Masks That We Wear

"Those poor girls..." Bishop groaned as Brent finished his spiel.

Others, however, had a different view. "I knew your wife was a filthy hooker!" a woman named Gladys exclaimed, picking up one of the photos of Mandy and shaking it. She was one of the women's group leaders that loved to preach abstinence. "I knew there was something up when I got that text about your wife's birth control pills!"

"Yeah, that was Peregrine making it known to me how he could hurt me. But now that we're getting this all out in the open, we're not going to have that problem anymore." Brent replied calmly.

"We should get her in here at once and educate her properly on how proper Christian women should act." Gladys said to her lackeys, who were all nodding in agreement.

"Before you do, you might want to do some housekeeping of your own," Brent said, picking up the envelope with her name on it, opening it, and tossing it down the table. The contents slid out to reveal the covers and receipts of such book purchases as the Fifty Shades series by E.L. James, the Sleeping Beauty series by Ann Rice, the Jaegers of the Consortium series by some schmuck named Diesel Jester, and other questionable erotic books. "By the way, does your husband know about the Hitachi that you bought on Amazon with all the attachments?" he asked rhetorically. Gladys went pale as a sheet as she started getting questionable looks from people. Brent grabbed another manila envelope at random and held it up. "Anyone else want to take a shot?" he challenged them. "No? Good."

He walked around the table as he berated them. "Christ said: Come unto me all ye who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. He went out and ministered to the masses and the down-trodden, not the uber-elite. If we're not willing to get our hands dirty and get out there to the people who REALLY need our help then that symbol," he pointed to the corner where the Christian Flag was at, "means nothing. If you want to minister only to the people that fit your skewed vision of utopia then you're not a pastor," he pointed at Bishop, "y'all ain't Deacons, you bitches aren't women's group leaders, and I don't owe any of you a damn explanation as to what I choose to do, or what my wife chooses to do, or what our mistress chooses to do!"

Bishop was the picture of calm. "We all have our little secrets and there is no sense in airing them out." he said, giving a pointed, albeit amused, look towards Gladys. He then gave a questioning look to Brent. "Why are you telling us all this?"

"Because you all know that dad," he nodded to Douglas, "is about to retire and he's going to do it in the middle of his term. He's getting the governor to name me his successor to his seat for the 37th congressional district here in Dallas. If I have any hope of retaining the seat to represent you all, then all of my dirty laundry needs to come out now. And that's provided that I even want to take his seat once the dust settles from all this as I might have a new job and a new calling."

Brent took out a white folder and threw it down the conference table. "That is a copy of House Bill HR 169. The Legalization of Prostitution Act, or more commonly known as, The Bunny Ranch Bill. Dad has agreed to co-sponsor it." That got an eruption of protests and outrages until Brent shouted them all down to silence, and held up another manila envelope with a questioning look towards them. Across the table, Douglas had a bemused look on his face and nodded his approval to his son. Brent smiled at him and went on. "Yeah, yeah, I get it; how dare I encourage the corruption, promote sin, allow for women to sell their own bodies, yadda, yadda, yadda. Here's the thing, people," Brent pulled out his bible and held it up. "Prostitution has been around longer than this book and this book even features some of the more prominent members of that profession. Now, we can either be outraged by it, or we can control it. The bill will clean up our streets, regulate the trade, increase revenue by taking the hell out of it, and cut down on the number of STDs and unwanted pregnancies by providing birth control."

Another white folder came out to join the first two. "This, is a plan that I've drawn up for the church called 'Mary Magdalene Ministries' in which the church, upon the bill being announced on the floor next session, will take active efforts to help and minister to those who have been victimized in the adult industry... including human trafficking. It's an outreach program designed to get people off the streets and to provide adult sex workers safe homes and working environments. So, guess which working environment you can help out first?"

"Those who are in the prostitution and porn industries..." one of the Deacons, a man named Mark, said as he caught on.

Brent pointed at him as if he won a gold star. "Annnnnd which building in town is currently hosting the most women who are caught up as sex slaves?"

"The Peregrine Tower..." Bishop said, nodding as he was getting behind the idea.

