How High A Price: A Sequel

“I do need to warn you Susan, that bill you spoke to me about is still collecting interest. Mr. Stickner is going to let the juicy details of the tryst slip to the baser sorts of people here at the office, the gossip groups. For the next year or so every time you pass a group of women, you will catch their stares and giggles, as well as muffled laughter after you pass by. Some of the younger men will be much bolder with you even to the point of being crass. If anyone approaches you, just e-mail me I’ll stop that nonsense immediately. The real pain will come when we have family functions, the wives and girlfriends who in the past have always been so friendly and supportive, will ostracize, and isolate you, and you’ll end up leaving feeling embarrassed and alone. You need to understand you cannot be trusted anymore, especially with their men. My advice to you is do your normal great job at work, ignore the petty people, and focus on that man back there,” he said pointing to Early.

Susan nodded, Mr. Jenson whispered, “Susan he desperately needs to be the focus of all your attention right now,” Mr. Jenson smiled, and so did she.

Mr. Jenson got up and buzzed Margie who came in quickly; Mr. Jenson said, “ Margie, Mrs. Conroy is going on two weeks Administrative leave with pay, followed by four weeks of her personal leave, starting today! Please spread her work load among the other VP’s and set up the leave.”

“Yes sir,” came a smart professional reply, the young woman turned and left.

Mr. Jenson then refocused on the couple in the room, “Susan would you please go separate any remaining workload on your desk so Margie can turf it to the other three VP’s, and Mr. Conroy may I have just a brief moment of your time?”

Susan stood and hugged Mr. Jenson and whispered, “Thank You! ” Then she walked up to Early took his hands and said, “ I will give up my position, job, license, house, cars, friends, anything to have you back, to keep you, I really do love you.”

Early smiled, kissed her hands, “thank you, I love you too!”

Susan smiled and walked out.

Mr. Jenson walked up next to Early and placed his hand on Early’s shoulder.

“I am sure you feel like you have had you’re guts torn out, and betrayal doesn’t even begin to describe the pain.” Early nodded.

Mr. Jenson continued, “ I’ll be 68 in two weeks and three weeks past that I will get to celebrate being married to the same beautiful and intriguing woman for 41 years.”

“Congratulations!” Early offered.

Mr. Jenson nodded and said; “The very same woman I found embroiled in the midst of an eight month long affair 18 years ago. Too much, time alone in her office with one specific man. One thing built on another until I was crushed; I wanted to lash out, repay the pain. Luckily a friend of mine, a counselor got to me and calmed me down, he helped me get my head on straight, he made it clear, no retaliation, practice forgiveness and most of all love with all you have within you, when you reach your limit ask God to give you more.”

Early asked, “ What about the physical part, kissing, cuddling, sleeping together, making love, all I can see in my mind is the two of them together,” he was shaking now.

Mr. Jenson nodded his head and replied, “ Yes, I know, I waited three months before I gave into her Desperate pleas for me to make love to her, to take her back completely. If I had it to do over again I would have done it in half the time. Trust me Mr. Conroy it is as important to them to be taken back fully and know they are wholly forgiven, as it is to us to know they are wholly ours again.”

Early listened to this man, he had been through the fire and his marriage survived, and he asked, “How long did it take to get past the pain, so you could start dealing with some of the issues?”

Mr. Jenson responded, “7-10 days before the raw overwhelming emotions healed over.”

Early asked, “Do you have the names and numbers of any really good Marriage Counselors, that I could get from you, we need some help and I don’t want to loose her.” He was tearing up.

“Yes son I do, and you have already made the most important choices you could to recover your bride and marriage. You let her know you want her back and allowed her to come home, and you asked for outside professional help. I’ll e-mail the names and numbers to Susan’s home e-mail address today.”

Early replied, “ Thank you, I feel better knowing I’m not the only one and that we can reconcile.”

Mr. Jenson gave Early his card, shook his hand, and said. “Call me if you need to talk my boy.” Early nodded and the two men walked out, as he left he heard Mr. Jenson say, “Margie, if Mr. or Mrs. Conroy call for me or need an appointment, get them in to me right away.”

“Yes Mr. Jenson.” Came Margie’s gentle professional response.

Early just smiled, and headed off towards Susan’s office.

