by G H Edwards
Allen had talked to his spy several times and was told that Claire seemed genuine but naïve and that she was still in love with her husband but was moving on. He wanted to ask his source how Claire felt about him, but he thought that might sound too desperate and childish.
Now Claire was saying she wanted to have dinner with him and his wife. He felt again that she was pushing him back slightly or maybe she was just so naïve to not know he was interested in her. He smiled as he reread the message and thought that either way she had made him even more interested in her. He convinced himself that she was sending him a message inside the message. Allen loved this kind of thing, but what he loved more was to change the game. After impatiently waiting a few hours, he composed his text message:
Sounds nice, but you’re probably still unpacking, so why not have dinner at our place? Eight o’clock tonight would work.
CHAPTER 54
Claire was starting to find herself lost when she had to choose her own outfits. She was a little concerned she was starting to rely on Heather so much that she couldn’t even dress herself. But no matter what, she wasn’t going to tell Heather about the dinner—she didn’t want her acting even crazier that usual. She could imagine Heather making her wear a hidden camera.
Claire laid everything out on her large bed and debated which outfit would fit the evening. She wanted to look trustworthy, innocent, and wholesome but also attractive and not obtainable. It took her a long time, but she finally chose a thick knitted sweater and a short flowing skirt. She wondered if her attempt to look like two polar opposite people was a little too spot-on. It was one of the few times she wished she had Heather around.
She left her apartment to begin the short journey upstairs to Terry and Sharon’s top floor apartment. She carried the bottle of wine she had bought a few hours earlier. She had no idea what good wine looked like, so she went to a liquor store near her new block and simply bought the most expensive bottle on the shelf. It was still a new feeling for her to spend so much money on seemingly trivial things, but she knew it was an important gesture. She stepped from the elevator when it reached the top floor and was greeted by a short hallway with only one door at the end. It reminded her of Terry’s office. Her stomach was in knots as she walked to the door and knocked using the shiny silver door knocker. She half expected a slide to open and a person ask who rang that bell. She looked around while she nervously waited, noticing that in the hallway alone there were three cameras. She wondered who was watching the feed.
The locks were slid open, and Sharon appeared in the entryway. She was dressed in a tight-fitting dress that showed more skin than usual. It was the first time she remembered seeing Sharon looking more sexy than classy. Claire’s face flushed as she realized she had dressed like a child compared to her hostess. She now regretted not telling Heather about the evening.
“Claire, love!” Sharon said in a high-pitched voice that conveyed surprise. Stepping forward, she gave Claire a light hug and a kiss on each cheek. Claire could smell Sharon’s perfume, which smelled like elegant power. Sharon opened the door wide, motioning for Claire to enter. Claire stood in a large entryway with a striking white spiral staircase to the right; to the left was an enormous room with amazingly high ceilings. The huge room stunned Claire into silence; it was obviously the living area but was closer to the size of a basketball court. The walls were covered in old wood and built-in bookshelves that housed hundreds of books. Throughout the expansive space, a strange mixture of art was displayed on the walls. Against the back wall were several strange sculptures and displays that looked like an odd modern art gallery. In the center of the room stood two massive couches and a few large chairs, all forming a U shape around a brick fireplace. Above the fireplace was a large TV flanked on both sides by large windows that showed the setting sun. The room had a very collegiate, library feel, but the fire also made the place comfortable. Claire walked in, clearly overwhelmed by her surroundings.
“This is amazing. I’ve never seen so much wood in one place before,” Claire said.
“Yes wood is very hard to come by, but you know Terry… He can get anything he wants.”
“I think Michael would have really loved this place.”
Sharon smiled. “That makes sense. My husband decorated this room.”
“You didn’t do any of this?” Claire said, turning to her.
“No, he had the plans, and I let him have his way. I prefer a more modern style, but Terry said that he was surrounded by modern all day, so he wanted his home to be classic. I think this place looks like a place the Nazis used to plan out their attacks, but I digress,” Sharon said with a smile as she brushed Claire’s arm playfully.
“Is Sharon calling the sitting room haunted again?” Allen said, surprising Claire and Sharon as he walked down the staircase. He was wearing black slacks and a white-button up shirt with the top few buttons undone. He had clearly just come from the shower and smiled as he looked down on the women. He had his hair styled in a more relaxed way that made him look ten years younger. When he said hello from the staircase, Claire’s stomach knotted even more.
“No, I started with the Nazi reference. I was just about to move to the haunted part,” Sharon said with a laugh.
“Hello, Claire. You look lovely,” Allen said as he approached her for a kiss on the cheek. She could smell his wonderful oaky cologne. Her heart pounded so loud she was sure they could hear it.
“I’m guessing Sharon didn’t give you a proper tour,” he said with a smile and laugh.
“She was doing a great job,” Claire said. “The place was decorated by Nazi ghosts.”
“Very funny,” Allen said sarcastically as everyone laughed.
“I brought a bottle of wine for you,” Claire said handing the bottle over.
