Chapter 1

Today was about the same as any other Southern California day, not too cold and not too hot. I was far enough away that the LA smog headed East or North, unless the wind switched to head South today.

There were a few beaches nearby, not that they were important to me now. I had a divorce in progress and depending on the outcome a soon to be lawsuit against the new object of her affection and even the company they both worked at. ‘Time would tell’ I told myself. Until then, I’d moved into an apartment, sold the things that were in my name; and stopped paying any mortgage, taxes, utilities and insurance on the house.

In California, I could not sell it without her agreement, nor could she though. I don’t think she had considered that I would just walk away from it. We had $86,000 invested in the house; but with the economy in the dumps what was once valued at $478,000 was now worth less than $380,000. We owed over $300,000 so I was looking, at best after expenses, say $15-20,000 if she got half of any balance after expenses.

Bank accounts, cash and on the IRA some ‘sleight’ of hand to deplete them, saved me more than $330,000. When she ‘just had to travel with her Boss’, it was an early indicator of what was to follow. Things could have been a lot worse. She had wanted a new car, one of the fancy new German ones. “I’ll check on that Dear” was all I said. A week later she found out we both had to sign for that $125,000 car loan. I told her I just did not have the time to do that right now.

A week later, I got her ‘petition’ for a ‘no-fault’ divorce. Imagine her surprise when my investigator provided some pictures and statements from local hotels when she and Brad were supposedly ‘out of town’ on business. The saying ‘Oh the webs we weave when we plan to deceive’, might apply here.

I got her petition at 10:22 AM, banks had opened at 9:00 AM; imagine their surprise when only $100 remained in each account. That afternoon, my ‘Legal Beagle’ countered her ‘no-fault’ with my ‘petition’ for a divorce with cause. We had 60 days to show cause and a contested divorce in California was not only long but an expensive proposition. I guess that would be another thing she and Brad had not planned on.

I figured between all the house expenses it was costing $4,340 a month. I planned to win not only the divorce; but also a nice chunk of change from Brad, and the firm they both worked for, via my lawsuits.

The small Ad agency I owned filed for bankruptcy. I placed notices of the divorce in the newspapers, and paid a year in advance for a nice big condo in Temecula. It was not in a Canyon but it overlooked the pool, with a hot tub and BBQ pit. It was not important now, but someday maybe it may help me when I started over.

I left some clothes, my old car, changed the locks, put the house up for rent and visited often enough that my lawyer told me I could not be charged for desertion. I filed for unemployment, welfare and personal bankruptcy. Since I got some unemployment it was now on record I was broke. Since she was living with Brad and my counter petition with cause was already filed, her pleas for temporary alimony made a judge laugh.

My new condo was a 4 bedroom on the bottom floor of a complex, with six 3 story buildings of 9 units each. The $54,000 ($3,000 each month for 18 months) I paid in advance along with a simple explanation of my situation seemed to make the property owner happy. The lawyer got a nice retainer. I leased a dark blue MB for two years, and pre-paid for that too. Overall, there was not very much Chris could claim even if her petition won. I had another ace in my hand though. That high-priced investigator looked cheap when he presented an affidavit from Brad’s wife (Kelly) and a copy of their marriage license from South Carolina.

My wife’s offer to just divide all ‘our’ assets and get on with the ‘no-fault divorce fell on deaf ears, my deaf ears at least for now. Never say never, though. By this time my lawyer, Brad’s wife’s lawyer, and their former company’s lawyers, had reconciled to the fact that I was certain to prevail with my lawsuit. I was offered a settlement by their company. Just a might early since if what I had petitioned for was validated they would see an award due from them 20 - 30 times larger than what they offered me. I respectfully did not accept their kind offer.

Brad’s current wife made what already was a ‘bad’ situation for that company a bit worse, when she too filed a suit against them. If the media had not made so much of it and their ‘Best Company’ in the Nation award had not gone to another firm the impact might not have had the same effect it did.

In month four, we were notified of a court date when ‘my’ petition would be adjudicated. In 13 months, I should be a free man. Their company now became more and more eager to remove both suits from the docket. Meanwhile it looked like the bank was taking that old house over for a ‘short sale’.

It was now a waiting game, and I didn’t mind waiting at all. It was as though I was on holiday. The weather was starting to turn warmer now. Something else was starting too.

