Ecstasy

CHAPTER 1

Monica sipped from her glass while looking at Craig.

"Why do you think Halliburton gave up the prospect on the straits? After all, that is proven ground!"

"Yes, but the costs are much higher and with the fracking in the Dakotas, they're not justified. They must drill and extract where the costs are at most equal to the costs in fracking spots, minus ten percent."

"But the Southern Slope is already taken up by BP!"

"That's true and it is odd, but not too extravagantly odd. It is unusual, I admit and it is out of the ordinary. My concern is how they'd get the license for the Southern Slope from the Feds, since they've already gave their thumbs up to BP. They don't usually double up on licenses, not even to one company, much less two! That is the oddest thing to me! In any case, I am happy. It means work for us!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you see, there's a ratio of exploratory pumps to a certain area. That ratio is the Feds' 'Holy Grail' and they never compromise that! So, for them to give drilling licenses not only to one, but two companies is a very unusual thing! Somebody in Halliburton knows something I don't."

"Yes and I'd like to know who that 'somebody' is and what do they know!"

Craig took a drink out of his glass and thought to himself.

"Why is that, dear?"

"Because this smells like a dead beached whale! This seems pretty big and there's something here that I suspect, but can't put my finger on. And I want this story! I want it and I need it!"

"Oh? What makes this so important?"

"Because I've spent enough time at this desk! It's time for me to move on up. I want the Chief Investigative spot and I know it will become available in the next year. Cooper's moving to New York in less than a year and I want his spot!"

"Anderson Cooper?"

"Yeah, him!"

Craig knew Monica to be driven, but he never saw such a thirst for power in her. This seemed something new and he noticed a flick of strange desire in her eyes. It almost seemed to be mixed with greed and hunger for power. And that's something he never saw in her before.

"What can you do to get that? I mean, after all, you work hard and you've been quite successful in what you've accomplished! Isn't this a bit too high, dear?"

All of the sudden, her face turned red and her eyes seemed like flame-throwers.

"What the hell are you trying to say, Craig? Are you saying I've climbed high enough for a woman? Are you saying I should be happy with the work the men at CNN give me? Are you saying I don't work as hard as Cooper?" she lashed out at him.

Her words might as well have been a sharp-edged sword that cut into his heart. Monica knew very well that Craig strongly believed in women's equality and it hurt him deeply to hear her say all these things. Also, she called him by his name only when she was very angry with him and he didn't know what he did to be the recipient of her anger.

"I am not saying or implying any such things! I am only saying that one should enjoy the fruits of their work before committing to bigger things! And you know my opinion about work and pay between men and women, darling!"

"I know what you claim, but I don't see you practicing it with me!" she seemed to attack him.

This proved too much for Craig. This was an entirely new side of her, one that he never knew before and that worried him.

"Dear, why are you so angry? What did I do? Have I ever failed you in anything I said I would do? Have I ever failed to show you my love and respect for you?"

She looked away from him and into her glass and just as fast as she got angry, she turned back into the 'Monica' he always knew. Her anger seemed to dissipate as fast as it came about and that worried him even more. Monica Schaeffer, the little girl he knew for so long, was not the girl in front of him. For a second, he saw a complete stranger before him.

'What do you think you need to do to get Cooper's position?" he fished a bit into her mind and thoughts.

She seeped again from her whiskey and let couple of minutes pass by. They seemed an eternity to him.

'Don't worry. I know where to draw the line," she answered as if his question implied even more nefarious thoughts.

It seemed clear to him the evening will not get better, no matter what he might try to do to convince her of her erroneous way or, at least, of what it seemed so to him. 'Yeah, I know you do. I just don't know where that line might be,' he thought to himself.

And his thought were soon to be proven right. Too right for his taste.

♥♥♥♥♥

Lisa's office was glowing in sunlight when the phone rang.

"Lisa, Carl is on line 2. Do you want to take it?" her secretary came on.

"Ahhh, yeah. Put him on. Thanks." It didn't take long for Lisa to make up the mind about taking his call. Carl never told her the full story about Halliburton and she wanted to know all that he knew. It was her prerogative to get everything she needed out of a man, anyway. Carl, it seemed, learned how to play the game of using his knowledge to promote and get what he wanted. Perhaps he was ready to talk and then for sure he'd want something in return. 'What will he want?' she wondered as she answered his call.

"Good morning, Carl! How are you?"

