The Mistress and the Mouse

by JJ Giles

  “Why don’t you both come to my place?” she asked Alex. “Just a little bed and breakfast place, thirty miles from here. I’ve got seven empty bedroom suites waiting to be filled up. Three hundred acres to roam, restore yourselves and get away from this for awhile. At least until you know what direction you want to go in.”

  “That’s very generous,” Alex said quickly. Yet, he hesitated to think a moment. The thought that Brian might be moved to take some action in a positive direction knowing his father was in Morgan’s house made sense. He turned to his brother. “Jerry, I think that’s a good idea.”

  “Alex…” He was unable to say why that was the worst idea in front of Morgan.

  “Trust me, Love. I think it will all work out.”

  Jerry released Morgan. “I don’t even fucking know what to do.”

  “Then trust me,” Alex said softly.

  Jerry paused. But then he nodded. “Call Gerald.”

  Filled with grace, Alex swirled to the edge of the bed and took Jerry’s hand. “Gerald’s waiting in your office now to put together a statement for the press.”

  Jerry’s clutch on Alex’s hand tightened and then released. “If somebody could just pull this knife out my back.”

  “I know. I know.”

  Morgan watched intently the two men before her as they held to each other. That once upon a time they were very close was obvious. They could read each other quite accurately. They were twins. But it seemed there was more to it.

  “I’ll be out in a minute,” Jerry offered.

  Alex nodded. He smiled warmly at Morgan and then went to Bryant who was visibly shaking and embraced him tenderly. Softly, Alex closed the door behind him.

  Terrified, Jerry peered up at her. “I’m not sure coming to your place is a good idea.”

  “I am. I think it’s an excellent idea.” She dropped to her knees to peer directly into him. “You need me right now, and I desperately need you. I love you.”

  “Oh, Morgan...” Filled with hopelessness, he cradled her face in his hands, caught in a quagmire between her and his son.

  She rose and went to the bathroom, moistened a cloth with warm water. Gently, she held it over his face as his hand went to hers to hold it there a moment.

  He swallowed hard to cure the ache in his throbbing sinus cavities. Disoriented, he let go of her and dragged the cloth over his face a final time. This was worse than any beating he ever took from his own father. He felt Brian’s pain to have been used like this by his own mother. And Brian was upstairs now believing he created this situation.

  “Alright,” he said stoically. “Bryant...”

  “Jerry, I need to kill that bitch.”

  “Pay attention,” Jerry ordered.

  Bryant fell into the chair beside of the bed to listen as if his life depended on it.

  “I know this is not a good time for you,” Jerry said surely. “I know you got a lot going on...divorce, fucked up kids and even more. I’m gonna help you through it, though.”

  “What are you trying to tell me?”

  “We always knew this day was coming, Bryant. We’ve talked about it for years. You’re taking over today.”

  “Jerry,” Bryant protested.

  “You can do it.”

  “Jerry, I can’t tolerate this. You still need to be here. I can’t do this job if that bitch is still out there gunning for us.”

  “Judas fucking Priest, would you please try to concentrate?” Angrily, he grabbed his brother into his arms. “She just seized an opportunity that Dad left her with. She couldn’t have possibly set this up by herself. She’s a half a world away and she’s done all the damage she can do now.”

  Confused, Bryant pulled away and fell into a chair. “So you’re still running the place and I’ll sign everything.”

  Jerry shook his head sadly, understanding now how his attitude has been construed over the years. “I know I’ve run this company the way Dad did and you haven’t always approved. But it’s your company now. And if you want to take prisoners instead of the slash and burn attitude I’ve always had...then maybe the company will be better for it.”

  “I can’t believe you’re saying this to me.”

  “We’ll talk more later. Right now, you need to take over. I’m finished.”

  “We’re still brothers?”

  “Oh, God, Bryant, I’m sorry.” Only now did he realize how his viciousness caused his brother so much distress. “We need to talk. You fucking pull it together right now, damnit. I’ll be out in a minute.”

  Bryant only stared incredulously.

