Brad Tarkenton was rich and powerful and...  alone.  He'd lost everything
that meant anything to him.  Now, on a business trip, he'd meet a woman who
would surprise him and, possibly, even make his life complete.

   Author's Note: Revealing some codes, in this case, would spoil the suspense and surprise of the story's plot.  For that reason this story may offend some readers.

Codes: MF slow rom caution oral pett preg

   =====================================================================

   The Best Thousand Dollars I Ever Spent

   By Beating Off Bob (beatingoffbob@yahoo.com)

   CHAPTER ONE

   Brad Tarkenton sat back in the plush seat of the corporate jet that was
winging its way through the impossibly blue skies over the Ohio Valley.  He
gazed out of the window, intrigued by the irregular pattern of tilled and
wooded land, juxtaposed against the little lines that represented highways
and county roads that crisscrossed the earth far below him.  Occasionally
there were clusters of buildings ...  towns, he knew ...  though they just
looked like patterns of dots from up this high.  The tracts of forest
looked smaller than he thought they'd be.

   All in all, the land looked empty to the CEO of Amalgamated Industries,
a multi-billion dollar consortium of companies that did business in
forty-seven countries around the world.  To Brad, it looked like nobody
lived in the Midwest.  His jet had taken off from Reagan International and,
for an hour, had flown over nothing but civilization.  It was what Brad had
once viewed as "progress".  Now, seeing mother nature almost everywhere, he
wondered about that.  He idly thought that his view of things had changed
quite a lot in the last few years.

   He was on his way to Cleveland, a big city in this part of the country,
but pitifully small from the air, when compared to the vast concrete
jungles along the Eastern Corridor.  He was on his way to a meeting with
Josh Clinton, Amalgamated's regional Vice President for the Midwest, who
was doing a truly impressive job of expanding the business into what had
been thought to be a depressed market.  He was doing so well, in fact, that
the board deemed a visit from the CEO would impress on the young man how
important it was to continue doing such stellar work.  He was making the
company money, and the board liked that.

   Brad had met Josh only once, at a convention.  He was typically handsome
and in shape, a hard charger, but with a quiet air of confidence that
didn't require that he fawn around the boss.  He had chatted with Brad for
only a few sentences and then, seeing that there were others in line to
speak to the big man, had wandered off to network elsewhere.  Brad had
noticed he didn't have a young buxom tittering thing on his arm, like most
of the other men who thought they were important did.

   When, several months later he'd gotten a wedding invitation from Josh
he'd had his secretary send back his congratulations, along with an
appropriately worded apology that he couldn't attend.  And a check for
twenty thousand dollars.

   Brad hated weddings.  He'd been through three of them himself.  The
first had been wonderful, when he stood there unbelieving as the love of
his life slowly walked toward him.  Elizabeth had been everything he could
have dreamed of in a wife.  They had been deliriously in love and she had
insisted that they have children immediately.  Samantha and then Phillip
had swollen her belly and the world had been complete.

   Until a drunk driver had taken her from him.  The children were only
seven and eight at the time, and all of them had been devastated.

   But by then Brad had been on the fast track in the company, and was a
mover and shaker.  He'd sublimated his grief in his work, hiring house
staff to care for his children while he spent nights at the office,
building a kingdom in which to wall himself away from the world.  And the
pain of missing Elizabeth.

   His corporate need for a wife had resulted in his marriage to Jane,
introduced to him by a man he'd thought was his friend, but who, in fact,
had convinced his sister to marry his main competition.  She'd spied on
Brad and reported everything he was doing to her brother, who undercut
Brad, or tried to steal his ideas.  But she'd done it poorly, and couldn't
convince anyone she was in love with her husband.  Word got out and there
was a quiet divorce.  It was quiet by virtue of the CEO at the time
informing both brother and sister that careers would come to a screaming
end if there were any noise ...  or demands in a settlement.

   Jane had been heard screaming clear down in the basement, but the
divorce was final with only a one time payout of "support" to the ex-wife.

   Trudy had stepped into the void from the secretarial pool, and an affair
turned into another marriage.  Samantha, ten at the time, told her father
in no uncertain terms that she didn't like the woman ...  that there was
something wrong about her.

   He hadn't listened to her.  After all she was only ten.

   But time had proven Sam right when Trudy spent money like it was growing
on trees and almost bankrupted Brad, who was making three hundred thousand
a year at the time.  Trudy hung on for three and a half years before Brad
caught her with the pool boy and threw her out.  His attorney convinced
hers, who was working for a cut of the take, that the battle would be so
long and so protracted that he would be an old man before he collected a
cent if he didn't play ball.  Trudy, like Jane before her, was heard to
scream for quite some distance as she upbraided her lawyer for being
spineless.  But she too settled, for a fast buck, which she went through in
less than two months.  The last Brad had heard she was living in a house
trailer, drunk most of the time, and a chain smoker.  Someone told him
she'd gained sixty pounds in the six months since he'd seen her.

   By then his daughter wouldn't speak to him, and his son had been
expelled from three private schools.  He threw money at the 'problem' and
went back to work, climbing further up the corporate ladder.  He also quit
trying to find a wife.

   He never wanted for companionship, during those few brief hours he'd let
his passions surface.  For a man with as much money as he had there were
always women who were more than happy to grab their fair share in exchange
for spending a few hours naked with him.

   Truth be told, though, Brad didn't dally all that often.  More often
than not, when all was said and done, and the girl was walking out the
door, Brad felt like all he had done was engage in complicated
masturbation.

   The rift between his children and him grew wider.  They wanted to go to
public schools, but he invariably sent them to some academy where they
would be taught how to be rich and successful.  They hated him for it.

   Nobody loved him ...  and he knew that.  The one woman who had loved him
for who he was was gone, never to return.  When Samantha graduated from
High School, a graduation he missed because he was in Pakistan sealing a
multi-million dollar contract, he pulled some strings and got her an
acceptance letter to Vasser.  For reasons he couldn't understand, she
wanted to go to a State University instead.  During the resulting argument
she had stormed out of the house and disappeared off the face of the earth.
He paid private investigators thousands to find her, but they all came up
empty.  Her social security number was inactive, meaning she wasn't working
anywhere, or at least wasn't using that number.  He still didn't know where
she was.  Phillip graduated High School and somehow managed to garner
straight F's in his first semester at Harvard, which had let him in only
because of the three million dollar gift that had come with him.  But his
complete failure as a student got them off the hook.  Not even Brad could
demand he be given another chance.  No one in the school's history had
failed every class he had taken in the first semester.

   After that Phillip had gotten into trouble often enough that Brad had
cut him off.  The last Brad had heard from him was that he was in Arizona
somewhere trying to start a home repair business, of all things.  What
Phillip knew about home repairs, Brad couldn't imagine.  Brad's dictated
letter back to his son had said "Good luck.  It's a tough world out there."
He had suspicions that Phillip knew where Sam was, but he could never get
anything out of him.

   Now, at age 42, one of the youngest CEOs in the big-time corporate
world, Brad had nothing to show for his life.  Except the multi-million
dollar income that he did practically nothing with.  It was just money, and
he had so much that it didn't mean anything any more.  Elizabeth would have
known what to do with it.  She'd have been involved with dozens of
philanthropic organizations, or would be a volunteer for who knows how many
worthy causes.  She'd have given a lot of his money to people who actually
needed it to get their own lives on some kind of decent track.

   But there was no Elizabeth, and he had a hard time caring about other
people's troubles when he felt so sorry for himself.

   At some point Brad Tarkenton had realized he was a heartless bastard. 
The only real use anyone had for him was if he died, and then they could
all have a shot at getting some of all that lovely money he owned.  He knew
that too.  It was no wonder nobody out there cared about anything except
what he could do for them.

   That realization was when he made some fundamental changes in his
attitude and in his life.  And, ironically, those changes were what had
made Amalgamated Industries the success it was.  He ran his business like
no other business was run.  Outsiders looked at the kinds of things he
spent money on and shook their heads.  They couldn't understand why the
company succeeded.  Had any of them taken the time to get a job inside
Amalgamated ...  and watch, they would have understood within a month.

   ==================================

   The company stewardess sashayed back toward his seat.  The Lear jet
seated sixteen in sumptuous comfort, but he was the only passenger.  A lot
of CEOs carted around an entourage large enough to take over whole floors
of a hotel, but Brad wasn't interested in people hovering around him,
sucking at his life force, trying to show over and over how badly he needed
them.  He had everything he needed on his laptop, and was glad to be away
from his office, out of the crush of admirers and gold diggers.

   What was her name?  Oh yes ...  Jackie.  Jackie approached him.  "Mr. 
Tarkenton we're getting ready to land.  Is your seat belt fastened?  Is
there anything I can do for you?  Anything at all?" she simpered.

   Brad knew what she hoped she could do for him, but Brad never played
around inside the company.  It was one of his hard and fast rules, ever
since Trudy.  You don't shit in the nest.  It causes too many problems.

   Not that she wasn't tempting.  She was tall, and blond, with breasts
almost bursting from her uniform blouse, which was tailored to fit her like
a second skin.  It was also just barely translucent, enough so that one
could see the lacy pattern of her Victoria's Secret bra through it.  She
just oozed sexual gratification.  But so did all those women who took his
money and then either lay there like they were bored, or engaged in
theatrics that any movie-goer would demand his money back after enduring.

   None the less, as Jackie bent over him, showing him her cleavage, Brad
felt his lap dragon stirring in its lair, lifting its nose to sniff the
air.

   "Thanks, but I'm fine." said Brad in his well-modulated bass voice. 
"You've been spectacular Jackie.  I'll put in a good word for you." In the
beginning of the flight she had served him a drink and made it crystal
clear that she was his for the taking if he wanted - right there on the
plane if he so desired.  He'd taken the drink and smiled that carefully
cultivated smile that made people think they'd gotten much farther with him
than they ever would.  Then he'd read the Wall Street Journal and looked
out the window.  Jackie wasn't stupid, and didn't press things.  She spent
the rest of the flight filing her three hundred dollar fake nails and
talking to the Pilot and Copilot, probably seeing if they wanted to do a
threesome during the three day layover while they waited for the Boss to do
whatever he was going to do and then fly back home.

   There was a limo waiting for him when he got off the plane, sitting not
fifteen feet from the bottom of the stairs, door open, Chauffer at
attention.  Brad got in and told the driver to wait for the crew.  That was
one of the things that had made him so popular with his work force.  He
didn't put on airs, even though airs were all around him.  They'd be
staying at the same hotel he was staying at, eating on the same expense
account as he did.  He took good care of his people and he expected them to
take good care of him.  It worked.  People like his 'good buddy', who had
used his own sister to try to get ahead in the company didn't last long in
Amalgamated.  And they didn't get good jobs when they left either, even if
they sought jobs with the competition.  If Brad Tarkenton didn't like you
...  very few people would take a chance on you.

   The crew piled in and chatted amiably on the way to the hotel.  They
split off once they got there, heading for the elevators.  They already
knew what rooms they'd been assigned to, and that the rooms would be open
and ready, with a bell boy standing by to present them with keys and handle
the luggage when it came up.

   Brad went to the desk, however, to let them see his face.  He'd found
that that made hotel staff much more attentive.  He acted like a 'regular
guy', even though everybody in the place knew that he was somebody very
important.  The Amalgamated staff in Cleveland had ensured that.  He
collected the message he knew would be there.  It said "Whenever you're
ready" and was signed "Josh".  Brad knew that the limo would be sitting out
front, waiting for him whenever he felt like going over to the Cleveland
offices.

   On impulse Brad told the concierge to just have his bag put in the room
and then turned and went right back outside.  He hadn't made it ten feet
past the front doors when the driver was out of the car, hurriedly putting
on his cap and racing for the door.  He made it just as Brad got there and
wrenched it open.

   "Sorry sir ...  didn't expect you quite this soon."

   "Relax, George" said Brad.

   That was something else he made sure to do.  He knew the names of
everyone he was likely to meet on this trip.  His staff was used to this
quirk and had lists prepared for him ahead of time.  It was something they
appreciated and took pains to make sure got done correctly.  When a limo
had been hired, the driver's name had been added to the list.

   Brad spoke to the driver.  "We're not in a hurry.  Why don't you show me
a little bit of Cleveland."

   "Yes sir." said the driver, surprised at how this fat cat treated him
like a real human being.  That was unusual.

   There was a speaker system in the limo, which George used for the first
seven or eight blocks, until Brad suggested it would be a lot easier if he
just sat up front.  George, astonished, pulled over, but couldn't make it
completely out of the driver's door before Brad was out of the car and
heading for the suicide seat.  George climbed back in just as the customer
settled back into the front seat and slammed the door.

   "Sorry sir." he said automatically.

   "I said relax.  We'll be all formal later.  For now, just show me your
town."

   Brad engaged in one of his favorite hobbies.  What had gotten him to the
top was his ability to put himself on the level of whoever he was dealing
with.  It wasn't mercenary, but he applied himself to the game is if
everything hinged on making whoever he was dealing with want to be his
friend.  With people like George, it was for fun.  He met some of the most
interesting people at levels of society much lower than what most people
would consider his to be.  And, oddly enough, most of those worker bees
never actually wanted a whole lot from him.  If they worked for Brad
Tarkenton they were already paid well, and knew it, and most of them had no
concept of what it was like to be able to write a check for fifty or a
hundred thousand dollars and never miss it.  And so, when he "mixed with
the rabble" as one senior vice president had once put it - a senior vice
president who was now enjoying very early retirement - he usually had a lot
more fun than when he was wheeling and dealing with the other corporate
sharks who swam in his normal waters.

   It wasn't love, but it was about as close as Brad thought he might get
to having worthwhile relationships.

   And so, for the next hour, Brad made another lifelong admirer as George
showed him what George thought was great about Cleveland, including his own
modest bungalow, wherein sat his wife, Claudette and five "rug rats", as
George called them, named Mikey, Nicole, Charlene, Jimmy and Jake.

   "Five kids?" asked Brad.  "Impressive."

   "You married?" ventured George.

   "Tried it three times and gave up." said Brad.  "Turns out I'm not the
masochist I thought I was."

   George chuckled, but then sobered.  "Too bad.  I don't know what I'd do
without Claudette.  She keeps me honest ...  not to mention worn out so I
don't chase after other women." He grinned, the equivalent of the 'wink
wink, nudge nudge' that men share in bars as they brag about their exploits
or prowess.  "She wants to have another one!  Claims she loves being
pregnant.  I don't understand that at all.  Seems like all she does when
she's all swollen up is complain about her back and how often she has to
pee." George ventured further.  "How 'bout you?  Got any kids?"

   "Two" said Brad.  "Neither of whom wants to have anything to do with
me."

   "Sucks" commented George.

   "Yeah, I screwed it up." said Brad.

   "Important guy like you?" said George.  "I'd think they'd be all about
loving dear old Daddy."

   "There's more important things in the world than money, George. 
Remember that.  You're richer by far than I am just because you have
Claudette and all those ankle biters waiting for you at home." Brad could
speak the language too.

   "Too bad." commiserated George.  Knowing that the mood had soured a
little, and being a professional, despite the unusualness of the current
situation, George said "Well, that's about it.  Cleveland Ohio at its best.
Where to now, boss?"

   "I've got a dinner appointment in an hour." said Brad.  "Just drop me at
the Riverview Room at the Ritz.  I'll have a few drinks while I wait."

   "You're the boss ...  boss, but I have to tell you you aren't going to
meet the dress code." said George.  "That's a white glove kind of place."

   "Believe it or not, George, that's one of the things money is actually
good for." smiled Brad.  "I imagine that none of the other diners will even
know I'm there."

   Twenty minutes later Brad was back in the "expensive seats" as George
called them, and waited for George to do his job.  George opened the door
and leaned in, pointing.  "Sir, that compartment over there ...  it has a
selection of ties in it.  At least take one with you."

   Brad opened the compartment.  Selection wasn't the word.  There were
probably thirty ties on a pull out rack.  He chose a muted blue, with thin
red stripes that he knew would go with the suit he was wearing.

   As Brad exited the car George said in hushed tones.  "Ah ...  sir? ...
if you decide you'd like some company while you're in town ...  I'm
familiar with all the best ...  escort services.  I could make the
arrangements while you're eating."

   "Thanks George, but not tonight." said Brad.

   "Very good sir." responded George, firmly back in his usual role.  "I'll
be here if there are any ...  problems ...  with the dress code." George
handed Brad what looked like a cross between a cell phone and a pager. 
"Just press any button if you need me."

   A doorman took over five feet from the car.  "Ah, Mister Tarkenton, so
good you could dine with us tonight.  Andre is waiting to show you to your
private dining room." he said, making it obvious he wasn't looking at
Brad's open collar.  Brad smiled as he heard George snort softly and the
limo door clicked shut.

   Josh and his wife, Julie, arrived thirty minutes later.  While Josh
apologized for being late, even though he wasn't, and said that if they'd
known he would be early they would have been early too, Brad examined
Julie.

   If she was a trophy wife, Josh had chosen well.  She was spectacularly
beautiful, with the sultry look that some women had that brought every male
in sight to the edge of his seat.  Tall and what would have been slim but
for the bulging abdomen sheathed in a dress that had to have cost a
thousand dollars, she had long dark brown hair that fell carelessly past
her shoulders.  The dress cradled breasts that looked perfectly capable of
feeding quadruplets already, showing cleavage deep enough to secure a Palm
Pilot in.  She was obviously four or five months pregnant, and every man
who saw her had fleeting fantasies that he had been the one to plant that
baby.  She was beyond gorgeous, with makeup that looked like it had been
professionally applied.  She knew how to walk, how to smile, and how to
break into her husband's babbling to say, "Hi, I'm Julie." She said it with
just the right timbre in her voice, "I've heard so much about you.  It's a
pleasure to meet the man behind Amalgamated."

   Had Josh not been there, Brad might have asked this vision of loveliness
if she needed a husband.

   But Josh was there, so Brad tore his gaze off the stunning woman and
paid a little attention to his regional vice president in charge of
development, who was red-faced at having forgotten to introduce his wife.
They sat and talked about nothing more important than the menu and wine
list, which was as extensive as any in a fine restaurant in New York. 
Then, over an aperitif and some appetizers, Josh made a valiant attempt at
trying to find out, without coming right out and asking, why the big boss
had come to little backwater Cleveland.

   Again Julie broke into the conversation.  "Darling, Mr.  Tarkenton will
tell you why he's come when he's ready to tell you why he's come.  For now
let's just enjoy his company and get to know him a little."

   Brad's opinion of her went up another notch.  She enough faith in her
husband to believe that this visit was not sinister.  She was either
relaxed and comfortable, or the best actress Brad had ever seen.

   Brad went with his impulse again.  "Actually, let's just get that out of
the way right now.  Then we can give our full attention to relaxing." He
turned toward Julie.  "And please, call me Brad.  I don't stand much on
formality."

   "How refreshing." she said in her beautifully modulated voice.  "A
stuffed shirt who isn't stuffy." She smiled beautifully, suggesting that
the barb was all in good fun.

   "Bunny!" gasped her husband.  "You can't talk to the CEO of the company
that way!"

   "Bunny?" asked Brad.  "My staff made no mention of any name other than
Julie Diane."

   Julie arched her eyebrow.  "Your staff ...  inquired about me?" Her tone
indicated that she thought such a thing might be both frivolous and,
perhaps, even objectionable.

   "Julie!" barked Josh.  He was pale and was beginning to look worried,
rather than embarrassed.

   Brad held up one hand, his palm toward Josh.  "Let her be Josh.  She's
new to the family and doesn't know how things work."

   Julie somehow looked both gorgeous and hostile at the same time.  It was
disconcerting, or would have been to a lesser man.  "Yes ...  Josh, shut up
and let MISTER Tarkenton tell me how things work.  Maybe Jasmine was right
after all?"

   "Jasmine?" said Brad.  "Another name my staff missed.  They'll be very
disappointed."

   Julie just waited, poised and cool, her dark eyed stare firmly on Brad.

   "I like to know the names of people I might meet." said Brad.  "I feel
like people will be more receptive if I can call them by name, rather than
going through all the social niceties of formal introductions."

   She didn't smile.  "So you game people and make them think you care who
they are."

   "Oh Julie PLEASE don't do this." moaned Josh.

   Julie had a mind of her own, however.  "I have a friend, a girl I used
to work with.  She tried to talk me out of marrying Josh because she says
the only guy she knows who works for Amalgamated is a bastard.  She says he
doesn't care about anything except making money and being powerful.  I
didn't listen to her Mr.  Tarkenton.  I love my husband very much, but
maybe Jasmine wasn't so far off the mark."

   Brad loved this woman.  She could think.  She had guts.  She didn't back
down or whimper at the thought that she might be ending the career of her
husband.  And with a baby on the way she HAD to know this wasn't a good
time for said husband to be changing jobs.  But she had the courage of her
convictions.

   "Well, you've raised several points." said Brad calmly.  "Let me take
them in order.  First, if I didn't care about the people whose names I
memorize, then why would I make the effort to do that.  How would I even
remember such information if it wasn't important to me?  For example, the
driver of my limo is named George.  He's married to Claudette and has five
children, two girls, Charlene and Nicole, and three boys, Jimmy, Jake and
Mike.  Now I may never need that information.  But the fact is that George
is a nice guy, and if I can remember his kids' names if I ever see him
again, and ask about them, it will make George feel good.  I suppose you
could assume that the only reason I'd do that is so that if I wanted
something from George I could game him.  But I don't really think there's
all that much George could do for me that he isn't already being paid to
do."

