Two's Company

Charles, a ripe fifty-six years
    old. His daughter, Tracie had been twenty-two when the marriage took place,
    and father and daughter never spoke to one another again.
    Two years later, Judy Winthrop became a widow when she and Charles
    were skydiving in Rio. Charles’ parachute malfunctioned and he plummeted to
    his death. Joseph James was hired by Mrs. Winthrop to handle the lawsuit
    brought by Tracie Winthrop contesting Mr. Winthrop’s will. When all had been
    said and done, Tracie had a tidy sum to last her the rest of her life, but Judy
    inherited nearly fifty million dollars.
    Ian clearly remembered the first time he met Judy. On that day, he’d
    pushed the buzzer at the gate and announced his arrival to the butler. When the
    gate opened, Ian drove his car up the long drive and parked in front of the
    mansion Judy had also inherited. He lifted the doorknocker, let it fall once, and
    the butler opened it immediately.
    “I’ll take those for you,” the man said.
    “I’m sorry, sir, but I have to give them to Mrs. Winthrop personally. She
    must sign for them,” Ian explained.
    “Please follow me,” the butler said and led him to a sitting room with large
    windows overlooking the gardens. “Mrs. Winthrop will be with you shortly.”
    Ian stood with his hands behind his back looking out the window at the
    roses and various other well-tended flowers. He looked around the room. The
    furnishings were expensive and tasteful, obviously placed by an interior
    decorator. Ian was used to expensive taste, and decorators coming and going, but
    what startled him was the lady of the house.
    “Are you from the law firm?” she asked.
    Ian spun around and his mouth dropped open. Mrs. Winthrop didn’t look
    much older than him and a see-through pink baby doll nightie hugged her
    curvaceous form. Her breasts were firm, the nipples puckered against the
    material tied in a bow by a simple string. Her belly was bare and she wore a
    matching pair of thong underwear that covered nothing at all. He could see right
    through the little swatch of lace to pubic hair that had been perfectly waxed into
    the shape of a small heart. Her long legs extended forever, right down to her bare
    feet with painted toenails that matched her fingernails—hot pink.
    “You brought me something to sign?” she asked, smiling. Then she stuck a
    finger in her mouth, pulled on the gum she’d been chewing, and twirled it
    around her finger. Sucking the gum from her finger back into her mouth, she
    asked, “Can’t you talk?”
    Ian felt his cheeks and ears grow hot and stammered out an answer. “I, um,
    that is, my father, um.” He took a deep breath and swallowed as he looked back
    toward the window. “That is, my father sent these over for you. There’s a paper
    you need to sign on top.”
    “Okay,” she said, taking the packet from him. “You want something to
    drink? You look kinda flushed there, cutie pie. Come with me, I’ve got a Coke or
    a root beer or something in the kitchen.”
    Ian followed her like a puppy following a little kid.
    “Here you go,” she said and handed him a can of Coke. “Have a seat right
    there and I’ll sign this paper for you.”
    Ian nodded and sat down while Judy slid the papers from the packet. She
    flipped through them, but he could tell she wasn’t reading them.
    “Well, I guess your father knows what he’s doing. No reason to take up my
    time with this.” She pulled the top page apart from the others and signed it
    without reading it either. “There you go, cutie pie,” she said, handing the page to
    him.
    “Thank you,” Ian muttered, stood, and walked toward the kitchen door.
    “Before you go, how would you like to earn a little money?”
    Ian stopped and turned toward her. “What do you mean?”
    “I mean,” she said on a laugh, “how would you like to make a little
    money, say five hundred dollars?”
    “What do I have to do for it?”
    “Suspicious, aren’t we?”
    “Not even my dad pays me that much and he makes me work my butt off
    for what he does pay me.”
    Judy walked toward him. “Come with me,” she said, taking his hand. She
    led him through the sitting room and back to the foyer to the winding staircase.
    “Let’s go upstairs where we’ll be more comfortable.”
    Ian swallowed hard. “Upstairs?”
    “Don’t be afraid, cutie pie, I won’t bite,” she said with a laugh. “That is,
    unless you want me to.”
    “Uh, I, uh… ” Ian stammered.
    “Come on,