"You'll know when I see you. Right now, we both have a lot of work to do." And on that note, she left.
The meeting started at 11:10. Everyone had been awaiting Peter's arrival. Apparently, he had left the office earlier without informing anyone of his whereabouts.
It was a supervisor's briefing on the company's profits, which had increased fifty-one percent during that fiscal year. Trent gladly announced that everyone who performed above a 'c rated level' would receive a raise and adjustments of certain benefits would take place across the board in the upcoming months. Those in attendance were asked to share that information with their subordinates.
Peter was scheduled to do a presentation on the sales campaign that his marketing department had previously undertaken, but everyone was promised delivery of that presentation at another time due to his unexplained absence.
Two hours after the meeting ended, he walked into Trent's office. "Sorry I missed the meeting, buddy," he said, slumping into the black leather chair. "Stacey called me from the Mall about ten minutes before the meeting was supposed to start and said she had been robbed. Not thinking, I just rushed out of here to meet her."
"My God, was she hurt?" Trent was obviously concerned.
"Not really. Her neck was bruised a little when the guy yanked the rope chain off of it. Nothing like that ever happened to her before. You know how she is; she's still quite shaken up."
"Yeah, I can imagine. Where is she now?"
"She's home. She took a sedative and went straight to bed," Peter replied.
"Thank God she's all right."
"Yeah, buddy." Peter sighed. "So how did the meeting go? I was supposed to do a presentation."
"We got the main points out, Pete. Everyone was glad to hear about the raise and new benefits. You can do your presentation some other time."
"I'll re-schedule for next week," Peter assured him.
* * * *
Trent arrived at Tina's place around eight o'clock that night. He walked in to a candlelight dinner and some Mumm Cordon Rouge Tina had purchased earlier that day particularly for him.
"Did your birthday suddenly change to October 17th or did mine?" He asked, sitting at the table. "Or did we start this beautiful relationship of ours on October 17th instead of January 9th?"
"Wrong," she replied with a grin." Today is a very special day, Trent Matheson. You are about to become a father."
Shocked by the incredulous news, Trent replied, "You mean…we're gonna have a baby?"
"No. I mean I'm gonna have a baby and we'll be the proud parents," she cheerfully returned. "I just found out this morning."
He rushed from the other side of the table, picked her up and held her so tightly that she almost suffocated. Then suddenly, in the bliss of it all, he realized that if he kept up the squeezing, he just might squeeze the life out of their baby. So he gently put her back down and knelt down before her.
"Let's get married tomorrow or the day after. How about it?" He gleefully proposed.
Tina lovingly caressed his face and said, "We're gonna be the happiest couple in the world, darling. But right now, I'd rather just concentrate on getting prepared for the arrival of this baby. It would really be too much strain on me to organize a wedding now. But afterwards, we could definitely make that move. All right?"
"We don't need anything big right now, honey. We could go to a Minister and have it done over lunch. I wanted to make you my wife before we ever slept together. I wanted to do right by you, Tina."
"You're such a good man, Trent. I've never met anyone like you before in my whole life who respected me so much. I would love to be your wife. Since I was a child, I always dreamed of the day I would walk down the aisle of a beautiful church with stained glass windows in a gorgeous wedding gown and marry the man of my dreams. You are the man of my dreams and I want our wedding day to be perfect." She extended her hand and he stood. "I know this is sort of putting the cart before the horse, but let's get through this pregnancy since I'm already a couple of months in and after the baby is born, we can have that beautiful wedding I've always dreamed of. Okay?"
Trent saw the logic almost immediately. "Can I least get you an engagement ring for now? You're not just any woman to me, Tina; you're the mother of my child."
"Sure, you can. I would be honored to wear it." They looked into each other's eyes and kissed passionately with hearts filled with love.
