Prisoners of Halfmoon Key Read online

  Prisoners of Halfmoon Key

  By Matthew Lee

  [email protected]

  Heat.

  Not open the oven door in your face or step into the sauna heat, more like I will never get used to living on Venus heat.

  I wasn’t on Venus. I was lying on the beach at Halfmoon Key, which is about one-hundred and fifty-five miles south-west of Miami, and one small isle of Key West. The island sits midway between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, well above the equator, so you’d think I’d get a break from that kind of heat, but no. Any moment I expected my skin to start sizzling like bacon. I pity the fools farther south.

  The air did not budge. How can outside air be so stagnant? Isn’t the Earth spinning? Don’t birds stir it when they flap their wings? At this point I’d take anything.

  Next to my chaise was Emma, my lovely wife of eight years, and she looked as miserable as me. Sweat covered her body and her long brown hair stuck to it. Ultra-fine sand from Paul and Debbie walking by earlier made her skin twinkle.

  I glanced over at them now; Paul was my biggest rival at work and Debbie his Playboy model girlfriend. Last night after dinner everyone crowded around to talk to them except my wife and I who went back to our cabana and watched Bones. Paul is an alright guy and I have no personal quarrel with him, but the company we work for, StoneWork Enterprises, has a sales-competition system that pits people against each other. The pairings change every quarter but this quarter I was against him and he was killing me. I was cold-calling and using my Book and calling in favors; nothing helped. Like Babe Ruth in a slump, I simply could not hit a homerun. The timing of my slump was terrible as last quarter my numbers were average.

  Emma was worried. She’d been laid-off six months ago. Money was tight.

  Andrew, the CEO, gives everyone the benefit of the doubt but how would he explain carrying someone for half a year or more? I didn’t fault him. I knew things would turn around. I just hoped it was soon.

  Debbie and Paul adjusted their lounges to catch the sun and then Debbie untied her bikini top and set her big tits free. Jesus. She was truly glorious. I checked that Emma still had her eyes closed and let myself stare. Debbie was tall and lithe, red haired, green eyed, pale skinned and fucking hot. Her breasts had small nipples perched way up high and so hard at the moment her bikini top snagged on one. Every man at the resort wanted to fuck her senseless, including me. I think even Emma wanted sex with her. Not that my wife liked women. Debbie was just that hot.

  “I can’t stand it,” my wife said and I quickly ripped my eyes away.

  “What, Baby?”

  “This heat.” Emma sat up. “What about you? Ready for a cocktail? It is after noon so we are morally allowed.”

  “Sounds good. We can drink before the pre-dinner drinks.”

  Once a year Andrew invites everyone to his timeshare on Halfmoon Key. Getting there is up to you but once you arrive everything is free. He has house staff tend to us and everyone chooses between a room at the mansion or their own bungalow. The main house is huge and styled like it had been transported from a South Carolina plantation.

  Everyone flies into Miami and then hops a seaplane or helicopter to the key. This year there were many new faces from other departments, as well as a lot of the people I knew.

  As you walk in the front doors there are small bags to place your cell phone or other electronic device, write your name on the bag, and hand it over. Andrew has them all locked inside a secure drawer. Not that he needs the drawer. The island is so remote there is almost zero reception anyway. Mostly he does it to convey a message to his employees that work is over for a time so relax, have fun, worry less and play more, which is exactly what Emma and I were trying to do.

  “Let’s move our chairs under the shade of that palm tree,” she said.

  “I’ll do it. You catch the attention of the waiter.”

  Five minutes later we were back on our chairs and sipping Margaritas. I caught the waiter running his eyes over Emma but I didn’t blame him; she’s a pretty girl. Not quite the body she had before two kids but the extra weight she carried landed mostly in her tits and ass. She’s embarrassed by it and that’s why she wore a one-piece today but I have no problems with her curves. I’ve put on some poundage too without the excuse of giving birth twice.

