*Would you rather be better than you parents or have your children be better than you*

(Monday, one week later)

I walked into the office space where I would meet with my new co-workers. I was rendered a bit concerned by the size of the office complex I entered; it was small. The receptionist was a polite enough woman, maybe twenty five who sent me right back to the conference room. I knocked and stepped inside. What I saw did not impress me.

"Hey Sylvia, let me introduce you to my team. This is Allen Rubin," he indicated a crisply dressed man, around five-six and one-seventy. He had thinning black hair and sharp brown eyes. His demeanor was relaxed and he studied me as I entered. If he found me overly attractive, he did a good job of hiding it. "Allen handles the physical side of our investigations."

"This young lady is Linda Chun," he motioned to a young Asian lady who looked at me in a slightly condescending manner. She had thin black hair down to her ass, slender foxlike features, small breasts and slender hips. She also had an undeniable aura of control and authority about her. "Linda is our Office/Financial Manager. In a way we all work for her," he grinned.

"The last member of our team is Grace Winslow," he indicated an African-American woman, maybe five-ten in height but only one-twenty in weight. Her hair was thick and past her shoulder, her eyebrows were thick and she shot a contemptuous gaze my way. "Grace handles all the technical and computer sides of our operations."

I looked over her situation and didn't like what she saw – four, now five people?

"Is this the entire operation?" I asked. Grace and Linda snorted. Allen shook his head.

"We mostly hire contractors to do our business Sylvia," he chuckled. "Normally we have about forty people on any given assignment."

Now I felt stupid. Of course things had streamlined in the past ten years.

"Allen has a team of about fifteen investigators we trust; any ten of whom we can count on for a project at a time. Grace has around the same number on the computer side of things plus we have a few technical people on retainer for any tech information we might need."

"Linda handles all our central office staff, budgeting and expenses such as legal and regulations. We went to school together and I brought her on when I took over operations. Grace and I also went to school with together but she was a year ahead. When I got out I looked her up and she's been with me ever since."

"Allen dates back from before my time, but he knows people who know people if you know what I mean. If there is a physical problem that needs solving, or secrets uncovered, he's our man. In case you are wondering – no I have no idea where Allen got his experience but most of us think he was with the CIA." Allen smiled at that but withheld comment.

"Everyone, this is Sylvia Westermann. She was once one of the best mediators in North America. She screwed up and has been living in exile for the past decade, but I would like to bring her on as a full-time member," Sebastian suggested to his companions. For me it was an uncertain moment; I had made the assumption that Sebastian was in charge.

"She has my vote," Allen surprised me by speaking up. I didn't know what I had done to win his confidence.

"I think you are doing a good job as mediator Bas. We don't need another full member," Linda stated. Linda clearly didn't like me much. Grace studied the situation for a second.

"I say we let her in," Grace said carefully, "but on a six month basis so we can she is worth the hype. I trust your instincts Bas, but we are talking about a good deal of money here."

"Linda," Sebastian asked, "would a six month probationary period be okay with you?"

"Fine," Linda allowed, but she didn't look pleased.

"Sylvia, you are in. Here is how things work out: I get three shares, everyone else gets two, and the company gets five shares for miscellaneous expenses. Our current project is worth six million. You can figure out what your share will be," he grinned. I didn't have to think about that long.

"Thanks everyone, I won't let you down."

"Okay, I've been gone on vacation; what have we accomplished with Cosgrove Merchant Lines in my absence?" Sebastian began. I sat back and watched as this was the side of the operation I'd never seen before. Usually I got information from another source and seeing it presented in a staff meeting was new.

When the talk finally turned down to auctioning off various properties, I suddenly spoke up and Linda and I instantly locked horns. Sebastian sat back and let the two of us dueled for a while but when Linda called Grace into the conversation, Grace backed my study up and Sebastian accepted my plan. When lunch came Sebastian had to leave for a client meeting so I ended up going out with Linda and Grace – Allen tended to do is own thing.

"So, how did you and Sebastian meet up?" Linda asked. I wasn't sure how answer that.

"I was working in a little town in Kentucky when he came by my office and we hit it off," I sort of told the truth. "We had lunch, talked about my past and he offered me the job."

"Just like that?" Grace said.

"Well, there were some bumps along the road; I was in a rough relationship that Sebastian had to help me with," I answered.

"So what did you wear before you got your new clothes?" Linda said snidely.

"I wore twigs and branches," I shot back. "Do you have a problem with me that I should know about?"

"You are old with a bad reputation," Linda pointed out. "Grace, Bas and I all come from the same school and time period. We've worked to make this company successful. Sure Allen is an integral part, but he's mainly a friend of Bas. You are no one's friend unless you are claiming to be Bas's friend."

"Sebastian, or Bas, believes in me. He thinks people will look past my previous activities to see what I can do now. If you trust his judgment you should believe that I can perform," I countered.

"Are you going to sleep with our clients to seal the deal?" Linda questioned intently.

"What she really wants to know is are you going to sleep with Bas," Grace joked.

I realized I was suddenly on dangerous ground. What kind of relationship storm had I walked into? What was Linda going to do if I came clean?

"We have been sleeping together for the past two weeks," I confessed. Linda looked stunned as did Grace.

"How did that happen?" Grace asked, decidedly curious.

"I made a move on him in a motel room. I kissed him and he kissed me back and one thing led to another," I told them.

"Just like that?" Linda said.

"Pretty much, yes; are you interested in him as well?" I inquired. Linda looked away but Grace intervened.

"Linda has had this crush on Bas for the longest time but outside of work she can't talk to him. Now you show up and you can see why she's upset," Grace explained. I could see the problem too. Linda was smart, but not the people person that Sebastian and I were.

