A Justice vs Mercy Story

There is so little erotic content that this seemed a better match as a category. This is a longer story than I usually write. Which virtue is more noble, justice or mercy?

My buddy asked me if I could use a pair of tickets to baseball game tonight. The Grantham Gryphons were home for a short series with their eastern division rivals Rockton Rockets.

My buddy had a family emergency and couldn't use the tickets so I was welcome to them.

Daisy and I hadn't been out to dinner and a ballgame in ages so I snatched them up and called Daisy with the good news. She was thrilled.

We met late that afternoon in a little sports bar, not far from Grantham Stadium. We had a couple of drinks and some pizza and we talked about our day. It had been months since we had been on a date.

This wasn't the most popular bar in the area, it was a little run down but the pizza was top notch and the beer was cold. Every time someone came in through the door I looked up since I was facing it and Daisy faced me.

I noticed a very tall and well muscled guy walk in, I recognized the face but couldn't place him. He sat at the bar alone. Then it hit me. Doug Smith, the centre fielder for the Gryphons.

"Daisy Look, it's Doug Smith of the Gryphons at the bar."

She turned and looked, it is!

"He looks bigger than he does on TV."

"He's a big boy that's for sure."

Doug Smith was looking around the bar in a casual manner. He appeared comfortable here in this place. He glanced over at us, first me and then Daisy. He looked away then snapped his head back to do a double take. He eyed Daisy and smiled. He stood up, stretched and flexed, which I was sure was done for Daisy's benefit. He walked over to our booth.

"Hi, are you folks here for the ballgame tonight?"

I replied, "We sure are, you're Doug Smith right?"

"I am, and you are?

"Steve Barnes and my lovely wife Daisy."

"Yes, she is very lovely. Well Steve and Daisy, I hope you have fun at the game tonight. Listen, the team is having a barbecue for family and friends of the players. I have a couple of spare invitations so if you're interested..."

"Yes!" Shouted Daisy, "we would love to!"

The game was exciting and the Gryphons won a hard fought game with a winning run in the next 9th inning. We got home, had a snack and a drink before going to bed.

"That was a great evening out, and what a treat to meet Doug Smith like that!"

"He seems like a pretty friendly sort doesn't he? I mean the tickets to the family and friends barbecue is just crazy isn't it. "

"I can't wait. I'm sure we'll get to meet more of the team."

We kissed goodnight and dropped off to sleep pretty quickly.

On the day of barbecue we had a bit of an argument over some upcoming renovations which put us in ugly moods for the family and friends barbecue. We decided to attend anyway. The drive to the park was pretty quiet and tense.

The whole team was there and we got to meet so many player's family members. Doug recognized us and introduced us to the manager. We were enjoying ourselves. I went to the bar to get some drinks for Daisy and I but when I returned to the same spot I couldn't find her.

I circulated around but still couldn't find her. One of the pitcher's wives cornered me and asked my connection with the team. We got into a good discussion on the state of the team and the game itself. It was close to an hour later that I saw Daisy. Doug had hold of her hand as he guided her though the crowds of people. When they saw me he dropped her hand but pointed me out to Daisy.

"We lost you Steve." She said.

"I found her wandering so I invited her to have a look inside the facilities here at the park." Said Doug.

"I drank both beers looking for you. I had a nice conversation with Mrs. Spear.

"Well, you two enjoy yourselves, thanks for coming."

Doug shook hands with me and hugged Daisy and kissed her cheek.

We ate, had a few beers and walked around the park before heading home.

Once again the ride home was quiet. Daisy seemed lost in her thoughts.

"Did you enjoy the barbecue?" I asked

"Yeah, it was fun."

"So Doug took you for a tour?"

"Yes."

That was all the answer I was going to get?

"And how was it?"

"It's nice, very big."

I laughed, "What was big, the facilities or Doug."

"Why would you ask that!"

"It was just a joke, the clubhouse is big and Doug is big. What did you think I meant?"

"Nothing, I just didn't get what you were asking."

We both knew that was bullshit. She rightly understood what I was inferring. The way he held her hand as they made their way through the crowd had made me wonder what they had been up to In the clubhouse. I was also reminded of Doug's double take on seeing Daisy in the bar.

