by JJ Giles
“It is. My wife has jerked my kids around for much too long now. The problem is I don’t know how my daughter is going to take it. And I know this sounds desperate but, uhh...”
“You’re scared,” she whispered. “And you need some emotional support right now.”
“Yes,” he said with a heavy breath.
“What time?”
To know she would do this for him filled him with relief. “I can have a car at the Waterford at eight.”
Surely, Jerry didn’t know that Morgan so desperately needed the very same thing now. No one else needed her or wanted her at the moment. “I’ll be ready,” she whispered.
“You can’t imagine what this means to me,” he whispered. “I’ll be eternally grateful for this.”
“I’ll see you then.”
Quietly, he clicked off. He stared blankly at the phone a moment. Maybe Cherry knew and maybe she didn’t. One thing was for certain. Cheryl wasn’t going to mess with the kids any longer.
With only a towel wrapped around his waist he returned to the great room to see the waiter placing the dishes on the table. Renee had wrapped a chenille throw around her body. He wondered a moment about the androgynous shoulder length hair, the flat breasts, the small penis. And I think I have problems, Jerry thought. Gallantly, he held out the chair and let ‘Cousin It’ sit.
As he poured the wine, Jerry said, “I hate to be rude, but I have to leave rather early in the morning, dear.”
“That’s not a problem, My Lord,” she whispered affectionately. “That you remembered me at all was a pleasant surprise.”
“Honey, I’ve missed you almost as much as I’ve missed Brian. I’ve missed all of you boys.”
“When we get together we remember the good ol’ days fondly. I hate to think I’m old enough to have good ol’ days in my life.”
Gently, he laughed.
“And I think I’ll just go get Brian tomorrow anyway. He’s in a place where he shouldn’t be alone. Might just spend the weekend with him.”
“But you won’t tell him that I know about this!” Jerry said sternly. “Brian needs to come to his own conclusions about his mother. Me telling him anything about her is only gonna piss him off again.”
Curiously, she cocked her head. “That she’s a liar?”
“Exactly.”
“It’s alright, Jerry. I want Brian back as much as you do. Maybe if you and I work on him together...”
Jerry shook his head. “I want Brian to come back to me because he wants me again...not because he feels pressured or used.”
With that she let out a heavy sigh. “There was something else I was going to speak to you about, Jerry.”
“What’s that, honey?”
Her face knurled a little. “Do you think maybe you’d like to adopt me?”
With that, he burst into laughter and grabbed the napkin to hold over his face. At length, he recovered only to burst again. “I don’t know, baby. That I’d actually have a child of my own. I’ll have to think about it. In the meantime, eat up, because I’m gonna haul your scrawny ass back to bed and have my way with you.”
“Ohhh...well, whatever works for you, My Lord.” Happily, she chinked her glass against his.
Chapter Nineteen
The few things Morgan thought she would need and had in her apartment were packed. Whatever else she needed could be purchased because it sounded like Jerry needed some time alone with his daughter. She might have most of the weekend alone. She was alone anyway, but alone on the white sand beaches in the Caribbean sounded better than alone anywhere else in the world.
Having called Jaxx to keep Kitty entertained for the weekend, she waited patiently at the rear atrium where a car would come to pick her up. Only moments later, the doorman held the door opened for her. “The Abernathy car, Madame,” he whispered.
“Thank you.” She moved through it with stealth.
The driver jumped out and rushed toward her for her bag to load in the trunk. Jerry was already out holding the door for her. She’d never been treated with more respect.
“Good morning,” he whispered. His vision fixed on her, grateful she was alone confirming her trust in him. And she’d stood at the door awaiting him, the first submissive trait he had seen in her.
“Good morning,” she said softly. How curious to see him in chinos and a polo shirt when in the past it was very expensive suits or naked. This morning he looked like a regular guy. Smoothly the car rolled away from the curb.
“I have the Lear ready. A jumbo jet seems a little bit of overkill for a quick trip to the Caribbean.”
“Okay,” she said with a little smile.
“We’ll have breakfast on the plane.”
“Alright.” Carefully, she studied him as he sat in the seat facing hers. “But whatever is going down is pretty big, isn’t it?”
He stared into her vivid green eyes. How well did he know Morgan McFaye? And if she ran to the press for the few million dollars it would get her when she has millions of her own, what would become of Brian? But it was all going to come out soon anyway. And actually Brian knew, or Brian thought he knew and it wouldn’t be a shock to him. It was Cherry he wasn’t sure about.
Frozen in position, he gasped, “Can I trust you?”
“If you’re asking if I’ll betray your confidence, the answer is I won’t. I have a professional reputation to maintain, Mr. Abernathy.”
With that he relaxed a little. “My children. My wife is about to explode and my children are going to get hurt. I, uhh...I need my daughter to know that I’m not her father before she hears it on the evening news.”
A little stunned, Morgan watched while he gathered a tear to soak into his hand. “She’s not your daughter?”
Jerry shook his head. “A guy who works for me is her father. My wife had an affair years ago with this guy and I have a feeling that Cheryl is going to turn that against me.”
