by Remember Me
and the belittlement it caused her.
Heather had gone to great lengths to create the fantasy of her life. She would need to go
farther to leave an impact. She would push beyond the confrontation. She undid the top button to
the shirt she wore as she knocked lightly on the slightly opened door.
“Yes,” called the voice from inside.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Mayor Whitmore,” Margaret lied as she walked into the room.
She noticed his eyes giving her the once over as she stood at the doorway. “I was just sitting out
there thinking to myself, and I wondered if I might ask you a few questions. I’ve always
wondered what a life in politics would be like, and I know that you’re really busy, but I thought
you might shed some light on things for me?” she asked, trying to seem sincere.
“Sure,” answered Todd as he set aside the report in his hands. He enjoyed looking her
over, she thought to herself. The knee-length gray skirt displayed her firm legs, and her short
sleeved red shirt revealed a low neckline with the two buttons undone. Sick thoughts now
collided in the corners of his one track mind, she was sure of that.
“How old are you, Margaret?” he asked innocently.
“I’m eighteen,” she answered, feeling satisfied with his reaction to her inquiry. She had
hoped he would entertain her questions in this manner. He took pride in his job, and enjoyed
talking himself up to others. “I’ll be going to college this fall and I’ve always had a desire to
work in politics, but there are a few rumors I’ve heard. I hoped you might confirm if there was
any truth to them.”
Margaret walked into the room and sat down in one of the two leather chairs across from
Todd’s desk. She leaned back and crossed her legs to retain some modesty. Degrading herself
was not her intention.
“You definitely hear a lot of stories making it sound glamorous,” agreed Todd, “but it’s
really hard work. You’re always trying to satisfy your constituents. People expect you to have
the perfect answer for any problem which arises. There’s a lot of pressure involved with a career
in politics.”
“But there are rewards also, aren’t there?” Margaret questioned, not interested in his story
about the labor of the job, and eager to answer her other questions.
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“Oh sure, it has it’s rewards. Sometimes it’s a piece of legislation you’re trying to get
past the city council, or you’re trying to bring in a new company to provide more jobs for the
community.”
Margaret watched him closely as he talked to her. The man’s eyes seemed to wander
from her face down to the skirt she wore. She could tell that his thoughts did not center on his
political agenda. He was a master of speech, capable of talking shop while he slowly studied his
companion in conversation. It was a developed trait, an ability to read the mind of those you
spoke to by their facial expressions, and a trait necessary for a successful career in politics. A
sense of excitement came over her as she decided to force the conversation farther.
“I’m not talking about those kinds of rewards,” Margaret interrupted. With the new topic
she wished to introduce, manners really didn’t matter anymore. She exchanged the interested
smile on her face for a more intuitive smirk. “I’m talking about the power that you get from it. It
must be great to know that you’re the most powerful man in the whole city.”
“I don’t look at it that way,” Todd defended, not quite sure where the sudden remark had
stemmed from. “I’m trying to do some good for the people who elected me. I’m not really in it
for the power.”
“Of course you are,” exclaimed Margaret as she glanced her eye at him in a fashion that
made it hard to distinguish whether it was a wink or just a nervous twitch. “There are a lot of
people out there who would love the job you have. Power is very appealing to people. Some
people kill for power, it’s an addictive drug. Just being associated with you might be satisfying to
some people. I bet there’s a lot of women who would love to get their hands on you?”
“I’m afraid I’m not sure what you’re getting at,” spoke Todd as he hesitated slightly.
Margaret could sense that he was extremely uncomfortable. She relished watching the
bewildered look that surfaced across the confines of his face. He didn’t seem quite as big and
intimidating to her anymore. Margaret liked her new role as the aggressor. The pleasure she
received from seeing him so nervous pushed her to pursue the conversation.
“Sure you do, Mr. Mayor,” persisted Margaret in a serious and unrelenting tone. “In fact,
I’m sure there are women out there who literally throw themselves at you ¯ probably some very
beautiful women too ¯ the kinds of women a man like yourself might find extremely hard to
resist.”
“I think maybe this conversation has been carried to far...” uttered Todd with a nervous
stutter to his voice. She noticed a hint of anger as well, though she paid it little attention.
“I came back up to your office after your daughter and I visited you a couple of days
ago,” stated Margaret as she interrupted him again. “I thought I had left something behind. Your
secretary wasn’t at her desk, so I went ahead and cracked the door to your office to ask if I might
look for it. Imagine my surprise when I saw the spectacle inside. You appeared to be doing a
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pretty good job of satisfying at least one of your voting constituents. Tell me, Mr. Mayor, do you
try that hard to please all your voters?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied in utter shock. He tried desperately to
maintain his senses, but felt the heat in his cheeks as the blood rushed to his embarrassed face.