That night we hardly spoke. I read and she watched TV. She stayed up till 2 am. I was in bed by 11 pm.

I woke up when she climbed into bed. I rolled over and put my arm around her.

"Don't. It's late."

"Just want a little closeness tonight."

"Whatever."

I rubbed her shoulders and her back. I heard her breathing slow down as she fell asleep. Our relationship seems to have deteriorated recently and especially since our night out at the ballpark. It didn't make sense.

We were off to work the next morning, once again saying little to each other.

I planned to talk about our lack of communication. I wanted to address any issues as soon as possible.

That night she denied that anything was wrong, it was all in my mind, she said.

"But we are barely communicating."

"It takes two to tango. If there is a communication problem then you are just as guilty."

"I just want things to be normal between us."

"Everything's fine."

The following week that Gryphons were back home from a road trip. We had a courier drop off an envelope with a pair of tickets to the Friday night game, sent to us by Doug Smith.

It seemed that Doug had adopted us as friends. We met him prior to Friday night's game at the bar. He sat with us and we talked about their road trip, free agency and more about his past experience in the minor leagues.

He asked if we wanted tickets for the Monday afternoon game. I couldn't make Monday, I had work. Daisy suggested that she could come that day alone.

"I guess that would be okay."

"Super! I gotta go, early batting practice. I'll see you on Monday Daisy."

Unfortunately the Gryphons lost the game in extra innings. Doug had hit two home runs that night.

I listened to the game on the radio as I worked on Monday. It was a much better game and the Gryphons won.

I got home at 6 pm thinking Daisy should be back home. She wasn't there so I reheated some leftovers and ate supper. I called her mobile phone to see when she'd be coming home but got voicemail.

"Hey Daisy, give me a call. I thought you'd be home by now."

I got engrossed in reading my book. I heard the door open at around midnight. Daisy came quietly upstairs and changed for bed.

"You're home late."

"Yeah we lost track of time."

"We?"

"Doug and I. After the game he invited me to have dinner with him. We went to the top of the Empire Hotel to the dining room. We had a great time. Time just slipped away."

"Nice for you and Doug. I wish I had known, I could have joined you."

"It was nice to have just the two of us together. We talked about everything other than baseball. That's all you want to talk with him about."

"Should I be getting jealous?"

She visibly blanched.

"No, he is just a friendly guy. I think he's lonely. I mean he isn't married, his family is thousands of miles away. He doesn't even have a girlfriend."

"Ok, it's just that you have been kind of distant with me lately. You seem to talk more with him than you do me."

"For some reason you and I are not on the same page. I don't know why."

"Let's work on it, now come to bed."

"I have to shower first."

I was asleep before she finished her shower. One more opportunity for closeness spoiled.

Doug gave us tickets for more home games before they left for a road trip. Doug always met us at the little bar before the game. On the night of the last home game I was late arriving. I called Daisy and said I would meet her and Doug there at 6 pm. Right after disconnecting, my last appointment cancelled on me so I went straight to the bar. I arrived at 5:30 pm.

Doug and Daisy were sitting off to the side, neither was watching the door. Neither of them had their eyes open because they were kissing.

I stopped in my tracks. What the hell? I decided to interrupt.

"I got off a little early, Doug it looks like you haven't got off yet but you seem to be working on it. Hi Daisy, don't let me stop you two."

I sat down beside Daisy whose complexion went from an embarrassed red to pale.

"Steve, hi. "

"Hey Steve, sorry about that but Daisy is just about irresistible isn't she?"

"Apparently. So married women are fair game to you are they?"

"No, we were just having some fun."

"If you two want to have more fun I can always just go home. Is that what you want Daisy?"

"No Steve, please stay and have dinner and we'll watch the game."

"You know what Steve and Daisy, I am going to go take some extra batting practice. I'll catch you later."

He walked out of the bar with his trademark swagger, not looking back.

I turned to Daisy and asked, "What were you thinking?"

"Nothing Steve, my brain was completely turned off."

"I caught you kissing him and you say it's nothing?"

"No, it's not what you think. We were just talking and he kissed me."

"So it was just a little peck on the lips was it?"

"Yes."

"Bullshit, I stood there and watched before I interrupted you. That was no peck on the lips, there were tongues involved. Just be honest with me. What's going on?"