Mr. Flab was now a visible addition to my body. Running, swimming and like 5 different exercises now would become a part of my daily routine. I had gained 12 pounds but also by 5 May not only had I lost 16 pounds with the exercising, swimming and running but a lot of flab I never realized I had, was becoming muscle.

Something else was happening too, as it turned warmer out I noticed the building I was in was inhabited by a wide variety of the female species and they decided to sun by the pool. During the day, when I did most of my routines I was usually the sole occupant of the pool area. On one Saturday that began to change at 9:45 AM. They started their fashion parade. Tall ones, short ones, Red, Blond, Brunette, Raven-haired and two with Orange and Blue hair strutted by me. First, whom I assumed were adult woman, and then mini and pixie copies wearing things in what had to be a fashion show orchestrated by ‘Victoria’ herself.

Man, it was just a guess but as we got closer to the End of May, I felt like I was being surrounded by sharks, 7 or 8 young women (14-19 I guessed) always seemed to be there. Not that I was complaining about having a kaleidoscope of hair colors and nubile nymphs in ‘almost there’ bikinis around me, or being jumped on, splashed, dunked, grabbed, pulled, prodded or otherwise seeing how long I could hold my breath and still survive under water by the same.

Nope, it was what happened next that gave me pause; and not for very long, if I remember correctly. Their moms - you know, the single, or divorced, working mom’s - decided that I would be the ‘perfect’ companion for their girls when school ended. They were subtle, I had to admit that; but a bull elephant in a china shop might have better not been noticed by anyone looking at what they were almost wearing by the pool. I got to understand where their daughters had gotten their fashion sense from.

The 17 year-old, tall, blond and beautiful, Mimi took point. She had reconnoitered well and any perimeter guard was easily defeated. Her frontal assault was well planned out and calculated to have the maximum effect. I wasn’t sure if she intended to take prisoners or not, though. I found out that ‘resistance was futile’. I had not been subjected to emerging teen hormones or feminine wiles much before, and now I was to be easily captured by her blitzkrieg movement.

“Mom was wondering if you could watch me this summer when school is out. There is not much we would be doing except swim, sun and play, you wouldn’t mind keeping your eyes on me, would you, Mr. Stewart?”

If my throat had not been dry, I could have said something; anything that might have sounded like I was giving a more positive response than just nodding my head.

The splash of water from the pool followed by the shout, “Hey, don’t just perv on her, come play with us, too!” were words that now surely marked my journey along the road to Hell.

As Mimi pulled me up from my lounge chair, the scent of her hair, soft skin and the touch of her body against mine made me want to take her in my arms and follow her anywhere.

By 10:45 AM, Sheila (16), Beth and Bonnie, Jill and Judy (Twins, at 14 and 15 respectively) and Sandi (Mimi’s younger sister) all became my charges for the summer. Seven was a lucky number, no? I had said that ‘resistance was futile’. Besides, what man in his right mind would refuse these water nymphs anything they asked for? It would have to be a better man than I.

They say look at the mother to see what the daughter will look like when she grows up. Well, this crop of girls did not seem to need much ‘growing’, if you know what I mean. I got into the pool with my summer harem.

A bunch of moms were lying around there, sunning, several of them were still wearing parts of suits and laughing. I guess their daughters all had passed ‘Basic Seduction’ 100 and now were taking the 101 course with me as their summer semester test. I could only guess Course 201 and beyond would soon follow. I now understood the Roman Gladiator’s perspective when they voiced, ‘We who are about to die, salute you!’

The ‘Pact with the Devil’ now having been made, it was time for them to ‘seal the deal’, ‘strike while the iron is hot’ or some such saying. Sandi swam over toward me, then sort of wrapped her long, coltish legs around me, only for support in the water no doubt, she said: “The mom’s want to have a BBQ later to thank you, and then after can we get movies and all watch them tonight before bed, Okay? We all want to thank you, too.”

Let’s see, food, movie, alone with pretty girls, I did not have to think very long, “Yes I think we can do that”.

“Oh, Monique and Marci (I had not known about them, yet) are at the Mall, now. Do you care what movies we watch tonight?”

“No.”

“I’ll go call them to pick them up, and some ‘other’ stuff for later.”

