5 comments/ 17729 views/ 1 favorites Grapes O' Wrath Ch. 01 By: Stardog Champion (with all due apologies Mr. Steinbeck, the title was just too perfect not to use) * Of all the professions out there, no one has to answer to more masters than teachers do. Between the school boards who hire them and the principals who monitor their every move, to varying degrees, teachers also have to deal with the competitive, and often times petty nature of their colleagues. That doesn't even begin to take into account the dozens, if not, hundreds of students that come and go each day. Having been a teacher for going on seven years, 31 year old DeeDee Alexander knew these pitfalls all too well. Having spent the first six years working in the city of Sacramento's school system, DeeDee suddenly found herself in the rural outpost of a small San Joaquin Valley town. A stressful shake-up under the best of circumstances given she'd lived in the state capital her entire life, DeeDee found herself having to pick up the pieces of her professional life at the same time a pending divorce was still hanging over her head. Needing a fresh start, DeeDee stumbled into the job opportunity in the Valley and decided to take it, desperate to just get away from all the old, tired faces back home. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before she became burdened by a bunch of new, and equally, tiring souls. It didn't take long before DeeDee came face to face with the one other master not mentioned above, the parents of her students. Back in Sacramento, it was unusual if DeeDee received more than three or four communications from a curious parent during any given week, and that was with a roster of over 150 kids. While there is certainly something to be said for parents taking an active role in their children's schooling, their over-involved meddling can, at times, drastically complicate a teacher's efforts to do their job. Her 8th grade roster at Bradford Middle School was far smaller, but by the time her first Friday on the job rolled around, DeeDee had received at least 40 phone calls, texts or emails for the 105 kids she saw on a daily basis. While a few were from very nice people wanting to welcome her to the area, more than half were from parents who wanted to make it known early on they were keeping an eye on her. Not wanting to sound like a cry baby in front of her new colleagues, DeeDee kept the burden to herself for the first few weeks, but the amounts of daily contacts still hovered around five or so. If she had inquired early on, DeeDee would have discovered the overbearing behavior of the parents in the area was the main reason the job she filled came open in the first place. There were several factors that played into the differences between the two school districts. The most obvious was the affluence of DeeDee's new digs. Back in Sacramento, over half of her students didn't have both a Mom and a Dad around on a regular basis, and that single parent usually had to work so much they didn't have a lot of time or energy to spend fretting over the minutia of their child's academic experience. Where she was now, the family unit was much more stable, with the father generally out winning the bread, and the dotting mother left to her own devices at home to fixate over every single thing when it came to little Johnnie or Jenny's school life. DeeDee also discovered the local private school had closed down a few years earlier as well. When the economy began its downward spiral back in '06, many of the citizens there suddenly weren't as financially set as they planned and the tuition dues for the private school were one of the major things that got cut. Inevitably the school had to shut it's doors, which created an influx of kids into the public education pool. Needless to say, that put a lot of strain on the public school teachers in the area. Finding a way to keep the at-risk students from falling behind at the same time adequately challenging the smarter kids with huge class sizes and budget shortfalls would prove to be a constant grind for teachers like DeeDee Alexander. Certain parents' constant badgering only made the vice she was stuck in tighter. The biggest culprit in DeeDee's impending breakdown was named Lucinda Epstein. While most of the parents who were putting their $1.02 in about how DeeDee was running her class were genuinely concerned with how their kids were handling the workload, Mrs. Epstein came across as a much different animal defending her son, Sam. Most of the nosey parents wanted to discuss the finer points of the syllabus, or the attention (or lack there of) they felt their child was receiving. Lucinda, on the other hand, seemed hell-bent on communicating an air of superiority and condescension. By the third week of dealing with Mrs. Epstein's constant meddling, DeeDee was on the verge of telling the woman she could come in and teach the 100 plus kids she dealt with everyday. What made Sam's situation so difficult was that he was clearly showing signs of a learning disability, and from her experience, DeeDee knew he should be getting some special care in the LD program the school offered. Telling Mrs. Epstein that about her Son was tantamount to telling her he had been diagnosed with leprosy. She was insistent Sam should be placed in the advanced, high school prep classes. It wasn't until nearly a month into the new school year that DeeDee Alexander ran into a ten year veteran teacher at Bradford who finally gave her the skinny on who (and what) Lucinda Epstein truly was. DeeDee sat at the other woman's desk, cold chills running down her spine as she lost her appetite for her yogurt listening to some of the Epstein's background. Lucinda and her Husband Chet owned one of the largest vineyards in the area, and considering they were smack dab in the middle of California wine country, they were one of the largest wine producers in the country. Chester Epstein had started out as a doctor in the area, but over the past 20 years had mainly focused on the vineyard. With his growing profile, he'd also developed a keen dose of political aspiration, and with the tide in 2010 to run out anyone who was an incumbent, Chet Epstein was taking a stab at town mayor's seat on the November ballot. He wasn't the only one in the household on a ballot either. Lucinda was conveniently making a run for a spot of the city school board as well, and if both won suddenly they would become what amounted to the first family of the San Joaquin Valley. Sensing the gravity and depth of who she was dealing with, DeeDee had shoved her spoon all the way into the half eaten tub of Yoplait and sat back dejectedly in her seat. "Mrs. Conner..she was the lady you essentially replaced. She'd been here at Bradford for five years I think..very good teacher," the sage veteran offered. "The instant she saw Sammy Epstein's name show up on this year's class roster, she took a position over in Fresno. So..in a roundabout way..Lucinda Epstein is the reason you're here." "...Whoa.....," DeeDee slunk backwards in her seat and groaned. "No kidding," the older woman continued. "I think young Sam had been going to Brushwood, the private school that closed down, then they tried home schooling him for a year or two. Once Lucinda started showing some interest in bullying her way onto the school board, she had to enroll her Son into the school system just to make things look good." "Apparently Mrs. Conner saw how much trouble having Sam in class was for the seventh grade teacher last year and she decided she wasn't going to be a sitting duck....." "....Which now I've become," DeeDee deflatingly finished the other woman's thought. DeeDee proceeded to explain Sam Epstein's assumed learning disability, her wish in hindsight that someone would have warned her what she was getting herself in to, and the further frustration she sensed was coming now that she knew she might be having to face down all of City Hall in the Epstein clan. Going down the laundry list of her concerns with quite the flair for the dramatic, DeeDee could feel herself finally coming out of her shell somewhat as the experienced teacher sat there nodding and listening. "Better you than me," the older woman smiled and