Chapter 4

The semester was finished. Two other visiting professors had presented their portion of Studies on the Use of Distributed Systems in International Endeavors. I managed to glean another A out of that course.

As finals wrapped up Bester started to call me again and I continued to ignore him. On the day grades posted I determined to have it out finally. I had accumulated almost $60,000 in my personal account. I judged that was adequate to start an independent life.

I called the trust office. The administrative assistant made an appointment for me at 1 pm. I packed a couple of changes of clothing in a new backpack that I bought. I tossed it in the car and drove to the trust offices just off K street, J.P. Barlett and Associates. I parked the car and grabbed the backpack, not intending to return.

“Ms. Ormond will see you now,” the receptionist said.

“What happen to Bester?”

“This way please sir,” she said ignoring my question and taking me to a new office.

Next to the door I saw a plaque: Desiree Ormond.

Desiree was tall. She had an inch or so on me. As I entered she stood and I could see that she was wearing a gray wool skirt, despite the seasonable May weather. Her blouse was white and the top two buttons were open, revealing an interesting display of cleavage. She had long black hair. I guessed maybe twenty-nine or thirty. She was pretty, with nice lips and an even striking nose. High cheekbones.

“Mr Sutton please come in.” She extended her hand.

“Ms. Ormond,” I said taking it. It was warm and her handshake was firm until she released it and ran her hand over mine as she pulled it away.

“Desiree, please. I work for you after all.”

“Do you really?” I said taking the offered seat. I put the backpack down beside me. “I was under the impression that you worked for my dead parents. That’s made it quite difficult to register any protests.”

“Are you in some way unhappy with the way the trust has been administering your care?” I noticed that she seemed to have an elusive accent, the origin of which I could not identify.

“I would say so. You’ve spoken to Mr. Bester I expect.”

“Yes. James ... may I call you James?”

“Of course, Desiree,” I said.

“James. There seems to be some kind of friction between you and Simon. I’m here to fix that.”

“That’s nice to know,” I said, not believing it for a minute.

She stood and leaned over, giving me a very fine view of her cleavage. “What can I do for you James?”

This was a new twist, not that I believed Ms. Ormond was actually offering herself up to me. This was more likely a tactic meant to manipulate a naive young man.

“The trust can stop trying to push me to attend graduate school to start with.”

She looked at me like I was a petulant child. “James I know that this has been explained to you. The terms of the trust require this. There is little we can do to change those requirements.”

“Very well. I guess our business is finished then. As Mr. Bester pointed out last year the car and apartment belongs to the trust. I’ve parked the car downstairs and have vacated the apartment.” I stood.

“Wait. What?” Desiree jumped to her feet and practically ran around the desk. “Please don’t do anything hasty James. How will you live without the trust?”

“Well, I’ve managed to squirrel away some of my stipend money. I expect I’ll get a job like everyone else. I have a degree in computer science with a specialization in cyber-security. I’ve been told by the trust that’s a very good field. I shouldn’t have trouble getting a job in it.”

“Have you talked to Jordan?” she said. That made me pause. I had not talked to Jordan. What made her think that would make a difference?

“No,” I admitted.

“Before you make an irrevocable mistake don’t you think you should at least talk to your sister?”

I shook my head. “James why would you do this? It’s just two more years. You don’t have to take cyber-security. You could do an MBA or another associated field like International Studies.”

“Kelly Bailey Connor,” I said.

“Pardon? Who’s that?”

“Ms. Ormond. Do you really think I’m a fool? That is the woman who you, that is the trust, paid off to leave me.”

“Is that what she told you? She signed a Non Disclosure Agreement.” Desiree suddenly realized that she had made a mistake. She should have continued to plead ignorance.

“As I suspected,” I said. “What was the problem? Was she not rich enough?”

All of the flirtiness went out of Ms. Ormond. “She was a distraction.”

“Well your disposal of her has managed to distract me completely. Good day Ms. Ormond.”

Rather than head for the Metro on the way down I called an Uber. Maybe the train, I thought. Head west and stop somewhere I could get my bearings.

I was standing on K Street waiting for my pickup when a Porsche 911 pulled up.
“James. Get in,” my sister said.

