by Hanjing Yang
Shelby had the opportunity to meet many famous and beautiful women. He was careful not to get involved with a paparazzi favorite. The temptation and opportunity were present but he did not want to end up on the cover of People Magazine. He managed to find lonely socialites who were seeking privacy and a good time. He could provide both.
“Dad. We worry about you when we are out at Shawlaw. I know you are only an hour away but you are alone in a big house.” Wade spoke up over the cluster of noisy gulls wanting a part of their lunch.
“Do not think about me here alone Wade. It is my catch up month. I will be overseas for most of the time. It makes me happy that you boys are out of trouble out at the beach. I may pop down for a quick hello. I have the fishing rig down at the marina. We can try for a sailfish.”
“Right Dad. We never catch anything but it will be fun regardless.” Wade returned.
Shelby returned to the house on Broad Street. The boys took off for the island. They would be hopping throughout the coast doing things that young boys do. They would sneak an occasional six-pack from the kitchen. The beverage cooler had a plentiful offering. Inventory was meticulous so the staff would have alerted him if it became a problem. He knew too much about drugs for the boys to fly under the radar where that was concerned.
Shelby took a soak and poured a glass of bourbon. His books looked intimidating so he decided to watch a video with exotic Brazilian women. He grabbed his tablet first and checked out his personal page. He only browsed that corner of his world occasionally. Shelby opened his page, revealing tasteful family photos. He was moronic when it came to the entire world of social media. He did not use Twitter.
Who the hell requested friendship over wires? Shelby did not get that. He believed in the power of physical presence. It was easy enough to lie in traditional circumstances. Tiffany just went through and denied all requests. Contact for Shelby was maintained as a one-way street. He had little time to give a shit about what the rest of the world was doing.
He saw the name Sepia Hassett comes up as “people you may know”. He would leave it for Tiffany to delete but he vaguely recognized the name. What the hell. He viewed her page. She was a year his junior and they had attended the same college. She was the mayor of Beemer MA. He thought she was probably looking for some cash for a new monument in the local park. Her latest post was a picture of four attractive women holding wine glasses. He noticed the unassuming red head in the photo. He definitely knew her.
Shelby called Tiffany. She always answered.
“Tif, it is Shelby.”
“I know. You look relaxed sir. What can I do for you?”
“I remember when voices were enough. This video shit is intrusive. Anyways, I am a little drunk Tif but please indulge me. Look at my public family page and put me in touch with Sepia Hassett. I want everything you can find on the woman. Get me her number. No video shit. Call me in the morning Tiffany. I am going to watch some porn.”
Tiffany laughed as she rarely saw the casual side of Shelby Conrad III. He would likely want to forget the matter in the morning but she would get him the information as requested.
**********
“Lexi, I found the personal page of Shelby Conrad. He is married with a couple of young hot boys. The look just like their dad. He has aged very well.”
“Wow. He looks great. Where is his wife?”
“Ouch – she is gorgeous. What the fuck. I requested he friend me anyways.”
“Sepia, why did you do that? We were not friends or anything. I can see the headlines Billionaire Stalked by Beemer Mayor. You have to be careful with rich individuals.” Lexi yawned. She was ready for all long uninterrupted sleep in the belvedere.
Chapter 3
Shelby woke up on his chaise in the library. His head ached. A couple of glasses or bourbon were out of the ordinary. His head ached and it was obvious why he favored drinking water until he nearly drowned. He made it to the main kitchen where his ritual breakfast of fruit and rye toast was waiting for him. He took a seat on the veranda to regroup his thoughts.
“Good morning Mr. Conrad. May I join you?”
“I have known you longer than my wife Tiffany. Enough with the Mr. bullshit.”
“Sorry Shelby – habit. I brought you information about Sepia Hassett. She is as clean as they come Shelby. The woman does not have a parking ticket. Would you like me to get her on the phone?”
