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Devil In The Waters (partial), Chapter 5, Remote Control
🕑 Added 2019-11-30 15:54:18 +0000 UTC
The words from his bully written out on his phone’s screen chilled him. All the fear he’d experienced this weekend came rushing back to him in all its former glory. Part of him, thirty-six hours removed, had come to believe that maybe Devin in the tent had been a dream after all, that the horror wrapping itself around him was all fabricated in his own mind, woven from blades of past trauma like one of Kimmy’s baskets.
A simple friendly phrase, yet one heavy with the threat of what would come next.
how’s it going?
The query wasn’t preceded by Devin Stone’s name, but by a phone number Josh didn’t recognize. Yet he knew it wasn’t spam or a mistake, he knew it was Devin. He stared at the words a long time, opened his phone and his message app, texted a reply.
Josh: leave me alone
A reply came in a few seconds.
don’t be sore
He texted again:
Josh: leave me alone
On the TV screen his cowboy sat atop a chestnut mare, a mountain vista spread out before them. He set the controller down and rubbed his fingers against his clammy palms.
Another text:
Kimmy say I came by to talk to her today?
He grunted, disbelieving this was his reality again after he’d thought they’d moved on. His face had tightened, his brow lowered, but his shoulders slumped like they were too heavy.
Josh: fuck off
she didn’t? bad girl that Kimmy
Josh: I don’t believe you
why not?
Now he looked over his shoulder and could see his wife in the kitchen, through the pass-thru, moving around with her back to him, her black hair tied back in a tail.
Josh: go fuck with someone else
Josh just go and ask her
I didn’t fuck her if that’s what you’re thinking
His fingers tingled like he’d been sitting on them, and he felt detached from his body, watching himself from above sitting on the couch gawking at his phone, Xbox controller and fizzing Coke on the table at his knees. There was a profound feeling of unreality.
Josh: that’s good
feel better?
Josh: no go away
I mean she begged me to fuck her and I had her pants down
There was a clinking and clattering in the kitchen, Kimmy loading the dishwasher. He regarded her over his shoulder again, and the sight of her feminine form, its innocent grace, had him angry that Devin would fabricate something so horrible. The image of Kimmy begging Devin Stone to fuck her couldn’t even be formed. Fantasy was one thing, but bringing the image closer to realism was impossible.
He turned back, admired the mountain view beyond his cowboy’s horse.
Josh: you are so full of shit
Am I?
The anger tightening his neck and jaw was welcome and comforting in its way. He chuckled a confrontational sound, texted.
Josh: Big successful guy like you has nothing better to do on a Monday night than fuck around with some guy from high school? Pretty sad man
ha ha, Josh, you got me. I’m eating dinner at Harbour 60 right now so bored I gotta text my old pal Josh and make up a story how I fingered his wife today
Now he was practically growling, a low animal sound in his throat. he was too grown up to be a bully’s victim now.
Josh: you grew up to be a real piece of shit
I left you something
Josh: oh okay
Oh okay. He liked the sound of it. He smiled, betting to himself Devin hadn’t expected Josh to be so aloof this time around. But he wasn’t blitzed with bourbon, roused from a painful sleep. Now he was comfortable at home, on his own couch, recovered, well-fed and tended by the woman he loved. A woman who would never sleep with Devin Stone.
So this would be where a bully like Devin Stone was going to say something perverse and mean and belittling, and he could see it in his mind before it was even written: Left you my sloppy seconds . . . Practically followed by imagined wheezy teenage laughter. Only he and Devin were removed from school a long time now—so fuck off, Devin, you’re powerless over adults.
But it wasn’t what Devin returned.
Nice apartment you have
He stared at the statement a long time. It got him. Well played, Devin.
Josh: thanks
small, plain, there’s a picture of Taiwan in the eighties b&w on the wall facing you as you come in the door. brown leather couches in the family room, you have a wedding photo on the table against the wall...
