The Last Girls' Weeend

I asked Cheryl, "What will it take to get you out of my life?"

"Oh good. We're negotiating. How much you got?"

"How about $10K?"

"How about twenty?"

"How about you just leave? Get out of my house."

"You're going to kick a poor widow out into this blinding snowstorm with nowhere to go? That's truly heartless. I'll freeze to death. It'll be on your conscience." Cheryl tried to keep a straight face but couldn't.

"Cheryl, it's August. In Florida. No blinding snowstorms."

Cheryl laughing said, "See. You're too smart for me. It's hopeless to try to deceive you. I'll just have to take you on as my partner. We'll make a great team."

"I'm not going to be your partner."

"We'll see. I have to be here anyway. At least for a while. You told the police Roger and Jimmy came after you because you and I became lovers. Instead of the real reason. We have to be living together to truly sell that story. We can have a lover's spat later and I'll leave. But I'm here for now. We'll have a lot of fun together."

That was part of the talk Cheryl and I had after I got home to find Cheryl in my bed. The cops finally let me go about 10am, a little over nine hours after Jimmy shot and killed Roger. I went over my story with them at least a half a dozen times. They told me they wanted to see me again the following morning for a signed statement. They also wanted to talk to Cheryl.

I got home and checked to see if the spare key was still under the potted plant next to my front door. It was gone. I found Cheryl in my bed naked and asleep. She evidently doesn't believe in sleepwear. I just stood and watched her sleep for a while. She is not someone who you'd want to kick out of bed. She must have sensed I was watching her and woke up, stretched and asked, "Do you want to sleep, talk or fuck?" That's when I asked her what it would take to get her out of my life. And that's when she told me she's staying to sell the story we're romantically involved. I was too tired to argue.

"I've been sitting in a hot police station for hours. I'm going to take a shower."

"OK." Cheryl got up from the bed and started to undo my pants belt."

"What are you doing?"

"Helping."

I finished undressing, with Cheryl's help, and started toward the bathroom. Cheryl followed me. I stopped and looked at her. Cheryl said, "What? I could use a shower too. Well, another shower. Can't have too many. You've had a hard night. You're tired. I'll do all the work. Scrub you up, wash you down, real good."

And she did scrub me up real good. She washed every inch of me. I returned the favor. Amazing how your tiredness goes away. We were in the shower until the water started to turn cold. We helped dry each other off. I was thinking, "Maybe she should stay for a while."

After our shower, we got into bed. Cheryl climbed on top of me, cupped her chin in her hand on my chest, looked up at me and asked, "What happened with the cops?"

"I haven't slept for twenty-four hours but we need to talk. Get our stories straight. I'm going to give you the short version. "I told the cops I found out about Abbie's infidelity from my counterpart at the Miami Beach resort. When Abbie returned home, I called the hotel's point man at the police, Lt. Markey.

"By the way, Cheryl, Markey will protect us so when you meet him don't tell him anything, don't trust him, but don't get an attitude with him. We want him to remain friendly. He'll help us."

Cheryl replied, "Like I'm going to trust a cop."

"I forgot who I'm dealing with. Just be nice to him. Anyway, I called Markey and he gave me information about Roger and you. I decided to contact you to see if you knew about your husband's affair with my wife. You were shattered by the news that your husband was playing around. You and I decided to confront the two cheating spouses so I took Abbie to Miami to meet with you and Roger."

"Why'd you need two hotel rooms? And how'd you get my phone number."

"They asked about the rooms. I told them I was planning to spend the night in Miami and I didn't want to be in the same room with Abbie, let alone the same bed. I had your name and address from the police report. That's all I needed to get your phone number from the internet."

Cheryl said, "Smart. I'm going to need a look at the police reports on me."

"Sure. You showed up in Miami with Roger and Roger brought Jimmy and his gun as backup in case I got violent. You told Jimmy to leave because he was being so belligerent. Roger and Abbie agreed to end their affair and Roger left to meet up with Jimmy.

"You stayed. There was a connection between you and me and we both sensed it. Abbie felt left out, got angry and went into the other room to lie down. You and I were really hitting it off and you invited me to dinner."

"I invited you? Why didn't you say you invited me?"

