Chapter 2: Building Tension
Kim left her spa appointment in a great mood that afternoon. And why not? She had a good marriage to a successful man that provided her with a beautiful home, 2 beautiful kids and the ability to no longer have to work. Kim grew up modestly and put herself through school to become a teacher. She knew the value of hard work and figured that would be her destiny the rest of her life. But a chance blind date with Paul took her life on an unexpected road to an upper class life thanks to what Paul's job provided. They shared everything with no secrets between them. A true partnership in marriage. She felt she had her prince after dating a string of losers and agreed to marry him months after their first date.
It was a fairy tale life the next 12 years with Paul moving up in his company with bigger paychecks to follow. A starter home turned into a 6,000 sq foot house and daycare for their kids became private school.
A part of her felt guilty she didn't have to work anymore. But she kept herself busy with the kids, tending to the large house and volunteering at the kids Private school and local church as a way of giving back.
She did allow herself to be pampered occasionally at the country club spa they belonged to and having a personal trainer that kept her near 40-year old body looking fitter than it did in college. And she was thrilled to have finally booked this expensive vacation this summer for the family after weeks of planning. It would be a great chance to get Paul away from work where he seemed more stressed than usual lately.
However, that evening after dinner, Paul sat Kim down in the living room. His face was a mask of unease, his fingers drumming nervously on the arm of the sofa.
"What's wrong, Paul?" Kim asked, her brow furrowed with concern. "You've been so quiet all night."
Paul took a deep breath, his eyes meeting hers. "Kim, we need to talk."
She sat up straight, her heart starting to pound. "About what?"
He hesitated, then blurted it out. "Remember that Takazaki account?"
Kim froze.
She had a feeling this was going to be bad. "What about it?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Paul looked down at his hands, unable to meet her gaze. "I fucked up, Kim. Really fucked up. I knew the risks and I got greedy."
Kim's felt a pit in her stomach. She knew what Paul was talking about because Paul told her what he had planned and was convinced the risk of getting caught was minimal. She went against her better judgement and supported him bc she knew what that windfall that project would give them.
She knew Paul was passionate about their family and her lifestyle. But she also knew Paul was not the most careful person in the world and this was the type of behavior she feared from him.
"How bad is it, Paul?" Kim asked, her voice shaking.
Paul sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Bad, Kim. Really bad. I could lose my job. We could lose everything."
Kim felt tears welling up in her eyes. "What can we do?"
Paul looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination. "There's something I can do, but...it's... it's not easy, Kim."
Kim felt her heart racing in her chest, her palms sweating. "What is it, Paul? Just tell me."
Paul took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Leon wants you to accompany him on some business dinners this weekend. In exchange, he'll make this go away."
Kim looked confused..."That does not seem that bad, unless..." her voiced trailed off.
"He wants you to stay at his penthouse during the weekend too as part of the deal." Paul meekly said.
Kim's face paled, her eyes widening in shock.
"What do you mean, 'stay at his penthouse'?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
Paul looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "I mean... he wants you to... to spend the weekend with him, Kim. At his place."
Kim's heart was pounding in her chest, her mind racing. "What the fuck?" she asked, bewildered. "He wants me to fuck him for you to keep your job?"
Paul, in one of the only times in his marriage, lied to Kim. "No, he did not say that. And him even inferring it made me angry and ready to quit. He then played dumb and said he never stated that. He said in order to rectify this with Takazaki group her needs to socialize with them for dinners this weekend and at an event on Saturday and needs a date. He said you are great in these situations and since you also benefitted from this bonus, it is how you repay it. I said I would talk to you. And he said think it over but this could be the difference between work and unemployment bc it is that big of a fuck-up."
Paul's voice was barely above a whisper, his face pale and his eyes pleading.
Kim stared at him, her mind reeling. She couldn't believe what she was hearing or seeing. Her husband was a strong, confident man he looked utterly defeated her. She silently cursed herself for encouraging Paul to go ahead with his foray with the Takazaki group but never would had she know it would blow up like this.
