Thank you for your continued interest in this story, the characters, especially Mercedes can be annoying and unbearable sometimes, but it will all come together.
Standard disclaimer.
Sam sighed for the umpteenth time, in the space of a few minutes. He got up and went to the window, to watch the dark haired, curvy woman, marching down the front steps and into the car she was driving.
"Lady, what am I gonna do about you?" he asked himself. Quinn came into the room, just then.
"You talking to somebody, Sam, honey?"
He turned to look at her. She had last night's lipstick smeared across her mouth and her neck looked dirty. She also reeked of stale tobacco.
Miss Jones had smelled of soap, flowers and some kind of fruity lotion. And her face had been shiny and clean…and scattered with freckles, rather undignified, for a strait-laced schoolteacher.
"Nah. Miss Jones just left." Quinn laughed.
"Ain't she a hoot, though? Short, curvy, homely and probably never had a man in her bed."
"You got that right," Sam said, watching the car go up the driveway. "But there ain't many girls that would go toe to toe with a man. She's as stubborn as I am."
Quinn leaned against his desk and gave him a provocative smile.
"I've got a good idea what to do with the afternoon," she said.
Sam was suddenly bored with her.
She was good at what she did, but he'd never get any interesting conversation or challenge out of her.
Was he loco? What man expected sass or interesting conversation out of a woman?
"No can do, Quinn" he winked and shook his head. "Miss prissy Jones wants a meeting with me and Will this afternoon. Maybe he can talk her into selling out."
"You couldn't?" she snorted. "This ain't like you, Sam, not to be able to charm a girl out of her drawers."
Sam didn't like having that rubbed in. He turned away from the window.
"I don't think that will work with her. She's smart and hard-headed." Quinn tried to slip her hands around Sam's neck, but he shook her off.
"Smart and hard-headed may be good things in a man, but that ain't what a guy is looking for in a woman, is it?" she asked.
"Hell no! She's my worst nightmare…a real woman who's as savvy as a man. Will has his work cut out for him on this deal. Maybe he can reason with her. But she's the most unreasonable woman, I've ever met."
He went outside and plopped down on the porch swing, trying to think.
He needed to call Will…better yet, he'll message him. He won't like his afternoon interrupted, but, it is what it is.
What is it gonna take, to rid myself of this short, thick, curvy, dark-haired pest? He wondered.
Mercedes returned to the motel to have her Sunday lunch.
Miss Osbourn was a great help. She had everything waiting and ready, out on the balcony, just as Mercedes entered.
"Thank you so much," she offered. Miss Osbourn flushed.
"Aww, it's nothin' honey. It's the least I can do. How did it go?" Mercedes explained her predicament.
"Well, we're supposed to meet with Will Shuester at four. I'm thinking to hire my own lawyer."
"Maybe. But I think Shuester will do right by you. I sympathize with you, though."
"Thank you. That Sam Evans…is such a scamp…"
"But a handsome one." Mercedes scowled. "Well, he is. Don't you think so?" Miss Osbourn pressed.
"He is," she grudgingly admitted.
In the back of her mind, she remembered the scoundrel's lopsided grin and the way his blonde hair fell over his pretty green eyes. He was dangerously appealing…to some women.
He was virile, broad shouldered, tall and had a whole harem of women at his beck and call, like some stallion.
She wondered suddenly, if he serviced them all. He probably did and was more than able to do so, too.
Her face burned. What was she thinking?
"Are you alright, honey? Your face look a little flushed," the clerk asked.
"I…I…the afternoon is so much warmer here, than in Lima," she stammered, whilst the clerk looked at her strangely.
"Well, there's no place hotter than Texas. Locals take pride in it," the clerk tossed in.
She droned on, but Mercedes' mind was racing again.
Seeing a wild stallion running free across the Texas prairie, a whole herd of mares running with him.
Some wild stallions were not meant to be tamed, or even controlled, she silently surmised.
"So, what do you think, sweetie?"
"What?" she started, embarrassed that she'd been thinking about a racing stallion, whilst ignoring the kind hostess before her.
"I said, if you can stick it, it'd be nice to have a fresh start…but I guess it depends on the kind of deal you strike."
"Uh…yes. That was my intention. Getting a fresh start and carving a new life for myself, here…until…"
"Well, if you think you can deal with that charming rascal…"
'He's more power, muscle and danger,' Mercedes thought.
