Salem's World

By T. D. Jones

Salem Richmond’s a woman who has a lot going on in her world. She’s running a company she inherited after her parents’ tragic death. Her sister ends up in a mental hospital and as if that isn’t enough, Salem thinks she’s going through the early stages of menopause and her sexual desires are getting out of control. She doesn’t think her world will ever be normal again until she meets Dr. Mark Graves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melange Books, LLC
• Release date: Aug 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781612353203

Book preview

SALEM’S WORLD

by T. D. Jones

Salem Richmond's a woman who has a lot going on in her world. She's running a company she inherited after her parents' tragic death. Her sister ends up in a mental hospital and as if that isn't enough, Salem thinks she's going through the early stages of menopause and her sexual desires are getting out of control. She doesn't think her world will ever be normal again until she meets Dr. Mark Graves.

This book is dedicated to all women who have survived craziness and came out better on the other side.

Part 1:

In a mad world only the mad are sane.

Akira Kurosawa

Chapter One

Salem Richmond’s strokes were long and even. She could feel her muscles tighten as she moved fast across the oversized pool. Without disturbing the rhythm of her movements, she flipped over onto her back. Firm, round nipples peeked out from beneath the water. The seasons were starting to change. She knew it would be just a few more months and she would have to turn on the heater for the pool, but for now she enjoyed the comfortable water just fine from the heat of the Texas sun. She had just finished doing her ritual morning laps when she stood up with the blue water rippling around her. She quickly turned when she heard the screaming and the back patio door slam.

What the fuck!

Largate de `mi cocina!

Salem watched as a man made his way across the yard to the poolside. His blondish hair made him look younger than twenty-four. She didn’t know a lot about him. She did know he had a mom who drank a lot because she remembered he joked about how odd it was he had a drunk for a mom and he picked bartender as his profession.

Your maid just threw fruit at my head. A damn grapefruit just about killed me. He rubbed the back of his head.

What did you say to her? Salem glanced up at the young man standing on the side of the pool with no shirt on. His muscles were so tight they looked like they wanted to pop out of his skin. Black jeans were unbuttoned and slightly resting on his hips. Bare feet peeked out from beneath the bottom of the jeans. What was his name? Brandon, Brad? She was so drunk last night names didn’t matter at the time. All that mattered now was that he was still here at her house. Why did she do this to herself? Bring these guys home and then the next morning regret it. She needed help. In the past few years it seemed to be happening more and more. She’d meet them and next thing she knew they would be in her bed.

I just asked her to make me some breakfast and she said ‘no’, and then I said ‘well, you’re the maid aren’t you, isn’t that what you do’? Then before I knew it she was talking some Spanish shit to me and throwing a basket full of fruit at me.

You should have never called her that, she doesn’t like it. Salem made her way to the steps and started exiting the pool. Rosa has been with me a long time and I’ve never referred to her as the maid.

Salem was surprised the young man only got fruit to his head. Rosa Marquez considered herself the ruler of the Richmond estate. The mansion came with a quaint guest house and she set that up as her own little home, but during the day the mansion was Rosa’s castle and no one crossed her moat without permission.

Salem thought back to ten years ago when she interviewed her. Even with broken English she made it very clear she was no one’s maid. She would clean and cook and run the house while Salem ran the company but she was no maid, she wanted to be called a house assistant. Salem was never sure what the difference was but she didn’t want to question Rosa on it and from that day forward, Salem had a house assistant and it had worked out well for both of them. Cassie, her sister, was living with her at the time and Rosa took her under her wing and tried to mother her, but Cassie’s seizures were coming too often and the depression was something neither one of them had the training to deal with. It broke both their hearts when Salem had to move Cassie to Arizona where she could receive the best care for her situation, but they both knew that was the best thing for her.

Hey, hey. Don’t get out, I’ll get in.

She watched as he started pushing his jeans off his hips. I can’t. I have to get to work, besides I always do my swimming alone.

She wasn’t lying. She swam every morning and always did it alone. It used to be she could stay fit no matter what, but now that she getting closer to forty, gravity liked to screw with her, and she had to swim her ass off to keep her body in the shape she wanted. Even having sex didn’t burn calories like it used to.

Last night you sure didn’t want to be alone, remember? He rested his jeans back up on his hips and then wrapped his arms around her nude body as she reached around him for a towel, Come on, I need your body again. You have the greatest body I’ve ever seen. Please, please, can’t I have some more? No one’s going to see us. You have this huge privacy fence around the place and no neighbors for miles.

