Embracing the Fall

by Lainey Reese

  “Look man,” Mark said, taking the lead by making a slashing movement with his right hand as though to clear the slate. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I hope you don’t think I go around hitting on random women in bars.” He held up both hands at his sides, and scrunched his face up in a ‘what can you do’ expression.

  “The sad truth is, I’ve got history with those two, and it was just a sorry turn of events that you had to be there to witness it.” Evan nodded his head and tried to make his expression appear sympathetic and thoughtful, as he thought to himself keep talking, asshole, just keep talkin’.

  “Why don’t you have a seat and tell me about it?” Evan asked, while visions of strangling the man with his bare hands danced through his mind.

  “Well, it’s personal, and its old history that just came out of nowhere. So, if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to talk business and leave the personal out of it.”

  I bet you would jerk-off, but that’s not gonna happen.

  “Oh, but it isn’t the same to me. You see, as I’ve told you on several occasions, my business is personal, so before we take this further I’d like to know what happened.” Evan watched Mark process that and sit back in his chair. He could almost see the wheels spinning behind the other man’s eyes, as he scrambled for a way to get out of it.

  “You know how it is, back in high school and college. You remember how the girls were, right?” Evan felt bile boil in his stomach, and managed to make a noncommittal grunt that Mark took as agreement. “Yeah. They were all drunk on the power of brand-new boobs, and the ability to lead a guy around by his dick. But then, after you dump your whole paycheck on ‘em and get them alone, they pull out the scared virgin act.” Mark was either oblivious or blind, that he failed to pick up on the rage he was enticing out of Evan, because he leaned forward and warmed to his story, nodding his head to emphasize his point.

  “Being a wrestler, I was a pretty big deal at high school, so that happened there a lot.” Mark rolled his eyes. “Cheerleaders, right?” Then he looked back at Evan and shook his head as though baffled. “So there I was in college on a wrestling scholarship, and along comes this hot little blonde. I tailed her for a month. And she liked it, she liked the attention, she liked me. She liked me so much that on our first date, she even let me take her out into the middle of nowhere.”

  Mark was so zealous about the subject that he leaned forward and braced his elbow on Evan’s desk and pointed a finger at him. “We get there, and the place is closed up tight. But does she complain then? Does she ask me to take her home? No. Not once. She follows me out into the middle of a God damn cornfield, in the middle of the God damn night, and then tries to act like she doesn’t know what’s going to God damn happen once we get there.”

  With a flounce, Mark sat back in his seat and slapped the arms of his chair in disgust. “Well, it was bullshit. She was all over me, and kissing me, with her tongue halfway down my throat. She had this great rack that she was rubbing all over me, and I was just a kid. You know how it was back then. Young, dumb and full of cum, right?” He gave what Evan could only assume was a good old boy chuckle at that witty comment, and then continued. “Well she got what she was asking for, and yeah, maybe it was a little rough, but hey, it was hot and she liked it. Then, the next day the stupid bitch cried rape.” Now the look that came over Mark’s face was a self-satisfied smile that had Evan seeing red.

  “It wasn’t. No way in hell was it. She wouldn’t let it drop, though. And took it all the way to fucking court. There I was on a full-ride scholarship, my whole life ahead of me, and this little piece of tail who had morning-after regrets has me up on trial. Can you believe that shit?” As a matter of fact, Evan thought, I can’t believe this shit at all. But Evan didn’t say a word for now, no matter that the urge to kill the man was so strong, every muscle in his body trembled with it.

  “Well, the court saw the truth and let me go. Not guilty. Because that’s what I was. I was not guilty. But I got punished anyway.” He whined. “I lost my scholarship and got kicked out of school. I didn’t get to wrestle anymore, not when they found out I’d been using steroids. I had dreams about that, about my wrestling. And because of one piece of ass, I lost it, lost my chance at ever wrestling again. But that’s in the past, and I let it go and never thought about it again. Until I walked into the bar and saw her working there.”

