The Last Girls' Weekend Pt. 05

I started work at H's [a hotel chain I work for as an assistant manager] Miami Beach resort on January 1st. Cheryl and I had our argument and parted ways the following Saturday morning. The apartment I rented in Miami became available earlier than expected so I was able to move in on Monday, January 8th. I was still working the midnight to 8am shift.

Tuesday morning, as I was leaving work, the acting manager, Hugh Clark, called me into his office. I thought he was going to give me a new shift, as he had promised to do. Nope. He asked, "How is it going?"

"OK, getting used to the place. It is a really nice resort. I found an apartment. Moved in yesterday. Good having my own place."

"I hope you didn't sign a long term lease." He looked at me like he really didn't want to have this conversation with me. Or any conversation. "Corporate knows that your girlfriend Cheryl Addison set up Beck. Along with your ex-wife. They think you were part of it. Beck told you he was going to fire you so you had your two partners get rid of him. Corporate wants you gone."

"I didn't know anything about what happened to Beck until after I finished packing up my old place and returned to work last Saturday. I had nothing to do with it. I've done nothing wrong. What's the basis for firing me?"

"Addison wants $100,000 to not make public the photos and recording she has of Beck."

"Cheryl and I are no longer together. I don't know what she's doing. First I've heard she wants money. I had nothing to do with any of that. Why are you telling me this? If you can prove Cheryl and Abbie have done something illegal, have the cops arrest them."

"We can't go to the cops. No one wants this to get out. I heard the recording of Beck forcing the woman employee to have sex with him. Horrible. The woman employee was Cheryl?"

"All I know is what everyone here seems to know. He propositioned an employee, telling her if she didn't have sex with him he was going to tell her husband that she was cheating on him and that he was going to fire her. And that there are embarrassing pictures of him in the motel room with her. I haven't had any contact with Cheryl since last Saturday. Her asking H for money is news to me."

"H doesn't want to pay the money. I thought of a way to maybe get you back in their good graces. Tell Cheryl to drop the demand for money. I don't know, tell her that we won't go to the cops if she drops it. I don't care what you tell her, just get her to leave it alone. If she does, we will too. We just want all this to go away.

"If you get her to drop the demand for money, I'll make sure corporate knows it was you. Instead of being a villain, you'll be a hero."

I thought, 'Not as big a hero as you'll make yourself out to be,' but I said, "I have no influence over Cheryl. She does what she wants. I wouldn't stake your future on me convincing Cheryl to do anything."

"I haven't told corporate that I'm going to suggest you do this. But if you can get her to go away, you will get the credit."

"I'll talk to Cheryl. But don't get your hopes up."

"I also want them off the property. Tell them they're not welcome here."

"Just ask them to leave."

"I tried that. They were at the adult pool yesterday. I took two security guards with me to throw them out. I didn't know what they looked like but the security guards did. I waited by the gate and security walked up to two women. One's wearing a fairly modest two piece bathing suit and a big floppy hat reading a magazine. At least a modest bathing suit by today's standards. The other's topless in an almost nothing bikini bottom just stretched out on one of the lounges. You wonder why they even bother with a bottom at all. It covers almost nothing. Not that I'm complaining. Two very good looking women." He looked at me trying to figure out why either of them wanted to have anything to do with me.

"The guards ask for their room key, which they can't produce, so they ask them to leave. They start packing up when one of the male guests sitting a few chairs down tells security that the two ladies are with him. They're his guests. I motioned to the guards to back off. The guy's too important a guest to have a fight with."

Hugh continued, "In my next life, I want to come back as a beautiful woman. Just snap your fingers and some guy will give you anything you want. Anyway, it's not as easy as just telling them to leave. Calling the cops would be even worse."

"I'll call her today. We didn't part on the best of terms. She might not even take my call."

"Please try."

I went home to sleep and called Cheryl when I woke up that afternoon. She answered, "Hi Mark. Miss me already?"

"We need to talk. Not on the phone. Can we meet?"

Cheryl said, "I'll find you," and hung up.

I got off work the next morning and told Hugh before I left for home, "I called Cheryl to tell her I want to talk. She said she'll find me. When she finds me, I'll let you know."

