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Tattletale

By: T.G. Penmaster



Ted couldn't possibly ever concentrate on finishing his Trigonometry homework when, down the hall, he could hear the oh-so familiar slurping noises that he had grown up listening to. His older sister, Ana, had brought home her boyfriend, Darren, and was now giving him a nice, deep blowjob in her room. He strained his ears to pick up every one of his sister's noises, making him so horny that he trembled. Oh, how he wished that he was Darren, getting his cock sucked by a gorgeous girl like Ana.

Ever since she had developed into a lady, Ted had become obsessed with the sheer beauty of his older sister, whom was voted Prom Queen, Most Popular, and Best Dressed during High School. She had an angel face, with bright, blue eyes and a shimmering smile. Her hair was like strands of gold, and it cascaded down her back, often reaching her succulent ass, which Ted often caught himself gazing at when Ana lounged around the house in her panties and tank tops. Every inch of her smooth, soft skin was tan, including her plump, natural breasts, which Ted thought to fit into at least a 34C cup.

Ted couldn't be more different than his older sister. He was shy and reserved, spending most of his free time in his room, on the internet. He was tall and lanky, and topped with a thick mop of light brown hair. Over the previous summer, he had started lifting weights in his room during his spare time, and had since developed a pair of toned biceps and a very ripped six-pack, of which he was extremely proud of. Of course, Ted was still no match for Darren in that department. He was a High School football star, who was most likely pumped full of steroids. Darren was also a total asshole to Ted whenever he came over, often bullying him and calling him names. Ted didn't mind, though, he was used to it. At school, he was an outcast. Everybody expected him to live up to the legend that was Ana, but no matter how hard he tried, Ted just couldn't fill his sister's shoes.

He did, however, know that he was not going to end up like Ana after he graduated, flunking out of college and returning home to live with her parents. She came home every night drunk and coked up, but no matter how many times she messed up, her and Ted's parents always took her back in. She was 21, and still unemployed, whereas Ted, a freshly graduated Senior had just been accepted to a prestigious Chicago technology institute, with a full scholarship.

Now, it didn't matter how big of a screw-up Ana was, all Ted wanted to do was focus on the moaning and sucking noises coming from her room. Through his loose-fitting pajama shorts, Ted furiously pumped his fully erect cock in and out of his sweaty palm, gritting his teeth and grunting in vigor. He soon decided to get a closer look; the wind had blown Ana's door almost closed, and it was difficult to hear anything.

Ted, shaking with nervousness, crept down the hallway and peeked in through the door. He was just in time. Ana was on her knees, and Darren was leaning against the dresser, with his eyes closed and his head back. He held the back of her head and shoved it in and out of his lap. 

"Get ready, baby, it's coming..."

Darren emptied his load in her mouth and she immediately choked, moving her hand under her mouth to catch the semen dribbling over her lip. Darren didn't even care. He drove his head back and forth even faster, and when he was done, shoved her forehead off his dick, causing Ana to fall back on the floor. Ted clenched his fists in rage. Darren put his shirt back on as she stood up and then spanked her hard on the ass before leaving. Ted stood completely still behind the door as it flung open. The handle barely missed his arm. 

He watched as Darren left and then strolled into Ana's bedroom. She was sitting on her bed, playing with her nails, wearing a big sweatshirt that covered over whatever it was she was wearing underneath. She shot him a nasty look.

"What do you want, freak?"

Ted didn't say a word, but instead leaned against the dresser like Darren had and mimicked his facial expressions, moving his hands over the air where Ana's head was. Her face turned red.

"Why were you watching us, you little jackass? What are you gonna do, tell Mom?"

Ted nodded.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do, that is, unless you do what I say."

Ana glared at him while she contemplated what to do. Her parents were such prudes. If they had found out about this, it would be the last straw and she'd be out on the street. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, what do you want? Money? You know I'm broke."

Ted shot her a superior smile.

"Actually, my dear, I was thinking something more along the lines of what you did for Darren. That looked good to me."

Ana looked appalled.

"You want me to suck your cock? You're a sick fuck, you know that?"

Ted frowned and moved closer.

"Listen, you know that I don't have a lot of luck with girls, and I've never had...one of those before, plus you blow tons of guys. Just pretend that I'm someone else."

She still looked shocked.

"I can't believe that you want me to do this...and even if I did, I couldn't pretend that you were one of the guys that I've sucked off. I know cocks, and a little one just isn't the same as a nice, big, fat one like Darren's."

"Who are you calling small, Ana?" Ted retorted defensively, "I bet I'm bigger than Darren!"

She grinned mischievously.

"I'll believe it when I see it."

Ted, on an adrenaline rush, ripped down his shorts without thinking and let his struggling eight-inch cock spring free. It was still glistening with pre-cum from his earlier masturbation session in his room. Ana stared for a moment in a lifeless gaze and then shocked him by seizing hold of it in her hand and gently stroking it. She still looked disgusted.

"I can't believe I'm actually going to do this. Let's get this over with."

Ted didn't care whether she liked sucking him or not, he was getting the first blowjob of his life. He watched with great content as she tied her hair back in a tight ponytail and knelt down on the floor before taking a deep breath and tracing the tip of her tongue all over the head of her little brother's penis, causing him to jump with a jolt of pleasure. Ana continued licking his cock all over before gently nibbling on his balls while slowly working the shaft with her hand. After a few more minutes of soft licks, Ana finally took his pole into her mouth and slurped it noisily, much like she had done to Darren. 

With half of his dick in her mouth, Ana looked up at Ted.

"Feed me your cock. We can go at your speed."

Ted nodded and gently placed his hands on the back of her head before slowly pushing her between his legs and then back again. He moved her head continuously faster, while she sucked like a vacuum. He knew that he was going to finish soon, so he slowed down, but Ana kept slurping his cock more powerfully. He couldn't believe what this girl could do. 

When his orgasm was nearing, he warned her and she gripped his thighs and he laid back on the bed and braced himself. Ana sucked so hard, he feared she would suck the skin right off. Ted groaned as he pumped his seed down her throat, and she didn't gag but instead licked her lips and drank the last drops that lingered on the tip of his penis. 

Ted thought she was finished after she swallowed his load, but Ana kept sucking until he had gone completely limp again. She then reluctantly spit out his cock, giving it a few last licks before Ted put it away. He didn't want to listen to Ana criticize him any more, so he started toward the door, but she stopped him.

"Hey, um, whenever you need another one...just ask. I mean, I like giving head, so..."

Ted nodded and walked to his room, his heart pounding. This was the greatest night of his life.

Tattletale



Pete Dalrymple trudged from his office to his car. It was hot, damn hot. It was the middle of August in eastern Texas. The sun beat down with an intensity surpassed only by desert sun. He walked up to his two year old F150 and opened the door. He felt like stepping back when the heat from inside the cab blasted into his face.

Wearily he climbed into the cab and started the engine. He left the door open and turned the air conditioner and fan on high. Pete sat, door open, vehicle running for a couple minutes to force some of the superheated air out of the cab. He then closed the door, fastened his seatbelt and began the long journey home. The drive really wasn't that long—only about 25 minutes at the right time of day. Rush hour traffic in Dallas nearly doubled that number most days. This day, like many since the July 4th weekend, he was in no hurry to get back to his house.

He and his wife Emily were supposed to go out and eat supper with his best friend, Ryan Scott, and his wife Vicky. Normally that would not have been something that bothered Pete. He used to look forward to, hell, even set up, evenings with the Scotts. He and Ryan had been friends since starting college together at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater over ten years before. 

In his second year of college Pete broke up with what he then thought of as the love of his life. Pete moped around for almost five weeks before Ryan and his then girlfriend Vicky decided to improve his life. They were tired of his unhappiness and attitude. Ryan bullied him into a double date with them that included Vicky's best friend and dorm room mate, Emily. Pete and Emily clicked. Oh, it wasn't immediate. She was put off by his attitude initially but over the course of several weeks Ryan and Vicky put them together enough that they began to see the good points of each other. Pete asked Emily for another date and, to his surprise, she accepted. They married a week after they all graduated college.

Pete had been happy as the proverbial bug in a rug until recently. He was upset about many things in his life right now. He thought he knew how to solve the problems but he really, really hated to do it. His job sucked. He hated working in the corporate world and he hated "Big D" also. He decided he was going to quit and move farther east to a small plot of ground he purchased without Emily's knowledge last month. For the last three years his dream was to purchase a small plot of land outside town. Emily always vehemently refused to even consider it. This time he didn't even ask her. He just bought a small 25 acre farm with an older modular home on it. There was a small stream running through it and the land was on the bank of a small lake to boot. He intended to move there next week. After he unwound he would look for a more interesting job.