Cheryl had admitted to Morgan that she’d suffered an indiscretion years ago and she felt so trashy she could never bring herself to it again. “Did Cheryl still work as a prostitute after you married her?”
Deeply, he peered into her. “Honey, she’s fifty-three years old and she’s still turning tricks.”
Morgan hesitated, now understanding fully that Cheryl was using her to get to Jerry. “How do you feel about that?”
“I don’t give a fuck anymore, Morgan. I mean...” His vision drifted away. “That bitch isn’t my concern. My concern is my daughter and either she’s going to accept me or she’ll kick me out of her life for good.”
“So this is a hard day for you,” she said softly. “And the outcome is very unclear.”
“It definitely is.”
“Then I’m flattered that you want my support and you think I can help you if it goes badly.”
“I appreciate it so much,” he gasped.
“It’s alright, Jerry,” she whispered. She needed a little distraction herself.
* * * *
The doors of the master suite swung open and Renee screamed, “Get your ass out of the bed already.”
Still lolling in bed, Brian growled, “What the hell do you want already?”
She curled around him to nuzzle her nose to his. “I wanna go fishing.”
“Go away,” Brian murmured.
She jerked away, scowling, “God, go brush your teeth for shit’s sake. Did you lay around all night by yourself drinking?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s good. Because guess what? I got called to Court last night.”
Brian’s blurry eyes refused to focus. “So?”
“What do you mean...so?” she snarled. “That was the first time he called me...or any of us to him since you left.”
Quite surprised by that, Brian raised to study her better. “You haven’t been seeing him all this time?”
She shook her head. “When you split, it’s like he just shriveled up and died.”
Brian fell back to the pillow
to think on that a minute. Maybe the time Jerry has spent with Morgan has done him some good. Made him think of how things used to be. “Did he mention any new women in his life?”
“No. All he wanted to talk about is you and all of us submissives. So would you get the hell out of bed so I can be submissive again...please!”
“How was he?” Brian asked curiously.
“The old man’s still got it, better than ever in fact. He’s got me totally turned on. So haul your ass on out of the bed, my brother, because by the time we get to the lake the bar will be stocked, the fuel tank filled and we can be in Canadian waters by noon.”
Brian’s head throbbed with a horrible hangover. The thought of a two-hour car ride to Lake Erie made him want to vomit.
Aggravated, Brian rubbed at his eyes and then peered at his enthusiastic friend in very short shorts and tank top sans bra. “Your balls are hanging out again,” he noted.
“Get out of the fucking bed...now.”
“What’s the rush?”
With her hip cocked and a long narrow finger pointing at her butt, she said, “I want a striped b-ass right here, baby.”
“Cute,” he said sarcastically. “So are you Renee or Randi today?”
“I don’t give a shit,” she snarled. “Get your ass out of the bed.”
“You smart-ass masochists,” he snarled. “Go get my whip.”
With that, she bounced happily out the door.
* * * *
Only a few hours later the soft sunshine spilled into the compartment of a limo having taken them to the Caribbean resort. The ocean breeze was fresh, clean, something she had forgotten existed. Palm trees swirled overhead and the bright reds and yellows of exotic flowers blended in her vision like a kaleidoscope. Even the stuccoed building with its blue tiled roof seemed a mirage yet she looked beyond it to see the white sand flowing into the bluest of waters.
“You own this?”
He smiled and nodded, his hand loosely at the small of her back to guide her through the door.
“Mr. Abernathy,” the front desk man said startled to see him here.
“Hello,” Jerry said. “I’ve just stopped in for the weekend. When you see Cherry, tell her I’m upstairs.”
“Of course, sir,” he said astounded. “I would have had your suite better prepared if you had called.”
Jerry waved it away. “Just a spur of the moment thing.” He took Morgan’s hand and guided her toward the elevator.
The elevator doors concealed them. “You own this?” she asked again, enchanted with everything from the furniture to the uniforms on the personnel.
“And I have my own personal suite that no one uses but me. It has three bedrooms and you can choose whichever you want. If you’re not comfortable there, I’ll kick someone out and get you your own.”
Again flattered that he would think of her comfort, she said, “No, that’s fine.”
He walked to the door at the end of the hallway and opened it with an electronic key card. “Oh, shit,” she murmured. An expanse of pure white carpet rolled out before her looking very much like the sands beyond the window. The pure cloud-white furniture of soft cotton, the accents of cayenne red, parrot yellow and habeñero orange turned her on.
“This suits?” he asked.
Soaking in the surroundings along with the freshly salted sea air, she assured him, “This is very nice.” Very nice, she thought to be away from her own travails for awhile.
Just then the door thrust open and a very tall, slender woman with black hair and exquisite blue eyes, wearing a white sundress and very noisy circlets around her wrists, popped in. “Dad?” as she stared, almost stricken.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he whispered. He approached her quickly and without hesitation he scooped her into his arms.
“Dad, I can’t believe this,” Cherry whispered. “We just talked yesterday.”
Morgan watched remembering Cheryl’s less than flattering description of her daughter. Morgan had the picture of a bull dyke lesbian tromping around in combat boots, but this was one gorgeous well-built lady.
