Venus Flytrap Ch. 02

Alan Van Outen had already helped Jessica to find the perfect little business to buy into. The business was an island wide internet Wi-Fi service that was aimed primarily at the tourists who came to visit the island. The service even had its own computer or, cell phone capable Web site called Aurba4U.com which would act as the user's personal concierge while on the island.

For a small fee, the advertisers could list and sell any and all of their wares right from the site for delivery directly to the purchaser's hotel or villa. There was even a virtual 'tour guide service' that worked by referencing the cell tower location for the log-on and matching businesses and attractions for people who wished to go out and browse at the various island features in their immediate area.

Two English brothers, David and Mark Kelly were working tirelessly to finish getting the business off the ground now that they had Jessica's one hundred thousand American dollar investment for a sixty percent stake in the company.

The addition of the lovely American business partner as the head of Advertising sales seemed to be the only natural choice to the two geeky brothers. They had reasoned that their job was the technology and now they could let the beautiful hottie from the States work the island's business owners for the advertising revenues.

Alan Van Outen finally arrived at the Post Office and Jessica joined him to see a splendid little villa on a cul-de-sac just off the Frankrijk. Jessica thought that the house, in an exclusive little neighborhood was too big, she also felt that the nearby Aruba Kartodormo racetrack might make the property a bit noisy when the races were being held. This was not to mention that Jessica was a bit strapped for cash at the moment.

But this didn't stop her agent Alan Van Outen. Jessica began to think that the lifelong bachelor was being a bit too charming and solicitous. Jessica gently rebuffed all attempts from Alan to spend more of his time with her and reflected that with luck her current cash crunch would work itself out.

Only slightly disappointed, Jessica returned to town and promised to call Mr. Van Outen in a few days to get back together when he might have a more suitable property for her to look at. On the way back to the apartment, Jessica stopped to buy two bottles of Vodka, she also took the time to charm the liquor store owner into signing up for a free one-month trial of advertising on Aruba4U.com.

Once back at the apartment, Jessica poured herself a tumbler of vodka on ice and dumped nearly all the rest of the contents of the first bottle of Vodka into the sink. Then she crushed four of the valium tablets into a fine powder. She added the powder to the approximately two jiggers of vodka that were left in the bottle and let the drug dissolve.

Jessica put the full bottle away and left the doped bottle on the countertop so that she could deal with it later. She made a few more sales calls and nursed her tumbler of vodka, before going off to dinner alone in a local restaurant.

The restaurant bar was about half full of tourists but Jessica sat alone at a table to eat. During dinner and after, while she had one more drink, Jessica had at least a dozen opportunities to hook up with the men and even some of the women tourists. But she politely turned down all offers for company.

Jessica did take the time to call to see how her 'Kelly' boys were doing. She took a moment to reflect that she had made a poor trade: she now had everything that she had originally planned on. But Mark, the quiet and intense brother and Alan, the mischievous brother, were the only ones that she could ever share her success with. Jessica nearly sobbed as she remembered Jim back in New Jersey.

David answered the phone and quickly propositioned Jessica for the umpteenth time: surely an interest in a little light bondage and nipple play were the only reason that Jessica might be calling David this evening?

Jessica giggled at the absurdity of his proposal. That was the one thing that endeared David to Jessica: he knew when to give up.

David quickly laughed it all off and got down to business, "Yes Jessica, the demonstration is all de-bugged and will be ready for the 'dog and pony' show in the morning. We are at the hotel now, setting up the conference room for the meeting."

Jessica thanked David and hung up the phone. Her smile quickly faded as she thought once again about Jim. The only man that she wanted, it seemed, was the only man that she couldn't have.

Jessica ordered another mimosa and tried her best to avoid attracting attention from any more tourists. Jessica reflected miserably that her life in paradise would now be a dreary purgatory of sales meetings, product demonstrations and propositions from geeky business partners, or drunken tourists who didn't stand a chance in hell now that Jessica knew what love from a real man could have been.

But Jessica knew that didn't deserve a man as fine as Jim; she was just a thief, a fraud, a swindler. And she knew that she had no right to put Jim into danger; especially not now that she knew that Gerald Hershberger was a mob associate. It might only be a matter of time before Hershberger found out that someone was bilking his daughter out of the money in her trust fund, while turning his daughter into a cheap whore for all of his 'friends,' at his very own Country Club back in New Jersey!

Jessica smiled at the thought of her one consolation through this mess; at least she had had the decency to leave Jim and his inheritance money out of it! It would have been child's play! All she would have had to do was to make the suggestion.

Jim would have gladly given her all of his money. Then there would be no cash flow problem to worry about. But at least when it came time to run for her life, she ran alone and left Jim out of it. Hershberger and the law would never know about the one good man that Jessica had met in this whole sorry scam!

Jessica silently cursed Aaron for involving her in his crooked schemes to begin with. Then she resolutely finished off her drink and called it an early night to go back at her apartment. She needed to be up early in the morning to go over her notes for tomorrow's critical sales presentation.