  “Truly, I love you,” Jerry said again. “But right now I need you. The company needs you. Two million people world-wide want to keep their jobs and they are depending on you.”

  Bryant straightened a little and dragged his hand over his face. And then he turned to Morgan. “You’ll take care of him?”

  “That’s why I’m here now. You can depend on me,” she said firmly.

  Bryant straightened even more letting the air of authority inflate him. “I’ll see you in a little bit.” Solemnly, he walked out.

  Full of such deep anguish, Jerry peered up at her. He fell back on the bed, his expression full of bitter quietude. “I have such a fucked-up family. I never realized how much I contributed to it.”

  “Nobody lives within the perfect family,” she whispered with empathy

  “Our father was a ...psychopath. And when he died, I took over.”

  “I get that now. And your father hated Alex, didn’t he?”

  “He thought of Alex as...little less...than a little girl. Didn’t even want to believe that Alex was his son. The problem with that is we’re twins. I got to be the strong one.”

  She studied the hunch of his shoulders, the way his head hung. “And it left everyone in the family scared to death to...be in love?”

  The pain in that twisted the arteries around his heart and choked it for a moment. “I’m not sure any of my brothers have been in love. With women or men. Too dangerous.”

  Obviously. Jerry’s desire for an occasional man had festered until it turned to poison. Likely Bryant had interest in men and that interest made him impotent with the fear he would be found out, also. They were afraid to love whomever they would because their father had hated their gay brother.

  “So just think of this little trip through the inferno as the road to purgatory, if you would, please.”

  A pained and bitter smile graced his face. “When does the road dump out into heaven?”

  “Right around the corner because I love you. I love you desperately.”

  “Oh Morgan…” Instantly, he was returned to the sulfuric flames of perdition. Without hesitation, he crushed her body to his; her shoulders wrapped to his chest. If only her undiluted love, her constant concern, her unselfish care of him could be his. He drew in a deep agonized breath and stood away. “I have to go resign now. And then I have to see my son in the penthouse. And then we’ll go home.”

  Home, she thought bitterly. It would never be home without Brian but the only way to get over someone is to fall in love again. Jerry Abernathy had made that very easy for her. “Home. Would you like me to go with you considering your son has had this thrown in his face today?”

  Unable to quit shaking, he peered into her soft compassion. “He stopped in to see me this morning before all of this broke loose. Cheryl told him ten years ago he’s not mine. But even that isn’t what he’s angry about.”

  “That is one tortured woman.” Her eyes were wild with the fear of what Cheryl was capable of. “But please remember...she may have screwed you, but she had to screw herself to do it.”

  The twist of a smile softened his lips. Yet he opened the door and left it open for her to follow.

  Dutifully, she followed yet she stood away from the crowd, the men huddled to strategize the defense. Alex came to her aid and nudged her gently with his elbow. He was a kind man, very well bred, yet he remained quiet, silently in
structing her to do so by his very presence.

  “Morgan,” Cherry said happily and came toward her.

  “I’m so sorry about this,” Morgan whispered. She reached out for the copy of the Globe tucked under Cherry’s arm.

  “I don’t know where my mother is at. I didn’t think she’d ruin him.”

  Sadly, Morgan shook her head. She peered at the grainy headshot of Cheryl on the cover. And then something caught her eye. She drew it closer and then backed off again.

  “What?” Cherry asked under her breath.

  “When was this picture taken?” Morgan asked curiously.

  “No one knows that, darling,” Alex mewed.

  Morgan whispered, “I know my eyes are gettin’ old but look...here.” She held a finger to the corner of Cheryl’s eye.

  Alex gasped, his chest heaving with a pant. Suddenly animated, he began to shake and he looked to Cherry grinning with a delighted snarl.

  “Do you think?” Cherry asked excitedly.

  Cattily, Alex laughed.

  “It’s worth a little investigation,” Cherry shot back quickly. “Don’t let them go on camera until I get back.” Quickly, she ran for the door.

  * * * *

  “What more could they want from me?” Jerry hollered, filled with frustration. As a cluster, the others backed away.

