Thank you for your continued interest in this story. I sincerely appreciate it.
Standard disclaimer.
Inside Will Shuester's office, Sam Evans was fit to be tied.
"Fucking hell!" he shouted, as he watched Mercedes Jones, sashay to her car and get in. She was the damnedest woman he has ever met.
Worse yet, she intended to ruin him financially, by meddling at the Lily, thereby cutting into his business.
He watched her drive away, head held high and looking straight ahead.
She reminded him of his aunt. Very pretty and as stubborn as an army mule.
"Sue, this is some joke you've played on me."
Or had she?
He'd like to believe, Sue Sylvester had really expected the school-marm, to accept the money and never find out that she was the Madam of the most successful bordello in all east Texas.
Right now, he was a little miffed at Sue.
He believed in his heart, that she could have left him in a better position.
They were good friends, or so he thought.
Will shook his head and took a shot.
"You think there's anything to that old rumor, about Sue hiding money in the hotel?" Sam made an exasperated sigh.
"She's never said anything to me. Who knows what she did with her profits? For all I know, she put it in a bank in Beaumont, or Dallas, to fund a home for stray cats."
"No, some of it funded…" Will started to say something and then seemed to think better of it. "You're right about one thing, Sam. I never saw such a stubborn woman. Wait 'til the local boys hear about her plans. There'll be more hell raised than the alligator did, when the lake went dry."
"She ain't gonna reform the girls," Sam gritted, as he returned to the window, to watch Miss Jones driving down the street, posture straight and high.
Inside, he wasn't so sure, though.
Besides being a stubborn pain in the ass, Miss Jones seemed like a very determined and opinionated woman. Worse yet, she had morals and principals and hadn't turned into a giggling, swooning idiot, who went to mush when he smiled at her.
Will stood up.
"I'd better not tell the boys at the pinochle game just yet. We don't want the whole male population to go into panic." Sam blew out a breath.
"Don't tell them, because it ain't gonna happen. I'm in charge of the Lily and if Prissy Jones thinks anything different, she'll find out Sam Evans ain't a man to be messed with."
"She's beginning to get under your skin." Will said.
"Hell no!" Sam growled. I'm not gonna give her another thought. She ain't that pretty and she's too smart for a woman."
He realized he'd lied, and he sounded totally sexist, but he didn't give a damn at the moment. He was angry.
As the two departed the office, Will said,
"I don't envy you, my boy…after having to deal with that stern old maid."
"I may just strangle her," Sam thought out loud.
"They'd throw you in jail."
"Not if the jury meet her," Sam said, and then, "They'd probably give me a medal...you know what? I bet I could make it so miserable for her at the Lily, she won't want to stay. In the meantime, I'd better get a locksmith or get to changing those locks myself."
"Luke will be at the game," Will reminded him.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Well, tell him to come over tonight, or first thing tomorrow. I ain't about to have anyone in town think I might want to get into that old maid's drawers. I got a reputation to uphold. I'll see you later, Will."
He went out and swung into his sleek ride, then drove away, towards the hotel at the end of the street.
As he neared it, he saw Sherwin, the goat, munching day-lilies and grass, near that damned birdbath.
Why would Sue have thought he'd want that old thing? No, she definitely played a joke on him. And to think, he'd given her that diamond lily pin for her birthday.
He drove to the back of the Lily, instead of the front and went in through the back door.
He walked into the backroom and stood, studying the open balcony over the big gambling room.
The railing where Sue had fallen through, had been repaired.
It was strange. How could she had fallen?
She's walked that balcony thousands of times.
But the hall light had been off.
Maybe the bulb had gone and she tripped in the dim light.
Even as he stood there, he could remember looking up when she'd screamed, and saw her coming down, to hit the billiard table.
She might've been okay, except her head caught the eight ball.
Rotten luck!
Sam remembered scrambling to his feet and rushing to the table, but there was nothing that could be done.
Immediately, the girls and the customers had run out of the upstairs rooms, to peer over the balcony, screaming and asking what had happened.