"I have to go," Linda said and she was up and gone before I could say anything.

"Have I screwed things up for all of us?" I asked Grace.

"Nah, Linda is a big girl but now I would consider her more motivated than ever to make Bas her own – just warning you," Grace smiled.

I felt a little sorry for Linda; Sebastian wasn't a man likely to be owned by anyone. He wouldn't lead her on, but he wouldn't change who he was either. That might be a hard pill to swallow. I had ignored that aspect of my relationship with my boss so many years ago and while he had led me on, I should have known better. With age comes wisdom.

(Four weeks later)

I twitched uncomfortably in my seat at the conference table. Last night Sebastian had pounded my whole body fantastically. I had taken his thick cock up my ass until I thought he'd split me in two. It wasn't sex, it was fucking and he'd fucked me until I could no longer sob, no tears would come down my face, and I'd nearly bitten through the pillow I was hanging on to for dear life.

When he finally shot his thick streams of semen into me and let go of my hips I had collapsed nearly lifeless to the bed. A slow trickle of his come dripped down from my ravaged hole, across my pussy and onto the bed. I was too sore to move. It was fucking in its rawest, most physical form and I loved it. If butt-fucking was wrong I didn't want to be right, or so it went.

My thoughts snapped back to the meeting. Linda had outlined to the client and his board of directors what our analysis had revealed and she sat back down. Now Sebastian stood up and I felt his presence permeate the room. God the man had charisma and now he was showing why he led the team.

He showed the members what he had planned for the company, what had to go and who had to be let go. Certain members, the ones about to lose their jobs, tried to belittle his report but Sebastian was ready for them. One was having sex with the President's wife and another with his daughter. After that the rest of the deadwood was doomed by guilt by association. Sebastian had given the bad news. Now it was my turn.

I stood up and outlined what peripheral businesses had to go and how much cash would flow into the company's depleted coffers. I had worked some wonderful deals; things that I was very proud of. One mediation had proven to be difficult; my opposite number knew my reputation. He asked if sleeping with me was part of the package to which I responded that if he came up twenty percent on his offer I would consider it.

Since that would have cost him a million dollars I would have been the most expensive fuck of his life. He paled and backed down and then his sorry ass was mine. I got most of what my client company wanted and I felt I had impressed my fellow teammates with my ability. Just as important, I had proved to myself I still had the skills and the drive to be at the top of my profession.

The president of the company approved our plan and we all went out for drinks. The team was getting paid big time and I suddenly wondered what I was going to do with my newfound wealth. Back in the old days I spent as quickly as I brought it in; tomorrow was another day. I wasn't about to make that mistake again. As the party broke up, Allen came up and pressed a flash drive into my hand. I knew what it was even though I had dreaded getting it.

I went to Sebastian's place; I had been living with him since I had come to LA. I wanted to buy my own place eventually when I had my own money, but the sex was smoking hot and the accommodations didn't suck. Tonight I didn't rush off to the bedroom. I sat at my computer and checked out the information Allen and Grace had found for me.

On it was information on my daughter and ex-husband. He had done well for himself, selling security systems in the Mid-Atlantic States and had gone on to semi-retirement. My daughter had gone on to college, graduated with a statistics degree with honors and was now working at a marketing firm in Philadelphia.

What followed was a little scarier. I had photos of each of them that looked very recent. My husband's internet activities looked to be very mild and unimaginative. My daughter was a bit more expressive and had a boyfriend she communicated with regularly. Then it got even weirder; the report identified two other women the man was seeing besides my daughter including pictures of the couples. How they got this and how legal it was made me queasy.

Sebastian sat down beside me.

"Everything you needed?" he asked.

"How long have you known what I asked them to do?"

"From the beginning; they tell me everything and I knew this was important to you," he answered.

"What do I do?" I found myself wondering.

"I imagine you contact them and let them know you've changed," he told me.

"What if they tell me to fuck off?" I worried.

"Then you will have tried which is a hell of a lot better than never knowing," he lectured me.

I could have called but I opted for e-mail instead. I began typing away:

-Marcy, this is your mother. I would like to talk to you if that is possible. If you like I can give you my number or we can talk through another medium. Please give me another chance.-

-Your mother, Sylvia-

I sent a similar letter to my husband but I had even less hope there. I was too distraught to have sex and Sebastian was sympathetic. In the morning there was a reply from Marcy.

-Fuck off you Bitch. I hope you are rotting in hell. I talked to Dad and he told me you were in some used car lot in Bumfuck Nowhere and I hope you stay there. Don't contact me again.-

I had to try one more time.

-Marcy, please give me a chance. I've turned my life around and I would like to give us a second chance. I know you have little reason to trust me, so all I can do is beg for your forgiveness. Please, I miss you.-

-Sylvia-

Sebastian and I want out to eat and then got me a realtor. I learned that my newfound wealth wouldn't buy me much in the neighborhoods I wanted to live in; such was the LA way. When I got 'home' there was another message for me.

-You are a horrible, horrible person and I can never forgive what you did to Dad and me. Give me one good reason why I don't put you in the spam folder?-

-Marcy-

The message was only an hour old so I sent off another one. This time I asked Sebastian for advice. His suggestion was simple.

-Marcy, there is no good reason to forgive me. I was wrong and we both know it. I am begging you.-

-Sylvia-

By the time I went to bed I was crying. Early in the morning I crawled over to Sebastian and we made slow passionate love like we were newlyweds just learning each other's bodies. When I went to the kitchen to get a drink there was a message in my inbox.