  Mark looked at Evan, and Evan could see him trying to put an earnest expression on his face. “I didn’t start nothing with those girls. I would’ve left well enough alone even after all they cost me. Because the dark-haired one is the blonde’s best friend and she was pre-law so I’m sure it was her that made Cami go to the cops. But that’s neither here nor there, I would have let them be. They were the ones that came after me. I was just defending myself.

  “You know, come to think of it, I don’t think I should leave it at that now. I’m not sure if they both worked there, but after all that little blonde has cost me, I think I’m going to put a phone call into her boss. It would be interesting to see what he thinks about her attacking a paying customer.”

  Evan figured he’d heard enough. And even if he hadn’t, he couldn’t stomach another word out of the smug bastards lying face. “Well, as far as putting a phone call into the owner of one of New York’s most popular and successful new taverns, I’m afraid you might want to rethink that. You see, Cami owns that place, so it wouldn’t do you any good.” The angry flush that started at the base of Mark’s throat was a satisfying start, but Evan wasn’t nearly finished with him yet.

  “And let’s see,” Evan pretended to ponder with a finger on his chin and a wrinkle between his brows. “High school and college girls. You asked me if I remembered what they were like,” Evan said, dropping the pretense to look at him with contempt.

  “I remember them as innocent and beautiful as brand-new foals. I remember them to be delightful and charming and fragile, and as far as I know, that still holds true today.” Unable to sit still any longer, Evan pushed to his feet and braced both hands on his desk as he loomed into Mark’s personal space.

  “Now, as for the night you brutally raped my future wife, I have a hell of a lot to say about that. But every word of it could be best said with the end of my fist. Let me assure you, you miserable son of a bitch, once you leave this office, your get out of jail free card is expired. I suggest you run far and you run fast, because I’m going to be coming for you, and you are not going to like the results.” Mark must’ve heard the deadly resolve in Evan’s voice, because his charm and his easy-going manner deserted him and left him sitting there as what he was at his core. A coward.

  Evan had to force himself to sit back down, because every cell in his body wanted to dismantle the man across from him piece by piece. “After Friday night, I started researching you. Looking deeper into you and not just your company. You may be interested to know that I woke up all five of our lawyers, and they have been looking into those sexual harassment lawsuits that you had filed against you over the last years. With the information that I was able to give them, I believe those girls are going to be getting quite a boost in their settlements now that they all know about each other.” Evan took grim satisfaction from the way Mark paled as all the blood drained from his face.

  “Now then where does that leave us, hmm?” Evan asked in a mock singsong voice. “Oh yes, reputation. I’ve been telling you all these weeks how important my reputation and the reputation of my company is to me. And I believed you, when you told me your reputation and the reputation of your family’s company was equally important to you. So I hope this hurts like a son of a bitch.” Evan turned his laptop around, and watched Mark gasp like a fish on a hook to see what was on his screen.

  The satellite conference call had been activated, and every company that Pac-West had dealings with was there, and had been watching their entire exchange.

  “From the looks on those faces, I’d say your reputation is shot. What do you think?”
Evan asked, as though it was a serious question. The triumphant pleasure he felt in that moment was only a fraction of what he would get from ripping the asshole limb from limb but he’d take what he could get.

  “You mother fucker.” Angry red flushed up his neck and over his cheeks as Mark surged to his feet. “You God damned mother fucker. My own shareholders and board members are on there, too!” Mark shouted, staring at the screen in furious dismay. “You can’t get away with this shit. This is slander or entrapment or something. I’m going to sue you, you prick! I didn’t give you permission to record this meeting! This will never hold up in a court.” Evan sat back in his chair and made a come on gesture with one hand.

  “Sue me. Try it, I dare you. No I beg you. You see, I didn’t record this, I just broadcast it. Although, in all fairness, since it was broadcast, anybody watching could have recorded it and probably did. Something else to consider, the other love of my life, and also future wife, the brunette? She did finish law school, and has assured me that in the state of New York, I could, in fact, record this conversation without your knowledge if I had wanted to. So, if you want to go to court and make this public record, by all means, let’s do.” Mark howled in rage, and moved as though to attack, and Evan delighted in the other man’s impotent fury. He stayed where he was, but had every muscle in his body ready and eager to counter his assault.