Sam had even thought he'd seen that damned Lieutenant among them, although he wasn't certain. But if so, it meant the Lieutenant must have sneaked in, because the Texas Lily had been off limits to that twerp, after Sam had caught him cheating at card games, plus he had welshed on a number of gambling debts.
And now, Sam was going to have to deal with Sue's niece.
The Lily was quiet this Sunday afternoon, with the girls probably napping in their rooms, Sam thought.
The ironclad schoolteacher had indeed given him a headache.
He went behind the bar, and poured himself a stiff drink, which was unusual for him.
He seldom drank, because he was certain it affected his poker game, but since meeting her, he's been reaching for a bottle, as though it was a lifeline.
"Miss Jones could drive Reverend Lovejoy to drink," he dryly said to himself, as he sipped from his glass.
What was he going to do?
He had to get rid of her, but he wasn't sure how to accomplish that.
She wouldn't sell out, and she didn't want to buy him out.
"A woman with principles," he snorted and leaned against the bar. "I'm not used to dealing with that."
He rubbed his chin, his mind going.
And now, she was moving in.
Even the thought made him cringe.
Yes, there had to be a way he could annoy her so much, she would pack up and leave town.
"Not likely," he surmised. Miss Jones seemed as determined, as any female he'd ever met. "You can say that again," he grumbled under his breath.
If he couldn't drive her away, what else could he do? He thought about it for a long moment, then smiled.
"Okay, so she's a pain in the ass, and stubborn. But she's a woman, ain't she? There's my answer."
Sam knew he could play women like the strings on a fiddle.
He'd certainly used his skills on enough females.
He's left a trail of broken hearts across the Lone Star state. Not that he did anything underhanded, he was always up-front, telling the girl at the time, he would not be tied down.
That message always acted like a red flag to a bull, but they charged in, determined to hog-tie him and put a wedding ring on his finger.
There had been one beauty after another, but none had taken his heart and none never would.
He was a Texan by choice, to the core and he valued his freedom and independence. Besides, why buy the cow, when he could always get free milk?
He sipped his drink, smiled, and began to make plans.
Maybe, even a stern, prissy schoolteacher from Lima, could be vulnerable to his virile male charm.
"When hell freezes over," he grumbled. Miss Jones seemed too smart, or too strait-laced, to fall for a man's wiles.
But then, she had never been charmed by the champion ladies' man, Sam Evans.
He wandered towards his downstairs bedroom.
He heard the girls laughing and talking upstairs. Although pretty and very talented on the mattress, suddenly they seemed stupid and inane to him, and he'd had them all.
None of them offered a challenge like the quick-witted school teacher.
He winced at the thought of bedding her. She was too short and not pretty at all, he lied to himself.
"Well, she is, but…it's that damn, plain no-nonsense bun. But, after a few drinks, all women are beauties...even with a plain bun," he muttered to himself.
If she'd just keep that educated mouth of hers shut, while he made love to her…but that was highly unlikely, he thought.
He's almost certain, she's never been kissed, but she'd still try to instruct him on how to do it, if given the chance.
He plopped down on his favorite chair in his room and grinned.
"Alright, Miss Jones, you have thrown down the gauntlet to the biggest ladies' man in east Texas. If I can't buy you out, maybe I can charm you out of your share of the Texas Lily."
For just a moment, he thought that, it really wasn't fair or gallant to seduce an innocent woman. Then he thought about how she'll probably wreck his business, if he didn't get her out of town.
If only she was more approachable, it would make the task much easier.
"Yes, my dear lady, if you dare go toe-to-toe with me, you may find yourself losing your virginity and losing your share of the Lily."
He shuddered again, picturing her with that severe bun and the no-nonsense look on her face. He had no doubt he could charm her drawers off her. The question was, could he stand to bed her?
"Anything to save the Texas Lily," he promised himself and he meant it.
Mercedes had driven away from the lawyer's office gritting her teeth. That damn man, Evans, he thought he was so smart and so sure of himself.
