Leaving home Chapter 14

Leaving home
Chapter 14
 
I called down to the bell desk once we had finished breakfast. David was there with our limo, and the bags were in the trunk. I tipped the bellhops and followed Jennie and Lady into the rear seat. I sat back, completely relaxed, as David drove away. We had a relatively easy trip to LaGuardia, although there’s never an easy one in the city. I had just tipped and thanked David when our bags were carried to the plane. We boarded and got Lady secured, relaxing in the well-upholstered seats.
 
Ninety minutes later, we landed in Wilmington. Rather than stop for lunch, Jennie wanted to go home. I did stop at the post office for our mail, and I noticed something I’d share with Jennie later today.
 
She was happy when I drove through the gate to our home but probably not as glad as Lady. She raced around the property as Jennie and I laughed.  
 
Finally, tongue hanging from her mouth, she strolled to us. I filled her bowl with water a minute later, and she drank thirstily while I carried the bags to the bedroom.
 
Jennie had the washing machine running a few minutes later, but we still needed to be done.  
 
Later that afternoon, I applied myself to the potential problems Jennie might face when she returns home. My eyes were closed, and I was almost asleep when I bolted upright. “Damn! It’s so simple!” I had practically shouted, so Jennie came running, thinking something was wrong. I was smiling when she appeared.
 
“It’s so simple. I should have realized immediately.”
 
“What, Doug?”
 
“You have to return to being Jessie when we go to Iowa. I don’t think we should share my surname, so they’ll have trouble finding you. I have another card I can play, but let’s wait until we see how things go.”
 
“What do you mean…another card?”
 
“I wrote my first “Idiots” program for my doctoral thesis. It was and still is an excellent program, but that doesn’t make people want to buy it. I had to advertise, especially because I couldn’t convince Walmart or any other vendor to stock their shelves with it. That meant I needed other work, and some of my early clients were…let’s say, ‘unsavory.’ I still have some of those contacts and may use them if you are in danger. That’s all I want to say now. The less you know, the better. Get used to being called Jessie for a few weeks.”
 
I had sorted the mail and found what I was looking for. Jennie was in the living room reading when I dropped the magazine in her lap. “What’s this, Doug?”
 
“Consumer Reports—the annual car issue. They rank all the cars by category, such as sedan or SUV. Take a look. Maybe it will help you.” She put her book aside and opened the magazine. She was still reviewing it when I asked about dinner.
 
“Why don’t you just bring in a pizza and maybe a salad? We overate in New York--at least I know I did.” She rose to kiss me as I pulled my phone from my pocket. I kissed Jennie, rubbed Lady’s ears, gathered my keys, and walked to the garage.
 
Christopher’s was about ten minutes from my house, so I walked in, paid the bill, and waited about five minutes for my order. I walked into the kitchen to find Jennie had paper plates and cold Cokes on the table. We sat and ate quietly until the pie was almost gone when Jennie spoke. “That Consumer Reports is interesting, but I’m more confused now than ever. Will you take me car shopping tomorrow? Please?” I knew I was a goner when she batted her eyelashes at me. She had me wrapped around her little finger, and she knew it.
 
Jennie…oops, Jessie, I’d better get used to calling her that until we return from Iowa—went out of her way to show her appreciation that night, moving me into a “69” and sucking me deep into her throat. We’d done oral on each other, of course, once her about of Chlamydia had cleared up, but there was nothing to compare to that beautiful night. I felt like a lamb to her wolf. She attacked my body with a vengeance as though we hadn’t been together for months or years. I fell asleep in seconds once she was finished with me.
 
When I woke the following morning, Jennie was smiling down at me. After a quick kiss, she whispered, “Better get up, old man—we have much to do today. I need an appointment with Dr. Cullen, my OB/GYN, first. Then I think you need to take me shopping for a car. Where should we go, Wilmington or Myrtle Beach?”
 
I looked into those clear blue eyes and asked, “Why are you whispering? Practicing for when we have the baby, or are you afraid Lady will hear us?” She gave me an expression of exasperation, then grabbed her pillow and began to beat me with it.
 