   There was a momentary startled look in Julie's eyes, and they lost the
hard glint that had been there before.  Brad also saw her jaw unclench
slightly.

   "Now," he went on, "my staff knows how I feel about that.  They like me
to be prepared, because they like me to be happy.  So they take their
responsibilities ridiculously seriously.  That's what I meant when I said
they'd be disappointed to find out you have a nickname.  What's listed in
Josh's employee records is that he's married to Julie Diane.  I imagine
there's no information there about 'Bunny'.  But that's OK.  I like to talk
to people to get to know them, and too MUCH background information can be
detrimental there.  For example, if I knew all about 'Bunny' I couldn't be
curious and ask you how you got that name."

   Julie's blinked.  She was thawing, but still pretty cold.

   Brad smiled again.  "And I was kidding about how my staff will be
unhappy because they didn't know about 'Jasmine'.  They don't pry into what
your friends' names are.  If you were a business competitor, perhaps, but
we don't do that to a member of the family.  If your birthday, or
anniversary was coming up soon, or had just passed, they'd have told me
about that.  But that's about as far as they go in their inquiries."

   Julie sat back in her chair and her fingers relaxed where they were
interlaced over her baby's bulge.  It was a protective posture, but her
relaxed frame made it look loving, rather than defensive.

   Brad continued.  "As for what Jasmine thinks about the man she knows,
that's important to me.  If she's right, and all he cares about is making
money, then Josh and I will have to do something about that.  That's not
the kind of employee I want working for me.  Money is important, but not
more important than our relationship with our customers.  It is, after all,
our customers who bring us repeat business, and its repeat business that
generates profits.  So while I may not have needed to know about Jasmine
before I met you, I certainly need to know now."

   Julie was less belligerent.  "Jasmine isn't a customer, and never will
be." she said.  "So why care?"

   Brad nodded.  "We certainly don't need Jasmine out there in the world
telling people that Amalgamated has a bunch of bastards running the show.
That's not good for business either.  And, for that matter, she's a
prospective employee, but only if she thinks well of the company.  So her
opinion DOES matter."

   Julie laughed then.  "I doubt seriously that Amalgamated could afford to
hire Jasmine.  Not if they're going to pay her more than she already
makes."

   Josh jerked.  "Julie, I'd like it very much if you were quiet now."

   Julie laid one hand on his arm.  "Oh darling, you're so up tight
sometimes.  Brad isn't mad at me, and I don't think he's mad at you
either." She looked at Brad with eyes that were somehow very confident that
she was correct.

   Brad smiled widely.  "Josh, she is completely correct.  You can learn
something from your lovely wife tonight, and that is that I appreciate
candor, and I want people to be able to tell me what they think without
being afraid of retribution.  If I'm acting like a rat bastard, how will I
ever know if nobody ever tells me?"

   Two waiters appeared with a flourish and began serving them.  There was
too much activity to continue the conversation until the table had been set
and the dishes arranged to everyone's satisfaction.  The food was
excellent.

   Again it was Julie who spoke first.  "So?  You never did say why you
were here." She dabbed her perfectly lipsticked lips with one corner of a
linen napkin.

   Josh choked, but got himself under control.

   Brad chuckled.  "You're right.  I got distracted." He looked at Josh and
cleared his throat.  In a very serious voice he said: "Josh, you're doing a
great job and the board is very happy with you." Brad went back to eating,
forking a piece of prime rib into his mouth.

   Julie had frozen, her fork halfway to her mouth.  She put the fork down
on her plate.  "That's it?" she asked.  "Good job?  Pat on the back?  You
came all this way just to say 'Attaboy!'?  No promotion?"

   Josh started choking again.

   Brad looked up and swallowed.  "Julie, he's a regional vice president at
age thirty.  That's phenomenal.  To move up he'd have to displace a person
with ten years seniority over him and three times the experience."

   Julie picked up her fork again.  "Good.  I don't want to move away from
Cleveland just yet." She smiled her dazzling smile and began to eat.

   Josh slumped in his chair.

   Brad spoke one last time before giving the prime rib the attention it
deserved.  "Josh I can see part of why you're doing so well." It was an
unabashed compliment to the woman who had just bearded the lion in its den.
She knew it, and she flushed with pleasure.  That flush went clear down to
her chest.  Somehow it made her breasts look even bigger.

   The rest of dinner was pleasant, and Josh actually got to say some
things to his boss, instead of trying to ride herd on his wife.  Julie, for
her part, said little, though everything she did talk about was light
hearted and non-controversial.

   Julie did prompt her husband occasionally, such as when she said, "Josh,
aren't you going to ask him about tomorrow night?"

   Josh looked uncomfortable as he faced his boss.  "Well, there's a
get-together with some of the customer base and some contractors we do a
lot of subcontracting with.  But it's one of those couples buffet dance
kinds of things, so I didn't know if you'd be interested in attending or
not." He left unsaid that Brad didn't have a wife to take to such an
affair, and Brad knew it.

   "I'm used to attending such functions stag." said Brad.  He looked at
Julie, who had perked up at the statement for some reason.  "I've been
married three times and two of them didn't work out." he said.

   "Well, then that means one did." said Julie, using that engaging smile
she was so good at.  "It's a shame you didn't bring number three along on
this trip.  I'd love to meet her."

   Josh groaned.

   Brad was slightly disappointed in his regional vice president for
development in Cleveland, who had not explained some things to his wife
that would have prevented her from making the social gaffe she had just
committed.  But it wasn't Julie's fault.  "It was number one who worked
out, but she died.  I tried to replace her twice, but it turned out she was
irreplaceable."

   Julie paled.  "Oh Brad, I'm so sorry." she said softly.  "I didn't
know."

   Josh jumped as his wife's foot connected solidly with his shin.  Brad
pretended he hadn't seen it.  "It's OK." he said.

   "It's sad." she said back.  "And what makes it even sadder is that
you've given up on women, haven't you?"

   "Oh Julie, for pity's sake!" moaned the Amalgamated vice president for
development in Cleveland.

   "Well, it's true, isn't it?" she said, all perky again.

   "I have to admit you're correct." said Brad.  "The women I meet now just
seem interested in either power or money, but not in me."

   "Well, we're not all like that." said Julie.  "You're too nice a man to
go through the rest of your life alone."

   Brad laughed.  "Suddenly I'm a nice man?"

   "I think so." said Julie, as if he hadn't referred to her confrontation
of him only half an hour before.  "And I know several women who would think
so too."

   "Ohhh I'm toast," moaned Josh.

   His wife shot him a look and then centered her attention back on Brad.
"How about I get you a date for tomorrow night.  I can think of several
women I used to work with who would be perfect."

   "BUNNY!" croaked Josh.

   "Oh hush." said Julie.  "Brad is the kind of man who will find out about
it some day anyway." She faced Brad and took a breath.  It did fabulous
things to her cleavage.  "Before I married Josh I worked for an escort
service."

   Several things became clear in Brad's mind immediately.  Her suave
demeanor, her appearance, her familiarity with formal dining, her excellent
taste in clothing.  All those things, despite her youth, were explained by
the fact that she'd been a hooker.  No, not just a hooker ...  a call girl,
and an expensive one, if Brad knew his stuff.  And Brad knew his stuff when
it came to expensive call girls.  She hadn't completely adjusted to her new
life, though.  She was tense again, nervous, expecting her husband's boss
to sneer.

   Brad didn't sneer.  "Well, that suggests that you didn't marry Josh for
his money." he said.  "Based on our short acquaintance I'd bet that you
took a cut in salary when you married him." He didn't suggest she was still
employed.  She didn't seem like the type.

   "Why thank you." she beamed.  "I DID lose money on the deal." She winked
at Brad.  "But he was such a sweet boy, and so needy, and there ARE certain
compensations." She patted her swollen belly.

   "And I'm sure your friends are just as beautiful and educated and fun to
be with as yourself," said Brad, "but I've tried that too, and it has left
much to be desired."

   "Well," said Julie.  She was sizing Brad up like she'd have sized up a
customer in her sordid past.  She had been very good at sizing up
customers, which was why, when Josh had begged her to leave that life, she
had taken the chance.  "There are escorts, and then there are escorts. 
Here in Cleveland sex is optional, and the girl I have in mind for you is
fun to be around under any circumstances.  In fact, I don't know if she'd
even agree to go.  I was thinking of Jasmine.  You said you cared about
what she thought of Amalgamated, or at least the guy she was talking about.
This would be your chance to find out.  What do you say Brad?"

   For a third time on this trip, Brad went with his instinct.  "Call her."

   Julie smiled.  "Don't you even want to know how much she charges?"

   Brad smiled tightly.  "If you have to ask, you can't afford it."

   Julie smiled again.  "Yes ...  there is that."

   Julie went to the powder room while the men paid the bill.  Brad looked
around for the waiter, but Josh laid one hand on his arm.  "It's already
arranged." he said.  "They're billing it to my account." He looked nervous.
"About Julie ..." he said.

   Brad stood up.  "Josh, who you marry is your business.  That you chose
well is something I applaud.  If you're lucky enough to be in love, don't
ever let anything tear you apart.  I like her Josh."

   Josh was so relieved that there were tears in his eyes.  "This is so
stupid." he said, wiping them.

   Brad clapped him on the back.  "Love leaves us big tough men
defenseless. Don't worry about it." Then he whispered.  "Tell me about
'Bunny', quickly, before she gets back."

   Josh's head jerked.  But then he smiled.  "It was her working name.  So
the men wouldn't know who she really was.  Those women get stalked a lot."

   Brad nodded as they both watched Josh's beautiful pregnant wife walk
gracefully across the room.  The eyes of every man in the place followed
her.  "I can see why, Josh ...  I can see why."

   ======================================

   Somehow George knew that Brad was coming out, because the limo was
parked at the curb and George was standing at attention with the door open.
Josh and Julie walked Brad to the door.

   "Hi George, isn't it a beautiful night?" asked Julie.

   George didn't bat an eye.  "It certainly is Miss Bunny.  Congratulations
to you both about your baby." It was obvious, though not surprising, that
George and Julie knew each other.  After all, women who charged what Bunny
had charged to be with a man most often got picked up and dropped off in
limousines.

   "Thank you George," said Julie and she kissed him on the cheek as he
blushed.

   "I'm telling Claudette the next time I see her." joked Brad getting in
the car.

   "We'll call you about tomorrow night." said Julie.

   George closed the door and Brad watched Josh put his arm around his
wife's waist and walk her toward the parking garage.

   George knew where to go, and started there without being told.  The ride
was silent, but when they stopped and George opened the door for him, Brad
spoke as he got out.  "Is she a good woman George?"

   They both knew he was asking about Julie, and not Claudette.

   "Yes sir, that whole bunch are good women.  They have class sir."

   "Good ...  that's good." said Brad.  Then he went into his hotel and to
bed.

   CHAPTER TWO

   Brad spent the next morning being shown around the various departments
and offices in which Amalgamated's Cleveland operation was housed.  Brad
worked his magic with various people and left a trail of happy employees in
his path.  Josh trailed along, watching how it was done.

   "You really do care about people, don't you?" he said at one point.

   "They're who make you look good." said Brad simply.

   Josh invited Brad out to lunch at another fancy restaurant, but Brad
insisted on eating in the company cafeteria, where he sat with and talked
to three of the janitorial staff, telling jokes and listening to several
comments and complaints.

   As they left the cafeteria Josh's phone went off and he answered it.  He
listened and then said "You're kidding.  She said that?  OK..  I'll tell
him.  Yeah, I'll call you right back if there's a problem.  OK, I love
you." He turned to Brad.  That was Julie.  Jasmine agreed to escort you
tonight, but there are a couple of conditions."

   "Conditions?"

   "Yeah.  Julie just said to tell you what they were and for me not to ask
any questions.  If you don't want to do it, then I'm supposed to call her
back."

   "What conditions?" asked Brad.

   "First of all, it's costing you a thousand dollars."

   Brad nodded.  He wasn't surprised.

   "Second, you have to wear a charcoal colored single breasted suit
instead of a tux.  Oh, and your cuff links or other jewelry cannot be gold
colored."

   Brad nodded again.  For enough money a suit could be tailor-made in
three or four hours.

   "And lastly, you're to keep your mouth shut." Josh looked helplessly at
Brad.

   "About what?" asked Brad, intrigued despite himself.

   "She didn't say.  Julie said she asked the same question, but all
Jasmine would say is that you have to promise to keep your mouth shut. 
Maybe she means about Amalgamated ...  like she's afraid you're going to
try to change her mind or something."

   "How strange." said Brad.  This wasn't the way the average high class
hooker behaved.  "What the hell?  I'm in.  I haven't had a date for quite a
while.  Maybe she'll challenge me enough to make it interesting."

   Josh sighed.  "Julie said you're supposed to pick us up in the limo. 
She arranged it all with George.  Sometimes I wonder if I did the right
thing." He was obviously referring to marrying a former call girl.

   "You did the perfect thing, as far as I can tell." said Brad.  "You did
the perfect thing, Josh."

   Brad had George take him to a little shop George knew about and he
ordered the suit.  It would be delivered to his hotel room by six thirty.
Then Brad made some grip and grin calls in the afternoon, meeting with the
Mayor and a few other politicians who appreciated the jobs and revenue that
Amalgamated was creating in the city.  After that he surprised George again
by inviting the whole family out to an early dinner that evening.  George
made a call and talked quietly for a few minutes before hanging up.  He
looked a little uncertain.  "She was reluctant.  Riding herd on all the
kids in a restaurant is a chore." he said.  But she said to call back and
tell her where we'll be and she'll meet us."

   "Nonsense" said Brad.  "You're my guests.  Have the kids ever ridden in
the limo?"

   "Not a chance." said George.  "They pester me about it all the time, but
I know better."

   "Well today they get their chance." said Brad.  "I'll square it with
your employer." Brad made a phone call of his own, which George didn't
hear.

   To be honest, it WAS pandemonium when the limo pulled up to George's
house and the whole clan came screaming out, followed by an obviously
frazzled Claudette.  George was mobbed by all his rug rats.

   Brad helped get all the kids strapped into the seats and called up an
address to George.  "One more stop" he said to Claudette, who was nervously
watching the children to make sure they didn't damage anything.

   George scratched his head, but drove to the address, which had nothing
to do with eating.  There was a group of five women standing on the curb
waiting.

   Brad told him to stop and let the women in.  "I'd like you to meet your
babysitters for the evening." said Brad.  I arranged for them through my
company.  They'll each take a child so you two can relax.  The women
climbed in and there was a disorganized game of choosing which woman would
go with each child.  Both the women and the children negotiated until
everybody, meaning the kids, were happy.

   "Pufferbelly's, George" announced Brad.  There were shouts of approval
from the kids.

   It was a great time for all of them.  The children got to play on the
trains and firefighting equipment Pufferbelly's was famous for, as well as
choose whatever they wanted for dinner.  George and Claudette were nervous
at first, but the nannies, and whatever child they were tending, checked in
frequently with them.  Soon it became obvious that the children were in
good hands and the adults got to enjoy their own food.

   When it was all over Brad got a kiss from Claudette.  "You're a nice
man." she said, being a woman of few words.  Then she herded the kids back
into the house and Brad went back to the hotel to get ready for the party
that night.

   George picked Brad up at eight.  There had been a change in plans, and
Josh and Julie were already in the limo.  Julie looked fabulous, in another
gown that had been tailor made for her pregnant body.  It glistened in the
interior lights of the car and was cut so low between her breasts that the
top of the bulge made by her baby was visible.  Brad could see the
undersides of her bountiful breasts, and they weren't sagging much.  The
material of the gown was thin as well, and her nipples showed prominent
bumps through it.  She wore a diamond choker and her hair was up, with
glistening diamond pins in it to hold it in place.  He felt a tightness in
his groin as she smiled at him.

   "You should save those kinds of looks for your date, Brad." she said as
she batted her eyelashes at him, teasing.

   "If my date looks half as good as you do I may not make it through the
night." he said back.

   Josh just beamed.  He was proud to be with this woman and it showed. 
"Jasmine is almost as beautiful as my lovely bride." he said, looking
sideways at Julie, quite obviously at her breasts.

   "Jasmine has always made me look like a hag." complained Julie, but she
smiled.

   "Well she has interesting rules." said Brad.  He had fifty crisp hundred
dollar bills in the inside pocket of his new suit.  Ten of them were for
Jasmine.  The rest were for contingencies.  You never knew for sure what an
evening would entail when you were with a girl like Julie and her former
peers.

   "I had to talk hard to get her to come." said Julie.  "You'd better be
nice tonight.  My reputation is riding on you."

   "I'm honored that you have such faith in me." said Brad.

   "I'm a fair judge of character." said Julie, making it a compliment. 
"And Jasmine knows that.  When I told her you were OK she said she'd trust
me, but would reserve judgment on an Amalgamated bigwig until she actually
spends some time with you."

   It was a short drive to one of the other fine hotels in town.  Brad knew
that a lot of the higher class call girls lived in hotels, but if Jasmine
lived in this one, she was very high class indeed.  When they arrived Julie
jumped for the door before George could even get his opened, and she dashed
toward the long red carpet that led to the entrance of the hotel.  "Be
right back!" she yelled.

   The dichotomy of a woman dressed as well as Julie was, and pregnant to
boot, sprinting along the red carpet like a little girl, made both men
laugh.  The doorman, a silver-haired gentleman of at least sixty, looked up
with a frown, but his face creased into a grin as Brad heard him call
Bunny's name.  She crashed into the liveried man, giving him a hug that
pressed her baby well against his stomach.  He protested, and pushed her
back, as a good doorman would do, but it was clear they were glad to see
each other.  She took his hand and put it on her swollen abdomen.  The men
in the car heard her say "Feel!  Isn't it just WONDERFUL?!"

   "That's one of the things I love about her." said Josh.  "She's just so
full of life.  She makes everything into a game about being happy and
loving people.

   Brad felt tears trying to build up in his eyes.  That was how Elizabeth
had been.  She had loved everything and everybody, almost never seeing the
down side of anything.  His vision blurred a little as he blinked away the
tears.  He left his hands in his lap.  No sense letting a subordinate know
that he was an emotional boob.

   It was for that reason - the half formed tears in his eyes - that when
Brad saw two women walking toward the limo he couldn't see them as well as
he'd have liked.  One was Julie.  Her form made that obvious.  She was
arm-in-arm with another slightly taller woman and they were walking in
step. They walked in that gait that runway models use, a long stride that
makes everything move on them and draws the attention of everyone within
sight.

   The other woman had raven black hair that hung straight to the tops of
her buttocks.  It had to weigh four pounds, even though the wind created by
their ground-covering walk made it fan out behind her a little.  She was
wearing high heels and a dress that looked for all the world like it had
been liquid at some point and was poured carefully onto her shoulders. 
Then it had flowed down, covering most of her breasts, to mold itself to
her flat stomach and hips that swelled suddenly outwards to become the base
for long slim legs.  The dress ended in an uneven hem, made up of strips of
flimsy cloth that fluttered as she walked.  Both women looked like any two
young up-and-coming twenty-somethings, their hips rising and falling like
those of a hunting cat as they strode confidently toward the limo.  There
was no girlishness about Julie now.  She was all grown up, and she and the
woman with her were the very picture of sexuality.  That Julie was
pregnant, and the other woman's stomach was board flat just set each of
them off in their own way.  Both were beautiful in the way that feminists
just hated, because all little girls dreamed of looking like that, even
though most had no hope.

   Brad couldn't decide whether to watch Julie's bobbing breasts, or those
of his date.  His date's dress didn't cut quite as low as Julie's, but it
went to the bottom of her breasts and then scooped widely out, turning into
spaghetti straps that went up and over her shoulders.  The gown was various
shades of blue, some going to gray, which explained why she had specified
his suit be charcoal colored.  Her dress would be set off by his suit like
she was on display, not that any man would be concentrating on the dress.
Her breasts, too, lifted and fell as her stride lifted them and then fell
away, letting them drop.  They didn't so much bounce as jiggle
delightfully. She obviously wasn't wearing a bra, and the dress was so
flimsy that it didn't have the strength to control her breasts.

   There was a little breeze and her long hair flowed away from her body a
little.  It was like a cape.  She suddenly stopped and turned, waving at
the doorman, who was standing there with a smile on his face a mile wide.
There wasn't a man in the world who wouldn't smile as he watched these
women walk.  "I may be late." her tinkling soprano voice called to the man
old enough to be her grandfather.  "I don't know for sure yet."

   Brad blinked.  There was no back to her dress.  Literally, the spaghetti
straps came over her shoulders and fastened to the sides of the dress under
her arms where it wrapped around her sides.  But those sides did not come
together across her back.  Rather they dipped down so low that you could
see the crack of her ass, or could if her hair wasn't covering it.  No bra,
and no panties either.  Sex might be optional, but she was dressed for the
occasion if it arose.

   Her statement to the doorman had not been necessary either.  She was
letting Brad know that nothing was a sure thing about tonight.

   Brad blinked again as the women started to climb into the limo, George
now tending the door for both of them.  Brad knew he'd be treated to
hanging breasts in dresses that weren't designed for bending over, and he
wanted to be able to see them, Julie's included.

   "Good evening George." said Brad's date, obviously familiar with him
like Julie was.

   "Good evening Miss Jasmine" he said.  "It's always good to have you
riding along."

   There was something about her voice that made Brad's ears perk up.  And,
when she entered the limo, she did indeed show off just about everything
she had.  The dress fell away from full breasts, dark nippled.  Those
nipples were long and looked erect to Brad.  The woman was excited.  Brad
had a quick glimpse of dangling silver earrings and a necklace that had a
dark blue stone in it as big as a hen's egg, surrounded by silver and
diamonds.  She began to settle herself beside him as Julie climbed in. 
Brad grabbed one quick glimpse of Julie's breasts and then turned his
attention to Jasmine.