I went home. I was off the next two days and I still had to get my stuff unpacked. I was dreading it. I opened the door to my apartment to find Cheryl sitting on my couch. She was a blonde again.

Cheryl was frowning, her arms crossed as were her legs, her foot moving up and down impatiently. I started, "How did you know........ Never mind. You found me."

She stared at me and finally said, "You wanted to talk. Talk."

No pleasantries so I dived right in, "You're asking H for $100K to keep from going public with Beck?"

Cheryl nodded and asked, in a cold, businesslike voice, "Are you recording this?"

"No. I'm not going to record our conversations. How could you even think that?"

She said, in the same voice, all business, "I won't talk to you about this unless I'm sure I'm not being recorded. Give me your phone. I want to make sure you're not using it to record."

I opened my phone and handed it to her. She sat and scrolled through it. After a couple of minutes, I held my hand out for my phone, "What are you doing? Give me my phone." She kept looking through it and then gave it back.

She didn't seem as angry. "Is that your only phone?"

"Of course it is. You know I only have one phone."

She said, "I thought you were so horrid to me Saturday because you found someone new. You were dumping me for her. But there are no girls you're talking to, at least not on that phone."

"You looked at my phone calls?"

"And your texts, emails and apps."

"So it wasn't about me recording you."

"Why would I care if you recorded me? I'm not going to admit to any crimes. What I care about is why you would talk to me the way you did on Saturday. I don't like ultimatums. I should give up the only life I've ever known or I can't be with you? We were talking and you suddenly spring on me this 'My way or the highway' bullshit. That was offensive. Instead of just continue talking. Trying to work something out. I couldn't figure out why you would want to piss me off. I thought maybe you were trying to dump me because you found someone else." She looked at me, "Did you? Find someone else?"

"No. But we were talked out. I shouldn't have put it like that. I apologize. I didn't mean to offend you. But how we can stay together if you remain a criminal? I can't have a career if my girlfriend and ex-wife are running cons at the hotel I'm working at. I just wanted to make it clear that we can't be together if you don't give up conning people. No matter how much I care for you, I'm destroying my career being with you."

"You care for me?" Cheryl smiled for the first time. Her smile lit up the room.

"Don't be an idiot. You know I care for you."

"Then join me. Give up this hotel bullshit and be my partner. Join my gang."

"First of all, I'm not joining any gang. Second, if I were a part of a gang it would be my gang."

Cheryl rolled her eyes and said, "What an ego. OK, it'll be your gang. I'll just be running it."

"We're going to have to settle this after school behind the gym. Fight it out. Unless you're too chicken."

"Oh, I'll be there, tough guy." Cheryl smirked, amused, "Guns or knives?"

"Not guns. I'm not suicidal. Are you any good with a knife?"

"Who do you think had to dress the animals my father, brothers and I hunted. I got so I could field dress a fairly large deer in a little over ten minutes. Take me about twenty minutes to field dress you."

"Were you ever in a knife fight?"

Cheryl sighed, "You don't get in knife fights. Or gun fights for that matter. You don't want the OK Corral. Unless you have no choice. You take care of your problem by getting right behind him and ending your problem once and for all. You get close. You don't have a draw down on main street at noon."

Cheryl smiled, "Of course, I'm not talking from experience. I wouldn't hurt a fly."

"So I wouldn't live long enough to make it to our fight behind the gym after school?"

Cheryl shrugged, "That would be my guess."

"I think you should be in charge of the gang."

Cheryl amused, smiled again, "Good decision. I'm sorry I got so heated and stormed out Saturday. It sounded like you think I'm so into you that I'll give up everything just to be with you. Why don't you give up everything to be with me?"

"I'm really sorry I said it that way. But we're back to where we were. Star-crossed lovers."

Cheryl grinned and said, "So I'm here for an apology or was that a booty call too? I brought my booty just in case. Or do we have to talk about the money I want for the sexual abuse I suffered."

"We'll see about your booty later. And I do apologize. Yeah, we have to talk about that. I got called into the office yesterday by the acting manager, Hugh Clark. He tells me corporate knows it was you and Abbie that set up Beck and that you want $100K. He wants me to ask you to drop it. They won't go to the cops if you just go away."

