An Offer They Couldn't Refuse

Stephen was a struggling businessman who owned a small company in the South. He was doing well enough to support he and his lovely wife, Kathy, but he was still looking for that one break that would grant them true financial independence and the opportunity to retire sooner. That opportunity came in the form of a stranger from the North. That stranger was Michael DiCarlo.

Michael DiCarlo was a tall and athletically built man in his early forties. He had rugged good looks and had the appearance of a man 15 years younger. He had large hairy forearms that had the strength of pile drivers. He had long dark brown hair with distinguishing streaks of gray that reached just below his shoulders. He kept his hair slicked and pulled back into a ponytail while in business attire. He had green eyes and a bright, disarming smile. His looks did not fit his Italian surname. Although he had a very slight Roman nose, he had a light complexion, green eyes, and a bright, disarming smile. His father was a full-blooded Sicilian, but is mother was Irish. There was a hint of a Brooklyn accent as he spoke and he carried himself confidently. He had the gift of gab and seemed to be rather charming and friendly. But there seemed to be a dark side to Michael DiCarlo buried not far from the shiny veneer of his outward persona. Stephen could not place a finger on it, but he knew that he never wanted to be on the bad side of Michael DiCarlo. Stephen listen intently from behind his desk as DiCarlo sat on the other side giving his spiel about the joint business venture he was proposing.

“You see Stephen…May I call you Stephen?” Asked DiCarlo politely.

“Sure. Please do Mr. DiCarlo.” Answered Stephen.

“No-no. Please. Call me Michael.”

“Okay Michael”

“Now as I was saying, I own over 30 businesses similar to yours along the entire eastern seaboard. I get a great deal of financial backing from my associates in New York. These are very powerful and influential people, you understand? They are looking for an opportunity to invest some of their liquid assets into a company like yours. We are primarily based in the New England states, but we are very interested in expanding into the Southern market. I got a place in Miami and it is doing very well. But I have nothing going between DC and Miami. This is the ideal place for me to branch out and I like the operation you’ve got going on here. I like the way you run things.”

“Well, thanks for the compliment, but what exactly his your proposal?”

“I am offering to be a silent partner in your company. I have associates in New York who needs investment opportunities to shelter their money to avoid getting stuck with capital gains tax. You see, I am their moneyman. I am their go between, kind of like a broker. You allow me to invest their money into your business and I can guarantee you financial freedom. I will be a silent partner with your firm and I will control and account for the money coming in. You, of course, will retain controlling interest of your company. If you need some money for the business? You come to me and I forward it to you, no questions asked. Now we are talking a lot of money here, about 30 million for starters.”

“30 million?” Stephen spoke up incredulously.

“Yes. And that is just the beginning. I tell you I represent some high powered people in the New York.”

“Wall Street?”

“Yeah, we got some of them too.”

“But why would they be interested in a small business like mine?”

“Like I said, they need small investment opportunities. And you can draw from the investment account at anytime to cover any potential losses that you may incur.”

“It sounds to good to be true. What’s the catch?” Stephen asks with a hint of skepticism.

“No catch. If your business recoups from any slumps or losses, then you put a percentage of your profits back into the account. If you loose it, then you loose it. But I may not give you so much the next time. The idea is that we want to keep your business afloat, so we can continue to do business with you.”

“I don’t know. It sounds too easy.”

“Because it is easy. It’s a win-win situation here. You have worked hard for 15 years building this business from the ground up. You are about to reap your reward. This is your big break!” DiCarlo picks up a silver-framed photo of Kathy on Stephen’s desk. DiCarlo gazed at the beautiful image admiringly. Kathy certainly was a gorgeous woman.

“Wow. It is all so overwhelming.” Said a contemplating Stephen.

“Well, take some time think and it over.” Said DiCarlo. “Hey, is this your wife?” He then asked.

“Yes. Her name is Kathy. We have been married for 12 years.”

“May I say that she is absolutely stunning.” DiCarlo was studying the picture intently.

“Why thank you. She used to model when she was younger.”

“Wow! I could definitely see that. I don’t mean no disrespect now. It’s just she is a lovely woman and your should consider yourself to be a very lucky man.”

“Oh I do. She is quite a girl.”

“I’ll bet she has been with you every step of the way? Huh?”

“Yeah, pretty near.”

