by Sasha Fino
Kimberly returned to work stamping books. A little while later, Mrs. Jenson came back, still muttering to herself as she passed Kimberly. She picked up a book from Lexy’s desk. Mrs. Jenson turned back around and looked right at Kimberly “For a year now, Lexy hasn’t ever talked to anyone but me,” Mrs. Jenson
said
“I guess that she was bored and wanted someone to talk to. Why is it important?” Kimberly asked. She didn’t know where this conversation was heading
“Do you know who Lexy is?” Mrs. Jenson asked, watching Kimberly “Umm, no,” Kimberly replied
“She’s Lexy Heller, the only daughter of the billionaire Max Heller.”
Chapter 2
It had stopped raining and the sun was coming out just in time to set, the limo drove up to the mansion Stopped in front of the big wooden doors. Lexy looked out the window at her home. The estate was newly built high on a hill. It was the biggest mansion Max Heller owned, with 15 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms, a grand ballroom, and two swimming pools. It overlooked all of Sedona and looked directly down on Max Heller’s masterpiece, Heller Resort & Plaza. Lexy thanked the driver as he let her out of the car. There were two identical sports cars parked in the driveway. Lexy let out an exultant yell because the cars meant her dad was home
Lexy’s life was one everyone hoped for. Her dad was the famous billionaire, Max Heller. The school wasn’t all that great, but she enjoyed playing jokes on her classmates and coming home to her father, who loves her more than anything in the world. The only problem is dealing with little gold-diggers that her father brought home for an adult company. Lexy competed for the rule of the house, and missed the loving attentions of a mother, even if she was unaware of it
Lexy stepped up to the door and wiped her shoes on the welcome mat in front of the door. She entered the house, taking her coat off and setting a library book down on the table. Lexy could have rung the bell for the butler, Horace, but she wanted to surprise her father
Just beyond the door, she was greeted by her two massive Great Danes, and heard her dad’s voice in the living room. She made her way over and saw her beloved father talking on his iPhone and pacing back and forth. Max looked a lot like his daughter with wavy salt-and-pepper hair, but he didn’t have his daughter’s beautiful blue eyes. Instead, he had deep, dark, hazel blue eyes
“Look, who’s home! Lex, come give me a hug and a kiss!” Max commanded when he saw his daughter, despite the phone still held to one ear
“Daddy, you’re home!” Lexy said running to her dad “Can I call you back, Lexy just got home? Okay, great! Then I will fax the papers over by tonight. Goodbye,” Max said as he hung up the phone. He gave Lexy a bear hug and a kiss
“I missed you, Dad,” Lexy said
“A week is way too long to be away from you, Lex,” Max told her, “Dad, I was fine. How was your business meeting?” Lexy asked
“It was great! Everyone on the board told me to say “hello” to you, and to give you a hug from them, also. How was school? I hope that you kept out of trouble while I was away,” Max said
“Yes, I did. It was hard, but the school was the same. Why didn’t you call me, Dad?” Lexy said, wondering why her father hadn’t called her all week. It was not like him at all.
“I’m super sorry, Lex, but I was very busy with work, and I forgot to call, but I will make it up to you. How about you and I head to Rome when school gets out for summer?”
“Awesome, Dad,” Lexy said happily
“How was the library?”
“Great! What time did you get home?” Lexy inquired
“A few minutes after you left for work. Oh, that reminds me, I have someone for you to meet,” Max said
“Another woman?” she said rolling her eyes
“I think that you’ll like her, Lex. She is someone I met during my business trip, and I invited her to spend some time with us. Come, I want you to meet her,” Max said taking Lexy’s hand
“I better like her.”
“You will trust me,” Max said as he started walking
Oh boy, that’s what you always tell If it’s another dummy golddigger girl that bewitched her dad, she will get rid of her I bet she’s ten years older than me! Now I need a plan, she thought with a devilish smile.