  Emma took a long pull on her drink and laid down again, closing her eyes. I sent my gaze back over to Debbie but now she lay on her stomach and we’d moved too far away to see detail. Oh well, I’d see her again at dinner that night and with any luck she’d wear something slinky.

  “To an excellent year,” Andrew said, raising his glass.

  Around the massive oak table everyone echoed his sentiment and lifted their drinks. The huge room swallowed the multitude of clinking glass. I sipped my whiskey and glanced at Debbie. She wore a silky top with no bra and gaps under her arms showed side-boob. Lovely.

  Conversation ranged up and down the table. Kimberly Hughes sat to my left and we talked about the slow market. Emma was on my right and next to her was Jared Kurtz, head of our IT department. Jared wore a Star Wars T-shirt under his sports jacket. He and Emma talked about the next wave of Android apps coming up and I was happy Kim sat on my left and not Jared. His face was lit up with excitement and this, combined with his constantly messy hair, gave him a young crazy-Einstein look. His girlfriend, Erin, sat next to him.

  Erin was as dumb as a box of rocks. She was cute; short dark hair and nice body, but she loved television and especially anything Kardashian. We’d been on the island two days and I’d tried talking to her four times and every time she related what we were discussing back to the show; Oh, my God, this reminds me of that one time Kim had to lie to a cop for Kourtney. Oh, my God, I’m so totally like Kim when it comes to hot guys. On and on until I wanted to scream. I ended the conversation and since then I’ve avoided her. She kept trying to comment on whatever Emma and Jared discussed but they ignored her too.

  Apart from stealing glances at Debbie’s tits, I also kept an eye on Andrew. He was under tremendous stress lately and his usually razor-sharp mind was distracted. He spoke with Debbie more than Paul but Paul seemed fine with it. Great. Yet another way I had to compete with the guy. I wondered briefly if I could talk Emma into a bikini.

  About ten minutes later a blast of sand hit the French doors leading outside. Everyone turned to look and one of the food servers moved to the door and, since it was dark, placed his hand on the glass to peer outside. Dissatisfied, he opened the door to check and a swirl of hot, dry wind whipped in carrying grit. He stepped through and quickly shut the door behind him. We all turned to Andrew.

  “I heard over the shortwave,” he began. “That a storm was headed our way. That must be the leading edge of it. Dig in everyone. We weren’t going anywhere anyway but the storm now makes it official.”

  I shrugged and forked the potatoes on my plate.

  Conversation returned to the room as the winds outside began to shove patio furniture around. After another hour, a concerned Andrew excused himself. I was fine. Dessert had arrived; Oreo ice cream cake.

  Eventually, the evening wound down. Erin fell asleep on the divan and started snoring and Jared said it was time to get her to bed. Andrew entered the room and announced tropical storm Harry had changed course and was now headed directly for us. If we were going to sleep in our bungalows we needed to leave right now, or, if we prefer, we were welcome to stay in the big house with him. I looked at Emma.

  “Bungalow,” she said.

  I gave Andrew a handshake and a thank you and said we’d see him tomorrow, if we were still alive.

  The run back to our cabin was fun. Sand stung every inch of exposed
skin and Emma and I were laughing like fools buy the time we reached our door. We had to shower again before bed and the amount of grit in the stall was impressive. I threw on a pair of boxers and she tossed on an old T-shirt. We cuddled to watch a movie and listen to the wind howl. Halfway through, the power cut out. Every source of light disappeared, and you’d be surprised how many there are. My cell was in a bag in the big house so I moved cautiously across the room and opened the curtains. The clouds hid the moon and stars. I started bumping my shins looking for candles and matches and Emma called me over to the bed.

  “Forget about them, Honey. Let’s just sit in the dark. I heard something at dinner tonight.”

  I fumbled my way across the room until I felt the edge of the bed and crawled up. “What? What did you hear, Baby?”

