Meanwhile inside the gym at Metro City High School, Timothy pealed off his white shirt which was soaked in sweat and then returned to repetitively slamming his boxing gloved fists into the punching bag trying to relieve his stress and trying to forget
his pain.
“How could I have been so stupid,” he thought, “I should have left as soon as I had that goon restrained… never should have let that stripper ‘thank me’ …if she didn’t stop herself… I would have… God, SuSu deserves so much better than someone like me..”
Timothy walked over to the bench, sat down and fished out a cell phone from his gym bag. He dialed SuSu’s cell first, but it went straight to voice mail. She must have switched it off.
Sighing Timothy tried again, this time he called home phone line Countess Dante’s mansion hoping Vincent or Suzette would answer so he could he chance to speak with SuSu.
----------------
Countess Dante was in the living room as the phone rang, her were all busy with preparing for tonight’s big event. Normally she wouldn’t answer the phone herself, but she was expecting calls from the Mayor and Govener’s office.
“This is Countess Dante,” she said after picking up the phone.
“Mrs. D? Is SuSu there?” asked Timothy.
“She and Suzette just went out, but I don’t believe she wants to speak with you right now… or ever again,” said the Countess with a hint of anger in her voice. “She told me you broke her heart… so what makes you think you will ever deserve to be in her good
graces ever again?”
“You’re… you’re right…” said Timothy deep sadness in his voice. “I did something stupid… I don’t expect her to ever forgive me… I never meant to hurt her… I… I love her… but perhaps you were always right the beginning… I don’t deserve her…”
Timothy’s words struck a cord Rei. When was the last time someone (without the use of hypnosis spoke so passionately about her) The tone of his voice revealed he was in just as much pain as her daughter over the whole affair.
Then she remembered her daughter’s words, “You don’t know anything about love. If you did, you know how much it hurts when you lose the one you want to be with.”
But Rei had known such love, and her heart had been broken… as his heart always seemed to belong to another (damn to hell whoever that lucky woman was). When she was much younger the hero known as Max Wonder saved her from being in a disastrous train wreck
and since she was smitten with him. She was always a little jealous of Jim and Mary or “Marty” (as she and Jim liked to call her) and tried to outdo her by dating a superhero. It never worked, Rei would often force herself to play damsel in distress, she arrange
for herself to kidnapped, or placed in some kind of treacherous peril to attract the hero to her rescue. However (although surely tempted) Max Wonder always resisted her advances, turning her love to anger… anger to anyone would ever resist her.
If only he just given in… Rei would never had married the Count Dante and her life would much, much more different. And perhaps Max Wonder would still be alive today if only… Well no matter she did have her revenge on him, after his shortly after his disappearance,
Rei used her connections and poisoned Metro City against their missing protector.
“I’m really sorry about all this, Mrs. D,” said Timothy, his words brought Rei back to here and now, “I know you’ve always only just tolerated my relationship with your daughter… you were right she deserves so much better. I--”
“Tim,” said Rei the tone of her voice had changed to more caring, almost sympathetic. “I know you love my daughter, or else you won’t be debasing yourself over the phone to me.”
“Yes,” said Timothy. “I would do anything for her. I would walk through the ends of the world in the rain and mud if it would help.”
“My daughter’s been very secretive over what caused this little ‘break-up.’ I want to know what caused it,” said Rei slightly changing the tone of her voice to be more demanding.
“I.. I can’t… I shouldn’t mention it,” Timothy said.
“Then I guess you won’t do anything for daughter after all,” said Rei. “So much for the person who would walk through the ends of the world in rain and mud.”
Timothy lowered his head shamefully and the phone. “You’re right, Mrs. D. Hiding details is what got me into this mess.. If you want to know… I’ll tell you everything… just not over the phone.”
“Well, I have a few hours to spare before the party,” said Rei “Where are you at?”
“I’m at the school’s gym, give a few minutes to get a shower and redressed, then I’ll be outside the front of the school.”
******
A short time later inside Rei’s limousine….
Timothy Langstrom sat and explained the whole story as best as he could to the elegantly dressed Countess.
Rei was expecting to hear that it was all over something silly, something that normally most lovers’ quarrels often are, however the tale Timothy presented was quite different.
“…and that’s why SuSu’s so mad,” said Timothy.
“Jim Langstrom… was Max Wonder,” said Rei in disbelief. “I knew both of them… how could I have overlooked that..”
However it did make perfect sense to Rei as she looked back at her failed attempts to seduce Max. She knew Jim worshipped Marty and once they were married… that’s about when Max really started to push away.
