Imbalance Pt. 02

"Frank, what happened?" Terry asked with concern in his voice.

"Who cares what happened. Send me the Goddamn Marine. I want that bitch's entrails to be scattered all over the place." My voice was deadpanned, yet filled with venom and anger, if that were possible. Like a serial killer trying to explain to his victim why he was doing what he was doing.

There was silence on the other end of the line. For a moment I thought that I hung up on him.

"Terry?"

"Yeah, I'm here Frank. Tell me what happened."

I sighed in despair, the emotion finding its way to my voice. "She called out the asshole's name. When we were...about to make love. She called out his name."

Saying the words out loud only made me feel more humiliated. I was the one who was giving her an orgasm, and she yells HIS name out?

"Listen Frank, a lot has happened and you need to process it. Your emotions are high. Why don't you go to a hotel? Don't even go back home to pack. You need to get away from her for a moment and clear your head." I was silent on my end. He heard my lack of response and felt that he had a little more convincing to do.

"Now is not the time to make decisions Frank. I've seen this play out time and time again. Trust me, it doesn't end well for anybody, least of all the kids."

"Why would you ask me if I wanted the Navy Seal or Marine, Terry? Why give me the choice to annihilate the bitch in the first place if you were going to wimp out on me?" I spit out in anger. Terry took a deep breath.

"Listen Frank. Had you wanted the assassin from the jump, I would have given you his number in a heartbeat. But your hesitancy shows me that you care about what happens to your wife after this is all over. The fact that you made such a drastic change in so short a time period means that your head is not thinking right. Decisions made on the verge of these circumstances are ALWAYS regretted. Trust me."

I was starting to calm down and see reason. He was right. The last thing I wanted, despite my current mood, was to turn this into a warzone with collateral damage. Namely my kids. No matter what Claire thought of me, I did love my girls. I didn't want to make this any worse for them than it had to be.

Still, I wanted that bitch and her boyfriend to pay. They deserved retribution for what they did to me!

"What do I do Terry? I'm dying here. I'm laying here with my heart shattered into a million pieces, and they are acting like I'm the one in the wrong. What do I do?"

I laid my head on the steering wheel and sat there for a moment, feeling the pain. My world was spinning out of control, and I had nothing to latch on to. That is the worst feeling for a person who is always in control.

"Tell you what." I heard his voice break through. "I'm going to do something completely unethical here. I'm going to text you an address. You are going to meet me there. You need a drink. Maybe even something else."

"I don't think so Terry."

"Frank, this isn't open for discussion. I can be there in about 15 minutes. I'll have a table all ready for us by the time you get there. See you soon." With that he cut the connection, like there was nothing else to talk about. Two minutes later my phone chimed with a message.

***

SAL'S GENTLEMEN LOUNGE.

Is he serious? A strip club? My life has been ripped up by the roots. My sense of self is in question. And he thinks that a lap dance is supposed to make me feel better?

"What can I do for you, sweetie?" a woman with glittery makeup asked me in a sultry voice that just dripped with lust and sex after I'd made the decision to step inside of the club. In fact, her entire body was glittery. Even her full lips, which were bright red, sparkled under the lights. The only clothes that she had on were panties that consisted of a paper thin strip of material in the front and dental floss that ran between her ass cheeks in the back. Magically attached to her nipples were pasties with tassels hanging from them.

Even with the mood I was in, I couldn't help but to take notice to how beautiful she was. Smooth, flawless skin, flat stomach, and hips that curved out from her waist to seamlessly turn into soft, yet firm, thighs.

Shit, even her feet were sexy.

"Um, I'm here to meet a friend. Actually, he's my lawyer. Well, not MY lawyer, but..." I was stammering, I know. I took a deep breath and calmly said, "I'm here to meet a man named Terry. Or Mr. Ross."

The beautiful woman giggled and placed her hand in the middle of my chest to calm me down. Her smile was infectious. I knew that I was making an ass of myself. It wasn't my first time seeing a naked woman, but being here in this environment had me a little out of sorts.

"You're Frank. I'm Starlet. Terry told me to watch out for you. He's in the VIP section. He wanted me to bring you to him when you arrived."

