Bitch From Hell

Bitch From Hell

Rayburn Watley sat and watched his wife JoLynn making a scene on the community hall dance floor. Everybody was watching her. For six years he had been dreading the possibility that this night might come. Of course, it was a lot to ask. JoLynn was a beautiful vibrant woman. For six years their social life was restricted to things that they could do together, or with their two boys. There were no parties, no social gatherings, and no intermingling with friends or acquaintances. To be honest there were very few friends to socialize with.

Rayburn Watley had several reasons for insisting on this strange arrangement. First of all, he was extremely jealous, and JoLynn was a magnet for sleazy guys. She was different from the girls back home in most ways. She knew how to groom herself and dress in the latest styles. She was educated and refined, but still fun and frisky. She was also a big flirt. That was where the problem came in. Why in the world would a jealous man marry a woman who enjoyed teasing and flirting with every man she meets.

Rayburn kept a tight leash on his wife. Their son, Bryan just turned five and, Tyson was almost four. Taking care of them and the household was pretty much a full-time job. Rayburn tried to make things easier by taking everybody out as often as he could. He constantly brings gifts home for his wife; trinkets, flowers, and sweets. He read in a magazine once that doing things like this would keep the little woman content. That was all that he wanted.

The dance tonight was a company affair. Rayburn was employed by a small family-owned construction firm. He worked hard and kept to himself so that there would be no problems. Yes, problems. That was the second reason for his peculiar insistence on not attending social functions.

He was born and raised in Rockingham County, Virginia. It was in the far Western part of the state and if you went a half-mile further you would be in West Virginia. He had three brothers and a sister and missed them dearly. His oldest brother, Thomson, was presently incarcerated. His sister, Nadine, and two younger brothers, Grayson and Fletcher, still lived in the area. He hadn't seen any of them in over six years, since he was forced to leave, which brings us back around to that second reason.

Thomson was in prison for beating a man so bad that he spend two months in the hospital. Rayburn was living and working two states away from home for the same reason. Thomson and Rayburn were both hot-headed and fought like banshees when they were aggravated. When the first punch was thrown, neither one of them felt any pain or anything that could be called mercy after that. The only way that they could be stopped was by restraining them physically. Nadine was the same way but seemed to control it a little better. The two younger brothers were pretty ordinary. Everybody used to tease them about having a different father, which their mother didn't appreciate. Rayburn's mother lived with Nadine, who was married to a long-haul truck driver. He didn't make it home too often and most people understood why.

Both Virginia and West Virginia authorities were waiting for Rayburn to return home so that they could grab him. It wouldn't matter too much which one of them got lucky, either way, he would end up just like Thomson.

Rayburn sat quietly at the back of the room watching his wife. JoLynn was dancing and joking with all the men, married and single. She was a flirt and was enjoying every minute of her free time. It had been far too long. She missed parties and dances and having fun. She was glad that Rayburn had brought her but upset with him for not doing it more often. She was in overdrive; making up for lost time. It was a good night for JoLynn.

As the night went on, things got a little looser. Rayburn watched as the guys started to get a little touchy-feely with his wife. They seemed to be testing the limits that they could go with her. Most of the time she was keeping them in check and still being good-natured about it. Most of the time.

Benny Cordetti was one of the co-owners of Brightbill Enterprises. He was a loud arrogant SOB that Rayburn disliked but tolerated because he was the boss. It was important to make a living and also to keep a low profile. As the night was winding down, Benny started to get a little more creative and adventurous with his hands. It was a slow dance and Benny had both of his hands cupping JoLynn's ass. She wasn't protesting and simply continued to dance as if nothing was happening. Rayburn was squeezing the empty long-neck bottle as hard as he could, but it just would not break.

As Rayburn jumped up, he threw the bottle across the room directly toward his boss. Luckily he hit Cordetti on the shoulder instead of JoLynn. The force was enough to cause the big man to drop to one knee and start cursing. JoLynn turned just in time to see her husband grab her partner and start forcing him across the room. He was getting into position to start wailing on the jerk who dared to paw his wife but never made it. Three guys grabbed Rayburn and pulled the two men apart.

"What the hell are you doing, you idiot?" Cordetti was screaming as he got up off the floor.