"Do you think there's anything to the story, about gold being hidden in the Lily?" Miss Osbourn asked.
"I have no idea."
"If there is, you shouldn't sell out too cheaply. Evans might offer you more, just to get rid of you, so he'd have free rein at hunting the gold for himself."
"He did try his best to talk me into selling out to him," Mercedes admitted.
"Ha! I knew it! Watch yourself honey and remember what is said about him. He can charm a bird out of a tree."
"I seriously doubt that," Mercedes spat. And then, "I don't find him charming at all, only annoying."
After lunch, Mercedes went to her room to tidy up for her appointment at the lawyer's office. She re-combed her tight, severe bun and put a dab of perfume behind her ears.
Not that she thought she had any feminine wiles, to weaken Sam Evans' stubborn resolve, but she was hoping the lawyer might be swayed, and if he was, maybe he could sway that Texas scoundrel.
She needed every edge she could get.
She wasn't the average blonde, skinny beauty, but she believed herself to be just as beautiful. Plus, her mind was as sharp as any man's, or even sharper.
Unfortunately, men were swayed by big bosoms and rounded posteriors, not brains. But she had a healthy dose of both, so she wasn't worried.
She looked into the mirror and sighed. Then she took a deep breath of resolve, steeled herself and marched out the door.
At precisely four o'clock, Mercedes pulled her rental in front of Will Shuester's office.
There weren't many vehicles around. In fact, it seemed as if the whole town was napping or watching television on a warm Sunday afternoon.
A spotted hound lay out in the road, asleep and she marveled at that.
There was a sleek gold McLaren parked a car-length away. No doubt belonging to that gambling rascal.
'Of course, it would be gold…just like his hair,' she thought in annoyance. She could just see the fine leather seats on the interior, as she huffed and turned away.
She took a deep breath and went through the doors with the lettering, WILLIAM SHUESTER, ATTORNEY AT LAW.
A brown-haired man sat behind a cluttered desk and Sam Evans sat to one side.
Both had drinks in their hands, and both stood when she entered. She frowned at them.
"I thought this was a business meeting. Alcohol on a Sunday afternoon?"
"Miss Jones, I presume?" Will asked.
"Yes. My name is Mercedes Jones, Miss Sue Sylvester's niece."
"How do you do?" Will asked, gesturing towards a chair. She took the invitation and sat.
"I'm well, thank you."
"Would you like something to drink?"
"No thanks. I want my wits about me when I am conducting business." Sam snorted, but she ignored him. He sipped his drink and sighed.
"I told you what she was like, Will," he said. Mercedes glared at him and then turned her attention to the lawyer.
"I think you are guilty of subterfuge, sir."
"Subterfuge?" Sam started. "Tsk, tsk. Will, I knew you had sinned a lot, but I didn't know you had committed subterfuge," he finished and laughed.
Mercedes gritted her teeth, to hold in her temper. He was maddening. If she could get away with slapping him, she would.
"I meant…that Mr. Shuester misled me about what I was inheriting." Will fidgeted nervously.
"I'm really sorry about that, Miss Jones, but I just couldn't email a lady like yourself, telling her she had inherited a…well, you know." Sam snorted.
"If instead of being hard-headed, lady, you had accepted my offer, you would not have to know about this," Sam threw out.
"I'm not hard-headed. I give everything a lot of thought. I'm not a silly female who lets herself be ruled by whimsy and passion."
Her voice was cold enough to cause a blizzard.
Sam snorted once again and asked,
"Do you even know the meaning of the word?"
"I do. My dictionary says…"
"That's not what I meant, and you know it."
"You are a cad, sir. Now, do you know the meaning of that word?" Will looked at his watch and sighed.
"This is getting us nowhere, folks. They're holding up a game of pinochle for me…so we need to resolve this."
"If you can convince this stubborn, old maid…" Sam began.
"Hold up. How dare you? Who are you calling an old maid?" Mercedes snapped.
Mr. Shuester poured himself a drink and sat back, to watch the show. In his mind, he was saying,
'I can forget about a fast settlement. I wish I'd told the guys to start without me.'
Mercedes pulled a list from her purse and sat poised with a pencil. She directed her question at Sam.
"What do you own of the Lily, Mr. Evans?"
"We own the hotel jointly. It was once owned by a guy from New York, who came to Texas to make a livin' but went broke. I understand Sue bought it at a good price from him, more than ten years ago."
