Divine Intervention

[Erlikkhan]

Ted Grundy sat on his balcony looking out at the park and watching all the people going about their daily activities. Life was good when you were smarter than everyone you met. He could have been anything he wanted… a doctor, an engineer, a lawyer. But Ted chose to be something else. He chose to be god.

Ted took out his binoculars and scanned the crowds. After a few minutes he found her, the next woman to be blessed by a visit from god. She was with her husband and two kids, a thirty something soccer mom. They obviously had money. He was wearing a Rolex and she diamond earrings. They had just been dropped off by the chauffeur.

She was quite stunning, but it wasn’t so much her looks or her money that attracted him, although that was part of it. He could see a hint of sadness and vulnerability in her face. She was looking for something she didn’t have and didn’t even know it. Most women were Ted had discovered. Well, in his role of god he could help her, and she could help him.

He headed down towards the soccer field dressed in khaki pants and a sweat shirt. A young reporter writing his first novel… yes, that would be just perfect. Now to gain her trust and then her soul…

OOC: This is part of the Badest of Bad contest. I need someone to play to a rich yuppyish soccer mom. Please PM me if you are interested. I will be out for about ten days so I will respond when I return. Don’t let Mr. Grundy scare you off. He is nothing like his evil twin… pain only comes at the request of the participant and everyone is alive at the end!

 

[Erlikkhan]

I'm back from vacation and am still looking for a partner in crime. Any ladies interested in being exploited please send me a PM. You won't be disappointed!

 

[Original_Cyn2]

Veronica


Mrs. Veronica Thorne…even the name bored her now. Ten years ago she’d been inundated with the congratulations and barely disguised malicious envy of her peers over her successful engagement to Justin James Thorne.

She’d been twenty-four, he’d just turned thirty and was finishing his last year of residency at Boston General. Part of the exclusive upper crust he’d represented all of her hopes, her dreams, everything she’d ever wished for.

'Be careful what you wish for,' a quiet little voice inside her mind taunted spitefully. With a wry smile she shook her head, glancing across the field at the handsome man that was her husband, the two wonderful sons they’d raised together.

She really had nothing to complain about and she knew it, which made this incomprehensible attitude of hers all the more galling. She lived every woman’s dream, a grand old house, all the help she could ever need, no pre-set spending limits, a gorgeous and accommodating, although busy, husband and a beautiful family.

But deep inside was a feeling…and it was growing…it had been growing for some time. One of discontent and dissatisfaction in her perfect little world, one of numbness and an emptiness that made her feel vulnerable and helpless.

Her normally easy-going husband had turned brutally sardonic when she’d tried to express this feeling. Reliving the moment, his face twisted in a sneer of disbelief, she knew she wouldn’t bring it up again anytime in the near future…

 

[Original_Cyn2]

Veronica


“Look Mom!” her reverie interrupted she shakes off the unhappy images in her mind, her eyes lighting up with love for her oldest, Adam. At nine years old he was the spitting image, in miniature, of his father right down to the radiant blue sparkle in his eyes and the enthusiastic grin on his face.

Her smile was enough to assure him she saw and appreciated the tremendous kick and volley for her benefit before he ran back down the field. Veronica watches the heads of the young girls turn, even a few not so young, and glances fondly over at he husband.

He catches the grin and saunters toward her, her eyes admiring the lean, graceful man who is her husband. He starts to say something to her, still to far away for her to catch it and suddenly a frisson of …of …apprehension…or is it… pleasure…flows through her, licking at her senses and leaving the hair at the nape of her neck tingling.

She spins around, glancing at the field behind her, searching for danger…or..or…something, her eyes questing over the children and parents seeing nothing unusual. A shimmer of light, a reflection of the sun off metal catches her attention from a balcony in the high rise across the street distracting her from her quest for a split second and again the feeling laps at her nerve endings bringing a rush of adrenalin that leaves her heart beating erratically. Pulling her eyes back to the field and its participant’s she sees nothing to set her senses clamoring and turns back to her husband rather breathlessly.