"You touch my wife again, you fat fucker, and I'll tear your head off."

"We were just dancing. We were dancing all night. A lot of guys were dancing with her."

"Yeah, but none of them were feeling up her ass while they were doing it. I had no trouble letting people dance with her, but I will not let it go further than that. You crossed the line."

"Your nuts, Rayburn. Your nuts and your drunk. And just to top it off, you are fired also. Stop in tomorrow and get your last check. Throw this bum out."

JoLynn was just standing there with her mouth open. She had never seen her husband like that. She had no idea what brought all this on. Her picture of him up to this point was that of a caring, loving husband. She had noticed that he got a little upset when she flirted, but never anything like this; not in six years.

Rayburn looked at his wife, for some type of support but saw none as he was escorted out. Ten minutes later he was home. He paid the babysitter and plopped down on the sofa. He wasn't drunk. He knew better and he rationed out the drinks over the night.

He was sitting in the dark living room. The only light came from the kitchen. He knew that somebody had given his wife a ride home when he hear the car door slam. He didn't bother looking to see who it was. Was it Benny?

"Well, thanks for making that a night to remember. I have never been so humiliated. Thanks a bunch, Rayburn."

She tossed her wrap on the chair and noticed that she got no reply from her husband. "Did you hear me? Are you awake, or are you so damn drunk you can't think straight?"

"I am fine I see you made it home all right."

"No thanks to you."

Rayburn didn't feel like arguing with her. He was sitting here because he didn't want to be in bed when she got home if she got home.

"By the way, I got your job back for you. You go back tomorrow like normal."

"What the hell did you do? Did you fuck him, so that he would give me my job back?" As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted saying them, but it was too late.

"No, damn it. I gave him a blowjob so that he would give you your job back. I fucked him because I wanted to."

JoLynn was steaming mad as she slammed the bedroom door. Her words hurt him more than anything else had in his entire life. He could tell that she was furious, but she had no idea of the demon that she had let loose. Rayburn spent the night sleeping in his truck.

After grabbing some breakfast, Rayburn waited in the company lot for the payroll office to open. Waiting was bad because it gave him time to think. He replayed the events of the previous night over and over. He always stopped when he got to JoLynn 's confession or whatever it was. "No, damn it. I gave him a blowjob so that he would give you your job back. I fucked him because I wanted to."

He watched as Benny Cordetti arrived in his black Cadillac. Hell, nobody drives them anymore. Finally, when he felt that everything should be up and running he went in.

The girl in payroll seemed hesitant to make out a check for him but eventually did. He signed a few termination forms concerning medical crap and tax info, before leaving. Rayburn breathed a sigh of relief as he walked out, but he was too late.

"Hey, Rayburn. What the hell is going on?" In the daylight, Benny looked even bigger and pudgier. "Didn't you old lady tell you? Everything is Okay. I un-fired you." Rayburn waited as he walked towards him. Several of the workers stopped what they were doing and stared their way.

"I am sorry about all the misunderstanding, Rayburn. I am sure that things will be fine from now on. We are all looking forward to you and your wife being at more of our parties."

Benny Cordetti looked at Rayburn Watley with a big smirk on his face, and that was a mistake. Benny was a foot taller than Rayburn and had him by at least sixty pounds. None of that made a difference.

The big man stood on his feet for longer than Rayburn had expected. Finally, Rayburn felt, or rather heard, a few ribs crack. That sent Benny to one knee. A steel-toed shoe quickly broke the knee cap that was in the front, dropping him to the ground. Benny's exposed gonads were the next target and when he rolled on his back for protection, Rayburn was immediately on his chest. Most of the blows from there on fell on Benny's face. One that missed, broke a collar bone. A sudden pain in his right hand caused Rayburn to start using his left. Cordetti's face was a bloody mess by the time several of the workers pulled Rayburn from the beaten body. Two of them ended up on the ground and then they all let him go as he walked to his truck. A few of the men were helping Coredtti, but most of them were watching Rayburn in awe. None of them had ever witnessed a spectacle like that.

[]---[]

Bryan and Tyson were playing in the sideyard when he got home. Rayburn opened the door and whistled. In no time, the two boys were in the truck. Rayburn watched in the rear view mirror as JoLynn stood on the back porch yelling and waving her arms. Tough shit.

