“Well, it's a long night too, and I don't have anywhere to go,” my dad responded.
I looked at Ian. “I think we should just tell your parents the truth, about everything,” Ian said.
I hesitated. “Yeah, I suppose you're right. I just don't know where to begin,” I said.
Ian grabbed my hand. “Let's try the beginning.”
So I did. We both did. Ian and I explained everything that had happened to us over the course of a few months, sparing no details, except maybe a few diary entries. I mean, they were still my parents, after all. Besides, the way my mom kept sneaking glances at Ian, she might already have had a few fantasies of her own going on. When I was finished, my mother and father were both just gawking at us.
Finally, my father broke the silence. “That's uh, quite the story you got there.”
I nodded. “So I've been told.”
My father laughed. “I bet the last thing you expected was for the both of you to end up broke and homeless when all the dust was settled.”
“You have no idea,” Ian grumbled.
“I just can't believe they can do that. Just take away your father's company like that, and all your things, at the drop of a hat,” my mother said. “It just doesn't seem right.”
“Just goes to show you that no matter what position you're in in life, you can't take anything for granted. It could all be gone tomorrow, in the blink of an eye,” my father said.
My mother glanced at the clock. “You can quit your yapping now, you old coot. It's already past midnight. Let the poor dears get some sleep. You two must be exhausted,” my mother said.
Ian nodded. “I could use a warm bed,” he admitted.
“Well, you two go on and get ready for bed. I'll whip up some tea for you in the meantime; that should put you both right to sleep,” my mother said.
My dad grumbled. “He doesn't need tea, woman, he needs a stiff shot of whiskey. Come on, boy, I've got some good stuff in my den; even you might like it. I don't know how organic it is, but I know a couple sips of it will put some hair on your chest,” my dad said with a laugh.
My father beckoned Ian, and Ian looked at me helplessly. I grinned. He wanted to impress my father, but he didn't want to spend any more time with him. It made me want to laugh, but I didn't for his sake.
“Good luck,” I whispered.
Ian groaned. “I hope that whiskey is strong,” he mumbled.
He certainly didn't have to worry about that. After I slipped into a nightgown and brushed my teeth, then talked a bit with my mom over a cup of hot tea, Ian and my father still hadn't emerged from the den, and it was well past one o'clock. I decided then that I would go see what they were up to. When I got close enough, I caught them in the heart of a conversation.
Ian took another big slug of the whiskey in his glass.
“What do you think?” my father asked.
“Very good vintage, I must say. Smooth, but with a kick,” Ian said.
My father laughed. “It's Canadian, best whiskey around.”
Ian nodded. “I may have to agree with you.”
“So I've got a question,” my father finally stated.
“What's that?”
“What are you going to do now?” my father asked.
“About what?” Ian returned.
“Your company; how are you going to get it back?” he asked.
Ian sighed. “I'm not. The chances are slim, anyway. There will be a trial tomorrow, one with all the accumulated evidence. There's no need for me to show up; the trial is just a formality at this point. I'll be found guilty, and when I am, I'll lose possession of my company.”
My father shook his head. “So you're just going to give up?”
Ian shrugged. “What choice do I have?”
My dad scoffed. “The choice any man has. You can run, like you are now, like a whipped dog, or you can fight.”
“That sounds great, Mr. Adams, really it does, but I don't think you fully understand the situation,” Ian said.
My father shrugged. “Don't have to know the details. I just know that every man has that one obstacle, the one in his life that always seems impossible. At that point in his life he is faced with a decision: face the unknown, with a chance for greatness, or take the safe road and spend the rest of his life wondering. Trust me, you don't want to take the second route, son.”
“It's not a matter of safety or fear. It's just logic. I can't win, Mr. Adams. I've seen the case Logan has built. It's bulletproof,” Ian said.
“Well then, you'll just have to find a different weapon,” my father said.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know what my wife and I do for a living?” my father asked.
Ian nodded. “You own a furniture store.”
