While his client sat next to him with a frown on his face, James knew he would get this man off. He could tell by the look on the judge’s face. On the prosecutor’s face. Hell, even the court clerk’s face told him what he needed to know.
He won. Well, technically it wasn’t really a win because there would be no trial. There would be no jury of his peers to say “not guilty”. So while it will go down as a win, it wasn't a hard-fought win. It was a “someone screwed up” win. But he was okay with that.
James couldn’t help but smile when he watched the prosecutor and the judge clench their jaws. It didn’t matter that his client got drunk, got behind the wheel, and killed a young mother. That was not the point at least not for him. The point was he was good enough to get off a killer. That was all that mattered.
Finally, the prosecutor walked back to his table. He turned and whispered to the victim’s family. The victim’s mother and husband both let out loud gasps. The husband could be heard asking how this was possible. The prosecutor told him it was a technicality. A rookie mistake. The mother sobbed loudly.
But James knew his client was walking out of here today and nothing else mattered. He tried to keep his giddiness hidden. Tried to stay stoic even though his heart was doing cartwheels. Thinking more about what was waiting for him back at his office rather than the outcome in this room.
The judge banged his gavel and the courtroom quieted down. The silence that fell over the courtroom was heavy and suffocating. The judge grimaced as he declared the defendant free to go. Cheers came from one side of the room. Sadness from the other. Fear that this man would kill again.
James patted his client on the back and smiled. They shook hands, then James packed up his stuff and headed out. He tried not to skip as he left.
He soaked up all the cheers as he walked through the hallway to his office. They stroked his ego. In his mind they worshiped him. He was a god to them.
James picked up his pace as he got closer to his door. He felt like the quarterback that just won the game. He didn’t know any of their names, but that didn’t matter. They knew his and that was all that mattered.
His assistant stood up as he got closer. Now her, he knew her name. He knew the smell of her hair. He knew the scent of her perfume. He knew the curve at the small of her back. He knew how to make her moan. He knew what was about to happen.
“Your wife is on the line,” she informed him as he stopped at her desk.
“Tell her I am in a meeting, then come to my office,” he told her as he glanced through his messages. Then he looked at her and gave her a wink.
He headed into his office and shut the door. He tossed his briefcase onto the couch. He took off his jacket and let it fall to the floor. He undid his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He pulled them along with his underwear down to his ankles. He sat in the chair behind his desk and began stroking his already rock-hard dick. The excitement was killing him.
After a couple of agonizing moments, his assistant finally entered his office. She headed toward him with a grin on her face. She was not surprised when she came around the corner of the desk to see he was ready. She knew the drill. When he won, she was the celebration. And while he wasn’t that bad-looking, he wasn't that good-looking either. But she did what she had to do to keep her job.
She got down on her knees and licked her lips. For such a robust man, he actually had a fairly average dick. She wrapped her lips around him as he let out a low, gruff moan. He wrapped his hands around her head and guided her up and down. He had to be in control. Always.
After a few minutes of feeling her tongue dance on the head of his cock, he needed more. He pulled her up by her hair, spun her around, and bent her over the desk. He lifted her skirt then pulled her panties down. He spread her cheeks apart then guided his cock into her soaking wet mound. One. Two. Three. Now he was fully inside her. He groaned and moaned like a dog in heat. She made her little noises necessary to get through it as quickly as possible. It would not be long. He never lasted longer than five minutes.
He pumped as hard and as fast as he could. He would tell her how good her pussy felt and how much he loved fucking her instead of his wife. She knew the signs and knew he was about ready to finish. He pulled out hard. He grabbed her by the hair again and spun her around and pushed her to her knees. He shoved his cock in her mouth a couple of times until he unloaded every drop of cum he had down her throat.
“That’s my girl,” he told her as he finished up.
She wiped off any excess and stood up. She pulled up her panties, then pulled her skirt down. She felt so dirty but tried desperately not to show it. He was so caught up in himself, she didn’t think he would even notice. She composed herself then headed back to her desk.
After she left, he put his clothes back on and gave himself a high five. She loved every minute of it, he told himself. And why wouldn’t she? After all, he was great at everything he did. He picked up the phone and dialed the only number he had memorized. After a few rings, a familiar voice came on the line.
“Hi, honey,” he said. “Sorry it took so long to call back. Have to get all this paperwork squared away first thing. You know that.”
They talked for a few minutes. Well, he talked; she listened.
“I won’t be home for dinner.” he finally said.
“I have a client coming in. But I will call when I am on my way.”
