Betrayed Ch. 08
Keywords: Ch., 08, Betrayed,
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*Chapter Eight: The Noose Tightens*
Did I happen to mention everything was moving so fast? People weren't really surprised Lance Layton took his commission and ran for the door as fast as he could. There wasn't an employee in the firm who didn't wish they could produce the same results for themselves. The rumors ran rampant: he had purchased his own seat and started his own firm; he was trading through the Internet from his new home in Aruba; his marital problems had so devastated him, he had quit the business entirely and now ran a charter boat in Key West (my personal favorite); he had secretly been Michael Jackson all along, hiding out from the glare of publicity while attempting to re-build his fortune.
Nor were they really surprised Rob and Jim had 'gone outside' to acquire their new Executive Vice-President. Lisa Layne had come highly recommended. She and Lance had been classmates and friendly competitors in the Finance curriculum at their university, so the gossip went. They had both gone into futures trading and, according to the departed Mr. Layton, she had done quite well herself. When he decided to leave the firm, he had floated her name as his best possible replacement. The two senior executives had planned to make "him "their choice for V.P., but valued his judgment and had tendered her an offer, which she had accepted. Angie had been proud to come up with, then disseminate, that plum piece of disinformation. One very real aspect of this move was: Major Trades was being re-vamped into the "Strategic Trading Group", and its direction would be the new Vice-President's - "my "- primary focus.
Another rumor spread immediately, and unbidden; the new Veep was "a real looker". That rumor probably began in the Transportation Department. I hadn't known we even "had" a 'Transportation Department'. Most likely, it was just three or four guys from Maintenance who had been Shanghai-ed into going down to the garage, loading Lisa Layne's recently-arrived personal effects onto carts, then bringing them up the service elevator to the top floor and delivering them to her new office. She and her Personal Assistant had been there to supervise the unloading. The guys already knew Angie. They had been suitably (no pun intended) impressed with Ms. Layton herself. Add the glowing welcoming memo circulated from the Offices of the Chairman and President, and everyone accepted the new 'suit' without a second thought but not without a second look.
That was Wednesday morning. To preserve the fiction of the 'outside hire' and thus protect my identity, Angie and I had boxed up all my stuff from my office Tuesday night, then taken it down to the garage on those same carts. Employee Relations had fast-tracked the new hire's paperwork after receiving the memo from Rob. I don't know how the issue of the Social Security Number had been handled. Angie told me it was best if I "didn't "know for now; 'plausible deniability'. Maybe she bought one on the Internet.
She and I had gone shopping Tuesday afternoon for my new wardrobe. One of my 'executive perks' was a generous clothing allowance, which came in very handy. The outfits we purchased were tasteful. Okay, they were "largely tasteful"; after all, I "was "a Vice-President now. With Angie helping me pick out my apparel, you know there were going to be some delightfully feminine touches like... "no pantsuits or pantyhose." Somehow, a portion of my clothing allowance found its way into 'leisurewear'. I even got to expense my new corsetry and a few other little 'ups and extras'. Sigh. The things we must do to get ahead in Business....
At home, Angie boxed up all of Lance's clothes, shoes, and underwear to make room for Lisa's. She was all set to take it down to Goodwill. I told her an Executive Assistant did not concern herself with grunt work; I would have someone pick it up and deliver it. I did - to a storage locker on North Clark Street, just in case the 'Lisa' thing didn't work out....
The whole girly-girl thing completely bewildered me. I had dismissed my childhood wonder long ago as exactly that. Now, that wonderment had sprouted and taken root like a long-dormant seed. It was turning out to be one of those things you didn't know you were going to like, then suddenly discovered you "really, really do "and can't get enough of." "It's kind of like having a compulsion for Hot Fudge Sundaes without the calories. Angie loved it. She now had a girlfriend at work with whom she had "so much in common". That her girlfriend was "also" her supervisor, whom now wrote her performance reviews, was Serendipity itself. That her girlfriend was "also"... well, you get the idea.
Dianna couldn't have been happier for me. Now that 'Lisa' was going to be around 24/7, she lobbied me heavily to get 'done'. I was tempted, but worried about the degree of permanence it would attach to this strange new lifestyle. Was I ready for that? I offered up the thirteen weeks remaining before the show as a dodge. Would that be enough time? She argued yes, if we hurried. My lover had been surprisingly understanding about the 'promotion party'. She was not ashamed to admit using sex to get what she wanted and saw no difference in what I did; it wasn't like I was out cruising for a new boyfriend. I didn't see the wisdom in pointing out the 'new boyfriend' may have been out cruising for "me. "I loved her and that was that.
