Paid to Seduce His Mother V. 02

Paths cross, lives change, retribution and forgiveness. Enjoy, jb7

Part CVI

About the time Sara was running out the door after Jake, Rita buzzed Maggie to say, "Maggie, Harry's on line three for you. He says it's important."

"Okay, Rita; tell him I'll be right with him." She closed out the computer screen and program she had been working on and picked up the phone. "Yes, Harry. What's up?"

"I've had three guys on the floor stop me and ask if the rumors are true that we're closing the door and going out of business. We need to do something before it gets completely out of hand. Shit, some of these guys have been with us since the beginning. We owe it to them to give them the truth."

"Wow!" she said, with a short laugh. "Where's Harry and what did you do to him? I think this is the first time in twenty years I've heard you express any concern for the workers. It reminds me you're still human, and I totally agree with you. Do you know what ConFas's plans for the business are?"

"Yeah; they plan on making this their Northeast headquarters. All the orders north of Washington and east of the Mississippi will be filled out of here. They'll be adding to our floor staff, but a few of the office staff will be let go, under our termination policy, but on their dime. Since it's the company's fault, essentially, that their jobs are being phased out, they get a month's salary for each full year they were employed as separation pay."

"Do you know who..."

"Our secretaries and Ken, the HR guru. I think everyone else is safe, but I'm sure of those three. Rita and Ken will make out like bandits, but Carol's only been with us for a few years. I need to find a way to get her a little more, so she nets at least a year's salary." He paused to light a cigar.

"I thought we should call everyone together and announce the sale and changes as we know them. Maybe have some sort of snack."

"Yeah, that'd be fine. I'll call Waverly's and see if they can put something together for us, maybe an assortment of tea sandwiches. Friday, at the end of the business day?"

"Yeah; meantime, I'll tell Ken and Carol. I'll leave Rita to you; you two been together a while, now. How long has it been?"

"I'm not sure. I remember filling orders with her when I was carrying Ellie. She's been my secretary since I decided I needed one." Without giving it much, if any, thought, she added, "I learned this summer her youngest child is our granddaughter;" and immediately regretted saying it.

"What! What did you just say...we have a granddaughter and you didn't tell me! What the fuck..." he practically screamed into the phone.

"Harry!" she shouted into the pone. "Calm down! I'm coming to your office to explain. If you still have that bottle of bourbon in your desk, pour us a drink."

Twenty minutes later, Harry was leaning back in his chair, his face beaming with pride. "Christ, Babe! Maybe some of me did rub off on our son after all. Damn! So he scored a touchdown his first time out of the gate; if that don't beat hell! And she doesn't want any support or anything?" he asked, taking a sip of whiskey.

"Nope. She says her husband is convinced the girl is his, and he intends to bring her up according to his culture."

"Still, we should keep in touch, in case she ever needs anything. I'll call some people I know to see if I can open some doors for her."

"Thank you, Harry, that'll help; just don't let her know you know. She'd be embarrassed to tears and under the circumstances..."

"Gotcha. Don't worry, I may be a crude bastard sometimes, but I do know how to be a gentleman when necessary." He tossed back the bit of bourbon still in his glass. "So, you'll call Mike's place and order eats for Friday. And I'll make up a wine punch, enough so everyone can have a couple of drinks, but also not too much, so no one leaves drunk."

"Make it a weak punch, just to be sure." she answered with a smile, which he returned.

"Goddam, Maggie! Did you ever think when we started it would turn out like this? I remember when you were pregnant with Mike, there were a couple of weeks when all we had to eat was mac and cheese or canned soup, and we had to mine the couch to get money to buy that. And now look at us—fuckin' millionaires. Unfuckinbelievable!" he exclaimed, slapping his desk so hard his pens jumped .

"Yes, it is," Maggie said with a laugh. "I still have to pinch myself every hour or so to believe it. Oh, I got hold of Ellie. She'll be home this weekend. She's dropping out of the overseas study program and transferring to a school closer to home next semester."

"Oh? How come? I thought she was super excited about P'Town's overseas program."

"She said it isn't really that good, or what she thought. It's mostly just an excuse for the 'rich brats' to get a trip to Europe and get school credit for it, plus some of them were giving her a hard time about a bit of trouble she had at school last semester."