I opened the door and slid in next to her. As she pulled out I saw Ms. Ormond come out of the door behind us.

Jordan turned on Massachusetts Ave NW and then turned again onto New York Ave NW which was US 50.

“What are you doing here Jordan?” I asked. Suddenly I realized. “Ormond called you.”

“Yes. You need time to think.”

“Stop the car and let me out.”

“No. So what’s going on?”

“I’m done. It’s great you’ve reached your majority. Congratulations. I’m done playing.”

“James there’s things you don’t know.”

“So tell me.”

“I can’t. I’m not allowed.”

“NDAs. Really? Come on Jordan. What are can they do to you?”

“It’s not what you think. None of it is. I can’t tell you more yet.”

I sulked. We crossed under 495.

“Jordan where are you going?”

“Ocean City.”

“Where in blazes is that?

“Eastern Shore of Maryland. I’ve got some friends I want you to meet.”

“How are you even here? What about your job?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Suddenly it made sense.

“That job, what was it?”

“Winthrope Group.”

“That’s the trust isn’t it?” I looked at her. Her eyes were on the road and she would not even look at me for a second.

“James, what difference would taking some time out to think make?” she said ignoring my question. “You can catch an Uber just as well from Ocean City as DC.” I knew that was not true. “After you’ve had some time to think I can bring you back. Anywhere. Back to Boston if you want, for the summer.”

“All I’ve got is in this backpack.”

“Don’t be silly. I stopped off at your apartment and packed a couple of bags for you. They’re in the trunk.”

Soon we crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The Kent narrows were next and suddenly we were on the Delmarva Peninsula. US 50 went all the way to Ocean City. It’s almost three hours from the heart of Washington to the Atlantic Coast. After the first half hour I sulked silently. Short of jumping from the car I was stuck, at least for awhile.

I was not sure what Jordan’s game was. I had always been able to trust my sister. For years it was us against the world. But she had changed in the last five years that we had been apart, seeing each other for only a few months out of the year in the summer. And not at all in the last two years, except for that one day at her graduation.

When we got to Ocean City the car made a few turns and soon I was fairly lost. Eventually we pulled up to a beach house. As the car stopped I noticed there was a woman standing in front of the house. She was shapely and only wearing a bikini. She was beautiful. Model beautiful. Long brown hair. Darkly tanned skin. She looked Italian maybe. Her breasts were large naval orange size. Covered by a white bikini.

Jordan opened her own door and hopped out. As I stepped out of the car I saw the woman run into Jordan’s arms. They kissed with a lovers kiss.

Jordan released her and she looked at me.

“Jessica this is my brother James.”

Jessica ran around the car and I soon found my arms full of a soft warm woman. I resisted hardly at all when she plastered a kiss on me hot enough to melt glass.

“Where’s Emily?” Jordan asked.

“She’s inside making a light dinner.”

Jordan reached in and popped the trunk at the front of the car.

“I haven’t decided I’m staying,” I said.

Jessica was still in my arms. She brushed against me and I could feel myself responding to her. She looked at me like a cat sizing up an especially tasty canary.

“Stay awhile,” she said rubbing against me again. I reached behind her and cupped her ass. The bikini bottom was a thong and I could feel her bare ass cheek.

“At least for dinner,” she pleaded.

I just nodded. I released the woman and grabbed my bag from the trunk. I recognized it. Jordan did not have a bag and I began to suspect she had driven in from here this morning.

We entered the house and I left my bag in the entrance hall. I looked over to the kitchen at the woman working there and saw the woman who must be Emily. She looked just like Jessica. They were twins.

“Emily. James is here,” Jessica said.

Emily looked up and saw me. Her sister was behind me followed by Jordan. Like her sister she was wearing a bikini, the same bikini. She almost ran across the living room and into my arms. I got another blistering kiss.

When I got my breathing under control I said, “Nice to meet you too Emily.” I turned back to Jordan. “Why do I get the feeling these girls already know me?”

“Because we do,” Jessica said. “Jordan talks about you all the time.”

“So you guys are friends?”

“Yes. And we work together too sometimes.”