CHAPTER 3.12 (Part One): No good deed goes unpunished

Finlay made his way into the office, his spirits were low. 

He had missed the girls bedtimes all week and had to settle with watching them sleep instead of spending time with them. 

An overwhelming sense of failure washed over him.  Failure as a father and a husband, he could see the disappointment behind Charlie's eyes even though she pretended that everything was fine.

He strolled past the reception desk where his assistant would usually be waiting to greet him, there was no sign of Mimi. 

Finn breathed a mental sigh of relief, after her forward behaviour at the pool last night he was still feeling uneasy at the thought of her presence.

As walked into his office he almost jumped out of his skin as he spied Mimi sitting behind his desk bold as brass.

"Good morning Mayor Traytor."  She said, raising an eyebrow suggestively.  Brazenly she swung her legs up and rested them on the edge of his desk showing off her enviably toned thighs.

"Mimi, what on earth......."  Finlay began but he trailed off as Mimi rose from the chair.  She was dressed in a cream mac and a pair of ridiculously high stilettos.

As she moved from around the desk she casually undid her mac allowing it to slip to the floor, revealing her lingerie clad body.

"I was just remembering how much you enjoyed seeing me in my bathing suit last night and i thought you would appreciate this even more."  She said slowly running her hand down the length of her torso.

Finlay realised his eyes must look like they were on stalks, but like a car crash, he just couldn't look away.

A dozen thoughts flashed through his head, this must be a practical joke, maybe there's a hidden camera?  But as Mimi sauntered closer to him he realised that she was serious.

"So tell me Mr Mayor do you prefer this to my bathing suit or perhaps you would prefer nothing at all?"  She teased him.

"Look Mimi, I'm sorry if i gave you the wrong impression but I'm a married man."  Finlay told her.

"That's OK, i won't tell if you don't."  She offered, tracing the outline of her perfect lips with her index finger.

Before he could protest further Mimi threw herself at him, literally.

It was an involuntary reaction but Finlay shied away from her as she launched herself forward allowing her to land unceremoniously on her backside.

"Are you OK?"  He asked concerned that she had injured herself in the fall.

Mimi hauled herself to a standing position using the desk as support, "I'm fine."  She replied composing herself.

"Are you sure you aren't injured?"  He pressed.

"Only my pride."  She smiled wryly, "I think you're the first man to turn me down."

"Am i not attractive enough?"  She pouted.

"Mimi, you are very attractive......."  He began.

"Then prove it."  She insisted leaning forward and trying to kiss him.

"I told you I'm married."  He reiterated once again leaning away from her, she was certainly persistent.

"It's not a problem."  She purred.

"Well it is for me."  Finlay answered, "I'm very happily married and yes you are attractive but you can't hold a candle to my wife."

"Oh, he's going to want his money back after this."  She sighed finally giving up and stepping away from Finlay.

"What did you say?"  Finn asked.

"Nothing."  She said, suddenly coy.

"You said he's going to want his money back, what money?"

"The money i was paid to seduce you."  She revealed.

"Wait, someone paid you to seduce me?  So you're not a temp?"


"No!"  She laughed at the suggestion, "Wasn't it obvious?  I can't type or take shorthand, I'm no secretary Mr Traytor I'm a call girl."


"What about Carey i thought she was out sick?"


"She was paid to take a week off and i was paid to replace her."  Mimi confessed.


"By who?"  Finlay demanded.

Mimi sighed as she grasped her coat from the floor.  Covering herself with it she said, "His name is Marcus, i think."


"Marcus!  Why would he pay you to seduce me?" 


"I don't ask questions in my line of work Mr Traytor, it isn't good for business."  Mimi replied matter of factly.


"I'm sorry he wasted your time, but a smart girl like you could do so much more with your life."


Mimi laughed, "Faithful and an optimist, i didn't realise they made guys like you."  She said remorsefully, "If i could find an honest job that paid as well as this then I'd do it, but i have a family to provide for."  She revealed taking a photograph from her purse and showing it to Finlay.


He regarded the little boy in the picture his big innocent eyes looked up at his mother as she held him in her arms, "Mimi i have a proposition for you." He began, gesturing for her to sit down.

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That evening Finlay made certain that he left the office on time and rushed home to be with his girls.

He bathed each of them and read them a bedtime story before putting Ivy then Iris into their cribs.

As he turned out their bedroom light he smiled, they had grown up so fast but they were still his little girls and always would be.