"I'm a married man with a wife in the next room. I have standing in the community while you are just a wanton hussy."

Cheryl punched my shoulder lightly, "Thanks a lot. You could have been the one to hit on me. When I tell the story to the cops, I'm going to say you made the first move. And who says, 'wanton hussy' anymore. Go on."

"We decided to meet at the restaurant I actually ate at. The reason there's only one meal on the tab is because you weren't hungry. You just wanted to talk.

"We really hit it off. After dinner, I went back to the hotel to find that Abbie had left. I figure she's decided to fly home so I leave, planning to drive home that night. I call Markey to find out what he knows about Jimmy. I'm tired so I decide to stay overnight at one of our hotels in Boca.

"You and I decide to see where our romance leads. We talk on the phone. We realize we want to be together. I ask Abbie to move out and you tell Roger that you're leaving him for me. Moving in with me."

"How did we communicate after our fictional dinner and before I had my imaginary talk with Roger?"

"I told them you called me at work. They didn't press it because they're really interested in why Roger and Jimmy accosted me in the parking lot. And maybe they want to check your phone records first. Maybe see if they can catch us in a lie. Eventually they'll want more details. We never talked and we can't show any record that we did."

Cheryl had an idea, "Good that you told them I called you at work. We'll tell them that I got a burner to hide our budding romance from Roger and I only called you when you were at work so Abbie wouldn't become suspicious."

"Abbie was no longer living with me after we returned from Miami."

"Then I'll say Roger was gone in the evenings so that was the only time I could talk safely. That's when you're at work. Anyway, I tossed the burner so there's no record of our conversations. I don't even remember the phone number for the burner. I went through the hotel's main number and dialed your extension so no one at your hotel knew we were talking. What's your extension?"

"124. That works."

Cheryl jumped off me and grabbed my phone from the night stand, "What's your PIN? I'm going to put my number in your contacts."

I thought, "Just what I need. Cheryl having my PIN and going through my phone at her leisure. "Just put it in front of my face." She did and put her phone number in.

She climbed back on top of me and said, "I already have your number."

I continued with what I told the police, "Roger shows up with Jimmy in the parking lot of the H and wants to do me harm. He wants to know if I have any money at home. I tell him there's money in my safe. There isn't but I want to give them a reason not to shoot me then and there so I tell them they need me to open my safe. They make a lot of threats about what they're going to do to me and to Abbie.

"Roger backs into Jimmy, Jimmy's gun goes off and Roger is dead. I call the cops."

"They'll know that I got a phone call from Roger's phone. What did you say about that?"

"Roger called you to give you a play by play of how your new lover is a wimp, coward, shaking in my boots. How Roger's the better man. He does that until Jimmy shoots him. You must have heard the shot."

"Perfect. I did hear the shot. Like I said, you have a real talent for this. You're so smart. You're going to be an excellent partner. We're going to make tons of money." Cheryl hugged me and kissed me.

"Wait. There are problems with that story for both of us. Markey drove me back to my car when they were finished with me. Markey says Jimmy will be charged with felony murder. Jimmy shot Roger and he died during the commission of a felony. Doesn't matter if it's an accident or not.

"But for felony murder they have to prove that Jimmy was in the process of committing a felony when he shot Roger. A good lawyer will say that Jimmy and Roger were walking to the hotel to check in. They wanted to take in a Rays game or whatever. Jimmy took out his gun to make sure it wasn't loaded or for some other innocent reason. Roger slipped or tripped, fell back on Jimmy and the gun went off. They were just walking to the hotel and it was all an accident. His lawyer will say I made up my story because of my run in with Jimmy in Miami. Bad blood between us. Jimmy and Roger weren't committing a felony. No felony therefore no felony murder.

"You, me, and maybe Abbie will be called to testify that Roger and Jimmy were there to harm me and were in the process of doing that. They will need us to provide motive. That motive is Roger was shot while he and Jimmy were trying to keep me from pursuing my romantic interest in you. By kidnapping, robbing and murdering me.

"It's a problem for you because the trial will be in the news and your loan shark will know where you are. And the press may have our names in the next few days."

