O’Melissokomos
The Bee Keeper

Trio (hypno)

by chester

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Part Two - GLORIA

I don't know what happened. It was like - all at once Aaron seemed to change. Before that day he was always so nice to me, gave me nice things, was considerate, you know? He was certainly the nicest guy I'd ever been with.

I remember when I met him the first time. It was his brother, Chris, who first introduced us. Chris works at the same store that I did and he saw me coming into the coffee shop. I don't really know what made Chris want to introduce us - I didn't know Chris very well at the time, but he did introduce us and it was like, love at first sight.

Aaron had this longish, kinda brown hair that kept getting into his face. It's different than it is right now because it's gotten really long and he dyes it blonde now, but he was so cute with that puppy dog kind of hair. Right from that very first meeting it seemed like we would be together forever. He didn't treat me like the others did. I mean, I always knew what the guys wanted and I gave it to them, but Aaron was different. He didn't seem to be in so much of a hurry as the others. He seemed to want to get to know me - and he always treated me like a lady - at least at the beginning.

When we finally made it together, he insisted that it be at his parents' house when they weren't home. We were sure surprised when his mother came home that day. That lady can really scream. I didn't like it when Aaron hit her, though. I guess I understood that if I had come home to see my son and some girl fucking in the living room, I guess I wouldn't have been so thrilled either. But still, she didn't deserve to be hit. And then when she was laid out cold, he went at it again and was more 'hot' than before. Who can understand men? But I guess I shoulda realized that if he would do that sort of thing to his mother, he could turn on me someday.

I wasn't sure what Aaron was doing for a living but since he didn't want to talk about it, I was afraid that it might not be something good. He told me that he made good money but that there was a lot of part-time work or being called in when he was needed. I kept my job at the grocery store because it gave me something to do with my time and he often slept in late in the mornings. We didn't really need the money I made, I guess, because we always got what we needed.

The longer we lived together, Aaron kind of changed - although the changes kind of turned me on. He started this body-building and would spend hours lifting weights and going to a gym like he was really taking care of himself. He looked great and he was so hard and firm. At the same time, though, he smoked like crazy, most often a couple of packs a day, and he started drinking a lot, too. But still, until that day he was always very good with me.

I remember that day very well. Chris was coming into work just as I was getting ready to go and we talked for a couple of minutes, and I said, "You should come by the apartment and see us more often." He told me that he had just dropped by this morning and spent some time with Aaron. Then he kinda warned me that Aaron was in a bad mood because he had called work and they told him I couldn't come to the phone. I said," That's strange because I didn't get a message he had called. If it's important I always call him right back." I said goodbye to Chris and went on my way home. When I got there Aaron was sitting on the living room couch and he was smoking this smelly old cigar. I made some sarcastic comment about the 'nice smell' in the room and he got up from the sofa, flew over to me and slapped me so hard against the side of the head, I thought it would fall off.

"What did you hit me for? What did I do?"

"Shuttup and you listen good", he said. "I am pissed off with the way you behave around those other guys at work - I've seen you. I don't want you going back there. Consider your job ended."

"But, Aaron, I never...

"Did I tell you to shuttup or didn't I?" he screamed as he lifted me up off the floor.

"From now on your fucking job is to take care of this house and me. Got it?

"But, Aaron..."

He pushed me against the wall and started to squeeze his right hand around my throat. I wasn't really scared until that minute but this was so unlike him I didn't know what to do, so I just kept quiet - didn't try to scream or anything. Eventually he got this weird smile on his face and said, "That's better." Then he began kissing me really hard and made love to me very roughly right there.

I was really confused, and hurt, and sore.

Afterwards he told me he was hungry, so why didn't I go into the kitchen and get him something to eat. He took out another cigar from a package on the table, lit it, and blew the smoke into my face.

"And I don't want to hear any more stupid remarks about what I smoke. Now get into the kitchen and do what you've been told."

I went into the kitchen and cried a little while making him supper cause I just couldn't understand what I had done to get him so upset. But from that point on, he was like that every day.

