Chapter 8: The Whole Disgusting Story

July 10, 1992, Glencoe, Illinois

I gasped and sat stunned, unable to move or even think clearly. It wasn’t my syncope; it was simply Samantha verbalizing a thought that had been bouncing around in my head. I took a deep breath, and my head began to clear. If what she had said was the truth, I would have to take decisive action. Action that would also have to be explained. She was right. It WAS that explosive. I took a few more breaths and felt my brain was working right again, at least to ask the first question.

“Don’t mess with me now, Samantha!” I said firmly. “No games. That is really the truth? You aren’t making this up?”

“Yes, it’s the truth. It’s no game. And, no, I’m not making it up. Jeri went to bed with my dad in Monaco when she was eighteen, and she planned to seduce you in Los Angeles long before you actually made the trip.”

“Why tell me this? Why not just leave it alone?”

“Because you need to know. After everything that’s happened, it has to ALL come out. All of it.”

“And what about you? What’s YOUR angle?” I asked with a sneer.

“I’d prefer to deal with that last. That’s a conversation, not a story. And it’s not what you think.”

“Fine; go on,” I sighed, shaking my head in disbelief, but fully believing it. “Those two revelations need to be fleshed out, at least a bit.”

“The Monaco thing, well it was, as far as I’m aware, the only time. Lisa was out with her friends the day before we were all supposed to leave for home. I was at the beach with my friends. Remember, Lisa was fifteen and had her own friends, and I was nine and had my own.”

“And you’re sure? Completely sure?”

“Yes. I walked in on them. They thought I was out with my friends. We were supposed to be gone all day.”

“What happened?”

“My friends had to leave earlier than I’d expected, so we said goodbye and I went back to the villa. Lisa and her friends, most of whom were older, were somewhere else, and they wouldn’t have wanted a nine-year-old tagging along. When I got back, I heard noises and went to see what they were. I saw my dad and Jeri. It was obvious what they were doing and there weren’t any covers or anything, so I could see it all, if you know what I mean. They didn’t see me. I snuck away and went back outside and walked around for a couple of hours. When I came back, they were done and there were no signs of what had happened. That night, when I asked Jeri about it, she freaked out and made me promise never to tell.”

“So why are you telling be now?”

“I think you need to know everything. That’s why I asked you to promise not to fire Jeri. I think the only way you’ll ever be my friend is if I tell the whole truth. All of it.”

I nodded, “That’s probably, true, but I need to hear the rest. Including about you.”

“Well, as I said, the Los Angeles thing was a seduction from the start and wasn’t what you thought it was.”

“Obviously. I suppose you should just tell the rest of the story.”

“After you decided that the two of you would go to Los Angeles, she came up with her plan. Well, actually, I need to take a step back. She had played the part of a ‘frigid bitch’ who was socially isolated and estranged from her parents to the point where everyone believed it. Her mom was a control freak and a cold person, so nobody doubted it. Well, except my dad. He always knew she had a soft side, if you will.”

“And he exploited it.”

“He was always really nice to her. But then again, he’s always really nice to all the teenage girls. He basically sweet-talked her into bed. He’d done it before; a lot. Most of my friends. Well, they aren’t friends anymore. I quit bringing girls home from school because my dad just saw them as targets. And he was a marksman. My dad has a serious thing for teenage virgins.”

I chuckled, “Well, then he and I have something in common.”

Samantha laughed, “He saw right through Jeri’s act, I guess. But you never did.”

“Not until much later,” I said. “Our director of development at NIKA saw through it. He told me a few times she wasn’t who she was pretending to be, though he didn’t use those words. He just said she would surprise me. I should have listened. Go on.”

“My dad isn’t a fool, and so he didn’t do anything to interfere with her reputation. He never talks about his conquests the way the other men and boys do. He thinks keeping quiet gets him more action. I think he’s right.”

I smiled, “And that’s another thing your dad and I have in common. Sorry. Continue.”

“When the plans were made, she called the hotel and arranged the ‘mix up’ in reservations. I’m not quite sure how she managed, but she had you two sharing a room.”