Finally, Pete arrived home. He walked inside the house and sighed in relief. Even running full out the truck air conditioner had trouble keeping up with the sun beaming through the windshield onto Pete as he drove. The blast of cold air hit him in the face like a Mack truck. That was another point of friction between him and Emily. He wanted to keep the house temperature near 74 in the summer and wear lighter or no clothes. She wanted to keep it at 68 and dress warmer, then she would complain when she went outside and it was too hot.

It was already 6:30 in the evening. Emily was nearly dressed and was waiting impatiently for Pete to arrive so they could leave. Their reservations at the restaurant were for 7:30. It was a 45 minute drive to get there. "Damn it, Pete," Emily said, "couldn't you have left work a little early today? If you don't hurry we're going to be late now."

"No, I couldn't leave early. I had things I had to do. I got here as soon as I could. I told you when you set the time you should have made the reservations for eight. I won't be long. I just want to rinse off and get into some more comfortable clothes."

Fifteen minutes later Pete was back downstairs ready to go. Emily had been alternately sitting down then standing and pacing back and forth the entire time Pete was getting ready. Every so often she would yell up the stairs for Pete to hurry. When he looked at her Pete saw her face was drawn and tense with anger. Her lips were tightly pressed together.

Pete didn't say anything. He merely walked to the door, opened it, and walked outside. Emily glared at him and followed angrily behind. She slammed the door behind her. Her anger spiked once again when she saw Pete walk to his huge 4X4 truck and climb in. He knew she hated to ride in that damn truck. There was absolutely no way she could get into it like a lady. Even the step provided hit her just below her knee. She had to literally climb and pull herself into her seat. She thought about making a scene then decided not to do so. Pete was like a lion with a thorn in his paw the last several weeks. She decided she had pushed him enough for this evening. Emily was really getting tired of pussy footing around him but didn't want to spoil the evening.

Pete and Emily arrived at the restaurant almost ten minutes late. When they got inside, Ryan and Vicky were already seated and half way through their first drink. Emily rushed to the table and began apologizing for their tardiness. "I'm sorry we're so late, Ryan," she said. "Pete didn't leave his precious job early enough to get here on time."

Vicky sat and watched Pete and Emily. She knew something was wrong between them beside Pete's alleged tardiness this evening. She had been getting vibes now since early summer but when she questioned Emily all she was told was that Pete was being an asshole recently. Vicky was sad because the tension Emily was under seemed to be affecting the relationship between her and Emily also.

The meal was excellent as usual but none of the four enjoyed it as much as they usually did. There was an underlying current of almost hostility with a pinch of disrespect thrown in between Pete, Emily and, surprisingly, Ryan.

Just as he was finishing his meal Vicky saw Pete look toward another table in the restaurant. He stared at the two men sitting there and clenched his jaw. He nodded his head slightly. Emily and Ryan didn't seem to notice the byplay. They were talking to each other and laughing off and on all evening and were still hard at it. They got louder after every drink. They were drinking twice as much as Vicky this evening. Vicky frowned and looked at Pete's face. As far as she knew he was still on his first drink. He had not even had any wine with his meal. That was unusual. He normally kept up with her at least.

Vicky reached out and gently touched Pete's forearm. She had a concerned look on her face. She asked, "Pete, is something wrong? You've been acting strange all evening. I saw you look over at those men and clench your jaws just now. Is there a problem with them or at your work?"

"No, Vicky. Work is just work. I'm fed up with it and need a change. When I looked at those two men I just remembered a conversation I had with them earlier today. Some of the people at work seem to hold different opinions about the topic we were discussing today. Those two agreed with my sentiments."

"What were you discussing, Pete?"

"Oh, we know of someone who is cheating on their spouses and we were discussing whether or not the innocent spouse should be told. What do you think, Vicky? If Ryan over there was cheating on you would you want someone to tell you?"

By then Ryan and Emily were listening to the conversation. Pete turned slightly toward them and repeated the question. "If your spouse was cheating on you would you want someone to tell you?"

Emily glared at Pete and said, "You're damn straight I would want to know. I would burn your ass if you ever cheated on me." Ryan looked slightly sick and kept his mouth shut.

Pete turned back to Vicky and said, "Well, we know what Em thinks. How about you? Would you want to know Vicky?" For some reason Ryan was looking more ill all the time. He was glaring at Emily and shaking his head no." Emily however, was on a tear. She was pissed at Pete and decided to put more than her two cents into this conversation.

Emily began speaking before Vicky could answer Pete's question. She said, "Is that what your problem has been lately Pete? You're cheating on me and now you're afraid someone is going to tell me. Is that why you nodded your head to those two men over there? Well, let me tell you buster, if I ever find out you're cheating on me it will be all over. I'll take you for everything I can and ruin your reputation if I can. No one deserves to be cheated on and no one deserves to have it overlooked if they do."

Vicky sat there in shock listening to Emily's tirade. When Emily stopped talking Pete just looked at Vicky and raised his eyebrows. Vicky took a deep breath. She felt a little spark of fear in the pit of her stomach. All at once she wasn't enjoying the meal and evening as much. She looked over at the two men then back to Pete. She licked her lips and said, "Yes, I think so. If it was only once, an accident so to speak, maybe no, but if it was an affair or even just once but with several women, then yes, I would want someone to tell me so I could get rid of the cheating husband."

Pete turned his gaze on Ryan. He said, "Well, Ryan, both the women would want to be told. I would also. How about you? So far almost everyone who has discussed this said they wanted to know if their spouse was cheating on them."

Ryan looked around the table and gently shook his head no. Pete saw that and jumped on it. He asked, "No? You shook your head no just then. You really wouldn't want to know if Vicky was cheating on you?"

Finally, Ryan glared back at Pete and said, "Yes. OK? Yes, I would want to know if the bitch cheated on me so I could throw her ass to the curb. Is that what you wanted to hear, Pete? Or are you trying to tell me something else?"

Emily raised her head and looked at Pete. All at once she felt a surge of fear run through her. Pete never looked at her, however. Pete raised his head and held his hand out to the two men he had been watching earlier. They were now both standing beside the table. They had large manila envelopes in their hands. One handed an envelope to Pete. 

Pete looked at the men and gave them a sick smile. He quickly introduced everyone at the table then took the proffered envelope and turned to Vicky. He held the envelope out to her and said, "I'm sorry, Vicky. I would have wanted to know also, and no, it wasn't just a onetime thing. I don't know when it started but I have known about it since the 4th of July BBQ down on the lake. I have pictures and the surveillance report from a PI in here for you. My lawyer's card is also there if you want to use him for a divorce."

Ryan stood so fast his chair fell over. He glared at Pete and snarled, "You asshole. You just had to do it didn't you? You couldn't just leave well enough alone could you?" Ryan started for the door while Vicky sat at the table crying. The man with two envelopes handed one to the other man and took out after Ryan. When he caught up with him he handed him the envelope and said, "You are served, Mr. Scott. This envelope contains a restraining order keeping you away from the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Dalrymple. It also contains a court order requiring you to return all the tools, the boat and other personal possessions as listed that Mr. Dalrymple has loaned you. It also contains the legal documents calling the $100,000 loan Mr. Dalrymple made to you when you started your business. As you may remember, the note is due and payable in full as of the last day of this month unless voluntarily extended by both parties. Mr. Dalrymple has opted not to extend the loan. He reminds you that if you do not pay the loan in full before the due date he has the option of taking over your business. He fully intends to do so if you do not repay the loan. Have a good evening, sir." 

Ryan's face turned white. He looked up at the man and said, "But I can't repay him now. We agreed he would just extend the note when it was due. I'll lose everything if he does that!"

"Well, sir, I am Mr. Dalrymple's attorney and I can assure you he fully intends to do just that. I have seen no written extension of the loan and I am sure considering the circumstances I won't, will I sir?"

At the same time Ryan and Pete's attorney were talking, Emily was being served with divorce papers. When asked if she was Emily Dalrymple she merely nodded her head yes. She sat silently crying when the man handed her the envelope with the documents inside.

Vicky sat with tears running down her cheeks. She looked over at her ex roommate and friend. She asked, "How could you do this to me, Emily? I thought we were friends."

Pete reached out and held Vicky's hand. He said, "That's a really good question, Vicky. I'm pretty sure this isn't a recent thing either. I think the affair just got out of hand since the July 4th weekend. From some of the conversations my PI taped, Emily and Ryan have been off and on lovers since before we got married. Remember how tight the three of you were while you were in college? Remember how we used to worry about how close a friendship they had? I'm pretty sure they were fucking each other back then but I don't have any proof."

Ryan was standing about five feet from the table still. He looked dejected, beaten. When Pete stood to leave he reached for Pete's sleeve. He said, "Please, Pete. Don't do this to me. If you call the loan I'll lose it all."

Pete looked at Ryan and said, "Tough. I thought we were friends and if we had been, if you hadn't done what you and Emily did, you wouldn't be in this position now. It all comes down to the two of you. It was interesting though to listen to the two of you tell me it was my duty to tell Vicky about your cheating. That was a hoot. I really wasn't sure if I would. I wasn't sure until after I did it that she didn't know about the two of you. You were always so tight and all."

