Zoey's Place

by E M Bannock

  Her heart dropped. “Are you kidding me? Why? I really need you, honey.” She couldn’t hide her disappointment.

  “I know, babe,” he said apologetically. “There are some last-minute meetings that I can’t get out of.” Before Zoey could respond he continued. “But the great news is once I’m home I won’t have to travel again until after the first of the year.”

  She couldn’t believe her ears. “Seriously? You’re not just saying that?” She was ecstatic.

  “I’m as serious as a heart attack,” he responded. “Corporate is paranoid about the Y2K thing and they want everyone Stateside until they know there aren’t going to be any glitches.”

  In truth, the company wanted to make sure there were no terrorist attacks or kidnappings to mark the turn of the millennium. The U.S. State Department had sent out warnings of a terrorist organization headed by a man named Osama bin Laden. They believed he was responsible for the embassy bombings that killed 224 people in Kenya and Tanzania in August of 1998. They had been watching bin Laden and another terrorist named Aymen al-Zawahiri since they had issued a religious edict, or fatwa, in February of 1988, instructing all Muslims to kill Americans, civilian and military, “anywhere in the world where they can be found.”

  Camps believed to be used by bin Laden in Afghanistan and a munitions plant in Sudan were already the targets of U.S. cruise missile attacks that year and the State Department was sure bin Laden wanted revenge. The State Department wasn’t specific, but had indicated to Mickey’s company that they had seen an increase in activity and suspected that bin Laden was getting ready to “cause a scene”. Oil, the life blood of the U.S. and the world, and specifically the old industry, was the natural target. They believed the attacks would take place in the Middle East. That was Mickey’s territory, and his company took all threats seriously. Considering the stress Zoey was under, he thought it best to keep this a secret.

  Zoey felt the disappointment of his delayed arrival vanish and a sudden joy filled her. “You mean you’ll be home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s? I’ll have you all to myself?”

  “I might have to visit corporate in Texas a few times, but only for a day or two, and you can come with me if you want. Other than that, I can work from home. Wanna go to Incline Village for New Year’s and see if we can find Zoey’s Place again?”

  “Oh, Mickey, you bet I do,” she said, relieved. Her mind was racing with excitement. “Oh, oh, can we have a Christmas party and invite Joanne and Lenny and Carol and Dave and all the kids?”

  “Anything you want, babe,” he answered. “The company Christmas party is in Galveston this year. I don’t know the date yet.”

  “Mickey,” she said with dismay. “You know I hate going to those parties. All those old biddies are so stuck up.” She was referring to the wives of the other company execs. They seemed to resent the fact that Zoey had a life and career of her own, and they seemed so wrapped up in their husbands’ lives that Zoey doubted they could do anything on their own. She always felt shunned by them at social gatherings.

  “Come on, honey,” he said. “You know they’re just jealous because your husband is so handsome and still has the hots for you.”

  She laughed. “You’re right,” she conceded. “Most of them probably haven’t had sex with their husbands in years.”

  “No doubt,” he said. “I bet they’re all horny as hell.” They both laughed. “It won’t be that bad. Allen and Fen will be there. You haven’t seen her since the summer cruise. I’m sure the two of you will have lots to catch up on. Even if it’s bitching about how much time your husband spends on the road.”

  Allen Webber was Mickey’s closest associate at the company. He’d started a few years before Mickey and took him under his wing. They usually worked in tandem on the same jobs. Fenella, who liked to be called Fen, was Allen’s wife. She came from affluence, but never flaunted it in Zoey’s face like the other women. She was about ten years older than Zoey.

  Fen had a great appearance. She was tall and slender, and had that regal profile that demanded respect. She always dressed crisp and stylish, and wore just enough jewelry to let everyone know she had wealth. She had a soft and melodious voice that could make even the stingiest of tightwads open their wallets and give generously.

  At first Zoey was intimidated by Fen’s stately appearance, as she looked just like the rest of the corporate wives. But Fen sought her out and quickly dispelled that notion. Zoey and Fen formed a bond over their principles. They usually hung out together at the company gatherings. Zoey liked her values, and always enjoyed hearing about the things she had done since they last met. They became fast friends.

