Reunion

G'day and Merry Christmas.

It's finally arrived, the fourth and final chapter. The three previous chapters were posted in early November. A quick recap to refresh your memory. Tony and Sal go to their ten year school reunion and meet up with Melissa, Sal's best friend from school, and her older husband Dave. Melissa is having trouble getting pregnant and offers to pay for Tony and Sal's daughters to go to private school in exchange for Tony's potent baby making abilities. Tony gets the deed done but complications ensue as things are not as they seem.

Thanks to my Hawaiian self-proclaimed 'grammar nazi' John, for running his eye over my work. Thanks for your input.

To those of you who have given up some of your time to read and comment on my stories this year thank you. 2014 was an interesting year with The Big C gaining my best score and My Dilemma the worst. That's the way the cookie crumbles I suppose.

Hope you have a great festive season.

CharlieB4

*****

"Easy big guy, I just want to talk." I recognized the voice and when the figure stopped under a street light I saw a familiar face.

"Giles? What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Like I said, I just want to talk. If you confirm my suspicions then maybe I can offer you something." Giles said staying slightly away from me as my fists were still clenched.

"I've had enough of people's special offers." I replied.

"Come on Tony, let's go back inside and I'll buy you a drink."

"I've got somewhere I've got to be." I opened the door of my truck and began climbing in but Giles halted my progress.

"I wonder where that is? Especially considering your wife isn't expecting you home till after midnight."

I spun around, "how do you know that?"

"She told me," he put his hands up and made quotation marks with his fingers. "Tony's at a bucks night, I won't be seeing him before midnight."

"So, I might be going to surprise her." I shrugged feigning nonchalance and turned to get back into my truck.

"Or you might be meeting up with Melissa." I froze momentarily at the mention of her name. It was enough to confirm Giles suspicions, "does Sally know that she is in town?"

I closed the door sharply and pivoted to again face Giles. "What do you want?" I asked, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Just a few answers, that's all."

"Really? I'm getting sick of wealthy people using me as a doormat."

"Heh Tony! You're talking to a personal assistant, I'm a professional doormat."

"So are you fucking Helen?" I inquired watching Giles intently to see if his answer was truthful.

He surprised me by bursting out laughing, seeing my confusion he tried to stop but it only made it worse. I was getting seriously pissed when he eventually stopped with tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Tony...Tony...mate... I'm sorry," he withheld another peel of laughter, swallowing hard. "Sorry, it's just so ridiculous."

"Why? I know she is no spring chicken but she is still quite attractive." I replied indignantly.

"You're right there mate but...she um hasn't got the accessories that I'm interested in." Giles said still grinning madly.

"What?" I was confused.

"I'm gay mate, bent as a safety pin!"

"Oh ...oh right ..." I suddenly felt very provincial and embarrassed. "Sorry..."

"No need to be, come on, let's have that drink."

I followed him back into the pub, Giles went to the bar to get two beers and I grabbed a table in the back corner.

"So, are you afraid to be seen with me now?" Giles said putting my beer in front of me and sitting down on the bench opposite.

"Er, no, no, I just want to stay away from the buck's night crowd." I pointed to the rowdy group of men near the bar. The buck was standing with his back to the bar and his head tilted back and two guys were pouring shots into his mouth.

"Oh right, is that the buck they are pouring the drinks into?" I nodded, "hmm, he's cute. Do you think he bats both ways?"

"Giles!" I admonished him looking around to see if anyone heard his comment.

"Sorry, it was just a joke," I relaxed and then he sucker punched me. "So back to you meeting up with Melissa."

"What about it? Doh ..." It was out of my mouth before I had engaged my brain.

"Heh, don't worry. I already know really, you're just confirming things." Giles smiled, "look, I'll tell you what, you don't have to say anything. I'll just tell you a story, my version of how it's going down and you can tell me if I'm close to the mark."

He took my silence as permission so he started.

"Once upon a time, there was a young country girl who was desperate to cement her place in a wealthy family by producing a son and heir to a billion dollar fortune. After growing impatient with her husband and father in law's feeble efforts she hatches a plan. At a school reunion she offers herself, and probably some money to ensure secrecy, to an old flame to knock her up. How does that sound so far?"