-Sylvia, you are a bitch and an evil one at that. Do you understand how much damage you did to us? Dad doesn't even look at women anymore. You scarred me for life. Why do you want to talk to me now? Where were you ten years ago?-

-Marcy-

-Marcy, I was fucked-up, selfish, and stupid. You are right, I was an evil bitch and most of what came my way was my own doing. I was pretty low then someone showed up and gave me a chance to do things right and I'm trying to do just that. Seeing where I am now makes me realize all I gave up for my own arrogant desires. I miss you.-

-Sylvia-

There was nothing the rest of the day, but after dinner I had another message.

-Why on earth would I believe you've changed?-

-Marcy-

-Can I call you?-

-Sylvia-

A half an hour later I got her number and the fact she wouldn't be home until nine o'clock pm Eastern Time the next day. That night Sebastian fucked my brains out then we fucked again in the morning before we worked out and again after breakfast. What Sebastian thought of my stress relief he was kind enough to keep to himself though I noticed he was whistling as he walked around his place.

At six o'clock my time I made the call.

"Yes," came this unfamiliar female voice.

"It is Sylvia." I didn't want to use the term 'Mother' because of our history. As it was the pause was deafening.

"Okay, you called. What do you want?"

"It is good to hear your voice Marcy. How have you been?" I asked.

"You mean 'how have I been for the last ten years you haven't been around'?" she mocked me.

"Yes, something like that. I understand you work for a marketing firm now. That sounds really nice," I said.

"I hate it. The job sucks. Everyone treats me like a moron," she seethed with anger.

"Oh, what do you want to do?" I attempted to mollify her.

"Do you even know where I went to school or what I majored in?" she growled.

"You went to Penn State and you majored in Statistics Marcy," I sighed and sent a thankful prayer Allen's way. There was a long pause.

"Oh ... I didn't think you would actually know that," she admitted.

"Honestly I only found out a few days ago. As your father told you I was out in the middle of nowhere for the longest time. Only in the past few weeks has my life turned around to the point I would hope you might not be ashamed of me."

"Mom, I hate you, I'm not ashamed of you. You were a dirty whore and you broke Dad's heart," she spat. "I've waited ten years to tell you that."

"Can you say anything to make any of the hurt go away?" I pleaded.

"You can tell me you have a flesh eating disease and only have a few painful days to live," Marcy snapped. I was starting to feel totally helpless. I looked over at Sebastian and he gave me the gesture for 'keep her talking'.

"Marcy, what was the worst thing I did to you?" I said.

"You cheated on Dad," she said after a moment. "You broke something inside of him."

"I can never do that again and I can't fix it. What can I do for you?" I asked.

"I ... I don't know. I don't think there is anything you can do to make it up to us," Marcy admitted.

"Can you find it in yourself to give me a second chance? Can you think about it for a while and if you feel like it, call me back?" I inquired.

"Sure Mom, whatever," Marcy sighed. "If I don't call you back, don't call me again, okay?"

"Okay Marcy," I replied close to tears. She hung up and Sebastian took me in his arms.

(Three days later)

"Yes," I answered the phone. It was late in the afternoon and we were talking about dinner.

"Sylvia, this is Marcy," was the reply. I felt my heart leap into my chest.

"I can't express how good it is to hear from you Marcy. What can I do for you?" I asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure why I am calling you," she said.

"Are you even considering giving me another chance? I would love it if you would try to forgive me. Please just try," I begged.

"I'm only listening to you because my therapist thinks it is a good idea that I come to grips with my feelings toward you," she confessed.

"Therapist?" I wondered.

"Yes," she snapped angrily. "Something about coming home and finding you getting gangbanged by four guys Mom. For some reason I haven't gotten over that." I hadn't forgotten that episode though I wished I could. An angry ex-client had sent one of my stupider moments on DVD to my husband and in his shock he left it for my daughter to see by accident.

"You were never meant to see that. It was a stupid thing for me to do and worse thing for me to put your father and you through. I am not that person anymore," I pledged.

"I find that hard to believe," she responded.

"How about I prove it to you?" I asked.

"How would you possibly do that?" she asked.

"You could come out and see me," I offered.

"Where are you?"

"I'm in Los Angeles," I told her.

"When did that happen?" Marcy wondered.

"Two months ago. I have a new job doing corporate work for Vandemeyer Corporate Systems. I'm a mediator again," I informed her.

"How does a used car saleswoman get a corporate job in Los Angeles?" she scoffed. "Who did you have to screw?"

"It wasn't like that. This man came through town, his car broke down and he remembered my work from two decades ago. We talked and he ended up offering a job. I finished my first contract a few days ago and I wanted to see you once I had something to show you that I wasn't a total loss," I expressed to her.

"How many men did you have to suck off this time Mom?" she grumbled.

"Please Marcy, it isn't like that," I repeated.

"What is it like that then?" Marcy challenged me.

"Why don't you come out and see?" I requested.

"To Los Angeles; How in the hell would I do that?" Marcy questioned.

"I can pay for round trip tickets and I have a place you can stay," I responded as I looked to Sebastian for confirmation that Marcy could use one of the guest rooms; which he did.

"Is this supposed to make it up to me?" Marcy grumbled.

"No Marcy, I can never make up to you what I put you through. I'm trying to give us a new start because I really, really want you in my life," I told her. She didn't answer for so long I was afraid she'd hung up the phone.

"If I decide to come down when could you take me?" Marcy murmured.

"How about this Thursday? We could make a long weekend of it; you could spend all weekend with me and you could go back Monday afternoon," I offered suddenly.

"Just like that?" Marcy snapped. "Do you think I can go in and get two days off?"

"Can you?" I asked. Marcy growled.

"Fine, I'll try but I don't expect anything," Marcy muttered. "Bye."

