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Heather's 'One Percenter' Goal Pt. 01

By: c1992w



Author's Foreword: Thanks for reading my work again. The BTBers will have a field day with this story: but do I care?

*****

A real estate investment trust (REIT) is another boondoggle created by legislators in an attempt to correct a previously legislated boondoggle. To comply with restrictive legislation when doing business a very few individuals own just under 50 percent of the outstanding shares, while the investing public own the remainder. The latter earn good dividends on the shares of successful REITs they purchase (when compared to typical common stock purchases). 

John Mason was Director of Operations of one of the top twenty REITs. The firm, ABX, owned properties in five states acquired mostly by competitive bid for previously foreclosed home loans, mostly. Banks and certain government entities typically were the sellers. 

John was examining the contents of the former Director of Technical Services' workstation of ABX. The Security Guard had escorted the company's former Guru out of the building fifteen minutes earlier. Mason sat logged in to the former employee's workstation. An outside hacker firm that Mason had hired had intercepted her sending ABX documents to a REIT competitor. Mason's examination included inspecting other such deleted files that were communication tracks still resident on the disk drive. His goal was to assess the full damage done to ABX by the errant Tech Guru. 

John Mason was 42 and had been with the current and its predecessor company for twenty two years and managed a 130 person staff who did receivables and payables accounting, bid services, compliance, and construction management. Twenty years ago he was a trainee in construction management, right out of college. Today he was fit and over worked and stressed and traveled extensively but was well paid for his efforts. 

He met and started dating his wife, Heather, who at the time was a trainee in Bid Services in the seed company, shortly after he started with the same company. They fell madly in love and after twenty years she was still the apple of his eye.

John sat at the workstation printing off certain documents and preparing a report, even though it was passed six o'clock and the office was normally empty at this time. He brought up attachments to emails that were summary bid sheets that had been fetched from bid service employees' computers. He grimaced when observing that ABX bid low by 50 to 100 dollars on a number of packages that totaled in the 7 digits for each package. His head ached and he remembered that he had had no lunch. He finished with that and continued examining the former Guru's computer.

There was a large '?' Icon on the desk top which Mason clicked on. It brought up a live video feed coming from the CEO's private back office. Surprised that he was still in the office, Mason recognized the scene instantly, having been there so many times over the years. The CEO was Jerry Tyler, the only person John had ever met who was without a friend in the world. Tyler sat at his desk reading a report with a frown on his face. Mason plugged earbuds into the computer to silence the computer speakers in case the CEO made a phone call or had a visitor. He then went about his work while the feed played in the background. 

Jerry Tyler was an Obese, old school, bull-dog ugly monster who was past 60 years of age now, and looked like he was pushing 80. But he knew Real Estate investment, and how to make money buying and selling properties and had done so successfully for the past 40 years. The price Tyler paid was steep, however, in that he was friendless, childless, and his lower right drawer was full of prescription medicines he took just to stay alive. He also was on his 3rd unsuccessful marriage and one year ago had had a quadruple by-pass heart operation after suffering from heart disease for 30 years. 

John's attention was drawn back to the video feed when the sound of the door leading to Tyler's private bathroom opened and John Mason's wife of 20 years, Heather Mason, stepped out naked and smiling. Jerry Tyler ignored her and continued reading. John Mason activated the video capture app and started living the worst nightmare 24-hours of his life at that point.

Heather, John's loving wife, was Jerry Tyler's right hand personal assistant. She was 40, mother of a 19 year old graduate student, fit and knock out beautiful, still. She had worked her way up through ABX's bid services and then accounting and became the Administrative Assistant to Jerry Tyler. Her low 7-digit annual compensation package position required extensive travel with Tyler to bid openings, and negotiations/partying with buying/selling principals and management agencies. Mason had never distrusted her since as Operations Manager he had often approved payment to Escorts who were often hired by ABX to wine and dine principals the company was trying to impress. 

As far as the staff was concerned, Heather 'ran' ABX, although she was underpaid and got zero recognition, always being in Tyler's shadow. A 3.99 GPA graduate in accounting, her near photographic memory allowed her to sail through the CPA exams with record scores. In contrast to Jerry Tyler, every single employee was Heather's friend, and most even unconsciously stood up when she entered their office or cubicle.

The live feed shattered John's faith in his loving wife, of course. So he watched the monitor fighting nausea as Heather stopped directly behind Tyler and began gently rubbing his shoulders and neck in the silent room. Tyler ignored his assistant, being so engrossed in the report. He finally put the document aside and turned around and smiled at her, as he pulled her beautiful red lips to his 'frog' like ones and kissed her. It was obvious to John that their tongues were passionately dancing in each others mouth. 

The CEO then turned back around and cleared off the center of his huge desk top, and motioned for Heather to move to the desk top. She lay on her back on top of it naked and rested her legs on Tyler's shoulder. He plunged his tongue directly into her pussy. This went on for 15 minutes and the only sounds were grunts and groans of aging mixed with those of Tyler's passion. Neither he nor the woman he was using had yet spoken a single word.

Heather stood up while Tyler stripped to his shorts. She then pulled them down to expose a half-hard, very small penis sticking out at 45-degrees from his big lower belly. She knelt and took his small, nearly limp member into her mouth to pleasure him. 

About ten minutes into this pleasuring, the phone rang. Heather immediately stood up. It was on speaker phone and Tyler said, "Hello Traci, I am almost through here." 

