by E M Bannock
The guys were in the garage, smoking the Cuban cigars Mickey procured with his connections. Smoking was one thing Zoey did not allow in her house, especially cigars, Cuban or not.
The kids were all busy with their gifts and the women began to clean up. “What are you guys doing for New Year’s?” Carol asked. “Going to Zoey’s Place again?” The Incline Village cabin was often referred to as that because just the mention of the place never failed to bring a smile to Zoey’s face.
“Yes,” she replied, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s become a tradition with us. I hope there’s lots of snow. I want to go skiing.”
“Yeah, right,” Joanne joked. “You guys don’t do anything but have sex when you’re there. We’ve all heard the stories.” The friends shared a laugh.
“Must be nice,” Carol bemoaned. “We’re so busy all the time and the kids are always involved with so many things. We could never get away like that.”
“Us, too,” Joanne chimed in. She looked at Zoey and sneered, “I hate you.”
Zoey pouted. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, we won’t exactly be alone this year.” The women looked puzzled. “A group of Saudis are coming to the States. They want to spend New Year’s Eve in Vegas.” She hesitated for a moment and added, “with hookers.” The women moaned. “Mickey’s got it all set up so he won’t have to babysit them, but he might have to spend a day with them.”
“Boo-hoo,” Joanne said sarcastically. “Not New Year’s Eve, I hope.”
“No,” Zoey answered. “I’ve got Mickey all to myself on New Year’s Eve.” She closed her eyes and twisted back and forth as she hugged herself, smiling.
“Good,” Carol said. “I envy you. Not that I would give up my kids for all the tea in China, but it must be nice to be on a perpetual honeymoon like you and Mickey are.”
Zoey nodded. “We’ve been lucky.”
“And blessed with enormous sex drives,” Joanne added.
Mickey and Zoey said goodnight to Stella shortly after dinner clean-up and thanked her for helping out. She would be back the day after Christmas to clean the house. They handed her an envelope which contained her Christmas bonus. It was a check for $2,000. Stella was grateful and gave them both a hug. They watched her get into her car and waved goodbye as she drove off.
By the end of the evening, after the last guests departed, all that remained of the night’s festivities were scattered scraps of wrapping paper, plates littered with crumbs, and partially-filled glasses. Mickey and Zoey looked at the living room then looked at each other. Mickey spoke first. “Well, we can be good and stay up and clean before we go to bed or we can be bad and just go to bed, and you can let me ravage you like I’ve wanted to do since I found your panties this morning.”
She looked around. Then she looked at him and his silly grin. His eyes were wide and his expression was one of wanting. He reminded her of a kid with his face pressed against the candy counter glass. “Bah humbug. I’m a bad, bad girl. I’ll race ya to the bedroom,” she said as she sprinted to the stairs.
Chapter 10
For two days after the Christmas party, Zoey and Mickey didn’t leave their home. Meals were delivered. Any business there was had been conducted by phone. Stella had been in once to clean the downstairs, but knew better than to venture to the top floor in situations like this. The rest of their time consisted of torrid and intense lovemaking, ever mindful that all good things must come to an end.
Too soon, it was the day of the corporate Christmas dinner party. They had to once again become part of the world and play the game of life.
Zoey and Mickey took their seats in the private jet that had been sent for them. As they fastened their seatbelts, the flight attendant approached. She was a pretty blond in her early 20s, with long slim legs and wearing spiked black heels. She was sharply dressed in a tailored black jacket and short skirt. A green and black silk scarf patterned with the corporate logo was tied pertly around her neck. Green and black were the company colors. Mickey told Zoey that the green represented nature and black represented authority and power. It was the corporation’s way of stating it had power over nature by making her give up her treasure—the oil. Zoey always teased Mickey, saying the colors represented money and oil, the real symbols of Taylor Resource Development Corporation.
