Surrender To Hidden Desires

"Remember ladies avoid the men with the silver tongues and limp cocks. That's the show tonight, see you tomorrow."

Rachel laughed at Dana's obscenity knowing the audience must be laughing their asses off at tonight's show. Dana said whatever crap her brain could think of in a snap, damn the consequences, which worked because Rachel brought the brains to their show CELEBRITY, LIFESTYLE AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN, and Dana brought the spice.

"And that's a wrap. Great show tonight Rachel, the audience must be wishing tomorrow night came sooner. Dana you might need to tone down on the language," Ben warned. He managed the show and co-produced it which pretty much meant he was one of the reasons they were very well paid in their media firm, ABN.

"Whatever," Dana muttered already poking around her bag for a packet of gums. "Want a piece?" she offered.

Rachel waved off her offer.

Popping a gum into her mouth she switched her heels for a pair of flats. "I got a date tonight, wish me luck."

"You don't need luck, if he doesn't ask for another date he's an idiot."

Dana smiled and waved good night.

Rachel, star of the show and mega-popular TV host, watched her friend and co-host strut off to the main media hall. She loved her co-host but Rachel was more of a family-value, family-building kind of woman, unlike Dana who loved the one-night stands. At age 26, some would say Rachel was enjoying success too early in her career but anyone who knew her knew she deserved it. After working as the Chief Editor of her high school newspaper she knew journalism was the place for her. Unlike many others who had had to fuck their way up the ladders, Rachel was different, she never had to spread her legs for any newspaper, or radio owner, all she had to do was flash her dimpled smile and she was employed. Throughout her 26 years on earth, she only had one man in her life, Jacob Henderson, who she met in college. They shared the same strong values, and within months of meeting, they were married.

Being married didn't pose a challenge for the men who wanted to get under Rachel's skirts because she was just that pretty but Rachel brushed them all off because; She was principled.

She loved her husband. Yes, she married young, yes she got famous young, and yes she has thousands of money stored up in bank accounts for when she was ready to start a family but she never let that get into her head.

This was why, as the dutiful wife that she was, she was getting ready to go home, make some delicious dinner, and get naked for her husband.

She pulled into the driveway of their modest home with a small foot-sized swimming pool in front under a shade, a garage attached to the house, and a fair large garden of herbs and flowers. As she climbed up the stairs leading to the hallway connecting the living room, the first thing she noticed was her Golden retriever, Bella, unattended in the hallway chewing on a pair of female shoes. Which was weird because her daytime sitter who liked to refer to herself as a babysitter rather than a dog sitter, was supposed to be watching and managing her dog.

Scratching Bella's ears as the dog excitedly licked her fingers Rachel scanned the living room and the kitchen through the open kitchen door. A sudden shriek from upstairs changed the direction of her thoughts. There was a loud thud and another shriek.

"Oh fuck! I'm going to die...!"

Oh shit! Gabby was most likely in trouble.

Happiness turning to panic, Rachel ran up the stairs to the master bedroom and found it empty but there were clothes strewn all over the carpet. Panic turned to apprehension.

The noise was coming from the master bathroom. The shower was turned on and water spilled out from beneath the door.

"Gabby?" Rachel called out refusing to believe what her rational mind was telling to her. Her husband's clothes and her sitter's, the shower running...no way. There was no way Jacob would do such a thing.

Putting her hand on the doorknob she opened the door and wished she was blind. The laughing and shrieks and thuds stopped altogether and at that moment Rachel thought her heart was going to stop too.

Wet and slick with water and soap and Jell-O and cum and whatever else was mixed in there that Rachel did not want to know about, Jacob and Gabby stared at her wide-eyed.

Jacob was the first to react. Dropping Gabby's slippery leg off his shoulder, he slid out of her. Gabby didn't have the grace to look remorseful as she closed her legs and sat at the edge of the tub, naked and slippery.

Gulping past the bile in her throat Rachel took a step back and almost tripped. When Jacob reached out to help her she slapped his hand away, her other hand seeking support on the door frame.

"Will it help if I say sorry?"

Rachel gapped at her husband of 4 years unable to comprehend that the man who stood beside her on red carpets, holding her close, kissing her face, and being so lovey-dovey over her while their pictures were splashed on the numerous Family friendly articles she wrote was the same naked man standing with his dingdong out, red and erect asking if apologizing was going to change the sight before her eyes.

"She's 17!" were the first words out of her mouth.

"And old enough to choose whoever I want to fuck," came Gabby's saucy reply.

Rachel didn't hear her, the blood in her ears roared too loud for her to comprehend anything anyone was saying. Bella had made it up the stairs and was oblivious to the pandemonium as she chewed on Jacob's discarded briefs.