"You can't be seriously considering this?" one of the women lackeys asked. "You're talking about condoning Prostitution and birth control!"

"You'd rather we condone abortion like you had when you were eighteen, Mary?" Brent asked, picking up the envelope with her name on it and tossing it down her way. She went as white as Gladys had. "Or how about the one you had recently? Oh yeah, I know it was a medical necessity to save your life, hard choice I'm sure, but you're not practicing what you're preaching there." Brent gave them an even look while Mary buried her face in her hands. He felt bad doing that one and he'd really hoped that Mary would've kept her mouth shut. "Look, people, you can either sit on your high horse looking down your noses as the people who REALLY need our help and need our ministry. Or you can do the Christian thing by getting off your collective asses and doing some good."

"And you're onboard with this?" another one of the Deacons asked Douglas.

"Brent showed me the statistics in Nevada. Prostitution is legal in the state outside of the cities. There, the rates for STDs are down. The only places they're higher at is in Reno, Carson City, and Las Vegas. They did a trial run by allowing a few of the gentleman's clubs to operate as a brothel for a month, undergoing the same stringent requirements as the Bunny Ranch itself. Much to my surprise, the STD rates dropped for that month. So, the data suggests that doing so both dropped the disease rate and increased the revenue for the cities due to the high lust tax on the services. Sexually violent crimes also dropped for that month."

"You give people an outlet and they'll use it." Brent added. "The government can regulate it to a safe standard, we clean up our streets, raise our revenue, and you get to minister to them. And you can say that you helped end a sex trafficking ring here in the city. You, literally, have nothing to lose here."

"But what about your son committing adultery?" another Deacon, a mousy man named Joshua, asked. "We can't just sit by and condone that when he and his wife are openly sinning!"

"My son has made some very convincing arguments, citing many similar instances in the bible, to that effect," Donald admitted.

"I've been doing some more in-depth reading of the Bible here lately," Brent said, calmly folding his hands and looking at Joshua. "I find it odd that the things that Christians find the most sinful are pleasures of the flesh." His gaze shifted to eye everyone in turn. "Kill a man and take his wife? Forgiven by God. Lay waste to entire cities? Forgiven by God. Take the virgins of said cities and rape them? Forgiven by God."

"Where the hell is that one at?" Gladys asked with scorn, having found her voice again.

"Numbers chapter 31, verses seven through eight. Look it up," Brent glowered at her. "But by God, if you lay with another man or woman, you need to be put to death immediately!"

"Sounds to me like you're breaking with the faith." Gladys challenged him again.

He thought about it for a moment as he leaned back in his chair from her berating. To be honest, he was enjoying this new lifestyle that he and Mandy had been thrust into. "Maybe I am..." he said at last. "We're a non-denominational megachurch and maybe I just don't want to have some holier-than-thou busybody nosing around into what I'm doing in my own bedroom with the consent of my spouse," he replied evenly, silently daring her to say something more. "I've also been reading up in Ruth and various passages regarding lesbianism and poly relationships."

"Leviticus says that it's detestable!" Gladys ranted.

"Ruth says it's fine and the Gospels have references to Jesus saying that people are born how they are and he's even healed a Gay Couple." Brent countered. "And since you love Leviticus so much, have you had any seafood lately? Shrimp? Crab? Because if you have we need to schedule your execution because you're unclean! Hell, even Paul said that a woman shouldn't open up her mouth in the presence of a man so what the fuck are you even doing addressing me? Hm?" Brent glared at her. "Now tell me, do you REALLY follow what the bible says word for word?"

Bishop was listening intently and he held up a hand to forestall any further comments from either of them. "I think that we can all agree that what happens in the bedroom can stay there. After all, we do have members who are LGBT. So, having people who are poly?" he shrugged, "who are we to say yea or nay to that especially when there are so many instances of it in the scriptures? After all, there are a couple of 'alternative' family units in our congregation as well who are holdovers from some of the Fundamentalist Mormons out west who moved here. But that's a topic for another time. Changing the subject back to the topic at hand, Brent, what is your role in all of this?"