"Good bye and thank you for calling," I said before she hung up. I looked to Sebastian but he had pulled out his phone. I wondered what that was about.

"Linda, I need a favor," he grinned. There was a pause then, "There is a Marketing firm in Philadelphia and I want them to give a 'certain' someone this Friday and Monday off. Do what you need to do. The name is Marcy Henderson."

He looked at me after he hung up.

"We toss a little business their way for the favor. That is how things work Sylvia," he smiled.

"Thank you Sebastian," I sighed.

"You have to admit you will work harder if you are happy. All I am doing is keeping your morale up," he told me.

"If that excuse works for you," I teased him as I crawled into his lap. I kissed him and pushed him down on the floor and began tearing off his shirt before licking his belly and working off his pants. By the time I had him stripped he'd worked off my shirt and bra. I began licking up and down the shaft of his cock until I knew he was rock hard.

I really felt like rewarding Sebastian for his thoughtfulness. I let my tongue roll down until I could tantalize his balls, first one and then the other until he began flexing his thighs in anticipation. I was perpendicular to him so that he could fondle my breasts.

"Do you like this?" I taunted him.

His response was to move one hand away from my tit and put it on the back of my head and push it down gently. I returned to my ministrations and I finally elicited a groan. When I finished sucking on his balls I went back to shaft giving it a taste of my teeth. I got back to his head, running my lips along the edges of the head.

When I felt I had wound him up enough I started bobbing my head up and down, taking more and more of his shaft until I had deep-throated him. He rewarded me with a twist of my nipple as kneaded my breast with his palm. He still kept his other hand on the back of my head, but it was something I was used to; at least he wasn't trying to choke me.

When my throat got tired I pushed up against his grip until I was only sucking on his head. I worked his shaft with my hand gently at first but picking up in intensity. I finally got him panting and flexing his stomach muscles, a clear sign he was close to ejaculating so I deep throated him once more and bobbed enthusiastically. When he came I drank it up hungrily until I had swallowed every last drop.

"Thank you," he gasped.

"Thank you for helping with my daughter," I smiled right back. He reached up and wiped a drop of semen off my lips and held it up to me. I made deep, lustful eye contact before I licked it off which made him moan with desire once more. I loved my life at that moment.

(Thursday night)

Any pleasure and hope I had for my meeting with Marcy quickly evaporated when I met her at the terminal. She wouldn't speak to me, insisted on taking her own bags and wouldn't even look at me on the way back to Sebastian's house. Only when we pulled up to his house did she finally say anything.

"You live here?" she wondered at the size of his dwelling.

"Actually this is my friend Sebastian's house. My check doesn't come in until Monday, so I'm staying here," I explained.

"Him?" Marcy asked suspiciously.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow?" I asked. Marcy glared but didn't say another word. Sebastian was asleep when we got in so I led Marcy to her guest room. "I go running at five in the morning if you want to come along," I offered.

"You exercise?" Marcy sounded dubious.

"Yes," I sighed. "I find that it helps with my long work hours."

"I bet it does," Marcy sneered before shutting her door. I went to bed feeling like I had no way to win. I resolved to not give up. I had four days to create some sort of new relationship with my daughter.

(Friday)

The light tap on the door let me know Sebastian was getting ready to go running. I got up and slipped off my nightshirt before putting on my running clothes. When I finished I gently knocked on Marcy's door and she answered directly.

"Sebastian came by earlier," she grumbled, "with some running clothes."

"What did you think of him?" I had to ask.

"I didn't see him. He knocked and left the clothes for me. I'm not sure how he knew my sizes."

"He's good at such things," I grinned slightly. Marcy stepped out and I saw her in all her glory. She was almost a younger me, save her eyes were her father's grey, not my green.

"You look beautiful," I told my daughter. She didn't take my compliment well and I was sure she would have nothing but hate for me until Sebastian appeared in the hallway. Marcy stopped glaring and started staring.

"Hello," Sebastian said, "is everyone ready to go?" He looked well sculpted yet easily approachable.

"Sure," Marcy stammered. I had to remember what now felt like a lifetime ago when I had first laid eyes on Sebastian to know what she was going through and he'd had a lot more clothes on when I first saw him. It was a hard run for all of us but I had the pleasure of having Marcy drop out before I did even if it was a matter of degrees.

Sebastian walked back with us in relative silence. I had to grin when I realized that Marcy had become bashful around my friend and lover. When we got inside he invited Marcy to join us in our workout; her response was a groan and a nod of the head. Sebastian made a great show of helping Marcy with the machines and she made a show of needing help. These were tricks I knew well and I was sure Sebastian knew them too.

When Marcy and I were walking back toward our rooms and Sebastian had gone to his bedroom to change, Marcy looked at me suspiciously.

"Who is that guy?"

"Sebastian Vandemeyer, my boss," I informed her.

"Are you fucking him?" she accused me.

"Does it matter?" I mumbled. Marcy glared so I answered. "Yes, we are having sex."

"Mom, you are still nothing but a whore!" Marcy spat. I tried to say something but Marcy stormed into her room. I went to my room, fell on my bed and started to cry.

I was still lying there when I heard Sebastian knocking on Marcy's door.

"What do you want?" she blasted at the door.

"It is Sebastian," he said calmly. "I think we need to talk." After some time I heard Marcy open her door and I thought I heard Sebastian go in. I snuck up to my door and listened in; I was still her mother after all.

"What do you want?" Marcy muttered.

"I want you to give your mother a chance," Sebastian said.

"Did she fuck you to say that?" Marcy snapped.

"Grow the fuck up," Sebastian countered with icy determination. "She loves you and you can't wait to bury another knife in her heart."

"You have no idea what she put me through you bastard," Marcy nearly wept.

