The Seduction Of Louise Ch 14

Chapter Fourteen - Ross Returns

I was cooking dinner with the kids late one afternoon, when Louise arrived home from work in a completely agitated state. I could see that something was wrong from the moment she walked in the door and I saw the haunted look in her eyes. She hugged her kids warmly and gratefully accepted a glass of wine from me, slumping onto a kitchen chair. I shooed the kids into the television room and sat down beside Louise. She looked at me and tears filled her eyes.

I stroked her cheek and asked her what was wrong. She talked softly, her voice dripping with emotion as if on the verge of breaking down at any moment. Ross had telephoned her at her office that afternoon. She explained how he was crying and emotionally devastated because his new love, Ida, had broken up with him and thrown him out of her house. He had tearfully implored Louise to take him back and forgive him, if not for him, then for the sake of the kids.

When she finished she finally broke down and the tears streamed down her face. I moved to her and took her in my arms, cradling her and rocking slowly back and forth until she was herself once more.

"I just don't know what to do." She said, her eyes imploring.

I shrugged. "I don't know what to say, Louise...What does your heart tell you?"

She shook her head as tears welled once more. "I don't know," She said, "Part of me wants to tell that son of a bitch to go and fuck himself...but...when I think about the kids...his kids...I know they miss their dad."

"I understand." I said soothingly.

"I need your advice, Jamie." She said, her eyes once again imploring, "Tell me your thoughts...help me."

I nodded and bit my lip thoughtfully. "All right." I said, "I'll tell you what I think...but you might not like it."

"Tell me." She said, her eyes wide and pleading, "You're the only one I can even talk to about this."

"Louise." I said, looking into her eyes, "The single, most important, fact that seems to scream inside MY head is that...he ABANDONED you...AND his kids for another woman."

She nodded.

"And now..." I continued, "That things have gone sour for him...he wants you to forgive him and take him back. And...I think...that by saying to you that, it's somehow for the sake of the kids, is complete bullshit. I think he's trying to manipulate your feelings by heaping guilt onto you."

She bit her lip and nodded. "That was exactly my thought too." She said.

"Listen, Louise." I said, "I can't tell you what to do...this is something you have to decide on your own, in your own heart. I have just one question for you though." She looked into my eyes expectantly.

"Actually I have two questions." I said, "First...if he abandoned you once, do you think you could ever trust him to never do it again?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so." She said, "I don't think I could ever trust him again...not like before."

"And second..." I said, "Can you imagine yourself lying beside him in bed at night?"

At that she burst into tears once more. I cradled her in my arms a second time until she was calmed.

"That's the big question, isn't it?" She said, looking into my eyes.

I nodded. "And you're the only one who can answer it." I said.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I know in my heart what the answer is." She said softly, "I think deep down inside I've always known...I just needed to hear your voice...and your thoughts. Ross is a son of a bitch...there's no two ways about it. I know that, the kids don't understand...but in time, I hope they will. I honestly think that my kids are better off without their dad than with him."

I nodded, pleased to hear the conviction in her voice.

"And..." She continued, looking directly into my eyes, "If it weren't for you, Jamie...to show me everything I had been missing all these years...I don't think I could be as strong about it as I am."

I shook my head.

"No." She said, reaching up to take my face in her hands, "Jamie...what you've given me is so...so very precious to me...I...I hardly have words to explain it. You opened my eyes, Jamie. You taught me how to FEEL. You've given me feelings that I never even knew existed...and I love you for that. You are so very dear to me. This would be completely impossible for me without you...and...I'm so grateful for you...and your friendship right now."

I took her into my arms once more.

"And..." She continued, "Just so you know. The thought of lying beside him in my bed...absolutely makes me cringe."

I laughed softly and stroked her back.

She raised up and looked into my eyes. "I can't imagine..." She said, "anything more horrible than lying with Ross...letting him do...the things he used to do to me...while you, my friend, my lover...my beautiful lover...are lying by yourself...downstairs...without me."

Her tears welled once again and I held her.

"I need you very much right now." She said.

"I'm here, Louise." I said, "And...I'm not going anywhere."

She kissed me warmly and without concern that her kids were only steps away.