“What the hell. This will be fun. It is Saturday and I do not fly out until tomorrow afternoon.”
“If there will be nothing else, I will leave you until tomorrow. Have fun playing around in the sandbox.”
“Bye Tiffany”
**********
“Hello. This is Sepia Hassett.” She grabbed the call from the unknown caller.
“Hello. I do you not know you well but I ran into your post online last night. I am Shelby Conrad. I was curious as to why you sought me out and believe my curiosity prompted me to make this call.”
Sepia motioned to the other women to join her. She pounded on the bathroom door to alert Lexi. She grabbed a pen and frantically wrote down his name.
“I am a little embarrassed Shelby. It was four old friends and many bottles of wine. Our kids were not with us so we were reminiscing.”
“Sepia. Did we…..”
“No Shelby. You did not fuck me or the other ladies. You were just a memory. May I put you on the speaker? I feel like I need the support.”
“Please, give me an audience. Introduce yourselves. I am looking at the photo you posted last night.”
By this point Shelby was having fun. It was odd, but he was alone and no one would know. He was in his area of the house so he jumped in the Jacuzzi.
“I am the woman in the blue dress. I’m Mercy and I have no idea who you are. I do not think we shared any classes together. I was an education major.”
“Hello Shelby. I am the amazon. I am a lawyer so I am rich although not on your level. I am not married but I have a partner named Valerie. I most certainly did not fuck you in college.”
“That must leave you. The red head from Politics of China.”
“That is me. I am Lexi Casmino.”
“And?”
“I live in Monroe New York.”
“I know the others to be a mayor, a lesbian lawyer and a teacher in a blue dress. I remember you smiled a lot. I think you were smart. You have not aged. Anything else to add?”
“This is weird. I was married with two happy healthy daughters. Jerry died suddenly right in front of me of undiagnosed CHD. My daughter is 13 and she inherited a bad ticker. My 16 year old is confused. I cannot find anyone who will touch my daughter Mae as surgery is so risky. I am sorry to put a damper on your good time Dr. Conrad.”
“That indeed puts a damper on things. I have a meeting to run to ladies. Sepia, thank-you for finding me. This has been a flattering experience.”
Shelby disconnected.
“What an asshole.”
“Do not worry about me Carys. He was nosy. He was probably whacking off to the whole thing. I simply told him the truth about my life. He probably lives in some alternate universe. With all of his money, I am sure he is shielded from life and its struggles. We had fun travelling down memory lane. I have not slept so well in years. Why don’t we keep the vacation going with a beach day?” Lexi changed the subject.
“Sounds like a plan Lexi. I will pack some snacks and you guys can pack the car. It is only about a 10-minute drive. We could walk but we will save exercise for another day. We can stop at the fish store on the way home. We should throw something on the grill tonight. We will see what looks good. We will have lobster on our final night with Lexi. I do not think they have the stuff in Monroe.”
**********
“Hello Shelby, it’s Tif. I had a feeling your day of vacation would only last a few hours. I have sent copies of your speeches for the conference in Nice in your desktop. They have been through Sam and editing, so they only require a final g
lance. You will be travelling on Sunday. A cocktail event is Sunday at 6 pm in Cannes. It should be a low-key event on Dr. McCall’s Yacht. You have confirmed. Your first appearance will be Monday at 9pm. You are the keynote speaker. You will be delivering to a sold out crowd – no Q&A. Janae Samples will be there Shelby. Shall I arrange for a welcoming bouquet in her suite?”
Janae Samples was the wife of Dr. Wiles Samples of the UK. She epitomized the “trophy wife.” Wiles came upon her on the runway in Milan. Modeling couture paid well but it was pennies when compared to what Wiles offered. Wiles was 40 years her senior and far more interested in medicine than he was in Janae. She was convenient and discreet. She and Shelby shared a bed when they were in the same city.
