Part Four
Chapter Twelve
That evening, John Hemsted sat by the pool, a drink in hand, and tried to relax, as his mind spun out of control. "God damn you, Scotty." The damage that his best friend had done to his world seemed irreparable. He realized weeks ago that he was right about Scott. Everything and everyone that Scott touched became corrupted. JJ alone had withstood the corrupting effect that Scott seemed to have on everyone else. Valerie would never be the same person. His wife was changed and while he had hoped it was the effects of the drugs on her, JJ realized that it was more than that, and more than the huge breasts and slutty looks that Scott had given her. Scott had changed her very character. JJ had asked Val if she wanted a breast reduction, to get away from her enormous DDD breasts. At first, she said she would consider it and now she had decided to keep her massive tits. Plus, she had decided to continue her collagen injections in her lips and the platinum blonde hair. She truly loved the way she looked, now.
And for JJ, the idea of running a huge paving company, in addition to his sporting goods business, now seemed brutally overwhelming. The ringing cellphone pulled him quickly back to reality. It was urgent, the state government official said. It was an urgent call from an official about road construction and the state contracts held by Scotty's Paving Inc. The officials needed to meet with him immediately and discuss the contracts.
The meeting at the State Capitol the next day was quite illuminating, JJ thought, and not at all what he had expected. Yes, it was a meeting about the state highway contracts. But it was quickly apparent that he was getting a lesson in how things really worked. At the meeting, JJ was told that the state contracts were valid for only 5 more months and then renewed or put up for open bid.
"What do we have to do to just renew the contracts?" JJ asked, as he realized he was looking at hundreds of millions of dollars for the paving company, now his paving company.
"Well, Scott did have a renew option clause in all his contracts," said one official. "We can easily just renew the contracts for another five years, without going to bid."
"Well, let's do that," JJ said.
"Fine. Here's what you need to do. You'll host five state senators and four highway officials, who want to come play on the Lake Boat. They want to have a good time, so Scott always had lots of booze, babes and blow."
The man made it perfectly clear to JJ that they expected a big party with women and drugs on the boat. John drove home, his mind swirling. He just couldn't do what they wanted to get the contracts renewed. It was out of the question. Should he sell the paving business? That would be the smart thing to do. His mind worked quickly on the hour drive home.
Later, JJ sat at the kitchen table, a drink of Blanton's Kentucky bourbon in hand. He couldn't believe what he had just heard from the highway officials. JJ wanted to just sell off the paving company and be done with it. But he instantly realized that without the state contracts, the value of the paving company would plummet. JJ poured a double bourbon and sat down to explain to Val and Regina the meeting he just had. He was desperate, lost, as he walked them through the meeting.
"They want sex on the boat and it's not going to happen. We're going to lose the road contracts. They want women and drugs, and we don't have either," JJ said, taking a swallow of bourbon. He had laid out the "renewal clause" that Scott previously had and there was simply no solution. Val listened quietly and when he finished, she stood and up left the room, only to return a few seconds later. She threw the old gym bag onto the table.
"They want drugs, we got 'em," she said. "Plenty of coke, whatever they want. That should get the contracts extended."
"Yeah, but we don't have the women," JJ said. "What about any of the other girls from The Lodge? Did any of them make it out of the fire?" JJ asked.
"None," Val said. "Just us." Val's and Regina's minds were now fully back, and they both remembered their lives before, during and after The Lodge. And they both remembered all of their sexual adventures with Scott and all the men they had fucked.
"Honey, I know what Scott would do. Regina and I ... or rather, Lady Diamond and Silk, can entertain them. How about if we go on the boat and party with them? We have everything we need. We got the outfits, and we have this," she said holding up the pink pills and the bag of cocaine.
"You're not gonna do that. Nope. No way. I can't let you do that," JJ said.
"Listen, we're part of this business now, too. We want to. We'd like it, in fact. And, as I remember, we were pretty damn good at it," Regina added.
"And I think I know where we can get one more," Val said, a grin coming to her face. "You said she wanted a job. Let's get her a job," Val said to JJ. Then she turned to Regina and grinned. "Yellow pill?"
"Yellow pill," Regina said, with a smile.
Val's conversation with Peggy Seton, the former preacher's wife, was quick and succinct. She would make six figures a year working for JJ, Val and Regina. "We all know that you were fucking Scott, honey," Val said to Peggy. "Listen, we all fucked Scott, and we all liked it. So, we're all good with that, right? And you were incredible that night we were all together. So, it's not like you don't know what to do. Come work with us."
"I do love your tits. And you both look fantastic," Peggy said, considering the offer.
"So will you. Whatever you want. We'll get you a great boob job, lips, hair, clothes, new car, anything you want. In fact, you should come move in with us at the house," Val offered.
Chapter Thirteen
Three weeks later, the two pontoon boats that were part of the Lake Boat, Hedonism I, pulled up alongside of the massive houseboat, carrying the five state Congressmen and four state highway officials, and their entourage.
"Scott always set up a poker game here on the first floor for our assistants and our bodyguards. You think you can make that happen? We don't want them up on the second deck with us, if you know what I mean," a senior statesman said and winked. "Your bodyguards can sit in and keep 'em company."
"I don't have any," JJ said awkwardly.