“And she booked the entire hotel and all the others close to it to make sure it was full?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure what her backup plan was, but I’m sure she had one. Everything was about getting you to help her in the future. She wanted someone who fit your criteria - an independent businessman who had a family, and who had politics close to hers. Being nice looking was a major plus, and being awesome in bed was a nice surprise. She almost decided to try to make it a long-term affair because of that, but she decided you might be suspicious. But I’m getting ahead. She made the reservation change and everything fell into place, and you were putty in her hands at that point. She played you, Steve. From the moment you walked into that room. The blushing, shy, innocent, scared virgin.”

“And why pretend to be a virgin?”

“It made her seem more vulnerable, and fit with the personality she was portraying.”

A light went on in my head. Something I’d missed when she’d first made the comment about Monaco.

“Wait! Jeri was in Monaco? She told me she never left Chicago! So her fear of flying?”

“All an act,” Samantha said. “And a good one, it would seem.”

“God damn!” I sighed.

“Remember, you promised you wouldn’t fire her!”

“I had a caveat about it affecting the company. Before you continue, does she know you’re telling me all of this?”

“No.”

“Back to my question. Why tell me?”

“Because I really am tired of all the games. I’ll get to this in a bit, but the short version is that you showed me a different way. A way that HAS to be better than what’s going on now! And I want something that I can only have if I’m completely truthful. And even then I might not get it.”

“Fair enough. Finish this part of the story.”

“She planned to move out, and needed an excuse. You provided one. After all, she couldn’t very well bring her lover to her room at the Lundgren house.”

A light went on. A 10,000 watt searchlight.

“Her mom knew about Jeri and me.”

“Not until the night Jeri moved out, well, not you personally. See, there is quite a bit of truth to Jeri’s story. Enough that you wouldn’t doubt it because you didn’t know her that well. She and her mom WERE at odds. So what she told her mom that day was that she had a married lover, and was getting a place she could be with him alone.”

“Son of a bitch! And Margaret Lundgren didn’t know it was me?”

“No. Jeri’s not stupid! Her mom may have assumed it was you, but Jeri didn’t tell her. And funny enough, you set Jeri up with Howard.”

Shit! Howard! By being a blind fool, had I delivered my good friend Howard into the jaws of the beast? Was that another manipulation? Did she REALLY love him? Or was he just another convenient pawn in her game? I had other questions, too. I wasn’t sure if now was the time to ask, or not. But given the conversation, maybe now WAS the time.

“About him...” I asked worriedly.

“I actually think that’s real. I’m pretty sure she loves him and she’s doing this because she truly wants to be with him. I haven’t seen her do anything that would say otherwise. And there are no rumors about her. She’s still seen as the ‘frigid bitch’ and most of the guys think Howard is just a way to keep the guys away. They think she’s holding out for marriage, or at least claims to be.”

“You’re sure? If my friend is being manipulated, I’m going to intervene.”

“Have you seen anything that looks like manipulation?” Samantha asked. “She didn’t tell him she was rich until several months after they started going out.”

“True. OK. I suppose I’ll leave that alone for now. Go on.”

“That’s pretty much the end of that story. San Francisco was something Jeri cooked up after Los Angeles. You were a beast, she said, and she wanted a week of crazy sex with you. I guess my dad lit a slow-burning fuse and you received the benefit of the explosion. I hear it was pretty much non-stop sex for a week!”

I nodded, “That night with you, times five, I guess.”

Samantha smiled, “I wouldn’t mind that myself, but that’s not on the table now, is it?”

“No.”

“You know the rest. After Jeri broke off the affair, she felt she still had control over you because she worked for you. And then she sided with you when her mom came after you. That was real, by the way. Jeri didn’t conspire with her mom on that. You played right into Jeri’s hands. You suggested a way for her to get control of the Foundation, then submitted the proposal, and then your wife made everything public by giving the donation. The trap was sprung.”

“Did Jeri actively solicit the donation from Jessica?”