laughed, patting DeeDee reassuringly on the shoulder as she left to teach her fifth period class. ____________________________ If withstanding Lucinda Epstein on the phone, or trying to decipher the woman's vitriolic emails made DeeDee cringe to no end, actually coming face to face with the bane of her month long aggravation was far more intimidating. It wasn't Lucinda's physical presence alone that sent shivers down DeeDee's spine. That said, having to stare up at the 5 foot 10 inch Mother of one her students when she barely topped out at 5'4" herself was a tad unsettling. Add to that the heels Mrs. Epstein wore, along with her willowy arms and legs, and the woman appeared to be a 6 foot 2 inch tree standing above her. Lucinda's polished air also played with DeeDee's head. It was obvious the woman spent quite a bit of time getting her hair and make-up just right (when you're running for 'Queen Bitch' you do have appearances to keep) and the lavender business suit, complete with gaudy shoulder pads just completed the imposing look. "Not exactly a fair fashion fight with me standing here in a pair of black slacks and a sweater" DeeDee cringed to herself. More than all that however, the thing that continued to churn DeeDee's insides was the sound of Lucinda Epstein's grating and pompous voice. If dealing with the woman on the phone had been misery, to be standing less than two feet away as Lucinda glared down at her filled DeeDee with cataclysmic disgust. At some point, all she wanted was to reach up and rip her own ears off as the woman's shrill, perfectly spoken English echoed in her head. Through it all, DeeDee managed to nod along with all the professionalism and patience she could muster. "I just happened to be here visiting the school today," Lucinda snottily peered down at DeeDee and offered. "I wanted to go over a few things with the Principal, Mr. Rose, and figured while I was here, I'd introduce myself to all of Sammy's teachers." It wasn't lost on DeeDee how Mrs. Epstein's tone had changed ever so slightly when she mentioned the Principal's name, as if to communicate that 'if anything ever comes up, he'd have no choice but to be on my side when I get elected to the school board in a few weeks'. Pressing her hands together and swallowing her tongue as Lucinda passed by to spread her joy elsewhere, DeeDee re-treated back inside her classroom, wishing she had her old job back. _________________________________ In the hustle and bustle just before 1st period that morning, very few people took notice of the really tall, and rather belligerent looking woman introducing herself to the new teacher at school in what looked to be a decidedly one way conversation. In a curious twist of fate and timing, one person did. Wilfred Ramos had been a janitor at Bradford Middle for going on six years. Having migrated to the States soon after Bush II took office, once Wilfred had settled and got all his papers in order, he was eventually able to bring his Wife, Brother and two of his Nephews up to live in California. Having just turned 50, Wilfred had several health issues that prevented him from doing a lot of farming work, but he'd made out quite well for himself in a series of mechanical and service industry jobs until he'd landed the gig at Bradford. The three male relatives he'd brought North, however, had all made quite a living for themselves in the fields, groves and vineyards of the San Joaquin Valley since arriving. In the classic case of the second degree of separation, Wilfred did recognize the imposing woman who was clearly marking her territory with the new 8th grade math teacher. A confluence of varied emotions rippling through his body as he watched the two women converse, Wilfred's left hand would occasionally ball into an involuntary fist until Lucinda and DeeDee peeled apart. Standing emotionlessly against the far wall of the hall as the last few 12 and 13 year old stragglers made their way to class, Wilfred also watched as Lucinda rambled by, her vision clearly tunneled as she continued to her next appointed round. It wasn't like she would have even acknowledged Wilfred if she had seen him, she'd never met the man in her life, and he was after all, just the school janitor. And Wilfred was content to keep it that way, for now. Heading back down the hall at the sound of the first period tardy bell to continue with his daily rounds, just by chance, Wilfred crossed paths with DeeDee Alexander just before Noon as he headed to the office to clock out at the end of his morning shift. ______________________________________ If there were two things DeeDee had learned during her brief teaching career, the first was make friends as quickly as possible with the school secretary and the other was make it a point to keep the janitors on your side as well. She remembered introducing herself in passing the Mr. Ramos the first week of school and from what she could gather, he came across as very shy and reserved. With her schedule so backlogged with morning classes, very rarely was she out roaming the halls while he was on duty, but she was pleased with herself that she at least remembered his name without having to steal a peek at the tag on his shirt when he approached her that afternoon in the hall. Her Spanish rather spotty, she was thrilled that Wilfred spoke English well enough that she could at least follow through with a coherent conversation. Happy to make some polite small talk with the older man, just as she was about to mention that a few of the ballists in her classroom might need to be looked at, Wilfred adeptly turned her away from the flow of students milling down the hall and proceeded to ask her about a few things far more interesting than faulty light fixtures. ________________________________ On first blush, if DeeDee had heard what Wilfred had to say from a reporter on the news about someone on the other side of the country, frankly she wouldn't have given it a second thought. Having the high and mighty Lucinda Epstein's name attached to it however, made it far more juicy and caused the younger woman's heart to pound excitedly in her chest. Mr. Ramos explained in the clearest English he could how several of his relatives had worked for the Epsteins over the years, and even though he didn't think they were bad people at their heart, they had hired their fair share of undocumented workers over the years and not exactly been forthright when it came to paying them what they'd earned. DeeDee stood with her arms crossed, anxiously taking it all in. "And she's running for a spot on the school board...," she shook her head and sighed. "...And her Husband is running for Mayor," Wilfred added on. "That's not the type of stuff in this climate you want dogging you if you're on a ballot," DeeDee brought their shared epiphany full circle. Thanking the older man for the information and the pep talk, the two shared a few more pleasantries before going their separate ways. for the day. What Wilfred had told DeeDee stayed with her over the course of the following days however, making it just a little sweeter each time she got an email or text from Lucinda concerning something to do with her Son in class. There wasn't any hint of anger of threat in the way Wilfred laid out his knowledge of Lucinda and Chet's dealings, simply a local sharing some tasty town gossip with the new girl in town. DeeDee had no clue that the school's head janitor had dirt on the Epstein's that went far beyond a few mundane issues of immigration and labor. ___________________________________ Chet and Lucinda had been married for 14 years. For Chester it had been his third stab at wedded bliss. A full 11 years older than Lucinda, Chet had been a well known physician in the area for a number of years, but between rising insurance costs and the difficulty dealing with many patients' willingness or ability to pay, he decided to pursue the passion he'd developed for wine making. The former Lucinda Cornbluthe had grown up in one of the wealthier families in the San Joaquin area. Her Father had been an avid horseman and polo player and she'd certainly grown up with the appreciation for the finer things in life. Becoming a wine snob at a relatively young age certainly fell into