Authors: Lora Leigh
Ecstasy
Ecstasy
Lora Leigh
Copyright © 2016 Lora Leigh
All rights reserved.
ISBN-10: 1530266653
ISBN-13: 978-1530266654
Monica
sipped from her glass while looking at Craig.
"Why
do you think Halliburton gave up the prospect on the straits? After all, that
is proven ground!"
"Yes,
but the costs are much higher and with the fracking in the
Dakotas
, they're not justified. They must drill and extract where the
costs are at most equal to the costs in fracking spots, minus ten
percent."
"But
the Southern Slope is already taken up by BP!"
"That's
true and it is odd, but not too extravagantly odd. It is unusual, I admit and
it is out of the ordinary. My concern is how they'd get the license for the
Southern Slope from the Feds, since they've already gave their thumbs up to BP.
They don't usually double up on licenses, not even to one company, much less
two! That is the oddest thing to me! In any case, I am happy. It means work for
us!"
"What
do you mean?"
"Well,
you see, there's a ratio of exploratory pumps to a certain area. That ratio is
the Feds' 'Holy Grail' and they never compromise that! So, for them to give
drilling licenses not only to one, but two companies is a very unusual thing!
Somebody in Halliburton knows something I don't."
"Yes
and I'd like to know who that 'somebody' is and what do they know!"
Craig
took a drink out of his glass and thought to himself.
"Why
is that, dear?"
"Because
this smells like a dead beached whale! This seems pretty big and there's
something here that I suspect, but can't put my finger on. And I want this
story! I want it and I need it!"
"Oh?
What makes this so important?"
"Because
I've spent enough time at this desk! It's time for me to move on up. I want the
Chief Investigative spot and I know it will become available in the next year.
Cooper's moving to
New York
in less than a year and I want his
spot!"
"
Anderson
Cooper?"
"Yeah,
him!"
Craig
knew Monica to be driven, but he never saw such a thirst for power in her. This
seemed something new and he noticed a flick of strange desire in her eyes. It
almost seemed to be mixed with greed and hunger for power. And that's something
he never saw in her before.
"What
can you do to get that? I mean, after all, you work hard and you've been quite
successful in what you've accomplished! Isn't this a bit too high, dear?"
All
of the sudden, her face turned red and her eyes seemed like flame-throwers.
"What
the hell are you trying to say, Craig? Are you saying I've climbed high enough
for a woman? Are you saying I should be happy with the work the men at CNN give
me? Are you saying I don't work as hard as Cooper?" she lashed out at him.
Her
words might as well have been a sharp-edged sword that cut into his heart.
Monica knew very well that Craig strongly believed in women's equality and it
hurt him deeply to hear her say all these things. Also, she called him by his
name only when she was very angry with him and he didn't know what he did to be
the recipient of her anger.
"I
am not saying or implying any such things! I am only saying that one should
enjoy the fruits of their work before committing to bigger things! And you know
my opinion about work and pay between men and women, darling!"
"I
know what you claim, but I don't see you practicing it with me!" she
seemed to attack him.
This
proved too much for Craig. This was an entirely new side of her, one that he
never knew before and that worried him.
"Dear,
why are you so angry? What did I do? Have I ever failed you in anything I said
I would do? Have I ever failed to show you my love and respect for you?"
She
looked away from him and into her glass and just as fast as she got angry, she
turned back into the 'Monica' he always knew. Her anger seemed to dissipate as
fast as it came about and that worried him even more. Monica Schaeffer, the
little girl he knew for so long, was not the girl in front of him. For a
second, he saw a complete stranger before him.
'What
do you think you need to do to get Cooper's position?" he fished a bit
into her mind and thoughts.
She
seeped again from her whiskey and let couple of minutes pass by. They seemed an
eternity to him.
'Don't
worry. I know where to draw the line," she answered as if his question implied
even more nefarious thoughts.
It
seemed clear to him the evening will not get better, no matter what he might
try to do to convince her of her erroneous way or, at least, of what it seemed
so to him. 'Yeah, I know you do. I just don't know where that line might be,'
he thought to himself.
And
his thought were soon to be proven right. Too right for his taste.
♥♥♥♥♥
Lisa's
office was glowing in sunlight when the phone rang.
"Lisa,
Carl is on line 2. Do you want to take it?" her secretary came on.
"Ahhh,
yeah. Put him on. Thanks." It didn't take long for Lisa to make up the
mind about taking his call. Carl never told her the full story about
Halliburton and she wanted to know all that he knew. It was her prerogative to
get everything she needed out of a man, anyway. Carl, it seemed, learned how to
play the game of using his knowledge to promote and get what he wanted. Perhaps
he was ready to talk and then for sure he'd want something in return. 'What
will he want?' she wondered as she answered his call.
"Good
morning, Carl! How are you?"
"Good
morning! Full of hopes!"
"Oh!?
Is that so? Would you like to share some of them with me?"
"Sure!
Over lunch! Are you in?"
Lisa
thought for a second. 'Carl is up to something. For a blunt guy like him, he
sure is full of mysteries lately.'
"Sure,
why not?"
"Ok,
see you at the Eldorf at 1?"
"Deal!"