There wasn’t much to say, so he just read, winding his neck around as he did, that helpful anger fumbling, getting into the backseat now so worry could get up and take the wheel.
nothing to say now? I told you I left you something. Go in the front hall, the table where there’s the flowers and the dish with coins and keys, open the top drawer for me
Josh: Why?
I left something for you
Josh: it’s not there
you didn’t check then
Josh: I don’t have to
coward
When he rose from the couch his legs were shaky. He stared a moment at the cowboy on screen waiting for his input, waiting to be lead into great and wonderful adventures. Instead he was a player on someone else’s screen, his high school bully’s, a piece in another man’s fantasy adventure.
In the kitchen, Kimmy still puttered, content and oblivious. It angered him she would be brought in on this malicious enterprise, an innocent NPC—it was the challenge to her honor that got his heart pounding again. How dare Devin say these terrible things about her. But he was stuck now, somewhere between the anger and the submission, his feet moving across the apartment floor, taking him to the front hall where he would confirm what Devin was saying wasn’t true.
The awful journey to his front hall was his bully’s joy, he was sure, sitting gleefully on the other end of this text exchange picturing dumb Josh shitting his pants in Ajax. He’d come to find the drawer empty and Devin would then say Kimmy must have found it first and got rid of it. String this game along further, drag gullible Josh out into deeper waters . . .
Only when he made it to the front hall unspotted by Kimmy, he opened the drawer of the table with the flowers and the dish of keys and coins and found Devin was right. There on the top layer of junk, right at the far side, a crisp linen business card lay face up and staring like it had been expecting him. What took you so long, Mr. Waters it was saying. The chills and the tingles returned to him, that sinking feeling in his stomach pushing down hard on his bladder. The card read: Stone Custom Brokerage LLC, then in bolder font the cardholder’s name, Devin Stone, and, underneath in italics, Vice-President.
He never lifted the card from where it sat, left it there and quietly closed the drawer again. Kimmy still cleaned, still oblivious to the tragedy in the front hall, scooting around the kitchen in her slippers.
When he looked down there was another message waiting for him on his phone.
Kimmy’s way too much woman for you
The sinking feeling deepened, the anger liquifying and pooling around his feet.
Josh: U came here today
I did. Believe me now?
Josh: Why?
I told you you asked me to fuck Kimmy
Josh: I never asked that
You sure did
Josh: I don’t want that
You told me you did
Josh: Now I’m telling you I don’t
He stared at the screen, waiting for the response. It came.
Too late
He grumbled a pained sound, thumbs flying.
Josh: Don’t text me again don’t ever come by my apartment again and don’t talk to Kimmy
Too late for all that Josh Kimmy and I have something good going
Josh: I’m telling you to stop
You know you want it, now I want it. And Kimmy wants it too
Josh: No she doesn’t.
enjoy it man you asked for it you’re getting it
ciao
* * *
There was no way it could be true.
It had to be a ruse, but he was standing there in the front hall with all the demonstrated proof someone would need. And yet there was a surprising emptiness inside him. It was like the horror was currently buoyed on the vestiges of his disbelief.
He moved to the kitchen doorway, could see Kimmy rinsing a plate, the dishwasher open, placing it on the bottom rack. She was done now, drying her hands.
Something occurred to him. Something that had registered in his mind, but sat dormant until now. He approached her, took the towel from her hands, her smiling and watching him suspiciously. He snapped away the wet, then folded it and tossed it onto the counter. She asked him what was up.
He took her hands, kissed her knuckles. “Thank you for dinner.”
“I slaved away all afternoon,” she said, averting her eyes.
Now he held both her hands between them, thumbing her knuckles, caressing her wedding ring. He said, “Did your nails today, eh?”
Sure enough, the thing that had registered: Kimmy had changed her nail color. There’d been a clear coat over a base of dusty rose for the high school reunion. Hadn’t changed that yesterday, but now he could see she’d done them in black.
She took her hands away from his, looked at her nails. “Oh yeah, I did.”
“Black, huh?”
“I was bored,” she said.
“Bored?”