His wife responded, "Hey Arsehole, have you forgotten that we have a black-tie event where we must make a courtesy show within the next two hours?" 

He replied, "I will be leaving in 10 minutes, Dear," and broke the circuit. 

Traci Tyler was a former Miss America contestant, now in her mid-30s, and was stunningly beautiful and shapely just as she was as a young beauty contestant. She still caused men to sit down out of embarrassment upon entering a room! More importantly she and her two siblings had each inherited a high eight digit estate from their father - who had made his fortune in commercial farming. Traci had furnished most of the money to fund the set up of ABX from the predecessor company. She had done this with the guidance of her closet lover - that everyone knew about - and real estate attorney. Traci and Counsel later convinced Jerry Tyler to buy a sizable chunk of the newly formed ABX and become its CEO. The trophy wife dearly loathed those days she was forced to come into the office. She had so much more interesting things to do with her days than be in the same office as Jerry Tyler.

In time, the attorney convinced his sex-Toy client Traci, to seduce and marry Jerry Tyler - by this time she called the lecherous old man 'Toad' to his back. This was ABX's best method of quickly getting more badly needed cash in the early days after it was founded. Tyler was initially so enamored of her until he couldn't say say 'no' to anything she asked. 

Today the principals of ABX are Traci Tyler, Jerry Tyler, the firm's attorney, and Traci and her sex-Toy owning controlling interest. The organization employs 135 full time employees and about that many temporaries at any given time. 

After hanging up, Tyler said to Heather, "Shit! I forgot that," as he watched Heather race into the private bathroom to clean up herself, put on her clothes and fix her makeup. Neither Tyler nor Heather's husband watching the computer monitor saw that once inside with the door closed she washed her mouth out with tap water from the sink in an effort to not throw up. She asked herself, "Is a million a year enough pay to play at love with a 'Toad,' not to mention do his thinking for him without any kudos for my efforts? I hate this damn life! But what can I do now? John wouldn't understand if I told him what I do to have the envied title of 'Tyler's Personal Assistant.' God! I just want to get home and feel my husband close to me."

John Mason transferred the captured video feed to his thumb drive and put the ex-employee's computer to sleep. He went to the Men's Room and threw up violently, and then unconsciously washed his hands and face with soap, feeling dead inside. He then returned to the workstation and forced himself to finish his report of the known damage caused by the former employee. 

This power point report was to be given in the conference as first item of the senior staff meeting's agenda tomorrow. He wanted to finish this in the office to delay his going home to keep from crying and screaming at Heather because he had proof of her treachery. Having copied the video feed to his cloud account, his last task was to encrypt the former employee's computer disk for future possible legal action against the former Guru. 

On his way out of the building he fetched a ladder out of the utility closet and took it into Tyler's now vacant back office. He climbed up to examine the air vent and found the micro-cam that was taped to a louver in the air vent. After removing it, he visited all other lockable offices looking for more cameras but found none.

When there was no longer a reason to stay in the deserted office, John Mason reluctantly drove home. The third of four garage doors attached to their secluded lakeside, spacious home, opened at his BMW's approach. The exhausted manager had already decided a course of action and rehearsed presenting his stone face look to display to his wife, and then he drove into the garage, business as usual. 

Heather met him at the kitchen's garage door and screamed, "Why are you so late, you were suppose to come home and work on tomorrow's presentation!"

John forced a say-cheese smile and replied, "I finished it at work, Dear. I hope you didn't wait up dinner for me."

After looking at him, she replied, "You look exhausted and beat up, let me warm up your dinner while you tell me about it."

John replied, "I just want to eat. Then I am going to take a shower and go straight to the bed after I eat. I don't feel well."

She asked, "The damage was that bad, was it?"

"It was unbelievable and I don't want to talk about it tonight. You and Tyler and Tyler's wife plus the department heads will be there, and I don't want to say things twice. Please trust me here, Heather, I am bushed! In fact, I am going to sleep in our son's room tonight, alone."

Later Heather lay alone in their round, king-size bed looking at herself in the mirrors mounted in the ceiling. She used her dildo to bring herself to orgasm just so she could relax enough to go to sleep. But, the circling thoughts in her head drove sleep away no matter what she did. She kept thinking of how she and John might once again become close. It seems that the last five years where fraught with tensions and arguments and only procedural sex - and that rarely, though she never declined his advance. She finally concluded, "Heather, old girl, all you're getting out of this is old and you are to blame. The number one task is to interest your husband in you, once again," she thought just before she mercifully drifted into a fitful sleep. 

John slept soundly in his Son's twin bed. Since the precocious boy was in graduate school at CalTech across the country, he only came home for a few brief visits during holidays. It was obvious that he preferred to spend his time with college chums and lovers rather than here. The Operations Manager smiled in the darkness now as he had a plan and a medium level of confidence that all would work out well - both at ABX and in his personal life.

At 9:00 a.m. sharp the next Morning, a Friday, CEO Tyler looked around the conference table and saw pensive faces and said, "John, you have the floor to discuss the first item on our agenda."