The couple examined the bottle like it was a rare sighting. They both smiled kindly and thanked her. She knew they weren’t used to receiving such poor gifts.
Sharon said she would get everyone some wine and disappeared into another room.
“I’m serious about always being around modern all day. Everything is steel and glass,” Allen said. “Yeah, it looks nice, but there’s nothing special about it. But my home, now this place is one of a kind. Wood is very hard to come by—that’s why everything is made of metal. But I was able to get this from around here. It’s totally unique; you’ll never see a place like this.”
“No doubt about that,” Claire said as she walked around, rubbing her hands across the smooth wood inlays in the walls. She stopped to examine a large painting hanging in an extravagant frame. The painting was of a massive city skyline, thick with towering buildings that lined a large body of water. Claire assumed without thinking that it was of Houston but looking closer she saw that there were buildings she had never seen and the layout of the city was nothing like Houston or Miami. She examined it in silent confusion for a few moments.
Allen had moved next to her. His shoulder was nearly touching hers. “I’m guessing you’re confused about the city?”
“Yeah, that’s not Houston, is it?”
“You have a good eye. It’s Chicago.”
“Really!”
“Yes, it used to hang in Chicago’s Public Library.”
“Wow, how did you get it?”
“Well, I can’t really say,” Allen said, “but let’s just say it was nearly impossible to get. Have you seen this?” He walked around Claire to a nearly life-sized sculpture standing in the back of the room. The sculpture was made of bronze and was of a man who wore what looked like a patchwork of animal furs. In one hand he held a long rifle and in the other was a fistful of dead beavers that dragged on the floor. The man was looking off into the distance at lands yet unexplored.
“This also is from Chicago. It’s Jolliet, the French fur trader who was thought to be the founder of the city. It used to sit in one of the biggest parks in their downtown area.”
In shock, Claire examined the large figure. “How i
n the world did you get this? It’s just amazing.”
Allen looked on with pride, “Again, I can’t say how I got it, but I’ll say it was even harder to get than the painting.”
“Have you been to Chicago?” Claire asked.
“When I was younger. It used to be a nice place, but like so many of the other cities, it fell apart.”
“You must have a connection to the city then,” Claire said, motioning toward the two pieces of art.
“Not particularly. The only place I still deal with is Denver. But this painting is from New York City,” Allen said, pointing toward a nearby portrait. It was of a man Claire had never seen—a large darker skinned man with a bald head. He wore a striking business suit and was leaning against a red leather chair. The subject was almost smiling but also had the look of a professional. Behind him were lines of books that looked like the room they were standing in.
“Who is this?” she asked.
“A former mayor of New York.”
“Oh, did you know him?”
“No.”
“Did your father?”
“Not that I know of.”
“So why do you have a portrait of him hanging in your living room?” Claire asked.
“Because of this, look,” Allen said, as he moved closer and pointed out a gold placard on the bottom center of the frame. It read, mayor kalab d. willman.
“This is from their city hall. You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to get this.”
“Wow, that just amazing,” Claire said, trying to sound impressed.
“Oh, no just wait. He hasn’t showed you his favorite thing yet,” Sharon said, emerging from the kitchen with three wineglasses.
“Hey, don’t ruin my fun,” Allen said jokingly as he took a wineglass.
The three of them clinked glasses together lightly. Claire took a sip of the wine and was pleasantly surprised that it had a light and fruity taste. The few times she had tasted wine, it had been strong and bitter.
“Do you like the wine?” Terry asked.
“Yes it’s very nice.”
“It’s from Los Angeles.”
Concerned, Claire paused and looked at the wine.
“Don’t worry. It’s safe.” Sharon said.
“Okay, now for my favorite thing,” Allen said without missing a beat. He turned and pointed to the far back wall. There, running along the floor, about half the height of Claire was a large, thick white strip. It that ran along the floor until it met the side wall, then it turned straight up and reached the ceiling “Do you recognize it?” Allen asked with a sly smile.
Claire had seen it when she walked in but didn’t recognize it. It was clearly not part of the wall but was attached to it. She looked along the entire length, trying to figure it out so she wouldn’t offend her hosts. When she stepped back she noticed it looked like a strangely shaped L. “Is it an L? Claire asked hoping she didn’t sound stupid.
“Yes!” Allen said, clapping his hands in triumph. “So where do you think it’s from?”
Claire shrugged in an overly obvious sign that she didn’t know.
“It’s the bottom half of one of the L’s that used to be on the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles. Can you believe that?” Allen said with an excitement he rarely displayed. His entire persona had changed since he had started talking about his collection. It was painfully obvious that he was immensely proud of not only his collection but also how hard it was to get.
“That’s impossible! Let me guess: you won’t tell me how you got it,” Claire said, acting overly impressed.
Allen laughed. “You’re catching on.”
“How did you even get it in here?” Claire inquired looking around at the doors.
“That took some planning.”
