She dialed and it rang. A lump formed in her throat. She hit the off button but hit redial almost immediately. It rang again, and finally a voice, his voice, Marvin’s voice answered.
“Marvin, baby, what’s wrong? Please tell me what’s wrong so that I can fix it.”
“You can’t fix it, Rachel. You can’t and I can’t.”
Panic rose in her throat. Her head began to throb, but she willed herself to stay calm. “What are you talking about, Marvin? I love you. Make me understand. I’m so sorry about yesterday. If I could take it back, I would. I was just flustered because everywhere I turned, the word ‘rejected’ was staring me in the face, and I just lost it.”
“Rightfully so. I haven’t been forthcoming with you.”
“Marvin, you’re scaring me. Baby, please don’t tell me our marriage is over.”
“I’m not sure that I can explain it to you.”
“I can take it. I can take it. I’ll do whatever I need to do to make things right. I’m sorry about not telling you about the drapes, I’m sorry.”
“Rachel, be quiet. It’s not about you—not directly.”
“Then what is it about, Marvin? You’re scaring me.”
“Rachel, the company has been deep in debt for the last six months. I made some very large equipment purchases to better compete with the Sonys and Toshibas.”
“They’re giants, Marvin. They’ve been around for years and years.”
“I know. How well do I know. I was borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. I even used all of our savings to get the company out of arrears. I owe back taxes, and that’s why the credit cards were frozen. I had to put a halt to your spending because I was not man enough to tell my wife what was going on.”
“Does Kenny know?”
“No, but I have to tell him soon. See, out of nowhere, this company approached me about buying me out.”
“You mean like a takeover?”
“Yeah. It’s like they could smell that I was in trouble. I went to a friend of mine who is an attorney to seek his advice. The advice wasn’t good.”
“What do you mean, it wasn’t good?”
“He said because I didn’t have the capital to fight with, my only recourse would be to sell my shares in the company.”
Silence. “You own the majority shares, Marvin. Please tell me you didn’t—”
“Didn’t sell my fifty-two shares of stock? Yeah, I sold them, which means Thomas and Richmond Tecktronics, Inc. is no more.”
“Oh, my God.” Rachel began to hyperventilate. “Oh, my God. What’s going to happen to all the people who work for you? Oh, my God.”
“I don’t know, Rachel!”
Marvin began to cry. Rachel could tell that he had laid the phone down. Tears streamed down her face, while her hands trembled. “Marvin, if you can hear me, talk to me.”
All she heard were muffled cries, and then he was back on the phone.
“Rachel, I can’t deal with this. I don’t even know how I’m going to tell Kenny.”
“You are a strong man, Marvin. I’ll be with you when you tell him, if you want. Kenny is resilient; he bounces back like a rubber ball. He’s at Mona’s function now trying to strike a deal.”
“I don’t know if I can tell him. I’m a coward, Rachel.”
“No, you aren’t. Stop saying that. I remember how you went to bat for Claudette, Ashley...Oh, my God, Ashley. I’ve got to go see her. But you’ve been the foundation for everyone else, Marvin. How can you neglect yourself?”
“How? I’ve let you and Serena down, and you had no idea. What kind of man does that to a family he loves?”
“You’re getting downright depressing. Now shape up. All is not lost.”
“I sold my fifty-two shares, Rachel. The business is gone. I have nothing left. I was calling to say good-bye.”
“What are you talking about, Marvin Thomas? Don’t you cop out on me and Serena. I believed in you, dedicated my life to you. Don’t do this to me, man. Don’t talk about turning tail and leaving us to fend for ourselves.”
“You’ll be alright, Rachel. Gotta hang up now.”
“No, Marvinnnnnnnnnn!! No, no, no, no, no. Marvinnnnnnnnn!”