I breathed a sigh of relief that I could stop talking. She casually waved her finger, indicating that I was to come with her.

"Follow me Sugar."

The beautiful goddess led the way, her shapely ass bouncing from side to side as she walked. I couldn't help but to stare. I was so mesmerized that I didn't even realize that she stopped walking until I nearly bumped into her.

"Oh God. I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."

She giggled once again. "It's okay. It's nice to know that you were admiring me so much that you forgot how to walk. I didn't wear these panties because I wanted you to act like a gentleman." She watched in amusement as I stuttered for a response. When I didn't come up with one, she continued.

"The VIP section is right up these stairs." She said as she pointed to a narrow hallway that housed a staircase. The sign above it said Champagne Room. "As we go up, I fully expect your eyes on my ass. I will be highly offended if they aren't. Am I clear?"

I couldn't help but to smile at her. "Yes ma'am." I said with a fake salute. She smiled seductively and winked at me as she led me up the stairs. She took each one slowly, purposefully. Her heels clacked every time they made contact with the wood, and her toned calves flexed with each step as we ascended into the upper room.

I did my best not to offend her.

"There he is!" Terry yelled loudly as he lifted his glass to greet me when I walked into room. He was surrounded by several beautiful women.

Unlike the downstairs, which was stuffed full of leering men and drunken assholes, this area was close to being secluded. The flashing lights of main section weren't found up here. The lighting was now soft and intimate. The booming music was replaced with smooth jazz.

Starlet took me by the hand and led me over to Terry. It was an intimate gesture. Walking hand in hand. Her touch sent chills throughout me.

"I see you've met Starlet." He said as he smiled broadly as we approached. I sheepishly nodded.

"Yeah, we've met." She answered for me. "Frank and I are good friends. Aren't we Frank?" she asked playfully.

"The best." I was able to get out. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the sarcasm that I intended made it through. She laughed and bumped me with her shoulder.

"Well good. Sit, Frank. Sit." He said as he pointed to a chair across from him. I sat in the indicated seat.

"A strip club? I wouldn't think a lawyer would take his client to a strip club?"

"Well, first of all, you're not my client. I'm not representing you in any open cases. You're a friend. However, I think it would still be best if we never speak about this after tonight." I nodded in understanding.

"Secondly..." he continued. "I need to clear your head. Distract you for a bit with a little misdirection. You are about to make a monumental decision, and you need to be clear headed. But we'll speak about that in a little bit. For right now, enjoy the lovely entertainment of these gorgeous young ladies. Now, which one would you like a dance from first?"

I looked at Starlet, and her eyes met mine. I didn't say anything for a moment, but my message was clear.

"Good choice." She said as she gently grabbed my hand and led me to a secluded corner of the room.

Once we had some privacy (relatively speaking) she sat me down in a chair. Then she straddled me, wrapped her arms around the back of my neck, and sat down. Right on my dick. I could feel her groin muscles relax as she settled down on me.

She smelled so good. Like flowers. And sex. Her glittery skin added to her aura of seduction. She was a perfect sex angel.

"This your first lap dance?" she asked in a soft voice. I was finding it hard to concentrate with her legs spread across me.

"Yeah. That obvious?" I asked nervously, trying to sound calm. I tried to look at her, but I had to turn my head. She was peering right at me, practically looking through me. Her eyes were focused on my face. It was intense.

"I'm your first. Mmmmm. I like virgins. Don't worry. I'll be gentle when I pop your cherry."

I got instantly hard, like a thirteen-year-old kid seeing boobies for the first time. The reference to sex mixed with her on my lap was too much.

"You are good at this." I said, trying to loosen the tension. She smirked at me a gave a little giggle.

"I haven't even started yet sweetie. I was waiting for the next song to start. But I'm glad you're warmed up for me." She gave a little bounce, indicating that she felt my erection.

When the next song started, she grabbed my hands and placed them on her ass. Then she squeezed my hands, making me squeeze her.

"Here are the rules. You can touch me anywhere but between my legs. You can suck my nipples, but you can't bite them. I hate that. And you can't kiss me. Got it?"

I nodded eagerly. She smiled at as she began grinding.

"I like you Frank."

"I like you too."