“Does your mother know,” asked Rei.
“I don’t think so… in the vision my Dad told me that he kept his secret identity a secret from us to protect us… Please you can’t tell her… I don’t want it to ruin or sour any memories she has about Dad.”
“That’s very noble of you,” said Rei, “I won’t tell Marty and this conversation will remain our little secret.”
“Thanks Mrs. D,” said Timothy.
“It was very brave of you to risk your life that way to help someone. Having seen the video early today myself, I can see why she was so jealous.”
“No… That’s not it,” said Timothy, “It’s because I downplayed the part where the stripper wanted to ‘thank me’… I should have told her… and I didn’t… afraid she wouldn’t understand… and I really screwed up..”
“Yes, you did,” said Rei. “However I know my daughter… and how girls and boys in love quickly forgive one another.”
Rei was surprised how openly Timothy had revealed everything and of his own free will. The poor American boy was always too trusting. However a little extra hypnosis now wouldn’t hurt to seal his loyalty now.
The Countess then adjusted and pointed to the necklace that rested above her cleavage, “You shouldn’t keep secrets from SuSu or me.”
Timothy looked at the large emerald surrounded by small diamonds. The Countess smiled and held it up to one eye. The color of the emerald and her eye were now the same. The jewels glittered and the young man could not look away.
“Remember you should never keep secrets from my little SuSu or me,” Rei said gently.
“Yes.. I’ll no more secrets from SuSu or you, Mrs. D..” droned Timothy under the hypnotic spell.
“As for being a hero, no matter happens I’m sure you will always do your best protect SuSu and I,” said Rei. “That you’ll always fight with every last breath to protect me and little SuSu, no matter what the circumstances. Isn’t that so?”
“Yes, always do that,” said the teenager as the limo entered the back entrance of the Old Westwood Mansion.
“Good, now you better get ready,” said Rei snapping her fingers waking Timothy from the spell.
“Right.. must get ready… ummm.. ready?” asked Timothy.
“Why yes darling the party will soon begin, since your already here you might as well put on your Wonderboy costume, you do have it on you, yes?”
“Yeah, in the backpack,” said the teen gesturing to the bag beside his feet as the car came to a stop.
“Good, once inside you should put on it and wait inside the den until the other guests filter in,” said Rei as they got out of the limo and walked up to the house. “By the way, would you like to see what I will be wearing?”
***********************
In another part of the Old Westwood Mansion…
SuSu was dressed beautifully as an angel, however she didn’t feel like one.
“I can’t believe I said all those awful things to him,” sobbed SuSu as she sat on her bed as her personal french maid Suzette massaged her shoulders.
“You were angry… and you had every right to be,” said Suzette. “And sometimes when we’re very angry, we say awful things to one another…”
“But he never says anything as bad as was,” said SuSu. “The worst part really is… how hypocritical I was… as bad as the little secret he hid was, there nothing to the stuff in my closet.. from the things I learned and did from the boys in Japan... my lesbian
relationship with you… and where should I even begin on my mother’s crap.. I’m such a fake.. Mother says he isn’t good enough for me… I don’t deserve him...”
“Don’t cry, maybe he’ll show here tonight,” said Suzette trying to comfort her best friend and sometimes lover.
“That would be awful,” said SuSu as thought about the idea, “He might be good at jumping off buildings now, but without his ticket, the secret service will get him and shoot him dead!”
“Don’t think like that,” said Suzette, “You two be back together soon… you’ll kiss and make up… and having make up sex in the coat room..”
SuSu giggled, Suzette always did know how to make her laugh. “Guess the guests are arriving now… guess it wouldn’t hurt to see what the fools are wearing.”
**********
Back in the den of the mansion, Timothy again found himself in his colorful red, yellow, green Wonderboy costume. He just finished sprying his hair with the hair dye as gentle tapping from Countess Dante’s heels approached.
“Oh my, that outfit does make you look cute, no wonder that whore was all over you,” said Rei as she stepped into the room.
The masked young man gulped as he saw what Mrs. D was now wearing for the rest of the evening.
“Tell me Wonderboy, what do you think,” asked Rei posing by the doorframe of the hallway. “What do you think?”
Wonderboy turned his head, expecting to see Mrs. D wearing something elegant and classy. However what she wearing was a bit more risqué than he was expecting. He couldn’t resist letting off a wolf whistle and then saying out of mind and out of mouth, “As Inspector
Gadget would probably say… Wowser!!”
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