"They're not going to the cops. It'll leak to the press. They let this creep quit and just walk away. The press will have a field day."

"He also told me that corporate thinks I was part of setting up Beck. They want him to fire me. Sooner or later they'll find or create something that gets me fired. He wants to be permanent manager. He'll throw me under the bus if that's what it takes for him to get the job."

"His name is Hugh Clark?"

"Leave him alone. Anyone they replace him with will be worse."

"Just asking. You know I would never involve myself in your work." Cheryl smiled. Miss Innocent.

"He told me if I can convince you to drop the demand for money, he'll make sure corporate knows that I got you to back off. He says he'll give me the credit. Prove to corporate that I had nothing to do with setting up Beck and I'm the hero who saved them the $100K."

Cheryl's face darkened. She was angry, "So they think I'll forego $100K because of my feelings for you. They want me to give up the money because they think I don't want anything bad to happen to you. Because I don't want you fired. It seems everyone thinks my feelings for you will get me to do pretty much anything. How do they know how I feel about you?"

"I don't know. They must know we lived together for almost four months. Maybe they figured we were more than friends. And I've never denied being with you. And always defended you. Look, I shouldn't have asked you to do this for me. Even if you drop your demand for money, they'll probably still fire me."

Cheryl looked at me for a while. Thinking. She no longer seemed angry. "If you could, how long would you like to stay working at this resort. Five years? Ten years? Less? More?"

"An odd question. What difference does it make now? It doesn't matter what I want. They want me gone."

"Just answer. How long would you like to work at the resort?"

"I don't know. After five years I'd probably want to see what else there is. I should be slotted for a manager's job by then. It won't be here. Hugh's fairly young so if they make him permanent manager, he'll be the manager here for years."

Cheryl went on, "You said this guy was going to change your shift from the midnight to eight. What happened with that? What shift would you want?"

"I don't think now's the time to press him about changing my shift. But everyone wants to work days."

"If I tell you I'll think about giving up the $100K they owe me is that good enough for now? You're off work the next two days. I'll let you know by the end of the weekend."

"He also wants you off of his property."

Cheryl giggled, "I know. He sent Rick and Max to throw us out of the pool. Two of my guys. They apologized later. But a very nice man saved us. Abbie is lying there topless with basically just a strip of cloth the size of a band aid over her crotch. No straight guy would want her to leave. There will always be a very nice man to save us. Just to get to meet Abbie. But this guy was really nice. He and Abbie are spending time together. He has money and Abbie has a very sick sister he's helping."

"Abbie doesn't have a sister."

"Well, I won't mention that to him.

"I'll think about giving up the money. Can we go to bed? I didn't drag my booty here for nothing."

I said, "You're back to a blonde."

"Yeah, you said you liked blonde better."

"No. I said I like the black hair better."

Cheryl, panicked, said, "Really?"

"I'm kidding. I love blonde. And black was nice too."

We went to bed. I think my sex life revolves around the goosebumps Cheryl gets on her ass when she's close to finishing. When I feel those goosebumps I know we're almost home so I relax and enjoy myself.

Afterward, we talked in bed, Cheryl in her usual place lying on top of me. "I don't know what I'd do if I get out of the life. I don't have a lot of career choices. But I also don't want to give you up. How about we do this. I have to live with Abbie. This only works if she and I are together. So you and I can see each other without living together. Abbie's gone a lot of nights and even if she isn't out, I can still come here. No one will even know we're hooking up."

"I'll think about it. Let you know by the end of the weekend."

Furious, Cheryl said, "You'll think about it? So if I give up the $100K, you'll let me in your bed? Fuck you. You really are full of yourself."

She started to get off me but I held on to her. She struggled but I didn't let her go. I said, "I'm kidding. Of course, I want you in my bed. It can get cold with the air conditioning and you make a nice bed warmer."

She struggled harder and said, "Let me go! Asshole."

I held on. "Stop struggling. I'm not going to let you go. Of course, I want to see you as much as I can. Idiot. You can come here as much as you want." Cheryl stopped struggling.