“Then you got to do this for her man. She is definitely worth it. Just think. You can get that dream house in the country she always wanted. Hell, you guys can get a mansion for what houses costs down here. You can buy several mansions for that matter with the financial opportunity facing you here today my friend.”

“I hear you. But I have to do some thinking. I also got to talk it over with Kathy.”

“By all means. Please do. In fact maybe we can discuss it over dinner later tonight. You two got any plans?”

“No. No plans.” Michael was trying to find a way out, but it didn’t come to him. “Ah, dinner tonight? Well, okay that would be fine.”

“Sorry about being so sudden and abrupt, but I am only in town for tonight. I am staying at the Ritz. I gotta go down to Miami tomorrow.”

“Oh. I see. Okay then, dinner tonight it is.”

“Great! I got a car and I’ll pick you and your lovely wife up tonight around seven.”

“Sounds good, Michael. I hope to have an answer for you by then.”

“Outstanding! And make sure that wife of yours comes tonight. I would love to see her in person. You are such a lucky guy.” Michael playfully punches Stephen on the shoulder and grins brightly with all his cosmetically enhanced teeth. Both men stood up and shook hands. Stephen gave Michael his home address and showed him the way out of the office. Stephen was excited, yet worried at the same time.

Stephen drove home that night rehearsing how he was going to explain all this to Kathy. Kathy was a very conservative person and was not very receptive to nonsense or frivolity. She was very prim and proper. As the daughter of a Baptist minister and a domineering, God fearing, mother, Kelly grew up sheltered and was taught at an early age to always present herself as a lady. She had a wholesome childhood and did not get into trouble like some of her contemporaries in her hometown. Kelly was always a very pretty girl and she blossomed into a beautiful young woman. She became a true Southern belle. Her good looks and talents landed her a career in modeling. She did catalogue spreads for some major clothing stores. She never modeled underwear or lingerie. Her parents would never go for that. She caught grief from them once for modeling a conservative one-piece bathing suit. So underwear and lingerie was never an option for her. Too bad, because she definitely had the body for it. She gave up modeling for college, where she met Stephen. They fell in love and got married.

Kathy was now 38 years old, but she did not age one bit since Stephen met her in college. She still looked like a 23-year old co-ed. Her body was still in fantastic shape. She stood at 5’-6” and weighed 130 pounds. She had a 34C chest with a tiny, 24-inch waist and a nice, 37-inch behind. She still had golden blond hair that fell gracefully about her mid back. She had pretty blue eyes and soft, lily-white skin. She had a sweet Southern drawl that drove men wild. She still was a true Southern belle. Stephen indeed felt lucky to have a prize like her. He loved her dearly and respected her. Because of her no nonsense approach to things, he knew that this business proposal would be a hard sell to his beloved Kathy. This all sounded too good to be true. Stephen knew that there had to be something illicit about it all. But the money was good, very good. And they say, “Every man has his price.” But was Stephen willing to compromise his integrity for financial independence? Would Kathy allow him to compromise his integrity? It would definitely be a hard sell, thought Stephen.

Stephen and Kathy discussed Michael DiCarlo and his very tempting offer. Kathy was very skeptical and called it what it was.

“He want’s you to launder money Stephen! What the hell are you thinking?”

“I know it sounds that way, but they way he explains it, it all seems very legit.”

“Oh Bull! I can’t believe you would even consider this. Have you gone off the deep-end?”

“Kathy, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.”

“Yeah but it is illegal dear! Who is his New York associate, Don Corleone?

“No dear, he did not mention any names. He did say some were Wall Street business types.”

“Oh right. And I’ll bet he tried to sell you the Brooklyn Bridge too.”

“Okay. You are right. This sounds shady as hell. We will just go to dinner with him and hear him out. Then we can politely blow him off and tell him we are not interested.”

“Wait a minute. I’m not going to dinner with y’all. I got to go over to Momma’s tonight and help her bake cookies for the church social tomorrow night.”

“Cancel.”

“I will not!” Kathy said defiantly. “You know Momma will be mighty upset if I don’t help her. Besides, how did I get involved in this mess anyway?”

“Michael saw your picture on my desk and he said you were very lovely and he wanted to meet you.”

“Well.” Kathy changed gears and blushed. Her furled brow and stern face gave way to a girlish grin. “At least the man has marvelous taste and appreciates beauty when he sees it.” She said.

