Prisoners of Halfmoon Key

by Matthew Lee

  “Emotionally meaningless? Maybe before you did it. But I watched you, Honey. I saw how much you loved doing it. And why twice? You would have gotten away with it if you hadn’t gone back two nights in a row.”

  Emma looked out to sea, staring at the blurry horizon. The wind blew her long brown hair back. She looked beautiful.

  She faced me. “You’re right,” she sighed.

  We searched each other’s face a long moment, neither knowing what needed to be said next.

  “I told myself at the time I wanted to be sure Andrew got the message, and that is partially true, but the real reason is I enjoyed it so much I went back for more. I’ll stop.”

  We both searched faces again. We were talking, but we were leaving a lot unsaid. The view I held of my wife was altered. I realized what a sexy woman she was. A little soft all over but still, with that face, those eyes, and that long hair, she was feminine and pretty. I hadn’t looked at her in a purely sexual way for a long time.

  “Do you think it worked?” I asked.

  She blushed! She looked down at her toes.

  “Yes. He was quite impressed with my…skills. He assured me you were safe. He said some guy in the receiving department struck a co-worker so Andrew intends to fire him and hint it was because of budget concerns. He’ll let that rumor motivate people. Two birds, one stone.”

  “Sounds like I was never in danger.”

  “Oh, you were. So was Kim. Actually, I think she still is. You will be again unless your sales turn around. I assured him you were just going through a small slump. He said he understood but at some point, a decision must be made. He said if you don’t produce people will begin to suspect.”

  She moved towards me and snuggled against my chest. She knew she was off the hook with me. I wrapped my arms around her body. My stomach churned over our conversation and my head was cloudy. I had to admit I felt relief her plan bought me time. Under the surface I knew I had a lot more to say but nothing broke through. Maybe I was still in shock. I took her hand and we kept walking.

  “I’ll stop,” she said again. “But just remember; originally, it was your idea.”

  I bit my tongue. “What did you do with him? Anything beyond a blowjob?”

  “No, Honey. No way. I swear I was only buying you time. Andrew’s no dummy. He knew exactly why I was there. Intercourse would be way too far. He didn’t even attempt that with me.”

  The winds picked up and rain spattered us but we stayed out anyway. We approached a rock jetty and I kissed her mouth and started to stiffen. Her thigh bumped it.

  “Oh, really?” she teased, squeezing the front of my trunks.

  I got hard fast. Emma knelt in the sand and pulled down the elastic waistband and started sucking me. I was shocked. We were alone so I held her head and fucked her mouth. I guess I was a little angry and hurt because I was rougher than usual. She just grunted encouragement and sucked harder. Maybe she felt she deserved her punishment. I closed my eyes and imagined looking though the bedroom window again, watching her slobber all over his dick. The visual combined with her expert mouth was too much; I shot my load. She grunted in surprise but swallowed and then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. My legs felt weak.

  She stood and sat on one of the boulders and pulled the leg of her shorts to the side. I found myself staring at her furry pink slit.

  “My turn,” she said.

  I was feeling dazed but dropped to my knees in the sand. She was already so wet. I leaned in and ran my tongue up and down and then rubbed her clit like an elevator button and she hooked my head with her leg. I dove in. Her sounds of pleasure made me happy and I ate her madly. I wanted to please her. Perhaps Andrew threatened me some and I was trying to remind her I was a good lover. Whatever. All I know is she came fast like me and I was proud.

  Once we returned to our bungalow we showered and got into bed to nap. Before we fell asleep I teased her about staying in bed. She turned on her side and propped her head up with a pillow. She stared at me long enough I got uncomfortable.

  “What?” I asked.

  “I never expected to get caught but I have to say, your reaction has me confused.”

  “Welcome to my world.”

  “Why aren’t you furious?”

  I propped my head the same way, facing her. “I’m surprised by my reaction too, Baby, and do not take this as implied consent for more. It most definitely is not. You looked hot. That’s all there is to it.”

  “Hm.”

  “I mean it, Emma. Just because I liked it does not give you permission.”