* 6 *
Solange was at Hazel's door at 10:00 sharp, Tuesday morning. Laurie had volunteered to stay at Greg's house while Solange and Hazel talked, and she went to do just that, considering that Hazel would have sent her off somewhere in the meantime anyway. She also agreed, upon Solange's request, to stay in the living room so that she would be able to hear Greg's car pull up if he decided to pay an unexpected visit.
Hazel greeted Solange in her usual black attire and led her to a sofa in the front room where they would talk. However, her appearance was slightly different that morning: She wore no head scarf and thus exposed her long, black hair streaked with silver. She was a beautiful woman, Solange thought, who often concealed her beauty behind that dreadful scarf.
Without a good-morning greeting or even a smile, Hazel chose to get right down to business. Sitting next to Solange and looking intensely into her eyes, she said: "You are in great danger, my dear. You must pack your things and go to another state."
Solange stared at her in astonishment. "What are you talking about, Hazel? Why should I do a thing like that?"
"You are living amidst evil - a treacherous evil!" The woman responded. "If you don't leave soon, you are destined for trouble."
Just then, Solange remembered what Laurie had said about her aunt speaking in parables. "What do you mean by that?" She insisted.
"Listen. If I told a three-year old child the same thing I'm telling you now, he would be able to grasp what I'm saying. You are an adult, my dear. Everything doesn't have to be spelled out to you. You must hear what I'm saying because your very life depends on it."
Solange gave in to silence, allowing Hazel to continue.
"A terrible thing has happened in that house. I'm certain that Laurie must have told you that I witnessed something."
"Yes, she did," Solange nodded. "She kept saying you saw the whole thing, but she refused to say anything more."
"That's my Laurie; she understands me. It is not wise to speak everything you think you know to people. There is always a right time for everything and sometimes what one doesn't know will not hurt him. But in your case, my dear - either way - you will definitely get hurt. However, some pain is greater than others. I need you to heed my instructions: Leave that house now before it's too late!"
"You expect me to pack up and run and I don't even know what I'm running for, Hazel?" Solange countered. "That would be absurd. My goodness, I have absolutely nowhere to go anyway!"
"Go wherever your feet take you, child. You'll find somewhere safe, believe me."
Perceiving her visit with Hazel to be a complete waste of time, Solange said she had to leave and thanked her for her time. There were still questions to which Hazel seemingly felt at no liberty to answer.
On arrival home, Solange slumped onto the couch next to Laurie and Laurie anxiously said: "Well… did she tell you?"
Solange looked at the little, wide-eyed girl with the heart of gold. "To tell you the truth…she said something, but I haven't the foggiest clue what it was. All she kept saying was that I should leave this house now. She expects me to do that without even telling me what in the world is going on. Does she think that Greg's going to kill me or something?"
"Maybe."
"Absurd!"
"My auntie Hazel…"
"Saw the whole thing, right?" Solange quickly interjected. "What blasted thing anyway?"
Surprised by Solange's outburst, Laurie got up suddenly. "I'll be going now, Liza. I'm sure my Auntie's needing me by now. I'll hail you some other time."
Sensing the girl's irr
itation, Solange made no effort to stop her or to apologize. She felt she needed some time alone anyway. She sat there inwardly supporting Greg's opinion of Laurie and her aunt and decided that she didn't need them as friends - just as he had said. Soon, she fell asleep on the couch with troubling thoughts bombarding her mind.
Two hours later, Solange found Greg standing over her.
"Hi, Peaches. Thought I'd stop by for lunch."
She sat up rubbing her eyes, then glanced at her wrist watch. "It's only twelve-thirty," she said. "You usually come by at two."
"What's the matter? You didn't fix anything?" He asked.
"I'm afraid not. I'll prepare something right now while you wait. It'll only take a minute."
He backed away, giving her the space she needed to get up. "Liza, the more time I waste here, the more money I lose. Don't you realize that by now?"
"I know, Greg. This won't take long."
He followed her to the kitchen, sat at the table and watched her as she made the sandwiches. He checked his watch. "Five minutes already, Liza. That's about twenty bucks I just missed out on."