He wished he could cover his face as he searched through his memory to recall the afternoon
interlude with his secretary.
“Oh, I’m sure I could refresh your memory,” explained Margaret calmly. “You see, I was
wearing my cassette tape player, and I was so impressed by the shrills from secretary, that I just
had to capture part of it on tape. Now, you might think that your wife wouldn’t believe my story,
but I’ve listened to the tape since then, and I can clearly make out your voice on the tape, as well
as Mrs. Abrams screaming your name excitably. It’s quite undeniable. I could bring it over for
the whole family to enjoy later this evening if you would like.”
“What do you want from me?” Todd asked in horror.
Margaret saw the bead of sweat rolling down the side of his head and knew she had
frightened the man. She was eager to finish what she had come here for, but at the same instant,
she wanted to absorb this moment. Heather was right, revenge did feel good. Little did Heather
know that she had advised Margaret to seek it on her own husband.
”Satisfaction,” she replied simply, “like all the voters demand. Like your secretary
demanded.”
“What would you do?” he asked, trying to collect himself.
“Well I don’t really see any need to start any rumors about what I saw in your office, but
there is so
mething you could do for me to assure me that I need to keep my lips sealed. I do have
one simple request,” she uttered calmly.
“What’s that?” he asked with a tremble in his voice.
“Reveal yourself to me,” she replied, quoting the film that Jeremy had subjected her to.
She still recalled the scene as plainly as though she had just seen it. More importantly, she
recalled the anger it had caused her.
“What?”
“I want to get a good look at you,” she continued, using the same mannerism as the film.
“You want me to undress?”
“Oh, come on now, you didn’t have any problems revealing yourself to the other women.
What makes this any different?” she pointed out as rationally as she could under the
circumstances.
“You want me to seduce you?” he asked in disbelief.
The thought made Margaret cringe. The horror of catching herself with him in her dreams
made her queasy, but it didn’t hold a stone to actually committing such an act. It was a logical
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question from his point of view, she told herself. After all, he thought that was what every
woman wanted or required. Margaret wouldn’t lower herself to that level, but she knew for the
sake of her goal, she couldn’t let him know that.
“Not yet,” Margaret answered, reciting a line Jeremy had once spoken to her. “First I
need to examine the merchandise, before I can decide if it’s worth the price.”
“What?”
“It’s a simple request. You had no problems asking the same of your own lovers.”
“Right here,” Todd asked in confusion.
“You catch on quickly,” Margaret replied coolly. It was easy, she thought, the words
etched in her mind like unhealing scars.
“You’re kidding.”
“Don’t disappoint me,” she warned him with impatience as she motioned with her hand
for him to stand up. It was a new role for her. For a moment, she understood why Jeremy
enjoyed this so much. She received a great sense of power from exercising this much control
over another individual.
Todd stood up and unbuckled his belt, glancing up at her in bewilderment. Margaret
stopped him before he could remove any clothes. She wanted more, like his pride. He still
maintained some respect in this manner. She wanted his dignity.
“Slower, Mr. Mayor,” she stressed firmly, remembering vividly the way that Jeremy had
said the same things. “You have to tease the girl a little bit. You’ve been to the clubs. You know
how it’s done. Come on, entertain me a little bit. If a girl undressed that way in a club, she
wouldn’t have a job at the end of the night.”
Todd had removed his shoes before standing up, and he slowly slid off his trousers,
bearing the silk briefs he wore beneath. Margaret really didn’t want to see him naked, and had to
hide a giggle, but she wouldn’t turn back now. She had played the act perfectly, and her
character wanted him bare. I should have taken drama, she thought to herself as she urged him
on. I would have been good at it.
Todd slowly unbuttoned his shirt. He threw it over to her as she motioned for it with her
hands. Her facial expressions changed as he took each garment off, and he wondered what would
happen next. Margaret enjoyed the spectacle with an unrighteous satisfaction. She noticed her
pulse quickening as he came closer to the natural look, but her excitement didn’t come from any
fleshly desire. She obtained a thrill from watching this man stripped of the one thing she detested
the most about him, his power. He looked so simple before her, and so defenseless.
He looked back at her in wonder, trying to figure out if this was what she wanted. He felt
unsure of himself, and didn’t like the shame he carried on his bare shoulders. He expected her to
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stand at any moment, and match his nakedness with her own, but she just sat there, waiting. He
hoped his visual performance would soon end.