She heard the dial tone. “Marvinnnnnnnnnnnn!”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Mona pushed open the double doors to the dining area at the country club. The room was elegant beyond her expectations. Mesmerized, Mona could only stand and stare at the well-dressed tables that were skirted with pintucked gold silk tablecloths. Floral centerpieces of hydrangeas, white lilies, and white roses adorned each table surrounded by the best china and flatware. Crystal flutes and water glasses made the tables sparkle. Place cards that corresponded with a list the hostesses would be given had been meticulously set in front of each dinner plate. Balancing the table and adding to the floral delight were tall vermeil candelabras. Mona would wait until fifteen minutes before the guests were to arrive to light them.
She hurried to the kitchen to see if all was in order. The chefs were busy with last-minute preparations, barking orders that made Mona smile. She inspected the food, dipping her finger in the orange vinaigrette to make sure the taste was just as she intended. She had come much earlier in the day with a crew to set up and bring many of the items she had prepared. Pulling off the affair was no small feat, but her catering business was now listed with the premier services and on the Who’s Who of Catering.
Mona’s staff would arrive within the hour, so she sauntered off to a private room that was set aside so that she could refresh herself and change her clothes. She shook her head as she thought about Kenny and how he was going to pull off his proposition. If anyone could do it, Kenny could. Michael had given him a rundown of who the players would be, and if she knew Kenny, he was going to use the information to his advantage.
Before the hour was up, Mona had reset her face, sprayed her body with a small amount of Pleasures Delight, and gone to the closet to pull her dress from the garment bag. It was a beautiful cobalt, V-neck, satin sheath dress by Nicole Miller that grabbed every curve on her body with perfection, amplifying her generous serving of breasts, although not distastefully. She shook her hair and the layers fell in place on command. The guests would be left wondering if she was the meal of the day.
Happy with the way she looked, Mona took off to the dining room to greet her servers. They would all be wearing sleek black-and-white uniforms. She made an exception for Kenny.
They all gathered around when Mona entered the room. Instructions were given down to the minute detail. Any onlooker might have thought that tonight’s affair was a state dinner at the White House in honor of the Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall or the former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela. The players were big and would be writing hefty checks in support of the Democratic candidate running for the White House.
Kenny smiled in amazement at the way Mona orchestrated her workers with such finesse. He needed someone like her on his team, who would help skyrocket his and Marvin’s company up the leader board. Strange things were going on with Marvin, but Kenny would deal with that later. Tonight, an opportunity was ripe for the taking, and all his efforts would be concentrated on spearing his victims and drawing them in.
The countdown had begun. Mona lit the candelabras, and the room sparkled. Everyone was in place and ready to make their boss proud. Several doors opened and voices could be heard.
“One, two, three, four—it’s on,” Mona announced. “Take a deep breath, and let’s do it.”
The guests filed in one by one, directed to their seats by the hostesses. There were businessmen and women from every persuasion—doctors, lawyers, bankers, educators, financial analysts, judges, clergy, the mayor, and city councilmen along with their spouses or significant others. They smelled like money, looked like money, wore gowns and tuxedos that cost a lot of money, and walked like they had money up their behinds. But when the good Dr. Michael Broussard spotted his wife, h
is jaw dropped, all semblance of the upstanding doctor shed for a moment.
“I want you, Mona Broussard,” he mouthed, tossing her an air kiss that she accepted with pleasure.
“I want you, too,” Mona mouthed back. She smiled as her husband entered the room and was escorted to his seat. He was the best thing that had happened to her in a long time.
Eight persons were to be seated at each of seventy-five tables. Pleasant conversation filtered throughout the room until the mayor, who escorted his wife, moved to the front to sit at the head table.
“Excuse me, everyone,” the mayor shouted, silence finally enveloping the room, except for the light dinner music that played in the background. “Our guest of honor will be here in a moment. I understand that he has just entered the grounds, and once he has joined us, we will begin with dinner and end the evening with words from our guests and dusting off of the old checkbooks.” There was laughter from the guests. “Enjoy your meal.”
Mona smiled and looked back at her servers who hugged a breezeway that led from the kitchen into the banquet room. She decided to give Kenny a break so that he would be in the ready position when the opportune moment came.