"I'm sorry, Greg, but I'm working as fast as I can," she said. "I'm just adding the lettuce to the sandwiches, then you can have them. A minute later, she handed them to him along with a tall glass of lemonade.
He looked at the drink, then looked at her. "Lemonade again? What's with you and lemonade every day, Liza?"
Wiping her hands on the apron, she replied, "I thought you liked lemonade. I figured that's why you buy a bunch of lemons every week."
"I buy the lemons for other things, too!" He was clearly annoyed.
She took off the apron and started out of the kitchen when suddenly, she felt a yank of her arm. "I want you," Greg confessed. "I want you now!"
A tsunami of anxiety rose within Solange as flashbacks of Ferdinand's attack suddenly raced through her mind. As if in automatic survival mode, she broke away from him and shouted: "No! Absolutely not!" and escaped into the bathroom as fast as she could. Behind the locked door, she sobbed quietly - a myriad of emotions enveloping her. Then she heard his footsteps quickly approaching.
"I'm sorry, Liza," Greg started. "I didn't mean to scare you." He paused for a moment then said: "I don't know how you expect for me not to develop strong feelings for you. You are a very beautiful woman. You know I've been attracted to you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. It's just that we've been living together for months and I sort of want something more than what we have right now. I think… I love you, Liza." He cleared his throat feeling very awkward. "Anyway, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I promise."
She heard him walk away and a minute or two, the front door closed. After a few moments more, she opened the bathroom door and walked slowly toward the kitchen to see if Greg had really left. To her relief, he had. He had obviously taken his sandwiches with him, but drank down the glass of lemonade as the empty glass was on the table. Solange picked it up, opened the refrigerator and poured out some lemonade for herself.
She sat down at the kitchen table and tried to gather her thoughts. She realized that Greg's aggressiveness had triggered the awful memory of her past, but she feared that she was gradually becoming unhinged with her emotions. She tried to analyze her true feelings for Greg in spite of his recent odd behavior, but felt more confused than ever. However, the more she thought about him, she realized that thinking even for a moment that she didn't need Laurie or Hazel might be a crucial mistake.
Seven
__________________
THE NEWCOMER
* 1 *
The following morning, a young man with jet-black, curly hair and dark features walked into First Provincial Bank. He approached Clara Eaves, who was standing behind the Customer Information booth. She was a short, stout, middle-aged brunette with a pleasant smile. She wore large eye-glasses that made her eyes look like polka-dots.
"Good Afternoon, ma'am. My name is Richard Hillard. I'm here to apply for the position," he said.
Eaves looked up at him and tilted her glasses on her nose. "Excuse me, dear, but what position might that be?"
"The Senior Accounts Officer position; I heard it was available."
"Oh, I'm sorry, but I didn't realize that information had been advertised externally as yet," Eaves replied.
"Actually, it wasn't - at least not to my knowledge," the man grinned. "A friend of mine told me about it."
Eaves knew that Trent Matheson took leakage of internal information very seriously, but perceiving how presentable and intelligent the young man seemed, she immediately thought him to be a good candidate for the job.
"Just wait one moment, sir, while I ring Mister Matheson for you," she said.
"Trent Matheson?"
"Yes. Do you know him?"
"No, not personally. I heard he owns the place," Richard said.
"Yes. He and Mister Darcy. Mister Matheson would be the person you would have to see about that position. He personally does all the hiring for the Trust department," Eaves explained." She dialed Trent's extension and on the second ring, Tina picked up. "Mister Matheson's office."
"Hi, Tina. Clara Eaves here. I'm trying to reach Mister Matheson."
"I'm sorry, Clara, but he stepped out a few minutes ago to grab a cup of coffee from the cafeteria. He said he needed to stretch his legs a bit."
"I see. Well, there's a gentleman here by the name of Richard Hillard. He says he would like to apply for the vacant Trust spot." Then turning away from the young man, she whispered: "I think he'll make the perfect candidate. There's just something about this guy."