that category and through those same social circles, she met Chet. It was clear early on passion wasn't at the heart of their attraction to each other, rather a shared view of an ideal lifestyle and a collection of business interests that bonded them together. There were no qualms on Lucinda's part over marrying an older man, it was sort of how she envisioned her life turning out, in fact. Sensing early on Chet had no interest fathering any children, that's when Lucinda pushed to adopt. A year or so into the marriage, that's where little baby Sammy came from. To this day he had no clue he wasn't the biological offspring of his parents, but it was growing increasingly clear to Lucinda the young boy didn't come from as good a stock as she had hoped. His struggles in school had become a noticeable issue for Lucinda, but to admit he had problems would be having to somehow admit that she was flawed as well, and that was part of the woman's emotional toolbox that was sadly lacking. Instead, that's when the bully inside Lucinda Epstein would come out. Go on the offensive, make the problem about the people in charge of young Sammy's school life instead of certain shortcomings he may have himself. Perhaps that was one of the underlying reasons she was running for a spot on the school board as well, a way to overcompensate of an internally perceived sense of inadequacy. Consolidating the power in her sphere of influence by placing herself on the school board along with her Husband in the mayor's office would fill that void. At some point however, if you step over enough little people to reach for a goal, you may twist an ankle or two. _____________________________________ While the Epstein's business practices certainly troubled Wilfred after seeing how they treated several of his relatives and friends when it came to matters of pay and work conditions over the years, it wasn't at the core of his true distaste for the couple. Wilfred's plan was to still keep all that secret rage bottled for good until he saw Lucinda roaming the halls of Bradford Middle School once again a few minutes before first period on a chillier than normal, late October Monday morning. Making his normal morning rounds, Wilfred watched the intently focused school board nominee turn the corner of the hall and make a bee-line towards young Mrs. Alexander's classroom. Subtlely keeping his distance back, Wilfred parked himself close to where he'd been weeks earlier when Lucinda Epstein first gave the new math teacher a tongue lashing. The intensity and volume of this second encounter was far more pronounced from Lucinda's end, and Wilfred could almost see DeeDee reduced to tears as he looked on from just a few feet away. Having heard stories about how people Lucinda felt she had dominion over seemingly melted in her presence, Wilfred was now able to see for himself. While the caustic woman basically used her tone, body language and omnipotent gaze to get her point across with Mrs. Alexander the first time he spied on the two women conversing , it was clear whatever had precipitated this meeting was causing Lucinda to escalate her efforts to show who was boss. And from DeeDee's reaction, the withering degree of intimidation seemed to be working by the way her shoulders began to slump and her head began to bow. Grapes O' Wrath Ch. 01 Having just about had enough, Wilfred started to make his way over to the two women, but decided against it. The tools at his disposal would work much better away from the leering eyes of dozens of students and faculty. _______________________________ Lucinda Epstein's unscheduled visit that morning had gone much worse than the first. DeeDee should have known a storm was brewing when she hadn't received a single communiqué from the woman for nearly a week. She could have thought that perhaps the worst of Mrs. Epstein's bluster was finally starting to blow over, but given the fact that she'd given her Son, Sammy, two days of lunch detention the previous Wednesday, DeeDee could sense another eruption coming. She'd sent a note home with the boy the previous week explaining the reasons for the punishment( too many missed homework assignments and a nagging refusal to sit in his assigned seat), but when the note came back signed by Sammy's Father, Chet, DeeDee knew she had problems since every single little bit of Sammy's school experience that year had been micromanaged by Lucinda. Either the boy was so scared, he'd taken it to get signed by his Dad, knowing the Hellfire he'd face if his Mom found out, or he had shown it to her and she'd steadfastly refused to sign it on the grounds that no one had the right to pull that sort of rank with her child and make him face the stigma of not being able to have lunch with his friends. DeeDee Alexander would get her answer in very short order. Lucinda Epstein had come unannounced to school that morning to essentially tell DeeDee she wanted the young teacher's ass on a silver platter. To her credit, DeeDee tried reasoning with the older woman. She told Lucinda that Sammy was serving the detention with five other students so it wasn't like he was being singled out, and that he took the punishment like a man and had actually accomplished a good bit of work while he was there. She may as well have been spitting in the wind, however. From Lucinda's expression, it was clear she didn't think Mrs. Alexander had the authority to discipline a pack of mongrel mutts, much less Lucinda's own Son. Realizing it was an argument she wasn't going to win, DeeDee simply turned and walked inside her room, telling herself she would break the woman's neck if she dared follow her into her classroom. Before DeeDee was out of earshot, Lucinda did get one more dig in. "I hope you didn't sign too long of a lease. You know your contract comes back up in front of the school board next Spring, Mrs. Alexander." Not even turning to acknowledge the not so subtle threat, DeeDee sat at her desk, tapped at her lesson plan a few times, took a deep breath then started to call the roll. DeeDee would have simply gone through the motions for the rest of the day, weighed down by her confrontation with Lucinda Epstein, but doing her best not to show it. That was before she happened to look to her left just as the woman at the center of her misery once again strode past the open door to her room, this time flanked by the friendly janitor she'd spoken to a few days earlier. "Don't tell me she's got him in her pocket now...she's probably wrangled him to go out and check her oil or something," DeeDee thought to herself. Rising to her feet as she gave the students an assignment that would keep them busy for the next 15 minutes or so, DeeDee then ducked out of the room with stealth quickness under the ruse to fill her water bottle up from the fountain just down the hall. DeeDee made it outside the room just before the pair rounded the corner at the end of the long hallway. Even though Wilfred wasn't touching Lucinda, it was almost as if he had her on a lead. There was also something strange in the older woman's gait and posture as she disappeared around the corner. Those same shoulders that had been pushed back and rock solid each time Lucinda had approached her now seemed slumped as she walked beside the janitor. Lucinda seemed somehow smaller as well, and not simply because Wilfred stood a few inches taller, even in her heels. Then something flashed in the recesses of DeeDee's mind, a millisecond flashback to the instant she looked over to see Lucinda Epstein walk past the door that second time with Wilfred flanked to her side. It was an expression she didn't think Lucinda had at her disposal. Worry. ____________________________________ The smell was the first thing that brought home just how much Lucinda Epstein's life had changed in the previous five minutes. A ripe combination of cleaning supplies, musty towels and male sweat suddenly permeated the woman's normally pristine palate. There was one other scent hanging in the air, one she had long forgotten the aroma of. As much as Lucinda hated to admit, the unadulterated pale of her very own fear and unease wafted like tiny black gnats from her pores and filled the cramped and dimly lit space of Bradford