  “Andrew was talking to one of the food servers. They were really casual, like they’d known each other a long time. The server asked how business was and Andrew hesitated before answering that it was poor and he’d probably have to let someone go and the man said, That’s not good, Boss. Andrew replied he’d probably have to do it soon, maybe when we got back to the mainland.”

  “Holy shit.”

  “Exactly. You said your numbers were low this quarter. Could he mean you?”

  I tried to weigh everything in my mind. Paul had to stay because he was hot right now. Kim was suffering too but she’s a single mom and Andrew was raised by a single mom. That would be a tough choice for him. I was paid a lot but I also knew every aspect of the business. I would probably run it when Andrew retired. Cutting my salary would save him a lot right now, though.

  “It could be me.”

  “What? My God, that would be terrible.”

  “Yes, it would. He pays me well but I help a lot of other departments. If he was thinking clearly he’d realize that but I know he’s a little scatter-brained these days. Too much stress. I need to remind him how valuable I am.”

  “Should I talk to him?”

  “No, he’s already got plenty to think about. If we add to his stress he’ll just look at numbers and justify his cuts that way. We don’t want that.”

  Emma took my hand in the dark. “The timing is awful. My lay-off has drained our reserves. We shouldn’t have come on this trip.”

  “We had to come. Much harder to fire someone after you’ve had them right in front of you for a solid week.”

  “True. Are you sure I shouldn’t talk to him? Is there anything I can do to help?”

  I laughed, trying to lighten the mood. “Yeah, give him a famous Emma blowjob and help him relax. If he’s thinking clearly he won’t can me.”

  The refrigerator began to hum and the television clicked back on. In the glow, I saw Emma staring at me. I thought she was mad at my crass joke but as the light grew I saw she only gave me a blank stare.

  “Jesus Christ, Emma. I wasn’t serious.”

  “You must admit; makes it almost impossible to fire you.”

  “Yeah, but then my wife will have sucked my boss’ dick. Awkward much? Are you that worried about me losing my job? I can’t believe you’re suggesting this. Don’t make me jealous and piss me off.”

  “We can’t afford either and I didn’t suggest it, you did. You want to lose the house like the Wrights? You want to stop helping your mom financially? You saw what happened to all our friends a few years ago in the recession. Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

  “I was joking.”

  “Right. A joke about your wife sucking another man’s dick? No joke like that is one-hundred percent joke. Some part of your brain thinks it’s a good idea.”

  I remembered my earlier thought about Emma wearing a two-piece for Andrew and realized she might have a point. Apparently, I was at least a little comfortable selling my wife. For a split-second I imagined her face down in Andrew’s lap. My mind recoiled. She saw it on my face.

  “Alright,” she said. “I’m sorry. I went too far.”

  “I’m sorry too. What I said was classless and careless.”

  I leaned over and kissed her.

  “But seriously, how would you feel about wearing a bikini in front of him?”

  She punched my chest.

  Halfmoon Key is little more than a sandbar a foot or two above the water. Every inch of the island is covered in dense foliage; Jamaican Dogwood and Gumbo Limbo trees surrounded by Railroad Vine and Sea Oats. The place was a screaming riot of red and blue and yellow flowers. All over the island small pools of salt water rose to the surface surrounded by brilliantly flowered plants that loved the brackish mix. I read there were over thirty major islands and dozens more minor, but from the sea plane I’d seen hundreds of specks of land and wondered how many poor souls throughout history had washed up on a tiny beach circled by ocean with no idea where they were.

  Our first day Emma and I hiked the shore before we realized the key was too big. We cut through the trees and stumbled upon a strange inlet that to my eye appeared man-made and centuries old. I narrated a fanciful tale of a pirate captain ordering a quay dug to hide from British ships. I was sure they’d buried treasure nearby. Emma listened patiently to my fantasy and even asked questions because she’s an awesome wife. I understand now it was mostly the idea of finding gold that held her attention.

  The inlet was much deeper than surrounding water and trees and shrubs covered the dunes which enclosed it all the way to the water’s edge. We’d found it by dumb-luck and I climbed the hill to learn the terrain. Finding it again would be difficult if I didn’t know landmarks. We headed back.

