Message-ID: <22220asstr$947427002@assm.asstr-mirror.org> X-Original-Message-ID: From: artie Subject: {ASSM} TGM: Finding a New Life 3/7 by artie (MF ROM) Date: Sun, 9 Jan 2000 09:10:02 -0500 Path: assm.asstr-mirror.org!not-for-mail Approved: Newsgroups: alt.sex.stories.moderated,alt.sex.stories Followup-To: alt.sex.stories.d X-Archived-At: X-Moderator-Contact: ASSTR ASSM moderation X-Story-Submission: X-Moderator-ID: dennyw, kelly <1st attachment, "t03.txt" begin> Tales of the Golden Mule (c) Copyright 1999 by artie@netgate.net This work may not be reposted or redistributed without the prior express written permission of the author. A work of fiction, meant for adults. Read something else if you are not an adult, or are offended by stories with sexual content. Then again, if all you're looking for is in-out, in-out, in-out, you should probably read something else. I welcome constructive comments. Enjoy. Tales of the Golden Mule - Finding a New Life - Part 3 We woke up and held each other. That's the way to start the day. We finally got up and showered, after brushing the rose petals off each other. It was a little after eight in the morning. "What should we do today?" Nancy asked as we were drying off. "Well, clean up the rose petals would be a good start, then after breakfast I want to take some videos." She raised her eyebrows. "Oh?" I laughed. "Yes, of this place. Remember what they talked about on "This Old House?" How valuable that video was going to be with the insurance company? I want to get a record of this place, and the big house." She nodded. "That's a good idea. What after that?" I shrugged. "Start showing you how infuriating computers can be. We should probably check in with Jill." Nancy nodded. We went back into the bedroom and started cleaning up rose petals. We had the bed turned most of the way back and were sweeping them into the waste cans for the bedroom and the bathroom. Watching her bend over naked, sweeping petals out of the bed, was too much for me. We got most of them cleaned up and I took her by the arm and led her to the foot of the bed. Our marvelous soft spread was folded up at the foot, and partially on the floor. I put her on her stomach on the spread, with her knees on the spread on the floor. She gave me an appreciative moan. That moan got more appreciative as I slipped into her. I gathered up the spread on both sides of her and wrapped her in it. She started moaning more, and buckling underneath me as I pulled it tight around her. The fabric slid around so it pretty much covered her bottom and her legs. The sensation was intense, and soon I was coming as well. I unwrapped her as we slipped apart. She slid to the floor with an amazed smile on her face. "Wow! That was very nice!" I moved over and kissed her. "I thought so too. You're just too tempting some times." "No sense in resisting temptation," she told me between kisses. "You don't have to, either," I reminded her. She laughed and hugged me. I helped her up. We finished cleaning up, and remade the bed. We even got dressed. I got the camera while Nancy fixed us breakfast. I plugged the thing in to charge the battery. I also unwrapped a brand new tape and put it in the recorder. I could afford a spare battery, a charger, and a cord to run it in the car. We could do that next time we were in the valley. We sat down to another breakfast of eggs, bacon, juice, and toast. I must have frowned a little. Nancy asked, "Something wrong with breakfast?" I smiled as she sat down. "Nothing at all. Just wondering what a diet like this will do to my weight and cholesterol." She nodded. "We should both get physicals. When's the last time you had one?" I shrugged my shoulders. "A few years ago -- hey, I never asked Jill about life insurance policies. Janet had one, separate from the work stuff." "John didn't. Said it was a waste of money." I chuckled; what weird values. We cleaned up the kitchen, and I picked up the camera to start doing our tour. Nancy called out, "Hey, this is my house! I get to do it!" "Okay, if you insist." I showed her how to run the camera. She wanted to start upstairs. She used me for opening and closing doors. We'd moved downstairs and had just about finished the kitchen when the doorbell rang and we heard a loud knocking on the door. We both went to answer it. I opened the door. There was a middle aged overweight white guy in a windbreaker standing there. "Hi, are you Bill Wilson?" he said, extending a hand. It was drizzling out. I didn't open the door very far. My gut didn't like this guy. "Yes, who are you?" "I'm Brian Morris. You are a very hard person to find; I'm really lucky. Mister Wilson, it's very important that I speak to you. May I come in?" He started stepping to the door. "No!" I said very clearly, stepping back and getting ready to slam the door. "It's raining out here!" he complained. "So it is. What do you want?" "Mister Wilson, it's very important. I need to ask you some questions about the accident involving your late wife." "You got any identification?" I didn't trust this clown. "Look, Mister Wilson, this will only take a few minutes, if ..." "Got any identification?" I repeated. I hoped the hell Nancy had that recorder going still. I opened the door a little more. He dug into his pocket and handed me a card. I grabbed it, not looking at it. "If you have any questions about the accident, call Jill Anders, my attorney. She represents me on these things. You want her phone number?" He sort of glowered at me. Jill had prepared me for how to deal with questions from his ilk. I told him again, "I'm