"Good morning! Full of hopes!"

"Oh!? Is that so? Would you like to share some of them with me?"

"Sure! Over lunch! Are you in?"

Lisa thought for a second. 'Carl is up to something. For a blunt guy like him, he sure is full of mysteries lately.'

"Sure, why not?"

"Ok, see you at the Eldorf at 1?"

"Deal!"

The Eldorf was well-known as the lunch get-together for the CNN people in Los Angeles. It was the place of gossip, of unraveling news, of exchanges of ideas and battles of the spirits and most of the inner doings of CNN went through the restaurant.

"Hello, Carl! How's it going?"

"Great! You look nice!" He complimented her.

"Thanks!" she answered flattered. "What's cooking?"

Carl sat at the table and seeped on his coffee, looking outside.

"What a beautiful day, heh?"

Lisa smiled at him. 'Surely he did not call me here to talk about the damned weather!'

"Yes, it is! What's on your mind?"

"You remember that Halliburton deal?"

"Halliburton?" she faked it.

"Yeah, that Halliburton deal you wanted to know about. Are you still interested?"

"Oh, yeah. Let's say I'm still interested. What about it?"

"Well, it looks as if it's going to be a big deal after all."

"In what sense?"

"In the sense that whoever gets to put it across the wire first may just get to take Cooper's spot when he leaves for New York in the next few months."

His words confirmed her thoughts, but they also shocked her.

'What do you mean Cooper leaves for New York?" Lisa long wanted Cooper's spot at CNN, not only because it carried with it the great weight around CNN, but also prestige, money and influence. And she thought she knew all there was to know about Cooper and his job. Carl must surely be pulling a fast one. 'I'd have heard by now if Cooper wanted to leave!' she thought to herself.

"What? You didn't know? Yeah, he's leaving for New York!" He played her like a flute.

It wasn't Lisa's nature to admit defeat, but she already trapped herself into this one.

"No, I did not," she admitted with embarrassment.

Carl's shoulders moved back and his face glowed with satisfaction. She found his gloating very irritating.

'Yeah, he's leaving. And it looks as if there's no one who's decided for the job yet," he injected more news her way.

"Monica will surely want his job. She worked hard for it and she deserves it," said Lisa. She tried to do as much damage control as she could, but she also wanted to see where Carl was going with all this.

"Maybe, but what about you? Don't you want it? I thought you were pretty keen on it at one point in time!"

"Yeah, perhaps I still want it..."

"And I think you worked very hard for it!"

"Perhaps. But I don't see the connection with Halliburton!"

No one could accuse Carl of being a diplomat and this time made no exception.

"Come on, Lisa! You know you want this story! You can't wait to get your finger on it! And you want it not just because of Cooper's job, but also because you like to do Monica in! You like to reduce her and put her 'in her place', as you used to say!"

It was time for Lisa to toughen up a little, but she just couldn't find the way.

"Yeah, well, maybe you're right. What are you proposing?"

He crossed his hands on the table and looked outside.

"Carl! What are you proposing? I know you know something about Halliburton! So, what's on your mind?" Lisa insisted.

"Do you remember what you asked me about a week ago, about Monica?"

Lisa struggled to remember.

"No, I don't. Refresh my memory, please!"

"You asked me if I'd fuck Monica, if she offered."

Lisa looked puzzled for a second. She did remember it, but she just couldn't see his point. Not yet. It was all to be clear to her.

"Yes, I do now. And I also remember you said you're not attracted by her."

"Well, I've changed my mind. I do want to fuck her."

His words sank into her mind and she burst in an all out laughing.

"Then, why don't you ask her! Ahhhhahahaha! Just go and ask her! Perhaps she'll agree" said Lisa laughingly, knowing damned well Monica would never fuck Carl. 'Or would she?' Lisa wondered for herself.

"No, I won't. You will. And you'll fix it up, if you want this story!"

His words might as well have been a thunder. Lisa never figured Carl for a blackmailer and one of this kind, nonetheless! His demeanor and his take on all that surpassed all that she thought him capable of. 'He can't be serious,' she thought to herself.

"You must be kidding!" she quipped back to him.

He looked at her and his eyes made it clear he was dead serious.

"Not only do I want to fuck Monica, but I want to see you fuck Craig."

Lisa was the kind of woman who'd have no scruples about doing what it took to get what she wanted, but this was way out of her league.

"Have you been taking some drugs? Are you drunk?"

