Alexander thought about it for a second and then nodded.
“I’m totally fine with that,” Alexander answered with a mischievous grin that spread across his features to completely transform his face from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other. “It’ll be Jenna giving you those arguments. I’m comfortable with her abilities to convince you.”
Nicholas and I exchanged a surprised look. We hadn’t actually thought of that. That could create a very interesting dynamic between us.
“I actually have a condition as well,” I said, and all the eyes in the room focused on me.
“What’s your condition?” Alexander asked skeptically. He regarded me seriously down the long bridge of his nose.
“My condition isn’t much,” I told him with a gentle smile. “It’s really just a small thing. All I want is for both of you to share with Nicholas and I any additional scandals that might suddenly upend our worlds again. Are there any other skeletons in your closets that you know about? I feel like it’s only fair to ask you to share them now.”
Nicholas reached out to grasp my hand as we awaited an answer.
“You got anything else you want to disclose to these two?” Alexander asked Richard with a raised eyebrow. “I have to say, I’m curious to hear the answer.”
Richard scowled at his brother.
“No. I don’t have anything else that needs to be disclosed during your due diligence process,” he said. “How about you Alexander? Any grand secrets you’d like to take a moment to reveal?”
Alexander smirked.
“Me?” Alexander asked innocently. “I’ve got nothing. I’m sure you’ve already realized that I just watch basketball all day and make trouble at board meetings.”
“So, have we all made our decisions?” Oliver asked anxiously, “Do we have a deal?”
Nicholas and I looked at one another and then around the room. Nicholas nodded at me and I smiled.
“Yes. I think we have a deal,” I said.
46
Nicholas
“God the eternal Father keep you in love with each other that the peace of Christ may dwell with you and abide always in your home,” the Bishop intoned seriously.
“Amen,” I answered with the assembled crowd.
The longest wedding mass of my life was almost over. It was lovely and meaningful and all that good stuff, but I was just about at the end of my patience. And my wonky, bandaged left hand was being extra uncooperative today. I’d already dropped the hymnal twice.
On my right, I could see my cousin Alexander III fidgeting irritably, and his father, Alexander II, fidgeting even more irritably to his right. To Jenna’s left, David was tapping his foot in boredom. Up at the front, even Nathan seemed to be shifting from foot to foot in discomfort. All the fidgeting was making me fidgety, too. This should have ended half an hour ago. I was vaguely jealous of my cousin-in-law Madison who left thirty minutes ago with her fussy infant (the predictably named Alexander IV).
Above us, even the stained-glass portraits of the saints looked like they were tired. In their defense, they had probably seen a lot of weddings. At least I’d be able to walk out of here when this was over.
“May you be blessed in your children and have solace in your friends and enjoy true peace with everyone,” the Bishop continued slowly, oblivious to my discomfort.
“Amen,” we said again, for about the one-billionth time.
“May you always bear witness in the world to God’s charity, so that the afflicted and the needy who have known your kindness may one day receive you thankfully into the eternal dwelling of God.”
“Amen,” the crowd said one more time. I could tell by the eager faces of the more devout wedding guests that we were almost done. A few people were darting hopeful glances at the exits.
“And may almighty God bless all of you, who are gathered here, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
“Amen,” the crowd said in relief. Even I knew that any invocation of the Trinity meant we were almost done.
“Go in peace to glorify the Lord with your life,” the Bishop finished.
“Thanks be to God,” the wedding guests said gratefully and erupted into applause. It was finally, finally over. Unfortunately, now three hundred people wanted to get out of the church all at once. A traffic jam instantly ensued.
“You did not adequately impress upon me how long this wedding was going to be,” Jenna hissed in my ear as we were waiting to get out of our pew, “I’m about to wet my pants. Are all Catholic weddings this long?”
I shook my head at her in disbelief.
“I either forgot how long wedding masses were or this one was especially florid,” I replied, “I’m really sorry.”
Hearing our conversation, Alexander III interjected. “Usually they don’t take an hour and a half. The Bishop just talks really slowly.”
Jenna’s need for a bathroom aside, she had been looking at Nathan and Zoey with affection throughout.
“It was a pretty wedding ceremony though,” she said, “didn’t you think so?”
I wanted to shrug but knew that wasn’t the reaction that Jenna was looking for. She clearly liked everything about weddings. I, on the other hand, found the ceremonies somewhat boring. I had discovered that I found full Catholic wedding masses to be particularly, tremendously boring.
“Yes,” I lied, “it was very nice.”
Alexander III snorted and turned it into an unconvincing cough. Jenna rolled her eyes at him and then looked at me indulgently. She patted my shoulder with a smile on her face.
“Don’t worry babe, it’s over. Now it’s all party,” she told me.
I couldn’t suppress my grin. Jenna never believed my bullshit. Her candidness was something I loved about her. She kept me honest.
Zoey and Nathan were officially married. Good for them.
Not having my dad at the wedding felt very strange. The sentencing hearing for him, Ryan Quin, Tom Ellis, and a small cadre of Skylark goons who’d also been charged was next week. For the present moment, my father was still under house arrest. His request to leave the Durant mansion to attend today’s wedding ceremony was denied by the stern presiding judge. I hoped it wasn’t an omen.