Middle School's 8' by 8' janitorial closet. "I'm going to make sure your balls are strung up on the flagpole right in front of the school," Lucinda wanted to bitterly snipe at the janitor standing calmly in front of the now closed maintenance room door, but the words clogged like strewn rail cars in her throat. "Nothing has to come of this, Mrs. Epstein," the 50 year old man said in broken, but clearly understandable English. "How do you know my name," was the first thing she wanted to ask, but given what he'd whispered into her ear back out in the hallway beside DeeDee Alexander's room, the man standing before her knew far more than just her name. "You're trying to blackmail me," were the first words she managed to utter. "....Yes Ma'am....I guess I am," Wilfred replied after a moment to ponder. Folding her arms together as she clutched the purse hanging from her left shoulder, Lucinda told herself someone in the school had to see the man lead her straight into the utility closet. "But you're all the way on the far end of the school," she internally groused, knowing there was only the gymnasium, plus boys and girls locker rooms at that end of the facility. A fact that was brought home by the echo of bouncing basketballs and squeaks from sneakers coming from 50 or so yards away. "So..no one other than you knows about what you mentioned out in the hall?" Lucinda sheepishly mumbled. "Oh..a few people do..but no one who could truly do you any harm. It wouldn't take long though for everyone in this town to know what sort of monster your Husband is...and I guess you as well for being complicit for all these years," Wilfred met her contemptuous gaze with equal fervor. Rolling her tongue around her mouth, not enjoying it a single bit lacking the upper hand in a situation, Lucinda's face had grown December white as she narrowed her bellicose eyes on the man standing between her and the door. "I have my checkbook... and some cash on me...how much are you...," she tapped at her purse and started to offer before Wilred interrupted. The janitor sort of chuckled slightly then bit his lower lip after stopping Mrs. Epstein in mid sentence. "I've been around this town long enough to know how much money you have, Ma'am...that would have no value..if you're gonna barter for something this important you have to do it with something with far more meaning," Wilfred winked, then nodded. The lump that had already been growing in the pit of Lucinda's stomach had now spread to the Sahara-dry shelf of her throat. She nearly had to reach out with her right hand and stabilize her swooning torso on the hot water heater before getting her knees back beneath her just in time. Knowing she could still make a break for the unlocked door and run past the janitor to gain her freedom, the fear of the eventual fallout if she did outweighed the awkwardness of her present plight. Ever the pragmatist, Lucinda had to walk out of that cramped closet with some semblance of an understanding going forward. "Then what do you want?" Lucinda's plea finally trickled from her lips. ___________________________________ The first hint her new Husband may have had some issues came soon after their wedding in the Spring of '96 when Lucinda began to notice some curious charges showing up on Chet Epstein's business credit cards. Back when he still had his medical practice and was still trying to get his vineyard off the ground, Chet traveled quite a bit, especially out to San Francisco several times a month. He casually explained away the extravagant restaurant charges as entertainment for people who were gonna fast track his wine label, and the occasional charge to a generic sounding, 'ABC LTD' type firm, that was for purchasing medical supplies under the table at a cut rate discount. Even in the naive days of her late 20's, Lucinda was no dummy. She knew Chester was on his third marriage for a reason, he was intelligent, handsome, witty and he made good money, so the idea of him having an affair wasn't at all, far-fetched. Having grown so attached to the lifestyle she was living and the potential for the family vineyard business to take off, Lucinda was able to swallow her ample pride back then and let it be as long as Chet wasn't soiling the spot he ate. He did a real good job of that for a number of years, and the couple was able to climb the social ladder without even a hint of impropriety, from a fidelity standpoint or otherwise. Then the internet came along. As any self-respecting and suspicious Wife would, Lucinda had no problem sneaking into her Husband's secret online accounts. It didn't take her long however to wish she hadn't. The worry she had for years that Chester was boning other women while he was out of town on his business trips quickly disintegrated when she scanned through the troublesome content of his private emails and web traffic. Instead of plunging his dick into any willing lady, Lucinda discovered Chet's taste for buff young men. And apparently with the financial wherewithal he possessed, Chet's plate was quite full with willing suitors. The sordid discovery explained a lot. Their nearly non existent love-life for one, a pattern that had started well before their wedding night. Also Chet's insistence that they adopt early in their marriage even though they both were still in prime reproductive years. Despite the initial and overwhelming urge to throw up, Lucinda gradually calmed herself that fateful night back in the late 90's. Other than Chet's shoddy job covering his tracks on the family's computer, he was apparently keeping all his marital malfeasance far away from home, and with the vineyard really starting to take off, Lucinda decided she could bare the secret just like so many other wives of powerful but flawed men do every day. Over the years Lucinda had been able to put the knowledge of her Husband being 'in the closet' in her own mental 'closet of denial' to the point where she almost never thought about what he was doing when he was away on business. She'd even stopped checking his emails for the most part, feeling it was better not actually having to put faces with the men Chet was interacting with from his meet-ups on Craigslist and other assorted sites. She truly had no clue he'd committed such vile acts right under her nose however until the school janitor came up to her that morning and whispered those dreadful things into her ear. The stunned understanding and acceptance that instantly washed across Lucinda's face prevented any chance of blowing the man's accusations off. _____________________________________ Strange as it sounds, Lucinda Epstein's head was as clear at that moment as it had been since Wilfred Ramos had whispered those horrible words to her out in the hallway. In fact, it may have been as clear as her head had been in years perhaps. Instead of constantly juggling dozens of different things the way most people with political aspirations and a manipulative bent always seem to do, Lucinda suddenly found herself with one sole and solitary task at hand. Only two real things registered in her brain at that moment. How hard the smooth concrete felt against her bare and boney knees, and just how similar her nearly unhinged jaws felt to when she tried shoving too many gumballs inside her mouth as a small child. Lucinda didn't dare look up, knowing full well all that would be waiting for her would be the man's hauntingly satisfied sneer. Instead, she focused on the only thing she could, the fully aroused slab of Wilfred Ramos' throbbing manhood digging at the back of her throat. Attempting to detach herself from what she was doing, Lucinda could never quite take herself to that far away land inside her mind. Her ears still burning from the sound the janitor's zipper made when he pulled it down and released his shamelessly erect cock, now Lucinda's head was filled with the slurping echo of her own mouth working up and down on the Wilfred's ample shaft. The weight on her palate was tangible as well. Considering her Husband's romantic tastes, it had been years since Lucinda had a penis in her mouth, but the more she worked at the filthy deed the older man had forced her into, the more she felt a shameful burn well in places long dormant. Wilfred's