My father nodded. “That's right. Now it's easy; the store practically runs itself. It wasn't always that way though, not in the beginning. One year, another furniture store moved in right across the street from my own. That was a tough year. They were corporate owned, you see, with unbeatable prices and great merchandise. We almost went bankrupt that year, but you know how we pulled through?”
“You consulted a marketing team about alternative strategies and advertising campaigns to raise awareness about your product?” Ian asked.
My father laughed. “Nope. Couldn't afford anything like that. You know what we did? We persevered. That's it. We pinched every penny and weathered the storm, praying day by day. And eventually, you know what happened?”
“What?” Ian asked.
“A tornado passed by one fateful day. A big one. It tore up half the town, including the furniture store across the street. Guess what? Ours was left untouched, not a scratch on it. You know what that was?” my father asked.
Ian shrugged. “Blind luck?”
My father shook his head. “Nope. That was a reward, a reward for perseverance, for faith.”
Ian nodded, taking another sip of his whiskey. “So what would you have me do?” he asked.
“Simple. A man takes what's his, or faces his problems head on. Go back home, Ian, finish this thing. Show up to that court date and tell them everything. You'd be surprised how far a little honesty can get you,” my dad said.
Ian was silent for a long time at this, contemplating my father's words, and then standing to indicate that he had come to some decision. “My God, you're right. I have to go back. I can't let that snake take my father's company!”
My father grinned. “There you go, now you sound like a man.”
Ian laughed. “Thank you for opening my eyes, Mr. Adams.”
My dad nodded. “Everyone needs a swift kick in the rear every now and then.”
Ian laughed. “I have to tell Rachel, I have to tell her right now.”
I stepped into the room. “No need,” I said. “I heard everything.”
Ian grinned. “It's not polite to eavesdrop,” he said.
I shrugged. “I never was very courteous.”
Later that night, Ian and I had finally gotten to bed, but Ian was restless. He kept pacing back and forth in front of the mirror. He was in nothing but a pair of snug black briefs.
I groaned. “Will you stop pacing and come to bed?” I pleaded for the fifteenth time.
Ian shook his head. “I can't sleep. All I can think about is how I'm going to beat Logan,” he said.
I smiled, admiring Ian―not just his chiseled frame, but him, as a person. He had found a way to connect with my father, even though they were from totally different worlds. Ian really was a good person at heart. “You know,” I said, “it was really sweet the way you and my father talked together. You know, doing male bonding and whatnot.”
Ian laughed. “I would hardly call it bonding. He spent most of the night insulting me.”
“That means he likes you,” I said with a smirk.
Ian shook his head. “Midwesterners...” he mumbled again.
I watched him,
bathed in moonlight as he stroked his rippled abdomen with his hand. His bulge was straining against his underwear. His chest and stomach were a bit hairy as well since he hadn't had the chance to groom in a while. Instead of repelling me though, it intrigued me. He looked so rugged, so gritty. His powerful arms were bulging with veins. Suddenly, I felt a wetness underneath the thin veil of my nightgown.
“You know...” I said. “When I have trouble sleeping, one thing always does the trick.” I hiked up my gown a bit, letting my long legs unfurl under the light of the moon. Ian's eyes caught them, the bulge in front of him swelling.
Ian walked to the bed slowly, like some jungle cat, sleek and muscular. “Oh yeah? What's that?” he asked, running one hand through my thick hair, and resting another on my breasts.
I scooted myself closer to him, wrapping my legs around his waist, pulling him to me. Ian slipped the nightgown off of me with powerful hands. “I want you to know that no matter what happens tomorrow, we won't change. I want to be with you, Rachel―you, not Penelope. Nothing in the world can stop that now,” Ian said, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
“Nothing?” I asked, biting my lower lip.
Ian threw me back onto the bed, slipping his underwear off. “Nothing,” he insisted, parting my legs and slowly sinking his thick cock deep inside me. I ran my fingers along his chest, through the forest of hair. It was an intoxicating feeling, like I was absorbing his raw testosterone, the pheromones billowing off of him.
