“Yeah, sure we are. We ended things on good terms. We even have gone out to dinner a few times after the fucking—just as friends. Why, you no know him?”
“Only in passing. And let’s just say that he was no pussycat when it came to meeting me,” Alex said. “That’s why we thought we’d make contact with him at a party—you know, after he has a few drinks in him.”
“Is he here tonight?”
“We believe so, yes,” Alex said.
“OK, fine. So, how about if I take you over to him and introduce you two to him?” she asked.
And that alone was one mother of a loaded question. What would Epifania say to Cross? How would she introduce us to him? How crazy would she be? Was this an in for us? Or should we run for the hills?”
“I see what behind your eyes,” Epifania said after Alex and I balked. “And I get it. And no, I no insulted. You think Epifania gonna be batshit crazy if she take you over to him. Look, the cookies, do you really think I landed my leetle loaded Chuckie without being really, really smart? When it comes to my friends, I am who I am—the real me. But when it comes to people like the Chuckie and the Rudsy, Epifania is a kinda, sorta different person. I didn’t get off that rubber boat without a plan, you know? I knew what I could offer if I was given a chance. You’ll see. So, come on. Come with me. And trust me—when we find him, it gonna be all right. Epifania so got this sheet down, you don’t even know!”
CHAPTER EIGHT
“WELL, WHERE IN THE hell is he?” Epifania said as we followed her into the crowd. “Heyzeus Cristo, this place is huge. And Maxine, just as she always do, invite way too many people—most of whom I hate, but whatever. It too fucking crowded in here. Where’s my Rudsy? Where he be...?”
She paused for a moment and looked around the room.
“OK, this gonna be impossible, so let Epifania think. He sure as hell not gonna be near the dance floor or the orchestra, because he not that kinda guy. He hate the dance, which is a motherfucking crime, because Epifania love to dance, and she think if Rudsy could only loosen the hell up, he be as good at the dancing as he is at the fucking. You know what I mean? Stop looking so horrified—you two kill me. Anyway, he’s not gonna be in the middle of everything because he more of a sideline kind of guy, you know? Believe it or not, beneath his cockiness, he actually kind of shy. His tough-guy act is a sham. Well, kind of. Not exactly. But sometimes it—depends on the circumstance. So, my bet is that he’s either gonna be somewhere along the walls or maybe at the bar, because Rudsy loves him some Scotch. It relaxes him. Let’s walk over there first, then if he not there, we continue our search.”
When we moved toward the far end of the bar, Epifania triumphed. “See, I told you—there he is,” she said. “And with a glass of Scotch in his hand. See him over there? Always so the hunky. He still turn me on, even though we just the friends at this point. Who he talking to? Who that woman? Oh, really?” she said in surprise. “Really? He talking to that beech Immaculata.”
“As in Immaculata Almendarez?” I said.
“What? You know another Immac—” And then it came to her. “Oh, sheet—you two hate each other, don’t you?”
“Hate is too strong of a word for that bitch,” I said.
“Doesn’t sound it, but what do I know? Look, she and I had this big, nasty fight a month or so ago, so there no love lost between us, OK? If anything, it just tense between us now! And it gonna be even more tense if I walk over there, because Rudsy gonna flirt with me right in front of her. You’ll see. He’ll do it. So, what you want me to do?”
“We go over,” I said.
“You sure, the cookie? You and I both know how Immaculata can be...”
“We do. I dealt with her long before I met you, my friend. Trust me, I can handle her just as well as she thinks she can handle me.”
“Now you sound like you Jenny from the ghetto!”
“Parts of Maine can be like the ghetto, Epifania.”
“I love it when you bring the sass like that,” she said. “That one of the reasons why I’m glad we’re friends, mi amiga.”
“Same here, Epifania.” I winked at her. “I the crazy for the you.”
“Now you’re the talking!”
“Maybe we should wait, Jennifer,” Alex said. “You know how Immaculata can be and what she can do.”