"I don't know but let me give it a shot. My father was a cheating, lying, whoring pig who abused me and my mother and when he got cancer when I was nine I prayed every day for him to die a long and painful death. When he died I couldn't thank God enough for sending him to hell."

"I spent the next eight years hating that bastard. Hate ate up everything I did for eight years until one day I woke up and realized that he was still screwing me over. I got my act together, graduated well enough to get into a good college, graduated at the top of my class and went on to own my own business. None of my happiness could have been possible otherwise."

"So I should let the bitch off the hook," Marcy ground out.

"No, you should let yourself off the hook," Sebastian said sympathetically. "Your mom was a horrible bitch who fucked up your life. Are you going to let her keep fucking up your life?"

"I hate her," Marcy stated.

"I know and I'm not saying you don't have a reason to, but I'm saying you aren't doing either one of you any good by hanging on to it. Your mother isn't the same woman; you aren't the same daughter. She is not going to hurt you or your father like she once did so you need to ask yourself why you are hanging on to that hate?" was Sebastian's council.

"I've hated her for so long," Marcy persisted.

"Yep, I don't doubt it. The next move is in your court," he pointed out. There was silence for the longest time.

"I can't get over what she did to me and my father," Marcy declared quietly, "but ..."

"Are you going to give her a second chance?" he asked.

"I'll try," Marcy muttered, "but how do I know that we are only having this talk because she is sleeping with you?"

"Do I look like someone who is being manipulated by sex?" he said.

"Do you like her?" Marcy finally asked.

"Yes; she is very intelligent and motivated plus the sex is pretty fantastic," he informed her. I had to smile at that. Sebastian even put my qualities in the right order.

"Aren't you afraid she'll cheat on you too?" Marcy countered.

"There is nothing to cheat on Marcy. She's my companion, not my girlfriend so if she spends time with someone else it is her business. We work together and as long as she does her job, I'm happy. With me work comes first," he explained.

"Will she screw around to get the job done?" Marcy wouldn't let up.

"I don't know; ask her," he responded.

"Doesn't that bother you at all that she'll fuck someone to make a sale?" Marcy asked.

"No," Sebastian answered honestly.

"How can you think that way?" Marcy's voice cracked.

"Marcy, we all draw moral and ethical lines in different places. I try not to lie, but other people lie all the time. Some people say that sex is only for marriage and only in one position; others explore. Where you draw your lines is your business as long as you live by those decisions," Sebastian replied.

"That sounds like an excuse for doing whatever you want to do?" Marcy accused him.

"Actually I learned it in ethics class and the principles are based around respecting other cultures, but think what you will. Your mother views sex and sexuality differently than you do. What matters is whether or not you can accept that."

"If you can't stand your mother because of what she is today, that's fair to you. You don't have to like her or understand her. All that matters to me is that you learn not to hate her," he finished up.

"Me; what do you care about me?" Marcy asked.

"If you are unhappy Sylvia is unhappy and that is my concern," he informed Marcy. "Frankly if you decide to hate her for hate's sake you aren't worth my time and you aren't worthy of being her daughter. She believes in you so I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt," Sebastian explained.

Marcy was speechless. I imagined that she had only heard bad things about me for so long it boggled her mind to hear a stranger stand up for her mother; it was beyond description - her mother was a whore after all.

"You care about her," Marcy said at barely above a whisper.

"Of course I do," Sebastian replied without hesitation. "Everyone deserves a second chance."

"She doesn't," Marcy grimaced. She wouldn't let go.

"If you didn't think so you wouldn't be here," Sebastian pointed out. "You could safely hate her from the East Coast."

"You are an annoying bastard," Marcy groused.

"Yes I am. Your mother is the polite face of my organization," he answered. There was another long pause.

"So she really hasn't slept her way to the top this time?" Marcy asked.

"No she hasn't. She's really good at what she does," he assured Marcy.

"Fine, what's next?" Marcy asked.

"I think your mother wanted to take you down to Hollywood for some sightseeing and shopping," he informed her.

"I don't have any money," Marcy answered.

"This vacation is on me," Sebastian told her. Something must have happened because next he said, "Get over it and enjoy yourself. Your mother and I closed a multi-million dollar deal and her check clears on Monday."

"I don't want her money either," Marcy bitched.

"How about I hire you as a consultant for the weekend?" Sebastian offered.

"What? How much?" Marcy gaped.

"Ten thousand," he offered.

"What; for a weekend? You would pay me ten thousand dollars for one weekend? That is crazy?" Marcy questioned. "What would I have to do?"

"I have a new client I'll be looking at this weekend. You can crunch some numbers for me and let me know what seems odd," he answered. "I won't have anything until tomorrow, but if you can give me a few hours for the following days it will be money well spent."

"Mr. Vandemeyer ..."

"Call me Sebastian," he corrected.

"Sebastian, I'm a year out of college and I work at a marketing firm. I'm not an accountant," Marcy pointed out.

"They have accountants Marcy; I have accountants. I need someone to approach the problem from a different angle which is where you come in. Can you name another statistician who can work on such short notice?" he said.

"No," Marcy had to admit.

"Then if you want the job you can have it," he trapped her.

"I ... what .... Well ... fine," she stammered. "What now?"

"Shower, breakfast then you two go out for a morning on the town and I go to work. I have a meeting at ten that should run well past lunch time. Hopefully we can catch back up for dinner," he suggested.

"Where is the shower?" Marcy asked.

"Right across the hall; towels are inside." I slipped back to my bed and thought over what I had heard. I had never thought about how much Sebastian actually cared about me. He'd fought with my daughter over me and he had no other reason to, not really.