"Trouble? What trouble? I didn't hear about no trouble? Fuck, Maggie! You're always keeping secrets from me! No friggin' wonder we never got along." he sat up and forward, leaning on the desk, glowering.

"This wasn't me, Harry" she said, calmly, holding up her hands and shaking her head. "I didn't find out until she got home, and Mike told me about it. It's not something you'd want to hear about anyway. It just confirms our daughter is grown up and exploring life in all its vicissitudes, as they used to say," she replied, finishing her drink.

You could see the information sink in and the light bulb begin to glow as Harry understood. "Shit! She's not preg..."

Maggie shook her head, standing up. "No, thank god, nor does she have any STDs. And that's probably more than you should know, or want to." He nodded, dumbstruck. "I'm going to go have my talk with Rita. Would you rather I spoke with Ken?"

"No, that's all right," Harry answered, waving her off. "I'm pretty sure one of the guys I golf with is going to have an opening in the near future. I can let Ken know about it."

"Okay, then; talk to you later."

*******************

Rita sat down nervously when Maggie gestured at the 'customer' chair. Maggie had come back from her meeting with Harry looking unsettled. When she had asked Rita to come in, the Latina knew it wasn't good news. She had heard the rumor about the business going under, but hadn't believed it. As Maggie's secretary, she had access to the financial reports each month and knew they were constantly improving, even in the sluggish economy.

"Rita," Maggie began, "I'm afraid I have some bad news. We're selling the company to ConFas. I know there's a rumor going around that we're going out of business, and technically, I suppose that's true, but ConFas plans on making this their Northeast distribution center. For most of the staff that means there won't be any major change in their job, but for a few of the office workers.."

"Including me?" Rita interrupted. "Some of us will be out?"

"I'm sorry, Rita," Maggie answered, nodding. "Harry is going to call around to see if he can find something for you...How long have you been with us? I know it's over twenty years."

"Almost twenty-six. I was working for Harry when you two got married. I had just started, part time, taking phone orders off the answering machine."

"I should have remembered that. You taught me...Dammit, Rita, if anyone should stay, it's you." Maggie reached for a tissue to blow her nose and wipe away the tears which were threatening to flow. "It won't make up for all of it, but your severance package will help. You are entitled to 25 months at your current rate, which comes to a bit over 60K."

Rita gasped. "I...I don't know what to say, Maggie. Are you sure? That seems like it's too much."

"When we wrote the policy, we didn't foresee someone with your length of service being phased out of a job. And since it's ConFas' expense, enjoy it."

"I will," she laughed. "I may take a little time to be with Miguela. She starts school this year, and this is the last time I can have her home with me. What are you going to do? I can't see you staying at home."

"Mike and I and a friend, actually Mike's fiance's mother, have just bought a place called the Wee Inn in the Woods in upstate New York. We're going to run it as a tourist inn and dinner theater."

"Oh, that sounds exciting. I don't suppose you need a secretary, do you?" she asked with a grin.

Maggie sat back in her chair as if struck. "I might. Would you really be interested?"

Rita sat back, thinking. It would be nice to stay home for a while and work with Maggie again, but Rinaldo, her husband, hadn't been very successful selling real estate. "I might, but Rinaldo...to try to take him out of his city would be like trying to move a palm tree to the arctic ice."

"Ask him anyway, Rita. I should have thought of it myself. We take over on September first, the same day ConFas takes over operations here. We could probably put you all up in one of the cabins until you find someplace to live."

"Thank you, Maggie. I'll ask, but..." and she shrugged.

*******************

On their way through New Haven, Sara asked if they could stop by her apartment so she could pick up some clothes. She had been living out of Ellie's closet for the past few days, and since she was coming home...

They pulled into the parking lot at Waverly's shortly after seven, to meet Anna and Maggie for dinner and to introduce Belle to the other women who would make up his polyamory family. After eating, he excused himself, borrowed Maggie's car and went home to sleep, leaving the women to arrange his life. His only comment on leaving was a request for a reasonable amount of time for himself, and to not forget Ellie. They all laughed

The next morning, when he pulled into the parking lot to open the restaurant, Geordie was waiting for him. "Hey, Mikey, g' mo'ning. How you this fine day?" he asked in his basso, accent-laden voice.

"Hey yourself, Geordie. No major complaints; you?"