This meeting was for the hotel and high end restaurant managers and owners from all along the southern and western coast of Aruba. These men were just like the smiling, friendly back-stabbing Country Club competitors that Jessica was used to. She knew exactly what they wanted: they were all going after the same international tourist money. They would lie, cheat, steal; whatever it took to bring home the bucks! There would be no moral questions and no simple, honest, decent, hard working, loving men like Jim to worry about.

Jessica was gambling that gathering all of the major players into the same ballroom at the Renaissance Marina Hotel here in Oranjestat, would put too much pressure on each of them that they would simply not be able to cede their share of the Web site's advertising space to the competition.

Sure, the WEB site could get by on liquor stores, pizza joints and souvenir shops as advertisers, but those were the little fish, best saved for later. Jessica had to make sure that the Web site's launch was attended by as much big money advertising as possible!

Jessica sadly changed into a sexy little, sheer flyaway baby doll that she might have saved for Jim. She remembered how Jim had dressed much the same way as a joke for her.

Jessica left the outfit's sheer crotch g-string aside, all the while, thinking about Jim's cute pecker peaking shyly from under the hem of his sexy 'Rookie' Fireman's kitchen apron.

She sadly reached for the Vodka bottle that she had left on the kitchenette counter to pour herself a final night cap. She only stopped herself at the last moment from accidentally drugging herself into a stupor when she realized that this bottle was for her empty eyedropper bottles. Jessica screwed the top back onto the vodka bottle and left it on the countertop.

Jessica miserably thought back to how simple and fine life had been just a few weeks ago with her lost love Jim: dinner; dancing; walking hand in hand on the beach; sunbathing on the little deck; watching the little birds play in the Venus de Milo bird bath that she and Jim had made together.

Jessica halfheartedly took care of the usual evening banking chores, from the first level Muffy Hershberger bank accounts, all the way through the online poker sites and eventually, to her own accounts here on Aruba.

Jessica looked at the slightly healthier, but still pitiful balance in her account then sighed tiredly, regretting her precarious, but otherwise successful transplanting of her life here to Aruba.

Jessica logged off of her laptop, turned it off and put it into her bag for tomorrow. Then she threw herself onto her bed and cried herself to sleep, hoping to the little goddess Venus, for one last dream of feeling her man, moving in her arms once again while he lavished his every effort and attention on pleasing her every sense with every possible sensation.

Sadly, the night brought no dreams and the morning came much too quickly. Jessica glanced bleary eyed at the clock and realized that she needed to get moving in order to make her meeting.

Jessica raced through the shower and dressed quickly. She couldn't find a clean pair of panties and decided put on the sheer g-string from her baby doll. She decided not to bother with a bra or her pantyhose. Nobody here ever bothered with full panty hose and her 35-b cup breasts would be absolutely no problem; her business suit and camisole top would do nicely in restraining the 'girls.'

Jessica smiled sadly as she remembered the morning that Jim had named her breasts 'the girls' while lavishing kisses and soft nibbles on them.

She slipped on her rose colored, sleeveless, drape necked camisole and tossed on her grey pin stripped skirt suit then applied a subtle hint of her favorite cologne to complete her preparations...

Jessica did put on her trusty crystal pendant necklace, it hung perfectly, just above the camisole's plunging, but still professional neckline. She didn't expect to have to hypnotize anybody this morning, but Jessica simply didn't feel fully dressed without her secret weapon.

Jessica grabbed her sling bag then she found her sunglasses and headed out to her meeting.

Despite not having time for a proper breakfast, the rushing and the scanty preparation, Jessica presided over the sales presentation like a seasoned pro. She charmed, she reasoned, she pitted the mostly middle aged, male executives against the theoretical 'Also Ran Chain Executives' who were cutting their own throats by failing to get into the 'Gateway to the International Market' on the ground floor.

By the time that Jessica allowed the Kelly Boys to take over and do the actual demonstration, Jessica knew with absolute certainty, that they would meet their 'drop dead' figure for advertising fees without any difficulty.

By the end of the Kelly boys' dog and pony demonstration portion of the meeting, Jessica confidently sat back and if she had to make a bet, she would have bet her sheer-crotch g-string that they would double their target and then some.

After the meeting even Jessica had to feel surprised. Jessica, David and Mark had received firm commitments from the Hotel chains that would put them at 275% of their yearly goal for advertising revenues. It was the restaurants that put them up over the 350% mark. The Kelly boys were absolutely giddy with delight.

Jessica on the other hand, kept her professional reserve and saw each of their new business partners out the ball room door with a firm handshake and a gratuitously sexy smile.

After the last of the clients left and Jessica closed the door, the Kelly boys came to Jessica for a group hug. They each knew that at last, all of the hard work was going to pay off. They were set. They were on the map. They were going to be rich!

