Joseph Cirelli - Attack from behind

Red would later remember just the horrifying look of vengeance in the younger man's dark eyes, for he never even saw the punch that slammed into his chin from beneath. It was a splendid uppercut, a roundhouse punch that had a hundred and seventy pounds of wrathful husband behind it. And every single pound bounced off Red's chin in a bone-shattering explosion of working man's knuckles against his boss' jaw.

He was standing over him when he came around enough to see.

"You son of a bitch… I'll fix your ass!" Red screamed in pain. Only it sounded more like "Yousnfbic!" as his jaw and chin were swollen to the size of a half-grapefruit.

Don looked down at the disgusting sight of the broken man lying there in his undershorts. His cock was half out of his drawers, like an invalid in some rest home, unable to attend to his own hygiene.

"You won't do a Goddamn thing, Red. You won't even talk about this because you wouldn't want anyone to know I decked your candy-ass with one punch. But just in case you get any stupid notions…" Don knelt down, his face close to Red's, "… I know the whole story of what happened to Diane, everything. And I wouldn't hesitate to go straight to the top… the president of the company if I had to. And Diane would be right beside me. Just think about it, Red, and thank God I didn't kill you instead."

Don cleared his throat hugely and spit on the cowering man's cheek before he stood up. He walked away without looking back, though he could hear Collins' muffled obscenities at his tail as he walked to the car.

He breathed the air a new man, full of excitement and vitality and charged with the thrill of a new job… and a new life with Diane!

She sat close to him as he drove, like they used to do when she was a teenager and he was the handsome new man in town. He felt powerful and strong beside her and she snuggled under his right arm and nuzzled his shoulder as his hand listlessly toyed with her breast.

"We haven't done this in years, Don," she said softly as they motored along in the late evening twilight. The lights of the city were ahead, an inviting glow on the tree-shrouded horizon, and the highway signs indicated that there were only ten miles to go.

"I know… I feel like a teenager again."

"You're sure we did the right thing… I mean, just packing and leaving like that. Won't the company be angry?"

"No… I left word I was going to look for work. And I'm sure Red'll cover for me."

"Red? Are you nuts, honey? After what…"

He pressed a finger to her soft lips. "Shhh just trust me, honey. Everything's under control. Just a few more miles and we'll be at Jerry's house."

"I'm still not sure we ought to impose like this. I mean, we haven't seen Jerry and Irene in years!"

"We're not imposing… it was his idea. He told me on the phone to be sure to stay with them. No motels, he said… so I'm just following his orders. He's gonna' take me to meet his boss Monday and if all goes well, we'll just have to drive back to pack up our furniture and the rest of our stuff."

"Okay, honey," Diane sighed. "Whatever you say… but I hope Jerry and Irene haven't changed too much. They were getting a little strange the last time we saw them. You know, hanging out with that college crowd and all."

"Oh, you worry too much, honey. You pregnant women are all alike… worry, worry, worry!"

"Goddamn it, Irene, can't you get some fucking clothes on! They'll be here any minute! What're you going to do, answer the door in your birthday suit?" Jerry Darby was combing his neatly styled long hair over his ears, adjusting the collar of his expensive shirt as he peered at himself in the hail mirror. Irene, a tall slinky redhead with hair that trailed over her large high breasts, was in the living room with the others… two couples, one of them completely nude and the other well on the way.

"Don't yell at me, lover… I wasn't the one who invited those hillbillies to stay with us. What you were thinking of, Jerry, I'll never know… they'll take one look at this scene and run straight back to Evansboro… or maybe to a church to get the sin off their hands."

"I think you're wrong this time, Irene," Jerry smiled. "I remember that little Diane from the first days in Evansboro. I can still recall the way she went after Don… and man, what a body she's got!"

Irene jokingly puffed up her chest. "And what's wrong with mine?"

"Nothing, baby, nothing at all, but remember, variety's the spice of life!"

Irene closed her eyes and moaned seductively. "You're telling me… Mmmm, Doug's in there with that skinny wife of his and he can't keep his hands off me. But you had to go and invite a couple of yokels to dull the fun!"

"But I told you… Don knows what to expect, I filled him in on the phone and he sounded ready enough to me."

"Don, maybe… he always was a swinger at heart. But what about Miss Southern Belle of seventy-four… do you really think she's going to waltz in here and buy this whole swap scene like there was nothing to it? I'll bet you a week's paycheck that she's never been laid except by Don, how about it?"

Jerry grinned impishly.

"You bastard! You didn't! She was engaged to Don the whole time you knew her in Evansboro!" Irene protested, her hands on her girlish hips and her freckled nose quivering.

"No, I didn't… but that doesn't mean I didn't want to. Anyway, we can stop arguing about how it's going to go. I think I just heard another car outside… now, will you get some clothes on so you don't scare them off?"

"No… if they're ready for this, then they won't mind. I'll be in the living room with the others!" she pouted, then hurried off before her husband could grab her and make her get dressed. Her breasts jiggled as she ran to the living room and closed the door behind her and her heart-shaped behind seemed to be taunting him as it disappeared behind the closed door.

He opened the front door before they rang the bell. "Don, how the hell are you?" he gushed to his ex-roommate. "And, Diane… looking even better than ever! Man, you're a lucky son of a gun!"

"Thanks… and where's that beautiful redhead you lucked into?" Don inquired, glancing around a bit nervously. Jerry motioned with his eyes to the closed living room door, where the sound of muffled music sifted from, punctuated with an occasional giggle or laugh.

"I hope this isn't an imposition," Diane smiled sweetly. "I mean, it was such short notice and all. You and Irene didn't have any other plans, did you?"

Jerry grinned broadly at his old friend. "You didn't tell her, did you? You old chicken-shit! I knew you wouldn't!"

Diane looked at her husband, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Tell me what, honey? What didn't you tell me?" She tried to smile and act nonchalant, but she had a growing sensation that she was being left out in the cold.

"Go on… tell her, Don!" Jerry teased.

"I was going to… but the time just wasn't right. And it's still not too late to go to a motel, if you'd rather."

"A motel? But why, aren't we invited to stay here?" Diane asked, puzzled.

"Sure, we're welcome… It was Jerry's idea to spend the weekend here, not mine. But you see…"

"Go on, chicken… tell her about the party!"

"Yes, Don, tell me… I'm getting kinda' tired of not knowing what's going on," Diane said irritably.

"Well, Jerry and Irene are having a party, sort of… but you don't have to stay if you don't want to." Don was clearly uncomfortable and searching for an easy way out of this spot his bravado had lured him into… He should never have agreed when he talked to Jerry on the phone. Diane was a small-town girl and always would be. This was no scene for her!

"Maybe I'd better tell her, Don, or we'll be out here in the hall all night." He grabbed the pretty blonde's shoulders and moved so close to her that he could feel the warmth of her curvaceous chest close to his. "Irene and I have some friends coming over… a few are here already. It's our week for the party, or our weekend, I should say, because some of the gang will be staying over."