By the time we had showered and eaten breakfast Marcy was actually looking at me. We talked around each other if not at each other for most of the morning. I would note that something would look nice on her and she would look it over without comment. She would say she liked something and I would be smart enough to keep my opinion to myself while commenting on the dress itself.

When lunch rolled around we met with Linda and Grace. They were clearly not what Marcy expected, being much closer to her age than mine. I was happy they were able to get Marcy to open up and they freely discussed the basics of their jobs. Marcy was enraptured which made me proud. The power of their positions and responsibilities was ambrosia for her, just like it was for me.

What was better still was how these two women I didn't even consider friends talked Marcy up and outlined what her job over the following days would be like. I had the feeling this was the first time she was excited by work in her chosen profession. She also warmed to the idea that Sebastian wasn't simply giving her work like she was some small child getting a hand out.

"I thought he was simply tossing money my way," Marcy told them. Linda snorted and Grace laughed.

"Bas doesn't toss money away Marcy," Linda pointed our sharply. "If he says you can get the job done and give us something we can use I believe him."

"Marcy, I trust Bas to bail me out of jail and I trust him to take it out of my next paycheck," Grace added.

"Oh," Marcy said. "But he gave Mom – Sylvia all kinds of things and she lives at his house."

"And Sylvia's work put an extra fifty thousand dollars in my bank account," Linda responded. "Bas invested maybe twenty thousand and reaped four times that amount."

The look my daughter gave me was something I would take to my grave – it was respect. She didn't love me, but she had an appreciation of what I was capable of and of what other co-workers thought of me. To prove things still had a long way to go, Marcy had to take another swipe at me though.

"So, did Sylvia have to come onto any of these people to make these deals?" she brought up. Once more it was Grace who chuckled.

"I wish she had accepted that one offer. It would have netted me an extra ten grand," she chuckled. Marcy looked scandalized so Grace explained. "One of our purchasers asked if Sylvia was part of the negotiations. She told him if he upped his bid by a million she would consider it."

It was clear that Marcy didn't know what to make of that.

"Would you have done that Mom?" she asked me.

"No honey ... he was ugly," I said with a straight face. Marcy studied me and a small smile escaped me. "No Marcy. I don't do that anymore."

"What if they offer you five million?" Grace teased. Linda gave Grace a cautionary look. Marcy didn't say anything, choosing to poke at the food on her plate instead. The rest of the meal was subdued ending with me, Linda and Grace agreeing to catch up on Saturday. When I left with Marcy she was still contemplative.

"Is it a joking matter to you?" she asked me.

"No, but it is something I have to deal with working in my new position. Like with you, I can't ignore my past. I have to face it and that means I have to make light of things that other women would never have to face." She had no reply to that.

When we got to the car and got ready to pull out Marcy turned to me and said,

"I'm sorry. I still believe you did horrible things, but I never thought about what you have lived with all that time. When Dad told me you had lost everything a week ago I was actually happy that you were suffering," Marcy admitted.

"Thank you Marcy," I answered carefully so as to not dispel the moment. A little way down the road, she opened up a tiny bit more.

"Is Sebastian your only boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend but he is my lover. Since we've been together I've never seen him with another woman and I've not been with another man," I confided in her.

"What are you going to do if he leaves you?" she inquired.

"Marcy, I'm forty-six and he's twenty-eight; I don't imagine us living happily ever after. It will be fun while it lasts and this time I'm going to keep my reputation and my career. We will part ways eventually and I'm okay with that."

"Really?"

"I'll miss him, but yes, I'm okay with him moving on," I answered.

"Are you going to leave him?"

"Can I be honest with you?" I asked Marcy.

"Yes, I guess you can," Marcy admitted. I took a deep breath in anticipation of doing something wrong.

"The man is a fucking dynamo in bed. He gives me all I can handle and then some and the best thing is that had I met him twenty years ago I think he would have stopped me from throwing my life away back then," I told her.

"You would have left Dad and me for him?" she accused me.

"No; he would have convinced me that having a family mattered," I responded. "Oh he acts all profit-motive driven but he's one of the big reasons you are here. He gave me the strength to contact you when I wasn't sure I could."

"Why would he do that?" Marcy asked.

"Honestly I think he gives a crap about me. When I asked Grace and another co-worker named Allen to find out how to contact you, he made sure they did a thorough job," I told her.

"Seriously? You had people spy on me?" Marcy said angrily. I lowered my head incrementally.

"Yes we did and we found out some things like your boyfriend Trevor is seeing two other girls; one named Carol and the other named Lisa," I sighed.

"No," Macy insisted.

"Do you want to see the pictures?" I offered. We travelled the rest of the way in silence once more.

"Why did you tell me this?" she rounded on me in the driveway.

"Because you are my daughter and though you don't like me I know you don't want to be caught in a situation where someone cheats on you and leaves you in pain," I expressed my sorrow to her. Marcy cried and went inside while I trailed behind her.

I waited in the kitchen while Marcy was in her room. When she came out she had her bags packed. I stood up and felt like throwing myself at her feet and beg her not to leave. She stopped in front of me and we locked eyes.

"I talked to Dad; he told me to come home," she informed me. I nodded. What else could I do?

"Show me the pictures," she requested. I was happy that she trusted me this tiny amount; torn by the reality that I would cause her pain. I walked over to my computer, flipped up the screen and pulled up the relevant file. Marcy came over and sat beside me so that when I showed her the pics I was able to feel her deep intake of breath.

I had poisoned her with the very notion of betrayal and now Trevor had stabbed that wound. Marcy started snuffling and I instinctively put an arm around her. Had she torn away from me I would have died a little inside but my daughter didn't. In all fairness she was in such pain that she didn't put together her comfort was from me, but I owed her a decade of protection from the cruelty of the world.

