Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Other than the change to their sex life, it becoming more frequent and Calvin taking on a more submissive role with feminine garments, life started to get back to normal. Calvin busied himself at the hotel and Moriah worked with Sid the head of security to figure out why they were losing money. Calvin had sat in on one of their meetings, mostly because they were doing it over dinner at Moriah’s house.

Tapping his fork on the table Calvin gave a small shake of his head. “I don’t understand why it is taking the two of you so long. When I see a problem with one of the workers I just correct it, you tell them what to do and they do it. You two have been looking at that for what, two weeks? Let me handle it, I will show the problem to an accountant or whatever and tell them to get it done.”

Sid slid the steak knife through the NY cut steak, cooked rare just like he enjoyed it just glaring at Calvin, not understanding how a little weasel like him was able to convince Moriah to marry him and then give him another chance after she figured out she was better off without him. The darker skinned man across the table from himself was a shrimp of a man at five foot seven, compared to his own six foot three. Normally he didn’t think much of anything about people’s heights, but Calvin acted like he was the top dog. Sidney could agree he pretty much was considering he owned forty nine percent of the business, but his arrogance was off the charts. “It isn’t that simple Cal…”

Calvin pointed his fork at the man. “I like you well enough, in fact I think are fantastic at your job, but just because we aren't at work doesn’t mean you don’t have to call me Mr. Bennent.”

Moriah put her hand on Calvin’s other hand. “Honey please, Sid has worked for us for years and is helping us with something extremely delicate. Maybe you can bend a little on this?”

Looking at his girlfriend, captivated by her beautiful brown eyes, Cal smiled before shuffling some peas around on his plate trying to get them on his fork. “Fine, you can call me Calvin tonight.” Taking a bite of the peas he smirked looking over at the older, larger man. “Sidney Larson, your last name is so close to larceny, and we have you looking into that very thing. It's funny.”

Taking another bite of steak, Sid gave a small nod in agreement, but didn’t find it even a tiniest bit humorous. “Yep, and Sydney is in Australia and the place was started as a prison. You got me, you found your crook.”

Moriah gave the head of security a reproachful look, telling him to cut that out with a glance.

Holding his hands up in mock surrender Sidney got the message loud and clear. “Look Calvin… you cannot just hand over the records and hope they find it. What do you think will happen if Mega Corp hears that you have this problem?” he asked a question, but didn’t pause long enough for Calvin to answer.

“Say goodbye to the offer, say goodbye to whatever millions they promised. You will have nothing. You have been harping and yes I do mean harping on both of us about how it shouldn't be difficult. Well, I have news for you, both Moriah and myself are highly capable people. It isn’t like any of us three that know about the problem can hover over people to see what they are doing. Everyone knows who we are and wouldn’t get caught like that. So instead we investigate, but sure you can take a crack at it. Other than your last plan, what are you going to do?”

Placing his fork down on his plate, Calvin met his all to comfortable employees' eyes. “You done? Because I think you are.” he said in a flat voice.

“Oh my god you both are geniuses!” Moriah cried out, breaking the tension that had been building between the two with her excited voice like she hadn’t noticed the level of testosterone in the room going up.

“No one is going to show their hand around us like you said. Moriah motioned her hand in the direction of Sidney. “And Cal wants to take this issue into his capable hands.” A small amount of ego stroking to help defuse a situation with men had worked for her in the pastand didn’t see why it couldn’t be used now. “All we have to do is give him a disguise and make him an employee at the hotel! It will be like that show Undercover Boss!” she said a devious plan already forming in her mind.

Both men looked at Moriah and spoke at the same time. “What?” And just as quickly turned their heads to glare at the other for doing so.

“It’s simple, Cal gets disguised as one of the maids and looks into the matter personally and the two of us keep working it from our side.” Moriah said it was the most obvious solution.

Calvin’s eyes widened at what she just said while Sid raised an eyebrow in confusion, before very much needing to clarify what she was talking about. “As a maid? Calvin, dressed as a maid? You mean…”

Sid was cut off as she shook her head and spoke over him. “No, I mean maid, they have access to every room. They don’t just clean the bedrooms that guests stay in, but clean behind the counters and in offices. Clara might find something left out, in the trash or heck whoever is doing this to us might literally do it in front of Clara thinking she doesn't know better.”

Leaning back in his seat more confused than ever Sid looked perplexed at the beautiful woman he very much wished he could ask out. “Who is Clara? I thought you were sending in.” Sid didn’t even want to say his name and just motioned with his hand to the man across the table from him.

