Chapter 6

Fred went upstairs -- and was unsurprised to find Candace. "Louise sent me."

Candace nodded. "Let's take a ride."

"Where we goin'?"

"To look at a house. I need a work estimate. This will be a professional consultation."

Fred nodded. "Let's take my truck."

On the way to the bed and breakfast, Candace eyed Fred sympathetically. "Put you through the wringer, did they?"

"Yeah," Fred grunted. "Louise had some built up -- that's for sure! Luis was worse, though..."

"Can you work with him? You're gonna need a team for this..."

Fred shook his head. "Dunno. Rico, no problem. Luis, though -- I don't know if I can stand givin' blowjobs every day during breaks..."

"What if Louise says that's the way she wants it, Hon?" Candace asked, cocking her head to eye him sidelong.

"It's gonna need to be worth it," Fred replied. "I bought into the big revenge scene to be able to get pussy from the group again..."

"Uh oh. Things have been changing in the group," Candace related. "A bunch of the younger girls are hooked up -- including Tabitha."

"FUCK! I did that shit for NOTHING?"

"No. Mama fix." Candace patted his arm. "If nothing else, there is still a lot of older pussy around." Fred eyed her and she nodded confirmation, "Yeah, including me."

They walked the ground at the bed and breakfast. It sat on a big lot on the edge of town, back a bit from the road. The sign at the street said 'Restful Days Inn.' The place had probably been built in the 1890s, but it had been modernized a couple of times; Fred could see the signs. There was a big front porch and a sheltered area out back surrounded on three sides by jutting wings of the house. The patio featured an old Jacuzzi and a fairly good sized in-ground swimming pool -- drained. Inside was a big double-parlor and a big dining room, a library, a large tiled bath with an exit to the pool area and changing rooms, a big kitchen and some servant's quarters. Upstairs on the second floor was another parlor, a couple more baths and several bedrooms. The third floor was dressed out similarly. Downstairs, there was a large, dirt-floored stone cellar that sat far enough above ground for a couple of small windows to admit some light. There had been some theft of pipe and heating equipment, but the main plant was apparently too large for thieves to bother with. "You'll need a new boiler," Fred opined, "maybe two. But they'll be more modern, anyway."

Out back was a carriage house/garage that someone had started an apartment above but not finished. There was an old root cellar accessible via a small stairwell in the back wall. There was also a fairly large barn. "Lotta work here," Fred opined. "What do you want?"

"This will be the new clubhouse, if we can get it for a decent price and get it fixed up properly," Candace explained. "The first floor will be for more or less vanilla parties; the second will be more for the kinds of things we're doing now at my place. The third floor will be for the inner circle only -- and maybe there will be some live-ins there. We'll do BDSM and wild stuff in the cellar and maybe in the carriage house."

"We could have used that root cellar for that fat fucker," Fred agreed, nodding. "Put a good solid door on it..."

"Exactly," Candace agreed. "We can put up some slings and swings and whipping posts or whatever..."

"You gonna pack everybody in?"

Candace nodded. "If you mean all sexual tastes, the answer is yes. I imagine that there will be play areas on the second and third floor for bi and gay couples, as well as straight ones. I have a couple of ideas for entertainment areas..." She went on to explain the whole 'dark room' concept.

Fred nodded. "This ain't no two thousand dollar charity project."

"No, it isn't," Candace agreed, "although we'll expect you to negotiate for rock-bottom institutional pricing from the subcontractors, not 'Joe homeowner with fat pockets' pricing. Some work, obviously, will only be doable by club members, to ensure secrecy." She smiled. "Of course, we'll be looking at providing some fringe benefits -- maybe a party at some point for the team?"

"A pussy party?"

"Exactly."

"When? How fast do you need this?"

"We're still trying to close, but when we do it will be needed the day before yesterday," Candace replied. "We were thinking more or less that if you can give us the place in a relatively safe condition on a Friday night, we can stay out the rest of the week. We'd like to have basic services and the first floor as soon as we can get them." She eyed him sidelong. "What's it going to cost?"

Fred shook his head. "Varies. Forty thousand, minimum; depending upon what you want, it could go right through the roof!" He rubbed his face. "Whirlpool? Swimming pool?"