“Whoa Tiffany. I appreciate everything you do. My life is on autopilot thanks to you. Yes to the flowers for Janae. I will be heading to the hospital for a couple of hours. I will need Vince at my disposal. I plan to meet all of my commitments in France but I will be changing my flight plans. I will update you, as I need your assistance.”
“I will be here.” Tiffany was confused. No questions – that was her job and she did it well.
“Thank you.”
**********
“We have definitely aged. We were at the beach for three hours and I do think there was a moment when we were all awake. Instead of checking out the men, we were commenting on the cute children. One thing has not changed.”
“What is that Mercy?” Lexi chimed in.
“You rock that black two piece Lex. I was safely beneath my chic cover up. Sepia you were fashionable in a tankini number and Carys looked like she raided her mother’s closet. No offense Carys.”
“None taken Mercy. Bronte picked it for me. My boobs are beginning to sag and I have not had a bikini wax in months. I think it’s cute and appropriate. We should all lose a partner. Maybe that is the key to a bikini body.
The jovial cackling in the car went silent.
“Carys.” Sepia was stunned. Lexi looked out the window having felt the misdirected comment.
“I have no excuse for bad manners. I am Sorry Lexi.”
“I would be an obituary if it were not for you women. A few words are not going to cause a setback. The fish store is a few blocks away. We can just set the reset button on the entire conversation. Carys, the geometric design on your swim wear is hideous.” Lexi laughed.
With a bag filled with shrimp, swordfish and littlenecks, they headed back to Mercy’s house. As they approached, they saw a black sedan pulled up by the house. They got out of their green Suburban and peered into the vehicle. It was empty except for a leather over-night bag. Puzzled the women walked up the pebbled path towards the front door. There were four floral arrangements. One standing out for its grandeur.
“What the hell. Our loved ones must miss us.”
“They all have cards. Open them up. I never get flowers delivered. I should leave Valerie alone more often.”
Mercy ripped open the first envelope.
To the gay Amazon
She pulled out the second card.
Mrs. Mayor
The third card read:
To the lady in the blue dress
The last attached to the most extravagant bouquet. It included hydrangeas, lilies and white roses.
To Lexi
They turned around to find Dr. Shelby Conrad III standing at the end of the path.
“Hello. I believe I am crashing a reunion. Pictures do not do you women justice and I had some time on my hands. I dropped by to say hello. I will only stay a minute if you can make the time.
“We have nothing but time. Flowers were a nice touch.”
“It is my home. Why don’t you join us for dinner? I hope you know your way around a barbecue.”
“You have some explaining to do Dr. Conrad. How is it you happened by all the way from South Carolina?” Sepia demurred.
“I flew.”
**********
Mercy gave Shelby an old sweater of her husbands to accommodate for the cool evening air. He put on a red apron emblazoned with bold lettering, “Eat Me”, across the chest. He had not cooked in years but he was proud to be in charge of the tongs. It reminded him of impromptu oyster roasts with his grandfather. He managed to keep the kabobs turning. Lovely Lexi was a breath of fresh air in her navy dress and silver pendant. Her toes were perfect and pink. He had never noticed a woman’s feet in detail. He had never taken the time.
“Thank you for allowing me to invade your territory. Yesterday was my summer vacation. I sipped a little bourbon and I should not have been playing around on the computer.”
“Your Day of vacation? Doesn’t someone like you always have vacation?” Carys asked.
“I spend a great deal of time in vacation destinations but I am always working. It is a hectic lifestyle. I have many nice things but I have to work to keep paying for them. I know I am fortunate but wealth has its pit-falls.” Shelby sighed.
“Name one pit-fall?” Lexi asked.
“Look around you. You can say that these women are your close friends. They catch you if you fall. They have no secret motive. You do not have something they covet. I do not have that. I have to second-guess everyone with the exception of my sons. I pay for loyalty. I have to be cautious as people are always for sale.”
“What about your wife Shelby?”
Shelby looked out at the marsh and ignored the question.