Susan thought over the last hour and a half, and how wonderfully Mr. Jenson had responded to the situation in which she had become entangled. She was so happy he had given her time off, for Early and herself to get their heads on straight; so they could begin the healing processes needed to recover from the horrible wound her husband had so undeservedly received from her. She smiled, he had told herhe loved her; thank God my selfishness hasn’t destroyed everything. She noticed a letter taped to the door of her office, it was dated last Wednesday and was simply addressed Susan in Jennifer’s handwriting, she hadn’t noticed it when she left that evening. She looked at the date and trembled, if only she could go back in time and erase the pain, guilt, and humiliation she had caused to others, and heaped upon herself.

She took the letter and let herself into her office, as the door swung open she looked around her office and froze in disbelief. It was as if she was seeing the place for the first time. She couldn’t believe the amount of things she had prominently displayed around the room that John Stickner had given her over the past few months. She put the letter in her purse and that on top of her desk, turned, and walked to the washroom. Susan got out two trash bags and collected any and all items he had given to her or she had purchased to please him. She pulled her former items out of the closet, desk, and credenza where they had slowly been relegated to for storage, restoring them to their original places of honor in her life. She looked at the things she had in the two bags, it slowly dawned on her how well thought out John’s plan had been. He had gradually influenced her to change, her style of dress, shampoo, perfumes, even her hairstyle, and lastly her focus so that when he struck, all her connections to Early were blurred and she was defenseless.

Susan separated the items into two bags one to toss in the garbage and one to give back to him. She hefted the bags and started for John’s office, she dumped the toiletries, cards, notes, candies and the like down the Janitor’s drop chute, then continuing she let herself into his office via the password he had given her. She placed crystal vases and figurines, scarves, gold inlaid pins in various flower shapes, a Mont Blanc Pen and Pencil set, and finally the white gold bangle bracelet with inlaid clear Austrian Crystals and diamond highlights in a pile on his desk. Turning she relocked his office door, retracing her steps to her office.

As soon as Susan returned to her desk she called her family practice office, she was extremely happy to be given an appointment for that afternoon, another patient had just cancelled moments before she called. That finished, she cleared out her E-Mail, forwarding incoming to Jennifer, then separated the remaining cases on her desk scribbling a few notes in each of them and set them aside for Jennifer to distribute as Margie dictated.

Feeling both free of the entanglements of her seducer, and the job, she was just waiting for Early to come and get her, when she remembered the note. Taking it from her purse she swung her chair around facing the windows, opened the letter and began reading.

Susan,

PLEASE, PLEASE, talk to me before you leave the office today, I don’t care if it’s by phone, face to face or mail. Please tell me what everyone else in the office including myself can so plainly see is not really happening. You and that man, Mr. Stickner, everybody sees the looks, the touches, no the caresses, the long closed door meetings in both offices that are nothing more than giggle sessions. All your extra long lunches and all three of the dinners, Oh God Susan NO!!! Please God NO!

Please tell me the sudden clearing of both of your schedules for tomorrow and Friday, when Early is out of town on a business trip is just a coincidence, and you are going to surprise him at his hotel. Please convince me this is not what it seems, make me believe that you are not going to become involved with that man. That you are not going to betray your husband, your marriage, your friendship, and our friendship with him.

Don’t you see it Susan, the shame and embarrassment, the pain you are going to cause Early, and heap upon yourself. While Mr. John Stickner walks away, chuckling that he had yet another “piece of ass” that everyone had thought was untouchable. Don’t you understand, no matter how you have justified your actions? You are going to destroy your name and reputation and will either critically wound or more likely destroy your relationship and marriage with Early.

I am so heartbroken, I’m physically ill, I have always looked up to and respected you. I was always so happy you didn’t play those Peyton Place office games. I have always wanted to have a marriage I could be proud of, the way yours and Early’s has been, don’t throw it away Susan.

I am so ashamed of myself, 3 times when you and that man were at one of your long lunches, Early has called. I gave you the benefit of the doubt and covered for you, lied for you, to my friend Early. It won’t happen again I will not cheapen myself for you or this job, my self worth means more to me than that.

I love my job and working for and with you Susan, I just don’t know what I’ll do if this is true.

I’m praying for you.