"Me? I get to bring Peregrine down and, at the very least, bring him over to our side. At the worst, I get rid of some scum out of our city and take over his businesses." Brent replied with a smile. "If he packs up and leaves, he might shut the place down. That'll put the scores of legal workers in his building out on the street looking for more employment. We don't want to raise the unemployment rate by doing that. So, it's either readjust his thinking or hostile takeover and force him to leave our city. Unfortunately, there is no middle ground here."

***
CHAPTER 10: The Third Masquerade

Brent was working furiously at his computer trying to get some last minute details worked out. He banged away on the keyboard furiously in an attempt to get things into place. He'd taken off of work, leaving his junior CEOs in charge, while he worked all week meeting a whole host of people. Now that it was Friday afternoon, he was running out of time. He wanted to confront Falcon tonight but he realized that he just would not be able to do it. "Damn..." he swore in frustration.

Behind him, Mandy walked up and slid her arms around him, hugging him closely. "It's okay, sweetie, it really is." She kissed him on the side of his head. "Carla and I will serve at the party again tonight and everything will be okay."

He paused in his work, looking over at the door where Carla was hanging just inside the doorway. She nodded in affirmation. He let out a resigned sigh. "I wanted this over this week but getting the pieces into place on the board is harder than I thought it would be," he admitted.

"You've been working hard on this since the last party," Carla pointed out. "And believe me, I appreciate all that you two are doing for me, I really do. But don't kill yourself on my account, please." She added, pleading with him. After he'd admitted his thoughts and feelings, Carla had been sleeping with him and Mandy every night now to the point that she was pretty much his second wife.

It also broke his heart that he couldn't free either of them from their servitude just yet.

"You need to relax," Mandy said soothingly as she played with his hair in a way that she knew relaxed him. He leaned his head back into her breasts and let out a sigh of contentment this time. "And try and enjoy yourself at the party tonight, please?"

"You know I can't do that..." Brent complained. "Knowing that those girls are all there against their will... I... I can't do it."

"So just ask their permission then like you have been doing," Carla countered. "You're going to have to do it anyway and you know after beating him at his own game twice in a row, Falcon is going to change the rules yet again to make you do it."

"I know... I know..." Brent conceded. "By the way, is Tina still here?"

"Our maid?" Mandy asked. "Yeah, I just saw her downstairs not ten minutes ago. Why?"

"She's Falcon's spy. Her and her husband both. I saw her plug this past week when she was cleaning and did some background checking on them. And I realize now that he was the one sticking up for me when we were cleaning you two off after the last party. Falcon is using their little girl against them." The girls recoiled and gasped in shock at that and he explained the situation to them.

"That fucking bastard!" Carla seethed with anger. Brent could understand since her own son had essentially been taken by Falcon. He was in the process of getting the boy back but Family Services were dragging their feet.

"I thought that I saw Andy in the prep rooms one time!" Mandy gasped. "Falcon must be making him do that while Tina was upstairs serving with us."

"She was Jessica Rabbit last week. Don't let on to Falcon that you know this. No matter what, Brent warned them. He glanced at the time. "You two better get going, you don't want to be late. Send Tina up on your way out." he said, getting up and kissing them both before they left. A few minutes later, Tina was tentatively knocking on the door. "Ah, Tina, come in, please." he said. "Please, sit down," he offered a chair to her.

"Uhmm... thank you, sir." she said, clearly afraid.

"I want to clear the air between us," Brent said, sitting back down, "so I'll cut right to it. You're Mister Falcon's spy, aren't you? You and Andy, right?" Her wide-eyed, fearful look told him all he needed to know. "And you're the one that he made me have sex with last weekend, right?" She sat there, looking like a deer caught in the headlights, but managed to mutely nod once. "First off, I want to reiterate how very sorry I am that you got caught up in all of this. Second, I want to apologize, again, for having to do what I did."

"You were protecting your wife..." Tina whispered.

"Still no excuse for it. If you want to press charges against me, I won't fight it but I would ask you that you give me until the end of the month to try and bring Mister Falcon down." Brent said, looking at her and putting his proverbial cards on the table.

"No... I don't want to press charges..." Tina squeaked out. "Am I... Are we... fired?" she asked fearfully.

