Part 5
The response to Shalonda's confession was generally positive. All of the
soon-to-be-graduating seniors stayed with only a few of the junior classwomen
electing to leave. Two of the juniors, four of the sophomores and half of the
freshmen elected to leave, with all but one promising to come back once
everything was resolved and the school could once again assure them safety *and*
discretion. Even the one who wasn't coming back could be counted a plus in
Clarice's and most of the staff's view. Miss Icebox 1999 in Penelope's class had
not done anything to endear herself to anyone at the school and would not be
missed. Clarice had even enjoyed writing the refund check.
The morning passed with helping the departing students get packed and leave.
Clarice decided not to start classes until the next day, and had the cooks
prepare a picnic for the remaining students. The women frolicked in the sun like
children, playing a variety of games including tag, volleyball and softball.
Many of the women had returned to their GWU uniforms of bare-skin and exercise
shoes, but no one had ordered that so some had also continued to wear their
clothes.
Towards the end of the impromptu party, Red found Clarice. "I think we just
might have a solution, dear. Let's find Penelope and see if we can work this to
our advantage."
~------------~
"I don't believe this. You are kidding, right? Mr. God and Country H_? No way!!"
Penelope said forcefully.
"Way," Clarice grinned back as she reached for the phone. "At least if he is the
same Harold H_, and you have to admit, that is not a common name."
Red watched from the sidelines as she dialed the phone and then listened
expectantly. Finally she chirped. "Harold H_, please. This is Clarice C_." There
was a pause. "Glad to hear your voice, too, dear. How is your lovely wife, and
that sweetheart of a daughter of yours? Oh, that's wonderful. Harold? Are you
the same Harold H_ who sits on the Board of Directors of D_ Corporation? You
are? Well, we have a problem that you might be able to help us with. Let me
explain . . ."
~-------------~
Marshall D_ looked across his desk to the austerely attractive woman seated
there. Bethanne B_ was, ostensibly, his executive assistant. In truth, she was
far more than that. First and foremost, she was his lover, and to quote Rod
Stewart, oh, mother, what a lover. Under that pristine, coolly elegant shell was
a woman who knew more ways to turn a man inside out than an entire Parisian
bordello. More important than that, however, was that she was the brains behind
most of what Marshall had accomplished with the company in the two years since
he'd hired her.
For the past year, Marshall had wanted to divorce Penelope and settle down with
his new lady. The problem with that course of action was that he would cease
being president sometime on or before the date of the finalized divorce decree.
The prenuptial agreement he'd signed when he'd married Penelope virtually
assured that. Unless there was some type of fault involved on her part leading
to the divorce, he'd be allowed to keep only what had obviously been paid for
with his contribution to the household which included his wardrobe, toys and
cars. Everything else was a result of the D_ family fortune.
Then, someone (and Marshall *wished* he knew who that someone was) had
anonymously sponsored Marshall and Penelope to the Good Wife University. He'd
been ready to laugh it off, but Bethanne had read between the lines and thought
there might be something to this place. She'd been the one to hire that
investigative service, and they'd come up with just about the entire
"curriculum" of the place in relatively short order. Good Wife University. . .
HAH. Slut School was closer.
"But, sweetheart. Why do I want her to go someplace like that when all I really
want her to do is go away or die."
But of course, Bethanne had seen possibilities he'd never considered. Not only
would such behavior, if properly documented, greatly simplify getting the
divorce they both wanted under much more equitable terms, it could prevent his
loss of the presidency. Bethanne was the one who had pointed out how such
behavior enforced by the GWU could be used to turn the rest of the Board of
Directors against Penelope if she tried to remove him as president.
Yes, a very powerful, very exciting, very dangerous woman was his lover, and all
the more arousing for that very reason.
Bethanne tossed her coal black hair and fixed her boss with a cold look. "While
I agree with you that it probably doesn't matter at this point, Marshall, it was
still stupid to show her the pictures before we were fully ready to move."
Marshall was pleased to be able to show her wrong for once. She was a helluva
woman, but every once in while, a man had to remind his woman who was the head
of the relationship. "I don't think so, darling. We've won, and now, Penelope
knows it. It will do her good to stew over it for a while before we offer her
the opportunity to retire with her dignity by divorcing me and selling us her
interest in the company."