An hour later, they were on Interstate 81 going South. The boys were eager for lunch at Mickey D's but started to ask about their mother. Rayburn tried to change the subject by telling them about the good times that they were going to have at Aunt Nadine's.

Rayburn stopped by to see Nadine who sent him directly over to Fletcher's place. He had just gotten married and rented a house that was twice as big as he needed, to make his new bride happy. She had a four-year-old son from a previous marriage, so that would work out well.

Fletcher and Grayson were down in Arlington working. They usually left Monday morning and came back Friday night. It was not the best situation, but it was good steady work. Nadine and Fletcher's wife, Garnet, spent most of the evening with Rayburn. Nadine had plenty of free time so she was going to go up to Pennsylvania and get all of the boy's clothing and toys. Rayburn laughed when she volunteered as quickly as she did. If anybody could handle JoLynn it was Nadine. She was mean, hard, and nasty as hell. Rayburn never could understand how she got a man to marry her. He figured she must have scared him into it, or else he had a wooden leg and couldn't run away. She wasn't amused when he mentioned it. Nadine insisted that Roger married her for her looks and pleasant personality. Then she would always burst out laughing at her own joke.

[]---[]

She left at first light and arrived at the house by lunch.

"Who the hell are you?" JoLynn was still not dressed. It was obvious that she had been crying.

"I hate to say it, but in this case it is true. I am your worse nightmare."

"Oh, crap. Now what. I can't take much more of this." Nadine watched as JoLynn slowly walked into the living room and fell into the sofa.

"I am Nadine. Rayburn's older sister. I promise not to hurt you, but I will not put up with any bullshit. Do you understand?"

"No. I don't understand. You are in my house and you are not the boss of me. As long as you are in my house, I will do and say what the hell I like. I don't care if you like it or not."

All of a sudden Nadine knew why Rayburn had married this woman. She looked like a Barbie Doll, but she had balls. What she couldn't understand was how come she and Rayburn hadn't beaten themselves to death over the last six years. If any woman had talked to Rayburn like that, he would have punched her clock, female or not. From the looks of things, Rayburn had never given this one an attitude adjustment.

"JoLynn, do you have anything we can eat for lunch? I didn't get any breakfast today."

"Yeah. Com' on in the kitchen. I can rustle something up quick. Do you want coffee?"

"I'd rather have a coke if you got one."

Neither woman talked for a few minutes. Nadine sat and Jolynn served and then sat. "Where the hell is my husband?"

"Why do you care?"

"He is my husband and he has my kids. Where are my kids?"

"With your husband. They are safe and having a good time."

"Where, damn it? This is my house. Quit playing cutesy little word games with me.?

"They are home in Rockingham County."

"Why?"

"Because if he stayed, he would probably kill you."

"Why the hell would he want to kill me?"

"Because you cheated on him. That is something no Watley man will stand for. Hell, I can't figure out why you are here now."

"Oh, crap. I knew I screwed up the minute I said that. Dumb, dumb, dumb."

"Do you want to explain that?"

"Do you want another coke?"

"No, but I'll have some coffee now."

JoLynn pours two cups of coffee. Nadine waved off the cream.

"When I came home from that damn party, I told Rayburn that his boss relented and that he still had his job. When Rayburn made some smart assed remark about me screwing his boss so that he could keep his job, I hit the ceiling. I was furious. The fact that he would even think such a thing was more than I could take. I did the only thing I could think of, I gave him a smart assed answer. That's what got me in trouble."

"What the hell did you say?"

"I said that I gave his boss a blowjob so that he would give him his job back, and that I screwed his boss because I wanted to."

Nadine took a sip of the hot coffee. "Wow. I am amazed that he didn't kill you right then and there. You must be a real blonde because that was the stupidest thing any woman ever said to Rayburn Watley. Really stupid."

JoLynn didn't respond.

"What happened that caused Rayburn to get fired in the first place?"