Brent shook his head. "No. You were doing what you had to in order to protect your little girl. I can't fault you for that. You both have a job with me for however long you want it. I do need to know one thing, though, and for you to do one thing for me tonight," he added. She looked fearful again and then resigned as she started to unbutton her blouse. "NO! Not that!" He cried out and waved for her to stop. "Button back up, please. No, I don't want you to sleep with me. What I need to know is; are you supposed to be working the party tonight?" She hesitated, then nodded. "Then I need both you and Andy to work overtime here at the ranch tonight. From what I heard from the handlers, a couple of the horses came down with colic and need looking after. You and Andy will see to the horses overnight and then you'll take tomorrow off. Take your little girl out to a museum, get her some ice cream, something. Anything. Have a family day. I'll cover for the cost of a babysitter tonight... hell... in fact, just bring her here and watch a movie in the theatre room then take a room in the guest wing. I'll pay you for your time off tomorrow as well."

"Thank you, sir. B-But... but Mister Falcon..."

"Let me worry about him. Seeing as how I'll be seeing him tonight anyway at the party. In the meantime, get your daughter here and hole up. I'll inform the night security that anyone who comes here looking for you two that's not regular staff are to be shot on sight." Brent said with renewed conviction. This felt good and right in his heart so he knew he was doing the right thing.

Her eyes went wide. "You can do that? Won't you be arrested for it?"

Brent smiled. "Texas State Law; anyone on your property after dark who's not supposed to be there is fair game." he said. Then he jerked his head. "Now go on, get outta here and get your girl. And tell Andy that he can stop avoiding me already. Please apologize to him on my behalf until I can do so properly in person."

Smiling through the tears in her eyes, Tina stood up, walked over to him, and gave him a big hug. "Thank you, sir." she said.

"You're welcome, and again; I'm truly sorry," he said after returning the hug. He then let out a rueful laugh. "and also tell Andy that if it'll make him feel better, he can fuck my wife to make us even. That got her to laugh and she gave him an impromptu kiss on the cheek before practically dancing out the door.

*

"You are becoming a pain in my ass," Falcon growled at Brent minutes before the party was to officially start. "You cost me a girl and a handler tonight by having them work overtime. I don't know if you found my spies out or if you just got damn lucky in having them both work."

"Well, if I didn't know before, I do now," Brent smiled at him.

"You think you've won this round, don't you?" Falcon seethed with anger. "I'll just have them brought here by my men so that they can serve anyway, albeit a little late."

"You do that and your thugs will be shot on sight and I'll have you drawn up on criminal charges for sending them with the intent to kidnap," Brent countered with equal amount of anger. "Who do you think will win that one in court? Someone who is doing third person self-defense of others on their own property or someone who was sending people out to unlawfully abduct people against their will? You know Texas Law as well as I do. Leave Tina and Andy alone. Especially leave their little girl alone. You want to after someone, come at me, bro, cause I'm the one playing in your league."

They stood there a minute glaring at each other. Brent was silently daring him to do it. This whole blackmail affair could be over tonight.

Then, with the shift in demeanor and emotion that Brent had come to expect, Mister Falcon beamed broadly, nodding his head, and wagging his finger at him. "You... I knew there was a reason I liked you. Out of everyone here in this building, not one of the spineless weasels has the fucking balls to stand up to me like this. Not even my clients!" Falcon draped his arm around Brent's shoulder and pulled him in close. "You know, I have not had this much fun with an adversary in such a long time. It's actually refreshing! So, come, let's get this party started!" he exclaimed, leading Brent into the elevator that would take them up to the penthouse.

"Yeah, yeah, and this constitutes penalty because I displeased you and everything... so what's it going to be this week?" Brent asked, sounding bored as he put his eye mask on.

"No tricks, no gimmicks, this time, my boy," Falcon said as they got out of the elevator and walked into the penthouse. Coming in this way as opposed to the front door, Brent got a preview of what was coming as he saw the girls all lined up against the windows wearing half roman togas that left one breast exposed and a skirt that was entirely too short. They all held lit candles in their hands as they waited for the party to start.