   It was then that things clicked in his mind.  He suddenly knew why
Jasmine hated Amalgamated.  And he knew why he was required to keep his
mouth shut tonight ...  and what he was required to keep his mouth shut
about.

   Jasmine ...  his beautiful sexy date ...  a thousand-dollar-a-night
hooker ...  was, in reality, Samantha Tarkenton, his daughter.

   ============================================

   You couldn't tell it from the way she acted.  "Good evening Brad ... 
I'm Jasmine." She held out one slim, manicured hand.  Training brought his
own hand up and he touched his daughter for the first time in five years.

   "I'm truly astonished." he managed to say.

   Julie giggled.  "I told you she put me to shame."

   The ride to the hall was a dark, mist-filled time for Brad, as he tried
to wrap his mind around the events unfolding around him.  There was chatter
between Julie and Jasmine, with Josh chiming in occasionally.  He had
obviously met ...  perhaps even ...  well, suffice it to say Josh knew
Jasmine.  Brad wasn't sure how he felt about what Josh and Jasmine may have
done together.

   He knew he commented about something, though he had no idea what it was,
or what he had said.  Both women laughed, though, and he felt a strange
warmth in his chest as Jasmine's smile lit up the inside of the car. 
Otherwise he was silent as thoughts and emotions chased themselves around
in his mind, like ghosts he couldn't quite see, but knew were there.

   Julie noticed.  She looked at him strangely, as if she didn't understand
what kind of man she was seeing.  "I know she's beautiful Brad, but I
didn't think you'd be struck dumb."

   Jasmine's laugh tinkled.  "We'll have plenty of time to talk later, when
he gets more used to me.  Brad probably hasn't been around a woman like me
much before." She turned to Brad and her eyes nailed him to the seat. 
"Have you Brad?  I'd imagine you have more dates with ...  secretaries ...
or perhaps women introduced to you by colleagues ...  isn't that right ...
Brad?"

   Brad woke up enough to hear the daggers in that simple suggestion.  "Not
any more." he said heavily.  "Not for a long time."

   Jasmine laughed again.  "Goody.  I just love being with a man who hasn't
...  dated ...  for a long time." That brought a giggle from Julie too.

   The limo was rolling to a stop in front of another long red carpet. 
Brad was beginning to get himself back under control.  He took Jasmine's
hand and said "Well, then, I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time tonight."
That brought a laugh from Josh and a long drawn out "Ooooooo" from Julie.

   Jasmine didn't say a word.

   She did, however, let him get out first, and help her out, and she took
his arm and matched her steps to his as they walked toward the hall where,
Brad realized, they'd spend the next few hours together.  That it was under
circumstances where everyone would believe they were an important man and
his lovely date, rather than a father and his lovely daughter, would make
it interesting, if nothing else.  Brad knew full well that she would have
the opportunity to make a fool of him in front of important people.  There
was every likelihood that there would be women and men at this affair who
knew her, and what she did for a living.  She could simply announce who she
was, and there would be scandal.  The businessman in him recognized the
dangers in that, though they wouldn't be as bad as if he were in D.C.

   But the father in him recognized that, if she did that, it would be only
what he deserved, for having been a failure as a father.  On the walk into
the building, her arm nestled into his, her fingers lying possessively on
top of his wrist, her breast pressing against his bicep, Brad Tarkenton
decided that if she did that, he'd just take it.

   "I'm sorry" he said as they approached the doors being swung open by
uniformed attendants.

   "We'll have plenty of time to talk about that later.  Right now you need
to act like my date." came the voice from the gorgeous woman beside him.

   "I just wanted you to know." he said.

   She grunted.  "I've known how sorry a man you were for years." But her
arm tightened and she smiled widely as the doors were opened for them. 
They swept into the room, already packed with people of all types, and were
immediately the center of attention.

   It was always like this when Brad went to a party.  He was usually the
richest, most important and most powerful man people had ever met, and they
flocked to him like moths to a flame, trying to touch him, hoping that some
of his fabulous luck and wealth would rub off on them.  Many times the
women who attended these things with him were put off by the crush, but
Samantha worked the crowd like a pro.  Brad noticed that some men she
addressed by their first name.  He soon figured out that these men were not
with their wives.  The men she knew who WERE with their wives, she
addressed by the honorific and their last name.  In every situation like
that she followed that up by asking about some project they were involved
in, as if she were a consultant they'd worked with, or had drawn the
designs they were using to build something.  Never was it obvious that
she'd slept with a man, not even to Brad.  But she knew a lot of people. 
And a lot of people knew her.  Brad saw only one frown from a woman who
interacted with the woman everyone called Jasmine.  There were a lot of
wistful looks thrown her way, and Brad realized that most of the people who
were in this room couldn't afford to hire Jasmine.

   Then Brad began to listen to what she talked with the women in the crowd
about.  He soon realized that she was involved in a number of women's
groups, including a breast cancer awareness organization, some kind of
children's burn victim group, a club that was trying to revitalize green
spaces in the city and, of all things, a quilting guild.

   Later in the night, when he was at the bar getting a drink for himself
and his daughter, he'd find out what everyone in the room thought she was.
A man who had obviously already had way too much to drink leaned over and
asked, with alcohol fumed breath, "What's it like to be with one of those
rich girls, who have rich daddies, and never have to work?  Are they too
spoiled to suck your dick?  Do they even fuck?"

   Brad, not knowing who the man was, and not wanting to be thrown out for
putting his fist in the guy's face, just said "I don't know.  It's my first
time.  I'll let you know later."

   So everyone thought she was wealthy, by virtue of having a rich father.
Just a flit-about rich socialite, who could sleep as late as she wanted,
and go out with lots of different men because she was too spoiled to pick
any one of them.

   But that was later.  For now Brad just watched a professional people
person at work.  She was good, and though conflicted, Brad felt proud of
his daughter.

   The initial chaos of being important faded after about half an hour and,
when the crowd thinned out, Sam turned to her father.  Here, in the light,
she took his breath away.  The dress didn't so much cover her nakedness as
advertise it while teasing the observer by showing what her body would look
like if she was wearing paint.  Her nipples were spiked and showing
clearly.

   Sam settled her gaze on the man she was with.  "Aren't you going to ask
me to dance?" she asked.  "People will talk if you don't have anything to
do with me."

   Brad ignored her jibe.  "Nothing would please me more than dancing with
you." he said.

   She arched one pencil thin eyebrow.  "Nothing?" she teased.  She was
good at her job, and the fact that her date was her own father didn't slow
her down even a little.

   They moved to the dance floor, where a small orchestra was playing music
to dance slowly to.  There would be no rock and roll at this party.  As she
melted into his arms he found his mouth by her ear.

   "I've missed you." he whispered.

   She stiffened, but then relaxed.  "Yeah ...  right." She was an
exquisite dancer and they moved like they'd studied and trained together.

   "I spent over half a million looking for you." he said.

   "You always did try to throw money at a problem." came her retort.

   There was a tap on his shoulder and he turned to find a man half his age
asking to cut in.

   Jasmine smiled sweetly at the young man.  "Thank you so much, but I
couldn't bear to tear myself away from my date." she said.  "I'll be sad
about it for days, though, thinking of what I'll miss." The would-be
suitor, for having been rebuffed, left feeling surprisingly upbeat. 
Jasmine had a way of saying "no" that made men think she'd said "later."

   "If you hate me so much, why didn't you dance with him?" asked Brad.

   "I'm not sure I hate you." she said back.  "A lot has happened since I
left.  I won't say I've kept an eye on you, but some of what you've done
has come to my attention.  I know, for example, that you didn't marry again
after Trudy the turd."

   Brad swung her around hard enough to make her hair fly out, hitting a
nearby couple.  They laughed.

   When she came back to him he felt her hand lower on his back.  "I should
have listened to you about her." he admitted.  "I should have done a lot of
things differently."

   "Do you believe in Karma?" asked his daughter, holding him close.  He
could feel her breasts, rubbing against his chest.  His hand was in the
middle of her naked back.

   "I don't know." he answered truthfully.  "I know that what goes around
comes around.  Is that the same thing?"

   "Pretty close.  As I look back on things I think there was some kind of
Karma at work.  I didn't like my life then, or you.  But Phillip and I were
forged by that pressure, and fired in that kiln.  You were too Daddy."

   He felt an unaccountable thrill shoot through him at her use of "Daddy".
He'd assumed he'd never hear that word again, applied to him, anyway.

   "That doesn't mean I feel good about it." he said.  He felt her tense up
again and guessed that she had interpreted him as saying he didn't feel
good about how she and Phillip had turned out.  He hastened to correct
that, if, in fact it had happened.  "What I mean is that you have grown
into a beautiful and successful woman, perfectly capable of taking care of
herself.  You're popular and sought after by the good elements in our
society."

   "I'm a hooker, Daddy." she said, but there was no heat in it.  "A lot of
people here know that.  Not all, but a lot."

   "That's how you make a living.  But that's not all you are.  From what
I've heard just tonight you're important to a lot of people and it has
nothing whatsoever to do with sex."

   "So if I announced to the people here that I'm your daughter ...  you
wouldn't be embarrassed?"

   Brad felt his positive mood sour.  So that was why she was here after
all.  Well, he'd already decided he'd take it, if that's what she wanted to
get her revenge.

   "If you felt it was important for people to know that then I'd gladly
claim you as my daughter." he answered.

   Sam snuggled in against him and put both her arms around him.  That led
him to put both his hands on her naked back as they swayed to the music. 
"Why haven't you contacted Phillip?" she asked his chest.

   "When I couldn't find you I knew you were either dead, or didn't want to
be found.  And when I cut Phillip off, I figured he'd seen all of me he
wanted to.  I also assumed he'd come back, looking for more money.  I was
wrong about that too.  I've been wrong about so much."

   She looked up at him.  "I changed my name legally and then asked the
court to seal the records.  I told them there was a stalker who would try
to find me.  I was notified twice that someone was asking about it.  I
convinced the man who kept the records not to release them.  That's why you
couldn't find me.  I knew you were looking, but I thought it was just to
drag me back home.

   "I would never have done that Sam." he said.

   "Jasmine" she corrected.  "Even Phillip calls me Jasmine now."

   "You see him?" Brad was surprised.

   "About every three months.  I fly down and we spend a few days ... 
catching up.  He's very successful now."

   "He's successful at home repairs?" Brad was again surprised.

   "Daddy, he fixed everything in the house when we were young.  The
contractors would come in and screw things up, or use cheap materials. 
They were all trying to rip you off.  So Phillip learned how to do things.
He's a genius, you know.  Maybe you don't know.  Why were you like that
Daddy?"

   Brad sighed.  "I never got over your mother.  I'm still not over her.  I
tried to find somebody who could be like her, but there aren't any women
like her.  She was one of a kind." He squeezed Jasmine and felt her rub her
breasts against him.  'She must do that from habit' he thought.  He went
on. "When you were seventeen you looked so much like her that I thought I
was seeing her ghost.  But you hated me, and that hurt more than anything
else.  I was looking at her, but feeling your hate."

   "I didn't hate you Daddy." she said.  "Well, OK, sometimes I hated you.
But mostly I was disgusted with you.  I had all these dreams ...  Phillip
and I both did ...  but you wouldn't let us pursue them."

   "Was that what State college was all about?" asked Brad.

   "Yes.  I wanted to be an interior designer and Phillip wanted to be an
engineer."

   "Phillip could have done that, if he hadn't gotten in so much trouble."

   "Phillip was trying to get your attention so he could tell you what he
wanted.  But the only time you ever talked to him was when you were pissed
off."

   "So why didn't you go to college where you wanted to?  You know ... 
after you changed your name." asked Brad.

   "When I left, I left your money behind.  I was broke and homeless.  I
was running away from an angry hot dog vendor when I ran in front of
George's limo one night.  He hit me.  I wasn't hurt.  Scraped up a little,
and I didn't need to go to the hospital, but George was scared half to
death.  He took me home and Claudette fed me and cleaned me up.  I stayed
with them for a few days.  I wouldn't tell them who I was, but it was
pretty clear that I didn't have any skills.  It was George who introduced
me to Madeline.  She trained me to be ...  what I am."

   "So she takes a cut of what you make?" asked Brad.

   "No, she's an incurable romantic who thinks that every man should have a
mistress.  She says it brings out the real man in him and makes his home
life better.  Sort of like therapy.  We're all independent operators. 
Madeline has friends powerful enough to protect us, and we play things
pretty close to the chest."

   "And a beautiful chest it is." Brad said, without thinking.

   Jasmine looked up at him again, and her dazzling smile lit up.  "Why
Daddy, you're FLIRTING with me." She was, for some reason, pleased by that.

   Suddenly she started looking around.  She didn't make it obvious, but
she was clearly looking all around them as they continued to dance.

   "You've made me forget to watch what I'm doing.  No man has done that
for so long I can't even remember the last time.  People are watching us.
Kiss me."

   "What?" he asked, stunned.

   "People expect to see us cuddle and kiss.  You're Mister Big, and I'm
your expensive plaything.  Kiss me."

   "But ..."

   He was cut off as she stood on tiptoes and kissed him.  It was no
pretend kiss either, with stiff lips.  She all but ate his lips off as hers
sucked and closed over his, her tongue darting into his surprised mouth. 
He actually heard two couples nearby sigh as they watched.

   She pulled back.  "Is that the best you can do?" she asked.  "No wonder
you can't find a wife." Her eyes clouded instantly.  "I'm sorry Daddy.  I
shouldn't have said that."

   They danced for two hours, never taking a break, standing close together
between songs.  Every ten or fifteen minutes she demanded that he kiss her.
She instructed him each time exactly what kind of kiss they should be
having, based on her experience.  He laughed, but began kissing her back
like he meant it.  He was delirious that she even let him talk to her. 
That she was willing to kiss him, he chalked up to her desire to maintain
her professional image.

   She told him everything she was involved in and he was amazed.  He told
her how his philosophy had changed.  At one point she said "That's why I
decided to escort you tonight.  When Julie asked me to do it I talked to
George about you.  He loves you.  And I trust George."

   "I'm going to have to tip George very generously." he said.

   She squirmed against him.

   "You know, you've been rubbing those delightful breasts against me for
over an hour.  I'm only a man, Sam." he said.

   "Jasmine" she reminded him.  "I like rubbing them against you.  My
therapist says that I wanted your attention when I was younger because I
was trying to take Mommy's place when she died.  And when you didn't accept
me as a sexual partner it caused me to try to find that acceptance in other
men."

   "Wow." said Brad.  "And what do you think?"

   "Up to now I thought he was a quack." she said.  She didn't go on,
leaving Brad trying to figure out exactly what that meant.

   It was then that the orchestra took a break and Brad went to the bar to
get them each a glass of wine.  It was then that the man brought out a rage
in him he hadn't felt for years.  He was actually almost pleased by it
though.  Any man would be incensed when his daughter was talked about like
that.  And now he was a man who had a daughter again.

   On his way back he could see that, in his absence, Jasmine had been
surrounded by men, all trying to talk to her.  Julie walked up beside him
and took his arm carefully, to keep from making him spill the wine.

   "Jasmine likes you." she said confidentially.  "I can tell."

   "I think that remains to be seen." he said.

   "You don't know Jasmine like I do." said Julie.  "She almost NEVER
kisses a man in public.  She has to like him a LOT to do that."

   Brad felt a tightening in his chest again.  She'd said people would
expect it, but did it because she wanted to.  He felt light headed.

   "Well, I have to admit, I'm having the best time I've had in a lot of
years." said Brad.

   Julie squeezed his arm against her pregnant belly.  "I knew you would."
She broke away.  "Damn, I have to go pee again.  Why do you men do this to
us?" she asked in mock agony, stroking her belly with both hands.

   "Because you love what it takes to get you that way." said Brad.

   Julie laughed and then winced as that put pressure on her bladder.  As
she left she whispered "Maybe Jasmine will love it too."

   Brad reared back.  Of course Julie would think that he and Jasmine might
have sex.  Jasmine was acting like she did when she was with other men, so
it would be natural to assume they would end up in bed.  Brad almost
spilled the wine anyway when he realized that some part of him kind of
liked the idea.

   That part caused blood to rush to his cock the next time Jasmine
announced it was time for another "make believe" kiss.

   By midnight the party had thinned out, as husbands and their wives left,
having to go to work the next day.  Only the young and restless stayed to
try to banish whatever ills they thought they suffered, with wine and
beautiful members of the opposite sex.

   They were dancing when Jasmine pushed her father back from her suddenly.
"Oh!" she said, as if she'd just thought of something.  "Julie is probably
dead on her feet and I bet her back is killing her." She pulled Brad toward
where Julie and Josh were sitting at a table.  They watched father and
daughter ...  not knowing they were father and daughter ...  approach.

   "You two make a handsome couple." said Julie.

   "Julie has been trying to marry me off for over a year now." said
Jasmine, laughing.

   "You could do worse." said Julie.

   "Why, I believe you're right Julie dear." said Jasmine, playing her part
to the hilt.  "But we've been positively rude to you both." she went on. 
"I bet you've been wanting to go home for hours, and all we did was dance
the night away."

   Josh actually nodded, but Julie wasn't biting.  "I've been having a lot
of fun watching you two." she said.  "I think Brad's going to be a very
happy man after tonight."

   "If I were any happier they'd have to take me away to the happy farm."
said Brad.

   Jasmine actually blushed.

   They gathered up belongings, though, and left the party, again to find
George magically parked at the front.  It was a quiet ride, with soft,
meaningless conversation, mostly between the women, while the men lay back
against the cushions, totally relaxed.  When they arrived at the Clinton
home, Julie fiddled with her purse and then, on her way past Brad, pressed
something into his hand.

   "Just in case." she said.

   He didn't have to look at the item to know it was a foil-wrapped packet
with a donut shaped bulge in it.  He palmed it into his suit pocket and
accepted a much more platonic kiss from Julie as she said good night.

   "See you in the morning?" asked Josh as he got out.

   "He may be a little late." said Jasmine, smiling that blazing smile.