"Nope. None of the above."

"Carl, this is crazy! What makes you think I could fix this up? And what makes you think I like Craig?"

Carl looked at his watch and then at her.

"You will, because you know how to do it. It's your nature. It really is in youe DNA! And I know you are a nympho and you've actually dreamed about fucking Craig for a long time now if for no other reason, then because he's been off limits for you for so long and because he's Monica's. And you just can't stand her and you want to see her submitted to you and you want to see her defeated not only professionally, but personally, too. That's why you'll do it. Fix it up!"

As he got up and left the table, Lisa sat stunned. She didn't know what was worse. His indecent proposal, or that he knew so much about her. Fear took over her and her hands started shaking. She shook her head as if wanting to shake the shakes, and calmly made up her mind.

'I'll fix it so that it can't ever be unfixed, Carl. You shall see,' she muttered to herself as her mind penciled in the details of her plot.

♥♥♥♥♥

Monica was already an hour late and Craig's patience was wearing thin. The last three weeks showed him a very different person in her, one who was much colder and calculated than ever before. To be sure, she was still his lover, but not the same as before. She made sure to get hers in bed, but she no longer seemed to care as much for him. At least not sexually. Not orgasmically.

Not only that, but Monica showed him a femdom part he never knew she had. She'd jerk him almost to the point of orgasm, then let him down. She would build him, just to break him down. She would arouse him sexually, just to walk away from him when he most needed her. Monica that he once knew was not the Monica he experienced over the last three weeks and he was convinced it all started with their conversation after the CNN party.

Yet he just couldn't figure out what was that he did.

'What did I do? What have I done to cause all this? We had such a great thing together and then all this!' he thought to himself.

Even his apartment seemed different and he just couldn't find the energy to get out of the bed. He watched the phone ring and work calling him, but had no drive to answer.

The door lock turned, the door opened and Monica walked in.

"How are you?" she asked without a smile. It was the first time he saw her in four days.

He looked at her and asked himself how could she ask that question. Was she blind? Did she not care anymore? If she still cared, then why ask such question?

"How do you think I am?"

"What do you mean, Craig?" She asked of him curtly.

Her answer provoked anger in him. 'Here we go again!'

"Monica, what is going on with us? What is going on with you? Why are you treating me this way? What have I done?"

"What do you mean?" she insisted. "I don't know what you mean!"

She sat down by the right side of the bed and he recollected the good times they used to have there. She used to do this before and she'd put her left hand on his chest to feel his heart knowing that it beat for her. She used to like knowing that and he drew pleasure from it.

He decided to treat the issue head on.

"Ok, look, we must talk," he said decisively.

"About what?"

"Well, you shouldn't have to ask that. It's obvious that something happened and I want to know what happened and what did I do to cause it and, more importantly, what can I do to fix it! I don't know how to fix it if I don't know what is broken!"

Her face turned from serene to anger and he could tell.

"I have already told you I am stressed at work and you keep asking me the same silly questions! I am stressed, I am fucking stressed and that's all there is to it! Why can't you be patient? Why do you have to push me?"

"Push you? Patient? Monica, you are not the same anymore! You were stressed before, but you didn't react like this!"

"And how exactly do you think I am different now, mister?"

'Mister' was the word she always used to piss him off. She knew he didn't like it and every time she used it she did it intentionally. Yet Craig knew how to handle his anger.

"Would you be willing to listen to what I have to say?"

Monica got up and started walking slowly back and forth across the room.

"All right, tell me, if you must."

"Let's start with sex. Over the last three..."

"What about sex? Have I not given you sex lately? Is sex what this is all about?" she interrupted him with a solid dose of anger.

"It is partially about sex and you know it! It's not that you don't give me sex, but that you don't care about me sexually like you used to! Yes, you put out and you make sure to get yours just like you did in the past, but you can't deny you leave me hanging in the end! And if I was to be a little more nefarious, I'd say you do it on purpose!"

"What???? What do you mean?"

"Come on, Monica! You walk away before I finish and you know it! In fact, I see a sort of diabolic pleasure in your eyes when you do that! You arouse every one of my nerve cells with your body, hands, mouth and eyes, you drive me insane with expectations, then you simply walk away!"