"Senior Accounts Officer?" Tina asked.
"Yes. What would you have me tell him?"
"Send him upstairs, Clara. I'll have him wait until Trent...," she cleared her throat; "I mean…until Mister Matheson returns."
Eaves directed Richard to take the elevator to the third floor. Tina was waiting for him when the doors slid open. "Mister Hillard?" She asked as he walked out.
"Yes, ma'am."
"I'm Tina Sheffield, Mister Matheson's secretary," she extended a hand.
"Very nice meeting you, ma'am," Richard returned the handshake.
Tina walked him over to the reception area near her office. "I've already buzzed Mister Matheson. He'll be right down to see you." As the young man sat down, she said: "Have we met before, Mister Hillard?"
"I highly doubt it, ma'am. I would have remembered. A face as beautiful as yours is unforgettable."
Tina managed a smile, then returned to her desk avoiding his eyes as she would a rattle-snake.
Feeling the tension in his nerves allay slightly while sipping the coffee, Trent noticed the strange gentleman sitting patiently in the reception area with a black briefcase on his lap. He nodded to him as he passed by, then entered his office leaving the door slightly ajar. He sat behind his desk and buzzed Tina.
"Do you have any idea who told that guy out there about the post?" He asked.
"No, I don't, Trent." She spoke almost at a whisper.
"Okay. Show him in, will you?"
Tina got up and walked over to Richard who had been watching her all the while. "Sir, Mister Matheson will see you now."
Richard got up quickly and followed her to Trent's office. Tina closed the door behind him.
"Mister Hillard, is it?" Trent asked, shaking his hand.
"Yes, sir. It's an honor to meet you."
Trent invited him to sit. "Well, first of all, Mister Hillard, I would like to know who told you about the vacant position here, but first, I think I should tell you why. Whenever a position is available in this company, staff have first preference. If no one applies or qualifies, we wait a day or two, then advertise in the newspapers. This position has been announced to staff just yesterday, so I'm curious to know who would have mentioned it to you," he said.
"Well, sir, a friend of mine who doesn't work here told me that an acquaintance of his who does told him about it. To be honest with you, I have n
o idea who that acquaintance is and I'm sure if I asked my friend, he wouldn't tell me for the very reason you mentioned. I was just grateful that he told me about it."
"I see. I don't usually do this, but since you're already here through no fault of your own," Trent started, "I'll consider your application and disregard that unfortunate leakage of information."
"Thank you, sir. And perhaps, by the end of this meeting, you won't deem it so unfortunate," Richard replied.
Trent was impressed by the young man's confidence. "May I take a look at your credentials, Mister Hillard?"
Richard immediately opened his briefcase and handed Trent a legal-sized manila folder.
Trent took his time and reviewed each document carefully. "Very impressive," he remarked. "You graduated from Harvard, huh?"
"Yes, sir - top of my class. I've worked diligently all throughout university as you can see there." He pointed to the information on page four.
"Yes, I see."
Looking at the papers for a while with a finger tucked beneath his chin, Trent seriously considered Richard Hillard for the job. He couldn't believe he was actually considering the guy since staff had first preference.
"I've given it thought, Mister Hillard…" he started.
"Please call me Richard, sir."
"All right, Richard. I've never made such a quick decision before. Believe me. But from the credentials I've seen in this folder and your overall attitude before me today, I think you might be the perfect man for the job indeed."
Richard's face beamed with enthusiasm.
"Is tomorrow too early to start?" Trent asked. "I only ask because we could really use your expertise as soon as possible."
"Tomorrow's perfect, sir, and I'm really grateful for the opportunity to work for you. I give you my word that I'll be a true asset to this company".
"I'm sure you will," Trent said, extending a hand. "I'll have a Personnel Officer fill you in on all the details - salary, benefits, and all that other stuff. I assure you the package would be to your satisfaction."
Immortals- The Complete Real Illusions Series Page 11