Our lovemaking that night was extremely impassioned. We went at each other with a desire and a need that almost bordered on desperation, as if we both realized how tenuous our relationship really was. We only managed to drift off to sleep a few hours before dawn, having exhausted ourselves physically and emotionally from our exertions.

***********************************************

The next morning, shortly after the kids had been sent off to school, the telephone rang. I could tell by the stricken look on Louise's face as she answered that Ross was on the other end of the line. She listened for a time and I heard her ask if he had been drinking. I glanced at the clock, it was only 8:40 am. I had trouble imagining anyone drunk at that early hour. She winced and held the receiver away from her ear at his response, which I could hear from across the room.

"Now?" Said Louise, her eyes wide. "No, I...No, Ross, listen...I can't..."

She sighed, her shoulders slumping, and shook her head sadly as she hung up the phone. "He hung up on me." She said, "He's...on his way over right now...and he's completely drunk out of his mind."

She came over to the table, looking very pale, and sat down.

"Should I make myself scarce?" I asked.

Her eyes widened and she shook her head emphatically, "Oh, no...no, please don't go anywhere." She said, reaching out to take my hand and gripping me fiercely. "If you're here...he probably won't do anything...bad."

"Bad?" I asked.

"Ross is a reformed alcoholic." She explained, "When he gets drunk...he turns into someone I don't even know. He flies into rages and...and breaks things."

"Has he ever hurt you?" I asked, completely surprised to hear of Ross's drinking problem. For as long as I had known him, I had never seen him even have a drink.

She nodded and bit her lip and I could see her eyes welling with tears. She pointed to a small, barely visible scar on her left cheek. "Usually he would just slap me around if I said or did something he didn't like...One night after he came home drunk...he beat me up pretty bad. I called the police and had him arrested. Afterwards, he felt so terrible he joined AA right away and promised me he would never drink again. I would have left him if he hadn't agreed to stop drinking completely."

I shook my head sadly. "I never knew." I said.

"No-one does." She said, "We kept it between us. It's something we never even talked about between ourselves."

"He sounded pretty mad on the phone." I said, "Maybe we should both just get out of the house for a while."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose that would be the prudent thing to do. If he's really as drunk as he sounds...he'll be pretty unpredictable." She said, "I'll just go and get changed for work...and then we'll lock up and maybe go for breakfast somewhere."

I dressed quickly as well, returning to the kitchen a few minutes later. I glanced at the clock, wondering where Ross had phoned from and how long it might take him to get here. I hadn't long to wonder, moments later Ross pulled his car to the curb outside.

"Damn." I swore, feeling suddenly very vulnerable. If push came to shove, my slender five-foot-five physique was no match for Ross's imposing six-foot-two, muscled frame. I dashed off to my bedroom and took my revolver from my dresser drawer, slipping it into the waistband of my jeans at the small of my back and covering it with my T-shirt. I felt better knowing that, if things got out of hand, I would at least be able to account for Louise and myself.

I arrived back in the kitchen just as Louise arrived, clutching her purse and digging for her car keys.

"It's too late." I said to her. She looked up at me questioning and gasped as the doorbell jangled loudly. "He's here."

She took a deep breath. "Well..." She said, "Okay...let me do all the talking. This is definitely not the time to make him angry...so, I'll just have to try to put him off until another time when he's sober. Let's just hope we don't have any problems."

I took a seat at the kitchen table as Louise opened the door. Ross ambled in, looking around the room, his eyes were red and his clothing was askew.

"Jamie boy!" He exclaimed with a broad smile when he saw me. He strode over to the table with his hand extended and I stood up to shake his hand. "Long time no see." He said, the fumes from his breath filling the air with the pungent smell of alcohol. "Are you just visiting...or do you still live here?"

"I'm still living here." I said, sitting once more.

He turned his attention to Louise, who stood with her hands clenched together. "There's my girl." He said, moving toward her and taking her in his arms. Louise embraced him perfunctorily, stepping back to slip out of his arms after only a moment or two.

"Well" Said Ross, extending the word for a long time, "This is a new look for you, sweetheart." He stood back and took in her outfit appraisingly.

Louise was dressed in a chic cream-colored skirt with matching pumps, and a silk, navy blouse with a matching cream-colored jacket.

"I...was just going out to work." She stammered uncomfortably, "I have a job now."

"I heard." Said Ross, his voice dripping with disdain. "And...THIS is how you dress when you're going to work?"