“I give up! I give up! Let’s shower, and I’ll take you out for breakfast. We don’t have a doggone thing here in the house. Oh yeah, I love you like no one has ever loved.”
 
She leaned down to kiss me before telling me, “I know. Aren’t I lucky?” She pulled my naked body with her to the shower. I don’t know how much washing we did, but we sure as Hell had a great time doing it. I was barely able to keep the bandages on my arm dry.
 
I was still dripping wet when I let Lady out. Jennie handed me a towel before walking back to dress. She couldn’t avoid shaking her shapely ass down the hall. I laughed. I could afford to—that spectacular body was all mine.
 
I drove to Calabash to the pancake house there. After ordering, I asked Jennie what she was thinking about a car. “Let’s start with the type, and then we can talk about brands, okay?”
 
“Believe it or not, I’m thinking about an SUV. I think it makes the most sense. We’ll have room for the kids, groceries, or whatever else we need. Does that make sense to you?”
 
“It does. A few weeks ago, I read that the SUV had replaced the sedan as the number one choice. Given any thought to how many passengers? Some can seat as many as eight.”
 
“That’s too big.”
 
“Okay, if you want a high-end vehicle, you’re looking at Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Lincoln, Acura, and Lexus. We could add Porsche, but there’s no dealership nearby. That could be a problem when you need service.”
 
“We’re closer to Myrtle Beach, aren’t we?”
 
“Yes, so that’s where we should start. We can start with Mercedes and BMW, which are right next door and are part of the same dealership.” Jennie just nodded, and we were quiet, eating our French toast and omelet until we were in the car again. Then, I couldn’t get Jennie to stop. She was excited, but I had no idea how the next two hours would be.
 
I first drove into the Mercedes lot, thinking Jennie would be enamored of the marquee name. She wasn’t. She told me as we left that she thought the models were “ugly.” We walked next door to the BMW side of the dealership. Jennie walked straight to one of the SUVs on the floor as a salesman approached me. “May I help you, sir?”
 
“No, but you can help my wife.” I pointed to Jennie, seated contentedly in an X5 with every possible package and option imaginable. Jennie had the salesman demonstrate how to attach a child’s seat and almost all the possibilities. Finally, she said she wanted a test drive in the same car, if possible. We went out to the lot to check on their stock. Jennie passed by several but stopped at one that was a dark metallic blue with white leather seats. The list price was more than $70,000.
 
I sat relaxed in the back seat, amazed by my wife’s control as she cruised down the back streets of Myrtle Beach. Jennie was pretty quiet as she listened to the salesman’s patter, primarily comments about how fantastic the car was—how quick it was, how it accelerated, the smooth ride, and all the other bullshit salespeople learn.
 
We were back in the parking lot when the guy asked if we wanted to discuss the price. “Not yet. I want to see something for my husband.” I choked, feeling as though I had just swallowed a cat.
 
“We never discussed a new car for me.”
 
“I know that, silly, but I’m buying you a present—a convertible, I think. Wouldn’t you love to drive a Beemer soft top?”
 
“Well, yeah—but…”
 
“Doug, how much have you done for me since we met and since we’ve been married? I even tried to return your two million, and you wouldn’t take it.” The salesman looked like he had swallowed a canary when Jennie said, “Two million,” but my wife never missed a beat, leading the confused man back into the lot. The first two models were “too small” or “not enough,” according to Jennie. However, she did stop at a row of 6-series cars. I learned by listening carefully that this series of BMWs were only coupes or convertibles. I had to admit they looked a lot better than my Honda, but—of course—they also cost more than twice as much.
 
Jennie picked a model in a dark red metallic with the same white/black leather interior her car had. “Okay, now we can talk price.”
 
“I think I could do it for 130 plus your husband’s car.”
 