"And you left the dog unattended!" were the next words out of Rachel's mouth. "Why do I pay you?"

"Thanks for noticing that I'm naked and in a precarious situation with a teenager," Jacob shot out, sounding almost pissed that Rachel wasn't saying anything about the elephant in the room. Too bad the elephant was beginning to deflate.

"You disgust me! The both of you!"

Without waiting for a word – not that Gabby or Jacob was willing to say anything else since there was no denying what had happened – Rachel turned, picked up her bag which had fallen on the floor, and sped out of the room. As she ran down the stairs and got into her car she realized strangely that her eyes were dry and she was thinking rationally again.

Well well, who would have thought?

As she drove off into the road wondering if she was insane for not crying after discovering her husband and her underaged sitter having the super hot sex she could never give him, her phone rang. It was Dana.

Her date was a no-show and she was looking for a drinking partner. The way Rachel saw it she was the only available candidate for the job.

"I will take a shot of tequila please."

Dana eyed Rachel in wonder but Rachel was beyond all sensible sensibilities to care. The bar was crowded and filled with drunken day laborers and street workers in heavy makeup and a fake smile hanging around the tables, no doubt hoping they would make enough cash for their next rent. Rachel scrunched her nose in disdain, no wonder Dana's date hadn't shown up but she kept her mouth shut on that matter. It was nothing like the exclusive bar with the exclusive booth she and Jacob frequented. But where was Jacob now? He was probably bending Gabby backward like a pretzel and eating her ass out. SHE could bend like a pretzel. Jacob had just never asked. What was wrong with a good missionary sex where she could rest her back on the bed and let Jacob do the work of thrusting in and out of her?

She said as much to Dana who guffawed and ordered another bottle of beer.

"Bring the whole tequila bottle please." when the bartender raised a concerned brow looking toward Dana for affirmation, Rachel raised her voice. "Hey, don't you know me? Rachel Rivers from the bloody celebrity tv show on ABN! I could buy the whole damn bar if I wanted to."

Beside her, Dana giggled. For a brief moment, she thought she caught the glimpse of a flash from Dana but she couldn't tell when her gaze was blurring and her head was beginning to hurt. Maybe she should cry, she thought to herself, maybe crying would ease the pain in her head. So she tried. Rachel tried to squeeze tears out of her eyes as the bartender dropped the transparent bottle of tequila in front of her. Nothing. Dry eyes like the desert ground of Death Island.

"How do you feel?" Dana inquired.

Sucking down almost half of the bottle without coming up for air, Rachel shrugged. "Like a woman who just caught her husband fucking a 17-year-old even though they have had 4 years of blissful marriage?" Dana laughed. "But you know what? Even I can fuck an under-aged child! Get me a teenager who hasn't even been weaned and watch me fuck the man out of him!"

Half the bar paid her no attention. She was drunk and so were the other patrons.

"Shh," said Dana, "You have a public image remember? Allen Brothers would not be pleased to hear their star reporter spewing bullshit in a bar."

"Well then fuck them!" Rachel leaned closer to Dana, her vision now very much distorted. She was swaying on the unsteady bar stool. "And fuck my public image, to hell with family values. Someone should choke morals and values morals right in the balls and give them a good tug because, morals? Values? Bullshit! Besides at this point in my life, what's the worst thing that could happen?"

But the worse thing did happen the morning after the drinking charade. Somehow Rachel had been able to drive to the little remodeled cottage getaway she and Jacob used for vacations when she couldn't be away from work without mishaps even though she did manage to take 2 wrong exits on the drive.

She was just waking up with the biggest hangover she had ever experienced in her life with her head heavy and begging for some painkillers. After downing a bottle of water and some orange juice she had sat down to respond to calls when her agent began to blow up her phone with numerous calls and messages. Finally, she picked.

"Where the hell have you been? Everyone has been trying to reach you!"

"Long story. I'm in the cottage."

"Have you seen today's episode of your show?"

"Celebrities, Lifestyle and Everything In-between? Larry, I'm at home, the show can't go on without me."

"Oh honey," his voice sounded pitiful. "Please stay away from your TV until I get there. I'll be there in 10."

Rachel stared at the phone while waiting tempted beyond anything to reach for the remote on the coffee table and turn the TV on. But somehow she resisted that temptation, falling only for the temptation of more wine.

Larry arrived in 9 minutes – Rachel counted – and after giving her a once over with a critical eye that told her exactly what he thought of her disheveled appearance, he went into the cottage living room and turned the TV on.

The first thing on the screen on the ABN channel was Dana's million-watt smile as she spoke to two guests seated on the sofa opposite her while they discussed the hottest news of the day: The Fall Of Rachel Rivers.

