Keeping Company Ch. 01

She hugged me and smiled, "I know your mind, let it go and be creative."

When Ginny returned to work I sat in my new office and did just that. A couple of times when I had worked for my old company, I had seen a gap in the market yet since it wasn't work related I had to walk away. The first try at building a program that would allow what I wanted it to do took three months. The next day I donned a suit, went to see one of the big computer companies and pitched them the idea.

The guy I see laughed me out of the office telling me that what I had would never work. The next day feeling angry with myself for not doing this sooner, I got the idea patented and once that was done I then went to another of the big computer companies. I liked this guy, his eyes lit up when I explained what I had, his face damned near split in half when he asked if it worked and I said yes and showed him. For another two months there lawyers talked to mine. I didn't care as I was already working on the upgrade for the original idea.

When Ginny called me out of my office and said sign here I did and went back into my office to finish the upgrade. The news was showing a line of people around the block waiting for the store to open when the original hit the shops. Two months later I had patented the upgrade and placed it into my safe deposit box at the bank.

It was one of those rare moments when I snuck out of my office for a drink that the phone rang. "Honey, I need you to do me a big favor."

"Yes, of course. What's happened?"

"Not so fast, Mark. I need you to know that I came to you ok. I phoned you and asked you to do this for me ok. So you're not cheating on me."

I had decided this came under bad news and sat down.

"Ginny, what are you talking about?"

"Wendy Morgan has been invited to the mayor's ball tonight. She's had the invite on her desk for weeks now and forgot about it. She can't get a date this late that she can trust so I'm asking you to take her to the ball tonight for me."

Ok, now felt like a good time to get up and walk around.

"Are you out of your mind? I'm married to you not your boss."

"Mark, I know what I'm saying and what I'm asking. Wendy needs a man with her that she can trust and that won't take advantage of her. That, my dear sweet husband, is you."

"Ginny, I have to say I'm not comfortable with this."

She giggled, my own wife thought this was funny.

"My dear sweet Mark, I trust you, and Wendy needs to go to this ball. What she doesn't need is to be hung out there so that the womanizers and the press can make things look like something it isn't. Please do this for me, Mark."

She knew I would do it. Hell, she asked me to, what was I supposed to say? Ginny left work early and got my tux ready. For a full minute I looked at myself in the full length mirror. When I looked at my wife she had tears in her eyes.

"You look wonderful. You're going to make me so proud."

Ginny could still see the doubt in my eyes.

"Mark, I asked you to do this, remember? You are not cheating on me. Wendy is a great woman and you will both have lots of fun, and the best bit is I get to hear the story of the evening from both of you."

The limo driver knocked on the door before I got a chance to reply. Ginny ushered me out and waved as the limo drove down the road. It was the first time I had ever met Wendy Morgan. All I could say was that old man Morgan liked his brides young. No wonder a heart attack got him, a willowy redhead would best describe Wendy. The dress clung to her like saran wrap.

How she breathed in it I'm not sure and something I will always believe it's a secret women will take to the grave with them. The dress split at the knee and held onto her hips while keeping a real tight looking ass in discreet view. That dress was just this side of modest. When the chauffeur opened the Limo door at the Mayors ball the flash cameras made it look like daytime.

Wendy handled the questions as they came and spoke to a couple of people before we got into line to meet the Mayor. All the time she took great pains to introduce me as her friend and gave my name. As the evening drew on I added 'smart' to my assessment of Wendy Morgan. When the band started playing and the Mayor asked his wife to dance I also added 'a good dancer' to my list of things about Wendy Morgan. By the time I dropped Wendy off at her home my opinion of her was that old man Morgan did just fine for himself.

Ginny was waiting for me as I came in. Part of my revenge was that I refused to say more than a few words about the evening until I had showered. I smelt of cigar smoke and wine and that wasn't a smell I wanted to bring to bed with me. Ginny for her part changed tactics and got me as I came out of the shower. It still took me an hour to recount the events of the ball, even down to what we had to eat.