Mason kept his seat and trained his laser pointer on the summary sheet of the last five bids. It had been projected to the display board at the end of the table. In two adjacent columns the winning bid amount and successful bidders were displayed. John continued, "As you can see we lost 3 of the five portfolios we bid on by less than 0.001 percent. This means someone submitted higher bids too close to ours to be statistically possible. I found tracks where the former Technical Services Specialist had mailed our summary sheets to all five of the entities who were high bidders. The two packages ABX did get, by the way, was because the high bidder was disqualified. I can only surmise at this point, that the awesome sales job of Mr. Tyler and his assistant, Heather Mason, is responsible for having the two high bids thrown out so that we became the successful bidder." At this point, all dutifully clapped. 

For fifteen minutes John Mason detailed his investigation showing documentation of the breach and concluded by saying, "The errant employee's computer has been encrypted and this can not happen again because technical services will now be provided to us on an as needed basis by commercial companies when summoned."

CEO Jerry Tyler's face got redder and redder and kept looking at his wife, but finally said, "Lets take up the second item."

After the meeting Tyler said, "Could John and Heather join Traci and me to continue discussing item one? The rest of you are excused. Thank each of you for your input."

Tyler exploded at his wife the moment the conference room door was closed leaving the four alone, "Just what kind of screening did you do to decide to hire the former Guru without benefit of either me or Mason so much as interviewing her - much less approving her?"

Traci replied angrily, "Go to Hell you fucking Toad, I can hire whomever I wish and that includes someone who will replace you. You want to take this up at the court house?"

Suddenly Tyler's mood changed and he became a humble servant in his attitude. He asked, "So how should we handle this? Keep it quiet hoping it will go away and that the government and banking principals won't get wind of it. Should we protest it by making public those three successful bidders who acted on the stolen information they had? Or just what do you propose, my dear wife," he asked with a cynical smirk on his face?

Traci Tyler, obviously with no clue how to respond, looked at John Mason and asked, "What do you think our response should be, John?"

The Operations Manager looked into Traci's eyes and said, "I have some ideas since I have been thinking about this since my discovery of the breach, But, I am not ready to talk about them until I have spent some time mulling them over. Could I answer you later, Mrs. Tyler?"

She smiled at him and said, "Of course, John. Lets talk later then." Of course, Traci immediately understood implicitly that Mason had all kinds of ideas and maybe even a saleable one and just needed the room cleared. 

Without saying a word, Jerry Tyler walked out of the conference room looking at his shoes with a picture of doom on his face, his stomach obviously hurting, as his shoulders were completely slumped. His wife remained calmly sitting and called her chauffeur and left a voice mail to bring her car around to the front entrance. Heather asked in a whisper to her husband, "I am suppose to attend a honor luncheon for the chief of auditing who is retiring. Its a command performance because I am representing Tyler, but I feel a strong undercurrent that something is wrong and want to stay by your side. Should I go?"

Her husband replied, "You go to your luncheon as there will be time for us to visit later. Have a good lunch and please convey my congratulations to Ms Bagley."

Once Traci Tyler and John Mason were alone, she said, "What's on your mind, John?"

The Operations Manager replied as he fetched his smart phone. "O.K., I will give it to you straight. Please watch this video clip."

Not a single word was spoken until the clip started playing the most egregious scene between his wife and Tyler. At that point she said, "That's enough, Mason."

Sounding as if she actually cared for John she looked directly at him and said, "I would not conclude that your wife is a slut based on this..., remember that Tyler is not happy until he can project his power over people. Heather makes a lot of money, much more than she can make anywhere else. Tyler knows this and she lives in fear of suffering his wrath and losing it should she refuse him anything."

Mason scratched his head and said, "You might be right, you know. He loves to demonstrate his power. I once heard him chew out a department head in the men's room while Jerry sat in a stall, and the poor man just cowered outside the stall door. There were 3 others in the toilet watching the show."

She replied, "Our concerns, however, are that the Guru peddled or will peddle this video clip to our enemies in this business - not to mention those who are government and bank officials - just to discredit us or make us laughing stock as professionals. John, thank you for sharing this, but I need to get home and do some thinking and then talk to Legal Counsel at length. Let me get back to you with your agreement that you, me and Counsel will be the only ones who know about this so far, agreed?" Traci watched Mason shake his head, 'yes,' and then her phone rang and she answered, "Drive around the block one more time," and then walked towards the closed door. 

After opening it, she turned and asked, "Is your wife scheduled to fly to Houston with Jerry for the Monday morning bid opening?"

John replied, "Yes, she is. And, I do agree to sit on this. Feel free to call me at home as early as Saturday afternoon as that is when she flies if you or Counsel have more questions."

Traci Tyler replied, "Thank you for not rocking the boat and just letting matters happen as planned. The portfolio we are bidding on is major and we need the revenue stream from those rental properties, John, as Houston is not nearly as blighted as our five other areas. Thank you for understanding that."

Friday evening both Heather and John had no appetite when their house keeper put their food on the table. After she brought a pitcher of tea to the table, Heather said, "You may leave early today, Rose, and the next bus should be at your stop in about 15 minutes. Have a nice weekend with your family. See you Tuesday but John will be here Monday evening."

Both sat alone in their 4500 feet home desperately searching for something to say, but silence was pounding on both."

John looked at his wife and said to himself, "I so much want to grab her and we flee this insane life we are living, even at the cost of having to live in a 500 foot double wide manufactured home. I wonder how many other men she fucks from time to time? The joke is on me as I have been turning down pussy partly because there are not enough hours in a day and because I really love Heather and I also am very proud of our future Nobel Laureate son."