What the hell, was this guy begging? She had men beg before, but usually it’s for mercy because they couldn’t take anymore. She turned them to mush. This time she was the one who was mush. She was getting too old for these kinds of all nighters. Her body was still sending off quivers from last night. I really have to get to work, maybe some other time. Thank heavens she was still somewhat wet as it made it easier to slide out of his arms. She grabbed the plush towel off the patio chair and wrapped it around her.

Okay, but don’t wait too long. All the girls want a piece of Bucky. He puffed his chest out.

Salem rolled her eyes. He sure was full of it, but at least now she knew his name. Listen, Bucky… I think it might be time you go. I have a very busy day. It was her rule; if she brought a guy home he would be long gone before eight the next morning. Hell, if it was up to her she wouldn’t mind if they left the same night. She was beginning to wonder when she became so cynical about love. What happened to the falling in love process, now she just wanted to come and them go, no pun intended.

I could stay here and wait on you, take a dip in your pool. This place is huge. I’m sure I can find something to entertain me.

Sorry, but I have plans after work so I won’t be coming back here till late. Damn, she was going to have to get Rosa to chunk some more fruit at the guy just to get rid of him.

Are you going to the Rutherford’s party?

What?

The Rutherford party, I’m bartending there tonight. Is that why you aren’t going to be home till late?

Crap, she hadn’t thought about that when she was screwing good ole Bucky’s brains out last night. He ran in the same social circle. The only difference was, he was a serving the drinks and her, and her so-called friends, were drinking them. Uhmm… I’m not sure, I might be there. Liar. Liar. She knew she’d be there. The party was a birthday party for Jason Rutherford, who just happened to be her lawyer and long time family friend, so she couldn’t see how she was going to get out of attending. She was expected to make an appearance. Jason had reminded her at least three times during the month about the party.

Great, then maybe we can hook up again tonight. He stepped in closer to her and started rubbing her breast through the towel. I had the best time last night and can’t wait to do it again. He then slapped her on her plush covered ass. Mind if I take a shower before I leave.

Okay, but then you have to go. What the hell, one little tit rub and a slap on the rear and now she was letting him take a shower. She wondered if the accident hadn’t happened and Cassie was normal and her parents were still alive, would her life have taken such an ugly turn. What would have happened if she hadn’t gotten on that plane to Paris that summer day and nothing had gone so terribly wrong, where would she be at this very moment?

* * * *

An hour later, Salem had gotten rid of Bucky, which wasn’t an easy task. She was slipping into her favorite three-piece dress suit that made her look perfect in all the right places, when the phone rang. Normally Rosa would have picked it up but she had to leave to go to the store to get more fruit since she had used it all to dive bomb the back of Bucky’s head. When Salem suggested she just pick up the fruit laying in the yard, she thought Rosa was going to start chunking something at her so she high tailed it out of the kitchen and out of her way.

Hello, Salem said as she sat down in the high back chair next to the small nightstand that held the phone.

Salem, what are you doing? Jason Rutherford asked.

Getting ready to head to the office. Work was what kept her alive and she enjoyed it nearly as much as sex. Her grandfather started Richmond PR Firm and then her dad took it over. He always thought Salem and her sister would take over when he retired. No one expected for her parents to get killed and her sister to become mentally incapable. Now she was the only one running it and of course lots of great workers who respected her parents enough to stay on after she took over.

She loved her work. Some people just went to work to make a living but she worked to live. The minute she entered her office, she had control of her life again. Nothing felt screwed up, everything went as planned throughout the day and her and her employees left at the end of the day with the satisfaction that they all did their job and they had a boss who did hers. In all the years she had been running the company, her being the best boss she could be was never a question on anyone’s mind. Her grandfather taught her dad early on that a Richmond company and the employees in that company would be treated with nothing but respect and that way of thinking had been passed down to her.

Is there a bartender there with you?

What? Salem pulled at the collar on her white, cotton shirt. She had just finished a shower but felt like she needed another one. She thought about turning down the air some more but Rosa was threatening to have lock boxes put on the thermostats if she took the air down any cooler and Salem knew she would do it.

Bob called me and said that bartender’s mom called him looking for her son. She was all worried cause he didn’t come home last night. Jason took a breath and then started again. Bob said he saw you and the guy walk outside together last night after the party.

Mom! Fuck! The guy was twenty-four and he still had a mom looking for him? Salem tugged at her collar again. She could feel the heat coming through her toes and moving quickly up her body.