Pete turned to Vicky who had gasped when he told Ryan he thought she might have been involved. He said, "Vicky, I'm sorry about that but I really didn't know for sure. I was pretty sure when I saw the PI reports because they didn't talk like you knew when they were together. You were never with them but they didn't seem too worried about you finding out either. That worried me. Several times they worried about me finding out and what I would do, but you were never mentioned. I began to wonder if you knew about them and accepted their cheating."

Pete smiled and continued, "Any way, I did what both of them said I should do. I told you about your husband cheating on you. Sort of poetic justice don't you think?"

Pete gently touched Vicky's shoulder and asked, "Do you want me to take you home? I'm leaving now."

Vicky stood and followed Pete out. Neither looked at their beaten spouses. After they left the noise level in the restaurant slowly rose once more to its normal level. As Pete walked out with Vicky he thought about what he was going to do with his new business. He really didn't want to operate a landscaping company but from all he saw it was a real money maker. If he could believe Ryan his profits were almost $18,000 more a year than Pete made working at his old job. 



Tattletale: The Aftermath



Edited by the incomparable "Wires" as was TATTLETALE. To my eternal shame I failed to annotate TATTLETALE to credit Wires for his assistance. I hope he forgives me. His efforts have improved all my stories he has edited and this one is no different.

Emily sat at the table crying while she watched her husband and best friend walk from the restaurant quietly talking together. Pete had his arm around Vicky's shoulders as she leaned into his embrace. Ryan started after Pete, striding angrily. He was yelling about losing his business. After several steps he stopped. He looked so defeated and alone that, even in her sorrow, Emily felt her heart go out to him. She wanted to comfort him and make it all better. He turned and started back to the table and Emily.

When Ryan approached, Emily stood and looked at him. She felt empty. Her momentary thought about comforting him was already fading from her mind. She was lost. She had no idea what to do now. All Emily knew for certain was her husband had left her and she was facing life without him. Almost immediately she thought about the censure of her family and many of her friends that she would soon face. The majority of her old friends, at one time or another over the years warned her she was heading for trouble. She snickered when she thought how strange it was that she and Ryan got away with the affair as long as they had. It seemed all their friends knew about the affair. She was surprised it took Pete as long as it did to find out. Of course, some of her friends dropped her when she refused to leave Ryan alone. Many more warned her repeatedly about the mistake she was making and tried to talk her out of following the adulterous path she and Ryan had chosen. She just couldn't give Ryan up. They were lovers constantly from a year before she even met Pete until now. The sex with each other was excellent but the emotional attachment just wasn't right for them to have ever married. No, they were destined to be nothing but lovers and that was the course in life they chose.

Emily and Ryan began their love affair when they were in college. They were positive they had all the answers and would never get caught. As time passed, their certainty of their invincibility only increased. They had the perfect cover; Emily and Vicky were fast friends and roommates, as were Ryan and Peter. It was normal and natural for them to be seen together, with or without a spouse. How had Peter ever found out about their love affair? Well, it wasn't even a love affair. It was more recreation, something to do when they had time and could be alone together. They liked each other bunches, but love? Oh, hell, no. They loved their respective spouses. Today's young would probably call their relationship 'friends with benefits'. 

Even now, when they had to take the walk of shame out of the restaurant, Emily and Ryan could not stay away from each other. Emily moved under Ryan's arm as they walked from the restaurant together. Ryan's face showed his anger and Emily's her sorrow at the evening's occurrences. In her own way she really did love Pete. She just needed something different in her life. She needed the excitement of illicit sex to feel really alive and complete. She needed to be FUCKED from time to time and that is what Ryan did. She and Pete made love, a totally different kind of sex but one she needed as much as or more than she needed the rough, dirty, hard sex she got from Ryan.

Ryan helped Emily into his BMW then walked around to the driver's side. Neither spoke a word until they were on the road heading back deeper into the city. Ryan turned to Emily and snarled, "Now what? Do you think that asshole will really take my business? You need to talk to him tomorrow when he's calmed down. After all the work I put into being the little twerp's friend and setting him up with you I can't believe he is going to ruin me like this."

Emily laughed sharply and responded, "I really don't think he'll want to talk to me or you any time in the near future. You know how he gets when he's angry. If I knew how inflexible he was when we set this up I would have kept looking. He has been a good husband, and he was terribly oblivious to us, but his inflexibility on moral issues is just too strong for us to overcome I'm afraid."

Emily sighed and continued, "I thought we were so careful. I still don't know how the hell he caught us. I mean, we were so careful when we picked him out at college and he was oblivious for so long. Hell, if the truth be told, I DO love him a little." 

Ryan laughed and said, "Yeah, crap, in college he'd nail you in the apartment then rush off to class and leave you there for me. I can't believe you managed to convince the Boy Scout to use rubbers until you got married so I didn't have to take sloppy seconds! Shit, was he blind. Of course, Vicky wasn't much better. Hell, she'd still be in the dark if Pete hadn't told her tonight. That doesn't help with our problem now, though. What the hell are we going to do?

"I've been bragging to Pete that the company is making a killing but I really just barely have enough to get by, even with Vicky's earnings. I've convinced him I make several thousand dollars more than he does every year but I probably don't make as much. It's really hard to tell, though, because I rat hole a lot of the cash and spend it before the accountants get their mitts on it. Crap, that's why I needed the loan from Pete and you, I had to buy some new equipment and couldn't get the damn bank to loan me any more money. They said my books didn't support any more debt. With the depreciation and loans, the company probably has a slight negative or zero value. I don't even have much of a bank account I can clean out before Pete takes the company. We have almost no savings. About all Vicky and I own is our house and we're almost under water on it. We are soooo screwed if we can't convince Pete and Vicky to get over this. I really don't think I could keep going without Vicky's salary even if Pete doesn't take my business."

Emily gave a little sharp laugh and said, "Yeah, right, you heard her tonight. Do you really think she's going to forgive and forget? Do you think Pete will? You remember how they acted when Sonia and her fiancé broke up while we were in college. They both thought Sonia should eviscerate Todd when she caught him cheating. You've heard them through the year's bad mouthing people we knew that were caught cheating and ended up divorced. No, I think we're screwed. Pete and I make about the same thing so I won't even get alimony if he really does divorce me. At least I can get maybe fifty thousand dollars from my share of the investments. I'm afraid I'll lose the house without Pete's income, though. With my job and the savings I can live ok, but I sure can't live high on the hog like we have been doing."

While Ryan and Emily drove away from the restaurant and continued their discussion Pete and Vicky did the same. Pete stared out the front window of his truck and drove carefully down the street. After several blocks, Vicky wiped the tears from her cheeks with her fingers and turned to Pete. She said, "How long have you known, Pete? I had no clue, none at all. Oh, I knew they couldn't keep their hands off each other and flirted constantly but they've done that since before we got out of college. There have been times I thought they took their teasing and touching too far. I even said so to one or the other of them over the years, but I just had no idea they were lovers and cheating on us."

Pete looked over at Vicky and sighed. "I began having doubts about them almost a year ago. At first, I just watched them myself when we were all together. I never caught them doing anything that could really be called cheating. I was uncomfortable with their level of comfort with each other, but like you, I just thought we were all close. About three months ago Emily and I went home after one of the nights the four of us did the town. We were making love and she called me Ryan, twice. Once she said this was the best since the canoe trip. That almost killed me. Even if she wasn't making love with him I knew she was fantasizing about him while we made love. Then the comment about the canoe trip hit me. Remember last summer when we switched canoes and then got separated? You and I had the camp completely set up and were worrying about Ryan and Emily when they finally arrived. They told us they swamped their canoe and spent nearly an hour finding the equipment that dumped from it.

"After that night, I began calling Emily at work more and there were many times when I was either told she wasn't in the building or I just was referred to her voice mail. I bit the bullet and hired a couple of guys to follow her. It was amazing, they were so confident of their safety they didn't even really try to hide their actions. They met two or three times during the week for sex. At times they did it in one of Ryan's box trailers from work. I have tapes of those trysts. I even have pictures from a time or two they had sex alongside the river and once in our house when Emily was off work, supposedly because she was sick. I got the first proof about seven weeks ago. I have to admit, I held off telling you and filing the divorce papers until I got my ducks in a row. I quit my job today, or rather, today was my last day of work. I bought a 25 acre farm with an old dilapidated double wide modular home on it east of town and closed on the deal last week.

"Now, when Emily and I divorce she will actually have the higher income and I may get some support. When we split the assets I will take the land and she will get to keep the damn house she insisted on buying several years ago. I have never liked that damn house and now I can get rid of it. I may have to pay her something from Ryan's business, but if I do it won't be much. I'm sorry about taking it from you though, Vicky. Are you going to make it ok?"