She was overwhelmed I had thought so much of her, I had immediately hopped in a cab and come to share it all with her, rather than letting it wait or not telling her at all. No one before me, she avowed, had ever displayed such consideration for her thoughts and feelings. She had begun crying again, and I had to find a creative way to dry her tears and turn her sobs into shrieks of bliss.
As much as I was learning about her, I still felt Dianna was an enigma. It wasn't so much what she said as what she "didn't" say. I had had the impression before; she was holding something back. I had visited "Ringers" and talk to Chantal and the other girls. I learned Dianna, like most of the girls, held back from "everyone", including her friends, to protect herself from being hurt. Pain both physical and emotional was a constant in their world. I didn't know what she might still be withholding from me, but hoped it wouldn't damage us both.
***
My attorney called Thursday morning. When I had initiated my proceedings against Susan, I had specified that my communications to and from him would be via my cell phone, not through the company switchboard. Although 'Lisa' now had her own cell, I had retained my original one for exactly this reason. As much as I respected Angie, I didn't want to expose my 'dirty laundry' to her or anyone else in the company. Now, I was glad I had had the foresight.
The investigator had dug up a goldmine of information which explained a lot. Jeff Spencer had a major gambling problem. The 'multi-millionaire star' was in serious debt to the bookies. Susan had been carrying him financially. Now she too had been stretched to the limit, maintaining the faηade of their star-quality lifestyle. No wonder she wanted me back! So, which ploy would she use? Live with me, while secretly sucking me dry to prop up her lover, or tell me it had "all been an awful mistake, and can you ever forgive me?" - and dump the QB like yesterday's trash? Then again, if she "did" dump Jeff, how long would she stay this time before her roving eye caught sight of fresh meat? "No thanks."
There had been another disturbing development. The phone taps indicated a suspicious pattern of activity between Jeff and another party, presumed to be female. At first the investigator suspected it was simply one of his other lovers one Susan did not know about. The taps recorded conversation that indicated Jeff was running some kind of sting operation and "I "was the target! The apparent intent was to ruin my personal reputation in a very public way, allowing Susan to side-step my allegations of "Open and Notorious Adultery" and clean me out.
It was unknown at that time whether or not Susan was involved in the set-up, as her voice never appeared in any of the conversations. The communications were directed to and from a pre-paid disposable cell phone which the investigator could not trace. He was currently trying to obtain the cellular records to isolate which cell towers had handled the calls, to get a better idea of where the third party was geographically located. In the meantime, the attorney cautioned me to be especially vigilant in my professional and personal relationships and not involve myself in any activity which could be turned against me legally and, more importantly, publicly.
"Now he tells me!"
This was a conspiracy theorist's wet dream. Jeff's contact was "presumed to be female." There were a lot of new 'females' in my life of late. Most of them seemed to be hell-bent on pushing me down a path that was guaranteed to explode in my face if it was ever made public. That path had just been institutionalized; 'Lance' was gone and 'Lisa' was a company executive. Angie had pushed hard, "blackmailed "me down that road. Then again, Dianna wasn't exactly trying to talk me out of it, anymore than were the girls at "Ringers." In fact, I "met "the gorgeous T-girl because she had 'dated' Jeff. For that matter, this would be just the kind of revenge Susan would eat up to get back at me for leaving her, even if it was her own fault.
The conspirators were not necessarily limited to Jeff and one female, either. That could be just the tip of the iceberg. The firm that is, Rob and Jim leased a skybox at Soldier Field for entertaining current and prospective clients, politicians, and other notables. Naturally, they were cozy with the team's management and, on social occasions, player personnel. It wasn't conceivable they had never met Jeff Spencer, the team's star. Could they "all "be in this together?
My employers had taken great pains to be supportive of me through my crisis with Susan but dare I take that at face value? Money talks; did "my "money the money I made for them in the course of my work - talk louder than the team's? I said the team's because they had a substantial stake in the quarterback's wellbeing.
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Keywords: Ch., 08, Betrayed,