Sitting there in silence, a rare occasion that Calvin didn’t have anything he wanted to say out loud, Calvin felt a drop of sweat run down his back. He had plenty to say, just nothing he wanted to say out loud in front of their guest. Calvin wanted to know if Moriah had lost her mind talking to this man about the things in their personal life, bringing it up like it was a joke that he could just go and be a maid at the hotel. He didn’t want to be part of her little games at all, it was all just to get out of being caught with an escort.

“Cal.” Moriah pointed at her ex-husband. “He has to be disguised so no one recognizes him, what better way than to make him into someone that looks like a Clara!”

Bursting out into laughter, Sid’s chest and belly shook at the very idea. The laughter felt demeaning to Calvin, he wanted to be angry, but there was just no room for it with how humiliated he felt. Red faced from blushing, Calvin was pretty sure even his ears took on a red hue as he sat there taking what he felt was an attack on his manhood. “I’m not doing that.” he tried to sound stern but sounded more sad and whiny.

Holding his fist over his mouth to try and hide his amusement to be a little polite, Sid just couldn’t help poking at the little arrogant man that had more than he deserved. “Oh, come on Calvin, I’m sure you would make a great Clara the maid.” Sid said, still trying to fight through his laughter. He had to admit that without his beard the clean shaven Calvin did look a bit feminine, Sid mostly chalk that up to his opinion that his boss wasn’t much of a man to begin with. ‘No real man would do what he has done.

“Clara will be gorgeous, you just wait.” Moriah spoke as if she was coming to her boyfriend’s defense. “I will make sure Clara looks presentable. Do you think you can handle everything on your side for Clara to start her job, say next week?”

“I said I’m not doing it.” Calvin said, more than a little frustrated that she was talking about him like he didn’t have a say in the matter. Getting up from the table he tossed down his napkin on the plate.

“Settle down Cal, you said it yourself that we aren’t making any headway. You wanted to play a part so this is the part you get to play. Sid and I are handling the paper trail so we can’t do it and even if we could he is still needed for his regular job. Plus I don’t think he would look passable, with his… what. Are you six feet tall?” Sid shook his head. “Girls always want a man who is six foot or taller, I’m coming in at six three. How tall do you like your men?” he asked, ignoring the fact that the shorter Calvin was standing right there.

Moriah waved her hand to say it didn’t matter, not bothering to answer the question. “So he is tall and still has the muscle mass of when he used to box.”

Wishing what she said to be true, Sid shook his head. “I am a long way from fighting weight.” he felt her gaze fall on him, looking him over, making him want that wish to be truer with each passing second. ‘I need to get back to the gym.’

Giving him once over Moriah gave him a flat look, while pointing a finger at him, seemingly completely forgetting her boyfriend was still standing next to the table only a few feet from her. “You need to take a compliment when it is given. Now, can you be ready for Clara to start next week or not?” The compliment meant a great deal to Sidney and the idea of getting her cheating piece of shit boyfriend into a dress sounded incredibly amusing.

“I have not agreed to anything! In fact, woman, I have told you twice that I am not going to play along with whatever this is." He stomped his foot, boiling over, still he wasn’t stupid, just emotional and that didn’t stop him from being aware that he had not been careful enough with his words to not offend.

“Woman?” Moriah said to herself before turning to look at her boyfriend. “Woman?”

“I didn’t mean…” Cal tried to backtrack.

Turning back to face the taller man at the table Moriah took a deep breath, making eye contact with Sid before standing up and turning to face her boyfriend who dared refer to her by woman, as if she was defined by her gender, as if it was her name. “We all know what you meant.” She closed the distance between herself and Calvin, putting her hand on his shoulder, staring hard into his light brown eyes. “Sidney, I think you should go, we can pick this up another time. Calvin and I need to have a conversation.”

Cutting off another large piece of his steak Sid shoved it in his mouth before standing up. The tension in the room was palpable so he quickly swallowed his bite of food and made his way to the front door. “Talk to you both soon. Mr. Bennent, Ms. Abrams.” The large man nodded. “Have a good evening.” His casual use of his superiors first names vanishing as the atmosphere morphed into something he wanted no part of. Though he hoped, against hope that it worked out to Moriah living alone once more. He hadn’t taken advantage of her being single previously and was regretting that now and was not going to make that mistake again.