Just by the way he'd looked at her, told her, he thought he was God's gift to women.
Not that Mercedes knew that much about men.
Her stern, cold mother, had been very strict and now Mercedes understood why. She must've been afraid her only daughter might turn out like Aunt Sue.
Mercedes had never been to a ball, or any fancy gala…hardly a party, and out to dinner a handful of times…although, one of her young students had taught her to dance.
Not many young men had called to court her, or show her that much attention, anyway.
The two or three who had acted even slightly interested, when she was younger, had been run off by her strict mother.
After that, her mother had gotten sicker and every spare moment was dedicated to her care, leaving Mercedes no time for a social life.
By the time her mother had died, Mercedes had resigned herself to teaching other people's kids and never having one of her own.
Her life had been planned in a long, dull line, with no surprises.
Until Aunt Sue's will, which had now turned her life upside down.
What to do?
She had no one to ask, really.
She drove down the street and back to the motel.
Inside, she met Miss Osbourn, who gave her a warm smile, as she was dealing with a customer.
A few minutes later, there was a knock and Mercedes went to the door to answer it.
She was met by the clerk, smiling with a pitcher of iced tea and two glasses on a tray.
"Thought you might need a little liquid energy."
"Thanks. That's very kind of you."
"Aww, it's nothing honey. I can't stay long, I have a slightly busy evening."
"That's fine."
"So, how did it go?" Mercedes inhaled and exhaled. "Oh, dear! It's the gambler, isn't it?" Mercedes frowned.
"He's such a…rascal," she said.
"I told you he was a charming rascal. I gather the two of you couldn't come to an agreement?"
Mercedes sipped her iced tea.
She briefly wondered if Sam Evans was playing pinochle with Will and the others.
"He's being completely unreasonable."
"So, what do you intend to do?"
"It seems as though we're at loggerheads. I refuse to accept his offer. The morality of accepting the wages of sin, seems to…"
"You're thinking about closing the Lily?" The clerk asked wide-eyed. And then, "I'm sorry for prying. I'm just thinking of economics. After all, if it were to close, the local cowboys would have to ride to another town and those poor truck drivers…"
"Would take up more wholesome pastimes, like playing darts, or watching a game…or even joining a weekly nature hike…like the one I intend to put on," Mercedes earnestly threw in. She went on,
"I've given this a lot of thought and I'm nothing, if not decisive…headstrong, my mother used to call me."
"Just the thing every guy dream of…a stubborn, headstrong woman," the clerk snorted.
"Well, I beg to differ, I think I'm a more resolute, decisive woman."
"Good for you, honey." Mercedes placed her glass down.
"As I said before, I've given this much thought, and I honestly believe, there is only one thing left for me to do...move into the Lily and reform those poor, unfortunate girls..."
"What?"
"I mean it. My aunt has left me some money and I am a teacher. Along with music, I am quite versed in grammar and etiquette. I believe I can lead those girls to a better way of life and maybe…find them respectable jobs or even husbands."
"You're brave. Good for you. That's something the ladies of this town have long hoped for. And that will give the more respectable local girls, a chance to gain the interest of the young guys and neighboring ranchers."
"In addition to reforming those girls, I need to clean up, or close that sinful establishment. This might be my destiny."
"Hip! Hip! Hooray! A toast to you, brave lady." Mercedes smiled as the two clinked their glasses together. "What does Sam think about this…your plans?"
"Don't ask," Mercedes said and sighed. And then, "Nevertheless, I cannot do anything about how that…he…operates his part of the hotel, but I can do something about closing down the upstairs," she finished, with renewed determination.
"Well, hurray for you. I think every respectable woman in the county, will want a statue of you, in front of the courthouse," the clerk smirked, and then threw in, "And every man will want you hanged and quartered in effigy."
Mercedes threw her head back and laughed, long and hard, provoking the same reaction from her new found friend.
Well, the battle is on between Sam and Mercedes, winner takes all. Much love to you.