As soon as we were out of the pew, Jenna darted off in the direction of the nearest bathroom, leaving me in the dust. Without Jenna at my side, I felt exposed and vulnerable in the crowd. I hadn’t yet fully adapted to being in society again. Crowds still made me nervous—perhaps because of the nasty things that can pop out of them.
“Hello Nicholas,” Angelica Hunt said, sidling up to me as we made our collective way out of the church. She took my left arm, effectively trapping me since ripping my hand away would be painful as well as rude.
“Angelica,” I replied as politely as I could. I really had nothing to say to her and wondered what she could possibly have to say to me.
I felt the weight of her gaze on my face as we walked slowly with the crowd to exit the church. Maybe if I ignored her, she would just go away.
“You know, I was really looking forward to my own wedding in this church,” she said in a low voice that I actually was tempted to believe, “Richard and I were planning to get married in June.”
“Be glad that you aren’t going to marry my dad, Angelica,” I told her honestly, “I don’t think a jailhouse wedding would suit you. The catering wouldn’t be up to your usual standards.”
She flashed a smile at my words, but it faded quickly. I could only imagine what her family’s fall from grace had done to the shallow world of Angelica Hunt. The real world had finally caught up to the Ellis family. That being said, the only innocent person in that family was youngest daughter Clara Ellis. Angelica’s sister Clara had been unceremoniously dumped by her fiancé Jack, and Clara hadn’t been seen publically in a few weeks. The rumor mill reported that Jack hadn’t really been interested in Clara as much as he was marrying into a politically influential family. That had to be adding insult
to injury for poor Clara.
Meanwhile, Clara and Angelica’s mother Joanne Ellis was at a ‘health spa’ in Arizona. Everyone knew was just a nice way of saying she was in rehab again for her raging alcoholism. Tom Ellis was looking at several consecutive life sentences, and a tax inquiry into his finances had been initiated. There was a good chance the Ellis’ would lose everything.
Angelica had been under the microscope before during her murder trial, but she’d always been able to rely on her family’s power, money, and influence to help her. Now her own father rivaled her in the race to bottom of Philadelphia’s most infamous residents. Although Clara was probably the only member of the family that deserved my sympathy, it was difficult not to extend it to Angelica as well.
“This is such a lovely church,” Angelica said in my ear, “I was baptized here you know. I always thought I’d get married here. What about you? Don’t you want to get married here? Does seeing Nathan get married make you want to settle down?”
“Hmm,” I replied disinterestedly. I wasn’t about to talk to Angelica about my marriage prospects. Where was Jenna? I needed help. I looked around desperately for someone to free me from Angelica’s clutches. The last thing I needed was to be photographed with Angelica or to make a scene trying to get away from her. I was supposed to be announcing my Senate candidacy next week.
“Nicholas, you’re alive!” my cousin David exclaimed, coming up from behind me to hug me in a giant bear hug and cause Angelica to step back awkwardly. When she tried to regain control of my arm, David imposed his own body between us.
“Scram Angelica,” he said bluntly. His voice was low, but held no compromise or warmth whatsoever. David had never minded making a scene. “You know none of us thought you’d actually show up today. That was the only reason we didn’t rescind your invitation. We don’t want you here. Nathan told me to let you know that you aren’t invited to the reception. Security has been notified; they won’t be letting you in.”
Whether any of that was true or not, Angelica flushed and melted back into the crowd. I breathed a sigh of relief.
“If you’re going to go into politics, you need to get better at shutting down the Angelicas of the world,” David said to me with a wink.
David looked quite a bit different than the last time I’d seen him. Like Nathan had told me, David had indeed grown a beard. But more than his additional facial hair, David looked thinner and rangier than he had five years ago. Even in a tux, David managed to look a bit scruffy. It was a look that worked for him except for the dark circles under his eyes.
“You’re right and I appreciate the rescue,” I told him honestly. “We missed you at the rehearsal dinner last night.”
“Yeah, I feel really bad about that,” David said. His face betrayed his obvious annoyance. “My flight was delayed from LA. I was supposed to give a really embarrassing speech and everything. At least I still get to give my ‘best man’ toast.”
I could only imagine what David had planned for his brother. The two of them had a unique relationship. The fact that they got along swimmingly was one of the weirdest things about it. Although they were twins, there couldn’t be two more different human beings than Nathan and David.
“Where’s you date?” I asked David, and he grimaced.
“Date?” David repeated sarcastically, “I haven’t had the chance to do anything but work in months. Thank god the show launches next week. Preproduction has been hellish. Where’s your date?”
“I’m right here,” Jenna’s voice answered as she reappeared at my side, “Jenna Masters. Nice to meet you.”
David and Jenna shook hands and then I instantly reclaimed her by wrapping my arm around her waist. She’d been gone for too long. It was probably only actually about five minutes, but that was five minutes too long. She was wearing a long taupe silk dress that accentuated her fair skin and strawberry blonde hair, and I wondered if Zoey regretted inviting her because Jenna was easily the most beautiful woman here today.