“Veri…Veri what is it…?” strong, protective arms encircle her waist, his handsome features smiling down at her. “Daydreaming again, hon?”

“It’s…it’s nothing darling,” she slips out of the circle of his arms, the condescending look on his face bringing a flash of anger she’s hard pressed to hide. She looks away; glancing around one more time for the cause of the strange rush of emotions…nothing. Ignoring the pounding rhythm of heart she puts on a strained smile as she glances back up at Justin. “What were you saying, dear?”

 

[Erlikkhan]

Ted approached her cautiously. In his role as god, patience was not only a virtue, it was the essential tool for divine intervention. Once she was broken he could let his human instincts take charge. Not now though. For the moment she had to do all the work. First he had to get her attention, peak her curiosity, gain her trust and, when the time was just right, give her what she would be craving.

Getting noticed would not be hard. Ted was incredibly handsome with an athlete’s body. His long light brown hair and deep blue eyes hinted at his artistic personality, but his face had a rugged and untamed look as well. He was very careful with his dress to look both casual and stylish at the same time without the expensive name brands that so many wore these days to achieve the same effect.

Ted stood on the sidelines watching, making sure he was in hearing distance of his prey. As planned, his cell phone rang. He answered, listened for a few seconds and then began speaking as though someone were really on the other end.

“Gosh, Maddy, I’m awfully sorry but I don’t think I can have the book finished that soon… no… no… I know you are counting on me, but… okay, I’ll try… yes… it’s just that I haven’t found anyone I can connect with to make Beth real… I know, but she IS the book and her character needs more than a personality with a story to tell… Maddy… Maddy, listen to me. She needs a soul. Her husband is a heartless tycoon on Wall Street. She’s not just lonely she’s… no Maddy, not at all like Lilly… she’s trapped. She can hardly breathe. Her desperation drives her to a double life… no… I understand… I’ll do my best… okay. Bye Maddy.”

Ted let the conversation sink in for a few minutes and then turned to the pretty woman standing next to him. He ignored her husband standing a few feet away and paying no attention at all.

“Excuse me, ma’am, but I think I’m at the wrong game? I told my sister I would meet her here, but I’m pretty sure her son’s team wears orange and I don’t see her anywhere. I tried calling her cell but only got the answering machine. Would you know if there is another field nearby?”

Ted let his blue eyes penetrate hers as he spoke in a soft but assured voice.

 

[Original_Cyn2]

Veronica Thorne


Her eyes still held a puzzled look as she tried to pin down the feeling that had shivered through her. She was scanning the crowd because of it when her attention fell on the man walking across the field toward them. He was handsome in a rather rakish manner but it was the way that he moved that arrested her attention more than anything. She was reminded of a wolf pacing through its territory, something predatory and wild implicit in his progress across the grass.

Moments later she was embarrassed by her own random thoughts as their eyes met briefly. He found an unoccupied spot at the sidelines next to her and his blue eyes sparkled with humor and a bit of zaniness that, combined with the long, glossy hair labeled him an artist in her mind.

She overheard his conversation, not because she was listening, simply because he was inches from her. ‘Ahh, see? A writer. She, Veronica, could give his “Beth” a soul, she knew exactly what the woman was going through…” her thoughts stopped still in their tracks as her shocked mind shook it’s finger at her. She knew no such thing. She didn’t have a heartless husband, she certainly wasn’t trapped and she was breathing just fine. It wasn't even loneliness that bothered her...quite obviously it was an over-active imagination that was her problem…

“…would you know if there’s another field nearby?” his deep, husky voice shivered through her like time sweetened honey, filling her senses with its substance.

“I…I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening, could you repeat that?” a soft bloom of color brushed her cheeks as she reined in her wayward thoughts. He repeated the question and her eyes focussed on his lips, the sensual curve of the upper one threatening her grip on the reins.

‘God! What was wrong with her today? Pull it together Veri, you’re too young for a mid-life crisis,’ the voice in her head sternly reprimanding.