  Her eyes sparkled in the dim light. “Why not?” she asked.

  “Are you asking if you can again?”

  “Yes. Maybe. What if I was? I mean, it’s too late to shut the barn door; the horse is gone. You joked, I acted. But we seem fine, Baby. Better than fine if our little adventure by the jetty means anything. So why not? Think pragmatically. I can cement your position and buy you more time.”

  “Because I need to believe you acted hastily and with desperation for me and the kids. Doing it intentionally is cheating.”

  “Not cheating if you know about it.”

  “Emma! This is so…scandalous, and frightening.”

  “Frightening? What are you afraid of?”

  “Losing you to him. Fear of change. Fear of the unknown. Fear he’s a better lover than me, more of a man than me. Name it and take your pick.”

  She touched my face softly. “My sweet, confused man. Don’t you understand I did it because I love you and my life with you. I could never be with Andrew.”

  This was too much. I wanted out of this conversation.

  “Let’s nap and finish this conversation later. I’m overwhelmed.”

  “Okay, Sweetie.”

  She leaned forward and kissed my forehead and closed her eyes. I did too but my brain was tumbling. No way could I doze. Soon I heard her breathing deepen and I knew she’d fallen asleep. I opened my eyes.

  I felt adrift. I resolved when I returned to the mainland I would triple my efforts at work. I’d get a second job if I had to. I searched my heart for the pain of my wife cheating on me but I had to manufacture most of it. I simply did not see what she’d done in that way. I’m sure I’d think differently if she’d done more than oral sex but in a way, that proved to me what she was after with him. I was disturbed and aroused simultaneously.

  I sighed softly. Life sure is messy.

  I gazed at her pretty face and full lips and again the images of her indiscretion rose in my mind. She’d looked so hot. I was shocked how strongly affected I was. Nobody knows how they’ll react to something until they find themselves in that situation and I sure did not see this coming. I was glad I discovered what she was up to and we’d talked but I was also happy the whole thing was behind us, and I was relieved she’d never do it again.

  I woke first and jerked my eyes open. Emma lay across from me, still sleeping. I smiled, relieved to not wake up alone. The winds were once again buffeting the cabana and I slipped from the bed to peek out the window. The clock on the nightstand said four-twenty in the afternoon and it was dark outside. Heavy, murky clouds covered the sky. My tummy rumbled and I accidentally bumped the coffee table. Emma opened her eyes and gave me a huge smile.

  “I had the most wonderful dream,” she purred.

  “Did it involve a rock jetty?”

  “It did.”

  She eased out of bed and came to look out the window with me.

  “I’m starving,” she said.

  “Me too. Let’s shower and head to the big house for dinner.”

  This time I sat next to a guy from Legal whose name I could not remember. He was dull and factual, speaking curtly in words as short as his black hair. Next to Emma sat Debbie and they talked a hundred miles an hour. Paul was up but looked frazzled.

  The kitchen handed out short menus and brought everyone what they ordered. I went with an Angus burger and fries and Emma did too but added avo
cado. Andrew talked about where he saw the company in one, three, and five years and the whole time he spoke I remembered his dick in my wife’s mouth. I wondered if I’d ever see him the same.

  After dinner we moved to the den and people peeled off to play cards or shoot pool or talk. I sat with Brian, another salesperson, and we discussed greatest quarterbacks of all time. He was a die-hard Browns fan. My heart went out to him. Emma sat with Debbie for a while but then Debbie moved to check on Paul and Emma left the big room, headed, I assumed, for the restroom.

  Focused on football, I never noticed when Andrew slipped away too. When I did, I smoothly ended my conversation with Brian, finished my drink and swirled the ice as if considering another, lifted my chin as if I’d been struck by an idea, and left the room as if I was going in search of the chef.

  Smooth, indeed.

  Outside the room I stopped and listened. The house was huge and filled with people so I heard noise from every direction, unable to discern Emma’s voice. I noticed painting down the walls and began moving from one to the next as if I had an appreciation for art. There were way too many people awake and about for me to go outside and look in windows so I just meandered from portrait to portrait and hoped to get lucky. I moved deeper into the house, my angst and anxiety growing by the minute. I was sure Emma had rendezvoused with Andrew again and that had my guts turning somersaults. I’d told her no more.