Mark popped the bottle of chilled champagne that he had confidently ordered ahead of time. Even the irrepressible David was quiet and respectful when he toasted Jessica for the way that she had herded the seasoned executives along then had them hanging on her every word and finally champing at the bit to be the first to buy into the 'Future of International Business on the Island of Aruba!'

Jessica herself felt exhausted, pleased but exhausted. Jessica distractedly stayed for another toast, but felt how empty her heart was. She knew that she should be sharing this moment with someone important. She took the first opportunity to leave the ball room, as the boys happily packed up their equipment and polished off the bottle of champagne.

While Jessica drove to her apartment complex, she decided that she needed to start to simplify her life now. Money would no longer be a problem here on Aruba so she decided to call each of her dupes in turn and erase the key words that controlled them. Last she called Muffy to end the draining of Muffy's trust fund. She also had to direct Muffy forget ever meeting the others, except maybe Aaron.

Jessica parked and walked to her apartment door waiting for Muffy to answer her phone and thought to herself that she somehow had to pay them all back. She knew that she couldn't undo all that she had done, but there had to be a way to make a start!

Jessica heard Muffy pickup the line, "Muffy? This is Jessica. How is my little slut today?"

Gerald Hershberger continued his search through the apartment. He didn't know what exactly he was looking for, only that his private detective back in New Jersey had provided him evidence that Muffy had some kind of ongoing romantic involvement with this woman Jessica Fallon, who had once worked at the Country Club.

Gerald also knew that Muffy had already withdrawn almost seventy thousand dollars from her trust fund and then lost it through online casino gambling WEB sites that could be traced back here to Aruba. He reasoned that all of this simply couldn't have been a coincidence.

Gerald reflected that investigating that moron playboy Aaron Templeton had proven to be a dead end. He had turned out to be little better than a two-bit hustler, working the bored women of the Country Club for loose change! But it did seem that the little dickhead had turned Muffy into one of his whores!

Gerald thought bitterly of the betrayals and reasoned that old buddies at the Club may be old buddies, but a willing young girl in the clutches of some whoremonger may have been too much of a temptation for his old friends!

Then the DEA and the FBI had lowered the boom. Avoiding the federal investigation into his money laundering activities for the Mob and the Columbian Cartels became the first priority.

By the time that Gerald had to run for his life and to sever all connections with private detectives back in Jersey, they had turned up only one useful lead: Jessica Fallon. But Tony Salerno would roll over on him in a heartbeat if he should try to contact him now to find out what had happened since he had left!

Gerald rid himself his wife and now he could now begin life anew somewhere quiet, under the new identity that he had carefully established years ago as a citizen of the Bahamas. But that could be a life on the run with a half a million in cash, or it could have been a life with the additional two and a half million in his step daughter's trust fund added in!

Once Gerald was sure that he was away and clear of the police, he had hired a new detective agency in the Bahamas who had quietly tracked the movements of Jessica Fallon from New Jersey to the little love nest that this lesbian was apparently setting up for herself and his daughter here on Aruba!

Gerald resigned himself, if he decided not to kill Muffy himself, Muffy could do what she wanted with her life. She would just have to do it without Gerald Hershberger's hard earned money!

Gerald continued his search for the clues to what might have happened to the money that his air-headed daughter had already stupidly put into play. Then he heard a key in the lock at the door. Gerald closed the drawer that he had been searching, pulled out his gun and slipped quietly into the bathroom.

Jessica came in, closed the door and started to take off her suit coat and her skirt, "...oh Muffy that's terrible! I feel so bad for you! And they haven't found your father's body yet?

Your mother's funeral is later today?

Yes Muffy, I wish that I could be there to hold you in my arms right now. You know that I still love you.

Yes, that's right Muffy you can forget that you ever met Aaron and all the others!

Now, just as soon as you are finished with your mother's funeral, come to me. I know that I can find a way to make you feel better, we can be together forever! I'll text you my address.

Oh Muffy, just think about healing now, think about us.

Yes Muffy, I can finally love you just the way that we have always wanted. I will be your Jessica forever now and you will be my little Muffyberger!"

Jessica hung up the phone and quickly texted Muffy her address in Aruba. Then she pulled her camisole top over her head, thinking that maybe she had gotten carried away with Muffy on the phone just now. But the poor girl's pain was just so evident that she couldn't help herself; with Muffy's mother dead and father still missing at sea and presumed to be dead, Jessica just didn't have the heart to take away Muffy's last bit of hope in the world. Besides, she could figure out a way to make amends with Muffy after she arrived in Aruba!

Jessica left on her g-string and her two inch heels. Then picked up her discarded clothes and bundled them up. She decided to throw on any old thing for the quick trip to the laundry. Jessica left her bundle of laundry on the table and turned to get one of her bathing suits from the shower rod in the bathroom when she recognized Gerald Hershberger, standing in the bathroom doorway with a gun in his hand.

(to be continued.)