"None, neither. I 'as talking to Joe and Bella t'otha day. Dey say Ms Masters gonna sell her store. Dat right? 'N open 'nodder one up by Sertoga?"

"That's right, Geordie. Pete Riordan, who owns Someplace Else, is buying it and will operate it as a sort of Someplace Else 2. Last time I talked to him about it, he hadn't decided on the name; he may keep it as Waverly's."

"Wha' choo go'n' tado; you sta'in' to cook for the new guy?"

"Unh uh. My mother and I partnered with Anna. I'll be the chef at the new place, the Wee Inn in the Woods, up beyond Glens Falls."

"The Wee Inn! Yo' shittin me? Ya'll bo't the Morton place. Hot Damn, tha's good news! Mis'r Mike, if ya ever need a gofer, ya jes call me. I knows that country like ya'll knows yer bathroom. I hunted or screwed on jes 'bout ever square foot o' that country."

Mike laughed. "Really, Geordie? You sure don't sound like an upstate New Yorker."

"My momma and pop, dey was frum Suthin' 'Bama, 'n' I guess they axsent kinda rubbed off 'n me. But I mean it, Mis'r Mike. If'n ya'll need a gofer or a driver, I'se yer man."

"Okay, Geordie. I'll talk it over with the ladies and see. Now, whatta ya have for me?"

*****************

Maggie walked in to find a very teary Rita at her desk that morning.

"Rita! What's wrong? This isn't about our selling the business is it?"

Rita shook her head, but then shrugged her shoulders. "When I told Rinaldo about you selling the business and losing my job, he said I had to find another one right away. I didn't even get a chance to mention your job offer or the separation pay.

"When I said I wanted to spend some time with Miguela since she was starting school soon, he said no, we needed the money because he hasn't been able to sell any houses.

"I lost my temper and told him if he got his ass out from between the legs of the

puta

(whore) he was screwing every day, he might sell more houses.

"He screamed at me how dare I call his little sister a

puta,

and packed up his clothes and left us.

"When he was leaving I called him

un hijo de puta

(motherfucker), and he came back looking more angry than ever. I thought he would hit me, but Miguela came in and he backed away, saying, "I want my little girl," and I told him she wasn't his:

"But she has my eyes..."

"Her grandmother's eyes..."

"My build; you can see she will be tall and slender..."

"Her aunt's build, and her grandmother... "

"Already, she has my love of food and cooking

..."

"Her daddy's, he is a well known chef."

"All the while, he glared at me like he wanted me dead. Finally, he called me a

puta

and stormed out. This morning when I took Miguela to her sitter's, I saw Rinaldo and his

hermana

chochos

(cunt sister) loading up a van with furniture and clothes. I guess he's finally gone for good."

"I'm so sorry, Rita. Do you want to take some time to get your head around all that's happened to you this week?"

"No, Maggie, but thank you. I've known for a while he's been screwing someone else. I just didn't want to admit to myself he had found somebody new. But his sister? She looks just like him, which isn't too bad for

el hombre' (a man),

but on her..." She shrugged and shook her head.

Maggie cocked an eyebrow at Rita's statement. "Why don't I get us some coffee, then you come in for a chat. It might help to get some of this off your chest." The Latina smiled and nodded. A few minutes later, they were comfortably seated in Maggie's conference area.

"What bothered you about Rinaldo and his sister, that they were related, or that you thought she was unattractive?"

"Maggie, she wasn't just unattractive, she even had his mustache! And I'm referring to the one you can usually see," Rita huffed and pointed at her upper lip.

"And their being related didn't bother you?"

Rita shook her head, looking down. "No. I can understand that. Even I... when I was a teenager, my big brother and I used to practice making out with each other. Some times we went a little too far. A couple of times we went way too far, if you understand."

Maggie hid her smile in her coffee cup. "Me, too. My brother taught me to slow dance when I was invited to a prom, and showed me what can happen to a guy when he's dancing close. Then he showed me

all

the ways to take care of it. Do you and your brother ever get together?"

"Before my first husband died in an accident, Jose and his wife and Jorge and I often vacationed together. Sometimes, we would swap. We all figured why not, Jorge and Maria were cousins, and nobody was getting hurt. But not since the accident. He didn't care for Rinaldo, and Maria liked him even less. Maybe that should have told me something.

"How about you and your brother?"