She started for the side of the pool on her back, her long legs still around me, pulling me with her. When we got to the edge, she stood up straight; she and I were now were almost face to face, almost, she was a very tall girl, we had some obstructions protruding between us now. She said, “Push me up to the edge, will you?”

“Turn around.”

“No, this way.”

She took my hands, placed them where she thought they would get the most purchase then looked at me.

“Are you sure you’re only fourteen, Sandi?”

“Fourteen, tomorrow here in California, later tonight if we were back home where I was born!”

It was going to be a long summer.

When she finally made it out of the pool, with repeated attempts and my groping to help getting past our obstacles jutting out; she just had to make certain any water was out of her suit; top and bottom now had to be undone and stretched some. The look back and yell to the rest of her ‘Posse’ that, “We have movies at Mike’s, tonight” made me revise that earlier prediction; summer was to be a very long and hard one.

The BBQ feast was starting. The moms said it was their job to get everything ready. I should just relax and ‘play’ with the girls. If she only knew that my definition of ‘play’ was a might different from theirs perhaps.

One grill was just to be sweet corn, in the husk and they were soaking in water now. Another had a sort of kebob made ready with all kinds of vegetables skewered on them. Then there was my thing, a man thing, called meat. We had on a tray; burgers, hot dogs, sausage or Bratwurst maybe, for cooking. Sheila’s Mom was making macaroni salad, Beth’s potato wedges, Jill and Judy’s Mom were to bake brownies. To top it all off, I got the whiff of that nectar of the gods, freshly brewing coffee. I had a mental picture right then, about the same moment that I had that smell of coffee. It was the picture of a fattened calf before some sacrifice. That thought led to the one about a ritual or Coven orgy foisted upon some poor, but fortunate willing slave. I can dream, can’t I? Right.

I had a growing feeling, more than in one place even, that I was ‘in trouble’ when Mimi pushed me back down on the chaise. Almost sitting on me, she informed ‘Moi’ to merely ask for ‘anything’ and the girls would gladly ‘do’ it. Remember I said, ‘resistance is futile?’ So, I acquiesced to that pledge, thus sealing my Fate for all time.

Mimi, not to be outdone by her sister’s earlier ‘death grip’, climbed on top of me and edged her body to the left side, pushing me over by whatever parts of me she might grab hold of. As the parade of those serving wenches progressed, I was ‘getting hot’, no not that way, Mimi must have been generating more heat than all of Southern California’s power plants. I wondered what, no when, would it be I was to hear what was really on her mind?

Sandi came back in a thong thing that would make anyone rise up and take notice, and said, “Monique and Marci are getting the movies and some more things for us to use tonight.”

She swayed up to the table and got some food. There was no way in Hell she would only be 14. Mimi was staring at me and laughing while tracing intricate patterns on my chest hairs. The entire mom’s brigade was now staring at me. Yep, there would be something going on later. If I only knew what it would be, Nah, it did not matter; even if I knew, I remembered any ‘resistance was futile’.

Sandi sashayed over to her sister standing there, looking like a man’s wet dream, bent down and saying something in her ear. What she was saying; I know not, I just nodded when she even looked towards me. Mimi took one hand and sat almost on my lap; Sandi sat on my other leg and took the other hand in hers then said.

“You know Mom and Dad are not together anymore. We have a small place now and tomorrow is my birthday. Can we also have a celebration at your place after the party?”

On ‘Auto-response’ now, I nodded. Two heavenly angels were now kissing, hugging; near fondling me and I am not certain what else but out of the corner of my left eye I glimpsed some ‘high fives’ going around the pool. Score girls one, maybe two me, nil. If you ask me now I would swear that I heard neither what was said nor agreed to host any such party let alone some kind of celebration afterwards. I’m sticking to that position, it was not my fault what happened.

Monique and Marci came back holding several bags and wore thongs that would not be legal even in France. Their Mom joined the ever-vigilant army off to the side. I said, “My treat ladies, what do I owe you?”

Monique handed me a bag of what must be movies.

“Some are HD and others just regular. Sandi said you did not care what we watched tonight!”

