Drew eased her Silver Mitsubishi 3000 GT into the parking garage next to her red car of the same make. Sitting with the motor idling for a few moments, she took a couple of more drags off her Sampoerna Extra before flicking it out the window onto the concrete floor. Swinging her mini-skirted legs out the door, she nimbly crushed the still glowing butt without breaking stride while briskly setting off towards the mansion. No time like the present. This was the day that she told that type-A nerd husband of hers the way things were. She was tired of his constantly working and leaving her all alone. The fact that his fortune allowed her to gather lots of toys such as the two brand new vehicles in the garage didn't begin to assuage her loneliness and bitterness. She had been just an Idaho ranch girl when she met and married Bill straight out of college. He was just setting up his Internet Service Provider business then. Even from the start he seemed more devoted to work than her, but she had made allowances because she felt that one day when he was a success they would both be able to settle back and enjoy the fruits of their labors. Well, that had been ten years and roughly fifty billion dollars ago. Bill Westart was one of the world's richest men, and he still ignored his petite blonde buxom little wife to spend late nights and weekends at work.
At first she had started having petty affairs and flings in the hopes that it might spark his jealousy or interest. Later on, she had continued them because they were her only emotional solace from being the trophy wife of the CEO of Westart International, the number one ISP in the country. Instead of piquing his interest, all that happened was that Bill seemed to withdraw further into his work, starting a vicious circle whereby Drew just got wilder and wilder. From pool boys and maintenance men she quickly graduated to young executives and rock star wannabes, all of whom revolved around the circle of her husband's company. After discovering that she couldn't have children, the affairs became her main reason for being, while her husband's simply seemed to be his company.
She decided that she could live with the company as a mistress, as long as that was her only competition for the man that it seemed that she couldn't have. And so things went for a while, but not forever. One day she decided that she might try to go by work and surprise him for lunch, a thing that he used to enjoy in their earlier married days, even as he complained about the lost time and productivity. She had quit soon after that, both out of hurt that he complained and because of her growing interest in her own new affairs. Drew could never quite ease her guilty conscience however, and occasionally she would still try to reach out to Bill in small ways, which usually backfired and left them both hurt and angry. In a good mood brought on by her early morning tennis workout both on and off the court with Jean Claude, her French pro, Drew arrived at the office with a bag of hamburgers, Bill's favorite even after all the fame and money of the last few years. Still casual of dress and manner, at times his boyishness was endearing and refreshing, even if she couldn't stomach fast food or 24-hour breakfast restaurants, his other type of favorite fine dining establishment. She was in for a surprise, however, when she arrived at the outer suite to Bill's office.
"He's left the office and didn't say when he would be back or where he was going," Ms. Peavis, the office matron told her. She didn't look too happy when she said this, but Drew simply put it down to Ms. Peavis distaste for the boss's cheating wife. Drew's ways were known to those close to Bill, and not surprisingly, their loyalty went to the man who signed their hefty paychecks, especially those who had been with him from the early beginnings of the company, as had Ms. P.
"That's OK," Drew said, relieved in a way that she wouldn't have to go through on her intended reaching out gesture. "I'll just pop in and say hi to Melinda." Melinda Snow was Bill's personal secretary, and surprisingly one of the few in his inner office who remained friendly to her. The two were roughly about the same age and temperament, although Melinda was a sleek sensuous brunette, in contrast to the buxom blond Drew. Both came from rural backgrounds to the big city, and Drew had actually gotten to know Melinda pretty well from regular contact and business social functions in the five years that she had been her husband's secretary. A bright girl who had divorced her own abusive husband a year ago, Melinda was every body's confidant, every one's friend. Drew liked her.
"She's gone too." It was impossible to miss the cruel gleam in Ms. P's eyes. "With Mr. Westart, he left word that he couldn't be paged or called, even on his cell phone." She sat triumphantly, waiting for Drew's reaction.
She wasn't going to get it. "Well, then I'm sure it's important, although if I need him I'll call our personal pager." Bitch. "Take care, Ms. P, there are some burgers in the bag if you or anyone else in the office are hungry." And I hope you choke on them, as I shove them up your ass and out that evil mouth of yours, she mentally added. Idly Drew wondered on the way out if it was worth it to her to turn up the torture on Bill until she could get him to can the old creep. Probably not. He was notoriously kind to staff, and she herself tended to not be vindictive unless cornered. But she did make a note to be sure to send a couple of sizes too small next Christmas for dear old Ms. B, oops, make that P.
Unfortunately though, the intended arrow had struck home. Why are they off together in the middle of the day, she wondered. Surely Mr. Computer discs-for-gonads isn't cheating on me! He has me at home if he wants sex, and that's one reason I started cheating on him, he's never interested, she mused. Unless of course, he was interested in friendly tall brunettes who pay attention to him. Suddenly a light dawning like the sun's first rays over Mount Olympus hit Drew square in the forehead. No, they couldn't be. Melinda's too nice for that, a voice told her. A competing voice responded, it's the nice ones you have to watch out for with Bill, he doesn't like sluts. A cold chill suddenly went through her. How does he see me now, she thought.
The drive home had given her time to reconsider the situation and she had almost persuaded herself that nothing was wrong, until she tried to page him on his personal cellphone. No answer. Not even with 911 dialed in, their universal signal for emergency. Miserably she went directly to the wine cellar after arriving home, grabbing a bottle of the choicest before going to the large living room to drown her sorrows.
Hours later, when Bill did come home, he blithely brushed aside her questions and concern. "I forgot to put a damn battery in, no problem, what was the emergency? Melinda and I had to go over for a face to face with old man Hart." Mr. Jonathan Hart was the Chairman of the Board of Apex-Lawler, the huge conglomeration that had merged with Westart Industries a few years ago, adding their media might to the growing on line presence and necessitating the name change to Apex-Lawler Westart International.