“Oh, you poor man; you must get out of the sun. You’re delusional. Let me tell you something, Jack. I spent five years on the road surviving by my wits, so don’t think I’m an idiot. Why should I pay you almost all the list plus my husband’s Honda? No way’s going to happen. I’m thinking 100 plus the Honda, and before you say you can’t do it, here’s a question. How often do you sell two cars in a single morning? Never—that’s how often. So get me a manager, or we’re going to Wilmington, Florence, or somewhere else where they want to sell a car.” Jennie sat back in her chair while the sales guy asked me for help.
 
“Don’t look at me. I have to live with her. If I were you, I’d get a manager before she gets up and walks away.” The manager was there five minutes later, and after a half hour of dickering, the price was set at $110,000 plus my Honda Accord. I cleaned out my car while Jennie proved she had sufficient funds in her account. I walked into the dealership just as Jennie wrote the check and turned down their efforts to get more money from her with an extended warranty to cover all the cars’ computers.
 
“If your cars are so bad, maybe I should shop elsewhere. What do you think, Doug?”
 
“I think you’re right. Another thing—neither of us is signing an agreement to use arbitration if there’s a problem. We’re not giving up our constitutional rights, and don’t try to tell us that these people are impartial because they’re not. They rely on cases from dealers for a living.  
 
They could deal with a single dealership dozens of times but a consumer only once. There are too many rulings against dealerships; they’re out of business, and their kids become carpenters instead of dentists. Forget it!” They took the check, and we took the cars.
 
I can’t say we raced home, but we were in bed less than an hour later. It was time for a celebration. I lay next to Jennie, kissing and touching her, when I asked, “When did you come up with this idea?”
 
“When you told me you wouldn’t return the money, I knew I had to give you a big present.” I just shook my head. I’d been clueless. “Remember, Doug, I love you so much…certainly more than I can find words to tell you. You’ve been unselfish with me. You’ve given me more than I could have ever hoped to have, and, most importantly, you’ve given me a child to love and help me grow into the kind of person you are. Do you understand a little better now?”
 
I showed Jennie what I did by making the most beautiful love for her all afternoon. I began by kissing my way down her body until my tongue found her slit. Jennie still kept it clean-shaven, and I loved kissing and tonguing her, rubbing her G-spot, and causing her entire body to shudder in ecstasy. I had given her two orgasms by the time she screamed for me to fuck her.  
 
I did, ramming my organ into her in a single massive thrust. Jennie moved her legs over my shoulders, and I bent her in two as I pounded her relentlessly until we came together—Jennie convulsing wildly. I pumped her full of my seed until we collapsed together into a heap on the bed.
 
When we were done, I could barely move, and I could see that my wife was nearly asleep from her exhaustion beneath me. I tried to move off, but she held me tightly. “I love my new car,” I whispered, “but I love you more.” The last thing I remembered before closing my eyes was Jennie’s lips lightly on mine.
 
The following morning, I asked Jennie where she lived in Iowa. “We lived just outside Waterloo in Black Hawk County. The county courthouse is in Waterloo, so we should probably try to stay somewhere near there.”
 
“What about an airport? Is there one nearby?”
 
“Yeah, right outside the city, but I have no idea what airlines fly there.”
 
“I think we’ll charter again. It’s much easier than flying commercial, but we have much to do before we go.” I explained that we needed our marriage certificate to change her name legally. She laughed at that, which was funny because we’d changed her name illegally only a few months ago.  
 
We agreed to fly to Waterloo on the tenth and leave on the fourteenth after her stepfather had been sentenced. We saw no need to stick around any longer than that. Other than her friend Amber, there was no soul she wanted to see.
 
Our marriage certificate arrived in the mail the following day, so we went to the local DMV in Shallotte. From there, we went to my insurance agent to change my health insurance to a family plan. Thanks to Obama Care, her pregnancy will be covered. The following day, we drove to Conway, the nearest Social Security office, for a name change. When that was done, I took Jennie to see my lawyer, changing my will so she would get enough in a trust to provide for her forever. Much of my estate would go to Harvard and MIT to thank them for the opportunities they’d given me.
 
A few days before our trip to Iowa, we went fishing and to the beach one day and played golf together on the other. I also had my stitches removed.  
 