"It probably doesn't matter anymore what you and I do. I don't know how long I'll be working at the resort. The manager told me he hopes I didn't sign a long term lease for this place."

Cheryl lifted her head, "This was Hugh Clark?"

"Cheryl."

"What? Just asking. You know I'm harmless. Wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Leave him alone. I have to get some sleep. I have to start unpacking this stuff today. Are you staying this time or storming out again?"

"I'm staying until the weekend. I'll help you unpack. Abbie is spending the week with the nice guy who helped us at the pool. He really wants to help with Abbie's sick sister."

"No good deed goes unpunished."

"Shut up and go to sleep. You never look at the bright side. He's having the time of his life with Abbie."

For the next two days, we unpacked, fucked, ate and slept. Friday morning, Cheryl said, "I have to meet with Abbie. She just called. I should be back in an hour or two. If I'm later than that I'll call. You'll be here?"

"Sure. Remember, I have to be at work at midnight tonight. I'll go out and get a key made for you today. I wouldn't want you to have to break in."

Cheryl was back a few hours later. I'd finished unpacking and was snoozing on the couch. She woke me by kissing me on the cheek and smoothing my hair.

"How did you get in? Why didn't you knock? Do you have a key?"

"No, if you had a key made, I'll take it. How'd I get in? I have to stay in practice. I thought you be sleeping and figured I'd wake you a little more gently than the doorbell or knocking. But mainly I have to stay in practice. And it's fun picking locks. Even one as easy as yours."

"Your key's on the table by the door. What happened with Abbie?"

I was still lying down. I sat up and Cheryl sat in my lap. "The nice guy from the pool? He asked Abbie to go home with him to Virginia. To meet the folks. Look at the homestead. Imagine herself the beautiful young bride. Abbie could do worse. The guy's a widower in his sixties, grown kids, tons of money. He's a catch."

"What'd you tell her?"

"That it's her life. If that's what she wants to do. My advice, Hold off. Make plans to visit him in a month or so. See if she feels the same way then. Maybe someone better will come along. Or at least younger. Give herself some time. He'll still be around.

"She sees this as her way of living the good life. No money worries. He'll be wrapped around her finger so she can do what she wants. But there will almost certainly be a pre-nup with an infidelity clause which will make life difficult for Abbie. He has money and, if the marriage lasts, she'll end up fighting his kids over it once he's gone. There's also the problem of her sister. The sick sister he's been giving her money to help. Try explaining her non-existent sister when he meets her family."

"What will you do if she leaves with him?"

Cheryl shrugged, "I like Abbie. She's a lot of fun and easy to get along with. We work well together. She's been a good partner. Marks love her. Despite all the problems she's having, she makes the marks feel they're the only one for her."

"The problems she's having is her sister's illness?"

"Sometimes it's her mother. Or grandmother.

"But this is a business relationship. If it ends, it ends. I don't work without a partner so I'll have to find someone. I have a few bucks I can live off in the meantime."

"You told me you had about $600K when I was lugging it in from your car."

"Well, that's a few bucks."

I went to work at midnight Saturday morning. When I got off, Hugh was waiting for me. He opened the door to his office and asked me in. And to sit down. He said, "Here. Look it over. I think it's what you want. See if they've left out anything." He pushed a folder across his desk to me.

"What is this?"

"What you wanted. I'll wait while you read it. If you want to take it to a lawyer, that's fine. That's your copy."

I opened the folder. It was an employment contract. I read it while he watched me. The contract is in effect for five years. I will get a raise every year. The raises are spelled out. I will get a bonus every year. The bonus each year is also spelled out. I will be working the day shift. Any disciplinary action by the hotel I don't think is fair, I can take to arbitration which the hotel pays for. I read it again. I couldn't have written a more favorable contract myself.

When I finished reading it a second time, I asked, "Why are you giving me this?"

"You know why. I've had your back but you embarrassed me. I've been telling corporate that you are not involved in the scams Addison and your ex are doing. Then Addison tells them she'll drop the demand for money if they give you this contract. She spells out the contract in detail. Obviously, you're working together. You were part of setting up Beck so you could get this sweetheart deal. And protect your girlfriend and your ex-wife. And you put me in the middle."