"Like a fucking fairy tale." I replied with a blank face.

Come on mate, work with me here." Giles pleaded.

"Why? What's your angle? Blackmail?" I countered.

"I'm working for my employer."

"Helen?"

"Yes"

"Well, what's her angle? I inquired aggressively trying to keep him off balance.

"She just [wants information." He stopped I could sense an internal debate as to how much he could say. "Helen wants a divorce."

"So? It's not like you need a reason now. From your little fairy tale it appears you know he is sleeping with his daughter in law. Isn't that enough?"

Giles shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "It's complicated. We'll double whatever Melissa is giving you!" He added desperately.

"Melissa's not giving me shit!" Which technically was true, "if there's nothing else I'll be going." I finished my drink and stood up.

"Wait Tony, just give me five more minutes." He held up his hand for me to stop while fishing out his phone with the other.

I sat back down while he made a call. He half turned away with his finger in his other ear as he spoke to somebody. Then turning back he passed the phone over to me.

"Helen wants to speak to you." I took the phone and said hello.

"Tony, I'm sorry for all the melodramatic cloak and dagger stuff. When we met at the party I marked you down as a straight shooter. So, if I open up to you about my families private life can I count on you to keep it private?"

"Yes," I replied.

"You cannot even tell Sal! Will you give me your word."

"Scout's honor."

"Alright pass the phone back to Giles."

He spoke for another moment before disconnecting. "Do you want another beer?"

"No, I don't want to get charged for driving under the influence. Just get on with it."

"Alright, but to understand Helen's dilemma we have to go way back. Right back to when she was nineteen years old, a fresh faced girl straight out of school. She was working as an administrative assistant at the law firm employed by her father's company. Saving her money to go to Europe in the Australian winter."

"Wasn't her family loaded?"

"Yes, but her father was tighter than a fishes arsehole! Anyway, this young girl is swept off her feet by an associate at the firm, John. He wooed, wined, dined, bedded and unfortunately, impregnated Helen."

"I take it Daddy wasn't pleased?"

"Understatement of the century. Rumour has it he was trying to organize a hit on John and he wanted Helen to have an abortion. She wouldn't and vowed to run away with John so her parents relented. The old man insisted on a pre-nuptial agreement, and the marriage went ahead three weeks later. David was born six months later. During delivery there were complications and as a result Helen was unable to have anymore children. From what Helen has told me it was all very rosy for the first ten years, John managed to get on the good side of Helen's father and was fast-trackedinto management of the family company. They were on an extended holiday for their tenth anniversary when Helen's parents died in a car accident. They rushed back. John was chief financial officer at the time and was promoted to chief executive officer. Helen's father's fifty-one percent stake in the company went to Helen."

"Look Giles, no offense but I'm not particularly interested in the lifestyles of the filthy rich so can you cut to the chase?" I said, looking at my phone to check the time.

"Just about to Tony. Almost straight away the marriage changed, John began spending more time at the office, even staying in the city some nights at a hotel next to his office block. Helen just put it down to him having more responsibility, but about six months later one of her friends was having dinner at a city restaurant and noticed John at a corner table getting very cozy with a younger woman."

"Speed it up Giles, you're boring me. All she had to do was kick him to the kerb, she has the controlling stake in the company after all."

"That's exactly what Helen thought, she confronted John and he didn't deny it. In fact he was very blasé about the affair. She threatened divorce and he told her to go ahead."

"You're losing me here, why are they still together then?"

"If you let me finish I'll tell you. Helen went to the family solicitor and was ranting about wanting to divorce John. Her lawyer showed her the pre nuptial agreement she and John had signed. She hadn't read it as she had been busy with the wedding preparations. It had been presented to her one night and she had signed it, trusting her father wanted to keep her safe. It seems her father's intentions had not been to safeguard the family fortune. Rather it was to make sure his daughter was stuck with her choices. If she was the party who requested the divorce then she would relinquish her controlling interest in the company to her husband."

"Bullshit, there's no way that would stand up." I interjected.

