Eric playfully smacked Cathy’s bare fanny as she lay on her stomach on the large bed. “I better go, beautiful. Thank you for a wonderful time.” He rolled off the bed and began gathering up his clothes.
Cathy also rolled to the edge of the bed and pulled the bed sheet around her to cover up. “Eric, I need to talk to you for just a minute.”
Eric lifted his arm and looked at his watch. “Okay, I can spare a few minutes. Fire away!”
She hesitated for a second and then continued, “I realize that we’ve only known each other for a short time.”
“Long enough.” Eric quipped.
She smiled looking down at her folded hands. She had decided, after her talk with Dirk, that Eric needed to be in on her plan. She had to know his level of commitment to her. Why do this, she thought, if I end up without the man of my dreams. She had been debating whether to tell him now or wait until another time. She knew it was a huge gamble. He might be frightened by such a dastardly scheme and run from her, but their sexual explosion that day had been even better than the first time. Add to that Eric’s apparent insatiable desire for money, and the time just seemed right.
“I feel close to you, Eric, closer than I’ve ever felt to any man. Even though, as I said, we haven’t known each other that long.”
Eric gave her a quick nod of the head.
“We’ve got one big problem though, my love.”
Eric slipped on his golf shirt and began tucking the long tail into his Bermuda shorts. “And, what might that be? We seem to be doing all right, as far as I can tell,” he said with a wink of the eye.
“I’m a married woman, Eric. I have a husband.”
Eric buttoned his shorts at the waist and tightened his belt. “Well, you’re not the first woman with a husband that I’ve….” Eric paused, realizing what he was about to say would seem insensitive to a woman like her. “I’m sorry, Cathy, you know what I mean.”
“I know, Eric. I realize that we’re in the physical phase of our relationship right now, but that’s how almost all great romances begin. I know deep in my heart that we are going to be together for a long, long time and our love for one another will only continue to grow. I just feel we would do better if Ed wasn’t in the picture.”
Eric stepped over and snuggled in next to her on the bed, “Why complicate things? Why not just enjoy what we’ve got?”
She sighed. “It’s just not that simple, I’m afraid. I feel like I’m in a prison with that man. It’s stifling; I can’t stand to be around him anymore with his quirky mannerisms and those ugly thin lips of his. Ed has never been a good fit for me. I’ve been looking for Mr. Right all my married life. And, I know that I have finally found him.” She nestled her head gently against his shoulder. “I hope you agree,” she moaned.
He gently squeezed her hand, “I do, Cathy, I feel very close to you.”
She scooted closer to him and gently rubbed his bicep. “Oh, Eric, I was so hoping that you would say that. We will be so happy together. Our life will be so exciting.”
Eric chuckled, “You act like we’re already a couple, my dear.”
She gave him a peck on the cheek and then stood up, “We will be as soon as we get Eddie boy out of the way.” Eddie boy was a derogatory name that Cathy liked to use when describing her husband. It showed her distain and lack of respect for him.
“Out of the way? What do you mean by ‘out of the way’?”
She fell down on her knees in front of Eric and laid her hands on his thighs.
“Don‘t you see, my love, we can never be happy with him around. Why the poor sap loves me to death. He would do anything to keep me. We have to be rid of him.”
Eric’s brow tightened, “No divorce? You mean get rid of him completely?”
“Yes.”
Eric’s brow tightened. He seemed concerned, but surprisingly he didn’t seem overly shocked by the revelations coming from his opportunistic lover. He was quiet for a moment and then he spoke calmly, “What do you have in mind?”
Cathy fell back on her heels. She spoke briskly, “Do you remember that biker guy that came up to our table at Cody’s a few nights ago?”
“Yeah, kind of.”
“Well, he’s been sort of bugging me lately. I think he has the hots for me or something.”
“Has he become a problem? Do you want me to say something to him?”
Cathy smiled smugly, “Oh no, my dear, and don’t worry about me, I can take care of myself.”
“Are you sure?”