The risk of course was always there, but Paul was so convincing and the reward seemed so worth it. Kim was always the voice of reason and at times cautious, but this one time she decided to have blind faith in her husband that it would pan out. Now she was paying for it.
Paul's urgency and fear in his voice was palpable. His eyes were shifty and his body language was that of a man on the run. Kim swallowed hard and took a deep breath.
"He would blackball you wouldn't he?" she softly said.
Her voice a mix of fear and resignation. She knew Paul's job was his life. She knew he was not the most careful person and this was the result of his actions. But, she also knew he would never forgive himself if he lost this job and the lifestyle they both enjoyed. If he lost this job, he would have a hard time getting another opportunity like this one in the industry. It would be a fall from grace and the embarrassment would haunt him forever.
Financially this would be a massive blow. They would have to sell their house, take the kids out of school and start over out of town if Paul lost this job. They would recover but it would take years.
And that assumes Paul could find a company who would take a chance on him after Leon blackballed him. She also knew that Paul would never forgive himself for losing everything. He was a man who prided himself on providing for his family. Losing his job would be a massive blow to his ego and self-worth. And that could have irreparable damage on their marriage.
Kim took a deep breath and looked at Paul. She saw the desperation in his eyes. She knew he was scared and feeling like a failure. Paul was a good man, a loving husband and father. But he was also human and made mistakes.
"So what did he exactly say about this weekend with me as his "date"? Kim asked, her voice shaking slightly. "Is he expecting sex?"
Kim asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Paul looked away again, unable to meet her gaze. "He implied it, Kim. He...he said it would be a way to show our gratitude for his...forgiveness. It was $500,000 it cost him to get this taken care of."
Kim felt a knot form in her stomach. She knew exactly what Leon was implying. By all accounts, Leon was a good looking man. Late 50's and kept himself in great shape. Charcoal hair and piercing blue eyes. His past wives were always gorgeous. She had caught him eyeing her a few times when they would be out for company functions and figured a powerful man like that it was ingrained in his DNA. Outwardly he could be very charming but Kim knew the real Leon.
"I know how I feel Kim and if we have to pack up and start over, we can do that. But he gave us an opportunity to continue as is, as shitty as it is. I figured we would at least discuss it."
Kim paused. "I am not saying yes or no. Let me think about this. If we had other options, I would tell him to go fuck himself right now" she said.
"
I know," Paul replied, his voice soft. "But we don't. And I'm sorry, Kim. I'm so sorry."
Kim looked down at her hands, her mind racing. She knew she had to do this for their family, for their lifestyle, and for Paul. But the thought of possibly being with Leon, of possibly giving herself to him, made her stomach churn.
"I'll do it," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Paul's head snapped up, his eyes wide with surprise. "You will? Really? Are you sure, think about it.”
Paul asked, his voice laced with concern and disbelief.
Kim looked up at him, her eyes filled with determination. "I've thought about it, Paul. This is the only way. We can't afford to lose everything we've worked so hard for. We can get through this, together."
Paul nodded, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and guilt. "Are you sure you're okay with this, Kim? I wouldn't blame you if you weren't."
Kim sighed, standing up and walking over to Paul. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her voice soft. "I'm sure, Paul. Maybe he is bluffing. Maybe just doing this as a test but not gonna follow through with what he’s insinuating?” She said hopefully.
Paul stood up and pulled Kim into a tight embrace. He could feel her body trembling slightly, but he also felt her resolve. He kissed the top of her head, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you, Kim. I love you so much."
Kim pulled back slightly, her eyes meeting Paul's. "I love you too, Paul. More than anything."
She took a deep breath, her resolve strengthening. "But I need you to promise me something."
Paul nodded, his eyes filled with concern. "Anything, Kim. What is it?"
Kim's voice was firm, her eyes never leaving Paul's.
"I need you to promise me that you won't judged me for this. That you won't hold it against me."
Paul's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly nodded. "Of course, Kim. I would never judge you. I love you. I understand why you're doing this."
Kim sighed, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Good. Because I need to know that, Paul. I need to know that you're still going to love me after this weekend."
Paul cupped Kim's face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had started to fall. "I will always love you, Kim. It is just one weekend.”