"Well, Helen has three separate legal opinions that say fighting it has only a twenty five percent chance of success."

"So she has chosen to be rich and sad rather than poor and happy?"

"What's that old saying, money can't buy you happiness but it can make sadness more bearable." Giles replied with a smile.

"There has got to be a loophole somewhere, surely those high priced lawyers can find something?" I argued.

"They don't need to find a loophole, there is an automatic door. If John is the person asking for the divorce then he forfeits any rights to the company shares and only gets a fifty percent share of the other marital assets." Giles explained.

"Which he would be mad to do as he can basically do whatever he likes with whomever he likes and there isn't a damn thing Helen can do about it. She has been royally screwed!" I paused as I processed what I had been told. "So where does Melissa fit into this? Was she one of John's er... girlfriends?"

"Yes, she was the last permanent one. Her official title had been executive personal assistant to the CEO but I dint think she was there for her filing. As you probably noticed at the party, John's health isn't what it was so we can only assume that he is having trouble attracting a new one."

"Is there still something going on between the two of them?" I asked hoping to confirm my suspicions.

Giles paused as if tossing up whether this was information he should pass on. "Well...this is purely speculative but we think so. Unlike the rest of John's mistresses who were discarded rather abruptly Melissa seems to be getting better treatment. Our version is that she probably gave him the ultimatum. She wanted some permanency, in short a ring. Realizing his chances of pulling another girl like Melissa were slim he must have relented. With his other flings John loved to flaunt it in Helen's face but he was somewhat discreet in public. Towards the finish with Melissa he went all out. They were photographed at gallery openings, movie premieres etc. the caption always said she was his PA but I'm sure he was trying to see if he could snap Helen's resolve."

"So Helen stands her ground and John talks his son into marrying her? Dave's not the sharpest tool in the shed but even I don't think he is that dumb." This was getting weirder by the minute.

"You'd be surprised...But yes you are right he wouldn't. However he had been overseas for the last five years so he didn't know about the affair."

"What was he doing overseas?"

"Mostly getting into trouble, he has been barred from twelve countries. Three of them still have outstanding warrants against him. Not for big stuff but for stupid little things, like getting the daughter of some Arab head of state drunk at a party."

My phone chirped indicating a message, Giles stood up with his empty glass and indicated he was going to the bar, miming an offer to get me one. I nodded then dug out my phone. It was Melissa wondering why I was taking so long, I sent back a message saying I had a flat tyre but I would be there soon.

When Giles returned with two beers I had my next question ready.

"So why did Dave come back?"

"Promotion, what else do you do with someone that incompetent? After kicking him around any little company outpost they could find he returned as second in command of global distribution."

"And I suppose the job came with a specially selected personal assistant?" I speculated.

"Good guess, Melissa met him at the airport."

"She probably had his cock in her mouth before they left the car park." I said with a tired sigh.

"You would know more about that than me." Giles replied with good-humored sarcasm.

I gave him the fuck off look, then moved the story on.

"So she beds him and weds him, when does dear old dad come back into the picture?"

"Purely speculation again, but I don't think he ever was completely out of the picture. Dave travels a lot in his role with the company so Melissa is unencumbered by a partner regularly. However it became more blatant when Melissa gave up work in an effort to start a family."

"So Dave knows now?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yes, he really started hitting the bottle about eighteen months ago so I'd say that's when he realized his father was cuckolding him." Giles paused, "it's ingenious really, Melissa gets her ring, the family name and any child becomes the heir to the family fortune. So much cleaner than having a second family with a mistress."

"Ingenious if you're a sick fuck!" I added showing my distaste. "So it became a race to knock her up?"

"Yes, only neither of them could do it so Melissa called in a pinch hitter!" Giles studied me closely as he made his bold statement.

Now I've never had much of a poker face and I suppose the fact that I was getting the better of two rich arseholes put the hint of a smile on my face before I realized. A broad grin appeared on Giles, he was no doubt pleased to have confirmed his suspicions.

"You forgot to say that was speculation," I tried.

"Not any more!" He retorted triumphantly

I finished my drink in a few gulps eager to get away.

"I can't see that it will change anything," I added standing to leave. "John still won't divorce Helen."