She shrugged, and her lack of forthcoming irked him. He said, “You weren’t busy today? Did you get a basket and and a half done?”
“No,” she said, eyes straying away again.
“You didn’t?” There was an unfinished basket on her worktable.
She said, “Just a half a basket.”
“Did you go out?”
“No . . . My hands were sore,” she said now, then shook one of them out as if it was still smarting. She made a fist, then wouldn’t look his way again.
“Are your hands sore?”
“Yeah, a little . . .” Then: “I just didn’t feel like it today. I started watching The Heirs, I lost track of time. Next thing I know, I’m making tea, I got my feet up . . . I did my fingernails.”
“While you watched Netflix?”
“Yes,” she said, unsmiling, then adding, “My toes, too,” looking down at her feet though she wore slippers in the house.
He said, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, posture slumping. “I’m okay . . .” She leaned on the counter and crossed her arms.
“Anybody come by today?”
Though she made no reaction at all, somehow that was a weird indication bu itself. Kimmy stone-faced him. Gave him her lawyer face. When she wanted to, she could keep you out—it was part of what she practiced, never letting your opponent know what you’ve got. She said, “No . . . why?”
He shrugged, looked away. “Just wondering.”
There was a beat of quiet, then: “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know, like Amy or something. Maybe you guys went out . . .”
“I said I didn’t go out.”
“Well, it’s just . . .”
She stared at him a long while with her lips parted, an expression somewhere between concern and anger. She said finally: “Why would you ask me that?”
“I said I don’t know. It’s weird coming home to you like this.”
“Like what?—I ordered your favorite dinner, Josh, you played video games, we ate together . . . What’s wrong with that?”
“There’s nothing wrong with that, Kimmy,” he said and put up his hands. “Look,” he said backing away, not wanting to be a part of this conversation at all anymore. “You’re being weird, so I’m asking you questions.”
“Your questions are weird, Josh, like you sound like you’re accusing me of something.”
“You’re acting like you’re guilty, I’m asking questions. I’m not chasing you, I’m following you . . .”
Her eyes darted over his, she softened then, raised her eyebrows. “Sorry,” she said, and now he was the guilty one.
He went to her, saying, “It’s okay . . . I don’t mean to bug you. It’s just . . .”
“What—because I was I won’t tell you about . . .” She left the sentence unfinished. The argument at the party.
“Yeah, I don’t know . . .”
“It’s nothing, Josh, don’t make it into something.”
“You’re making into something by being so tightlipped.”
She studied him again, eyes going over his, weighing and measuring.
He said, “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing,” she said softly.
“All right,” he said, backing away again. I'm going to be in my office . . .”
Comments
DavidSilver
Nope. Just german. Was thinking about translating one, but seems just to much work for a none-native speaker, to get decent quality. Currently I write the books between other book projects to have some fun and to go wild on my personal kinks.
DavidnDaria
David, are any of your books available in English? Just wondering.
Glaucon
Sure thing :) From KT's e-mail : "Next up, I'm really plugging away at the ending of Reza. I miss Charlie! As the snow's flying here now where I live, I also am getting into the 'good/bad feels' it's going to take to finish the Six Weeks In Winter series. It's hard to write about loneliness, desolation, and frigidity when it's hot and the sun is shining!"
Chinookfan72
Glauc do you mind sharing what is coming up? I didn’t receive the email (totally my fault as I wasn’t subscribed on KT’s website, I am now).
Glaucon
Hmmmmm... I suspect not - We might have seen the last of that one, the sequel resolved basically all the tension and conflict (in my opinion). Another entry would be very similar to the last one I think. Also KT's update e-mail yesterday made no mention of it when discussing what's coming up, obviously KT has done surprise releases before, but there's so much on KT's plate already! But who knows!
DavidnDaria
I wonder if there's a going to a "Natalie" present this year?
JamesIsAsleep
Good stuff, KT!