As he was talking, her steps brought her closer to his bed and by the time she got there, she was almost naked. Her entire demeanor changed from the cold person who walked in to the girl Craig used to know. He grew to dislike the girl in front of him now and her mood swings worried him even more. Yet, he cared for her deep enough to try to make it work. 'It must be a passing thing,' he thought to himself.

"Well, that means you must be hard as a rock," she teased him with her words, while her eyes seemed to swallow the whole of his body.

"Darling, do you realize you haven't given me an orgasm in three weeks?"

She stopped and looked at him.

"Then why don't you jack off?" she asked him, knowing full well how much he hated that. It was the thing she liked about him, the thing that differentiated him from other guys, the thing that, in her eyes, made the difference between a man and an animal. She wanted the animal in the man and the man in the animal and he was the only one to give her both.

"What? That is soooo bizarre coming from you!" he responded.

Once again, her mood changed and she pulled the cover off him.

"Ok. Let's see what we can do about it," she whispered softly and her hands began to explore his body. She had his cock fully aroused in less time that she guessed she could and it surprised even her.

She began to stroke him gently while looking into his eyes and she hushed him as he tried to object.

His breath got harder and quicker and Monica worked his shaft with the usual assurance of the past. Her fingers worked his head and his balls and for a moment there he thought she might just come back from the bad and odd moods she was in lately.

Then, before he could realize her intentions, she climbed on him and pushed herself down onto his cock. He went deep and fast into her and her hips started swiveling above him like a sex machine on steroids. She let out loose moans and groans and her body was one with his.

His mind wanted to protest but his body simply refused. It was amazing to him that she knew how to control his dick and knew exactly when he'd get close to coming. She drove him again to an inch of orgasm, just to stop abruptly before he could explode inside her. She looked into his eyes, felt his heavy breadth and pressed her lips against his when he was about to open them to speak.

She knew too much about him and he felt too vulnerable in her hands, yet his heart told him to be patient. He loved her too much to let go of her just because she was so sexually cruel to him.

She started to moan with great pleasure as she resumed her dance above him. Her every move brought him closer and closer to orgasm, yet she knew how to let her muscles take charge of him. He was as helpless in her hands as he was in love with her and both rendered him hopelessly hers.

She knew that and she also knew there was very little he could do about it. She knew not only how to handle his cock, but also his heart and his wishes.

She could feel his breath and his heartbeat getting faster and she moved faster. And faster. And faster.....

"Oh my gosh! This is incredible! Oh gosh!" she screamed with pleasure and leaned over him. Her body spiraled into a sea of ecstasy and coiled with shocks from the climatic moment. She was exhausted and rested on his chest as he tried to regain his breath. Beads of sweat were dripping from her face on his and her hair was loose over his pillow. Her breadth was like a volcano and she enjoyed feeling the hardness of his cock inside her.

"I guess you like it," he managed to whisper to her.

"Like it? It was terrific! It was heavenly! It was just what I needed, baby" she answered.

"You know, I still didn't come..." he complained softly.

"I know," she acknowledged him. 'And that's what I wanted, too!' she thought to herself.

Craig seemed to read her mind and said nothing. He suspected as much and expected her to do what she was just about to do. With the grace of a cat, Monica got up and walked to the shower. She was dressed and ready to go in less than ten minutes.

As her steps took her to the door, he looked at her and found the strength to get her attention.

"You know, this could drive a man away, don't you?"

Monica stopped dead on her track and, with her hand on the door knob, turned to him.

"Please don't threaten me," she said cold as ice.

"I love you too much to threaten you. I only said I am a man."

"Then don't," and with it she closed the door behind her and locked it from the outside. He looked at the ceiling and wondered what she was all about anymore.

There was no way he could suspect that, but he was about to find out.

♥♥♥♥♥

The elevator door opened and Lisa was startled to see Monica. As Lisa stepped in, she smiled at Monica and reflected on her luck to run into her.

"Ah, good morning, Monica! How great to see you! You're just the person I wanted to see!"

'I bet I am, you bitch,' thought Monica to herself.

"Good morning. What's up?"

"Look, there's something we should probably sit down and discuss..."

"Lisa, I don't really have the time," interrupted Monica rudely.

The smile came off Lisa's face and she resumed her usual self.

"It's about Halliburton."

Monica paused and looked attentively at Lisa.

"Ok. When?"

"How about right now?"

Monica looked at her watch and decided quickly.

"Ok, how about the cafeteria?"

"All right, let's go."

The coffee in front of them was steaming, but neither Monica or Lisa were too interested in it.