The
Eldorf was well-known as the lunch get-together for the CNN people in
Los Angeles
. It was the place of gossip, of unraveling news, of exchanges
of ideas and battles of the spirits and most of the inner doings of CNN went
through the restaurant.
"Hello,
Carl! How's it going?"
"Great!
You look nice!" He complimented her.
"Thanks!"
she answered flattered. "What's cooking?"
Carl
sat at the table and seeped on his coffee, looking outside.
"What
a beautiful day, heh?"
Lisa
smiled at him. 'Surely he did not call me here to talk about the damned
weather!'
"Yes,
it is! What's on your mind?"
"You
remember that Halliburton deal?"
"Halliburton?"
she faked it.
"Yeah,
that
Halliburton deal you wanted to know about. Are you still
interested?"
"Oh,
yeah. Let's say I'm still interested. What about it?"
"Well,
it looks as if it's going to be a big deal after all."
"In
what sense?"
"In
the sense that whoever gets to put it across the wire first may just get to
take Cooper's spot when he leaves for
New
York
in the next few
months."
His
words confirmed her thoughts, but they also shocked her.
'What
do you mean Cooper leaves for
New
York
?" Lisa long wanted
Cooper's spot at CNN, not only because it carried with it the great weight
around CNN, but also prestige, money and influence. And she thought she knew
all there was to know about Cooper and his job. Carl must surely be pulling a
fast one. 'I'd have heard by now if Cooper wanted to leave!' she thought to
herself.
"What?
You didn't know? Yeah, he's leaving for
New
York
!" He played her
like a flute.
It
wasn't Lisa's nature to admit defeat, but she already trapped herself into this
one.
"No,
I did not," she admitted with embarrassment.
Carl's
shoulders moved back and his face glowed with satisfaction. She found his
gloating very irritating.
'Yeah,
he's leaving. And it looks as if there's no one who's decided for the job
yet," he injected more news her way.
"Monica
will surely want his job. She worked hard for it and she deserves it,"
said Lisa. She tried to do as much damage control as she could, but she also
wanted to see where Carl was going with all this.
"Maybe,
but what about
you
? Don't you want it? I thought you were pretty keen on
it at one point in time!"
"Yeah,
perhaps I still want it..."
"And
I think you worked very hard for it!"
"Perhaps.
But I don't see the connection with Halliburton!"
No
one could accuse Carl of being a diplomat and this time made no exception.
"Come
on, Lisa! You know
you want
this story! You can't wait to get your
finger on it! And you want it not just because of Cooper's job, but also
because you like to do Monica in! You like to reduce her and put her 'in her
place', as you used to say!"
It
was time for Lisa to toughen up a little, but she just couldn't find the way.
"Yeah,
well, maybe you're right. What are you proposing?"
He
crossed his hands on the table and looked outside.
"Carl!
What
are you proposing? I know you know something about Halliburton! So,
what's on your mind?" Lisa insisted.
"Do
you remember what you asked me about a week ago, about Monica?"
Lisa
struggled to remember.
"No,
I don't. Refresh my memory, please!"
"You
asked me if I'd fuck Monica, if she offered."
Lisa
looked puzzled for a second. She did remember it, but she just couldn't see his
point. Not yet. It was all to be clear to her.
"Yes,
I do now. And I also remember you said you're not attracted by her."
"Well,
I've changed my mind. I do want to fuck her."
His
words sank into her mind and she burst in an all out laughing.
"Then,
why don't you ask her! Ahhhhahahaha! Just go and ask her! Perhaps she'll
agree" said Lisa laughingly, knowing damned well Monica would never fuck
Carl. 'Or would she?' Lisa wondered for herself.
"No,
I won't.
You will
. And you'll fix it up, if you want this story!"
His
words might as well have been a thunder. Lisa never figured Carl for a
blackmailer and one of this kind, nonetheless! His demeanor and his take on all
that surpassed all that she thought him capable of. 'He can't be serious,' she
thought to herself.
"You
must
be kidding!" she quipped back to him.
He
looked at her and his eyes made it clear he was dead serious.
"Not
only do I want to fuck Monica, but I want to see you fuck Craig."
Lisa
was the kind of woman who'd have no scruples about doing what it took to get
what she wanted, but this was way out of her league.
"Have
you been taking some drugs? Are you drunk?"
"Nope.
None of the above."
"Carl,
this is crazy! What makes you think I could fix this up? And what makes you
think I like Craig?"
Carl
looked at his watch and then at her.
"You
will, because you know how to do it. It's your nature. It really is in youe
DNA! And I know you are a nympho and you've actually dreamed about fucking
Craig for a long time now if for no other reason, then because he's been off
limits for you for so long and because he's Monica's. And you just can't stand
her and you want to see her submitted to you and you want to see her defeated
not only professionally, but personally, too. That's why you'll do it. Fix it
up!"
As
he got up and left the table, Lisa sat stunned. She didn't know what was worse.
His indecent proposal, or that he knew so much about her. Fear took over her
and her hands started shaking. She shook her head as if wanting to shake the
shakes, and calmly made up her mind.
'I'll
fix it so that it can't ever be unfixed, Carl. You shall see,' she muttered to
herself as her mind penciled in the details of her plot.