   CHAPTER THREE

   The limo drove off smoothly, heading for downtown.  "Sam, I can't tell
you how much this night has meant to me." said Brad.  "I thought I'd lost
you forever, and that you hated me too much to even put eyes on me.  Can
you ever forgive me for how stupid I was back then?" "I'm already working
on it." she said, leaning against him.  "Take me home." Brad picked up the
phone and called up to George.  "Jasmine is ready to go home George." he
said into the phone.  His daughter took the phone away from him.  "His
home, George." she said curtly and hung the phone up.  She turned to her
father.  "You bought me for the night." she said.  Brad thought she was
reminding him that she was a prostitute...  that in one way he was just
another John to her.  Saddened, he reached into his pocket and brought out
a thousand dollars.  He held it out.  She took it and tucked it into her
purse.  "I didn't buy you at all." he protested.  "Yes you did." she said
back, with no heat in her voice.  "And the night's not over yet." "I would
love to talk to you some more." he said.  "Talking is nice." she responded.
George dropped them off at Brad's hotel and, as he let them out, Brad saw
that he had a small suitcase in his hand that he'd gotten from the trunk.
As they approached the doorman, George handed the bag to the man.  It soon
became obvious that Jasmine was not only known there, but welcome as well.
Brad wasn't surprised to find that she knew the names of bellboys.  One, by
some signal unknown to Brad, hurried over to them as they approached the
elevators.  Jasmine bestowed a glorious smile on him.  "Bently, would you
be so sweet as to see that a bottle of Dom Perignon is sent up to Mr. 
Tarkenton's room?  Oh, and a box of those lovely Maison du Chocolat... 
chocolates." She giggled.  "Aren't they the ones flavored with brandy?"
Bently nodded smiling.  "Thank you Bently.  Oh, and one more thing.  We'll
need a can of that whipped topping...  you know, the kind it's fun to
squirt in your mouth?  And maybe a bowl of Andre's cherry tart filling. 
Would you do that for me?" Brad was betting that "Andre" was the hotel's
five star chef, and that Jasmine was on a first name basis with him.  As
for Bently, he would have jumped off a building for her, and it was
obvious. He left at a flat out run.  In the hallway upstairs one of the
maids even said "Good evening Jasmine, it's good to see you again." The
woman then sized up Brad, and nodded, though she didn't say anything.  Brad
suddenly knew what it felt like to BE the one under evaluation, and to
wonder whether or not he'd made the cut.  And from hotel staff!  It was an
odd feeling, but at the same time he realized that his daughter was
considered to be a good judge of character, at least according to the
'little people' of the world.  He ruefully admitted to himself that
sometimes those 'little people' were the better at judging character than
some of the movers and shakers.  Another bellboy appeared like magic with
the bag George had handed to the doorman.  The young man opened the door
for them and entered, setting the bag on a low table.  He fiddled with the
thermostat and then bowed to the couple.  "You're a sweet sweet boy,
Jeremy." said Jasmine.  She kissed him on the forehead and the man, who had
to be at least in his forties, left, a grinning idiot.  The door was no
more than closed before Jasmine turned to her father and attacked his tie,
untying it and pulling it from around his neck.  Then she unbuttoned the
stiff shirt, never worn before this night, opening it two buttons.  "I want
you to be comfortable." she said.  "We have a lot to discuss.  Now, if
you'll excuse me.  I want to be comfortable too.  She picked up the bag off
the table and disappeared into the bedroom.  Brad hardly had time to wonder
what she was doing in there when there was a discreet knock at the door. 
He opened it to find a cart with all the things she had asked for on it,
pushed by Bently.  He brought the cart in and opened the box of chocolates,
putting them on display.  While Bently poured two chilled glasses full of
chapmpagne and iced the bottle, Brad pulled out a hundred dollar bill. 
Bently made it disappear smoothly.  "I'll have another bottle chilled and
ready to bring up...  if you need it." said Bently.  He looked around,
obviously looking for Jasmine.  He was obviously disappointed that she
wasn't in the room.  Bently left and Brad turned to see the woman he still
thought of as Samantha glide out of the bedroom.  She had changed.  There
had been clothes in the bag.  Well, perhaps 'clothes' wasn't the right
word. Jasmine was now dressed in dark nylons, held up by a lavender garter
belt.  Over those were a pair of dark purple panties, above which there was
a matching quarter cup bra that cradled her breasts, but did nothing to
hide them.  Over the whole outfit she wore a pale lavender jacket that had
a representation of a dragon woven into it.  The dragon, embroidered in
shades of magenta that matched the bra and panties, wrapped around her
body, with its head coming to rest on her left hip, as if it were guarding
the treasure encased in the panties.  She also had on high heels.  Brad
instantly understood why Bently had been disappointed that she wasn't in
the room.  He felt an ache in his groin that he tried unsuccessfully to
banish.  This was his daughter he was looking at.  Then it struck him that
this WAS his daughter, and that she knew who he was...  and had donned this
outfit anyway.  "I must have grabbed the wrong bag." she said, her hips
rising and falling as she walked toward him.  "I have different bags
prepacked for different kinds of dates.  I guess this will have to do.  It
doesn't show too much more than the dress did, though, and you ARE my
Daddy. It's not like you've never seen me naked." Brad swallowed.  Then
again.  He cleared his throat and had to cough.  His mouth was dry as a
bone.  He lifted the champagne and took a sip.  Then he could talk. 
"Father's don't usually get to see their daughters as naked as that." He
felt like a little boy, seeing his first naked woman.  "Well, it IS more
comfortable than that old dress." she said, picking up a chocolate and
biting it in half.  "Mmmmm these are just divine." she said, savoring the
fine chocolate.  "I meant to grab the other overnight bag...  the one with
jeans and a sweatshirt in it.  I hope you don't mind that I got the wrong
one." She turned around, her hair flowing away from her body.  The panties
were actually a G-string and her pale buttocks were bare.  When she faced
him again her big brown eyes stared into Brad's and he almost fell into
them.  "It's...  ah...  fine." he blurted.  He grabbed a chocolate and
popped it in his mouth.  Flavor burst in his mouth and he was startled. 
"Aren't you chilly?" he asked.  It looked like she had more skin showing
than a fat man at a nude beach.  "Oh no.  Jeremy turned up the thermostat.
He knows just what temperature I like." She looked at her father and
stepped toward him.  Her fingers went to his suit jacket and pushed it
back, off his shoulders.  She caught it deftly and flung it towards a
chair. "You might get a little warm, though...  in all those hot clothes."
Next her fingers went to his shirt buttons and he felt cool air caress his
chest.  He managed to get one hand up to stop her.  "Sam, what are you
doing?" "My name is Jasmine." she said.  "I'm doing my job." "I didn't hire
you to do this." he said.  "What?" she pressed up against him and her arms
went around his neck.  "Julie told me to pack a bag." "Yes...  but I didn't
know it was going to be you." he said.  "Well, I knew it was going to be
you." she said simply.  She leaned in and kissed him full on the lips, just
like she had done while they were dancing.  Her tongue flitted deftly into
his mouth, darting, teasing as she pressed her breasts into his chest. 
Brad suddenly realized he was rock hard...  harder than he could remember
being in years.  He felt...  brittle.  He felt her press her mons against
his hardness.  "My therapist says I do what I do because I wanted your
attention and couldn't get it." she said, her lips brushing his as the kiss
ended.  "But now I have your attention.  Don't you want to know if my
therapist was right?" She kissed him again and it was a passionate kiss for
both of them.  When it ended she breathed into his mouth.  "I do." Brad
didn't know what to do.  He had found his long lost daughter, whom he
thought had hated him.  She HAD hated him, but now she was here, offering
herself.  And he wanted her.  His mind denied that, but his body betrayed
that mind, screaming to touch her, caress her, possess her.  His yammering
mind bubbled to the surface long enough for him to say "Jasmine...  Sam...
you don't have to do this.  I love you.  I've always loved you.  I just
didn't know how to show it.  But you don't have to do this to get me to
love you.  I already do." Her dark eyed stare, so close to his face,
transmitted emotion almost like electricity.  She licked his lips.  "That
just makes me want you even more." she whispered.  She pushed him away and
assaulted his shirt, shoving it down off his shoulders, like she had the
suit coat.  It hung up on his wrists, because the cuff links were still in
place.  That bound him, in a way, and he could do nothing as her nimble
fingers went to the fastening of his suit pants.  He felt cool air wash
over his knees as his pants dropped to his ankles.  He felt her fingers at
the waistband of his briefs and sucked in his stomach automatically.  But
her fingers just slid down the sides of his underwear, off of them and onto
his outer thighs as her hands dropped to remove his shoes and then drag the
pants off his feet.  Then he felt her fingers first at one sleeve and then
the other, and he was free.  While he shook off the shirt, her hands
stripped his underwear down in one swift jerk.  Brad looked down to find
his daughter staring at his erect cock.  Her hands came up to cup his
balls, and one hand stayed there, while the other drifted to encircle his
shaft.  She pulled his foreskin back off his glans and a bead of silver
collected at the slit at the tip of his cock.  As if it was in slow motion,
Jasmine leaned forward and her tongue darted out to capture that bead,
before sliding back into her mouth.  Then she kissed the tip, like she had
kissed his lips only moments before.  She kissed his prick like she loved
it...  adored it...  lived for it, cupping his balls like they were the
last two eggs in the universe, and she wanted to protect them.  It was
almost anticlimactical when her lipsticked lips slid over the head of his
cock and she sucked gently, coaxing another dribble of precum out of his
aching prick.  Events were beyond Brad's control now.  He felt helpless,
and that terrified him in a way.  He was a powerful man, who was always in
control.  But right then he could have been slaughtered by a child with a
pocket knife, so incapable of movement was he.  His whole universe centered
on the warm mouth that was enveloping his penis.  "Ohhhhh Saaaaammmm" he
groaned.  She pulled off his cock and stood up.  "I don't want you cumming
too soon.  You're older now, and it might take a while to get you ready
again.  And I need you now Daddy.  I need you to make me feel good way up
inside me.  She pulled him toward the bedroom, shedding the jacket, with
its protective dragon.  Her hand reached behind her and her bra went slack,
She pushed him to the bed and, quicker than he would have believed possible
removed the panties.  She somehow pulled him down with her, on top of her,
her thighs on either side of him.  He felt the suspenders from the garter
belt scraping his hips as she pulled him upward.  His face went past
perfect breasts and he had to taste, dropping his head to suckle one long
hard nipple.  It had some kind of flavoring agent on it...  orange...  no
lime maybe...  something citrus-like.  He was rewarded with her coo of
enjoyment and her hands on the back of his head.  Then she was pulling at
him again, getting him into position to claim her as a woman.  He felt her
hand on his hardness, and felt the tip dip into wet heat.  There was no
transition between that feel around the tip of his cock and his lunge that
skewered her in one frictionless thrust that drove the tip of his prick
into her cervix.  Both of them made sounds that were at the same time
agonized and joyful beyond belief.  Brad felt like he was home.  He could
die this instant, and he wouldn't mind.  He was buried in a woman who
wanted him for who he really was, rather than what he could do for her.  It
was the first time since Elizabeth that he had truly loved the woman who
was sheathing his manhood in her welcoming pussy.  There was a period of
time that night that was lost to Brad in many ways.  He would always
remember the feel of her skin against his, her voice in his ear, her
fingernails digging into his buttocks and back.  He would always remember
the peculiar little series of high pitched grunts she made as she
approached her orgasm, but which vanished from her vocabulary when she
tumbled down the slope of her climax.  She sounded like she was terrified
one moment, and then moaned long loud sobs of joy as she not only grabbed
her orgasms, but wrung every drop of delirious feeling out of each one.  He
would always remember comparing her to the women he'd been with before, who
pretended to have orgasms, or even managed to get to the pinnacle with him,
but only shuddered quietly as they concentrated on their pleasure, while
dismissing him completely.  And in that comparison he found a woman who was
on fire with emotion, whose cries and sobs and moans were either real, or
the stuff of Oscars.  He would always believe she was not acting as he
reached for him again and again, always asking for more.  But, he could not
have told anyone the story of what happened that night.  He could not have
described how they made love, or what she said, or even what they talked
about between the times they thrashed together, almost tearing the sheets
in their passion.  And, he could not have told anyone exactly how many
times he pushed his rampant erection deep into his daughter and strained
his muscles to push more of his cream into her womb.  He remembered being
amazed at one point, a point long past what he thought he was capable of at
his age.  But that's it.  She blew his mind, and he lost some of his
thoughts in that emotional windstorm.

   Brad was, indeed late getting to work, as Jasmine had predicted the
night before.  When he walked into Josh's office he had a level of energy
about him that Josh recognized from his own life.  "I trust things went...
well." he said.  Brad just nodded.  "Had a great time.  Tell Julie thanks
for me." "You can tell her yourself." said Josh.  "She informed me that
we're eating lunch together...  the three of us.  It's one of her traits I
haven't been able to break her of...  putting things on my schedule, I
mean." he said.  Brad frowned, and Josh thought that wasn't a good thing,
but Brad's words didn't match his face.  "Don't try to break her of that
Josh.  She's doing you a bigger favor than you can imagine.  She's more
important than your schedule.  Well, most of the time anyway." he added,
the businessman in him rising to the top of the choppy surface that was a
sea of competing emotions.  "OK, I'll try to remember that." said Josh,
feeling distinctly like something had happened that he should be able to
see and tuck away in his mind, but which eluded him.  He did, in fact,
idolize Brad Tarkenton, and wanted to be that rich and that powerful when
he was Brad's age.  But the man, in person, wasn't quite what Josh had
anticipated he would be.  Something in Josh was elated that this big,
important man was thoroughly human, with human emotions.  Josh didn't want
to give up that part of his own life, and if Brad Tarkenton had time to be
emotional, that meant Josh didn't have to be ashamed of his personal and
social urges.  But, in competition with his personal side, the businessman
side of Josh Clinton scoffed at all that sappy emotion.  He was a shark,
and sharks didn't let emotion get in the way of successful feeding.  It was
the shark that asked the next question.  "So, if all you're here for is to
give me a pat on the back...  you've already done that.  Why are you still
here Brad?  You could be winging your way back to the coast right now."
Brad recognized the shark, but wasn't worried.  "While I'm here I may as
well take a look at the operation.  I have a lot of faith in you Josh, but
sometimes things slip through the cracks, even when there's a top notch
rooster guarding the henhouse." They then went over Josh's business plan
with a fine tooth comb.  Several cracks WERE discovered, with things lying
in them and Josh was abashed.  His enthusiasm about having Brad as a boss
mounted even more.  Both were surprised when Josh's personal secretary
opened the door and announced it was time for their "lunch meeting".  Brad
glanced at the woman, who he'd seen only in passing.  She was a statuesque
blond, beautiful in the same way that Julie and...  Jasmine - he had to
remember to call her Jasmine - were.  She oozed sexuality and passion. 
When she closed the door he looked at Josh with a raised eyebrow.  Josh
seemed to know what he was thinking.  "Don't worry.  Tawny was chosen
specifically for the job by Julie.  I had to pay her an awful lot to get
her away from...  well to hire her.  But she's loyal to a fault to Julie,
and believe me, there's nothing going on there.  Not with me anyway.  I get
the feeling she's still working on the side once in a while, but it isn't
interfering with her performance.  In fact, she's brought us quite a bit of
business." Brad shook his head, but smiled.  "Julie is turning out to be a
much bigger asset to the organization than I would have believed a wife
could be." "Well, you know what they say about every great man..." joked
Josh.  Since George had been retained for the exclusive use of Amalgamated
Enterprises for the four day period Josh had scheduled to be in Cleveland,
Tawnee had arranged for him to pick up the men and take them to the
restaurant where Julie was waiting for them, sipping a very small glass of
golden wine.  There was a circle of empty tables around her, but all the
businessmen who were taking lunch seemed to be facing her direction at the
tables beyond that.  Brad asked her what she was drinking when he sat down
and she blushed.  "It's Liebfraumilch" she said.  "It's nothing special,
but I just love the sweetness of it." She glanced at her husband.  "I'm
allowed a few sips a day until the baby is born." she said defensively. 
"Drink what you like." he said.  "That's always been my motto.  I developed
a taste for it when I was in Germany myself." He smiled.  "That and Pilsner
too." Julie was flushed with enthusiasm.  "Imagine that Josh, a millionaire
who likes beer!" Brad grinned.  "I'm just a man, Julie.  I put my pants on
one leg at a time just like the rest of them." Julie smiled wider. 
"Speaking of which, Josh, go wash your hands or something.  I need to talk
to Brad about last night." "What?  I can't hear all the gory details too?"
Josh asked with forced hurt in his voice.  "You mean you didn't already?  I
thought all you men compared notes as often as you saw each other." said
Julie, looking at Brad.  She looked back at her husband.  "Isn't there a
rule or something that you have to strut and stick your chest out and crow
about what a stud you are when you meet each other?" Both men laughed at
her reference to a rooster, but neither admitted that Brad had just called
Josh one only fifteen minutes ago.  "Not a peep." said Josh.  "The man
either has discretion or nothing happened and he's too embarrassed to admit
it." He grinned to show he was posturing.  He was moving away from them
though, respecting his wife's desire for privacy.  Julie looked at Brad
with a calculating gaze.  "Well?  Is he right?  Jasmine didn't call me. 
She usually calls me to tell me how things went." Brad was suddenly
uncomfortable.  Talking about what had happened with his daughter wasn't
something he relished, even if Julie didn't know she was his daughter. 
"Things went well." he tried, and then took a sip of wine from her glass.
His wasn't there yet.  "You're not getting off that easy." she said.  "How
long did she stay?" "Well, when I left this morning she was throwing
pillows at me for making too much noise." said Brad, thinking that would
sound normal enough.  Julie's face went slack.  "She stayed all night?" It
was obvious she was surprised for some reason.  "Uh, yes." said Brad. 
Julie thought for a minute.  "I can only think of two times that's
happened." she said.  The calculating look was back.  "It's a good thing I
gave you the condom.  She doesn't carry them.  She says it's a sign of a
man's breeding when he has his own." "Oh" said Brad, his eyes wide. 
"Well...  um...  that subject sort of never came up." Now Julie looked
positively shocked.  "Are you telling me she let you in her without a
condom?  Brad she NEVER lets a man in her without a condom!  She's almost
paranoid about it.  She even carries spermicide with her.  It has to be
used within a couple of hours and she does that religiously, even IF the
condom is intact afterwards." Julie suddenly blushed again.  "I shouldn't
have said that.  It's a professional secret." Brad just stared.  "Surely
she's on the pill." he said.  Something in his voice made the hackles on
Julie's neck rise.  "She didn't go to the bathroom after you...  finished?"
"Julie, it took us all night to...  finish.  I've never been with a woman
like her.  Not since my wife died." "Oh my." said Julie softly.  "Oh my."
she repeated herself.  "She's allergic to the pill...  can't take them."
She sat up straighter in her chair.  "Brad, please tell me she took the
money." "What kind of thing is that to say?" asked Brad, injured somehow.
He'd forgotten about the money, and that she HAD taken it.  "Did she Brad?"
Julie's voice was low...  serious.  "Yes she did." he said, miffed that she
had to know.  Julie sat back, more relaxed.  "Thank goodness for that." she
said.  "What's going on Julie?" asked Brad.  Julie looked at him with
something that looked almost like sympathy.  "Jasmine is very... 
particular about men.  There are some men she won't sleep with, no matter
how much they pay.  Men who want to do it bareback, for instance.  She just
won't.  She's walked out, leaving as much as five grand on the table
before. But sometimes one of the girls gets a little...  shall we say
starry-eyed?  She gets it in her mind that things could go...  um... 
farther than...  well, farther than a business relationship.  When that
happens they do things that aren't good for them.  They get hurt.  I don't
want Jasmine hurt Brad.  She's my best friend." Brad's response was
instantaneous.  "I'll never hurt her...  NEVER!" Julie used that
calculating look to devastating advantage.  "Even if she gets with your
child Brad?  Suppose a few months from now she turns up too pregnant to do
anything about it?  Suppose she shows up on your corporate doorstep with
her belly looking like mine?  How would you feel about things then Brad? 
She was STUPID!  And YOU were stupid too!" Now there was heat in her voice
and anger in her eyes.  Brad was shocked again.  He had a mental image of
Sam, looking like Julie looked now.  He felt his dick getting stiff and was
shocked that the idea of Sam pregnant with his child was so erotic.  But
Brad couldn't explain why the scenario Julie had just hypothesized would
only make him happier.  For lack of anything else to say he said "It
happened to you Julie." Julie looked down at her own pregnant body.  "Are
you saying you'd MARRY her Brad?!" she said incredulously.  "What the hell
HAPPENED last night?" she said, sitting up again.  Just then Brad saw Josh
heading their way.  He was smiling.  All was right with the world for Josh
Clinton.  He had a beautiful pregnant wife, a great job, a boss he loved.
Everything was coming up roses.  Until he saw the look on his wife's face.
There was consternation, maybe even a little fear on her face.  "OK,
whatever it is he did last night, it can't be that bad." he said smiling as
he walked up to the table and sat down between them.  "You have NO idea
Josh Clinton." she said heatedly.  "Go wash your hands again!" Josh just
sat there.  "Look, you didn't hurt her, right?" he said looking at Brad. 
"I mean she's not bleeding or in the hospital or anything, right?" "Of
course not." said Brad, disgusted at the idea.  "OK, then.  You paid her to
have a good time.  If you had a good time and she's OK then what's the big
deal?" Julie tossed him a scathing look.  "You, mister, are going without
sex for a long LONG time." "Come on Bunny, don't be that way." said Josh,
realizing that she was seriously worried about something.  "Men!" said
Julie.  She dug into her purse and pulled out a phone.  She punched in
numbers and then waited, listening to the rings.  "Hey, it's me." she said
into the phone.  "How are you?  You didn't call me." Julie's eyes went to
Brad and locked with his.  "So?  How'd it go?" asked Julie to the phone. 
Her voice was almost too casual.  She listened for what seemed like twenty
minutes to Brad.  The waiter came and Josh ordered for everybody while he
was ignored by his lunch partners.  "Jasmine, you aren't doing something
stupid are you?" asked Julie.  There was a pause as she listened.  "Where
are you now?" she said a minute later.  Another pause and she said "He's
sitting across the table from me right now.  We're having lunch with Josh."
Julie put her hand over the phone.  "She wants to see you again." She said
it like it was an indictment.  "I want to see her again." said Brad.  It
was true.  He wanted to see her every day, and not just for sex either. 
Julie went back to the phone.  "As soon as we're done here I want to see
you.  OK, You're sure you're OK?...  OK OK, don't get huffy.  I'll see you
later." She punched the phone off and put it back in her purse.  Then she
leveled her gaze on Brad again.  "I like you Brad, so I'm going to give you
a little friendly advice.  Don't fuck with my friend's emotions." Josh
gasped and started to apologize for her, but she cut him off.  "I've never
heard her sound like this Brad.  If you hurt her I'll cut your balls off. I
don't care how much money you have, or that you're my husband's boss.  I'll
do what I can when I see her, but she likes you...  a lot." "Why do you
have to do anything?" asked Brad.  His mind was in the process of trying to
make a decision...  a decision that no one would understand, much less
approve of.  But he had just found his daughter, whom he had believed he'd
never see again, and what he felt for her was white hot on a multitude of
levels.  There was the chance he could even reclaim his relationship with
his son.  Suddenly 'business' didn't seem as important as it had in the
past.  Julie was floored and it showed.  "You want me to believe that a man
like you...  a man in your position...  would even CONSIDER having a... 
long term relationship with...  with a woman like Jasmine." Her eyes were
wide and then they narrowed.  "You never answered my last question, did
you?" she said, her voice level.  She darted a nervous glance at her
husband, who was trying to figure out what was going on.  Her threat
notwithstanding, she did care what happened to him.  Brad chose his words
carefully.  He couldn't seem too enthusiastic, or she'd think he was
bullshitting her.  "Jasmine will never have to worry about her future, no
matter what happens to her." This was language that Julie both understood,
and interpreted completely incorrectly.  "She's not that kind of woman
Brad. Jasmine will never allow herself to become a...  kept woman." "I
didn't say she'd be a kept woman." said Brad.  "It's complicated.  I can't
explain it right now.  Jasmine and I have to talk about some things." "You
didn't have time to talk last night?" asked Josh, in things way over his
head.  "They apparently didn't spend a lot of time...  talking." said Julie
in a huff.  But the guarded look in her eye faded.  The calculating look
was back.  "OK.  I trust you.  I don't know WHY I trust you, but I do. 
I'll know a lot more after I corner that girl and talk to her face to
face." She smiled, but it was a professional smile, rather than one she
felt down deep.  "Now, why don't we enjoy lunch?" "How can I enjoy lunch
when I feel like I'm swimming in water filled with chum?" asked Josh
plaintively.  Julie's laugh tinkled, and heads - male heads - turned to
look wistfully at her smile, which was genuine this time.  "You don't' have
to worry about being bitten...  until later tonight.  Don't be too late
tonight.  I may be...  excited...  after I talk to Jasmine." "I thought you
were cutting me off for months and months." said Josh, actually confused.
Her laugh tinkled again and it sent chills down the back of both men. 
"Silly boy.  You just let me decide when you need to be punished and when
you don't." The rest of lunch was much more pleasant, and Julie did give
Brad the benefit of the doubt.  But she also hurried through her meal,
leaving a lot on her plate when she pushed it back.  "Gosh, I'm full" she
announced.  "Junior here is taking up more and more room.  It's been fun
boys, but I have a date to find out how Jasmine's appetite is." Josh looked
at her confused.  Brad just looked at his plate.  Two hours later Josh got
a phone call on his private line.  "Hi sweetheart" he said into the phone.
"Everything OK?...  Yes, he's here with me.  You want to talk to him?... 
OK, I'll see you in a while." He hung up.  "She's on her way down here. 
She wants to see you." He paused for a minute.  "Is there anything we need
to talk about?" "Not that I know of." said Brad.  But his emotions were
roiling underneath his cool exterior.  What had Jasmine told Julie?