"So, what about Halliburton?" asked Monica straight-forward.

"Let's lay the cards on the table, Monica. I know you want this story and I've got it."

"Oh, I don't know what you mean!" Monica played innocently.

"Yes, you do. You know everything around here, but so do I. You give me what I want and I'll give you what you need."

"What do you want, Lisa?" Monica changed her attitude.

"Let's just say I want it all, but I am willing to give it all."

Lisa knew how far to push her and it looked like Monica was coming close to the end of her patience.

"Look, Lisa, I don't have time for games. Say what's on your mind."

"Well, a little trade. Just a little one. I'll let you have the Halliburton story if we both share the position and if you're willing to... share."

"Position? What position? And what will I have to share?"

"Come on, Monica! You know as well as I do Cooper's leaving soon and we both want his job."

"Yes, I do. What would I have to share?" asked Monica irritated.

Lisa smiled and thought this is the moment to let her have it.

"Yourself. And Craig."

The light blinded Lisa a little and she couldn't read Monica's face, but she could tell the storm was about to start. Nevertheless, Monica didn't get the meaning.

"What do you mean 'myself'? And 'Craig'?"

"I mean this. I get to fuck Craig and you fuck Carl."

Few things could anger Monica more and those were some of them. If looks could kill, Lisa would have been dead.

"You devious little bitch! You little cunt! You think you can fuck your way into that job and screw up my life, too? You little sluttish whore!"

"Calm down, girl! We all do these things! All of us! We all sell ourselves, under one form or another! Be realistic and try to be reasonable!"

"You pervert! Do you really think I'd give up my body for that job?"

"But you would give up Craig for it! Isn't the same? I think it is, if you really love him as much as you claim and as much as you try to show it to him!"

"You're insane!"

"Am I? Ok. Think about it. You say you love Craig so much. Then why deny him something he would enjoy? Wouldn't you want the person you love to get everything that's best for them?" Lisa said as she gathered her things from the table and got ready to leave.

Monica stared blindly at the table and tried to control her anger. 'This bitch knows something I don't and if I let her run wild with what she's got, she might just get the job."

"What exactly do you have in mind, Lisa?"

A smile made its way back on Lisa's face and she sat back down at the table.

"Oh, it's simple. A foursome! And please don't tell me you don't like it! Remember that external drive you misplaced about a year ago? Should I show Craig what's on it?"

Monica's anger went through the roof and it took all of her self-restraint to recompose herself. Red in the face and shivering with emotions and fear, she looked at Lisa with a hatred that should have scared anyone. But not Lisa.

"Yeah. There are about fifty porn flicks on it and some of them with your former guys, not just Craig! By the way, where was that foursome flick shot? In Florida? While you were on assignment? You and that little brunette rocked those two guy's world! I mean, you girls just sucked them dry! There was nothing for them to do but sleep when you girls were done with them and drained them of energy and all their lovely fluids and..."

"That's enough, Lisa!" ordered Monica. She was almost in tears.

"See? We all have our dreams and fetishes, Monica! The key here is to admit to them and then they will come true!"

"How do you know Carl will go along? Have you talked to him?"

"Yes and he's really looking forward to banging you! Trust me, he will...thrust you good!"

"Oh, no! You little slut! You fucked Carl! I should've known it!"

"Monica," replied Lisa with a sarcastic smile, "isn't that the pot calling the kettle black, girl? Come on, we can dispense with those epitaphs, can't we? After all, why wouldn't I? And why shouldn't you? You'll like him and he'll satisfy all of your needs, shall we say..."

"You dirty bitch!"

"Well, now, see, there we go again! So, why don't be a good sport and make it happen?"

Monica felt her head spinning. Her entire career, her entire job, her entire life were in the hands of a person she despised to begin with. All she ever wanted was to put the past behind her and to move on to heights she knew she could achieve. How could she be so careless about that external drive? Yes, it's true, it contained all her sexual desires and all her sexual dreams and she saw them come true one by one. But those were her dreams, her desires and they belonged to her, not someone else! And no one should use them against her, least of all Lisa! How could all this happen! And what will Craig say? Craig loved her and he lived for her. He found her an angel and treated her like an angel! And now, she stood to loose not only her job and her life, but him as well.

She sat with her head low, almost in tears and thought deeply about all that just happened. There was only one way out. There was nothing to loose.

