AWLL 2 - Book 6 - Samantha

June 18, 1992, Chicago, Illinois

"Steve!" Michelle gasped. "You wouldn't! You didn't!"

I turned to see Michelle, who was almost right behind me, wearing a pained expression that told me she believed Samantha's accusation.

"No, I didn't!" I said testily. "I swear I didn't! Lisa Glass put the moves on me, and I shut her down, hard. I don't know why Samantha thinks I did it, but I have a sneaking suspicion."

"Steve, come inside," Kara said.

I went into the house with Kara, with Michelle following right behind us.

"Did you see the phone message I told you about? It was from Lisa Glass."

"No. When did she call?"

"About ten minutes before you arrived home."

That meant she probably called the office, and they'd said I'd left. I now had a VERY good idea of what had happened.

"That bitch!" I growled. "I bet you anything she's behind this."

"You didn't?" Kara asked.

"No!" I snapped. "I absolutely did not! As I said to Michelle, I turned Lisa down. Flat. Two times! I need to call Samantha's house and see if I can get her to call me when she gets home."

I went to my study with Kara and Michelle tagging along behind me. I dialed Samantha's number, and Les answered.

"Spurgeon Residence," he said.

"Les, it's Steve Adams. I need to speak to Samantha right away."

"Mr. Adams, she left explicit instructions that I was to inform you to never call here again. I'll need you to return the gate transmitter by mail. It's been deactivated."

"Les, she's been lied to!"

"Apparently so. I have my instructions. Good day."

He hung up.

"Son of a bitch!" I swore.

"What?" Kara asked.

"He said that Samantha gave instructions that I was to be told to never call there again. The only way I'm going to ever fix this is through Lisa. Which is, of course, what she wants!"

"What do you mean?" Michelle asked.

"She'll try to extract a price. And if I know her, I know what it will be. It will be a cold day in Hell before she gets what she's after. Two can play the same game, and I'm better at it."

"What ARE you talking about?" Michelle asked.

"Maybe it would be better if this happened behind closed doors," Kara said. "Michelle, come with me, please."

Michelle looked at me. I knew that Kara understood exactly what Lisa was going to ask for and had a good idea how I'd fight back. And it was better if Michelle didn't have to hear it.

"I think Kara's right," I said. "Please?"

Michelle nodded and left with Kara, who closed the door behind them. I took a couple of deep breaths, and then looked up Lisa's number in my address book. Unsurprisingly, I was put right through when I asked for her.

"Hi, Steve!" she said sweetly.

"Don't give me that sweet voice, Lisa. I know what you did, and you're going to fix it. Now!"

"Whatever are you talking about?" she asked, in obviously feigned innocence.

"Stop with the bullshit! You told Samantha that we slept together. It's a lie. You know it. I know it. And you're going to tell her."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Is that so? Well, then you can call Samantha and tell her that whoever told her we slept together is a liar, which will also resolve the problem."

"And why would I do that?" she asked.

"Seriously? You have to ask that question?"

"If I do this, I want something in return," she said, her tone of voice making implication clear.

"The Stanley Cup Finals will be played in Hell before you get what you're angling for."

"Then I'm sorry to say that your relationship with Samantha is over."

"No, it's not, and you're going to fix it."

"Why would I possibly do that?"

"Because if you don't, I'll tell John everything we did! In explicit detail! Remember my threat when you came on to me?"

"He'll never believe it!"

"He doesn't have to. If you deny it to him, then you'll deny it to Samantha. Because if you refuse to deny it to Samantha, then John will believe it happened. And when I said detail, I meant detail. Mouth. Pussy. Ass. Cum all over your face and breasts. Like...a whore!"

At the last second, I'd stopped myself from saying, 'Like the cheap whore you really are!'

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me! You need to fix this. And you need to fix it now! I don't care if you have to get on a fucking plane to Monaco, you're going to solve this problem. You also have to apologize to Samantha in front of me. Or I tell John. Decide. You have thirty seconds."

"You wouldn't dare!" she repeated.

"Oh yes, I would. If you don't do what I just said, my next call is to John. And then to your dad to cancel the deal. And then to Jeri, who will believe ME. And then she and I will put an end to this once and for all. Do you hear me? Do not FUCK with me on this, Lisa! Fifteen seconds."

"You'd cancel the deal over a stupid piece of ass?"