“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. De Lucca,” the attendant said as she nodded respectfully, first at Mickey then at Zoey. “My name is Allison and I’ll be your flight attendant today. I believe we’re ready for take-off. May I get you a drink once we’re airborne?”
“Dewar’s on the rocks,” Mickey said.
She turned to Zoey. “I’ll have Bailey’s if you have it, please, no rocks.”
“Of course,” the attendant replied. “And might I add you look lovely today, Mrs. DeLucca.”
“Thank you,” Zoey replied modestly. The attendant retreated to the front of the plane and strapped herself in.
The plane taxied to the runway.
Mickey grabbed Zoey’s hand and squeezed tightly. She looked up at him and gazed into the dark pools of his eyes. “She’s right, you know,” he said, smiling.
She looked puzzled. “You mean about the Bailey’s?”
“No, about you, gorgeous,” he whispered. “You look more than lovely. You look scrumptious.” He smiled seductively. “I wish I could eat you right here, right now, and so does she.”
Zoey’s mouth dropped open. He smiled and nodded. “How do you know?” she whispered.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Last year, on a flight from Houston to New York, I saw her making out with another flight attendant in the galley when they thought no one was watching, full tongue.”
Although Zoey wasn’t attracted to women, the thought of one wanting her sexually was quite exciting, and actually made her quiver.
Mickey noticed as she squirmed in her seat. He could feel himself get aroused and placed her hand on his growing hardness. At that moment the plane tilted up as it left the ground. The gravitational pressure pressed her hand down harder and she curled it around him. She continued to hold on as the plane climbed and then leveled off.
“Your drink, ma’am,” the attendant said as she held out a brandy snifter of Bailey’s towards Zoey. She looked up into Allison’s sparkling blue eyes and blushed. After what seemed like an unusually long pause, Allison turned her attention to Mickey. “And your Dewar’s, sir.” She handed the drink to him and returned to the galley.
“She did that on purpose, you know,” he said. “She saw your hand on my dick and she was jealous.”
“Stop it, Mickey,” she teased, and sipped her Bailey’s. “You’re making that up.”
“Seriously, I heard that corporate was only hiring lesbians now because there was too much sex between the execs and the flight attendants. The wives were complaining.”
“Well, that’s one way to stop it,” she contemplated. “Now they just have to worry about the wives getting hit on.”
A limo was waiting for them when they arrived in Houston and took them to the Bay Oaks Country Club. The private club was reserved by corporate for the evening and closed to the public. As they approached the door, Mickey grabbed Zoey’s hand and kissed it. “You ready for this, babe?” he asked.
She took a deep breath. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
The banquet room was decorated like a scene from a classic Christmas movie. Huge Christmas trees adorned with lavish, old-style decorations and trim were found in every corner. Holly and twinkle lights were strung across the ceiling of the main banquet room. A string quartet was playing Christmas music in one end of the room, and several buffet tables full of foods and desserts of all kinds were set up in another. They spotted Allen and Fen Webber sitting alone at a table and headed in that direction. On the way they were intercepted by Randolph Taylor, one of the company founders, and his wife, Mitzi.
“Mickey, Zoey, nice to see you. Merry Christmas. Glad you could make it,” Randolph said, clas
ping Mickey’s hand and giving it a quick shake. Then he and Zoey exchanged a quick, stiff embrace. Mitzi offered a forced smile but not her hand or a greeting. They quickly moved on to the next arriving couple.
Zoey looked at Mickey. “Is it just me or was that weird?”
Mickey gave her a forced smile, grabbed her by the elbow, and directed her towards the table Fen and Allen were sitting at. “Let it go,” he said through his teeth. “Be nice.”
Fen and Allen stood as the couple approached. Fen looked exquisite in a full-length, deep red velvet dress that draped in just the right places to show off her slim and elegant body. She was adorned with matching ruby earrings, necklace, and bracelet that reflected the twinkling Christmas lights of the room. Her long dark hair had been pinned up and held in place with a diamond and feather comb that complemented her long regal neck. Zoey felt far less extravagant in her midnight blue satin dress and pearls.