The scar was ugly, but hopefully, it would be covered eventually by the hair on my arm. Of course, we also made love daily, many nights and some mornings. We flew as scheduled on the tenth morning and arrived in Waterloo mid-afternoon, driving a rental Toyota to the Isle Casino Hotel. We had what they called a junior suite, but it was just a big room with a sitting area and a king bed, quite a come down from the Plaza, but this was Iowa, and a small city in Iowa, after all.
 
Using my laptop and their free Wi-Fi, we called her friend Amber and made reservations for dinner at Olive Garden. I may be rich but appreciate moderately priced food, especially with unlimited salad and breadsticks. Jennie (now Jessie again for our stay in Iowa) and I were already seated when Amber walked in. She and Jessie hugged, and Jessie introduced us.
 
I hugged Amber, and as I did, I told her how much I appreciated everything she had done for Jessie. “You’re a true friend. They’re hard to find—almost impossible. I’m sure there was some risk involved, too.”
 
“Unfortunately, there was. Jess’s stepfather is obsessed with her. Jess, you’re taking a huge risk coming here. He’ll come after you as soon as he’s released from prison. That’s how bad it is with him. He must have asked me at least once a month if I’d heard from you. Of course, I told him I never had.”
 
“Thank you for telling us. I think I’ll have to go to Plan B. That’s all I can tell you now, but I can guarantee Jessie’s safety. Why don’t we eat? Want a drink first?”
 
Not, we all had iced tea, Jessie, because she was pregnant, me because I wasn’t that keen on drinking, to begin with. I mostly sat back, listening to Jessie catch up with Amber. I enjoyed listening but had little to contribute until Jessie explained how we had met Amber. Then, the conversation was punctuated by Amber’s gasps. We finished our dinner and walked together into the night, promising Amber that we’d get together again the following afternoon.
 
We had breakfast in one of the casino restaurants, and I had to admit that it was pretty good. I suggested to Jennie that we might try the buffet tomorrow. After breakfast, I asked Jennie to show me around. I wanted to see where she had lived and gone to school. She slowed as she passed her mother’s house, and I had my first glimpse of the ogre who had been her stepfather. He was tall, well over six feet in my estimation, but grossly obese. His belly was so big I doubted he could mate with even the most willing woman. His hair was cut in a military-style buzz cut that only made his gut appear even more significant. Jennie was shaking when I covered her hand with mine. “You need to leave him to me. I have contacts who owe me favors, and they’ll gladly deal with him. You have nothing to fear. He’s not the sheriff now, and he never will be again. Trust me, darling; you have nothing to fear, but I want you to keep Lady near you while we’re here.”
 
We skipped lunch and joined Amber at the casino around two that afternoon. I gave each of them $200, telling them to have fun. Jessie took Lady with her. She and Amber played the slots while I tried my luck at blackjack. They returned three hours later laughing but broke. I was down, too. I’d lost $50, which wasn’t bad considering how much I was betting--$100 a hand. Blackjack is a game of probabilities, and as long as everyone played according to the book, the odds were only slightly in the house’s favor. You might have a run and win, but those odds would wear you down over the long haul.
 
I joined my love and her one true friend for dinner at the house at Otis and Henry’s, my reward for having gambled more than ten thousand dollars this afternoon. They thought I was a wealthy high roller if they only knew.
 
I strode into the hotel’s high-end steakhouse with an attractive woman on each arm. This time, Amber did have a drink, and I joined her. Poor Jennie was still restricted to iced tea. Both women had what looked to be an excellent 10-ounce filet, while I had the cowboy cut ribeye, saving much of the fat for Lady to enjoy with her dinner later. After dinner, we walked to the bakery, where I had two cream puffs while Jessie and Amber had crème brulee. I thought the prices were very reasonable, one of the benefits of being in Iowa, where the cost of living was much lower than on the East Coast.
 
