CHAPTER 26: ALL IS NOT WELL IN NEW YORK...NOT WELL AT ALL

LUTHER'S CONDO - EARLY EVENING

MASTER BEDROOM

LUTHER

I feel like I've been kicked in the gut!  I look at Bethany as she adjusts my tie with a pat to my cheek.

"Now come on Luther, stop pouting.  You fucked who you wanted and I fucked who I wanted. It's not as if we were exclusive."

"Yes but I told you who I was fucking!"  I snap.

"You chose to tell me, but I didn't chose to tell you."  She checks her lipstick one more time.  "Now come on we'll be late.  We're picking up Lindsay and Grady on the way."

"Why?"  I demand.

"Why I didn't tell you?  Why him?  Or why are we sharing a limo?"  She asks

"The first two..."  I demand sitting on the bed.  "I'm not moving until you tell me."

She puts her hands on her hips and rolls her eyes at me.  I hate it when people roll their eyes at me!

"Fine.  It was none of your business and as for why him, not sure.  But he wasn't bad for an old guy.  Satisfied?"

I choke back my gasp of indignation. He's 4 years younger than me!

"Does Evelyn know?"  I growl.

"Of course she does.  Now can we just go and have a good evening?"

"How is she happy with this?!"

"Why are you not?"  Bethany's tone is sharp.  "You've been fucking three people at the same time, one of whom was your daughter-in-law and that was on and off for 20 years. You don't have the right to jealousy."

"I am not jealous!"  I snap and stand quickly.  "Let's go, we'll continue this conversation later."

"Luther you are being ridiculous..."

"I said later.  Now let's go, you wouldn't want to be late for your fuck buddy's anniversary dinner."

I stride passed her and feel her heated gaze burning into my back.  As I sit in the car and brood, I think about her with Copthorne. He and I will have to have words.

COPTHORNE RESIDENCE - SATURDAY EVENING

EVELYN

Here I am surrounded by the great and the good of New York high society and the judicial system and think to myself; girl you've done well; there's something to be said for turning a blind eye.

40 years, we've been together for 40 years.  He's a good man, apart from his wandering eye, but that just means he leaves me the hell alone.  Don't get me wrong, part of me does love him and definitely loves the lifestyle but it's not the same as the love I had for...

"Evelyn, sweetheart you're looking fierce!"  Bethany strides over to me smiling but clearly not happy and I watch Luther wince.

"Bethany!"  I trill and lean in to kiss her cheek.  "What's happened?"  I whisper.

"Tell you later."  She whispers back.

"Ah Lindsay and Grady, how lovely to see you.  Lindsay, I'm so glad you chose the blue instead of the ivory.  Help yourselves to champagne. Ah, more guests to greet."

ELIAS

Now who's that pretty piece that has just walked in with Bethany and Luther?  Time to introduce myself.

"Luther!  My good friend and Bethany, you are looking radiant.  And who is this triumph of beauty?"

Luther shakes his head.  "Not that she's not, but triumph of beauty? Really Elias, where did you get that one from?  And has it ever worked for you?"

I'm taken aback by his tone but choose not to react to it outwardly.  "Elias Copthorne and you are?"

"Lindsay, Lindsay Peterson and this is..."

JOSHUA SMALLING

Now I know what the expression on Carrie's face was for!  Holy fuck Lindsay Peterson is here. Please oh pretty please God don't let her be with Novotny!

"We are leaving!"  Carrie hisses and I nod.  "Childcare emergency?"  Again I nod.

As we make our way to the door we both let out the breath we've been holding in relief, but I pause when I hear the end of a conversation.

"...yeah and we need to talk about the little business of Taylor Electronics. It's in Pittsburgh, run by Craig Taylor.  Going to get it off him next week, not sure what to do with it.  Can't wait to get back on that board. Little ZeeWee's face is going to be a picture!"

I quickly find my way over to Carrie who is about to make our excuses to Evelyn.  "Darling, it's fine. Everything is fine.  False alarm!"  I tell her.  "We'll be staying, can you excuse us?"

Evelyn nods and continues to greet her guests.

"What are you doing?"  She whispers at me.

"Hunting, now let's go and say hello to Lindsay."

"What?  Why?"

"I'll explain later.  Gird your inner WASP and come on."

We quickly find her in the arms of a man- okay that's new- and make our way over.

"Lindsay?  Lindsay Peterson?"  Carrie is in full WASP effect and I have to bite my lip at Lindsay's expression. "I thought it was you.  How are you?  You are looking well.  Haven't seen you around in ages. Last time I heard you were in Canada."

"Carrie, Joshua how lovely to see you again.  Yes we moved from Canada to New York. The art scene is better here obviously."  She replies.  "Let me introduce my companions for this evening.  This is Grady Holster and Bethany Daniels.  Bethany, Grady this is Carrie and Joshua Smelling..."

"And lovely to meet you both."  Lindsay frowns when she doesn't correct her.  "Grady you know you look familiar. I'm trying to place you.  Don't worry it will come to me.  Oh I know who you remind me, Gifford Rice, the actor."