With Hope

Jennifer

Susan sat in stunned silence, tears flowing down her face, in her whole life including the deaths of her grandparents and parents, she had never been in pain this intense before. She also knew she had caused it all herself. She was now so angry with John Stickner she couldn’t think straight. She noticed another card in her purse, smaller tucked in the front pocket, she pulled it out, and “wife” was all that was written on it. With trembling hands, she opened it;

Susan, I am still in shock and a boatload of pain, and there is no one else I would endure this for. Because, I want this marriage, I need you, I want you but most of all, I love you. Early.

Susan calmed down and whispered, “Thank you my love” quietly to herself. She made a note to herself to call an old friend and talk about bill collecting.

Early was walking towards Susan’s office at a brisk pace, as he passed the elevators they opened and a pretty young woman in her mid-twenties rushed out almost running him over. She mumbled, “Excuse me,” and moved with purpose towards the VP suites. She had moved 5 feet away from him when Early asked, “Jennifer, don’t you say hello to old friends?” The woman stopped and whirled around, taking off her sunglasses she responded, “Early?” her voice thick with tears. Seeing her face with puffy eyes, she was crying, Early’s shoulders slumped she knew. He didn’t try to hide the pain.

“Yes, Jennifer it’s me.” He answered.

She just babbled, “Early…Uh Susan, I…I, I.”

Early walked up to her, she grabbed him as he said, “Yea, I know.”

Jennifer quietly sobbed, “Oh God Early, I’m so sorry!”

“So am I,” he sighed.

He gently led her to Susan’s office, and closed the door behind them.

Susan walked out from the washroom; she stopped when she saw Jennifer and Early. Jennifer broke away from Early and went to Susan and grabbed her arms, the pain that Jennifer had been holding back all weekend exploded,” No! No! No! Please tell me it’s not true. Why didn’t you call? Why didn’t you talk to me?” Her cries of anguish were gut wrenching.

Susan said, “I didn’t see the letter until got into work today, or I would have called,” hanging her head, waiting for the next onslaught, the look of disappointment was crushing her.

Jennifer became very quiet, then looked at Susan, “as much as it kills me to do so, I will submit my letter of resignation today, I will be leaving my position as soon as I find another position within the Firm, or somewhere else.” She intoned.

Susan’s face drained of all color and she started shaking her head no, she tried to speak but heard Early’s voice instead.

He pleaded, “ Jennifer, Please don’t do this, I beg you to reconsider, please don’t pull the rug out from underneath us, give us time to heal. Please don’t for my sake, she needs you as her help at the office and more importantly as her friend, I don’t think any of the three of us can handle any more pain. We need all the help we can get to get us back on solid ground.”

Jennifer starred at Early, an incredulous look spread across her face, she asked,

“Your going to stay with her, reconcile the marriage. Why?”

Early grinned, “ Because I love her more than life itself, and although I don’t understand her actions right now, I know she still loves me. We both want this Jennifer please don’t make it harder, please help us!”

Jennifer said with an anxious tone, “My Mom and Dad always said,Sleep with someone else we are over, and 4 years ago when my oldest sister an accountant with this firm fell prey to Stickner, she begged her husband for a second chance. He called her all kinds of names then tossed her out. She was my hero, that animal has reduced her to a shell.” She took a deep breath and shuddered.

Jennifer looked at Susan and quipped, “if my buddy,” looking over at Early “is going to take a chance on you, then so will I, I’ll stay, but you will keep away from that asshole.” Jennifer blushed at using that kind of language in front of her boss.

Susan replied, “thank you, let me get better with Early,” She looked at her husband and both of them smiled. “Then I’ll make up for the embarrassment, disappointment and pain I’ve caused you, Okay?”

“Yea” Jennifer said, “and besides, I really need my friend also.”

“Me too!” Susan gushed and the three of them embraced.

Jennifer asked, “ When you guys get better will you help me find a Doctor to help my sister Katlin get better?”

“You bet,” Early said.

After a few minutes, Early volunteered to go down and get some tea and cinnamon buns for everyone and left. Susan showed Jennifer the files she needed to bring to Margie for distribution and explained to Jennifer her role for the next 6 weeks working for Margie and the other 3 VP’s, until Susan got back to work. Both women freshened up and got to work while waiting for breakfast.