Louise nodded, "Do you like it?"

"Not much." Said Ross with a shrug. "I think it makes you look like a bit of a whore or something."

Louise's face blanched but she shook her head defiantly.

"What do you think?" Asked Ross, turning toward me. "Don't you think she looks kinda like a whore dressed like that?"

"Actually...I think she looks nice." I said.

He frowned at me and shook his head in disgust. "Ah, I should know better than to ask a god damn musician...What the hell do you know anyway? God damn musician...you guys probably like whorey women anyway."

"Why don't you sit down, Ross." Offered Louise, "I'll get you some coffee."

"I don't want any fucking coffee." Said Ross, turning to her once more. "I wanna talk...I came her to talk."

"All right then." Said Louise, "So sit down and we'll talk."

Ross turned toward me once more. "What do you say, ol' buddy? Wanna give us a bit of privacy?"

I looked at Louise who shook her head fearfully.

"Actually...Ross," Said Louise, "I asked Jamie to stay."

Ross lifted his arms and rolled his eyes, "Sure." He said, "Okay...what ever." He slumped into a chair and sighed. "So...what's up, Louise?" He said, looking exasperated, "I apologized to you already...What else do I gotta do, buy you flowers and candy?"

"Listen, Ross," Said Louise, taking a chair beside him. "I'm sorry things didn't work out for you and Ida...I really am..."

"Let's not even talk about that fucking bitch." He interrupted.

"I'm sorry...I won't." Said Louise. "But I am sorry for you just the same."

Ross shrugged non-committally. "Look...I just want us to patch things up and get back together, that's all." He said.

Louise nodded. "I know you do, Ross...but...well, I just sort of need a little more time to think about everything."

"What's to think about." Shouted Ross, slamming his hand down onto the kitchen table. "You're MY wife...and this is MY house. I just want to move back in and patch things up."

"That's why I need time to think, Ross. I don't know if we ever can just patch things up and go on like before."

"Fuck!" He said, his mouth curling into a snarl.

"Try to see things from my point of view." Said Louise placatingly. "I mean...you only told me about all this just yesterday."

Ross turned his face to me and shook his head. "Fuckin' women." He said, "There just ain't no pleasing some of them, is there?"

"Ross...honey?" Said Louise, placing her hand on his arm. "It's not that...it's not that at all."

"So what the fuck is it then?" He shouted, jerking his arm away from her hand and slamming his hand down onto the table once more.

Louise blanched and she bit her lip fearfully. "I...just need some more time to think about what's best for me...and for the kids. Do you see what I mean...I have to feel in my heart that I would be able to trust you again."

"Shit!" He bellowed, standing up so fast that his chair fell over backwards. "You're a fucking bitch...you know that." He said, standing over Louise menacingly. "I fucking come to you looking for help...and THIS is the shit I get."

Louise kept her gaze lowered, not looking up at him, and I could see the fear in her face.

"Would you fucking look at me when I'm talking to you." He shouted, reaching down and grasping a huge handful of Louise's hair. He pulled hard and Louise cried out in pain and stood up looking up into his red face fearfully.

I stood up quickly and put my hand on his arm. "Ross...hey, come on, man...take it easy." I said softly, not wanting to inflame him more, "Ease up a little bit, man...you're hurting her."

"You shut the fuck up and keep outta this." He said, turning his angry face toward me. "This is none of your fucking business, she's my wife and I'll talk to her any fucking way I fucking please."

"Sure." I said, nodding and trying to smile. "And you're right, Ross...you're right. You can talk to her any way you want...but please, just stop hurting her. Come on, man...let go of her hair."

"I don't think so." Said Ross with a snarl, "With bitches like this...if you don't get their FUCKING attention...they just don't fucking LISTEN."

He turned back toward Louise. "You think you're so fucking high and mighty...you and your new hair-do and your fucking fancy clothes." He grasped the front of Louise's blouse. "Showin' off your big fucking COW tits."

He pulled with his hand and split the front of Louise's blouse wide open with a loud ripping sound. His clumsy, drunken grasp also caught her right bra cup and pulled it completely away from her breast. Louise cried out, her hands flailing ineffectively against his chest as he continued to clench her hair.

"Come on, Ross." I said sternly. "That's enough."