"Hmm. And what did you pay her for your share?"
"What business is that of yours?" He exhaled loudly and reached for the bottle of liquor.
"For your information, Mr. Evans, I'm trying to determine the hotel's value. I suspect Aunt Sue gave you a really good deal."
"Yes, she did." He grinned and went on. "Didn't anybody tell you I was charming?" Mercedes scowled.
"Somehow, that eludes me. How did the business operate?"
"I handled the saloon and the gambling downstairs. Sue kept the upstairs running. So, you've inherited the upstairs and the girls."
Mercedes felt the blood rush to her face.
"I do not intend to make my living off girls, who sell themselves to men."
"Miss Jones, you are giving me a headache."
"Are you sure it's not a hangover from last night's riotous living?"
"The headache's getting bigger by the minute."
He gulped his drink and looked beseechingly at the lawyer, who was sitting with an amused look on his face. Will looked directly at Mercedes and said,
"Miss Jones, I think Sam can be convinced, to offer you a little more than twenty thousand for your share…"
"Already tried," Sam said.
"Perhaps he might offer you a lot more…"
"Now wait just a damned minute!" Sam said and put his glass on the desk with a bang.
"Out of the question. I cannot accept dirty money that those girls have earned by…well, you know," Mercedes declared. She felt her face burn. Sam glared at her.
"Then, buy me out sister and you can do whatever you want with the place."
"I have considered that." She chewed the end of the pencil. "However, I'm not sure how much you'll be asking. If it's out of my reach, maybe I can pay you in installments…"
"No way, sister," Sam snapped. "In God we trust…all others pay cash." She thought about it for a moment.
"Very well...and I'm not your sister. If, as you say, I control the upstairs and the girls, I'm going to move in."
Will Shuester choked on his drink and burst into spasms of coughing, while Sam stood up so fast, his chair went over backwards.
"What the hell? You can't be serious," he shouted, giving her a steely green stare. She in turn gave him a steely brown one.
"Mr. Evans, swearing is the measure of a small vocabulary."
'Although I do it, too'. And then, 'Shut up!' she internally screamed at her thoughts.
"Lady, I believe you could make a saint swear."
"Which you definitely are not," she threw at him.
"I never claimed to be. Your aunt liked me just the way I am."
"We've already determined that my late aunt had questionable taste in lifestyles and men."
Sam turned a pleading look towards Will, who put down his glass and nervously pulled at his tie.
"Samuel, I think we need to have a chat. Can you give us a minute, Miss Jones? We won't be long, I promise."
Mercedes smiled, feeling as if she was in the catbird's seat.
"Certainly."
"But Will…" Sam started.
"Come on, let's go outside, Sam. We need to talk."
He grabbed Sam's arm and gently pulled him along, out front and closed the door.
Mercedes sat and waited, mildly amused at the angry voices and gesturing she could see through the office window.
After a while, the pair returned inside.
Sam slammed the door so hard, the glass rattled.
Both sat down.
Will leaned on his desk and smiled at her.
"My dear Miss Jones, Mister Evans has generously decided to…"
"I saw you almost twisting his arm out there. I think what he'd really like to do, is throttle me."
"Don't tempt me," Sam growled.
"Not now," Will said, making a soothing gesture. "This is getting us nowhere and I have a game I'd like to get to, before tomorrow night. Where was I?"
"My offer," Sam said, through gritted teeth.
"Oh, yes. Miss Jones, your partner, after much thought, has decided to offer you the very generous sum of forty thousand dollars for your share of the business."
Mercedes leaned back in the chair and smiled.
"No."
"Didn't you hear him? I'm offering more money?" Sam said, an edge to his voice.
"I heard. You seem very eager to be rid of me, Mr. Evans."
"Lady, you don't know the half of it." He reached for the bottle again.
"You'd better keep your head clear, or I might best you in this deal," she said.
"Miss Jones," Sam warned. "I have never been bested by a woman. Do not try my patience."
"Why not! You're trying mine."
"Now, now," Will said, gesturing frantically. "Let's keep our minds on the goal. That's a lot of money, Miss Jones."
"I know that. Mr. Evans seems too eager to get rid of me and there are rumors around, that my aunt hid large amounts of money, somewhere in the hotel."
Sam leaned back in his chair and groaned.
