Moral Degeneration

I sat in the lobby of the business acting like I belonged there. A few sofas near the revolving door there was a reception desk by the elevators, but no security in site. These downtown skyscrapers didn’t have much of anything for security pre-9/11. I had been sitting there most of the day, and no one questioned it. One or two men walking in or out, boys weren’t super rare, but rare enough to have all eyes at least scan me. 

It wasn’t until around 4PM that someone actually asked me a question. “Can I help you, sir?” A woman asked. She was one of the receptionists and blushed as she hovered a few inches away from me. 

I looked up over my shoulder at her with my best smile. “I’m actually waiting to surprise my mom,” I said with all the innocence I could muster. I was wearing a business suit and tie to make sure I didn’t stand out. It made me look a little older too. 

“Oh, how sweet,” she said. A little older than me. I turned to face her fully. “Can I get you a water or anything?”

“I’d love a water,” I said truthfully. She smiled at me and ran off. I continued to eye people walking in and out.

 

The security on the main floor was lacking personnel, but they did have security in the building. Cameras pointing most everywhere there was probably a control room somewhere. As I watched how people walked in or out, it was easy to get an idea of the other security measures they had. 

People had badges with certain levels of floor and different elevator access. There was an actual executive elevator. Only certain people could use it, so those were the people that I had to watch. 

 

I was currently at the base level of the Hodgins building in downtown New York City. One of many skyscrapers, this one was run and owned by my father. Prior to coming to New York I had done plenty of research on my supposed paternal side. 

Hodgins was an old name dating back 80 years. Around the time the Pox hit my great-great something or other grandfather made a name for himself in the stock market. During the crash he continued to do well and eventually started his own brokerage. His son, my father Jacob, appeared out of the blue a few decades ago and helped to expand the business. 

I wasn’t able to find out much about Jacob’s early life. I knew he was 6 foot 2 inches tall, and 52 years old, which would have made him 37 at my conception. I knew my mom was only 18 at the time I was born, so he had at least impregnated a few women. Rowan had given me information on what she knew about her mom, but there wasn’t much there. Again she was impregnated at 18, and daddy dearest was never around. 

 

I did remember that Audrey said my dad supposedly had 2 sons including me. He already had the other one kidnapped and shipped off elsewhere. I wanted to know who my brother was, but I ignored that for now. I had to get to know my father for the time being.

The receptionist gave me a water. I gave her my best smile, drank it, and watched. Watching and waiting was my speciality. Studying those around me as they went about their day. Around 6PM I felt that the most important people had left the place of business. Moving to a big group of women I introduced myself to them. Touching an older woman’s shoulder I acted like she was my mom and walked out. 

 

Splitting off from them I then made my rounds in the vicinity of the skyscraper. I followed more and more groups. Identifying what general jobs they belonged to. The 9 to 5s with wives and kids at home had already left. These were the young, dumb, and horny girls of the corporate world. Ready to drink, do drugs, and make more bad decisions. I eventually came across a bar with a lot of people from Hodgins. Their IDs for the building hanging at their hips I restrained myself from swiping any. I needed the corporate big fish’s. 

 

Lots of eyes on me, a few flickered to further in the bar. I followed their gazes, noticing a grouping of men far in the back. Putting on my best smile I walked confidently into the sea of women. My ass was pinched more than a few times, but it was to be expected. I was dressing proactively in a business suit.

 

When I came out the other side the girls talked to one another in a wave. More than one saying the word boy. Normally I would have stopped to chat, but I was on a mission. I headed to the table of men, and was happy to see that they too were in business suits instead of the tight clothes I became accustomed to most guys wearing. 

“How’s it going?” I asked. The cliquey men all eyed me as they sat.

“Can I help you?” The one in back said. He had a strong jaw and appeared to be the leader. 

“I’m Russ. I’’m uh being interviewed for a position downtown. Just curious what corporate life is like before I make my decision. You guys mind if I pick your brain?” I asked. They looked at one another, it was a no. “I’ll buy a few rounds of drinks.”

