Chapter 9
The two men, sitting across the conference table from her, shifted uneasily in their seats. Laura could not stifle the smile of satisfaction that played across her lips. She had worn no make-up, and her hair was pulled back into the severe style they had been used to seeing on her. From the start of the meeting it had been apparent that they had not made any connection between her and the wanton Sara Miller they had fucked the night before.
George ran his pudgy hand down over his vest, smoothing the material over the paunch she had ridden until he was exhausted.
"What can we do for you, Laura?" he asked. "Do you need some money? We might be able to arrange something to tide you over for a while."
Laura almost laughed. "What you are going to do for me is sign over all your combined interest in my husband's company for exactly half the price it sells for on the stock market."
Arthur's face twisted with laughter. George turned, red, but giggled.
"Now why would we do that?" asked Arthur.
"For two reasons. One is that I found out how you tricked me into signing my legal interest over to you after Jim died, and another is this."
She drew the reel of film from her purse and placed it in the middle of the table. Arthur looked at it curiously.
"That, gentlemen, is a record of your activities with a certain Sara Miller," Laura said.
"But . . . that's blackmail!" George blurted, turning redder.
"Perhaps, but if you don't meet my demands, copies of that film will get into the hands of every organization you two bastards belong to. You won't have any reputation left in this town or in the industry.
"At least my way you'll have enough money left so that you can quietly relocate elsewhere and nobody will learn what big, fucking hypocrites you both are."
Arthur's face was deathly pale and his hands were trembling. "George, we've got to do it or we're ruined," he whined.
Laura watched George's flushed face. The veins in his forehead were throbbing. His emotions were easy to read. He wanted to resist, to fight her. Anger and fear fought for control of his will. She was getting a great satisfaction from his torment.
She leaned forward and drummed her long, pointed fingernails on the reel of film. A minute passed with only that sound in the silence of the room.
"Make up your mind, George," she said finally.
His face was almost purple now. Suddenly, the big form slumped in the chair.
"Alright. Whatever you say," he sighed.
Laura could hardly contain her elation. "Good. Have the papers ready for me to sign tomorrow, and both of you have everything out of your offices!"
George wearily nodded his head.
"What about the film?" Arthur asked.
Laura put the reel back into her purse and stood up. "That's my insurance that you will be good boys." She lowered her voice and slurred her speech. "If ya catch ma meanin'."
She paused just long enough to enjoy the profound shock that swept across their faces, then turned and left the room. Her heels clicked along the tiled hall. Her high spirits looked forward to telling Bob what a good "lawyer" had been able to do for her.
No need for him to know that she had used that sex appeal one more time.