Lexy followed her father, used to meeting his flavors of the month. Over the years, women came and went, and that was how she liked it. After she watched “Cinderella” the first time, Max made a vow to her that he would never get remarried. But that didn’t stop Lexy from playing pranks on the many women who wanted Max’s money or who she didn’t like
Max led Lexy through the mansion and down a flight of stairs to the indoor pool. As they walked along the glass wall, Lexy saw a woman with bleach blonde hair, around her late 20s, lying on a chair by the pool reading a magazine
“Brianna, how’s the water?” Max called out to her, letting go of Lexy’s hand. Lexy kept her eyes on Brianna she somehow could tell deep inside her that she didn’t like her one bit and needed to get rid of this Brianna ASAP.
Lexy stopped following her dad and stood there, as Max made his way down the steps to the new woman. He leaned down and kissed her and then he looked up at his daughter
“Lexy, I want you to meet Brianna. Brianna This is Lexy,” Max said as Brianna closed her magazine and looked up into Lexy’s eyes
“Hello, Lexy, your father has told me so much about you,” Brianna said in a cheery voice, while Lexy walked closer to her
“Really? My father just told me about you, but it’s nice to meet you and welcome to Sedona,” Lexy said to Brianna. Max gave Lexy a look that she knew all too well
“Thanks, I loved all those red rocks as we came in. I wonder if they named all of the red rocks,” Brianna said
“Yes, all of the red rocks have names, just pick up a book about Sedona,” Lexy told Brianna
“But you still can give the rocks a name, my sweet,” Max said, giving Lexy a look. Another blonde bimbo bit the dust, Lexy thought
“Oh, well, then I will name that big rock we saw on the way ‘Elephant Rock’ because it looks like an elephant,” Brianna said
“Wow, that’s the rock’s real name, ‘Elephant Rock,’” Lexy said as her face turned red trying to not laugh at her.
“Oh!” Brianna said looking confused
They all stayed quite a few moments. Lexy looked at Brianna as she got up and wrapped herself in Max’s arms
“Lexy, I want to thank you for letting me stay here, and we are going to be the best of friends. I just know it!” Brianna said
“You’re welcome. How long do you plan on staying?”
“The whole summer! We will have so much fun, Lexy,” Brianna said happily
Lexy could not find a word to say. Since when did her father let any woman stay for the whole summer with them? It was not like him at all. Her father gets a new girl faster than they drink milk
“Well, girls, why don’t we get ready to go out to dinner, and after that, we can watch the sunset together, one of the highlights of Sedona?” Max said changing the subject
“Ok, Max,” Brianna said and kissed Max’s cheek. Lexy turned around and started to walk away
“Lexy!” Max yelled. Lexy didn’t reply to Max as she kept on walking
Max excused himself to Brianna and followed his daughter to the kitchen without a word. As they walked into the kitchen, Lexy got a pop out of the big kitchen refrigerator, ignoring her father. Meanwhile, Max sat down on a barstool at the island and looked at his daughter
“Lexy, can we talk about it?” Max began to say, but Lexy cut him off, “Where did you find this one Dad, a Playboy model reject convention?”
“Lexy, haven’t I taught you any manners?” Max raised his eyebrow
“Nope, so this is why you haven’t returned my calls. You’ve hardly been home for weeks, now, and I come home to find you’ve invited some woman to stay for the summer. How does that make me feel, Dad?”
“I’m
sorry, Lexy, I should have told you,” Max said coming clean
“So, who’s that woman, by the way, a one-night stand?” Lexy asked as she opened her pop and took a sip from it
“I was never on those business trips. I went to a matchmaker about a month ago, and she matched me up with Brianna. I have been seeing her, we agreed to spend the summer together, and by the end of it we will decide whether or not we want to be more.”
“Dad!” Lexy exclaimed looking at him wanting to cry and yell at him at the same time.
“Lexy, I am sorry. I should have talked to you from the beginning. James Patterson, one of the board members, set me up to see a matchmaker by surprise. I did it to be nice, and one thing led to another, and here we are.”