Salem, tell me you didn’t take that bartender home with you.

She let out a nervous laugh, which came out more like a snort. Of course not, do you really think I would take some bartender from a party I attended home with me?

She ran her hand down a bare, tanned leg and thought back to the night before. Bucky was making drinks and she was hanging out around the bar talking to him. He reminded her of a cross between Brad Pitt and Johnny Deep… playboy meets twisted boy all rolled up in to one great man body. It was another one of those boring parties she was expected to attend just because she was from old money and someone thought her being there might help their status in some way.

She remembered commenting how she felt funny, maybe had a bit too much to drink. She knew she was getting drunker cause when he leaned over and whispered things he would like to do to her, she was getting off just by his tongue slightly flicking the inside of her ear. She imagined that tongue flicking another part of her body. That was when he offered to drive her home, her car of course. They barely got the car parked in the garage before he had her leaned against the wall and started doing magic with his tongue that even Houdini couldn’t pull off. Damn, just thinking about it now made her wish she had let him do a recap of it all before kicking him out. It was right then that Salem thought of something else, she didn’t remember getting her keys back from him.

Salem let out a loud sigh, and started frantically glancing around the room. Crap, Crap, Crap. Maybe he left her keys downstairs on the sidebar by the door.

Salem, are you listening to me? Jason asked.

Of course I’m listening, Jason. Salem had listened through many of his lectures about how she should do something different and she had a feeling this one wasn’t going to be any different. She always felt like a small child around him. He was twenty-eight years older than her and had stepped in after her father died and tried to plug that hole in her heart. Jason had been the family lawyer for as long as she could remember and he was damn good at it. He kept the company and she wrapped up tight and safe. Just a little too tight here lately for her taste. He seemed to know her every move.

I know he was there with you. I don’t know what’s going on with you anymore, I have known you nearly all your life but I have to tell you I’m not sure about you lately. At least he’s over twenty-one…he’s twenty-four in fact. I checked with the company that supplied him for the party, just in case his mom thought you violated her sweet son. You’re so lucky I’m always in lawyer mode looking out for you, Jason said.

She could have told Jason she already knew his age. She might have been horny, but she sure as hell wasn’t stupid. He seemed really mature for his age. That was one of the things that drew her to him.

She was so drunk last night he could have suggested they do anything and she would have followed him. That thought made her somewhat nervous. Had she gotten to a point in her life where she didn’t care about her well being anymore? Was she slowly giving up? She ran her hand over the jacket of her Vera Wang suit. She wondered how she could wear an outfit that made her looked so put together on the outside and be so screwed up on the inside.

Listen, I have to get to work, but this discussion isn’t over. I want to know what’s going on with you. I’ll talk to you tonight at my party.

She heard Jason sigh and then the phone went dead. He was right; there was something going on with her but even she didn’t know what it was. She was always horny or maybe it was just something to do to keep her idle mind from thinking. When she was at work she didn’t have time to think about what was so wrong in her life but when she was in this big house, the silence drove her nuts. The nights seemed to be so lonely here lately. Normally she had liked the alone time but it was really starting to bother her. She cradled the phone back on its base and stood up and headed into the bathroom that adjoined the master suite when Rosa came waddling through the door.

I got more fruit. Do you want fruit bowl before you leave for work? Rosa started straightening up around the bedroom as she talked.

Salem stepped out of the bathroom and looked at her. No thanks, I don’t feel very well. Rosa, did you happen to see my keys by the front door? She leaned against the doorframe as she watched Rosa hustle around the room. Salem was always amazed how fast she moved even though being at least fifty pounds overweight and no taller than four ‘eleven.

No keys… what’s wrong with you? Rosa asked. You all flushed and your neck is sweaty.

I don’t know. I keep having these hot flashes and they’re making me crazy. Salem ran her hand along her neck. I swear I could be standing in a freezer and still be burning up. I wonder if I’m catching something. She’d been having the hot flashes for a while and kept thinking maybe she should go to the doctor and make sure everything was okay but be her luck he would find something terribly wrong, so for now she liked the not knowing.

Oh, that explains it. Rosa mumbled as she picked up some decorative pillows off the floor and placed them on the bed.

What? Explains what? Salem demanded.

You caught something. It called menopause.

What? You’re crazy, it isn’t menopause. I’m too young and that’s an old woman thing. Salem shook her head. There was no way in hell she was going through menopause. Rosa had worked for her for over ten years and there had never been a time