  Only Bryant stood firm as he reached for his suit jacket. “We’re just gonna take one thing at a time, Jer. See if we can’t get the stock values to at least half of what they were yesterday.” Bryant straightened as if to issue an edict. “But Jerry’s still in charge around here although it will be my signature on everything.”

  “No,” Jerry said. “No, Bryant. I’m done. I’ve had enough of this shit.” He grabbed for a cigarette, a Virginia Slim that Brian left behind. He slid them into his pocket hoping Morgan hadn’t seen them. “I mean...if you have questions--and you will--I’ll answer them. But I’m done with it. As of now...” He stood to take his brother’s hand and peer deeply into Bryant’s eyes, “...you are the CEO of Abernathy Acquisitions, Incorporated.”

  “Dear God, I’m sorry, Jerry.” Bryant threw his arms around his older brother and hugged him tightly. He pounded Jerry’s back and then let go only enough to hold to Jerry’s shoulders and stare into him. “I’ll take that bitch out if it’s the last thing I do.”

  “NO,” Jerry hollered. “If you do that, she’ll think I give a shit and I don’t, Bryant. She’s in France with her buddy, turning tricks and I don’t give a shit. As long as she’s out of my face, she’s out of my mind. I want it to stay that way.”

  Bryant was horrified to think that Jerry wouldn’t seek retribution. “You can’t lay down for this!”

  “Don’t pressure me. Get your ass downstairs and tell the world I’ve resigned. Where the hell is Cherry?”

  “This isn’t over. Alex, talk some sense into him. That bitch needs to pay for this.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Alex said surely.

  Bryant nodded. “Cherry!” He turned and grabbed Gerald. At the door he was met by Cherry and the family’s personal physician. “What’s going on?”

  Cherry only winked and led them away.

  Jerry returned to his chair and drew in a deep breath. The few remaining underlings from the accounting and public relations departments looked helplessly on. “Go on,” he commanded. “Nothing more you can do here.”

  “Mr. Abernathy...”one offered with tears in his eyes.

  “Thank you.” Quietly, the guy turned and walked out.

  Only Alex approached and propped on the desk next to Jerry. Filled with sadness, he looked to the floor. There was nothing witty or sarcastic to say at the moment, this moment, the second most horrible in Jerry’s life. “So it’s all taken care of now and we’re leaving.”

  “I need to go upstairs for a minute.” Yet he turned to the television, the regularly scheduled programming interrupted for Gerald’s statement.

  “...under Jerry’s leadership Abernathy Acquisitions has doubled its revenue in the twenty five years of Jerry’s tenure. AAI has been a world wide leader in in-house daycare systems, both for children and elders. Every employee of AAI has health and disability insurance because of Jerry. Markets world wide have been opened due to Jerry’s influence, which has greatly benefited agriculture, mining, steel processing and auto manufacturing. Rather than take advantage of third world sweat shops...”

  “It’s a eulogy,” Jerry gasped.

  Solemnly, Alex bowed his head. It was indeed a eulogy. There was no way to wrap ribbons and bows around it.

  “...but due to Jerry’s PERSONAL affairs, Jerry has decided to resign. Bryant Abernathy, my brother, is now the Chief Executive Officer of Abernathy Acquisitions Incorporated,” Gerald said. He held out his arm for Bryant to step into. Bryant came into view.

  “Mr. Abernathy,” a reporter shouted. “Are any of these allegations true?”

  “I’m not here to discuss Jerry’s personal affairs other to tell you that Cheryl signed the divorce papers last night before she left town. Those papers were filed with the court earlier this morning and will by tomorrow be on the public record. That’s all I can say. So if you have questions about the company...”

  “Cherry,” one of them yelled. “Where’s Brian?”

  Cherry stepped up to the podium. She assumed a party girl irreverence and winked. “Hiding. Can you imagine why?”

  “Cherry, who’s Brian’s father?” one shouted.

  With a little pout, she taunted, “Aren’t you at all interested in who my father is?”