curly black pubes tickling her nose and cheeks each time she rocked her face forward, in the recesses of Lucinda's conscious mind she could now hear the footsteps of the kids that had finished gym class now walking up the hall, just the other side of the closed door. She had no choice but to focus on the task at hand however, when she felt the man's certain and steady grip come to rest on the top of her head. Then she could hear him begin to grunt and growl a little louder with each churning thrust forward. On the periphery of it all, Lucinda understood clearly what she was doing. Not only were her and her Husband's political aspirations on the line, but so was the family's good name. While it would certainly be devastating enough on its own to have Chester publicly outed as gay, it would amount to social Armageddon if what the janitor was suggesting was true. Having it get out that her Husband had long enjoyed the company of men would certainly cause a local stir, to have it aired that he was using his position and power to repeatedly initiate affairs with some of the young migrant boys working at his vineyard would most likely bring satellite trucks from around the country to the manicured front lawn of the Epstein Estate. Forget climbing the final rungs of the area's social ladder, not only would their name be ruined, but all the hard work they'd put into making the vineyard a national success would swirl down the drain on the first salacious USA Today headline or CNN sound bite. So that's why Lucinda Epstein found herself on her knees in that humid and shadowy utility closet, bowing before a man she had never met until 10 minutes earlier, praying he'd keep his promise not to tell if she did what he asked. In all honestly, Lucinda had no clue if Mr. Ramos was even telling the truth about Chester and those boys, but given her knowledge about what her Husband was capable of in the shadows, not to mention the jail time he would face along with the family ruination, she truly felt she had no choice but to comply. There were several rhythmic diversions Lucinda could have focused on as she continued her solemn task. The kids' footsteps on the hallway tiles just on the other side of the closed, but unlocked door, the raspy hiss of the large hot water heater to her right, or even the bass drum thud of her own heart pounding in her chest. The one thing she kept focusing on however, as the pressure points of Wilred's fingers tightened on her scalp, was the jingly report of the janitor's large collection of keys rattling each time he crudely hurled his pelvis forward. His seven inch girth shoved down her gullet to the point Lucinda could feel his swollen balls bouncing against her chin, she could tell from the intensity of his groans, and the way his knees began to quiver that the horribly thick thing wedged between her lips was about the blow. Her eyes crossed as she franticly tried breathing through her nose, an eerie womb of calm suddenly enveloped Lucinda as both the man's hands clasped securely around the top of her head. The she tasted Wilfred's release in all it's pent-up fury. It had been so long since Lucinda had the salty strains of a man's seed in her mouth, her tastebuds instantly exploded as the sticky traces began their steady trek down to her belly. Wilfred's dick flaring wildly in her mouth each time it shot another blistering jet of his rich jism, Lucinda could feel her blood rushing in her ears as he used both hands to keep her head in place. Just before she thought she'd suffocate, the janitor removed his still spewing cock from Lucinda's overwhelmed mouth. Immediately ingesting a chest full of much needed air, a huge cum bubble rose from her lips when she tried to exhale. As all of that was happening, several more pearls of Wilfred's cum found a home on Lucinda's face, the first landing on the center of her forehead followed by another right between her rolling eyes, then finally petering out in a couple of shiny and smeared dots on the left side of her nose and cheek. Wilfred's euphoric crescendo continued to reverberate for several more breaths, but it wasn't long before the horrible nature of Lucinda's plight began to filter back. Once again she could feel the harshness of the concrete below on her bare knees, along with the eye watering stench of all the cleaning solutions surrounding her. The taste of the janitor's seed heavy on her palate, she could also feel the weight of his stare. Even without looking up, Lucinda was sure it was laced with a healthy dose of smug, self gratification. Thinking of tilting her head upwards to meet Wilfred's gaze with a defiant one of her own, before she could even try, Lucinda felt the meaty vessel of the man's cock plop diagonally down across her weathered face. "UUUHHHH," she gasped as the slightly older man began scrubbing his still aroused manhood back and forth until the cum he'd just deposited was layered in a thin, but lasting sheen from her scalp all the way down to her chin. A sickening jolt rumbled through Lucinda's insides when she realized he was far from done with her. __________________________________ Wilfred had stunned himself at the effectiveness of his rather impromptu plan. Having no real idea how a woman of Lucinda's ilk would react to being approached, then cornered in such a vile way, the 50 year old janitor had to blink his eyes repeatedly, just to remind himself what he was seeing in front of him was real. Feeling as if he'd been gliding on air since he first walked up to Mrs. Epstein outside DeeDee Alexander's room, Wilfred seemingly had to hit his internal re-set button when he looked down at Lucinda's cum-smeared face. Just that quick, he suddenly had supreme power over one of the most influential women in town. The itch of that power fueling him, along with the help from those glorious little blue pills the school's medical plan now paid for, Wilfred repeatedly tapped the underside of his glistening cock on Lucinda's lips and chin until he as sure he could see the kneeling woman attempting to kiss the thing back. Continuing to pump his rigid brown shaft back to its full, impressive girth with his right hand as he slowly helped Lucinda to her feet with his left, Wilfred wasted no time flipping her around once he was sure she could stand. The grizzled older man then pulled the woman's rear end flush against his straining crotch before snaking his free hand under the hem of her knee length skirt. Even with her head facing the closed doors of the maintenance room and away from the brooding janitor, Lucinda had a very good idea what was coming next.... Grapes O' Wrath Ch. 01 Part 2 to come... Grapes O' Wrath Ch. 02 DeeDee Alexander could barely stand it. Fidgeting like a barefoot girl on a West Texas highway as she paced back and forth in front of her class, the 31 year old teacher prayed her students couldn't see just how distracted she'd become. Most of them were relatively dim that early in the morning, but there were a few keen young observers out there in the sea of faces, so DeeDee focused most of her energy on them as she kept one eye constantly peeled on the open door of the room, waiting for either Lucinda Epstein or Mr. Ramos to re-appear. Stealing a peek out the window on one of her circuits to the far side of the room, DeeDee could still see Mrs. Epstein's Audi parked in the visitors' lot, not a hard thing to miss considering it was adorned with a gaudy Crescent Ridge Vineyard magnetic sticker on both sides of the vehicle. Knowing there really wasn't a viable exit other than the one in the gym in the direction the pair walked, DeeDee was certain they were still somewhere on school grounds, causing her mind to further race with possibilities. Riffling though her synapses, trying to think of some way to discreetly sneak from the room long enough to do some recon down the hall, DeeDee continued her lecture even though her head jerked noticeably towards the door each time another person walked by. "OHHHH," she finally blurted out, as if something at her primal core had usurped control of her frontal cortex. "I forgot.... I had to pick up a few important papers at the office when I came in this morning. I have to get something..signed...then...get