Author's Note: This story does not stand alone. If you haven't read part One or Two, please do now.
On Monday, I strolled into my metal fabrication company and searched out Ben, my General Manager. Ben had been with me for six years. I had hired him right of college as an accountant, but I quickly realized he had great potential. Since Ellen and I wanted to be able to spend more time together and travel, I taught Ben the ins and outs of the business and promoted him. I could leave for weeks at a time and know that my business was in good hands.
"WOW," I said entering Ben's office. "You look like hell." Ben was hunched over his desk, his face was drawn and tired. "Everything OK?"
"Just fine, George. The baby has been keeping us up at night."
Ben's wife, Trish, was employed by Ellen at the spa and had given birth to a healthy baby boy just two months ago. Trish was more than an employee to Ellen and I. She had been our daughter's best friend since nursery school. Since her father had passed away when she was twelve, she often came to me for fatherly advice. It was I who gave her away at her wedding.
"I remember those days well. Isn't Trish breast feeding?"
"Yah but she brings the baby to bed with us. It is hard for me to sleep."
"This, too, shall pass. You can take the day off if you want."
"Thanks, but I have the Jordan account to take care of. Deadline is next Friday and I am having trouble getting the steel stock."
"Island Steel?"
Ben nodded.
"I'll take care of it. We'll have the stock here by morning or Island will lose a million dollar account.'
"Thanks, George."
I left Ben's office and within an hour I was telling Ben that the shipment would arrive first thing in the morning.
At five o'clock I left the shop. Ben's office was still fully lit. I considered going in and talking to him, but my stomach was growling. On the way home I picked up some fried chicken and a six pack.
* * * * *
When I pulled into the driveway at five thirty, I noticed Trish's car was still the only car left at the spa. I knew that Sarah had left early and assumed that Trish was doing the clean up and would be leaving soon. I decided to go eat my chicken before it got cold and go to the spa later to pick up the day's receipts.
I got alarmed when I had finished my meal and still had yet to hear Trish leave. I grabbed what was left of my first beer and made the short walk to the spa. The front door was locked. I unlocked it and entered and I heard the unmistakable sounds of a woman crying.
The door to the wrap room was slightly ajar. I pushed the door open and almost dropped my beer.
Trish was lying on the massage table on her belly, naked and crying uncontrollably.
Let me describe Trish. She is five foot two and weighed one ten before getting pregnant. She had gain only ten pounds before giving birth to a seven-pound boy. Pregnancy had not been unkind to her.
"Jesus, Trish, are you alright?" I dared not get to close and was surprised that she had made no effort to cover herself.
"He doesn't want me." Trish blurted. "He thinks I'm a cow!" She went back to her crying.
I grabbed a blanket off the shelf and went over and covered her. "Who doesn't want you?"
"Ben! He thinks I'm a cow!"
I was instantly infuriated with my young protégé. "Did he say that?"
"Well, no. But he thinks it!"
My initial fury waned. "How do you know he thinks it?" I was rubbing her back through the blanket.
"Because he does! He hasn't touched me in two weeks! And before that, he hasn't made love to me since I was seven months."
God, I wished Ellen had been here. This was too much.
"Just calm down." I instructed. "Tell me what has happened and not what you think."
"It started when I was seven months pregnant. He made love to me one night and kind of freaked out. I don't know why. He avoided me after that. I figured it was because I was so fat. Two weeks ago the Doctor gave us the OK to have sex again. Everything was fine until I got real excited. My breasts started spraying milk all over him and he freaked again. Now he waits until I'm asleep before he comes to bed. It's because I'm a cow- fat and milking!" Trish became hysterical again.
None of this made any sense to me. If there was a woman loved more than my Ellen, it was Trish. Ben's office was covered with pictures of his wife and a half a dozen of his first born. He was known to sit at his desk and look at her picture.
"You know better than that. Ben adores you."
"That's what you think. I needed him tonight. I needed him bad. I made arrangements with mother to keep Will for the night. I was going to get myself all clean and pretty for him. I pumped extra milk for mother, bought a new Teddy. The works. When I called him and told him my plans, he told me he had to work late. Something about having a hard time finding some steel. I think he's seeing somebody else." Trish rolled over onto her back. The blanket fell off, revealing her milk-laden tits and beautiful body. She was so distraught, she made no effort to cover herself. I looked away and retrieved the blanket.
My fury mounted again. Ben had lied to his wife (my semi-adopted daughter).