“He wants you there. I said I would talk things over with you and he invited you to come and hear him out. We are a team dear. We are husband and wife. You are my partner in life and this effects our future. You need to support me on this one Baby.”

“I know. You’re right, but Momma…”

“Fuck your Momma dammit!” Stephen yelled.

“Stephen! You take that back!” Kathy was shocked. Stephen rarely cursed around Kathy.

“You are my wife first! Then you are a daughter. You should support me on the night I am going to make the biggest decision of my life.” Stephen was surprised at himself. He never really acted this way before. But he knew it was time to put his foot down and force his wife to choose between him and her mother. Kathy was taken aback. She was stunned to silence. Stephen never really stood up to her this way before. He was so forceful and it kind of turned her on. She knew he was 100 percent right, but she was proud and did not want to give in and let him know it. He still offended her prim and proper senses and he cursed her beloved mother. But she knew that her obligation to Stephen as his wife came first. She agreed to go, but she remained coldly silent until they were about to leave.

Kathy got dressed in a sleek, black, silk dress with a plunging neckline and thin spaghetti straps. The hem of her dress pulled tight around her hips and legs and came to about mid thigh. The dress clung to her shapely body. She wore dark nylons and black high-heeled pumps. She gathered her beautiful, long, blond hair, pulled it back and pinned it up. She left wispy bangs that fell gently onto her forehead. She made her face up with the perfect make-up combination and brought out that professional model look that she had learned to master over a decade ago. She was still gorgeous, and she knew it. She was very pleased with what she saw in the mirror. She always turned heads when she went out and she knew how to work it.

Stephen was no slouch either. He was 41 years old and he looked like a man of 30. He was strapping man of 6 feet in height and weighed a solid 220 pounds. He had a hard, athletic body as he worked out all his life. He had short brown hair and dreamy blue eyes. He had a nicely trim mustache that gave him the look of a cowboy on the range. He could have modeled had he chosen to do so. But young Southern men were more apt to play football than primp and prance around in front of a camera. Stephen excelled in sports and was very competitive. He carried on that competitive nature into his adult life and infused it into his business and recreational endeavors. Stephen looked very dashing in his gray, custom tailored, silk suit.

At precisely 7:00 PM, there was a knock at the front door. A dark suited man with darkened sun glasses was at the door when Stephen opened it. He was Michael DiCarlo’s driver. The man directed Stephen and Kathy to a black stretch Lincoln limousine parked in their driveway. Michael was standing to the rear of the limo talking on a cellular phone. Once Kathy and Stephen arrived, he abruptly concluded his call.

“Just on the horn with New York. Checking on things at the main office you know.” Michael explained. He gazed upon the stunning Kathy that graced his presence. He smiled widely and his eyes beamed with delight as he saw saw her. He took her hand in his and kissed her gently on wrist. He smelled her seductive perfume as he kissed her.

“You must be the lovely Kathy.” Michael cooed over her. “I am Michael, Michael DiCarlo.” He bowed and escorted her to the open rear door of the limo. He helped her inside. He watched her intently as she lifted her leg into the car causing the hem of her dress to hike up high on her thigh. He caught a glimps of the top of her nylon stocking of her lefy leg and a black garter holding it in place. He smiled and shook his head at the incredible fortune he had found in Kathy. Her beauty was captivating. Michael barely acknowledged Stephen, who was becoming a bit annoyed at Michael’s amourous behavior toward his wife. He was probably just trying to be overly-charming, Stephen thought. Perhaps Michael thought that Southern women were still big into the chivalry bit. Whether it was, Kathy was sure lapping it up. She was becoming smitten with Michael’s charm and his overt attempts to be friendly with her.

Stephen climbed into the large car and Michael followed. The driver closed the door behind them and they were off. The limo was extravigantly decorated on the inside. It had a fully stocked bar. It had a television,CD player, phone, computer, the whole delux package. Michael was dressed in a dark blue, designer suit. His hair was not in a ponytail this time. It was washed and blow-dried giving it a full and wavy look. He looked quite handsome and even younger and more hip with his hair down. Kathy was very impressed with Michael’s look. Michael offered the couple some cocktails. Kathy took him up on the offer and had Jack Daniel’s on the rocks. This surprised Stephen. She usually had a glass of Chablis before dinner. Stephen knew how Kathy gets when she has a few drinks in her. She becomes a whole different person. She sheds her conservative skin and becomes very affectionate and touchy. This worried Stephen. Michael gave Kathy a generous glass of Jack. Stephen declined a drink. He wanted to be sharp and sober during this meeting. Michael poured himself a glass a Merlot.