“Hello, Todd,” came the familiar voice from the kitchen. “We’re home.”
Margaret looked up at the petrified face of the man who stood in nothing but his briefs.
He had thrown each article across the desk to where she sat, the bundle of clothes in her lap.
Todd started to walk around the desk to retain his clothes when she held a halting hand towards
him.
“If you stop now, I swear I’ll scream,” she whispered up at him.
“You wouldn’t,” he challenged her intent, prodding for some indication of her
withdrawal from the dangerous situation they now stood in. He hoped that she would retreat,
knowing it could hurt her as much as him, but she didn’t seem to care.
“I could throw myself into a very awkward and convincing position with no trouble at
all,” she threatened him in a serious whisper. “What do you think your wife would think when
she ran in and found you naked next to a screaming girl. That would look good in the newspaper.
Mayor seduces young minor in the privacy of his own home.” She paused a moment for the
shock to sink in. “I have nothing to lose, do you?”
“What more do you want? We can’t do it here.”
“Let’s have a look,” she commanded, not paying attention to the remark.
Todd stared momentarily in horror as he looked through the sheer curtain covering the
window behind him. Margaret could see the van parked in the driveway, but knew that nobody
could see in from outside. She smiled as she watched him squirm from fear.
“Are you home, honey?” called out the voice from the kitchen.
“You’d better answer her,” whispered Margaret, delighting in his fright. “You don’t want
her to come looking for you.”
“Yes, dear,” Todd yelled out, his voice still jittery. “How was shopping?”
“Just fine, dear. I got some steaks for dinner...”
“Come on, Mr. Mayor,” insisted Margaret as she spoke softly and firmly to him. “I’m not
a satisfied voter... Finish the job you started, we don’t want to be in here forever. She might walk
in here to see your cute little face.”
Margaret loved the intense rush she felt as she worked the man like putty in her fingers.
The exhilaration she received from controlling his actions completely masked the fear that
Heather might come looking for him. This is what she wanted. This is what she had come here
for, to give him a good look at himself. Heather claimed to carry the other end of her husband’s
leash, but at the moment, the leash had changed hands.
Todd closed his eyes and slowly reached down, removing the briefs from his naked body.
Margaret stared at him for several seconds with a serious, but unchanged look on her face, and
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then she cracked a smile. The smile was nothing like Todd expected. It was not a smile of
gratification, more of a smirk.
“That’s it,” Margaret uttered as she started to giggle. “I tell you, our politicians just keep
coming up shorter and shorter on the real issues.”
Margaret stood up and tossed the clothes one at a time back to him. She turned and
walked away, still trying to c
ontain her laughter, and still carrying his pants in her hands. She
could here him fumbling around with his clothes as he tried to get dressed before someone else
came in the room.
“I think your secretary was faking it,” Margaret called back to him in a lowered voice so
the occupants in the kitchen couldn’t hear her. “You just don’t have the potential to be more than
a city politician.”
“What will you do now?” he asked in a frantic voice as he extended a hand, waiting for
her to throw him his pants.
“Don’t worry,” Margaret smiled at the man. “I won’t tell anyone about you and your
secretary. We all have our little secrets, even if some of our little secrets are smaller than most?
Do whatever you want with her, she won’t be around for long. She’s obviously in it for the
power. Once you lose your office, you won’t be anything at all to women.”
“You’ll destroy the tape you have then?” whispered Todd across the room, ignoring the
insult. He still held out his hand, motioning for her to toss back his pants.
“Sure, Mr. Mayor, I’ll destroy it.”
She threw her hand forward, as if to toss the pants back to him, but faked him out as she
never released her grip. An obnoxious smile crossed her face as she stepped out the door with the
pants still in her hand. Todd knew that he could do nothing.
Margaret did the top button of her blouse back up as she stepped out the door and walked
calmly towards the kitchen. She could hear Todd tripping over his shoes behind her as she pulled
the door closed. She tossed the pants on the floor in his bedroom as she headed up towards the
kitchen. That ought to make him wonder, she thought to herself.
“What a moron. I can’t believe he bought the story about the tape,” she whispered to
nobody as she continued down the hall towards the kitchen.
“Well hello, Margaret, I didn’t realize you were here?” exclaimed Heather as Margaret
walked into the kitchen.
“I was just in chatting with your husband,” explained Margaret, trying to hide her smile.
“What about,” inquired Heather.
“Politics mostly.”
“I find all that a little boring,” Heather admitted in a whisper.
“Yeah,” agreed Margaret. “Don’t tell your husband, but I didn’t get that excited either.”