"I can tell!" she laughed. I had to laugh with her. I felt so at ease with her. So relaxed.

The two of us were lost in our own world. She sensually moved her delicious body over mine. My nerves faded, and I allowed my hands to roam freely. Her legs, her back, her arms, her shoulders, I touched it all. I did feel her tits and ass, but for some reason I didn't stay in those areas. Rubbing my hands across her skin felt more intimate than just groping her. I was breathing heavily, as if we were really having sex.

Having a woman like Starlet grinding her soft skin up against you is cathartic. Let no one tell you differently. Any man who doesn't momentarily forget his troubles in that instance is too far gone in his misery to be saved. Or gay. There is no middle ground.

In my opinion, this woman could serve as a gay test. Anyone in question of their sexuality need only one lap dance from her talented hips to answer that question. I know that Terry's intent was for me to sample the other girls, but I was just fine with Starlet. She was the hottest one in this club.

About an hour later, Terry cleared the girls out of the room and put his business face on.

"Now that your mind is clear, let's talk. I want you to think about what it is that you want. From all of this. After the dust settles, what can you live with? If you go nuclear, you need to be sure it's what you want."

I nodded as I took a sip of the stale, warm beer that had been sitting out for a little while now.

"I don't know. I guess I want what's fair. But most of all, I want my kids to not be damaged by all of this. You know?"

He smiled knowingly and patted me on the back. I looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Give me the Seal. I just want this to be over with. I need to move on."

He handed me another card, just like he did when I met him at his office. It wasn't as elaborately designed as his, but it had all of the info that I needed.

"Give Mike a call tomorrow. I'll tell him to be expecting you."

With that he started to put his jacket on and re-tie his tie that was hanging limply around his neck.

"Do you miss her Terry? Your ex. Do you wish things could have worked out differently?" I asked him curiously. A sad look crossed his face as he paused getting dressed.

"Everyday." He said forlornly.

"What happened to Christine? Did she ever regret leaving you?"

The glazed over pain once again crossed his eyes. "No Frank. Honestly, I couldn't expect her to. I wasn't the best husband. I was working all of the time, and when I was home, I wasn't really. You know?"

"I guess I can understand that." I said as I reflected on my own marriage. He saw me going down that path and cut me off.

"Frank, you are nothing like me. Trust me. I cheated on my wife with my secretary. Scratch that. I got CAUGHT cheating on her with my secretary. I'd done it dozens of times unscathed. I treated her like property instead of like a wife. And she sat there, taking it. I thought she was the perfect wife. Thought I had the perfect life. I could do anything I wanted, and come home to her like nothing happened." He gave a self-deprecating huff that could have been a laugh.

"Why don't you try to get her back? It seems like you still love her." The pain in his eyes grew, if that were possible.

"I did for a while. Nothing worked. She'd been lied to so many times that anything I said was automatically a lie. Hell, even I started to believe my lies. There was a time when I actually thought she was cheating on me. I hired a private eye and everything. I was ready to scorch the earth around her and piss on her corpse."

"So what happened?"

"Well, it turns out that she had the same suspicions about me. Only hers turned out to be correct. It's funny, I never even gave a second thought to my cheating. But when I thought it was her doing it, I was livid. Long story short, she left me. Then, she met some other guy. A schoolteacher. They got married last year. You know what the worst part is? I know that she's better off with him. I'm a lawyer who makes a lot of money, and she's better off with a schoolteacher who drives a Ford Focus."

How do you respond to that?

After a moment of reliving his regrets, he mentally shook it off and walked over to the mirror to continue making himself presentable.

"You know..." He said as he looked at me through the reflection in the mirror. He had a sly grin on his face. "Starlet doesn't just do lap dances. She has...other services that she offers."

"Wait a minute. What other services does Starlet offer?"

He chuckled as he turned around to face me. "Let's just say that she is a sensual woman, and that she really knows how to relieve stress."

I knew what he was getting at. I'm not an idiot.

"You say services, like she has sex for money?" he looked at me with a sly grin, like I was finally getting the picture.

"You mean she's a..."

"Woman who likes to help men out." He finished for me. I was trying to wrap my mind around it. I mean, it wasn't out of the realm of reality. But still...