"You just keep digging deeper. Decide. Are you going to fix it, or do I call John? Ten seconds until I hang up."

Silence. I was just about to put the handset down when she spoke.

"Fine. I'll tell her I made it up. But this isn't the end between you and me, you little prick."

"I think you might want to ask Margaret Lundgren about messing with me. She tried, and I wound up on the Board of her Foundation. That should tell you who won. Make the call."

"OK. OK. I'll call the silly cunt right now."

"I expect to hear from her tonight, Lisa. Do you hear me?"

"Shit!" she swore, slamming down the phone.

All I could do now was wait. If Samantha went straight home, it would be another ninety minutes at least before she arrived home due to rush hour traffic. She was supposed to leave for Monaco in the morning around 11:00am. My family was supposed to leave for Iron Mountain around 7:00am. I knew Samantha and Lisa both had my home and cellular phone numbers, so I could get a call from Samantha even if we'd left for our vacation.

That made me wonder about why Samantha didn't have a cellular phone. Obviously, money was no object, and coverage areas had grown significantly. It dawned on me that I didn't know if any of the 'society' types had mobile phones. I pushed that thought out of my mind and got up from my desk and went to find Kara and Michelle. They were in the sunroom, and I asked Kara to come to my study with me. Michelle certainly did NOT need to hear what I was going to say to Kara.

"Exactly as I expected. She implied, strongly, that I could solve this by sleeping with her."

"How does that solve anything?" Kara asked, incredulous. "Doesn't it just play right into her hands?"

"Of course it does! Then she CAN hold it over me. It's stupid, and I'm starting to believe Lisa isn't very smart. I told her in no uncertain terms that she needed to fix this, and right away. If she doesn't, then I'm calling her fiancé and telling him that it DID happen. According to Jeri, he has no clue Lisa cheats on him."

"And here I was worried that Samantha was the problem! This Lisa seems unbalanced!"

"She's too used to getting her own way. Think Samantha, but without Samantha's innate sweetness."

"How did you know that about Samantha?" Kara asked.

"From the time we spent together riding horses that first day before we had sex. She's spoiled rotten, but inside is a wonderful young woman just waiting to get out. Lisa is what Becky would have become if I hadn't befriended her again when I came to Chicago. One secondary reason I confessed to you was so Becky couldn't hold it over my head."

"An interesting parallel. What do you think would have happened if you hadn't told me about being with Becky?"

"That, for the rest of her life, Becky would have used the threat of telling you about my cheating to get what she wanted from me. And I never would have been able to escape without wrecking everything. That's what Lisa wants. She'd marry John and have her flings on the side, with me stuck doing everything she wanted or risk her telling you or Jess or Samantha. Or the threat of telling Samantha's dad, or whomever.

"Lisa's power comes from the guys cheating and not wanting to risk making her mad and having her tell their wives or girlfriends. That's why Samantha doesn't have that kind of power over me. And why Becky would have. It's cheating that's the issue. And that's the reason I tell you and Jessica everything. I will never, ever, be with anyone that I couldn't tell you about. I did that with Becky twice. I'm pretty dense, so it took me time to learn that lesson."

"Yes, you are. But I'm glad you learned. What are you going to do if she doesn't come back?"

I sighed, "I don't want to think about that right now."

The phone on my desk rang, and I jumped. I grabbed the handsets.

"Hello?" I said breathlessly.

"Steve? This is Noel Spurgeon."

He sounded pissed. Extremely pissed.

"I do not know what you did to my daughter, and I probably don't want to know. Les told you not to call the house, and I'm telling you not to try to contact her in any way."

"Sir, if I could explain."

"No. I'm saying this directly. You are to have no contact of any kind with her. Is that understood?"

"Sir..."

"IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?"

"Yes."

The call was disconnected at that point. I slowly returned the handset to the cradle.

"It just got worse," I sighed. "That was Samantha's dad. He forbade me from having any contact with her. She's only seventeen, so he can probably make that stick."

"Hopefully, Lisa will talk to her," Kara said. "And fix this."

"I hope so," I said, my voice full of the sadness I was feeling.

"Steve, don't get into one of your depressed moods. Let's go play with the kids. That always gets you out of the dumps."

"Sure," I said, not meaning it.