Heather's 'One Percenter' Goal Pt. 01



His wife held his gaze and thought, "What in the world can I do to regain my husband's affection? I would give up my high flying lifestyle gladly if he just once touched me as if I no longer had leprosy. I wonder if he is suspicious that I sometimes 'entertain' a principal when Tyler insists that I do it, rather than ask a paid escort to do it? I know John is distant from me and I wonder if he thinks I am distant from him? Probably, but he can replace his mid six digit salary with any number of competitors if he would relocate. I am stuck where I am. Why have we been 'untouchables' to each other, though, for the past five years," being very careful to not allow herself to think about her question seriously?

John finally spoke with his eyes red from forcing back tears and said," Heather, would you be interested in joining me in the master bedroom to just hold each other? I am afraid this week has been too much for me to offer anything else."

Heather replied, "In the past we screwed all night when I was getting ready to fly. But, I realize you are stressed. It must have been tough for you at first being under suspicion that you were the one who allowed such a breach to happen. But your presentation certainly exonerated you. You are my champion, Mr. Mason! I will gladly hold you and even massage your back and legs if you would like. I, too, just want us to hold each other. I am 40 years old and all I get for my soul out of every day is just a day older. Between the two of us we might think up a way to restore the passion in our marriage, just maybe?"

Her husband cast a lost cause smile at her and said, "Anything is possible."

Saturday just after noon a car horn alerted John and Heather, and they were relieved that the airport Shuttle had arrived. John picked up her suitcase and bag and they walked to the 9 passenger vehicle, that already had 4 passengers aboard. He gave the bags to the driver and kissed Heather a perfunctory goodbye. Heather and another passenger recognized each other and she boarded the van talking rapidly as if John Mason no longer existed.

He watched the van disappear and stood in his tracks remembering the many partings they had had where the foremost thought for each was to get back home as quickly as humanly possible. John meandered to the reverse side of his house feeling completely alone and fighting depression that seemed to attack the back of his eyes. 

The lake was beautiful this chilly day as he walked out on his private pier to examine his Chris Craft boat that he once used to pull his son on a pair of skis. Of course, then Heather anxiously awaited their return to the pier for fear of their son's safety. The craft had now had been hoisted out of the water for the coming winter season though some boats were still out on the lake this late in the year. 

The noise of a distant but powerful speed boat got John's attention because it obviously was traveling at a very high speed and was headed directly for his private pier. When the craft got within a hundred yards of the pier, Mason recognized it as that belonging to Traci Tyler. She had visited John and Heather a few times from her spacious retreat home 5 miles down the shoreline of the lake. 

John returned to his pier to catch the mooring rope that she would be tossing to him. For the first time today he noticed that he had a smile on his face, glad for the company perhaps. He also noticed that she, too, was smiling broadly.

Later they were in his sun room looking out over the lake enjoying a cup of tea. After Traci had removed her wet suit and fluffed out her long blond hair, they both smiled at each other broadly this time. Her very stylish, form fitting blouse and pants emphasized every single attractive feature of Traci - especially her enhanced breasts where the clear outline of her nipples invited touching. 

John Mason had an erection that was visible to her in his pants, yet he made no attempt to hide the bulge. This provoked Traci to slowly walk over to John and press her lips and body to his.

The thoughts in John's mind were conflicting and overpowering. He knew that Traci's true love was the firm's Counsel, but he also knew that it was wasted - her attorney, who had specialized in international law originally, had a media presence history and the favorite woman in his life was worth Billion$ rather than Million$. Heather and John both knew that Traci didn't stand a chance with her coveted Counsel, and so she took love wherever she could find it. In fact John surmised that the lady Guru recently fired from ABX was Traci's occasional sex partner when she was in the mood - and this was the real reason she had hired such a creature to begin with. 

Traci backed away from John and said, "Let's talk about ABX before we either play or say goodbye. You ready for such a talk?"

John flattered her by saying, "You demonstrate again, Traci, that you are uncommonly intelligent. Good idea."

"O.K. After discussing the matter with Counsel, I want to make you an offer. Just leave things as is concerning your wife and my 'Toad,' Jerry Tyler. Also whatever else he has her doing with whomever else, I suggest, you not concern yourself with that either. In the mean time, I will contract with a head-hunter to replace Tyler and, by the way, your wife is also a possible choice to replace Tyler. If you elect to divorce her, your future with ABX is still secure."

John asked, "My Wife? She has no sales experience so how and why would you include her for consideration?"

"My dear man, Tyler has gotten where he is because someone else was always present to do his thinking for him. That is the role that Heather plays. His only claim to fame has been his uncanny ability to buy and sell properties individually over decades using his gut feelings. But a government sanctioned real estate investment trust needs a detail oriented number cruncher with sufficient savvy to grasp which properties will actually provide a return on the purchase prices in our real world. However, he or she also needs to have invested private funds to some extent in ABX because Tyler's shares will probably be going on the market. This is especially true in this business where everybody pulls their own weight while squirming under the thumb of the compliance officer, and the front end investment insures that the welfare of the company is the first thought every morning on awakening." 

"But neither Heather nor I have a private fortune with which to buy a sizable number of Tyler's shares."

"Yes, John, and that is the only reason she is not already CEO. We will talk further on this after the head hunter has some candidates for us, O.K.? Now lets have a glass of wine and adjourn to your bedroom to discuss that other thing we started to discuss when I first arrived."

