Chapter 5

Harvey is still wondering why he had to sign a non-disclosure agreement just to get a room key, and why the outing is for fathers and daughters, no mothers allowed. And how will he keep three sexed-up young women off Harry's monster cock?

Borderline Behavior Across The Border

While Annie attended a party with all of the other daughters, I opened the inner hand-addressed envelope, the one labeled "GUEST FATHER ONLY." The card inside gave simple instructions. "Tune your TV to channel 3 at precisely 6:00 P.M. Use your Z-card and password to gain access to a closed-circuit broadcast." Sure enough, there was a card reader and numeric pad on top of the TV set.

Awfully high tech for a birthday party. But what does he want with just the dads? Probably to hit us up for his favorite charity, and doesn't want his daughter to know her party is a fundraising front. Well, sorry pal, I left my checkbook at home.

I showered quickly, and then got the TV set up as directed. I pulled up my pants as the broadcast began. There was Mr. Hound's-tooth, in the same suit as earlier. Dark paneling formed the backdrop.

"Good evening, fathers. For those of you I haven't met, I am Arcuda Zenellis. You and your daughters are here as my guests. Please enjoy all of the facilities this marvelous venue has to offer."

Magnanimous gent! I worked the buttons of my shirt while wandering around to find my socks and tie.

Zenellis continued, "I want to share with you the schedule for tonight's activities, and provide some information that I hope will answer your questions. Tonight, after dinner, there will be two events. First, the celebration of my daughter Saroya's 22nd birthday."

She looked mature, but I'm so bad at ages anyway.

"Second, the private introduction of a new product from my Chemical subsidiary."

Now the NDA makes sense! But why a private introduction and not a standard press release? Zenellis's marketing folks must be idiots.

"As my guests, you have two opportunities to profit by your attendance. If you are successful in both, you'll walk away $100,000 wealthier."

What? I sat on the edge of the bed, full attention on the TV screen.

"Before you depart this weekend, you may earn an easy $50,000 by suggesting an application for my new product. You may collaborate with your daughters, if you wish, but there will be one $50,000 payment per family. Of course, all submissions will be verified against existing intellectual property."

Hell, my best skill is generating ideas. Should I keep the money in a private stash, or throw it into the family pot? It depends on Annie, I guess, and whether she rats me out to Harriett. So, how do I earn the other $50,000?

"I am a strong believer in role models. Since Saroya's mother died giving birth, I have worked hard to be both mother and father to her. In the process, I've learned how important a male role model can be to a young lady. In business, people learn from diverse sources. You get different perspectives, and it makes you a wiser person." Zenellis tapped his temple with his finger. "Therefore, each of your daughters will have the opportunity to have someone else's father be a role model for them."

Why does this stink like last week's fish? Maybe Zenellis's curled smile?

"After dinner, every father will circulate, meeting all of the young ladies, and vise versa. Then, each father will enter his top three choices for evening companion."

So, he's moved from student to companion. The innuendo is thick as Louisiana mud.

"Daughters will be assigned, meeting their companion and trainer in the father's room. As a mentor, it is important to guide the young lady in proper behavior, so that their experience can be fulfilling."

Now I'm to provide fulfillment to my companion as a trainer. Is that worth $50,000?

"Embrace this opportunity. Communicate at a deeper level. Help a young woman throw off preconceived notions. Be passionate about the learning process."

Embrace. Deeper. Passion. All euphemisms regarding sex. You know, it wouldn't take much for a guy to misinterpret these instructions and attempt to seduce his young student. I was half erect at the mere thought. Zenellis ought to choose his words more carefully.

"You and your student should take advantage of this intimate learning experience. Any lessons you perform must be with mutual consent."

Intimate learning? Mutual consent? Shit, he is talking about sex!

"I have provided some tools to advance the learning process. Some of them are already in your room."

I ran around the room, pulling open drawers. Nothing in the dresser. Ah ha! The nightstand had a stash of condoms, plain and lubricated, smooth and textured. Damn, Zenellis wants us to screw them!

I checked the labels - large and extra large, as if Zenellis wasn't precisely sure of my endowment. How did he know I wasn't small?

"You'll register mutual consent using the card reader on your TV. After your lesson has completed, and we verify the result, I will pay each of you $25,000. If your daughter makes the same arrangement with her mentor, then your family total will be the additional $50,000."

Verify our sex lesson? How? Cameras! Son of a bitch! Another search. The dresser had a mirror, against a wall common with the hallway. I pulled the picture away from the headboard. Nothing. I looked up at the ceiling. Near the door, a smoke detector. I dragged the desk chair over and got closer. A transparent panel on the half-sphere. Found it! I ran to my duct tape in my tool bag, ripped off a piece and slapped it over the dome. There, record that!

"If you feel uncomfortable in any way, then please submit your product concept at any of the terminals in the lobby and depart at your earliest convenience, with your daughter of course. If your suggestion is accepted, your check will be mailed to you. Of course, a mentoring opportunity of this type does not come along every day."

Except if you're me.

"I'll look forward to meeting each of you at tonight's dinner."

The screen showed the Zenellis logo on a black hound's-tooth.