"Don't worry about me, Pete. We were just barely making it with both of us working but that was mostly because we were trying to live almost entirely on my salary and above our means. I don't know if Ryan was stealing money from the business or what, but he didn't make more than about twenty or thirty thousand profit a year according to the taxes. That's why he had to borrow from you. None of the banks would loan to him. I have caught him bragging about just putting cash payments in his pocket. If he did that, he spent the money on something besides our living expenses or hid them in a secret bank account. You know how he liked to 'big wig' it. He always left way too large a cash tip when we went out and was always throwing money around buying frivolous toys or gambling. Unless he has a secret bank account somewhere we are only a month or two away from default on our home loan. We are probably under water on the home, anyway. So, to answer your question, I'll probably be better off without him, at least economically. I can force a sale of the house to get rid of the house payment, then rent a small apartment and still have more to live on than I do now."

At the end of the month Ryan fought Pete's takeover of his business but failed to successfully protect it. The judge ruled against him and Pete took over the lawn care and landscaping business. Both divorces were slowly working their way through the courts. At first, Emily and Ryan fought the divorces and each of them demanded counseling. Both counseling attempts failed. The evidence presented rapidly let the Judge understand who was really at fault and self-serving lies soon got the Judge on the side of the innocent parties. He was particularly incensed when he found out the two were together since before either of the marriages.

The property distribution hearings were perhaps the worst bone of contention for Pete and Emily. She thought she would be given tens of thousands of dollars in settlements. What she got was ownership of the house in town she had insisted they purchase. Pete got sole title to his small 'farm' outside of town. Because the equity on the house was just slightly higher than the value of the farm, Pete even received a slightly larger share of the other assets than did Emily before considering Ryan's business.

Pete kept the business he got from Ryan. He did have to pay Emily about $13,000 for her share of it. After it was all settled, Pete still ended up with the business free and clear and seven thousand dollars in the bank. When Emily heard the Judge announce his decision she was furious. She was angry Pete spent their savings on the land without telling her and even more angry about the business. Pete grinned at her and said, "Why shouldn't I get something I've wanted for years, Emily? You've had something all along that you wanted—a different cock. We're getting an even division of our marital assets. It's all fair."

Emily shouted through her tears, "You asshole! You know we needed both our incomes to pay the mortgage and make the payments on our cars and credit cards. You know I'll lose the house as soon as the divorce is final. I needed that money to live on until I could work something out. How is that fair? Your little farm is paid off so you will have a place to live."

Pete laughed and said, "Not my problem. You know I never wanted that house anyway. You wanted it and now you have it. Hell, maybe Ryan can move in with you and help with the payments. Oh, wait; he doesn't have a job does he?"

Living seventeen miles out of town and running the lawn care business, Pete rapidly lost contact with his old set of friends. Most of them he didn't miss at all. He did keep in touch with Vicky for about six months after the divorce but they drifted apart. The drift apart began when she started to date one man she worked with seriously. Truthfully, Pete and Vicky never were close friends. She was Emily's friend and he was just along for the ride so they rapidly lost touch.

Emily did lose the house she loved so much and ended up living in a mid range condo. Ryan found a job with a competing lawn care business as a team leader. He lasted three months and was fired. Not only did he misuse his employer's equipment by mowing lawns and doing yard work after hours but he kept the payments. If that wasn't bad enough he got caught making moves on his employer's wife. That lady, however, was honorable and let her husband know what was going on. Her husband and brother had a physical discussion with Ryan that left him lying in a bar parking lot severely injured. After his stay in the hospital, Ryan decided to move to another city where he became a regular in a seedy beer bar and found a job once again with a lawn care company. No further word on him was received by those who knew him in his old location.

Pete's business ability served him well in his new venture. Within the same six months after the divorces were final he stopped the hemorrhaging of the business. For the most part, his crews were good and the men honest. He installed good accounting software and made sure all money paid for work found its way into the till. He got control of expenses. At the rate the business generated profits during the first six months Pete was well on the way to a $75,000 profit for his first year. That would equate to about $15,000 more than his previous salary. The best part of the business was he had an excellent foreman and office manager. He could leave the business to them to operate for several days at a time if he wanted.

While Pete recovered from his divorce he worked on his new home and property. He went to the office almost every day and made unannounced visits to his crews on the job but still had time to spend on his new land. One day, he took one of his tractors and bush hogs to his home to cut back brush and weeds growing in the cleared areas. He was driving around the property lines when he decided to stop and look at the property next door. He needed a break and thought wandering around the next plot of ground would be a great way to spend a few minutes.

Pete moved through the undergrowth toward an old Victorian two story house about 150 feet from the property line. The yard was overgrown and showed no care for years. The house was so sad and droopy looking he felt unhappy just looking at it. Siding was missing, windows were broken and some of the gingerbread had fallen off. The porch floors were spongy. Pete looked through many of the windows. The rooms were dingy and wall paper was hanging in many places. Carpets were threadbare and frayed, the linoleum worn through and torn in the kitchen. 

The house was nestled in a grove of centuries old live oaks. At one time the yard was well landscaped. Some of the old shrubs were still living and there was evidence of once beautiful flower beds. There was a three car garage and large barn still standing and in poor shape. They appeared to be easily repairable however. Finally, with a backward glance, Pete returned to his work.

About a week after his exploration of the house next door Pete was once again on that side of his little farm working. He saw a man in a suit walking around on the property making notes and taking pictures. Later that week Pete drove past the property the old house was on. He saw a for sale sign alongside the road and a newer SUV in the driveway. On a whim he stopped and walked toward the house. He found the man he had seen the week before once again walking around in the yard.

"Hello," Pete said. "I was driving past and saw the sign out front. What's the story on the place?"

"Well, it's an estate sale. This is what's left of a larger turn of the century farm. This was the main house. Over the years the owner sold off plots of land until this is the only plot left. It's just this old house on 15 acres. The plot next door with a modular home on it sold almost a year ago and now, since the owner died, his son wants to get rid of the rest of the old farm."

"Doesn't look as if the house or out buildings are worth much. Are they even structurally sound?"

"I don't know for sure. Some spots in the floor felt weak when I looked it over before listing it. Most of the windows are broken out. Even if the structure is sound the old house would almost have to be completely rebuilt. All the porches need extensive reworking."

"Yeah, about what I thought. What is the price?"

"Well, now, that's the best part of the deal. The place is only 15 acres, like I said before. It's priced as if it is just bare land. They're only asking $45,000 for the whole place, as is."

"Well, hopefully whoever buys it can fix up the old house. It looks as if it was a beauty at one time. Thanks for talking to me."

Pete returned to his home and continued his new life. Over the course of the next three months he drove past the next door property many times. One evening he noticed the sign now sported a "price reduced" placard. He pulled into the driveway and once again looked over the place. His business was flourishing. He had more disposable income than ever before in his life. He had no debts. On a whim he pulled his cell phone out and called the real estate office. The farm was now listed for $39,900.

Pete looked around the yard and without thinking he said, "I'll give them $30,000 for the land as is."

"That's preposterous. That's only two thirds the original asking price. I can't submit an offer like that to the family."

"You mean you refuse to take my offer to them? That doesn't seem to be good business practices. That's almost a dereliction of duty."

The agent spluttered and hemmed and hawed. Finally he said, "No, that's not what I meant. It's just that it's much too low. Why don't we make the offer $37,000? I think I can get them to take that amount."

"No. My offer is $30,000, that's all I feel the place is worth."




Tattletale: The Aftermath



Two weeks later the real estate agent called Pete and said, "Mr. Dalrymple, I'm shocked. The owner decided to accept your offer on the land. He said it was too low but he really needed to close out the estate. Since you made the only offer, he will grudgingly accept it if you can close on the deal within thirty days."

It was tight but Pete had enough money in his bank accounts to pay for the new property. Thirty days after the phone call he owned the old house and land it was on. If he had an emergency and needed money before he replenished his accounts he could always dip into his small 401K from his past employment. Now, instead of brooding about his past pain, he could fill his free time clearing up the yard and begin his renovation of the old house.

Pete started off slow on his restoration project. He spent one full weekend just walking around the house and two out buildings cataloging what he felt needed repair or rebuilding. He wasn't gentle about his inspection either. He found weak spots and tore into walls and floors to determine the damage. He made sure the buildings were restorable before he even began the project.

To Pete's surprise he found the house sat on a very solid foundation of rock set in mortar. The floor joists were true eight by ten inch beams on 16 inch centers. There was some damage on a few of the mud sills and studs, but all were repairable. He decided all the windows would be replaced with new energy efficient panes. All cabinetry, floor coverings, and walls would be torn out for replacement as would the wiring and plumbing. Insulation would be installed during the work. He even went into the attic and onto the roof to inspect it. New roofing was in order, also.

After listing the damage, Pete spent several evenings planning his renovation and listing, as well as he could, the materials that would be needed. He was lucky in owning the business because he had a tax number and could purchase his materials through the business at wholesale. That would save him substantial amounts on the renovation. He also owned many of the tools he would need for the renovation because his business, in addition to mowing and landscaping, built and installed decks and gazebos. 