   CHAPTER FOUR

   About twenty minutes later Julie breezed into the office like she owned
it.  Her attitude was one that was professional in some senses.  She walked
like she had a purpose...  a mission perhaps.  Her face gave nothing away.
She closed the door to Josh's office.  "Should I go wash my hands again
darling?" asked Josh.  There was just the hint of a smile at the corners of
his mouth.

   "No." she said tersely.  "I want you to hear this." She turned to Brad.
"Mister Tarkenton, do you love Jasmine?"

   "WHAT?!" gasped Josh.

   Brad gave her a look that most of his employees would have quailed from.
It bounced off of her like water off a well-waxed Rolls Royce.

   "Yes." said Brad, with finality in his voice.

   "I have to sit down." moaned Josh.  He did, thumping into his leather
chair.

   "You'd better." said Julie.  "Because she's in love with you."

   "After ONE NIGHT?!" moaned Josh.

   "It's complicated" said Julie, using Brad's earlier words.

   "I love her." said Brad.  The sound of the words made his heart leap. 
He had no idea how this whole charade would play out, but saying that he
loved her to someone other than her...  making it public knowledge of a
sort...  made him feel better than he had in a long time.

   "She said she'll be in your room when you get back." said Julie.  She
dug in her purse and pulled out another condom.  She extended it to Brad,
as if there weren't fifteen or twenty employees around the place who could
see what she was handing him.  She didn't have to say anything, and he took
the little foil packet from her, slipping it into his pocket.  "Use it...
please." She said the last word as a real entreaty.

   Then she pressed herself against him, her bulging belly firmly against
him and kissed him on the lips.  No one was more astonished than Brad, not
even Josh.  "That was from Jasmine." she said, her face a little pink. 
"And from me for making her happy.  I love her too Brad."

   Brad caught his breath, and before he could think about it he said "In
that case I'm going to try to make her happy a lot."

   Julie's thousand-dollar-a-night smile lit up the room.  "Flirt!" she
accused.  Then she went to her husband and kissed him even more firmly. 
"Don't be late.  I was right.  I'm all excited." She unceremoniously walked
out the door, leaving it open so that both men could see the sway of her
baby-bearing hips as she called out greetings to several employees by name
and headed for the elevator.

   Tawny came in shortly afterward.  She waited patiently as Josh and Brad
finished talking about the advantages of using small businesses in
subcontracts instead of dealing with the more bureaucratic larger ones. 
When the men turned their head toward her she said "I've cleared your
calendar for the rest of the afternoon Josh.  Mr.  Tarkenton, I believe
George is waiting for you downstairs.

   Josh looked at Brad, who shrugged his shoulders.  Neither man had seen
Julie talk to Tawny on her way out.  She took a step toward Brad and held
out her hand as if to shake his.  When he automatically clasped hers, he
felt another foil packet being transferred to him.  "I'm supposed to remind
you to use it." she said sweetly.

   Brad felt distinctly like he was being watched as Josh laughed out loud.
He was already neatening up his desk in preparation for leaving.  "I don't
know about you, but I'm not keeping her waiting." he said.

   Brad found himself about to be the only man in the office and started
toward the door.

   When George let him out of the limo at the hotel, he handed Brad another
condom.  "Sorry sir, just following orders.  I'm supposed to remind you
to..."

   "Yes I know George...  use it!" finished Brad.  "Does everybody in town
know about this?"

   "Only the important people sir." came back George's completely sincere
answer.

   If Brad thought he'd have time to prepare himself, he was wrong.  He
smelled her perfume as soon as he opened the door.  He followed his nose,
calling out and hearing nothing.  She was in the bedroom...  on the bed. 
She was naked.  Her hair was artfully spread out on both sides of her body,
setting off her pale naked skin against the black background.

   Her arms came up.  "Hurry" she said throatily.  "I need you now."

   Brad's heart was in his throat.  He was still clasping the condom George
had handed him.  He set it on the bed by her foot and began to disrobe. 
One feminine, delicate foot kicked the condom to the floor as she spread
her legs open, showing him her glistening pussy.  Her pussy lips were
engorged and flushed.  She'd been playing with herself as she waited.  Her
hands came up and tweaked her nipples, now devoid of any coloring and so
pink that they almost disappeared against the pale skin of her breasts. 
She had tiny areolas that were the same pale shade, just slightly darker
than white.

   "How many condoms do you have?" she asked.

   Brad's heart waqs conflicted.  She'd never shown any interest in using
condoms before.  Maybe she'd changed her mind about...  things.  "Three" he
said.

   "Julie and George...  who else?" she asked, panting with her need.

   "Tawny" he said.

   "Take them back.  Take every one of them back.  You tell Julie she
doesn't own my womb and tell the rest to mind their own business.  Now,
come to me.  I WANT you."

   "But Sam, what about...  ?"

   "Daddy, don't ruin this for me...  please.  I'm so horny I want to rub
myself.  But I don't want that.  I want YOU.  I want your big hard PRICK in
me Daddy...  and I want it right NOW!" she arched her hips up off the bed,
presenting her pussy to him in all its glory.

   Brad was inflamed with lust.  He almost vaulted onto the bed and she
caught him, squeezing him and tugging him to her opening.  He slid home
with a grunt and, in the split second before he began hammering her with
his prod he thought to himself "This IS home.  THIS is where I belong."

   Samantha cried out as she was filled and she felt at once the
conflicting emotions of relief and heightened lust.  She had needed to feel
his hardness in her, but now it wasn't enough.  Her body jerked as she
almost lifted him with her pelvic thrusts and she opened herself to let him
pound her.  Faster and faster they went until he was exhausted and had to
slam in and grind against her sex.  That flipped a switch in her and she
let herself cum, wailing and raking his back with long manicured
fingernails.  As her pleasure reached a pinnacle she felt him stiffen and
emit a series of grunts as he tried, fully seated in her, to dig his way
even deeper.  There was a long hot flow of wet that she felt to her core
and she almost screamed.  Then she felt four more jets of his seed bursting
out of his prick to inundate her womb and she cried tears of happiness.

   Again, their lovemaking had left them both almost lifelessly limp.  This
time, though, they managed to roll so that she was on top, still firmly
ensconced on his maleness.  Her hair flowed over them both, like a blanket
that tickled, but was welcome anyway.

   "Oh Daddy I love you so much." she cried.

   "I love you too baby." he replied, wishing he could think of some more
grand way to say it.  "I'll never sleep with another woman." he added, in
his male-thinking way.

   Sam giggled, and her muscular contractions forced him out of her.  He
felt wetness begin to drool out of her, onto his pubic hair.  "Men always
say that, but they never mean it." she said, still panting into his neck.

   "I mean it." he said.  Then what he had learned came rushing upon him.
"Julie says you never let a man inside you without a condom."

   "That's true." she said simply.  "But this is different."

   Women thought that way.  The fact that something was true, but untrue at
the same time was logic only a woman could understand.

   "Why is this different?" he asked, stroking her smooth back.

   "You and Phillip are the only men allowed to put their seed into me."
she said, as if that explained everything.  "I love you both."

   "And you've never loved another man?" he asked.  She raised her head and
her piercing eyes locked with his.  "Never." she said.  Her voice had a
note of finality in it that brooked no argument.

   "That's silly." said her father.  "You're beautiful and smart.  A lot of
men would kill to have you for their wife.  Why waste your youth on two men
who could never marry you?"

   "I don't love a lot of men." she said, raising herself enough to support
herself with her elbows tucked up against her breasts, and lying on his
chest.  Her arms acted like a wonder bra and forced her breasts up and
toward Brad's face, as if they were suddenly huge.  He had an insane urge
to suckle her nipples, but forced it down to continue the conversation.

   "My name...  my legal name...  is Jasmine Trudeau.  My life as Jasmine
Trudeau has no connection whatsoever to Mister Brad Tarkenton or Mister
Phillip Tarkenton.  Phillip has a girlfriend, though, and I think he's
going to marry her.  She thinks I'm a silent partner in his business, and
come to visit three or four times a year to check up on my investment. 
She's right about that, by the way, but she doesn't know about the rest. 
There is only one place where the record shows what my...  former name was.
The man who has that record will do whatever I tell him to with it. 
Records get lost, you know.

   There was a pause and her face took on a look of something close to
fear.

   "Julie told me she asked you what you'd do if I got pregnant.  She said
you never answered her." The repeated question hung heavily in the air.

   Brad's mind was going at mach three, trying to examine what she was
saying between the lines.  His heart hammered in his chest...  so hard she
had to feel it through her elbows.  It was impossible.  What she was
suggesting could go wrong in so many ways he couldn't think of them all. 
There could be scandal.  He could lose the company.  No one would ever
believe he didn't know who she really was.  And...  after what he'd done to
her...  why would she even want to do what he thought she was suggesting.
He had to know and the fear was building in her eyes.  He could feel her
body stiffening.

   "You'd consent?  You'd even think seriously about being my...  wife?"

   "I've wanted to be your wife ever since that cow Jane came into our
house and said she was my mother.  I'd have made a better wife for you
then, and I was only ten.  And then you chose Trudy to try to fill Mommy's
shoes.  Phillip and I plotted ways to kill her, but we never could figure
out a way that wouldn't have gotten us caught."

   Brad thought she was kidding, but couldn't tell for sure.  He didn't
know what to say.  His body felt so full at the thought that he might have
Sam on his arm all the time...  might come home to her every night...  he
was sure he was going to go insane with the tension that was bubbling just
under the surface.  He concentrated on her role as his lover and his prick
surged toward erection.

   Sam thought he was waffling.  His eyes were darting all about.  She used
the last argument in her arsenal.  "You need a wife Daddy.  People will
treat you different if you have a wife."

   "I don't care what people think." he growled.

   He pushed her off of him and she cried out, her fear breaking loose as
she assumed he was rejecting her.  But then he was on top of her, kneeing
her legs apart roughly.

   "I don't need a wife." he said harshly.  He saw the tears in her eyes
and realized what she was thinking.

   "I need you." he said more softly.  "I need you with me every day.  I
need you every night.  I need you to live with me.  Other people might call
you my wife, and you can wear that name if you want to, but all I need is
you.  Please Sam, don't ever leave me.  If you want me to marry you I will.
If I have to pay off what's-his-name to bury your name change I will.  But
I don't care if we're married or not.  I just want you to love me and to
let me love you.

   He lay on top of her and felt his prick at her entrance.  He hunched
forward and felt the sweet heat of her body taking him in.  "Sweet, dear
Samantha" he whispered.  "Nobody will ever take your mother's place.  But
you don't need to baby.  I love you just as much as I loved her.  I'll do
whatever you want me to do, but please don't ask me to use you to replace
Elizabeth.  I don't want to use you at all.  I want to love you." She bit
her lip as she felt herself being filled up again.

   "But you'd marry me if I asked you to?" she begged.

   Brad shoved hard.  "Yes!" he grunted as he bottomed out.

   "And you'd get me pregnant?"

   "Yes!" he lunged again.

   "And I could live with you?" she whimpered, more tears forming in her
eyes.

   "Most DEFINITELY!" he lunged a third time.

   "You have to ask me Daddy." she whined.

   "Sam...  will you marry me?" he asked, lunging a forth time.

   "Sam CAN'T marry you." she cried.

   "JASMINE TRUDEAU, WILL YOU FOR PITY'S SAKE MARRY ME?" he yelled.

   "YEESSSSS!" she screamed.  She went wild, shaking and jerking so much
that he almost came unseated.  She screamed her way through an orgasm that
was completely emotional in nature.  Then she bawled, though her body kept
thrusting at him, doing what she had trained it to do.  He began to pant as
he neared his own release and she grabbed his face with her hands.

   "Daddy" she cooed.  "I had to hurry you.  I'm sorry Daddy.  But I'm at
my most fertile today.  I want your baby Daddy.  I want to feel something
living inside me.  I want you to put OUR baby in me Daddy.  I want our baby
today!  I've waited so long for this Daddy, please, don't make me wait any
more."

   Her words rang in his head like a huge bell and he felt his balls lurch
as they supplied the substance she craved.  In his mind's eye he saw his
sperm mixed with semen rushed through his prick like a freight train and
felt sweet release as it thundered into her womb.  Like a S.W.A.T.  team
those sperm began fanning out, searching for their prey, hoping to find the
egg they wanted to attack.  Brad would have sworn he heard them screaming
"HALT - SPREAD 'EM" as they surrounded the egg he hoped was waiting for
them, trapped in her body, unable to defend itself.

   He relaxed as he felt his last surge of seed flow into his willing
daughter.  He kissed her long and passionately as he used his muscles to
try to force even one more drop into her receptive womb.  Their kiss broke
as they gasped for breath together.  "I did my best sweetheart." he panted.

   Jasmine laughed breathlessly.  "You're not done yet.  Not by a long
shot. I ordered three dozen oysters.  They should be here any minute."

   Brad didn't want to get up, but if there came a knock at the door
someone would need to open it or the bell boy might use his pass key. 
Suddenly Brad didn't want any other men seeing his lover undressed.

   He had a horrified thought.  "What about your...  work?" he asked.

   Jasmine slapped at him.  "What work?  I'm retired." He was still kissing
her when the knock came.  He lurched away from her, landing on his feet as
she went "Ooofff" from the strain of taking his weight.  "Daddy!" she
yelped.'

   "I don't want him to see you." he explained hastily as he grabbed up his
pants.

   "They know never to come in unless invited." she chided.

   "Well then, I don't want those oysters to go bad.  I'm suddenly
starved!" he said, pulling on the pants.

   Jasmine's laugh tinkled and it made shivers run through him as he went
to the door and opened it, bare chested.

   It was a bellboy he'd never seen before, and he held out the covered
platter.  "No signature necessary sir." he said with a grin, and turned on
his heel as soon as he was sure Brad had a good hold on the platter.

   She laughed at him again as he set the platter down on a table and
whipped the lid off, grabbing up shells and slurping the meat as quickly as
he could.  Her laughter was music in his ears.

   "Daddy, we have all afternoon." she said, stretching.  He glanced at her
and saw that her pussy lips were wet with his spend.  She looked so erotic
lying there, pale against her black hair.  He had a sudden thought.  "What
are you going to call me?" he asked.

   "I don't know if I can call you Brad or not.  That would be too weird."
she said.

   "After all this, you think it would be weird?" he asked between slurps.
"You can't call me Daddy."

   "Why not?" she pouted.  "A lot of women call their husbands Daddy."

   "Those women have children." he shot back between gulps.

   "Then you'd better get finished there and make sure I have one too." she
said, spreading her legs again.  It didn't happen quite as soon as she
wanted it to, and not anywhere as soon as HE wanted it to, but eventually
she got him hard again and coaxed another thick load of his creamy spunk
into her.  during the shower afterward he tried and tried to get hard
again, and she laughed at him as he scolded his penis.  She sucked it
lovingly, and laughed again as he flopped uselessly.

   "I killed it." she said, with mock sadness.  "Or maybe it will take a
little while for the oysters to kick in."

   While they waited for that to happen they got dressed and he took her to
dinner.  She made one phone call while they were waiting for their food. 
"Can I tell Julie?" she asked as she punched numbers.

   "Julie has been bullying me." he said.  "Let's make her wait."

   Jasmine grinned and then had a conversation with her friend that Brad
could tell was plainly designed to mystify and confuse her.

   "Hi, it's me...  Yes, everything's all right...  Yes, we're together. 
We're having dinner...  Julie!  I said everything's fine.  What do you want
from me?...  What do you THINK we did?  What did you and Josh do?...  Yes,
it was nice...  OK it was BETTER than nice...  Of COURSE I still feel the
same way.  Oh, gotta go.  The appetizers are here.  See you later?  OK,
Bye."

   She flipped the phone closed and looked at Brad.  "She's going to kill
me when she finds out.  I all but cried on her shoulder when I saw her
after lunch.  I was a basket case."

   "I told you I loved you." he said, reaching for her hand.

   "Yes, but there's a difference between a man telling a woman he loves
her, and telling a woman he'll marry her and give her children.  I wasn't
sure you'd...  I wasn't sure it would work out."

   "I'll have to take some steps to ensure your...  uh...  past identity...
is securely buried." he said.

   "I wouldn't have it any other way." she said.  "I didn't like being that
girl."

   "Sam...  Jasmine...  you know I have to go back to the coast tomorrow.
This was just a short trip, to reward Josh for his good work."

   "I need some time to finish things up here anyway.  You know, wrap up
some loose ends." she said carelessly.

   "Well, I hope those loose ends don't involve any men who will expect you
to...  escort them." he said.  "I'm very jealous, suddenly."

   Jasmine got up and came around the table to kiss him.  "After what I've
experienced with you, other men would pale to insignificance.  I've always
been a sexual girl, and I won't lie to you...  there have been men who
brought me to orgasm.  But no one...  no one, Daddy...  no one has ever
made me feel like you did in the last two days.  I'd rather rub my own
pussy...  I WILL rub my own pussy...  before I let any other man touch me."

   She looked suddenly astonished.  "Wait.  I do have to see another man."

   Brad looked at her, waiting.

   "I have to go see Phillip." She looked nervous.  "I have to tell him
what happened Daddy."

   "And if he wants to..." he couldn't say the words.

   Both her hands grabbed his and she squeezed.  "I told you Daddy, I love
him too.  He's been my lover since he was fourteen.  We took each other's
virginity.  I can't shove him away from me Daddy.  Please understand that."

   Brad thought about what she was saying.  She was telling him that he
wouldn't always be the only man who had access to her naked body.  And with
Phillip she didn't use protection.  He tried to envision Phillip, hunched
over Jasmine as she spread her legs and invited him in to her sexual core.

   He couldn't do it.  He couldn't dredge up a picture in his mind of his
own son.  He could remember Phillip at seventeen, but he would have changed
in the time that had passed.

   Maybe it was his inability to put a face on the figure that was
ravishing Jasmine.  Maybe that made it less personal somehow.  Maybe it was
that he knew, deep in his gut that she loved him and would always love him.
And maybe it was something in his subconscious that recognized that he had
loved Elizabeth with all his heart...  and now loved Jasmine with all his
heart, which diminished his love for Elizabeth not at all.  Maybe it was
the realization that, when you pulled love out of your heart, there was
always more there the next time you reached in...  would ALWAYS be more
when it was needed.

   Whatever the reason, he arrived at the conclusion that her love for her
brother was no threat to their relationship, regardless of what form their
love took.  If Phillip made her pregnant before he did, then he'd be a
grandfather.  If not, then he'd be a father...  AND grandfather, come to
think of it.  Regardless, he would manage to father children on this lovely
woman.  And then he'd father another...  and another...  and another...

   "Daddy!" his reverie was broken by Jasmine, who was staring at him. 
"You haven't heard a word I said!" she said.

   "I was thinking of babies." he said.

   "Awwww" she cooed.  "Our babies?"

   "Ours and yours and Phillip's" he said automatically.

   "Daddy!" she gasped.

   "Well, you said you love him, right?"

   "Well, yes, of course.  I DO love him." she said, off balance.

   "And you said you've been lovers for years, right?"

   "Yes, but that doesn't mean..."

   "And you said he's the only other man you have unprotected sex with,
right?"

   "Well yes, but he'll understand if I don't want to do that any more."
she said.

   "Jasmine, honey, why did you have unprotected sex with him before?"
asked her father.

   "I don't know.  We just started that way I guess.  And after that it
just seemed normal." She looked puzzled.

   "And did you ever worry about being pregnant by your brother?" he asked.

   "Well sure.  There were a couple of times I was late for a period and
panicked, but it always turned out OK."

   "But you never...  graduated...  to safe sex with your brother?" He
seemed to be trying to make a point, but she wasn't seeing it.

   "Of course not.  He was Phillip.  He was my brother.  I loved him."

   "And that meant that if you got pregnant, you...  got pregnant." He
looked at her.

   She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.  Her eyes
took on a far away look and then snapped back to the present.

   She frowned.  "You know, I spent a hell of a lot of money for that
therapist, who told me I was trying to get my father's love by fucking men
for money.  And then you came along and I fell in love with you...  again.
And I thought to myself that I hadn't wasted that money at all.  But now,
in two days, you managed to see more of my psyche than that damn doctor did
in five YEARS!"