Dana was saying, "Let's roll that clip one more time."

The scene on the screen was a murky memory in her head. The bar, the bottle of tequila in her hand, and some tequila dribbling from her lips to the loose white blouse.

"Even I can fuck an under-aged child! Get me a teenager who hasn't even been weaned and watch me fuck the man out of him!"

Rachel's eyes widened suddenly as understanding dawned. The flash she had seen from Dana the night before was a camera flash as the backstabbing bitch recorded her drunken outburst. Dana who had laughed with her at the bar was secretly plotting her downfall.

"Jesus, Vivian," Dana was saying as soon as the clip ended. "Words from the mouth of Gem Hills' most successful TV personality. And that's not even the worst."

Vivian, an old has-been TV presenter now known for frequent engagement in every scandalous news ever was giggling behind her ugly old clawed hands. "It seems Miss Prim-Stockings is just as bad if not worse than the rest of us."

"Roll the next to clip, Gary."

"And fuck my public image, to hell with family values. Someone needs to choke morals and values morals right in the balls and give them a good tug because, morals? Values? Bullshit! Besides at this point in my life, what's the worst thing that could happen?"

Rachel gasped. It was getting worse. Even worse than the banging headache behind her eyes. She reached for the remote to mute the TV.

"Well?" Larry queried.

"Well what? Do you think I meant all that?! How was I supposed to know that slimy snake was recording me when I was wailing because my husband was fucking my fucking babysitter?!"

"Jacob?"

"Yes, Jacob! He was drilling Gabby's hole when I walked in on them yesterday! And you know what? He didn't even regret it. I was heartbroken okay? I just wanted to forget it happened and I went to drink with someone I thought was a friend who ended up backstabbing me. When did this happen anyway? Why didn't no one tell me before they put it on air?"

"According to Jim, Dana crashed the midnight news rerun to give them this juicy piece of gossip."

"And he let it go on air?"

"He wouldn't until he found out Dana had been given powers by the Allens to let it go on air, so here we are. Rachel," Larry spoke as if he was reprimanding a 2-year-old, "Why would you lose control of yourself this way."

"Because I was mad okay? I was in denial about what I just witnessed in the room I shared with my husband for 4 years. I didn't think Dana was going to leave me out to dry like this."

Still, her eyes were dry. Her head hurt and she was thirsty for more alcohol.

"I didn't know about the whole Jacob thing but from the looks of it, Dana must have had a clue and was plotting, waiting for this moment."

Of course, how else does one explain how she was replaced in her own show so soon? She should have seen through the bitch's happy-go-lucky charade that she was a rotten chameleon. Now that she thought about it Dana always made comments about how lucky she was to have her show and how she loved the way the audience adored her. She was smiling her million watts smile in her face while plotting behind her back. But this was Rachel Rivers, she had built her way from the ground up. She was dauntless. And she was going to get her job back. And some more wine.

As he was reading her mind, Larry said, "If you are thinking about what I think you are thinking, stop it. There are rumors in the office that Jacob is going to appear on today's segment in about 20 minutes to discuss this new side of Rachel Rivers that is sending shock waves through all of Gem Hills."

Rachel ignored the warning in his eyes. " 20 minutes yeah? That's enough for me."

The newspaper and magazine headlines were creative, Rachel would give them that much. With titles like: Rachel Rivers Runs Her Rivers Through Teen Valley, to Rivers Run Deep In Rachel Rivers Lies. Rachel couldn't ignore the newsstands as Larry's car crawled through the morning traffic.

People were talking about it, it was the biggest news – well it would be because everyone knew Rachel Rivers, the young sexy, and intelligent TV presenter who covered hot celebrity topics other journalists were too spineless to talk about in both papers and on set, asking difficult questions to trap immoral politicians and so-called self-made billionaires. If they were into illegal trades, Rachel knew how to trap them. She was a force to be reckoned with but that force was currently watching her face on popular magazines flash by as she drank soulfully from the bottle of wine in her hands.

To her utter horror, the parking lot and every other available space in front of the high-rise ABN channel building were clogged with reporters and cameramen waiting to get a glimpse of the disgraced Rachel Rivers. Stupid, pesky leeches. They will do anything for a little juicy gossip. And since her luck since walking into her husband and babysitter last night was still rotten, her story was the hottest news.

In front of the giant media building was the jumbotron mounted on the giant wall playing the live feed of the breakfast interview show, Dana was hosting in her place. Rachel scrunched her face. That bitch.