represented by an attorney. Her name is Jill Anders. Any and all questions on this go through her. I don't talk to anyone without talking to her. Would you like her phone number?" He was getting upset, but also trying to hold it. His hands were on his hips, but he was forcing a smile. "I've talked to Miss Anders. She wants you to talk to me about this." I smiled, not believing him for a nanosecond. "You've talked to Jill?" He smiled and nodded. "Yes, I have, and ..." "And she told you it was okay to talk to me?" He smiled more and started stepping towards the door. "Yes, she did, so ..." "Good" I told him, "Let's meet at her office at one this afternoon and talk. Have a good day." I closed the door. Nancy was standing behind me, still holding the camera. "Leave it running," I said, "I love you." His pounding on the door behind me startled me. Hell, it scared me, and I jumped. "Wilson, I'm not leaving here until you've answered my questions." I took a breath and turned to the door, throwing the deadbolt. "Fine. If you're not gone in one minute, I'm calling the cops. Stop pounding on my door and get lost." We heard footsteps, a car door slam, an engine start, and tires squealing as he departed. "Leave it running," I told Nancy as I picked up my cell phone from the table by the door. My hands were shaking as I punched Jill's number. Her secretary answered. "Hi, this is Bill Wilson. I need to speak to Jill -- this is an emergency." A few moments later, Jill was on the line. "Bill, what's happened?" I took a breath, trying to regain my composure. My stomach was starting to churn. "We just had a visit from a clown named Brian Morris." "Oh you did, did you? And just what did Mister Morris have to say?" "I take it you've talked?" "Oh yes. He's been trying to find you for a few days. I hope you didn't tell him anything." "Nope, I did what you told me to do. I told him I was represented by an attorney, you, and to talk to you. Then he told me he'd spoken to you, and you wanted me to talk to him." "He did! That's a bald faced lie; I hope you didn't fall for that." "Not at all. I told him if that was the case, he could meet me at your office at one this afternoon. Somehow I don't think he'll show. God." "Bill, both of you should come over so we can talk. Are you all right?" "No, I'm not. This scares the hell out of me. He was screaming at us and pounding on the door." "Don't worry about it, Bill. Settle down and come over. I'd like to get his ticket pulled for misrepresentation like that." Finally I got to smile. I looked up at Nancy. She nodded. "Well, we've got the whole thing on videotape. Like us to bring that along?" Jill gave a low laugh. "Yes, please." "What's this about, Jill?" She sighed. "He's an investigator for the insurance company responsible for Janet's policy at work." I sighed and put a hand on my forehead. "I thought that was over and done with." "So did I, until a couple days ago. Come on over and we'll talk. I've got some other things to go over with both of you as well. Is Nancy there?" "Yes, she is. Want to talk to her?" "Yes, please. Bill, you don't sound good. Sit down and try to unwind a bit. I'll see you in a while. Let me talk to Nancy now." "Okay Jill, see you in a while." I handed the phone to Nancy. She handed me the camera; it was still running. I pointed it at her; my hands were shaking some, so I leaned back against the wall. She said, "Okay," a couple times, then, "We'll leave in half an hour or so. Bye." She pushed the off button on the phone and folded it up. She looked at me and said, "I love you." I sighed and turned off the camera. I put it on the counter and she stepped over and hugged me. I held on tight, closing my eyes. "It's okay, sweetie; Jill will take care of things," she told me. We stood there for a few minutes, holding and rocking. I calmed down some, finally taking a deep breath and sighing. "Feel like taking a ride?" she asked with a half smile. I nodded. "I don't think we're going to be back here for a while. I need to go to the bathroom first." She sighed. "I think you're right." We picked up a little more, then loaded things into the Jeep, and secured the house. It took us almost an hour to get going. Nancy drove. I kept the camera in my lap. "What are you doing that for?" Nancy asked as we drove out. "Just in case that bastard decides to follow us," I told her. As far as we could tell, he didn't. We drove right to Jill's office, parked, and went in. The receptionist took us to the conference room. Jill was there, as was Karen. They both looked upset. Two guys in suits were there as well. There was a TV set on a high cart next to the wall by the suits. Jill said, "Bill, Nancy, this is Mister Greer, and Mister McCafferty. They represent the insurance carrier, and were kind enough to join us this morning on short notice." Both of them looked damn uncomfortable. Good. I nodded to them and sat down across from them. Nancy sat next to me; we held hands. The older looking one spoke first. "Mister Wilson, I understand you were visited this morning by someone purporting to represent us?" Bile rose in my stomach. I looked over to Jill. She gave me a tight smile. Okay, I understand the game. "I don't know who he represents -- he never told me. The name he gave me was Brian Morris. Here's his card. I'd like it back." I flipped the card across the table to them. Both of them looked at it and passed it back to me. I handed it to Jill. "Can you describe what happened?" the guy asked. I smiled; it was a tight, bile smile. "I can do far better than that, gentlemen. Jill, may I?" I