   She closed her eyes, pressing them with her forefinger and thumb, as if
she had a headache.  She opened her eyes and looked at her father.  "In
answer to your hypothesis, yes, if Phillip would have knocked me up I'd
have kept the baby and loved it as much as I love him.  And yes, maybe I
had some kind of subconscious wish that he WOULD knock me up.  And yes,
dammit, if I had a period and then went down there and he and I made love
and then I missed a period I'd want to keep the baby to raise as ours when
we're married.  OK?  I'm a slut.  Now that that's taken care of, what are
you going to do?"

   Brad wanted to laugh.  She was so young, and took so many things so
seriously.  The young did that.  Some day she might grow jaded, like he
felt sometimes, but for now everything mattered to her.  She was disgusted
with herself for being willing to let her brother impregnate her while she
was in love with her father and trying to have HIS baby.  Yet, she was
honest enough to be honest not only with him, but with herself.

   Oh, what tangled webs we weave...  and in which we are sometimes caught.

   "I," he said solemnly, "am going to marry the second love of my life,
and I am going to do my double D best to make sure she is so pregnant that
Phillip won't have the glimmer of a sliver of a chance to knock her up. 
And, after I've harvested maybe six or seven little copies of myself from
her great big beautiful swollen up belly, and gotten my fill of milk
straight from her twin fountains of youth, I MIGHT give Phillip a chance to
get her with child.  Just so he doesn't feel left out.  He can huff and
puff and shove and shake all he wants, but if I've already got a bun in
your oven, all he can do is wait his damn turn.  THAT's what I'm going to
do."

   Jasmine looked shocked at first, but then she giggled, and that turned
into a laugh until she had to cover her mouth with a linen napkin while she
shook with laughter.  Finally she took a deep breath.  "Thank you Daddy. 
I'll go see Phillip and tell him the good news and let him huff and puff.
Then I'll come back here and tie up loose ends.  I need to let the hotel
know when I'm leaving."

   She looked startled again.  "When AM I leaving?  We haven't planned
ANYTHING yet Daddy!"

   "Here's what I think.  You can talk this over with Julie later, but
here's what I think you should do.  I think we should get married here,
where all your friends are.  Then I'll whisk you away on a honeymoon of
sorts.  I need to live back east for the present, but there's no reason we
can't have homes spread around the country.  And there's no reason I can't
live in those homes for at least half of the year.  My vision is to wean
the company off of my undivided attention.  I have several folks who are
coming along nicely - Josh is one - who should be able to run things
without my constant surveillance.  Eventually we can live wherever we like
the best for most of the year and I'll just fly in for board meetings and
supervision trips and such.  How's that for a plan?"

   "I want to make love to you...  right now." said Jasmine, staring
doe-eyed at her fianc'.

   "We can't.  We have to eat lunch first.  I'm getting back my strength
while the oysters kick in...  remember?"

   "Can't we just have one little orgasm first?  You only have to squirt
once.  You can save the rest for later." she whined.

   "If you're going to be Mrs.  Tarkenton, you're going to have to learn
self control.  If you're anything like Julie...  and I believe with all my
heart that you are...  You're going to want to stick your pretty little
nose into my business.  And I don't mind you doing that.  I've seen you at
work on people, and you're fabulous.  But you ARE going to have to learn to
be patient.  If you rush things you can spoil them." he said sagely.

   Jasmine looked grumpy.  "I fall in love with my Daddy.  He doesn't
notice me and marries two horrible witches.  He ignores me and I run away
from home, where I pine after him so much that I let any old man stick his
peter in me.  Years and years go by and then I see him and fall in love
with him all over again and I FINALLY have sex with him.  And that's not
PATIENCE?!"

   "You just eat lunch like a good little girl, and then Daddy will fuck
your socks off, OK?"

   Now it was Jasmine's thousand-dollar-a-night smile that lit up the
restaurant.

   After lunch Jasmine held his hand, pulling and tugging him back to the
room.  For over an hour she tormented him, stripping slowly for him, but
forbidding him to touch her.  Then she took his clothes off and kissed his
body everywhere, still demanding that he just stand or lie there with his
hands at his side.  Finally she took his penis in her mouth and sucked it
gently, licking it like a lollipop sometimes.  She built him to a drawn out
climax that he thought would cause the top of his head to blow off, but
wouldn't let him cum.  She jacked on his prick with her hand until his back
arched, and then stopped.  It was a sweet torture.  It was while she was
squatting over him, her hand firmly gripping his erection while she teased
her clitty with it, never quite letting him go inside her, that he moaned
"Why are you doing this to me?"

   "I want your lovely balls packed so full of juice that they get double
their normal size.  I want your balls to make extra potent sperm for my
pussy to gobble up.  I want a baby, and, old and broken down as you may be,
you're the only donor I have.  I may only get one squirt out of your poor
tired penis, so I want that one squirt to be a good one." She flipped her
hair so that it showered down on his chest and face, and her fingers found
his nipples, stroking and pinching lightly.

   "Do you think you could give me that squirt Daddy?  Do you think you
could do that for poor thirsty Jasmine?"

   "I'm going to EXPLODE if you don't let me cum!" he yelled.

   She reached down with her free hand and supported her weight while she
started jacking him with her other hand.  He begged her not to stop and,
with the experience of years she gauged when he was actually going to start
ejaculation.  Then, just before he erupted, she slid her hot pussy down
over his shaft.

   Brad went crazy.  First he fountained his spunk deep in her belly.  Then
he pulled her down and rolled with her, not even thinking that he might
have nothing to work with as his cock softened.  But his cock DIDN'T
soften, and he began rodding Jasmine's pussy with long clit-pounding
strokes.  She was so soaked with his cum that there was almost no friction,
but neither of them cared.  They were surging against each other and the
feel of skin on skin was almost as good as the feel of dick in pussy.

   Because of that lack of friction, Brad was able to go so long that he
finally just got tired.  His mind was willing, but his body began to fail
as first one, then another muscle started complaining that they had been
tense too long.

   He told Jasmine he just couldn't cum again and she stopped having
orgasms long enough to instruct him on what to do.  She closed her legs as
he put his knees outside them, placing a knee by each hip.  Then she
clamped her legs together and tightened her inner muscles and... 
suddenly...  there WAS friction.  She was still slick and hot, but Brad
could just lie on top of her and rock back and forth.  She began telling
him how good he felt in her, and reminding him that she was unprotected,
and that he was probably making a baby in her that very instant.  She
described how her abdomen would lose its flat appearance, and how the child
would grow inside her until she was huge and ungainly.  She described how
her breasts would begin to leak milk and how he'd have to help keep them
full for the baby by suckling if the baby didn't eat enough in the
beginning.

   It was her description of her feeding both him and the baby at the same
time that brought the precious liquid she wanted from his body.  So tired
he couldn't thrust hard, he just rocked upward and held himself deep inside
her as he bathed her pussy with one more load of warm spunk.

   CHAPTER FIVE

   By seven that night both Brad and Jasmine were exhausted from their
efforts to drive each other further and further into the arms of ecstasy
and they collapsed in slumber together.

   It was only an hour later that the phone jarred them both out of their
nap.  They had fallen asleep with Jasmine lying on top of him, still firmly
penetrated by his cock, which had delivered yet another helping of his
incestuous spunk into her pussy.

   When she jerked awake and pushed up off of him there was a wet squelch
as their sexual organs separated.  Then there was a muted "Ow!" as Jasmine
tried to push herself up and found that her hands were pinning her hair to
the bed.  The phone had rung five or six times by the time she stumbled to
it and lifted it.

   "WHAT!?" she snarled into the phone.

   Brad could hear the laughter on the other end from ten feet away as he
rubbed his muzzy eyes, trying to wake up.

   "Oh, it's you." said Jasmine, her voice a little more hospitable.  "We
were sleeping." she said.

   There was a pause as she listened and her free hand automatically
started straightening and combing through her long, tangled silky hair. 
"Do we have to?" she complained.  Another pause and then she sighed.  "Oh,
all right.  We'll be there."

   She hung up the phone and Brad watched, still in awe over her beauty as
she came back to the bed.  She put her hands on the bed and leaned down to
kiss him.  "That was Julie.  She says because it's your last night in town
we have to get together with them at their house."

   Brad sighed too.  "It's one of those obligatory things.  You'll have to
put up with that all the time when we're married." he warned.

   She kissed him again.  "Well, if that's the worst thing that happens to
us then married life won't be so bad at all." She kissed her way down his
chest, heading for his groin.  He grabbed a handful of hair and stopped
her.

   "If you do that we'll never get there." he said.  "I just love it when
an old broken down man gets all hard and excited for me." she said sweetly.
Then, like a snake, she darted her mouth to his cock, trying to get him
inside her.  She only partially succeeded as he surged to a sitting
position and grabbed her head.  They wrestled playfully as she got the side
of his cock between her lips, but then his strength won out and all she
could manage was to slide her lips and tongue along his flaccid length
before he pushed her away.

   She smacked her lips theatrically.  "You taste like both of us." she
said.  "We taste good."

   It only took them half an hour to make themselves presentable.  Both
were expert at the quick makeovers that were sometimes required in the
business world.  They dressed casually.  Somehow a lot of Jasmine's
clothing had managed to find its way into Brad's hotel room.  Brad was in
the bathroom combing his hair when she came in dressed in a sweatshirt and
jeans.  Even in such rough clothing she was fabulously beautiful and Brad
felt his cock stir with interest.  Amazed, he tried to count back the
number of times he had ejaculated inside her unprotected and particularly
fertile slit just this one day.  He quit trying when he got to four.  Four
times in one day!  At LEAST four times in one day!  He could hardly believe
it.  Maybe there was something to oysters after all.

   "Do I look OK?" she asked, peering past him into the mirror.

   "Sir John is trying to stand at attention in honor of your beauty this
very second." he said.

   She giggled.  When she turned around he could see writing on the back of
the sweat shirt and turned to read it.  It said "The beatings will continue
until morale improves" He laughed at the similarity between that statement
and her demands on him sexually.

   George was magically out front waiting for them again, and he smiled as
he opened the door of the limo.  "You two look good together." he said as
they approached.

   Jasmine dimpled at him.  "Thank you George.  I have a secret.  Do you
want to know it?"

   George, ever tactful, said "Well, miss Jasmine, if it's a secret, and
you tell me, then it won't be a secret any more."

   Jasmine turned to Brad.  "Please, can I tell him?  George is special."

   Brad smiled.  "George IS special, and he deserves to be the first person
to find out." Brad saw George's eyes dart to Jasmine's left hand.  George
was very perceptive.  But there was nothing there to see, and his eyes
darted away again.

   Brad stole a march on his bride to be.  "We haven't had a chance to go
shopping for a ring yet."

   Jasmine was incensed that he had blabbed the secret SHE was supposed to
blab, but she was a smart girl, and for the first time she used his name.
"BRAD!" she barked.  "I was supposed to get to tell him!"

   She was interrupted by what might have looked like an assault to a
bystander.  That bystander would have seen the limo chauffer suddenly grab
the beautiful woman who was about to get into the car and crush her in a
hug that lifted her off the ground as he swung her around.

   "Oh Jasmine, I'm SO HAPPY for you." George gushed.

   To his surprise Jasmine kissed him on the lips and then laughed at the
look on his face.  "Thank you George.  You're sweet.  You've always been
sweet to me George.  I'm going to need somebody to walk me down the aisle.
Would you think about doing that for me?"

   The look on George's face was classic surprise, gratitude and elation
all rolled up into one look and Brad knew that Jasmine had done something
for him that would eclipse any tip of any size that someone might offer
him. "I don't have to think about it.  I would be honored." he said.

   Then he was suddenly all business again, ushering them into the car,
telling them they had to hurry, that they would be late for their
engagement.

   Brad and Jasmine were necking in the back of the limo when it stopped.
Neither thought about the fact that the trip had been short, and were
surprised when George opened the door and they realized they were in the
shopping district, down town.  As they peered out they saw they were in
front of Gino's, one of the premier jewelers in Cleveland.  Brad looked at
his watch.  It was late...  much too late for the store to be open.  But as
they got out the door opened and a man dressed in a three piece suit stood
there, inviting them in.

   "I made a call." said George.  "I thought you might want to make a
purchase before I deliver you to Miss Julie's." he said, somewhat
abashedly.

   Brad grinned.  "You're a smart man George.  I may need to just hire you
away from the outfit you're working for."

   George showed genuine surprise.  "I'd have to talk with Claudette about
that sir.  She's pretty happy where we are I think." He looked a little
sad.

   "We'll talk about that later...  with Claudette." said Brad.  Then he
ushered Jasmine toward the open door.  She was like a kid in a candy store.
Fine jewelry was no stranger to Jasmine Trudeau, and she had shopped in
this very store often enough that she knew the name of the man holding the
door open for them.  He knew her name too, which was the more telling thing
to Brad, but he treated them with the utmost respect.  It turned out he
knew her well enough that, within ten wedding sets, he produced something
that Jasmine sighed over.  To Brad it was just a ring, but Jasmine
discussed the color and clarity of the huge diamond that was the
centerpiece of the engagement ring and the simplicity of the flowing design
of the wedding band that nestled beside the sparkling stone.

   "I love this one." she moaned.  "But It's so expensive."

   No prices were displayed, or had been discussed to this point.  The
jeweler tossed his head.  "Expense is not an issue.  This ring was made for
your finger Miss Trudeau." The man sounded arrogant, but he could read his
clients.  Brad didn't even ask how much it was.  "She'll wear it out." he
said.

   Jasmine turned to him, a small pout on her face.  "Not unless you put it
on my finger." she said.

   Brad felt a little stupid for what he was going to do, but he did it
anyway.  He turned to Jasmine's surrogate father and said "George, may I
have Jasmine's hand in marriage?  I promise to love her, and care for her
and make her as happy as I can for as long as I live."

   A flicker of surprise flashed in George's eyes, but then he stuck out
his hand and said "You have my blessing sir."

   Then Brad dropped to one knee and stared up into the dark green eyes of
the woman he loved.  As she bent her head to look at him he knew he had
done something she would treasure forever.  "Jasmine Trudeau, I love you.
You would make me the happiest man on earth if you'd consent to be my
bride."

   There was a brief pause as Jasmine seemed to think about it.  Three men
waited breathlessly to hear what she'd say, though none doubted she would
accept.  "Bradley Tarkenton, I love you as well.  Nothing would make me
happier than to marry you and bear your children."

   Brad slipped the ring on her finger, stood up and kissed her.  When that
kiss was done both George and the jeweler's eyes glistened.  The jeweler
coughed and blurted "You know, in thirty-five years of being in this
business I must have sold thousands of engagement rings, but no one has
ever proposed in my store.  I'll send you a bill.  Now, if our business is
concluded, I believe I'd like to go home and remind my wife of how much I
love her."

   Jasmine's knockout smile lit up.  "Why Thomas, you sweet, naughty man.
You'd better do a good job of it, because I'm going to ask Marge how
convincing you were." She kissed Thomas on the cheek and turned around,
holding her hand out, admiring her ring.  "Oh, lets go!" she yipped.  "I
can't wait to get there."

   Naturally, Jasmine insisted that no announcement be made when they got
to the Carter's home, at least not until Julie had had time to notice the
new jewelry on her own.

   And, naturally, Julie noticed the ring within twenty seconds of their
arrival.  She shot one brief look at Brad, that had in it a number of
messages, among them "Thank you" and "This had better be real" and even a
touch of lust.  Then she squealed and whooped and generally made noise,
while Jasmine joined her and they both jumped and danced all around the
entryway to the handsome house.  Then there was twelve year old scotch for
the men and carrot juice, of all things, for the women as toasts were made.

   Julie quite unashamedly explained that women in her condition shouldn't
partake too much of the fruit of the vine, and that she had planned on wine
with dinner.  And, she went on to say thatm since Jasmine had been so
completely innatentive to proper birth control procedures, it was only fair
that she be included in the restricted alcohol diet.

   She handed Jasmine the orange liquid.  Jasmine wrinkled her nose, and
gave a longing glance to the amber liquid in Brad's glass, but toasted with
the carrot juice anyway.  "I guess you can't be too careful." she said.

   The women disappeared into the kitchen to make up some snacks, leaving
Josh and Brad to sit and sip their whisky.

   "I'm surprised." said Josh.

   "Were you surprised when you proposed to Julie?" asked Brad.

   "That's not fair.  I didn't even know I was proposing.  I just told her
I couldn't live without her." said Josh.  She accepted what she called my
odd proposal of marriage and I suddenly realized that's exactly what it had
been!  And by the time I realized what I had gotten myself into, I knew
that I really COULDN'T live without her.  You know what I mean?"

   "I know exactly what you mean." said Brad.  "It must be something they
teach in courtesan school."

   "Don't ever say that to Jasmine." warned Josh.  "She wants to believe
you were overcome with love for her."

   "I was." said Brad.  "I have to say I was."

   By then the women were back with little grilled cheese sandwiches, and
black olives, and sweet pickles, as well as baby carrots and Liebfraumilch,
which Julie explained each woman could have just a taste of since the
carrot juice was so positively awful.

   It was while they were eating that Julie said "It's just such a lovely
night, why don't we all jump in the hot tub?"

   Josh agreed enthusiastically and Jasmine thought it was a great idea
too. Brad looked a little uncomfortable.  "We don't have suits." he
commented.

   Julie laughed.  "We're all adults.  Who needs a suit?" Brad's eyes
widened and he looked at Jasmine, who was looking back at him through
lowered lashes.  "Josh isn't like other men." she said.  Besides, Julie
won't let him look at me." she teased.

   Brad coughed.  "OK, that's fine, but I'm not so sure I can keep from
looking at Julie."

   Julie giggled.  "You're sweet Brad, but I'm all fat and ugly now."

   Brad choked on his sip of scotch and spewed whisky into his lap.  Both
women laughed and, as one, stood up.  Jasmine got her sweatshirt off first,
and stood, hipshot, dressed only in her jeans and sneakers.  She hadn't put
on a bra.  Julie unbuttoned her blouse, revealing a powder blue bra that
was bulging with her enlarged breasts.  It had a front catch on it which
she deftly released.  The bra cups sprang back and she shrugged the garment
to the floor.  Julie's nipples had darkened, like a lot of pregnant women's
nipples do, and her breasts looked swollen and full as she stood beside her
friend.  Jasmine's flat stomach made a shocking contrast to Julie's round
one.

   "See?" pouted Julie, putting her arm around her best friend.

   Both men forgot to breathe.  Both men felt their hearts hammering in
their chests.  Both men felt erections bloom.

   Brad dragged in a labored breath.  "You're neither fat, nor ugly, and
I'm going to be in a lot of trouble if I have to take off my pants." he
croaked.

   Both women laughed gaily and began getting rid of the rest of their
clothing as the men sat, stunned and frozen.  The thought occurred to both
men that the practiced ease the women showed as they disrobed together,
suggested they might have disrobed together before...  professionally. 
And, being men, that thought only heightened the eroticism of the moment.

   Josh finally cleared his throat and voiced that very thought.  "Brad, I
might get in trouble for this too, but does it look like they might have
done this together before?"

   "Yes" said Brad, feeling his erection reach full hard.  "Josh, I need to
apologize to you." he added.

   "We're both going to have to apologise to each other." said Josh in a
strangled voice.  "This is the first time I've ever seen Jasmine in her
working clothes." he said unthinkingly.

   The women giggled again and reprimanded the men as they stood side by
side in their unblemished glory.  Julie was completely shaven clean in her
pubic area, and her pouting pussy lips looked plump and fleshy.  "You're
staring." accused Jasmine.  "I just put on my engagement ring and you're
already staring at another woman." She was smiling though, and added
"Though I have to admit she's beautiful."

   Then, to the astonishment of both men, the women embraced and kissed
each other.  Julie broke the kiss and said "I'm so happy for you." Then she
kissed her again.

   "I didn't know." stammered Josh.

   His wife's lips left Jasmine's almost reluctantly.  "We haven't done
this for over a year." she said to no one in particular.  "I think I've
missed it a little.  But we're not lesbians, dear.  We just love each other
a lot."

   Jasmine sighed.  "Your baby feels so good pressed against me.  I can't
wait until I'm pregnant."

   Julie laughed.  "I think that will have to wait...  at least until after
we get out of the hot tub." She turned to the men.  "Quit drooling boys,
and get naked.  I want to feel that hot water all around me."

   Each woman went to her man and began undressing him.  Jasmine got to
Brad's penis first as she squatted in front of him, dropping his pants to
his ankles.  His boner sprang up and pointed at her.  Before he could do
anything she leaned forward and engulfed him in her mouth, pulling her lips
off of him in one long sliding suck.  "Mmmm you taste so good." she
murmured.

   "JASMINE!" croaked Brad, conscious of the other couple nearby.  He
automatically looked to see Julie doing exactly the same thing to Josh.

   When Julie let him out of her mouth she said "I know that's for me,
isn't it darling?"

   Josh's eyes were closed at the time, but they snapped open and he looked
down at his naked wife.  "YES!  Absolutely!  You know it is." he gurgled.

   "Liar" she accused him.  "But I'll take what I can get." She sucked him
in again, but then let him go quickly and stood up.  "Come on, let's get
wet."

   "I'm already wet." crooned Jasmine as she stood up to embrace and kiss
Brad.

   "Later, you hussy." said Julie laughing.

   The women led the way, while the men followed, their hard pricks bobbing
as they walked.  Both men watched both sets of naked buttocks in front of
them.  And, somehow, the ladies managed to show off their pussies as first
they bent over to check the water temperature, and then lifted a leg to
climb into the tub, which was on a patio with an ivy covered lattice
enclosure around it for privacy.  It was obvious that both women were
teasing the men.  They entered and sank down into the hot water causing
barely a ripple, somehow being sensuous even in so normal an act as they
were doing.