"To be perfectly honest with you I don't know. He has been very attentive to me. He befriended both of us but I can tell he really likes me. I can tell you that this is not the first kiss between us. He kissed me at the barbecue."

"Has it gone any further than kissing?"

"Once, that time I came home really late he put his hand down my pants."

"That's why you needed the shower."

"Yes, I got pretty wet. I needed to clean up."

"Did he fuck you that night?"

"No, but he wanted to. I told him that I couldn't do that to you."

"Nice of you to think about me while he was fingering you. You know Daisy, I get it, he's a sports hero, a hunk, an athlete, all the things I'm not. I can see why you would be tempted by him and I know what he sees in you.

I need to ask you to do something for me. I need you to tell Doug Smith that you love your husband and for the good of your marriage you can't see him without me being present."

"You don't trust me do you?"

"You have already allowed passionate kissing and you've allowed him to put his hand down your pants. If it escalates any quicker you'd be fucking him tonight. It isn't trust that is the issue, it's temptation."

"What if I told you I would love to let Doug fuck me? On the purely physical level the man is a god. A woman only gets a chance at bedding a specimen like that once in a lifetime if she's lucky. I have that opportunity. I want to take it. It wouldn't be a marriage ender for you would it?"

"Of course it would. It would be the very worst thing you could do to me. This may sound dramatic but I'd rather you killed me than cheat on me. The pain of betrayal would last for the rest of my life. Killing me would be the charitable thing to do. If you go with him I will divorce you, count on it. There will be great pain for everyone involved."

"That is pretty dramatic. Please Steve, I don't want to leave you, I love you but this opportunity will only come around once."

"Come on Daisy, you're not that stupid. You know that this is high risk behaviour. You're destroying our future.

So what was the plan, watch the game and sleep with him tonight?"

"That was only the start, he has invited me to travel with him on this next road trip."

"You're willing to a scrap our marriage for this?"

"I know it could be a high cost to pay. All I can do is ask, no, beg you to reconsider divorce. I know it sound insane but I love you and want to stay married to you but I also need this."

"Expect to get served next time you're back home again."

"I'm sorry Steve, I really am."

"Yeah, me too."

I stayed at the bar, she went to the game. I got stinking drunk. I took an Uber home at closing time. I woke up around noon with a raging hangover and no wife.

I found out later that Daisy had resigned from her job so she could go on the road trip. I put the house up for sale, did all the financial stuff and my lawyer was preparing the documents.

I got a call from my future ex-wife telling me she's having a ball. She couldn't help but gloat over how good a lover he was and how big and muscular he was. She all but said he had a foot long dick, but she held back her praise. If her desire was to make me jealous it worked. I wanted to kill the rat bastard that stole her. She ended the call with "I love you Steve, with everything I have. I miss you. Goodnight."

Her voice chocked on that last statement and I head a quiet sob before she broke the call.

Mixed messages, that's what I get from her, I love you but I'm fucking this god of a man in Toledo tonight. It is slowly destroying my will to live.

It was the third last night for the Gryphons on the road for this road trip. I had a voicemail from Daisy.

"Hi Steve. I am really tired. This life on the road is horrible. I'm supposed to be at the ballpark in Detroit but I can't do it. I'm not going. I have been longing to come home, I miss you so much. This has all been a horrible mistake, I going to be flying in, I should be there at 8am can you pick me up?"

It was already 10 am when I heard the message, she'll already have landed. No doubt she would have realized I am not picking her up so she'd have got a ride to the house, where she will see the for sale sign on the house. I could sense her meltdown from here.

It was half an hour later that my phone began vibrating, call after call. I refused to answer. I calmly analyzed the situation, she was two days early. I had the divorce documents in a file at home and my lawyer had the originals. I could have her served at home, if she was at home. Without contacting her I wouldn't know where to have her served. I needed to bite the bullet and talk to her.

On the umpteenth attempt I answered the phone.

"Daisy."

"Oh my God Steve! Didn't you get my message?"

"I got it two hours after you landed so I assumed you would no longer need to be picked up."

"What's with the for sale sign on the house?"

"We are selling the house to split the proceeds in our divorce settlement."

"We really need to talk about this Steve."