Pete spent most of the summer evenings and weekends tearing out the damaged parts in the old house. His first step would be to make the house dry, in other words, to make it weather tight. It wouldn't be very productive to do work inside if rain or hail could come in and soak everything. He planned to completely gut the building inside before he began rebuilding it. 

August rolled around. Pete was working 14-16 hour days splitting his time between the business and his new project; the old house. He was so busy he no longer thought of his divorce. He was happy once again. On the last Friday in August, just as Pete was locking his business door, an old rattletrap car drove into his lot, pulling up right in front of him. The muffler was shot and it was smoking so badly he almost choked when the wind blew the exhaust into his face.

Pete stood and watched a young couple exit the car, a young man from the driver's side and a young woman from the passenger side. He felt somewhat threatened and prepared himself for an attack. They were threadbare and rough looking. The car was worse. The eyes of the woman were blank and dull looking as was her hair and complexion. She moved slowly, hesitantly, toward Pete. He watched her from the corner of his eye as the young man approached from the other side. Pete hoped they weren't dangerous because he was boxed in between the two people and his building.

The woman stopped about five feet from Pete and glanced at the man approaching. When he was about five feet from Pete the young man said, "Sir, I can see you are preparing to leave. Could we please have a few minutes of your time before you go? I'm Todd Sheppard and this is my sister Gail. Sir, we're looking for work. We'll work hard and we don't much care what we have to do as long as it's legal and pays enough for us to live. I can see you have a lawn care business and we can both do that. I mowed lawns when I was growing up and did other lawn and gardening chores. We've both worked on a farm while we were growing up, also."

Pete relaxed somewhat and watched the young couple. He couldn't tell how old they were for sure but they looked maybe early 20's. Almost before the man stopped talking Pete was shaking his head. He saw the hope die in their faces. They both assumed a more slumped defeated demeanor. He said, "I'm sorry. I have all the help I need. In fact, during the winter I usually have to lay off some of my more junior people. It wouldn't make sense to hire you now, and then lay you off in a couple months even if I did have a spot for you."

Pete heard the woman's stomach growl and glanced at her. She seemed embarrassed and stepped back a couple paces. The young man looked at Pete a moment longer and dejectedly began to turn away. If possible he looked even more defeated and hang dog than when they drove up. The young woman looked at her brother then back to Pete. She spoke for the first time, "Please, Sir? Anything? We're broke, totally. When our parent's died we tried to keep the farm going, but we couldn't. Their debt was too high and the bank took it. Please. We're hard workers." She glanced at her brother once again and continued, "Anything at all you need, I'll do. Just, please, can you give us a job of some sort?"

Todd rapidly turned toward Gail and angrily screamed, "NO. No, Gail, you won't do anything. I won't let you do that."

Pete frowned a moment then he understood. How desperate must they be for Gail to offer herself like that? She didn't look the part. Even now she was looking at the ground guiltily. Pete shook his head and started to leave once again. He said, "I'm sorry, I just don't need you." He stopped again and reached into his pocket. He opened his wallet and pulled a $20.00 bill out. He held it out toward the young woman and continued, "Here. It's not much but take this twenty. At least you can buy something to eat tonight."

The young woman pressed her lips together and hesitated then her stomach growled once again. She reached out and took the money. She gave Pete a sickly smile and said, "Thank you for this, at least, Sir."

All three once again turned and headed toward their respective vehicles. Just before the two siblings got into their car Pete turned from his truck and yelled, "Hey, wait a minute. I might have something for you after all. It's not much and the job won't last long but I can give you a little work. I have been doing the work part time and was going to save the heavier work for my crews later this year, but what the heck. The job is several miles out of town but it is honest work. I'm gutting an old farmhouse to renovate. It is hard, dirty, dusty, work but if you're interested I'll pay minimum wage for the tear down and clean up. There's a yard to clean up, the old house, and two smaller out buildings. Are you interested?"

Todd looked at Gail and raised his eyebrows. Gail nodded her head yes. Todd turned to Pete and said, "Yes, Sir. We're interested. How far out of town are we talking about? We're almost out of gas for the car and we really need to get something to eat. We haven't eaten today and haven't had much the last week."

"It's about 17 miles out of town to the east. That would make it about thirty miles from here though." Pete thought a moment and continued, "Tell ya what. Pull your car up beside the gas pump over there. I'll put a little gas into it so you can get there. That way you can use the cash I gave Gail for food. I'll give you directions to the place and you can meet me there tomorrow morning. I usually work on it weekends and evenings if that's ok with you. This way you can go back where ever you are staying and get a good night's sleep before you come out tomorrow."

Pete drew a map and gave written directions to his place, then left. Todd and Gail jumped into their car and took off, too. Instead of going to a fast food joint or restaurant for supper they went to a grocery store and bought food with their $20.00 that they could prepare, providing more and healthier food. They bought cheap but wholesome items. They bought dry beans, rice, dry potatoes, cheap cans of green beans, and some cheap hamburger. They were starving for meat. They knew it wouldn't keep long without ice but intended to eat it that night.

Neither of the siblings had told Pete they were living out of their car. Instead of spending another night in the dangerous city they took off for Pete's place as soon as they purchased their groceries. Pete's directions were good. They had little trouble finding the old house. They pulled into the yard and found a place to park away from the buildings. They pitched what passed for their tent. Todd carefully made a fire pit and built a fire from fallen tree limbs. Gail cooked their evening meal and they went to bed full for once. 

The next morning Gail fried each of them two eggs and the rest of the hamburger for breakfast. After breakfast was finished, Todd and Gail looked around and decided to start work. They weren't sure what Pete would want them to do that day but they could see what needed doing so they began. They had been carrying wall board and trash from the house for almost an hour when Pete came driving up on his tractor.

After Pete stopped the tractor and climbed off Todd and Gail came to meet him. Todd said, "Good morning, Mr. Dalrymple. I hope you don't mind us starting without you. We could see some of the work that needed to be done so we got started. I didn't know what you wanted to do with the trash from the house so we piled it beside the driveway for now."

"Good morning, Todd. Good morning, Gail. I didn't expect you until nine or so. You must have left town early to get here and have this much done already this morning."

Gail looked guilty for a moment then said, "Uh, well, we didn't exactly leave town this morning. We camped here in the yard last night. I hope you didn't mind but we don't have the money for a place to stay and it was safer to just come out here. Was that ok?"

Pete stood in shock. He knew there were homeless people all over but somehow he never thought that Todd and Gail would probably be homeless. He looked over beside the house and saw the car, fire pit and the small tent they made from an old plastic tarp. "No, that's fine. I just assumed you had a place in town. I'm sorry I didn't say something last night. You're welcome to camp here or even better, you can sleep in the house or one of the other buildings if you want.

"Let me explain what I have in mind here then we can get back to work. I have a hole dug on the back of the place where I'm taking the trash to burn. After it's burned I will cover it with the dirt to get rid of the nails and so forth. Put the trash in the trailer behind the tractor. After it's full I'll show you where to take it. You said you grew up on a farm so I assume you can drive the tractor?"

Both Todd and Gail smiled and said, "Yes."

"OK, fine. My house is just over there through the trees about a quarter mile. I'll walk back and get my truck and a list of things we have to do, then I'll be back."

When Pete returned he had a cooler full of ice and some lunch for the three. He also had his list of jobs that needed doing. He explained what was to be done to the siblings. He gave them the list and said, "I want the work done in the order it is listed on this paper. I'll work with you this weekend but you'll be on your own during the week. I'll be out here from time to time to help when I can get away from the business. All I expect from you is an eight hour day but I expect you to get a reasonable amount done in those eight hours. If I think you are sloughing off I'll let you know. If it continues, I'll let you go. Do we understand each other?"

Both Todd and Gail once again said, "Yes." 

Gail asked, "What if we get to a place where we don't know what to do? We wouldn't charge you if we weren't working but what about that?"

"Just call me if you have a question or problem, Gail. Let me give you my phone number."

Gail looked uncomfortable then said, "Uh, we can't call, sir. There's no phone out here that I've seen and we don't have a cell."

"Crap. I'm sorry. I didn't think. OK, I'll try to leave you enough work to at least fill one day. If you run out and can't figure out what to do next just wait for me to get home and we'll take it from there."

The rest of the weekend went well. As expected, three people got much more work accomplished than Pete would have alone. On Sunday, they began replacing the damaged wall studs and framing in the new window openings. They also cut and framed out larger holes for the doors Pete was going to install throughout the house. Just before dusk Pete stepped back and said, "OK, that's enough for today. We've worked much longer than I usually do. I apologize for keeping you over the eight hours I told you we'd work."

Pete reached into his truck and pulled his wallet from the center console. He stood a moment then referred to a paper on the dash. He made some calculations then peeled bills from his wallet. Pete walked back to Todd and Gail where he handed each of them a small stack.