We went to the sunroom, and I did my best to keep from sinking lower, but as the minutes wore on and I heard nothing, I felt more and more lost. When it was past the time Samantha should have arrived home, I excused myself and went to my study and locked myself in. I sat in one of the leather wingback chairs and stared at the bookshelves. Ten minutes later there was a knock at the door.

"Steve?" Bethany called out. "Let me in, please."

I sighed deeply and got up and unlocked the door. Bethany came in and shut the door behind her.

"Will you talk to me?" she asked.

"About what?" I sighed. "About some bitch who decided to ruin my life because she doesn't have one?"

"Kara said it's only been about two hours. Don't lose control of yourself. Give it a bit of time. Samantha may not have gone straight home, or not called Lisa back because she's angry, or a host of other possibilities."

"And if it can't be fixed?"

"Then you'll go on," Bethany said firmly. "You have wives and children and friends and a Sweetheart who all love you."

"I know, but..."

"Wait here. I need reinforcements."

She left and was back a minute later. I couldn't help but smile.

"Daddy, don't be sad!" Birgit said.

She came over, climbed in my lap, and put her lips up. I bent down, and she kissed my cheek.

"Love Daddy!" she said.

"I love you, too, Pumpkin."

"Mommy said you have to smile! I want you to smile!"

I didn't feel like smiling, but Birgit could always cheer me up. I smiled for her.

"Much better," Bethany said.

"You realize this doesn't fix anything," I said.

"No, but I remember what happened the last time you had a serious bout of depression."

"Nothing good," I sighed.

We had dinner and celebrated Michael's third birthday with cake and ice cream. He opened his presents and we cleaned up, but there was still no call from Samantha. I wondered if I should try to call Lisa, but I didn't have her home number. I had Alec's, but the last thing I wanted to do was involve him. It was bad enough that Noel Spurgeon was involved. There was one other person I could call. I dialed the number.

"I have a big problem," I said when Jeri answered.

"What?"

"Lisa lied to Samantha and said that I had sex with her. Samantha came here, made the accusation, and then sped away in her car. When I tried to call her at home, I was told never to call again. Then Samantha's dad called and told me never to have any contact with her. I confronted Lisa and threatened to tell John if she didn't make things right with Samantha. I haven't heard from either of them since."

"I'm so sorry! Please don't do anything else. Let me make some calls."

"Thanks. And I mean it about telling John. I will call him tomorrow if this isn't resolved."

"Let me see what I can do," Jeri said.

"Call me anytime, no matter how late. I'll be out between 9:40pm and 10:20pm to get Jess, but I'll have my cell phone with me."

"OK."

I didn't hear from Jeri, Lisa, or Samantha before it was time to go get Jessica. Kara and I walked quietly to the hospital, and Jessica came out just as we arrived.

"What's wrong, Tiger?" Jessica asked immediately.

I told her. And broke down in tears. Jessica and Kara put their arms around me and held me while I cried. The anger and frustration had just overpowered me when I told Jessica. Once again, Fate had messed with me. But this time, Fate had a face. I was angry that I'd lost control of a situation because I wasn't allowed to give my side of the story. It was maddeningly frustrating.

About five minutes later, I stepped back. Jess handed me a tissue from her purse, and I wiped my eyes and blew my nose. I tossed the tissue in the trash, and we began a slow walk home.

"Bethany is worried he's slipping into depression," Kara said. "Even Birgit couldn't really cheer him up."

"Let's get him home, have a sauna, and get a good night's sleep," Jessica replied.

I let them take me home, and lead me to the sauna. It helped me relax, but didn't improve my mood. After the sauna and a shower, we had some lemon tea. Jeri finally called back just after 11:00pm.

"I couldn't get in touch with either of them. I tried both their places, as well as John's apartment and Alec's house. Nobody was home except Alec, and he hasn't seen Lisa since she left work today."

"Les didn't answer the phone at Samantha's house?"

"No. He drives Samantha's dad most places, so that might explain it. I'll try again first thing tomorrow morning."

"Thanks," I said.

I hung up and my wives and I went up to bed.

"Now what?" Kara asked as we snuggled.

"If I don't hear by 9:00am, I call John."

"And for now, we sleep," Jessica said.

June 19, 1992, Benton Harbor, Michigan, and beyond

"Are you SURE?" Jessica asked.

"Yes. Get the kids to the restroom while I make two phone calls."

