Risky Investment

by Beth Moore

  Chris watched as Sam argued with someone on the other end of the phone line. Hanging up the receiver, Sam approached Chris.

  “That’s it, Chris, closing time. Time to go home.”

  Chris moaned and tried to stand. Sam rushed around the corner of the bar and pulled Chris’s arm around her shoulder, balancing the woman.

  “Come on, I promised Lynn that you’d get home safely,” Sam said as she helped Chris out the door.

  All Chris remembered later was Matt answering the door and helping her to bed. She rolled over and wept as the numbness wore off and the pain overwhelmed her body once again.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Lynn slowly pushed open the bedroom door to watch as the body, snuggled under the sheets, slept. A million thoughts were rushing through her mind—memories of the past week, Chris’s laugh, her smiles, her tears. She wondered if she would ever see her again. Matt walked up and stood behind her, placing his arms around Lynn.

  “Penny for your thoughts,” Matt said softly.

  Lynn shook her head and continued staring at the slow rise and fall of the sheet. Matt left her to her thoughts. After a few minutes, Lynn walked down the hall, picked up her keys, and said to Matt, “Call me when she’s gone.”

  Matt nodded and headed into the kitchen to make his “hangover special.”

  He stirred the ingredients together vigorously, then leaned on the counter as the liquid spun around and around. He couldn’t help but be disappointed in the outcome of the situation. Oh, he wasn’t disappointed in Lynn. He knew that she couldn’t force Chris to succumb to her feelings. And Chris wasn’t to blame, either. Admitting that you’re in love with someone of the same sex isn’t an easy thing to do. He thought she just needed a gentie nudge, but he had done all the nudging that he could do.

  Lynn slid onto the leather seat of her BMW. Her day wasn’t going to get any better. After changing into her business attire, she was heading to a meeting that she dreaded. The investment that Charles had been so excited about, turned out to be nothing to be excited about. Turning the key in the ignition, she ran over several scenarios in her mind. She sighed as she turned onto the freeway. There was just no easy way to tell him. Maybe she should tell him that her most recent investment hadn’t been successful either.

  Matt sat down on the edge of the bed and shook Chris’s arm lightly.

  “Hey, sleepyhead,” he said softly.

  Chris, having trouble opening her eyes, rolled over and lay on her back. “What time is it?”

  “Time for you to get up,” Matt replied. “How’s your head?”

  Chris made an attempt to sit up, then fell back on her pillow in pain. “Ohhh,” she moaned.

  “That’s what I thought.” He picked up the glass of his special hangover elixir from the bed table and handed it to Chris. “Here, this should help.”

  Chris looked at the red concoction and gave out another moan. “What is that?”

  “Don’t worry about it. This little concoction will have you feeling better in no time,” Matt answered.

  Chris raised herself on one elbow and took a sip of the liquid. Not bad.

  “I have to go in to work for a while but we’re meeting my parents at five o’clock, okay?” Matt said as he headed out the bedroom door.

  “Matt?” Chris called out, making Matt turn around. “Was it just my imagination, or was Lynn standing right there a little while ago?”

  Matt nodded. “Not your imagination, she was here. She just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “But she’s gone again?” Chris hesitantly asked.

  Matt looked at her, nodded, and sighed. “She’s gone again.”

  Chris stumbled to the shower after drinking the entire glass of Matt’s mixture. She stepped in and let the cool water rush over her face, hoping it would relieve her pounding head. She turned her back to the water, crossed her arms, and leaned her head on the shower wall. Tomorrow her life could return to normal. She could go back to her apartment, her studying, her freedom. Funny, it didn’t really sound all that appealing.

  Toweling off, she looked around the room. This had become her home. In just a little over a week her life had been turned upside down. And now, she wasn’t at all sure that she wanted it to change back. She sat on the bed massaging her temples. She wished Lynn were here now to rub away the tension. She wished Lynn were here now, period.

  Charles rose from the table as Lynn approached.