them..in the mail...I'll be right back..I'm gonna tell Mrs. Long across the hall to duck in if she hears any ruckus. Study those last few pages of the chapter..we're gonna have a quick pop quiz when I get back," DeeDee blathered before ducking out the door, her actions made that much more curious when she took off down the hall in the complete opposite direction of the office, or Mrs. Long's room next door. ________________________________ By the time DeeDee Alexander slipped out of her classroom and took off like a bat out of Hell down the hall, Wilfred Ramos had already pulled Lucinda's panties down, hiked her skirt up to her waist and mounted her like the bitch in heat she was. Her panties laying where he'd dropped them on the floor to his right, Wilfred could still feel the tangy wetness of her arousal on his fingers. Startled by just how juiced Mrs. Epstein had gotten during their time in the utility closet, it dawned on him, considering Lucinda's Husband's unique sexual perversions, it may have been years since anyone's hand, other than her own, had been down there. That assumption was further amplified when Wilfred jabbed his index and middle fingers into the puckered pink fissure of Lucinda's quim and could feel the way the walls of her cunt eagerly greeted them. Wasting no time pushing his free hand into the center of Lucinda's back, Wilfred eased the gasping woman forward until her exposed rear end was braced against his straining crotch. Jerking his two digits free from the grip of Lucinda's simmering cauldron, the 50 year old janitor quickly replaced them with his seething cock. The married woman's head snapped backwards and the veins in her thin neck flared visibly the instant Wilfred penetrated her. A growling gasp soon followed, one just loud enough for a curious math teacher to hear on the other side of the closed maintenance room door. __________________________________ The first strains of Lucinda Epstein's voice coming through the door hit DeeDee squarely between the eyes, then reverberated like lightning down her spine until the tingle settled in the soles of her stylish but affordable flats. "He's in there torturing her," was DeeDee's initial reaction, but the longer she listened the more she came to a much more incredible realization. "......They're having sex," she mouthed, her body now frozen less than five feet from the double doors. Darting her eyes side to side to determine if anyone else was around, DeeDee could see a handful of kids playing down in the gym, but the rest of the area was secluded for the moment. A whirlwind of scandalous ramifications swirling through her suddenly pounding head, the young teacher twisted her hands into knots in front of her as the sound of two bodies coupling drifted through the crack of the doors. Putting her respiration on hold for the moment, DeeDee could also hear the telltale sound of flesh repeatedly crashing together. "Mary, Mother of Jesus," she bit her tongue and whistled as she listened to Lucinda Epstein's normally gruff and authoritative now wince and crackle through the air. "You know you have a classroom full of unsupervised kids right now," DeeDee's conscience reminded, but for the time being she could do nothing but stand there like a scarecrow on a still day. _________________________________ Wilfred had brought Lucinda Epstein down to the utility closet with the sole purpose of blackmailing her into being nicer to the teachers she'd been famously ravaging. If he got his dick sucked by the bitterly snide socialite, all the better. Things had somehow progressed way beyond that however. The same way DeeDee Alexander knew she had a classroom full of potentially flammable students waiting to combust away from her watchful eye, Wilfred had several daily chores he was currently neglecting as well. For both, their professional duties took a temporary backseat to the surreal hand that fate had dealt. A fiendish glow smoldering in the janitor's eyes as he brutally fucked the school board nominee from behind, Wilfred could look down and see the greasy white smear of Lucinda's arousal coating his cock each time he leaned backwards only to hear it crash with a vicious smack when he slammed it deep into her gurgling womb. How Wilfred would have reacted if he'd been able to look through that door and see DeeDee Alexander (or anyone else for that matter) standing there was anyone's guess. Chances are, given the lewdness of his current state, it would have probably spurred him on to even greater carnal depths. The sheer thought of Lucinda looking up to see one of the teacher's she'd so emotionally pillaged witnessing it all would have probably broken the depravity dial. Gripping all 10 of his fingers into the white woman's waist as he ruthlessly continued the pillaging of his own, the man of normally few words had a few choice ones for Lucinda. "Puta," he called her before smacking his rather large and calloused hand down on her ass. "Carbona," he seemed to half laugh then spit before giving her another especially rough forward thrust with his crotch. "Goddamn it," Mrs. Epstein whimpered, her body bent over and helpless, suspended in the janitor's virile grip as he continued with his blunt assessment of her character. "Mujerzuela," he leaned forward and called her a few seconds later, removing his hands from her hips and replacing both firmly around both the woman's breasts before easing his lips to her ear. Then he said it a second time, loud enough for anyone to hear standing on the other side of the closed door. DeeDee wasn't exactly sure what the word meant, but Lucinda had spent enough time around the Spanish speaking people of the area. The older woman instantly cringed and blushed hearing the terms rattle around her brain, and she maybe even flinched a little in an attempt to twist away from her captor. The truth was however, the well greased muscles of Lucinda's vagina flared angrily and anxiously around Wilfred's invading shaft in hopes of pulling him in deeper. She may have hated hearing those words, but at the moment, there was no denying they were true. ____________________________________ DeeDee Alexander wasn't all that well versed in Spanish either, especially in the types of words Wilfred was hurling down to Mrs. Epstein, but she could tell from the tone of his voice along with the way Lucinda was receiving them, the terms couldn't have been nice. Still, the percussion of their bodies coming together only intensified on the other side of the door as the floor seemed to vibrate beneath the motionless and gawking teacher. So engrossed by what was playing out just out of her view, DeeDee gradually lost touch with her immediate surroundings. Still 10 minutes away from first period class change, the halls were thankfully empty. Given the intensity of her focus, a Mardi Gras parade could have snaked past her and Mrs. Alexander may not have noticed. What DeeDee had intently latched on to, however, was the shrill series of shrieks that seeped from the room in front of her. If the young math teacher had brought her X-ray goggles to school that day, she would have seen Wilfred remove his meaty hands from the writhing woman's waist then lean slightly forward until he'd plastered them across her bosom. With the patience of a marksmen, the brazen janitor waited for just the right moment to pinch his fingers around each of Lucinda's erect nipples, now poking like bullets through the rumpled front of her blouse. "AAAHHHEEEEAAAHHHH," Mrs. Epstein's first husky gasp filtered into DeeDee's ears. "UUUHHHHAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH", the second one came when Wilfred squeezed his fingers even tighter, this one loud enough to be heard easily 15 feet past where DeeDee was standing. The entire time the rhythmic concussion of Mr. Ramos ramming his cock into Lucinda Epstein never ceased. By then, DeeDee Alexander's own nipples had plumped quite considerably, and were clearly visible poking out the front of her top as a scalding wave of adrenaline burned through her chest. Her hands clenched together in a death grip in front of her, she felt almost like a starving girl being told not to steal a peek inside the cookie jar as she tried to envision the