When I first came across Literotica (a short time ago) I read Rehnquist's 'Educating Shannon' and was fascinated by the plot line, but I thought it had the potential to be so much more Possibly because I identified so much with the character of Erik. I found that I wanted the characters to become more developed so I wrote this story (The Deal) based on his premise and the characters of 'Educating Shannon'. Somehow the story ran away with me and turned into a 60,000 word epic before I knew it because it resonated with me so completely.
I tried repeatedly to contact Renquist to ask permission to use his story as the inspiration point and core story line but it's been over 10 years since he was active on Literotica and he's not responding to my e-mails. I therefore give full credit to Rehnquist for the plot and the basic characters of Erik, Shannon and Rebecca and hope he finds my use of his characters acceptable as there is nothing on his profile the explicitly forbids anyone from doing this. If however he's unhappy with my use of his characters and premise I will remove this story.
You can read his original story here: https://www.literotica.com/s/educating-shannon).
Also note that although it's not a wife but fiancée and not so much cheating as blindsiding the main character, I have submitted it in Loving Wives because I must have a masochistic streak for punishment from the unforgiving critics. (But also because the LW genre has the most emotive content of all in Literotica).
Dedicated to my wife Denise and to Rehnquist who unknowingly inspired me to start writing.
* Prologue *
May 16, 2012, was the day Shannon dumped me after three years of dating, a year of engagement and plans towards a wedding. I'll never forget it - late afternoon at her cousin's college graduation party. I had to work late and the party was in full swing by the time I arrived.
Once there, I grabbed a beer, chatted with friends, and wandered looking for Shannon. I found her sitting on Joe's lap, whispering in his ear and rubbing her ass on his crotch while he had his hand buried between her thighs. I just stood there, looking stupid and shocked. Joe nudged her and she looked up at me. "We're done!" She said, and went back to whispering in Joe's ear.
* * *
Later that year, I passed the bar exam I was twenty five and I was a lawyer.
The economy sucked and no-one was hiring unknown's, so I scraped together my meagre savings, borrowed from mom and dad, and opened my own office in my hometown of Springfield, Illinois.
The first year was tough, but I became an unashamed ambulance chaser and clients trickled in. Some of the rich ones who knew my folks would throw simple work my way, and the poor ones came around because they couldn't afford anyone better. Then came the Harris murders.
Johnny Harris was a 40 year old loser, and living at home. He grew some weed in a far corner of the soybean fields, smoked the dope, listened to the Doobie Brothers, lived and wanted for little. When his parents were murdered and Johnny found the bodies, the shit hit the fan. After seventeen hours of interrogation, he broke down and admitted he might have done it in a pot-induced haze. He wouldn't sign the confession, but the cops didn't care. They charged him with capital murder.
Johnny's sister Tammy had used me for her divorce, and she told Johnny to get me for the case. I had helped out on a few murder trials in my law school clinic, but I'd never had one myself. Johnny didn't care though. He was flat broke and I met his most important criteria: I was cheap. Real cheap.
I worked day and night on the Harris murder case. I flooded the prosecution with motions, discovery requests, and anything else I could think up to give this poor bastard a chance. Eventually, I was successful in getting Johnny's confession suppressed. Seems the cops had no probable cause to take him in and hold him for seventeen hours of interrogation. With no confession, no eyewitnesses, and no physical evidence tying Johnny to the crime, the State dropped the charges and Johnny walked free. Within weeks, I was the busiest attorney in the county.
I took all manner of cases. I represented banks foreclosing on homes; homeowners being foreclosed upon; criminal defence; real estate closings; personal injury; and divorces. If you could pay my bill, I'd take your case. Day after day, from early morning to late into the evening, seven days a week, behind my desk researching and drafting documents or arguing in a courtroom on behalf of my clients. My office got bigger, my part-time secretary became my PA, then another full-time secretary and a para-legal. My crappy, studio apartment became a large, airy ranch-style home in one of Springfield's gated communities. I had it all.
All, that is, except a love life. Sure, there were dates and the occasional frantic release of passionate sex with some near stranger. None of them hung around, though. Who wants a boyfriend who works all the time and is often late for dates when he manages to show up at all?
That's the way it is, though. You make your bed and you sleep in the damned thing. And if your choice is to avoid the Shannon Ryan's of this world, that bed becomes an empty field you throw yourself into at the end of another 16-hour workday.
***
By 2019, business had grown to the point where an associate was needed or clients would have to go elsewhere. Not wanting to lose any valuable accounts, my eyes were out for a hard-working, talented young attorney with fire in the belly. That turned out to be Rebecca Galarza, a twenty-seven year old assistant state's attorney with strong litigation background and a flair for contract law. She wasn't tall, only 5'5 with long, dark hair, deep brown eyes, and flawless olive skin. High cheekbones and a delicate chin and full lips completed a very attractive face. Her strong athletic legs ran straight up to a perfect, bubble ass, and her breasts were a perfect handful sitting high on her chest and pointing slightly upward. Everyone considered her, smoking hot.
Not that I noticed.
I made Rebecca an offer. Eighty four grand a year plus thirty percent on anything above two-fifty K that she brought in. All told, she could expect to make over a hundred and twenty or more a year with an average work week, and far more if she put in longer hours. Not great in New York or Chicago, but really good money in Springfield Illinois.
Rebecca's experience was mostly with criminal prosecution. As such, there was a learning curve she needed to meet to deal with my clientele. She sat in on meetings, real estate closings, discovery depositions, and all other manner of this strange and arcane world known as general civil law. She held the hands of wives and husbands going through divorces and custody battles, drafted contracts for commercial building contracts, and presented zoning petitions before the local powers that be. Within six months, she was working eighty hours a week and we were taking in even more money and clients than before. She required less and less guidance and when it came to contracts almost none at all, and I was left figuring out how to meet the expanded case demands.
All of this new business left even less time for a love life. Rebecca, though beautiful, was an employee, and it didn't seem prudent to risk the investment. Occasionally I'd turn and catch her looking at me in a way that indicated the chance was there, but messy dating followed by messy break-up would leave poor Erik with another associate to find and train. Still, if something didn't happen soon....
* Chapter 1 *
It was August 2018 - my intercom buzzed. "Mr. Taylor, your four o'clock appointment is here to see you."
I pressed the button. "Please show her into the conference room."
I looked at my schedule. 4:00 Hollis S, possible divorce/custody action.
I grabbed a legal pad and pen and strode to the conference room. She was sitting in a chair with her back to me, her short blond hair cut into a bob above the collar, her shoulders slumped slightly, her long fingers twirling a pen on the tabletop. "Thank you for waiting, Mrs. Hollis." I said, closing the door and walking around to the other side of the table.
She looked up at me. "Hello, Erik." Said Shannon.
I stood there a moment before pulling out my chair and sliding in. She hadn't changed much. Her short blonde bob framed her square jaw and high cheekbones. She still had those bright green eyes that could pierce your soul. The short bob accentuated her long neck which led downwards to a willowy figure, which she seemed to have maintained over the years. She was still stunning, no two ways about it.
I didn't say anything, just drank her in and remembered how her body felt in my hands. Then I remembered the bad times.