John replied, after they had finished their wine and had started becoming passionate with each other, "Right this way, dear lady."

"But John, tell me do you have a condom? I didn't bring one."

"Really? In fact I don't have one since Heather and I never use them. For reasons you know by now, we almost never have sex. The reason I never have sex outside of our marriage is there is just not enough hours in the day." They both chuckled at that. 

Traci replied, "I know that heretofore you have had only one sex partner. But that video clip you showed me changes everything because neither of us know who all she beds - current and past tense. My sources tell me that she partners with whomever Tyler tells her to for important bid openings so..."

With this caveat John's erection evaporated and his mind was now a random assortment of thoughts and he began to feel dizzy. He asked, "Traci, we should pass on an afternoon of hot sex this time, and I promise that next time I will be prepared?"

"Sure, John, but you should know that I have always looked at Heather with a jealous eye because she enjoys your company - at least you live together. So hurry! One other thing for your consideration, is that it's generally known that I go after what I want. That includes men and occasionally a woman, sexually. But, I would give up that lifestyle entirely for someone like you who I could love and who loved me. One question I will ask myself tonight is, 'Is there any chance that John Mason could fall in love with me and vice versa?'"

Mason smiled and said softly, "I think that that can not happen until one finds someone whose view of the universe is compatible with the seekers."

"What does your ideal universe look like, John?"

"Its very simple, Traci. You know that ABX can not have an effective CEO unless the candidate buys into the operation - and the same applies to an ongoing relationship where each must fully buy into it."

"Technically, I know you are right, John! Now all I have to do is to figure out how to get myself into the arms of that kind of candidate!" 

Down at the pier once again with Traci dressed in her wet suit, they politely kissed goodbye on the lips. John said, "You know you're always welcome here, Traci."

"Thanks, John, I am glad to have closely befriended someone as strong as you. All the men I know would have gone bonkers after viewing the the video clip you showed me - especially, her passionately pleasuring a Toad!"

"But, Traci, that is her problem..., not mine. Our future effectively ended five years ago when she accepted the opportunity to make really big money knowing that she threw away our future together. She has known for years what kind of person Tyler is and what he demands from those around him. Thanks for your concern that I might be drowning in my own tears and caring enough to visit me, however, " he said as he threw the mooring rope onto her craft.

"As her engine roared to life the last thing John Mason heard her say was, "My visit was for much more than that..."

——

Heather Mason had unpacked her bags in her suite in the plushest hotel high-rise in Houston. She grimaced because she was having dinner and a night on the town with the seller Principal for Monday's bid opening and Tyler. She had learned that the Houston Grand Opera had a performance that night of her and her husband's all time favorite Italian masterpiece and would really like to attend the opera instead. But, she sighed and cursed and began to lay out her clothes to dress for the evening.

Jerry Tyler knocked on Heather's door right on time. She saw his mushroomed face through the the security port and was surprised once again to see him dressed in a tuxedo. After the door was opened he almost swooned when seeing his assistant in an evening gown that looked like a cloud wrapped around her body. On purpose her cleavage was barely displayed, but her bare shoulders invited being touched. After his description of her beauty, which sounded to Heather much like a talking chimpanzee's description of the Mona Lisa might sound, the two proceeded to the Lobby to await the Principal.

Awaiting the elevator, Tyler said, "Mark Ashcraft and I go back 30 years when I was active in the Houston real estate market. He was a mortgage banker then and, I guess I helped to make him rich." Tyler chuckled when remembering their old days and continued, "We were sweet on each other's wives in those days as well, and both us ultimately moved on from our respective marriages. Then I lost track of him until his name showed up in an trade journal, at which point I contacted him to say 'hello'. If we are successful bidder on this very large portfolio Monday, your husband will be in Houston and very busy for a few days setting up a sales/rental management contracts. Maybe you could plan to take a few days off to join him since so much culturally is going on here."

Heather gave him a say-cheese smile and said, "That would be very nice, Tyler, thank you." Unsaid but thought out in her mind, "you Toad."

Mr. Ashcraft walked briskly toward them in the lobby with an older lady on his arm. Heather noticed that she was not a coiffure-made beauty but displayed a stately, almost timeless beauty that radiated a lifetime of health and wealth and, yes, even self-confidence in our age when that is frowned upon. Using her well trained sense of reading people correctly, Heather breathed a sigh of relief concluding that Ashcraft would not be feeling her up tonight.

After the introductions were made, Marilyn Ashcraft said, "I came with Mark reluctantly because he said this was a command performance for the bank. We actually have orchestra seat tickets for the opera tonight and now my husband is celebrating because I won't drag him kicking and screaming to Jones Hall."

The robust laughter that followed broke the ice and the quartet immediately filed out the revolving doors and got into a stretch limousine. In the midst of constant chatter about the Houston real estate market, Mark said to the driver, "Fossil Fuels Club, Spencer," and continued chatting with his gentleman friend. The Limo passed a large building with a lighted marquee out front that described tonight's Opera performance of Aida and named the stars of the production. 

Heather said to Marilyn as the men were lost in conversation about real estate, "Ahhh How nice it would be to see Aida again. For my vote a black tie dinner counts for little, as you had the right idea to go there," pointing to the marquee.