looked to her; she nodded. I got up, a little wobbly, and took the camera and the camera bag to the TV. I had the cables I needed. As I hooked it up, I talked, more to keep myself under control than anything else. "Do any of you watch a fine PBS program called 'This Old House'? Their latest series is on rebuilding a house seriously damaged in a fire. The owners were very lucky to have a recent videotape of their house and its furnishings. Nancy and I decided to do the same; we started this morning." I hit play, and crouched down near the TV on its tall wheeled stand. It was weird, hearing Nancy's voice narrating things, and watching myself open and close doors on command. She left it running as we went downstairs. We did the kitchen, and then the traumatic part started. She caught things beautifully, doing a close-up on his face. His voice was loud and clear, telling us Jill wanted me to talk to him. I was watching my breathing, feeling my heart race. Even though I'd lived through it, the pounding on the door really got to me, especially when I saw myself jump. I lost it when I saw how bad my hand was shaking as I started dialing my phone to call Jill. The nearest wastebasket was on the other side of the TV cart, next to the two insurance guys. I dived for it. I almost made it. I woofed some on the floor, but most of the first wave went into the wastebasket -- two eggs over queasy. They were soon followed by the bacon, toast, and juice. My eyes were closed and I was heaving my guts out. I felt hands on me. Somehow they didn't help, and set off another series of waves. Eventually I slowed down and sat back. Someone wiped my face with a cool wet cloth, then dried me. I flopped on the floor. "Bill, talk to me, or I'm calling 911," Jill said. I opened my eyes. Jill and Nancy were there. I sat up with help. We were the only ones in the room. "God. Sorry about that. I don't need this shit; I really don't." Nancy was crying. I held her hand and squeezed it as best I could, which wasn't very hard. They helped me up; I had a few sips of water. "What now?" I asked Jill. She gave me a funny look. "How do you feel?" I shook my head. "I feel like shit." "Do you feel like answering some questions from our guests?" Nancy started to protest. I squeezed her hand. "I think so." Jill put a hand on my shoulder. "Let's give it a try. When you say, 'stop,' we stop." She stepped out of the room. Nancy said, "Bill, you don't have to do this now." I smiled as best I could. "No hon, I think I understand. Let's go with it as best we can. Trust Jill -- you've told me that before." A few minutes later our two guests came back into the room. The younger one looked pretty ashen; probably the way I looked. The older guy spoke again. "Mister Wilson, I apologize for the treatment you received. That is not the way our company or its representatives comport themselves. I understand you're willing to answer some questions?" I nodded. "I'll tell you what I know, which is damn little. I wasn't at the accident. I haven't seen any of the official reports. That whole day is damn hazy, as I was recovering from surgery, sedated, and in shock." Both guys nodded. The older one said, "So you haven't seen any of the police reports?" "No." "Any medical reports or records?" "No." "Do you remember the name of the officer who informed you of the accident." "No, I don't." He turned to his cohort and said, "Greg?" The young one cleared his throat. "Mister Wilson, thank you for speaking with us. I understand how difficult this must be for you." "I really doubt that," I told him. He took a breath, but continued. "Mister Wilson, before the accident, were you aware that your wife was having an affair?" Jill said, "Bill, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to." I held Nancy's hand. "I didn't have a fucking clue." "What was your relationship with John L?" I smiled. "I was his fucking victim. I believe the proper term is cuckold." He took a breath, and continued. "Did you ever meet or speak with John L?" I shook my head. "Not that I'm aware of." "Do you know how he and your wife met?" I frowned. "I was told he was on the board of directors of Janet's company." "Who told you?" "I think it was my attorney." "Before or after the accident?" "I didn't have an attorney before the accident." "So it must have been afterwards, then?" "Brilliant." I was getting tired of this clown. "Thank you, Mister Wilson. I'm almost through. Now, did your wife mention she was going to Tahoe that Friday?" I shook my head. "No. Must have slipped her mind." "Do you know what they were going to do in Tahoe?" Nancy gripped my hand. I stared at the fucker. Jill said, "Bill..." I took a breath. "My attorney told me, on Monday after the accident I think, though it might have been Tuesday, that they were meeting with some outside financial people, who were quite pissed that they didn't show for the meeting." He cleared his throat again, and asked, "Mister Wilson, do you have any idea what caused the accident?" Jill stood up suddenly. I reached over and grabbed her hand. "Jill, it's okay. I told you I wasn't there. Anything I'd say would be a wild fucking guess. I was told he had a massive heart attack." Jill spoke in a very cold voice, "Any more questions for my client, gentlemen?" They looked at each other for a moment. The older one said, "If we could have a word with you, counsel." Jill said, "Nancy, can you take Bill to my office?" Nancy said softly, "Yes." She helped me up, and out of the room. Karen was outside, and helped us to Jill's office. I plopped into a chair. Nancy sat next