by Paul Byers
“That’s not good.” Pike said, straining his neck. “If we have another storm, this shaft will either twist itself out of the deck or cause a stress fracture in the ice that could split this section in two, or both.” Pike glanced at his watch. “Do me favor will you?” He said looking at Centers. “Find Miles and see if he knows about the problem with this shaft and find out what other problems he’s come across in his travels. As long as the weather holds, I don’t think we’re in any immediate danger but we still have a lot of checking to do before we can pass muster and enter New York harbor.”
“Pass muster, now that one I have heard before.” Centers smiled.
Pike chuckled. “Thanks Brian. I would like to meet with you and Dean in his office tomorrow morning, say 8:30?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Great.” Pike looked at his watch again. “I gotta run. See you in the morning.” He bounded back across the catwalk and vanished into the elevator.
Chapter Thirty One
Pike slowed to catch his breath as he entered the casino; he didn’t want to be panting or appear over eager when he sat down with Tabatha. He looked around at the busy, brightly lit room that was nearly full of happy gamblers. Gone were any signs of the struggles from the previous night’s storm. Now, their biggest concern was whether to keep the money Cain had given them the night before or to simply blow it all since it was free.
He moved past the row of slots and the craps tables toward the restaurant. He had on a navy blue sports coat, light blue button-down shirt and khaki pants. He thought about wearing a tie but decided against it, wanting to keep their dinner and interview casual. Walking past the Crystal Palace’s entrance; he grabbed a flower from one of the arrangements to give to Tabatha. He’d seen them do that in the movies and had always wanted to do it himself. Now he sort of wished he had worn his James Bond tuxedo.
He was met at the door by the maître d’ who greeted him by name and escorted him to his table. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was getting used to all the special attention and he knew he would miss it a little when he got back home. As soon as he saw Tabatha, he knew he should have worn the tuxedo. She was wearing a dark blue evening gown that accented her pearl necklace and matching earrings. She wore her hair down to her shoulders.
“Wow, you look beautiful,” Pike said as he sat down. “Sorry I’m late.”
Tabatha smiled. “That’s alright. I know you had a lot of work to do down below.”
“How did you…” he started to say, then stopped. “I know: you’re a reporter.”
She smiled and tipped her wineglass at him. “That’s right.” She took a sip then set it down. “Is that for me?” she said pointing at the flower, “or did you just pick up a snack to eat later?”
“Oh yes. Sorry.” Pike replied, feeling his face flush. Just as he started to hand it to her, the maître d’ walked up with a small vase, filled with greenery. He took the flower and placed it in the vase then set in on the table in front of them. When Tabatha wasn’t looking, Pike mouthed the words, “thank you,” to him and the maître d’ replied with a slight tilt of his head and a quick wink.
“Since you already know what I did today, there’s no need for an interview. Have you ordered for us already as well?”
“As a matter of fact, yes.”
“Ah, I see; a modern woman. Confident, self-assured, one knows what she wants and how to get it, yet not afraid to show that she’s still a woman,” he said, complimenting her on her dress. “Let’s see how good you really are. Appetizers?”
“Calamari.”
“Good choice. Soup?”
“New England clam chowder.”
“A seafood theme going here. Salad?”
“None. Need to save room for the main course.”
“Which is?”
“Southern fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy and corn on the cob.
“Bold, unpredicted. So simple a choice for a floating five star restaurant.” Pike nodded his head slowly, thinking. “I like it. Now for the crucial choice. Dessert?”
A sly smile crept to her lips. “The basics are always the best. A simple, double chocolate fudge cake topped with vanilla ice cream.”
Pike held his hands out in submission and lowered his head. “I bow to the master.”
“Now there’s an interesting picture.”
Pike spun around faster than a turnstile in a New York subway. “K.D.?” He stood, nearly knocking his chair over as he did.
“Am I interrupting?”
“No. What? How?” He stammered. “I don’t understand. How did you get here? I mean I know you got here by helicopter,” Pike rambled, “but what are you doing here?” Pike nervously realized he was stuck between a rock and a hard place and all the while not understanding why he felt like this. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but then in his forty-some years of life, one thing he had learned was that when it came to women, you didn’t necessarily have to do anything wrong to get into trouble.
K.D. looked at her coworker and could tell by the confusion in his eyes that his answer was sincere but a quick glance at the woman in the stunning blue dress said that she was interrupting. Suddenly she felt confused herself. Seeing Gabe standing there all flustered was amusing, but there was something more to it now. She had always liked Gabe, as a friend, but seeing him with this other woman, something changed. It took her a moment before she realized that she was jealous. Jealous? How could that be? Was it that she wanted him now simply for the fact that he was with someone else? Was the old saying really true: you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone? Her world was beginning to reel and it wasn’t because the iceberg was being tossed by the waves either.
Pike took a deep breath and was just starting to gain some measure of composure when he saw Marilyn walk in. She walked by K.D. as if she didn’t exist and gave Pike a long, warm hug and kiss on the left cheek, which was on the side facing Tabatha. As Marilyn kissed his cheek, she looked over and stared at Tabatha and then slid up the side of his face and nibbled on his ear.