Cheryl interrupted, "If this makes the Miami papers, he'll know where I am. It's so sordid that it may make the news there."

"Will he come this far to collect $25000."

"He'll want to make the point that you can't get away with not paying him. Yeah, he'll come looking for me. Not himself, he'll send his guys."

"So that's one problem. The other problem is mine. I'm a married man who had an affair with a married woman and the married woman's husband came looking for me and was killed on H's property [H is a national hotel chain I work for as an assistant manager]. That's a big problem publicity wise for H and therefore for me personally.

"H actually sent a P.R. person to the police station in the middle of the night. I think Markey called the woman managing the third shift at H and she called the people we use for PR here. The PR woman convinced the cops to say in their press release only that there was an attempted robbery of one of H's employees and one of the robbers was killed. That's it. No background, just Jimmy's and Roger's names.

"That's good news for you regarding your loan shark. With all the robberies and murders in Miami, that story won't even qualify as newsworthy there. If that's all the press are told. Markey says that cops get money to leak about arrests. Sooner or later the whole thing will get out. Probably sooner. And it will all come out if there's a trial. They have to prove Jimmy was committing a felony so they need our testimony.

"But even if it stays buttoned up and it doesn't go to trial, all of this is bad for me. H can't fire me for being a victim of a crime or for what I do in my personal life. But they don't have to promote me. I've brought unwelcome publicity to the H brand. As you said, it's so sordid. But it's much better than anyone knowing the real story. If they found out about what really happened in Miami, I'd be fired. And probably arrested. But I think my career in hotel management, at least at H, may be done. I'm going to meet tomorrow with my manager. Try to assess the amount of damage. He's a good guy and likes me but no one is going to want to be my friend there now."

"Where's Jimmy? What's he saying?"

"Jimmy hit his head and was knocked out when Roger fell on him. If they ask why it looks like Jimmy was kicked in the head, I'll say it was such a traumatic experience I forgot I did that. Jimmy's concussed so he's in the hospital under observation. He'll probably be released from the hospital some time tomorrow and arraigned the next day."

Cheryl said, "You really did a good job with the story. Fits the facts and is simple. I couldn't have done better myself. You're a natural. Partner."

"Cheryl why are you here? I'm in the middle of a divorce. We own the house but there's very little equity. We have some savings but we'll end up splitting that. I'm not someone who's going to make you rich. I know you're a con artist so I'm not going to believe any stories you tell me. Aren't there more lucrative places you can be to swindle people? Are you really going through all this just to get the $25K back?"

"So you're not going to believe anything I tell you. All lies, right?" I nodded. "Then I'll tell you the truth. You won't believe me anyway so I might as well. I'm not here for your money. I'm here for you. And I told you I need a break from the game. But you're not worried about me conning you. You're too smart for me. What are you really worried about?"

"That you're a criminal who's living here with me. I'm going to try to save my career. But if you're arrested or get in trouble, you'll be tied to me. And H probably will fire me."

"How about if I promise not to do anything illegal while I'm here. I won't do any cons unless you agree to do them with me. I don't work without a partner and I'm minus one partner. I won't have any money coming in but, if that's what you're worried about, then stop worrying. Nothing until you're on board and ready. Just don't take too long. I am really broke."

"I wish I could believe you. But let me be clear. If I find out you've broken the law or are planning to do anything illegal, I'll turn you in to the cops.

"I need to sleep. I have to go in to work in a few hours."

Cheryl said, "Goodnight," but didn't move off me. Just put her hands on my shoulders and turned her head, using me as her pillow.

I repeated, "I need to sleep."

She didn't move, just said, "I'm not going to bother you. Go to sleep."

It was sort of nice having her on top of me but I asked, "Did you forget to pack your pajamas? I can lend you something."

"Shhhh, go to sleep. Who wears pajamas anymore?" Chilly from the air conditioning, Cheryl pulled covers over us. I closed my eyes and was asleep almost immediately.