  The ferocity of the storm shocked us as we huddled in our cabin and I was sure in the morning we’d find the island wiped clean and bare, but of course we did not. The winds died a bit at dawn so Emma and I crept out to look around. Virtually all the flora looked unscathed. Lawn chairs and awnings took a mighty beating, and in fact anything man-made suffered horribly, but the island seems unperturbed. Evolution at work. After an hour, the winds started picking up again so we headed for the big house.

  Everyone had the same idea. We ate breakfast around the big table and shared stories of the night. Paul and Debbie had a chaise come through their window and so would spend the rest of the vacation in the mansion. Kim left her bikini outside to dry and Andrew joked it was in Texas by now. Debbie offered one of hers and Kim laughed.

  “Thank, Deb, but one of your boobs equal about four of mine.”

  Everyone chuckled.

  Andrew announced the weather service said the storm would last about two days. He added the sea plane and helicopter were grounded until then and most likely would be needed for rescue and clean-up after. Paul kidded about being unable to return to work on time and hoped his boss would understand.

  “I’ll have a talk with him,” Andrew joked.

  One of the staff entered the room to speak to Andrew privately and afterward Andy excused himself. Kim asked what caused tropical storms and since I knew, I told her. When I looked up later, Emma was gone.

  No one seemed to notice so I kept talking with the others and it was several minutes before I noticed a tightening of my gut. I smoothly disengaged from the conversations and on a hunch exited the room using the same door Andrew had. If Emma left this way, I’d not seen her, so I don’t know exactly why I followed him, but some part of my mind was busy processing and it told me this was the right way to go.

  On the other side of the door I found a wood-paneled hallway and moved quietly down it, listening. I passed several doors before I heard muffled voices. I approached slowly. The door was open a crack and I could hear but not see Emma talking to Andrew.

  I breathed a sigh, relieved at the innocence of the topic. Emma asked how the house was built and Andrew proudly answered every question. I kicked myself for my sinister suspicions. I wanted to laugh at myself but needed to remain silent. I backed away from the door.

  I’d passed a bathroom on the way down so I entered and shut the door. I still wondered why Emma had followed And
rew but my worry was silly. Maybe she just needed a break from the other guests. I took care of business and as I washed my hands I heard them talking on their way back to the dining hall. I finished and joined them.

  After breakfast, we cleared the dishes and played some board games. The winds picked up again and we all moved to the terrace upstairs to watch the storm. Emma snuggled under my arm and after a few minutes I asked if she and Andrew had a nice talk. She was quiet a long time, which surprised me.

  “How much did you hear?”

  I tilted my head. “Where you asked about the construction of the mansion. Was there more?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What?”

  She looked down the balcony to make sure we were far enough away from everyone. She chewed her bottom lip, wrestling with her words.

  “I could do it, Sam. I could save your job.”

  I furrowed my brow in confusion.

  “I flirted with him, testing the waters. He responded instantly. He wants me. Badly. I suspected as much but now I know. If we want to guarantee your job security, we can.”

  I was shocked! “What the fuck, Emma?”

  “Calm down. I didn’t do anything, I just tested the water. I grew up poor, Samuel, and I won’t go back. The sex wouldn’t mean anything, just an insurance policy against possible events.”

  A gust of wind sprayed us all with stinging sand. She was so pragmatic, so calculating. I’d seen this side of her when it came to our kids but never like this.

  “This is crazy.”

  “I can’t argue with that,” she admitted. “Crazy might be what we need now.” She worked her way deeper under my arm and pulled it tightly around her.

  I had no idea how to respond. My mind raced. Of course, I’d never tell her go ahead, but the fear in her voice stopped me from repudiating her completely, as did the people around us. I stayed silent out of worry my voice would be too loud or emotional if I spoke. She’d actually do it. My sweet wife would suck another man’s dick. I felt a little sick.