  “Well, don’t you look all business!” Charles exclaimed as he pulled out a chair to seat her. It wasn’t often that he saw her in anything but casual attire. Now she stood before him in a business suit and heels.

  “There’s a reason for that, I’m afraid,” Lynn answered. Not exactly sure how to approach the matter, Lynn placed her elbows on the table, folded her hands, and looked Charles straight in the eye.

  “Charles, you haven’t actually handed over any funds for this investment yet, have you?” Lynn asked delicately.

  Charles shook his head and smiled. “Well, there was a small deposit that I had to make just to hold my position open. But I never hand over the big money until I run it by my very knowledgeable investment advisor.”

  “How much of a deposit?”

  “A thousand bucks, why?” he asked curiously.

  “I’m afraid you’ve been a victim of fraud,” Lynn answered softly. She watched as the blood drained from the face of the man across the table.

  “What? But the men seemed so professional. You saw the prospectus, all the brochures…” Charles stuttered.

  “Yes, it all looked good on paper, but once I started checking around—” Lynn began to explain.

  Charles interrupted, still in disbelief, “And you’re sure about this?”

  “Positive.” Lynn nodded. “Charles, I hope you don’t mind, but I called a friend of mine over in the Fraud Division of the FBI. He’ll be joining us in a few minutes to discuss the matter.”

  Charles lowered his eyes and began fidgeting with his napkin. “No, of course I don’t mind.” Then raising his eyes to hers, he explained his nervousness. “I know I’m only out a thousand bucks on this, but I have friends… let’s just say that they won’t be as lucky.”

  Lynn sighed. “I hate to say it, but this kind of thing happens all the time. I’m just glad that you came to me.”

  “You and me both,” Charles smiled halfheartedly. He hurt inside for his friends who could face financial ruin.

  “Good afternoon,” said the man who had approached the table during their private conversation.

  Lynn looked up and stood. “Bill, thanks for coming.” Then turning, she made introductions, “Bill Woods, Charles McKinley”

  The men shook hands and they all took their seats. Lynn informed Bill that she had explained the situation to Charles. The two men talked about how much money was involved. Bill opened his briefcase and pulled out a folder.

  Opening the folder, he scooted it across the table in front of Charles. “Are these the men?”

  Charles picked up several photographs and nodded. “They sure look legit, don’t they? I mean, having been on the bench and all, as a judge, you would think that I could be a better judge of character, wouldn’t you?”

  Bill took the folder, shoved it back into his briefcase, and shook his head. “Please don’t be hard on yourself. These men are professionals. They’ve run this racket all over the world.”

  “Well, is there anything that I can do to help you get these guys behind bars?” Charles asked.

  Bill nodded. “Lynn furnished me with all the material that you gave her. Their office address is listed on the prospectus. We’ll start there. Anything else you can tell us will be appreciated.”

  Charles spent the next hour telling Bill about how he and his friends were approached and all of the details that followed. Bill interrupted occasionally with questions, maldng notes as the discussion continued.

  Just as they were concluding, a cell phone rang. Bill checked h
is phone, then turned to Lynn. “Nope, must be yours.”

  Lynn picked up her phone and excused herself from the table to take the call. Bill leaned over to Charles.

  “So, Lynn said that you were the father of a friend. Would that be her boyfriend?” he asked with a smile. “I’ve been trying to get a date with her since I met her. She just keeps saying that she likes to keep her personal life separate from her business life.”

  Charles smiled, not knowing exactly how to answer. Lynn must have her reasons for keeping this young man in the dark. If Bill was truly interested, he was sure that someone in the FBI could have found out about Lynn’s lifestyle. He decided on the plain and simple truth. “Lynn lives with my son.”

  Bill nodded and stood as Lynn rejoined the men. “Well, I think that I have all that I need now.” Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out a business card and handed it to Charles. “I’ll be contacting you for a list of investors involved.”

  Shaking Charles’s hand and then Lynn’s, he said, “Nice to have met you Charles, and Lynn, always a pleasure.”

