Manic Monday: The Billionaires Temptations

by Wells, Annalise

  I need to explain everything to Cally, so I fill her in about the situation with Beau, “Well Cally, you know about my Monday night, my regular Monday evening client, Beau?” I ask.

  “Yes, of course, you are so lucky with him, he is a dream, he’s hot as” she replies.

  “You will slap me for this I know it. I have fallen for Beau in a big way,” I explained to Cally.

  “Now you are in a situation, you know that is against house rules,” she replies.

  I know all about the house rules and how it is frowned upon to fall for clients, we are not supposed to get that close for any of that stuff to happen. With Beau, it was inevitable, and I was sure, there was no way I would have been able to prevent it, even if I wanted to.

  “I will ask around, but I think you need some more advice, you need to speak to Tina, she will know much more about it than I do,” Cally replies.

  “The hard part for me though, is as you say, I can handle all the clients, but that’s all they will ever be to me. I am at that point in my life where I want more, I need more,” I explain, ordering more coffee.

  Cally holds my hand and looks into my eyes, “Does Beau know how you feel?”

  “I am not sure he totally understands, but I’m certain he has the same sort of feelings for me,” I reply.

  “It sounds like a bit of a fucking mess to me,” Cally points out bluntly.

  “You don’t have to tell me that, the chain of events is like a freaking roller coaster ride, up one minute and down the next.”

  “How has it all happened? Surely there is something that has gone on that has led to this?

  “I wish I knew, I honestly do, we’ve had meetings mostly on Mondays, but we did go on a boat trip together, and that was at my expense, it was a treat from me to him,” I explain with my head down and in a sheepish manner.

  “Jesus Christ Shona, you know how to make things awkward,” Cally says as she sips her black coffee.

  My mind is still in turmoil as it had been for the last few days. I’m not sure which way to turn, and the conversation with Cally is not making things much clearer for me. I feel like I am digging a bigger hole for myself everytime I open my mouth.

  “At the end of the day, you have a lot at stake here; you want to leave a major cash earner, as was explained to us by Tina, and you have no idea if Beau wants you for that sort of relationship? You could find yourself with nothing very very soon,” Cally says.

  “I did tell Beau I could no longer see him, that is another thing to throw into the mix. I am just too involved with him, it is not fair to him,” I say as I order two croissants.

  “Fuck me Shona; two croissants will not be enough, this conversation may last all night, it is a real can of worms you have opened,” she says in her dramatic tone.

  “I did tell you I was becoming lost, I was just not sure how far lost,” I reply, as tears start to well up in my eyes.

  “Whatever we do, it has to happen quickly because there is no way it can drag on any longer,” Cally says, as she moves to my side of the table.

  “Cally, I feel hopeless, hopeless and in love,” I say as tears start to run down my cheeks.

  Cally puts her arm around my shoulder, “There is one way that can work, and it may be your only option, but it will cost you.”

  “Whats that? I am willing to do anything, I can’t go on feeling this way, it’s driving me mad,” I sob and wipe my tears.

  “It may be possible to buy your way out, management may just accept that as a solution,” she says.

  “How much will that cost do you think?” I ask.

  Cally takes a napkin and makes some quick calculations, she looks at me when she reaches a final figure.

  “How much do you have saved at this exact moment?” Cally asks.

  “Give or take a few thousand, I reckon one point three million,” I whisper.

  “Jesus Shona, do you ever spend anything, that is an obscene amount of money,” she replies.

  “What can I say, I am frugal,” I smile and wink at her, “Come on then, give me a figure, how much is it gonna cost me?” I ask as I wipe the tears from my cheek.

  “I reckon between six hundred and eight hundred thousand will be enough, maybe up to a million. Because you are one of the top two earners there you know,” she replies.

  I wipe tears from my eyes, “Fuck, that will be most of my savings gone.”

  Cally comforted me, “No one said it was going to be easy!”

  “I have to try it, it is the only way I can see that I’ll feel better in myself,” I reply.

  “I will speak to Tina, it may be better to offer the money up front rather than her asking for it first,” Cally explains.

  I hug Cally and hold her, “I hope this works.”

  “What will your plan be once you do manage to leave, you do have a plan right?”

  “Not really, all I can think about is putting this right with Beau, that is as far as any plan I have goes.”

  “Well at least if you can settle for a million max, there is still a couple of hundred grand, to tide you over until you find another job, but none of them will ever pay as well as this one, you know that,” Cally says.

  “Well, Tina did explain we have to think of the future, and mine might be coming quicker than I was expecting,” I reply as I finally dry my tears.

  I now have an idea how to get out from the club; it will be costly, but it won’t be risky, and I know the Tina and the girls will be upset. If Cally is right, the money I will have to pay, covers at least twelve months of what I would have earned, so at least they won’t lose out by my leaving.

  “Well Cally, I am sure there is not much more we can say on the subject, it’s all down to the girls and Tina when I speak to them, and hopefully they will back me up and be supportive,” I say.

  “I am sure Tina understands only too well about love, and I bet she has been in the situation a couple of times when she was a working girl,” Cally says as she finishes her coffee.

