Mark was on the phone with Gary Edwards several times that morning. Gary was upset with good reason. His parents and the Carters had founded D'Orgasmic Lingerie when Gary was just a kid. His mother and Maggie had designed some of the most elegant and sexy lingerie the industry had ever seen. Their company had grown quickly. Upscale retail stores bought their lines and everyone prospered.
A few years after Gary's parents were killed in a traffic accident, Robert and Maggie's son Jeremy was indicted on multiple fraud charges stemming from him playing fast and loose on Wall Street.
Jeremy had left the country just before the indictment came down and he wasn't coming back. Gary and Mark had put their heads together and decided it would be best if Gary bought Robert and Maggie out, not only from the business but he bought up all of their assets. They knew that they could not leave anything to Jeremy. The government would confiscate every asset he would be entitled to inherit. Jeremy wasn't stupid. He had moved to Thailand and was now one of the largest porn producers in the world. He didn't need their money, as his own wealth was massive.
Now that Robert and Maggie were dead, Jeremy was a mess. It was time for Gary to take the reins of the company he owned. Mark and Gary talked about going to Thailand to spend some time with Jeremy. Mark said he would leave that afternoon. Gary had to reassure everyone that the company would continue as it always had. The executives knew that Gary owned the entire company. He just had to reassure the rest of the staff. After he had done that, he would join Mark in Thailand.
Jack and Tom had the jet fueled and ready to go when Mark and Dani got to the airport.
"I sure didn't expect to be heading back to Honolulu this soon," Jack said as Mark boarded. "Are you okay Mark? We know how close you were to the Carters."
"I feel bad for Jeremy. He is a basket case right now, which is understandable. Let's just say that this has been a terrible day so far. Get us to Thailand as fast as possible. I hope you restocked the bar. I need more than a few drinks."
"We're wheels up in five Mark," Tom said as he closed the cockpit door.
Mark poured himself a stiff drink. The news of the passing of the Carters had hit him hard and then Cherry's unimaginable outburst over something as inconsequential as his watching Fox News started a firestorm that he never expected. The things she said to him cut him deep and hard. He wasn't going to sit here and stew about it. He had enough to think about other than her.
Somehow, faced with a seventeen-hour flight to Bangkok, he was going to have to put her out of his mind. He also realized that he couldn't get her out of his thoughts. He had spent his entire life as a confirmed bachelor and had vowed to stay that way. There had been several women in his life that had come close to stealing his heart but none, not even one, had ever touched him the way she had. He poured himself another drink.
Dani was Mark's private secretary who had started working for him five and a half years ago. On top of being cute as a button, she was smart as a whip. Everyone teased her about being psychic, as she seemed to have an uncanny ability to know what Mark needed before he did. She was irreplaceable in his eyes. There was work to do and she settled herself into it.
She had no idea that Mark and Cherry had fought until she got an email from Michelle. The Gulfstream was equipped with satellite internet so that they were never out of touch. She read the letter and then re-read it. Michelle told her that there had been a huge fight and that Cherry had left Las Vegas in a hurry.
She fired off an email to Michelle telling her that he was in a foul mood and that he was drinking heavily. Dani said she would try to cheer him up but based on what she had just learned, she doubted that he would be interested. Nonetheless, she would try.
Dani had just met her new neighbor that morning. Lori had just taken up residence in the apartment next to hers. Dani was, like most of Mark's top people, on call all the time. She was about the same age as Cherry although she would never put herself in the same class as she was. A brunette, barely five foot tall with a nice slender body and modest breasts, the one thing she did share with Cherry was that she was constantly horny. They were frequent lovers when she traveled with Mark. This time, she had her doubts though. She had thought his foul mood was because of what had happened to the Carters.
Dani got up and poured herself a drink. She looked over and saw that his glass was almost drained again.
"What are you drinking Mark?"
"Rum and coke and make it a triple Dani."
"Not at this altitude. Did you fall and hit your head? What am I going to do with you?"
"Just shoot me and put me out of my misery Dani. If I'm not around, no one would miss me anyway."
"You keep that crap up and I'll make you pay for it. You can pull that shit on some people but not with me. I know you better than that."
"What, did you get an email from Michelle?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I did. I'm sorry that you and Cherry had a fight. Do you want to talk about it?
"That is the last thing I want to do. I appreciate the offer but I don't even understand it myself so there really isn't anything to tell you."
Dani sat his drink down, leaned over, and gave him a kiss. She pulled the armrest away and snuggled into his chest. He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.
"You know I am here for you Mark, don't you?"
"I know that, hell, if the rumors are true; you always know what I need."
"I usually do but right now, I don't think fucking your brains out is what you need. Write this date on the cabin wall. I seriously have no idea what you need."
"I can tell you what I don't need. I don't need some coked up stripper fucking with my head. I don't care that she is the most beautiful woman on the planet. I just don't need it."