“You really hate him don’t you?” Mallory said to Cain. They were in the back of the restaurant watching the scene unfold. “Bet you never saw this coming with your butterfly thing.” She continued.
“I had no idea.” Cain replied spellbound.
“Yeah, sure.”
“This is better than any soap opera. Poor Gabriel, stuck in the middle of three woman. I wish I had the power to read minds because I would give half my fortune to know what’s going through his head right now.”
Suddenly Cain felt Mallory grip his arm. “What?”
“Oh no; she’s not.”
“Not what?”
“She’s going to, I don’t believe it.”
“Who’s doing what? Tell me?” Cain half pleaded, half demanded. Just then they saw Pike jump.
“What was that?” Cain asked. “What did she do to him?”
“When she kissed Gabe on the cheek, she looked over at the reporter then took a nibble on his ear. She just pissed on the lawn, marking her territory.”
“Really? You saw all that?”
“Watch and learn.” Mallory replied. “See his coworker there, I think her name is K.D. Crooks. Did you see the way she walked up to Pike and Tabatha? Very calm, very casual, but look at her now. She is standing stiff legged and her arms are almost glued to her side because she doesn’t know what to do. She’s always liked Gabe as a friend but thought nothing more of it until now. Seeing him with Tabatha, especially dressed like that has made her suddenly rethink things and she’s confused. We always tend to want what we can’t have. It’s like when a woman is trying to decide which dress to buy in the store, the red one or the blue one. She likes them both but can’t make up her mind until someone comes along and grabs the red one. All of a sudden she wants the red one because she can’t have it.
“Take our reporter friend there. She is interested in our boy but she’s not quite sure if it’s pers
onal or just to get a good story. She’s done her homework and knows that Gabe doesn’t sleep around so she’s trying to catch him off guard by hitting him with her best shot right out of the gate with her slinky blue dress, just to make sure. And Marilyn Talbot, the boss’s wife, well, she’s just a plain old man-killer. She’s just in it for the challenge and thrill of the hunt. She’ll chew him up and spit him out then step on what’s left of him as she walks out the door.”
Cain looked at Mallory in amazement. “In just these few minutes you read all that? Wow, I am truly impressed. I see I’m going to have to bring you with me to board meetings more often.”
“Trust me, women understand these things.”
“Maybe women do but poor Gabriel is clueless in Seattle right now.”
“You know you really should go over there and rescue him.”
“Not a chance.” Cain said with a mischievous laugh. “He’s the Blast from the Past; let’s see how he gets out of this situation. Oh look, I think the reporter is going to get up. This is about to get real interesting.”
“Gabe won’t do you any good if he’s dead.” Mallory shook her head. “If you want anything done right, you have to do it yourself.”
“Uh oh.” Cain said, looking at his assistant. “I’ve seen that look before so I don’t want to be anywhere near here when you know what hits the fan. Besides, being in my office gives me plausible deniability when the police arrive for the dead body.” He smiled. “After the dust settles, bring what’s left of our boy to my office please.”
Mallory didn’t even acknowledge her boss as she started walking forward.
Pike jumped when Marilyn gently bit his ear, more startled than anything else. He pulled her away to ask her what she was doing, but as he did, he saw that she wasn’t even paying attention to him; she was looking at Tabatha. He glanced at K.D. but by the lost look on her face, he could tell she wouldn’t be any help either. What was going on? He wanted to scream. Then, he saw a familiar face coming toward him, it was Mallory; at last someone to help…or was she?
Even from a distance and through the low lights, he could see that something wasn’t right. Her walk was different. Usually she moved with strong, confident steps, even when she didn’t have someplace to be. Sauntering was the only word he could think of to describe the way she was walking, her hips gently swaying with each step. But the real change came when she came into the light.
As her body moved, her head remained still, her eyes focused like laser beams, locked on target, and he was the target. She wore a look that he had never seen before, one of controlled fury and passion. As she drew closer, Pike felt his chin hit the floor harder than the 30-ton anchor they’d just wrestled with. He felt the urge to swallow but discovered his mouth was too dry.
They say that clothes make the man or woman, but in this case, clothing had nothing to do with the tension. All she was wearing was a simple pullover sweater and jeans. She projected an air of beauty, confidence, and sexiness that was so hot he would not have had to use the Clipper to melt through the ice last night. At any moment he wouldn’t have been surprised if music would have start playing and a spotlight showed on her as she walked. As she moved, he half expected every light bulb in the place to explode from all the electricity in the room.
Mallory slipped past KD and with one quick glance, kept Tabatha in her seat. Seductively she slipped between Pike and Marilyn and took his arm then shot her a look that left no doubt who was in charge. “I’ll take it from here honey,” she said in a sickly sweet voice. As she led him toward the door, she slowly leaned up and whispered in his ear. “Close your mouth Gabe.” He silently obeyed as they walked out of the room, every eye in the place focused on them; the legend of Gabriel Pike soaring to new heights with each step. “Breathe, Gabe.” Mallory said as they stepped into the casino. Slowly his deer-in-the-headlight look began to fade.
