“I didn’t plan what happened. I would give anything if I had just stayed at home, but it did happen and now I’m going to tell you the full truth and beg you to understand and forgive me. You know my good friend Chloe who got married a few weeks ago?”
I nodded in the affirmative, not knowing what to say.
“Well, Vicky and I were invited to her bachelorette party. It was a lot more risqué than the few others I’ve attended. I swear that what happened was not what I wanted to happen. I was drinking a lot more than I’m used to. Everything got fuzzy and I can’t really tell you exactly what happened but when I came out of the fog Vicky told me I was on the stage sucking the dick of the biggest and blackest dancer.”
That hit me like a sledge hammer. My Grace on her knees sucking a dick in front of an audience!! NO. I had nothing to say, I just looked at her. This was a hell of a lot to forgive.
“Brian, Vicky told me latter that somehow my drink was doctored and I must have been given a roofie, a drug that lowers inhibitions. There are a number of “date rape” drugs that I could have ingested. I googled “date rape drugs” and found that it is real. The drug Rohypnol produces the same effects that I suffered.
I shouted “Grace, why didn’t you come to me and tell me all this. You did nothing wrong except show poor judgement in not leaving when things got out of hand.”
Now she really started sobbing and crying uncontrollably. “I know, I know, but I have to tell you everything, even though it will end our marriage.”
“Grace, I know you must tell me everything so get on with it.”
She took a long time but finally calmed down so she could talk coherently.
“Brian, what I am going to tell you now is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.
You must believe me that I love you more than life itself. A few days after the party, I received a large envelope in the mail. I’ve destroyed it because you can never see the photographs that were in the envelope. It was from one of the dancers and their was a note with the photographs. The sender said that if I didn’t come to a certain motel room at a specific time you would get copies of the photos. I’m not going to draw this out . I did go to the motel and did things that I cannot describe ever. It was over in about two hours and I went home. I have to tell you all of this because Vicky has convinced me I must or I will never get free of these monsters. They have made more demands that I will not do. Help me Brian, I am so sorry.
“Gramps, I’m not proud of it now, but at the time I was so shocked and angry that I just took Grace home and left to come here without saying a word to her”
During the entirety of Brian’s narrative I just listened with as much of a poker face as I could manage. He has laid a big one on me. I sat in silence contemplating exactly what to say to this young man. It was a large responsibility and I realized what I say to him this sunny afternoon may shape his and Grace’s life forever.
“Brian, go get us some more coffee while I gather my thoughts and think about what I am going to tell you. I cannot tell you what to do with your, and Grace’s life, but I can tell you what I did in a similar situation”