While Jennifer was out delivering her second group of files to the various offices, Susan went into her office to straighten up. She noticed a shadow and heard a noise behind her as she was standing in front of her desk. She whirled her pulse racing, as John Stickner moved towards her arms out as if to embrace her, Susan ducked to her left moving to the center of the room and out of his reach.

“Get out of here you Bastard,” she hissed, she realized she had made a mistake by moving; John was now between her and the door.

John was almost chuckling when he said, “Oh my, my, a lovers quarrel, you are supposed to call me endearing terms, and thank me in very personal ways that we both can share.” He smiled for a brief moment, as his face contorted into a sneer as he spat out, “ Or this job, the office and your pitiful fantasy will all go bye-bye. So how about a thank you for all I’ve done for you?”

Susan was angry, “Get out of here, out of my life and leave me alone.”

John seethed, “You slut, you little whore, how dare you try to dismiss me. I and I alone will be the only one who decides when my fee is paid in full. It’s time for you to find out who’s in charge here slut.” John said as he moved quickly and caught her arm, and raised his hand to slap her.

The door slamming closed made both of them jump and face the door. Susan used the commotion to break free and move to the far right of the office putting a coffee table between John and her. When she finally felt somewhat secure she looked over to see why the door had slammed, she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, “Early, Thank God!”

John, who had been surprised at this turn of events recovered quickly, he looked Early up and down in a demeaning manner then said, “So the Husband is here, trying to identify your competition, or are you here to forfeit to your betters?”

Early ignored the taunts, he looked at Susan, “Susan, please come over here and sit in one of the chairs behind me.” She moved quickly to where Early was standing, “Are you all right,” he asked, she squeezed his arm and said, “Yes, just a bit frightened.” Early nodded.

Early took stock of his opponent, just over 6ft. 180lbs. plus, Early smiled to himself, he was 5’10” 175lbs. but he appeared to weigh less.

Early said, “ There are all kinds of issues your little interlude have brought to the surface John. Your purposeful seduction of a married woman, her seemingly willingness to respond, those are things you will both have to deal with for sometime to come.”

“BUT!” Early half shouted the word for emphasis, it made both John and Susan jump, “To call my wife names, to try to purposely degrade her, trying to force her to resume your tryst after she has ended it,and attempting to slap her to physically intimidate her. Well, now those are things that I can get involved in defending her.” Early was alert, his anger under control, his body wound like a spring, ready to strike, he settled into his stance and waited.

John who was unsettled at this turn of events, lost control and he charged Early, punching with the practiced grace of a trained boxer. Early allowed him to land two punches one to his arm, and one to his chest, the rest of the physical action took 7 seconds. A kick from Early to John’s stomach, which emptied the air out of his lungs then he whirled and caught the back of John’s right knee sending him to the floor. Early grabbed John’s hair, hyper-extended his now helpless opponent’s head and neck and held his hand a foot above that exposed throat waiting to kill him.

Early asked, “Surprised, little boy, I’ll not keep you in suspense, I believe Susan told me you spent 3 yrs In the Navy as a JAG officer, correct?”

“Yes,” John squeaked out. Then pleaded, “Please don’t hurt me.”

Early said, “Depends, I’m a bit agitated, I was in the Navy also John, for 6 years, special warfare, nasty business, lots of blood.”

John’s eyes were huge as he looked at Early, terror filled his brain, “You’re a SEAL”, he croaked out.

Early said, “Yep! And if you want proof look at the picture of me in my uniform on your way out on the bookshelf to the left, my trident is clearly visible.”

John Stickner almost passed out.

Early leaned forward so only John could hear him, “Here are the new ground rules John; you come near my wife, except for work, I get involved. Your mouth is locked tight on this affair, or I get involved, if any of the young studs in the Firm bother my wife, I’ll take a pound of flesh from them and then a pound from you, because you let it leak out. Come to think of it, relocating to the northeast or southeast part of the country is advisable, because sooner or later in the reconciliation process, something’s going to be said and I’ll probably trip off line and come for you. You better not have given my wife any gifts that keep on giving John, if so I get involved. Don’t go near or contact Katlin, yes, I know about her also, or I get involved. If you do take your chances and stay, don’t try to influence any votes concerning her promotions, or I get involved. If I hear you ever say, or have said an unkind word about my wife, or ever try to harm her, or try to make her do anything against her will again, you will forfeit your life. Now do you understand the rules as I have explained them to you John.”