As she released him, Cherry asked, “Dad, what’s the matter?”
Slowly, he pulled away and took her hand. “Honey, I want you to meet someone. Morgan McFaye, a very good friend of mine.”
Stunning, Cherry thought as she reached out. For a long moment, she studied the gorgeous green eyes, the sweet narrow nose. But it was the simmering bronze hair that reminded Cherry of something ready to burst into flame. With her most seductive tone, she said softly, “I’m Cherry Abernathy.”
“My pleasure,” Morgan said. The sense that she had turned this one on was overwhelming.
Cherry turned to peer into her father with a sly grin. “But you must be joking.”
Jerry only shook his head to quiet his daughter. To not press the point any further. Curiously, Morgan studied them to find the humor.
Slowly, Cherry released her. Thinking her father had brought his latest fling in for a wing-ding, she started, “So, uhh...”
“Honey, I need to speak to you...alone. Things between your mother and I aren’t good.”
“Have they ever been good?”
“No,” he choked. “But things are gonna blow up soon. I want you to hear my side of the story before this explodes.”
Confused certainly, Cherry’s gaze bounced between him and Morgan.
Jerry explained, “Morgan’s my therapist, honey. She’s generously agreed to come and help us through this.”
Astounded, Cherry stared openly. Her father seeing a therapist! “Daddy, this is serious!”
A wellspring of tears flushed through his eyes. “I just need you to know how much I love you.”
To see her father like this, she cried, “Oh, my God.” Quickly, she wrapped him up and held to him as he crushed her in his arms. Quite frightened, never having seen her father anything but angry for the last ten years, she peered at Morgan. Morgan’s half-smile was sad. “You know about this?” she asked Morgan.
“He’s having a very hard time right now,” she said softly.
“Daddy,” she whispered. “It’s alright. I don’t know what the hell’s kept you and her together all these years anyway.”
“So do you have some time right now?” he asked standing stoically.
“Of course, I do.”
“Let’s go to your apartment,” he suggested.
“Uhh...let’s not,” she said, hinting at something.
“Tell you what,” Morgan interrupted. “I saw a couple of very alluring shops on the way in and if you need me you can call me.”
Good woman, he thought and thanked Providence for her. “I will.” Quickly, he retrieved his wallet for cash.
“Don’t worry about it.” She smiled. “Cherry,” Morgan said softly. Soundlessly, she departed.
With a sly grin, Cherry peered at Jerry. “Therapist, huh? A pretty hot piece of ass, if you ask me.”
“Sex therapist,” he admitted.
“So that’s what they’re calling ‘em these days.”
“A for real sex therapist. Your brother recommended her.”
“Brian? What the hell’s he need a sex therapist for?”
“A little discipline?” he whispered to stroke her memory.
“Ohhhh,” she sang. Trying to keep this light, she swirled onto the sofa. “Whatever gets you through the night, as they say. So Daddy, what’s the matter that you would come all the way to St. Maarten and need help getting through it?”
Without offering a reply he went to the bar and poured them both a drink. He handed her a glass and sat near in the chair. “Your mother’s been jerking you kids around for a lot of years, baby.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” she said sarcastically. More somberly, she offered, “But I think I understand something. You’ve come to tell me you’re not my father.”
His intestines seemed to burst to hear it put so plainly. But she knew. She knew all along. “When did your mother
tell you?”
“Shit...hell, I don’t know. Just before I went to college I think. Told me I should be whatever I want to be instead of what you want. I remember being pretty buzzed, but I think I remember I told her to fuck off.”
“Cherry!” To cure his aggravation, he gulped the bourbon.
“What,” she shot back, laughing hard. “Mom and I never got along either, Dad. I wasn’t very old at all when I realized she likes being miserable and she wants someone to be miserable with her. Cherry ain’t goin’ there. Cherry’s having too much fun.”
Slowly, a smile spread across his face. “You realize I couldn’t love you more if you were mine?”
“When we were kids you made that abundantly clear,” she said soberly. “Somehow...when Grandpa died everything went straight to hell.”
Sadly, Jerry looked away.
“So you got a story to tell,” she urged gently.
He hesitated. “Your grandfather was the Son of Satan, you know.”
“No shit,” she whispered.
“But it all started with Alex and me.”
* * * *
An hour later, he was finished. His expression exuded nothing but pain as he stared blankly at the shaded carpet listening to her sob.
“That’s the saddest story I’ve ever heard,” she cried. “How the hell have you lived like that, Daddy?”
He threw up his hands. “I don’t know, baby. I always figured that when you kids got grown, I’d pack her up and sit her out on the porch like I would the cat of a morning. I guess even misery becomes a habit.”
“This just blows me away,” she said sadly. Truly sad for him, she swirled into his lap. “That you would fly all the way down here to explain this to me is...very comforting.”
“So you understand where my life departed from the sane, rational man I once was to become this? And why you have a fucked-up family?”
Somberly, she nodded. “I do. And Brian will, too.”
“Oh, dear God.” To think of having to explain this to Brian.