  I never did find her. After a complete circuit of the first floor, I found myself back at the den. I stuck my head in and there was Emma talking again with Debbie. Our eyes met and hers held a burning intensity which excited me. Without looking away, but continuing her conversation with Debbie, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Anyone watching would have noticed nothing unusual but my temperature shot up. I knew exactly what she meant.

  My heart jumped! I quickly looked around for Andrew but he was missing. Emma raised a devilish eyebrow at me and returned her attention to Deb. I was floored! When the guy from Legal started talking to me again I barely heard him. Emma had boldly gone off on her own, leaving me to wrestle with my conflicted heart. I loved her and hated her for it. I guess my face showed everything because I glanced over and her eyes were laughing.

  Paul approached Debbie, looking sick, and Debbie excused herself to guide Paul back to their room. Emma left her spot to join me and I ended the conversation with Legal and took her elbow to steer her out into the hall.

  “What happened? Where were you?” I hissed.

  The wind blew something against the outside wall and Emma jumped at the thump. Instead of answering she stepped closer and kissed me. Her slippery tongue pushed into my mouth and I pulled away. That wasn’t the taste of Angus burger or red wine.

  “Emma? Where’d you go?”

  “Stockroom, off the kitchen.”

  “Why?”

  She leaned her mouth close to my ear. “To spend some time with Andy.”

  I don’t know what my face did but my wife started laughing at me.

  “Baby,” she said. “Take a deep breath. Nothing happened. Well, he gave me a shot of twelve-year-old Scotch he’s hiding from everyone else but nothing, you know, wet and sloppy happened.”

  “Oh my God.”

  She took my arm in both of hers. “You thought I sucked his dick again, Honey?”

  “Yes! Of course. Now I need some Scotch.”

  She giggled. “Your face, Baby. You were so conflicted. I’m sorry, that was mean. I was just fucking with you, but you should have seen your face.”

  “Not funny.”

  “Come on, it was a little funny.”

  I wanted to tell her I meant it when I said no more, but worried I’d sound contrite and insecure. How do I get from and erection to anger?

  “Alright,” I admitted. “You got me good. I couldn’t believe you’d caved so fast.”

  She hugged my arm and looked up at me with those big hazel eyes. I saw something in them.

  “You want to do it again,” I stated.

  She made a little shrug. “Well, sure. Look at it from my position; hot guy, nice cock, and my husband gets hard thinking about me doing it. Win-win-win.”

  Good point. My stomach churned.

  “Let’s get you that Scotch,” she said.

  She took my hand and led me to the kitchen. The chef gave her a smile as she cut through the aluminum racks and aimed for the storeroom. She shut the door behind us. Andrew had the bottle on a top shelf above frames of shot glasses. She poured us both a drink.

  “To job stability,” she murmured.

  I rolled my eyes and tapped my glass to hers. We gulped it down.

  Outside I heard men shouting and peered through the slats on the door.

  “Holy shit!” I exclaimed and quickly lowered my voice. “There’s a man with a gun telling the staff to head for the den.”

  “What?”

  “Keep your voice down. Seriously, Emma.”

  She crowded the door to look. The kid looked about eighteen, messy blonde hair, and wearing orange coveralls. As he ordered the chef and his staff to the den he grabbed two croissants, eating the first in one bite. He glanced around the kitchen and then followed everyone out.

  “What’s happening, Sam? I’m scared.”

  “Me too, Baby. I know there’s a detention center on Stock Island. Maybe the storm damaged a fence or something and prisoners escaped? I don’t know. His gun looked real.”

  “What do we do?”

  “Stay here for now. We got lucky. I should try to get to the radio and call for help, let someone know that kid is here. Maybe if we hide here long enough he’ll fall asleep or leave. He looked hungry. Maybe he just wants food?”