We were still there when Sebastian came in. As he approached Marcy turned and looked at him.

"Trevor," she muttered and he nodded. Without hesitation he came down and sat on the other side of Marcy and put an arm around her. Marcy transferred her attention to him and away from me but I no longer minded. Sebastian had this aura about him that eased tension and reduced pain.

"Marcy, call your dad back. If you want to go we can drop you off at the airport and you can tell him when to pick you up. If you want to stay I would be more than happy to have you," I added. Marcy took up her phone and went back to her room. She didn't come out for ten minutes but when she did she had definitely been crying. She didn't go to me, she went to Sebastian.

"Why do people hurt other people?" she sobbed into his shoulder.

"I don't know Marcy," he replied gently. "Sometimes things don't make sense and bad stuff happens to good people."

"It wasn't fucking fair; he told me he loved me and that we were going to get married."

"You have had more than your share of crap dumped on you Marcy, but I know that both your parents care about you. Your dad wants you to come home and your mother wants you to stay here so you have choices you should have had all your life. I'll back you with whatever decision you make," he promised Marcy.

"I told Dad I was staying," she informed us. "Right now I need to call Trevor." Marcy moved away from Sebastian and made the call. It wasn't pretty and Marcy was downright furious by the time she hung up.

"May I make a suggestion?" Sebastian asked. Marcy nodded.

He rattled off two phone numbers, one for Lisa and one for Carol.

"Tell them what Trevor has been up to and we can send them the pics to back up your claims," he suggested.

"Why?" she asked.

"Better you break the news to them than they wait for Trevor to screw them over," Sebastian explained. I had to admire his cool, calculating manner. It would have taken me a day or two before making those calls. Ten minutes later Trevor was truly screwed, Marcy was still crying, but I could see her refusing to succumb to the depression of the moment.

Marcy rejoined us on the sofa trying to get her emotions under control.

"Can I go to work tomorrow?" she asked Sebastian.

"Yes; I have some files I want you to go over Marcy. You can start at eight thirty," he told her. Marcy nodded and headed for her room.

"Marcy, we will come get you for dinner," he promised. After the door shut he looked over at me. "Now it is your turn; come here," and I did because all this mother-crap was emotionally exhausting.

(Saturday)

The last thing I expected to be doing on Saturday when my picked up my daughter on Thursday night was to be sitting around a table doing work on one of my new projects. Sure Sebastian and I didn't have to be doing the work; this was all preliminary stuff we could have left to our staffers, but Marcy needed something to focus her mind on so we indulged her.

The first time Marcy looked across the table and asked me for advice was prized by me. It was an impersonal gesture but it was something. By lunch time we were constantly talking things over and Marcy was in the swing of things, exhibiting the kind of confidence I recognized as my own.

"We are breaking for lunch," Sebastian declared. Marcy looked up at him disappointed.

"I need to ..." she started to say but Sebastian waved her to silence.

"If you don't feed the engine your work suffers," he reminded her. Marcy gave in and a vigorous discussion on what cuisine to partake. It was wonderful to see Marcy open up and participate.

As we were eating at a fashionable Korean place Marcy turned to me with a flash of inspiration.

"Mom, I think there is something up with that Purview Technologies. They have been beating market expectations for the past three years and that doesn't feel right," Marcy said casually.

"We can have Allen check it out," I responded.

"Someone may have been fluffing them up for a quick sale," Sebastian pointed out. "You see some of that from time to time."

"Marcy, we have to make sure the purchasers don't get ripped off either when they buy the businesses we are selling off," I explained.

"Oh ... I guess that is important then," she sounded surprised then a slow self-satisfied smile crossed her face.

"That saved us as much as $300K Marcy plus lost business down the line," Sebastian smiled at her. Now Marcy blushed but she was proving to be more and more my daughter.

We worked the rest of the afternoon though Sebastian took some of the afternoon working out some more to clear his mind. I was going over some of the properties that caught my eye when I noticed Marcy looking at me.

"Yes?" I questioned. Marcy was clearly conflicted about what she felt like saying.

"This is fun Mom. Back home I could spend a whole year making less of a difference than I have done here in half a day. I don't forgive you but I can understand what it must have been like to be surrounded by this kind of work all the time with this much money passing through your fingers," Marcy told me.

"Do you still think you are getting charity?" I asked. Marcy studied me but then shook her head. "Do you ever think you could find a way to work with me on a more permanent basis? I'd like that."

"Would I have to be around you a lot?" Marcy inquired.

"No," I sighed.

"I could do this then," she admitted. "I like Grace; she seems to be a nice woman to work with."

"That's good because you would be contracted under her," I pointed out.

"Are you a contractor or a partner?" Marcy wondered.

"Sebastian brought me in as a partner, but remember I had years of experience," I said.

"Yes, experience at all kinds of things," Marcy got her dig in. I sighed.

"Yes, all kinds of things that make me an integral part of the team Marcy," I countered. Marcy and I locked glares but she looked away this time.

"Thank you for the job Mom," she stunned me, "and for Trevor." Marcy was going through a ton of emotional conflict. I had done a number on her and still she was grudgingly giving me a chance. She took a second in silence before hitting me upside my head with,

"Do you think Sebastian could like me?"

"I think he likes you," I hazarded to say.

"No, I mean 'like me', like me. Since you two aren't an item and all," she explained.

"You only broke up with Trevor yesterday," I pointed out.

"Precisely and if I'm going to move on, what about starting right now," she answered.

"Oh, I guess I could ask him if he likes you," I had to say.

"Does that bother you?" she asked.