He told her he loved her then hung up. He wondered if she ever doubted him. Probably not. She enjoyed the money and really was just too stupid. He only married her because she put out the night they met. But he knew she could take everything because they didn’t have a prenup. He was sure there was evidence of his affairs out there somewhere.
He had celebrated his win, so now it was time to get out of here. He put his jacket back on. Then without a word, he walked out. He wasn't sure where he was going, but he had to get out of there. Just get away.
He drove aimlessly for hours. Through the rich neighborhoods. Through the poor neighborhoods. He just drove. He turned down a tree-lined street that seemed to call to him. Then he saw an antique shop. He hated antique shops, but for some reason he had to stop.
The moment he walked through the door, she knew. She could see the greed ooze from every pore. She could almost see every sin seep out of him. He slowly walked through the store, not sure why he wanted to come here in the first place. Absently he looked at trinkets here and there. He wandered around until he stopped dead in his tracks. When he saw the chair his eyes lit up like a child’s on Christmas morning.
He seemed to glide as he made his way to the chair. His smile got wider as he ran a finger over the winged back. He looked around to see if anyone was watching. He had this overwhelming urge to sit even though it looked terribly uncomfortable. It seemed to call to him. Called to somewhere inside him. He closed his eyes as he sat down.
The extreme heat made his eyes fly open. What the…?, he thought. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. Where was he? When was he? He slowly stood up and looked around. He could see nothing. But he sure felt the heat. Where was that coming from? He looked down to see what he was stepping on. Nothing. How can that be? He kept stepping forward, but always on nothing.
In the distance somewhere he could hear screams. Cries for help. Squeals of pain. Laughter. Laughter? Wait, what? He decided to head towards the noise. He tried not to look down, but every step was shaky at best because he still couldn’t see anything. As he got closer to the noise, his steps became more solid. He stopped looking down to make sure he wouldn’t fall.
His footfalls became more dominant and assured as he got closer. But closer to what? He looked down briefly one more time to see a faint stone path starting to appear. He then looked up and gates came up from out of nowhere. He felt a flash of extreme heat. Even though he had no idea where he was, he felt deep inside he was meant to be here. His stride became more pronounced as he made his way to the gates. They were glorious, at least to him. They must have been about thirty feet tall by twenty feet wide. As he drew closer he saw that they were made of solid gold. He smiled. He was in heaven.
But what was with all the heat? That thought left his mind as the gates opened. The heat blasted him and he instinctively put his arms up to block it. But he did not burn. In fact, the heat made him feel stronger. Why was that? Once he realized he wasn’t on fire, he walked through the gates. The screams of pain and laughter invaded his ears so intensely now. That’s when he saw the sources of the noise. The path was solid before him now. He walked slowly along, looking to his left then to his right. For as far as the eye could see, he saw souls. Not people. Not bodies. No flesh and blood beings. Just hollow souls. Light started to seep into the blackness that enveloped him. He couldn’t help but realize how comfortable he felt. He deserved to be here. He had earned it.
As he walked along his path, the souls grew closer and closer. He reached out to touch them, but his fingers just went right through them. He had an overwhelming urge to laugh. He realized he was smiling from ear to ear. Like the first time a guy gets laid. Was his smile getting wider? Was that possible? He felt...giddy. That was it. He felt giddy. On the verge of happy. This had to be Heaven. But again what is with all the heat? The souls started to close in around him. Then he started feeling anything but giddy. He felt sadness. He felt pain. He felt anger. He felt despair. But these were not his feelings. These were the feelings of these souls as he walked through them.
Just as he thought he was about to suffocate, he stepped through an opening. The souls were gone. Before him was something so glorious. So amazing. Women. Money. Feasts. Mirrors. Cars. More money. More women. Riches stretched out over the horizon. He didn’t know where to go first. He walked over to one of the mirrors. It was enormous. Solid gold again. The ornate detail was so beautiful. He looked at himself and smiled. Damn, he was good-looking. He saw one of the women coming up behind him. Then another. And another. Yeah, they all wanted him. He turned and headed toward the money. They followed. And why wouldn’t they? He was the center of this universe after all, wasn’t he?
He crawled onto the pile of money, enjoying the crispness of the bills. He felt so full of bliss. This was his Heaven and damn anyone who tried to take that away from him. He rolled around with a couple of different women. After a few wonderful minutes, he approached the table that looked to be a hundred feet long. All his favorite foods covered it. Lobster. Oysters. Steak. A giant chocolate fountain. Beer. Whiskey. Tequila. His favorite wines. Yes, this is where he was meant to be. Then he felt something. Was...was someone watching him? He turned to see a man standing before him. Now while he was obsessively straight, he couldn’t help but notice this man’s attractiveness. Tall, slender, dark wavy hair, chiseled jawline, hollow eyes, perfect smile, perfect teeth. Finest silk suit, that somehow caressed a solid, muscular body. This man was beautiful, plain and simple.