All of sudden there was a ruckus, and all heads turned toward the entryway. Several men dressed in black suits, each with earpieces locked around their ear lobes, entered the room followed by a tall, thin, handsome black gentleman wearing a tuxedo and a great big smile.
Mona clasped a hand over her mouth, as did the other members of her staff, when they saw Senator Barack Obama walk into the room. There were hushed murmurs, hand claps, then a standing ovation. Senator Obama held both hands in the air and waved his welcome.
After Senator Obama, the mayor, and other city officials were seated at the head table, the mayor announced that dinner was served. Mona’s staff worked the room like a precision drill team. Knives and forks clinked together, while daintily held wineglasses were high in the air. Mona was pleased because all seemed pleased. As soon as the dinner plates were emptied, the servers quickly removed and replaced them with the dessert of each diner’s choice, which all seemed to enjoy.
Mona watched as Michael walked to where she and Kenny stood. A worried look came across her face, but she eased up when Michael took Kenny aside.
“Kenny, when I give you the signal, that will be the time to approach Kinyard. I’ve put a pitch in for you, so you go in there and give it your best shot.”
Mona smiled at her man. Kenny shook Michael’s hand. “Thanks, Michael. I owe you big for this, man.”
“Don’t forget what you just said when you and Marvin take top spot in the electronics world. And, my wife is a witness.”
“Got that right, babe,” Mona said, giving Michael an air kiss.
“Okay, I’m going back to my table by my lonesome. I think the mayor is getting ready to say something.”
“Okay, Michael. I’ll be looking for the signal.” Kenny smiled.
Everyone watched as the mayor rose to his feet. He asked the guests if they enjoyed their meal, and everyone clapped. He acknowledged Mona and her staff for the fine meal and shared that she was the wife of the well-respected Dr. Michael Broussard of Emory Crawford Long Hospital. Everyone clapped again.
There were a battery of speeches and campaign rhetoric extolling Senator Obama’s outlook for the country and his hopefully successful bid for the White House. Finally, Senator Obama rose to the microphone and thanked all of the guests for their support. He talked about change being good for the city of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and the country. Then he asked for their monetary support so that he could take his message all over the country.
Another standing ovation and thunderous applause filled the room. When it subsided, peppier music was piped in. Throughout the room, conversations could be heard about the Democratic candidate and his message of change as they wrote checks for five hundred, one thousand, and five thousand dollars. Evidently people were ready for change in the country, and they were willing to help it happen by investing in the country’s future.
Kenny suddenly moved from his perch. He strode toward Michael and a group of men and women with a purpose and a portfolio in hand. He extended his hand to each person as Michael made the introductions. The wives left the group, while Michael, Vincent Kinyard, and a Mr. David Eason remained at the table.
After sitting down, Kenny laid out his plan of equipping Mr. Kinyard’s hotels and resorts with state-of-the-art computer equipment. He described the new iPod technology—a touch of the finger was all they needed in their stress-free world. Kenny felt confident that his proposal was well received. He waited while the two men considered the idea, and finally Vincent Kinyard spoke and did all of the talking.
“Impressive, Mr....”
“Mr. Richmond,” Kenny said enthusiastically.
“Yes, Mr. Richmond. I agree that what you have is state of the art. I’d like to know a little more about distribution, service, and volume discounting. But I do like the product, even without looking at the specs.”
“This portfolio is yours to keep and peruse. It has all the specs for the products that I just spoke to you about. We have our own design team, and marketing and development departments. I call them our dream team. If there is something else you’d like to see, I would be more than happy to share it with my developmental group.”
“The name of the company is Thomas and Richmond Teck-tronics, Inc.?” Mr. Kinyard asked.
“Yes,” Kenny said.
“Your partner is Marvin Thomas?” Mr. Kinyard continued.
A puzzled look crossed Kenny’s face. Even Michael saw the distress in Kenny’s facial expression. “Is something wrong, Mr. Kinyard? We are a reputable Fortune 500 company.”