“What just happened in there?” Pike asked, sounding like a man just coming out of a coma.
“And I thought my life was complicated.” Mallory laughed, leading Pike toward the elevator. “Nigel wants to see you in his office right away.”
“I’m having dinner with a friend then K.D. shows up out of nowhere. I start feeling like an idiot, then Marilyn appears and throws gasoline on the fire and then you stroll up.” His head began to clear and he stopped Mallory at the elevator. “Am I in trouble?”
Mallory laughed. “Let’s see here. You have three women interested in you all at the same time, a coworker, the bosses’ wife and a news reporter and they all show up at the same time. Gee, what could possibly go wrong?”
Pike shook his head. “No, I mean with Cain. Why are K.D. and Marilyn here? Did I do something wrong?”
“Your intern Tony Roberts is here too. And Nigel will explain everything to you.”
“Thank you for back there. I don’t know what I would have done.”
“I’m sure you would have figured something out.” Mallory smiled.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence but I’m not so sure. When it comes to women and matters of the heart, the Blast from the Past usually fizzles out. Maybe that’s why I’m still single.”
“Or, maybe the right girl for you hasn’t come along yet.”
Pike smiled. “You sound like my mother now.”
“Well maybe your mom is right. Tom and I were lucky. We found each other without having to go through a lot of the dating crap out there.”
“Yeah, you are lucky. I’ll see what Cain wants and if I get done early enough maybe I’ll swing by and see K.D.”
Mallory shook her head. “I don’t think I’d do that tonight if I were you. I think she’s going to need a little time. Just call it woman’s intuition.”
“I won’t argue with that. I’ll see you in the morning then…I hope.” He said and headed off towards Cain’s office.
K.D. sat down on her bed and felt like crying but she refused to. What made her even more furious was the fact that she really wasn’t sure why she wanted to cry. She had been looking forward to coming out here, working on this project and yes, working with Gabe; but now, now she was beginning to regret the whole thing. What had happened there in the restaurant? Did she have feelings for Gabe and it took the proverbial slap in the face to make her realize it? Maybe her feelings for him ran deeper than she wanted to admit.
But let’s face it, she told herself as she lay down and stared at the ceiling. What chance did she have with Gabe now? Maybe back in Seattle before all this started, but not now that he was famous and living in a whole other world and one that she barely belonged in anymore. How could she compete, even if she wanted to? She laughed out loud. She was honest enough with herself to know that she did, though she still wasn’t quite sure why. Marilyn? She knew she could handle her and besides, she wasn’t a real threat. She only wanted one thing and she would never get it and even if she did, she would quickly move on. But the other two were a different story.
She wasn’t sure, but she thought she recognized the girl in the blue dress from television. How could she go up against a celebrity? And that blue dress? K.D. got up and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She knew she wasn’t the prettiest woman in the world but she also knew she was not that bad looking. She’d turned a few heads in her time, but posing in front of the mirror, she wondered if those days were gone.
She tried to imagine herself wearing the blue dress but didn’t like the way she looked so she went to her suitcase to find some real clothes. The more she dug, the more frustrated she became. She sat down on the edge of the bed in defeat. All she had to wear were jeans, flannel shirts and frumpy old work boots, nothing to compete against a slinky blue dress. She didn’t even have a pretty nightgown, just an old oversize Mariners T-shirt. She could feel the tears welling inside but refused to let the dam burst.
She stood and began pacing back and forth, still clutching a handful of flannel shirts. And that other woman, the one who is supposed to be her boss, Beth Mallory;
what was her problem? She walked right passed me as if I wasn’t even there. Why is everyone always ignoring me? K.D. threw the shirts across the room in frustration and plopped down on the bed, no longer able to keep her tears in check.
She replayed the whole thing over and over again in her mind: Marilyn walking past her, ignoring her and focusing on little Miss Blue Dress and then biting Gabe on the ear. She picked up one of her boots and let it fly across the room, making a very satisfying crash as it hit the dresser. And that Beth woman, how unprofessional. Waltzing right up, ignoring me again. And how dare she shoot me a little wink as she strolled by with Gabe on her arm. But despite the tears, a small smile managed to find its way onto her face. It was kind of funny the way she kept Miss Blue Dress down with just a stare, and the look she handed Marilyn was priceless. She sure put her in her place. But she was still furious because of the way she ignored her, not even thinking she was a threat.
Suddenly she stopped in mid sob. “She ignored me because she didn’t think I was a threat.” That was it! This Beth chick wasn’t slamming her, she was telling the other two that Gabe was out of bounds, but she didn’t tell her that! Beth wasn’t an evil vixen but more like a silent partner.
With renewed confidence, she stood in front of the mirror again, posing with her flannel shirts. “Yeah, you’d be lucky to get any of this, Gabriel Pike,” she laughed. K.D. whirled around the room like a giddy schoolgirl, striking pose after pose, the weight of the world falling off her shoulders.
Chapter Thirty Two
Pike was disappointed that he’d missed his fried chicken dinner but was grateful that he had escaped with his life. He’d grabbed a candy bar from a vending machine and had just finished it when he reached Cain’s office.