“Congratulations on your ascension to CEO of Durant Industries,” David said seriously after the obligatory pleasantries were exchanged, and then grinned, “I’m glad I don’t have to do it. Of course, I’d also be miserable at it and bankrupt the company in about a week, but that’s beside the point. Congrats.”
David was honest to a fault. We were all glad David didn’t have to be CEO of Durant Industries. He’d barely graduated from high school and then flunked spectacularly out of college. He was actually extremely smart but wasn’t cut out for academic environments. David did much better when he could set his own priorities.
“Nicholas and I ate at your Italian restaurant last week,” Jenna was saying to David now as we continued the slow procession out of the church. “It was really excellent.”
“Thanks!” David replied happily. “Did you have the calamari? I just redid the recipe…”
I tuned their conversation about vegan Italian food out as I thought about that dinner with satisfaction. It had been wonderful. But not because of the food. The food was good—great actually, however, the real triumph of that dinner had been the fact that Jenna accepted the engagement ring I’d given her. We were keeping our engagement under wraps for the time being (Jenna contended that it would be tacky to announce it so close to Zoey and Nathan’s wedding), but I knew that Jenna had her ring on a long chain around her neck and that was good enough for me. As Jenna and David prattled on about the finer points of Italian cuisine, I kept my arm firmly twined around Jenna’s waist and admired my good fortune.
“Are you going to dance with me at the reception tonight?” Jenna whispered to me after David was summoned off by a photographer to take the wedding party photographs.
I nodded warily, and she grinned.
“But I’m not a very good dancer,” I warned her, “I have two left feet. My dad made me take lessons at the country club when I was a kid, but I never got any better. I apologize in advance if I step on your feet.”
Jenna smiled at me with a look that told me she really didn’t care.
“I bet you’re better at it than you think you are,” she told me. Jenna always gave me the benefit of the doubt. Even when I didn’t deserve it.
I shook my head.
“I dance about as well as you sing,” I told her with a grin. Jenna could whistle, but the first time I convinced her to sing in front of me it was so bad that Harley had started howling in what sounded like pain. She really was quite tone deaf.
“Between my singing and your dancing, our children definitely aren’t going to be Broadway stars,” Jenna said with a smirk.
“Probably not,” I admitted, thinking about how cute little ginger babies with Jenna’s freckles would be, “but you never know. People can surprise you.”
Epilogue- Jenna
“There are bagels in the executive break room,” Fiona reported through the intercom system, “and also that vegan cream cheese you asked for. Do you want one?”
When I called Fiona and told her I wanted her to come back to Durant Industries, she’d initially balked at the prospect. But as with anything, enough money will overcome almost all obstacles. Even Fiona’s stubbornness.
“No thanks, I already got one,” I answered with my mouth full.
Being the CEO was great.
My office—formerly Richard’s office—was huge and fancy. That was a given. As were all the perks and creature comforts of being an executive, like using the corporate jet and having car service to drive my lazy butt around. But that was only the tip of the iceberg.
Now that I was in charge, a number of things were changing at Durant Industries. The chemical weapons scandal that had rocked the nation may have resulted in picketers in front of the building for a few weeks, but it ultimately created an opportunity for really making something new and better at Durant Industries. In a perverse way, this was exactly what we needed.
The first thing I did as permanent CEO was to fire most of the executives that had been just
nodding their heads and fawning over Richard for the past fifteen years. They were useless. Most of them were also old, misogynistic, sycophantic white guys who thought that leadership always looked like a white man in a suit. Their time was up.
Next, I hired independent consultants to come in and reevaluate everything at Durant Industries from the ground up. Every person, program, contract, service, vendor, building—everything. In order to know how to move forward, I needed to know what I was really working with. The amount of inefficiency, redundancy, and waste that I found within the organization was astounding.
But I also found a lot of potential. There were people at our company that had been struggling to make their great ideas heard, who finally a chance had to be listened to. There were innovative products and processes that had been sitting in development committees without a decision for years, which had now been given the green light. And there was an entire generation of leaders that had been waiting for the chance to prove what they could do.
As exciting as it was to see Durant Industries becoming the twenty-first century company that it needed to be, there were still many challenges to be overcome. We were much too heavily invested in the traditional petrochemical industry and badly needed to diversify into renewables. We also needed to reevaluate our relationship with the US government. All our existing contracts had been put on hold pending final judgment on the chemical weapons case, and I was hopeful that we could figure out a way forge a more honest partnership if we continued to work with the government.
“Nicholas is calling for you,” Fiona chimed through the intercom a moment later. At least I knew of one honest partnership between government and industry that was going to be just fine—me and Nicholas. “Do you want me to patch him in?”
“Yes please,” I replied and then heard the click-click of the call coming through. “Hey babe, what’s up?”
“Hi sweetheart, I’m just calling from the airport to let you know I got here safely,” Nicholas’ voice came through my little speakers with a lot of background noise.
Down and Dirty Page 24