Chapter 30: Breakout and an Indecent Proposal

MEL

Ultimately, we stayed about three hours at the Prentiss’ home on Harbor Bay Acres. Paul also used a six-person golf cart to take us to his private marina about a quarter-mile from the house where he gave us a tour of his large yacht – a 160-foot ocean-capable vessel with more bells and whistles. He promised us an outing someday soon. I noted several staff on the boat, busy with servicing the luxury ship.

We did sit and talk after all the ‘show and tell’ moments. Paul was a self-made billionaire from humble beginnings, as they say. Yet, I wondered what his motives were in showing us all of his VERY expensive lifestyle and toys. To my surprise, he was not at all distant from Wendy, nor was Margo. They seemed as engaged in her life as we were with our kids. I sensed they were slightly miffed that she’d coupled up with us without given them much detail.

We were home in time for dinner with the kids. Willow had been babysitting, and she just stayed on as Tracy joined her, and the Millers, Dustins, and Londons brought their children over to play and sleep over as we adults partied. This time, we’d engaged the two young babysitters to also stay overnight and get them all fed for both dinner and breakfast the next morning.

With a group of seventeen, an occasional absence by a member or two of the Sex Club might be expected. Instead, we usually had near perfect attendance every Saturday evening. Even the Londons, our newest members, were enthused and didn’t want to miss a single gathering.

That said, we did forego a group grope around Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter. Other relatives wanted our time, so that seemed a prudent thing to do.

Sunday, after we finally sorted out the children, especially those not ours, we got going on the regular tasks around the home. I daydreamed about having servants to handle the laundry, grocery store trips, recycling, vacuuming, and so on. As usual, Dave and I also passed responsibility for watching Beth and Scott back and forth.

Also on my mind, were the job offers that Paul Prentiss had made to Dave. So far, our discussions had been rather sketchy. He was still in shock at the offers. If I heard correctly there were two of them.

First, Dave had been asked to go on the board of a multi-billion-dollar charitable foundation, and to be on the investment committee. For that, he would be remunerated to the tune of $100,000, plus again a one-percent share of profits that he generated for the foundation. The first part was pay; the bonus was motivation to do well and given the numbers could double that part of his remuneration.

Second and perhaps more important, my husband had been invited by Paul to be one of his personal investment managers. He could do that within his position at Dane Cooper, or simply set up his own office and work directly for Paul and Margo. If he went with DC, he’d be on their pay plan. If he went with Paul, he’d be paid $250,000 plus an escalating bonus based on earnings. That would about triple his gross pay before the bonus.

Dave and I sat with glass of wine on the patio watching Beth and Scott take a pre-dinner swim and playtime.

I told Dave, “Don’t be swayed by the money. Be swayed by what you feel is the right job and what’ll position you for long-term career happiness. I bet that even if you left Dane, that they’d welcome you back with open arms.”

Dave shook his head. “I’ve learned a few things about Paul yesterday, after having thought about it and based on what he said. He did a lot of research on you and me – me especially. He knew about individual transactions that I’d made that really paid off, and also that I was routinely getting bonuses at DC for those.

“His comment about risk taking included you. I felt sure that he knew you’d done some adult videos and also that we entertained ourselves within the Sex Club. At one point, I thought he was going to ask to join, although he may have been toying with me. I think he likes to do that.”

I asked, “So, what now?”

“Tomorrow, I think I’ll give notice at Dane Cooper. They’ll counter, but I don’t see them coming anywhere near what Paul offered. Heck, the two offers together will give me a base pay of $350,000. I’m shocked, but I’ll take it. I’ll try not to burn any bridges at DC so I might be able to back track if the things with Prentiss fizzle out.”

DAVE

I’d seen enough ‘bait and switch’ deals in the various investment areas that I was suspicious of Paul Prentiss’ offers. I had to trust that his research about me was more accurate than what I knew about myself, and that was a reach.

Further, if I could have a year like I just had, but under Paul and Warren at the Foundation, I’d pull down over half-a-million dollars for the coming year. Numbers like those staggered me. Could I do this? Was I this much of a risk taker?

Wendy appeared from inside the house where it had been her turn to clean the upstairs. She sat down and sipped on her diet coke. She grinned at me, “So, are you going to take my dad’s offer?”

I nodded, “Yes, I’m pretty sure. This wouldn’t be a game, would it?”

She shook her head, “Oh, no; he’s serious. I confess to giving him a little information about you, so he could start his dossier.”

“Am I right that he knows about the Sex Club and Mel’s porn videos?”

Wendy shook her head, “I can’t say for sure. I’ve seen him investigate many other people for different reasons. There’s little about them that he doesn’t know in the end. If he or my mom was worried about you being a bad influence on me, they sure didn’t show it when I told them that I loved you and that I’d started to live with you.”