  “Mark!” The disembodied shout stopped the man mid-lunge, as though a leash had been yanked. “Get your stupid ass out of there now.” Mark didn’t move, with the exception of his eyes that darted from the laptop to Evan, as rage turned his handsome face a mottled purple mess. “I’m not going to tell you again, son. Get out. Get on a plane. And get home, so your mother and I can figure out what the hell to do with you now.”

  “Uh-oh Markey,” Evan said with his eyes glued to the other man’s. “Daddy’s pissed. Better run home. I think you’re grounded.”

  “Say it again, please, please, pretty please.” Cami was bouncing in her seat as she tugged on the front of Evan’s sweatshirt. “Just one more time, say it for me because you love me.”

  “I think you’re grounded,” Evan repeated for what felt like the millionth time, and both women dissolved into laughter yet again. “I don’t know why you keep asking me to tell you what happened when you both watched the whole thing.”

  “Yeah,” Z said as she wiped tears from her eyes, and tucked her chilly feet underneath his thigh, “but it’s not the same as hearing you tell it. It was on the computer, so we didn’t get the real nuances of everything.”

  “And you sound so sexy when you say it. And you looked so sexy when you said it back then. So I think I need to hear it, just one more time.” Evan groaned, wrapped his arms around her and pulled pulling her in for a long tongue-thrusting kiss in hopes of getting her mind off of the subject. The girls had recorded it so they could play it back anytime they wanted to. And they’d been talking about it for hours already. As far as Evan was concerned, today’s events were not enough, it would never be enough, but it was enough for now, so he was tired of dwelling on it. Besides, he would much rather spend the evening making love to the women who owned his heart.

  “So, come on, tell us again how you showed that schmuck what was what.”

  Z squealed when Evan whipped out a hand, folded her over his knee and landed a good hard slap to her ass. When he brought her up and held her nose to nose with him, it was hard for him to keep a straight face. She looked shocked, appalled and also turned on. “Sugar,” he said in his best Dom voice, “I may be from Texas, but I’ve been in New York long enough to know what that word means, and that no sub of mine should be saying it.” Then he kissed the tip of her nose and added with a smile, “So, I’ll say it for you. He is a schmuck.” Delighted, she laughed and gave him a loud smacking kiss before sitting back again.

  Evan knew that the Wahlbergs would scramble in an effort to save their company, but that meeting had dealt them a crippling blow and it would be a miracle if they survived. In the seven years since Cami’s attack, Mark’s parents had made over a dozen sexual complaints about their son disappear. Their long string of success in doing so owed mostly to a lot of money and nondisclosure agreements.

  While those nondisclosure agreements pertained only to the victims not talking, they couldn’t do anything about stopping others from talking. After today, they all knew about each other, and the two that were still pending had just been lined up for even bigger paydays. Evan hoped fervently that they moved from class action to criminal with this new information, but whether or not they did was out of his hands.

  As for his own company, Evan had convinced the Board to take on the expense of keeping the distribution in-house. He shuddered to think what those lawsuits would have done to his family’s company had they not found this out ahead of time. No amount of money was worth a risk like that.

  “Sweet brat,” Evan said and placed a tender kiss on the tip of her nose. “Can you let it go now? At least for tonight? Thinking about that man and what happened makes me want to hunt him down and kill him.” Her hands cupped his cheeks, and she made a sort of cooing sound, like what women usually reserve for small babies.

  “Of course we can, my Sir,” she said in a ridiculous baby voice as she kissed him on his nose. “On two conditions … You say it just one more time. And then we watch Buffy.” Evan growled and dropped his head to the back of the couch in defeat. “I think you’re grounded.”

  Ziporah whooped and launched herself toward the kitchen. “I’ll get the chocolate cake shots, wahoo!”