to me and held me as best she could. After a bit I asked for some water; Karen got it for me. "What's going to happen to Mister Morris?" I asked her. She gave me a grim smile. "He's history. With that company, at least." "Karen, that creep scares me. I'm afraid of what he might do, especially if he suddenly finds himself out of work." Nancy held my hands tighter. Karen said, "I'll be right back." She stepped out of the room. "Bill, what am I going to do with you?" Nancy whispered. "Keep me, please." She held my head to her shoulder. Even though it was spinning still, it helped. It was a while before anyone joined us. I heard the door, and looked up to see both Jill and Karen come in. Jill leaned on the corner of her desk, which was piled with file folders and paper. "Bill, Nancy, how are you doing?" Nancy squeezed my hands and said, "I'm okay." I took a breath. "I'm better. What's going on?" Jill sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Bill, you've handled this extremely well; I don't know how you could have done any better." "Woofed on someone's tasseled shoes?" I suggested. That got some nervous laughter. "We had a very polite chat. They're going to talk to the people at their office. I expect this matter to close fairly soon." "And what about Mister Morris?" Jill looked at Karen, then back to us. "Karen told us you were scared. I let them know that if you so much as hear a loud noise around where you're staying, if we see Morris anywhere near you, they are going to end up in court." Karen spoke up. "I'm going to stay with you for a few days, and have one of my people check the other house, if that's okay." Nancy asked, "You really think there's a risk?" Karen shrugged her shoulders. "There's no way of knowing. I like to be conservative." I had a funny thought. "Should we leave town for a few days?" Nancy gave me a strange look. Jill said, "Well, if you wanted to. But there are a few other things we need to go over before you leave for Europe." I looked at Nancy and smiled. For some reason, I felt things were going to be okay. "Such as?" "Your will, for one. There's the potential of a conflict, so I want you to finish it with Marshall. I've already talked to him, and he agrees. There are instances when I can't represent both you and Nancy." "I don't understand," I told her. She smiled and sighed. "It's part of our ethical canons. Lawyers do have them, you know." I nodded. I squeezed Nancy's hand. "Jill, I've got a lot of questions for you." To my surprise, Nancy said, "I'll let you talk," and stood up. "I love you," I told her. She sighed and whispered, "I love you." She and Karen stepped out of the room. Jill said, "Bill, there are a lot of things I can do for the both of you, but some things that it's better I not do for you both. I hope you understand." I nodded. "Oh, I do. I just ... Things seem to be unraveling all of a sudden." Jill stopped, her mouth hanging open. She closed it a bit and smiled, then shook her head. "Bill, it's not that bad." I thought for a moment. "Let's start with insurance. What happened to the two hundred thousand policy Janet had, I think it was with Northwestern?" Jill nodded. "We received the check last week. It's been deposited." Okay, that would last for a while. "How about Janet's stock options?" Jill smiled at that one. "That's underway." I must have given her a pained look or something. "No, Bill, we're in the process of selling the shares. Duncan worked out a very good arrangement with a financial house to do what's needed on a fixed fee. The shares are being unloaded a bit at a time, so as not to cause the company problems. I'd have to check with Duncan, but he expects you'll clear around twenty five million after taxes, and after the gift to Santa Clara." I still wasn't sure. "And that can't be undone? I thought the insurance policy with Janet's company was a done deal as well." She frowned. "So did I. But as to the stock, part of that transaction was a mutual release. It's one of the things I had you sign. There's no way that transaction can be affected. That money is secure." "Then what the hell is happening with this other insurance thing?" She ran fingers through her hair. "I thought this one was done last week. I think we're just dealing with an over-zealous investigator." "Jill, the money isn't important. If it's going to be a problem..." "No, Bill, that's not the point. This should be an open and shut deal. She was covered, and they were on their way to a business meeting. Any extracurricular activity is irrelevant. If these people don't settle, and soon, I'm going to recommend suing them for bad faith." I sat back. "Sue? Go to court? Why?" She looked at me. "Bill, you can't let them push you around. This isn't something extravagant, or some wild money grabbing -- this is getting them to deliver on what they promised." I nodded. "I agree with that part. But wouldn't that involve dragging all this shit out in court -- everything between Janet and John -- could it extend to Christine and Gail as well? I don't want Nancy hurt." "Bill, they could try, and they most likely would, but I'm confidant we could keep all that under control. Besides, you summed it up pretty well. You could only be called on to testify on things you know firsthand. You weren't there, and that Friday, you were one sick puppy." "Nancy?" "Same thing. She wasn't there. Then we get into privilege issues." "How about John's and Janet's funny calendars. Should I get rid of those?" "No!" Jill said adamantly. "I don't play that way. Did you do backups of those computers? I thought you