Chapter 8

“Heck. Your Aunt Martha called while you were gone. She gave me this number to have you call them back.” Bethany gave him the note.

“Hello lover boy. I’m glad you took time out to call us back.”

“Aunt Martha! I’ve been busy and I had these girls to come in and clean the place while I was gone. I hope all is well with y’all down there.”

“Heck, we are having the time of our lives. Your Uncle Bud and I have met so many new friends, and we have even talked to a real estate lady about some property...

“Bud’s in the bathroom now, but when he comes back, we need to work out an agreement with you about the hardware and sporting goods store.”

“An agreement?”

“Yes, we’ve decided to stay right here, and retire. Bud wants to make sure you have enough to get by on, until you can make a go of the place like we have over the years.”

“Well, I have added some new help, and I used some of my money to buy those two empty buildings next door. I want to start a laundromat and later, maybe open a cafeteria next to it. I hope I didn’t step on your toes when I did all that without talking to y’all first.”

“You’ve done all that on your money? Hon, just wait until Bud gets back in here to talk to you.”

“I hope he’s not too upset. Please tell him that I used my money that I’ve saved over the years. I never used any of the money from the store’s account at the bank ... I hope you and Uncle Bud have looked at the online account at the bank by now. We made over fifty thousand profit last month, and we’re set to break that record this month.”

“Here’s Bud. Tell him what you just told me and he’ll get with you on this deal we want to work out with you.”

“Heck?”

“Hey Uncle Bud. I hope y’all are enjoying your vacation. Aunt Martha was telling me that y’all were even thinking about buying a vacation home down there.”

“Heck, she just passed a note to me about your profits the last two months and m’boy you have really run some money through that place ... Listen Heck ... That’s one thing we want to talk to you about, but we weren’t going to make any hasty decisions until we could okay it with you.”

“Sure, and I understand. I hope y’all aren’t too upset with what I’ve done.”

“HECK! Listen to me Son! We are thrilled that you’ve taken over and made that place jump and run ... Martha and I have decided to stay down here, and deed that store and all our properties on that street that we own - to you. I have already called the bank and told them to transfer all the store money in the operating account, and all our money in the store’s saving account into your name. We have over three million in our personal account, and that’s way more than we’ll ever need to live out our lives on...

“Heck, we’re deeding all that property to you free and clear. Plus you are our only heir and we want you to keep on running that business just like you are ... Wait, Martha said to tell you, if you ever get a chance, bring all your women friends down here for at least a month. She also said to tell you it’s about damn time you start having us some grand nieces and nephews to bring us, so we can spoil the hell out of them.”

“Tell her that I’m working on that and I’ll have some baby pictures in a few months ... Uncle Bud, there’s no way I’ll ever be able to thank y’all for what you’ve done. I love you like my own parents and I’m going to get off here before I start blubbering ... I love you Uncle Bud.”

“We love you too Heck. Take care of yourself. Now you hurry up and get all those women pregnant.”

“DAMN!”

Monday morning early.

“Heck you have a call on line three.”

“Heck here, how can I help you?”

“Heck, Melinda here. I have some leads for you, when you have time to sit down with Barb and me.”

“Where are you now? I have about an hour.”

“On your patio.”

“I’ll come up the back way. See you in ten.”

They weren’t naked, but heck wasn’t expecting them to be. He did get a warm hug and kiss from each of them.

Melinda didn’t waste any time. “They checked in at the Las Vegas Hilton last night at 10:00. They are registered as Burt and Brad Fallis.

“A friend of yours is registered in the suite next to them. If you need to give him a call, he told us that you have his old number, he called it.”

“It’s just a matter of time now. You two go down the inside fire escape stairs, and when you get to the second landing, take the stairs on the left. That one will put you to the sidewalk, within ten feet of where your vehicle is now parked. Go home and stay there. Do not make - or take any calls on your cellphones, not even to your daughters. I’ll call that go-phone number I gave you, from a different go-phone number, and tell you when you can expect the authorities out there to contact you. Just remember, you know nothing of their current, or past business trips and travels ... Or of their contacts out there...

“You don’t have to show emotions when the news gets out, everyone here knows by now that the relationships with your husbands have been strained for years.”

“Call me on my office phone tomorrow morning and tell me about the tragedy.”

Heck’s go-phone buzzed twenty minutes later. He picked it up, punched the button - but did not speak. ‘Done deal. This phone and number - along with your phone and number - will have been erased from the database at the end of this call. Watch it burn baby, is my advice to you’

’Looks like a lover’s quarrel and double suicide - from here’

The next morning at 8:30 Heck is sitting at his desk when his secretary buzzed him and told him he has a call.

He answered his phone, and talked to Linda and Kat for over thirty minutes, as they passed Melinda’s kitchen phone back and forth.

“Listen to me, both of you. If you need to get away for a few days, or even if your mom’s need to get away, let me know and I’ll even take off a few days to stay with you, no matter where we go.”