"Yes." Candace nodded. "New Jacuzzi -- a big one -- and hot sauna and steam room, if we can get them."

"That's special stuff," Fred grunted. "Ten thousand right there; I might be able to get it down to eight. Rico will help -- he has more plumbing contacts than I do."

Candace nodded. "Rock bottom without cutting corners," she instructed. "Remember, you'll both be using the place."

Fred rubbed his face. "And Luis?"

"I'll talk to Louise. If possible, I'd like for him to be excluded from full membership and left in the dark in certain areas. I don't like his attitude."

"Huh! Me, neither!" Fred thought about the project. "Sixty thousand. Twenty to start -- mostly for materials and to get the guys moving. We'll stage the rest based upon the speed we get shit done. If you ask for shit I can't get done in budget, I'll tell you and we'll get a change order." He eyed her. "Who gets to come to the party?"

Candace shrugged. "It depends upon the size of the work team. You can dole it out as necessary -- but if it gets too big I won't be able to cover the action, and if it gets out that you didn't invite some people, they'll no doubt be pissed."

Fred nodded. "Anything in between?"

"It's negotiable."

"I'm thinkin' that folk with bit parts could get somethin' as they roll off -- then if they miss the big one..."

"They've got no complaint coming," Candace finished for him. "It's an idea, but I'm going to have to have some kind of schedule so I can coordinate in advance."

"That shouldn't be a problem -- I'll know who is comin' when."

"Seen enough?"

"Yeh. I'm ballparkin' it, but it'll be close, as long as you don't add a bunch of shit. Need something formal?" Fred asked.

"I trust you -- but I'm not fronting the rehab money, so you might want to write up something. Just remember you benefit from the place, too."

Fred nodded. "I'll keep it tight."

They got back in the truck and Candace directed him back to her house. When they stopped in the driveway, Candace eyed Fred, "Want a deposit?"

Fred divined her meaning and replied, "Nah. Too much shit's gone down tonight. I'm not in the mood. Maybe in a couple of days."

Candace nodded. "I'll pass the word if and when we get it locked down -- probably through the boys."

"Fine." Candace got out of the truck and Fred headed home.

Joy had left a message on Candace's answering machine when she got home. A quick call got the latest counter-offer, "Ninety."

"Seventy-eight," Candace retorted. "The place has been vandalized and the heating system is gone and some of the plumbing. I need to replace a bunch of broken windows..."

"Okay." Joy paused. "What's your top end?"

"I'm shooting for eighty. Anything above that is going to be questionable," Candace related.

"Let me make the call." Joy hung up.

Ten minutes later, she was back. "I've got the other guy on the other line. Eighty-five."

"Eighty."

"If I can lock it at eighty-two five?"

"Yeah, do it -- but if they owe taxes or anything..." Candace warned.

"Got it." Two minutes later, she was back. "You were right -- they owe two thousand in taxes. Eighty, if we pay it."

"Do it."

"I'll bring you paperwork tomorrow."

"Look," Candace told her, "I don't want to mess around with this too much -- but I want to be covered. I don't want to buy a pig in a poke for cash, okay? Can you cover the bases for me? Inspections, insurance, title or whatever?"

"I can recommend a lawyer who knows all the ropes. He won't hurt you too bad, and you'll be covered," Joy replied. "I'll cover the stuff he won't."

"How fast? I need this ASAP."

"When will you have the money?"

"A couple of days," Candace replied.

"We can shoot for the end of the week. Call the lawyer tonight -- he may still be in his office." She passed Candace the number.

The lawyer WAS in and had a handle on an appraiser and an insurance agent. "Have you been through the place with a professional?" he asked.

"I did a walk-through with a contractor today," Candace admitted.

"Good. Barring termites or other surprises, you should be okay, then."

Candace thanked him and hung up. It turned out that the insurance agent was also working late; he promised to roll by the property and get a binder going for her. Then Candace called Toby. "I got the place for eighty thousand, but there are going to be taxes and closing costs and insurance and stuff."

"Okay." Toby pushed hair back from his face. "Nobody has barked at the original account I used to fund the business, so I will start pushing small amounts in from there over the next couple of days. It's risky, but I have a couple more of Fernando's numbered safe-havens I can use. We have to keep the sizes down, but I'll get try to get twenty-five to thirty thousand in by tomorrow. Friday afternoon is probably the best I can do..."