mentioned something about that." I nodded. "Yes, I backed 'em up onto CDs before I changed things." "Good. I want copies of those CDs, as soon as possible. Bill, are you behind me on this one? I'm giving these people strong signals we're willing to fight on this. I'm leaning on the execs at Janet's company for their support. If that isn't the case, I need to know." "Let me talk to Nancy. I want to protect her, and the other women in this mess. Still, I guess she couldn't testify against her husband, could she..." Jill gave me a strange look, and a smile. "Are you thinking of something rash?" Change the subject, and fast... "How about the big trust. Any chance of challenges against that? Who could undermine or try to undermine that?" Jill shook her head. "Not a chance. It's as close to bulletproof as you can get. They did a very good job. As head of the trust, you're a member of a number of different boards -- that could change, and will change, I suspect. We've been notifying people of the change, but don't expect much to happen in the next month or two. The trust holds some substantial positions in different groups. I'm sure you're going to be receiving a number of interesting proposals." I frowned at that language. "Any of those things in L A?" Jill picked up a notepad and wrote herself a note. "Not sure. Why?" "Just thinking of our mystery redhead." She smiled. "Things are going to be interesting for a while, I'm afraid." That didn't do my stomach any good at all, even with the smile. Especially with the smile -- what kinds of things make a lawyer smile? "Bill, you and Nancy are financially secure. By the end of this week, we'll have completed the conversion of Janet's options. You'll have probably over twenty five million tax free, set up in a trust that makes it available to you and protects it from anyone else. You have the trust assets from John. You are financially secure. That doesn't mean there won't be bumps in the road. Since you have money, and a lot of it, people are going to be trying to figure ways of separating it from you. You did really well this morning dealing with that investigator. If you handle other challenges half as well, you won't have any problems. Our jobs, Mindy, Marshall, Karen, and I, our jobs are to provide a buffer to the two of you so that you can do what you want." "So all we have to do is figure out what that is?" Jill smiled. "And we can't be much help with that, I'm afraid. But I'll try as much as I can." I nodded. "So what about my will? Should I call Marshall?" Jill nodded. "Yes. I talked with him and he agrees. You should do it this week. I'm doing this to protect the both of you. I want to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. I don't want to provide any openings for people to challenge things." "Okay, I'll give him a call. I haven't seen him since before Tahoe anyway. I should give him some shit to make sure his head hasn't gotten too big." Jill laughed. "I think he's adapting quite well. He's a good choice. You seem to have a good instinct for that." I nodded, but smiled grimly. "I'm not sure about that. On the one hand, there are all of you I've met through this nightmare. But then there's Janet. I thought..." Jill sighed. "People change, Bill. I don't have an answer to that. But you've said how good others that ran into John were." "Yes -- Nancy, Christine, Gail. I'm still worried. Janet changed so much so fast, and I didn't even realize it. Could that happen to me?" Jill shook her head. "I don't think so. I hope not. Not if you talk to Nancy, talk to me. Not if you listen to yourself." "Tell me when you think I'm doing something stupid, will you?" Jill smiled again. "If that's what you want, of course. But the decisions will always be with you. I'll recommend and advise, but you have to choose." I smiled. "Like the decision to marry Nancy?" Jill didn't even blink. "I've only got one word of caution on that." "Oh?" She gave me a very determined look. "I'd better be there." I laughed. "Okay, but it may be short notice." "I'll give you my pager and my cell phone numbers. After this morning, you should have them anyway." "Jill, I hope I never have another experience like this morning." Jill's smile disappeared and she sighed, shaking her head. "Bill, that's something I can't guarantee." That didn't do me much good. I needed more water, or something to drink. My head hurt. Where was Nancy? "Do you want to keep the videotape?" I asked her. She nodded. "Yes, please. That's a very valuable tape." "Okay, but I'm taking the camera. I've got another new tape in the bag. I'm going to keep carrying that thing with me. I wish I knew what kind of car that clown drove." "Bill, Karen and I will take care of him. Be cautious, but don't worry! Can you do that?" I smiled. "I don't know. Let's find Nancy, and get out of your hair. I've caused you enough excitement for one day." She helped me to my feet. "Bill, I enjoy working with you. It's never dull." I shook my head. "I'd like some dull for a while. It sounds nice." She laughed and patted me on the back. We walked back to the lobby. Karen was there, on her cell phone. "Where's Nancy?" I asked nobody in particular. The receptionist said, "She's in Mindy's office. I'll let her know." She hit a couple buttons on the phone in front of her and said, "Jill and Mister Wilson are in the lobby." Someone got me a glass of water; I drank part of it, slowly. Karen got off the phone and folded it up, putting it back in her pocket. "Bill, do you have an extra set of keys for the beach house?" I nodded and got out my keys; both