depravity hidden mere feet away. The gruff and constant interplay between Wilfred's groans and Lucinda's submissive wails filled DeeDee's swooning head until she nearly fainted when she looked up and saw one of the gym teachers walk out of his office, some 30 feet away, and head towards the boys locker room a little further down the hall. DeeDee made brief and thankfully fleeting eye contact with Mr. Phizer before he disappeared. It was a good thing Mr. Phizer went in the direction he did because the second he was out of sight, the loudest moan so far bellowed from Lucinda's throat and echoed all through that secluded wing of the school. "Oh God....Oh Dear God....I'm gonna cum," DeeDee clearly heard Lucinda cry several times, and just from the tone of the older woman's voice, the young teacher could somehow visualize the tears of desperation and defeat that streamed down Mrs. Epstein's rouge colored cheeks as Wilfred ruthlessly impaled her. _____________________________________ As stunning as it ws to hear what was going on in that room, DeeDee Alexander's 31 year old heart would have likely burst from her chest if she witnessed the moment Lucinda Epstein cried out in full throat. For several minutes, Wilfred had kept both his hands tight on the married woman's cleavage, kneading and pawing at Lucinda's heaving orbs as he fiercely plowed her cunt from behind. Seeing her ass sway a little harder against his crotch each time he connected, the grizzled janitor could feel the woman's dripping juices soaking his balls as she strained every muscle in her bent over body to withstand his assault. Without a doubt, she was about to cum. Guiding his right hand away from Lucinda's chest, Mr. Ramos folded it beneath the cowering woman, tracing it down her belly until he'd clamped those unforgiving fingers of his around Mrs. Epstein's already bulging clit. That caused the first harrowing cry Deedee heard on the other side of the door. Wilfred then raised his left hand up to Lucinda's head and dug his fingers into the back of the wailing woman's head, twisting her slightly graying hair until she was snared completely in his seemingly demonic embrace. Her vagina skewered on his stabbing cock, Lucinda winced and shuddered as he eagerly pinched at her clitoris at the same time he massaged and pulled at her shoulder length hair. "...FU...FU.....FU....... CCKKKK..... God I can't stop......OHHFUCK..... fucccccc..kkkkkkkk..Fuuckkk. Fuucckkkkkk...don't stop... ohhh..fucccckkkkk," she spastically spat out in several fits and starts until her voice was nothing but a hoarse and fiery whisper, needing a release but knowing if she yelled as loud as she needed to, she'd stir the whole school to the scene of her indiscretion. Her eyes sealed shut as she rutted her rear end backwards against Wilfred's brilliantly thick staff, Lucinda Epstein felt as if a cyclone had swirled up through the floor, perhaps from the depths of Hell itself, encircling each of her legs before burrowing its full fury between the ripe and spasming folds of her long deprived sex. The raging winds didn't stop there, swirling outwards in a million different directions inside her body until every cell of her being exploded in glorious unity. Wilfred's dick continuing to pound her from behind like a soulless fuck machine, Lucinda had no choice but to flail her hands out and grab anything she could before she tumbled forward into a cosmic abyss. The buoy happened to be the two knobs of the utility room's doors, and Lucinda squeezed them for all she was worth as the janitor briskly pinched her clit while occasionally tugging her hair. The taste of Wilfred's semen still heavy on her palate, deep down Lucinda knew he could fuck her for as long as he wanted with his initial release out of the way. Helpless to do anything but try surviving the cresting wave, she flexed her arms and gripped the knobs, hell-bent to hold on long enough so she could ride the lightning of her second release before Mr. Ramos had finished taking his pound of flesh. ______________________________________ DeeDee was long gone by the time Lucinda's second orgasm tripped. Her paralysis subsiding the instant she heard Mrs. Epstein's hands grip the inside knobs of the door, DeeDee scuttled like a drunken duck back up the hall towards her unattended classroom. Her head pounding to the point of distraction, the echo of what she'd heard inside that maintenance room rattled like a speaker phone on full blast inside her brain. "Your panties are soaked, too," DeeDee couldn't help but note as she passed one classroom after another, unable to ignore the liquid arousal now buffering her crotch and upper thighs with each step she took up the hall. Checking her watch as she scurried forward, DeeDee let out a sigh of relief seeing there were only five minutes left in first period. "No pop quiz today..at least they'll be happy about that," she told herself, now close enough to aim her spotty gaze on the door to her classroom as she tried desperately to collect herself. Making her way back into the classroom, DeeDee did all she could not to make direct eye contact with any of her students for fear of giving away just how unsettled she felt. Thankfully, it seemed the room was still intact and the few students who'd strayed from their desks snuck back to where they were supposed to be as soon as they saw her. While an eerie and uncertain silence did hang in the room as she went to take her seat, it was washed away by a tide of unanimous relief when Mrs. Alexander told them the end of class quiz was called off for the day. Visibly wincing when she sat down, it was clear just how sensitive that spot of DeeDee's body had become from what she'd experienced during her sabbatical down the hall. Shifting until she found a comfortable position in the chair, DeeDee droned out a homework assignment for the students as she stole a peek at the clock on the wall. "Two minutes until the end of class," she muttered to herself, knowing she'd need every bit of the five minutes between periods to regain her composure. Just when she thought she was coming back to her senses, DeeDee's heart rolled when she saw Lucinda Epstein out of the corner of her eye quickly gliding past the open classroom door. Even though the woman was only in her visual field for a second, DeeDee somehow saw a different aura surrounding the older woman as she scurried by. Biting the inside of her lip as she choked the Bic pen in her right hand, the seat beneath DeeDee seemingly gave way when she saw Wilfred Ramos walk down the hall 30 seconds later. Suddenly, a far different idea of how to spend her time between classes sprouted in DeeDee's scattered brain. __________________________________ About the same moment DeeDee Alexander was ducking back inside her classroom, Lucinda Epstein's body was betraying her for the second time in less than five minutes. Dangling like a ragdoll in the janitor's firm embrace, Lucinda's hands slipped from the knobs of the door and came to rest on her quivering knees as Wilfred insistently kept spearing his cock into her. Pressing her lips together to keep from screaming out, Lucinda clenched and shivered, her head filling with a nuclear neon burst as the tireless man behind her emptied his selfish, vengeful lust deep into the catacombs of her splashing chasm. As quickly as it all had commenced, Wilfred rocked back and withdrew his battered and greasy weapon. Sensing Lucinda would have trouble standing on her own, he continued to hold her in place, helping her around slightly until she was able to get a good long look at the slab of marbled meat that had just staked its claim inside her. Shoving his manhood back into his trousers and zipping them up when he was done, Wilfred watched with more than a hint of satisfaction as Lucinda tried pulling her dress back down and smoothing out her top. Not a word was spoken between the two as Mrs. Epstein dabbed at her face and hands to make sure none of Wilfred's initial release remained. The wetness between her legs from his second nut was clearly audible however, when she turned and started walking towards the door. If any reminder was needed that their brief interlude was over, opening those doors and allowing the