“Please. We’ve been married two years now. If she isn’t over you at this point, then she’ll never be over you. Besides, Immaculata is a master at making herself look beyond pathetic. And if she tries anything with me, I know exactly how to expose her for who she is. You’ll see—and if I play it right, maybe so will Rudsy.”
WHEN WE APPROACHED Cross and Immaculata, my initial impression given her body language alone was that she was flirting with him—she was running her fingers through her long, thick black hair, and she kept smoothing one of her hands along the side of her curvaceous right hip as if she were a bombshell shot straight out of a sordid B-movie. Worse, whenever she laughed, she tilted her head back so she could titter.
Poor Immaculata, I thought. Still on the search for a wealthy man willing to give her a home. And clearly still trying way too hard to make that happen.
It was when Epifania spoke that I nearly did a double take.
“Rudsy,” she said in a voice that had less of an accent to it. “How are you, love? As handsome as ever, I see.”
And that was no exaggeration. I’d seen many photographs and interviews of Rudman Cross over the years. And while I knew that he was good looking, in person he looked even better, especially for a man in his mid-fifties. Cross clearly worked out and took care of himself—his dark hair was just starting to go gray at his temples, which suited him; he had a square jaw with a deep dimple in the center of his chin, which heightened his masculinity; and his eyes were light blue and framed by dark lashes—always a winning combination.
But there was something more about him that made him a compelling figure—Epifania might have said that he was shy, but his confidence nevertheless came through him in waves. And he was taller than I’d expected—perhaps even as tall as Alex, who was six-three. Either way, I had to admit that there was an electricity about him that many would find undeniably sexy.
“Epifania,” Cross said as he gave her a kiss on each cheek. “I was hoping to see you tonight.”
“Then your hopes have become the reality,” she said. “Here, let me wipe the lipstick off your cheek. I can’t have you walking around this party with me sitting on your face, can I?” She winked at him when he caught the joke and laughed, and when she was finished smoothing her finger over his lips, she turned to Immaculata with a curt nod.
“Immaculata,” she said.
“Epifania. I’m surprised to see you here tonight.”
“Surprised?”
“I didn’t know that you knew the Witherhouses.”
“When you worth half a billion, Immaculata, people like the Witherhouses know you.”
“Touché,” Cross said with bemusement.
“Well, it’s true, don’t you think, Rudsy?”
“Well, you are here,” he said.
“‘Rudsy’?” Immaculata said. “Who calls you ‘Rudsy’?”
“Epifania does, Immaculata.”
“It just seems so—”
“Intimate?” he said.
“I was going to use another word...”
“And what would that be?”
“She won’t say it,” Epifania said. “Because in the end, she will only embarrass herself because she never say quite the right thing. Isn’t that right, Immaculata? In fact, you always seem to say the wrong thing.”
Who is this woman? I asked myself. I’d never seen or heard Epifania like this before. It was like she’d become a completely different person. And then I recalled her own words from just moments ago: Look, the cookies, do you really think I landed Chuckie without being really, really smart? When it comes to my friends, I am who I am—the real me. But when it comes to
people like the Chuckie and the Rudsy, Epifania a totally different person.
And she was.
“Would you mind if Jennifer, Alex, and I have a moment alone with Rudsy, Immaculata? We’ll only be a few minutes—I promise.”
Epifania had actually said my name correctly—she didn’t say ‘Yennifer.’ Instead, she’d said ‘Jennifer.’ And since Immaculata’s back was to Alex and me, she had no idea that we were standing behind her. When she turned around, she saw Alex first. I saw her lips part at the sight of him, and I knew in that glance that even to this day, she still carried a flame for him. And then her eyes darkened when she saw me. Here was a woman who had once thrown a glass of champagne in my face at a party not unlike this—and who I had slapped twice across the face for doing so. I believe I’d even knocked her to the floor in the process.
