First off, this is not one for the BTW crowd. Secondly, the second and final part is already written and edited. I will be submitting it as soon as this one is published, so you are wasting your time telling me what to happen in it. There also is minimal sex in this part of the story. If you already haven't jumped to the end of the story to do your "1 star" comment and make a chicken-like sound, I hope you enjoy this story, which had some very fun characters to write. As with all my stories, I'm not trying to judge or give a moral lesson of what should happen, but rather what happens in the situation I've created for these specific characters. And last and definitely not least, I have to give a huge thanks for rnebular for editing and giving suggestions to the complete story, before I decided to chop it into two. Those who take their time to edit others stories for this site do not get enough credit as they deserve for greatly improving people's reading pleasure.
-HP
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Jim Kerson was caught off guard as a haggard-looking man, with long greying hair and a bushy beard, came into his office. The man was wearing dirty sweats with a few tears, a Harley Davidson t-shirt with numerous faded tattoos covering most of his visible skin - even his neck. Not the normal client he would see as senior loan manager of the bank branch where he'd worked for the past twelve years. The man reeked of cigarettes and body odor, which gave Jim the impression that he might be homeless.
Jim was reaching for his phone to call security, when suddenly the man's face looked strangely familiar. "Rory is that you?"
The man smiled and nodded. "Hey, Jimmy. It's been quite a while. You're looking really good. Not a day over thirty."
Jim wished he could say the same. He'd known Rory Dell since middle-school. They were in the same grade and played on many sports teams over the years. Jim was the short speedy guy, while Rory was the tall, tough as nails guy. Rory was also quite popular with the ladies in high school, who were certain he would go professional in either football or hockey. That changed in grade twelve when a knee injury Rory suffered skiing ended any hope of professional sports. Rory instead turned to his other two loves, fixing cars and drinking.
Jim remain friends with Rory after high school - even naming him one of his groomsmen when he married Tricia Lukas nineteen years ago - but they drifted apart after that. Rory was too into partying and Jim realized as a married man about to start a career after college, that he needed to become more responsible. It had to have been seventeen years since Jim last had any contact at all with Rory, but he heard rumors.
"Wow, Rory. It's been forever," Jim said shaking his old friend's hand, "Been what, over fifteen years?"
"Seventeen and ten months, but who's counting," Rory said and smiled showing yellow teeth that needed some dental work.
"Shit, ya it's been that long. So, how've you been?" Jim asked.
"To be blunt, my life went right into the fucking toilet," Rory said with a shrug, "Remember all the crazy drinking and the pot? Of course, you fucking bailed on me shortly after I was experimenting with the occasional blow, acid or whatever the fuck else I could get hold of."
The bearded man must have read something in Jim's face because he smiled and shook his head, "No, don't feel bad. You were right to avoid me. Let's say the experimenting turned into a mean habit. I lost my job, my girlfriend, and nearly killed myself so I got off the hard drugs. However, the drinking was something else. Not sure if you heard about my legal troubles, but I got caught a few times driving under the influence. Trashed my truck and nearly got myself killed about ten years ago, but that didn't stop me. It was when I ran a red light driving fall-down drunk in the middle of the day and t-boned a min-van that finally forced me to stop. That and the fact I spend the last eight years in prison for killing a mom and her little girl."
Jim's jaw dropped. One of the rumors he heard was Rory was incarcerated for killing someone. Now knowing it was true, he really didn't know what to say, and was starting to worry why Rory would approach him after all these years.
"Now look, I'm not looking for a hand-out or pity, if that's gotcha fucking worried," Rory said waving an extended hand, "I mean, I've been completely clean now for eight years - except coffee and smokes - and I have an apartment and a job. Nothing glamorous, I do sewage work - that's why I'm so dressed up. I have one of those jobs you shower after your shift, not before like you. It's just that I've been walking by here on my way to work every morning for about two weeks and it's taken me this long to get enough strength to do this." The bigger man's eyes started to water a bit.
Jim took a breath. While he did feel sympathy for his old friend, the term 'dug your own grave' came to mind. However, he was glad Rory seemed to have turned things around, but that didn't make him feel any less uncomfortable.