"This summer, on the way back from our trip to the cabin, Mike and I stopped to see my mother. Jim and his wife came over for dessert. She had a fantasy about sleeping with a naive young cousin she wanted to act out, so while she went with Mike, for the first time since before Mike was born. I went with Jim.

"And your mother was okay with that?"

Taking a sip of coffee, Maggie nodded. "She joined Mike and Sally."

"Maggie, are you trying to tell me something?"

"What do you know about polyamory, Rita"

"Polywhatery?" she said, with a laugh in her voice.

"A type of group marriage. A small group of people, it could be a few couples, or one man or woman, with some members of the opposite sex, live together and share sex partners within the group. Some of them might actually be married, but not necessarily.

"Mike, our other partner, Anna; Mike's fiancé, Sara; her mother; my daughter, Ellie and I will be forming such a group when we move to New York."

"Oh," Rita responded in a small voice. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Two reasons. First, I felt you needed to know if you're going to work for us. If it is a problem for you, it's best to know it before you're neck deep in a pile of crap you can't deal with.

"Second, I know you and Mike both enjoyed your little time together earlier this summer. Our arrangement allows for some, call them dalliances outside the group occasionally, or, we could include you as part of the group if you were willing to..."

"Thank you, Maggie. Both for the offer and the trust you've shown in me. I don't think I'd have any problem working for you, but the logistics of six women with one man, and having to explain that to Miguela when she's older...it's not something I want to contemplate. However, the other part of your offer-- if Mike ever has a free afternoon for a, what did you call it, a dalliance?" she smiled.

Part CVIII

Mike told Anna about Geordie's desire to go to the Inn with them. She nodded and grinned. Although he was a large and imposing man, she knew he was also one of the gentlest men she knew, unless he was angered. "That'll be good. Do you think he really knows the area or was he just saying so?"

"He knows the Mortons own the Inn, and he knew immediately what I was talking about. I'd say he was telling the truth, mostly. He might have exaggerated a little when he said he had hunted or screwed on every square foot of the area."

Anna laughed and agreed. "With, Joe, Bella, and the woman your Mom wants to hire as a secretary, we've already got a pretty good start on the staff."

"Mom has someone already for a secretary? Who?" he asked, sure he knew the answer to his question as he asked it.

"Rita, her current secretary. When she learned she was out of a job, and Maggie was buying an Inn, she asked if she needed a secretary. She didn't think her husband would move, but if he agrees, she wants to hire her. I don't have any objections; you?"

"No, none at all. She's a nice lady." He grinned, remembering.

"Something you're not telling me, Mike? Anything I need to know?"

"Need to know? No, Anna. Just Rita and I have a bit of history. Her youngest child, she tells me, is mine. Judging by the photo I saw, she's telling the truth."

"Are you going to be okay with it, if she comes with us? That could get to be pretty sticky. What about her husband; does he know?"

"She says not, that he thinks the girl is his child. If there is a problem, we'll have to work it out, or they'll have to go, at least some of them will."

Anna looked at him, pondering, her foot tapping nervously, as it often did when she was faced with a problem she couldn't immediately see the solution to. "Well, talk it over with your mother tonight and come up with a plan if it's needed. When does Ellie get home? Do you know? I think we should all get together to meet her."

"From the information she sent Mom, her plane arrives at Kennedy about four Friday afternoon. Then she catches her puddle jumper flight at five thirty and arrives here at six. Mom and Dad are meeting her, and I'll meet them all at the lawyers to finalize the sale of the business. I think the plan is to come back here after that for dinner. Sara and Belle are coming, I know. We could ask Geordie and Rita, also, I guess. It would make some sense, or get them all together Saturday..."

"Personally, I would vote for Friday, so all the welcome home foofaraw is done and your family can relax and get to know each other again. Ask Maggie; see what she wants to do, and if you can get hold of her, ask Ellie. She should have a say."

Part CIX

Jake cursed the rain as he walked along Route One, trying to hitch a ride. The bus from Cherry Valley to Providence had taken all but a sawbuck of his remaining stash of cash. In the two days he had stayed in the city, he had been unable to find either work or someone to mug. Part of that was the rejuvenation the city had undergone while he was inside. New lighting, restored buildings and a general revitalization of the waterfront had wiped out much of his old hunting grounds.