“Okay. I guess we’ll be a little closer after I take the jobs that he offered.”

Wendy grinned, “I have a third job for you, but I can’t offer any salary. I’m hoping that you’ll work for sex and love.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to manage the funds in my trust. I got them when I turned eighteen, and I have to live on them and manage them until I’m twenty-five, and then I get another chunk of trust money. You’d become the co-trustee along with the family lawyer.”

“How much?” I asked.

“$6 million. I think the ‘rents want to see that I’m adult enough not to squander it on frivolous things. I’ve already paid for my college year coming, I have the nice car that should last for years, and I have about all the clothes and stuff like that that I’ll need for years. I want to invest most of the rest, but keep a cash position in case something comes up.” She smiled.

“Donations to charity or the Foundation?” I asked.

“Done through the other part of my trust – the part I’ll get at twenty-five. I can direct funds as a donor, but they’re screened, especially so that I don’t deplete the principal too much.”

“I’ll have some Dane Cooper papers for you to sign tomorrow then, or after I get on my own footing, I’ll have my own set of papers. I’ll have to get used to this.”

“I can wait to switch over.”

“Okay, give me a month. Meanwhile, I might give you some advice.”

“Oh, you already did. I bought $100,000 worth of Genelect when you got so high on it. I’ve made quite a bit of money off that one idea you had.”

I rolled my eyes. “Wendy, talk to me before you do something like that again. We have to communicate about those decisions.”

By the following Tuesday, I’d created a near riot at Dane Cooper. No one ever quit the company voluntarily. I did. Everyone was very impressed with my new post as a private investment manager for Paul and Margo Prentiss.

I turned my entire management portfolio except for the Prentiss accounts, over to my colleague Dan Ferguson. He said that the one thing he’d miss the most were the beautiful women that came to visit me. Paul Prentiss had insisted on the right to move the account to anyone that he wanted without penalty.

MEL

Wednesday morning, I was reviewing how one of the agency’s staff had portrayed one of my new real estate listings on the Internet. I printed off a couple of pages and made some edits, and also found six more photos on my iPhone that I thought should be on the website. I emailed that to the I.T. guy and hoped for a quick response.

Just then, Penny, our office assistant, came and told me there was a gentleman asking for me in the waiting area. I was surprised to find Warren Prentiss there; nicely dressed and smiling.

“Mel, so good to see you. I was nearby and wanted to have lunch with you. I hope you’re free and don’t mind my impetuous behavior.”

I wondered about this, but replied, “Warren, yes, yes. I’d love to have lunch with you. I have to be back before one o’clock.” Good. I’d time-boxed our meeting. I could always go longer if something seemed reasonable, but if not, I’d only committed to eighty minutes with him. I could live through anything for that length of time.

We walked a block to a local eatery called The Office Bar. At lunch time, it was more an eatery than a bar. After four-thirty, however, it was all bar. We got a table, and quickly ordered. Warren had a beer, but I stuck with diet coke. I had a BLT. He had a burger.

The conversation wandered all over the map for our entire meal. We were out of the restaurant by twelve-thirty. What now, I wondered.

Warren walked slowly and got to his real purpose. “Mel, I like you a lot. I read the dossier Paul and Margo put together about you and Dave. You intrigue me. You’re a risk taker, fun loving apparently, and sexy to a fault. I’ve even watched all your Dixie Sparks’ videos, and know you are a swinger. That upside-down pineapple necklace tells a lot, too.

“Accordingly, I would like to invite you to be my date for the long July 4th weekend. I thought we’d take the yacht and maybe boat someplace interesting – someplace where we won’t be disturbed. I think we could do some great things together over the weekend, things that I know that Dixie Sparks would like.” He actually snickered.

He stood looking at me for some kind of response.

I was shocked and had stopped walking to look at him, partly in disbelief at his sexual proposition. If he’d read my dossier, he also knew I was married and had two children and three teen wives, one being his niece.

I said with as much sincerity as I could find, “Gee, Warren, thank you, but I need to say no. That weekend is already designated for family – my husband, children, and a couple of close friends.”

Warren looked unperturbed and not at all upset by my refusal.

Warren then may as well have plugged me into the high-voltage lines serving the downtown city. He said, “Look, as I said, I know your background – the porno videos and also the swingers’ group you’re in. So, let me sweeten the deal. I’ll give you $25,000 to spend the long weekend with me.”

I forced a smile, despite the high voltage surging through my veins. Further, all the interactions between Dave and Paul lined the inside of my head. Was I going to fuck him up by saying no? Did I want to say no? Would Dave lose those wonderful opportunities with my ‘no’?