"Do I?  Nice.  Would you like some champagne?"  Grady asks snagging a glass and I have to look away when he hands it to Carrie and not Lindsay.

"So what brings you here?"  I ask.

"I know Evelyn via Bethany.  And I know Grady via MoMA..."

"You are a couple?"  I ask.

"It's very new but yes we are."  Lindsay simpers almost gluing herself to Grady's side.

"Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen dinner is served."  Elias calls out.

"Why didn't you correct her when she mispronounced our surname?"  I whisper.

"Because that would acknowledge the slight.  And one thing that pisses a WASP off is when an attack is ignored."

"So many rules."  I mutter.

She kisses me tenderly.  "And I know them all."

LINDSAY

This is heaven.  The only fly in the ointment has been the appearance of Joshua and Carrie, and her overt flirting with Grady. How does Joshua put up with that?   I would never conduct myself in such a way.

There have been some heartfelt speeches and the evening is winding down.

"Excuse me Grady, I'm just going to powder my nose."

"Uh huh.  So Carrie this massage thing you do, can you do something about my back? I slipped a disc and it's not been right since..."

I sigh and stand up and then I hear a rip and gasp.  Looking down I see that I had caught my dress under Grady's chair and now there is a sizeable hole in the dress.

"Oh my; what's happened?"  Bethany is immediately at my side.  "Grady for goodness sake, get out of your chair!"

"What?  Why?"  He grouses and then looks down.  "Oh sorry Lindsay."

He lifts his chair and I pull my dress free, my face flushed with embarrassment.  Evelyn comes over and grimaces.

"Come with me.  Darling there's been a dress emergency, won't be long."  She calls out to him and he acknowledges her with a raise of his glass.

"No honestly I'll just get it fixed when..."

"No you don't get this kind of dress fixed.  If we're lucky we can get it restyled but fixed no.  Now come along, let's see what we can do for now."

As I'm led away by Evelyn and Bethany, I notice that Grady immediately went back to talking to Carrie but then smirk when Joshua swats his arm from the back of her chair.

LOWER DRESSING ROOM

EVELYN

Oh that's bad.   "Beth can you hold the edges together and we'll see what we're dealing with? Lindsay you just need to keep still."

Bethany grimaces along with Lindsay, this is not bad; this is a definite restyle.  After looking through some drawers I scowl.  

"Be right back!"  I call out and make my way quickly back to the dining room.

"Uh Elias, a word please."  I tug him to a quiet corner.  "Where's the glue that we used for your tie?"

"Ah it's in my office, think it's on the filing cabinet.  Sorry, I had to borrow it again and didn't..."

"Put it back as usual.  I despair of you."  I give him a small smile and head to his office.

I smile at my guests as I head to his office and look round

Despite what he says it's not on the filing cabinet. In fact, it's not in his office at all.  I sigh and am about to go back and get him to find it when I spot it on the floor in his small bathroom.

"Men!"  I mutter crossly.

I close the door a bit to check my make-up and am about to leave when I hear his office door shut.

"I don't appreciate being dragged out of my party Luther. What's this pout about?"

"You fucked Bethany!"

"Yes so what about it?"

"Bethany is mine!  You don't fuck where I eat Elias!"

"Fucked as in past tense.  Luther she ended it with me to be with you.  Nobody is bent out of shape about this but you.  She wouldn't come back despite Evelyn asking her...you're who she wants."

"Still you knew she was mine!"

"Luther do you hear yourself?  She's not property, she's a person!  One with free will and like Evelyn knows the score."

"Oh really?  Does Evelyn know everything about her perfect life?"

"Now be careful Luther..."

"I take it she doesn't then?"  Luther's voice takes on a smug tone.  "How do you think she'll feel when she finds out that you've been using her late lover's name to bankroll her lifestyle...?"

"Luther..."

"Does Evelyn know you know?"

"Of course not.  I just couldn't believe it when you told me, my stepdad of all people. He was a nothing; a nobody! I have power and influence but she stepped out on me!"

"Now you know how I feel about you and Bethany..."

"Not the same thing.  If I had been fucking Talon, I could understand the angst but Bethany come on."

"Like I said how do you think she will feel?"

"The same way your family will feel about you using your dead son's name to bankroll your lifestyle."

"How did..."  Luther stammers.

"Now we both know where we stand..."  Elias's tone is glacial.  "Let's get back to the party and neither of us shall speak of this again."

I wait for a few minutes, my hands trembling before plastering a smile on my face and heading back to the dressing room to fix Lindsay's dress.

LUTHER'S NO. 2 CONDO - SUNDAY AFTERNOON

MICHAEL

I had hoped that Lindsay was joking about Grady but no he's actually moving in.

"Lindsay can we please talk about this?"

"No Michael.  Grady is moving in and that's final.  Now excuse me."

I head to the kitchen to find Grady in there, drinking my juice...from the carton.

"Hey!  I know where those lips have been so either use a glass or buy your own juice!"

"Michael!"  Bethany's voice surprises me and I cringe, hoping it's just her but Lindsay is behind her looking hurt and embarrassed.

"Uh Lindz...it was a..."  I stammer.