***

For the next few weeks Aaron never seemed to leave me alone. If we were walking down the street and another guy even looked at me, he'd just turn and slug the guy and then take it out on me after. He became so jealous that I was afraid to look at anyone. And he was so wrong because I loved only him despite how he had been treating me.

The other weird thing that happened over the next few weeks was how Aaron changed the way he looked again. He used to let his hair hang down much like Pepper, but now he started to pull it back tight.

And those cigars- he never seemed to be without one. I remember he took me to this restaurant and after dinner, he lit up a cigar and the manager came over and said that he was sorry, that they didn't allow cigars in the place, that they offended too many other guests. Well, Aaron got so angry and started screaming so loudly that they actually called the police and only then did Aaron calm down - while they were watching. But back at home, he ranted and raved and talked about burning down the fucking place - it was just so crazy!

At the end of the second week I thought maybe things were getting a little back to normal. I had stopped working, though, and I missed the place terribly, but I did what Aaron wanted and I cleaned house, and made meals and did basically everything I could to make him happy and himself again.

But then came the day that Pepper came over.

Aaron had gone to the store to buy some smokes when Pepper dropped by. Pepper had been drinking and he wasn't very nice when he was drinking but I was always okay to him for Aaron's sake. Aaron seemed to really like the guy and they seemed to have business together a lot of the time. I asked Pepper if he would like a drink and he said okay.

While I was in the kitchen, I started to hear all this screaming and I ran back into the living room. Aaron had Pepper on the floor and he was screaming at him about 'coming around when he wasn't home", and 'what was he intending to do with his girl' and 'how he always wanted me but he'd never let it happen.'

He turned at one point and saw me at the door. "There's the little whore, now! Right, Pepper. Tell me she's a whore. Gloria! Get the fuck outta here!"

I didn't fool around with him at all now, so I did just what he told me. I grabbed my jacket and I went out into the back yard and just sat there crying.

I mean I didn't know what I wanted to do. I still loved Aaron- the old Aaron, at least. The new one really scared me - he seemed so cold where once he had been so loving to me. I was afraid of him now, I had to admit, and I didn't want to cross him.

After what seemed like a couple of hours, he finally came out back and called for me. He didn't sound too upset, so I answered him.

"It's all right now", he said. I've taken care of him. He won't be bothering you -or me again."

I didn't know how to reply to that, seeing as though he hadn't been bothering me to start with but instead I told him "Thank you," and that seemed to satisfy him. He took me back into the house and made love to me again but not so rough this time - a little more like he used to before this all happened.

Even the next day he seemed nicer to me. He brought me out shopping and said that he wanted to get me some new dresses, that he was going to be the main businessman in the family now and I had to look sharp as his wife. I wanted to ask him what he meant by that but I wasn't saying too much these days for fear I'd say something I shouldn't and get him all started again.

When we got outside, Pepper's car was in front of the place. It took me back for a second and I was going to ask him why was Pepper's car still there, but I thought better of it and didn't. He had the keys to the car and he opened the door for me and I got in.

"I made a deal with Pepper last night. The car is ours, now!"

"Oh, I said. "Nice."

Then, we went to this really fancy place and he bought me three really beautiful dresses and all the accessories to go with them. One was black, low cut, with crossed strings for a back. Another was red with a very short skirt. The third was green with a pattern of white, and it was rather low cut, too. I wasn't sure why he was buying me these kind of sexy dresses when the last two weeks he had been so jealous. Now he seemed to want to be showing me off.

He took me home to change into one of the dresses - the red one, his favourite, and then we went out to dinner and to a club afterward. We hadn't been out at all since this whole thing started a few weeks ago, but I knew better than to question him about it. I was glad to get out and enjoy myself as little bit, really. I missed talking to people and waiting on customers, so I thought this might help a little.

All evening Aaron would smoke his cigars and introduce me to people and then leave me to do a little business. I was very careful while he was away doing his business not to do anything that he might interpret as being interested in other guys or not doing anything to make other guys look at me. When we were alone together, he seemed more like himself, except that he seemed to be trying to be important or at least look important. It was quite late when we got home in the morning, but he still made love to me and I was beginning to think that things were going better again and I would get my old Aaron back. Then the police came.