  In her many conversations with Fen Zoey discovered that, as much as Fen loved Allen, she had spent her married life serving his advantage. She created her own identity and career around his. Allen’s job always came first. They spent their married life moving from location to location as opportunities to advance his professional position presented themselves.

  Fen really didn’t mind. She was proud of the way Allen worked his way up the corporate ladder. He did so without compromising his morals and integrity. That was one of his traits that she admired most. In reality, working wasn’t a necessity. She was a trust fund baby and would never want for anything material. It was for her own self-worth that she pursued any type of work, whether it be volunteer or for pay. The love she received from Allen was her reward.

  Fen was much more social than Zoey. She did a lot of charity work and fund- raising with various foundations, and was active on many projects with the wives of corporate upper management, which was still a man’s world. No women had been able to break the glass ceiling at Taylor Resource Development. The wives of the execs were expected to look good and throw better parties. So, she did just that. She smiled and made small talk with everyone, and organized the charitable events. She liked that part. She had earned a degree in public relations, and couldn’t let that go to waste.

  The corporate projects were humanitarian in nature but strictly PR, carefully chosen by upper management so as not to show oil and gas in a negative light. But because they were humanitarian in nature, Fen didn’t mind being part of it. It did make her feel like she was making a difference, even though the corporation always got the credit and the glory. That part wasn’t important to her. She had great organizational and people skills and got things done. Heck, they needed Fen. Zoey was of the opinion that the other wives couldn’t wipe their own asses based on the petty things they complained about at gatherings with regard to their maids, butlers, and other hired help.

  And, of course, there was Allen. He was a great husband. He was tall, at least six inches taller than Fen’s 5’9”, and slim and stately like she was. He had a great head of hair; deep auburn, full and shiny. It had become greyer in the passing years, but that merely gave him a distinguished aura. They made a handsome couple, Fen and Allen. Dignified and cultured.

  In the professional world Allen was a hard-ass corporate attorney, aggressive but professional. Fen got to see the other side of him, the personal side, dedicated to his family and his community. He was a decent man; sensitive, caring, loving, honest, and loyal to his wife. Fen loved him dearly.

  Life with Allen was comfortable. She was independent, and Allen’s frequent absence worked in her favor. It gave her time to immerse herself in her charities and be involved in family activities.

  They had planned on having children, and tried to get pregnant right after their wedding. But after Fen had two miscarriages within as many years she was diagnosed with endometriosis. She had to have a hysterectomy. Fortunately, their multi-sibling families supplied them with many nieces and nephews and, like Zoey and Mickey, they experienced parenthood from the outside.

  Allen and Fen took advantage of the time they were together. Fen traveled with her husband on a regular basis. She embraced foreign cultures and the experiences they brought. They lived a luxurious lifestyle. She really had no reaso
n to complain about her life, and she didn’t regret a moment of it.

  Zoey rarely attended company functions or trips, but when she did decide to go to one, like the summer cruise, she’d always call Fen to see if she was attending as well. If Fen wasn’t going, neither would Zoey. Allen and Fen were the only couple Mickey and Zoey had anything at all in common with, and Fen was the only company woman who didn’t look down her nose at Zoey because of what she did for a living. Some of the biddies held the opinion that Zoey’s career somehow reflected poorly on Mickey, as if she ‘had’ to work. She and Fen had shared a laugh about that.

  Zoey thought about the opportunity to visit with her friend again and her mood brightened. “I know. I do like Fen. The rest of those nosy old bags can just kiss my ass.”

  “That’s my girl,” Mickey added.

  “I love you, Mickey,” she said. He could hear the desperation in her voice. “I miss you so much.”

  “I love you, too, babe,” he replied. “I’m getting hard.”

  “I’m getting wet.”

  “I’m gonna fuck your brains out when I see you.”

  “I’m counting on it.”

  “I gotta go. I’m gonna jerk off and go to bed.”

  “I wish I could watch.”