“This is going to be quite a feast. I am supposed to be on a yacht in Cannes. This is better. I will fly out tomorrow morning from Hyannis. A friend of mine has a house near the airport. I will stay there tonight. Lexi, will you join me after dinner for about an hour? I want to hear more about Mae’s condition. I already studied her case. I have a few questions.”
Lexi was astonished. She would move the earth to help Mae. She did not care what type of agenda this Shelby person had.
“Yes.” Lexi responded. The other women exchanged accepting glances.
They ate swordfish kebabs with fresh vegetables from the garden. Lexi and Shelby drank ginger lemonade while the others opted for lager. Shelby laughed intensely. He scared himself, as it had been a long time since he had heard himself snicker.
Carys, Mercy and Sepia disappeared to check in with their families before bed, leaving the dishes for the morning.
Chapter 4
“Thank you for taking the time to chat with me Lexi. Are you warm enough?”
“I am Shelby it is a perfect evening. You are probably accustomed to higher temperatures down south.”
“As I explained I was a little drunk the other night. When you mentioned your 13 year old daughter it struck nerve. My sons are precious to me I could not imagine how I would deal with your situation. You said you lost your husband and I felt compelled to help. I inherited most of my wealth but my passion is medicine. I am in a position to help.”
“I was grieving Jerry and then Mae was diagnosed with the same fucking thing. I am going to lose my shop, which is my livelihood. Mae is 13 and her left ventricle is barely functioning. She needs a procedure normally performed on a new born. The risk is too high for most surgeons to touch. Then we have sweet Lucy who should be living the life of a 16 year old. There is no simple fix, but thank you. I suggest you sail off to the French Riviera and never look back.”
Shelby grabbed Lexi in a tight embrace. The floodgates lifted and she cried. For the first time in two years, Lexi breathed. They were alone on the side deck. Lexi lifted her arms and Shelby removed her navy dress. He released her ponytail. They spoke no words as they continued to undress. He looked at Lexi as a woman. For years, she was merely a victim.
Shelby moved his slightly callused hands across Lexi’s hips and explored every crevice of her body. He touched her with purpose - deliberately and slowly. They collapsed on the slats of the wooden deck. It was a rigid place for a delicate adventure.
His hands tangled in her red hair. She gently kissed him from lip to the soles of his feet, pausing
to give extra attention to his firm penis. She purred as he entered her. Together they climaxed.
“Should I care that your friends are behind those doors?” Shelby was out of breath but he managed to speak.
“I do not care. We are all adults. I would care more if your wife were behind those doors.”
“Maxine is likely fucking the golf pro. Can we leave her out of it?”
“Momentarily. She exists.”
“It’s about 2am. I am going to leave you. Will you come to breakfast tomorrow? Bring the girls. I would snuggle with you in your belvedere but they are expecting me. I will send a car at nine. Here is my cell. It is my private number and only my boys and a couple of others have it. I do not let my boys say – It was meant to be. I have always considered it an excuse. I rarely say this – I was wrong.”
“Is it that lonely?”
“What?”
“Being wealthy.”
“Not anymore Lexi. I will see you in a couple of hours.”
“Shelby. This was not about Mae of Jerry. This was about Lexi. You made me feel alive again. Thank-you.”
“We will talk about Mae. This is personal now.”
**********
Lexi started the morning brewing coffee and knocking on doors. She announced the 9am breakfast date. They agreed to the free meal courtesy of the billionaire. The girls slowly stumbled down the stairs. They needed a moment to acclimate. Lexi cleaned the kitchen. She had not slept.
“Start talking Lexi. We left you to speak with Shelby. You have turned into some kind of whirling dervish. I have seen this glow before. It has been since you had a nasty one- night stand with Jerry, which ended up in in marriage. You seem fucking high.” Carys was blunt.
“I think we should leave Lexi alone. Whatever happened last night was personal. We are not in our twenties anymore.” Mercy took a more subdued approach.