"You're shocking, Heather, an opera buff buying and selling previously foreclosed real estate!" Marilyn pumped Heathers hand and said out loud even momentarily interrupting the male chatter, " I have met an interesting person and made a new friend. You have made my day, Heather."

Within a block or so the Limo pulled into a curved driveway. The two men exited first and the ladies followed. Walking together into the skyscraper, Marilyn continued, "I have the tickets with me, lets drink and eat fast and walk over to the performance hall, two blocks away. That way the men can catch up on old times of their younger years and say everything there is to say about Houston real estate without boring me."

The four finished their Chateaubriand steaks that they cut with forks and Heather Mason marveled at just how fast their orders were delivered to their table - but then concluded that Marilyn's whispering something to the maitre d' obviously had something to do with their quick and excellent service. 

During the course of eating their meal, Heather learned that Marilyn was the largest single stock holder in a well known oil company. As such she unexpectedly and unmistakably was in control of what was happening at their table this evening. 

After the two ladies politely listened to the old chums recount their youthful experiences, she spoke up and said forcefully, "Gentlemen! Heather and I have decided to go next door to the opera and we will provide our own transportation while you guys can get plastered and relive the good old days. Do you mind?"

Mark Ashcraft spoke up first obviously happy that he would not be asked to join his wife and said, "If Jerry doesn't mind, I think that is an excellent idea," Heather's boss gestured reluctant approval and Mark continued, "You ladies enjoy the opera and catch a cab back afterwards?"

The ladies were ushered into their center row seats of the performance hall and Heather felt clean and light and new. Hearing the warmup musical noise in the pit with music strains of the opera often sounding, she called her husband, John Mason, after turning on the speaker phone. Her husband answered it on the first ring.

"Hello Heather,"

"You can not believe where I am sitting, John. Guess."

John Mason recognized the strains of music being played in the warm-up and immediately felt very good about his wife.

He answered, "I had no idea that Jerry Tyler was an opera buff."

She chuckled and replied, "Of course he is not, but say hello to Marilyn, the wife of Tyler's friend of 30 years ago - and she is a major donor of the Houston Opera. 

Marilyn smiled and said, "Hello to you, husband of my new friend. You two please plan to visit us in Houston soon."

Heather said, "I just wanted to share this with you, John, the overture is about to begin and I must turn off my phone. Good night."

John Mason relaxed in his easy chair and found it difficult to get interested again in his book. He replayed in his mind Traci's admonition after watching the video clip that, "...this does not mean that Heather is a slut..." and John started to agree that she is only a lackey of a thundering boss. He finally dozed off to sleep.

The next morning Tyler was late for breakfast. Heather concluded that the two old coots got roaring drunk after the ladies left them and is sleeping it off. She was eating when the calm in the Hotel Mezzanine Restaurant was broken by the shrill sound of a siren outside. She saw two paramedics hurriedly rolling a gurney through the lobby below but paid no particular attention. In about five minutes they returned with a body strapped down but walking slowly toward the front door. Heather lost interest and continued to read the Houston Chronicle Sunday paper, real estate section. 

Back in her room later she was beginning to wonder, "Whateverr happened to that Toad? I damn sure am not going to awaken him. I am sure he will sober up before the six o'clock cocktail party in the bank building."

As she was about to leave her room to visit an art museum nearby her phone rang, displaying a hometown caller she didn't recognize. "ABX, you have reached Heather Mason."

"It's Traci Tyler, Heather. The Harris County Coroner office just called stating that my husband, Jerry, is dead and lies in the morgue at Baptist Hospital. I am asking that you take a taxi over there and ask for a Doctor Gibbons to make a positive identification of the body. I told Doctor Gibbons that I am bedridden with illness and can not make the trip, but that you have known him for 10 years. He will give you his personal effects for you to give to me when you get back, please."

Heather was speechless and Traci asked, "Any questions so far?" 

"Nnnno."

Traci continued, "Heather, I am also asking you to become acting CEO to replace my deceased husband and we will talk about compensation later. Will you do that, and conduct the affairs of ABX in its best interest?"

Unable to believe what she just heard, she stammered, "Yyyes, Traci. Thank you for the confidence you have shown in me."

"I will relay the news to your husband since its important that you get to the hospital morgue right away. The staff and share holders are counting on you, Heather." 

The circuit was broken and Heather sat down stunned. She made her way to a waiting taxi at the front door. Dr. Gibbon's was paged at Baptist General's main entrance receptionist and five minutes later, he walked up and said, "I am Dr. Gibbons, and your name please?"

After being told, Gibbons asked, "May I see some identification?"

Satisfied with what she showed him, he said, "Right this way, Ms Mason."

As they walked, the physician talked non-stop. He said, "I understand you were his personal assistant and he was the CEO of ABX, whatever that is. Well, Mr. Tyler was dead on arrival here, and the paramedics say he was dead when they arrived in his room. Was Tyler a heavy drinker?"

"Yes, doctor, I suspect that he and his close friend of 30 years ago must have closed the Fossil Fuels Club last night after the deceased's wife and I left them to go to the opera nearby."

Gibbons asked, "The scars on his chest made him look like an unsuccessful sword fighter. Do you know anything of his medical history?"

Heather answered, "Only that he has a drawer full of prescription medicines and has had a couple of surgeries since I have known him. In fact he reportedly had a quad-bypass heart operation just over a year ago."