  When Bill left, Charles focused on the business card still in his hand. “Lynn, looks like I owe you another one.”

  Lynn placed her hand over Charles’s hand. “You know I’d do anything for you and Marie. And of course for Matt.” She felt a twinge of guilt over the current charade.

  Charles smiled at the mention of Matt’s name. “By the way, I may have led Bill to believe that you were involved with my son.”

  Lynn laughed. “I leave the table for one minute. How did that come about?”

  “He asked if I happened to be your boyfriend’s father. I merely said that you and he lived together. It wasn’t a lie. Is there some reason why he doesn’t know about your lifestyle? I thought you were pretty open about the whole thing.”

  “Sometimes you can just tell who is accepting of it and who isn’t. I just have this feeling about him. Maybe he wouldn’t be as cooperative with me if he knew,” Lynn explained. “Word gets around. I’m sure that he’ll eventually uncover the truth.” Then smiling, she added, “So if you get a call in the middle of the night that I’ve been falsely imprisoned for something, you’ll know what happened.”

  Charles chuckled and looked at his watch. “It’s four o’clock. Matt and Chris are meeting us here for dinner around five. You are staying to dine with us, aren’t you?”

  Lynn shook her head. “No. I need to get going.” She hadn’t expected this to take so long. She tried desperately to think of an excuse.

  “We haven’t seen you in over a week. Marie thinks that there’s something wrong,” Charles stated.

  “Oh, you know, I get busy,” Lynn said as she fumbled with her briefcase.

  “You know what they say about all business and no play, Lynn,” Charles kidded her. “I thought that’s what you’ve been trying to escape from!” Then his face turned solemn. “Really, Lynn, this is our last night here, surely you can make time for dinner with us.”

  Lynn sighed. She could not tell them the truth. She could not tell them that she had fallen in love with their son’s fiancee and that it just hurt too much to see her. But she didn’t want to hurt their feelings either.

  Reluctantly, she agreed. “Okay. I have a change of clothes in the car. Do you mind if I use your room to change?”

  Charles smiled broadly. “Not at all. It will make Marie happy to see that you’re okay. Thanks for reconsidering.”

  Lynn walked to her car and grabbed her change of clothes. She wished that she had scheduled their meeting earlier. She was mad at herself for agreeing to this. She wasn’t only afraid of the hurt and anger that she still felt, but also of Chris’s reaction. Chris had clearly made her choice. She had not received a phone call to the contrary.

  She made her way up to Charles and Marie’s room. She knocked on the door and received a warm welcome.

  “Lynn, I’m so glad you’re here! I was afraid that we’d leave without seeing you again!” Marie said while hugging her.

  Lynn felt warm inside. Sometimes this couple made her feel more a part of the family than her own family did.

  “We’ll leave you alone to change. Meet you down in the restaurant, okay?” Charles smiled as he ushered his wife out the door.

  Lynn nodded and locked the door behind them. She was anxious to change out of her clothes. They did not fit her anymore. The size was fine. The persona was not. She pulled on her black jeans and boots and tucked in her shirt. She placed each earring in its proper hole and tousled her hair. Looking in the mirror, she smiled. “Welcome back,” she said to her reflection.

  “How are you feeling?” Matt smirked as he tucked his shirt into his blue slacks.

  Chris smiled as she put the finishing touches on her makeup. “Much better, thank you. What exactly is in that hangover special?”

  Matt gestured as if locking his lips. “I’ll never tell.”

  “Well anyway, thanks,” Chris said as she dabbed perfume behind her ears. “It made my head stop aching.” Then, placing the lid back on the perfume bottle, she leaned back on the counter and looked at Matt. “Have you got anything to stop the ache in my heart?”

  Matt saw the pain in Chris’s eyes and felt his own heart twinge. “Sorry, that’s something that only you can cure.”

  “There’s the Lynn Gregory we know and love!” Charles said as she approached the table.

  Marie smiled. “The kids should be here soon. It will be nice to have the whole family here for our farewell dinner.”