My wife made love to me that evening. She also reminded me that I hadn't cheated on her. How could I, she saw us on the TV. That statement alone made me cringe again but Ginny just giggled and snuggled closer before sleep took her from me.

The Present...

The children were waiting for us as we got out of the cab. Aunt Amy got the first hug and I carried both of them back into the house on my hips. We both gave Beth a kiss and finally settled down to dinner. Amy watched and I talked to them all. The children were sad but since they hadn't seen much of their dad for almost a year now the resilience of children was strong within them.

Beth looked like she had taken it harder. With dinner over Beth insisted the children got there homework done before any TV. They both did the 'but mom' routine yet still climbed off there chairs to do it. All three of us watched them settle down in the day room with there books before either of us spoke again.

"Tell me what you want to do, Beth."

It was the first time the anger within her could be seen.

"I hate this place and I don't want the children to become their father."

She realized that her real thoughts escaped her, I understood. Neither Ginny nor I had seen the decline into alcohol Steven had dropped into or the dependency it had on him in later life. He was an only child and only to late did we realize it was a mistake we could never rectify.

"Beth, the twins have a little less than a year left before they leave school and change to senior school anyway. Why not keep them in school here for now? We will move you back home over the break and you will all be settled in by the time school starts again."

The relief on her face could have been seen three blocks away. She became grave again when she looked at me. I doubted she could hurt me anymore than my son had hurt them.

"We have no money left. Stevie took it all the day he died."

Amy instantly stood and grabbed her cell phone. She asked for Beth's bank details, even holding out her hand waiting for the information. Beth flushed with embarrassment, asking for money must have felt like torture for her. Once Beth handed Amy her check book Amy went outside. It was time to change topic, since the girls were on their way this would all be settled before we were due to leave or none of us would be leaving until it was.

"You will need to get your folks started on looking for a house for you and the children. They don't need to worry. After that we will make sure the place is paid for and re-decorated before you get there. The transition should be as smooth as possible."

Beth's relief was tinged with a second of anger. This woman had been through so much and yet it was my own son that did it all to her and the children. Both of us stood and took the dishes to the sink. I washed, she dried - neither of us saying anything.

When Amy came back she looked over at the children and waved. They waved back and returned to their school work. I watched as Amy's body language changed when her back was to the children and she stood in front of Beth.

"There is now thirty thousand dollars in your account. I'm having another five thousand couriered over right now, it should be here in an hour. Once the children are at school tomorrow Mandy will come here to help you. We will see that you no longer have to worry financially but you have to give up your job."

Beth went crimson, burst into tears and rushed to the bathroom. I feared the worst. I knew the women standing beside me well enough to know she wouldn't tell me, so I had to ask.

"How bad is it?"

She sighed first, leaned on the sink and looked out through the window.

"It could be worse. She works at Hooters."

Both of us walked over to the children and sat down next to them. Ryan spoke first, his sister watched and waited.

"Now that dad is dead what happens now? Mom said we will be free now. I don't understand what she means."

Beth and I exchanged looks. I read sadness in hers, mine was more anger at myself for even allowing this to get this far.

"It means that we are going to make sure that nothing like this happens again. Your father is dead and for a while your mom didn't know what to do. She does now and everything will be alright."

I sensed before I felt Beth sit next to Amy, the children got up and sat with their mom. For the next half an hour Beth talked to the twins about school and what was going to happen when they finished. They had been to Beth's home once before and the smiles wiped away the sadness for now.

The knock at the door made Amy stand and open it. Five minutes later she came back and handed Beth a brown envelope. We had done all we could for now. Tomorrow still held the burial details and making sure the mistakes I had made so far were fixed. Our cab took us back to the hotel and the message we got from reception was that our party was in conference room one.

