Frederick's Crises

By Rhonda Austin

Frederick a high achiever who, despite his success in business, struggles to achieve happiness. Through his friendship with a man whose life he saved and the birth of his son he is finally able to find contentment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jan 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781528998932

Rhonda Austin

Rhonda Austin is a retired teacher living on the Mornington Peninsula. She writes stories about strong professional women who find their soulmates. Her favourite pastimes are walking her dog Chrissy along the beach and spending time with her grand children.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Helpful Frederick

Frederick sat at his computer and stared out the big paned window watching the ant-like people scurrying about their business. He was contemplating his future as the CEO of Gaming Pros; he was bored with running the company. He needed a new challenge. Something was missing from his life, he couldn’t quite figure out what. As a high achiever, he was always planning new ventures, he needed to be challenged. The Gaming Pros business he started in his 20s, now ran itself, his half share interest in the Bellnoir had become routine, he sat contemplating what he could do to enrich his life.

Watching from his perch, above the street each day exactly at one-thirty, he observed ’a man emerge from the Pennington Avionics building. Striding confidently, he would walk toward the laneway leading to the river bank. Each day he watched as the man’s posture, and overall presentation changed, today he was huddled over, wrapping a black scarf around his neck, he almost stumbled toward the laneway. Sensing the man was in distress; he quickly donned a coat and scarf, and, hurried after the disappearing figure. Sitting on a bench seat, staring blankly at the murky water, head in his hands Frederick found the man.

Hi? Mate, can I sit here and enjoy this magnificent view?

The man looked up, his eyes glazed as he replied,

Isn’t the river calming? It is sliding by, just like my worthless life.

Frederick realised this man was distressed. Looking at his dishevelled appearance and blank stares, Frederick worried about the man’s mental health.

Do you need to talk to someone? I’m a good listener.

The man’s glazed eyes, registering Frederick’s presence.

I’m not much company, my life is a mess.

There’s a café in the next laneway, it serves the best coffee and cream cakes! Shall we go have a treat?

Together, two strangers walked toward the café. Over a hot coffee, the man chatted openly with Frederick. He told him of feeling ashamed and isolated, how he had been deceived, by a woman, who feigned love to gain his trust then brutally cast him aside, attempting to blackmail him. Over the next few weeks, the men developed a binding friendship. Eventually, the man introduced himself as Warrick Pennington, the CEO of Pennington Avionics. He talked about the woman who had destroyed his life and left him emotionally vulnerable and depressed, how he had watched the river, and contemplated suicide.

I wanted to sink into its murky depths, forget my shame. That day you found me, I was going to end it all. Constance was charming and persuasive, I thought I had found my soul mate, but she only wanted the status and money, my wealth could bring her. I was fooled by her demeanour. He told Fredrick, who listened without passing judgement.

He let Warrick vent his anger; slowly Warrick began to trust Frederick. Each day they walked, talked and drank coffee. After several weeks, Warrick had gone from depressed to angry, using his wealth he set a private detective to create a dossier on Constance Weatherall, he found she had several aliases’ and had conned several wealthy men in three states of Australia.

She attaches herself to lonely, vulnerable men and uses something to blackmail them. With me, it had been my kinky sexual desires, he told Frederick.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by your kinky sexual desires?

Lowering his head, Warrick mumbled, I want to be the boss in the bedroom; I want to control what the woman feels. Sometimes I like to restrain a woman while I pleasure her.

Frederick replied, You think that is a kinky sexual desire.

That woman tried to blackmail me, she threatened to go public about what I wanted to do to her in the bedroom, as CEO of Pennington Avionics, it would have caused my company’s shares to fall. She said my desires were kinky. I never hurt her, nor would I ever hurt a woman, but I need to control everything in the bedroom.

Frederick asked, Do you know the meaning of the terms Dom and BDSM?

No, I don’t. I have heard the terms, of course, but I have spent my life building my company into an internationally famous one.

Frederick could understand Warrick’s driving force; he shared it in his development of Games Pro.

Will you accompany me somewhere tonight? It will help you understand the terms, as well as your feelings.

Chapter 2

Frederick the Teacher

An anxious Warrick met Frederick at a place called Bellnoir; he was totally unaware of what type of establishment he was entering. A petite blonde, whose name tag said Gretchen, offered to take