“What about your feelings about marriage?” Lexy asked calmly
“Lexy, I think that maybe it is good for us to have a woman’s touch around here,” Max said making Lexy mad
“Yeh, right, I can’t believe what you just said; I need a female motherlike figure. I had one once until she left us. This is the worst day of my life. I thought we were buddies. What’s up with you lately? You always included me in everything you did. Soon, before I know it, you will want her to move in or even want to marry her!” Lexy yelled
“Enough, Lexy! I am not going to marry Brianna! You know how I feel about marriage. I just thought it would be nice to have a partner, but who knows if Brianna and I will work out. That’s why I invited her to spend the summer with us, and she said, ‘yes,’ to it. Please, Lexy, don’t you run her off with your many pranks. I like her, okay, and I don’t have to tell you why,” Max said
“Hold on, so that’s why you have been giving me the cold shoulder lately. Dad, please, she looks like a real loser. I told you before, I don’t need a damn motherlike figure!” Lexy told her dad
“Lexy, watch your mouth. I think a motherlike figure around here is what you need!” Max yelled at his daughter in anger.
“For years, I have been doing just great without a mother, and you promised me, Dad. Remember you told me it would be just you and me forever,” Lexy whispered
“Well, I changed my mind watching you act out at school and then I met Brianna,” Max said as he stood up
“Dad you’re joking; its Principal Lamia you let get into your head,” Lexy told her dad
“It was not your school’s principal! Now, get ready for dinner. Tonight, we are going to take Brianna out on the town.”
“Oh, one more thing. Brianna will go home every other weekend to Scottsdale to catch up with her friends, and it will be our time together, Lex, Max said as he walked out of the kitchen
“So, what. Every other weekend is not what I want. No way will I let a new woman take my place in my own house!” Lexy told herself as she stood alone in the kitchen
As Lexy sat alone in her big kitchen, miles away, Kimberly and her Aunt Blanche were in their little kitchen making dinner
“I think we will have cube steak tonight,” Blanche said as she got the cube steaks from the refrigerator
“Sounds great, I can’t believe it rained earlier today, and now it looks like it never did,” Kimberly said as she looked out the little window in the kitchen
“Weather can do that. Tell me about your day Sweet Pea?” Blanche asked loving the fact that Kimberly and she could be fighting and the next minute they could forgive and forget
“I think I might have made a friend today,” Kimberly said as she helped peel the potatoes
“That’s wonderful, Kimberly, I told you that you will make friends here. What is her name?” Blanche asked
“Lexy. She goes to my school and volunteers at the library, also. She seems like she will be interesting to get to know,” Kimberly said thinking it was awesome to meet someone very wealthy
“Is that so?”
“She seems to not like our school, as well,” Kimberly said
“Wow, you girls have something in common, already,” Blanche said as she seasoned the cube steaks
“Mrs. Jenson told me that Lexy was the only daughter of Max Heller,” Kimberly said
“The Max Heller?” Blanche said with a gasp
“Yes, I think so, but who is he, Aunt Blanche?”
“My, Kimberly, you’d think that you hadn’t read the newspapers or watched the news on TV before you came here,” Blanche said to Kimberly in shock
“My dad kept the news from me. So, who is Max Heller? Kimberly asked,
“Max Heller is one of the wealthiest and most affluent men in the world. He owns Heller International and is a bit of a playboy, I’ve heard. Now that you remind me, Alice, my good friend, and your principal said that Lexy was a handful, always getting into mischief. Alice told me that she doesn’t get along with the other girls at school and that Lexy is a good kid but a little lonely. Lexy is not like most rich kids. Alice only made Lexy volunteer so that she could make friends and be around other people,” Blanche told Kimberly
“So, I’ve heard. Do you know if she has a mother?” Kimberly asked
“Max Heller’s late wife, Cynthia Heller, died giving birth to Lexy,” Blanche told her as she put a cube steak in a frying pan
Just then, Kimberly saw her Uncle Dean walk up to the sliding back door. Kimberly could tell he was already drunk
“Hello, my dear and Kimberly,” Dean said as he sat down at the bar which overlooks the kitchen
“Hello Uncle,” Kimberly said coldly still mad at him
“I’m sorry, Kimberly, that I broke your award. What did you win it for?”