Gail counted the money then turned to Pete and said, "Pete this doesn't add up. We only worked 19 hours this weekend. You've paid us way too much."

"I worked you more than 8 hours a day so some of your time is paid at time and a half. I also pay my help a differential for working on Sunday. You also received a small bonus for doing good work. Oh, before I forget it, I need you to complete some paperwork for my accountant. We'll need your social security numbers and an address and so forth so we can get you into the system. We'll worry about the withholding for this weekend next week when this pay will show up on your normal check. I wanted to pay you tonight though so you could buy some food and other things you might need. Is that ok?"

A smiling, sniffling Gail rushed to Pete and gave him a quick hug. She stepped back and said, "Thank you. Thank you so much for this."

"No problem. Now I need to get home and do a little paperwork. I'll see you late tomorrow probably."

Every day the next week when he arrived at the old house Pete was surprised. Todd and Gail constantly accomplished more than Pete expected. By the end of the week all the windows and doors were reframed and ready for the installation of his new windows and doors. Many of the studs and other damaged frame boards were replaced as well. On Friday evening Pete walked around the old house with his employees and said, "I am constantly surprised and impressed with your work. I know you told me your grandfather was a carpenter but you didn't tell me you were as well. This is some of the best work I have ever seen on a renovation. You should seriously consider working in construction, Todd."

Todd smiled and said, "That is what I wanted to do but I never got the chance. When my father got sick I was in college learning the building trades and had to drop out to run the farm. After he died I kept working the place, but we got farther and farther behind in the payments. Then mother got sick and died. Her final expenses did us in, totally. You know the rest."

"Well, this is good work and I appreciate it. If you two are up to it I would like to get the openings closed in this weekend. I want you to take Monday and Tuesday off though. You can't keep working seven days a week. That's too much. You need time to relax. Also, I want to apologize. I suspect you have been bathing in the stream. That works fine but if you want I would be willing to let you use my shower to clean up. I know a nice hot shower sure feels good when you finish a hard day's work. I just never thought to offer before. I'm sorry."

Gail smiled and said, "Thank you for the offer. We've done OK using the stream but I would really, really enjoy a nice hot shower occasionally. Can we just come down in the evening or do we need to let you know before we come?"

"Any time is fine if I'm home. Just come on down and I'll show you where everything is and then get out of the way until you're done."

Todd said, "Thank you. We were good for another week or two but you're right. Everyone needs some downtime. And the shower sounds great to me also. If you don't mind on our days off I think we would like to just bum around here and maybe fish in the lake. It's not as if we know anyone around here or have wads of cash to spend on recreation."

"Not a problem. I keep meaning to do some fishing myself but have been too busy. Before I forget it I have something in the truck for you two. Can you come help me unload it?"

Pete led the couple to the truck. There was a tarp covering a lump in the bed. He got into the truck and started it. He stuck his head through the drivers open window and said, "I'll back up to the porch over there. I need help getting this into the house."

When Pete stopped once again he got out and pulled the tarp from the lump. It was a small refrigerator. He climbed into the bed and began pushing the refrigerator toward the tail gate. He and Todd manhandled the machine into the house. Pete plugged it into one of the extension cords and it began operating. He said, "When it gets cooled down you can keep your food inside. It will be cheaper than buying ice and you can stock more food in it than in the ice chest."

Once again Gail jumped at Pete and gave him a large hug for his efforts. Through her tears she said, "Oh, thank you. You have been so kind to us. It was a great day when we found you. Thank you so much, Pete."

After the windows and doors were installed the old wooden siding was patched then insulation board nailed to the outside of the house. They spent several days tearing off the old shingles, repairing the roof decking and roofing the house. After that new white vinyl siding was installed on the whole structure. It took two weeks to finish the siding but then the old house shone. It had regained its stately exterior appearance. The day they finished the siding the three builders stood back and looked at the old house with justifiable pride.

Pete moved to the chairs they used for their breaks and sat down. He opened the cooler, still used for drinks while they worked, and pulled a beer out for each of them. He said, "I hereby declare a holiday for this job. We aren't doing anything else today. I expect you both to be at my house as soon as you can. We're going to have a BBQ and relax for the rest of the evening. I have some beautiful steaks marinating and have all the fixin's for green salad and a 'tater salad. We're going to relax and pig out tonight."

When Todd and Gail arrived, Pete was clean and working on the meal. He had classical background music playing and was smiling. He quickly moved to the refrigerator and handed each of his guests another beer. He said, "I expect you are as hot as I was. If you want to use the shower before we finish the meal and eat feel free to do so."

Gail looked around and said, "We took time to use the stream. The cool water felt great in this heat. Now, what can I do to help, Pete?"

"Nothing, beautiful. I have everything under control. I have the salad made and in the fridge. I decided instead of 'tater salad we would have twice baked potatoes. They are baked and I am waiting on them to cool a little before I mix the ingredients together and put the potato back into the skin. When they are almost done I will put the meat on the grill and we'll be done."

Gail looked around the kitchen a moment, and then moved to the counter where she saw the potatoes. She saw there were bowls of grated cheese, diced onions, bacon crumbles, and chives. There was a section of real butter and a container of sour cream beside them also. She quickly began putting the twice baked potatoes together. When he saw her efficiency, Pete smiled and moved out to the grill with the meat. It made a pleasant sizzle when he threw it onto the pre heated grill. In a few short minutes Pete took the meat from the grill and placed it on the table. He walked into the house and began carrying the rest of the meal outside to the table the meat was on.




Tattletale: The Aftermath



The only sound heard for the next few minutes was the clatter of eating. Finally, all three pushed back from their plates with sighs of satisfaction. Gail said, "That was the best meal I've had since momma got sick. Thank you so much, Pete. It was wonderful. I had almost given up ever eating steak again."

The next morning Pete gathered his fishing gear and walked down the path to the old house. He walked into the area Gail and Todd were using to camp and said, "Hey, you two. It's still a holiday. I'm going to fish if you want to come along. If not, enjoy your day off."

Gail smiled and jumped up from her chair. She turned to Todd and said, "I'm going. Can I use your fishing gear, Todd?"

Todd laughed and remained in his chair. He said, "Yeah, sure, sis. Knock yourself out. I'll just sit here and chill for a while."

Gail happily dove into the mess in the back seat of their car. She soon came back out pulling a fishing pole and tackle box with her. She trotted over beside Pete and said, "OK, I'm ready if you are, Pete."

"Great. Come on. I think I know a pretty good hole if what the neighbor told me is true." The two friends took off down the trail toward the lake and were soon out of sight of the house and Todd. When the path widened Gail, moved up beside Pete and walked with him in companionable silence. Occasionally their hands or arms would brush the other. Once Gail gave Pete a hip bump, then smiled up at him when he looked down at her.

Without thinking, Pete reached out and wrapped his arm around Gail's waist. She unconsciously moved closer to him and walked quietly in his embrace. Soon they came out on the shore of the lake beside where the small stream poured into it. The sun was just barely up and mist was rising from the water. Gail stopped and gasped, "OH, its beautiful! I could just sit here and watch the sun come up and fish jump."

"Yeah, I keep thinking I need to take time to just sit and enjoy my little spot here but it seems all I do is work. As soon as we get the house finished, I AM taking some time to unwind. I intend to buy a boat and build a boathouse down on the shore too."

The two friends moved along to the 'secret' fishing hole and tossed their lines in. They sat quietly on the bank whispering back and forth as they fished. Soon they had caught enough for lunch and supper so decided to quit. Gail said, "I know we don't need more fish but I hate to go back to the house. I could just sit here for a while and relax it's so peaceful."

Pete sat beside a tree and held his hand out to her. "There's no reason why we can't. The fish on the stringer won't get away. Come on."

Gail gook Pete's hand and he pulled her down beside him. He wrapped his arm around her and she leaned into his embrace. She looked up at him and raised her face slightly to meet his as he bent down for a kiss. Gail moved slightly and wrapped her arm around Pete's neck to pull him closer as the kiss continued.

Gail and Pete heard stones rattle just as Todd exclaimed, "Hey. I thought you two were going to fish! This looks like fishy business to me."

Pete pulled back from Gail and turned toward Todd. He felt slightly guilty and started to stand. Gail grabbed him and pulled him back down beside her. She looked over at Todd and snarled, "You asshole. Don't give me your holier than thou attitude. Or should I remind you about Becky and the barn all those times?"

Todd grinned and held his hands out as if to push her away. "NO! No, that's fine, Sis, I'm sorry. I just wanted to rag you a little." Todd looked over at Pete and continued, "Look, I've got no problem with this at all. Hell, I've seen the way you two look at each other. I've listened to the flirts going back and forth. If I had a problem with it I would have told you a long time ago. Look, I'll just get on back to the house and quit bothering you."