"Ok. I'll make it happen." she agreed full of tears in her eyes and wondered how she'll explain it to Craig, that he'd have to fuck another woman, while watching the love of his life get banged by Carl. And Craig didn't even like Carl that much.

The ceiling seemed to be crashing upon her and soon she felt dizzy and passed out.

♥♥♥♥♥

She felt a warm hand holding hers and when she opened her eyes, she saw Craig hovering over her. The hospital room didn't fit with her health, as Monica was at the top shape of her life. 'What the hell happened? Why am I here?'

"Hey, good-looking! It's good to see you back!" he said and his words served to bring her back to reality.

"You passed out in the cafeteria and Lisa called me. The doctor said you were overstressed and I feel terrible for overlooking it! Oh, dear! I am so sorry! You told me, but I didn't listen! Will you ever forgive me? Please forgive me!"

His pleas sank into her mind and she recalled her discussion with Lisa.

"Forgive you?"

"Yes, please forgive me! Please, darling! You know my heart and you know I can't live without you! You are all that I desire and while it's true I don't deserve you, I will do whatever it takes to earn your heart and keep it!"

His face was full of tears and Monica knew Craig too well to think that he might be faking it. She knew his honesty to be genuine and his heart to be made of gold. That's why she settled on him so long ago and that's why he was the one who was her only match. She worked so hard to get here, she left her old habits and the other world behind her and now it was all unraveling around her again. She was on the verge of loosing him, her job, her life, her everything. For the first time since he knew her, Monica burst into tears.

He held her in his arms a little confused about what to say and he felt her pain. He let her cry and she sobbed on his shoulder until she fell asleep.

Craig was still by her side when she came to.

"The doctor said you should take it easy for a few days and your boss insisted you take a few days off. I've talked to him and I told him I'll take care of you. We can go home whenever you feel you have the strength. I know you don't like hospitals, baby."

His words calmed her and she felt secure once more.

"You really do love me, don't you?" she whispered.

Her words took him aback a little, because he thought she knew that by now. But that was neither the place or the time to ask her questions of that sort. She was first and foremost and all that counted for him.

"Of course I love you, darling. And I'd do anything for you. Anything."

His apartment was like an oasis of peace, tranquility, hope and self-confidence for Monica. It gave her all these things and she thought about all that it happened while her head rested on his pillows.

Craig made his way from the kitchen with hot cup of tea in his hand and a smile on his face.

"I bet you'd like some tea, darling!"

"You bet right," she answered with a low tone. Her strength was not all back, but she knew she was in good hands. In his hands.

"Josh said not to come back to work until you're well on your feet again."

"Josh? Who is that?"

"Ha! Your boss! Remember him?"

Monica looked a little lost, then as she regained some of her consciousness, she smiled a little.

"Yeah, I remember him... Smart ass!"

"And he also said that if you need a vacation for couple of weeks, he's more than ok with it. All I gotta do is to pick up the phone and call him."

Monica expected nothing less from Craig and he was all too glad to take care of her.

"I've also talked to my dad. It looks as if we won't start the exploratory stage with Halliburton until well into the next month and I've got more than enough time built up for vacation." Craig's father was understanding of him, as usual. It was the very thing that allowed them to run the company they owned together. And Craig hoped, just like his father, to take it over altogether at some time, even though he did so much to build it.

Suddenly, worries started flooding her mind again and her hands began to shake. Yet the tea made its effect and Monica, ever a master of self-restrain, composed herself.

"Oh, what do you have in mind?"

"Well, I've been thinking about that 'bucket list' of yours and I think it's time we played out some of it. I remembered that you've always wanted to go see the Blue Lagoon and I believe it's time!"

Her heart murmured a little as his words were more than she expected. Here was the man who loved her, ready to put on hold his biggest career move, just to take care of her and her needs! What more could a woman want from a man?

"You're kidding, right? What about Halliburton? Don't you need to prep for it? I remember you guys have all that licensing stuff you have to file with the EPA! Who's going to do that if you are in Fiji?"

Craig smiled once more.

"Let me worry about it, darling. I've already taken care of all that."

She sat up on the pillows, put the tea cup down and unfurled her arms toward him.

"Come here, please."

"Who am I to say 'no'?" he said as he walked toward the bed.

She hugged him, kissed him and then hugged him again.

"Let me think a bit about it. Ok?"

"Ok, darling. I have to run over the office anyway. There's food in the refrigerator, Marcus is already fed, and you just rest."

