For most of his life, Hart Richards had two priorities. The first priority was family. He treasured his parents, his sisters and nieces and nephews. He would have done, and did do, anything to make their lives better.
The second priority was an all-consuming one that threatened to destroy Hart. He wasn't aware of it until it was almost too late. He became obsessed with the acquisition of money and power. He wasn't a cruel man, so he didn't step on anyone's toes to get it. He merely started at the bottom and made himself so indispensable to the company that they had to promote him. And promote him again. Then again, until he was CEO of the firm and owned 51% of the stock. He achieved that goal by living modestly for the first few years of his career and using extra cash to buy as much stock as he could afford.
His parents were very proud of him and his mom constantly bragged about her handsome, successful son. Now that he had achieved a position in the upper echelons, Hart began to live the lifestyle of a man with power and wealth. He could now afford the fancy suits, cars and the trips he hadn't allowed himself in earlier years. He made sure to lavish attention on his family as well. The sacrifices of his parents had enabled him to get as far as he had.
"We don't need all of these fancy things," Sandra said to her son. "I'm happy to see you successful, but I'd be just as happy if you had a wife and I had a few more grandchildren. You know me, I have simple tastes. I like to putter in the garden and keep busy with my charity work."
Hart nodded and hugged his mom. His English-born mother had always enjoyed having a nice garden; she loved the earth and all living things. She worked for several charities and foundations that were "friends of the earth" and at times, Hart thought she overdid it. When he expressed his concerns to his father, he merely shrugged and said "It keeps her happy and if she's happy, I'm happy". Nothing more was said.
One thing his mom said struck a chord with Hart. He was 30 now and still a bachelor. True, he had dated some beautiful, exciting women, but he came from a traditional family with traditional values. He wanted a wife and children some day. What good was wealth and power if you couldn't share your possessions with someone who mattered? He was tall, dark-haired and had a lot going for him. Hart knew that it wouldn't be too difficult for him to find someone to settle down with, all he had to do was look for her.
It didn't take much of a search. Hart met Vanessa at a business conference and the two of them fit together like peas in a pod. She seemed to be everything he would ever want in a woman. She was smart, driven, funny and goddamned
sexy!
Once business was concluded, she proved to Hart that she knew how to play and play hard. They met for dinner and the statuesque, auburn-haired beauty showed up in a silver dress that looked as if she had been sewn into it. In heels, Vanessa nearly matched Hart's 6'3" frame. "I like to look a man in the eye," Vanessa purred into his ear. "Especially when I intend to
fuck
him."
A lesser man might have been taken aback by Vanessa's blunt, forceful nature. In the circle in which he traveled, Hart had met women like Vanessa before. Such women were not afraid to take what they wanted with no fuss about it. He found that attractive about her. Hart treated his companion to a lavish dinner replete with champagne and then, they went back to his hotel suite to consummate their "business partnership".
It was hard for Hart to ascertain just what kind of lover his new girlfriend was, because she was all over the place. In bed, she held nothing back. The instant her dress slid to the floor, he knew that he was in for a fantastic ride. Boldly, she had gone without a stitch of underwear and furthermore, she didn't need it. Fantastic breasts rode high on her chest, her stomach was flat and toned and her legs were as sleek as those of a dancer or swimmer. He recalled that later when they were wrapped around him as they made love. They made love in several positions and Vanessa seemed to delight in all of them. She was both giving and selfish, she demanded the best he had to give her in bed.
The two of them spent the remainder of the conference together and decided that they fit together well. Vanessa only lived an hour's drive from Hart, so it was easy for them to start a relationship. Not too surprisingly, it was Vanessa who proposed to him.
"We fit together and it's silly for us to keep driving back and forth, you to my place, me to yours," she said to him. "Neither of us is getting any younger, so why don't we make a go of marriage?" It made perfect sense to Hart, so the couple went out, bought an engagement ring and set a short date. Hart's mother was thrilled, although not without a few reservations.
"Don't get me wrong darling, she seems very nice," Sandra said to her son. "I just wonder, you're both so career-driven -- when will you find time for each other?"
Hart smiled and laughed at his mom good-naturedly. "I'm sure we'll make the time, mother," he answered her. "Both of us want this marriage to succeed and we're a good fit." Sandra nodded and gave her blessing. The wedding was on a beautiful Saturday in July and everything seemed to go as it should.
That was all on the surface. As it turned out, Sandra's concerns for her son and his new bride proved all-too real. One day, Hart was on a plane here or Vanessa was traveling there. Though they tried to make their schedules work, they simply couldn't make their lives mesh. The happy couple were both tired of being alone. There were times that the newlyweds saw each other only a few times in a month. They both knew that the marriage wasn't working. It was time to throw in the towel and have an amicable split before animosity crept in and destroyed what had started as a good friendship. The marriage lasted less than three years, but it did end without any acrimony.
Hart returned to the social whirlwind his life had been before marrying Vanessa, but his heart just wasn't in it. He didn't want to date and have meaningless sex. While he wasn't going to be a monk and remain celibate, he did want to pursue a relationship. Unfortunately, a lot of the women he met were younger and not at that stage just yet. He needed to find a woman of substance. Not only that, he had reached such a level at his work that he needed a challenge. To be honest, since his divorce, Hart was bored out of his mind.
"If you're looking for a project, why not come and volunteer with my group?" His mother suggested. "We have community gardens, sponsor recycling projects, help clean up city parks -- all sorts of things that give back to the community. I also don't think it would hurt our reputation to have someone as prominent as you helping out," Sandra told him.
Hart got that look in his eyes and shifted his feet the way he did when he was a little boy and Sandra had given him a chore he didn't want to do. "Did I mention there are lots of pretty, available young women who volunteer?" She smiled, knowing she had him, hook, line and sinker.
Hart knew he could never win an argument with his mother and honestly, he didn't want to win this one. He could spare the time away from the office and he was always lecturing his employees about giving back. Why not set an example and lead the pack? He told his mother he'd be willing to give it a shot and arranged to help her the following Wednesday. They started with the community garden. Hart had forgotten how much fun he used to have helping his mother out when he was younger. By the end of the day, he ached and his hands were filthy, but he'd enjoyed himself despite all of that.
"Would your group be interested in some extra land?" He asked Sandra and the committee. "I have a plot I bought for development and it's just sitting there, unused. Until someone makes me an offer on it, there's no sense it going to waste." When he told them how large a parcel of land he was talking about, there was a collective gasp.
"Dear, I think that's a very generous offer, but I don't think we'd have enough volunteers to work on it," Sandra told Hart.
"I think I can help with that as well, mother," Hart told her with one of his winning smiles. "I've already let my employees know I'm doing some volunteer work and that I'd be -
grateful
-- to anyone who pitches in. I'll offer a day off --