Paul went to the office the next day and told Leon that Kim agreed. Had a very devilish grin on his face and said he would text Paul what she has to prepare for this weekend.
That night while Kim and Paul were having dinner, Leon texts, Paul what Kim needs to have:
“get a pedicure with fire engine red polish. Two evening dresses to go to five star restaurants. One light summer dress for an outdoor event Saturday. Open toe shoes and that is all you’re gonna need. Have her dropped off at my penthouse by 5 PM this Friday. And then plan on picking her up at 10 AM Sunday morning.” Was the text that Paul read to Kim.
“Ok, I guess?” Kim replied, a hint of trepidation in her voice. “What kind of dresses are we talking about here?”
Paul glanced at the text again. “Two evening dresses for five-star restaurants, one light summer dress for an outdoor event on Saturday, and open-toe shoes.”
Kim raised an eyebrow. “Open-toe shoes? Really?”
Paul nodded, his expression somber. “Yeah, that seems specific.”
Paul replied, the words sending a shiver down Kim's spine. She knew exactly what Leon was implying with the open-toe shoes and the red polish.
He wanted her to look Sexy, to be seen as a trophy, a piece of meat. She felt her stomach churn at the thought of being paraded around like that, but she steeled herself. She had to do this. For her family. For her future.
Friday afternoon, Kim sat in the salon chair, her legs propped up as the manicurist painted her toenails a bright, glossy red. She tried to relax, to forget about what was coming, but her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
She was anxious, nervous, and yet, there was a part of her that was strangely excited. She had never felt this way before, this mix of fear and anticipation, and it was unsettling.
The manicurist finished up and smiled at her. "There you go, sweetie. Red hot."
Kim forced a smile in return, even as her stomach churned. She paid and tipped the manicurist, then made her way back to her car. She had two hours before she needed to be at Leon's penthouse. Two hours to prepare herself for what was to come.
She drove home, her mind racing.
She had laid out the dresses earlier, trying to find something that would make her feel confident, sexy, but not like a whore. She was a married woman, after all, and this was... this was just a job. A job to keep her family together.
She picked out a black cocktail dress since she had to be ready for the dinner when she got to Leon's. Wanted to avoid changing there as much as possible. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked great, if she did say so herself, but not sleazy or too sexy.
Just a woman dressed for a nice dinner out. She slipped on the red heels, admiring the open toe and the red polish that peeked out. The manicurist had done a great job, she had to admit.
Paul meanwhile was a bundle of nerves downstairs. He was to drop Kim off at 5PM at Leon's and then come to pick her up at 10AM Sunday. Leon had been making comments to him about how much he was looking forward to the weekend and if all went well, it will be like this whole Takazaki incident never happened. A clean slate. Paul tried to press on Leon for details about that that meant but Leon was vague at best.
He heard Kim come down the stairs and felt his heart sink a bit. She looked hot. She always looked hot when she didn't try. Her dress was subtle as was her makeup. He resigned himself that there was no way this weekend was going to go without Leon doing something with his wife. What it was and how far it went, would possible be up to Kim.
They drove in silence the 30 minutes to Leon's penthouse. As he dropped her off, they looked at each other.
No words were needed. They both knew what was about to happen. Paul leaned over and kissed her, a tender, lingering kiss that held a world of unsaid words. When they pulled apart, Paul's eyes were filled with worry and guilt. Kim just nodded, her eyes filled with determination. She got out of the car, her heels clicking on the pavement as she walked towards the grand doors of Leon's penthouse.
Paul watched her go, his heart heavy in his chest. He knew what he was sending her into, and he hated himself for it. But he also knew that he loved her more than anything, and this was the only way to save their life together.
A few moments later he got a text from Leon:
"Stunning. First part you passed with flying colors!"
A second later, "Don't expect any texts from Kim. I had her put her phone away when she got here. I will keep you very updated on the weekend though so don't worry." Paul's stomach churned as he read the text. He knew what that meant. He knew what was going to happen to his wife tonight. He gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white as he pulled away from the curb.
It was going to be a long weekend for Paul.