  “At least I can get drunk.” Both women laughed, and Cami rained sweet, adoring kisses across his face as he wrapped his arms around her and held tight.

  Eleven months later, it was a warm September afternoon. Texas had decided to smile on them as Evan stood in the shade of the giant oak tree in his family’s backyard, the leaves on it the brilliant golds, oranges, and browns of sunset. There were flowers everywhere; sunflowers and Gerber daisies in every fall shade were draped over everything in sight.

  When choosing the date had come up, it was Cami who had picked the fall. She wanted to reclaim it, once and for all. Harvest was a time to gather all from the past and reap the rewards of it, then clear away the unwanted to make room for new beginnings. What better time for them to do that than in the fall, she’d asked, and both himself and Z had agreed whole-heartedly.

  They were both taking his name, which shocked the hell out of him. He hadn’t expected it, especially from Ziporah, but they’d told him that, although they had wills and this commitment ceremony binding them, they wanted his name as well. All three of them, united in every way possible.

  Gage stood at his left as he fussed with his tie and tried to remain calm. There were more than a hundred people here today, even though they had tried to keep the event small. However, between the three of them, there were a lot of people that loved them and wanted to be here to show their support.

  A commitment ceremony wasn’t a marriage in the eyes of the law, but the commitment was binding and real just the same. He was taking them as wife and they were taking him as husband, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

  The girls each had their own wedding set. He had delighted them with a surprise trip to Tiffany’s and told them the sky was the limit. Cami chose a princess cut–why was he not surprised–set with a one-carat flawless diamond in the center and two half-carat ones on either side of it, with a wedding band that was a full circle of inset smaller ones.

  Z had picked out a round diamond that was also a full carat. Her nod to the symbolism of the three of them was how the engagement ring fit within the wedding band. It had a fan of diamonds on either side of the sole diamond that surrounded the stone with brilliance.

  Evan had his rings specially made. His band was an interlocking one that came in two rings that each woman would place on his finger. It was a design that, once the two fit together, would look like a band made of three
white gold strands woven together, inseparable and infinite.

  The music started and Evan stood a little straighter, held his shoulders back and his head high. He was flooded with pride and wonder at the vision that was floating toward him.

  Cami’s dress brushed the ground in front of her as she walked and had a small train trailing behind. It wasn’t quite white in color, and the material had a shimmer to it. Over the top of it was a chiffon layer that was dripping with tiny sparkling gems that caught in the sunlight from every direction and made her glow.

  It had a sweetheart neckline that displayed her breasts to mouth-watering perfection, and draped off her shoulders and down her back in a waterfall of sparkles. All her lovely hair was piled on top of her head in fat, shiny curls, with a real diamond tiara at the base of them.

  Ziporah’s dress was in that same almost white shade and it too had a train. But her train was long; it dragged behind her regally with every step she took. There were no gemstones sweetly sewn into her dress, instead the shimmer came from the fabric itself as it flowed around her, almost like liquid, as she moved.

  With an empire waistline that showcased her trim build, she looked like Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly floating down the aisle. She’d grown her hair out and pulled it up as well, only instead of curls it was in a sleek twist. And in place of a tiara, there was a diamond clip at the crown of her head, with a small thin veil that trailed down her back and along her train.

  As soon as they reached him, Evan stepped between Cami and Z then took his place. When they faced each other and recited the vows that they had written themselves, Evan felt tears and laughter threatening. His life had been full before he’d walked into Cami’s bar that night. He had a wonderful family that he adored. A job at the helm of his family’s empire and a strong connection with a tight-knit group of friends he trusted and loved. He hadn’t known what true happiness was though, not really. Life had a richness to it now that he’d never known was possible. It was like he’d been living in black and white until they brought color to his world. They were his life now. His happiness was irrevocably tied-up with theirs. Every sadness that life brought their way would be faced and weathered together. Miraculous was too small a word for the breadth and scope of what he was feeling in that moment, but that’s what they were to him, miraculous.