  Jerry smiled as he watched these seasoned reporters fall silent a moment getting played by his daughter.

  Quite soberly, she merely continued without prompting, “The truth is I am not Jerry’s biological offspring, and that’s a great big maybe where Brian is concerned. That’s a rather insignificant fact in our lives. He’s our father, he raised us and we love him dearly.”

  “Is Alex his father?”

  “Alex and Jerry are identical twins,” she said. “That’s something no paternity test can tell us.”

  “Are any of these allegations true?”

  “Honey, we don’t have the next week to work through them one by one.” She held up an 8 x 10 glossy of the same picture on the cover of the Globe. Audible gasps from reporters filtered through the sound system. “For now, I’d like you to meet one of our family’s physicians to explain about my mother’s last face lift three years ago.”

  “Oh, shit. Alex,” Jerry cried out with a sigh of relief.

  Broadly, Alex smiled. “Yes, darling. So all of this nonsense falls under suspicion now. It was Morgan who realized that horrid picture was the doctor’s file photo after her last lift.”

  Filled with gratitude, he reached out to beg Morgan to come to him. Quickly, she went to him, fell in his lap and curled around him. “Curious, the mob mentality,” she said softly. “Everybody was so anxious to nail you they didn’t examine the picture that closely. And the paper was so anxious to print it, they didn’t even retouch it.”

  “And the fact that she tried to pass that off as an injury after a beating makes everything in the article suspect.”

  “Of course it does.”

  He drew in the first deep breath of the day. “How can I thank you?”

  “Just come out to Avalon and relax, get your wits about you again.”

  Jerry hesitated, but then nodded. He hadn’t realized there were so many people who truly cared about him and he was not only grateful for that, but quite humbled.

  With that, Alex turned off the television. Anything more could do Jerry no good. For a protracted moment, Jerry stared at the blank screen and then peered up at his brother. “What the hell am I supposed to do tomorrow morning?”

  “Sleep in, maybe?” Alex offered sarcastically.

  Tenderly, Jerry smiled. He grabbed Alex’s hand and pulled him to the elevator. “We’ll be back in a few minutes, Honey.”

  “Take
your time,” she said. Yet she sat in his chair, curious of Jerry’s actions and his deep affection unconsciously displayed for his brother.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  The elevator doors were barely closed when Jerry gasped, “How the hell am I supposed to tell Brian I’m going to Morgan’s when I asked him to stay with me?”

  “You’re going to tell him that both you and I are going to Morgan’s to assuage any fear he has of you being with her tonight. Cherry will stay with him. And then you’re going to explain that you’ll get him out of the Tower in the morning and that he should come to her place and put things right with her tomorrow. This needs to be resolved, Jerry. None of us can live like this. It needs to be resolved and him feeling fearful of her rejection should she find out who he is is bullshit.”

  “I agree with that.”

  The elevator doors slid open to reveal Brian curled on the sofa, a cigarette in one hand, another burning in the ashtray.

  “Dad!”

  “Are you okay?”

  “This is totally fucked up. And Mom won’t answer her damned phone.”

  “You’ve tried to call her for what purpose, Brian? What good would it do at this point? She’s done what she’s always threatened to do.”

  “Is that why you stayed with her so long?”

  Solemnly, Jerry shook his head believing Brian didn’t need to hear the entire truth now. The truth was yes...and no. The truth was he had believed that this would be the moment Cheryl revealed the truth of Brian’s paternity and Jerry didn’t want that. Jerry didn’t want Brian to suffer like that or Alex to hate him forever. But Brian already knew ten years ago.

  “There’s more important things than that to talk about.” Yet he perked to the soft drone on the television.

  “...and since Mrs. Abernathy is out of the country at present, the prosecutor cannot comment on the ongoing investigation into the allegations she has made.”

  Everything in the article was now suspect, including the accusation of rape.

  “Listen carefully,” Jerry commanded. “Because I don’t know what to think or do, Alex believes that Morgan’s offer to let him and I stay at her place for awhile is a good idea.”