“Heck, we may take you up on that offer in a week, but listen to this. The bank board has called an emergency meeting for Tuesday morning at 9:00 a.m. and our moms have asked us to be there. Those two former board members who were so close to our dads, have resigned. Heck, the remaining board members have unanimously requested we invite you to this meeting. There’s rumor you may be appointed Bank President and Ms. Jenkins as assistant Vice President. Mom just passed a note to me. You may be getting a call in a few minutes.

“She told me you better not turn this down if the board votes to elect you permanently.”

“Tell her that I’ll never turn her down, or the bank. I’ll stop by and see all of you in a day or so, that is, if I don’t see all of you at that meeting.”

“Thank you for being a friend of our family, Heck. Dad and Uncle Bill thought the world of you, and the board members must feel the same about you. Come see us when you can.”

Monday mornings are always busy and everyone is scrambling to greet customers and answer the phones.

At 10:00, his secretary buzzed him.

“Heck, you have a visitor and she needs about thirty minutes of your time if you’re available.”

“Sure, send her in.”

Betty opened the door and stepped aside as she motioned for the young woman to enter.

“Heck, Ms. Jeri Jenkins to see you.”

Heck nearly kicked over his desk chair as he stood to walk over to take the young woman’s hand.

“Ms. Jenkins, please come over and have a seat. What can I do for you this morning?”

“Heck - May I call you Heck? It seems everyone at the bank calls you Heck ... and now everyone I have met here at your business calls you by your first name.”

“Sure you can, and I hope you’ll allow me to call you by your name too. Is Jeri really your name, or is that just a pet name?”

“You’re the first person to ask me that, but actually my first name is Jerrianne - one word, two N’s - but Mom has always called me Jeri - J-E-R-I, and when I started to school even the teachers called me Jeri ... Now, since Aunt Lauren hired me at the bank, she tells everyone that my name is Jeri...

...”Heck, you have the most captivating smile I have ever seen. I keep looking down to see if my blouse is unbuttoned or my thighs are exposed ... OH, please don’t take that wrong. No man has ever looked at me like that, and though I’m flattered, I’m still nervous that I may be flashing you.”

“I hope I didn’t offend you by my smile. I just never expected to see you in my office, and when you smile at me, you have the most alluring smile on your face, it’s like I was at a loss for words there for a minute...

“Please, tell me why I am so honored by your visit this morning.”

“I’m here in your office this morning to deliver a personal message to you. Actually an invitation to a Bank Board meeting tomorrow morning at 9:00 in the board room.”

“Can you tell me anything about this? I’ve never been to a board meeting of any kind. You said you were delivering an invitation to me personally, does that mean that you will be at that board meeting too?”

“Yes, it seems we’ll be electing a new Bank President and a two new Board of Directors, plus a new President of the Board tomorrow. My aunt, Ms. Lauren Jenkins made a proposal that the bank board invite you to the meeting, and then, she shocked me, when she appointed me as secretary of the board in the process. I am so excited since I’ll be assigned to work directly under you, as your personal secretary, now that this rumor has been confirmed ... You will be unanimously elected President of the Board, and President of the Bank at tomorrow’s meeting...

“Sir, I’m sure by now, that you have heard the latest scandal at the bank.”

“Scandal? At the bank? What has happened? Was someone caught in the restroom - together with his secretary?”

“No, actually it’s even worse than that. The Bank President and Vice President were found dead in a hotel room in Las Vegas. From what I’ve been told, it appears they committed suicide, together.”

“OH WOW.”

“Yes and now it looks like you will be offered both of those positions at the bank, even before there is a vote.”

“You told me, you’ve been assigned to work directly under me, does that mean full time, or just during banking hours?”

“Aunt Lauren suggested I work with you twenty-four seven - three sixty-five. Would that be a problem with you?”

“Not all all, I kinda like the idea - but how about you?”

“If you don’t mind me being here with you twenty-four seven, I would be thrilled.”

“You do know, there will be other girls and women with us at times? I should have said, they will be with me day and night, at times.”

“I’m aware of that and I have a fifteen year old sister who will sleep with you tonight, if you’ll let her.”

“What about her sister?”

“UH ... I’m not ... OH WOW! I finally caught on ... Damn Heck, would you mind if both sisters sleep with you?”

“We may not get much sleep. I sleep naked.”

“We do too ... neither of us have done it before, will you take time to teach us? We have talked about it, but since I’ve never fucked a man before, I can’t give her much advice. I would love for you to teach us at the same time.”

“Have you and your sister ever shared a few touches and kisses?”

“Yes and we nearly kill each other sucking and kissing.”

“When you came in, did you happen to meet a very, very tan young lady by the name of Kristy?”

“Yes I did, and I would give anything to be as tan as her. Is that her natural skin color, or does she lie in the sun to get that dark?”