So, Zenellis is going to pay me $25,000 to fuck some girl, and another $25,000 if Annie does the same. I wonder if she's up to this? And who will they assign her, anyway? At least, the twins won't get assigned to their father Harry. Looks like some joy with Joy will be an added bonus.

I finished getting dressed and checked myself out in the mirror. I clean up nice, if I have to say so myself. I stuck a pen and notepad in my breast pocket, to take notes during the "howdy round."

The elevator was filled with dads who'd just seen the same message. Most of them were primping and smiling. We were all going to get lucky tonight, that is, if our assigned young lady was accommodating. The only downside was, I wasn't making the choice myself.

Before I could walk three feet out of the elevator, a waiter put a glass of champagne in my hand. Nice touch, getting the fathers drunk so they'd co-operate. Were the girls getting spiked punch as well?

I found Annie and the twins giggling with a larger group of girls. Even Brandi was chatting up a storm. Only one of the group was memorable - a tall brunette, skinny, her hair pulled back into a stubby ponytail, not much of a chest, skirt halfway up her legs. But her eyes! Large and round, like a magnet, pulling me in. Despite her awkward stance, knees almost knocking and the sway of her shoulders as she stood in one place, I don't know, how do you explain physical attraction? Anyway, I couldn't get her to look directly at me no matter how close I got.

Tables were set for eight, but Harry's threesome messed things up. So, only one father/daughter team joined us. He was in the accounting department at headquarters. His daughter was fat and whiny, pulling at his sleeve through the entire meal. He did all he could to please her, including ordering a completely different meal, at his own expense. She left all but one bite on the plate, and then ran off to bother the DJ, who was packing to leave.

Zenellis stood up at the special guest table in front of the ballroom. I recognized him and his daughter but none of the others. "Those are Zenellis's hand-picked board of directors," Harry whispered. How many of them, all men, had listened to the close-circuit address? None of them were sitting with their daughters.

"Thank you for joining us here tonight." He patted his daughter's piled-up hairdo. "Let me get business out of the way first. That way, I can write off this whole extravaganza." That got a good laugh from everyone except the accounting guy at our table. "Some of you have asked about the non-disclosure agreement you signed." A projection screen lowered behind him. "Here's the reason. I am pre-announcing FasTack, the miracle adhesive, the latest technology from the Chemical division of Zenellis Industries." A logo in modern lettering and bright colors appeared on the screen. "FasTack can be formulated in different strengths, depending on use. So, it can be temporary or permanent." He reached into the podium and brought out two pieces of cloth, one black, one white. He slapped them together and pressed down. They came up off the table stuck together. The audience cheered. They pulled apart easily, and that too got an ovation. I guess liquor lowers one's threshold of awe. "It can also be formulated to work at some temperatures but not others." He picked up a different example. He handed it to his daughter, who struggled to separate the cloths. He dunked the material in a glass of ice water and handed it back to her. The pieces came apart easily. What was this, a fucking magic show? "We can also design FasTack to operate under particular pressure and stress characteristics."

These were all very nice demonstrations, but even a techie like me knows that products are where the development dollars hit the road.

"I trust FasTack implicitly, even with my daughter's dignity. Stand up, my dear. Saroya's dress is one long ribbon of fabric, held together by FasTack." The applause was deafening. I cheered for another opportunity to view Saroya's body. Her face pointed down. Was she embarrassed to be on display, or scared that the adhesive would fail and she'd be left standing there in her undies in front of a large audience?

Zenellis went on to describe the $50,000 award for anyone supplying an application of FasTack to a product or service, just as he had in the closed circuit broadcast. The daughters hadn't heard this before, and exploded in hollers and screaming. Annie hugged me close, and Harry was smothered from both sides, as the twins used this as an excuse to hug and touch their dad.

"Now, to the real reason you are all here. Saroya's birthday." Everyone applauded the birthday girl. Her gaze remained down. "This is a celebration of maturing and learning." I wondered how Zenellis was going to finesse the sex. He repeated the opening justification for father swapping, almost word-for-word. Not bad for starters. "The fathers will visit each table, meeting each young lady. When everyone has circulated, tables will be dismissed one at a time. As you leave this hall, each of you will enter your top three choices. Daughters will select possible mentors, and fathers will select possible students. Our information systems group will process the preferences, and deliver mentor assignments to each daughter within the hour. What a glorious educational experiment! Embrace it and enjoy yourselves!"

Everyone rooted, each for his or her own reasons. What was going to happen when half of the fathers selected the sexiest five daughters in the group? Although, to be honest, except for chubbette, most of the girls were attractive enough that I'd let any of them share my bed.

Saroya tugged her father's sleeve and whispered in his ear as dads began to stand up. He nodded. "Thank you, dearest. Wait. I almost forgot." A line of staff walked in carrying large cardboard boxes with the omnipresent Z logo. "We have sets of special garments for each of you to wear this evening. Please take them back to your rooms and change. An envelope with the assignment for your daughters will be delivered as soon as we have tabulated them."

One father at a table near the front walked up to Zenellis and posed a question that no one else could hear. "By the way, all assignments are final and cannot be changed. Thank you for your cooperation. Have a good time, and learn from each other."