“He had the apartment built with the letter already in it,” Sharon said matter-of-factly. That did impress Claire. It reminded her just how big league these people were. “Why don’t we sit down and eat before dinner gets cold?” Sharon said, taking a large sip from her wineglass.
She led Claire and Terry out of the living room and through a door into the long dining area. Claire was again impressed when she entered the room. The two walls to her left and in front of her were entirely made of glass. They led to a large wraparound balcony that overlooked the most amazing view of both the bay and the Gulf that Claire had ever seen. Claire realized that because of where the building was built and its height, this might be the only unobstructed view of both bodies of water. And this apartment was on the top floor, so that meant that it was literally the best view in the city. Something in her brain reminded her of the extreme height of the building, but she was too busy to notice it. Along the other two walls were even more art displays that Claire hoped Allen wouldn’t want to explain. The table was long and lined with chairs and could have seated twenty. On the table was a beautiful display of food on very fine dishes.
“Wow, Sharon. This looks amazing.” Claire said sincerely.
“Oh, honey I didn’t cook this,” she said with a laugh that Allen also shared in. “Our cooks made it just before you arrived. Trust me, you don’t want me cooking.”
Claire smiled and laughed with them. She hadn’t seen anyone else in the apartment but realized that they probably had a team of people working here. She’d assumed there would be waiters or servants running around, but there weren’t any.
“Do you cook?” Allen asked.
“Yes. I don’t cook as often as I’d like, but I’m pretty good,”
The three sat down with Allen at the head of the table flanked by the two ladies. They ate, and Claire thought back to the lunch she had shared with Allen in his office. She wondered if Sharon knew about the time they’d spent together. But it was just a business lunch so why would she need to know. Claire wondered if Sharon would care if it really was more than just a lunch; she seemed very open and casual and she must have known that women chase after her husband. She suddenly felt bad for Sharon. Claire took a deep breath and reminded herself to focus on the night and get to the point.
CHAPTER 55
During the dinner, conversation wound through various topics like Claire’s background and recent television Claire’s latest interviews.
Suddenly switching topics, Allen asked, “So how do you like your new residence?”
Claire was happy to be back on a normal subject. “Oh, my gosh, it’s wonderful,” she replied after she finished her mouthful. “It’s so much nicer and more convenient than my old block.”
There was a locked silence as everyone in the room froze. It was clear that she had said something wrong.
Allen put down his fork. “I’m not a big fan of the term ‘block.’ I mean, you live here now. Is this residence in the shape of a block? No, it’s actually a cylindrical egg. I just find the term ‘block’ to be old-fashioned.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Claire said, embarrassed. “It’s just the term I grew up hearing.”
“Yes, of course it was. I mean, it was also the term my father used. Mainly because that’s how he built many of the early complexes, and he had no imagination. But luckily for everyone, I was able to fix that problem early on.” Allen flashed a smile at her. “But I’m very pleased you like your new complex, so a toast to you joining our little family.” He raised his glass.
The three touched glasses, and the sound of the contact was pure, like a silver bell.
As Claire finished her second glass of wine, she was finally getting comfortable enough to ask her first real question.
“Speaking of the complexes, the first day I was here, a lot of police officers were walking around. I thought it was a crime scene or something,” Claire said nonchalantly. The three of them laughed together. “Why do so many police officers live here? I mean, doesn’t the police commissioner also live a few floors down?”
“There are just a lot of police officers in the city, and they live all throughout the complexes,” Allen said proudly.
“I never saw a cop liv
ing in my old blo…complex,” Claire said catching herself.
Allen shrugged. “Well, I guess it’s the luck of the draw.”
“But it works out great for us,” Sharon said with a cheerful smile.
Claire laughed. “Do you only own the complexes or do you own other companies?” Claire asked, trying to sound casual.
“Well, I sit on the board of a few other companies around town. But it’s just boring business stuff,” Allen said, waving away the comment while gesturing to Sharon to fill his glass.
“I’ve always found business interesting,” Claire said bringing the conversation back.
“Oh, really!” Allen said with a smile, glancing at Sharon as she filled everyone’s glass.
“Yeah,” Claire said, feeling uneasy again. “Do you know much about hospitals and medical stuff?”
Allen’s smile disappeared. “Yes, I do some work with a few hospitals. Why do you ask Claire?” There was a bite of suspicion to his question.
“When Michael got sick it took us a long time to get an appointment. I was hoping to find someone who might be able to help find a better way to run the system. I mean, if he could have been seen earlier, maybe he could have lived longer.”
“Ah, I see. Well, I know a big problem is that there aren’t enough doctors to see all the patients,” Allen said, “and the other night when we all met, it was at a fundraiser to open a new hospital, so I think they’re working on it, but I can ask around if you’d like.”
“That would be great. Thank you,” Claire said.
“No problem. Is healthcare your main interest in business?” Allen asked.
“No. I’m really interested in all businesses,” she ventured. “There are so many out there—it’s just amazing they all can coexist.”
“It’s a busy system; that’s for sure. But the invisible hand keeps them alive.”