Jarrod Bond was 5'6" tall and weighed in at a solid 140 pounds. Not a big guy. He had some compensating physical advantages. He always had athletic quickness and great hand-eye coordination.
Also, he was 'cute.' That's what a lot of women thought about him. (And some guys, too.) That's what his wife Sherrie thought about him. She was attracted to him because he was cute. He had an innocent looking face, curly light brown hair, blue eyes, and a ready smile. He was attracted to her because she was a beauty, with reddish brown hair and a nice build. She was as athletic as he was. And she was smart. Also, kind, but honest.
Sherrie accepted his invitation to dinner when they met as juniors in university. And they hit it off right away. They were in bed after two dates. When they got there, they were very compatible and very satisfied. Although they were the same height - or maybe Sherrie was an inch taller - Jarrod was thick. Not mentally. Where it counted.
He majored in literature and creative writing. (Maybe he would write advertisements.) She was a business major. After school they got married. He got a job teaching at a junior college, and he put her through law school with that salary, plus some income from writing ads.
All the while that Jarrod was teaching, he also wrote fiction. (Not only in advertisements.) At first it was short stories. Then he wrote an adventure novel about a small fellow with hidden physical talents. No regular publishers wanted any of it. So, he self-published. One of the short stories began to attract some attention. Then another. Then the novel. He got a lot of hits and started making some bucks. That helped with law school.
Sherrie excelled at law school. She got an offer from a big firm in D.C. That would mean a move, but money. So, Jarrod left the teaching job, and they moved to an apartment near her work.
The work at the law firm took a lot more of Sherrie's time than school. Jarrod wrote more and did housework and cooking. Despite her long hours, the two were still able to spend two or three evenings having satisfying sex. For both, their spouse was providing the best sex they had ever had.
Sherrie trusted Jarrod, and he trusted her. But each had family background that tended to undermine that. Sherrie's biological father had abandoned the family when she was nine. After that, her mother emphasized to her two girls that they should always maintain their financial independence. If they did that, they would not be dependent upon their husband's largesse.
Jarrod's mother had conducted a long-term affair with her supervisor at work. She was discreet, but eventually the entire family knew. Jarrod's father William was also a short guy. His mother Wendy's paramour was tall and robust. William tolerated the affair while the children were at home, then divorced his wife when Jarrod's younger brother went off to the Army at eighteen. In the interim, William had totally cut off sexual relations with Wendy. Instead, he had his own AP, whom he married when Jarrod was in college. Jarrod believed that his dad should have used a gun. The small man's equalizer, as he saw it.
In his neighborhood, after junior high school, the big guys who had been top of the heap were replaced by....crazy motherfuckers. Guys who had no problem crossing any line, and no problem dealing hurt. Guys who always had a pistol handy hidden outside school, or in the car outside a club. Guys who would use those pistols.
Or, guys with intense motives. Like, if their cousin was shot. Or if their mom was attacked. They could always get an equalizer. But only crazy guys and hyper-motivated ones resorted to that. And, eventually, the crazy guys ended up dead or locked up. Still, they had their time on top. If you were crazy enough, no one wanted to mess with you. And no one ratted you out.
When Jarrod and Sherrie contemplated marriage, they discussed how it would be managed, with their own particular histories to consider. Sherrie insisted upon her own financial independence. Jarrod insisted upon absolute fidelity. They signed a pre-nuptial agreement setting out the financial duties of each and setting out as well the penalties for violation of the fidelity clause. Those had largely to do with custody of any children, since the finances were separate.
When they embarked upon married life, each believed that the pre-nup would never be relevant, except for the separate financials.
Sherrie got pregnant after two years at her firm. A daughter, Susan, came along. Eighteen months later, young Chadwick was born. Sherrie went back to work soon after each birth. Jarrod took the role of caregiver, aided by a day carer for the kids. That was Melanie Carter, who showed up at eight four days a week, and left at three pm. She was an evening student at the local community college.
Sherrie was slightly uneasy about Melanie, because Melanie was a very attractive, slim, dark-haired woman. She had a bubbly personality also. But Jarrod reassured Sherrie, in and out of bed. He did a good job of that. Still, Sherrie would have preferred a grandmother figure instead.
Melanie's presence allowed Jarrod to write for six hours a day, four days a week. That was enough for him. The writing came smoothly for him but exhausted him as well. His writing career was now earning him a nice sum. He had his self-published stories, which earned a small amount. He had two novels under his name, which were both in paperback and sold well. But most of his income came from writing under pseudonyms for a conglomerate. He wrote a three-book series of thrillers as Slate Browning. The hero was an intelligent brute who saved the day several times in each book - Rock Boyd. Jarrod got a cut of the earnings and a regular stipend from the publisher.
Then the Slate books got a television deal. Jarrod wrote the scripts, with advice from some experienced TV writers. He made out quite well on that.
Meanwhile, Sherrie was on a partnership track at her work. She expected to make it in her eighth year - that is, this year. The kids were now going to pre-school. Melanie was out of school, and working at a programming job, which had evening hours. Her time at the Bond household was cut back to four half days a week.
Sherrie and Melanie had become friendly, in a desultory fashion. Sherrie was no longer threatened by Melanie's being in the house so much.
Melanie and Jarrod were...very close. They simply got to know each other from close contact over several years. And they found that they were friends. Jarrod never made even the slightest attempt at getting more. Melanie also studiously refrained from any provocative behavior. But they each knew that they had a special attachment. An attachment which could never become more than that. They would play with the kids on the floor and laugh with them and with each other. The kids called Melanie 'MaMel.' So did Jarrod.