DavidnDaria
That story, I think, was written in a very odd form. Sometimes, both my wife and I thought it was a writer trying to show humor, but it wasn't funny to us. It was just plain upsetting. Mr. Goodbar was intense. That scene reminds me of the scene in Saving Private Ryan where a German, having gained deadly advantage shushes an American soldier who is pleading for one more minute, then kills him. I can't watch that scene. It ruined the movie for me. Daria thought I would be turned off by the gore, but to me that scene--and the scene you describe--were way beyond uncalled for.
Glaucon
I agree, it seems like it would be reflected in Josh's thoughts at least once if this were some secret fantasy Josh had, so that at least feels like a lie to me. He expresses surprise and confusion when he’s turned on by the ideas after returning home.
DavidSilver
Just now got the time to get into this story. Very interesting and well written as always. One thing seems odd to me so far. In the first chapter Devin said this to Josh: "Last night you told me about your fantasy Kimmy would have sex with another guy" So far it hasn't been answered (I think), if Josh had any fantasies of this kind (before Devin started his game.) Which implies to me, that it's not the case, because otherwise there would have been some kind of reaction. But it had no big importance for him. Like some others, my feeling says, that Josh at some point will find out, that his wife is cheating on him. Maybe he will start watching from afar for some time. We will see. Keep up the good work, KT.
Tim ziegler
Josh is kinda stuck,definitely can’t believe or trust Devin.Still trusting Kimmy but it’s getting harder!
Glaucon
It's interesting to see KT's in-text responses to our comments here :P, this time describing how Stone didn't actually show caller ID, and a while back elaborating on the relationship with Amy.
RCH
Upsetting is a good descriptor. In general I find rape scenes disturbing no mater what the gender mix is. "Deliverance", "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" and a few others fall into the category "I'll never be able to un-see that". The finale rape murder scene in "Goodbar" still haunts me, it was too real! Yes he needs to finish "Spy" I need to read Holly still.
DavidnDaria
In our opinion, it will likely evolve into a hotwife/cuckold story. The fact that Kimmy says nothing is key. And that Josh doesn't push harder for the truth indicates he's scared of it. Until you've been in that position, you will never know how you will react Perhaps Josh just wants Kimmy to tell the truth? The card was a good thing for Devin to plant.
DavidnDaria
Cuckold Deliverance was really upsetting to us. We hope he finishes "Spy..." and "Holly".
DavidnDaria
KT drops words, too! I'm in good company!
DavidnDaria
You'd be surprised how many real life hotwife/stag couples started out with the wife cheating.
RCH
Yes, it was strange! I think Parker was trying to keep it the tone of the Burt Reynold classic. So it had all the anal homo erotica.
TF
Had to look up 'being edged'...ha...getting an education here! Read a couple of PP's works including that one. It was a well done tale albeit a bit strange.
RCH
Relax, we're being edged! We'll have to see how this chapter finishes out. TF "Cuckold Deliverance" by Parker Pascal got a bit extreme with violence, murder, etc. It was a hard book to finish because of the violence. But it was an interesting well done tale.
TF
Glaucon: A comment on your bafflement….just my point of view. I don’t like murder or murderers but I like well written murder mysteries. I don’t like cheating or cheating wives (or husbands) but I like well written books featuring them. Well written is the operative phrase and KT’s are the best in this genre of those that I’ve sampled (quite a few). If KT wrote a book about septic tank cleaning I would probably read it. In short, negative reactions to the characters doesn't mean I’m not into the story.
Tracey52
Sucks for Josh
Chinookfan72
I sure hope so!
Chinookfan72
I read the “ I’m bored” stuff as Devin just trying to come off as non invested... kind of like an internet troll... they are like eh I’m just bored, but in reality they are spending hours every day researching and waiting for their moment to strike.
Glaucon
I do think it's gonna be a good while before Josh knows for sure tho... the tension here is key so it makes sense for this part to be drawn out long (also more time for Kimmy to be put under Devin's thumb).
Chinookfan72
Yeah I’d agree with your scenario here. By all means bring up KT’s stories as much as you want. In this case it’s supper effective in getting your point across.