  “You want another drink?” I ask.

  “Nah, I think we have had enough coffee for one evening,” she says as she grabs her coat.

  “Perhaps your right, we should be heading off home, it is kind of late.” I grab my things.

  We exit the café, and are about to head off home, and Cally looks at me with a kind smile.

  “Thanks, Cally, you have been a real help.”

  “Shona! Don’t be silly that’s what friends are for,” she replies as she kisses me, and heads off into the night.

  “Sometimes life’s hard; I hate decisions!”

  Beau

  “Viva Las Vegas!”

  I think about the situation with Shona and wonder if it’s the right thing to do, I feel myself under severe pressure, and I need to let off some steam, and give my head chance to clear itself.

  I am not drinking, that will just make me worse, so I decide to take a short trip to Las Vegas, I know an evening of gambling will take my mind off everything.

  I’ve frequented Vegas on many occasions and I get treated like royalty, one sniff of money at the casino, and they will do anything to make you feel welcome. It’s nothing for them to spend a couple of hundred thousand on you, knowing full well you will give double back to them at the tables. It is a skill they possess, so they treat you like a king and do their damnedest to turn you into a pauper.

  * * *

  The personal jet comes to land in Las Vegas, and the car is on the runway ready to meet me. I step out of the plane and breathe in the night air; I can see the limo waiting for me, so I descend the steps and climb into the rear of the car.

  “Good evening Mr.Beau, how are you, it has been a while?” Gab says as he starts the engine.

  “It has been too long, I have had a few things on my plate so, well, you know how busy it can be,” I reply as I stretch my legs in the comfort of the limo.

  Gab slowly drives to the gate of the airfield and passes through security.

  “A
ny preference on where you wish to go?” Gab asks as he pulls onto the main road.

  “Where do you suggest, last time I was here, some of the places just felt so tired and dated?”

  “Well the Belladonno is still up there as one of the best, and the Arianga, that place is super modern, but I am not sure if the casino is up to the standard of the Belladonna,” Gab explains.

  “The Belladonno it is then, maybe next time for the Arianga, it is just a short trip, so I will stick with what I know,” I reply.

  “Right you are Mr. Beau. Now, we shall be there in about fifteen minutes; you want me to call ahead and book a room?” Gab asks as he looks in the rearview mirror at me.

  “Nah, it’s ok, you know they will double over once I arrive, I won't have to book anything,” I say with a grin.

  Gab pulls the car to the front of the Belladonna, and I can see them trip over as the hotel staff comes running to open the door. I quickly shove a five hundred tip to Gab.

  “Thanks, Gab, I will be in touch,” I say as the car door opens.

  I walk towards the lobby of the Belladonna and can see all the crowds who have just finished watching the water fountain show, it is a breathtaking display, but my mind is on other things. Shona and the tables, and not necessarily in that order.

  “Patrick pleased to meet you again,” I say.

  “The pleasure is all mine, Sir!” Patrick the concierge manager says with a smile.

  They are kiss-asses in the casinos; they are like Versace-dressed beggars looking for tips, it is quite sickening in a way, but also fun to see how far they will go for scraps.

  I walk straight toward the tables, “Patrick, what do you recommend, to start?”

  “I would recommend just the regular tables, because there is the Turbo Super Satellite later, and you will have to stick with it, and you are not able to leave when you want,” Patrick advises.

  “Thanks, just get me a table with some high-class punters,” I say as I cast my gaze over the casino floor.

  There are tables everywhere, and each one has a sea of people standing around them, they are little islands of gold diggers waiting for their small payout in the desert.

  Patrick finds me a table with some high buy-ins and the players are all linked to oil drilling and financial. I approach the table and take my chair.

  “Fifty thousand buy-in,” the dealer explains.

  I nod in agreement, “No problem, get me one and a half a million in chips,” I tell Patrick as I give him my bank card.

  “Of course, I will be right back,” he says as he scurries off to fetch my chips.

  I look at the other players and try to figure out the easy ones to read; the oil magnates are easy to spot, they all look like they are from Texas and are usually fat. The guys from the finance sectors will be the hardest to read because they have a daily job holding straight faces when making huge deals, and I should know, I am one of them.

  We go through a few hands, and I just go with the flow to get a feel of the table. I win a couple and lose a couple, and now the serious stuff is about to begin.

  I start to win a few hands, mostly from bluffing, because the oil guys are pussies when it comes to deceiving, and they just like to make out they are super rich and have nothing to back it up. The finance guys just deal with numbers on a screen or bits of paper, so a few cards held close to their chest is quite a luxury.

  “Raise ten thousand,” I say as I watch for reactions.

  The play goes around the table with no real flinching, and everyone makes their bets. The dealer deals us the next card; I have the chance of a full house.

  “Raise fifty thousand,” I say as I again watch for blinking or twitches.

  “Oh hell, I fold,” the oil guy says as he throws his cards on the table.

  A couple more fold and the pot gets raised, the finance guy makes a move and raises one hundred thousand.

  “Raise two hundred thousand,” I say, as I place my cards on the table.