"You're so good with them Finn."  Charlie told him as he joined her in bed, "So how was your day?"

Finlay rolled his eyes and replied, "Eventful!"

He filled her in on the Mimi situation and told her how Marcus was behind it all.

"Why would he do that?"  Charlie queried.

"I don't know for certain, maybe he's trying to pay me back for the article about his Dad that Cain leaked."  Finlay guessed.

"But why would he have helped you win the election if he wanted revenge?"  Charlie challenged.

"I really don't know." Finlay sighed

"You have to fire him."  Charlie pleaded, "Before he really damages your reputation."

"I need to confront him before i decide anything."  Finlay replied, "I told Mimi not to let on that i know of Marcus's involvement."

"How can you be sure that Mimi won't tell him anyway, it sounds like she'd do just about anything for money."

"I offered her something better than money."  Finlay revealed, "I got her a job, she's going to work with Eliza and Hank at the detective agency."


"Really?  What as a receptionist."


"No!"  Finlay laughed, "Have you ever heard of a honey trap?"


Finlay explained that a honey trap is where an attractive woman tries to seduce a married man so that his wife can find out if he's faithful, or not.


Apparently the demand for this type of service was on the up as the celebrities of Bridgeport were keen to know if they could trust their significant others. 


Finlay had offered Mimi's services and Eliza had snapped her up, she knew that she would be the perfect bait.

"Is she really that pretty?"  Charlie asked looking at Finn from beneath her eyelashes.


"She's got nothing on you baby."  He promised, pulling Charlie into a warm embrace.  He traced the outline of her neck with soft kisses, "You know you're the only one for me Mrs Traytor."


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The next day Finlay called Marcus into his office and confronted him.

"Take a seat Marcus."  He offered him the chair.

"I've been going over the proposals for the new highway connecting Bridgeport to Sim City."  Marcus started.

"That's not why I called this meeting."  Finlay interrupted him, "I know Marcus."

"Know what?"  Marcus asked, visibly thrown by Finlay's remark.

"I know about Mimi, how you paid her to pretend to sub for Carey."

"I don't know what you're talking about Finlay."  Marcus protested.

Finlay smiled at his colleagues pretence, "Are we really going to play this game?"

Marcus sighed before dropping his charade, "OK i hold my hands up, I paid her so what?"

"After all the trust i put in you this is how you repay me?"  Finlay asked calmly.

"Oh you're such a saint aren't you Finlay!"  Marcus suddenly spat, "You always were, perfect little Finn can do no wrong."

"Look i don't know where all this aggression is coming from...."  Finlay started to try and calm the situation.

"Really, you have no clue?"  Marcus interrupted, "You act like you did me such a big favour hiring me as your campaign manager, but you seem to have forgotten that without me you never would have won!"

Finlay allowed him to continue his rant and as Marcus went on and on about how he leaked the stories that sunk Cain Finlay realised what his agenda was.
"You want to run against me don't you?" He challenged.

"I will run and i will win Finlay."  Marcus promised.

"So you figured you'd get some dirt on me to use when the time comes."  Finlay confirmed.

Marcus nodded his agreement, "But typical Finlay the perfect husband!"  Marcus mocked.

"Is that it Marcus?  Are you jealous?"  Finlay proposed.

"Jealous!"  Marcus yelled, "Why should i be jealous of YOU?  Everything you have you stole from under my feet, the class presidency, the valedictorian spot and now here you are sitting pretty as Mayor of Bridgeport."

"Everything i have i worked to get Marcus, i didn't take anything from you."

"You took plenty from my father though didn't you Finlay?  You can't deny that."

"I admitted that i made a mistake."

"A mistake that cost him everything.  John Cain has paid a price for that and now you will Finlay, be prepared to lose everything you have, just like my father did."  Marcus threatened.

"You can try and take my position as Mayor, in fact i welcome the opportunity to beat you again, but Marcus,"  Finlay fixed him with a determined look, "You will never destroy my family."

"We'll see."  Marcus retorted before striding from Finlay's office.

Finlay sighed at the sight of his office door being slammed by Marcus.  He really thought that he had done the right thing in giving him a job on the campaign and even after he disobeyed Finlay's express wish to not use any kind of slander against Cain, Finlay had still given him a job on the council.

It's true what they say Finlay thought no good deed goes unpunished.  Whatever Marcus was going to throw at him Finlay would be ready, he wasn't a high school boy any longer he would meet the challenge head on.

Chapter3.11

Chapter3.12(Part2)