"Jamie boy..." He hissed malevolently as he turned his angry face toward me. "I'm only fucking getting warmed up. If you know what's good for you, you'll sit down and shut the fuck up before I give you some of the same medicine."

"Ross." I said, swallowing my fear, "I'm not going to let you hurt her."

His eyes widened comically and he laughed aloud. "What the fuck you gonna do about it...beat me UP?"

"I'm calling the cops." I said, making an attempt to move around him.

Before I could even begin to think about reacting, he backhanded me across the mouth. I sprawled over backwards, landing on the chair at an awkward angle. The chair and I both went over, cracking the back of my head against the windowsill and landing on my back hard enough to take the wind out of my lungs.

I lay dazed for a moment, tasting blood in my mouth from a split in my lower lip. I looked up to see Louise lift her knee in an attempt to knee him in the crotch, but he fended her attack easily. He slapped her hard with the flat of his hand across her face and released her hair, sending her sprawling onto the floor.

I attempted to get up, I could feel the gun digging into the small of my back painfully and knew I needed to get it out quickly.

"You just stay where you are." He said, pointing at me menacingly, "Or, I'll REALLY mess you up."

He turned his attention back to Louise. "God...would you look at you." He said, standing over her. "You don't talk so tough now, do ya? You with your fucking cow tits hanging out and your fucking slut dress up showing everybody your privates."

He looked back over his shoulder at me. "What do ya think, Jamie boy...did you ever see such big fucking cow tits in all your life?"

I rolled slightly onto my side, trying to get to the gun behind me.

Ross reached down and grasped Louise once more by the hair and pulled her up to a sitting position. "Come on, sweetheart...show Jamie boy here your big fuckin' cow tits." With that he grasped the other cup of her bra and pulled it away.

I somehow managed to extricate myself from the chair and rose up into a kneeling position. I grasped the butt of the revolver and pulled it free of my waistband just as Ross landed a second flat-handed slap to the side of Louise's face.

"That's ENOUGH!" I shouted, feeling my lower lip swollen.

Ross smiled over his shoulder at me and looked away, quickly doing a wide-eyed, comical double-take as his first quick glance finally registered the gun in my hand.

"Woah...hold on there, Jamie boy." He said, holding his hands out toward me. "Don't go doin' anything stupid now."

"Move away from her." I said, indicating with the barrel of the gun which direction I wanted him to move.

"All right...okay." He said, shrugging, as he moved toward the back door.

"Louise? Are you all right." I asked, glancing over at her while still keeping most of my attention on Ross.

She nodded, rising up to her knees, a small trickle of blood running from her nostril down her upper lip. "I'm...okay." She said softly.

She rose up to her feet unsteadily, her magnificent breasts bouncing a swaying provocatively, and crossed the room to where I stood. I lifted my arm and slipped it across her shoulders protectively.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her eyes still wide with fear as she reached up with her fingertips and lightly touched my lower lip.

I nodded, watching Ross warily as he leaned back against the door and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well...isn't this just the most touching little scene you ever saw?" Said Ross with a sneer as Louise slipped her arms about me. "Mister knight in shining fucking armor coming to her rescue. Aren't you two quite the pair...thick as fucking thieves, huh?"

"You better get the fuck out of here, Ross." I said, "Before I call the cops."

He nodded, pursing his lips disdainfully. "Sure...I'll go...I'll go." He said, holding his hands up as if surrendering. "No need to call the fucking cops...I'm going. Damn...you guys sure look cozy though. Are you guys fuckin'? Is that what it is? You fuckin' my wife, Jamie boy?"

"Ross!" Exclaimed Louise, "You're such a son of a bitch."

Ross shrugged and held up his hands as if to say, guilty as charged. "Hey...I'm just askin' an honest question." He said, shrugging innocently. "I just want to know if you two have been fuckin' each other since I been gone...that's all."

"Get out, Ross." I said.

He smiled and lowered his arms, looking at us appraisingly. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head, wondering if he might make some sort of surprise lunge at us and take the gun away from me. I knew in my heart that, if I allowed that to happen, both our lives would be in serious jeopardy.

"I'm going." He said with another shrug, but making no attempt to open the door. "I was just thinking though..." He continued, "That...if you haven't fucked her yet, you sure might get lucky tonight after being such a fucking knight in shining fucking armor."