On his way back from the bathroom, the woman grabbed his arm. She was still distraught. “I’m sorry to bother you, mister. Would you mind taking a seat…just for a moment?” she asked politely, keeping a light grip on his wrist.
Even though surprised by the woman’s forwardness, he also considered it chivalrous to offer some assistance. “Can I help you, ma’am?”
She looked up tearfully and smiled. “Oh, thank you. This is the third time my boyfriend has stood me up. We were supposed to meet for dinner across the street. I don’t normally make a habit of visiting strange bars alone. Would you keep me company…just for one drink?” she asked in an alluring voice, sliding further into the booth to make room for him to join her.
Thinking there was nothing inappropriate, Ryan considered her request, but decided to divulge firsthand that he was happily married and in New York only briefly.
As the evening ensued, there was never a hint of impropriety. He remembered having a couple of Heinekens while she drank Bombay Gin and tonic. They spoke about various subjects, and it seemed as though time was standing still. He was vaguely aware that several of the crew bid him goodnight, but there was no indication from anyone that his behavior was unseemly. Finally, Virginia asked him to hail a cab for the ride home.
Once outside the bar, his body felt heavy and he seemed to be spinning. As the taxi approached, he remembered a large black man standing next to him. “Hey, buddy, you okay?” the man asked. “You look a little green. Here, let me help you into the cab.”
Ryan would never forget his decision to get into that cab. At the time, he seemed incapable of resisting, like it was his duty to accompany Virginia home. Looking back, he understood that all his inhibitions had been stripped away; there was no other option except to join Virginia in the cab.
Ryan didn’t recall anything beyond the cab ride, except being manhandled by the oversized black man. Everything after Moran’s was a blur. Apparently, the woman calling herself “Virginia” took him to a hotel somewhere in Manhattan, and with the assistance of her male partner, kept him hostage for the remainder of the evening. They undressed him, restraining his naked body, spread-eagle, to the king-size bed. Virginia then proceeded to have sex with him in every imaginable position while her accomplice shot a videotape and scores of photos of the lurid encounter.
The pictures graphically presented Ryan with this woman astride him, wearing a mask, a dominatrix costume, black stiletto heals, and wielding a whip. There were a variety of pictures showing her taking him into every orifice of her body. The video recorded the plentiful guttural sounds that resulted from their sexual relations. From the tape, it appeared the encounter lasted no less than two hours before he finally passed out.
When he awoke alone at eleven the following morning in a strange Manhattan motel room, his shock and humiliation was too much to bear. A maid had finally rousted him and mentioned that the manager was holding a message for him at the front desk. She knew nothing of anyone else in the hotel room.
This was the beginning of an unimaginable horror to follow. Thoroughly confused, his head throbbing from a vicious hangover, Ryan feverishly searched for his clothes. What he found instead were a couple of stray pictures by the bed stand that depicted him and the woman having sex; she was on top, facing the camera, leaving nothing to the imagination. There was also no mistaking Ryan as her partner. His heart sank; never had he felt so ashamed.
Ryan showered to get Virginia’s stink off his body, threw on his dirty clothes, and headed to the manager’s desk to retrieve the message that awaited him. He collected a note that only said: Hey, Cuz, hope you had a good time with Virginia. She’s payback for Ginner. You’re such a schmuck. J.C.
Reading the message from his cousin made Ryan feel faint. Even though confused by how Jarrod had pulled off the con, he was more concerned about the ramifications of this egregious act. His immediate thought was not about revenge, but rather what Jarrod would do with the pictures. He wondered what form of blackmail would result. Then a lump caught in his throat at the thought of Sarah finding out. He was devastated by the realization that he would have to prepare her for the likelihood that the pictures would surface. He knew that if she found out by surprise, the ramifications of the fiasco would be far more difficult to explain.
Unfortunately, his attempt to alert Sarah came too late. She had already received an overnight FedEx package full of lewd pictures and the DVD. She was inconsolable after watching the tape of the lascivious encounter between her husband and the woman. Sarah considered the bond of fidelity the strongest of their vows, and when she learned Ryan had committed adultery, she could not forgive him. In the days that followed, she filed for a divorce, and even though they ultimately agreed to continue operating the business as fifty-fifty partners, the affair’s resulting damage to their marriage was irreconcilable.
Ryan was heartbroken. Ever since the affair, his one wish in life was to take back this indiscretion, returning to a state of chastity in his relationship. This wish could never be granted.
It also took considerable time for Ryan to recover credibility with his crew. Ryan was the embodiment of honor and integrity among the men. The encounter immediately changed his reputation. Even though no one really knew the extent of what happened, the fact he hadn’t gone home with the men-and, worse, failed to show up at work the following morning-led to rampant speculation. The gossip following his indiscretion was pervasive, remaining an overriding topic throughout the remainder of the New York City project.
In the aftermath, Ryan received the pictures and the same DVD that was shipped to Sarah. The contents of these reproductions were indisputable and irretrievably damaging. Jarrod also included a handwritten note: Ryan-My God, man, your stamina was incredible. I’m envious. By the looks of it, you satisfied all of Virginia. She’s a cheap little whore; I have her phone number for the next time you’re in NY. All my best…J.C.
Ryan was positive that the woman posing as a jilted girlfriend had administered a drug that slowly lowered his inhibitions and caused him to lose consciousness. From the pictures, he also guessed that he was given a large dose of an erectile dysfunction medication.
Ryan gave Sarah the note but she remained unmoved; her mind was made up. Regardless of how his infidelity had come to pass, the fact that it happened couldn’t be absolved. The dissolution of their marriage became final within a year of completing the project in New York.
Ryan made the trip to Pueblo without incident. He parked in the Enterprise parking lot, placing Corky’s keys under the driver’s side floor mat as they had agreed. He rented an SUV using his New Mexico driver’s license, and paid the extra cost for a one-way rental to Denver. He was not in the rental lot longer than twenty minutes before he was once again on Highway 25, heading north toward Denver.
He tried without success to calm his anxiety, but it was impossible for him to relax. Thinking about Jarrod and all they’d been through had re-ignited the anger he thought was carefully stuffed away. He imagined there was a perfectly rational explanation for all that had transpired, searching for a silver lining, but ultimately coming up empty.
Then he remembered Amerigo’s sage advice: The hardest steel passes through the hottest fire. He would need this simple truth to fortify his spirit, girding him for the battles that he knew lay ahead.
SIXTEEN
Galveston, Texas