They drove to a classy and expensive French restaurant about half-hour miles outside of town. Michael exited the limo first and assisted Kathy out by extending his hand to her. He watched as she tried to struggle out of the car while trying to remain covered and composed with that snug fitting, short dress. The maneuver was a little tricky to negotiate with a half glass of whisky in her, but she made it out okay giving Michael only a quick and slight peek of her black satin and lace thong she wore beneath her dress. Michael raised his eyebrows with delight. He ignored Stephen as he alighted from the limousine. Michael whisked Kathy into the restaurant. Stephen struggled to keep up. Michael tipped the maitre’d a hundred dollar bill and asked for the best table. Michael helped Kathy in with her chair before taking his seat. He whispered something into her ear and she responded with a giggle. Stephen followed and was now seething with anger and jealously. Kathy loved the attention. She knew it was getting to Stephen and she was playing it up. It was her way of getting even.

Michael ogled Kathy all throughout dinner. He fawned all over her as Stephen sulked and boiled with stifled anger. Kathy enjoyed it all. At one point, she excused herself and went to the ladies room. Michael pulled closer to the table and leaned in to Stephen. This was the first bit of attention Michael gave to Stephen. Stephen leaned in knowing that Michael may want to talk turkey and get down to business while Kathy, the distraction, was away.

“Okay Stephen. This is how it’s goes. I am going to modify my proposal that I offered you today." Michael announces.

“All right. Let’s hear it.” Stephen said impatiently.

“I am going to be your silent partner. My associates are going to invest 15 million into the business during the next 6 months. Another 15 million will come in next year over a period of several months. You keep the business going and do exactly what we tell you, when we tell you.”

“Michael, this sounds like money laundering to me.” Stephen interrupted.

“That’s exactly what it is Stephen. What the hell you think I am? Stupid? I unload this bullshit on you and expect you buy off on it as some group of investors are interested in you piddly little fuckin’ business. I knew you were not going to fall for that. I knew you were not that stupid. Come on give me some credit here.” Stephen sat there with a shocked look on his face. He wanted to speak, but did not know what to say. Michael did all the talking.

“The thing is Stephen, every man has got his price. I happen to know what yours is.”

“How do you know that?” Stephen asked defiantly.

“I know what your price is monetarily. Any respectable businessman would have thrown me out on my ear and called the cops if I made the same proposal I made to you. You didn’t. Plus, you met with me here again tonight, half willing to say yes.” Michael let it sink in with Stephen. Stephen reflected silently. He knew Michael was right.

“I know what your ultimate price is too. I initially thought it would be something you could not afford to part with. But I guess I was wrong.” Said Michael.

“What do you mean?” Stephen asked perplexingly.

“That lovely wife of yours.”

“Huh?”

“You heard me! You brought your wife into this deal. You had no problem getting her involved with someone with the likes of me. You let me wine her and dine her. You let me flirt with her and kiss her, and you just sit there and take it. Hell, you would probably sit there and let me fuck her if I wanted to. You are willing to give up you precious wife if I make this business deal with you, wouldn’t ya? ” Stephen shot a cold stare at Michael. Michael just glared intently back at him with his piercing green eyes. Stephen gulped at the pressure and lost the staring contest. He knew Michael had him pegged.

“I tell you what Stephen.” Says Michael after a brief silence. “I am going to take your business and I am going to fuck your wife, and there is not a damn thing you can do to stop it. You know why? I’ll tell you why. It’s because you made a deal with the devil here. You knew who I was and whom I represent. You knew that going into business with me was just the same as hopping into bed with the devil, but you bit the hook. It was too good to be true. I own you now. WE own you now. And you know there is nothing you can do to stop us. I know where you live my friend. Oh, and doesn’t your pretty wife live with you there too, in that nice house on Blue Jay Lane. Sure hate to see something happen to that nice house or the people in it. But you know, calamities sometimes happen.” Michael continued to glare at Stephen whose head was now down staring at the table. He was fucked and he knew it.