The old doctor shook his head and clucked his tongue and said, "Mindless suicide. "




Heather's 'One Percenter' Goal Pt. 01



They were silent after the identification was made and walked into a small office where Heather signed about 10 forms and awaited a notary to certify them. While waiting, the old doctor said, "Enough talk about death. How did you enjoy Aida last night?" 

This opera conversation continued on until after Gibbons had walked her to the taxi stand where he opened the door and she sat down. He handed Tyler's briefcase to her and said after shaking her hand, "The wallet, jewelry, cell phone, and all business papers are in there. The suitcase will be freighted to his home along with the corpse as his wife requested. It was a pleasure to meet you, even under unusual circumstances like these."

As the taxi sped away, Heather breathed a chuckle to herself, "The old doctor obviously doesn't shed tears for suicides with a silver spoon in their mouth, and rightly so I think, now that I see the whole picture. I just want to get home and hold my husband more than ever."

Later Heather stopped at a sign in table outside the cocktail party room and picked up her badge. She placed Jerry Tyler's badge in her purse. She noticed that the three Bid Services staff of ABX had signed in and picked theirs up already. She walked into a crowded room where some 50 or 60 people milled around chatting and drinking wine. Spotting the department head they greeted and then Heather asked, "Would you find our other staff members and lets have a quick meeting in the hall?"

Once the five were alone, Heather whispered, "Mr. Tyler was found by housekeeping dead in his hotel bed alone this morning. I learned of it when his wife, the board chairman, called me with the news and asked me to be acting CEO for the company for the time being. There will be an announcement in your Outlook inbox in the morning. For us, its business as usual. If there are any questions about the deceased just say that I am acting CEO and change the subject."

Their computer specialist raised his hand and said, "I have VPNd into my mail box and the announcement has already been made."

Heather asked, "Would you read it to us, Richard?"

The tech brought it up and read off almost verbatim what Heather had said. At that the acting CEO told everyone, "Have a good time. See you in the office on Tuesday."

These parties are given by the selling organization so that its principles can get to know the players who might be bidding on real estate loan packages in the future. Its in the seller's interest to receive many sealed bids for the real estate loans they sell. The seller then looks at two or three high bidders and then starts to evaluate how effective they are at turning the usually vacant houses now into income producing properties. 

The first person to come up to Heather was Mark Ashcraft, who wore the same tuxedo he wore last night, with possibly a clean shirt. After greeting her and raving about the good time they had last night he asked, "My old friend Jerry Tyler is running late. I thought you guys traveled as a team?"

"Mark, apparently his ticker finally quit after threatening to for many years. The big steaks, the drinks, the stress, and sleepless nights finally caught up with him apparently. The ABX board chairman asked me to pinch hit for him temporarily."

"Well, your company is in good hands, Heather. After you and Marilyn left us, we did put away some drinks but when I dropped him off at your hotel lobby he had had black coffee and appeared fine when he said good night."

Heather smiled and said, "Marilyn and I had a marvelous time and I sure hope that invitation for John and me to visit will still be extended soon. John and I have a home on a finger lake and if you two were to visit in the summer, we would take you out fishing in our boat." They both laughed at that as she walked off.

After networking briefly with old acquaintances in the real estate investment trust industry she felt a tapping on her back and heard someone say, "Ms Mason, excuse me." This overweight woman was dressed in very poor taste for an obese person at a cocktail party. She identified herself as a Techie for for an ABX competitor, and said, "Your former technical services specialist sends her greetings and says you really ought to look at this video clip." 

Heather recognized her company as one of the 3 bids they lost by fifty dollars recently. She answered, "I am not interested in anything she has to say or wants me to look at. Good evening, Miss."

The lady caught up with Heather and said, "But wait look at this photo." Her cell phone displayed a naked Heather behind Jerry Tyson obviously massaging his shoulders. The intruder continued, "I can show you the whole video clip if you would like."

By this time Heather was trembling and feeling dizzy. Her entire focus, however, was on her husband and enjoying life in their home together so that her face maintained a stone like placid image as she face the intruder. She said, "Good. I know Mark Ashcraft personally as well as your CEO. Lets get them both together so you can play it for everyone. Then afterwards you are welcome to play it for my husband. Come on lets go, lady. You then can be named in an indictment of our former Guru for sharing our bid summaries with competitors - and trust me, you will never work in this industry again."

"Wa...ait a minute, Ms Mason. Your company pays a generous dividend quarterly while we are struggling just to survive. We need to be successful tomorrow morning and I was stupid enough to think you might withdraw your bid out of fear - your boss withdrew ABX's Fifth Chesapeake bid two months ago when I approached him with a similar video clip. I wrongly assumed you would as well. Please forgive me," she said as she scurried away and out of the meeting room.

Later in her hotel room Heather packed her suitcase to be ready for the airport limousine service pick up at 6:30 Monday morning. She alternately cried and vomited until she had the dry heaves. She kept reaching for her phone to call her husband to confess everything and beg for his forgiveness but chickened out at the last moment. She kept seeing herself once again living alone in a small apartment having to leave their nice home on the lake that both had worked so hard for over the years. Now that she had been on top of the world for one fleeting moment, her vision of John racked with pain when she told him of her perfidy, catapulted her into a deep, life threatening depression. 

The alarm sounded and awoke her from a fitful sleep. Sleep had finally came when she had concluded, "I will take what comes." She refreshed herself and made her way to the lobby. She then boarded the limo and ultimately her flight, where she even managed to nap even more after eating the meal. 