"I could quote history and point out the difference between Pearl Harbor, which
was a complete surprise and Midway, when the US Navy knew what the Japanese
planned to do, but I won't. Since I agree that there is very little she can do
at this point, I will simply tell you *not* to do it again." She watched as
Marshall started to respond, but caught himself when he saw the steel shining in
her violet eyes. He nodded. Satisfied, she let the matter drop. "So, do you know
why Harold H_ wants to talk to you?"
Relieved to have been let off the hook this time, Marshall could only shake his
head. "His secretary did not say. Just said he needed to discuss the next board
meeting with me."
"I don't like not knowing why he wants to meet with you. I think this is the
first time he has done such a thing since I have worked here. It is out of
character."
"Well, I couldn't tell him not to come. We are counting on his block of stock
when it comes time to censure Penelope if she is too stupid to take us up on our
offer."
-beep beep- the intercom chimed its electronic bell tone. "Mr. H_ is here to see
you, sir," the outer office receptionist reported. "He has some guests with him
he'd like you to meet."
He started to the intercom, but decided he felt good enough to be magnanimous
and strode to the door to his office. Besides, it would soften the old bird up
if he was met in the outer alcove.
What Marshall D_ saw in the outer office brought him up short. Harold H_ was
there all right, along with two women he only vaguely recognized and a man he
did not know at all. However it was the *other* women with the old man that
stopped him short. Standing beside Harold was Penelope, along with that black
female PI and the woman who had given the welcoming speech the night Penelope
had unwillingly started the GWU program.
"Hello, Harold." he said cautiously. "What can I do for you today."
"I think, D_," the old man said icily, "That you might prefer if we discuss that
in the privacy of your office."
Shocked by the tone and the message, Marshall retreated. "Of course. Please come
in."
Once inside, Marshall shut and locked the door to his office. He took a moment
to disable the surveillance equipment that watched over his safety and then
turned to face his guests. "I guess this is your show, Harold," he offered by
way of an introduction, "but first, may I introduce Ms. Bethanne B., my
executive assistant?"
"I think," Harold's voice was rock hard, "That *you*, Mr. D_, might prefer that
Ms. B_ not attend this meeting."
Marshall turned to Bethanne, saw the look in her eyes, and shuddered. "No,
Harold. I think I would rather have her stay. Just to keep minutes."
The old man shrugged. "Your office, your choice," he said calmly before turning
toward the other members of his entourage. Let me introduce you to my friends.
Of course you already know your own wife, and it is my understanding that you
are acquainted with this lady, Shalonda S_ as well since you hired her to spy on
your wife. This lady," and he turned to Clarice, "Is Mrs. C_, Head Mistress of
the Good Wife University."
"How do you do, Mrs. C_." Marshall responded when Harold did not bother to
introduce the other two women or the man. Turning to his wife and the PI, he
greeted them coolly. "Penelope. Ms. S_."
Silence quickly shrouded the office, until Marshall could no longer stand it.
"Harold, if you have something to say, please say it. I am a busy man and Ms. B
and I have important company business to see to."
"Just how long you have that 'company business to see to', Marshall, is very
dependent on the outcome of this meeting, so I suggest that you have very little
that could be more pressing than this little get-together."
"That sounds like a threat, Harold, and you really don't want to make threats in
my office." Marshall said, his temper starting to burn.
"Not a threat, you pompous little ass." the older man growled. "Let me make this
clear. Between your wife and I, we control almost forty five percent of this
company. I have proxy rights to vote another eight percent. If we don't come to
an agreement right here, right now, an emergency board meeting will be called
within the hour to vote you out of office and to terminate your contract with
this company."
"WHAT???" Marshall's temper froze as he tried to understand what had just been
said.
"Let me tell you what it will take for you to keep your cushy little job, Mr.
D_," Harold said as he moved to get into Marshall's face. "You paid Shalonda to
take pictures of your wife while she was going through training at Mrs. C_'s
school which you told her you would use to blackmail her with the Board. You
evidently concluded that our conservative, Christian natures would be so
disgusted by her behavior that we'd strip her of her voting rights."