Such was our legacy, which was long and ugly.
“Alex,” Immaculata said. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, Immaculata.”
She seemed to wait for a moment for him to ask her how she was, but she gave up and turned to me. “Jennifer,” she said.
“Immaculata. Was that a greeting or an accusation? I can never tell when it comes to you.”
At that moment, Immaculata was faced with two choices—go for my throat and embarrass herself in front of a man she was trying to attract, or keep a cool head and do nothing. I wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but the silence that stretched between us felt as if it was about to snap. She knew for a fact that I’d just left her hanging. So, I waited to see how she’d recover.
“Well,” she said. “No need to respond to that. I’ll just freshen my cocktail while you three spend time with Rudman.” She looked at him. “I’d love to continue our conversation. I’ll give all of you a few moments to chat and then I’ll return once they’ve left.”
“There’s really no need,” Cross said as he lifted his glass of Scotch and motioned around the room with it. “There are so many people here tonight, Immaculata. Both of us should mix with our friends while we can. It was good seeing you.”
“But it seems as if there is still so much to say...”
“I agree. But perhaps for another time...?”
“I see,” she said. “Well, then. I certainly hope that will happen soon, Rudman. I was enjoying myself—I hope that you also were.”
“Of course. We’ll continue on at another party.”
“If you’d like my number, I can always give you my card.”
Bitch sure is desperate...
“No need. You have a good evening.”
And with that, Immaculata Almendarez, humiliated to her core, took the train of the deep blue evening gown she was wearing, swept it aside so she wouldn’t trip over it, and shouldered her way past us with her head lifted just a bit too high. When she was out of earshot, Cross turned to Epifania.
“Thank you,” he said. “She was beginning to annoy me.”
“Anything for you, Papi.”
“You know I love it when you call me that,” he said with a low growl. “I’ve missed you. You look sexy as hell tonight.”
“You think so?”
“I do.”
“You look pretty handsome yourself... handsome.”
“You know what I miss about you, Epifania?”
She leaned forward to straighten his tie, and as she did so, her breasts pressed against his chest. “What’s that, Papi?”
“That there’s no bullshit when it comes to you. You don’t try to impress me. You’re just yourself around me. Do you know how rare that is?”
“You think I don’t know?” she said. “Give me a break. All the men come to Epifania for one reason—Chuckie’s money. I’m tired of it.”
“I apologize,” he said. “How stupid of me. You must go through the same thing I do.”
“You don’t even want to know. There’s a reason this girl is single, Papi. Sure, I want to be in a good relationship—but I think that out of the cards for me at this point. But no worries, right? It is what it is.”
“I hear you.”
Was it just me, or were these two made for each other? The chemistry popping between them was crazy. When we were alone, I needed to ask Epifania why she’d stopped seeing him, because there was something about them that clearly said that they were meant for each other.
“Why don’t you call me sometime?” she said to Cross. “It’s been, like, months since we have dinner together. I miss talking with you. I miss picking that business brain of yours. So, we have dinner? But just the dinner. No funny stuff. OK?”
“No funny stuff?”
“None of the funny stuff.”
He grinned at her. “I’d like that,” he said.
“Perfect. Now, Papi, I want to introduce you to two of my closest friends—Alex and Jennifer Wenn.”
He cocked his head at her. “Two of your closest friends?”
“Absolutely. I consider Jennifer alone to be one of my best friends. And Alex? Like you, he a gentleman. One of the few good guys left in New York, as far as I can tell. He somebody you should get to know, because you both good men. Have you two met?”
“Just once before,” Cross said to her while he turned to Alex. “And I’m afraid that I didn’t come off very well, Alex. I was going through a difficult divorce at the time. There was a good year there when I don’t believe I was polite to many people, and I know for a fact that one of those people was you. I hope that you’ll accept my apologies for how I behaved, because I have nothing but respect for what you’ve done with Wenn since your parents passed. In fact, it’s amazing what you’ve done—and what you and Jennifer have accomplished together since you married.”