I woke to someone stroking my cock. I was confused, thought it was Abbie but that's not Abbie type behavior. I turned to look and Cheryl was behind me with a big smile. "It's a little after 2pm. I don't know how much time you need to get ready for work, but you need some stress relief." She laughed, pulled off one of my college jerseys she was wearing and then my boxers. She put me in her mouth to get me ready, then put a condom on me and put me in her. Cheryl is very energetic but then moves slowly, more grinding, as she's ready to orgasm. I know she's getting close because she gets goosebumps on her butt. When she's ready, she freezes upright and then collapses on me. The goosebumps go away.

After my stress had been relieved, Cheryl said, "I really don't like condoms. How about we both get STD tests done and go from there. I'm not worried about me. Roger always wore rubbers when he was with his women. He knew if he didn't, I'd cut it off. Or at least cut him off. But Abbie has had multiple partners. I'm not sure she was always protected. Anyway, let's both get tested and throw the condoms away."

"How do you know Abbie had multiple partners? Did she tell Roger that?"

Cheryl sighed, "We pay off people or we wouldn't be able to do business in their bars and hotels. Bartenders are especially important. They let us work and sometimes even point out marks to us. After Abbie left the bar with Roger last June, I asked the bartender what he knew about Abbie. He told me she comes to the resort every six months or so. Usually she's with another woman. They try their luck at his bar and, if they hook up, they leave with the guy. If they don't hook up, they depart for greener pastures. His guess is they go to clubs. One time, before leaving, they asked him if he knew anything about a club that had just opened in Miami.

"Also, she wasn't wearing a wedding ring when Roger picked her up. As I said, multiple partners. So condoms until we're both tested." She tore open another package in preparation for more stress relief.

I went into work and met with my boss. He told me that H corporate doesn't know what to do with me. If the part of the story about the aggrieved husband confronting me about his wife doesn't come out, maybe it will all fade in time. But for now, I'm damaged goods. Just my infidelity and with a married woman is bad enough to sink anyone's career at H. His advice was to wait it out, hope there isn't any more bad publicity, and see what happens.

I got home about 12:30am. Cheryl was asleep, no pajamas. I got into bed, unintentionally waking her up. She climbed on top of me and asked, "What did your manager say? I thought you were going to call and tell me."

"I didn't realize I had to call and check in."

"Of course you do. We're partners. What'd he say?"

"That they don't know what to do with me but I'm damaged goods. Maybe I'll survive if nothing more comes out about my infidelity with a married woman and your husband being killed when he confronted me. I listened to the news on the way home. There was nothing. Have you been watching the news?"

Cheryl said, "Yes. They're saying a robbery in a back parking lot at the H. One robber was shot and killed. The other arrested. Awaiting further details. H is being proactive by hiring a security company to patrol their parking lots at night. Blah, blah. No real news just mostly what H is doing to cover their ass. Probably won't be anything more about this on the news tomorrow. Unless they get something more juicy."

Cheryl changed subjects, "It's been nice for you, and for me, but things have been a little too one way." She moved so she was on her knees just above my chin, "Let me introduce you to my vagina." Opening herself, she said, "This is what's called a 'clitoris'. That's where you put your mouth and tongue. You lick and suck and kiss it until something happens. You can also use your fingers. You'll know when something happens. Do you get the idea?"

I got the idea. Lots of goosebumps.

The next morning I went in to the police station, went over my story yet again and signed a statement attesting to that story.

The cops called Cheryl and set up an appointment with her to come in the following morning. The next morning Markey called me before Cheryl was back from her police interview, "At least your stories match. What are you doing with her, Mark? She is hot. I get the attraction. She gave Miami as her home address, but she told us she's living with you. Are you nuts? I mean, have some fun but living with you? She's a criminal."

"What can I tell you. We hit it off. I think she's changed her ways but I'll be careful. Any sign of anything illegal and I'll call you right away. Any news on Jimmy Addison?"

"He's been charged with first-degree murder with bail set at $1 million. One scumbag off the streets. That's Cheryl's brother-in-law, by the way. But don't worry. He won't be attending Christmas dinners with you. My guess, either will Cheryl."

We got off. I was relieved to know that Cheryl went with the romance story instead of the real story or some version that would have been bad for me.

Cheryl got home and told me she went through the same thing as I did the day before. She said, "Jimmy has a public defender. The PD called me. Jimmy wants to talk. His PD is going to get me in to see him at 2pm on Friday."