Pete stood in spite of Gail's attempts to hold him back. He held his hand out for Gail and pulled her to her feet then said, "There's no problem here, Todd. We have enough fish for lunch and supper so we decided to sit and enjoy the morning for a while before we got back. We need to get back to the house and clean the fish so we can cook lunch. I'm getting hungry and we wouldn't have stayed here much longer anyway."

Pete walked to the stream and pulled the stringer from it. He walked back to Todd and handed it to him then said, "Here. We caught 'em, you can carry them back for us if you don't mind. We'll be along soon."

Todd took the fish and picked up the fishing gear Gail was using. He quickly disappeared down the trail toward the house. Pete wrapped his arms around Gail and pulled her to him for another kiss. Gail moaned and pressed her body to his as the kiss deepened. She rubbed her belly on Pete's hard cock, broke the kiss, and smiled up at him. He looked sheepish then turned and pulled her against his side as they walked toward the house. Pete stopped and picked up his fishing gear as they passed it. As they walked, each constantly looked at the other person their arm was around.

The rest of the afternoon Pete and the Sheppard's sat around his patio enjoying the time off and each other. Of course, Pete and Gail enjoyed the afternoon (each other) much more than poor Todd did. After lunch they sat under the trees and visited, learning more about each other. Gail said to Pete, "Pete, I know you are divorced but that's all. I don't want to be nosy but, well, you seem like such a great guy I can't believe it was something you did."

Pete sat back in his chair. He got an angry look on his face and Gail began to worry she had overstepped her bounds. Finally he looked at her and said, "No, it wasn't my fault. Or maybe it was, sort of. To answer your question, or what I think your question is, I didn't hurt her and I didn't cheat on her. It was the other way around. I found out she and her best friend's husband were an item and had been together since before I even met her. I divorced her and ruined him. That's where I got the lawn care business. His wife took most of what I left him and he disappeared from town. If you want to check, you can call her or ask some of the employees at the business."

"NO. No, Pete, that won't be necessary. I trust you and think I know what kind of man you are. You may have saved Todd's and my life and asked nothing in return except we work and earn our pay. Even when I offered to screw you for food you kept to the moral high ground. Working with you and getting to know you better has just made me respect and love you more. Oh, shit! Uh, -."

Todd laughed when he heard Gail say that. Pete looked shocked and then grinned. He pulled her to him for another kiss, looked into her eyes and said, "Gail, I never thought much about finding another woman after the mess with Emily but you have changed my mind. I'm pretty sure I am falling in love with you, too."

During the rest of the afternoon the three visited and talked about their past and became even better friends. They also discussed the future work on the house and possibilities of employment after that. Pete made sure the siblings knew they would have a job with his company. He also said if Todd wanted they might even add remodeling, repair, and small building tasks to the current deck section. Much too soon for Pete and Gail the evening turned into late night. Finally they sorrowfully ended the day and went to their separate beds.

Since the exterior of the house was completed the three began to redo the interior the following day. The first thing they did was the wiring then the plumbing. After those items were up to par, new insulation was installed then the wallboard. Pete decided the office and library would be oak paneling. The rest of the house would be sheetrock. It took another six weeks to finish this phase of the work. As the job progressed, Pete came more and more to rely on Todd. Todd seemed to be an artist at every phase of the work. Pete also became more and more enamored with Gail. They always worked close together and took every opportunity to touch and kiss each other.

Finally the house was completed. On the evening they completed the renovation, Pete, Gail, and Todd sat outside on the now completed patio of the old house. They looked out over the small lake where the stream ran into it. Pete pulled Gail to his side and gave her a gentle kiss. He looked down into her eyes and said, "Gail, there is one thing this old house needs desperately that it doesn't have."

Gail looked puzzled then asked, "What? I thought we did a great job on the place and you were ready to move into it? What did we forget?"

"Well, Gail, it needs a woman to care for it and I need a wife to help me enjoy it and fill it with love and children. Will you marry me and be that woman?"

Gail's eyes got larger and she smiled before answering, "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you and we'll fill this house with love and children."

Pete turned to Todd and said, "Well, Todd, it's not that we don't like you but I think you just got your walking papers. You know what they say, two's company and -"

Gail and Todd both looked shocked. Gail broke into Pete's sentence before he could finish. "Pete. What do you mean? How could you kick Todd out! If you're going to be that way"

Now it was Pete's turn to interrupt Gail. He put his hand over her mouth and saw instant anger. He said, "HOLD ON. Damn it let me finish before you get pissed off." Pete turned to a worried looking Todd and continued talking, "What I was getting ready to say before your sister jumped to a conclusion was that after we get married and move into this house you can live in the modular home I am living in now. It can be part of your pay if you want."

A now crying Gail wrapped her arms around Pete and blubbered, "OH, Pete, I'm sorry. I should have known you wouldn't kick Todd out. You just surprised me and after all the trouble we've had I spoke before I thought. I'm sorry, honey, and it will never happen again. I promise.

Pete moved into his renovated home over the course of the next two weeks. The three then began the renovation of the old garage and barn. Those tasks took longer because of all the wedding plans and then the big day. After the wedding, Pete and Gail lived in the beautiful old house in happiness greater than he ever knew with Emily. Todd led the construction side of the business to huge profitability. Pete appointed a foreman over the lawn care part of the business while he oversaw the entire operation. He, Gail, and Todd operated a small commercial produce farm on the land east of town also. Gail was able to operate that part of the business while she watched over their children with very little outside help. Todd began dating one of the young neighbor women after he moved into the house Pete used to live in.



Tattletales



Don't you just hate a tattletale? 

Well, if you do, no point in reading any further.

We got the idea for Tattletales from Marcia. She developed an obsession for old game shows and watched the Game Show Network whenever she went home for a visit. Of course she taped the episodes, brought them back to the sorority house, and made us all watch them.

I doubt we could have played the Newlywed Game with much credibility. Marcia told us all about the game Tattle Tales which gained some popularity more than 20 years ago. She tried to explain how it went and even showed us the tapes. It seemed way too confusing so we just invented our own version and made up our own rules.

In our version of Tattletales we asked questions about each other. If the one being asked about or accused chose not to respond, one of the other sisters offered an answer. If any of the girls tattled correctly, the one being tattled upon had to fess up. We didn’t even have to rely on the honor system.

Sandra, a criminology major, borrowed a lie detector device from one of her professors. She had to blow him every time she borrowed it but “No big deal” is what she had to say about that.

The lie detector said Truth Machine on the front and had all these red, yellow and green lights, wires and other stuff that resembled the inside of a computer. It looked like something out of a science fiction flick.

“This is how the Truth Machine works,” Sandra explained, “at least this is what Dr. Marshall told me as I sucked his little dick after his 8:00 in the fucking morning class Tuesday. He said I could borrow the box for blowing him but he wouldn’t tell me how the damn thing works unless I swallowed. So I swallowed. The things I do for you girls. You know me, I’d rather spit, but I thanked the professor for breakfast anyway.”

“So the nutty professor,” Sandra continued, “after I swallowed as much as I could and he shot the rest all over my face and tits, he made me take off my blouse and bra, starts giving me the scoop. Some jive about this thing is both a psychological stress evaluator and a voice stress analyzer. I wrote this shit down so I wouldn’t forget it.”

“Hey Sandra,” I asked, “how do you turn the damn thing on?”

“That knob on the bottom, the one that says ‘On’ above it. Even I figured that out. Anyway, so the dude says, ‘micro tremors in the voice that are often not detected by the human ear produce frequency modulations which are measured by the Truth Machine. The amplitude of the upper and lower side bands from modulations is also monitored. The results are analyzed and shown visually by the columns of LED lights which range from green, representing low tension, to red, which represents high tension.’ Get it? If the light is red, you are a fucking liar.”

One of our sisters, Paulette, seems so mysterious. She would go out at midnight dressed in all black and no one knew where. We just chalked it up to a goth thing. Her room took on the appearance of a laboratory.

I had no real cause to ask other than suspicions, but I posed the question, “Is Paulette a witch?”

No sooner did I get the question out, Rhonda tattled and blurted out, “Yes! She has a witch’s tit, a third one right between the other two. I saw it in the shower. She didn’t think I peeked.”

Paulette unbuttoned her blouse and slowly removed it, displaying her three-cup bra.

“No point in trying to hide it any longer,” Paulette said matter-of-factly. “Not only do I have a witch’s tit, I … well, I’ll just show you.”

Slowly and seductively Paulette wiggled out of her tight jeans. Then she slipped off her panties and sat on a chair with her legs spread. Her clitoris appeared quite large, and began to resemble a small penis as she stimulated herself.

“An abnormally large clitoris,” Paulette explained, “became an important piece of ass, ‘er I mean evidence, in the witch hunts conducted several hundred years ago. Usually those with attributes like mine and found out met with a death sentence. Sometimes the woman received mercy and amputation of the clitoris resulted instead of hanging or burning at the stake. Most of the torture and persecution of witches back then was prompted by the woeful ignorance of female anatomy on the part of men. Some things never change do they?”