“I’m not sure who approached whom first, but Jeri certainly used it to her advantage. Don’t blame Doctor Jessica. What Jeri did was probably what anyone who was setting up something like that would do, and Doctor Jessica would be a logical source of a donation.”

“And Bethany? The director?”

“I’m pretty sure that idea came from Alec Glass originally. When they talked about the center at the board meeting, he suggested she was the most likely candidate.”

“Well, so far Alec seems to be the stand-up guy in this whole fiasco.”

“I told you he was. From that first time we talked about him.”

“Jeri did too, but now I’m not sure I can trust a word she’s said to me since I met her.”

“And that’s why I want you to stay on the Board. You and Alec Glass can do some serious good. You know my politics. You also know Alec Glass is a straight-shooter who keeps his word. The one monogamous, faithful man in the entire group.”

I sighed, “But after all the manipulation and lies, I’m not sure I can have anything to do with Jeri. Even at work.”

Samantha straightened and turned slightly on the bench towards me.

“Listen to me. I may be everything you’ve thought when it comes to relationships and maturity, but I do know one thing very, very well. And that’s business. I have my dad’s business sense. Evaluate this situation. Jeri manipulated you into doing what she wanted. Fine. But has ANY of it hurt you? Or your family? Or your friends? Or your business?”

“It’s a trust issue. And those are the hardest to overcome.”

“Other than using her body to manipulate you, has she done more to help or hurt your company?”

“Help, of course.”

“And has she tried to take advantage of you in ANY way except to get you onto the Board?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“Be honest now, if you hadn’t had that close relationship, would you have asked her to help found that Center for your friend? Would you have agreed to serve on the Board?”

“Probably not,” I sighed.

“And the sex was awesome?” Samantha asked with twinkle in her eye.

“Yes,” I agreed. “The sex was awesome.”

“Then overall, it’s been positive, despite how it was achieved.”

“You make a good argument, but I’m going to refrain from making a decision on that until I think about it further. Was Lisa aware of Jeri’s scheme?”

“Yes. And I was, too, but remember; I was only fourteen and didn’t know you. Actually, neither did Lisa. We just knew of you.”

“I have to ask another question. An important one. Was Jeri aware of Lisa’s scheme?”

“I don’t think so,” Samantha said. “Well, not until after it happened and you called her. She was really pissed because she was afraid Lisa was going to undo all her hard work to get you where she wanted you.”

“Was Lisa jealous of Jeri, too?” I asked.

“Yes. And I knew something Jeri didn’t. That Lisa was going to make a play for Howard. When she smugly told me you’d never be faithful to me, she said the same thing about Howard. Lisa had you figured out, and tried to play like she didn’t like what was going on in the ‘high society’ that you don’t like. I’m sure she started in on Howard, the same way. Well, when Jeri and I talked last time, she asked me point blank about that so I told her. She and Lisa are through. Probably permanently, but who knows?”

“And you and Lisa?”

“Done. And permanently. I owe you an apology. I trusted you wouldn’t fall, and you didn’t. But I should have told you about Lisa’s scheme beforehand. That would have saved all this trouble.”

“And kept the truth hidden. I accept your apology, but I don’t blame you.”

“Lisa?”

“Partly. But also your parents. I grew up in a dysfunctional family, one where ‘no’ was said out of anger, resentment, and outright hatred, and I resolved not to do that to my kids. But they get told ‘no’, too. Out of love. It’s part of growing up properly. Learning limits. You never did, and that’s not your fault.”

“What about Lisa?”

“I think the mistake there was that Alec felt that at age fifteen he’d taught Lisa well enough that she could be left on her own. I suspect he regrets that decision. I think kids that age should have a lot of freedom and should run their own lives. To a point. There have to be some limits. And some rules. And the kids need to work for things. I’ll never buy a kid a car nor will I pay for insurance.”

“My Corvette?”

“If you had paid for it with money you earned? No problem. I think your dad substituted buying you stuff and letting you do whatever you want for love. Did he make his money or inherit it?”