Jarrod was still very much in love with Sherrie. And Sherrie was, what? She respected her vows, and she loved Jarrod for his wit and humor. There was also the fact that he satisfied her sexually. The usual.
Melanie had weekend dates. No one steady. She was a healthy young woman, and the dates served their purpose. But she found that she was leery of any long-term attachment.
Sherrie's job had her involved in a case about corporate tax. Her client's CEO consulted with her and her team. His firm had been sent a big bill by the IRS based upon the claim that the firm had hidden profits by shifting 'production' to Ireland. The production was chemical intellectual property, done by employees in the States, and sent to Ireland for write-up. Then sent back. In short, a tax dodge.
The CEO in question was Macauly O'Brien. He was a very large and imposing guy, with reddish hair and sparkling blue eyes. He was forty-two when he met Sherrie. He wanted her right away. And he made that clear to her immediately.
She put him off.
She had a family. So did he, he told her, back in New York. His wife understood his needs.
Sherrie simply said no. Her husband would decidedly not understand.
Mac did not let it go, but he also didn't let it interfere with the work. He was back and forth from New York to D.C. He rented an apartment near the law office. Every so often, when he thought it opportune, he invited Sherrie to visit him there.
She declined.
However, she didn't mention it to Jarrod. Why worry him?
Finally, the case settled for a middling sum and a promise from the company to desist. The case had lasted ten months. And during that time, Sherrie had declined Mac's advances about twenty times. But....it had become more difficult for her to do that. Mac was very attractive and persuasive. She knew that sex with him would please her, and likely could be accomplished without Jarrod's knowledge. And her marital sex was...the usual.
Nevertheless, she consistently declined. The two had not had even a small kiss. Some casual touches, maybe. That was all.
While the case was ongoing, Jarrod had become uneasy about Sherrie's relationship with Mac. The two men had met twice during the initial phase of the case, when Jarrod had dropped by Sherrie's office.
At home, the spouses would discuss her work, and Mac. They were not detailed discussions. Just casual. About five months in, Sherrie stopped mentioning Mac. About six months in Jarrod noticed this. He began to pay special attention to all aspects of Sherrie's appearance and demeanor. For some time, he did not notice much. But nine months into the case, Jarrod sensed that Sherrie was somehow troubled.
He asked her about it.
"Sher, what's bothering you lately?"
"Oh, you know, maybe the tax case will settle. Lots of negotiations. The usual."
"You always have some work stuff. This is different. What?"
Sherrie looked at her husband. She realized that she faced some sort of decision. Either discuss her increasing attraction to Mac, or....not.
She said, "No big deal. Nothing for you to worry about."
Jarrod knew she was evading. And he thought he knew what the evasion was about.
He said, "Mac."
Sherrie, who was standing by the sofa, slowly collapsed onto it. No more choice. What she got for marrying a perceptive man.
She said, "Maybe he's getting to me. He's always been after me. I've always put him off. Now I'm having....."
She trailed off.
Jarrod simply stared at her.
Sherrie said, "I won't do it."
And Jarrod's immediate reply was, "You were going to lie before I mentioned him. You did lie. That means to me that you might. It means that you wanted it and were keeping the option open."
Sherrie said, "Well, you've scotched any possibility. No way I can get away with it."
"But you would screw him if you thought you'd skate. Makes me feel very bad. Disrespected."
"I love you. I won't do it. I confess that he's a temptation. You're tempted, too. By Mel."
Jarrod nodded. "And I kept it platonic. Kept it in my pants."
Sherrie smiled, "But stiff in your pants."
Jarrod said, "We're losing focus here. Mac. Tell him the Bobby G story."
"I will not. He'd never...he wouldn't think that about you."
"Okay, I'll have to have a meeting with him, then."
"No! No way. I promise you I won't do it. I will not let him touch me. I'll make that clear to him tomorrow."
Jarrod nodded. Soon they went to bed. No contact.
The Bobby G story was from Jarrod's neighborhood, in his youth. Bobby G was a younger guy, small, unassuming. He was not bullied, because there was no reason to do that. But he was.....nuts. Down deep inside he had no limits. He knew that about himself but had never had occasion to display it.
Never until Mason Dietrich came after Bobby's mom, Ella. Mason was a large, imposing fellow. A senior in the high school where Ella taught. Bobby was only a freshman. He did take some ribbing about his mom, who was quite attractive and single. Bobby was her only child.
Mason decided that Ella should be his. She was thirty-five, and ripe. Mason knew that Ella would welcome sexual attention from him. So, he knocked on her door one late afternoon. Bobby G opened the door. Mason brushed right by him. Mason knew that Ella was home, as he'd followed her from school. She was in the kitchen, dressed in shorts and a tee-shirt. She was startled to see Mason. She knew that Mason lusted after her. Many of the young men at school lusted after her. She didn't actually discourage that. Nor did she encourage it.
She said, "Mason, why are you here?"
"For you. I'm here for you." He was obviously erect.
Ella was stunned for a moment. If Mason hadn't been a student at the school, she might have had some interest. He was very big and good-looking. She'd heard about some of his exploits.
Mason took advantage of Ella's small delay in responding. He stepped to her and swept her into a hug. He kissed her and she momentarily responded. Then she came to her senses and tried to step away. Bobby G picked up a paring knife. But just then his mother broke away from Mason. She shouted at him to go.
Mason backed out of the house, past Bobb G. He jogged off.
Ella Garrot did not report the incident.
