her for her failures.

He admitted to himself that he kind of got carried away. Flinging her against the stairs splitting her forehead and breaking her arm was not part of the plan, but it worked out great. Sitting in the waiting room with all the parents he shared his grief and anguish along with a liberal dose of tears. ‘If only she had done the things the doctor recommended.’

She was broken. Five against one. And not a peep out of her for years. A very fuckable, always agreeable, housekeeper. And…he could do whatever he wanted on the side and she never questioned anything. Life was good. And now he had Emily. Almost a carbon copy. Women were so friggin’ stupid and so easily manipulated, he thought.

Jamie remembered losing the baby. Years later, tears still filled her eyes. How? Why? What had she done wrong? Obviously she was a failure as a woman as well as everything else. She’d wanted sympathy, empathy, understanding, but instead John took her home and started yelling. She remembered being struck over and over, but she hardly noticed because of the pain she felt from the loss of her child. She deserved it. She knew she did. Failure as a wife. Failure as a mother. Failure as a woman. Failure to herself. She was broken. It wasn’t until he threw her against the stairs splitting her forehead and breaking her arm that he stopped. Even he seemed surprised by what he’d done.

And he got worse. The beatings more frequent. And then he started to look like he enjoyed doing it. She did contact a divorce attorney, but he told her they were in a no fault state and the odds were he would get the kids 50% of the time. She couldn’t let that happen. There was no telling what would happen to them if they were left in his care all alone. So she stayed to be their shield. She lived with her shame, sharing it with no one.

Her folks loved John and blamed her for getting pregnant, losing the baby, and everything else that he complained about. His parents blamed her for ruining his life and forcing him into marriage. She took it. Never defended herself. She deserved it. She was a loser.

When he got pissed at her, she took it. When he started on the kids, she always stepped in, redirected his anger, and took theirs as well. She never left them alone with him. It was tough, but she was positive by nature and took joy in the girls and helping them grow into wonderful young ladies. Maybe just maybe this week would be different.

They finished the four hour drive to the slopes, checked in, unpacked, a quick lunch and ready to hit the slopes. John told the people at the equipment store exactly what equipment was needed. They tried to change his mind for Jamie’s boots, wrong style, and skis, too long, but his glare ended the discussion. The kids were signed up for ski school for the afternoon. They weren’t happy about it, the girls thought they were ready for bigger things, but Jamie thought they needed a refresher and some work on their techniques. The adults hit the slopes.

“Jamie, it’s been a while since we skied. Why don’t you take a couple runs on this easy slope to get the feel back while I take the one above?”

“No way! I’m ready for the Olympics. Let’s start the next level up.” They took the chair lift up, got off and Jamie looked down the slope. It always looked steeper from the top and she was starting to doubt her choice, but, “…and I’m off!” John followed.

Rusty, she felt so rusty. And the slope was icy in spots and rough from the day’s use. She knew she had to be careful and tightened up some. Too tight. Trying to relax and settle in, she was most of the way down the slope, starting her cut back, when her edge caught and she went face forward down the slope. Reaching her arms out, grasping her poles, she landed hard. There was a crack and sudden pain in her forearm. She knew immediately that the party was over and the shit storm was about to start. She barely noticed her skis twisting off as she tumbled further down the slope. As she slowed to a stop she grabbed her arm. She winced in pain and feared the worse.

John was there in a second. “Jamie! Dammit. I told you! Why don’t you ever listen? ‘Why don’t we try the easy slope,’ but no, Miss fucking Vonn is ready for the downhill!”

“No. I’m sure it’s fine. Just a sprain. I’ll ski the rest of the way down, it’s not far, and get an ace bandage and put some ice on it. Couple of Advils and I’ll be good as new.”

“Look at your fucking arm! Look at the angle of it! Hell, we might as well just pack up and leave. Why don’t you ever fucking listen to me? God! How have I put up with you all this time? You’re mom’s right. You are such a loser.”

“You’re right, John. I should have started on the other slopes. I should have gone slower. I should have tucked and rolled. I should have done everything except what I did. I’m sorry. I’ll just ski down and have the clinic look at it.” She noted that everything on the slope had stopped and people were staring. “But please stop yelling so loudly. We’re almost at the bottom of the hill. The kids might hear.”