“Thank you, Rudman,” Alex said. “I appreciate that.”
The two men shook hands, and then Cross held out his hand to me, which I shook.
“It’s true what they say about you, Jennifer. I hope Alex doesn’t mind me saying that you’re somehow more beautiful in person than in the many photographs I’ve seen of you in the press.”
“I don’t think that he’d mind that at all. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Cross.”
“Please,” he said. “It’s Rudman.”
“All right, then—Rudman.”
“Congratulations on the SlimPhone,” Cross said. “For a while there, when it first came out, things looked a bit iffy, especially when you went missing on that island. But now there’s no questioning it—it’s a smash hit.”
“We have a new version coming out next month,” Alex said.
“I’ve read about it. With that processing chip alone, you’re really going for it. That chip isn’t cheap.”
“It isn’t, but if you’re going to compete in this field, you need to swing hard.”
“Agreed.”
“The third version of the phone is already in R&D. We expect to have it out early next year.”
“Advancing technology never stops, does it?” Cross said. “When you’re in this business, you’re constantly chasing after the next big thing, and yet somehow always feeling as if you’re just behind the curve because new advances emerge so quickly.”
“To say the least,” Alex said. “Look, Rudman, about the SlimPhone, I was actually going to call you later in the week to see if you’d like to talk about an opportunity I have in mind. But Epifania said that she knew you and would like to introduce us to you, and she was kind enough to bring us over, which I appreciate, because I prefer face-to-face to a cold call any day.”
“Now I’m curious,” he said. “What’s this about?”
“In a nutshell, bringing the SlimPhone to Cross Communications, but in a revolutionary new deal that would benefit each of us.”
“Go on...”
“Wenn wants the SlimPhone to be the brand in the marketplace.”
“With all due respect, Alex, that’s a pretty tall order, wouldn’t you say?”
“I know it is. That’s why we’d like to join forces with Cross and tap into its worldw
ide network, which is second only to Verizon. What we have in mind is giving you a significant cut of each SlimPhone sale in exchange for a service plan that is so attractive to buyers—yet still profitable for you—that we each can grow our brands.”
“You’d give my company a cut of your profits?” he said to Alex in surprise. “Depending on what that looks like on paper, that’s unheard of.”
“I believe in taking risks,” Alex said. “I also believe in my phone. We’re now third in the marketplace, behind Apple and Samsung. I believe that if we joined forces in a deal that benefits each of our companies as well as our clients that we could make the SlimPhone number one. Would you be interested in setting up some time so we could speak more about this? Here probably isn’t the best place.”
“It isn’t,” he said. “And I would like to speak more with you about this. Give my office a call at your earliest convenience. With the new SlimPhone about to come out, we can’t waste any time when it comes to this. I’ll be in Europe tomorrow, but back on Friday.”
“I’ll drop everything to make that happen.”
“Please bring Jennifer with you—I’d like to have her there.” He looked at me. “I hear that you have a savvy mind when it comes to business. I’d like to hear your insights into this deal.”
“I’d be happy to help however I can.”
“Then it’s done,” he said. “We meet soon after I’m back from Europe. Now, if you two wouldn’t mind, I think I’d like to spend some time with Epifania.” He turned to her. “If you’re willing, of course.”
“I’d love to catch up,” she said while resting her hand on his broad shoulder. “I always learn things from you—like what to do with my money. Plus, you’re sexy. Epifania like to stand next to a good-looking man.”
“You know,” Cross said to Alex and me, “Epifania and I used to see each other, but that was a year ago—right around the time of my divorce. With the passing of time and my head on straight, I’m beginning to wonder why we stopped seeing each other in the first place...”
“Here comes the flirt I remember so well,” Epifania said. “Wish me good luck, you two, because Epifania think she’s going to need it when it comes to this one.”
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