She shakes of her head.  "No, once again you meant it.  You need to cancel whatever bids you have and move the money to the account.  Now."

"Come here baby."  Grady coos at her and I almost bring up my breakfast.

"Let me help you with that Michael."  Bethany holds the door open and I walk out. I'm about to head to the basement, when she stops me.

"We'll do it here."  She opens the lower office door and waves me inside.

"Logon to your eBay account first and cancel the bids."  She orders me.

"Look you are nothing but..."

"Your landlord remember?"  She cuts me off.

I logon to my account and start to cancel the bids as she taps on her phone.  "You missed one."  She points out and I grind my teeth in frustration.

Twenty minutes later the money is transferred.

"I don't understand you."

"I like the simple things in life and..."

"You're not prepared to better yourself.  You just want to coast through life like everyone owes you everything and you sit back and take."

"And what about you? You're no better than me."  I counter.

"Oh so you have a business marketing degree hidden somewhere up your ass?"

I blink at her.

"No you don't.  But I do.  I could go out and get a job just like that and earn more in a month than you could in six!  This is why you will always be meek and obedient despite your vicious tongue.  You have to back down in the face of an argument that threatens your standard of living; I do not.  Sure I might have to slum it in my 3 bed apartment in Williamsburg but at least I won't be in a cardboard box should my ass be kicked to the curb."

I stomp downstairs to the basement and switch on the TV before I hear Lindsay calling my name.

"Down here, in my little cave away from being..."

"$9000 Michael?  You had $9000 worth of bids pending?"  She demands.

"How did...Bethany!  That..."

"Michael how could you do this?"  She asks quietly.

"Lindz come on.  I've always done this.  You know me, better, I thought than..."

"Were you going to tell me?"  She glares at me.  "The money is for us to live on Michael...before you say anything else, know this.  We, and I mean we, need to get jobs.  I can't believe you were going to do..."

"And what about you? What are you going to be doing?"  I bitch at her.  "I mean apart from fucking Grady like some cheap whore who is..."

The slap across my face stuns me more for the action itself than the pain it caused.

"Get a job Michael and then find somewhere else to live."

She walks out without a backward glance.

I rub my cheek and then brace myself for her caveman boyfriend but he doesn't come down.

Four hours later, after watching The Incredibles and Wolverine again, I head upstairs.

The house is quiet.  I head upstairs to the bathroom to check my face. There's no bruising.

When I come downstairs Lindsay is just coming back in.

"Lindz."

"We've discussed it and you have until Thanksgiving Michael and then we want you out."

"We?!"  I take a steadying breath, this is not blowing over like I thought it would.  "Okay I deserved the slap for what I said but come on..."

"Until Thanksgiving."  She repeats.

"I can have you arrested for assault!"  I spit at her.

"Go ahead Michael."  She looks at me like never before.  "We'd have to go to the station together.  And by the time we come back the locks will be changed!"

"Bethany and Grady have changed you and not for the better!"  I snarl.

"You called me a cunt and a whore and was lying to me...quiet!"  She spits.  "It was you who changed me.  I never realised until I was on the receiving end how much of a leech you are!

"Oh please don't play the wounded princess with me.  We both did what we needed to do to get what we wanted!  And it's not as if I was the only one that lied!"

"What did I lie about, to you, what did I lie about?"  She balls her fists in fury.

"I can't think of one right now.  But it's not a lie, it's..."

"By not telling me you lied.  And another thing, are you paying the full repayment amount back to Brian and Justin or the reduced amount but told me you were paying the full...oh my God you are aren't you?! You've been paying the reduced amount!"

"Lindz you said we had to save money..."

"Thanksgiving Michael.  And not a day later."

KINNETIC - THURSDAY AFTERNOON

CONFERENCE ROOM

BRIAN

Justin, Josh and I are in the conference room with Zander on the VC and Zee and Faal on the phone in silence having heard what Josh overheard at the party.

"Zan, I have...stop that...an idea!"  Zee breaks the silence.  "Ask for a goodwill gesture in advance of the deal."

We hear a slap and then a guffaw from Faal.  I shake my head.

"Guys focus!"  Justin berates them whilst grinning.

"Like what Zee?"  Zan asks and we all just stare at him and there's silence on the phone.

"You did not just ask me that?"

"Oh the store!  Got it and...oh sweet...then I give it to Justin."

"Thanks for catching up Tortoise..."  Zee teases.

"So are we done here?  Some of us have a multi-million dollar business to run."

"Yeah we're done."  Zan hangs up and Joshua heads out.

My phone beeps.  "Fuck!"

"What's wrong now?"  Justin asks as he wraps his arms round me.

"They're only one fuck behind.  Check your phone."

COPTHORNE RESIDENCE - FRIDAY MORNING

EVELYN

I can't believe that he has done this and all through jealousy because that what it is!  Oh it was okay for him to fuck everything that moves but for me to have one, just one affair, oh no that's not okay.  Well he's not using him anymore.

He seems to forget that I was brought up with money and more importantly know to be careful with it.  So walking away from this is no hardship for me, but he is going to pay and pay you shall Elias, pay you shall.

You both will.