"Marcy I want you to be happy," I responded hoping that my own worry wouldn't come through. My daughter was a firmer, younger version of me after all.

I took a few minutes later in the afternoon to corner Sebastian in his office.

"Can I talk to you about something?" I started off.

"Of course," he replied. He leaned back in his chair and turned to give me his undivided attention.

"I think Marcy likes you," I stated.

"Oh, okay, what do you think we should do about that?" he asked.

"Well ... um, do you like her and I mean in that way?"

"You mean do I prefer her to you?" he studied me. "No. I know you and like you while I barely know you daughter. She's nice, but I know plenty of nice, hot girls her age."

I felt like grinning like a fool, but I had learned to mask my emotions once more.

"So you like hot older women?" I taunted him. His response was to stand and take my face in his hands and kiss me. His look told me all I needed to know. "What do I tell Marcy?"

"Tell her the three of us can go out," Sebastian suggested.

"What happens if she comes on to you?" I had to ask.

"What do you want to happen? If she wants companionship, I'm okay but if she's looking for more I'm not going to do that," he told me.

I was very happy we had weeks of work to do. I had enough of the emotional jungle gym for a while.

(Three weeks later)

I sat across from the mediator from Midland Industries. Sebastian and Marcy were backing me up in the other room but this was my job. We had a subsidiary of Conway (our client) named Glasswise we were marketing to Midland and they had been offered the first bid. My most significant problem was not that Glasswise was a decent prospect but that the chief mediator for Midland was an old adversary of mine.

I had stolen a deal out from under William Lincoln by sleeping with his client and from the looks of it he hadn't forgiven or forgotten. I had been sweating it since I had found out I'd be facing him.

"Hello William," I greeted him.

"You look good as ever," he replied. His clients were in a third room waiting for us to hash out some ground rules and set a base for the pricing.

"Thank you," I smiled.

"For a whore you've held up surprisingly well," he grinned back. So, it was going to be this way. "Don't you owe me something like a blowjob?"

"Would that make you feel better?" I offered. He sneered at me.

"Not likely; I just wanted to see you on your knees once more. I loved that little video of you and those guys from Tucker. You know; the ones on the DVD your husband got," he glared. "I've show it to everyone on my side. We can say they are happy to know the type of person they are going up against. I'm sure one or two got a little too excited by your show."

"Is it possible for us to do any business?" I groaned.

"Two point five," he stated. William was advising his clients to pay $2.5million for a business worth at least $3.2million. It was insulting.

"Come on now William, that's unreasonable," I stated.

"We could wait until Conway goes under then pick it up in fire sale. This is the best offer you are going to get," he countered.

"For Vandemeyer or for me?" I asked.

"They are the morons who hired you," he smiled.

"This is insane; come on now. There has to be some give on this," I suggested.

"Not for you Sylvia," he taunted me. By the normal rules of the game he was right. Holding the first bid, he could keep us tied up in negotiation until our contract was over. I had to nod; it wasn't a bad plan. I pulled out my phone and made a call.

"Halle, this is Sylvia Westermann. Have you reviewed that prospect I sent your way?" I said as a greeting to the woman from Brookes, another interested concern.

"Sylvia, of course are you still in negotiations with Midland?" she asked.

"I'm afraid so, but they are offering two point five for Glasswise. We aren't going to approve that so in three weeks we would like you to put you at the top of Conway's list of buyers we give to them. What can you offer them?" I proposed. Halle's laughter came over the phone.

"I can give you a firm offer for three-even Sylvia if you put us on the top of that list. Pleasure doing business with you," she chuckled. I wished her well, hung up and looked at William.

"You cost me around twelve thousand, but you cost your client a $3.2 million dollar expansion," I smiled sweetly as I stood up. "I'll make sure they know it too."

"Bitch," he stood and snarled. "You aren't going to get away with this. We had first bid rights."

"You had them and blew them William. Vandemeyer won't handle those negotiations so our deal is null and void. The client will get the deal and isn't protecting the client what this is all about. My client is going to be pleased. How is yours going to feel?"

"You can't screw me like this," he snapped. I looked at him and smiled triumphantly. "Fine, we can make a deal."

"No," I explained. "Maybe if you hadn't belittled me in the eyes of your clients I would consider it, but you had to make this personal. Have fun beating your meat to one of my greatest hits."

"I'll take this to your boss," he threatened. I shrugged and pointed toward the door where my daughter and Sebastian waited. He was dumb enough to storm in there.

"Your bitch of a co-worker just torpedoed a three million dollar deal," he thundered. My two people stood and looked from him to me.

"He showed a porno of me to his clients, offered $2.5 for Glasswise, and wouldn't negotiate with me," I said calmly. "I have Halle over at Brookes willing to give Conway a deal the moment we are out of the picture."

"$2.5 million," Marcy gasped. "That's insane."

"Do you conclude that these negotiations are over?" Sebastian asked me. I nodded. "We are done here," he smiled to William. "I'll make sure to file a complaint with your boss and your client. Have a nice life." William sputtered as Sebastian ushered my daughter and I out of the room. I had nothing against William, but if he wanted to play this way I was more than willing to squash him like a bug.

On the way to the car Marcy turned to me and asked,

"Mom, this was because of what you did right?"

"No," Sebastian interjected. "If we let anyone treat us this way we will lose both clients and money in the future. We made an example today and it cost us, but Sylvia will make us money in the long run. We knew this would happen eventually. We accepted the financial risk and Sylvia's ability to deal with the situation."

"So we go onto the next meeting?" Marcy inquired.

"Of course," I answered. "I still have to earn my keep and our next deal should allow us to recoup some of what I lost today."

"Well, Segar-works looks like a good ..." Marcy began and my daughter and I got back to work.