“You always do this! It’s always the same. You always screw everything up. Look at what you’ve done to my life! Our baby! You’re so damn stupid!”

“I’m sorry, John. I’m sorry! Look. I can stay with the kids while they ski and you can still do your thing. Here, I’ll just get up…” He didn’t even try to help her. She put both poles in her right hand and tried to get up. Pain shot through her left arm. “My arm. I think I broke my left arm. Darn. We just got here. I am so sorry. I ruined everything.”

He grabbed her by the front of her ski jacket and started yanking her up. “Get up, dammit…”

“Wait! Wait! Don’t move yet!” A big guy skied up in a ski patrol uniform. “Hi, I’m Nate. First day on the slopes?” She nodded. “You looked pretty tight. Probably should have started lower down. Let me take a look at you. Where does it hurt?”

“My left. I think I broke it.”

He pulled up her sleeve and checked it out. “Yup, I think you did, too. How about the rest of you?” He looked at her with piercing gray eyes. She couldn’t look away. It was like he was looking into her soul. Concern, empathy, and something else. Desire. She told herself to get a grip. What was she thinking?

He felt her legs, back, belly. Everywhere he touched lit up. She could feel his fingers long after his hands left. What the hell? That feeling he gave her was like what she read about in her books. What she saw in the movies.

She looked back into John’s eyes. No love. No affection. No concern. Just anger, frustration. What the hell! She knew she shouldn’t really have expected any. And she also knew she was in for big trouble. Big trouble. Their great week was going to be another shit week,

“Looks like just the arm. Let’s get you on the sled and get you to the clinic.”

“No. I can ski down.”

“Sorry, Miss….”

“Uh, Jamie.”

“Ah. Well, Jamie. I think your week just became a little less active. But first, we need to get you on the sled. If you had another misadventure on your way down and landed on that arm again….Well, it wouldn’t be good. You’ll love the sled.”

He had John hold the handle, then reached over and lifted her like she weighed about ten pounds True, she was just 5’4” and the joke by the girls was 5’4” and a quarter, but….Holy shit, she thought. Not only was he beautiful to look at, but strong! And she could still feel where his hand had been on the side of her breast as he lifted her.

She screamed at herself. ‘What the hell, Jamie?’ She had six layers between his hand and her boob. But, damn, she could still feel every finger. She’d never experienced anything like that before. And John was standing right there. Shame and guilt washed away her desire.

“Ok. Here’s the clinic. I’ll just unbuckle you, Jamie, and then let’s get you inside. Sir, would you take her skis and poles?”

“Nope. I’m going back up and have another run. See you back in the room later.” She knew she was going to pay a hefty price for messing up ‘his’ week.

He gave her another impatient look and skied off. “That’s your husband, right?” She nodded. “Nice guy. In any event, let’s get you into the clinic.”

“Well, you cracked the bones in your forearm. The good news…no surgery needed. The bad news…you need a cast for a month or so and no more skiing. So I’m going to give you some medicine to relax you and help with the pain so I can put it back in place…,” the clinic doctor said. “Is there someone here to help you to your room?” She shook her head.

“No. It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. Just do what you need to do. Really.” She figured she was used to pain and would need her wits about her when John returned to the room.

“But, Miss.”

“Just do it, please.” He did. He winced more than she did when he forced it back into shape. A splint, an X-ray, and then a long arm cast.

She moved her arm around. “Oh, this is going to be handy. But thank you, Doctor. I appreciate your help.” She was disgusted with herself, but also knew that compared to what she was likely in for, reducing the fracture was nothing.

Late in the afternoon John and the kids returned to the room “Good one, Jamie. You managed to screw up everything. Again. Let’s just pack up the damn car and leave.”

“No way, John. Please. I was stupid. I got hurt. I’ll take the kids to the slope and watch them. They’ll be fine. That way you can relax and get all your skiing in. I know how you’ve missed it. It’s just so good to be away so there’s no way the kids or I want to go home. Please!”

“We’ll stay, but I’ll ski with the fucking kids. Or, I know. I’ll hire personal trainers or something for the kids and that way I can keep skiing and you…You can just do whatever the heck you want.” All she could think was of course, John, play the victim. The martyr.