"This is the first I know about this. I didn't ask for it and never talked to Cheryl about a contract. I don't care if you believe me or not, but I had nothing to do with it. Or with getting rid of Beck."

"She also told them that if anything happens to you, if you're fired, she'll give the recording and photos of Beck to the press. They'll know that the hotel knew about Beck but allowed him to resign quietly. Exposing that will embarrass us.

"She also promised not to do anything illegal on hotel property. But she doesn't want to be hassled by security if they're at our pools, beach or other common areas. That's what she wants in order to drop the demand for money."

I asked, "And corporate took that deal?"

"Even if they paid the money to her, they'd still have Beck hanging over their heads. She could still take it to the press. And they don't want to pay. This is better for them. If the press finds out they paid money to keep Beck from becoming public, the press will construe it as part of the hotel's cover up of Beck's behavior. We won't just be able to say that we didn't know about Beck until after he quit and that we let it go because he was already gone. If we pay the money, it's hard to deny we're paying hush money because we knew about Beck and did nothing.

"Addison has shown them just how important you are to her. They figure they have you to hang over Addison's head. If you or she does something they don't like, they'll go after you. It's a nice contract. I wish I had one like that. But contracts are made to be broken. And it's hard to claim they're covering up the Beck stuff by offering you a contract. What does your employment have to do with Beck? They save $100K and you're not costing them any money they wouldn't have to spend anyway. If they fire you, they'd still have to hire your replacement. Pay someone else to be an assistant manager. They're not losing money by keeping you. So it's a standoff. She can embarrass the hotel and they can go after you.

"Can I ask you something?" I nodded. "What is there about you that's worth $100K to this woman? I don't get it. She's a con artist who only cares about a pay day. How do you fit in?"

"I don't know. I didn't see this coming. I'll ask her."

"Are you going to sign that?" He nodded toward the employment contract.

"I want a day or two to think about it. I'll let you know Monday."

I picked up the paperwork and started to leave. Hugh said, "Thank her for not demanding corporate give you my job. If she had asked for that, you'd be the new manager and I'd be working for you."

I went home. Cheryl wasn't there so I went to bed. I was awakened around noon by Cheryl picking my front door lock. I yelled, "Use your damn key."

Cheryl came in. "Sorry, I didn't want to wake you. I'll use the key from now on. Go back to sleep. I need a shower and then I'll join you."

"We have to talk."

"Jesus, you're worse than a husband. Always want to talk. Just tell me straight out, am I going to get laid sometime today? Yes or no?"

"I'm sure you will have your way with me sooner or later. I need some sleep. Take your shower and get into bed. Up all night, sleep during the day. I'm beginning to feel like a vampire."

"I'll give you something to suck on."

"I also have something you can suck on. No sucking until I get some sleep. Good night. Or day. Whatever it is."

Cheryl woke me at 3pm in her usual way: sticking her hand inside my boxers and stroking my dick. Our talk had to wait for her goosebumps to subside.

Afterwards, Cheryl was on top of me as usual. I said, "I was given a five-year employment contract by Hugh this morning. How did that happen?"

"H realized what a valuable employee you are?"

"Cheryl?"

"I told you, nobody fucks with you. Honestly, I really did it for selfish reasons. I want you here with me in Miami. Now I know I'll have you for five years. Simple as that.

"Was the contract OK? Did I forget anything that should be in it? We can always change it. Add things. Believe me, your corporate guys were so happy with this they nearly peed their pants."

"You're willing to give up $100K to have me around for five years?"

"Well, it probably wouldn't have ended up being $100K. But it would have been a nice amount. I tell myself it's only money but then I immediately want to smash my head into a wall. Knock some sense back in. Please don't tell me you have qualms about signing the contract."

"You're blackmailing them into keeping me as an employee."

"No, I'm doing them a favor. I'm giving them the opportunity to keep a wonderful employee. And to see what a wonderful employee and person you are."

"If Abbie leaves, you may need the money. You may be out of work for a while."

"Abbie decided not to go with him. He's from western Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley area. He and his family are very conservative. Very active in their church. He and his kids all teach Sunday school.