“Actually, there is another field…it’s a couple of miles from here, though. The teams rotate back and forth between the two, so your nephew is probably there,” after managing to pull her attention away from his lips, she found herself drawn to his gaze as she fumbled in her purse for a pen. She pulled her eyes away digging for a piece of paper and finding none, pulled out one of her calling cards instead. She flipped it over, sketching out a map of where the other field could be found and handing it over to him.

His fingers covered hers, accepting the card with a small smile and a soft thank you. She felt her cheeks color as the heat from his hand drifted over hers like a brand.

“You’re welcome,” she was proud of herself, her voice steady, not dropping a hint of her wayward thoughts, “good luck with your search for a soul for Beth.”

' Oh yeah, Veri..subtle...so subtle..'

 

[Erlikkhan]

Ted

“Beth? Oh, that. Hey, I’m sorry. This cell phone technology takes away all privacy. Here I am shouting into a phone while you’re trying to watch your son play soccer. I’m sorry if I was rude.”

She shrugged her shoulders and let Ted know it was okay, looking away to avert his mysterious eyes, which seemed like they were about to reach into her soul. Ted had practiced that look over and over, and knew exactly the affect it would have on someone with a deep secret.

“Hey, thanks for the information. Maybe I’ll see you around. Good luck to your son.”

Ted took a few steps and stopped. He turned back and caught the woman staring after him. He smiled. His eyes had “the look”.

“Beth has a soul. I just haven’t figured out how to put it into words that readers will understand. She’s a good woman but she does a very bad thing. I need to make that transformation credible or the book doesn’t work. I’ll send you a copy when its finished.”

Ted held up the card that had her address, then waved and walked away. He had her attention. The next meeting would have to be very carefully planned. But first he would give her a week to think about her life and what might be missing.

Research was essential for Ted Grundy. He had her name and address. It wasn’t difficult to uncover every detail of her life. He even talked to a few past boyfriends… sexually shy, friendly, socially outgoing but afraid to get too close. After a little probing he was able to ascertain precisely the net worth she and her husband had accumulated. He even studied her daily habits as well as the routine of her husband and kids.

It was important that she run into him on their next meeting so it didn’t look planned. This was easy. Veronica always arrived early to pick up her kids from their exclusive private school and would browse through the book store across the street while waiting. A week after their first meeting, Ted was already in the book store when she arrived. He was paging through a copy of Madam Bovary with his back to her.

 

[Original_Cyn2]

Veronica Thorne

She’d been unable to get the handsome man out of her mind for a week, her thoughts drifting over the meeting at the most inconvenient times, his face, those lips and those eyes, haunting her dreams at night. Her husband had teased her this morning, when, with his daily morning call at 10:00am he’d heard the sleepy, disconnected tone of her voice.

“You aren’t pregnant Veri, are you?” his softly teasing tones sounded a little wistful to her as she assured him she was not.

Because of her slow start to the day she was running late and entered the bookstore in a disheveled frenzy. She’d promised her son Adam that she’d pick up The Great Gatsby for his English class before the weekend so he would be able to read it before his class started on it Monday. She’d left it to the last, which was unusual enough for her. In her hurry she didn’t see him until she’d grabbed the book and turned around, practically running him down.

“Oh my…excuse me…” her voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes widening in disbelief. It was like seeing a ghost, those familiar features that had haunted her all week. His arm around her shoulder, steadying her, warm, powerful around her. She pulled back, almost violently, ashamed of her reaction, aware that her behavior had to seem odd.

He greeted her with a warm, surprised hello, his eyes glinting with amusement at her unsettled air and she found her gaze once again captivated with the sensual curve of his lips. Hastily she dropped her eyes, taking in the title of the book he held.

“I hope your book turns out better for you than that one did for Monsieur Flaubert,” she flashed him an innocently impish grin, her mind calling up old impressions from a college Lit class. From somewhere, she dimly remembered that the author had been put on trial for the alleged immorality of his book.

 

[Erlikkhan]

Ted

Ted flashed his smile and shook his head.

“Well hello. It’s good to see you again. You know, we’ve never been formally introduced, although I know who you are from your card. My name is Ted. Pleased to meet you, Veronica.”