"Once I was in prison, I reconnected with the church and started a twelve-step program to get myself cleaned up. Familiar with that?"
Jim nodded. "That's like AA, right?"
"Exactly, like fucking AA. Now you go through these steps and often go three steps up and two back. The eighth step, shit, it must have been six years ago. That was one of the fucking hardest. Making a list of all the people you've wronged because of your addictions. You were on that list. Now, the ninth step is asking forgiveness and attempting to make amends, except when it would injure them or others.
"Now, you are the only one left on the list, who's still alive that I haven't crossed off. I've fucking tossed and turned and debated in my head so many fucking times because of the last part. I've talked with sponsors and even a counselor that I've seen. I'm sorry, but this might injure you and maybe others - emotionally, but with the help of people who are way fucking smarter than you or me, I know telling you and asking you to try and forgive me is the right thing to do."
Jim had a funny feeling in his gut. "What are you talking about Rory?"
A tear fell down Rory's eyes, and he looked completely ashamed. He frowned and shook his head. "Jim, at one of the last parties we were ever both at - New Years at Geoff Sander's place - I'm sure you know I brought some blow and other shit to share. Geoff's RV was the party bus and people go in there from the house to do a line or drop some acid, maybe mess around a bit, and then head back again. I know you didn't partake that night, just drank yourself stupid, but Tricia..."
Rory sighed and shook his head, tears still falling down his cheek. "Geoff and I tag-teamed your wife that night. Took turns fucking her while she sucked the other off and both of us came several times either in her mouth or on her. I know I never came in her coochie, but no clue if Geoff did or not."
"What?" Jim felt sick to his stomach and was in complete shook. Geoff Sanders was the best man at his wedding and along with his wife, Lillian, were still best friends with him and Tricia. Their kids were also best friends; around the same age and went to the same school since preschool. Jim's daughter, Maeve was about to go to college with Geoff's daughter, Patience, and share an apartment together.
"We were doing some serious shit, and Geoff got all flirty with Trish. Next thing I knew, he was sucking on her naked tits, gave me kinda a nod and wink, so I just joined in. I felt so fucking horrible in the morning. I knew how much she meant to you, and you were practically newlyweds. I think that's why I was avoiding you as much as you were avoiding me after that. I heard you guys are still married and have kids. I don't know if you still have anything to do with Sanders, but you really needed to know. I am so sorry, it was a horrible thing to do, and never would've happened if me and your wife were sober. I really hope someday you can forgive me. That's about it. I'm sorry for the pain this news will cause you and your family. Bye, Jimmy."
With that, Rory got up and walked out, leaving Jim completely bewildered. His first instinct was that to be a mistake. He remembered that night, it was their first New Years as a married couple, and Tricia did get out of hand. He remembered her being sick as a dog, puking a few times during the cab ride home, and spending almost the entire following day in bed. They both decided to quit all recreational drugs shortly after. However, nothing he remembered in all the years of marriage gave him any reason to doubt his wife's fidelity. She got all guilty hiding the plans for the surprise party for his fortieth birthday party, there was no way she could hide something that big.
And Geoff? If there was a guy Jim would take a bullet for, and believed he'd take a bullet right back, it was Sanders. He was a guidance counselor at the high school their kids attended now, and highly respected in the community. Not the type to mess around, considering Lillian and Geoff were already living together at the time of that party. However, Jim did have to admit to himself, he was aware of the 'party bus,' and that Tricia and Geoff did both leave the house to do a quick line of blow at least once that he was aware of. Jim wasn't sure if they ever left the house together, but there was a chance they did.
For the rest of the morning, Jim was all over the place. One minute, furious at his wife and Geoff, the next feeling like a complete idiot because there was no way what Rory said really happened. However, if it did, it was a long time ago and Tricia was only nineteen then. But, if Tricia and Geoff were intimate once, they had plenty of opportunities over the years to keep going behind his back. His entire happy marriage could be one big sham - and this with being four months from being empty nesters while Maeve headed to college.
Normally, Jim and his wife exchanged numerous texts during the workday. Tricia was the HR director for a local brewery, and always found time to flirt via text. She sent three to Jim that morning and he didn't respond until the third one that simply said,
you busy?
Jim responded with,
yes