  “You’ll have your chance soon. But really, babe, I gotta go. I’ve got an early meeting tomorrow. I’ve got to wrap up a lot of loose ends before I leave next week. I’ll call you in a day or two and tell you what day I’ll be home.”

  “Mickey, you’re the best. I love you so much.” Her heart was aching for him. “Goodnight, my husband.”

  “Goodnight, my sweet angel. I love you, too.” And with that he hung up.

  She felt sadness and joy at the same time. It had been years since Mickey was home for such a long stretch of time. This would be the best Christmas ever. Carol and Dave always had Thanksgiving, so that was covered. They all usually got together on Christmas Eve as well, but it was always a small celebration, usually at a restaurant. Most of the time Mickey had to leave the day after Christmas. But this year it would be at the house and it would be the best ever. She started to make a check list in her head: call Joanne and Carol to tell them the good news and share her celebration plans, call the caterers and make sure it wasn’t too late to reserve their services. Call Stella. There was a menu to plan, gifts to buy, and a house to decorate. She could feel the Christmas spirit already.

  Then reality set in: Jonathan’s divorce. She had to focus. There would be plenty of time to celebrate. Actually, now she had another week to make progress. By the time Mickey got home, the deposition would be over and there would be time to catch a breather before it got hot and heavy into discovery and subpoenas.

  She looked over at the end table and saw herself and Mickey in their wedding picture. Their young love glowed like a bright star. The smiles on their faces reflected the feeling they shared, the love that continued to shine to this day. She felt lucky and blessed, but also a longing in her heart and an ache between her legs. She missed Mickey and needed to feel close to him, and she really was getting horny.

  She ran upstairs and entered their bedroom. When they moved into the Birmingham home a special hidden room was build off the master bedroom closet. She stood at the secret door, opened it, and entered the ‘Play Room’. In here they kept their porn DVDs and magazines. They had shelves full of dildos, whips, floggers, blindfolds, feather ticklers, butt plugs, handcuffs, cock rings, and other assorted sex toys. There was also a collection of sexual attire. Mickey loved it when Zoey appeared at the bedroom door wearing crotchless underwear, a bustier, a cup-less bra, or some other sexual apparel that he could remove during foreplay. She also had costumes like the French Maid, Catholic school girl, farmer’s daughter, nurse, librarian, warrior princess, and Vegas hooker.

  Mickey also had clothes that triggered sexual fantasy for Zoey, like the lumberjack, or the horny cowboy—which consisted of a black leather vest, red bandana, and a pair of chaps worn without jeans underneath so his ass and cock were exposed for easy access. That was her favorite costume. A nostalgic standby was a pair of worn jeans Mickey wore shirtless. It reminded her of their youth. The jeans were faded and threadbare in the ass and crotch area from years of Zoey’s rubbing them, and just looking at them made her hot. Mickey was a fanatic about fitness and still had a great physique.

  Pressing the jeans to her cheek she closed her eyes, their softness reminding her of his tenderness. Their musky smell harkened of the many amorous nights she had pulled them off him, revealing his hard, throbbing cock. In her mind she was reliving the last time she and Mickey had sex, her desire growing to a fever pitch.

  She looked around and grabbed her favorite dildo. It was red with ridges and she had nicknamed it Jondalar, after the main male character in one of her favorite books, Valley of the Horses, by Jean M. Auel. Rushing out of the closet she fell to the bed as she tugged off her sweatpants. She pushed Jondalar into herself and flipped the ‘on’ switch. She closed her eyes and fanaticized that Mickey was in control, surrendering to the pleasure. It had been a while since she had masturbated, and her orgasm came quickly. She lay there motionless for a moment as the rush of pleasure left her weak. She reached down with her other hand and quieted the still-buzzing device, savoring the full feeling of having something inside of her for just another moment before she pulled it out. She sprawled out on her bed with her eyes closed, still basking in the sexual afterglow.

  Just then the doorbell rang. Her dinner had arrived.

  Chapter 5

  The deposition proved to be a shocking surprise. Rhonda accused Jonathan of everything from drug dealing to child abuse. Several times during the questioning Zoey held Jonathan back as the accusations flew. She told him ahead of time what to expect and to let Rhonda hang herself with her own words. She assured him it would work out for the best when they actually went to court.

