-- (Ignorance is bliss.)

[our decadency]

This is Mary. She is a gorgeous, vibrant thirty year old woman who is, indeed, an impeccably successful trial lawyer. She works with the C & M Law Firm in New York City.


This is Lucas. Lucas is a thirty one year old man who is more often than not a defense attorney for very guilty people. He often wins and is considered a most promising prodigy in the world of law. If he believed in Hell, he is sure that he would be going there. Conveniently, he does not. He also is affiliated with the C & M Law Firm of New York City.


Mary and Lucas MacNamara are husband and wife, and have been as such for the past nine years. They lead a very happy home life just outside of the city (where they both seperately commute to and from) in an affluent neighborhood, up the road from their closest friends. People envy them. People envy their smiles, grow weary of their ever-present affection (rarely are they spotted without their hands clasped) and harbor a deep-seated disdain (jealousy, if you will) for their combined success. Together, they make up half of The C & M Law Firm.


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This is Thomas. He is also a thirty one year old defense attorney, very often categorized as ruthless and cold. Top of his class at Stanford, he makes up the other half of C & M Law Firm. The Crawford half. He and Lucas are best friends.


This is Martha. She is Thomas's wife. She is a twenty six year old stay-at-home-leech (as he lovingly refers to her, most days) with a flair for decorating.



<div style="text-align: center;">-----------------------</div>


Thomas and Mary very often work together and in doing such, take extended business trips. They have been having an affair for quite some time now. Neither Lucas nor Martha suspect a single thing.



The stage is set, but how will our players act?

<font color="#FFCC00" size="1">[ September 24, 2004 04:55 PM: Message edited by: deceitful ]</font>

[mayfly]

Look at him. Pompous fuck. Watch him parade his wife around like some golden Aphrodite that he won at a state fair. Lucas, you don?t deserve a woman like that. Martha just touched my arm, I think she?s trying to tell me something, instead I?m going to loop my arm around her waist and mumble something to her. I don?t think it really matters what I say at this point because she is quite intoxicated. Ah, she laughed. Oh and Mary looks rather peeved that I?m making another woman laugh, I?m trying to give her ?the look? which means we should just get rid of both of these peons and find a nice side room but alas, she?s snuggling against Lucas.

This is why I hate parties. I hate them because no matter where we go, or what we do, we?re always across the room vying for the other?s attention. Why can?t we just talk like normal civilized people at these events? Oh yes, because Mary and I rarely talk about anything. Moving on, I?m talking to some rich old bastard who keeps looking down Martha?s dress. I?m quite tempted to point this out, but instead I?ll let it go. I?m rather annoyed with her as it is. Lucas seems to be leaving Mary alone, I think I?m going to ditch Martha with the fat bastard and have a chat.

I mean, don?t get me wrong, I love my wife. I just?.Well, I just love his more.

[our decadency]

"Yes, Lucas -- no, we're fine, everything's fine. It's just a late night at the office. You know how it is, darling. I'm putting in so many hours at um, oooohhh -- I mean, ohhh, Christ. I just found more paperwork that needs done. Hm? No, I'm alone. I think Thomas might come by later, after he takes Martha to get her mother's... They were having-- oh, you already talked to her? Well, I don't know then. No, he isn't with me! What do you mean by that, Lucas? You know, I thought we had an agreement -- you weren't going to stand in my way when it came to business. I would count this as standing in my way. You've called me three times in the past hour. Nothing has changed, I'm still alone! I was only breathing heavily because I heard the phone ringing from down the hall! I swear to Christ, you're fucking paranoid tonight, Lucas and I don't like it at all. I'm hanging up now and if you call me back tonight, I'm divorcing you. I love you too. Bye."

Mary hung up the phone, head head lulling back and her eyes flitting shut. How dare Lucas think something was going on between her and Thomas! The two of them were best friends afterall, and she was his fucking wife. How dare he not trust her when she said she needed to spend the night alone in the office, working on a new draft for the case she needed to present on Thursday.

"God Thomas, that feels amazing..."

[our decadency]

"A marriage counselor. He says he wants to see a marriage counselor and why? Not because of me, oh no! He thinks it's him, which is just rich. He thinks he doesn't spend enough time with me and since that's the case, since we both work, that I'm going to begin to resent him. He says he doesn't want me to resent him, that he doesn't want me to become one of those droning, faceless housewives -- who said anything about a housewife? I'm content in my practice, I'm content without ankle biters running around, grabbing at my pants and puking on my shoes. I like wearing Gucci and I don't intend to 'mommy-down' and slip into my Old Navy sweatpants anytime soon -- nor do I intend to gain seventy five pounds and enjoy the wonders of motherhood. I don't want any part of that! Do you know why women say they enjoy motherhood? It's because they're jealous! They can't go out in the world anymore, they can entertain guests in their houses because you wouldn't want to wake the kiddies and they can't go out because Junior is a little monster and no babysitter in town wants to take him. So they make this motherhood shit up, that it's magical and every woman should experience it -- it's all just a ploy, see.

No, I know it isn't really like that for Christ's sake, Martha. All I'm saying is, I don't want to have children right now. Or maybe ever! It doesn't seem appealing to me, at all, in any way, shape or form -- yes, that's fine. No, I don't think Tom wants them either. Why don't you ask him yourself? I have no idea what he wants or doesn't want," She lied like a pro, but lawyers did it best. "All I know is that we've had conversations before about waiting for the right time to have a baby and I said something about there never being one and he agreed. So I don't know. No, I wouldn't push it, you know how Tom is -- but listen, anyway.