"Knowledge is power, Sit down Tony." Giles leaned back in his chair a smug look on his face. "We wouldn't want Sal to know about you and Melissa would we."

"Knowledge may be power but speculation isn't worth shit!" I pushed my chair in, "Sal organized the whole thing." The grin disappeared from his face. I turned and made for the backdoor, Giles knew too much already. I made it outside before he caught up with me.

"Who's the sick fuck now? Did Sal watch or was it a threesome?" He taunted, I ignored it till he went too far. "What? Did she buy you a flat screen TV or just a slab of beer?"

I spun, grabbed him by the shirt front and pushed him hard up against a light pole on the sidewalk just up from my truck.

"Shut up you cunt! I sold my self respect for my daughter's education, so they can have a chance of getting out of this shithole." I swung him off balance and he sprawled on the ground. "Take one more step to follow me and you won't be able to get up next time," I hissed.

As I opened the door of my truck I looked over my shoulder and he hadn't moved. I was inside and closing the door when he called out. "Say hello to Melissa for me."

I gave him the finger, started my truck and roared off up the road. At the second cross street it was decision time, left for home or right for the Mason's. I flicked my blinker and went left. I'd had enough crap for one night. Once parked in the driveway of my house I sent Melissa a message saying something had come up and I wouldn't be coming over. To head off the abusive reply I switched off my phone and went inside.

Sal was in bed but awake, her reading glasses perched on the end of her nose. She looked up from the trashy magazine she was reading, eyebrows raised as she questioned me.

"You're home early?"

"Yeah, I'm too old for those guys, it wasn't fun." I replied, pulling my shirt off.

"How about a bit of fun in here?" Sal said turning down the covers on my side.

That was an offer I couldn't refuse.

The next morning I was just about to take the girls to a netball gala day when Sal called out.

"Ay Tony, did you know Melissa was in town?" She asked innocently.

"No ... er ... I didn't," I lied.

"She wants to meet me for lunch but I've got too much to do. Is it alright if I invite her to dinner tonight?"

Shit, that's the last thing I wanted, I racked my brain for an excuse. In desperation I opted for the truth. Throwing the keys to Rebecca I told her to unlock the truck and wait with her sister in the cab. Walking back into the kitchen I found Sal busily tapping out a text message.

"You won't be home late tonight will you?" She asked without looking up.

"I don't think it's a good idea for Melissa to come over." I replied flatly.

"Why?"

"She...she...she's been sending me naked pictures," I spluttered.

"When?"

"Last couple of weeks."

"Yeah right, nice try Tony but you don't get out of it that easy." Sal said with a strained laugh.

"I'm serious! She wants me to um...sleep with her again."

"Oh come on Tony," she rolled her eyes. "Melissa just wanted some sperm for a baby, you are not an irresistible sex god!"

"She sent me the pictures," I was getting exasperated.

"Well where are they? Show them to me."

"I deleted them."

"How convenient, if you have been getting them for two weeks why didn't you tell me before?

I didn't have an answer for that. Sal took my silence as an admission of defeat and walked to where I stood and put her arms around me.

"I know you don't like Melissa but she is my friend." She stood on tiptoe and kissed my cheek. "No more silliness okay," Sal turning me around to face the door and she slapped my butt. "Now off you go, and don't be late home."

I got into my truck and set off for the netball centre. As I pulled onto the road a black Range Rover with tinted windows pulled away from the curb and followed me up the road. My first thought was Melissa but somehow I didn't see her driving in a SUV, much more likely a little European convertible.

It followed me right into the car park of the netball centre but parked in a different area. My daughters bolted out the door to get to where their friends were gathering with the coach. I followed glancing towards where the other car had gone but nobody got out. I greeted some of the other parents who were, like me, steeling themselves for a long day. I heard a voice behind me call my name, I turned to see Helen Beaufort walking towards me with Giles trailing behind her.

"Mrs. Beaufort," I offered a surprised greeting.

"Tony," she replied, flashing me a warm smile. "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Helen." She stepped toward me and offered her cheek for a kiss as we embraced lightly.

"What brings you here Helen?" I asked innocently.