“This story is bullshit!” I cried. “Yeah, Paulette has a big clit but I’m not buying the third tit. Hook her up to the Truth Machine, and Rhonda too. They are fucking with us.

Sure enough, the box lit up red for both. I ripped Paulette’s bra off, revealing that the third cup contained tissue and not boob. “Hey, at least we know the lie detector thingy works!” 

That night Tattletales got put on “hold” temporarily. After we quit laughing about the stupid prank, we became intrigued with feeling and licking Paulette’s huge clitoris. She kept talking all the time, telling us wild and crazy witch stories. What a fucking imagination!

The next night, even though all of us had exams to study for, we decided to pay Tattletales again. Only fair that Paulette got to ask the next question.

Paulette looked around the room and then asked, “Who among you has had sex with your father? Or brother? Or any other fucking relative?”

Karen looked at me, I looked at her, we pointed at each other, and we each shouted, “She has!”

Despite the fact that other fingers pointed besides ours, that bimbo Karen kept right on talking and pointing at me. “Yeah, and she fucked my family too!” Well, we simply had to tell our stories first, the subject matter of which you can find in “Sugar Daddy” (posted on Literotica). No one even suggested we be hooked up to the Truth Machine. From the looks on the faces of the other girls, I suspected either shock at our story or they had something even worse to tell.

Kathleen, always the shy one and reluctant to interrupt, raised her hand.

“Yes, Kathleen, what is it?” I asked impatiently.

“I want to tattle,” she replied.

“OK,” Rhonda spoke up, “whom do you want to tattle on and what is it to have to say? We’re not a bunch of fucking dentists here and we have no intention of pulling teeth like we usually have to do with you. Let’s hear your tattle tale.”

“Well,” Kathleen began, “it’s about Amanda. Her father does her laundry.”

“What the hell kind of story is that?” Rhonda demanded. “My boyfriend does my laundry. So what?”

“Let her talk, Rhonda,” I insisted.

“Well,” Kathleen continued, not only does her father do her laundry, he wears it! I opened the door to her room with the burger and fries she asked me to pick up, and what did I see? Her father, the cop, wearing her panties and bra. Apparently he stopped to get her dirty clothes like he does every Tuesday after his shift. He only lives 30 miles away you know.”

“That’s interesting, Kathleen,” Rhonda commented sarcastically, “but what’s the big deal about wearing panties and a bra? It’s not all that unusual. I wear my boyfriend’s boxer shorts and t-shirts. I even paraded around in his jock strap once.

“But that’s not all,” Kathleen whined, “Amanda had donned her father’s uniform, the shirt and the hat anyway. No pants though. Below the waist she only wore a strap-on.” 

Kathleen paused and looked around the room to measure our reaction.

“OK, Kathleen,” I inquired impatiently, “and Amanda did what I wonder with the strap-on? 

Amanda became very pale, nervous and fidgety as Kathleen spoke.

“Amanda had her father bent over and restrained with his own handcuffs as she gave it to him anally. He whimpered and cried and called her Daddy as she shouted obscenities. Something like, ‘Fuck you, you little bitch, this is what you get for being a bad girl. This will teach you to disobey me. You won’t be able to sit your sorry ass down for a week.’ She shoved that fake dick that looked about 10 inches long right up his ass.”

I’m sure we all looked quite shocked at that moment. I didn’t even look around, I just looked at Amanda. She cried uncontrollably.

“Hook Amanda up to the Truth Machine!” several of the girls shouted excitedly.

Amanda did not protest. She composed herself, took a deep breath and told us her story.

“My mother died ten years ago in a car accident along with her clandestine lover as they returned from a rendezvous. Daddy took it out on me. I look so much like my mother. Often someone will remark ‘identical twins’ when they compare pictures. In a way I kind of understand Daddy’s need to punish me for my mother’s infidelities. I can’t help but think of her as a real slut myself because I walked in on her and her boyfriends on numerous occasions at an age when I really shouldn’t have been exposed to that stuff.

“It started with the spankings. Daddy delighted in putting me over his knee and smacking my bare ass with his big paw. Then, as I got older, he began to force himself on me. First, he made me do oral sex and then intercourse later, and nothing but anal in my senior year of high school.

“But when I began college everything changed. Daddy asked me to do him, probably I guess due to his overwhelming guilt. I love it! You wouldn’t believe the rush you get, the power trip, when you fuck your own father, and he’s a big mean old cop to boot!”

No one said anything. We couldn’t speak.

Finally I said to Sandra, “Hey girl, you got the Truth Machine for us. Anybody you want hooked up to it for a few questions?”

“Sure. Hook up Marcia!” Sandra begged fervently.

“Wait just a fucking minute,” Marcia protested in jest. “I suggested the game. What kind of gratitude is this?”

We grabbed Marcia and hooked her up to the box.

“Marcia, tell us how you got an A in Philosophy of Religion,” Marcia asked. I doubt you’ve ever even read the Bible from cover to cover and you’re not exactly the brightest bulb in the lamp. All you do is watch TV game shows and soap operas, and feed your fat face.”

“So, I like to eat,” Marcia snapped. “Monica isn’t any twig you know, and look what ended up in her mouth besides food.”

“Don’t change the subject, Marcia,” chastised Sandra.

“I had an affair with Father Monroe, who taught Philosophy of Religion last semester.”

“You’re a fucking liar, Marcia!” Sandra shouted. “Look at the red lights. Besides, everyone knows Father Monroe is gay. We know frat rats who admitted to us they let him suck their dicks for an A on a test, but never for the entire course. What did you do, offer up your little brother?”

“Not quite,” Marcia giggled. “Do you know Father Monroe has a notebook computer? He uses it in class. A Compaq Presario 1255 just like mine. Well, he got the damn thing all locked up, couldn’t reboot or anything. Well, I fixed the sucker for him.”

The green lights on the box indicated Marcia told the truth.

“OK, Marcia,” Sandra protested, “but there has to be more to this story. You don’t get an A in Philosophy of Religion for fixing a computer. That class is a bitch.”

“Really,” Marcia agreed, “and it only took me a few minutes to fix it. Same thing happens to mine all the time. Yes, there is a little more to this tale. I threatened to tattle on the good father.”

“For what?” Sandra demanded.

“I found child pornography and gay sex pics on his computer. Some of the pics featured a few of those frat rats you mentioned and Father Monroe himself. He lives alone in one of those old mansions on the outskirts of town you know. Hey, somebody give me a drink, ‘eh? I can barely talk.”

Sandra quickly filled up Marcia’s glass with straight scotch and some ice cubes.

“Father Monroe had one of those confessional booths in his house. He must have copped it from his church. Father removed the doors. Guess why? So he could film the confessions. He also cut one of those glory holes in the booth, so dudes could stick their dicks through the wall separating the priest and the guilty party. I found about a hundred pics of Father Monroe sucking cock while he heard confessions. And let me tell you, that is one holy one who loves cock. You could tell by the look in his eyes. And you know how stern Father Monroe looks in class? Well, he really looks comical with cum all over his face.” 

“Oh my God!” Rhonda squealed. “My boyfriend and I go to mass every Sunday and he always takes communion. I always wondered how he found time to go to confession every week, and he definitely did some sinning between Sundays. That dude always has a hard-on. I can’t remember a day in the past six months that I haven’t fucked him, sucked him off or given him a hand job if I didn’t want to mess up my hair.”

The tattletale stories kept better and better and everyone seemed stunned by the revelations. But when the clock struck midnight, Paulette suddenly stood up and said she must leave.

“Where are you going?” we asked, almost in unison.

“One legend about witches I did not tell you about is that they practice penis thievery. Since none of you have a penis, I don’t believe, I must go hunting.”

Naturally most of us thought this might well be another of her pranks. 

Kathleen suggested, “Let’s hook her up to the Truth Machine!”

We did and all we saw was green. 

“Well,” I muttered, “the damn thing isn’t infallible, you know.” 

As Paulette walked out the door, I added, “Paulette, one last question before you go. You never said, did you ever have sex with your father?”

“My father,” she responded, “is Belial; the devil. Who hasn’t he fucked? Didn’t you ever wake suddenly from a nightmare only to find semen all over your face and body? With that Paulette let out a shrill cackle, turned around and walked out the door.

The next day around noon, a Saturday, we had all finally dragged ourselves out of bed and sat in the kitchen munching on a bit of late breakfast. 

Amanda complained, “Yuck, soooo sticky when I woke up this morning. “ Heads nodded and we looked at each other knowingly.

Paulette came down the stairs and strolled into the kitchen. She had a big glass jar in her hand that contained sausages or some such meaty delicacy, sat down at the table and opened the jar with, “Here, have one girls.”

Marcia, the one with the insatiable appetite, quickly grabbed one and gobbled it down. “Hey, these are really delicious!”

I took one out of the jar and almost took a bite before I noticed it was circumcised.