"You said you'd only submitted to Serena, but Brook seemed just as direct, totally confident you'd submit to her. The two are remarkably similar in attitude, not to mention appearance, even for cousins. I'd have thought them sisters." I began as we began our drive.
"Yeah, who knows how much inbreeding those families have done. I wouldn't be surprised to find they share more than just a pair of siblings for parents. I think their mothers are sisters because Brook's maiden name was Walters not Reynolds. Maybe one of their mothers stepped out and screwed her sister's husband." Beth snorted. "Believe me, that similarity drove some of Serena's power over me. I could see Brook every time I looked into her face. Two peas in a pod. They are two years apart in age, with Brook being the older at thirty-three now. But Serena seems to be the leader, which does not surprise me. She's a direct, take-charge woman. The two original girls, Susan and Crystal, who nailed me at that party, actually deferred to Serena once they got her involved. Later, they disclosed Serena was the leader of their cheerleading squad in high school, and they have just naturally followed her lead since."
"So Serena was still in her twenties when you met," I said, trying to not say what I was thinking. Beth was ahead of me.
"You might as well say it, Bas," Beth said. "Yes, I'm older by several years. I was wise to the ways of the world, not some naive child, and the girls still took me down as easily as a coyote might take a fawn. Susan might have tired of me and let me go after the first couple of sessions once she decided I'd learned my lesson and paid for my insults, but as soon as Serena got involved, well, that did not happen. She loved having me under her control. The only saving grace was she and Crystal had the inconvenience of having to make the drive over from Baton Rouge since Susan and I lived here."
"I'm so glad Serena had not told Brook back then about the stupid, submissive bitch she dominated. My life would have been far different," Beth said quietly. "Without outside help, I'd have been under Brook's thumb."
We stopped by Sue's former home, now the office for my computer company, to visit Sue. Beth told her the project was a 'go'. Sue was happy to hear that as she'd been busy working on the other images. At a glance at Serena's face in the photo, she said, "I know her. Or rather, I've seen her. She's a member of the Krewe but almost never attends any of the events. She's one of those who joined just to put it on her resume or enhance her position in society or some such nonsense."
"The first time I had any real contact with her was when she came over here to see Candi and her group about some kind of cheerleader alumni group or some such thing. No, I remember now, she was trying to get some support for a clinic to teach girls to cheer and needed money to get started. It was some side project she was into. I remember that much."
Sue blushed. "Well, that's all I remember about her project. I also remember she is a demanding bitch. She noticed how I was jumping to Candi's orders, and the bitch commented on how I was the perfect toadie. Candi demonstrated her control by raising my skirt to show how I was commando and shaved on her orders. The bitch, Serena, fingered me right there in the office and pinched and pulled my lips, daring me to protest. She told me how she loved to use girls like me, and if I stepped out of line, she'd redden my ass herself. Candi thought it amusing. None of that came about, fortunately."
I shook my head. The cruelty some of these women displayed to each other just amazed me. Out loud I said, "What is it with some of you women? You seem to love screwing each other over and putting others down. I just can't wrap my head around it."
Beth shrugged. "Some women feel better about themselves when they knock another one down. It's a manifestation of feeling superior." My eyebrows raised at the way she said that, but she was serious. "Look at it this way. You know Candi, Allie, Lana and their histories. Today, you observed and listened to Brook and Serena. There are many others just like them. They are getting a bit older, they feel their looks slipping and, with that, their power over others. They are not the queen bee they once were or thought they were. Some have not accomplished as much as they wanted or think they deserved. I see many in the Krewe in exactly that position. All are not ex-beauties with a sense of entitlement either. Many are struggling to get ahead themselves, but they share the same mentality. They are very smart but feel their life is lacking. They feel better about themselves if they get over on another woman. It's a competition, and they want to win." Sue nodded in agreement.
"Think of a bunch of rats in a barrel scrambling to get on top," Sue said. "The ones on the bottom have to put up with the shit and piss dumped on them by the ones above."
"You don't seem to be like that," I said to Beth.