“All your favorites,” the gentleman said as he glided up to the table.
“Y...yes.” he stammered out, feeling diminished in this man’s presence.
“No need to feel that way,” the gentleman told him.
How did he know?
As the gentleman got closer, James could smell the sweetest scent he had ever smelled. The gentleman motioned for James to sit down. A chair popped up out of nowhere. It felt good. The gentleman looked around.
“Very nice,” he said.
“Who are you?” the man asks.
“You know who I am.” the gentleman tells him.
“What should I call you?” the man inquired.
“Call me Louis, James,” the gentleman says.
“How did you…?” James stuttered.
“Shh,” Louis assuages him as he raises a finger to his lips.
James found himself unable to move or speak. But for some reason, he was okay with that.
“I have been watching you, James, Louis starts. “Been admiring your will for a long time. Your desires. Your strengths,” he pauses. “And your weaknesses.”
James gazes around at his universe.
“You are the only one to make it this far, James,” Louis informs him as he walks amongst the women.
“I knew you would. Your hunger is strong and goes very deep. So when I saw you sit in the chair up there I knew this was my chance.”
Up there? James thought. What did that mean?
“That means this isn’t Heaven,” Louis answered, once again reading his mind.
“At least not for most people. You truly are one of a kind, James. Everyone else that has come down that path has been stopped by the souls. Some sense of humanity grabs them and they just can’t make it this far.”
“But you,” Louis continues, “You have no humanity. And I like that. You have mastered each of the seven deadly sins beautifully. You have destroyed lives without a single care. You have used many women. You have taken lots of money. But you never stopped. Your thirst was never quenched. Once again, I like that.”
Louis moves over to James and leans down to sniff him.
“See?” Louis asks, straightening back up. “No humanity. So I wanted to take this opportunity to show you what awaits.”
James looks around and is oddly not surprised by the ease and comfort he feels. He locks eyes with one of the women and winks at her. She smiles at him coyly. He could smell the steak and lobster. He hears the wine being poured into a golden chalice. He just realized he could smell, hear, see, feel, and taste everything. If this were a dream, he could do none of these things. This was real. Or this was what could be real. Maybe in the future.
“That’s right, my boy,” Louis says, interrupting his thoughts.
“All this is real.” Louis goes on, with a slight grin.
“What do I have to do?” James asks.
“Nothing,” Louis answers. “Nothing at all. You just keep doing what you are doing up there.”
“When will all this be mine?” James asks, almost desperately.
“Soon,” Louis tells him. “Very soon.”
“Is this right now coming to an end?” James asks as he realizes he can move again.
“Yes,” Louis replies. “But, take it all in. Take it with you. Big things are waiting for you when you get back up there.”
James tries to respond, but he blinks and is back in the chair. He frantically looks around. Desperate to get back to his utopia. He fumbles around the store, searching for the lady he saw when he first came in. When he finds her, he spastically jumps almost on top of her. She throws her arms up in defense. He apologizes profusely until she lowers her arms. She knows what he wants.
“How much for the chair?” he pleads.
“It’s not for sale,” she tells him.
“Just tell me how much,” he stresses. “I’ll pay whatever.”
“It’s not for sale,” she says, this time more firmly.
“Listen, lady,” he started, “I want that chair. You are going to tell me how much, so I can be on my way.”
“You learned nothing,” she scolded him. “You cannot have it. It is NOT for sale. Please leave now!”
The look on her face scares him a little. He looks at her for a few more seconds.
“It’s mine, lady,” he tells her. “And I always get what’s mine.”
“And this will be no different,” she informs him.
What an odd response, he thought. He turns to leave the store, shouting profanities as he walks away from her. She knows what is about to happen. When she knew he was out of the store, she turned her back to the door. She jumped a little when she heard the impact. When a man takes on a big truck, the big truck always wins. For a brief moment, she felt sympathy for him. But she was right. He did not learn anything. She looks at the chair. She sighs as she grabs a rag. She goes to the chair and starts dusting it. Some people will never learn, she thought to herself.
“No “ she hears a voice say. “Some people never learn.”
She smiles as she watches the chair light up slightly. She walks to the front door. She locks the door and turns her sign around as she hears the sirens.