Mandy opened the door and rushed me. I had to carry her back into the room with her body glued to mine. Wendy and Carol waited for Amy to close the door, the two laptops on the table already showing information. It was Amy that got the conference started.

"Mandy, you're going to Beth's tomorrow once the twins are at school. Get her finances sorted and make sure you deal with any outstanding debts that need to be dealt with. We don't want anyone knocking on their door asking for money for past debts from now on."

"Wendy, Carol. Tonight you're sleeping with Mark. He knows that when we return home things are going to change but he hasn't asked for details because we have the funeral to sort first."

For the next hour we talked about some of the information Amy got from her law firm. Had Steven survived he would have been DUI. We discussed what accounts Mandy could draw money from to sort out Beth's finances and the purchase of her new home. The one decision all four waited on was what was I going to do with Steven's body?

"He's going to be buried here. He couldn't wait to get out and used the excuse of the courses they had in California. With the partying he barely got a pass mark and when Ginny died he told me he didn't have the time for the funeral. He loved this place so much he can stay here."

The silence held within the room for some time but as usual Amy took over.

"Mandy, take Mark upstairs now. You get an hour with him. Wendy and Carol will be banging on the door a second later, so get what's in him out of him please."

The Past...

Ginny got me to go with Wendy Morgan to three other parties over the next four months. I still thought it odd and I was still being told that I wasn't cheating on my wife since she not only knew but made all the arrangements. It seems I was Wendy's shield. She liked the odd party but knew what people thought of her. She had heard the rumors that she was nothing more than a gold digger.

I had seen a different Wendy to that; she was smart and the only parties she ever went to were ones that highlighted her company. The Mayor's ball was because of her help with employment in the area, two others were off the back of talks she had with other companies with interests in some limited areas of partnerships. The last one I figured was nothing more than a smoke screen to get into her panties. As the music played I got her on the dance floor and told her who and why.

Her face went from anger to sadness before she settled on going home. We stayed for the desired amount of time that would be deemed polite and then made our apologies and got out with Wendy's reputation still intact. When I told Ginny about that I could barely walk the next morning. It's a good thing I didn't have to phone in sick that day.

The computer company had been on to me about the upgrade for the product they had out at the moment. At one point sales almost outdid supply. They had already suspected I had been working on an upgrade; the lawyer's letter that came through the door from the computer company told me to cease and desist all work and even threatened more legal action if I did.

It was time to see my own lawyers. I handed them the letter and left it in their hands. They called me almost a week later and asked to see me again. Two of the senior partners sat across from me when I came in, both asked real good questions, both laughed their asses off when I told them I already had the upgrade and the patent for it was already mine.

I left and the lawyers went at it. Amy Morgan called me a week later and gave me the good news. I even pissed them off some more and held back on giving them the upgrade for another six months. They wanted the patent as well, that cost them double what the original cost them. That sure was an expensive lesson in manners it cost that computer company.

Life for us settled on normal. Ginny loved her job and she almost glowed when she came home sometimes. I could understand that because she worked with Wendy. I'm sure in a different time those two were sisters. The thing about sisters is that they talk, and talk they did. When Ginny came home one evening I could tell by her look that I was in for one of those sit down talks.

"Honey, I'm going to ask you something, and then I'm going to wait until you cool down before I ask you again, ok?"

This time I just nodded my head, no point in making whatever it was that she was going to tell me go easy for her.

"Mark, I need you, no, I'm hoping you will go to another event for me."

Well that didn't sound too bad.

"Ok, has Wendy given you the details?"

The pause was way longer this time. Ginny even reached for my hand and held on tight.

"No, this time you're going with Amy Baxter. She has an event she has to turn up with a partner. Wendy was so impressed with how you got her out of that last potential train wreck that Amy wants to borrow you."

I pulled my hand away but Ginny tried to hang onto it. The nail marks were still there the next day. I stood and paced, she sat and watched. When she got bored she made us both some ice tea and eventually I sat down.