"We are long past the point that talking is going to solve anything. The documents have been drawn up. I've listed the house and split the savings and investments. It should be an easy divorce, I'll give you that as a gift for our happy years."

"Please baby, I'm asking, no I'm begging you not to proceed with the divorce, I love you."

"I seem to remember asking you something similar. I asked you, begged you to reconsider leaving me to go with Doug on this road trip. Your answer was exactly the same as my answer to you now...I love you but this is something I have to do."

"Please just come home so we can talk about this."

"You are at home? If so you can stay there. I will stay in a hotel tonight. That will give us both some solitude to consider our past and our future."

I called my lawyer and told him he could have her served at our home. I wanted the divorce papers to be there in front of her as she contemplated life without me tonight.

My next call was to my shrink.

"She came home two days early."

"How do you feel about that?"

"Surprised, glad she is back so we can finalize things, I'm sad, angry and betrayed. She indicated that it wasn't all she had hoped for but we haven't spoken much at all."

"Give yourself room to breath Steve. Don't rush to confront or discuss too much with her. Let the dust settle."

"I'm spending the night alone at a hotel. She is spending the night, hopefully at home alone. I'm having her served this afternoon."

"Good. Stay calm. If you need me I'll make myself available to you alone or you and Daisy if you want."

"Thanks, you've been a big help."

That night was a big turning point for me. The lawyer let me know that Daisy see had been served. I was surprised that my phone was so quiet. It made me want to check the battery.

I'm sure that night was tough on Daisy too. Alone in the house, served with divorce papers, facing the end of the life she had knowns and looking at an unknown future.

My thoughts were never far from Daisy. I fell into a troubled sleep and woke early.

After a hearty breakfast and some exercise I left the hotel for home.

As I opened the front door Daisy stood waiting. She looks uneasy and sad.

"I want to give you a hug Steve but I'm not sure it would be welcome."

"Maybe it's best we don't." I said. Honestly I wanted to hold her but it was the wrong time.

"Let me pour some coffee for us and we'll talk in the family room."

We sat in chairs facing each other.

"Steve, I've said this before and I truly mean it, I am sorry. I was wrong, this was stupid, selfish, inconsiderate, disrespectful, juvenile behaviour. If I could take it all back I would in a heartbeat."

"I begged you not to go. I warned you in no uncertain terms that your leaving would mean divorce. You accepted those terms. Now I have to do what I have to do, just as you did."

"I deserve whatever punishment you see fit to serve me."

"I don't want or need to punish you. Maybe the best word for what I want is justice."

"Philosophers have debated which is the more noble, justice or mercy."

"You've always been a great fan of the bard. What was it that Shakespeare wrote?...Nothing emboldens sin so much as mercy."

"Yes, Timon Of Athens. But Shakespeare also wrote... The quality of mercy is not strain'd, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. That's from the Merchant of Venice."

"I can't believe what nerds we are, quoting Shakespeare to each other."

"Keeping with the Shakespearean theme, the point is this Steve, you can get your pound of flesh by divorcing me or you can show mercy. I'm not asking for a "get out of jail free card". I know I have broken our relationship and I know there will be be consequences and wounds to bear. Just as in the Merchant of Venice you are owed your pound of flesh but not blood and you can't take one without the other. A divorce would take both flesh and blood."

"Go on, this is getting interesting."

"All I am asking is this, please hold off on the divorce for a while. You can banish me to the guest room, send me away to an apartment somewhere. Give us a chance to come to grips and maybe see a way to agree on a course of action."

"The legal action is already underway, the house is already listed for sale. I've had meetings with my shrink and I'm at some level of peace with my course of action. This is what you knew would happen. This is what you chose. Just because it may not have worked out in your favour is no reason to go back and change the terms of our agreement. You went away with Doug and I sued for divorce. There's no wiggle room."

"Don't you love me?"

"That is not the issue. I could love you to the moon and back but it wouldn't change a thing. You chose him over me."

"So you do love me. Then why not fight for me and not against me? You have already won my love. Why not fight your feelings of rage, anger, jealousy and hurt? Fight to save our love for each other. Don't you see that a divorce is the ultimate surrender, the ultimate defeat. Fight for me, fight for us Steve!"