POWER TRIP
Jonny Bishop looked at his wife, Beth. He had a brief hope that she had been joking. He saw in a flash that it wasn't so.
He said, "What's gotten into you, Beth?"
Beth had told him seconds ago that she intended to go on a seven-day trip to a Chicago hotel with her boss, Daniel Dewitt.
Beth said, "I know you may be upset. But it doesn't have to affect you very much. I only have to get this out of my system. I've been working with him the last six months. We....well, we've become.....interested in each other - sexually."
"And after this love trip? You'll still see him at work. He's married, three young children. What does his wife have to say about this?"
"That's two topics. Not like you. One, we intend this to be the one and only time we have any sexual relationship. When we return, I'll return to you, and be the same faithful wife I've always been."
"Hah! You mean you haven't already fucked this guy, you being so close and all?"
"No. No, we haven't."
"What about his wife?"
"She isn't your concern. That's all up to him."
"Her name is Margaret, right? Her youngest child is maybe six."
"Leave her out of this, Jonny."
"No. I bet he's lied to her. I bet he told you to lie to me, right?"
She looked down. She said, "Jonny, I need this. A kind of closure for me and him. Please don't fuck it up."
"I never liked that guy. Now.....now I hate him. So....I intend to do whatever it takes to punish him for this. And his wife will be the first thing. There are other things I could do, too."
"Jonny, you need to reconsider. These are powerful people. My law firm could quash you like a bug on the windshield."
"Who the fuck do you think you are? You dumb bitch. The guy axed my marriage. He's toast. You, too."
Jonny whirled and left the room.
Beth pulled out her phone. She hit a speed dial. She said, "Dan? This didn't go well. You may need to do something."
He made a scathing reply, "I told you to lie. You may have screwed this all up. He's in for a rude awakening, I'll tell you that."
"Dan, don't mess with him. None of this is on him."
"I'll do what I have to do." He hung up. Beth gave a small sob. She had to agree with her husband. She was, indeed, a dumb bitch.
She decided that she had to warn Jonny. Tell him to watch out for a while, keep his business protected. She walked up the stairs. The bedroom door was open, but Jonny wasn't there.
She called out to him. No reply. She saw that his work computer and his briefcase were gone. She heard his Honda motorcycle start up. She ran to the window, just in time to see him race away up the street.
Right before he rounded the corner, he raised his right hand. She saw that he was giving her the finger. As if he knew that she was watching.
She sat on the bed and cried some. Then she pulled her phone out and dialed him. She intended to tell him that she would cancel all the plans. To please come back and not to do anything rash. His phone buzzed right there in the room. It was under the bed. She was fucked. Him, too, probably.
She called her dad.
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Jonny and Beth had met in law school. Beth was a child of wealth and power. Her father was a name partner in a very large and influential law firm. She was going to law school, intending to avoid that firm, and maybe try to do some good. She was a pretty woman, and always had been. She was tall, blond, blue-eyed, and stacked. She'd had her pick of the stud guys in high school, and college. She'd been a wild child, since she was younger. In college, she'd screwed her way through one jock frat, and then taken up with some counter-cultural types.
But, senior year, she saw that she would not be able to go to law school in the Ivies, or maybe not at all. She buckled down, got grades, and got into Larando School of Law, in Virginia. She met Jonny on her first day there.
He spoke to her in the orientation class. Sat next to her. He didn't look like much - 5'9", slim, short brown hair and eyes to match. But he had a nice smile. A deep voice, as well. After the orientation, he asked her to come for some coffee. She agreed.
The two sat for some time, nursing lattes and talking. He got the story of her life out of her. And he gave her his, to some degree. He was an Army brat, who had lived all over the world. His dad was an NCO, and his mom wrote ad copy for professionals, and car dealers. He had a full ride for this law school.
Also, he was a computer programmer. He had a vision of doing copyright law for coders, and others in that field. Maybe also for math heads. He had already applied for a copyright on one string of code he wrote.
She found him quite interesting. She had a one-bedroom apartment nearby, and he walked her there. They shook hands at her door. She gave him a big smile. But, she knew that he really wasn't her type. She was always receptive to men who were big, looked hard and were inclined to take charge of any situation. Six-pack abs were a plus. She had been receptive to many such guys. Jonny was not one of those.
He knew that as well. She was way out of his league. Rich and beautiful versus poor and ordinary. Still, he decided to give it a shot. He didn't know what sort of guy she liked to use for her satisfaction.
It turned out that the two of them were in all the same classes. The first-year class was divided into two parts, alphabetically. Her name was Brady. So, at the Constitutional Law class on their first morning, he sat down next to her. He was amazed that a seat next to her was open. He wasn't one to overlook an opening.