A marriage counselor. What am I supposed to tell people? Because I have no idea why we would need to go, we're so happy! At least I think we are, anyway. Has Lucas said anything to you? I know! That's why it seems so odd, I think, I just don't know... maybe he's having an affair. Maybe he feels guilty that he did and now he wants to resolve things, but doesn't want to tell me in person because he's afraid I'll kill him. I would too.

You're right, that doesn't seem very much like Lucas." Mary paused thoughtfully, listening to what her 'friend' had to say on the other end of the phoneline. "No, I'm not having an affair! -- what would make you ask something like that?! I take my business trips with Tom, Martha. That hardly counts as being gone a lot, don't you think? And it's not like I'm having an affair with him! I mean, no offense, but if I had wanted him then I would have gotten him ten years ago, instead of Lucas." Which, by the by, she wholeheartedly regretted now. "Anyway, I have to go. Lucas is just coming up the driveway." She heard the cardoor slam from her spot in the kitchen. "Yes, if I see Tom, I'll tell him to give you a call. Ciao darling." Replanting the phone back in it's holder, she swept her fingers through her hair and tossed it from her shoulders, fluffing it in a last minute attempt to preen. Not that she needed to preen for him anymore, he had seen her at her best and worst, but there was always something in her that melted when he grinned at the sight of her. She wanted him to grin now and he did, when he breezed through the door and scooped her in for a licentious kiss.

"Your wife wants you to call her." A breathless whipser against his lips, hands splayed against his chest. "But I get you first."

[mayfly]

Where is Mary? The only reason I came over to this Godforsaken house is to see her. She's supposed to be back from that pleasant little trip she took to her parents. Lucas continues to prattle on about something so unbelievably boring that I can do nothing but smile and nod as I sit down in a chair.

"I'm kind of glad she's gone. Mary can be...so frigid some times."

He said the magic word and suddenly my attention is back on him, perhaps I am brooding slightly. Perhaps my brow furrows and my mouth frowns, that might be what has him laughing as he pours me a glass of wine. I accept the glass if only because I watched him pour it, however, I wait for him to drink from his own glass before taking a sip of my own. Not, that I think he's smart enough to poison me, it's just safer that way. Et tu Brute and all that...Knowing my own nature, he should always do the same.

"I don't know what you mean, Lucas. Mary seems perfectly warm to me."

I think it was the manner in which I answered him that made him look over at me with knowing eyes. I couldn't help it really, I don't like it when he speaks poorly of her, because it's so painfully obvious he doesn't know his wife inside and out. At least, not in the way I know her. We drink and talk some more. Truthfully, I'm wondering how many glasses he'll need before he passes out on the floor, because I'm certainly ready to pour them for him.

"...Yeah, and another thing Tom. I just don't....Know how it is with you and Martha, but with Mary it's just... I'm getting the feeling..."

That she despises your being? That she loathes the way you touch her? That she's found someone much better? You're absolutely right. He's sitting across from you actually. I swirl my wine and pretend to be interested in entertaining him with my attention.

"It's just that...She's become a bit of a bitch, you know?"

"No, I don't know."

I answer him as pleasantly as possible, but suddenly I'm feeling the need to cut our little party short, before I injure him. I'll admit that I tend to be a jealous man, especially when some one is talking about some one that I hold...dear. He shrugs my comment off and walks away, much as his cowardess would have him do. To my delight however, my bones decide to follow him as I set the wine glass down, half full, on the counter and look out the window. I'm hoping to see Mary's headlights, or some sign of intelligent life.

"She's just been really unaffectionate, everything to her is straight business and policy. I mean, if I wanted a whore, I'd have married one."

"Mary is not a whore."

"Ohh, you don't know her like I know her...."

He laughs at this and proceeds to tell me, just how well he knows her. The embarrassing thing is that I already know half of the things that he's telling me. However, my jaw is cinched shut and I'm gripping the counter as if it's the one that needs to be strangled. I don't remember screaming or telling him to shut up, but I imagine that it happened because I remember him yelling back at me.

"Tom! What.. What are you doing! NO! STOP! PUT THA--"

Thirteen is such an unlucky number. I think that's probably why he favored it. Everything was always paired off in ones and threes. There were never any evens in his life. To spite him, I sink the blade into his skin the final time. Fourteen. Now we're nice and even. He's gurgling as blood slowly starts to pool under him, it's dark like the merlot we were drinking and I wonder if I put my finger in it, it'll turn to wine. Wouldn't that be ironic? It's slowly starting to sink in as his body goes lax that I just killed him.

I just killed Lucas MacNamara.

I.......Just......K--

My hands are covered in blood and I'm a terrible mess but I manage to wash out the glass I just had in my hand. I use the end of the knife and break out the window, making sure that enough glass falls inside so that it looks as if someone actually leapt through the window. The knife is then deposited back into Lucas and I pull it back out and toss it aside. Quickly I punch numbers into my phone and await the dispatch unit.

"Hello? There's...Oh.. God Oh my God! Someone's...I..."

My hysterics are enough to convince the woman to send out an ambulance. Lucas is still gurgling and that worries me. I sink to the floor and ensure that I am thoroughly covered in his blood as I scream and cry, holding his body as if a saint was dying in my arms....While I'm trying to suffocate him.

By the time the paramedics arrive, I am almost certain he's dead. My victory of course, is stated in a shaking tone as I call Mary's cellphone.

"Mary...? Mary...Listen to me...Your...." I pause and choke on my own glee. "dead."

<font color="#996600" size="1">[ November 28, 2004 10:32 PM: Message edited by: playground hearts ]</font>