It was about the time of her comments that I noticed, being the observant bastard that I am, that all the other girls followed Sandi’s example, Mimi too; and were now wearing thongs. Did I mention none of them - not even Sandi - needed any ‘growing’ to start a riot, alone? With the ‘Posse’ of nine now almost baring it all, an overthrow of the government was imminent. We would be living in the ‘State of Confusion’ soon, no longer California.

I very carefully got up - hard to do, in more than one way - and said, “I need to go inside for some money for you!”

I was now putting on my own show for them! I tried to waddle to my place, to the sound of catcalls and giggles from them. Now the Moms were joining in, as well.

Getting the key out of that little pocket attached to the waistband of my trunks was harder than I remembered. Opening the door then meandering into my bedroom for some money was done on autopilot until I heard the ‘Oh’s and Aw’s’ from the Posse. They had all followed me in. Marci was carrying two bags of things into the kitchen, Monique took the smaller bag of movies from me and started to turn on the 70” TV in my bedroom while the rest of the ‘Posse’ started carrying pillows from the other rooms and arranging them in some kind of pattern on and around the bed.

While I just stared at them, Bonnie took the wallet out of my hand, opened it and handed Monique a bunch of $100 bills. “That should be enough for tonight and the party on Saturday. How many can we invite to the party Mr. Stewart?”

Perhaps I need to remind everyone that a California girl, at least the ones I ever noticed all had a special ‘something’ about them. The ‘Posse’ was no exception, at my old agency I was used to using models and anyone of these girls put many of them to shame. Even considering their age, you don’t try to do anything but agree with whatever they wanted.

I was on that ‘Highway to Hell’ and I knew it.

Right now, though, I was in my bedroom with nine very lovely girls. Those thongs did not leave anything to the imagination either, and now Monique was starting to play a movie.

“A reasonable number, is that Okay?” was my answer to her question.

Looking through the bag, I saw no ‘Debbie’ flicks but ‘Annie’, Lord of the Rings’, Parts I-III, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and ‘Ghost’ were on top.

Sandi pushed me down on the bed, Bonnie put my wallet in the dresser drawer and Jill or Judy, can’t really tell them apart yet, propped a pillow behind me. “Won’t this be fun?” came from Sandi as she nestled her still 13 year-old body next to mine and rested her head on my chest. I had a big bed, a new California King but never had the manufacturer mentioned 10 as the number of bodies it would hold.

“Girls don’t you think you ought to change clothes?”

Eight streaks ran out shouting, ‘Slumber party too’ before I could say anything further. One body stayed and snuggled closer to me. “Sandi, don’t you need different clothes for tonight, that thong is...”

“Nope, I’m Okay, I don’t usually wear anything to sleep and you’re right, we can’t wear these thongs we might get them wet and they are hard to take off.”

‘I give up!’ I thought.

At some point today, I had not only chosen to be on the ‘Road to Hell’ but I utterly and completely lost control of everything else. One glance at the Angel cuddling to me and I could only think of the way things might have been with her in my life instead of the way they had been with Chris.

It was still not bedtime here, yet. With the time difference it would only be early evening there. I made an Executive decision. Sandi Honey, would you bring me the phone from the living room please?” I guess when the ‘Pet’ names start that means something since her eyes got big as saucers.

I had what some might call an Epiphany. Sandi handed me the phone and snuggled back to her now reserved spot, closer this time it seemed. I hit a saved number. I also realized that not only Sandi but also it seemed all these girls were in need of a male’s honest attention. I enjoyed giving them that and whatever else I could, hopefully staying within certain legal limits.

“Hello, Kelly, it’s Mike. Can you come here as soon as possible? We need to see the lawyers next week and I think we can make a deal to settle with the company. I will give Chris her divorce, but concerning Brad, you don’t have the same restrictions there we do in California. I will pay your way, pick you up and you can stay in your own bedroom here. Any clothes or things you need we can buy before we see the lawyers. If things go the way I hope, we will both be very wealthy and much wiser. I’ll get you a flight, and you’ll pick up the ticket at the airline’s desk. ‘We will go to the airport for you.”

My next call was to the airline, I booked an open First Class ticket for Kelly.

Looking to my now permanently attached appendage, I saw how easy it was to fall head over heels for somebody. Sandi looked up at me and asked who Kelly was?