"Have you ever...gotten your stressed relieved from her? For money?"

"Of course not Frank! Exchanging money for sexual services is illegal. But...Starlet and I are two consenting adults who had sex a couple of times. Great sex I may add."

"Did you pay her?"

"For sex? No. I told you, that's illegal. I'm a lawyer. But... I may have loaned her money on occasion. She just hasn't paid me back yet."

I have to admit that I looked at Starlet a little differently with this new information. I mean, I know that she's a stripper and all, but I didn't peg her for a prostitute. I thought I felt something. A connection with her. Chemistry. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't ready to give her my class ring, or start walking her to school, but it seemed like there were sparks. Our playful banter, the hand holding, the way she looked at me. It felt like it meant something.

Maybe I was projecting. She was flirting with me, but isn't that her job? I guess I wouldn't really be the best judge of that at a time like this anyway.

On the other hand, the thought of Starlet and I having sex was intriguing. Very intriguing. Her body looked flawless. Not to mention that ass. The way she was grinding on me in tune with the soft music made me imagine how good it would feel to have her riding me. I may be an emotional wreck, but I'm still a guy. A very horny guy who hasn't had sex in a while.

But I wasn't ready for anything like that. Sex. Especially paying for it. That seemed so wrong to me. I'm sure Starlet was worth every penny. But with everything going on, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"So, you want me to send Starlet up?" Terry asked one final time. I shook my head.

"Nah. I gotta head out myself. I have a lot to do. But thanks for calming me down Terry. I needed this. I really appreciate everything that you've done for me."

"Anytime Frank. And good luck."

***

The next morning, Doug opened the door to his office and almost shit on himself when he saw me sitting in his chair behind his desk.

"What the f..."

"Morning Doug." I said with exaggerated congeniality.

"Frank? How the hell did you get in here? You have ten seconds to get out before I call security!" He said as he pulled out his cell phone.

"Put the damn phone down Doug. I just wanna to talk. You owe me that much." I said as I held up my hands in a move to show peaceful intentions.

He looked at me thoughtfully. "I don't want any problems Frank. If you wanna talk, we can do that. But this is my job! You can't come in here and cause any trouble for me."

I wanted to run across the room and spear him like a linebacker, but I knew that would only get me a one-way ticket to jail. I was on his territory. He had home court advantage.

Plus, I wouldn't get answers. There are things I needed to hear from him. Unfortunately, he had to be conscious to give me those answers.

"You have a lot of fucking nerve telling me that I can't make trouble for you! A lot of fucking nerve!"

At least he had the decency to look somewhat dejected. "Frank, I'm sorry for what happened. I really am. It's been eating at me."

It took everything in me to remain seated. It was eating at HIM? Suddenly, HIS feelings mean something in this situation?

"You're sorry Doug? What are you sorry for? For stabbing me in my back? For taking the ONLY thing I would never share with you? For ruining my marriage? For breaking up my family? Or for throwing away 13 FUCKING YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP? You're gonna have to break it down for me Doug, because sorry can cover a whole lot of bases."

"Look Frank. I understand why you're upset, but..."

"I'm sorry, did you just say that you understand why I'm upset? You sound like customer service when they get an order wrong! Fuck you! Do you even have the slightest clue? Do you really understand why I feel betrayed by the one person I called a friend?"

"I get it Frank."

"No you don't! Don't you dare say you get it. You will never 'get' what I feel right now! I TRUSTED YOU!" My fist slammed into his desk in a moment of uncontrolled anger. The sound echoed through the office, bouncing off of the walls and looming around us. Or at least it seemed that way to me. I was so emotional that I was practically vibrating.

"What you did hurt me in more ways than just stealing my wife. You also stole 13 years of friendship, 10 years of marriage, and you don't give a fuck about that!"

He took a pause for moment to gather himself. It must be hard trying to argue a point when you are the one in wrong.

"I know that what happened is hard for you. I did betray you. I regret that more than anything. But..." He stopped what he was about to say.

"But what?"

"You were never there for her. She needed you, and you weren't there."

I jumped out of my seat and marched across the room until we were face to face. To his credit, he didn't flinch or back down. In fact, he stared me down with the same intensity that I was glaring at him with.