My first call was to the office to get John's phone number. Kimmy could get it for me from our customer records because Hart-Lincoln used NIKA's legal software. I thanked her, hung up, then dialed the law firm.

"John Lentz, please," I asked.

I was connected right away.

"John, this is Steve Adams," I said.

"Hi, Steve. What can do for you?"

"I'm sorry to be the one that tells you this, but Lisa has been cheating on you. She came on to me, and when I rejected her, she told Samantha Spurgeon that we'd slept together."

"What?!"

"I'm dead serious. Samantha won't talk to me. Noel Spurgeon told me not to have any contact with her. Lisa admitted to me that she'd lied to Samantha. And John, I have to tell you Lisa did hit on me; multiple times. I know she's been cheating on you. She even bragged about it."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Do you think I'd lie and upset Alec at this point? With everything he's done for me? And upset you? Who works for a customer of mine? What advantage would I gain by doing that? I'm probably cutting my own throat by telling you, but I think you need to know."

"Son of a bitch!" he swore.

"I'm really sorry, John. I'm heading out of town, but if you need to get in touch with me, call Kimmy Bradford in my office and tell her it's urgent. She'll know how to reach me."

"OK," he said, sounding very distant.

I hung up and went to use the restroom myself. When I came back, the girls were getting the kids back into the minivan and the cars. Once they'd done that, the four of us stood in front of the minivan.

"What did you tell him?" Elyse said.

"Not what I'd planned at first. I decided to simply tell him she'd come on to me and that she was cheating on him. Telling him I had sex with her was a sure way to make an enemy. This way, I might, just, save my relationship with Alec."

"And Samantha?" Kara asked.

"I think Lisa called my bluff and didn't call Samantha. And I don't know what I can do if Lisa doesn't tell Samantha the truth. I'm certainly open to ideas."

"Maybe Samantha will calm down while she's in Europe, and when she comes home, perhaps Jeri can talk to her?"

"That would probably be the best outcome at this point," I sighed. "But she could just as easily fume for two weeks and be even more upset. It sucks."

"Kara, do you mind if I ride with Steve?" Jessica asked.

"No. I think that would be a very good idea. Let's switch kids and give you Ashley and Stephie. That will allow for more conversation than the two boys will."

"That makes sense," I said, "though Jesse and Nicholas might protest."

The boys did object, but Kara and Jessica ignored the protest and switched the kids around. Five minutes later we were back on the road heading north.

"I'm sorry this fell apart, and you got hurt," Jessica said.

"I know," I sighed. "All because some stupid rich girl couldn't have what she wanted."

"Are you going to be OK?"

"I suppose. I was really starting to care for Samantha. You know, my way. I actually hate it for her more than for myself."

"Because you saw that beautiful person inside her?" Jessica asked.

"Yes, and now she's going to think everything I told her is a lie and become exactly what Lisa is."

"I think that's it!"

"What?"

"Lisa was jealous of what Samantha had with you and set out to wreck it in whatever way she could. You turned out to have too much integrity, so she had to lie about it. Her problem is that you're fearless and willing to risk the real estate deal and a client over this. And you don't care about status or even your seat on the Foundation's Board."

"I told Lisa I'd cancel the deal if she didn't fix it," I said. "I guess she didn't believe me."

"Are you going to cancel it?"

"No, I don't think so. I think I'll wait for her next move. Can you imagine if she goes to Daddy and tells him to cancel the deal? I suspect she'll have a much bigger problem."

"John calling off the wedding?"

"In his situation, I certainly would. When I talked to Kara last night, I pointed out that getting men to cheat is what gained Lisa power over them. But I won't cheat. That's why I tell you and Kara about every single girl."

"What about your promise to Samantha?"

"What about it?" I snapped. "Sorry. We're going to be in Iron Mountain for a week. I'll worry about it when we get home."

"What about Jodie?"

"What about Jodie? You, Kara, and Elyse all teased me mercilessly about her last year. Heck, Elyse teased me a couple of months later! And you all teased me a little bit when she came to Chicago. Why?"

"It was pretty clear when we were in Iron Mountain she wanted you. And I believe you wanted her. So it was fun to tease you."

"And the bet you made? I didn't forget about THAT! Mind telling me what it was?"