Nancy and I had sets. I took mine off and gave them to Karen. "Good. One of my people will go over there. I'll be with you at the Woodside house, for a day or so. I can keep out of the way." I grinned. "That sounds good. Remember, you don't need a swimsuit." As Karen laughed, I heard Nancy say, "I'm glad you're feeling better." I looked up; she knelt down and put her hands on my legs. "How are you, sweetie?" I looked at her and shook my head. "I feel like I've been through a meat grinder." She smiled, then stood and helped me to my feet. "Have your house key?" I nodded. "Good; I gave mine to Karen. We've got an appointment. Karen, we'll meet you at the house in a couple hours." We got in the Jeep, with Nancy driving. We started heading up El Camino. "Where are we going?" I asked. "I talked to Sue. We're going to see someone she recommended." Nancy put a hand on my shoulders and rubbed my neck gently. "I'm worried, sweetie." "Given what's happened today, I'd call that a fairly reasonable reaction." We drove to one of the innumerable medical buildings surrounding the Stanford Medical Center and parked in the lot. Nancy looked at a small note, and said, "Third floor, Suite 320," as we got out. The doctor in question was a psychiatrist -- no surprise. We went in, and I filled out some paperwork. A pleasant young woman invited me back shortly thereafter, and showed me to the good doctor's office. He was a pleasant enough looking guy, probably late forties, on the thin side, and not a lot of hair. I pegged him as rodent-like. We shook hands, and he motioned me to a chair in front of his desk. "Well, Mister Wilson, what brings you here today?" "My wife driving our Jeep," I replied. I was feeling better, even feisty. He didn't even blink. "I understand my colleague Sue Cohen recommended you see me. Do you know why she would do that?" Okay, he knows Sue. Either that's the extent of his knowledge, or he wants me to tell the tale. I figured I'd be here for a while. I slipped off my shoes, leaned back, and sighed. "Well, I'm having a problem dealing with stressful situations. I keep seeing things flash in front of me." "Such as?" "Well, this morning, it was breakfast. I went from mildly queasy to woofing out my guts in nothing flat. It seems to be a habit I've developed, and one I'm not fond of." He looked at me and nodded. I got the feeling of one of those bobble headed things in the back window of a car. I wondered if I could get a reaction if I dropped my pants and crapped on his desk. No, that's not kind. I'm fucked up, and he's trying to help. I sighed again and leaned back a bit. "Let me tell you the Tale of the Golden Mule," I started out. I gave him the abbreviated and mostly expurgated version. Still, that took a while. As I talked, he reminded me more of the senior partner I'd talked to at Wilson. Attentive, listening, drawing me out with silence and a nod. Was that it? I couldn't stand silence, and would fill it with words? "What do you think this means?" he asked me after I'd completed my tale, telling him of the morning's experiences. Telling it helped. It reminded me of the relief I'd felt the first time I'd told someone, the doc that snipped me. It had felt good to tell it. "Well, I've been tossed into a meat grinder. I'm still trying to regain my balance, and figure out just who I am, and where I'm going. All the rules seem to have changed. It's not so much that I'm reacting poorly to stress; I handled things pretty well this morning, even Jill thought so. It's the delayed reactions that are getting to me. Like this morning -- I made it through the ordeal, yet lost it watching a videotape a couple hours later." "How have you been sleeping?" I could smile at that. "I sleep very well. I think it has something to do with going to sleep in the embrace of a wonderful, loving woman." He actually smiled as he nodded. He pulled out a small pad and started writing. It looked like a prescription pad. "Antibiotic?" I asked. He gave me a funny look. He tore off the page and handed it to me. "No, it will help you with the anxiety attacks. I believe Mrs. Cohen spoke to you about post-traumatic stress disorder?" I nodded. "So what are the side effects of this? What's the mechanism of action?" "The reported side effects are fairly minimal, and ..." "So you've never taken this yourself?" I interrupted. He sat back a bit. "Doctor, let me tell you about a plumbing problem we had at the house. We've got a full bath downstairs, sinks, shower, tub, can, the whole deal. The sewer line is kind of funky. It used to back up a bit sometimes, back up into the tub. Not a big problem, not often, but inconvenient. At first I just put a plug in the tub drain. But after a while, the plug would pop up, and we'd have the problem again." "So I thought about it, and I knew what to do. I'll put a big stinking brick on top of the plug -- that will cure it. But then I thought of my wonderful wife. She wouldn't like a brick in the tub, not with guests using the bathroom. So I looked around, and I found a specialist who deals with just this sort of problem. It was expensive, but he got me this great looking round rock. It matches the bathroom decor -- it really fits in well. And with that rock sitting on top of the drain plug, our problem is solved." I waved the piece of paper, letting him know what I thought of it. He nodded, and smiled. "Mister Wilson, the analogy you've just given me is far more accurate than you think. It's true -- we don't know the mechanism of action for the medication I've recommended. And it is also true that it alone will not