I heard the pounding on the door from a long distance at first for I slept very soundly that night. When I realized that there was somebody at the door, I turned to Aaron but there was no-one in his place. I got very frightened for a minute, but got up, put on a robe and went to the door.

"Police, ma'am. We need you to answer a few questions. " They showed their badges.

I nodded weakly and motioned for them to come in.

"Is this the residence of Aaron Joseph Kelly?"

"Yes."

"And where is Mr. Kelly now?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. I was in bed sleeping and he went to bed with me but he's not there now - when I woke up, I mean."

"Can you tell us if he knows or keeps company with this man?" He held out a picture of Pepper Conklin.

"Yes. That's Pepper Conklin. They used to be good friends but they had a fight and now they aren't. Has something happened to Aaron? Or to Pepper?"

"I'm afraid I can't say, ma'am. The car that your husband was driving...?"

"That used to be Pepper's but Aaron said that it was ours now. I don't know how... I didn't ask. Is Aaron okay?

"We would very much like to talk to your husband. Is he your husband?" "We live together."

"If you could have him give us a call when he gets in or have him just come down to the station for a few questions. We're sorry for disturbing you. Good night."

I closed the doors and took in a deep breath. What now? And where was Aaron? What would he be doing up at this hour of the night? I paced up and down most of the night, trying to figure out where Aaron could be - what happened to him. He was often out late at night but I don't remember him ever getting up and going out after we had gone to bed. I waited the whole rest of the night. No Aaron.

The next day I was really a mess. I didn't know what to do. So, finally, I got dressed and headed down to the grocery store where Aaron's brother, Chris, worked. I thought maybe he had contacted Chris and that maybe Chris knew something.

When I got to the store I said hello to everyone - gee, I missed them - and waited for Chris to be able to take a break. He got Mr. Malone to let him go for a little walk with me, telling him that there was a family emergency. Mr. Malone was real nice. He told me I could have my job back any time.

So Chris and I went across to the coffee shop where I had first met Aaron.

"So what's the big problem," Chris asked.

"It's Aaron," I said. "I don't know where he is." I was starting to cry.

"What do you mean? When did he leave?"

"He's not been himself the last couple of weeks, Chris. He made me quit my job and he's been mean to me a lot. But then, the last two days he was really nice again and last night after we went to bed, he just disappeared. The police woke me up this morning looking for him.

"The police."

"Yeah. I don't think they wanted to arrest him or anything. They said they just wanted to talk to him. But why would they come to the house at 3 in the morning if that's all they wanted. Couldn't they have waited until the next morning or something?"

"Has there been anything going on," Chris asked, "that the police would want to know about?"

"I don't know. Aaron never talked much about what he was doing. I know he had a fight with Pepper Conklin the other night but I think that was over me. He came home and Pepper had dropped by and he acted like Pepper was going after me or something."

"I thought that Pepper and him were friends," said Chris.

"They were. They were together all the time. I never really liked Pepper all that much. He had a real mean streak in him but they always seemed to get along. You know, it's really funny. Now that I think about it, Aaron said something after their fight, like - he had solved the problem and he wouldn't bother us ever again. Something like that."

"Wow. Unbelievable."

"What? What is?"

"Never mind. I was just thinking that those two guys had been friends for quite a while. Something must have happened to break them up."

"Well," I stated, "it wasn't me!"

"Look, Gloria, I'm afraid that I can't help you. Aaron hasn't contacted me and I have no idea where he can be. If you like I'll come over to the apartment and stay with you after work until he comes back or at least till we hear what's going on."

"No. That's okay. I mean, you're welcome to drop by, but I don't need you to be there. I'll be all right. I just hope that nothing has happened to him. It's just not like him."

"Alright. I'll give you a call or drop by this evening. You're sure you are going to be okay?"

"Yes. Thanks, Chris. You're really sweet. Thanks for everything." I went home hoping that there would be some kind of message or that he would be home, but he wasn't. He didn't come home for two whole weeks.

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