The men shook hands and turned to face the women. “Merry Christmas, Zoey,” Allen said sincerely, and gave her a warm hug. Mickey greeted Fen in similar fashion.
“You look lovely, Zoey,” Fen said as she turned to her and gave her an enormous bear hug, taking Zoey by surprise.
“Merry Christmas, Fen,” Zoey said. “You look beautiful and elegant, as always.”
“This is the most boring Christmas party ever,” Fen said. “Can you believe that band? I feel like I’m at a funeral.”
Zoey smiled as she took a seat and quickly scanned the room. “Well, by the looks on the faces around the room, it looks like it won’t be long before that’s the case.” She knew she didn’t need to filter her thoughts around Fen. The women shared a laugh.
“You got that right,” Fen responded. “You need a drink.” She grabbed Zoey’s hand and headed towards the bar. “It’s good to see you. You look stunning. What have you been up to, Counselor?” she asked.
Fen’s friendliness made Zoey feel at ease, and she was grateful to have a friend in this unfamiliar environment. She quickly filled her in about her current cases without going into too much detail. She sometimes felt that her work was unimpressive in value compared to the vast amount of charity work Fen was always involved in and the millions of dollars she generated for good causes. She purposely left out the personal aspects of Jonathan’s case. To be honest, she felt that Rhonda’s actions gave the case a trashy aspect she didn’t want to be associated with.
“Enough about my boring life,” Zoey concluded. “What charities have benefitted by your involvement since I saw you last?” she asked, hoping to shift the attention away from herself.
“Oh, same old ones I’ve always been involved with; nothing new,” Fen said modestly, without offering any more.
Zoey grabbed the glass of wine the bartender placed in front of her and the two headed back towards the table. The men had gone and were standing a ways off with a group of colleagues. By the look on their faces and the tone of their voices, they were obviously discussing serious business matters.
Fen noticed the concerned look on Zoey’s face. “They’re always on the clock, aren’t they?” she commented.
Zoey turned to face her. “Yes,” she said with disdain. “I’ve been worried about Mickey’s safety lately when he’s travelling. Things are getting crazy over there.”
Fen grabbed her hand. “Don’t worry, honey. Our golden boys are treated like sacred cows over there. Nothing’s going to happen to them.”
“If only I could be sure,” Zoey said. “I’ve had some serious anxiety about it and now I’m having bad dreams.”
“Sweetie, you need to stop that,” Fen said. “Corporate wants Mickey and Allen safe more than you do. Hey, I’ve got some good gossip for you. Want to hear it?”
Zoey forced herself to let it go. Allen had worked for the company longer than Mickey, and she trusted Fen to give good advice. “I guess you’re right,” she replied, trying to empty her head of all negative thoughts. “I’d love to hear the gossip. You always have the good stuff.”
“Good,” Fen said happily. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the room. “See that heavy-set woman over there in the dark green chiffon dress?” She discreetly lifted her hand, pretending to wave away an invisible fly, and pointed towards an elderly woman sitting at a table with three other women of the same stature.
“You mean the other Mrs. Taylor?” Zoey asked.
“So, you know who she is?” Fen asked.
“Yes,” Zoey replied. “I met her a few years back at one of the summer parties. You were out of town for that one. She’s Ronald’s wife, isn’t she?”
Ronald and Randolph Taylor were brothers, and founders of Taylor Resource Development. Ronald was rarely in the public spotlight and almost never attended social events. Even rarer was the appearance of his wife, Elizabeth. Zoey had only met her the one time before.
“Did you ever wonder why Lizzy never comes to these social events?” Fen asked.
Zoey gave it some thought. “I just figured she didn’t like them.”
Fen grinned. “Not even close. You know it was Lizzy who supplied the seed money to begin the company in the first place, don’t you? Her family is loaded. Was loaded,” she corrected. “They’re dead now. She’s like you, only child. When her parents died, she got it all.”
