An Affair 'Not' To Remember/C3 Darn the Paparazzi!
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An Affair 'Not' To Remember/C3 Darn the Paparazzi!
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C3 Darn the Paparazzi!

Their ride back began in an uncomfortable silence for them …Melinda was mortified from what happened last night; while Shelby … who knew that Melinda was probably already feeling unnecessarily guilty; and, can see that she obviously doesn’t want to talk about it … is struggling to keep her burgeoning curiosity from pestering Melinda for all the juicy details.

But, after about ten minutes; Shelby can no longer contain herself … and, for anyone who knows Shelby when there’s the topic of relationships, especially if sex is involved, to be hashed out; holding off talking about it for ten minutes is a new personal record for her…

“So …”

Melinda brusquely cuts her off, “I don’t want to talk about it, now!”

“Gotcha. Sorry. I won’t bring it up again; I’ll wait for you to decide when you want to talk about it.” Then, playfully goads...

“But; we will be talking about this.”

With a big, impish grin stretched across her face, Shelby looks to Melinda; who puts on a forced half-smile, and delivers an unenthusiastic thumbs up back at her.

Still impishly grinning...

“In the meantime; can we at least talk about my ‘walk of shame’ last night?”

Melinda lets out a short titter...

“Sure; whatever floats your boat. Knock yourself out.”

“See … this is why you’re my girl.” Shelby’s relieved she’s finally getting a chance talk about ‘dirty deeds’; even if it’s her own...

“Okay; so I’m still a little fuzzy about last night …”

“A little fuzzy?”

“Okay fine; it’s still a total black out to me … there; you happy?” She glances over at Melinda; who gives a terse nod while grinning...

“Fine; what’evs’ … anyhoo; so, when I do come to this morning, I’m in bed with none other than Mr. Donald Wallace ... the head of the hotel's HR department of all people…

I mean, hello, aren’t they supposed to be resolving issues involving sexual harassment, and not creating them? ...

But wait; I don’t think that can be considered sexual harassment if I willingly slept with him; can it? No; from what I recall from our orientation classes, it isn’t. Problem is; I can’t even remember if I did it willingly, or not.

Oh well; I’m guessing I did it willingly … I mean, after all, he is kind of good looking … and, I’d probably do it with him if I was sober … so; it’s all good.”

Her impish grin returns.

With a slight hint of sarcasm in Melinda's tone...

“That’s great, Shel; I’m happy for you. … I mean; at least you know who the asshole you slept with was.”

“Asshole, huh? … Oh, right; because they took advantage of us while we were so drunk. Yeah; you’re right … I totally hear where you’re coming from, girl. Those guys … total assholes.”

“Actually … hate to have to tell you this, Shel’ … we’re kinda the assholes for getting so drunk that it gave them the chance to take advantage of us. … No offense.”

A non-offended Shelby simply replies, “Point taken.”

“No; the guy I slept was an asshole because he wanted to pay me to keep my mouth shut about last night.”

“Get out … seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Wow. … So, just out of curiosity; how much did he say he would pay you?”

Melinda’s regretting that she brought it up; but, it’s too late now to take it back, and, sheepishly informs Shelby...

“$500,000.”

Instantly shocked, Shelby re-actively slams on the brakes; causing the car behind hers to have to precariously swerve around her car to avoid hitting it.

As the other car passes along side of her; he slows down long enough to chauvinistically shout out …

“Damn women drivers … go back home and stay in the kitchen where you belong!”

Pissed by the remark; but, realizing that this time she was definitely in the wrong for coming to a complete stop on the street ... all Shelby can do is shout back out...

“Sorry … my bad!”

Shelby quickly pulls up to curb; then, confounded, stares at Melinda … who’s becoming slightly uncomfortable under Shelby’s locked on gaze.

“What?”

“$500,000? … The guy offered you $500,000 just to keep your mouth shut?”

Meekly, “Yeah.”

Shelby unexpectedly bursts out into laughter...

“Ha! You’ve got to be kidding me; did he actually believe that you would buy that bogus proposition … he might as well have thrown in the Brooklyn Bridge while he was at it.

So, tell me; what … did he offer to pay it to you off in monthly installments, or …”

“Actually … he wrote out a check on the spot.”

A bit dumbfounded, “Wait … he actually wrote you out a check for $500,000?”

Still disbelieving this was legit...

“I’m sure it’s a bogus check that would bounce the second you tried to cash it in. Let me take a look at it.”

“I tore it up.”

Shelby’s jaw instantly drops; she can’t believe it.