“Mr. Richmond, without going into a lot of details because it’s apparent you are unaware of the state of your company...”
“What do you mean by ‘the state of your company’?”
“Just today, Mr. Thomas sold us fifty-two shares of his stock in the company, which means I now run it. Of course, the paperwork has yet to be completed, and—”
Kenny jumped up from the table. “You’re a liar.”
“Okay,” Michael broke in. “That won’t be necessary.”
“But did you hear what the man said?” Kenny asked. Looking at the two men, Kenny pointed his finger. “I don’t know who you are or what you’re talking about, but you’ve got it all wrong, especially if you’re talking about running Thomas and Richmond after all the time, money, and energy I’ve invested into this company.”
“Please don’t be concerned about your place in the company, Mr. Richmond; it’s safe. We definitely need someone like you on the team. You have insight and forward thinking when it comes to building a company and watching it grow.”
Kenny withdrew his proposal from in front of Mr. Kinyard. Just as he was about to say what was on his mind, a hand tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hello, gentlemen,” Senator Obama said. “I need your help to make my vision of a better nation for the American people a reality.”
“Yes,” the gentlemen said almost in chorus.
Senator Obama shook each hand and said, “Don’t forget to vote on November fourth—earlier would be preferable.” Waving his hand, he turned and left with the Secret Service tagging alongside him.
“Mr. Richmond,” Mr. Eason said, speaking for the first time, “we can work this out. I like your drive and energy. You’ve got great ideas. We can work together.”
“I don’t like you very much at this moment.”
Kenny took his proposal and left the three gentlemen at the table. Chatting with her team, Mona stopped when she saw Kenny approach. She wanted to hear the good news, but instead Kenny whizzed past her and out the door without a word.
She ran into the banquet room and searched for Michael. He saw Mona’s frantic look and headed her way.
“What happened?” Mona asked as she caught up with Michael. “Kenny walked out without saying a w
ord.”
“Sounds like Marvin sold his shares in the company. And he owned the majority stock.” Michael pursed his lips. “I don’t think Marvin told Kenny.”
“Oh, hell.”
“It’s worse than that, baby. Far worse.”
Marvin sat in his closed office and tapped the letter opener on his desk. He looked at the clock; it was now 9:00 P.M. Rachel’s voice floated back to him, calling his name over and over. She was beautiful—the love of his life. The only thing he wanted of her was to bear his child, which she did without thought, and together they became parents of the most beautiful little girl he had ever seen. Yes, Serena was his heart.
But he had turned out to be a big disappointment. All that he worked for had vanished into thin air—no, he’d given it away like there was no tomorrow. Now he had nothing, and he couldn’t go home to his family empty-handed.
He laid the letter opener down and picked up the bottle of Tylenol he kept in his desk. Arthritis was creeping up on him, and the capsules kept the ache in his joints to a minimum. He opened the bottle and poured the contents on his desk. Without water, he took five pills and swallowed them whole and then took a few more and waited for something to happen.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Kenny tore off the jacket to his tux and jumped in his car. He pulled his cell from his pocket and dialed the Thomas residence.
“Hello,” Rachel said.
“Rachel, this is Kenny. Let me speak to Marvin.”
“He’s not here, Kenny.”
“It’s nine o’clock. Where in the hell is he?”
“I don’t know, Kenny. I haven’t seen him all day. I’m really worried about him. The last time I spoke with him, he was talking crazy.”
“I wonder why? I’ll talk to you later.”
Kenny hung up the phone and dialed Marvin’s cell. No answer. He called the office. No answer. Kenny beat the steering wheel with his hand and drove blindly through downtown Atlanta. Before he knew it, he’d driven to his place of business and parked in the space marked KENNY RICHMOND. He stared at the sign for several minutes, then opened the car door and got out. Drenched in anger, Kenny hadn’t even noticed Marvin’s car parked a few feet away.
NOTHING STAYS THE SAME Page 9