Harold broke off his tirade and walked over to stand behind the two women
Marshall had thought familiar when they'd first entered the room. "You stupid
fool, who do you think sponsored you so that you even found out about the GWU?
Let me introduce my wife, Delta, and my daughter, Dawn, Mr. D_. Both are high
honors graduates of the Good Wife University."
"But. . but. . . you are Baptists," Marshall said in shocked dismay, his head
slewing back and forth between an equally stunned Bethanne and Harold.
"The Ten Commandments only say "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery", Mr. D_. They
say NOTHING that precludes finding joy and pleasure and fulfillment within
marriage, and THAT, you consummate idiot, is what GWU is all about. Yes, the
program there was adjusted a bit for my wife and daughter because of their faith
and personal convictions, but they still learned a great deal and my son-in-law
and I are *very* happy men. I wanted that for you because I liked your wife and
could tell you two weren't happy. Then, you had to go and do something stupid
when there wasn't any reason for it."
Marshall could not believe his world had been so disrupted so suddenly. "What do
you want."
"It is what your wife wants that counts, Mr. D_. Satisfy her - by all accounts
for the *first* time in your life - and you won't be looking for a new job. At
least, not immediately. Penelope?"
Penelope moved to stand beside Harold. Marshall had never seen that cold look in
her eyes before. It was all he could do not to flinch from her stare. "I want
three things from you, Marshall, that's all," she said in a poisonously sweet
voice that made his skin crawl. "I want you to sign the agreement my attorney,
Mr. C_ has for your signature and Mr. H_'s witnessing. Then I want those damned
pictures. All of them including the negatives. Shalonda will make sure that they
are all there. And if any prints show up at anytime after we conclude our
business today, I will sue you for breach of contract. After that, I want an
uncontested divorce, property split precisely according to the prenuptial
agreement which states that we both keep what we brought into the marriage. You
can have your cars and toys, but the house, the stock and the income from those
stocks are all mine. You keep only your salary, adjusted for your fair share of
our joint living expenses, of course."
"That's highway robbery! This is a joint property state! I should get far more
than that in a settlement." he protested, only to stop dead in his tracks when
Harold moved a step closer to him.
"Perhaps. So we're even - blackmail for grand theft. If you don't agree, we will
vote you out right now and then destroy your career. Harold has an excellent
reputation in the business world, you know, and by the time he is done with you,
well, you *might* be able to get a job as a sewer worker."
It was happening too quickly, he thought dazed, but there was no doubt that
Harold was capable of doing precisely what Penelope had just threatened. He had
never expected to come close to failing in this gambit so he and Bethanne did
not have any back up contingency plans to fall back on. He was caught. Or was
he? Could he get Penelope to forgive him? Let bygones be bygones? Then he saw
those cold eyes again.
"You said there was a contract?" he said defeatedly.
"Right here, Mr. D_," Red said cheerfully as he pulled a file folder out of his
attache. The signing was dealt with quickly enough and Red reclaimed the
contracts. "I will file these with at the county courthouse before the end of
the day. The divorce decree should be final in a couple of weeks. It will take
that long for our accounting firm to divide up the property." "Your accounting
firm?" Marshall bridled.
"You really should read what you sign," Red grinned. "You just agreed to allow
Penelope to select the accounting firm that will oversee the dispensation of
property. She has already signed with my firm."
"Who *are* you?" Marshall demanded.
"*Her*" Red said, all the cheer gone from his voice as he pointed to his smiling
wife, "Husband. And one of your worst mistakes. I designed the GWU contract you
pulled that crap on with the disappearing signature, Mister. I watched you sign
this one, as did everyone else in this room."
"Well," Marshall said with false bravado, "I guess that concludes our business.
I am still president and I still do have a company to run. So, if you will
please excuse me?"
Harold gestured for the party to precede him to the door. Once there, he stopped
and turned to face Marshall one last time. "You are the president, but just so
you know, I will be putting a motion before the board at the next meeting to
reorganize the management of this company. We will be appointing a CEO and a
Chief Financial Officer to run the company. The president will be responsible
for carrying out their directions. Don't bother applying for either post, D_.