Glaucon
I don't get the impression that Josh/Kimmy is this "grand scheme" for Devin as much as the idle entertainment for the night, growing into something more fun in his mind as the days go on (he even talks in this chapter of just fucking with Josh cuz he's bored - again, he's enjoying the implicit insult to Josh, I'm only ruining your marriage out of boredom/for fun). He just likes toying with people and playing power games.
Chinookfan72
All of this is true and In general I agree. However in this case it’s not like Devin and Josh have had much, if any interaction since high school, so I think the likelihood of Devin coming up with a grand scheme to fuck with a Josh after 10 years out of the blue is very low. Thus I’m inclined to believe what Devin is saying...I’m also not sure how he fakes Kimmy’s juices on his dick. I guess it could be another girl’s but I just don’t think that is likely. Unless, Kimmy is being truthful and nothing happened at all between Devin and Kimmy... if that’s the case though her shadiness doesn’t make sense because she would have nothing to hide. Also, and probably most importantly I’m hoping what Devin is telling Josh is true so that’s the biggest reason for agreeing with his story.
Glaucon
If I had to wager on it, I would bet that we'll get to a point where Josh knows about it but isn't really going to do anything about it or let Kimmy know he knows. Probably from some combination of growing to both hate it and be turned on by it and feeling powerless/unable to stop it, or maybe Devin has something on him for leverage. I know you don’t like when I bring up other KT stories, but along the lines of Watching Natalie Cheat (except obviously more conflicted about the whole thing).
Chinookfan72
Same my only concern at this point is Josh finds out too much for it to be a cheating wife story and then morphs into a HW tale.. I can live with Josh being a bumbling idiot that can’t figure out what actually is going on, but I’m holding out hope he isn’t going to give Kimmy permission and he didn’t explicitly ad Devin to sleep with his wife.. This story has the ability to go someplace KT does regularly go, and I hope KT leans into that...
Glaucon
I'm not saying I think it's for sure lies, but a business card in a drawer is in no way proof that anyone took their pants off (I'm actually inclined to believe something like that might have happened, though). Also, it's pretty classic good lying technique to mix in truths and half-truths, so I'd never recommend taking one truth as proof that somebody never lies.
Chinookfan72
True but because he seems to be being honest here it makes me think he was always being honest... or perhaps I’m projecting my wants. Either way this story can go in many directions... Onward!
Chinookfan72
It’s going to be interesting how this story goes.. I’m still holding out on this being a cheating wife story just so we get more angst from Kimmy on why she continues to hurt Josh even though she knows it’s bad.
Glaucon
Honestly, I must confess to being baffled by some of the reactions here. This is explicitly a cheating story (which I am extremely thrilled to be getting). To those upset with the direction we’re headed in and Devin’s asshole nature – what did you expect, exactly? This is what was advertised. I don’t know why people so often seem to read cheating stories when it deeply bothers them. And honestly, of course Kimmy is gonna start lying at some point – either now or eventually she’s gonna be carrying on an affair she’s ashamed of and trying to keep that secret from Josh. I’m skeptical that we’ll see any “big revenge” angle… that doesn’t seem to me to be what this story is about. And from an in-story angle, forget getting any leverage on Devin, Josh doesn’t even have the resourcefulness to figure out what exactly is happening.
Glaucon
I think Devin and those who enjoying bullying others in general will easily lie purely to hurt others, or simply if they think it'll be fun - but we'll see how much has been truths and how much lies eventually. Honestly it could go any number of ways at this point.
TF
My hands are still ringing for lack of a "w".