"I suppose it doesn't matter now. It was whether or not you'd take her to bed when she came to Chicago, or not until we came back to Iron Mountain, or if you'd make a special trip. The problem was, by the time she actually made her campus visits, you had your agreement with Samantha."

"Jess, I wouldn't violate the rules, so nobody could win that bet, and if someone bet I wouldn't be with Jodie, they were effectively cheating."

"She knew that rule," Jessica said quietly.

"How the hell did she know that rule?" I spat.

"Please don't be upset, but Elyse told her when we were in Michigan last time."

"And just why would she do that?" I asked with a groan.

"Because Jodie asked about your situation last year! That first day when she talked to us, while we were walking behind you, she was very curious. Elyse laughed and told her the rules. It was kind of a joke, but then when she called the cabin and flirted with you, we realized it wasn't a joke. We were a bit surprised she didn't get in touch with you sooner. When she finally did, you had Samantha, so you wouldn't even think about it."

"Wonderful," I sighed. "But that does explain why she didn't seriously come on to me when she asked me if I wanted to see her horse."

Jessica giggled, "I suppose there aren't too many etchings on a farm in Iron Mountain!"

I laughed, "Good one! And you made me laugh, despite my mood."

"Maybe Jodie is just what the doctor ordered," Jessica said. "Something to take your mind off your troubles. Without going crazy because you're depressed."

"I'm not going to go off the deep end," I said.

"Well, the option is likely going to be there if you want it. I believe you called her a smoking hot, red-haired, green-eyed, athletic farmer's daughter with small breasts! Just your type."

"And you three think it's a good idea to encourage girls to come after me like Jennifer and Melanie did?"

"We didn't encourage her, Tiger. She asked us about the relationship. And seriously, Elyse told her the rules in a teasing way. Nobody pushed her. And I'm not pushing you; I'm saying you have permission."

"I thought I didn't NEED permission," I said.

"You think you do, given everything that's happened since you had serious talks with Michelle, Gina, and Doctor Mercer."

"Can we just drop this, please?"

"Sure. Sorry. I probably should have just kept quiet about it."

We rode in silence for about thirty minutes before my cell phone rang.

"Steve, this is Kimmy. I have a message from Lisa Glass. She said it's urgent you call her about the new building. She said there's a major problem that needs your immediate attention."

"OK. Did she leave a number?"

"Yes. Let me give it to you."

"Hang on, you can give it to Jess. I'm driving."

I handed the phone to Jessica and asked her to write down the number. She got a pen and pad of paper from the glove box and wrote down the number, then, with a nod from me, thanked Kimmy and hung up. I asked her to dial the number for me, and she did, handing me the phone when it started to ring.

"Steve Adams," I said when she answered.

"You asshole!" she growled. "You piece of shit!"

"I warned you not to fuck with me, Lisa. I TOLD you what would happen if Samantha didn't call me. You didn't listen, and now you're suffering the consequences. How does it feel with the shoe on the other foot?"

"You need to call John back and tell him it was a lie!"

I laughed, hard, "You are completely out of your mind! I told the truth. You lied. Did he break off the engagement?"

"Yes, you asshole! You are going to fix this! Now!"

"Fix what? I told the truth. You lied. I gave you a chance to fix it. You didn't."

"Your stupid little slut wouldn't take my call."

"Not my problem at this point. And stop calling her a slut!"

Lisa laughed, "She pulled that off? Oh my God! You are dumber than I thought! You're her fifth or sixth guy! She was TWELVE the first time! You are a total rube! Call John!"

I recoiled. Was what Lisa said possible? I didn't think so. Could Samantha have faked it? Actually, it WAS possible. I thought back to everything that had happened, and how good that first blowjob had been, for a first timer. How she'd seemed to be a natural. How she'd agreed to the 'Wonder Woman' treatment so quickly. How easily her dad had allowed me to stay with her. Had I been completely fooled? It was certainly possible, but I wasn't going to admit that to Lisa. If I ever got to talk to Samantha again, maybe I could get the truth. Or maybe not.

"More lies? Forget it. No chance."

"You stupid fool. You were taken in by her, and now you've fucked up my life!"

"No, Lisa, you fucked up your own life. Goodbye."

I snapped the phone shut and dropped it back into the center console.

"What did she say?"

"John called off the engagement. She wanted me to call him and tell him I lied."

