I listen to my boss spin this yarn and a little lump develops in my throat. Is he actually talking about messing around with a whole other damn country?! This is certainly a step above stealing inside information. My boss lights up a cigar and blows a puff of smoke into the air while he further educates me on this country I never even heard about until now.
“President Modilak and the Commander of his Army, General Zhukov share a tense alliance. You see, the General has been demanding more than a simple salary from the Dictator. He sees President Modilak siphoning billions from the country while General Zhukov makes a fraction of that amount. The Dictator doesn’t like to share and he is beginning to consider simply having General Zhukov killed and replaced. That’s where I come in. For the past three years, I have been helping General Zhukov embezzle money from the Republic of Odostan’s military budget in return for a ten percent cut of the money. The General has been asking for my help in an overthrow of the country. He would become dictator and I would control the Republic’s finances and more importantly, gain control of Odostan’s vast oil deposits.”
Now, I am wondering if my boss has lost his mind. Dictators?! Generals?! Overthrow?! What the hell am I getting myself into?! Mr. Peak stands up and walks over to the tub. I do not recoil in fear of offending my master. He grabs my hands and looks me in the eye.
“In two days, we will fly to Monaco to meet with General Zhukov. We will finalize the plan to remove President Molidak from power,” my boss announces.
“What would like me to do, Sir?”
“The Dictator trusts no one. Not even his own General of the Army. That’s why the President always sends his eldest son, Sergey, to watch over the movements of General Zhukov. You, Sarah, will need to seduce, distract and ensure that Serge never knows about the General’s meeting during our time in Monaco.”
Even though I am scared, I can’t help but feel a little exhilarated.
“Getting Serge’s attention shouldn’t be too hard. He loves young little things like you. And he has a weakness for gambling, drinking and drugs. Keep Sergey plastered and horny and we’ll be able to get this done without his detection,” Mr. Peak says as he paces around the large master bathroom.
Yeah, I know, this sounds too easy. I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Sergey Molidak is the Commander of the President’s Secret Police as well as the President’s Elite ‘Tiger’ Guard. While the 24-year old man is not highly intelligent, nor highly skilled as a soldier, he is extremely unstable, deadly and psychotic. Sergey is known for torturing his own people for fun. He routinely forces members of his entourage to fight to the death. And he has a deviant and violent sexual appetite.” Mr. Peak lets those words hang in the air for a while. He is watching my reaction. I want to remain calm and cool. And what is the best way to show no fear? A simple smile. I continue to wash off my body. My boss sits back and enjoys the show. Deep down inside, I am scared.
After the shower, we settle down to watch the ocean. I rest my head on my boss’s massive chest. He strokes my hair. While we don’t speak, we are both thinking about the same thing. We are thinking about that trip to Monaco. We are thinking about the opportunities and dangers ahead of us.
The afternoon turns to evening. We head for dinner at a Malibu restaurant called “Geoffrey's.” I’ve heard of the place and can’t help but get excited at having dinners at places that would cost more than my entire paycheck. For Mr. Peak, however, this dinner is all about business.
When my boss walks into the restaurant, the female hostess snaps to attention. “How are you this evening, Mr. Peak?”
“I’m doing fine, Janice.”
The hostess leads us to the patio. I notice many movie stars and famous folks seated at the patio. Some of them recognize my boss. I try my best to not be a gawker. But damn, with all these Hollywood “A” listers, I feel like I am caught inside aVanity Fairspread.
My boss pulls out the chair for me. This catches me completely by surprise. I thank him and sit down. My boss doesn’t look at the menu. His focus is directly, completely and utterly at me.
“We will be traveling to Monaco in two days. Tomorrow we will be making a little trip so make sure you get a good night’s sleep.”
“Where are we going, Sir?”
“I’ll leave it as a surprise.”
Great. Now, how the heck am I supposed to get a good night’s sleep with this hanging over my head? The wine couldn’t get here fast enough. Even though I am only twenty, no one is about to card Mr. Peak’s date. I get several drinks into me and then I enjoy some grilled chicken, shrimp and roasted potatoes. For dessert, I get one of those fudge brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge. Mr. Peak opts for a cigar. As I am halfway done with my dessert, my boss takes a spoon and samples it. I think it is so cute. Watching this hulking billionaire munch on a bite of fudge brownie and ice cream seems to bring him down to Earth for a bit.