   The ease and comfort of the women, being naked together, with the
other's naked man, bespoke of their former occupations and somehow made it
easier for the men to be naked together in a setting other than a locker
room.  The result was that Brad and Josh scrambled into the tub like boys,
splashing water everywhere, including all over the women.  There were
complaints from the women, who surged forward as if they had planned an
ambush and enveloped their men in warm, slippery embraces.

   There was a lot of kissing that went on then, and, despite Julie's prior
announcement that sex was for later, a lot of groping and caressing too -
on everybody's part.  Each of the movements of the couples created little
waves that affected the other couple and, even though the two couples
weren't touching each other physically, there was a feeling of closeness
that made it seem like they were.

   At one point Josh moaned that if Julie didn't stop what she was doing
they'd have to change the water in the tub.  Julie gave a little "Awwww"
and accused him of being no fun.  She pushed him backwards and, as he
flailed for balance, squatted and put her hands under his buttocks, lifting
his hips upward.  His stiff penis broke the water and she grabbed it with
one hand, holding him up with the other.  All he could do was move his
hands to keep his head above water, like he was treading water on his back.

   "Now you won't get the water all messy." she crowed and her mouth dove
onto his erection.

   Jasmine had her hand around Brad's prick too and was jacking him slowly
while they kissed.  She took her lips off his and they looked over to see
what the commotion was about.

   "They're playing submarine commander." whispered Jasmine to Brad.  "His
periscope came up and now she's depth charging him." She giggled like a
little girl.  "Wanna play?"

   "Here?  Now?!" said her father.

   "They are.  Come on Daddy, play with me." she said in a little girl
voice.

   Brad shot a look at the nearby couple to see if they'd heard her use of
the word that could cause them problems, but they were engrossed in what
they were doing.  Josh had given up and was lying back in the water, a
smile on his face.

   Jasmine pulled and Brad couldn't help but let her bring him to the
surface too and he lay back in the water like Josh.  He was close enough to
the edge of the tub that he could grasp it with both hands to hold his head
up.  Jasmine greedily swooped and began sucking him.  He'd been excited for
quite a while and both her actions, and the fact that there was another
naked couple nearby formed an erotic atmosphere that brought him to climax
much sooner than he would have wished.  Jasmine, when she felt his spend
spurting into her mouth, sucked harder and gulped audibly.  She deep
throated him and he spurted again.  Then she pulled up and off of him and
her hand jacked him as she lapped and sucked the cum that still oozed out
of his cock.  Jasmine lay her head down on his thighs, looking at his face
past his penis, which she still had a firm grip on.

   "It was a shame to waste it, but I had to know what my new husband will
taste like.  You never know, I might not like it and then I'd have to break
his heart." She bent his prick toward her mouth and she sucked the tip
again, peeling back his foreskin to do so.  "But I do like it, so I guess
you don't have to worry."

   Then she let him go and he sunk back in the water as she squealed "I
sank a submarine!  I sank a submarine!"

   Julie was still working on Josh, whose face was showing signs that she
wouldn't have to work much longer.  She pulled her mouth off him and
snarled "Showoff" and, before she could seal her mouth back over her
husband's penis it began spurting long strings of thick white cum up into
the air.  Julie yelped and dove for his cock again, getting a shot right in
her eyes and then blindly found his cock and sucked him back in.  Her face
went under water as she tried to wash her eyes clean and then she came back
up coughing.  She coughed and white sperm mixed with spittle and water
sprayed out of her mouth, splattering Jasmine's arm and left breast.

   <cough cough> "Sorry" <hack hack> coughed Julie.

   Jasmine cleaned a glob of white off her breast and stuck her finger in
her mouth.  "Mmmm her husband tastes pretty good to!" she announced
grinning at Brad.  When he opened his mouth to complain she went on "But I
like yours better.  Please sir...  can I have some more?" she aped the well
known little English ragamuffin.

   Julie finally caught her breath and scolded Josh.  "I went to all that
trouble to keep the water clean and you had to go and spoil it!" she
groused.  "You're in big trouble mister." she said ominously.

   Brad asked out loud.  "How do men play submarine?  I mean are there
female submarines?" he asked hopefully.  His inhibitions had been laid low,
and weren't even making a peep any more.

   Jasmine purred "Well, we don't call it submarine commander, but there is
a little thing we girls enjoy called "cooking with mamma".  It's kind of
hard to play in the water though."

   Julie stood up, water dripping from her heavy breasts.  "I'm all warm
now.  We could go back inside."

   There was general unspoken agreement as everyone moved toward the edge
of the tub and began climbing out.  It was cool outside, and no one had
thought to bring towels, so four naked bodies scampered back into the house
and to the master bathroom, where the linen closet was raided for big
fluffy towels.  Jasmine insisted that she wanted to dry her hair, which
would be cold and clammy against their skin if she didn't.  Julie shooed
the men out, telling them to have another drink and see if there was any
chocolate sauce, or strawberry preserves and whipped cream in the fridge.

   Brad grinned as he walked through the deep carpet toward the kitchen
behind Josh.  "I know how to play this game.  Jasmine taught it to me
yesterday."

   Josh grinned over his shoulder.  "We play it a lot since she's gotten so
big.  I make sure we have all the ingredients necessary.  I even have
maraschino cherries."

   The men got a tray fixed up and took it back into the bedroom, where
they set it beside the king sized bed.  There would be no inhibitions about
sharing the bed.  Then they peeked into the bathroom to see Jasmine holding
the hair dryer, running it up and down a handful of hair while Julie
reached around her and stroked her breasts, pinching Jasmine's nipples
gently.  Julie's breasts were pressed firmly into Jasmine's back.  Jasmine
turned the hair dryer off and reached for a comb.

   "Your breasts are going to look fabulous filled with milk." said Julie,
looking in the mirror at what she was playing with.  "I can't wait until
Josh can drink milk from my titties." she sighed.  "And the baby too, of
course."

   Jasmine smiled.  "I plan on breast feeding for about four or five years
straight.  I want to be pregnant all the time with Brad's babies.  I love
him so much Julie." The men ducked out of sight as Julie's head began to
turn toward the door.  They heard her say "Are you sure baby?  Is he for
real?"

   "Oh, he's for real." said Jasmine, turning off the hair dryer.  "I can't
explain it, but I know he's for real.  And I know he loves me Julie.  I
wouldn't do this otherwise."

   "Oh I know it's OK." said Julie, pulling Jasmine's hair back and kissing
her on the neck.  "I just worry about you so much.  I'm really happy for
you though.  But don't be surprised if I call you a lot.  I won't be able
to keep from checking up on you."

   Jasmine stood up and turned around to embrace her friend.  The men
peeked and saw a long sweet kiss.  Then Julie pushed her back and said
"Let's go get our pussies eaten."

   The men hopped backwards and tried to look like they hadn't been
eavesdropping.  Both were half hard from seeing that kiss.

   At first Brad couldn't help but watch Josh and Julie as Josh dripped
chocolate sauce all over her and then licked it off.  But Jasmine had some
ideas too.  She took six maraschino cherries and warmed them in her mouth
and then inserted them into her pussy.  Brad's challenge was to get them
out with only his lips and tongue...  no fingers allowed.  Unknown to Brad,
she could control her muscles well enough to keep them there, or expel
them, one by one.  She had become talented in many ways he was not yet
aware of.  But he tried his best and she loved him for it.  He licked and
sucked and nibbled, particularly her large fleshy clit.  When she had her
first orgasm she lost control of her muscles and a cherry dropped into her
pussy's opening, touching Brad's chin.  He saw it when he pulled back to
take a breath and dove, sucking it into his mouth.

   Another orgasm...  and he got another cherry.  Along the way he paid
some attention to her breasts, particularly her small hard nipples.  After
sucking them both for long moments he found another cherry available to him
in her pussy.  He sucked too hard, trying to get it, and sucked it straight
down his throat, never getting to chew it at all.

   Brad felt the last cherry against his lips and sucked it in, chewing it
and then went up and kissed Jasmine with the flavor of the cherry and her
pussy still in his mouth.  He heard a groan and looked over to see that
Josh had gotten Julie on all fours and had just slid his prick into her
from behind.  He turned back to Jasmine to find her reaching for him.  He
let her socket him and then pushed, once again feeling the fabulous heat of
her body taking him in.

   Ten minutes later both women lay side by side, their legs not quite
together.  They were holding hands and smiling at each other.  The men
stood at the end of the bed, whisky in hand.  Both pussies gaped and ran
with milky white sperm.  Both dicks were shrunken and wrinkled, worthless
for probably quite a while.

   Josh shook his head.  "I never did anything like this before." he said.

   Brad agreed.  "I never would have believed I'd be standing beside my
Regional Vice President for Development...  naked...  looking at his naked
pregnant wife...  and my own naked and probably pregnant wife-to-be.  This
is just way more strange than anything I anticipated when I boarded that
plane."

   Julie had heard them talking.  She called out from the bed.  "Well I
don't want you boys to get the wrong idea about us girls.  WE'VE never done
this either!" Jasmine laughed.  Julie glared at her and smiled at the same
time.  It was an odd look.  "In fact, we were both VIRGINS until tonight...
weren't we Jasmine?"

   Jasmine dipped a finger into her sopping pussy and then licked it clean
of Brad's cum.  "Yup, until tonight I never even saw a man naked."

   Julie moaned.  "But now look.  I got all pregnant tonight.  What would
my daddy say if he saw me now?"

   Jasmine played it like a pro.  "Well I don't know about YOUR daddy, but
I have a pretty good idea what MY daddy would think."

   Josh joined in.  "Well I'm getting ready to be a daddy.  What should I
think about you naughty naked girls?"

   Julie sat up.  She tried to seal her pussy closed with her fingers, but
had a hard time reaching around her belly.  She had to lean sideways to get
it done.  Then she stood up.  She looked deformed somehow.  She started
whining like a young girl.  "I know what I want you to think.  I want you
to think about what I should know about men.  If they're going to get me
all naked and make me pregnant and stuff, I need to know how that's going
to happen.  So daddy, when you're ready, you can show me, OK?"

   Brad took advantage of the situation.  "How about you Jasmine?  Do you
want Daddy to show you what to expect from men?"

   She stood up, sealing her pussy closed with three fingers.  She waddled
over to Brad and kissed him.  "Any time Daddy...  any time."



   CHAPTER SIX

   Neither woman had actually planned on the amorous activities that ended
up taking place that evening.  Julie had thought they'd just have a nice
quiet night together before Brad had to leave and go back to the world of
business.  Jasmine just wanted to be with her father and liked both Julie
and Josh, so she knew she'd have a good time.  The women's emotions,
though, had been in overload because of the fact that Jasmine had found
what Julie had found.  And their emotions only spiraled higher and higher
as their lovemaking grew more and more frenzied.

   The situation almost got out of control.

   There was a time, after both men were worn out, that Julie and Jasmine
had gone for one last orgasm together, as the men lay back, exhausted, and
watched.

   Jasmine had gone first, licking and sucking Julie's bald pussy, smacking
her lips and remarking about how good Josh's cum tasted.  She'd never
tasted him before.  As it had happened, Julie was the first of the women
Josh had hired as an escort.  He had been immediately smitten, and had
insisted on her the few times he had hired a woman after that.  It had
taken him six months, but he'd finally convinced her of the veracity of his
emotion, at which point she had let herself revisit her dream about what it
might be like to have a steady man in her life.  When Josh had proposed to
Julie, he was automatically put off limits by all the other women in the
escort service.  It was an unwritten rule with them, even though they were
used to 'sharing' their customers and even though he hadn't shown any
interest in any of them.  He, too, had been the first man in many years who
Julie had decided to engage in sex with bareback.  So, this was the first
time Jasmine had had anything to do with Josh sexually, even if it was
second hand, so to speak.

   Then it had been Jasmine's turn to lie back and moan as Julie sucked up
Brad's cum from Jasmine's overflowing pussy.  At one point she lifted her
face and licked her lips, looking up into Jasmine's eyes.

   "After you've had your first baby, I might be convinced to let you get
some of Josh's cum fresh from the source if I can do the same to Brad.  He
tastes good too."

   Jasmine's eyes had glinted.  "We'll see.  Right now I'm feeling pretty
proprietary about where he deposits his cum."

   Brad had looked over at Josh to see what he thought of them being traded
like baseball cards.  Josh had grinned weakly and just shrugged his
shoulders.  Both men had felt the urge to harden again, but just couldn't
at that time.

   After that they all showered together and, though there was a lot of
care taken to make sure that each and every part of their lovers were nice
and clean when they were done, it was more sexual play than any actual
attempt to extend the orgy further.  d

   After they were out of the shower, the women dried each other's hair
again and there was an hour of talk, as the women cuddled up next to the
men and wished that this could go on forever.

   But Brad did have to fly back to the corporate headquarters the next
day. It would have looked too odd if he hadn't.  And, being an important
man, he knew that his activities were under observation, whether it be from
his own people, or competitors.  He also knew that a big wedding, with
hundreds of guests, would produce, out of the woodwork, reporters, who
would be ravenous for details about the important man's new bride.

   Neither of them were interested in that scenario.  The subject had been
broached before they left.  As they had talked, Julie asked what kind of
wedding they were planning.

   Jasmine had spoken first.  "Something very small ...  less than fifty
guests ...  and very private."

   Julie's eyebrows had climbed.  She herself had had a huge wedding, and
over three hundred people had shown up.  It was the pinnacle of her life as
she became an 'honest woman'.

   Again Jasmine spoke before Brad could.  "Public scrutiny is not
something we need.  I just want to be married to this big teddy bear. 
Nobody needs to know where I came from and I don't have anything to prove
to anybody."

   Julie frowned.  "You make it sound like I was showing off."

   "You were." said Jasmine.  Then, to take the sting out of it she said
"But that was what you wanted, and that was perfectly OK.  It was a
gorgeous wedding.  It made my pussy wet when you came down the aisle and
all those people sighed.  But I don't care about all that.  And Brad is
already in the public eye.  There are a lot of people who would love to
splash it all over the papers that Brad Tarkenton got married the fourth
time ...  and to a hooker."

   Julie nodded.  "There is that." she agreed reluctantly.

   Jasmine's brilliant smile bloomed.  "Don't worry.  You and Josh will be
there.  I have to have a maid of honor."

   "And I need a best man." said Brad.  "I'd actually like to have Josh
stand beside me.  But if people from the company were there and saw that,
he'd be the target of every corporate mercenary I haven't identified yet.
They'd assume I was grooming him for something and try to take him out,
just to eliminate competition." He thought carefully about the next thing
he said, but said it anyway.  "And I may just want to groom Josh for
something in the future, so I don't want him taken out." He smiled.  "So
nobody from the company needs to be there ...  except for Brad."

   There was both promise and an admonition that continued excellence in
Josh's performance would be necessary in the future.  Josh understood that
completely.  Oddly, at least compared to most wives, Julie and Jasmine did
too.

   In the limo Brad asked Jasmine.  "So when do you want to have this small
wedding that we only invite special people to?"

   "How much notice do you need?" she asked.

   "I'd like to have a couple of weeks.  I have to come up with a plausible
reason to be out of town - I assume you want to get married here in
Cleveland.  If I just start canceling appointments and take off people will
want to know why.  They'll think I'm putting out some fire and want to find
out about it.  Everybody likes dirt."

   "OK, I'll talk to the people who have to know when it's going to be and
try to set it up so that we can do it any time.  If you get a chance to
leave for some reason, just let me know a couple of days in advance and
stop by here on your way to wherever.  The plane will take you wherever you
tell them to, right?"

   "Sure, but are you certain you want to do it this way?" His offer to
give her a more conventional wedding was implicit.

   She leaned over and kissed him.  "I'm sure.  Let's just make it before I
begin to show ...  OK?" she grinned.  Jasmine was convinced this thing
WOULD happen, and that was all she cared about.

   In fact, Brad surprised her.  He had been back in his office for only a
week when Emma, his personal secretary, came in and closed the door.  "Hey
boss, I just heard a vicious rumor."

   Brad sighed.  He'd been afraid they couldn't keep it a secret for long.
She went on without waiting for him to say anything.  "There's one of our
branches in the Bahamas that hasn't had an oversight visit in over two
years.  They're doing just fine, but oversight visits ARE important ... 
aren't they boss?" Emma knew her boss very well.

   "Wouldn't it seem strange if the CEO went on an oversight visit?" he
asked.

   Emma waved her hand.  It's not so odd that anybody will take immediate
notice.  When you get back, of course, the shit will hit the fan, but by
then there won't be anything anybody can do about it then except wonder how
it happened without them noticing.  It did seem to happen rather ... 
quickly."

   Her unspoken question was answered by Brad with a simple "It's one of
those love at first sight stories."

   "How romantic" said Emma.  "I can't wait to meet her."

   "Mum's the word Emma." he said.



   "Boss!  I'm disappointed that you'd even THINK I'd say anything." Emma
pouted.

   "You heard about it didn't you?" he reminded her.'

   "Yes, but that's different.  I have sources everywhere, and they all
know I'd better hear about things before anybody else does.  They also know
they'd better not blab things around or I'll know they did and then they'll
be out of a job."

   "Did your source happen to mention how he or she heard this particular
rumor?"

   Emma looked stunned.  "You know, I was so surprised and excited I forgot
to ask.  I'll call him back."

   "Please do.  There weren't that many people there who knew what happened
and I'd like to know how it got out."

   Emma sniffed.  "OK.  In the meantime I'll make arrangements for a suite
in one of those hotels down there I'll never get to see ...  for one." she
said pointedly.  "I'll code it as vacation time.  Nobody will think a thing
about it.  It'll look like your visit is a sham just so you can be in that
part of the world." She waited, expecting something.  When he didn't say
anything she said, with exaggerated patience, "So when exactly did you want
to make this oversight visit?"

   "Do you think we have two weeks?" he asked.

   "I'd rather have you gone in less than that." she said.  "I'll know more
when I find out how my source got his information.  How about you find out
if the sixteenth is too soon and let me know."

   "Thanks Emma.  I'd invite you to the ...  vacation, but it would be
strange for us both to be gone at the same time."

   "Oh, I'll get to know her when you get back, all right." she said
ominously.  "Since this is number four and you've stayed single so long, I
assume she's a good deal better than the last two."

   Brad heard her mutter as she left the office "She'd damn well better
be." Emma protected him from people, and she took her job seriously, but
Brad wasn't worried.  Even if Emma found out who Jasmine really was, she'd
never admit it, even under torture.  That was only one of the reasons Emma
was paid an exorbitant salary.

   Brad made a call on his cell phone.  The sixteenth was just fine.  He
was half deaf in his phone ear when he hung up.

   Thinking about what he'd have to have taken care of when his plane
'stopped for fuel' in Cleveland, Brad picked up the phone and called a
number in his Rolodex.  When the phone was answered he said "Charley, Brad
Tarkenton.  I want to make an investment in real estate.  Someplace nice,
around here.  You know the deal, good schools, close shopping, not too much
traffic to get to work."

   He listened.  "No, it's not for me, but I owe somebody a favor and I'm
going to hire him to take care of the place."

   He listened again.

   "Somewhere in the one to three million range I think.  That would
appreciate in this market wouldn't it?  Yeah ...  cash.  You think you'll
have something within two or three weeks?  Getting it in a timely manner is
more important than getting a deal.  OK, thanks Charley.  When you get
something give my secretary a call.  Her name's Emma.  She'll know what to
do."

   He made another call.  "Josh?" He held the phone away from his ear
during the loud congratulations that came through the phone.  "Yeah, news
travels fast, but then I'm not surprised, considering who you're married
to. Hey, I want to hire a permanent driver.  Seventy thousand a year, home
furnished, and he can have his pick of vehicles.  See if George is
interested, OK?  Tell him I need to know by the sixteenth.  If he has any
questions have him fax them to Emma."

   Brad decided to go home early.  He stopped at Emma's desk and told her
about the property deal he was trying to work and why.  She didn't seem to
think it was odd at all.

   Brad hadn't been home more than an hour and a half when Emma called. 
She sounded worried.  Brad perked up.  When Emma was worried, he took her
seriously.

   "Boss, I called my guy.  There's an enterprising society reporter for
the News-Herald who snoops around every week in some of the better jewelry
outlets to find out who's been buying wedding sets.  Apparently some
employee gave up your name, not knowing who you are."

   Brad thought back to the transaction.  Thomas had taken his credit card
information.  He obviously knew Jasmine, but her name had not been written
down on anything.  And Thomas wouldn't give up Jasmine's name to anyone. 
The only name the employee could have known, and that the reporter would
have gotten was Brad Tarkenton.  But that reporter would be burning up the
wires to points back east, trying to unearth who Brad Tarkenton was going
to marry.  That would put the smell of blood in the water in places where
the reporters had a lot more assets and knew a lot more about how to find
information.  And Brad would have to apply for a license sooner or later.
At that point they might have only hours before the news got out.  Their
fifty guest wedding might have a hundred reporters show up clamoring for
entry.

   Brad had a lot of friends in high places.  And most of those friends
hated the news media.  One of them was the Attorney General for the great
state in which Brad Tarkenton had established his headquarters.  In a short
phone call to him, the problem was discussed.  The Attorney General said
he'd make some calls to his associate in Ohio.

   Two hours later Brad got a call.  He was given a name and an address,
where he could apply for the license.  It would be misplaced for a period
not to exceed two weeks, and then found and duly filed, as the law
required. By the time anyone could request a copy of the document, Brad and
Jasmine would already be in the Bahamas.