"I saw your reaction to something she said. You turned pale, Tiger. What did she say?"

"That Samantha lied to me. That I was her fifth or sixth guy, and she lost her virginity at twelve. I don't know if Lisa is telling the truth or not. I don't trust her at all, obviously."

"Could it be true?"

"I suppose it could," I said. "I assumed her lack of a hymen was from years of horseback riding. The rest? I suppose it's easy enough to pretend to be innocent. I've had virgins who were fantastic despite having blood proof of their virginity. You for example."

"Fantastic? Me? You're making a comparison? You?"

"For you and you alone, Babe, this one time. Yes, you were FANTASTIC. I still remember that first time, sliding my rock-hard dick into your hot, wet, silky folds."

"Stop it," Jessica demanded. "Or I'll make you pull over!"

"Mommy kiss Daddy?" Stephie asked from the back seat.

"See what you did?" Jessica asked. "Even your two-year-old daughter knows!"

"Just be glad we put Jesse in the van with Kara!" I said.

"Memories of our wedding night seem to have put you in a better mood, at least for the moment."

"How could they not? I don't think I've ever had a more erotic experience in my life. And yes, that includes Fawn."

"Another comparison?"

"Today is a weird day all around."

"So what do you think?"

"I think I need to do my best to forget what's going on in Chicago and relax with you, Kara, and Elyse."

"Good decision."

We drove another thirty minutes before the phone rang again. It was Kimmy, again, this time saying that Alec Glass had called and that it was urgent. Once again, I had Jessica take the number and dial Alec's number for me.

"Steve, do you have any idea why my daughter was just in here demanding I rescind the deal with you and invoke the cancellation clause?"

I knew from the attorneys and CPAs that he needed this deal for his REIT, and given the timing, it was unlikely he'd be able to find and execute another deal, and the potential tax and legal implications for him were huge. I, in effect, had HIM over a barrel. I was surprised that Lisa hadn't realized what I'd just thought about.

"All I know is that Lisa had some kind of serious falling out with Samantha Spurgeon and is trying to take it out on me. I intend to follow through with the agreement I made with you. Business is business, after all."

"That's good to hear. Do you have any idea what the falling out was over?"

I did, but I couldn't tell him. I could, on the other hand, hide behind facts.

"Samantha is on her way to Monaco, so I can't talk to her to find out what actually happened. I called Jeri Lundgren, but she couldn't get in touch with either Lisa or Samantha. I'm in my car now on the way to Iron Mountain in the Upper Peninsula for a family vacation. I'm on my cell phone, and I'm going to lose signal soon."

"I won't keep you. I'm glad we don't have any issues."

"There are no issues between us. Thanks again for inviting me to see the Penguins win the Cup."

"Now that IS an issue between us," he laughed. "But you're welcome."

"Kimmy can get in touch with me at our place in Iron Mountain if you need anything. She should be able to handle most things."

"Thanks," he said and disconnected the call.

I snapped the phone shut and put it in the console again.

"It sounds like it's OK," Jessica said.

"Lisa miscalculated. Alec needs this deal for his REIT. It's complicated, but he'll take a huge tax hit and potentially run into significant legal trouble if he doesn't complete this deal. He didn't seem to know the engagement is off."

"So now what?"

"I bet you anything Lisa comes begging," I said. "Probably on Monday. She can't tell Daddy what happened."

"What if she claims she had sex with you?"

I shook my head, "I don't think she'll risk that. Think about it. That makes John the good guy and makes her the cheater."

"I think you're too good at this," Jessica said quietly.

"So do I," I agreed. "That's why I told Jeri I'm going to stay away from the social functions, at least for the Summer. I don't WANT to be good at this kind of thing. I do NOT want to turn into Lisa Glass or Margaret Lundgren."

"Will that work?"

"If not, either Margaret Lundgren will kick me off the board or I'll resign. I probably never should have accepted Jeri's offer."

"So quit."

"I gave my word," I said. "I'll only resign if she asks me to, or if I'm asked to do something unethical."

Jessica reached over and put her hand on my leg. I smiled, and we rode in silence until the next rest stop. We got the kids to the bathroom, changed diapers, then got back in the cars for the final leg to Iron Mountain. We arrived as scheduled, and were met by the leasing agent who gave us our keys and went on her way. We got the kids out of the cars and minivan, got our bags, and went inside.