"Anyway, he tells Abbie she can't dress at home like she does here. He wants to take her shopping for new clothes. Abbie's excited. New clothes! Until he starts picking out dresses that are so conservative a nun would refuse to wear them.

"He starts telling her about how important the church is to him and his children. Abbie will fit right into the church community. The church will become the center of her life too. He meets a pretty party girl at a pool where she's naked except for a small piece of cloth covering her pussy and somehow that says 'Sunday school teacher' to him. Just the woman he wants to bring home to meet his conservative family. Introduce to his pastor. Just some new clothes and she's ready for their prayer group.

"Abbie tells him she can't go meet his family now. She has to stay and take care of her sick sister. Maybe she can visit him in a month or two. Right after her sister has this very expensive medical procedure she needs help paying for.

"So Abbie's still my partner. At least until she gets a better proposal."

Cheryl continued, "I told your corporate yahoos that I won't do anything illegal on their property but I don't want to be hassled. They'll let us work but keep an eye on us. That's OK. I'm not going to do anything that will blow back on you. At least not at your hotel. I don't want your boss to think you'll try to protect me instead of doing your job.

"What did your boss have to say about this?"

"He wanted me to thank you for not giving me his job."

Cheryl laughed, "I don't want you to be manager. You'd be working all the time and I'd never see you. You're going to end up making more money than him anyway. But tell him he'd better be nice to you. Remind him it's fairly easy to get rid of managers. What else did he say?"

"He had the same questions I have. Why would you do this for me?"

"I have no idea. First I need some sex and then I'm going to bang my head into a wall.

"Are you going to sign the contract? If you don't they'll get rid of you. They'll think we did all this to get you in a place where you can help out these two women grifters you're in with. That's what I would think."

"That's what Hugh thinks. I told him I'd let him know by Monday. You have today and tomorrow to convince me to sign it. You've heard of signing under duress? I want to sign under pure pleasure. You're going to provide that pleasure. I'll sign because I won't want you to stop."

"Yes Sir. Can I start now?"

Needless to say, I signed the contract. That all happened back in January. It's now the end of July.

Hugh and I get along well. A good working relationship. We never mention Cheryl or what she might be up to. I work days, Monday through Friday, so it's like having a normal job. I just got my six-month performance review. Hugh was very complimentary.

Abbie met someone in March who whisked her away to Chicago. Cheryl said he's rich, divorced, no kids. He's a better fit for Abbie. He likes clubbing and parties too. Cheryl said his first wife divorced him because of infidelity. So probably neither of them will be faithful. They'll be perfect together.

So Cheryl lost her partner and has been looking for a new one. Not very seriously it seems to me. She was spending all her time at my place so last Spring she gave up her apartment and moved in with me. "Just until she finds a new partner," she says.

Last night I got home from work and Cheryl was making dinner. She said, "We have to talk."

I said, "You're worse than a wife. Always wanting to talk. Tell me straight out. Am I getting laid tonight?"

"I'm sure you'll have your way with me. I met with the woman I'll be assisting today. Dr. Flemming. She was my favorite teacher when I was an undergraduate and was my advisor for the paper I had to write to graduate with honors. She's the one who recommended me for honors."

"I don't understand. You'll be assisting her?"

"I applied to the Ph. D. program in philosophy at my alma mater in Miami. Back in January. I did it as a goof. I didn't think they'd accept me but they did. Dr. Flemming got me a teaching assistantship. So I don't pay tuition. Do you think I'm being silly? I'll be ten years older than everyone else and these kids will be so smart."

"No I don't think you're being silly. And you're smarter than any of them. I think it's a great idea. You could do anything. Why'd you pick this? Just curious."

"I need something to do until I get a new partner. I'll be going full time. I loved reading and writing about philosophy. I'll also be teaching, assisting Flemming with her students. Her intro class. She'll have them for a lecture on Monday mornings and then I'll take them in smaller groups throughout the week to go over her lecture. I think I'll like doing that.

"But this is only temporary. Trust me, as soon as I find a new partner, I'm out of there. Back to my real life."

The school semester starts at the end of August. I just hope none of her professors give Cheryl a bad grade. That could seriously complicate their lives.