"That old story? Miss Jones, I live in that hotel and I've never…"
"I wouldn't expect you to level with me. If there's gold, or money, you'd want it for yourself. I heard my aunt didn't trust banks." Will cleared his throat audibly.
"Miss Jones, I was your aunt's lawyer and she's never said anything to me, about money hidden in the Texas Lily. Now, considering the faint possibility that there is, we can work out a contract, that if you sold out and Mr. Evans ever found such a treasure, you'd have prior claim…"
"Ha! You think I'd trust this sleazy rascal to let me know if he ever found anything?"
"Look lady, you don't know one damned thing about me," Sam all but shouted.
Will sighed and looked at his watch again. He looked put out and resigned to being there for the foreseeable future.
"She's right, Sam. You ain't exactly what the average person would call a model citizen."
"That was before, and you know that. I thought you were my friend, Will. There is no money hidden in that hotel. It's just an old tale. If there was, I'd like to think Sue would have told me or left it to somebody in her will."
Will shrugged apologetically and turned to Mercedes.
"He's got a point there, Miss Jones."
"I see we are getting nowhere," Mercedes said briskly. And then, "Mr. Shuester, I am a teacher, and I'm touched by the plight of those poor, unfortunate girls…"
"They ain't poor, Miss Jones," Will started. "Just Saturday night and on every Saturday night, there's a waiting line…"
"Mr. Shuester!" she shouted, feeling her face heat up.
"Or so, some of the men tell me," Will finished hastily and took out a handkerchief and wiped his face.
"Nevertheless, I feel duty bound to help them," Mercedes said. Sam looked puzzled.
"By doing what?"
"As I said before, I am a teacher. If those girls knew a little etiquette and could find their hidden talents, they could fit right into society."
Both men looked puzzled. She went on.
"I mean, they could find respectable jobs and probably get married."
"Married?" Sam said the word, as if speaking the name of some dreaded disease. "Who'd marry a wh…?"
"Mr. Evans," she said. "If I could reform the girls, they could find husbands and…"
"You mean," croaked Will. He swallowed hard. "Close the upstairs rooms at the Texas Lily?" He looked a bit faint.
"We will see," she said.
Both men jumped to their feet, their mouths hanging open.
"Speechless? This must be a first for both of you. Mr. Evans, if you will, get a locksmith to put a strong, new lock on my aunt's bedroom door, I will be grateful. I'm moving in tomorrow."
"Moving in? Tomorrow?" Sam asked, opening and closing his mouth, like a fish gasping for air.
"I said moving in, didn't I? How else am I to reform those unfortunate girls?"
"Fif…fifty thousand," Sam croaked. "I'll give you fifty thousand for your share."
"Save your money, Mr. Evans. I cannot be bought off."
"But you can't be serious about moving in?"
"Why do you doubt me? Aunt Sue also left me a little money. I intend to close down the brothel section and use my cash to benefit those girls."
"But that will affect business downstairs," Sam said. His voice rose. Now, it was her turn to smile.
"That is not my problem. Gambling and drinking are bad for your health and the community." Will turned pale. He said,
"Miss Jones, I think I can get the local men to make up a pot of about seventy thousand…"
"I cannot be bought. I only wanted to see how the deal would go. Good afternoon gentlemen." To Sam, she said, "Tell Carmen to set an extra place at dinner tomorrow."
Will Shuester was almost sobbing.
"Miss Jones, if you turn things upside down, there is no telling what the men who frequent the Texas Lily might…"
"Mr. Shuester, they might stay home with their wives and play games with their children. What this town needs, is another good hotel, not a brothel."
"Tell that to the soldiers and cowboys!" Sam seethed.
"You tell them, she snapped and then, "Remember the locksmith, won't you?"
"Suppose I don't?" She smiled at him.
"Then everyone in town will gossip, that you are lusting after the 'old maid' schoolteacher and is intending to take her virtue." Sam shuddered.
"I'll put that lock on the door myself, if I have to."
"Thank you. Good day, gentlemen."
With that, she sailed out of the office and got into her car, smiling to herself.
When she looked back at the glass window, the rascal was gesturing wildly, and the lawyer was running his hand through his thick hair.
She was going to save those unfortunate girls, after that, she had no plans, but if what she was doing annoyed Sam Evans, it was a very good thing.
So, the insufferable Mercedes has struck. What will it take, to get through to her?