"I was acting like a college coed at a frat party all night. I could tell that Rayburn was getting upset with me, but I was having so much fun I didn't want to stop. I was having one last dance with Rayburn's boss, Mister Cordetti when things finally got out of hand. Cordetti put both of his hands on my ass cheeks. I was telling him to remove them right away or I was going to kick him in the nuts so hard he wouldn't walk for a week. I didn't want to make a scene. Well, I was too late. Before we knew it, Rayburn threw a beer bottle at Cordetti and hit him in the back of his shoulder. I think he was aiming for his head."

"Now that sounds like my brother."

"One thing led to another and in a fit of anger, Cordetti fired Rayburn on the spot. Rayburn stormed out before things cooled down. I talked to Mister Cordetti for about ten minutes and he admitted it was a bad move on his part and that Rayburn was justified in what he did. He said he could still keep his job and he apologized to me. He also told me to apologize to Rayburn for him. I never got the chance."

"So you never had sex with this Cordetti guy?"

"Hell no. There is no way I would ever think about cheating on Rayburn."

"Why did you say that you did?"

"Because I was pissed off. He just accused me of being a whore. I won't take that shit from anyone, including him. Before I knew it, my mouth was throwing out all that crap and there was no way to take it back. The only person that got fucked that night was me. I did it to myself. Me and my big mouth."

JoLynn collected the empty cups. She seemed to be crying or at least her eyes had teared up.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. Do you have any suggestions? You seem to know a hell of a lot more about Rayburn than I do."

"Did you know that he was wanted by the law in two states?"

"What? No, I didn't know that. What the hell did he do?"

"Damn, girl. That's a dumb question. What did he do to Benny Cordetti yesterday morning?"

"Oh, God. No. Cordetti isn't expected to get out of the hospital for at least three weeks."

"That is the Rayburn that we all love and adore."

Both women sat for a few moments without talking.

"He can't come back here, can he?"

"Nope."

"He can't stay there either?"

"That's right."

"What the hell are we going to do?"

"What do you mean 'WE'? You are not one of Rayburn's favorite people right now."

"Oh, crap. He doesn't know the truth. There is no way that he can know what really happened. Damn, I am screwed again."

"Look, JoLynn it has been very interesting meeting you. I enjoyed the lunch and the conversation, but right now I have to get the kid's stuff and get back on the road."

"Can I come with you?"

"Hell no. Are you trying to get me killed?"

"Can I have your phone number?"

"I can handle that, but don't expect me to take sides here. Rayburn is my brother. Blood comes first."

"We have some money in the bank that we were saving to buy a house. Does Rayburn need money? I can get it out for him."

"He is fine. He is with his family. He doesn't need anything. Hold on to that money. You might need it."

Two hours later Nadine was on the road headed south. She would be home in time for supper.

[]---[]

There was a big family gathering that evening. Nadine told Rayburn what JoLynn had told her, but he wasn't buying it. Until she could prove otherwise, he was going to assume that what she said first, in the heat of anger, was the truth. The story that she told Nadine was a contrived cover-up. The big problem seemed to be what he was going to do next. He couldn't chance staying where he was and he couldn't go back to Pennsylvania. Fletcher had a friend who owned a company that built yuppie log cabins in Winchester, Tennessee. A quick phone call and one of the problems was solved. Garnet was going to keep Bryan and Tyson until Rayburn could find a place to live. Garnet made great grits. Nadine was going to bring them down and help Rayburn set up house, and find some sort of sitter for the boys while Rayburn worked. Rayburn wasn't planning on leaving until Monday morning, so he had a full weekend to enjoy with his family.

Although Rayburn had tried his best to get home without anybody finding out, it didn't work. Someone recognized him, and it didn't take long for the word to get around. It never did seem to reach the ears of the law, but it did get the interest of a few other people.

Rayburn Watley had become a legend in the area. All of the want-to-be badasses could get a quick reputation if they took down Rayburn. It was like the dime western novels about the young gunslingers challenging the older experienced ones, only there were no six-shooters involved this time.

To make matter worse, JoLynn Watley had been driving all day to find her husband and get him straightened out. The longer she drove the madder she got. By the time she reached Rockingham County, she was royally pissed.

The Watley family was settled in with plenty of cold beer and two grills loaded with ribs and burgers. The plan was to stay low profile and enjoy the weekend. Everything was fine until the first phone call.