She knew he was wondering how the hell he’d been able to put up with her for these dozen years and that he was already planning on letting the parents know how stupid she was and how she had single handedly ruined their vacation. She figured he’d probably already sent out an update letting the world know what a great dad he was.

An old country song ran through her head, ‘everything you did was wrong.’ God, she was just wondering what punishment she was going to get for this? Maybe he’d just yell at her. Maybe? She could only hope.

“That sounds great, John. I need to take a short nap. That medicine the doctor gave me to set my arm still has me very snockered,” she lied. “Then I guess we can go out for dinner. I’m so sorry, John. I’ve thrown everything onto you.”

“Yes you did. Again. Take your nap. The kids and I will get dinner and bring you something.”

“Thanks, Honey.”

LATER

“Okay, kids. I don’t want to hear a peep out of you. Watch something on TV or play some games on your notebooks. I don’t care. No noise. You’re in for the night. Do not come to our room. Got it?” They looked at each other. They understood. And they understood their mom was going to pay for this one.

She was still resting when he entered their room. He threw a styrofoam container of take out on the desk. “So, how are you doing, Jamie?” Without waiting for a response, “We brought you some dinner. We took a little walk so I hope it’s not too cold.”

“Thanks. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She was sure it wouldn’t be. “Could you help me take a shower and get into pajamas?”

“No. I have to make a few calls.”

“OK. So how are the kids?”

“They had a great time. All fired up for tomorrow. I figured they could hit the slopes in the morning, then the tube ride after lunch. That should wear them out. I’ll just try to do my work afterwards.”

“I thought you weren’t going to do anything while we were here.”

“It’s not much. Some of us have responsibilities and an important job that requires us to check in instead of laying around the house watching TV all day. Even on vacation.”

She stood in the shower with her arm in a garbage bag, but keeping it out of the water. The cast might be waterproof, but the padding could still get kind of soggy. She’d been through casts with Hailey and herself before. She heard him laughing on the phone. Work?

She suddenly felt John slide into the shower with her. He started soaping her up. With a little feel here and sliding a finger there, with that naughty grin of his on his face. She warmed to his touch. Not what she expected. She expected a beating. Despite it all, despite the yelling, tantrums, and slamming around she still loved him. Didn’t she? For better or worse, right? She deserve to be treated like that. Didn’t she? After all, she was a disappointment to him, her family, and to herself.

John started to harden. He grabbed her by the hair and shoved her head onto his cock. “Alright, Jamie, it’s show time. Get to it.” The shower soaked her hair and slowly filled the garbage bag. She resisted at first, but knew it was no use. Penance was due.

He crammed his cock to the back of her throat causing her to gag. Shoved harder. Tears filled her eyes and mixed with the water from the shower. Harder and harder he fucked her mouth. He stiffened, slammed himself to the back of her throat and came. While he enjoyed it, she gagged, and coughed while saliva mixed with cum poured from her mouth. Her only thought was thank goodness they were in the shower,

She got into her pajamas. He was lying on the bed with his fly open and cock out, waving it at her. “Alright, Jen. It’s show time. Again.” She took his limp cock into her mouth and sucked on it. Releasing tension so she could get to the base, then resuming the suction as she withdrew. It started to grow. She wanted this to end quickly so she picked up her pace as it got hard and added her right hand.

Up down, up down. He seemed to be getting closer so she started swirling her tongue around it as she moved. He started thrusting his hips. She was glad that he was getting close. She took a deep breath, because….He grabbed her hair and pulled her face hard against his cock. He crammed himself into the back of her throat. Harder and harder. No chance to breathe. Punishment. Finally he arched way forward and she felt his cock contract and the first stream shoot into her mouth. Two, three, four, and then a couple of small contractions and he finally released her head. She gasped for air.

“Nice, Jamie.” He flipped her onto her belly and shoved his cock into her. Harder and harder. He pulled her to all fours and slapped her ass. Again and again. One cheek and then the other. He seemed to be getting more and more excited as he hit her. He groaned, leaned forward, grabbed her breasts and squeezed as hard as he could. She knew she’d have marks. Bruises. Pain. He groaned loudly, came again, and finally released her breasts.