She looked at the cat who was sleeping on the window, and thought about all that he was doing for her.

"And don't hesitate to call me if you need me! I'll be back in a couple of hours, anyway," he added.

She smiled a little, and reassured him.

"Ok, I promise."

He kissed her forehead, grabbed his briefcase, and walked out.

As she sat in the bed, Monica tried to gather her thoughts.

'Oh, God! What have I done! What should I do? Must I do anything? Yes, I must! That bitch is dead serious and she will ruin my life. I must do something. But what about Craig? He would never go along with something like this! He's crazy about me, and the boy just absolutely loves me! He would never consent to fuck another woman, and he'd never understand why I would even ask him! He'd have to be drunk to consent! Yes! That's it! I must get him drunk! Oh, gosh, I am selling out the love of my life! Oh god!'

She looked over to the nightstand and as she knew Craig, he always took care of details. There was her cell, fully charged and waiting for her. She reached for it, and dialed Lisa's number.

"I see you came about your senses, Monica!" smarted Lisa.

"Stop the bullshit, Lisa, and listen. I will do it, but you must do exactly as I tell you."

"I'm all ears."

"You and Carl are going to take a trip with me and Craig to Fiji."

"To where? Fiji? Are you crazy? Perhaps you haven't got your senses back, after all!"

"Do you want this to happen or not?"

"Ok, ok. Let me think. When?"

"In the next day or so. I'll let you know soon."

"Why can't we stay States side?"

"Do as I tell you, or you do as you please."

"Ok, Monica, ok! Cool your horses! Call me and let me know when. No emails, please."

Monica hung up and thought to herself. 'No, I won't give you anymore fuel, you bitch. You don't have to worry about it!'

♥♥♥♥♥

The key in the door told her that he was back. She straightened up her shoulders, looked in the mirror at her hair and waited for Craig to come in.

"Well!" he said joyfully. "I see you're up and running again! What a thrill! So glad to see you better, baby!"

Monica's heart dropped through the floor as she thought she was about to sell her man just to save her skin, but she recollected the choices she had just as quickly.

"Yeah, I do feel much better. Thanks to you!"

"Oh, why? I haven't done anything!"

"Of course you have, you big boy! And I am grate..." she stumbled for a second. "I am grateful for it!"

He sat by her bed side and caressed her face. He didn't have to say anything. His eyes said it all. Her heart felt bitter and for the first time in her life, Monica felt a tinge of hatred. Hatred toward herself, toward what she was about to do, toward the world and yes, toward him, too, for being so nice to her.

Soon, the old Monica was back and she controlled her feelings and bottled them up behind the walls of her heart, where only she knew how little light was there and how much dark surrounded her inner world.

"Ok. Look, I've been thinking about this since you left and I think you're right. Perhaps we should go to Fiji, as you suggested."

His eyes glittered with happiness and his chest seemed to vibrate with joy!

"That is the best news I've heard in a long while! Ok! It's done! I'll get the tickets today and I'll do all the planning! You just relax!"

"Well, but wait. There is something I must do. You know I've been working on that new format project with Carl and Lisa for a while and I really can't afford to fall behind much more. It would be almost impossible to do it without them. So, I called them and asked them if they could come with us. I hope you don't mind..."

"Carl? Lisa?" His eyes' flickers went out just as fast they came on a minute before. Her words just took the wind out of him. His enthusiasm vanished with the blow of her words, like a piece of paper in the wind.

"You know I can't ever just do nothing, even for a day! I can't just sit idled. And it would really help me tremendously. It will be a nice mixture, you'll see! And you'll get to like Carl with time. Hell, we went to college together, so we should get along better," she pleaded with Craig.

His thoughts were much deeper than she anticipated and she calculated it best to leave them run their course. Craig did best when left alone.

Finally, he leaned over to her and gave her the answer that she wanted.

"Ok. If this will make you happy, let's do it."

Her face lit up like the sun and with stretched arms, she reached for him and hugged him.

"You'll love it, too. You'll see!"

"I hope so. I really do! Ok, I am going back over to the office to tie up some loose ends and to make the reservations. I should be back in a couple of hours."

Once again, Monica was alone.

She picked up her cell and in less than a minute, Lisa was on the other end.

"Ok, we're on. What about you and Carl?"

"It took a little convincing to do, but yeah, we're on, too. Fiji it is."