“Perfect,” leader guy said, waving a waitress down. They scooted in and I sat on the edge. “Margaritas?” He asked and the other men around us agreed. I rolled my eyes but got one too and slapped a $100 bill on the table. 

 

“What do you want to know?” Leader guy asked over the loud crowd. 

 

“Simple stuff. How you all got hired. If you’ve worked anywhere else? Women to watch out for?” All the boys fought laughter. “What?”

 

“You need to watch out for all of them,” Leader guy admitted. “All these women want you for one thing and one thing only. A good time.” He pointed around us. More than a few eyes turned away as if they were hiding being caught. 

 

“That doesn’t sound so bad,” I admitted. “What’s wrong with that?” I was paying them with drinks. Might as well say what I wanted to. 

 

“Nothing, if you’re into that,” one of them said. “But these ladies like to take advantage if they can.”

 

“Oh yeah? How so? Which business do you work at?” I asked. 

 

“I work at BA” “Blacktop” “Vanguard” “Hodgins” they said dutifully. 

 

“And it’s all the same?” I asked. 

 

“There about. See most of us got our start at Boys Clubs,” the leader said. I’d heard of those but hadn't researched them too heavily. By invitation only they were basically high class clubs where men frequent. The top 1% go to them to mingle and talk to boys. The boys are paid handsomely, or so I heard. 

 

“Yep, if you work at one of those long enough you can get rich clients. Before you know it they’re offering you a job downtown here,” one of the men said. 

 

“So the higher ups at your jobs don't tend to drink here, but at Boys Clubs?” I asked. 

 

“Pretty much,” the leader said. “These women around us are all our coworkers. Women that-“ he stopped as our drinks were dropped off. The boys drank them happily. I pretended to drink mine. 

 

“Oh, you guys should have seen it,” one of the men said. “I was hinting at adding this girl to my list and she fell all over herself trying to get to the top.”

 

“I told you. Hint at it. Makes them go crazy.”

 

“List?” I asked. 

 

“Oh yeah,” leader said. “Just because we are at the corporate level doesn’t mean we stopped with the fun part of life. All these girls have money. They want to spend it on the most handsome and fairest of them all.” I nodded. These men were handsome, but I could see I wasn’t going to get what I wanted there. 

 

“How long have you guys been working downtown?” I asked. Continuing to get information. I asked questions and bought drinks but nothing too exciting or surprising happened. 

 

One of the groups of women ordered us a round of drinks and the leader said he had to go do his thanks. One of the group left and talked to the girls thanking them. Flirting. Then he came back and was making fun of the group of girls as they sipped the drinks. 

 

All in all I had a headache by the time I left the bar. These men weren’t real men. Basically high class prostitutes, they were paid to look pretty, sit in on meetings, sleep with who they were told to sleep with, and do as they were told. 

 

Since all the women at the bar were mid-level management I had to step up my game to get to the real higher ups. After getting some information on a few Boys Clubs in the area my next course of action was easy to identify. 

 

But that was a tomorrow issue. No real other plans, I walked out to head to my hotel. The carport with my car close by, I was stuck in my thoughts as I headed back. Which was why I didn’t notice the 2 girls by my car until they were on me. 

 

“Russ!” Luna and Penny yelled as they bowled me over. Laughing and kissing me over and over I fell to the ground with them. 

 

“What the hell?” I asked the girls from between their breasts. “What are you doing here?”

 

“We decided to come to New York,” Penny said. 

 

“Yeah, we didn’t think you’d want to be alone for your birthday,” Luna said over top of me. Out of breath she smiled widely at me as I remembered that it was indeed my birthday. 

 

“Guess I forgot,” I said with a frown. My hands on each of their asses. “Well how should we celebrate?” 

 

Both girls beamed white smiles at me. “We had a few ideas,” Penny said. Words that had a lot of unsaid meanings and made it hard for me to be angry at them for showing up out of the blue.