Ted put out his hand. When she returned the gesture, he cupped her hand firmly in both of his and gave her a warm and friendly smile. He let a moment of silence pass between them before speaking.

“Actually, my editor felt that I could get closer to Beth if I reread Madam Bovary. You know, it was written over 100 years ago and still captures a passion that most modern writers miss. I mean, today we read graphic details of sexual acts being performed, but passion is more than the physical act of having sex. It is eating from the forbidden fruit, pushing the limits of sensuality and letting go. Monsieur Flaubert captures it perfectly.”

Ted reached over to get a look at the book Veronica was carrying, making sure to brush her arm and softly caress the back of her hand in the process.

“F. Scott Fitzgerald really didn’t understand passion. He was caught in his world of wealth and aristocracy. He knew there was more to life but he couldn’t escape who he was… and neither could Jay Gatsby. Unlike Emma Bovary, he never knew real passion.”

They paid for their books and left the store. Veronica told him she had to meet her kids in a few minutes. Rather than say goodbye, Ted stared at her as though he were studying her carefully until she became visibly nervous.

“You know Beth, don’t you? I mean, you understand who she is.”

Ted scribbled his address and phone number on a scrap of paper and handed it to her.

“I know this sounds forward, but I would like to talk with you some more. I think you can help me. I think we can help each other. I’ll wait to hear from you.”

Ted quickly kissed her on the cheek and left.

 

[Original_Cyn2]

Veronica

The sensuality in his voice was just as she remembered and the heady excitement that teased her senses when his hand engulfed hers, pausing just slightly, left her a little breathless.

His words fell on her senses, a cascade of sensation before rationale caught up and she really heard what he was saying. She nodded in agreement at his description of passion, in accord with his views about sensuality being so much more than just the physical act but his review of Flaubert’s work surprised her and his denigration of Fitzgerald’s dismayed her.

She was left standing in the bookstore, the echo of his warm fingers still in the folds of the paper he’d pressed into her palm.

“I’ll wait to hear from you,” his voice, resonant in her memory left her with little doubt she would call.

 

[Erlikkhan]

Ted

Perhaps Ted had overdone his role playing somewhat, but he left confident that she would call and was not disappointed when her message appeared on his machine two days later. The next steps were critical to his charade. First he needed her trust. The passion would come when she was ready.

Raffy Grier was many things to different people – a con man, a thief, a thug, an enforcer. Raffy had never actually met Ted, and didn’t even know his real name, but he owed him for making evidence miraculously disappear on a murder rap. When a message from Ted showed up, Raffy always swung into action.

Raffy watched Veronica walking down the street towards the nearby café where she intended to meet Ted. Fifty feet from the entrance he made his move. He slammed into her with enough force to knock her to the ground, ripped her purse from her shoulder and disappeared around the corner into the alley. As instructed, he threw the purse in a trash can and was gone in a flash.

Ted came flying out of the café and disappeared around the corner in pursuit of the perpetrator. He returned shortly with her purse in hand and a bruise on the side of his cheek which he had self-inflicted. Some nearby witnesses had helped Veronica to her feet. She was visibly shaken. He thanked them and took her in his arms like a father comforting a child.

“Veronica, I’m so sorry. My apartment is just down the street. We can call your husband from there. Do you need to go to a clinic? ”

She shook her head no to the idea of a clinic. Ted kept his arm around her and walked in the direction of his apartment. He handed her the purse.

“The son-of-a-bitch punched me in the face and got away, but not before I was able to rip your purse from his grip. We could call the police, although I doubt there is much they can do now.”

He guided her up the stairs, fumbled with the keys and finally opened the door. It was a simple one room apartment with a bed in the corner, a desk, a chair, a small couch and a bookcase. A tiny kitchen and bathroom were off the main room. The balcony looked out over the park where they had first met.

“Why don’t you freshen up first and then call your husband. If you want, I can drive you home. I guess we’ll have to discuss Beth another time.”

Ted gave her a sweat-shirt to cover her torn blouse and showed her to the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the bed waiting for her to reappear.