I had heard Kelly’s story more than once. She was sixteen when she and Brad were married. You might call it a shotgun event but the baby died before being born. Brad exited ASAP, after that. Kelly was eighteen, now. She lived at home, and every day since Brad left her she had cried and blamed herself. No more! My lawyer’s words gave her new hope and her subsequent suit against the company would trace back to a history of travel, plus wining and dining the ladies in a lifestyle they allowed Brad to keep, even back then.

I explained to Sandi just who Kelly was, and what the pending divorce and lawsuits meant to all of us. I was serious; I think that first day I intended to make life a lot easier for Sandi, the ‘Posse’ and their moms. I ‘had been there’ too, you know.

“So is she why you won’t make love to me?”

“Yes, I mean, no. Damn girl I do care for you, way too much even. You are beautiful like your sister, like all the ‘Posse.’ Nevertheless, you are far too young for any sex, let alone adult love. Even if your Mom would give her permission, you would need to be sixteen or emancipated before we could legally be married.” (Did I just say ‘WE’ and the ‘M’ word, damn).

She put her head back on my chest. I could feel the tears falling as the ‘Posse’ returned. I knew a Baby doll gown was a might transparent. That they at least wore bottoms made me just take a deep breath and shake my head. That is until Mimi bounced on the bed. She apparently had forgotten that bottom portion of her costume, there was no doubt she was a natural blond. Her sister got a smile back on her face as she let go of me, got out of the bed and locked heads with Mimi.

I repeated my story about Chris, Kelly and the pending divorce and lawsuits to the ‘Posse’. I also told everyone that Kelly was coming here and we would see the lawyers, together. Then, if things would work out, I would agree to a ‘no-fault’ divorce next week with Chris. I reaffirmed my intention to make their lives a bit better, too.

‘Ring tones.’ I answered. Kelly would be here 9:17 AM our time, would that be Okay?

“Do we have room for one more? Kelly can be here tomorrow morning.”

Heads nodded.

“Yep, Kelly, we have a ‘Birthday Girl,’ tomorrow. So, food, drinks, sun and fun on the agenda more than much serious work. If they are all ‘good little girls’ maybe they can take you shopping Sunday? Sec hold on; Girls, how many more of you are we having tomorrow?”

“Just us, all of us will be with you ... all...” from Jill or Judy who stopped what she was saying, I still don’t know who is who.

“Kelly there will be plenty of room for you but I am not sure everyone will deserve to go shopping with you?” I really tried for a stern look on my face. The cuddling Sandi in addition to the bed made that impossible; Sandi crawled even closer, and again took a new reserved spot, now almost on top of me while Mimi hopped up to take her old place.

Sheila now announced the first movie, “It’s a ‘Wonderful Life is now starting”, followed by, “Who wants popcorn?”

By the time the fourth movie was nearing the end, it was way past midnight, 7 hours and 13 minutes after the start. The Pacific Ocean must have been approaching Temecula. These girls shed tears, like trees in fall dropped leaves. I noticed something, though - well maybe more than one thing, and they had me in a ‘death grip’ and were both snoring away, the rest of the ‘Posse’ were sawing wood too - I thought that whatever chill there would be tonight, would dissipate from the body heat being generated from that bed. I did the man thing. I closed my eyes, and fell asleep to very pleasant and imaginative dreams.

I was not accustomed to rising at 6:57 AM, but then it had been a long time since I’d had a bed full of beauties with me ... like, never. I deduced that either I was in an Italian restaurant having Angel Hair Pasta or somebody was sleeping on top of me, her hair in my face and me with some thongs in my hand. The soft kiss, followed by a low version of the song. ‘It’s My Birthday’ gave me a clue who it was.

She whispered, “Just think, 14 years ago at 12:02 AM I was born, now look at me. Err, maybe better not until I put that thong back on. I told you I don’t wear anything to sleep.”

While she was fixing herself, I got an elbow and a kick in the head as she flipped backwards to slither into her almost bottoms. When it came time for the top, her immoral words - I mean, immortal request - to “Do me,” woke me as even cold water would not. That task was not onerous but Mimi was watching as my hands fumbled with the hooks of Sandi’s top. I saw the size, 36-C, damn.

I assumed she was thinking of her party today. Nope, hopping out of bed, climbing over Mimi and Beth, she said, “We need to get Kelly from the airport.”