“You tore up … a $500,000 check? Are you insane? I mean, sure, it was probably bogus like I said … but, still … what if it actually was real? … Holy shit … $500,000?

Now it’s my turn to have to say it; but, Mel … you’re an asshole for tearing it up. Why in the world would you do such an idiotic thing?”

Melinda resolutely declares, “Look, I may have lost my virginity; but, I still have my pride left.”

“Sure, but $500,000 is …”

“Can we just drop it? … I feel dirty enough already for waking up naked in the hotel’s Presidential Suite, only to find out that I slept with some random guy … I don’t want to feel even dirtier for having accepted his ‘hush’ money.”

For now, the topic of the money has ‘jumped on the back burner’ of the discussion.

“Hold up … you were in the Presidential Suite? Mr. ‘HR’ only footed the bill for a lousy economy suite …what a tightwad.” And, the subject of money returns...

“Plus; he was also going to pay you $500,000 … Mel, I’m seriously tot’ jels’ of you, right now … you are so insanely lucky; you know that, right?”

Not exactly seeing ‘the insane luck’; Melinda facetiously replies...

“Yeah … I’m living the dream.”

********

When she returns home, she sees her sixteen-year-old brother, Ray, playing on a multi-refurbished, hand-me-down Colecovision gaming system; because, that’s how the McDaniels roll.

Melinda chuckles and thinks … Yeah; ‘insanely lucky’.

Ray asks, “What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing; I was just thinking about something Shel said on the way over here. Forget about it … I’ll go get dinner started before Dad gets home.”

“Old Man’s already home.”

Melinda instantly knows what this means; but, still asks...

“Fired again? … Don’t tell me it’s because he showed up at work drunk?”

Ray sarcastically quips, “Shocking, huh?”

“Great … now what do we do?”

A quick overview of the McDaniels’ financial situation...

Ever since their mother, who was the family’s main breadwinner, passed away two years ago; it’s up to the three of them to scrounge up enough income to support their meager ‘paycheck to paycheck’ existence … sometimes being void of a paycheck or two.

Ray does take on an occasional part-time job, but, only when he happens to be dating; and, most of that money goes to his ‘squeeze’ at the time.

Her dad, Bob, can never seem to hold a job for more than a week tops; because, he’s a devout alcoholic who drinks everyday …which amazes Melinda, being how he complains that there’s never enough money on hand to pay the bills; but; he always seems to have an available cache of booze on hand.

As for Melinda … though currently between jobs ... she does manage to keep a fairly steady flow of income coming in; being how she can hold onto a job for more than a week.

Her only problem is … and, this probably falls under Shelby’s ‘insanely lucky’ theory … when she does get employment; she usually falls into the category of ‘last hired, first fired’.

So; with things being extremely difficult with only one source of income coming in at a time ... now that there’s no source at all; Melinda's already starting to worry about what they’re going to do.

And; she’s also starting to think how she wished she did take that $500,000. … The harsh truth is; pride won’t keep a roof over your head, or, food on the table.

Bob, reeking of alcohol, staggers into the living room, and, plops down on the couch.

“Look what the cat dragged in … finally decided to come home? What; were you out gallivanting all night with your boyfriend … what’s his name …”

Ray immediately quips, “… That douche bag who’s now with ‘Miss Hooters’.”

Melinda thinks … It’s the blonde bimbo with the big boobs … get it right, Ray.

Bob asks, “Then; who were you out with all night with?”

She thinks …

Okay; I’m twenty four, not four … really don’t see the need for you to be worrying about what I’m doing. Besides; if you feel like you want to play the role of the ‘responsible dad’, why don’t quit drinking and get a permanent job to help pay for things around here.” ...

But replies, “I was out with Shelby.”

“So … you were with Shelby the whole night?”

“Yeah.”

Melinda rationalizes … We were both in the same hotel; so, technically we were together for the whole night.

His eyebrow raises. “Really?” He pulls out his smartphone and connects to the internet; then, brings up the post. “Care to explain this, then?”

He hands her the phone, and Melinda … with her nosy brother hanging over her shoulder to get a peek … sees the article’s title ‘Unknown Woman Has Illicit Tryst with a Top Executive of Major Conglomerate’.

She looks to her dad, with a quizzical expression on her face…

“And … this is …?”

“Keep scrolling down.”

As she scrolls down, she comes across it...

Photos of her and the ‘check offering asshole’ at the hotel … though never in the same picture together … leaving the Presidential Suite; with him getting into the limousine in the underground parking garage; and, her getting into Shelby’s car in the outside parking lot.