  Lynn smiled and answered instantly as a waiter approached and asked if he could take their drink order.

  “Definitely need a drink,” Lynn answered. “Scotch on the rocks, make it a double.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Well, this is it!” Matt gave a sigh of relief as they walked through the lobby and toward the restaurant. “Tonight’s dinner, good-byes at the airport tomorrow, and it’ll all be over!”

  Chris also sighed, but hers was not in relief. Hers was a nervous sigh. She wasn’t quite sure how to return to her old life, now that a new part of her had been awakened.

  Walking around the corner into the restaurant, Chris froze in place. Her heart jumped, and her eyes glued to the most beautiful sight she had ever seen—Lynn. Her face turned red and her body hot, as the sexiest thing she had ever laid her eyes on caught her stare, softly smiled, then turned back to the conversation at hand.

  Suddenly it all seemed so clear. Not even a small doubt remained in her mind. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted. Chris turned around to face Matt, who was waiting behind her.

  “I didn’t know she was going to be here,” he explained, then he asked impatiently, “What’s the matter?”

  “Suddenly it’s all so clear, Matt,” Chris said, almost in a trance from her sudden realization.

  Matt looked confused. “What’s clear?”

  Chris looked up with tears of joy in her eyes, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled him out of his parents’ sight. “Everybody has been telling me that you can’t help who you fall in love with.” Chris, still aware that Matt had no idea what she was talking about, continued, “It’s true, Matt, I can’t fight it anymore. I am utterly, irreversibly, in love with Lynn.”

  Matt looked into her eyes, knowing that she had finally uncovered her truth. “That’s great, Chris, really great.” Then, realizing his parents were waiting, he said, “You know, you could have picked a better time to come to this realization.”

  “Thanks for your overwhelming support, Matt,” Chris said, lightly slapping his chest. Then looking back into his eyes, she said with a serious tone, “I need to talk to her.”

  “Okay, you can talk to her after dinner,” Matt suggested.

  Chris shook her head. “No, I really need to talk to her now.”

  “Chris…”Matt whined.

  “Matt…” Chris whined back.

  Matt sighed, and knowing that he was not going to win this fight, conceded, “Okay,
I’ll have her meet you in the ladies’ room.”

  Chris nodded and squeezed his hand before he walked back into the restaurant. “Thank you.”

  Matt strolled over to the table, where the group was deep in conversation.

  Marie looked up. “Matt, honey, where’s Chris?”

  Matt gave the answer that he had prepared on the way over to the table. “We had a little argument.” Then looking at Lynn, he asked, “Lynn, could you go into the ladies’ room and see what you can do?”

  Lynn looked at him suspiciously.

  Matt persisted. “Please, Lynn… she’ll listen to you.”

  Lynn gave him a dirty look, rose and excused herself.

  Matt looked at his parents, shrugged, and pulled out a chair.

  “What was the argument about, dear?” Marie asked.

  Matt sat down and scooted toward the table. “Mom…” he replied with an annoyed tone.

  “Now, Marie, maybe it’s none of our business,” Charles said, placing his hand over his wife’s. Then he looked at Matt. “Well, son, I thought you would have brought the subject up by now, but you haven’t. Since we’re alone for a minute, let’s discuss the loan business. It’s been five years, Matt. Now I know you’ve made a few payments, but are you able to pay off the remainder? You do remember our deal?”

  Matt nodded and fiddled with his napkin. “Yes, Dad. I was meaning to talk to you about that.”

  “Go on,” Charles replied.

  “Well, you know, I’m not exactly in the position to pay off the loan, not right now. And I was thinking since I’m going to be getting married, and Chris has a life and career connections out here, well, I was thinking about an extension,” Matt said, unsure how his father was going to react.

  Charles chuckled. “You know, I had a feeling about this, Matt.” Taking his napkin from his lap, he laid it on the table and began twisting the material. “We had a deal, Matt. I understand about Chris and all, but a deal is a deal.” Pausing, he looked at his wife.