   When Brad got to work the next day there was a man loitering around the
front doors.  He was on the public sidewalk, so security couldn't do
anything about him.  Brad had made it a habit to use the same door anyone
else did.  He knew the man.  He was Fred Granger, a Reporter for the Times.

   Granger approached him smiling.  "Heard you're getting hitched." he said
confidently.

   "Really?" said Brad.  "How long you known me Fred?"

   "We met at a conference three years ago.  You were the first executive
from Amalgamated to ever grant me an interview." said Fred.

   "And in all that time, have you ever known me to be hunting for a wife?"

   "Can't say I have, Mr.  Tarkenton.  But I got a call from some hick
named Jerry something or other who calls himself a newspaper reported in
Cleveland Ohio.  He says he saw a receipt that indicated you paid a hell of
a lot of money for a wedding set."

   "That I did Fred." Brad nodded.

   "So you gonna tell me who she is?" asked Granger.

   Brad looked around like he wanted to make sure no one could hear him. 
"Off the record Fred?"

   Fred appreciated Brad Tarkenton, because Brad had given him some stories
in the past.  "Depends on who she is.  If she's somebody famous I can't sit
on it."

   Brad chuckled.  "You know my personal secretary, Emma?"

   Fred frowned.  "You mean that woman who gives me such a hard time about
everything?  I call and she asks me more questions than I ask her.  The one
who's probably twenty years older than you?  Don't tell me you're gonna
marry your secretary." He looked morose.  That wouldn't be a story in
anybody's newspaper.

   "OK, Fred, I won't tell you." Brad smiled sadly.  "Off the record?" he
asked again.

   "Yeah, sure, what the hell." said Granger.  Then he perked up.  "Let me
know when she kicks you out or you divorce her, OK?  I might be able to get
a column or two out of that."

   Brad tried to look hurt.  "Fred, you're talking about my marriage
breaking up and I haven't even gotten it going yet!"

   Fred grinned.  "Well, look at your track record.  I'm surprised any
woman would marry you after all that.  Thanks Mr.  Tarkenton.  Good luck."

   Brad smiled.  He hadn't told a single lie.  He'd have to give Fred a
story when things settled down.

   When Brad got into his office he called his vice president in charge of
acquisitions into his office.  They talked for a few minutes and the man
left.  He had an acquisition to make.

   CHAPTER SEVEN

   On the fifteenth of the month Brad Tarkenton, CEO of Amalgamated
Industries, left town on his corporate jet to go to the Bahamas and do an
on-site survey of operations there, or what was called an oversight visit.
The flight plan his pilot filed indicated a stop in Cleveland Ohio for
refueling.  A few empoyees noticed and a couple grumbled about the boss
having perks.  Others looked at them with frowns.  What the boss did was
his business.  They liked their jobs and didn't think much of people who
didn't appreciate what they had.

   The pilot and copilot didn't bat an eye at the flight plan which called
for refueling in Cleveland.  They knew about the luscious little thing who
had spent so much time in his hotel room on the last trip.  Any man would
want to go back for seconds.  They also knew that telling Jackie about that
luscious little thing would have caused her to be less than happy ...  so
they hadn't.

   Brad smiled at Jackie, when she welcomed him onto the plane.  Again she
made it clear that whatever he needed, including her, naked on the plush
rug, legs spread wide for him, all he had to do was ask.  He smiled because
she was going to be one pissed girl the next time he boarded the plane.

   When they landed it was about nine in the morning.  As the jet was
taxiing toward its parking place Brad saw, out a window, a brand new Viking
Chrysler 300 limo waiting for him.  It was painted in Amalgamated's color
scheme and George was standing beside it, wearing a uniform that matched
the car's color scheme.  He knew what George's answer had been before he
stepped onto the tarmac.

   George opened the door as Brad walked toward him.  "Good to see you
again, sir." he said formally.

   "Thanks George, how did Claudette take it?"

   "Your secretary sent us pictures of the house and a contract that even
we could understand.  Claudette said if I didn't take the job I could go
live in the garage.  We've been a little cramped since Jimmy and Jake came
along."

   "I didn't know how she'd react." said Brad.  "A lot of women don't like
moving around when they have children."

   "The moving company called and said they could have us there lock, stock
and barrel in three days.  They just said throw out anything we don't want
to take with us and to leave the rest to them.  Josh said we could move the
family up there in the limo.  Isn't she beautiful?"

   "It's a car, George.  It's just a car."

   "It's my office sir, and it's gorgeous.  Thank you for everything Mr. 
Tarkenton."

   "Thank YOU, George." said Brad and got in.  After all, it had been
George's seal of approval that had tipped the scales in Jasmine's decision
on whether to 'escort' one Brad Tarkenton to a dance.  Brad felt like he
owed George a lot more than he could ever repay.

   When he got to the hotel there was a message waiting for him from
Jasmine.  It said "Don't contact me and don't try to find me.  George will
pick you up at one and take you where you need to be.  Your clothes are in
your room.  I love you."

   He followed the instructions and George delivered him to the hotel where
Jasmine had been living for the last few years.  George parked and they
started towards the door when a two men approached them.  One had a camera.
He was holding it like a weapon, ready to use.

   "Mister Tarkenton" said the other man.  Even if the photographer hadn't
been there, Brad would havesmelled reporter before the man said another
word.  "I'm Jerry Renner from the News-Herald.  Are you here to get married
Mr.  Tarkenton?" The photographer took a picture of George and Brad.  "Is
it true you're marrying a prostitute?" asked Jerry, with a slight sneer.

   Brad reached into the inside pocket of his suit coat.  "I have something
here for you Mister Renner," he said, smiling.  He unfolded the tri-folded
documents and handed them to Jerry.  "You'll have plenty of time to read
over these documents, because you are not invited to this wedding.  As you
can see, I have purchased the News-Herald and am now the owner and
Publisher, as I believe I am titled now.  You work for me now, Jerry and it
is my opinion ...  as the Publisher ...  and your employer ...  that this
wedding is not news."

   Jerry was looking skeptically at the pages in his hand.

   Brad didn't let him speak though.  "Now you have two choices ...  both
of you ..." he included the photographer, "...  you can forget this story,
and go about reporting some real news.  That also means you will not ...  I
repeat will NOT ...  share ANY of the information you may THINK you have
uncovered ...  with any other person ...  anywhere in the world ...  under
any circumstances.  I now own all information you have about this wedding
and about me, and it is not for sale to any person at any price.  It is
confidential information."

   Brad was moving into a voice his employees had learned to recognize,
based on reports from other employees who had actually heard this voice,
usually to their peril.  It was called his
'you-fuck-this-up-and-I'll-have-your-balls-for-dinner' voice.

   "And, if asked about it, you will respond that you are not at liberty to
talk about it.  That is a condition of your continued employment.  The
other option you have is to try to make a splash, at which time you will be
fired.  My litigation division will then ruin your lives gentlemen.  Who I
am marrying is my business and nobody else's unless my wife and I decide to
involve them.  I remind you again, gentlemen, that any notes you have, are
property of the News-Herald and, therefore, MY property.  Should those
notes be left lying about where someone might find them, option number two,
which I mentioned before, will kick in."

   Jerry was now frantically trying to read the documents that he'd been
handed.  His mouth was hanging open.  Brad said "Oh, I almost forgot. 
There's a third option.  You can quit.  Of course the materials I mentioned
still belong to me, and if you think you can quit and then try to make a
splash, you'll get to meet my litigators then too.  Now.  You're wasting
your time around here.  I don't pay people to waste time.  Go find some
news."

   Jerry tried once.  "But it IS news!  She's a hooker and you're an
important man!" Jerry, like many in the media, thought that anything he
knew, or thought he knew, was vital knowledge that the public had a right
to know.  And a NEED to know too.

   Brad gave him a level gaze.  "She's a human being who found a man who
loves her.  I'm a man who found a woman I love.  That's news?  Who actually
cares about our pasts?  Some high society freaks who have nothing better to
do than titter behind closed doors?  You'd give up a good job just to give
them something to gossip about for a couple of weeks?  We're just two
people trying to find a little happiness.  You screw that up and I'll crush
you.  It's that simple Jerry.  At least it is to me, and I'm the Publisher.
You can do what you want to.  This is America.  But I can do what I want to
as well, and that includes going after somebody who tries to mess with that
happiness."

   The photographer, possibly a lot smarter than Jerry, had already pulled
open the back of his camera and was pulling a strip of film out into the
daylight.  "Damn, I ruined the film." He looked at Brad.  "Sorry ...  boss.
I promise I'll be more careful in the future." Brad turned and walked off.
He could hear Jerry whining and an explosive "Shut the fuck up, you idiot."
from the photographer.

   George accompanied Brad to the ballroom, which was on the floor directly
beneath the penthouse.  Josh was waiting for him when the elevator doors
opened and escorted him to a small room where he said "Now we wait.  I
brought cards.  You play Hearts Brad?"

   Brad was uncharacteristically nervous, and not just because he was
marrying his own daughter.  His last two marriages had seemed routine
somehow ...  just another business transaction to get through so he could
move forward.  But this one was different.  He was madly in love with
Jasmine and waiting to see her was what got his heart rate up.

   Just about the time Brad began thinking he might actually throw up, a
beautiful young woman came to the door and told the men they should follow
her.  She took them through a side door in the ballroom, which had been
decorated with streamers and other things.  The odor of fresh flowers was
almost overwhelming.

   There were probably thirty or forty people sitting in chairs lined up in
rows, leaving an aisle between them.  An official was standing at the head
of that aisle.  As the men took their place to the left of the official
music started up from a small orchestra that was off to one side.  Brad
examined the people who had been invited to his fourth wedding.  He had
only seen six of them and didn't know any of the rest, but that didn't
matter a bit.  This ceremony was for the bride and he knew it.

   There were about ten women who Brad assumed were Jasmine's former peers.
They were almost painfully beautiful in general, but each was gorgeous in
her own way.  Some were short while others stood taller, some up to six
feet.  There were large breasts and small breasts, and curvy bodies and
slim almost boyish ones.  Some were dressed elegantly, while others wore
more simple costumes.  There was hair of every hue.  Every race was
represented.  It was like a small female United Nations.  Brad was amazed
that a town like Cleveland could support that many high-priced call girls.

   Well, after today there would be a little less competition.

   Other people present included Claudette and her children, and pairs and
clusters of other people Brad assumed meant something special to Jasmine.

   He saw movement at the back of the room and looked to see Julie
strolling toward them, a bouquet of flowers in her hands.  Her hair had
been done up in some way that used sparkling stones on a net made of gold
thread.  Her gown was made to display, rather than hide her pregnant
condition, and there was just enough cleavage to display breasts ready to
do their duty when that stomach flattened.  She looked like the poster
woman for achingly beautiful mothers-to-be, a living billboard that urged
women to become like her, and men to do their best to make women's bellies
swell with life.

   Brad started to feel some small shame as his prick lurched, looking at
his wife's best friend.  But then he relaxed.  There wasn't anyone in this
room who would hold an erection against him.

   Julie winked at him and took her place on the official's right, turning
to face the back of the room.

   Two women opened the double doors in the back and Jasmine stepped
forward, her hand laid lightly on George's arm.  For once she was the one
being escorted.  She was dressed in a dark forest green colored gown that
was cut like a wedding dress, with a train.  It was sleeveless, and
appeared to be hanging on her body only by virtue of some unknown magic. 
It came around her back and crossed over about half of each of her breasts,
dipping down to a point below her breasts.  It looked amazingly sexy, but
somehow didn't look like it was showing that much skin.  She had strings of
pearls that started almost as a choker and then dipped lower and lower
until they rested between her breasts.  Dangling pear shaped pearl earrings
matched the necklace and hung from her ears, swaying slightly as she
walked. Her hair was in a simple, but long French braid that hung down her
back to her buttocks.  She looked like a simple peasant girl, who had tried
on a glass slipper that had fit.  Now the simple peasant girl was a
princess, about to become a queen.

   His erection became complete.

   Brad somehow missed the actions it took to end him up facing halfway
between the official and Jasmine, while she faced the opposite direction.
She smiled at him and he thought he might faint.  "I see you're happy to
see me." she whispered.  Her eyes dropped and then bounced right back up.
The official coughed.

   Then it was a simple set of vows, wherein they promised each other the
things that all brides and grooms promise.  And, like all brides and
grooms, they meant those things.  Time would tell if this marriage would
last, but its chances were better than many.

   When the ceremony was complete there was a very short reception line in
which Brad was treated to a kiss from each of those gorgeous women who,
while they varied in appearance, all exuded sexuality.  Quite a few of them
kissed Jasmine too, some on the cheek and some on the lips.  They were
kisses that were both sad and happy at the same time.  Jasmine got a kiss
from Josh too, and it was obvious they both enjoyed the excuse to do that.

   As George took them back to the plane Jasmine settled in the seat beside
Brad and, for the first time since he'd seen her, looked a little frazzled.
"We had a near miss with the press." she said.

   "They were diverted in the parking lot." he said.

   "My information was that the little shit was going to try to embarrass
us, and that he couldn't be talked out of it." said Jasmine.  "He's gay, so
we can't use our normal methods of persuasion to keep him quiet."

   "He may be gay, but he likes his job.  He found out he wouldn't have it
any more if he reported the story." said Brad.

   "How in the world did you do that?  I know Bill Sudduth, the publisher.
He's an honest man who wouldn't quash a story for his best friend." Jasmine
looked as surprised as she sounded.

   "Bill Sudduth IS an honest man.  But he's also a man near enough to
retirement age that he decided my offer to buy his newspaper was too good
to pass up.  The good news is that you STILL know the publisher.  In fact,
you're going to get to sleep with the publisher." He grinned.

   Jasmine shook her head.  "Remind me to be wary around you.  You're a
very devious man."

   Brad barked a laugh.  "My daughter lets me buy her for a night and then
ends up driving me insane with lust for her so that I violate a very
serious taboo.  Then, somehow she gets me to propose and marry her.  And
she calls ME devious?"

   Jasmine ignored him as if he'd said nothing at all.  "I was afraid to
take the time to change.  Can I change on the plane?"

   "Yes." he said.'

   "Can we make love on the plane?" she asked, a note of slyness coming
into her voice.  "I noticed you're ready.  I've never made it with a
publisher before."

   "We can, though there will be a thoroughly disgusted stewardess named
Jackie who will then understand why she couldn't get me to let her "see to
my comfort" on previous flights."

   "Do I need to find you a new stewardess?" asked Jasmine sweetly.

   "Jackie has struck out a number of times already.  When she sees that
rock on your finger I think she'll finally lose interest." he said.  "But
it's up to you."

   "We'll see.  Maybe Jackie likes girls too." said Jasmine.  "Then she can
be hopeful about me AND you."

   "This is going to be an interesting marriage." said Brad.

   "This is going to be a VERY interesting marriage." said Jasmine, kissing
him.

   When they boarded the plane, Jackie did, in deed look a little
disgruntled.  She was a good sport about it, though.  "Welcome back sir."
she said formally.  "I understand completely now."

   Jasmine laughed.  "I don't blame you.  He's very handsome, isn't he?"

   Jackie looked at her calculatingly.  "He's very rich too."

   Jasmine smiled.  "I have enough money.  What I want is this man's
babies. Speaking of which, I need to change clothes, and I have a suspicion
that, when I do, this man we're talking about like he isn't even here will
probably get all frisky.  I don't suppose you'd like to visit with the
pilot and co-pilot for a while."

   Jackie grinned.  "Make you a deal Mrs.  Tarkenton.  I'll do that, if you
and Mr.  Tarkenton would think about visiting the pilot while the co-pilot
and I ...  discuss some things back here afterwards."

   "My my," said Jasmine.  "A woman of many interests.

   Jackie just smiled and went up front, closing the curtain that separated
the cockpit from the cabin.  Jasmine began getting out of her gorgeous
green wedding dress.  All she had on under it were dark thigh-length nylons
and a garter belt.  Brad just stared.  Her nipples were once again the same
color as her lips.  And, inside the heart-shaped tuft of black hair on her
mons, the letter "D" had been carefully clipped clean.  Jasmine saw him
staring at it.

   "D is for Daddy" she said softly.  Her hand went to ruffle the hair and
she slipped a finger between her pussy lips.  "This belongs to Daddy now."
She pulled her finger through her vulva and drew it up, between her breasts
and then into her mouth.  "I taste lots better with Daddy's cum in me.  Do
you have any cum for my pussy Daddy?"

   Brad was almost frantic as he tore his clothes off.  Jasmine giggled and
tried to help, pulling at this, and tugging at that, but she was
ineffectual because he was moving around so much.  Finally he lay back in
the seat, naked, his erection straining away from his body.

   "Oooo you DO have some cum for my pussy." she said.  She bent over and
kissed the tip of his cock and then looked up into his eyes.  "I've never
been married.  I've never been fucked since I got married.  I'm almost a
virgin.  Do you want to be the very first man to have my pussy since I got
married?"

   Brad lurched up out of the seat and growled as she laughed at him and
ran towards the back of the plane.  She flopped in a seat and slid her butt
to the edge, opening her legs wide and exposing her pussy to him.  She
pointed to it, her finger landing on her clit.  "Mmmm right here.  Here's
where I want you to put that big nasty Daddy cock."

   Brad complied with here wish.  He almost sobbed with relief as he sank
into her heated depths.  "Oh baby I love you so much." he moaned.

   Her reply was physical and ardent.  She shoved her pussy up at him and
hugged him to her fiercely.  "I love you too Daddy, and now we can love
each other as much as we want."

   This first time since the ceremony was violently short, each of them
primed to burst already and their orgasms coming quickly.  Brad groaned as
his prick shot streams of cum into her sucking pussy and she whined about
how wonderful his liquid heat felt packing her womb.  When it was over he
had to pull out of her to kneel on the carpet because he was so weak. 
Jasmine reached between them and sealed her pussy closed with her fingers,
not so much to protect the upholstery, as to ensure his sperm had a chance
to soak into her womb.  It was late in her cycle, and, within a few days
she'd know if her efforts to get her father's baby in her belly before they
were married had worked.  But she didn't want to lose even a drop of that
luscious nectar.  She had a lot of unhappiness in her past to make up for.

   Jasmine insisted that they did, in fact, get dressed and go to the
cockpit, where she sat behind the pilot, while the co-pilot got up and gave
his seat to Brad.  He and Jackie did, in fact, go into the cabin.  The
pilot turned to Brad.  "Welcome to the Mile High Club, sir.  It was close,
but we made it to that height in time." There was a thump that caused Brad
to turn around, but the pilot said "She's putting down the bed."

   "There's a bed?!" asked Brad.

   "The seats slide on runners, and the bed folds out of the wall.  You
didn't know that?" he asked.

   "Nope.  And Jackie didn't tell us either."

   "She's the jealous type." said the pilot.  Don't worry, I'll pay her
back for you." He made an adjustment to a knob.  Mrs.  Tarkenton?" he
called Jasmine's name.

   "Yes?" she said.

   "If you'll peek through that curtain and tell me when some turbulence
would interrupt things, I'd appreciate it.  And both of you ...  be sure to
fasten your seat belts tightly."

   Jasmine giggled.  It took ten minutes, because Jackie liked to cuddle
and suck before she fucked.  "OK" said Jasmine suddenly.  The co-pilot had
just sunk into the stewardesses pussy.

   "Hold on." warned the pilot.

   He banked the plane so suddenly that it seemed like they had fallen on
their sides.  There was a thump and cursing from the cabin.  Then the plane
was on an even keel again.  The pilot spoke into his microphone.  "Sorry
kids ...  flock of birds."

   Jackie tried again, this time sitting on the rampant prick she wanted in
her.  The pilot banked again and Jasmine felt herself become almost
weightless.  There was another thump as Jackie went flying herself and
landed in one of the seats that had been moved forward to make room for the
bed.

   The pilot got on the intercom again.  "Must be migration season."



   "Billy!" came a strident female voice.  "You're an asshole."

   Billy keyed the microphone again.  "And you should have told the boss
about the bed."

   Jackie's naked upper torso thrust through the curtain.  Her hair was a
mess.  But her admittedly fabulous bosom was heaving from her exertions and
would have been a magnet to any man's eyes.  She looked at Jasmine.  "OK,
I'm sorry.  I was a little disappointed, OK?  Now will you please tell him
to fly this damn airplane straight for five minutes?

   Jasmine noted that her husband turned his head to look at Jackie's
fabulous tits, but then looked back out the windscreen of the plane instead
of staring.  She would have to reward him later.

   "OK, Bill, she apologized.  But I want you to do that with us later.  I
think I know how to make that work for us."

   Bill laughed.  "Not the way I did it with them.  I banked and pushed
downstick.  It's dangerous, but it doesn't make you weigh more.  In fact it
makes you seem to weigh less and it makes it very difficult to control your
movements.  With you I'd bank and leave the stick level, or even pull up a
little.  That would drive you into the bed hard."

   "Even better" said Jasmine with a throaty purr.

   The rest of the flight was more or less normal.  They had their whole
honeymoon ahead of them and both were at once relaxed and impatient to
start their married life.  Jasmine said she hadn't been able to go and see
Phillip because she was too busy.  She'd called Phillip and, after
apologising to him for telling him on the phone, told him everything.  He
claimed he was happy for her and she promised that they'd get down to visit
him soon.  Brad agreed that it was long overdue.

   Just before they landed, Jasmine dug into her purse and got something
out.  "I believe this is yours?" she said, her voice flat.  She opened her
hand and, lying in it, folded twice, were ten one hundred dollar bills.

   Brad looked at the money, and then up at her eyes.  He smiled.

   "Sweetheart, I can't take that back ...  that's the best thousand
dollars I ever spent."
   