  Emma looked like she was about to cry so I wrapped both arms around her. She buried her face in my neck.

  “He’s young so I doubt he’s violent. He had no scars or tattoos. He looked kind of innocent. I know that’s no proof, but it’s something. Let’s quietly move some boxes in here and make a place to hide. He may come back and open the door but not come in and it would be best if we were hidden.”

  Emma calmed herself and drew a deep breath. We carefully stacked cardboard boxes to the ceiling and moved racks, creating a wall of foodstuffs so the stockroom looked four feet shorter than it was. We huddled in a corner and waited. We heard nothing, which made the tension worse, but remained still. Emma talks fast when she gets nervous but she kept her mouth shut.

  Time crawled by. I opened a few boxes so we had something to eat and bottled water but waiting was excruciating. Finally, we both started fidgeting so much she said we need to check. I’d guess five hours had passed.

  “I’ll be back,” I said.

  “The fuck you will. I’m coming with you.”

  “That increases our chance of getting caught.”

  “Then we get caught together. No way am I sitting here alone.”

  I nodded and kissed her forehead. “I hear the winds banging stuff around outside so that should cover our sounds a little. I want to cross the kitchen to the door and listen and then try to peek out into the hallway. We take everything one step at a time. You have any ideas?”

  “Don’t get caught?”

  A sense of humor even now. “Yes, that’s an excellent idea.”

  We moved our fake wall and put it back. I listened at the stockroom door, opened it just a crack, scanned the kitchen, and then we hustled to the door across the room. At that one we heard distant and muffled voices.

  “Sounds like a large group in the den,” Emma whispered.

  I nodded agreement. I dropped to the floor and opened the kitchen door an inch to look down the hall. Through the arch I saw a gathering of people in the den. I kept watching and another orange coverall paced, a young black guy, bringing the number to two. Andrew was tied to a chair but I saw Paul and Kim standing next to him. Everyone seemed to be looking towards the other end of the room where something held their attention. I assumed a third villain.

  I
eased the door closed and reported to Emma and stopped talking just in time. I heard heavy footsteps coming up the hall, from Andrew’s office, too late for us to run back to our hiding place. We froze. They drew closer and then were right outside the door and then continued towards the den. I cracked the door again and saw a fourth orange coverall carrying what was left of the short-wave radio. He was the oldest of them, crew-cut, rounded, broad shoulders, and thick legs. I noticed a strand of seaweed attached to his leg.

  When Fourth entered the den, he threw the smashed radio on the floor. So much for that plan. He pointed towards the end of the room where everyone watched and said: “Dylan, knock that shit off. Listen up everyone; we won’t hurt you unless you make us. Patrols are searching for us so we need to hide until they move on. Once they move on, we’ll move on.”

  At this point Debbie walked up to Paul and she was topless. She wiped her mouth with her hand and covered her big bare tits with her arms. Kim looked down at the carpet. I suspected “Dylan” had been making her suck his dick while they waited and that was what everyone had stared at.

  Crew-cut continued: “My name is Oscar and if everyone does what Oscar tells them, everything turns out fine. I’m hungry. Where’s the kitchen?”

  Fast as I could I took Emma’s elbow and hurried to our hiding place. I had just rolled the rack into place when I heard the outer kitchen door open. Oscar told someone to make chili for his guys and the chef said he’d get started. By the sound of pots and pans I knew Chef had some help. I wondered if he remembered us back here.

  Ten minutes later the stockroom door opened and someone stepped inside. I heard boxes open and then deep-freezer door and then Chef murmured: “If you’re still back here, lay low. Three of them are just punk kids. They’ll be gone in a couple hours.”

  The freezer door closed and Chef left the stockroom. Thirty seconds later the stockroom door opened again and heavy booted feet stepped inside. We held our breath. Boxes moved as Oscar read labels and grunted when he found the Scotch. “Nice,” he muttered. We heard him drink from the bottle and smack his lips and then leave the stockroom, closing the door behind him. Emma fell into my chest, trembling. Thirty minutes later Chef announced he was finished and everyone left the kitchen.