I dug my nails into his back as Ian pounded deeper, harder. My whole body trembled as Ian continued to pound with a rhythm like a war drum. “Ohhh, Goooodddd,” I moaned, clinging to him as the orgasm wracked my body, sending a thousand different currents of sensation shooting through all of my extremities. Ian quickly clamped a hand over my mouth to muffle my screams of pleasure. I couldn't stop. I screamed into his palm, the sound muted but satisfying as the orgasm deepened, sinking into my very core. I felt Ian's seed spill inside of me, and then we both collapsed. Before I even had time to blink, the two of us had drifted off to sleep.
* * *
“Ian Payne?” Seconds passed. “Ian Payne? The New York Circuit Clerk calls Ian Payne to the stand,” the judge droned. There was no reply in the packed courtroom other than some murmuring in the back.
Logan looked at his attorney and grinned. “See, I told you he wouldn't show up. Like taking candy from a baby,” he said with a grin. I wanted to walk over to him and sock him right in his smug little face. Thankfully, Ian entered the courtroom before my thought had time to develop into action.
“I'm here! I'm here!” Ian said, nearly tripping over the rows of seats. Ian then took his place at the stand, nodding as he passed Logan.
Logan gave him a strange look. “I'm surprised you even showed up,” Logan said.
Ian shrugged. “Well, it is my father's company. Besides, I have a lot of free time on my hands now, you know, considering you took everything from me.”
Logan grimaced. “Don't act like I did it. You did it to yourself, Ian. You won't understand that until you stop blaming everybody else.”
“Oh, I'm not blaming you. You can't help that you're a backstabbing, conniving little bastard. But don't worry, I'm going to take what's mine,” Ian said.
Logan cocked his eyebrow. “Take what's yours? You sound like a farmer. Where'd you pick that up? Nebraska?” “Oklahoma,” Ian corrected.
Logan rolled his eyes. “This is a cute gesture, Ian. Even brave, more so than I thought you were capable of. It's stupid though; I've got enough evidence to win three cases. You've always been a smart kid, Ian, so use your brain now and know when you've been beaten.” Ian smirked. “It's you that has been beaten, old man, you just don't know it yet.”
Logan grimaced, then shrugged. “It's your funeral,” he said. “Did you even bring a lawyer?”
Ian shrugged. “Nope, couldn't afford one,” Ian said.
Logan laughed. “Oh how the mighty have fallen.”
“He's about to,” Ian responded.
“Mr. Payne.” The judge's words interrupted Logan and Ian's staring contest.
“Yes?” Ian asked.
“You're late,” the judge growled.
Ian nodded. “I'm also very sorry. All my assets have been seized, including my cars, so I've had a difficult time obtaining transportation.”
The judge nodded. “You realize that most of the evidence has already been presented in your absence, correct?”
Ian nodded. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“You are also aware that the compiled evidence is quite condemning?” the judge asked.
Ian nodded again. “I do.” “Well, do you have anything to say in your defense?” the judge asked.
“Yes, Your Honor. I was in love,” Ian said.
“Um, what?” the judge asked, scratching his head. In the background, I heard Logan snickering.
“I fell in love, Your Honor, with that girl right there, behind me,” Ian said, pointing to me. Every eye in the courtroom was on me. My face must have resembled a lobster. After what felt like an eternity, the eyes shifted back to the stand.
“That's very sweet, Mr. Payne, but being in love isn't really a defense. You stand accused of misappropriating government funding, a very serious crime, one that could hold a prison sentence, though Mr. Logan here has requested that be waived so long as you are willing to give up all rights to Infiniti Inc. And judging from all the evidence, including the mountains of journals and paperwork, tape recordings and video surveillance, I have no choice but to believe that all of Logan Lambert's claims are correct. So did you or did you not experiment on an unknown project using government grant money that was meant to be appropriated for something else?” the judge asked.