"Oh, but I am, very much so. But I compete where I can win, in the world of business. I can dominate there. It is a fluke of my character that I can't stand up on my own to sexually dominant personalities. Some women, like Paige, Sarah, Lou, and a few others you know, have climbed out of the barrel and watch the others fight over status. Lenore and Charlotte are climbing up the sides of the barrel, trying to stay out of melee. They aren't trying to climb on anyone nor are they willing to accept being on the bottom. They had a little boost to get started and are out of the fight."
"Well, let's give you a little boost and get some fake photos made." I said.
Sue said, "Already on it, Boss! Let me show you what I have."
Beth shrugged, "No matter how good a boost I get now, I'm still stained with the shit and piss from the bottom of the barrel. I was there too long. No matter what I do, the other rats are still going to see me as one from the bottom they should still be standing on. The only thing I can do now is show my teeth and make them think twice about trying to take me down again. I hope I can make them realize it's not worth the risk to mess with me."
I called Lori and Kat aside after supper and asked them how their project was going. "Pretty much finished, Boss. We've got the bomb set. All we have left to do now is set it off. We're just waiting on your nod to push the detonation button." Yesterday, while they overhauled Beth's office computer, they had isolated the IP address from the remote access program in the Trojan email. They were going to send a reply to that address with our regards.
The next day, Tuesday, found Beth and I sitting in the same booth we'd occupied the day before. Our microphone was still secure under the table. I planned to remove it and put it into my pocket at some point, but thought having our conversation recorded might be beneficial. If Serena and Brook did not want me there, I could move across the room and still listen.
"Ahh, Beth's boy is with her again. Are you going to move away or sit and listen to your pathetic girlfriend beg and whimper?" Serena asked. I told her I'd leave if they didn't want me to listen, otherwise, I'd stay. "No skin off my ass. I'm sure Beth here told you all about what we discussed yesterday. Of course, I'd bet it was a sanitized version. She might admit to being a submissive cunt, but has a little pride, and I find it unlikely she would want just how pathetic she really is known."
Brook smiled widely. "Do you work for Beth, or are you just friends? I can't imagine you have sex with her for the fun of it. Unless you are hung like a horse, you wouldn't enjoy it much as stretched out as her pussy must be. A normal size man wouldn't be able to feel the sides." She paused to giggle and sneer at Beth. Serena smirked as her cousin insulted Beth. "Of course she does have a mouth. I imagine she hasn't forgotten how to give a good blowjob. My husband had no complaints and actually praised her ability to give a great hummer. Of course he told me I am better. As far as I know, Beth spent most of the past several years going down on women. No men involved."
"Are you two finished with your poor attempt to insult me so we can get on with business?" Beth asked coldly. Her left hand squeezing my thigh told me how much the taunts really upset her. Her grip had to be leaving marks, if not bruises.
"Nope, got one more," Serena grinned. She could probably tell Beth was not as insulated from their jibes as she claimed. "I wanted to ask about your wearing that gray pinstripe power suit. Is it for us? Bas here is more casually dressed like we are. You really didn't think it would give you an edge, did you? That feeble attempt at a power play just makes me want to strip that skirt off and blister your butt all the more!" Serena said, leaning forward.
"Well, that is not going to happen. And no, I'm dressed this way because I had a meeting this morning and have another scheduled for later with one of my SUCCESSFUL business ventures," Beth reported, emphasizing the word 'successful' while looking straight at Brook, who glared back.
It was time to move on and get our business done. I said, "Alright, you three have shared enough banter. How about we get down to business? Beth has some things for you."
Beth showed the thumb drive she held in her right hand. I hoped neither of the other women observed how much her hand was sweating. "There is something else I want you to promise. I made this flash drive so you did not have to scan the photographs I made. That should make it easy for you to send them where they need to go. In return, I want you both to promise me to leave me alone after this. You don't try to dominate me in the future. In return, I'll show some respect to you and be cordial to Brook during family events. I admit I was out of line at the graduation and also had some people ask why we didn't all sit together as a family."