Cathy continued, “Yes. I was annoyed by his attention at first, but then I thought maybe he could come in handy-you…uh, know what I mean-to help me out with Ed.”
“Just who is this fellow?”
“His name is Dirk Harrison. He runs a biker shop in Lady Lake called The Cycle Shop. He’s a rough character with a nasty personality and he has financial problems. So, I figured he might be my man.”
“And?”
“I was right.”
“And?”
“So, I made him an offer.”
“Did he accept?”
“Not yet. He’s considering my offer. I know his business is in bad shape, so he could use the money.”
Eric’s eyes narrowed, “Just how much money did you offer him?”
“A hundred thousand dollars.”
“What!” Eric stood and began pacing the room. He seemed agitated. The amount of money involved suddenly brought the gravity of this situation into better focus. “That’s a lot of cash. You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”
“Dead serious. My husband is worth over three million dollars and it all goes to me if he…uh, dies. Also, he told me a few years ago that he took out a million dollar life insurance policy on himself and made me the sole beneficiary.”
Cathy knew that Eric was enamored with people who had money. She was certain that the thought of being with a rich woman would excite him. She needed him on board for her deadly plan and she was using every trick in the book to hook him.
“Man, this is big!” Eric cupped his hands and pushed them against his chin.
Cathy stood and stepped in front of him. She looked him directly in the eyes, “You have to trust me on this, Eric. I know it sounds kind of daunting to you right now, but I’ve thought this out very well. There will be no loose ends when this is over; there will be no way to implicate either one of us. With Ed out of the picture, we will have our freedom and more money than we could ever dream of. You could buy that sailboat you’ve always wanted. We could sail the Gulf and dock at exotic places and stay in lavish hotels. We will be able to fulfill all of our life’s fantasies. It will be wonderful.”
“Yes…uh, I can see now.” Eric seemed to be thinking out loud. “If you divorce him, you won’t get his money or the insurance.”
“Exactly, my love! And anyway, a divorce would be humiliating for a woman like me. I would never want to go through a divorce. I would lose all, or much, of my social standing. It would be a disgrace. My friends at the United Methodist Church would never speak to me again. This way I save face, and I end up with all of the money and you!” She giggled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
Ed looked away from her; he shook his head, “But what if we miss something? What if something doesn’t go as planned, then what?”
Cathy grabbed him by the face and held tight, “Look into these eyes, Eric.”
He did as requested.
“Would I lie to you?”
“Well, I…uh”
She interrupted, “Even if this doesn’t work, and I’m sure it will, there is no way we could be implicated. No one would ever believe that a guy like Dirk Harrison would be in the same circles as someone like me. If things go bust, it will all be on his hands. There will be a few cell phone calls to him, but most of my communication with him will be discreet and in person. I will be able to explain the cell phone calls by saying that I was calling him about a possible repair or to get a part for my husband’s Harley. Everyone thinks that we’re happily married. No one would believe in a million years that I would plot to kill my husband.”
Eric’s eyes widened. “Has your husband ever been to Dirk’s shop?”
“No, he doesn’t ride much, and when he needs something done, he usually does it himself. I don’t think he even knows about The Cycle Shop.”
Eric carefully pulled her hands off his forearms and held them in his. He exhaled a long breath and smiled, “I guess you have thought of everything, my lovely.” He looked at his watch, “Oh boy, looks like I’m going to be late for my appointment. We can talk more about this later, I have to run. I’ll see you tomorrow at six.”
Cathy gave him a warm kiss on the mouth. “Our future is bright, my dear. A whole new life awaits us. See you at six.” She watched as he hurried across the bedroom into the family room. A short time later the back door banged shut.
Cathy sat down on the bed and stared at the closed door. She was smart enough to know that Eric’s main interest in buying into her diabolical plan was his lust for the money. He was probably thinking that he would outlive her because of their age difference and that he would end up single with a wad of cash. Deep down it bothered her, but all she could think about was how sexy he was and all of the times they would be making hot, passionate love together.