“No, I didn’t know.” Zoey was intrigued.
“Well, it’s true. Both her parents got pneumonia at the same time and died within days of each other. She met Ronald about six months before that. They got married as soon as the funeral was over. Without her, Taylor Resource Development wouldn’t exist. She really wears the pants in the family. She has no mind for business, so she doesn’t get involved in the mechanics of the operations, but that’s also why Ronald puts up with her shenanigans.”
Zoey laughed. “Shenanigans. That’s a word I haven’t heard in a while. What does she do? And what does that have to do with her not coming to the parties?”
“Be patient. It’s a long story,” Fen said as she settled back in her chair. “I can’t believe Mickey never told you the story.”
Zoey shook her head and took a sip of her wine. “Mickey rarely talks about the company.”
Fen nodded in acknowledgement. “Probably a good thing,” she agreed, and continued without missing a beat. “Bottom line is she’s got a real craving for young men.”
“You’re kidding!” Zoey exclaimed with surprise, almost choking on her wine. “That old biddy?”
“Unbelievable, isn’t it?” Fen continued. “Many rumors abound, and only she and Ronald know the real truth. But,” she hesitated, “rumor has it that she was kind of a party girl in her time. And let me put it this way… she always had a party to go to.”
Both women giggled. Fen went on. “She met Ronald at one of these parties and, for whatever reason, he became a keeper. Well, I guess she missed the good old days after the company became successful and Ronald was spending more time away on business. It started as slight indiscretions when he was gone. There’s also a rumor that, because of some kind of accident, Ronald is sexually disfigured in some way and it made him impotent.”
Zoey chortled out loud but caught herself, and forced her laugh into her cocktail napkin.
“Shh!” Fen admonished, trying to act nonchalant and not burst into laughter herself before continuing. “So, one thing led to another and yada-yada-yada, now she has sex parties with groups of men when Ronny is out of town.”
Zoey looked at her in disbelief. “Wait just a minute,” she said. “That visual is going to stay with me for the rest of my life. Thank you. And you still haven’t told me why she doesn’t come to the company parties.”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot,” Fen replied apologetically. “Well, like I said, it was all kept quiet and never discussed, until about twenty years ago when she started coming to the company parties and began making sexual demands of the new, young employees. She would tell them she was in charge and it was one of the conditions of employment. She also told them if they told anyo
ne, they would be fired. You’re lucky Mickey wasn’t in the high position he’s in now back then.”
Zoey cringed.
“Well, you know how that goes. Someone told Randolph, who told Ronald, and a deal was made. She could still have her boy toys and parties, but discreetly, and employees were off limits. So, to avoid new rumors, and because she really doesn’t give a shit about the goings on of the business, she doesn’t come to many company social gatherings. I can’t believe you didn’t know that before.”
“I know,” Zoey said. “But in all fairness, this is the first time she’s ever been at a party that both you and I have attended. And who else would volunteer that kind of information?”
Fen agreed modestly and nodded her head.
Zoey thought of her own sexual appetite and suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the old woman. “Actually, I kind of feel sorry for her and admire her at the same time. Some women have the need for a lot of sex, and she found a way to keep having it.”
“I guess you’re right,” Fen conceded. “You know, if men want more sex they go to Nevada and no one bats an eye or judges them. But what is there for women? Nothing, right?”
“Yeah,” Zoey agreed. “And if a woman acts on her desires she’s considered a whore, ostracized for unacceptable behavior. It’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not,” Fen concurred. “You know, through the years I’ve heard all kinds of stories about, let me see…” She put her hand to her chin, squinted her eyes, and surveyed the room before continuing, “Oh, maybe half the wives in this room. They’ve all had young men on the side at one time or another. Can’t say as I blame them, since their husbands are hardly ever home. And besides, look at them. Who would want to have sex with those guys?”