light from outside to filter in provided it. Just before Lucinda stepped back out into reality, she did peer back and for the first time since she'd entered that dank space, she made real eye contact with Mr. Ramos. "My Husband's secret is safe?" her eyes seemed to beg. "For now," Wilfred silently nodded. Then she was gone. Figuring he'd give her somewhat of a head start out of the room, Wilfred looked down and saw the married woman's discarded panties laying at his feet. Reaching down to pick them up, Wilfred stuffed them into his pants pocket as a memento of their morning soiree, right in there with the same set of jingling keys Lucinda would hear in her sleep for the weeks and months to come. ____________________________________ What took place in the janitorial closet wasn't the only indecency to take place at Bradford Middle School that Monday morning. Between first and second periods, the students streamed into the halls just like usual, heading to their lockers, catching up for quick gossip sessions with their friends, or trying to rush to their next class so they could plead their case with the teacher over why they didn't get their homework done the night before. No one really paid much attention to why the door to DeeDee Alexander's 2nd period math class was locked until the students waiting to get in began bottle-necking the hallway. ___________________________________ In all her years in her profession, DeeDee had never given a moment of serious thought to doing anything close to what she was about to do. There had been a few times that her Ex-Husband had playfully broached the idea of doing something along those lines when they'd been together, but DeeDee had summarily shot him down. Grapes O' Wrath Ch. 02 But now there she was, a few minutes before 9 on that early Fall morning, the door to her classroom locked, the shades on the windows drawn, and her right hand shoved down the front of her pants as she sat with her legs spread wide beneath her well kept desk. DeeDee thought she could mentally make it through the rest of the day, even after the discovery she'd made on her trip down the hall. While it would certainly take longer than the time between classes to fully grasp the stunning development, when she saw Lucinda, and then Mr. Ramos walk past her room after what she'd heard them doing only minutes earlier, some sort of primal and animalistic switch flipped inside DeeDee. And in one blazingly mad decision, DeeDee knew she could at least deal with that pressing issue in the five minutes she had between classes. The moist, pulpy folds of her labia clinging to her index and middle fingers as she slithered them as far as she could inside her, DeeDee kept telling herself it was just like the hundreds of other times she'd laid in bed, late at night, blowing off all the accumulated stress of the day, sexual and otherwise. The fact that she could hear the chorus of shuffling feet on the other side of the door, sounding just like a growing herd of cattle unable to get through a locked gate, told DeeDee this wasn't exactly business as usual. Clutching the edge of her desk with her left hand to keep her chair from rolling backwards from the force of what she was doing with her right, DeeDee bowed her head and focused every bit of reserve energy she had into completing her lurid task. A zillion random images flooding her mental movie screen, the young math teacher tried latching on to the perfect one so she could get herself off, then somehow collect herself in time to let the students hovering outside in for their second period class. Her pert bosom pressed down flush against the day planner lining the center of her desktop, DeeDee's right foot rapidly bounced up and down, just like a cocker spaniel might having that special spot on it's belly rubbed. That ball of fire that had been raging in the center of her crotch now began to rise into her belly before separating into dozens of tiny infernos and flowing outwards in every direction. Her fingers and toes tingling as a sheen of sweat beaded on her brow, DeeDee found the perfect rhythm on her G-spot with her twisting fingers as she traced her raised and angry clitoris with her thumb. "GGGGRRGGGGAAAAAAAHH..AAHHHHH," she eventually coughed and spat, just like Lucinda minutes earlier down the hall, doing all she could not to fill the entire school with her cries of excruciating relief as she pushed herself towards the edge. Not even daring to check the clock or calculate the number of students now waiting outside the door, knowing it would only distract her from her sole and undeniable purpose, DeeDee blindly pressed on until she could feel those familiar rockets ignite inside her womb. Then she finally latched on to the exact image she was searching for. Considering the psychological ordeal Lucinda Epstein had put her through since she took the job at Bradford, it wasn't a surprise that DeeDee's aroused and desperate id conjured the mental picture of the tormenting bitch bent over and taking it from behind at the hands of the brooding and ruthless school janitor. Having gone as long as she had without sex herself, at least with another person, part of DeeDee understandably imagined how it would feel to have a rock solid cock like Wilfred's pistoning in and out of her own needy womb, but on a much deeper level, DeeDee found herself approaching orgasm with the clear picture of the submissive repent that must have been etched across Lucinda's face as Wilfred repeatedly used her in that utility closet. Focusing her mind's eye on every subtle facet of Lucinda's crumbling facade, DeeDee allowed a tsunami of power and vindication to swell through her very soul as both her feet now danced spastically on the tiles below. "UUURRGGHHHHAAAHHHHH.. AAHHH...AHHHHH.. AAHHHHHH," she groaned and heaved, biting down hard on the flesh of her right forearm as she came to keep the strains of her furious release from seeping out the locked door and ricocheting down the hall. _________________________________ It would have been easy for DeeDee to just melt into a pool of molten goo on the floor from the debilitating rapture she'd just put herself through. Each of her joints screaming as she tried unfolding herself and pushing away from the desk, DeeDee slowly pulled the grappling hook of her right hand free from the suction of her still spasming slit, then reached into the top drawer for several of the wet-wipes she kept on hand. "...OK....here goes...," she sighed as she tried standing up. Easing around her desk on legs that had the consistency of overcooked pasta, instead of walking over to the locked door, DeeDee limped her sleepy feet in the opposite direction. To the window overlooking the school parking lot. To her everlasting shock, DeeDee saw what she wanted, Lucinda Epstein still sitting behind the wheel of her Audi, as if blankly staring off into outer space. Filled with some semblance of satisfaction on a multitude of levels, DeeDee finally turned towards the door to let the waiting herd of students in as if nothing had ever happened. ___________________________________ A few weeks later, Lucinda Epstein won her spot on the school board, as did her Husband in his bid to be town Mayor. DeeDee's phone never once beeped again however with a text or call from the woman, and she never saw her roaming the halls of Bradford Middle School. Even DeeDee's first visit to a school board meeting with Lucinda presiding went off without a hitch. The woman didn't so much as make eye contact with any of the teachers that had been on her hit list, much less make any menacing mention of them. DeeDee would often marvel at how the same janitor that she would pass in the hallways each day would have had sway over such a vile and powerful woman with just his knowledge about the Epstein family's hiring practices at their vineyard. Little would she know the true depth of Wilfred Ramos' knowledge about the Epstein family's inner most secrets, or his rather effective powers of persuasion. All she knew was that her pussy throbbed little each time she walked past him or saw his shy, yet penetrating smile brighten her day. THE END A special thanks Miss T. for the unique insights. Couldn't have wrote this without you!!/i>