Ian nodded. “I did.”
“So you're admitting guilt?” the judge asked again.
“I'm admitting that I was working on a project that would revolutionize the world, a project that many of my competitors and even terrorists around the world would have loved to get their hands on. I may have broken that law, but it was in the interest of the greater good, to protect the people of the world, to prevent my technology from falling into the wrong hands,” Ian said.
The judge nodded. “That's very noble, Mr. Payne, but that does not excuse you from the crime.”
Ian nodded. “I understand that. But I am not the only one who committed a crime here. My associate and longtime business partner Logan Lambert has been conspiring against me for the last several years now, paying people under the table to spy on me. A very illegal act,” Ian said.
The judge raised his eyebrow, turning to Logan. “Is this true, Mr. Lambert?” Logan scoffed. “Of course not, Your Honor. This is just some pathetic ploy to take the attention off of himself,” Logan said.
“I have witnesses,” Ian said.
“I would very much like to hear their testimony,” the judge said.
“Your Honor, I object. The trial is over. The accused has already admitted guilt. Any accusation he has to make is a separate issue, one that should be handled through proper judicial protocol,” Logan's lawyer said.
“I am a judge of the courts, is that not judicial enough for you?” the judge asked.
Logan's attorney went silent.
“Overruled,” the judge growled. “You may call your first witness, Mr. Payne.”
Ian cleared his throat. “I'd like to call Ellie Vanderbauk to the stands,” Ian said.
To my surprise, Ellie strolled through the crowd, doing so as if she was on a runway. Ellie gave her testimony, telling a complete tale of how several times Logan had offered her a seat of power in Ian's company if she could find out about a device called the Genesis Drive.
The next witness was Mabel, who winked at me before she took the stand. She told a similar story, one nearly identical to Ellie's. Next on the stand was Ian's ex-wife Cassie. She said Logan came to her, thinking she was bitter about Ian and her an
nulment, and asked if she wanted to get back at him. It was quite the show to watch. As each witness took the stand, testifying against Logan, his grimace deepened.
The last witness surprised me the most. It was Mr. Renly himself. I was shocked. After he testified about Logan wanting him to help dig up dirt on Ian, to sabotage his reputation, Renly stopped to talk to me when he left the stand.
“I couldn't do it,” Renly said. “Not after everything you told me. I've been on this planet a long time, Ms. Adams, and it's a rare thing to see the kind of love you and Ian have, the pure kind. Who was I to tread on that?”
My heart filled with warmth. “Thank you, Mr. Renly,” I said.
He shook his head. “No, thank you. It's been a real pleasure, Ms. Adams, though I suppose soon it will be Mrs. Payne,” he said with a wink.
I laughed. “Wait, what?” I asked as what he said sank in, but he was already gone.
After a brief recess, one that seemed like an eternity, the judge finally returned with a verdict. “Though this is highly unorthodox,” the judge said, “I have decided to have both cases judged simultaneously, as all the evidence for each one has been presented, and they are closely related to each other. In the end, this really boils down to who is most fit to run the company Infiniti Inc. The conclusion I have come to...” I was on the edge of my seat. “Is that neither of you are fit to run a company of that magnitude. Therefore, I am making Infiniti Inc. a publically traded company, and distributing its stock amongst the people of New York as restitution for Mr. Payne and Mr. Lambert's crimes. As a result, neither Mr. Lambert nor Mr. Payne will be allowed to take part in any aspect of the company Infiniti Inc., whether it be management or employment,” the judge said.
Logan scowled at Ian. “Look what you did, you fool!” Logan growled. “Now neither of us can have it. You destroyed your father's legacy! Flushed it down the drain, and for what? Principle? Bah!” Logan spat.
Ian was just grinning. “I didn't destroy his legacy, I improved it,” Ian said. “You always told me, Infiniti Inc. belongs in the hands of the people, so now it does.” Logan's face fell. “You knew this would happen all along, didn't you?”
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