Arriving in Rochester, she disembarked and walked towards baggage claim.

Heather's first surprise was that there stood her husband just beyond the TSA guard. This was a first in many years for the couple. Since both traveled frequently each used shuttle services independently. He had a smile on his face when she approached him, which had the effect of racking her body with angst. 

John Mason, still surpressing the pang caused by having seen the video feed of her and Tyler, said, "Welcome home, my Darling Wife. I came to get you myself so that our new CEO wouldn't have to ride a common carrier shuttle home." As they kissed, John noticed her reticence but ignored it. He then said, "Traci just sent out a notice that a Mister Ashcraft of MetropolisWide Bank called her to say ABX was successful in Houston and I travel to Houston on Thursday to set things up. By then my staff will have lined up up some contractors and agents for me to visit. But, until then I want to spend as much time as possible with you - Traci also sent a suggestion you, too, take a couple of days off, and that she will be in the office until Thursday."

She replied, "I am overwhelmed, John, more by the fact that you showed up here to take me home rather than anything else right now. Thank you. Thank you." 

Once in their car, Heather said, "We need to talk, John. May we just sit here for a while?"

"Sure Dear, I am all ears."

She said, "Right now the most important thing in the world to me is that you put yourself out to meet my flight. Moreover, since last evening my conscience has ached to the point that sleep was difficult, and sound sleep impossible."

John asked, "What about your conscience?"

"My dear husband, since I have worked for Tyler I have bedded two damned-near-impotent principals and I have been sexually pleasuring Tyler himself. I did this as a passive partner because of his weak heart. I chose to do these things because I imagined it to be a shortcut to executive success. But, I have felt like a cess pool ever since I started being his sex object, wanted to tell you and just leave this life with you. But I did not tell you before or after because my ambition drove everything I did in my life. I can only ask that you forgive me and love me once again."

John started to ask, "But what...," when Heather put her hand over his mouth and continued what she had begun. 

She said, "At the cocktail party an ABX competitor's Techie came up to me wanting me to withdraw ABX's bid. She showed me a still from a video clip. This clip showed me passively having sex with Tyler although I refused to watch the video. When I confronted her, she high tailed it out of the Cocktail Party. I minded my manners to the host and returned to my hotel room to pack. The only way I found any relief for my treachery was to conclude that, 'I will take what comes.'"

Her husband's facial expression remained unchanged but he pulled away from her to get his cell phone out of his jacket in the back seat. Heather interpreted this move as his rejection of her.

The wife continued, "So be it. But I do love you and only you and want to spend the remainder of my life pursuing what is important - and you are what is important to me. My entire structure of values has changed now that I understand the way I chose to pursue becoming a one 'percenter' is such that I will never reach that level of success. Moreover, I am getting older and seek meaning to life, where momentary illicit passions to achieve an alien goal only demean it."

Heather looked at her husband who was now holding his cell phone but remained silent until he said, "Go on."

"John, I may reach that lofty goal - and may not - because of my extreme future productivity in our crumbling society; but, whatever happens I will not put our relationship at risk if there is still a 'we.' Nothing will do that! I ask you to forgive and forget and both are equally important to me. I love you very much, John. But, if you choose not to bet on a future with me, I will survive anyway and move on with my life and career without you." After finishing, she turned in her seat to face the windshield and didn't make a sound after blowing her nose. 

John sat thinking with the phone in his hand. He asked himself, "What happens during another ten years, Old Boy? She will have moved up into an 8 digit pay package, will she then cast me aside when the really big money is within her sight? Its a better bet that she will not, because she has finally now learned what is really important." 

He then found the clip on his phone and brought it up. It obviously was similar to the one his wife had alluded to. Before he pressed the arrow to start the video he had a warm smile on his face and turned towards her, displaying his phone. He asked, "Is the still of this video clip like the one the Techie in Houston wanted to show you?"

When Heather took a glance at the still she started crying again profusely and asked plaintively , "You knew already? And you put yourself out to meet my flight knowing that. You are swamped with work to get ready for your Houston trip and yet, here you are making a depressed woman have a good day."

John smiled and said, "I knew about you pleasuring Tyler, but ABX was successful on two bids that we should not have been winners and my guess was that a principal had hots for your body and you entertained him as a bribe because Tyler expected you to do it to save the day. Is that about right?"

"Yes. That is it exactly."

There was silence in the car and then John added , "Saturday afternoon I lied to a beautiful woman who visited me at my invitation. I stated that I did not have a condom in the house. Without that she lost interest in having sex with me. The lie was that, as you know, we have dozens of those in the night stand drawer. The fact was that I was very much in love with you and didn't enjoy the prospect of screwing her - and also really didn't want to for additional reasons separate from our relationship."

Again there was silence, and Heather finally broke it by asking, "You used the word 'love' in the past tense. What about now and the future? Please look at me and tell me straight one way or the other, John Mason!"

"I love you, Heather, and I will go to my grave with that thought in my mind. I, too, need to find a meaning to life and my plan is that our relationship along with our productivity is where both of us will find it."

Pandemonium broke out in the car as the two lovers repeatedly kissed all over the face of the other while laughing and crying at the same time. 

Heather screamed out loud with pleasure and said, "Let's hurry home!" as the car engine revved up.

The End of Part 1