“I didn’t win it; it was my father’s award from the Army,” Kimberly said through her teeth
“Oh, John the showoff. He’s shown off everything since we were in preschool. Look, I am the head football player; look, I married the most beautiful girl in school; look, I signed up to be in the Army. But then he got killed, and I got stuck with you,” Dean said as he looked right at Kimberly
“Don’t listen to him,” Blanche began to say, but Kimberly cut her off
“My father was an American hero, and you are a drunken pig,” Kimberly say while a tear ran down her face
“You are a brat, just like your father. I wish I had let you go and live in an orphanage rather than pay for the room and board of an ungrateful brat like you. My Bethany would never have talked back to me, and you are living in her room and talking back to me,” Dean said as mean as ever
Without a word more, Kimberly left the kitchen crying and ran into the bathroom. Blanche just looked at her husband
“What I am sick of is you acting like Kimberly is Bethany, which she is not,” Dean said to his wife
“I am not! I know damn well Kimberly is not Bethany. I love Kimberly as my niece, and I love Bethany for a whole different reason than Kimberly. No one can be my Bethany or replace her in my mind and my heart. Never tell me that ever again, Dean,” Blanche replied to her husband as she ran after her niece. Dean was left speechless at the bar
“It’s okay, Kimberly, I love you, and I love having you here with me. It will get better, I promise you it will,” Blanche said as she gave Kimberly a hug and a kiss on the forehead. Kimberly cried in her aunt’s arms
Chapter 3
Kimberly woke up in a great mood, excited to be getting out of bed to go to school. She dressed as fast as she could and made her way to the kitchen. Aunt Blanche was ready for work and making breakfast when Kimberly entered the kitchen
“Good morning, Sweetheart!” Blanche called over the growl of the coffee machine. “Good morning! What a beautiful day it is going to be,” Kimberly said looking out the window
“Yes, it is! You are in a great mood, Kimberly,” Blanche observed
“Well, yes, I am. I don’t know why; I just woke up happy,” Kimberly replied, “Great, I love to see you happy!”
“Are you okay after last night?” Kimberly asked her aunt. Last night Uncle Dean came home drunk as ever, yelling and breaking things. Kimberly hid in her bed, hoping that Uncle Dean
wouldn’t come into her room—and he didn’t. When Kimberly got up the courage to peek her head out of her door, she saw Dean pull Blanche into their bedroom and close the door behind them. Kimberly couldn’t fall back to sleep because of the noise coming from their bedroom
“Let’s not mess up a wonderful morning.”
“Sure, Aunt Blanche,” Kimberly said. She wanted to talk about what happened last night, but at least Aunt Blanche didn’t look hurt
Just then, Uncle Dean came out looking very happy. Dean came up to Blanche and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the lips
“Morning, Dear,” Dean said, Kimberly never saw him so happy “Morning,” Blanche said
“Last night was great, Blanche, you were hot!” Dean said as he kissed her again. Blanche turned red with embarrassment as she looked at Kimberly, who tried to view disinterested.
“Kimberly,” Dean said as he let go of Blanche and looked at her “Uncle Dean,” Kimberly replied coldly to him.
“I hope that you have a nice day at school. Wow, you look just like Dianna, your mother,” Dean said happily
“Thanks, I will,” Kimberly said shocked at the first kind word he’d ever spoken to her
“Great, got to go. Bye my love and Kimberly,” Dean said walking out of the house, whistling a song
“What was that about?” Kimberly asked
“Oh, Uncle Dean is always happy after we…well, you know…” “What, Aunt Blanche?” Kimberly asked
“Kimberly, I’m sure you know, right?” Kimberly just shook her head, “Sex.”
“That was sex? I thought he was hurting you.”
“No, Baby. Are you telling me that you don’t know about sex?”
“I do know a little about what sex is, and I know it’s very romantic. My father told me about it once. I’d never heard much about it remember my mother passed away when I was a baby,” Kimberly said shyly
“That’s right, what did he tell you?” Blanche asked her
“How are babies made, and it’s a game you should play only when you are married, but I heard that you can have it if you know and love someone very much,” Kimberly said