  Zoey couldn’t believe Rhonda was talking about the Jonathan she knew. Rhonda was aware of the close relationship Zoey had with Jonathan’s family, and yet her depiction of him, Joanne, and Lenny were that of total strangers. She portrayed Joanne as a demanding, controlling sister-in-law constantly meddling in her marriage, who treated her more like an overbearing mother-in-law than sister-in-law, always trying to tell her how to raise little Jon. She stated that Lenny called Jonathan ten times a day and insisted on being involved in their every decision. She complained they never had any privacy.

  It appeared that Rhonda’s attorney, Phillip, was suckered in by Rhonda’s charm. He held her hand during the questioning, always with a tissue at the ready when the water works started, like when Rhonda described watching Jonathan toss little Jon across the room because he wouldn’t stop crying.

  “You liar!” Jonathan yelled back as he rose from his seat.

  Zoey quickly grabbed him by the arm and sat him back down. “Remember what I told you,” she reprimanded. She could tell this was hard on him. Poor guy.

  “Did you tell anyone about this?” Zoey continued her questioning.

  “I was afraid,” she answered.

  “Afraid of what?” Zoey asked.

  “Of his sister and her husband. I knew they wouldn’t believe me. I didn’t know what they would do to me,” she replied between sobs.

  “Did you fear for your safety?”

  “No, not really. I mean, I don’t know.”

  Zoey saw that Rhonda was fidgeting in her chair. “Did you take little Jon to the doctor after Jonathan threw him?” she asked.

  “No,” was the reply.

  “Oh? Why not?” Zoey calmly asked. “If it was as bad as you say it was, weren’t you concerned for your son’s wellbeing?”

  Rhonda looked confused, as if she was trying to think of something to say. “Well-well, I didn’t know who to call or what to do. I was afraid. I-I-I…” She began to stutter. Zoey knew Rhonda was making this up as she went along.

  Rhonda’s attorney could see that Zoey wasn’t buying it and
broke in. “Counselor, this subject is obviously very upsetting to my client. She is clearly shaken. Can’t you see how distressing this is for her to recall the incident?”

  Zoey decided to let it drop. “Fine,” she said, looking at her notes, then continued.

  “And what about your relationship with Jonathan’s friend, Jacob? Why did you decide to sleep with your husband’s best friend?”

  “Spider was always there for me,” Rhonda replied.

  “Spider?” Zoey asked.

  “Yeah,” Rhonda replied. “That’s what everyone calls him. You know, ‘cause he’s so tall and skinny.” Zoey had met Jacob at the wedding, but didn’t know about the nickname. He had been introduced as Jacob.

  Zoey looked over at Jonathan. He nodded to confirm.

  “So,” Zoey continued. “When did you and Jacob start committing adultery?”

  “That’s putting it a bit crudely, don’t you think, Mrs. DeLucca?” Phillip interjected.

  Zoey looked him straight in the eye and replied coldly, “Infidelity is always crude, Counselor.”

  Rhonda looked at her attorney before she answered. “We’re in love,” she said, holding her head high. “Have been since before the baby was born.”

  Zoey could see the sword pierce Jonathan’s heart and patted his hand to comfort him. “So,” she continued, “your infidelity has been going on for over a year? Are you sure Jonathan is the father of your child?”

  Rhonda looked at Jonathan then back at Zoey. “Yes,” she said with confidence. “Spider and I fell in love right after I found out I was pregnant.”

  Zoey could see the arrows of hurt hit their mark as Jonathan buried his head in his hands and let out a painful sigh.

  The rest of the afternoon was just as excruciating. Rhonda said Jonathan sold drugs at work to supplement his salary. She said he beat her if the house wasn’t clean. She claimed his lovemaking was inadequate and clumsy, and he didn’t appreciate her or know how to sexually satisfy her. This, she claimed, was why she fell in love with Spider. He loved her. He knew how to treat a woman and how to make love like a man.