  The finance guy calls and I beat his straight with my flush. I am up four hundred thousand, and we start again. This hand is different altogether; even the oil guys are raising big time. Only one guy has folded, and the stupid finance guy is still playing blind. He is playing the market, I think to myself.

  The pot is soon up to one point six million, and I am in for five hundred thousand, and I am sure my straight flush is enough to take the hand. The oil guys finally surrender and ditch their cards, I am soon in for just under a million.

  There is one more raise and to call, I either have to bet big, or go all in. I am just about to decide on my move, and I find myself making one very crucial error. I have (so far) blocked out my thoughts of Shona, and she comes creeping into my mind.

  I look at the cards, and they all become blurred, I go all in, and everything rests on the flop from the dealer. All I need is a four or a nine of clubs, and I will have a straight flush.

  This has got to be my hand; I am now in for just over one million, and the finance guy has not flinched a muscle. He should come and work for me!

  Thoughts of Shona enter my mind as the finance guy matches my bet and all eyes are on the dealer. They take the card and slowly begin to turn it over, I can see black as the card curls.

  “Come on nine of clubs,” I murmur under my breath.

  The dealer finally flips the card, and it is the nine of clubs.

  “Come on,” I say as I flip my cards, “straight flush to the nine.”

  I mentally scoop up all the chips and finance guy flips his cards one by one, my jaw begins to drop as his cards begin to appear. He has clubs, and his hand seems to be my worst nightmare.

  “Holy crap, I don’t believe it,” I say, as he flips his cards to reveal a royal flush.

  Only one card was needed by us both, and his royal flush has just utterly trounced my straight flush.

  I surrender, I think to myself, Shona has entered my mind again, and there is no way I will be able to concentrate at this level, six hours later, and one point five million lighter in the bank balance and I decide to call it a night.

  I congratulate the finance guy and tell him to come and look me up when he is in town, and I walk away from the table.

  Patrick comes running up to me, “You want me to get you a room Sir?” he asks.

  “No, I am going home, my heart tonight is in a different place.”

  “Viva Las Vegas!”

  Shona

  “That’s it, I’m outta here!”

  I sit in my apartment looking at everything I have achieved, I have a beautiful place and beautiful furniture, but what does it all amount to in my life? Fuck it all, I think to myself.

  As I sit on the couch, I feel like my walls are closing in on me and decide to go out for a while, some fresh air and a drink will do me good, and I will be able to think a bit clearer than just being stuck in here.

  As I walk, I reflect on my current situation. I have quit my job at the club and made my decent bank balance shrink quite a lot in the process; Tina was a great help and managed to let me go.

  I have quit for Beau, and I have no Beau, have I just gone and screwed myself big time?

  I look around me and realize I have walked for about six blocks from my apartment, I can see across the street there is a bar. I decide to head in for a drink or two while I take the chill off my body.

  Folly’s Pub is the name, and I can see it is a true Irish place, and if there is anyone who knows how to drink to forget, it is the Irish, so I will find myself in good hands.

  I enter the pub and can see the tables are full of diners and the bar is being propped up by all sorts of men. I walk up to the bar and take an empty stool.

  “What will it be?” the bartender asks.

  “I need something strong, do you have any suggestions?’ I reply as I glance at the bottles lined up behind the counter.

  “Well Ma’am, if you want it straight or on the rocks, and you are looking for whiskey, I recommend the Bushmills,
it is pretty mellow on the tongue,” he replies.

  I nod in appreciation of his recommendation, “Yep, okay then, give me a double on the rocks.”

  “Coming right up,” he says in a broad, Irish accent.

  I look at him and smile, “Thank you.”

  I start reading the menu on the bar, it looks highly impressive, and the dishes smell divine, as the waiters pass behind me.

  “Will you be wanting food Ma’am?” the waiter asks.

  “No, no, I have eaten, I just need a drink, if you know what I mean,” I say as I raise my glass to him.

  “Aye Ma’am, I know just what you mean,” he replies grinning at me.

  I take a sip of my whiskey, and the bartender was correct, it tastes sweet and mellow, and there is no harshness on the back of my throat like standard whiskey or bourbon usually has.

  I sip and think of Beau, and how I can put everything right, my life is in tatters, and I have reduced myself to drinking to try and help me to understand everything, and to find a way forward.

  I should feel free and alive, but I just find myself at the beginning of a journey that was not planned and seems to have no end in sight. It is Beau that is my savior, he can save me from myself, I know it, and I am sure he knows it. He may have some secrets, but we all have baggage in one form or another.

  “Conor,” the bartender says as he tops up my glass.

  “Excuse me?” I ask.

  “My name is Conor,” he replies.

  “Oh, sorry I was a million miles away in thought,” I thank him for the top up.

  “You're not from around this neck of the woods?” Conor asks.

  “No, I am six blocks in, in…, I am not sure which direction, but it is six blocks, down.”

  “Ah, I see, you’re not one of those gangster girls, are you?” Conor laughs.

  “Not at all, I am currently unemployed,” I say.

  “Is that the reason for drinking, or is that man problems?” he asks as he leans over the bar, “we get a lot in here with personal issues,” he adds as he nods his head.