"...isn't it just pretentious of Rachel Rivers, the icon of integrity and a model for all of the housewives of Gem Hills sitting in front of their TV, to spew lies about family and love and values," Dana spoke through heavily glossed lips. That should have been Rachel on that suede sofa castigating whatever new celebrity had been caught misbehaving in public using her mean puns and extraordinarily advanced vocabulary to strip the flesh off their bones.

"I must say this is something no one saw coming..." another guest said.

"No one?" Dana queried. "Doesn't seem that way to me. From what I heard her husband who just might be an ex very soon has a lot to tell us about the other side of Rachel Rivers no one knew about." She turned to the camera, smiling like the ugly piranha she was. "Coincidentally, Jacob Henderson is here to tell us what more we need to know about her."

There was a round of applause among the skinny audience in the studio. Like the hungry reporters grappling for crumbs of gossip Rachel craned her neck to see Jacob walk into view looking as handsome and charismatic as the devil himself. The suit, shirt, and tie were gifts she had given him last month on his 29th birthday. He flashed a charming smile at the camera and at Dana who was preening her feathers like a peacock- or was that a peahen? Wait a peahen was ugly, wasn't it? That suited her better.

Larry dropped a hand on Rachel's hand feeling the tensed muscles in her hand.

"Whatever you are thinking – don't," he warned.

"I'm not thinking of doing anything..." except to murder a cheating lying son of a bitch and a fat lying, deceiving whale.

"In all of this, I gotta say that you Jacob are the biggest victim. I can't imagine what 4 years of marriage must have been with this huge secret..."

Rachel saw red. Without realizing what she was doing, she pushed the car door open, alerting the vulturous reporters and cameramen to her very shabby-looking self. Rachel didn't care that her hair was rough and knotted as she pushed through the crowd closing in on her. Larry was right behind her waving off the microphones and recorders thrust in his face. Every warning he tried to preach to Rachel fell deaf ears. She pushed past the security, running like her life depended on it – well her life, as well as her reputation, depended on it. Thundering feet of security men and women, silently cursing their second breakfast of doughnuts and coffee, echoed in the hall after her. Before anyone could stop her, Rachel pushed the studio door open, stumbling into equipment on her way to the main room where the show was still on air.

"You know, Dana, every family has secrets..." Jacob was graciously saying oblivious to the storm heading his way.

In the gallery were failed attempts to cut the cameras and opt for a commercial break. A few of Rachel's loyal friends who had questioned the sudden decision to replace her as the star of the show with Dana who they all hated but now secretly envied, moved to stop her but Rachel was beyond common sense now. Crashing into the center of the show where a stunned Dana, Jacob, and the two other guests looked up from their conversation of lies.

"How dare you?!" Rachel yelled. She swayed on her feet, a testament to the many glasses of wine she had drunk the previous day. Throwing herself on Jacob, she latched her fingers into the collar of his shirt and ripped it. Upstairs in the gallery, an order was given for all the cameras to be focused on her. The jumbotron outside and televisions in many homes displayed the raving madness of a desperate woman seeking to regain control of her life. She yelled nonsense at Jacob. Jacob attempted the save face by pretending to calm her down as if she was a deranged psychiatrist escapee. It infuriated her that he was the victim here and she the villain. "You fucking bastard?! Why don't you tell the whole fucking world how you were fucking..."

"A crazy person?" his voice drowned hers. He was frantically trying to save his own ass by sacrificing hers. "Because I loved you. I was trying my best to keep your secrets. You are crazy, Rachel."

Whirling on Dana who was already inching away out of the studio, she grabbed her by the hair. "And you backstabbing lying three-legged toad, I hope you're glad and you have all you've ever wanted!"

All over Gem Hills, anyone who cared – which was the majority of its population – tuned to the ABN channel to watch the downfall of star journalist Rachel Rivers. In a 48-floor building, a beautiful but harried-looking secretary with silky black hair excitedly switched on the television mounted on the wall after spending the last 5 minutes preparing her boss for his next meeting. He was heading downstairs now. But a few seconds later, before she realized it her boss was back because he got an urgent call on his office phone. He was staring at the television screen before she had the time to turn it off.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Madden," she stammered. "I will turn it off now." She fumbled for the remote. It fell and slipped under the table. She bent to pick it up when his voice stopped her.

"Wait. Leave it."

His dark gray eyes were fixed on the drama unfurling on the ABN channel. There was no emotion on his face. She could never tell what he was thinking, all she knew was he was the most gorgeous man alive and she was happy to work for him because he paid well.

Nate Madden watched the woman on the screen with the wild red curls that gave her chocolaty complexion an exotic look and smiled - though his secretary couldn't tell if it was a smile or a grimace.

Rachel Rivers.

She was the woman who had almost unwittingly ruined his reputation.