"That should work. Fred has seen the place; he says sixty to fix it."

"Where is that coming from?" Toby asked.

"Teela's Poppa Frank. I gather that he's enslaving Jiang Yi for security." Candace tittered.

"Yeah, she's probably horrified," Toby laughed. That pair was weird -- but they WERE a pair! It would be just like Frank to want a silly excuse to do what they both WANTED to do anyway... "Better call them."

"Okay." Candace hung up.

"Sixty thousand?" Jiang Yi gasped.

"Gimme the phone," Frank rasped. "What needs doin'?"

"Replacing the heating system and some plumbing, windows, some upgrades, reconditioning the pool and the Jacuzzi," Candace related. "It's a big property -- nineteen rooms and outbuildings. We need twenty to start. Fred Carter is going to be the contractor -- and it's in his best interests to keep the costs down, as he's a member now and will be using it."

"Awright -- but sixty is a shoestring?"

"No, it's just discounted," Candace replied. "We can probably save a bit more on labor costs if we can provide the same kinds of incentives we did last time."

"That'd be pussy, right?" Frank eyed Jiang Yi.

"Yes."

"Well, you need to rotate it, but it won't hurt Jiang Yi to get a little strange here and there, as long as she don't bring nothin' home to me." Frank grinned evilly at Jiang Yi.

"Thanks," Candace replied. "How soon... ?"

"I'll want paper," Frank insisted. "You gotta shyster, right?"

"Yes."

"Have him do up a note and a mortgage -- whatever terms you figure make sense. We ain't talkin' thirty years or anything, are we?"

"No," Candace replied, "Short-term, I think."

"Find out. If it's a year or somethin', tell the shyster ten percent, paid quarterly. I'll slide the interest back under the table and take it out in Jiang Yi's holes. That'll give ya a tax break." Frank crooked his finger at Jiang Yi and pointed at his crotch; Jiang Yi knelt and started digging at his zipper, setting her eyeglasses aside and grinning from ear to ear. Clearly, Frank wasn't sending her away any time soon...

Candace chuckled. "That's very generous, Frank."

"Think nothin' of it," Frank replied grandly. "Lemme know when the shyster has the papers ready. If he can't spell or nothin' I got boilerplates. We're in a hurry, I bet..."

"Yes."

"Uuhhh! Sorry, got distracted for a sec," Frank apologized. The distraction was Jiang Yi's lips rubbing his glans. "I'll give ya the twenty up-front before the paper -- who do I make it out to?"

"The Alternative Access Social Club," Candace replied.

"Heh. Cute. Teela or one of her bunch will drag the check by tomorrow."

"Thanks so much, Frank!"

"Hey, I figger you'll be puttin' up a place I can beat my woman in peace and quiet," Frank chuckled. "It'll be worth it!"

Toby spent three hours learning the intricacies of high finance in offshore banks before starting to filter 'donations' to the club account from accounts created to accept money from other accounts which siphoned money from Fernando's cutouts. It wasn't nearly as simple as shoving huge chunks of money out the door and leaving Fernando to take the heat, but foreign bankers were more than happy to move six-figure amounts here and there relatively anonymously. The harder part was bringing it back into the country in chunks small enough not to excite the SEC and other banking watchdogs. In the end, relatively satisfied, Toby went to bed.

Wednesday was a tough day on the job for Fred -- he kept waiting for someone to make a comment. Rico left things alone, though, and Fred and Luis never shared a worksite, anyway. Fred briefed Rico on the new clubhouse job, and Rico started looking around for supplies and such -- and the previous evening was not discussed at all. But just because Rico was being decent about things didn't mean Luis wasn't smearing Fred somewhere out of earshot...

Gina caught a lot of crap at cheerleading practice from Cindy Simpson in particular -- but Beverly seemed to be on another wavelength ... The reality was that Cindy and Beverly had decided to play 'Good Cop -- Bad Cop' with Gina to learn what was going on. Gina didn't know this, but given the inhibitions that were in place, Beverly didn't get anywhere, anyway...