deal with the underlying problem that's causing these attacks. It will help you get through those periods. But it will not go after the underlying difficulty. As you yourself implied," he leaned forward a bit, "that will only happen when you decide to address those problems, and undertake the task of cleaning out the sewer. Yes, you picked a superb analogy. Cleaning out the sewer is about what it will entail -- deep, dirty, hard work." That let the air out of my arguments, and my anger. I laughed. "Why the laughter?" he asked after a bit. I shook my head. "If I've learned one thing so far, if I have a choice between laughing and crying, I'll laugh. I'd like to apologize if I've offended you, doctor. I have the feeling this problem is something that's going to take a while to clear up. I have to find a new balance, and a lot of the things I used to rely on to maintain my balance are gone." He nodded. I chuckled again. "Now that I've offended you by implying all you were offering was a Band-Aid quick fix, what sage quick-fix advice can you give me to get me through the next couple weeks? We leave for a three week European vacation in a week and a half. When we get back, I'm interested in cleaning out a sewer." He smiled and nodded again. "What has helped so far?" he asked me. I sighed, leaning forward, elbows on knees, hands together. "Talking helps. Talking to Sue, to Nancy, to Jill, to the doc who snipped me. Not holding it in helps. It doesn't answer any questions, but it helps. Doing things helps -- saying active. But I'm still scared some times. I've been dumped into something, something larger than I can handle." "You seem to be handling it rather well." I looked up. "Really?" He smiled, almost laughed. "Yes. Mister Wilson, as you've said, you have been through some incredible events recently. Yet, you've maintained a sense of direction, and a sense of humor. You're finding new resources. Learn to rely on those resources. You have a good idea of what's going on." I sighed again and shook my head. "Part of me does, but part of me doesn't. Jill tells me, over and over again: I'm financially secure. Part of me hears that. Yet part of me is still scared, still worried. I guess the intellectual part understands these things, but the emotional part keeps freaking out. How do I connect the two?" "Mister Wilson, people have struggled over that for a long time. Awareness of the problem is the first, and major step. A wise man once said 'A journey of a thousand Li starts with one step.' If you'd like, we could set a schedule and meet again before you depart on your vacation." I nodded. "That sounds useful to me." We spoke for a bit about ground rules, schedules, fees. We decided on Thursday mornings on a regular basis, and tomorrow morning as well. I didn't want to commit to next Tuesday; we might be in Tahoe then. He gave me some paperwork to read and sign, and led me back to the front desk. Nancy practically leapt out of her chair as I stepped through the door. We hugged. Nancy looked at the doctor with anticipation. He smiled, said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Wilson," then stepped back and closed the door. I took her arm in mine and took her out to the hall. We hugged again waiting for the elevator, and kissed on the ride down. As we walked to the Jeep, she asked, "Well?" I had an arm around her waist, and gave her a squeeze. "I'm going to live." "I'm glad to hear that!" "People keep telling me I'm doing okay under the circumstances. Sometimes I even feel that way. We'll make it." "So where do we go from here?" "I've got a prescription to fill. Whether I take it or not is another question entirely; I'll look it up when we get home. I'm seeing him again tomorrow morning, and then on Thursdays for a while. I think it will do me good. Okay?" We were standing by the Jeep, face to face, hip to hip. She sighed and smiled. "Okay." "Any questions?" I asked her. She gave me a sly smile. "What's this 'Mrs. Wilson' stuff?" I started laughing and held her tight. I was thinking about her as my wife; I guess it slipped out. Trust my gut? She dug her fingers into my sides. "Well?" I held her tighter. "We'll talk about it later. Right now, let's get going. What pharmacy do you usually use?" She sighed and shook her head as she got out the keys. We drove to a pharmacy by the house and got my prescription. I'd look it up on the net at home. When we got home, Karen's Jeep was parked in front, and an alarm company truck was in the driveway. We pulled into the garage. Karen came out to meet us. She explained she was having the alarm system tweaked a little, changing coverage areas, adding coverage of the outside gates and perimeter. We talked with the alarm system guy. I mentioned I'd been thinking of putting in a bunch of X-10 switches so we could control the lights. He said that was a good idea, and the alarm system we had could already send out X-10 codes to turn on lights when alarms were triggered. I told him where I'd been thinking of getting the switches, a place in Cupertino, and he agreed they were the best place around. He gave me one of his cards, and said to use it; they'd give me a price break. I told Nancy I was going to count switches. Before I left to get them, I talked to the alarm guy again, and he made some very good suggestions. I told Nancy I'd be back in a couple hours. My first stop though was in Palo Alto at the massage place. The receptionist remembered me, and soon I was talking to Angie, catching her between clients. I told her I wanted to learn how to massage feet, as a surprise