You don't have the right stuff for the job. You can stay president if that is
what you want, but at a salary commensurate with your . . .ummm. . new duties
and responsibilities. If you elect to look for a new post at another company,
well, I won't sabotage you." He turned to leave but stopped again. "At least not
*this* time because I promised your wife that I wouldn't. After this, I may
remember that your stupid plan threatened some friends of mine, and almost
destroyed something which greatly benefitted both my wife and daughter. Know any
good headhunters, D_? Good day."
Shalonda hung back, a cold, blank look on her face. Marshall was about to say
something nasty to her when her foot lashed straight up into his wishbone
knocking him gasping to the floor. "You lied to me, scum, and *used* me to try
to hurt a sweet, wonderful woman. Let me tell you something, slimeball. You
aren't good enough to lick her ass clean after she takes a crap. Let me add
something to that little contract you just signed. No, let me make you a
promise. If just one of those pictures sees the light of day, I am going to
invite you to my next martial arts demonstration . . . . . as the demonstration
dummy. If you are lucky, you'll wake up in a hospital. If you aren't, or if you
*really* piss me off, you won't wake up." Shalonda punctuated that last
statement with a sharp kick to Marshall's groin, and then left him rolling and
vomiting on the floor.
When the world finally stopped twisting and turning, Marshall looked up to see a
furious Bethanne staring down at him. "I told you that showing her those
pictures prematurely was stupid. Harold called you a hundred kinds of fool."
Suddenly the raw agony in Marshall's groin erupted fresh and new. Through the
haze of his agony, he heard Bethanne's voice. "Harold was being too fucking
kind. See you at the unemployment office, shit-for-brains."
~------------------~
An exhausted but exhilarated Clarice rolled over on top of her husband and
kissed him thoroughly. "I am soooooo tired, but I am too wired to sleep." She
grinned down at Red and then ravaged his mouth again while squirming deliciously
against his growing erection. "Feel up to doing something about it? Or perhaps
doing something about or to me?"
"Minx." he chuckled as he took up her challenge to both their pleasures.
Much later, Clarice sighed with pleased satiation. She burrowed her head into
the crook of his arm. "It went well, today, didn't it?"
"We were lucky - twice. First that Harold was the one involved and that he could
do something. Second that Shalonda really did care about Penelope."
"That too, but what I was talking about was our students all staying or coming
back when we called." Clarice and Red had spent the entire evening calling the
women who had left and telling them of the day's happenings. A perfect end to a
pretty darned good day.
"Even Miss Icebox." Red teased.
Clarice almost grimaced, but just then she simply felt too good. Icy's husband
had been adamant that his wife would learn to enjoy the marital embrace and
amazingly enough, the woman actually did love and want to please her man.
Clarice had permitted her to readmit, but hadn't had the heart to tell her
staff. She'd tell them tomorrow.
"Even Shalonda and Penelope." Clarice retorted, choosing to ignore the Icy
situation.
"Well, that surprised me," Red admitted. "Neither of them are really married or
even attached as near as I can tell."
A soft, sexy chuckle vibrated his lover's body. "Well, they certainly aren't
attached to a man."
Red wondered at her oddly chosen words, but he knew Clarice well enough to know
that every little syllable had meaning when she chose to speak. *what the hell
does that mean?* he wondered. He was about to ask her that very question when he
saw what she meant. "You don't mean. . .they're.. . . I mean. . .the two of
them? Together?"
"Yup. We may have to change our name to the Good Significant Other University."
"But they're gonna go through it here? Together? At the same time?"
"Whole new dynamic, isn't it? I am not sure how to handle two women who have
decided to become each other's good significant other."
"You did fine before," Red encouraged. "They'll be fine. Fun to watch, too.
Another GWU first. Committed partners going through the course together."
"You're probably right," Clarice said with a sleepy smile. "After all, it's all
about loving each other, isn't it, Red- dear?"
"Like I love you?" Red asked as he pulled he closer, sleep also beginning to
slur his words.
"Like I love you, too, my love." Clarice said, knowing he'd fallen asleep
without hearing her words, but also knowing he already knew that. *Love is
grand,* was Clarice's own last thought as she too slipped off into sleep wrapped
in her husband's loving arms.