We retired to our suite to feed Lady, then returned to the casino for more action. This time, I hit a lucky streak, walking out with just over $900, enough to cover the day’s earlier losses. We said goodbye to Amber and walked up to our room, where Jennie thanked me repeatedly into the wee hours of the morning when we fell asleep from sheer exhaustion.
 
The following day, we drove to Cedar Falls and spent several hours at the Museum of Art. The displays were interesting, but after the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, it took a lot of work to be impressed. We had a delightful day before returning to Waterloo for dinner, again with Amber. We dined at the casino hotel’s buffet tonight, overeating as always at a buffet.
 
We returned to the casino after feeding Lady, spending an enjoyable three hours just about breaking even. It would be our final evening in Iowa. Jonathan Harper’s sentencing was scheduled for tomorrow morning at ten.
 
Our rental Toyota was packed, with bags securely in the trunk, when we walked into the courtroom at 9:25. I sent Jennie into the row first, followed by Lady, with me on the aisle. Jennie wanted to be seen by her stepfather and mother, but I insisted that Lady and I act as a buffer between them. “He’s such an asshole, Doug. He always insists on shaking hands with the people in court or church, and I’m sure he’ll do it this morning despite the circumstances.” Jennie was right. He strode in like the cock of the walk instead of the felon he was about to become. He looked at me, and his eyes shifted down the row. They stopped when they reached Jennie.
 
His voice was low but threatening both in his tone and his words. “You managed to elude me for the past five years, but I’ll find you and get you as soon as I’m out. That’s a guarantee.”
 
He was about to continue his walk up the aisle when I interrupted him. “Wanna bet,” I whispered with a sly grin. “You don’t know me, but I’m Jessie’s husband. You won’t get within five hundred miles of her unless you’re dead.” He looked me up and down before smirking and walking away. He was joined by his attorneys on the other side of the railing. Ten minutes later, we rose to the entrance of the judge, the Honorable Edwin Pepper.
 
After some preliminary statements from the attorneys, Judge Pepper told the accused to stand. “Your attorney has requested leniency because of your years of dedicated public service. I have a higher view of elected office than you do. An elected office is a sacred trust between the elected official and the public. You violated that trust not by accident but repeatedly through a concerted effort by using your employees as workers for your campaign and extorting them into contributing to ensuring your reelection through your ongoing threats. Even worse, you extorted a bribe from someone captured in a drug raid. Unfortunately for you, he became an undercover operative for the state police. There is and can be no excuse for your conduct as an official of this county.
 
“You have reached a plea bargain with the district attorney in which you are pleading to a single charge of bribery of a public official, a violation of Section 201 (1) (b) (2) of the State Penal Code. Violating this section of the penal code carries a maximum penalty of fifteen years, which is my sentence. I only wish I could add “at hard labor” for your traitorous and criminal behavior.” He banged the gavel and strode from the room as those present reacted to the sentence. Many, including Jennie and me, applauded loudly. Jonathan Harper scowled and screamed at his attorney. Jennie’s mother only cried.
 
We waited for the courtroom to clear so Jennie could confront her mother. Lady and I were standing in the aisle when she approached. “Oh, Jessica, thank God you’re back.”
 
“You’ve got to be kidding, Mother—me ever come back here? Not a chance. I came back so I could finally get one over on that asshole you married, and I did. Did you hear our wild applause at the sentence? I would have whistled, but I doubted it would be acceptable in the court.
 
“This is my husband, Doug. Unlike you, he does care about my welfare. This is our dog, Lady. As you can see, she’s a service dog, but she’s also a guard dog. She’ll rip anyone who attacks us into shreds. She did it once when we were in New York, breaking a man’s arm with her bite.
 
“Not only am I married to a successful and wealthy man, Mother, but I am also expecting. You’ll be a grandmother before the end of the year, not that you’ll ever see your grandchild. I’d never expose any child of mine to someone like you—someone who would allow her daughter to be raped repeatedly by her husband. I can’t prove anything now, but I also can’t forgive or forget. Goodbye. With luck, I’ll next see you at shithead’s funeral.” I took Jennie’s hand, and we walked out the door, down the steps, and into our future.
 
 
To be continued