I had been almost ‘trained’ by my soon to be ex, so it was reflex for me to say, “Yes Dear.”

My bathroom, attached to my bedroom in my apartment was now occupied, but not by me ... by, guess who? Why was it as if we were already married? She was taking over.

That little inconvenience evaporated when I sniffed fresh coffee. Soon ‘ciniminimum’ roll thingies were smelled baking, along with the smell of frying eggs, bacon, potatoes and sausage. I sat up, hoping against all odds that OJ would also be served.

The bedroom door, which was not even closed all the way swung open and in marched the Moms carrying aloft food fit for the gods. They too wore thongs and were in themselves a veritable feast for the eyes.

“We thought you might need to keep your strength up! You know, with the party and celebration and everything else the girls want to do tonight.”

It may have been early and I still hadn’t had any coffee but I did catch what Vera said. “What celebration and ‘else,’ tonight is that, Vera?”

“Jill and Judy said you told Sandi the sleepover and celebration was on for after the party? I was taking them to get some ‘special’ things for later this evening?”

“I thought that was last night?”

“No, last night was just to watch movies. They all want a ‘slumber night’ with you, too. You know to get to know their ‘bed-buddy bedder’ I mean, their summer ‘buddy’ better.”

That glass of OJ, and seeing another mom bringing coffee shut off any response from me. What good would it do, anyway? I was a man and not stupid, I already knew ‘resistance was futile’.

When bare bottomed Mimi bounced up off the bed, her mom gasped. Just maybe I now had an ally against the ‘Posse’. “Mim, you stop that right now! You’ll spill his juice all over the bed.”

Sure! Right! Even these mom’s were against me. However, have you heard the phrase, ‘died and gone to Heaven?’ It could be worse; those single moms probably needed male attention, too!

The moms were all relegated to liquids, my new serving wenches decided I needed bits and pieces of everything and stated placing bits of things in my mouth. Like I was going to refuse this fattening up process? No way, Jose. Even Mimi got into the act when she could sneak past the guarding watch of her sister. It could not have been so awful as they both had smiles on their faces.

From ‘self-appointed’ Mistress Sandi, “Okay, we need to go for Kelly, now. Mimi clean sheets on this bed, Jill and Judy pillows go back. Bonnie and Sheila ready a bedroom for Kelly, Monique wash the clothes and Beth, you and Marci clean up this place, we have a guest tonight. Okay, Mike, let’s get Kelly now.”

I was more than a little in awe of her.

As we walked holding hands to the car I kept stealing glances of her. She still had that thong top on but wore white shorts, too.

I heard, “Okay Mike, close your mouth, we are not going fly-fishing.”

“Yes, dear!” that earlier training was still kicking in.

When we got to my MB it was her turn to catch flies.

“Close your mouth, sweetie!”

I opened the door for her. She was the very first person to slide into the soft leather passenger seat.

I heard, “Yes, Dear!”

She was learning, too. I was further on that Road to Hell than I thought.

The entire trip to the airport she might just as well have driven, there was no way short of sitting on my lap that she could have been closer to me, or held me tighter. When we got inside the terminal, I looked at her, and saw it for an instant; it looked like ‘Fear’. It was as if she was at war with herself. At that point, I could not understand why she would feel that way.

Not too many people flew in this early on a Sunday. When I saw her wearing a much too-small halter, very ripped denim short-shorts, open-toe sandals and a ‘cat that ate the canary’ look on her face; I now was getting an idea why Sandi had that ‘Fear’ look.

I gripped her hand and said, ‘Maybe you can take her shopping tomorrow, so she can look almost as good as you do!”

It must have been the right thing to say. It was reinforced further when Kelly and Sandi met, hugged, kissed and Kelly said, ‘Way to go girl, if you can make me look as good as you do, Mike and I will knock their socks off to settle.”

Yep, she may be the newbie, but Sandi and Kelly had now bonded. I was thinking everything was going to be fine, now.

When we got to the car, more fly catching. I hit the remote twice, Sandi went for the front door on the driver’s side, then quickly opened the passenger door for Kelly.

I am not certain either one of them heard about that newfangled invention called seat belts. If we had been stopped, I would be $300 bucks poorer. I don’t think they ever stopped talking the entire ride back.