Incriminating evidence out there on the ‘internet highway’ to be viewed and liked and shared and retweeted, from now ‘until the end of time’.

She exasperatedly huffs as she thinks … Darn the paparazzi!

Suddenly, Ray belts out, “Whoa … that’s Edward Bromley!”

Melinda’s taken aback. “Wait …you know he is?”

“Uh, duh; everyone knows who he is. … Hold on; don’t tell me you don’t know who he is; sis … where have you been living; under a rock?”

Refusing to believe that everyone has to know this guy, she turns to her drunkard father; whom she’s certain is just as clueless as she is about him...

“Dad; do you know who this Edward Bromley is?”

He just nods before dozing off. Ray laughs …

“And, he’s out.” Then looks down at his watch. “Almost twelve minutes … not his personal best … but, it’s up there.”

Melinda still can’t believe that both of them know who he is, while she never heard of him; and, she slept with him … unknowingly of course.

She also can’t believe that Ray's still wasting his time keeping track of how long it takes their father to sporadically pass out when he’s drunk. But, seriously …

“So; who exactly is Edward Bromley?”

“Hello; the CEO of Bromley Holdings LCC … only a multi-billion dollar conglomerate.”

Melinda thinks…

No wonder he can hand over a $500,000 check without even batting an eye. … Hold on … multi-billion … and, he was only going to fork over a measly half-million … and, Shel’ thought her ‘Mr. HR’ guy was a tightwad. What a cheapskate.

Oh, well; no use in crying over spilled milk. Even if she decided to beg him for that money; it’s too late, now … the cat’s out of the bag.

A smile appears on her face.

Man; I wish I can see the look on his face when he sees these.

“Tell me, Ray; how do you know about him, anyway?” She quips...

“I didn’t realize you were into following trends in the business world. Guess I’ll have to start calling you ‘Lil’ Rockefeller’.”

“Bromley Holdings LCC is one of the top five conglomerates in the world; and, among their dozens of different corporations they umbrella over, their biggest one is their worldwide chain of luxury hotels and resorts.

Perhaps you heard of them … I don’t know … say like; the Bromley Crown Royal Hotel, for instance?”

It suddenly hits her like a ton of bricks...

Shoot! That was his hotel?!

And, while she remains silently motionless, trying to take it all in; Ray teases…

“I take it by that dumb look on your face; you’re still trying to put two and two together. Guess I’ll have to start calling you ‘Captain Oblivious’.

Although, I have to give you props … if you’re going to have an illicit tryst with anyone … Edward Bromley is the way to go.

But, wait a minute; you said you didn’t know who he was … so, you just wound up hooking up with him by pure chance? Wow; talk about dumb luck.”

Uggh!! Again with the ‘luck’ … get over it, people; will you!

Melinda vehemently rebuffs...

“I’m not having an illicit tryst with him! I hardly even know the guy! I just remember meeting him for the first time when he came back to the bedroom to get his watch!”

Doooh! I may have went a little too far there. When am I ever gonna learn to keep my big, fat, mouth shut?

Please tell me Ray wasn’t paying any attention to me when I … oh no; that look … damn; he was paying attention.

Ray's bearing a devilish smirk...

“So … didn’t know who he was; hmm?”

“Look, Ray; I can explain …”

At that moment; her cellphone rings.

Yes! Saved by the bell. … Wait a minute … Uh oh, it’s Shel; I wonder if she saw the post on line. Who am I kidding; of course she did … because I’m just so ‘insanely lucky’.

She apprehensively answers the call.

“Hey, Shel; what’s up?”

“You slept with Edward Bromley!” Blared out from her cellphone’s speaker; causing Melinda to re-actively extend the arm holding her phone as far away from her ear as possible.

Again; Melinda thinks … Darn the paparazzi!

But; by the next day … evidently Melinda’s ‘until the end of the world’ speculation had arrived a little sooner than expected … because, there were no signs of yesterday’s online blog post anywhere on the internet.

No article; no photos; no traces of any IP addresses … nada. It was as if that article and photos never even appeared on the internet at all.

Apparently, Bromley Holdings LCC really is an impressive, and scarily powerful, entity.

Melinda’s wishing that she could make that night’s incident disappear that easily out of her memory … make it as if it never happened; just like they were able to do with the internet account.

But, it looks like dissolving that memory is going to become even harder for her to do … because, being strapped for money, Melinda has once again allowed herself to succumb to one of Shelby’s harebrained schemes...

Which means once again returning to the Bromley Crown Royal Hotel.

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