"Ok, talk to me, why did you even think I would agree to this, even though I'm still uneasy about being Wendy's partner at these functions? I'm being leant out to other people and yet you're ok with all this."

Ginny was more calm now than I had ever seen her.

"Wendy discovered something about you that I've known all along. You're not just arm candy, you have a head and when you use it it's for the good, not detriment of the person you're with. When her husband died and she was handed gold digger status she knew that the only men who want to be around her now are in it for her body or money, both if it's possible. The only time she actually enjoys going out now is when you accompany her."

Something else occurred to me. Amy Baxter was married, the title Mrs. was a very large hint and the ring on her finger would seem to back that up. Ginny did remind me that so was I. The look I gave her forewarned her not to go there if she expected me to be Amy's partner at the event.

"Honey, she is actually divorced. She kept the title and the ring since she is more known as Baxter by everyone at the firm and those that she deals with."

It took her two days to wear me down and agree. Eventually telling Ginny that I would be taking her out the night after, since all she did was sit at home waiting for me, then it was time I had my own arm candy on my arm. Ginny phoned me later that afternoon.

"Honey, Amy said she will pick you up at six thirty from the house. I'm going to be in conference with Wendy until about then so I won't be able to wave you off tonight."

"Then I suggest, my dear, you call Amy and cancel. I will either meet her at her apartment or the firm; I'm not being picked up by the woman I'm supposed to be keeping company with this evening."

I heard her giggling as she placed the phone down. Ginny phoned me back half an hour later with Amy's apologies and that her apartment would be fine, the car would have to pick me up at six now though. The car did indeed turn up at six. Amy was waiting just inside the doors of her apartment block, and I got out and held the door open for her. She smiled, thanked me and sat down.

Amy ambushed me in the car once I had settled next to her and the driver had moved off. She leant across and kissed my cheek.

"My apologies, please remind me whenever you feel it necessary that the age of chivalry isn't dead, ok?"

Just to make my point, I looked at her and said,

"I take the lead when we dance together as well."

For a moment she watched me. Amy and I had met a couple of times but always in a business setting. She was smart, very observant and very capable if her partnership status had anything to do with it. The smile grew within her and it was fascinating to watch. Her eyes shone first, then there was a slight reddening of her cheeks and then the smile broke free.

This time she placed her hand in mine without breaking eye contact and said. "Yes, yes you do."

The event was a bunch of lawyers getting together and congratulating each other over how well they were doing. Well that was my view of it. It was actually the annual Hibbertson awards dinner. One of those thousand-dollar-a-plate-events that I read about and scoff at. Now I'm attending one. Ginny and I will have to have one of those talks later.

I got introduced and we settled at our table, which sat ten. Four of those were couples and two single guys. We sat and talked, the speeches started and some of the awards were handed out before dinner. Once dinner was over some more awards got handed out, Amy even got one of them, she stood at the podium, gave a couple of minutes speech about the firm and it's latest pro bono work and to applause left the podium and sat back down again.

The folks at our table congratulated her; the two guys just leaned together and whispered for a moment, one of them smiled. I had seen that smile before. After the awards were all handed out the six inner tables were moved allowing the dance floor to be used. Amy and I did dance and I could tell on the first dance she did have difficulty letting me lead but she warmed to the idea come the second dance.

On our third dance I saw something I had half expected yet saddened that people did it. I kept Amy out on the floor for another dance telling her that I really liked this song. It gave me the moment to decide what to do and in the end I decided that these folks didn't need their evening turning into shit.

"Are you having fun?"

Confused I looked at her.

"Yes of course, why do you ask?"

"You looked distracted for a moment."

Don't ever try to lie to a lawyer, especially if she's a partner of the firm. I hated to cut short her evening yet I was no longer enjoying the evening. I asked if we could leave, it was those eyes first, she could tell I meant it. She obviously had great faith in Ginny's opinion of me because she never asked me why.