TF
I’m afraid I’m losing respect for Kimmy and, for that matter Josh. She must know now that Josh suspects there is much more to the “incident” at the camp than she has revealed but she “puts on her lawyer’s face” and flat out lies about her day. Sorry, this is not lying out of love, this is lying out of selfishness. Josh should have taken her over to the drawer, pulled it out and pointed to the business card. But, either out of fear or because unadmitted or unexpressed (except maybe to Stone when drunk) desires (or maybe he is still mostly the wimp he was in high school—hey, why would he empower Stone by replying to his text?), he won’t, and the story will continue to evolve either to a positive or negative conclusion vv Kimmy and Josh. Despite my hand ringing, I realize it is the vagarities of people in close relationships that makes these stories so compelling; thus, I anticipate continuing developments in this potential train wreck. Write on KT!
RCH
This one is like watching the basketball circle the rim but it hasn't gone in or out yet! I'm so frustrated! In a good way:). Jordan I have to agree with you that as soon as Josh know the truth this has story has to change. This could go the hot wife route or the way of a "Just Plain Bob" story where the husband get all his proof and cleans out the accounts and leaves the cheating B@%ch and files for divorce. But this is not a "Just Plain Bob" story. KT's tales are never so clean and simple. Again as stated before we still have no idea what is really going on. I think KT got tired of writing hot wife stories and has switch over to detective stories Maybe Amazon will be kinder to detective stories with erotic accents! I have to agree with Tim on getting revenge on Devin. At the very least it would be good to see him slapped with a monetary or business license, fraudulent practice, something that brings him down lifestyle wise.
Tim ziegler
God I really hate bullying,I’d like to see Josh fuck with Devin he couldn’t in high school maybe he’s grown so balls,or maybe he’s smarter I’d like to see some revenge!
Chinookfan72
Hey DND, for what it’s worth I think Josh can now begin spying... would be great if he confronts his wife with the card first, but I don’t think Josh can and have the story continue. That is unless the story morphs into a hotwife story where Kimmy and Josh lay everything on the table and Josh agrees to let Kimmy explore... Personally I hope that is not the case here. I very much hope it stays as a cheating wife tale ( at least from Kimmy’s perspective).
Chinookfan72
Well I guess I was wrong... Devin does have it in him to not jump to sex when he’s offered... I personally think Devin is telling the truth (both here and in the tent), with just a slight embellishment in regards to Josh asking Devin to sleep with Kimmy (personally I think Josh admitted to someone that the thought of his wife fucking another man was hot and Devin was in the vacinity/ conversation and thus it planted the seed in his mind. Devin getting to tell Josh it’s his idea is just another way for Devin to fuck with Josh).In the tent, Devin has Kimmy’s juices on his dick so I believe he’s already penetrated her once (for how long is debatable, personally I think they were caught in the act and is the reason for the “fight”), and it was round two so they had already fooled around in some other capacity (again debatable on what round 1 could have been). Devin doesn’t come off as someone that needs to lie and even if he just got a hand job at the reunion that would be sufficient to go into the tent and bully Josh. He is bullying him in this chapter after just fingering Kimmy so why would he need to embellish the first encounter? So my question is why, if Devin has already penetrated Kimmy would he not do so again now if she was begging for it. My guess is as you say he gets off on the power and control of both parties. He gave jimmy a taste at the reunion, and now is stoking her fire like a drug dealer. Dragging it out just makes her want it more and more. I’m excited where this one goes!
Glaucon
Love this. Stone clearly gets off on the power of toying with Josh and Kimmy both. The scenario Stone describes is even worse for Josh, that Stone had Kimmy begging for it and debasing herself without even getting her pleas answered. It’s a portrait of smart, tough Kimmy as completely under Stone’s power and humiliating herself for a chance at that 4xJosh’s volume cock. Honestly half-expected Josh to find Kimmy’ panties in the drawer but in retrospect Kimmy would be way too smart to not keep track of evidence like that. This increased suspicion driving Josh and Kimmy apart emotionally is absolutely by Devin’s design and is only going to get worse. Still not sure where Stone’s going with this “we agreed on this” angle but I’m sure we’ll eventually see that reunion night. A couple notes – Bu itself “What—because I was I won’t tell you about . . .” (I think there’s an extra “I was” here?) “You’re making into something by being so tightlipped.” (should be “making it” right?)