for Nancy. What could we do Tuesday or Wednesday morning? I left there set up for Tuesday morning from 9 to 10. That left me half an hour to get to the shrink, from 10:30 to 11:30. I called Marshall's office and set up an appointment to meet with him at one. I picked up around $1400 worth of switches and miscellaneous bits, and that was with a discount. On the way back I thought of my little cordless screwdriver, and stopped by a home store and bought a new top of the line Makita variable speed wonder drill, spare batteries, and a wide assortment of bits. Thanks to John, I paid cash for everything. When I got back, the alarm guy was just finishing up. He sketched out an organization for the X-10 stuff. We talked about it for a while, made some changes, and I got to work while he programmed the alarm computer for the switches. I worked in whirlwind mode, with help from Nancy and Karen, installing switches. After a while, Nancy told me it was time to stop for dinner. I looked at my watch; it was half past six. As I washed up, I felt good. I was tired, and sore. I'd gotten a lot done, and felt good about it. When I sat down at the table, the ladies had wine, and I had a glass of 7-up and a new pill besides the usual vitamins. I gave Nancy a questioning glance. "Do it," she told me. I picked up the pills and downed them. "Yes, dear, " I told her. We had a very nice meal. Karen was pleased with the lighting controls. With a push of a button, we could turn on all the outside lights, and quite a few inside ones. I still had more stuff to install, and wanted to change some things around a bit. Some of the stuff was on back order, and expected in late Wednesday. That would work out fine. I told Nancy about my schedule for the next day, tied up from 9 until probably 3. Somehow I forgot to mention the bit about Angie. Oh well.... Nancy was a little upset I'd be gone so long, but understood. After dinner, Karen showed us some of the things that had changed. She ran us through the changes in the alarm system. She had a new box plugged in by the answering machine. It would record all activity on the phone, incoming and outgoing, with time stamps and caller ID information. She hoped it wouldn't be needed. She also told us that if the phone rang, she was going to answer it. What we did next was even scarier. She took us upstairs. She put a little handheld radio on the nightstand. She was staying in the guest room down the hall. She told us that if anything happened during the night, the radio would beep. We were to go into the bathroom, close and lock the door, and not come out until she or a uniformed police officer got us. She told us she might roust us once during the night as practice. Nancy and I sat on the bed contemplating all this. I told Karen I was glad she was here, and hoped this was all just practice. She and Nancy agreed. Nancy had been rubbing my back. She turned to me and said, "Go to the bathroom, and then meet me at the massage table. You've had a rough day." I wasn't going to argue. I was sore from all the work I'd done that afternoon, and my stomach muscles were sore from the events of the morning. I did my routine, grabbed a robe, and headed downstairs. "Okay sweetie, face down," she told me. The lights in the room were dim. I dropped my robe. "Yes, dear," I said as I got on the table. She slapped my bottom playfully. As she worked on my back, I thought about the day. I certainly felt better when I was active, doing things. Why was I paralyzed some times; why was it so hard to make decisions? I'd certainly made tough calls at work. I also delegated things at work. That's what I should do now. Stay busy, delegate, get things done. I zoned out as Nancy worked my back, and then my front. My forearms were sore, from all the electrical work wrestling with wires, and my abs were sore from the morning's woofing session. I faded more as she finished up on my head and neck. We got upstairs somehow and showered together. In bed, we made love, with Nancy on her stomach, doggy style. We both liked that. Afterwards, she held me close, and we went to sleep holding each other. END of Part 3 Tales of the Golden Mule Tales of the Golden Mule by artie@netgate.net http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/artie/www http://artie.web1000.com/ The entire Tales of the Golden Mule is available in HTML format on my web site (http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/artie/www/TGM.html). It's also available as a single LARGE (about 800kb!) text file on the asstr ftp site (http://www.asstr-mirror.org//pub/Authors/artie/text/tgm.txt). ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ This post has been reformatted by ASSTR's Smart Text Enhancement Processor (STEP) system due to linelengths exceeding the 75 character limit. ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ <1st attachment end> ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ Notice: This post has been modified from its original format. The post was sent as an email attachment and has been converted by ASSTR ASSM moderation software. ----- ASSM Moderation System Notice------ -- Pursuant to the Berne Convention, this work is copyright with all rights reserved by its author unless explicitly indicated. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | alt.sex.stories.moderated ----- send stories to: | | FAQ: Moderator: | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Archive: Hosted by Alt.Sex.Stories Text Repository | |, an entity supported entirely by donations. | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+